|
A SONG AND A PRAYER |
|
MORNING MANNA It's February already! The month that everyone
seems to focus on, "love." As good as human love is, it can never match the love of God for His children.
Human love does not have the power to restore broken lives, broken emotions, broken relationships, and broken bodies.
God's love has all of that and more. Listen to what His love can do for you, no matter how low you have fallen.
On the wings of His love you can fly higher than you've ever been. Hear, "Higher Than I've Ever Been"
MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 4, 2010 I LOVE YOU TOO! 1 John 4:19 (AMP) I will confess that I have always had the feeling
that I really didn't know how to love God the way He wanted to be loved. I so identified with the song from "Jesus
Christ, Superstar," "I don't know how to love Him." I have prayed and asked God to help me know how to
love Him. I have never quite received or been able to hear a definite answer. Until today. As I was listening
to a sermon these words jumped out at me. "I love You too." Pretty simple! The idea is that we
really could be saying, instead of saying, "I love You, Lord," is "I love You too." A simple response to
the Word we have heard from Him. God has spoken His love to us throughout His Word and the outstanding thing is this; He
loved us first. We could not love Him at all, had He not loved us first and given us the love that
we can give back to Him! When Adam and Eve were in the garden and they had sinned, God did not stop loving them.
He was disappointed but He still loved them enough to call out to them. "Adam, where are you?"
Genesis 3:8-9 (NLT) 8 When
the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from
the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where
are you?” God knew exactly what Adam and Eve had done and He
knew exactly where they were. But, in love He called out to them, letting them see His love in action, showing
them that He would not leave them. His love would drive Him to go after them even though they had disobeyed
Him! He loved them enough to cover up their shame by sacrificing an animal, the way He would later sacrifice His
own Son for you and me. Genesis 3:21 (NLT) 21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins
for Adam and his wife. What better words could Adam and Eve have uttered after that but, "We love
you too"? No matter how many times I may have
ignored the Lord or turned away from Him, He has not stopped loving me! The same is true for you. We cannot stop
God's love by our sin. We only reject His love when we determine to be disobedient. He loved us so very much that
while we were still sinners, before we got cleaned up, He sacrificed His own perfect son for us. Romans 5:6-8 6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just
the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing
to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
While we were still steeped in our sin, God showed His great love for us! He gave His best for our worst!
It makes me think of a song with the following lyrics: "All I had to offer Him
was brokenness and strife but He made something beautiful of my life." Have you ever wondered if you loved
God enough? I realized today that, when we wonder that, we are actually thinking more of ourselves than we should!
Did I actually think I was so great that, in and of myself, I could love God as He should be loved? I guess I did!
Now, I realize that God has set me free. He has loved me with a great love when I did not deserve any love. He
has poured His love into me so that I might say back to Him, "I love you too." 1 Timothy 1:14 (NIV) In the New Living Translation and some other translations, 1 John 4:19 is translated like this: 19 We love each
other because he loved us first. The point is that you and I cannot love anyone else with a pure love unless
we have first received the love God has given us. I have also been keenly aware of my inability to love others the
way God wants me to love. Now I realize that it is impossible! That is, unless I realize that I can only love
from the storehouse of love God has first given me! I can also say, "I love you too," to you because God loved
me so much that I can now risk loving others. Love involves obedience which is a process in all of our lives.
1 John 2:4-5 (NLT) 4 If
someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not
living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely
they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. We learn as we go along and
walk in the revelation God gives us. Our love will grow more and more perfect as we become more and more obedient
to His Word. 1 John 4:17 (NLT) 17 And as we live in God, our love
grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like
Jesus here in this world. When we are attracted to someone, we usually start liking the things they like and
doing the things they like to do just to be with them. That's the way it is with us and God, only on a much higher level.
When we realize the immense love He has for us, we are attracted to Him. We begin to love Him because He has first sought
us out and loved us. We begin to love others because He loves them. 1 John 4:20-21 (NLT) 20 If someone says, “I love
God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see,
how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those
who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters. I am now learning that all my striving
to muster up enough love with which to love God was in vain. All I really had to do was to fully receive His love
and return it to Him. What He wants to hear from you and me in response to the many times He has assured us in scripture
that He loves us is, "I love You too!" Then, we can go that next step and love our brothers and
sisters with His love! What a simple thought! Maybe too simple, because it has nothing to do with my ability and
everything to do with God's love. It has nothing to do with my feeble attempts to figure out how to love and everything
to do with receiving God's love so I can offer it back to Him and spread it to those around me. Four simple words are
really all that's needed! Out of awe, reverence and gratitude I can say to the Lord, "I love You too!"
And our Heavenly Father is just as pleased (or more so) as you and I are when our little child looks up and says, "I
love you too!"  MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 3, 2010 DETOUR! Proverbs 16:9 (AMP) Have you ever been confidently going down the road and found that dreaded sign, "Detour?" You have
made your plans and are following them. You have plenty of time to reach your destination, in your estimation.
Everything is perfect. Almost. If you noticed that you did not receive Morning Manna in the last two days, please
note that I had one of those, "detours," a couple of days ago. My husband and I were completing a two-week
driving trip to California for his business. We had calculated the trip well, making our plans to be home so he could
be back in the office this past Monday morning. However, God had other plans. It's very hard to understand why
God sometimes interrupts our seemingly good plans and puts a detour in the way. However, we must never forget that His
plans and thoughts are much higher than ours. And, because His plan must be fulfilled, He will "rearrange"
ours to fit His. Isaiah 55:9 (ASV) 9 For
as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Although
we get set in our own plans which may even be good, God's plans are always the best. Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) 11 For I know the plans I have for
you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. So,
whether it is in a specific situation or a detour in the plans of our life, God will step in. On Saturday night after a long drive, we stopped at the hotel we had reserved for the night.
I was in some pain while driving but felt that if I could get into bed and relax it would go away. It did not.
It got worse. I was having severe chest pain and difficulty breathing. Last September the Lord snatched me from
death's door when I had a pulmonary embolism (for those of you who don't know what that is, it is a blood clot hitting
the lung. I had a shower of blood clots that hit both lungs). So, because the pain was much the same and I could
not get any relief from medication, my husband called 911 and I was whisked away once more to the hospital; in a strange city,
with doctors I did not know. Detours are not only inconvenient, they can be downright uncomfortable and very scary!
It is in those detours of life that we have to know that we know that we know that Jesus has promised never ever to
leave us. Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) 5 Keep your lives free from the
love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake
you." Wherever we find ourselves, we must be content with our circumstances, knowing that God is
with us. My husband's plans for getting back to work on Monday were dashed. I was unable to write the Morning
Manna. But, the important thing is that God had not deserted us! When we find ourselves in a detour of life, it's
good to remember the words that the Lord gave to Joshua during a difficult time in his life. Deuteronomy
31:8 (NIV The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not
be afraid, do not be discouraged. If you want to know the truth, I was afraid. I thought that the
results were going to be more blood clots. Praise God, that was not the report! If you want to know the truth,
I do believe my husband was discouraged. His plans for getting to the office were delayed and he never misses
a beat at work. We had some things to learn during this detour and, if God has placed a detour in a situation in your
life, He may have some things to teach you too. The important thing is that we do not take our eyes off of Him,
even if we find ourselves slipping into the arena of fear and discouragement. That would be playing right into the hands
of our enemy who wants us to fear. Romans 8:15-17 (NLT) 15 So you have not received a spirit
that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call
him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to
affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are
his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also
share his suffering. If you are tending toward fear or discouragement at this moment because things are not
going as you planned, put your trust in the one who has delivered you and set you free from these emotions and cling to the
knowledge that you are His child. You can cry out to Him, "Abba Father," and He will hear you. We will
not go through this life without a few detours but, if we are trusting God, they will be divine detours! He has a better
plan. They may not be comfortable detours because we may need to share in some of His suffering. But, we have
the assurance that this sharing will not even be an inkling of what He went through to free us from our sin.
Hebrews 12:3-4 (NLT) 3 Think of all the hostility he
endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After
all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. As I was being released from the hospital,
a nineteen year old boy was in charge of taking me to the door in a wheelchair. We began to talk about the Lord and
I was encouraged by the fact that he was a Christian. He wanted to be a youth leader and help other teens who are going
through the challenges of growing up in this sinful world and staying out of trouble. He confessed that he had gone
astray but was thankful that Jesus didn't come for the righteous. He came for sinners, with whom He sat to eat and loved
into the Kingdom of God. What an encouraging encounter! I am encouraged because there is such a need in the younger
generation and so few that are seeing it and doing something about it! I had the privilege to talking to someone who
was called of the Lord. A young person who may make a great change in this world for Christ. If that detour in
my life would not have taken place, I would not have that encouragement. I hope I have encouraged him too. I think
his name was Josh. Maybe I met the Joshua of the upcoming generation! I do not know what else God may have been
doing in that detour but I know that He works everything for good. (Romans 8;28) We need to be careful not to get too set in our own plans. James 4:13-16 (NLT) 13 Look here, you who say, “Today
or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.”
14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning
fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought
to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise
you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. When we find a detour in our
lives, if we are truly believers in Christ, we can know that it is a divine detour. Even if it is the enemy trying to
block our way, God is the one who turns everything into good! We won't always be comfortable, but we're called to be
content. And, contentment is possible when we remember that our steps are directed by the Lord. We may
not understand the "whys," and "wherefores," of our detours but we can trust that God's ways work the
best and be joyful in the fact that He is leading us. Proverbs 20:24 (NLT) 24 The Lord directs our steps, so
why try to understand everything along the way? With divine detours, come divine opportunities to see
things we have not seen before and meet others that we would not have met in our life's journey. Nothing is lost because
God is in control! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 30, 2010 ON THE ROAD AGAIN! Genesis 16:7 (AMP) Being
on the road is tiring but it can also be exciting! There are many occurrences in scripture where people have
had life-changing experiences while being, "on the road." Willie Nelson wrote lyrics that seem to indicate
that he was an "on the road again," type of guy. Some of us are and some of us would rather not be on the
road. I'm one who would probably not voluntarily get on the road but my husband is just the opposite. As
I sat in the passenger seat of the car after having riden more than three thousand miles in a two week period of time,
I decided to check out the scriptures on the subject of "roads." There's lots to be said about being
on the road! Willie Nelson writes about being on the road with the best of friends making music. The road
is not a bad place to be if you are with your best Friend is Jesus and you are singing His praises! The first example I found of being on a road was when Hagar was on the road to
Shur. She was not on a pleasure trip! She was running away from Sarai (Abram's wife). Genesis 16:8 (AMP) 8 And He said, Hagar, Sarai’s
maid, where did you come from, and where are you intending to go? And she said, I am running away from my mistress Sarai.
Hagar had been mistreated by her mistress, Sarai and she decided to run away. She was on the road to Shur
when the Angel of the Lord found her. She was in the wilderness and she most likely thought that no one could find her
there but God never loses track of where we are! Have you been running away from something that is bothering you in
life? Have you ever wanted to run away from a painful situation? That's just what Hagar did but God showed her
that He cared for her enough to find here there in the wilderness on the road to Shur. The Angel of the Lord met Hagar
on the road to Shur and gave her some pretty painful instructions. He told her to go back to Sarai. Genesis 16:9 (AMP) 9 The Angel of the Lord said to her, Go
back to your mistress and [humbly] submit to her control. I can imagine that Hagar was probably not
too thrilled with the instructions to go back and submit to Sarai's control! I know I wouldn't be. Nevertheless, the
Angel had cared enough for Hagar to find her and give her a promise. Genesis 16:10-11 (AMP) 10 Also the Angel of the Lord said
to her, I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be numbered for multitude. 11
And the Angel of the Lord continued, See now, you are with child and shall bear a son, and shall call his name
Ishmael [God hears], because the Lord has heard and paid attention to your affliction. God cares just
as much for you and me as He did for Hagar and, on this road of life, He meets us and gives us challenges; and promises
too! If you have been in a situation where you are afflicted, God has heard your prayers. A blessing will be ahead if
you will follow His instructions to you and believe His promises! Hagar must have been something like Willie Nelson. Soon, we find her, "on the road again."
This time she has seen God fulfill His promise to her and she has her son, Ishmael with her. She is not running away
from Sarai this time. By this time, God has changed Sarai's name to Sarah. Sarah, knowing that her son, Isaac,
was Abraham's true heir, told Abraham to kick Hagar and her son, Ishmael, out. Genesis 21:9-10 (AMP) 9 Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the
Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking [Isaac] 10 Therefore she
said to Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for the son of this bondwoman shall not be an heir with my son Isaac. And
so, we find Hagar on the road again. Eventually she had no water left for she and her son. Genesis 21:14-15 (AMP) 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning
and took bread and a bottle of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulders, and he sent her and the youth
away. And she wandered on [aimlessly] and lost her way in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15 When
the water in the bottle was all gone, Hagar caused the youth to lie down under one of the shrubs. Unlike Willie
Nelson, I don't think Hagar was happy about being on the road again this time! But, once again, the Lord was watching
out for her. She thought that surely her son would die from lack of water so she sat down and wept. Ishmael
was weeping too and God heard them! Genesis 21:16-17 (AMP) 16 Then she went and sat down opposite
him a good way off, about a bowshot, for she said, Let me not see the death of the lad. And as she sat down opposite him,
he lifted up his voice and wept and she raised her voice and wept. 17 And God heard
the voice of the youth, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, What troubles you, Hagar? Fear
not, for God has heard the voice of the youth where he is. Hagar may have forgotten about her previous road
trip. She sat there broken and weeping unable to imagine any provision out on the lonely road. Then the Angel
of God called to her from heaven with the assurance that God had seen and heard her. He now gave both Hagar and Ishmael
another promise, along with His provision. Genesis 21:18-19 (AMP) 18 Arise, raise up the youth and
support him with your hand, for I intend to make him a great nation. 19 Then God opened
her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the [empty] bottle with water and caused the youth to drink.
Hagar was so impressed that, after the first visit from the Angel of the Lord, she declared the following:
Genesis 16:13 (AMP) 13 So she called the name of the
Lord Who spoke to her, You are a God of seeing, for she said, Have I [not] even here [in the wilderness] looked upon Him Who
sees me [and lived]? Or have I here also seen [the future purposes or designs of] Him Who sees me? Yes!
Road trips can be a time of new experiences whether we're actually physically on the road or whether we are just walking the
pathway of life. We can know, just like Hagar, that God see's everything we go through and makes a way on the road in
the wilderness. Are you being challenged on the road of life? Has God given you some difficult instructions to
follow? We all have a whole Book of promises that God has given us for our trip through life. When
we seek the Kingdom of God first and make Him our traveling partner, we also have the promise that God will provide for
our every need on every road we travel! Here is how the writer of "The Message," paraphrases Matthew 6:32-34 (MSG). 32 People who don't know God and
the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. 33 Steep
your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human
concerns will be met. 34 "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right
now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come
up when the time comes. Do you find yourself on a lonely road, with doubts as to whether you can make
it? Do you wonder if God sees where you are? Do you worry about provision? Be encouraged! Let's remember Hagar
and know that God is the God who really sees our every move and will make provision for every road on which we travel along our
journey of life! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 29, 2010 THE LORD WILL NOT WITHHOLD ANYTHING THAT IS GOOD FOR US Psalms 84:11 (NLT) What a good Heavenly
Father we have! He won't keep anything from us that is good for us! However, we have a part to play
in that. He won't withhold anything good from those who do what is right! While it is not our deeds that will reserve
a place for us in the courts of Heaven, when we are walking by faith, we will be doing what is right! Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT) 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it
is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we
have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. We were
created to do right and when we do what He has called us to do according to His purpose, He will work all things together
for our good! Romans 8:28 28 And we know that God causes everything
to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Because God will withhold nothing good from
us, it is natural to want to be right where He is! The Psalmist declared that he fainted with longing to enter the courts
of the Lord! Psalm 84:1-2 (NLT) 1 How
lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 2 I long, yes, I faint
with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. We
know that we have a place to go when this life on earth is over and that's reason enough to shout joyfully to the Lord.
If we have followed God and done right, great reward awaits us. Great joy is promised for those who can live in
the house of God and who are always singing His praises! Psalm 84:4 (NLT) 4 What joy for those
who can live in your house, always singing your praises. Interlude Thank God that, if we are believers.
Jesus lives in us! We are already in His presence! Joy is ours and that is why we can continually sing His praises! Strength and joy really do go together. There will be times when we walk through
the Valley of Weeping. That's just the way life is. Psalm 84:6 (NLT) 6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place
of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. Maybe you are walking through that valley
right now. Our joy comes from knowing that the Lord has promised to walk through every valley with us, even the valley
of death. Psalm 23:4 (NLT) 4 Even when I walk through the darkest
valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Even
if we happen to be in the Valley of Weeping, the Lord is with us and He is our strength. Psalm 84:5 5 What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds
on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. As Christians, we are on a journey to the New Jerusalem where there will
be no more weeping. We walk in the strength of the Lord and carry His joy with us, even through our tears.
God has a way of turning our fears and tears into good. Psalm 84:7 (NLT) 7 They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear
before God in Jerusalem. As the Psalmist declares, we will grow stronger and stronger, able to reach
our destination. Hebrews 12:1-4 (NLT) 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of
witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips
us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,
the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its
shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured
from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives
in your struggle against sin. If you are in that Valley of Weeping, remember that God promises
to make it a place of refreshing springs! Do not grow weary or become faint hearted! Galatians 6:9-10 (NLT) 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just
the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up 10 Therefore, whenever we
have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. Focus
on your Savior and your destination! Psalm 84:8 (NLT) 8 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,
hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. Interlude Continually let your prayers rise to the One
who listens to every one of them and always be joyful, knowing that God has promised not to withhold anything good from you,
as you do His will. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NLT) 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. God has good things in store us. All we have
to do is remember that He has promised the following. If we will do right, keep running the race, stay joyful
in all circumstances (notice that I said, "in" all circumstances - not "because" of all circumstances),
and pray constantly, we will find refreshing streams are just ahead! God will not withhold
any good thing from us! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 28, 2010 EVEN
THE TREES ARE CLAPPING! Isaiah 55:12 (NLT) This morning I am looking over
a very peaceful piece of property that my mother and father left for my sister and I. There are rolling green hills
as far as you can see and numerous live oak trees with their branches lifted to the sky as if in worship. There
is no noise except for the dogs barking joyfully and the ducks quacking happily. Once in a while the blind
cow moos nicely even though she cannot see a thing. She is happy where she is, knowing that someone has taken her in
and cares for her. She can't see but she can hear and she follows the voice of the ones who care for her.
I'm thinking that we can't see Jesus in person but we do know that He cares about every detail of our lives. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (AMP) 6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote,
lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, 7
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on
Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. We're kind of like the little
blind cow. We can't see the One who cares for us but we can hear His Words of love to us. We can know that we
are cared for and that He watches over us at all times. The cow has to trust that those who are caring for her will
do a good job, even though she can't see what they are doing. Have you ever known that God is doing something in your
life but you don't know what it is? You can't see Him with your eyes and you don't know what He is moving and arranging
so that you will be safe, but you just know He is doing it! The
Lord, our Shepherd and caretaker, takes care of us spiritually blind sheep just like my sister and her husband take care of
that blind cow. He gives us food to eat, both spiritual and physical. He also gives us seed to sow so that we
will be able to continue to eat in the future. Isaiah 55:10 (NLT) 10 “The rain and snow come
down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry. Have you sown any of the seed of His Word recently? If so,
it will grow into a harvest of blessing. Here is an example of how God wants us to sow what He has sown into us, taken
from "The Message": Hosea 10:12 (MSG) 12 Sow righteousness, reap love.
It's time to till the ready earth, it's time to dig in with God, Until he arrives with righteousness ripe for harvest.
God's Word never fails. When He sows it into you and me, it never comes back void. Isaiah 55:11 (NLT) 11 It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
Have you soaked in His Word this morning? It will accomplish so much in our lives. It prospers everywhere
God sends it! He even sends it to us for spiritual, emotional, mental and physical healing! I know that is true
because I have been snatched from the door of death at least three times that I know of! However, since we cannot
see everything God is doing, none of us know how many times His unfailing Word has been sent to keep us from destruction! Psalm 107:20 (NLT) 20 He sent out his word and healed
them, snatching them from the door of death. Yes! The Word He speaks always brings life! As I gaze out over the serenity of hill after hill covered with trees raising their
branches upward, I am reminded that the earth was not always this way. At first the earth was a big mess. It was
without form and void. Genesis 1:2 (NKJV) 2 The
earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face
of the waters. Isn't it wonderful that God cares about everything He creates! It didn't look too good
but He loved it so much, He could not bear to leave it the way it was. His Spirit gently hovered over it like a new
mother over her precious child. Then He sent His Word and began to heal it! Genesis 1:3 (NKJV) 3 Then God said, "Let there be
light"; and there was light. And so, the process began. God worked for six days to bring
order and beauty to the earth He had created. His Word was what created everything and His Word was what brought order
out of chaos and fullness to what was once void. He does that in our lives also. Certainly, we are born with
a sinful nature. Romans 8:7-8 (NLT) 7 For the sinful nature is always
hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s
why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. Many times we fall short
of God's glory! Romans 3:23 (ASV) 23 for all have sinned, and fall
short of the glory of God; A perfectly holy God, although He loves us dearly, cannot look upon our
sin. So, because, He loves us so much, He sent His Word to bring order and holiness into our lives.
Like the world looked at first, we were all pretty much looking like a mess. Many of our lives were filled with
thorns and brambles. Isaiah 55:13 (NLT) 13
Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. Then
God spoke. He spoke through His Son who is the Word. Hebrews 1:2 (TLB) 2 But now in these days he has spoken
to us through his Son to whom he has given everything and through whom he made the world and everything there is. The
same Holy Spirit that brooded and hovered over the chaotic new world hovers and broods over our lives. He speaks through
Jesus. John 1:14 (AMP) 14 And the Word (Christ) became
flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory
(His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness)
and truth. That Word comes into our lives, even into our being and dwells there restoring broken, torn, painful
chaotic lives and filling them with His love and power! No wonder that God says the trees of the field will clap
their hands! No wonder Jesus said that, if the disciples didn't cry out in praise, the very rocks would sing
His praises! Luke 19:37-40 (NLT) 37 When
they reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they
walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. 38 “Blessings
on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” 39
But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like
that!” 40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would
burst into cheers!” When the Word of God speaks, chaos is dispelled and we are filled with the
joy of the Lord which becomes our strength for life! The Word contains so much joy and strength that it says, even the
trees will clap their hands. Gazing out at these trees with uplifted branches, I can almost see them begin to clap because
the Word has spoken this morning and there is peace! Does anyone want to clap their hands and sing out with joy?
If not, the Lord is able to make even stones and trees have that pleasure! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 27, 2010 HE WILL BE IN THE MIDST OF OUR MESSES Matthew 10:16 (KJV) Isn't it interesting that Jesus sends us right into the midst of messes?
He sends us forth as sheep in the midst of wolves! Sometimes I wonder why He would send us right into the storms of
life. Are you in one of those storms right now? Before we blame everything on the devil, let's think about this
for a moment. The One who holds us in the palm of His hand will sometimes send us into a storm to increase our faith
in Him. One evening, after ministering to multitudes of people, Jesus sent His disciples into the midst of a raging
storm. Matthew 14:22 (NLT) 22 Immediately after this, Jesus
insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home.
An even stranger thing than this is the fact that the disciples were probably already tired and spent.
Just before ordering them to leave in their boat without Him, He had increased their faith by having them learn that they
needed to put some effort into feeding a multitude of people. They had to perform a task that was impossible.
Matthew 14:15-16 (NLT) 15 That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This
is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for
themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”
Now, what would we have done if we were those tired disciples and Jesus told us to feed well over five thousand
people in a remote area? What if we had only five loaves and two fishes? Jesus is looking into our eyes and telling
us to feed that multitude but we basically have nothing. Oh, here are only five loaves and two fishes. What can
we possibly do with them? That's not even enough for us! I'll bet the disciples were hungry too! They
knew those five loaves and two fishes were as good as nothing but Jesus said, "Bring them here." What do you have that seems like nothing to you? Will you be humble enough to
hand it over Jesus when He's put you in the midst of an impossible situation? Will you let Him increase your faith
and realize that when you are the weakest, with nothing much to offer Him, He will make you strong and increase your nothingness
to more than enough? Matthew 14:19:20 (NLT) 19 Then he told the people to sit
down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the
loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. 20 They all ate as much
as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. The tired and hungry disciples
only had five loaves and two fishes to divide among themselves, yet when they gave the little they had to Jesus, five thousand
men and even more women and children ate until they were all full and then there were twelve full baskets of food left over
so that each disciple had a full basket to eat until they were full too. Jesus had put them in the midst of
an impossible situation that could have turned into chaos as a giant group of hungry people turned into an angry mob.
But, because Jesus was in the midst of that mess, everyone was fed until their cup was overflowing. Psalm 23:5 (NLT) 5 You prepare a feast for me in
the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.
Here were the disciples in a crowd of thousands of people and not all of them were there because they were believers.
Some were there to find ways to bring accusation to Jesus and to persecute Him. All of them were fed anyway. What
could have been a mess was turned into a message because Jesus was in the midst of His disciples and His disciples were in
the midst of that crowd. But it doesn't end there. Don't you
just want to sit back and enjoy it when Jesus does something powerful in you and through you? Sorry. No time to
sit back. At least not for the disciples that night. As filled with food and with the Word of God as they were,
they were still tired. Instead of telling them to go get some rest, Jesus sends them to the other side of the lake alone,
knowing they will be caught in another mess. (Matthew 14:22) So, the obedient disciples set out in their boat perhaps thinking it will be a glorious trip because
Jesus sent them. Surprise, surprise! It's the middle of the a very dark night and the wind starts blowing.
Soon they are in the midst of another mess! Have you ever felt that way in your life? Do you think God is against
you and playing tricks on you? No! He is using the storms of our lives to increase our faith. Taking us from faith
to faith and glory to glory! Romans 1:17 (KJV) 17 For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. As we give
back to Him whatever we have, no matter how small, right in the midst of the storms of our lives, He moves in to make
us more like Him, as He frees us from all bondage. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (KJV) 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit:
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of the Lord. Jesus sent the disciples into a place where He already knew they would be in the midst of another
mess. Just when it was the darkest, in the middle of the night, the disciples fought the angry waves of a storm-driven
sea. Jesus was not surprised. He had sent them into that storm alone on purpose. He was about to show them
that in the midst of our worst storms, He will come to us. He will meet us right where we are. Matthew 14:25-27 (NLT) 25 About three o’clock in
the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples
saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take
courage. I am here!” We may not even recognize Him at first. The disciples didn't. All
they had within them was fear! Fear will blind our eyes from the presence of the Lord. But, Jesus reassures you
and me, even today, that we don't need to fear. We can take courage and be strong in our faith because He is in our
midst. If you are a, "Peter," you may be so excited at recognizing the Lord walking on the waves of your life
that you want to jump right out of the boat and walk on them too. That's perfectly acceptable in the Lord's sight.
He encouraged Peter to come to Him and Peter did. He did so well. Until He took His eyes off of the one who was
in the midst of the waves and found himself in the midst of another mess! Matthew 14:28-31 (NLT) 28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord,
if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes,
come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30
But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!”
he shouted. 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little
faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” Sometimes we run ahead of ourselves,
thinking that we can do anything. We can. Unless we take our eyes off of Jesus. Then, we too, will find
ourselves sinking. "Help Lord!" Have you been there and done that? Do you remember that the Lord
graciously extended His hand to you and brought you through? There are two kinds of people. The ones who stay
in the boat and observe and those who take a risk and get out of the boat. Peter got out and found that the Lord needed
to do more work in His life. He may have seemed a failure at that moment but God continued to work with him until he
became one of the most powerful men of God that ever lived! The ones in the boat observed this example and learned from
it. The Lord helped Peter and they both got back in the boat. When Jesus was finally fully in the midst of them,
the winds died down. Matthew 14:32 (NLT) 32 When they climbed back
into the boat, the wind stopped. When He was fully in the midst of them and it was evident to them that
He was the Son of God. They worshipped Him. Matthew 14:33 (NLT) 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really
are the Son of God!” they exclaimed. So, whether the devil has tripped us up or whether God has placed
us right in the midst of storms, it doesn't really matter. The point is that God wants to be in our midst. He
wants all of our worship. He wants us to know that He is with us through the good times and the bad times. He will
actually send us into the midst of a wild world filled with wolves because He is making us more and more like Himself.
More and more able to effect a change in our world because we are wise with His wisdom and we are as meek as His Spirit
which is represented by a dove. If you are in the midst of a mess, know that He is with you in that mess and He will
surely use it as a message to those who are looking on. Whether you are the "Peter," who gets out of the boat
or the other disciples who learn from observing, the Kingdom is at hand and the King is in the midst. Don't be afraid.
Just fix your eyes on Jesus and don't look at the storm. Let Him into the boat of your life and soon you will find that
the winds have died down. Your faith will have increased. You will be more like your Savior and ready to
go on to bigger and better times of testimony and ministry! Matthew 14:34-36 (NLT) 34
After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 When the people recognized Jesus, the
news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed.
36 They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 26, 2010 Matthew 18:20 (NLT) IT'S
A DUET, IT'S A TRIO! NOW, ITS A WHOLE CHOIR! You know, as
much as I like to sing solos, I'm thinking that God is not really into solos! I see that all through scripture.
Abraham was a friend of God. James 2:23 (TLB) 23 And so it happened just as the
Scriptures say, that Abraham trusted God, and the Lord declared him good in God’s sight, and he was even called "the
friend of God." God declared Abraham His own friend because Abraham chose to believe in and trust God.
He had faith. As a friend of God, Abraham was able to do good things but He didn't do those things alone. Abraham
did not sing a solo. He did a duet with God. Genesis 12:2-3 (NLT) 2 I will make you into a great nation.
I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I
will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through
you.” As believers and children of Abraham, by faith, you and I can make a difference in the world.
We can bless those around us but we, for sure, are not doing it solo! God blessed Abraham and made Abraham a blessing
to others. God blesses you and me, and it is because of His blessing, that blessing will fall on those around us.
It's a duet! As we are obedient and we walk with God as friend with Friend, we will be able to go the places He wants
to go and meet the people He wants to bless. When we carry His Words of mercy, grace, compassion, comfort and healing
in our hearts, He will pull them out at just the right time. Our tongue will no longer have a mind of it's own, it will
bring forth blessing from God that will fall on others. We can never really sing a solo in life. If we try to
go it on our own without allowing God into the music, the devil will certainly move in and grab the chance to sing that duet
with us! The writer of, "The Message," paraphrases it this way: Proverbs 18:21 (MSG) 21 Words
kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose. We can choose with whom we
will sing the song of life. Will it be with the giver of Life or the one who is only out to steal, kill and destroy?
John 10:10 (NLT) 10 The thief’s purpose is
to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I have also noticed that Jesus did not send any one disciple out by himself. He sent them out two by two.
Luke 10:1 (NLT) As Jesus sends us out with His Word, most of the time it is two by two. As
others receive and are blessed, they too begin to fan out and spread more blessing. At first we have a duet, then it
becomes a trio and soon it evolves into a whole choir! Having the Lord in our midst gives us great cause for singing
and rejoicing. At some point, when the King of Kings rules the earth, there will be a great choir singing and rejoicing
because He is welcomed into His rightful place right in the midst of us! Zechariah 2:10 (KJV) 10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter
of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. For now, it is never a solo
for us. God joins those who belong to Him in a song of life. Even if we find ourselves feeling alone, there
will always be a duet. As we sing our praises to God, He moves into our lives and sings back to us! Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT) 17 For the Lord your God is living among
you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will
rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Our mighty Savior actually sings over us, bringing us delight!
Can you hear Him now? He is in the midst of us, even as we read His Word together, calming our fears and bringing
us reassurance. He is soothing and quieting us with His love song! Listen for His voice. Join in singing praises
to Him as He rejoices over you with His joyful songs! Are you singing yet? There is a song with the
lyrics, "He started the whole world singing a song." It starts with a duet between us and God and develops
into the time when the whole world will sing His song! Because Jesus is among us, why don't we just join together
and start singing His song right now! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 25, 2010 HE DID, HE WILL AND HE IS GOING TO CONTINUE 2 Corinthians 1:10 (NLT) There's no doubt about it.
We're going to have our share of trouble as long as we live in this world. John 16:33 (NLT) 33 I have told you all this so that
you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the
world.” Think of the things you have faced in your life. It may have been natural disasters
or it may have been disaster brought about by your own unwise decisions. It may be a rebellious child or an abusive
or unloving spouse. It may be financial and it could be emotional. It may be the grief of losing a loved one or
the grief experienced by rejection or loss of a job. There is a whole host of troubles in this world and Jesus never
promised us that we would be exempt just because we are believers. I remember that song, "I beg your pardon, I
never promised you a rose garden." That is surely the case when we live in this world. While it's true that
we will see the beauty and smell the fragrance of roses while walking this earth, we will also feel the thorns as
we brush by them and get pricked. When Jesus walked this earth, He was not exempt from troubles and trials!
Isaiah 53:3 (NIV) 3 He was despised and rejected by
men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed
him not. One of the greatest
Christians of all time, the Apostle Paul, was not exempt from troubles either. In fact he suffered more than most of
us will ever suffer in our lifetimes. Still, Paul gave praise to God. One of the reasons being that God, our Father
is full of compassion and He truly is the God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3 (NIV) 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of compassion and the God of all comfort, Do you sometimes wonder why you are going through a particular trial
even though you have done your best and you can't figure out why you are having to suffer? First of all, this world
is full of sin and we have an enemy that is constantly trying to send trouble our way. But, we also have the Word of
God that tells us that all things work together for the good if we love God and are called according to His purpose.
Notice that I said, HIS purpose, and not our own! Romans 8:28 (NIV) 28 And
we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This is difficult to remember when we have been handed the stem end of a rose! However, God takes the
bad in our lives and uses it for good if we will just lean on Him and trust His heart, even when we can only seem to see the
hand of the enemy. When we go through tough things, and the key word is "through," God will take that
mess and turn it into a wonderful message that will help someone else along the way. As we go, "through,"
God comforts us. He does that so that we can then be a comfort to others later on in life who are going through what
we went through. 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 (NIV) 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those
in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. We can comfort them with
the comfort that God once gave us and remind them that, they too, can get through. While we do that, using something
that was difficult for us in the past to help someone in the now, God is conforming us more and more to the image of
His Son! Romans 8:29-30 (NIV) 29
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called,
he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. As I read over this paragraph, I see a
clear picture of how God uses our trials to give us testimonies. Testimonies of how He can comfort us and see us through.
Testimonies we can use to help others get through too. Can you? Now, getting
back to the title of this Morning's Manna, "He Did, He Will, and He Will Continue." We will continue to have
seasons of trouble and suffering in this sinful world. Just like Jesus did. 2 Corinthians 1:5 (NIV) 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ
flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. But, these troubles will not destroy
us; they will make us more like Jesus. With suffering and struggling, comes the compassion and comfort of a Heavenly
Father who loves us enough to want to help us to be just like His own perfect Son! As Paul described his own sufferings,
he just felt as though he would die! Have you ever felt that way? 2 Corinthians 1:9 (NIV) 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt
the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. I
see that, although Paul felt as if he would die, he realized why all of these things were happening. He realized that
God was going to use it for good. When we are in a struggle, we have three choices. We can do nothing and remain
unchanged in our pity pit. We can run from God because we blame Him for all of our troubles. Or, we can run into
the arms of the God of all compassion and comfort. We can admit that, in and of ourselves, we are at ground zero.
We can confess that our desire is to quit relying on ourselves and rely on Him. When we make the right choice to stop
relying on our own understanding and rely on God, He is free to step into the picture and rescue us. He did this in
the past for me and I'm sure you can relate your own stories of when God did it for you in the past. Right now, in whatever
struggles and trials we may be in, God is still there and He will rescue us when we admit we cannot rescue ourselves.
And, guess what!?! Best of all is the fact that He will continue to rescue and deliver us when trials come our way.
Even though the trials may be difficult and we may feel some pain, God will use that pain to bring us gain! As we trust
Him, we will become more and more like Jesus. We will have opportunities to spread the compassion and comfort of God
to many around us! All because God did rescue us in the past and we can draw on those experiences. We can know
that because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, that He will rescue us from whatever it is we are going through
now. Then, we do not have to fear the future, no matter what people are saying or what we see going on around us because
our God of compassion and comfort will go through it with us and He will continue to deliver us. I feel better now,
knowing that I'm completely covered and able to help cover others! I hope you do too. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 24, 2010 LOST AND FOUND Luke 15:1-2 (NLT) 1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen
to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain
that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! I have been amazed recently at the love and detailed care of my Savior. Right now, I have a
lot of things on my mind and I have been somewhat forgetful. I will put something down somewhere and then
forget where I put it. When I need that particular thing, it's easy for me, and has been my pattern in the past, to
get frustrated and start complaining and fussing. That only makes things worse, especially if I'm around anyone else!
However, I have had so much trouble with this particular problem of misplacing things and even losing them that the Lord has
spoken, even through those situations. He has urged me to lean on Him and to remember that nothing is lost to
Him. He knows where everything is! How close are we walking to Him? How much are we communicating with
Him? When we suddenly realize that we have lost something, are we in close enough communication to say, "Lord,
I can't remember. I can't find this thing by myself. But, You know exactly where it is. Will You tell me
or show me where it is?" Even in the little things of everyday life, Jesus is calling us to recognize that we can
do nothing without Him. John 15:4 (NLT) 4 Remain in me, and I will remain
in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in
me. When I am frustrated at the fact
that I cannot find something that I need, I get distracted and, if I do not quickly take my focus off of the lost
item and look to Jesus, I cannot be fruitful in any way! Lately, I have started to instantly ask Him where things are
if I have lost them. Although this may seem hard to believe and some may be a bit skeptical, He does show me or
tell me where the lost item is! The other day, I had misplaced a check. It had somehow gotten stuck between the
folds of another letter that was in my pile of things to do (and it's a big pile). I started to panic because I needed
to deposit that check. I doubted my own self by thinking that I threw it away with the trash. Then, I remembered
that the Lord was with me. I had just asked Him to show me where it was when I picked up another letter out of the pile
and out floated the check from between it's folds! There was no way I could doubt that He had heard me and answered
my prayer. Things like that have happened a lot lately and I can hardly keep from just bursting forth with praise.
If anyone was in the house with me, they would probably think I was crazy hearing the way my out-loud conversation with the
Lord goes! He is such a good Friend. He cares about every little and big thing in my life - and yours too!
He even gave us a parable about a woman losing a coin in her house to demonstrate that He is interested in lost things.
Luke 15:8-9 (NLT) 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten
silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it?
9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have
found my lost coin.’ Jesus gives another example about a man losing a sheep. Luke 15:4-5 (NLT) 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what
will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until
he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. While it is extremely wonderful to remember that Jesus
has promised to be our Friend and that He cares about every lost thing in our lives, it is even more wonderful to
remember why He gave us the illustrations of people being able to find things that they had lost. He tells us those
things to point us to the fact that people are lost! Without Jesus, we are all lost but our Father knows exactly where
we are even if we don't even know where we are ourselves. He is just waiting for us to "come to ourselves,"
as the prodigal son did and realize that we need to stay under the covering of His care. Luke 15:17-18) 17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At
home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I
will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19
and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
Perhaps you are a believer and have prodigal children. Children who have been running from the Lord
and perhaps even running from you. Let me tell you, this same Jesus, who finds things for us that are lost, will hear
our prayers and find those prodigal children making a way for them to come home to their Heavenly Father and be reconciled
to their families here on earth. Jesus looks for and saves our children and hears our prayers when we cry out for their
souls. He came to look for and save our lost children! Luke 19:10 (NIV) 10 For the Son of Man came to seek
and to save what was lost." If you find that you, yourself, are that prodigal child, the Father
is waiting for you to come to yourself, turn around, and come back to His arms. He's waiting and looking for
you from the porch of Heaven with open arms if you will make a decision to come home to Him. Luke 15: 20 (NLT) 20 “So he returned home to his
father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son,
embraced him, and kissed him. Your Father is waiting for you to come to Him with these words: ........ ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of
being called your son.’ (Luke 15:21) I am privileged to have just been asked to teach our grand daughter to sing, "Amazing Grace."
It is because of God's amazing grace that He is always looking for those who are lost! As the song says, "I once
was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see." You would think that our Heavenly Father would be
angry with someone who was lost but it is not His desire that any one of us are lost. The writer of "The Message,"
puts it this way: 2 Peter 3:9 (MSG) 9 God
isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because
he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change. Not only that, there is a
party in Heaven when even one lost sinner is found! Luke 15:7 (NLT) 7 In the same way, there is more
joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t
strayed away! Yes! Our Heavenly Father is just waiting for that one lost child to come home to Him.
Luke 15:22 (NLT) 22 “But his father
said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals
for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with
a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost,
but now he is found.’ So the party began. If that child happens to be you, come on
home right now. If you are still praying for your lost children, do not give up! Keep on praying to the One
whose specialty it is to find the lost! James 5:16-18 (NLT) 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for
each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would
fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky
sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. Never give up on praying for anyone who might be lost!
It may take years but God hears our fervent prayers! Won't it be wonderful when we reach Heaven to find
that we have been partners with the Lord to bring our lost children back to Him? Not only our lost children but
the many lost children in this world who will never know how to come home unless we follow Jesus, look for them, reach
out to them, and pray for them. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 23, 2010 HOPE BEGINS WITH FAITH Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) There are three things that will last for eternity. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT) 13 Three things will last forever—faith,
hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. The thing is that, as far as I can see, you can't have
any one of these things without the other. I have a treasured prayer that a long time friend wrote and graciously
copied for me. In it, he wrote, "Help us to understand that our uplifted hope begins with our faith in you."
That's true. The Apostle Peter tells us why we can have "uplifted hope." It is because of
what God has done for us in raising Jesus from the dead. 1 Peter 1:18-21 (NLT) 18 For you know that God paid a
ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.
19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you
in these last days. 21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you
have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. Living
in a world that is full of corruption and violence would seem like a useless existence if we did not have hope. But,
hope by itself, is not much comfort. It is only when we realize that our uplifted hope begins with our faith and trust
in the Lord. Without faith and trust in the Lord, our hope would be empty. Simply a "wish upon a star,"
with no power to allow us to see the manifestation of that hope. That's the difference between wishing and hoping. Hope
is fueled by our faith. What is your hope built upon? There
is an old song written by Edward Mote way back somewhere between 1797-1874 called, "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less."
It's lyrics give us the Biblical perspective that we can build our hope on nothing but the following: "My
hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on
Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand". For centuries men and
women have put their hope in Christ, the solid Rock. Even when things seem to turn sour and life feels hopeless, they
have turned to God and we can do the same. We can look past the circumstances surrounding our lives with uplifted hope!
Here are more lyrics from that same song. " His oath, His covenant, and blood support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is
sinking sand." If you are going through a time of overwhelming floods in your life where all your resources
seem to have come to an end, look up with uplifted hope in the One who is with you and the One who will help you to stand
when all the ground about you seems to be sinking sand. It's
not always easy to lift our heads to the Lord when trials and troubles surround us. And there will be times that this
will happen. But, Paul has given us some good advice in the area of hope. 1 Thessalonians 5:7-8 (NKJV) 7 For those who sleep, sleep at
night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day
be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. The covering
for our head is the hope of salvation. Do you have your helmet of hope on today? Is the hope of salvation the
thing that covers you and allows you to trust the Lord and keep your faith? It is not always easy to be patient
in times of turmoil and troubles either but Paul tells us in Romans 5:4 that as our patience develops, our character will become stronger. That will help us to trust
God more and more. Finally our hope and faith will be strong and even steady. Romans 5:1-5 (NIV) Therefore, since we have been justified
through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom
we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces
perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom
he has given us. Uplifted hope will never disappoint us! Will you say with me the following verses written
by the Psalmist? Psalms 33:20-22 (NLT) 20 We
put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 22, 2010 GREAT TESTIMONIES COME FROM GREAT TESTS! Matthew 10:18 (NLT) As believers, we are not exempt from great tests. God
makes the rain fall on the just and the unjust. Matthew 5:44-45 (NLT) 44 But I say, love your enemies!
Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true
children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just
and the unjust alike. Testings will come from both people and from things like natural disasters. The
people on the west coast of California are suffering great damage to their property during the current storms that are ravaging
the area. But, I am most touched by those in Haiti who have suffered testing like most people will never experience
in their lifetimes. Several things come to mind as I see the devastation that has come upon Haiti by the recent earthquakes.
One thing that stands out is that experts are tending toward giving up the search for survivors because it has been many days
and those still buried in the rubble have had nothing to eat or drink. According to the experts, one cannot go without
water for more than three days without dying. Mankind is very intelligent and all of that intelligence comes from God,
whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. He is the source of all intelligence. But, our own intelligence and
logic is not enough for us to make snap decisions about life! Our lives are all in His hands and He will do with us
what He wills. Psalm 66:8-9 (TLB) 8 Let everyone bless
God and sing his praises; 9 for he holds our lives in his hands, and he holds our
feet to the path. There will be tests along the way but, the greater the test, the greater the testimony
for those who yield to the Lord and come out singing! I say, "come out singing," because I was impressed when they pulled a woman out of a demolished building
after many days of her being trapped there and even crushed between two metal poles. According to the, "experts,"
she could not live that long in that condition and without food or water. It was way more than just three days!
However, she did live! The experts are not in charge of how long God gives life to a human being. He can
do anything He wants to do. No matter what happens to us, if He is not finished with us yet, we will still be here on
this earth to give Him the glory. I know that because I have faced it up close and personally in my life.
However, not as up close and personal as this woman who was pulled from the shambles of destruction. Guess what?
If you didn't see the film clip, let me tell you what happened. As they pulled her out, she broke into a loud song of
thanksgiving to God! This should not have been possible in her weakened condition. But, God knew her
heart. He knew that if He gave her a great test and an even greater miracle, she would immediately burst forth
in song, no matter how her crushed and bruised body felt! She had been tested greatly but, all the while, she had known
in whose hands she had been and she gave Him glory as she came through! Great testing will bring a great testimony
if we are determined to lean on and trust in God even when everyone else says, "it's impossible." The following
words could probably have been heard from this woman's heart: Psalm 56:12-13 (TLB) 12 I will surely do what I have
promised, Lord, and thank you for your help. 13 For you have saved me from death and
my feet from slipping, so that I can walk before the Lord in the land of the living. God surely saved her from
death and, if she did nothing else, she praised Him on worldwide television! She had no idea she would be placed in
front of rulers and, virtually in front of the whole world. She had to go through a great test before that happened!
But, she came out singing and everyone knew that God had wrought a miracle! It is obvious that this woman had determined to pray as long as she had breath! Psalm 116:1-2 (TLB) 1 I love the Lord because he hears
my prayers and answers them. 2 Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long
as I breathe! It is obvious that she trusted that God heard her prayers and would answer them. He would
literally bend down and listen. She believed that; and that is exactly what God did! Do you believe that God is
listening to your prayers and that He will answer, no matter how large or small your test is? God will do that; but
we have to believe that He will even in the midst of great testing. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) 6 And without faith it is impossible
to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
It could be that you are going through great testing this morning. Some may tell you that your situation
is impossible. Do not listen. If you are on the Lord's side and He is on your side,
nothing, but nothing, can ultimately do you in. Romans 8:31-32 (AMP) 31 What then shall we say to [all]
this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] 32
He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely
and graciously give us all [other] things? As believers, nothing is impossible in our lives!
I have seen this with my own eyes in my own life. It is probable that you have too. When things look bad,
we must remember those words that, if we have God, nothing is impossible. Luke 1:37 (AMP) 37 For with God nothing is ever
impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. Just when the experts say,
"it is impossible," God will step in if we truly believe His Words to us. He does His best work in the midst
of testings where we hear our enemy, Satan, whispering, "Just give up, you're not going to make it." I'm sure
this woman buried under cement and metal was tempted by that old devil; but she kept her faith. You may not be buried
in a mound of concrete and metal today but you might feel buried by the cares of this life and situations going on in your
life that seem impossible. Like they say when they break into TV programs, "This is only a test." The
greater the test, the greater will be your testimony and the more glory your Father will receive! We never know just
how God will position us to be able to speak to rulers and to the world. It just might be that we will have to be buried
beneath an impossible situation, receive a miracle from God, and come out singing His praises! Are we willing to believe
against all odds that God is more than able to bring us out of great testings with a great testimony? And,
bring us out singing His praises?!?
MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 21, 2010 PRESSED BUT PRESSING 2 Corinthians 1:8 (NIV) As I am sitting
here thinking about the pressures in my own life and hearing about the pressures in the lives of others, I realize that,
although we might be hard-pressed, God gives us the strength to press on! A song, entitled, "Press On,"
keeps running through my head. I am so glad for songwriters who write songs we can sing in our hearts, and out loud,
to encourage ourselves to go on, despite the fact that we may feel so pressed that we are pretty much flat! When
olives are pressed, oil comes out. That oil is healthy for us. When we are pressed, does the oil of the Holy
Spirit come out bringing health to us and those around us? What does come out when we are pressed? Sometimes
things will come out that we didn't know were in us! We may be ashamed of what comes out of us during one of God's,
"pressings." However, even if something comes out that is less than godly, it is still a mercy from God!
For, it is then that we have the opportunity to instantly repent and allow God to clean us up so we can press on! 1 John 2:1-2 (TLB) 1 My
little children, I am telling you this so that you will stay away from sin. But if you sin, there is someone to plead for
you before the Father. His name is Jesus Christ, the one who is all that is good and who pleases God completely. 2 He is the one who took God’s wrath against our sins upon himself and brought us into
fellowship with God; and he is the forgiveness for our sins, and not only ours but all the world’s. So,
being pressed is not a bad thing, although I readily admit that it feels really bad! Even the Apostle, Paul, was
so hard pressed that he didn't think he was going to make it. This pressing happened to Paul several
times in his life. Have you ever felt like you were being pressed just way too hard and even from
many different angles? And, have you ever felt like there was just no way out and you were about to go under?
Paul felt that way too but he let it drive him closer and closer to God where, regardless of the pressing, he found the
strength to press on! What is pressing you this morning? Are you walking through a deep valley? Psalm 23:4 (NLT) 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
If so, no matter how dark that valley is, you can find the strength to press on because the Lord is with you there. Even
though God may be allowing a pressing to take place in your life, He is right there beside you to protect and comfort you,
giving you the strength to go through. It may be that you seem to be on an uphill climb and the road is steep and jagged
with threatening sheer cliffs all along the road. God has promised that His very Words will be a light to
your path. Psalm 119:105 (AMP) 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light
to my path. When we trust in Him, He has promised to direct our steps and keep us from falling.
Jeremiah 10:23-24 (NIV) 23 I
know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. 24 Correct
me, Lord, but only with justice-- not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing. When we are on a pressing
uphill climb in our lives along the uneven mountain paths, God will give us hind's feet with which to make the journey
safely. Psalm 18:33 (NLT) 33 He makes me as surefooted as
a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. There are all sorts of things that press in on us. It
could be that you find that you are in a season of physical challenge. Or perhaps you are facing the problems of an
aging body. Your body is weak. It just doesn't do what it used to do. This can be very pressing. However,
be encouraged! God has promised help in that area also. He offers healing and strength. I know. I
have experienced this several times. If you have experienced it too, stop and thank God for all the times He has stepped
into the middle of your "pressing," with His healing Word and given you the strength you needed to "press on."
Psalm 107:20 (NLT) 20 He sent out his word and healed
them, snatching them from the door of death. Maybe none or all of the above things are pressing you today. It could be something else. Maybe you have
stumbled and fallen, emotionally, spiritually, or even physically. It doesn't matter. The fall has pressed you
and threatens your wellbeing. Take heart this morning. The Lord is right there waiting to help you! Psalm 145:14 (NLT) 14 The Lord helps the fallen and
lifts those bent beneath their loads. Whatever has caused you to fall and in whatever way you may have fallen,
God wants to be your help. He will lift you up even in the midst of being pressed and you will be able to stand up straight
and press on! It could be that you are pressed by having to make some very hard choices in life. Do you remember
that we can trust God to help us make those choices? While we may feel strongly pressed, we know that, if we look to
the Lord, He will help us with His own counsel. Even in the "night seasons," of our lives when it is difficult
to make the proper choices, God is there to counsel us and instruct our hearts. Psalm 16:7 (NIV) 7 I
will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. There are times when
we might become battered and scarred. Not a pretty sight and it leaves us pretty much pressed as far as you can press
anyone. However, even then, if we turn to the Lord, we will find the strength to press on. He paid the price for
our bruises and scars to be healed. Isaiah 53:5 (NLT) 5 But he
was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
And, what about being pressed because we've given all we can give and spent all of our resources only to find
that it looks like there is just no way we're going to make it? Even then, we can remember that God makes a way
where there seems to be no way. We can remember the story of the woman with the issue of blood. She had spent
all of her resources on doctors and was even worse off than before. This woman was pressed but she kept on pressing.
She was weak. She had nothing left. Instead of giving up, she pressed through the crowd and found healing
by just touching the hem of Jesus's garment! No matter what things are pressing in on us this morning, we too must press
on. If you are pressed, keep pressing! The Lord calls us to go forward and it is in His strength that
we "press on." Philippians 3:12-14 (ASV) 12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect:
but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren,
I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward
to the things which are before, 14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. As the song says, "In Jesus Name, we press on. Dear Lord, with the prize clear
before our eyes, we find the strength to press on." MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 20, 2010 FILLED WITH JOY! Psalms 5:11-12 (NLT) I just
had a wonderful day! A reminder that the joy of the Lord is our strength! Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT) 10 And Nehemiah continued, “Go
and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared.
This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
I was blessed to spend the afternoon in the presence of an elderly man who has received a host of honors for
all of the things he has done during his life. He could have been snobbish or haughty but he was humble and willing
to share with my husband and I the experiences of his lifetime. Although he said he was not a student of the
Bible, his humility was much like that of Jesus. He was gentle when he could have been arrogant. He shared with
me a prayer that he had prayed in his church and it was filled with dependence on the Lord as he spoke of the importance of
joy. Although this man has had health problems, the grief of his wife passing away, and the challenge of advancing years,
he is still very much involved in his work. He is determined to make a difference in this world using the gifts God
has given him; and he does it joyfully, lovingly, and graciously! Although he is obviously a man of influence
and power, I felt accepted and valued in his presence. I do believe
that our gracious friend has the joy of the Lord and that is what keeps him vibrant in his experiences and desire to change
this world for the better. The Bible has so much to say about joy. It is surely an essential part of our makeup,
as believers. Not only should we display the joy we have in our Lord Jesus, we should be bringing joy to others. Job,
in his description of his blessings before his severe trials, said this: Job 29:13 (NLT) 13 I helped those without hope,
and they blessed me. And I caused the widows’ hearts to sing for joy. It is so important that our joy
overflows to make life better for those who have lost hope; for those who are walking this life after having lost a companion.
Are we spreading that joy of the Lord that is constantly giving us our strength? Yes, the scriptures tell us to
be filled with joy. When that happens, it will naturally overflow to those around us! Philippians 4:4 (NLT) 4 Always
be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Can everyone see that we are considerate in
all we do because we are so filled with joy? Philippians 4:5 (NLT) 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate
in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. It is not always easy to be considerate in everything we do.
People and situations will get on our nerves. We may even feel like people around us are insensitive to our needs and
even insensitive to the Lord. No wonder it is so important to be full of joy! Instead of lashing out at people,
we are to be considerate and even display joy! That must be why Paul prayed that we would be strengthened by the glorious
power of the Lord. Colossians 1:11-12 (NLT) 11 We also pray that you will be
strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with
joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance
that belongs to his people, who live in the light. Paul knew about real joy. It is ours even through heartache and trials.
I need to learn more about the joy of the Lord because, it is oftentimes not my first thought to give out of joy when
I am hard pressed by stuff going on around me. 2 Corinthians 8:1-2 (NLT) 1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers
and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They
are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed
in rich generosity. Yet, that's what the people from Macedonia did because they were filled with
joy that caused them to freely give what they had to help others. Paul, himself, gives a very long list of
hardships that he suffered. He ends that list this way: 2 Corinthians 6:10 (NLT) 10 Our hearts ache, but we always
have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. My
heart may ache and your heart may ache but, like Paul, we have joy if we are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) 22 But
the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! In
speaking to His disciples before He was crucified, Jesus said the following: John 16:22 (NLT) 22 So you have sorrow now, but I
will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. Since that time, Jesus was crucified,
buried and rose again. The sorrow that the disciples felt when He was crucified was turned to rejoicing when He appeared
to them after His resurrection. No one could rob them of that joy. It is now recorded for us in the scriptures.
We will have some sorrows and troubles in this life too but, because Jesus died so that we could have the gift of His joy,
no one can take it from us. We can give it away or refuse to accept it but no one can rob us of it. No matter
what happens around us, are we walking in the fullness of His joy? If not, let us turn to the Lord who will show us
exactly how to do that and bless us with the joy of His own presence! Psalm 16:11 (NLT) 11 You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 19, 2010 IT'S RAINING! IS YOUR LIFE BUILT ON THE ROCK? Matthew 7:27 (NLT) 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds
beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Driving down the California coast can be very beautiful, but it can be a bit scary too. There are reminders
there about the power of God and the Word of God. The houses along the coastline are very big and very beautiful.
But, as you drive along, you can see these mammoth homes built on the hillsides over looking the ocean and then you see the
hillsides covered with great sheets of plastic to try to keep the dirt and sand from sliding down the hill because
of recent rain. While it looks very inviting to build a luxurious home right there on a hillside on the ocean,
it doesn't look very inviting when you realize that, in one moment of time, with enough rain, everything you invested
in could slide down on the highway and into the ocean! Jesus once said that a wise man will build his house on a rock.
I do believe that Jesus was talking about building our lives on Him. He is the Rock. Romans 9:33 (TLB) 33 God warned them of this in the
Scriptures when he said, "I have put a Rock in the path of the Jews, and many will stumble over him (Jesus). Those who
believe in him will never be disappointed." However, I am so amazed that God does not leave us clueless.
If we look around us, we will see things in the natural that help us to really, "get," His Word. A truly
wise person will not invest a lifetime of earnings to build a fine house upon sand that can slip away when
it rains. Likewise, a spiritually wise person will realize that the only sure thing on which we can build our
lives is Jesus! Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT) 24
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against
that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone
who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When
the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Upon
seeing these massive homes precariously perched on sandy hills and watching more and more rain fall, I am thinking of the
sound of the great crash if these homes should fall. The owner would lose everything of value inside that house!
These people are wealthy people and surely they have many valuable things inside those homes. Besides that, they may
have children or others who live there with them. Can you imagine what it would feel like to have people you love physically
hurt or killed if your home crashed down a sandy hill in the rain? That's what happens if we don't choose to listen
to and follow the teachings of Jesus. Anything we might build will be in danger of being lost. Even our loved
ones will suffer in the process. We might try to patch up the shaky ground on which we have built like they do along
the coast in California with the plastic sheeting they place over the sandy hills. However, at some point, that plastic
is not going to hold. Depending on how much rain falls and how hard the wind blows, they will soon be unable to hold
back that hillside! We might try to cover
up what we have built on to keep it together. We can do all kinds of things to make it look like we've got everything
held together. We can look good. We can get a great job. We can create a "House Beautiful," home.
We can go to church every Sunday. We can keep a Bible sitting out on the coffee table. We can even learn all the
right things to say that make us "sound," like we've got it all together. But, the fact is, that if we are
not listening to Jesus, we are foolish. If we don't follow His teachings, our lives are built on sinking sand!
Today, it was very windy and rainy on the coast of California. There will be seasons when it will get very windy and
rainy in our own lives. With every storm like that, there is a danger of losing everything we have if we have not built
our lives upon the Rock. As the song says, "That Rock is Jesus; yes, He's the one." The song
goes on, staying very true to scripture when it says, "That Rock is Jesus, the only one."
John 14:6-7 (NLT) MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 18, 2010 FEEL LIKE RUNNING AWAY? Psalms 55:6-7 (NLT) I recently had the experience that David wrote about in Psalm 55:6-7. "Oh, I wish I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and rest in peace and quiet. I'd fly far away
and enjoy the silence of the wilderness!" I wonder if you have ever had that experience? And, if you are
a believer, perhpas you felt guilty for having such a thought! I am comforted by the fact that David, a man after God's
own heart, had the same feeling! As I read through Psalm 55 again, I realized that he had many reasons for having such a feeling. You and I may have some or all of the same
reasons for wanting to fly away and find peace in the solitude of somewhere quiet! Sometimes, when I am overwhelmed,
all I can do is ask God over and over again to please help me with whatever it is that I am struggling with (and lots of times
it is many things at one time). Can you relate? David did the same
thing. He begged God to listen to him, and not to ignore him. To notice that he was overwhelmed by his troubles!
Psalm 55:1-2 (NLT) 1 Listen
to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! 2 Please listen and answer me,
for I am overwhelmed by my troubles. Have you ever just laid in your bed calling out for God to notice
what is happening to you and respond? The thing is that He has noticed already, although He doesn't mind listening to
us again when we just feel that we cannot go on. David was surrounded by enemies who shouted at him, troubled him, and
angrily hunted him down. We, too, are surrounded by the enemies of the prince of darkness. They may appear to
us through a human being, but we are not fighting other human beings. Ephesians 6:12 (TLB) 12 For we are not fighting against people
made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic
beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.
The truth is that we do have an enemy who is angrily trying to hunt us down. 1 Peter 5:8 (TLB) 8 Be careful—watch out for attacks from Satan, yoIur great
enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart. Look at David's
words: Psalm 55:3 (NLT) 3 My enemies shout at me, making loud
and wicked threats. They bring trouble on me and angrily hunt me down. It could be that you are overwhelmed
today by actual people shouting insults at you or you may be in a spiritual battle, listening to the voice of Satan telling
you there's no use to try any more. You, too, may just want to fly away to a place of quiet and safety. When
I looked up Psalm 55:6, I could not find many verses in the Bible that talked about wings of a dove. However,
the Lord reminded me just a while ago and confirmed it through another's words, that God has something better for us
than the wings of a dove, as sweet and soft as they might be. He offers us a ride on the wings of the great eagle!
Exodus 19:4 (NLT) 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the
Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Long ago, the
Israelites were overwhelmed by their enemies. They suffered greatly as slaves under the hand of their enemy. I
am sure many a slave wished to fly away and find relief. God eventually did bring them relief and the Bible says He
reminded them that He carried them on eagles' wings to Himself. You know, He's still the same God today as He was then!
Why wish for the wings of a dove when God, Himself, will carry us on eagles' wings? We may at times find ourselves
surrounded by enemies and they may even be those who have been closest to us. Look how the writer of The Message interprets
Psalm 55:12 -14. 12 This isn't the neighborhood bully mocking me—I could take that. This isn't a foreign
devil spitting invective—I could tune that out. 13 It's you!
We grew up together! You! My best friend! 14 Those long hours of leisure as
we walked arm in arm, God a third party to our conversation. We can't always just walk away from
those closest to us who have hurt us deeply. But God! He says that if we will wait on Him, we won't need the fragile
wings of a dove to fly off into the distance. He will give us wings like eagles! He will help us keep running
and, surprisingly, we will not get weary. He will help us keep putting one foot in front of the other and,
even though we may feel like we're going to faint sometimes, He will keep us going until we've finished the race!
Isaiah 40:31 (NLT) 31 But those who trust in the Lord will
find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. David started out his prayer in Psalm 55 by going to God. He poured out his feelings to God. God did listen and He will listen
to you too. Psalm 5:22 (TLB) 22
Give your burdens to the Lord. He will carry them. He will not permit the godly to slip or fall. By
the end of David's prayer in Psalm 55, God had reassured him that He is a just God and that He sees everything. Those that refuse to follow Him will
get their just desserts. But, those who trust Him and wait for Him will be given eagles' wings on which to soar above
their troubles. Why ask for doves' wings when God so willingly supplies and carries us on eagles' wings? We don't
have to run away. We can soar on eagles' wings! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY - JANUARY 17, 2010 DIVIDING TO MULTIPLY? Genesis 30:43 (TLB) 43 As a result, Jacob’s
flocks increased rapidly and he became very wealthy, with many servants, camels, and donkeys. Although I am not good at all with math and numbers, I sometimes encourage
myself in the Lord with numbers. Today, I am remembering that there were sometimes when it seemed God didn't understand
math. Yet, He's the One who created numbers so, obviously, He totally understands. He's not confined to our intelligence.
He is all-intelligent! I was reading about Jacob, who was badly treated and even tricked by his father-in-law,
Laban. You can read all of Jacob's story in the book of Genesis. Laban was a wealthy man with many sheep.
Finally, Jacob could not deal with the mis-treatment he was receiving even though he had faithfully served his father-in-law
for many years. Genesis 30:25-26 (TLB) 25 Soon after the birth of Joseph
to Rachel, Jacob said to Laban, "I want to go back home. 26 Let me take my wives
and children—for I earned them from you—and be gone, for you know how fully I have paid for them with my service
to you." Even though Laban's character was not the best, he was smart enough to have realized
that, while Jacob had been living with him, he had been blessed. As believers, we will be blessed. That's just
the way God is. And, that blessing will flow to those around us. That's what God told Abraham.
Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV) 2 "I will make you into a great
nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I
will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
Since Jacob was a descendent of Abraham, this applied to him also and Laban could readily see that. Although
he may not have had a close and loving relationship with Jacob, Laban did not want Jacob to leave because he most likely feared
that, when Jacob left, God's blessing would leave too! You and I are descendants of Abraham by faith and we are blessed
of God to be a blessing. Wherever we go, His blessing will be upon us and on those around us. Romans 4:16 (AMP) 16 Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the
outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to
make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants—not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but
also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is [thus] the father of us all. Yes, for sure, God had blessed Laban because of Jacob's presence. Even the demons knew that because Laban had
consulted a medium. Although he had rebelled against God by seeking advice from a fortune-teller, the advice he got
told him what he had already seen with his eyes. Jacob carried the blessing of Abraham. Genesis 30:27-28 (AMP) 27 And Laban said to him, If I have
found favor in your sight, I pray you [do not go]; for I have learned by experience and from the omens in divination that
the Lord has favored me with blessings on your account. 28 He said, State your
salary and I will give it. All of a sudden, Laban was willing to pay Jacob whatever salary he wanted.
In the same way, although you and I may have to go through some trials in life and suffer some injustice from others, it will
eventually be noticed by others that, when we're around, the blessings of God are flowing. After some discussion Jacob
agreed to stay for a while longer but only if Laban would let him remove all the spotted and speckled lambs to keep for
his own. Genesis 30:22 (AMP) 32 Let me pass through all your
flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted animal and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled
among the goats; and such shall be my wages. And so, Laban's flock was divided, the spotted and speckled ones
going to Jacob and the white ones staying with Laban. Still, Laban was determined to cheat Jacob. But, God
gave Jacob wisdom and direction in making his spotted and speckled sheep multiply. (Genesis 30:37-42) In the end, Jacob received the blessing of God, despite all of Laban's efforts to keep them from
him. Genesis 30:43 (AMP) 43 Thus the man increased and became
exceedingly rich, and had many sheep and goats, and maidservants, menservants, camels, and donkeys. You may
have noticed along your life's journey that some people will be upset and jealous when they see that God's favor is upon you
even though, in the natural, you don't deserve it. That happened to Jacob. Genesis 31:1-2 1 JACOB HEARD Laban’s sons complaining, Jacob
has taken away all that was our father’s; he has acquired all this wealth and honor from what belonged to our father.
2 And Jacob noticed that Laban looked at him less favorably than before.
Finally, Jacob heard the Word from God that he could leave Laban. God had shown Jacob that by dividing,
things could be multiplied. Jacob had suffered during his tenure under Laban but God was giving Jacob back more than
he lost. When Laban's flock was divided, the part that went to Jacob multiplied against all odds. God may have
allowed something of ours to be divided but, because we carry the promise of Abraham, just as Jacob did, God will restore
what has been divided from us if it is good for us and if it will bring Him glory. Joel 2:25-26 (AMP) 25 And I will restore or replace
for you the years that the locust has eaten—the hopping locust, the stripping locust, and the crawling locust, My great
army which I sent among you. 26 And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise
the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame. There
are many ways that God can use division to accomplish multiplication! One sure way is when He sent Jesus to die as a
sacrifice for our sins. He divided our sin from us and now has given us abundant and multiplied life! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 16, 2009 ENJOYING THE JOURNEY John 4:6 (MSG) The above scripture verse is a paraphrase from The Message. It tells us at least two things. Jesus went
on trips. Jesus got tired. I have to admit that traveling is not my favorite thing to do. I suppose
I wouldn't mind it as much if I didn't have to do the packing, carrying, etc., and if there was plenty of provision and time
to do it at my leisure. I suppose that could be translated, "if I could travel like a queen."
However, there are times in life when I have to travel. We all have to take journeys in life. Some of them
are literal and some are emotional and spiritual. What I sometimes forget is that each journey has an underlying
purpose. If we are believers and following the direction of the Lord, the purpose will always be good. Romans 8:28 (NLT) 28 And we know that God causes everything
to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Even
though our journeys have a purpose, they aren't always pleasant and sometimes they make us weary. We have a high priest
who knows exactly how we feel! And, in all of our journeys, He is gently conforming us to His image. Romans 8:29-30 (NIV) 29 For those God foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30
And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
At the end of this journey of life, we are promised glory! Jesus went on journeys throughout His life. One time He needed to go from Judea to Galilee. John 4:1-3 (NLT) 1 Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that
he was baptizing and making more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself didn’t
baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee. For
various reasons, you and I go on journeys. If we are walking by the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be directed.
It may not be in a logical way or in a way that we might choose to go. Jesus apparently knew He had to go from
Judea to Galilee through Samaria. Samaria was a place that Jewish people liked to avoid even if they had to
go out of their way to get to their destination. They did not get along at all with the Samaritans. John 4:4-5 (NLT) 4 He had to go through Samaria on
the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that
Jacob gave to his son Joseph. In our life's journeys, we may find ourselves in difficult places.
Places that may not be understandable by others. We may not even understand them but, in all of our journeys,
we are promised that God will not leave us. Hebrews 13:5 (NLT) 5 Don’t
love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Knowing that God has promised never to fail or abandon us should not only make us content in all of our journeys,
but actually give us joy! I
am always hesitant to take journeys. I'm not the easiest person to live with while getting ready. I'm even
harder to live with during the beginning of a journey. You would think I would learn to be content and even enjoy the
preparations and the beginnings of new journeys since God always makes His presence very evident even in the midst of my complaining
and fussing. Just as Jesus had a purpose for having to go through Samaria, there is a purpose for each journey
you and I will even take. We don't know who we will meet or who's life we will affect. We don't know how
our lives will be affected by what we see and those with whom we come in contact. We do know that Jesus thought
it necessary to go through a place others would not want to go and we do know that He got tired on the way. John 4:6 (NLT) 6 Jacob’s well was there;
and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Whether we are on emotional,
spiritual, or physical journeys, we will get tired. Jesus did. So He sat down. Every once in a while, you
and I have to sit down too. Then Jesus admitted that He had a need. John 4:7-8 (NLT) 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to
her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into
the village to buy some food. Oh my goodness. The Son of God admitted that He was tired and thirsty.
He, as the Son of Man, had needs just like we do. He was humble enough to admit His need! In whatever journey
you may be in right now, it will be good if you sit down for a moment when you get tired and admit that you have a need if
you are thirsty! Not only did He humble himself, He humbled Himself before a woman! Very unheard of at that time.
Not only a woman; a Samaritan woman! John 4:9 (NIV) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him,
"You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
In my journeys, I am learning that, the Lord is with me and He will have marvelous surprises in store for me
if I will just stop when I get too tired, humble myself before others, and admit my needs. I am learning to enjoy the
journeys. Why? Because God always shows up right in the middle of them! I am also now remembering that
the joy of the Lord is my strength and yours too. Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV) 10 Nehemiah
said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred
to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." When we begin to grow weary
in the journey, the joy of the Lord will help us make it through! Because Jesus chose to take that journey, allow Himself
to get tired, sit down, and humble Himself before an outcast, nearly a whole town received salvation! John 4:39-42 (NIV) 39 Many of the Samaritans from that
town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40
So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41
And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to
the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this
man really is the Savior of the world." Even though Jesus was weary during His journey, I believe
He had joy over the results! Does that make you wonder how many people might know that He is Lord if they saw us enjoying
our journeys in spite of the fact that we might get weary sometimes? MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 15, 2010 CAN GOD SAY THIS ABOUT YOU AND ME? Acts 13:22 (NLT) Have you ever met
someone who said they didn't believe in God? A good answer for that person is, "Well, God believes in you!"
God made each of us in His image and He knows that we have the power to be like Him. That is, if we want to.
There was once a man who had an awful time controlling his family. This family was the epitome of dysfunction. By
the letter of the law, this father was not a perfect father. Not even close. There were consequences because
of that too. One of those consequences was that his own son rebelled against him. This same man had a problem
with lust. When he should have been out fighting a war, he was home with time on his hands and happened to
see a beautiful lady bathing next door. I wish I could say that he looked the other way and did not yield to temptation,
but that is not the case. As if all of this was not enough, this same man had the woman's husband killed in battle.
This man was the instigator of a murder. This man, so imperfect in many of his actions, was described by God like this:
".....a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do." God then made David King!
How could God make a statement like that about someone who would make so many mistakes? What mistakes have you made? Maybe you think you have done just too many things wrong to be able to be used
by God. That is something the devil would like you to believe but, as usual, the devil is trying to get you
to believe a lie. You see, no matter what you have done, God still believes in you! There is always forgiveness
for sin if we are willing to confess our sin and move ahead in obedience. It boils down to an issue of the heart.
As humans we will make mistakes and miss the mark but God is interested in the bent of our heart. The fact that
King David made so many mistakes should not become license for us to live shoddy, disobedient lives. But, it does give
us a perspective on God's ability to use those who are not perfect but have a heart toward Him. I can see a couple of things that might qualify someone to be a person after
God's own heart. One was that David was a worshiper. As a young shepherd, he used to sit in the fields, tending
the sheep, and sing songs of praise from his heart to the Lord. God is looking for those who will worship
Him in spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24 (NLT) 23 But the time is coming—indeed
it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those
who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must
worship in spirit and in truth.” This leads to another thing that seems to have endeared
him to God's heart. When confronted with His sin, He was humble and honest enough to confess it. He accepted
the consequences because he was fully aware that the fault was his. No passing the buck. 2 Samuel 12:1-14 (TLB) 1 So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet
to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 2 The
rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. 3 The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He
raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He
cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. 4 One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead
of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”
5 David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing
deserves to die! 6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of
Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms
of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. 9 Why, then, have
you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the
Ammonites and stolen his wife. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 14, 2010 IN OTHER WORDS, "SHUT UP!" Job 16:3 (NLT) First of all, let me say that, "shut up," is not a nice thing to say! But, don't we get tempted to
say it when someone keeps on babbling? Especially about things they cannot, or are not willing to, change? It
certainly looks like Job was exasperated with the constant "blowing of hot air" by his so-called "friends."
I am wondering today if God does not feel like yelling, "Won't you just shut up! Stop your blowing of hot air!"
I am wondering that because today, even though I was by myself, I found myself in a spiritual battle. I was doing my
best trying to make some plans. I even got a ton of God's favor making them! Then, wouldn't you know it!
The enemy moved in. All the time I spent and the planning I did looked like it was going to be for naught.
And, don't you know it, I started talking out loud to the Lord. I said such things as, "I was doing the
best I could, what happened?" "Lord, I don't want to do this any more." "God, I just want
to run away and never come back." I didn't stop there but I won't bore you with all the stuff I was talking to
the Lord about, even shouting things like "why?" You know, in the midst of all my ranting, I thought I heard
Him say, "I know your heart. You don't need to go on and on talking. Be still." I was talking so loudly,
He could have even had to say, "Shut up!" Anyway, I got the picture! Of course! Why didn't I think of being still in the first place? Although I had done my best, I am not
God! I needed to be still and know that He is God! Psalm 46:10 (AMP) 10 Let be and be still, and know
(recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! Not
only that, it is He, who will be exalted in all the earth. Not me! Even if all the work I have done is right,
it's not about me. It's about Him. The One who strengthens me and is my refuge. Psalm 46:11 (AMP) 11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! I've
got to shut up, pause calmly and think about how God has never left me alone, how He has strengthened me to do all the things
He has called me to do, how He has given me wisdom and knowledge and how He knows my heart and has seen everything I have
done today! I've been writing about these, "Selah," verses and now God is testing me. Ouch! Are
you being tested today in some area? It could even be an area where you thought you were doing pretty well. Have
you done your best and still it doesn't seem good enough? Well, let me tell you - it is good enough, if you
have been in constant fellowship with the Lord asking for His guidance! He is in control and, although we might not
feel like it, He is doing a good work in us and through us when we are depending on Him, knowing we can do nothing without
Him! If you are in a situation where you are
fretting about how your efforts seem to be unfruitful or unnoticed, stop, calmly remember Who your Savior is! Remember
everything He is to you. Think about it. Renew and refresh your mind in His Word and not your own plans!
If you have been fretting out loud, either to the Lord or those around you, stop it! Psalm 37:8 (NLT) 8 Stop being angry! Turn from your
rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm. Take a moment to reflect upon who He is and
all He's done for you in the past. Start speaking His Word and agreeing with it. I am not preaching this.
I am attempting to practice it! We will have tests along the way. The Lord never tempts us; but
He does test our faith sometimes. And sometimes, the test is difficult. Look how God tested Abraham's faith.
Genesis 22:1-2 (NIV) 1 Some time later God tested Abraham.
He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God
said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt
offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." Stop and thank God that He is not testing
you as rigorously as He did Abraham that day! Whatever situation we may find ourselves in, God's Word is always
right! We may be right or wrong but He is always right. And here's what His Word says:
Lamentations 3:26 (NLT) 26 So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord. Although we can't readily see the Lord in every situation in which we find
ourselves, He's definitely good to those who will quietly look for Him, even if they have to wait longer than they
want to for His deliverance. Lamentations 3:25 (NLT) 25 The Lord is good to those who
depend on him, to those who search for him. He's good to those who depend on Him instead of on their
own ideas! Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your
heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and
he will show you which path to take. While we may not see His presence with our physical eyes or
even feel His presence in certain situations, we do not walk by sight or feelings. We walk by faith.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP) 7 For we walk by faith [we regulate
our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things,
with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance. For me, it's still time to,
"Selah." And that means that I have to "shut up." If you find yourself in a confusing
or highly challenging situation, could it be that it's time for you to be still too? After all, if we keep
on talking, how will we hear God when He talks? MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 13, 2010 YOU AND GOD ARE A MAJORITY! Psalms 3:2 (ASV) There are so many naysayer's in the world today. I wondered exactly what a, "naysayer," was after
I wrote the word. So I looked it up. It is someone who denies, refuses, opposes, or is skeptical or cynical
about something. As Psalm 3:2 says, there are many that say to our souls that there is no help for us in God. Not only do we
hear those naysayer's in the media, we hear them in the spirit realm too whenever the evil one whisper's to us, "There's
no hope, there's no use to try." Are you thinking what I'm thinking right now? Anyone who says that there
is no help for us in God certainly does not believe that God is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him!
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) 6 And without faith it is impossible
to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
And what does the Bible say about those who think there is no God? God calls them fools! Psalm 53:1 (NLT) 1 Only fools say in their hearts,
“There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! Now,
I have to ask myself, "Why would I want to listen to the opinion of a fool?" And I need to stop and think
about that for a while! Whether it is the media, the devil, or even those close to us who do not have faith, it's good
to remember that, when we believe God and seek Him, He is always there to help! Psalm 53:2 (NLT) 2 God looks down from heaven on the entire
human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. In fact, God is looking down
just to see if anyone is wise. If anyone at all is looking for Him. Unfortunately, most are not and that was the
sad conclusion of the Psalmist. Psalm 53:3 (NLT) 3 But no, all have turned away;
all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! In fact, the Psalmist said that not a single
one was seeking God and that all had become corrupt. It's
true that we are all corrupt before Jesus steps in and brings renewal. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) 17 This means that anyone who belongs
to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! If we have received Christ
into our hearts and really know Him, we are new persons. Persons with the capability of truly seeking the Lord and finding
help in Him. Have you become a new person in Christ? You can do that right now if you just admit that you are
naturally corrupt. Romans 3:23 (NIV) 23 for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God, We may do good deeds and try to live a moral life, but without Jesus, we're
still corrupt! All of us. However, God is not a naysayer. He tells us the truth about the bad
news and then He tells us the good news. Romans 6:20-23 (NLT) 20 When you were slaves to sin,
you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are
now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But
now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result
in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal
life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Even if we have been walking with Jesus for a very long time, it's
good to remember the basics and worship Him for how He has changed our lives. It's good to remember the many times that God
has proven the naysayer's wrong by helping us. Sometimes just in the nick of time. We may not see God's help
exactly when we want or expect it but He is never late in giving it to us! Are you in the position of needing God's help this morning? Quite frankly, whether we realize it or not, we're
all always in the need of God's help! Jesus said we can do nothing without Him. We would be like
the fool if we thought we could! Is there something in your life that you are trying to do without the help of Jesus?
John 15:5 (NLT) 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you
are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. So,
what did Jesus mean when He said that we could do nothing without Him? Nothing means exactly that. Nothing.
When I looked up the meaning of the Greek words that comprise nothing, the negatives covered everything you could think of!
Yes, there are many who might be saying of us, "God will not help her or him." As we stop and think about
that, we may be telling ourselves that awful lie too! But, we should neither listen to our own negative self-talk, nor
to the spirits that taunt us to doubt, nor to other people who do not have the faith to believe that God will help
us. Anyone who tells us that God will not help us is a liar; because His Word says that He will help.
That He will deliver His people. Psalm 3:8 (NLT) 8 Victory comes from you, O Lord.
May you bless your people. Interlude Another of the "Selah," verses in the Psalms says that
victory comes from the Lord. I'd say that was help, wouldn't you? Another version says "Salvation comes
from the Lord." I like that kind of help! A paraphrase says "Real help comes from God." If
I need help, I surely want it to be "real help." I wouldn't be surprised if you felt the
same way! We all need real help for the very real problems in our lives! The enemy wants us to think there
is no help so he can keep us from being everything that God made us to be and cause us to give up. But, God wants
us to "Selah." To stop and calmly think about who is saying what and then decide to believe Him. No
giving up for us! No listening to naysayer's! No! We will encourage one another to remember that, without
Jesus and His help, we can't do a thing. On the other hand, with Jesus and His help, we can do all the
things He has called us to do! Philippians 4:13 (TLB) 13 for I can do everything God asks
me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. It doesn't matter what anyone else says. When
you agree with God's Word, you and God are a majority! As I close, I am still thinking
about that! I am so thankful for God's help! You too? MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 12, 2010 IT'S OKAY TO HIDE Psalms 32:7 (NIV) Life happens. Sometimes we just want to hide. Is that okay?
Another of the "Selah," verses in Psalms seems to say that it is okay. In fact it's a good thing!
That is, as long as God is the place where we run to hide! There are lots of hiding places to which people
run these days. Some hide behind the fact that they have suffered abuse. They hide behind that, using it as an
excuse to remain unchanged. Of course abuse is wrong but it is not a good place to hide if it has happened to you.
Maybe you are that person. You cannot get over it. It is too painful. So, you hide somewhere behind
it becoming a victim hiding in the dark, rather than running to the correct hiding place and becoming the victor God made
you to be. Some of us hide behind work. If we keep on working and never stop to, "Selah," about our
real hiding place, we will never be at peace. Besides that, those around us will never be at peace either, having to
put up with our constant activity. And yes, we can even use the organized church as a place to hide. We can
look really good as we busy ourselves there. But, even that is not a high enough hiding place. While it is good,
we've got to look higher. We need to find our hiding place in the Lord who is the head of His Church.
There are any number of places in which we can hide and even make it look like we're not hiding at all! I'm sure
you can think of lots of places to add to the three I've mentioned. But, there is only one place that is truly a safe
hiding place. It's not in a place at all - it's in a Person. Is the Lord our hiding place? When life happens, storms do arise. We all need a safe hiding place to
which we can run. The best place is right under the Lord's wings. Because I love to sing,
I think in songs sometimes. In the song, "Under His Wings," the lyrics talk about the storms of life still
raging. And, whether or not we are believers, the storms will still rage in this life. But, in the Rock of ages,
we, as believers, can rest warmly under our Lord's wings. A great hiding place! And, I might add, a place
where we will be surrounded by songs of victory! The Living Bible paraphrases Psalm 32:7 like this: 7 You are my hiding place from every storm of life; you
even keep me from getting into trouble! You surround me with songs of victory. If our lives are filled
with songs of "woe is me," instead of songs of "victory," maybe we're hiding in the wrong place!
When we have trouble, we need to remember that God will hide us if we turn to Him. And, it's okay to hide there
with Him. Psalm 27:5 (NIV) 5 For in the day of trouble he will
keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. We will all need a place to hide from the circumstances of life at
some point. Some of us, it seems, more than others. We do have an enemy that is constantly watching us to see
if he can distract and destroy us. (John 10:10) When we run out of strength, we need to hide for a while and God has promised Himself to us to be that place
where we can go to be safe. More lyrics from, "Under His Wings," are these: "And the enemy
still looks for me but what he can't see is that I'm under my Lord's wings." The climax of that song says,
"And now I can sing.........." We've all heard the phrase, "come out swinging," referring
to fighting an opponent. When we've found our hiding place in the Lord and heard His songs of deliverance, we can come
out, "singing" instead of "swinging!" That may not appear to be a fighting stance but, believe me,
when we come out singing God's praises in spite of our troubles, the enemy won't have a leg to stand on. The fight will
be over and we will have the victory! All because we have been hiding. Hiding in the right place.
Where is your hiding place? Let's stop and think about that. Selah! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 11, 2010 CLOSE TO THEE Psalms 61:4 (AMP) This morning, as I was speaking to the Lord, it was as if He said that I could be as close to Him as I want
to be. The flip side of that is that He will not force me to be close to Him. He won't come any closer than
I want Him to come. How close do you want to be to the Lord? The Psalmist wanted to dwell in God's house forever.
He also knew that there was safety in staying close to God. A mother hen will keep her chicks safe and warm under her
wing. That's about as close as you can get! So, God has urged the Psalmist to tell us that we can find a place
of security very close to God. In fact, in the shelter of His wings! This is another one of those, "Selah,"
verses. When you stop to think of it, it's almost unbelievable that the Creator of this earth would invite us
to be that close to Him! But, that's the kind of love He has for you and me. Enough love to allow us
to get up close and personal and enough love to give us the freedom to keep Him at bay. Admittedly, I have
often chosen not to draw closer to Him or invite Him to come closer to me. For the life of me, I can't figure out
why! Except that sometimes I don't really want to know what He wants to do and, if I stay that close to Him, I've
got to be doing what He wants to do - not what I want to do! Here's
something else to pause and think about. To weigh in our minds. If we find shelter and security close to God,
even under the shadow of His wings, what do we find when we choose not to be that close? I think the answer is obvious.
We leave ourselves open to the devil and His evil tricks. It is only when we are close to God that we, with His strength,
can resist the devil. We've got to humbly acknowledge that, unless we are close to God, we can not resist the devil.
James 4:7 (TLB) 7 So give yourselves humbly to God.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you. As I was saying, the only reason I would not want to be close to
God is because I want to do what I want to do instead of what He wants to do. Now, between me and God, who is always
right? And, who has the propensity to sin instead of walking a Godly life? Certainly it would be me and not God!
But, God says that if I will draw close to Him, He will draw close to me. He'll draw close to you too, if you start
taking steps toward Him. James 4:8 (TLB) 8 And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you. Wash
your hands, you sinners, and let your hearts be filled with God alone to make them pure and true to him. I just
need to wash my hands of those things I might want to do that God does not want to do, fill my heart with Him!
If I have sinned, I need to be truly sorry for that sin even if no one else has seen the sin. Being sorry if we're found
out by others is not true repentance. It is just being sorry that we got caught! God wants us to have clean hands
and a pure heart and He will give us just that if we confess our sins and repent. I am remembering the story of the prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-32) He decided to take his, "stuff," which was really stuff that his father had worked for all his life.
He decided to take the stuff and run far away from his father. Just the opposite of what God is calling you and me to
do. Being far away from his father, the son found out the hard way that he had placed himself in a place of lack and
a place of insecurity and danger. He finally came to himself and decided to draw close to his father again. Guess
what? His father had been standing on the porch looking down the road every day waiting for his son to return!
As the son walked toward home that joyful day of drawing close to his father again, his father ran to meet him with
open arms. I used to sing a song about the only time we ever saw God run. It is when we make the decision to draw
close to Him. As we take stumbling, fumbling steps toward our loving Heavenly Father, He runs to us.
He takes us under His wings and makes us secure again. How close do we want to be to our Father? It's
up to us. He invites us to come so close that He can literally, "squeeze," us! Think of that!
We used to sing a hymn in the "olden days," called, "Close to Thee." Some of the lyrics are these: "Thou my everlasting portion more than friend or life to me. All along my pilgrim journey Saviour
let me walk with Thee " Now, isn't that exactly where we want to be? It's where God desires us
to be. Still, He is gentleman enough to give us the choice. What
would we give to have fullness of joy? Joy unspeakable and full of glory? What would we give to have pleasures
forever more? We don't have to give anything. Psalm 16:11 (AMP) 11 You
will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
These are gifts to us from our Heavenly Father if we will make the choice to draw close to Him.
Is that a hard choice? The writer of "The Message" interprets Psalm 16:8 this way: Day and night I'll stick with God; I've got a good thing going and I'm not
letting go. Stop and think about that! Not a bad choice! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 10, 2010 SELAH! Psalms 3:4 (KJV) Upon beginning to write this, I suddenly realized that I didn't know what to write about! Of course, that happens
a lot, but as I sit down and ask the Lord for direction, He speaks to me and what I end up writing is not usually what I started
out to write. Most times, it is something that I, myself, need to learn and I tell the Lord, "I can't write this
because I don't have it mastered." God is good to use us in spite of ourselves. He assures me that I do,
indeed, need to work on what He is telling me but that others might need to hear what I'm hearing too. Now I have begun
to trust Him more to just work through my fingers and mind as I sit here talking to Him and to you each morning. Today
is different though. I have lots and lots of things on my mind but, as I sat down to type. He just said, "Selah."
So, that's what I'm passing along to you this morning. Our lives have become very complicated these days with demands
and stresses coming from many directions. Our knowledge has increased exponentially. People are more in a hurry
than ever before. It's a hurry up and anxiously wait society we live in. Daniel 12:4 (NLT) 4 But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy
a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”
It's interesting to note that God said this would happen a very long time ago! That's something to stop
and think about! With many thoughts running through our heads, sometimes it's just time to sit down, be quiet and think
about what we already know. To settle our minds. To be still and know that God is God and we are not. Psalm 46:10 (NLT) 10 “Be still, and know that
I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” If we don't get everything done today that we planned to do, perhaps we have not bothered to ask God what
His plans are. He has plenty of time to accomplish His purposes and He has given us plenty of time and energy
to accomplish what He wants us to do too. And, in peace, without stress! Selah! That's
what God has told me to do right now and perhaps He is speaking that to you too! What does, "Selah," mean? It actually means a suspension in music. A pause. Can you imagine
what a song would sound like if there were never a rest or pause between phrases? It would just keep on going and
going, never allowing the singer or player to take a break and never allowing the listener to have time to pause, ponder and
enjoy what was last heard! Always going, never stopping, it would wear the musician out and force the listener into
a driven state of mind. I once heard the phrase, "a pregnant pause." Just today, I am beginning
to get the full impact of that phrase. When we pause and allow what we know God has said to really sink in,
our minds become renewed. Creative ideas are conceived that will soon be birthed into something tangible that will make
a difference for the good in our world. Knowledge will turn into understanding. Proverbs 4:7 (AMP) 7 The beginning of Wisdom is: get
Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten,
get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation). With everything that calls for our attention
these days, wouldn't it be good to be grounded in discernment? Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to comprehend completely
God's ways and incorporate them into every situation in our lives? These things do not come about by accident and certainly
not from a fly-by-night way of living. They come about when we take the time to pause and think about what God has said. Do you have any pauses in your life? Or, is every moment taken
up by some activity? These activities may even be good activities. You may be doing wonderful things but when
we keep going and going without pausing, the music in our lives becomes something that drives us to distraction rather than
soothing our weary souls. God, in His wisdom, has given us many places in the book of Psalms where His instructions
are to, "Selah." The one that stands out to me right now is Psalm 3:4. Here it is, as written in the Amplified Bible. 4 With my voice I cry
to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! As I sat down to write, I didn't feel quite right. I said, "Lord, what did I do wrong?" That's
when He said, "Selah," and I was lead to this verse. Believe me, I needed His help. I called to Him
and He heard and answered me! Now, I am stopping myself from all the busyness of my mind and allowing myself to calmly
think of that! Isn't it awesome that God would hear our cries and answer us, even when we may have forgotten to stop
ahead of time and ask what His plans were for us for the day? The word, "Selah," really means to weigh things.
When we stop to weigh what God has said, it will calm us! Think of it. There's not a single trouble in my life
or in yours that we cannot take to God. In His mercy He hears us. He graciously answers too! Is there something
that's troubling you today? Or, are you just so driven by the demands of this world that you are distracted and even
depressed? Cry out to the Lord. I just did. He will hear and answer you. He has just done that for
me! And now, get a cup of tea or your choice of a soothing beverage, sit down and, "Selah." God is right
there and He enjoys your company! When you come away, you will be refreshed and that thing that God directed you to
think about will change your life and the lives of those around you. His peace will be yours! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 9, 2010 CALLED FROM THE WOMB Isaiah 49:1 (NLT) Are you going through something? Something difficult?
God never fails but sometimes we fail to remember that He has a specific purpose for each of us. If you're not going
through a challenge now, you will at some point. And, perhaps you know someone who needs your encouragement from the
Lord's Word this morning because they are in a season of challenge. We are all called from the womb for the unique
purpose for which God made us. A purpose that God has created just for us to fulfill at a such a time as this.
Just like Queen Esther. Esther 4:14 (AMP) 14 For if you keep silent at this
time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And
who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion? As I think
of this, I am reminded that Esther's purpose in speaking out for the Jewish people was not an easy task. She was an
orphan. She had no status. But, God had a plan for her to carry out and she made the choice to follow His plan
instead of her own, even though it did not seem possible. And it was pretty scary. Esther 4:16 (AMP) 16 Go,
gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me; and neither eat nor drink for three days, night
or day. I also and my maids will fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish,
I perish. When Esther heard and agreed to God's plan for her life, impossible as it was, God moved
in and made a way for her where there was no way. Esther had gone through some, "stuff," in her young life
but she listened to what God said about her and operated in the anointing that God placed on her for that situation.
Esther went from going through lots of "stuff," to being Queen Esther! Why? Because nothing
is impossible with God and, when we walk in the specific purpose for which He called us from the womb (and I might say that
He doesn't make mistakes because He calls us by name), His anointing will establish us and make us victorious. Each
of us is also called for the exact same basic purpose and that's to be conformed to the image of the One to whom we belong.
Romans 8:29 (AMP) 29
For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining
them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many
brethren. As far as our specific and individual purpose for being here on earth is concerned, sometimes
we miss it. Not because we're purposely trying to miss it. Just because we are living according to our own choice
and purpose instead of asking God what His perfect purpose is for us and then following. His choice for us; and not
our own. Proverbs 3:5 (AMP) 5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident
in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. There are some of us doing things that our parents decided we should do. Although their intentions were for
our good, unless they had God's purpose in mind, their decisions and direction for us may have missed God's perfect mark.
His choice for us. Since we are not forced to do anything, we can now ask God, "Am I walking in Your chosen
path for me and my life?" "Am I accomplishing what you created me to do?" Then, are we willing
to listen for His voice and follow what He says? If you are in some sort of trial, could it be that God is using that
trial to groom you and gently nudge you into that divine appointment and purpose He had for you before you were even born? God called each to be His servant
just like He called others in the scripture. Isaiah 41:8-10 (NLT) 8 “But as for you, Israel
my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend, 9 I have called
you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you
away. 10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged,
for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Each
is called for a specific purpose and, though some have failed to find that purpose early on and some have gone astray, God
has never changed His mind! Romans 11:29 (AMP) 29 For
God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change
His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.] If you
haven't found that place within God's perfect purpose for you, be encouraged. He has not changed His mind about choosing
you and He will not throw you away. In fact, He wants us to be bold in finding and walking in His specific purpose for
us and promises to hold us up with His victorious right hand! We may be doing some good things right now but if they
are not what God purposed, we will experience strife and troubles. No peace. It may seem totally illogical to
move into what God is telling us to do. But, when God calls, He provides. We saw this in the story of Jesus's
birth and childhood. In order to spare His Son from an early death and make sure His purpose was completed, God told
Jesus, Mary and Joseph had to take a trip to Egypt and stay there for some time. They didn't plan that trip and they
probably didn't have the finances; but God had a plan. He always does! At just the right time, enter the wise
men from the East! God had led them to find Jesus and moved them to pour out their treasures before Him as they fell
to their knees in worship. God provided the finances for the trip and their stay in Egypt! There's no time this
morning to go into the story of how the wise men arrived and how totally unexpected and overwhelming this must have been to
Mary and Joseph. God is still the same today! If He calls us to do something, He will provide and many times it
will be in totally unexpected ways. After all, the glory must all go to Him. If we can take credit for anything,
the thing we're doing is just too small. God is the God of the impossible! If you're going through a trial, listen
to God. Follow His purpose. While your choice may be a good choice, it will not succeed like God's
choice for your life. Perhaps something that you are going through could be God showing you the way to His anointed
choice for your life. It is never too late to follow God completely. If we do, others may not understand.
We may even think His plan is pretty crazy if we compare it to the world's ways. But, included in God's calling
is supernatural provision, peace and even prosperity. If you are struggling now, are you willing to call on God and
change direction if He shows you His perfect way? Will you choose to remember the many stories in His Word that show
us that, after each trial, there was a promotion? A rising to a new level? Not because of the characters in the
stories, but because of the great God of great purpose that they served and that you and I serve too. Yes, we're all
called from the womb (even by name) to be right here where we are for such a time as this, doing specifically what
God has purposed and planned for us to do. We have all been called, by God, from the womb, by name. Are we
walking in His perfect, specific, and anointed purpose and calling? MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 8, 2010 GOD IS THE SAME BUT IS THIS YEAR A GOOD TIME FOR US TO CHANGE? Deuteronomy 30:15 (NLT) With all my ups and downs in life, I'm so glad that God is always the same! He does things that are new to
us, but His character never changes. His power never changes. His Word never changes. He gives each of us
the choice to change or not. There may be some areas we need to change. I know that there are many areas in my
life that don't really conform to God's consistently good ways. Isn't it great to know that we have a choice?
God will not force us to do anything we don't want to do. That makes us partners in this life with our Lord. We
have equal say as to whether we will follow what He says or not. However, I'm not sure why I have not changed more
by this time! Considering that the things we do will either result in life or death, the choice shouldn't be too hard.
And, if I had to choose between prosperity and disaster, I'm not sure why I would even consider disaster!
Yet, there are times when my actions might indicate that I am choosing death and disaster. Maybe you have had some times
in your life like that too. Choices are important. Every choice we make is important! Every choice
you and I make will either bring life and prosperity or death and disaster into our lives! So, how do we make those
good choices that will bring us life and prosperity? The
first thing we must do is a command. Now, it is difficult to be commanded to love someone but that is what God is commanding.
He says we must love the Lord. I don't know about you, but I have been on a lifelong quest to know how to love
the Lord. I have always felt inadequate in that area. I can really relate to the song from "Jesus Christ,
Superstar," where the lyrics say, "I don't know how to love Him." Deuteronomy 30:16 (NLT) 16 For
I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways.
If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. Loving
someone that you can't see is difficult for some of us. God doesn't leave us in the dark about how to love Him
though. He says that we need to keep His commands and walk in His ways. Now you may say, "But, you are
reading out of the Old Testament." That's true but Jesus said that He did not come to destroy the law.
Matthew 5:17 (NLT) 17 “Don’t misunderstand
why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their
purpose. God's laws (or boundaries) have always been for our good. When we choose to operate
outside of those boundaries, He is grieved because we have chosen death and disaster. We have chosen to place ourselves
outside of His safety zone. Jesus came to accomplish the purpose of God's commands. He came to let us know how
to love God and be assured that God really loves us with an intimate love. John 14:23 (AMP) 23 Jesus answered, If a person [really]
loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home
(abode, special dwelling place) with him. God's
command to love Him and walk in His ways will surely prompt us, in some way, to change. I don't think that there is
a person reading this who has it totally together when it comes to loving God and walking in all His commandments.
I know I don't, so I'm on a mission to change some things, starting today and hopefully continuing through this year and all
the days the Lord has given me to stay on this earth! I heard a preacher say, "Change isn't change until
you change." That's very true! We can talk about change and resolutions and never do anything about it.
I'm famous for buying books about diet's, make-over's, home decorating, etc., Somehow I guess I think if I have
the books, everything will be different. Nothing changes except I have more "stuff," in my house to move around.
I don't get thinner and healthier because the diet book sits on the shelf. I don't look better because I haven't
read the make-over book and tried their suggestions. My house is not "house-beautiful," because it is still
decorated with clutter - part of that clutter being my home-decorating books! If any change has taken place,
it hasn't been for the good, it has only cluttered up my life! We can do that same thing with God's Word. Most
of us have a Bible (some even have many Bibles). Most of us know a fair amount of His Word but has it changed
us? Are we living out that Word in our everyday situations? His Word doesn't change but we have the option to
let it change us. Jesus, who is the Word, sits at the throne of the Father making intercession for us all the time.
Hebrews 7:24-25 (NLT) 24 But
because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able,
once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. I
wonder if He ever gets tired of interceding for us in the same way because we have not chosen to change. Is He having
to intercede for us, working overtime, because we continually go outside the boundaries of His Word? I wonder if He
is still praying that prayer, "Father, forgive them because they don't know what they're doing." What changes
do we need to make to choose life and prosperity? What changes do we need to make to be pleasing to God, showing by
our actions that we truly love Him (and maybe give Jesus a little break from having to intercede so much for us)? If
we do not know His Word, we need to read it and get it down into our hearts. Having only head-knowledge will not make
the changes that heart-knowledge will! If we know some of the Word, we may just need to work the Word
that we know, letting it change our lives. We all need to work on our love walk with our Lord and Savior.
How do you love God? Obedience seems to be the mode of God's choice. I'm so glad that God is not a control-freak.
He's not out to harm us or keep good things from us. All of His commands are so that we can have life and prosperity.
He gives us a choice but He doesn't force that choice on us. He desperately hopes that we will choose
life and prosperity. Satan knows that. That's why He's out to try to get you and me to turn from God's Word
and from obeying it. John 10:10 (NLT) 10 The thief’s purpose is
to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. It's our choice
to follow the devil's temptations or to change and become more like our Lord by loving Him and following His commands.
What changes do you want to make in your life, starting now, to insure that your life will be the life God desires for
you? An abundant and prosperous life! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 7, 2010 GIVING FIRST? Proverbs 3:9-10 (NLT) Today is the seventh day of this new year. We have been in this new year one week and
I have been thinking of foundational principles that we can take into the new year as a part of a new lifestyle. One
that will allow us to get to know our Savior better and have a closer walk with Him. If you are reading this,
the chances are that you, too, want to know Him better, love Him more, and stay in step with Him. This morning is a
morning that I may touch on something with which some will take issue . But, please read to the end and then
make your own choice, based on the Word of God. What I'm talking about is a foundational principle from God's
Word. Many people criticize the church for asking for money. However, there isn't a country or a kingdom, here
on earth, that can be run without resources. God's Kingdom is no different. And, we can see from Proverbs 3:9-10 that God was the first one to ask for our money, or our treasure. Even though God asks for something,
He promises something in return. Something that we could not count on if we were doing things in our own strength or
understanding. He promises to fill our barns with grain and our vats to overflowing with wine! He promises
to provide! Whatever we have is ours solely because God has given us the power to obtain it. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (NIV) 7 You may say to yourself, "My power
and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember
the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore
to your forefathers, as it is today. When we have times of financial success, do we pat ourselves on the back
and say, "Look what I did!"? Or, do we remember that, no matter how hard we have worked, it all belongs
to God anyway? We couldn't have done what we did unless God had given us the ability to produce! Now, I would agree, and you probably
would agree too, that, when we give, our seed should be sown into good ground. Those who feed us and serve
us spiritually should receive from us. 1 Timothy 5:17-18 (AMP) 17 Let the elders who perform the
duties of their office well be considered doubly worthy of honor [and of adequate financial support], especially those who
labor faithfully in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, You shall not
muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain, and again, The laborer is worthy of his hire. Our local church
should receive the first of our best gifts if they are providing our spiritual food and serving us by helping equip us to
go out and minister in the world. When we give, we should give as though we were giving to the Lord and, if we are sowing
into a ministry that follows Christ, we are doing just that. Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT) 11 Now these are the gifts Christ
gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12
Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of
God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Our
first thought, when we get our first paycheck this year should be to give at least ten percent right of the top of the gross
amount of that check to the Lord. Can we do that freely and cheerfully? Will it be our first thought? Or
will we be thinking of what bills we must pay or those new shoes we saw that were on sale? God is not interested in
our giving because we "have to." Look what He says: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (NIV) 6 Remember
this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves
a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all
things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As
it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 10
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and
will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every
way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. I notice in 2 Corinthians 9:6 that if I sow sparingly, I will not reap much. God gives me the choice as to how
much I give and He doesn't want me to be reluctant or do it because I'm on a guilt trip. That's not what God
wants from us. He doesn't want to control us. He wants us to want to give back to Him, first of
all because we realize that it all belongs to Him anyway, and secondly, because our hearts are full of gratitude for
all that He has done for us. Then we come to that part of 2 Corinthians 9:6 that tells us that if we sow generously, we will reap generously, that is the icing on the cake.
That's just how God is. We can never out-give God. He loves to give good gifts to His children; but He also
wants His children to be just like Him - generous givers! As parents, we do not give our children harmful
or ugly things when they ask for something good. Matthew 7:9-10 (NLT) 9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone
instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course
not! No! We're inclined to give our children the best that we can give. Why should we
doubt that our Heavenly Father won't be a thousand times more willing to give His children the best? After all, we're
not perfect parents. But we have a Heavenly Father who is a perfect parent! Matthew 7:11 (NLT) 11 So if you sinful people know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. That
being said, I don't think our motivation for giving should be just so that we can get something in return. We get because
it is God's character to give. As we are more and more conformed to His image, we will also become conformed to be givers
for the sheer delight of giving to a God who has given so much to us. We will love giving to those who have helped us
along spiritually. We will enjoy giving to ministries that feed the poor, give medical help to those who have none,
bring relief to war-ravaged places, and any ministry that does what Jesus would do; all in the name of Jesus! Is
one of your first thoughts this first week of the new year to gift the best off the top of your first pay? Is your first
thought to be so grateful that you would love to give God ninety percent and live off of the other ten percent? There
is more to God's promise if our hearts are inclined to want to first give before we spend. Look at 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 again! You see, God is not trying to take anything from us. He's trying to provide us with seed
and bread. Seed so we can sow even more and receive a reward of righteousness and bread so that we will have our daily
bread to eat! This is not too hard for God. He has way more than enough in resources. He doesn't even need
what you and I have but He is interested in seeing if we are being conformed to His image when it comes to giving. He
gave His best when He gave His Son to die for our sins and bring us into right relationship with Himself. Something
that we could never have worked enough to receive. Something that we could never give enough to receive! It was
His best gift! Will we give of our best out of this week's paycheck and then out of every paycheck thereafter?
Our Father in Heaven deserves all that and more! Besides that, I will guarantee you, on the authority of God's Word,
that this year will turn out to be a good one because we have thought first of giving back to the Lord. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 6, 2010 PUTTING FIRST THINGS FIRST Matthew 6:33 (NIV) As this new year began, I began thinking about all the things that might be foundational in starting the year out
right. Today I was reminded of putting first things first. In the first week of this new year, I have thought
of several things to review so that I might make this year a better year than the last one. I want to walk a closer
walk with my Lord. How about you? I believe that my latter days can be much better than the former.
I believe yours can too. It could be that some of us have gone through a time of testing this past year. We have
to remember that nothing happens to us by chance. Everything that comes into our lives can, and will be, used by God
for good if we are loving Him and called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NLT) 28 And we know that God causes everything
to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. I'm
not saying that everything will feel good. But according to God's never-failing Word, He will work good
out of everything. That is, if we put first things first. Will we take the promise
of Jesus seriously? The promise that He will provide for all of our needs? This promise that all things will
be given to us is not unlike other promises in the scripture. In order to receive the promise we have to do our part.
In this case, our part is putting first things first. Seeking, first, His kingdom and His righteousness.
Where can we find His Kingdom? Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is within us. Luke 17:20-21 (NIV) 20 Once, having been asked by the
Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation,
21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God
is within you." Although the following quote from, The Message, is not a literal
Biblical translation, I think the writer has the right idea here. When we allow Jesus to move inside of us, receiving
His salvation. He will instill His Kingdom in us. Luke 3:16 (MSG) 16 But John intervened: "I'm
baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life,
a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. If you have never received Jesus
as your Lord and Savior, you can put first things first in this first week of the new year. For those of us who are
already walking with Jesus, our walk can be even closer this year than it was in years past if we remind ourselves that we
carry His Kingdom and the King within ourselves. If we will listen to Him, He will help us set our priorities.
He will help us to put first things first! We will be able more and more to hear His voice within! I am reminded
that I must remember, first, that this body that I live in belongs to God. Romans 12:1 (NLT) 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters,
I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the
kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. I see, from Romans 12:1, that I cannot even truly worship God unless I have first given my body to Him. And then, I can know that
I can set priorities in my life according to His perfect will! And so can you! Romans 12:2 (NLT) 2 Don’t
copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then
you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. By seeking His
Kingdom and righteousness first (which is within us if we have received Jesus), we can know that the rest of the
year we will find His provision, as He promised. We just have to put first things first! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 5, 2010 STARTING THE NEW YEAR WITH BALANCE AND BOUNDARIES 1 Peter 5:8 (AMP) In the world we live in, balanced lives are far from the norm. And, mention boundaries, if you dare.
Most people are under the impression that boundaries are to keep us from doing things and having things that would be enjoyable.
I have fallen into the trap of being unbalanced when it comes to taking on too much to do. I wonder if anyone can relate
to this? Of course, we have good intentions and we want to do lots of good things. The many things we want to do
are good things. They may be very good things. But, they may not be the best. Especially
if we have not been told by God to do them. Isn't it interesting that the enemy can get us unbalanced by getting us
to buy into doing everything good for everybody! In doing so, we become unbalanced, fatigued, and are easy prey
for the enemy who is looking for someone to devour. God has created certain good works for you and me to do.
Ephesians 2:10 (AMP) 10 For we are God’s [own]
handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined
(planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life
which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. When we try to do more
than He has asked us to do, we become unbalanced. If we are not living balanced lives, we are not really receiving
the abundant life that Jesus offers us; and we are in danger of being pounced upon by our enemy, the devil. God has, on purpose, given us power, love and a sound and disciplined
mind with which to live a well-balanced life. He has given us His commandments and principles as boundaries to
keep us safe and secure. When we remain in His Word, we are fortressed against the dangers of the world that is
outside of His Word. All good parents create boundaries for their children. Whether the children realize
it or not, the boundaries are for their good. To keep them safe from harm. That's just the way it is with our
Heavenly Father. All of His boundaries are good for us. He's not trying to keep anything that is good from us;
only to keep us from being sucked in and destroyed by what is not good! There is fear associated with being in an unsafe
place. There is no worse fear than living a life that is unbalanced and tottering close to collapse.
God has not given you and me this spirit of fear but has given us the tools to live a well-balanced life. An abundant
and peaceful life. 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP) 7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He
has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. We can look back at Daniel and his friends who were in captivity in a foreign nation but chose to remain within the
boundaries of God's Word. As it turned out, when the king looked for well-balanced judgment, he found that Daniel
and company had a lot more of that than all of his trained wise men! Daniel 1:20 (TLB) 20 And in all matters requiring
information and balanced judgment, the king found these young men’s advice ten times better than that of all the skilled
magicians and wise astrologers in his realm. Today, it is fashionable to some to mock those who are
determined to live within God's boundaries and live balanced lives. However, God's Word will stand true today, just
as it did in Daniel's day. Watch this! 1 Corinthians 1:26-27) AMP 26 For [simply] consider your own call,
brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential
and powerful, not many of high and noble birth. 27 [No] for God selected (deliberately
chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.
Living a balanced life and staying within the boundaries of God's Word may look foolish and weak to the world but those
who will choose to do it will confound the wisest of worldly people! Not only that, we will enjoy abundant life and
find ourselves safe from the devil's wiles. Will you and I choose to live, to the best of our ability and with God's
guidance and direction, a life with boundaries and balance for this new year? Jude 1:20-21 (TLB) 20 But you, dear friends, must build
up your lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the
Holy Spirit. 21 Stay always within the boundaries where God’s love can reach
and bless you. Wait patiently for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 4, 2010 A NEW YEAR - A NEW BEGINNING Genesis 1:1 (NLT) In the very beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. At that time the earth was pretty chaotic.
Genesis 1:2 (NLT) 2 The earth was formless and empty,
and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Some
of the past years of our lives may have been chaotic too. We may have lived through lots of darkness in our life.
But God....... When God saw how chaotic the word was, He said, "Let there be light." Genesis 1:3 (NLT) 3 Then God said, “Let there
be light,” and there was light. God said the light was a good thing and He separated it from the darkness.
Genesis 1:4 (NLT) 4 And God saw that the light was
good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. When God looks at the chaos in our lives, He knows that
we need to have light, so He offers the Light that will send the darkness in our lives fleeing! John 8:12 (TLB) 12 Later, in one of his talks, Jesus
said to the people, "I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness,
for living light will flood your path." If this past year has presented challenges for you and have been
disturbed and confused, you can determine in this new year that you will let more of His light shine into your
heart and life. You and I can start anew, as many people determine to do with their New Year's resolutions. I
just heard today that, those who make New Year's resolutions keep them on the average of two and one half weeks. Pretty
sad. Could it be that New Year's resolutions
are not kept because people try to go it alone? They make some kind of attempt to do a new thing in a new year but they
remain in the dark! There is only one way that we can make a new beginning and that is by the mercy and grace of the
God of second, third, and infinite chances for a new beginning. Chances for us to repent, depend solely on Him
and walk in His Light. John 15:5 (NLT) 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you
are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. In fact, God's mercies are new each morning. The writer of Lamentations has had some hard times, just
as some of us have had this past year. Some of us can relate to these words: Lamentations 3:19-21 (NLT) 19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words.
20 I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. 21 Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this: Yes, so many this year have suffered financial loss. I know of many who have had
loved ones pass away. These losses are real, and must be grieved for a time, but the writer goes on to say this:
Lamentations 3:22-24 (NLT) 22 The faithful love of the Lord never
ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh
each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore,
I will hope in him!” He reminds himself that God's faithfulness is greater than we can imagine.
Greater than any problem we have faced or will face in the future. He can dare to hope and so can we.
God's mercies begin afresh each morning. I love it! I have a pillow that sits on the bed in my guest room
with these words on it: "God's promises are new every morning because we mess up every day."
Isn't that the truth! We are now on day four of a brand new year. We have three hundred and sixty-one days left
in this year to remember each morning that God's mercies are new! Will this be the year that we remember that every
morning, thank God for His faithfulness, and dare to keep on hoping? We have just started a new year in which, I believe, God is going to do a new thing.
Isaiah 43:19 (AMP) 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert. Maybe last year was tough and not exactly as we expected but we can choose to let
it go and look forward instead of remembering what happened or what we wish would have happened. Isaiah 43:18 (AMP) 18 Do not [earnestly] remember the
former things; neither consider the things of old. God is the God of new beginnings. That's why the Apostle,
Paul, said that he chose to forget the things of the past, both good and bad, and press on toward the goal.
Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT) 12 I don’t mean to say that
I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection
for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have
not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is
calling us. As stalwart a man as Paul was, he knew that he needed to keep looking forward. He knew that
he had more new beginnings before he reached the end of the line. Last year may have been a year when some of us were
disappointed in ourselves. Perhaps our walk was not as good as we intended. If we fell in some way, we can know
that it is not the end. The enemy would like us to think it is because then he could keep us down and prevent us from
being everything God created us to be. 1 John 2:1 (NLT) 1 My dear children, I am writing
this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He
is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. What confirmation! God's mercies, through our Lord Jesus
Christ, are new whenever we need them! That is, of course, not to say that we should be lax about the way we live and
sin just because grace is available. Romans 6:1-2 (NLT) 1 Well then, should we keep
on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course
not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? However, it is to say
that our Father is always watching for us to turn around, repent, and receive a new beginning from Him if we have made a wrong
turn in life. In the beginning, when the world was in chaos, the Spirit of God hovered over it bringing it a new beginning.
Organizing and setting things in order. Shedding light on it. That word, "hover," actually means to, "brood
over." This new year, the Holy Spirit is fluttering over you and me, working in those who will let Him,
to set things in order and eliminate any areas of chaos. This new year, His Spirit will give us a new beginning
if we will open our heart to Him, look for and pay attention to that new thing He is doing, and let Him have His way. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 3, 2010 MORE REVIEW FOR A NEW VIEW AHEAD Acts 11:23 (TLB) As I review the past year of my life,
I want to see how I did when it comes to drawing closer to the Lord. There are some indicators that I can
look at. One of the questions I can ask myself is whether I have been consistently listening to the Lord through His
Word. How much of what I heard with my spiritual ears actually was demonstrated in my life? How close was I to
the Lord last year by studying and meditating on His Word and how can I get even closer this year? It is obvious
that if we did not study, reflect upon, and meditate upon His Word last year, we will have taken some wrong turns along
the way. Why? Because His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Psalm 119:105 (NLT) 105 Your word is a lamp to guide
my feet and a light for my path. How can we stay on the right pathway if we're in the dark? God has written
His love, mercy, grace and instructions to us in His Word. If someone we loved had gone away and the only contact we
had with them was the letters they wrote to us, do you think we would lay them on the coffee table to collect dust?
To remain unopened? Or, would our love for that person, and our desire to connect with them, cause us to read those
letters over and over again? My guess is that those letters would be read so many times that the paper would begin to
wear thin! My seriousness about my relationship with the Lord will be evident by how much I read what He has written
to me. I can't see Him with my physical eyes but I can know Him from reading and re-reading His Word until it becomes
a part of me and I become closer and closer to Him. Not only has God written of His love, mercy, and grace toward us, He has also written instructions for
us and He will hold us accountable as to whether we have followed those instructions. There are so many evil and false
things going on in our world today and many of us overlook them or have fallen into the trap of being "tolerant."
That's not what God's Word implies. If we really want to be close to the Lord, we will want to learn what it is
that He likes and make that a priority in our own lives. His instructions are not to keep us from anything good, but
to protect us from evil. He loves us that much! Psalm 119:104 (NLT) 104 Your commandments give me understanding;
no wonder I hate every false way of life. Reading and meditating on His Word will give us understanding.
When we have understanding, we can be tolerant of people; but we will not be tolerant with false and evil ways of life.
We can't be close to God and be close to the world's ways too. This is the third day of a new year. If you
have never made a deliberate and resolute choice about whom you will serve, today is the day to do it! Joshua 24:15 (NLT) 15 But if you refuse to serve the
Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will
it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
If we were lax in serving God last year, it's not too late to begin right now - this year! Reading is good and we should
do that every day. As we read, we can communicate with the One who wrote to us through prayer. We can ask Him
to open our eyes to the truth in His Word. The Psalmist knew that his eyes needed to be turned from things that
were not edifying to God's Word. God's Word is our life preserver too! Psalm 119:37 (NIV) 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless
things; preserve my life according to your word. When we pray as we read, His Spirit will shed light on
what we are reading and it will become life to us. Was last year a year of communicating with God in prayer? Would
you like to be closer to God in that way this year? I know I would! After all, if you really love someone, you
can't wait to talk to them, can you? And, we most often only share our deepest longings and needs with our best friend
- right? Who is your best friend? Who are you the closest to? Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT) 14 So then, since we have a great
High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he
did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There
we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. This year we can hold firmly
to what we believe by remembering that Jesus wants to be best friends with us. John 15:15 (NIV) 15 I no longer call you servants,
because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from
my Father I have made known to you. These first few days of this new year, as we look back on how we lived
our lives last year, we can get a new view. Did we really take time to go boldly before the throne of God
last year? With every large and small detail of our lives? When you were so tired at the end of a work day and
you had to stop at the market for a loaf of bread, did you tell Jesus? Did you ever find that He gave you a front parking
space? When you or a loved one faced a grave illness, did you go boldly before God's throne and find the grace and mercy
you needed to get through that difficulty? This year God will do a new thing for us in our lives if we will get a new
view of Him. How close do you want to be to Him? Close enough to take time each day to read His Word? Psalm 119:130 (NLT) 130 The teaching of your word gives
light, so even the simple can understand. Close enough to pray to Him without
ceasing? 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT) 17 Never stop praying. As
we take a short review of last year, let's remember that the closer you get to someone, the better the view! How close
will we choose to get to God this coming year? MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 2, 2010 LAST YEAR IN REVIEW James 4:8 (NLT) How was your
year last year? We can take these first few days of this new year to review last year and determine to renew our minds
this year so that they conform to God's will and purpose for us! Romans 12:2 (AMP) 2 Do not be conformed to this world
(this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire]
renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and
acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. It
could be that last year, about this time, we decided to do that and then perhaps slipped away, drawing closer to the ways
of the world. Or, it could be that we did very well in continually renewing our minds, changing our ideals and proving
what God's perfect and acceptable will is for us. Either way, a good review and a re-commitment is a good thing with
which to build our foundation for this new year! It's becoming harder and harder to keep our loyalties solely aligned
with God's Kingdom when we are bombarded from every direction, and even from our own families, with the ever-increasing, evil
ways of this world. I am reminded that, when
we began this new year yesterday, I was one day closer to the day I would die or one day closer to the day in which Jesus
will return. Whichever comes first. On the day that we meet Jesus, He will have some things to say. The
good news is that, to those who have constantly renewed their minds and focused on Him, He will say the following. Matthew 25:34 (AMP) 34 Then the King will say to those
at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive
as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Oh, what a glorious day that will
be for those who have drawn closer to God throughout their lives! The bad news is that, to those who refused the Lord's
gracious hospitality, he will say the following: Matthew 25:41 (AMP) 41 Then He will say to those at
His left hand, Begone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! As I
read the, "in-between," news, I was encouraged to know that we can show, by our actions toward others, that we are
drawing closer to God! It is when we love what He loves. It is when we do for others what He has done for us,
as though we were doing it for Him. Matthew 25:35-40 (AMP) 35 For I was hungry and you gave
Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and
welcomed and entertained and lodged Me, 36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick
and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me. 37 Then
the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something
to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You,
or naked and clothed You? 39 And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to
visit You? 40 And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you
did it for one of the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me. There are members of the Kingdom
of God all over this world. They don't always look like we do or have the same customs. Some are not looking too
good right now and need a helping hand up. Some are in prison. Many are hungry. Many do not even have a
cup of clean water to drink. Some are without shelter. There are those who don't even have the clothes needed
to keep them warm this winter. Because we live in a country of abundance, for the most, part, these people who are in
need, and even suffering, are strangers to us. We don't usually find them walking down the street or even in the local
mall. But, they are all around us, nonetheless. They are in homeless shelters. They are in nursing homes.
They are living in cardboard make-shift homes under bridges where no one usually looks. They are in other countries
where starvation, disease, persecution, and death reign over the land. They can even be behind the walls of our next
door neighbor's home, where the need has been hidden and, thus, ignored. There are so many ways, this year, that we
can give to Jesus, Himself, by being more aware of those in close proximity to us and those around the world. We can
draw closer to God by giving as though we were giving to Jesus, Himself. What can we give during this coming year?
Maybe we're not blessed at the moment with great financial abundance. But, everyone has a smile. If we are reading
the Word of God and encouraging ourselves in the Lord, we have the Word of God to help another face a new year with hope.
Whatever it is that we have is worth sharing with another who has not. I experienced a very loving mini-back, rub along
with an encouraging word from my daughter a couple of days ago. It went a very long way to comfort me and I do pray
that Jesus will give the back generously to her because she took time to stop and think of me! Of course,
if we do have the financial ability to give in that way, Jesus readily welcomes that too. Remember the wise
men who gave generously to Him just before He and His family left on their journey to Egypt? How nice that there were
wise people tuned in to God's giving methods. They were able to provide the way for the Savior's stay in Egypt!
We can all do something each day for someone in some kind of need. We can give whatever it is we have to give with no
strings attached, knowing that we are giving to Jesus. When the time of judgment comes (and it will come), may we be
among the ones who have received salvation and then helped and given to others! If this was the day we had
to stand before Jesus, what would we hear? The bad news or the good news? That depends upon whether we have
listened to the "in-between" news and drawn closer to God by drawing closer to people, giving to them
as though we were giving to Jesus, Himself. Upon reviewing how we spent our lives last year, we can probably all
say that we can be more sensitive to God's leading this year and more sensitive to the needs of others. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 1, 2010 AS IN YEARS GONE BY Habakkuk 3:2 (NLT) Wow! This is the very first day of a brand new year! It
seems like the past year flew by and we are now moving into the unknown of a new year. I'm moving to the new year remembering
a few things. The first is that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He was the same last year (and
in years before that), as He is, right now - today! He'll be the same forever too which means that every day of
this brand new year, He will remain the same in His power, majesty, and character. We can count on Jesus!
As Habakkuk stated in Habakkuk 3:2, the Lord will help us just as He has done in years past. We wouldn't be experiencing this new day of a new year
unless the Lord had helped us in years past! Think about some of the things you experienced last year and look with
awe at God's amazing works in your life! We have probably all experienced some times of deep need in the past year and
we will probably experience some of those times in this new year. But, like Habakkuk, we can call on the Lord to help
us when things don't look good and know that He will do it, just as He has done in years gone by! As much of the world refuses to acknowledge God, it may be that
He is angry. He has a right to be angry! Let's just think about how we would feel if we were God! Much of
the world forgets that it is only the clay. It tries to tell the Potter what to do! Or, worse than
that, many completely disregard the Potter. Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NLT) 1 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah.
He said, 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.”
3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of
clay again and started over. 5 Then the Lord gave me this message: 6 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in
the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. Pretty scary! I would think the Potter would be
quite angry looking at the world today who seems to be trying to crowd out its Creator. So, I'm
going into the new year thanking the Potter that He knows best about what to do with this little lump of clay. Thanking
Him that He has great mercy on those who seek Him! Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NLT) 11 For
I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a
future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. If we will seek the
Lord the first thing, this new year, and do it wholeheartedly, we will find Him! There's no better way to walk
through a new year than when you walk with the One who is The Way! We have no idea what each day in this year will bring. Some days may be challenging. It is on those days
that we can call upon the One with whom we are walking. We can call on the Lord and He will show us things we have never
known before! Even great and mighty things! Jeremiah 33:3 (NLT) 3 Ask me and I will tell you remarkable
secrets you do not know about things to come. If we remember that it is in the Potter that we live and move
and have our being, we will have a great foundation on which to build a year of joy and triumph! Acts 17:28 (NLT) 28 For in him we live and move and
exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ If we will go into this
new year knowing that nothing is impossible with the One with whom we walk, we can face anything a new day will bring, whether
it be joy or trial! His Word will never fail! Luke 1:37 (NLT) 37 For nothing is impossible with
God.” When we come to a desert season, we can know that God is able to make streams in that desert
if we will trust Him! Isaiah 43:19 (NIV) 19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. If
our path seems to become blurred or even blocked, our God can make a way where there seems to be no way. He's done it
in years past and He'll do it again! Besides that He has already gone before us into this new year. Just as He
did in years past for Joshua, He will do it this year for those who will trust Him. Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT) 8 Do not be afraid or discouraged,
for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
The Lord not only has gone before us into this new year, He is also our rear guard if we are trusting and obeying
Him. Isaiah 58:8 (NIV) 8 Then your light will break forth
like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord
will be your rear guard. If you and I are willing to let go of the past and just let God be our rear guard,
He will help us not to take any past baggage into this new year that He has created for us! The Apostle, Paul,
worked toward this very thing and so can we, beginning right now. Today. The very first day of a new year!
Philippians 3:13 (NLT) 13 No, dear brothers and sisters,
I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
We can look forward with anticipation because, although it is a process, we are pressing on for the perfection and the
spiritual maturity, which is the plan of Jesus for us. Philippians 3:12 (NLT) 12 I
don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on
to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. I have to confess that, when I began
writing this, I was a bit depressed. My family had visited for the Christmas holiday and they have gone back home
today. I was a bit apprehensive about the coming year too. But, now, I am encouraged and I hope you are, as well !
This year we can press on toward the important things that God has planned for us. Philippians 3:14 (NIV) 14 I press on toward the goal to
win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. We can press on confidently knowing that
we have a higher goal than just the things of this world. 2 Corinthians 4:15-18 (ASV) 15 For all things are for your sakes,
that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God. 16 Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed
day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more
and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; 18 while we look not at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are
not seen are eternal. We can go forward with joy because God has promised that, if we seek His Kingdom
first, all the other things we need will be provided. Matthew 6:33-34 (NLT) 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above
all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So
don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. We
can let go of the past and march confidently into this new year knowing as Habakkuk did, that God will help us again in this
year, as He has done in years gone by! We're sure to be filled with awe, once again, as we see God work mightily in
our lives! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 31, 2009 A NEW YEAR, A NEW LIFE! 1 Peter 1:23-25 (TLB) 23 For you have a new life.
It was not passed on to you from your parents, for the life they gave you will fade away. This new one will last forever,
for it comes from Christ, God’s ever-living Message to men. 24 Yes, our
natural lives will fade as grass does when it becomes all brown and dry. All our greatness is like a flower that droops and
falls; 25 but the Word of the Lord will last forever. And his message is the Good
News that was preached to you. If you have not received a new life, you can receive one today.
Just in time for a new year! A new life for a new year and one that will last forever! All we have to do
to receive a new life is to ask. Jesus has promised to give us a new life in Him if we will confess our sins.
Romans 3:23-24 (TLB) 23 Yes, all have sinned; all fall
short of God’s glorious ideal; 24 yet now God declares us "not guilty"
of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins. God has promised
to give us gift of, not only a new life, but eternal life! Romans 6:23 (TLB) 23 For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This new life will not fade
away like the lives our parents gave us. 2 Corinthians 5:1 (NLT) 1 For we know that when this earthly
tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal
body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. For those of us who have already received a new life
in Christ, it's a good time to remember how blessed we are. He has brought us through another year and He will take
us from faith to faith and glory to glory in the coming year. It's a good time to do a heart check and get rid of anything
that will hold us back in the new year. Things such as jealousy, bitterness, and pride. It's a good time to
ask God to show us those things that would hinder us and ask forgiveness. If you have already received the new life in Christ, you will be encouraged to remember that, although
tough times may come upon us on this earth, we do not face these times alone. We have the Lord who walks with us and He has
promised never to leave us. Hebrews 13:4-5 (NIV) 4 Marriage should be honored by
all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never
will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Of course, God's promises usually have a condition
to be met by us. So, with the coming of a new year with possibly many financial changes and challenges, we can prepare
ourselves by learning to be content with what we have, whether little or much. Amy Carmichael has aptly said, "No
one knows what this next year will bring, but one thing is sure. He will be with us and He is enough for every difficulty
that will arise." It could be that we will face some difficulties in the new year, as we have all faced this
past year, but we don't have to fear because we have the promise that God will be with us! Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not
be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
He will not leave us as long as we desire Him to stay with us! Even when we push Him away and are unfaithful,
He remains faithful! God, although His character never changes, is always doing something new in our lives. This new year is a year
that He will do the same thing. Isaiah 43:19 (AMP) 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert. With the times changing rapidly and new challenges arising, there's not a one of us
who doesn't need the Lord to do some new things in our lives. We may have gone through this year with some stresses
that threatened to take us down. But God......... He is always willing to do a new thing in our lives. Something
that will surprise us and help us make it through when we think we just can't do it. This coming year will be no different.
Look around. He says, "Behold, I am doing a new thing!" Then He asks if we can perceive it, know it,
and give heed to it. Can we? This coming year, I am asking Him to open my spiritual eyes to the new thing He is
doing. To let me perceive it. And, most importantly, to let me give heed to it? Will you ask the same thing
of Him? He says He will make a way in our wilderness and place rivers in the desert places of our lives! I can
hardly wait to see the ways that God will do that in my life and in yours in this coming new year! He's able to do ever
so much more than we can even think about or begin to believe! Ephesians 3:20-21 (TLB) 20 Now glory be to God,
who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely
beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. 21 May he be given
glory forever and ever through endless ages because of his master plan of salvation for the Church through Jesus Christ. Are
you ready for a new life in a new year? You can have it because God is always ready to do a new thing in your
life. He not only makes a way where there is no way, He has given us His Son who is
the Way. John 14:6 (ASV) 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the
way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me. It's time to let God do a
new thing in our lives in the new year! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 30, 2009 RESOLUTE REFLECTIONS Psalms 119:55 (NLT) I am blessed because today is my birthday. This affords me the opportunity to reflect on what
has happened this year and to thank God for the many times that He has shown me mercy and grace. Since it is so close
to the new year, I can reflect on this past year and think of ways to be resolute in the coming year of my life and in the
coming new year! First of all, in my reflections, I remember who the Lord is and what that means in my life. It's
good to be quiet in the evening as the Psalmist did and reflect on who the Lord is. When I do that, I am reminded that
it is my desire to obey His instructions. (Psalm 119:55 (NLT) I know that, in His instructions, I find real life! I was recently sharing with a friend
that I have a tendency to be stubborn. She reminded me that there is nothing good about being stubborn, so she
chose to call me, "resolute." How gracious my friend was and how I hope to live up what she has declared
me to be! 1 Samuel 15:23a (NLT) 23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols....... My friend was right about the stubbornness! As we reflect
on the past year and look forward to the New Year, we should be resolute about not being stubborn! And, resolute about
following Jesus! What are you going to be resolute about in the coming year? Instead of just making "New
Year's resolutions," let's just be resolute about following Jesus. Everything else will fall into
place. God, being Who He is, desires our obedience. As we reflect on the past year, do we see times where we
have slipped in the obedience department? It's good to reflect on those times, learn from them and determine to be resolute
in our obedience in this coming year! 1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT) ... “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat
of rams. What has God called us to do in our lives? Are we resolutely in the center of His will?
We see an example in the life of Jesus when He resolutely set His face like flint and went to Jerusalem where He would face
the cross. Isaiah 50:7 (NKJV) 7 "For
the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I
will not be ashamed. Because Jesus was resolute in His obedience to His Father, we can now enjoy
life and life more abundantly. (John 10:10) Whether or not it is your birthday at this time of year, all of us have the opportunity to start
anew with the first day of a new year. As we reflect on what God has done for us, we'll see that it is much more than
we can remember! Psalms 40:5 (NKJV) 5 Many, O Lord my God,
are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would
declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. Even though we cannot possibly count
the many things God has done for us, we can reflect on those things we remember and be encouraged that
He will continue to be with us during the coming year. Hebrews 13:8 (NLT) 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today, and forever. In my New Year and birthday reflections, I remember that I am wonderfully made.
And so are you! Psalm 139:13-16 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully
complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me
as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You
saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had
passed. God saw each of us before we were ever born. He also saw that we would need to
be re-born. John 3:3 (AMP) 3 Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly
I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience)
the kingdom of God. I am reflecting on the fact that, because of the sin nature in all of us, I needed
to be remade and God did that for me by sending His Son to make me a new person! He did that for you too! Ephesians 2:8-10 (TLB) 8 Because
of his kindness, you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from
God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take
any credit for it. 10 It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new
lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others. I'm
going into the new year reflecting on all that God has done for me and being resolute in continuing to follow Him, making
every effort to be of help to others. How about you? These last few days of this year, may we all do as the Psalmist
did and think about God's instructions, using them as our guide for the new year. Psalm 119:97-98 (NLT) 97 Oh, how I love your instructions! I think
about them all day long. 98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for
they are my constant guide. As we reflect on His instructions, let's be resolute in our decision
to obey them and follow Him! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 29, 2009 ARE YOU A WISE PERSON? Matthew 2:1-2 (NLT) I went with my husband to his company's Christmas party before Christmas. The head of the company had made
a "Christmas Quiz," with lots of questions about Christmas, only a few of them being about the real reason we celebrate.
Among the questions was one about the wise men. It was a multiple choice question asking who the wise men really were.
Among the answers to choose from were: kings, astronomers, magicians, and those wise enough to follow the star. Although,
the answer I chose was not the one they wanted, I chose, "those wise enough to follow the star." Since then,
I heard a sermon that made me know that my answer could have been included in the "right answers." The wise men who visited the child, Jesus, were not kings, although they were men of
high political influence. They were astronomers because they watched and studied the stars. They were also magicians
who sometimes dealt with the occult. They were called magi in the scriptures and that is where we get our word, "magic."
However, these wise men had perhaps heard the story of Jehovah God and His coming Messiah told by Daniel, long before
Jesus was born. It is possible that the wise men who visited Jesus had ancestors wise enough to pass down the prophetic
words of Daniel. In any case, the wise men did follow a star that God had put in the sky and so found the Christ
Child. They followed the star because they had open eyes. Do you have open eyes today? Their spiritual and
their physical eyes were at work. In their spirits, they were following, as the preacher I heard declared, "the
prophetic instead of the pathetic." With their physical eyes, they watched the signs of the time they were living
in. They put those two things together and found Jesus! Are our physical eyes and spiritual eyes open today?
Are we open to the prophetic, applying it to the times we live in? Or, are we just open to the pathetic, taking in all
the bad news we hear in the media? They also focused on an open Bible. They went to the scribes and the chief
priests to find out more about where they might find Jesus. Unfortunately, even though these high synagogue officials
could spout off the right answers in scripture, they had missed the Jesus of the scripture! They knew where to
find Him, but they did not bother to look for Jesus! Matthew 2:1-6 (ASV) 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem
of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Wise-men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 2
Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them
where the Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea:
for thus it is written through the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, art
in no wise least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come forth a governor, who shall be shepherd of my people
Israel. While it is important that we memorize and are capable of reciting scripture, we need to be careful
that in all of our knowledge, we don't miss the point of the scripture. The Person of the scripture. Jesus! The wise men also had open hearts. Their desire was not just to
find something or someone spoken of in the scriptures. Their desire was to worship Jesus! Is that our desire today?
Or, do we read the Bible thinking we are giving something back to the Lord or making Him more pleased with us? Is it
our desire to worship Jesus and not just know about Jesus? (Matthew 2:1-2) These wise men not only had open eyes, open Bibles, and open hearts. They opened their
treasures! To us, this might mean opening our wallets or our check books. As a part of their worship of Jesus,
they gave of their most valuable things. Matthew 2:9-11 (NIV) 9 After they had heard the king,
they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the
child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped
him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. Are
we wise enough to have open eyes, an open Bible, an open heart and an open wallet? When God provides direction, even
though it may seem odd, such as the star that appeared to lead the wise men, do we follow? Are we willing to take a
long journey, at God's leading, as the wise men did? Do we have the faith to believe that we will find Jesus if we follow
God's leading? When we do see Jesus in the midst of our journey, do we rejoice like the wise men did? And, if
God suddenly warns us to change course in the middle of our journey, do we trust Him enough to do it? Matthew 2:12 (NIV) 12 And having been warned in a dream
not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. I surely do think that
one of the characteristics of the wise men, part of who they really were, was that they were wise enough to follow the star!
The were also wise enough to open their hearts to the Jesus spoken of in scripture they heard and to bow in worship before
Him, opening up their treasures and giving of their best. Wise men and women still do those things. As we go into
the new year, will we be consistently wise in following the example of the wise men of old? Listen to Cradle In The Shadow MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 28, 2009 GOD LOOKED DOWN UPON HIS SON Luke 2:6-7 (NIV) I was just imagining what it was
like for God the night Jesus was born. For all of time, God had been with His Son in Heaven. They had done everything
together, including create the world and all that is in it. Being a parent, I know what it is like to have to leave
my children and move away. Even though my children are grown, I still think of them every day, wonder what they are
doing, and pray for them constantly. I had only their young years to be with them constantly and do things together
with them but God had been continuously with His Son from before the creation of the world. When I was a young mother,
I would not leave my babies with anyone! I had to be with them every moment. To tell you the truth, I didn't trust
anyone with them. I felt that only I, their mother, could nurture and soothe them in the way they needed. As I
thought of that, I thought of the night that God chose to look down upon His Son. He chose to trust His perfect Son
into the hands of sinful, earthly human beings. Can you imagine how our Father felt as His son left the halls of glory
to become a tiny baby, born into a world that He created. How could God watch His precious Son be placed into a manger
in a stable because there was no room for Him in the world He, Himself, created? You would think that the world would
welcome with great pomp and circumstance, its Creator. I sure wonder how God felt when no one even noticed that He had
come to earth! Everyone was busy about their own affairs. The world's rulers were so concerned with their own
kingdoms that they did not notice that The Kingdom and its King was among them! Only the shepherds in the field were quiet enough to hear and see the angels who told the great
news that the Savior of the world had been born. Luke 2:8-12 (NIV) 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping
watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone
around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you
good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born
to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and
lying in a manger." God looked down that night and saw His Son become a helpless and needy infant
in a cruel world that would only become more cruel as time went on. While the shepherds came to worship Him, the only
others present on the scene were probably the animals. Some of the lyrics from, "Just A Cradle
In The Shadow Of A Cross," say, "And how the little lambs were all trying to see the Passover
lamb born in a manger, just to give his life for little sheep like me." Yes, God, the Father, looked down
that night and saw His perfect, only Son be placed in a manger and begin to grow up so He could give His life for little sheep
like you and like me! Psalm 100:3 (AMP) 3 Know (perceive, recognize, and
understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people
and the sheep of His pasture. Although we are all sinful and, so to speak, black sheep, God loved us so very much
that He sent His own Son to be the Passover Lamb for all time, for everyone who would receive Him. I cannot imagine
having to look down on my child, giving up my rights as a parent into the hands of inexperienced, sinful people. I cannot
imagine, as a parent, knowing that my child would grow up to be nailed to a cross to die for people who had turned against
Him and against me, even though I was giving them the most precious thing to my heart! But, God did that! For
you and for me. And, for whoever will receive Him. John 3:16 (AMP) 16 For God so greatly loved and
dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings
to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
God chose to watch His Son from infancy to manhood be rejected and mocked until finally this tiny Jesus, whose cradle was
a manger, would become the Savior hanging from a cruel cross. 1 John 3:1 (ASV) 1 Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this cause the world knoweth
us not, because it knew him not. Yes! God watched His perfect Son as He was laid in a cradle that
was overshadowed by the cross. But, it didn't end there. God had a bigger and better plan. Jesus rose again
and now sits on the throne beside His Father again, always interceding for us little sheep. Romans 8:34 (NIV) 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ
Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. And,
there's even more good news for us! Jesus is coming back one day to claim us for His own - forever! Have you received
Jesus as your Savior, Lord and King? If not, you can have a whole new beginning that will keep you for eternity.
As we finish out this year and consider all that God has done for us, let us consider what we have done for Him. Have
we made room for Him in our lives and are we living in a way that will help others finally recognize and receive His Son?
MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 27, 2009 DID YOU KNOW? PART FIVE Exodus 3:14 (ASV) Did you know that a very long time ago, in the days of Moses, God identified Himself as,
"I AM?" You probably did know that but it's good to reflect on it during the Christmas holidays. The
One who called Himself, "I AM," sent Himself to earth in the form of His Son and walked among us! John 14:8-11 (NLT) 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us
the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time,
Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me
to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak
are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. The songwriter,
of "Mary Did You Know?", Mark, Lowry, finishes up the song by asking, (you guessed it!) several more
questions such as, "Mary did you know that your baby boy was Lord of all creation?" I'm not sure if Mary knew
this or not; but you and I can go all the way back to Genesis and see that Jesus was, indeed Lord of all creation.
Genesis 1:26 (NLT) 26 Then God said, “Let us
make human beings in our image, to be like ourselves. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the
livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” We
cannot separate the Father from the Son or from His Spirit. When God said, "Let us make.........," Jesus was
there, along with the Holy Spirit. We can know this because later on in the scripture we read the following. John 1-4 (NLT) 1 In the beginning the Word already
existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in
the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created
except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life
brought light to everyone. How totally awesome is that? That the Lord of all creation would
permit Himself to be a helpless baby in the hands of a young and inexperienced girl from a small town? How awesome is
that? The Lord of all creation has make Himself available to live in your heart and mine, changing our lives
from the darkness of sin to the light of His own Kingdom? John 1:5 (NLT) 5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it. Mary, obviously, did not know all that we know about the Lord of creation! The songwriter then asks, "Mary did you know that your baby boy
will someday rule the nations?" Again, I'm not sure if Mary knew all the details, but she had heard some clues
from her own mouth as the Holy Spirit filled her with her song of praise sung in the home of her relative, Elizabeth.
Luke 1:51-52 (NLT) 51 His mighty arm has done tremendous
things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. 52 He has brought down princes
from their thrones and exalted the humble. You and I know this will happen because we can read what
God has promised many places in scripture. 1 Timothy 6:15-16 (NLT) 15 For at just the right time Christ
will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him.
No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen. It's for sure!
We can know that Jesus will one day rule the nations! Revelation 19:15-16 (AMP) 15 From
His mouth goes forth a sharp sword with which He can smite (afflict, strike) the nations; and He will shepherd and control
them with a staff (scepter, rod) of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath and indignation of God
the All-Ruler (the Almighty, the Omnipotent). 16 And on His garment (robe) and
on His thigh He has a name (title) inscribed, king of kings and lord of lords. As believers, you and I
have something totally wonderful to look forward to! When Jesus rules, He will rule in righteousness! No more
corrupt politicians or cruel world leaders! Jesus, our Savior, will rule and we will no longer suffer any oppression
from unrighteous rulers! The last two lines
of, "Mary, Did You Know?", ask two last questions. Did Mary know that the Baby she was holding was Heaven's
perfect lamb? I don't know. But she, as a mother, certainly knew that He was her little lamb!
John, the Baptist, would point that out and identify Jesus later just as He started His public ministry. John 1:29 (NKJV) 29 The next day John saw Jesus
coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Jesus
was, indeed, Heaven's perfect Lamb because only a spotless Lamb could remove the sins of the world once and for all!
Hebrews 7:26-28 (NIV) 26 Such a high priest meets our
need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27
Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and
then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28
For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the
Son, who has been made perfect forever. I wonder if Mary knew that her little Son would be the Lamb of
God and also the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! We know that! And, we know that, if we're having a struggle with
the Devil, all we have to do is say to him, "Behold the Lamb!" Who would think that a demonic creature as
strong and powerful as Satan would have to run from a lamb? But, he does because Jesus is the Lamb of God. Behind
that gentle and soft looking little Lamb is the dynamite power of the Lord of all creation! Last question. Mary,
did you know that the child you were holding was the great, "I AM?" If Mary didn't know that when Jesus was
born, she certainly began to know it as she watched her Son grow in wisdom and stature and show Himself able to be the "I
AM," of whatever it was that people around Him needed. From making wine out of water, to raising people
from the dead. And, everything in between. And, the greatest miracle of all - offering forgiveness, salvation
- eternal life! As believers, we are blessed to have His Spirit living in us; but one day, and perhaps soon, we will
see Him again face to face and in person! Mary truly was holding a Child who was the great "I AM."
Revelation 22:12-13 (NIV) 12 "Behold, I am coming soon!
My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13 I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Until He does come back,
the question is, "Do you and I know, right now, today, that He is the great "I AM," of whatever we might need?
He's the "I AM," of the smallest need or concern, to the largest one, and everything in between! And, if you
have received Him as your Savior, this great "I AM," lives and moves in you and you in Him! Acts 17:28 (NIV) 28 'For in him we live and move
and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 26, 2009 DID YOU KNOW? - PART FOUR Isaiah 61:1-3 (TLB) In the song, "Mary, Did You Know," as the songwriter asks Mary more and more questions. It seems
like he gets to the point where he is so excited that he wants to tell Mary of all the things we have seen Jesus do in the
past. Who, but our Savior and Lord, could do such amazing things! Long before Jesus was born, the prophet,
Isaiah told us about Jesus. He would be our Savior in all ways. In fact, He would be our everything!
Isaiah said that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus. Isaiah tells us that the Lord anointed Jesus to bring good
news to people who were suffering and afflicted. Good news to the poor people of this world. Both the poor
in spirit and the poor who don't have what it takes to provide for themselves. The songwriter wondered if
Mary knew that Jesus would encompass all those things, and even more. Could she know that Jesus would make blind
people see and deaf people hear? Even that He would raise up the dead to life? Did she know that He would cause
people who could not walk to jump and leap? And that those who had never uttered a word would start speaking and praising
Her Son? She did not know all those details when she first held her newborn Son. Oh, but you and I do
know those things and we know that we can turn to Jesus for help and answers no matter what our situation happens to
be! No wonder the songwriter got so worked up in the middle of his song! As my grandmother might say, "This
is really more than tongue can tell." We can know all of these
things because God has given us His Word to encourage us and let us know that, truly, nothing is impossible with God!
Luke 1:37 (NKJV) 37 For with God
nothing will be impossible." It's true! The blind did see at the Word and touch of Jesus.
John 9:17 (AMP) 17 Accordingly they said to the
blind man again, What do you say about Him, seeing that He opened your eyes? And he said, He is [He must be] a prophet!
When Jesus began to show the world around Him that He could open blinded eyes just as the scripture had foretold,
they couldn't believe it. They kind of tried to figure it out for themselves and thought to themselves that Jesus must
be a prophet. Oh, Jesus was a prophet, all right. He was that and everything else anyone might need! He
could heal blind physical eyes and open the eyes of those who were spiritually blind! Do you need His touch this morning?
Were there really deaf people that had their ears unstopped by Jesus? Yes! And, since He is the same today as
He was then, He can and does still do all of these things today! Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today
and forever. Jesus has no favorites, so what He did for others, He will do for you if you have the faith
to believe Him. Acts 10:34 (AMP) 34 And Peter opened his mouth and
said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons,
Whether you are having trouble with your physical ears or having trouble hearing Jesus with your spiritual ears,
He is right here with us waiting for us to call upon Him. His healing powers are waiting to flow for those who can believe
what Isaiah said about Him and what He proved when He walked this earth. Mark 7:32-35 (ASV) 32 And
they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him.
33 And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his
ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; 34 and looking up to heaven, he sighed,
and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And his ears were opened, and
the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. What is it that you need today? How
do you need the touch and Word of Jesus to heal you? Nothing is impossible for Him! Why, even the dead live again! John 11:38-44 (NIV) 38 Jesus, once more deeply moved,
came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 "Take
away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is
a bad odor, for he has been there four days." 40 Then Jesus said, "Did
I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they
took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42
I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe
that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus,
come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips
of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
Jesus came to bring us life and, not just life, but life more abundantly. John 10:10 (NIV) 10 The thief comes only to steal and
kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Jesus is in the business of
bring dead things to life. It could be a thing or it could be a person! It could be physical life or, best of
all, it could be bringing a spiritually dead person back to life by granting forgiveness of sin and salvation! There
is no way the songwriter of, "Mary, Did You Know?", could cram all of the things Jesus would do in this one song.
Mary was probably awed and in wonder of her own Son's power as she sometimes watched Him set people free and sometimes heard
the stories from the disciples! Are you in awe of Jesus this morning? Do you believe that, no matter what it is
you need, He cares? 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) 7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your
worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. Whatever
it is that you need in your life, Jesus is able! You don't have to carry all your cares around all by yourself.
He invites you to cast them upon Him, no matter how big or how small they are! As the songwriter says, "The
dumb will speak." Whatever it is in your life this morning
that may be making you sad or sullen and perhaps unwilling to talk about it can be handled by our Savior, our Lord, our King
- Jesus! He will lift up your head, bring relief and you will speak! You will not be able to keep from speaking.
What a wonder when we are touched in some way by the Lord of Lords and the Lamb of God. When we speak, the only words
that seem to come out are praises to this Lamb of God who works wonders in the lives of those who will trust Him and ask!
Mary may not have known all of these things about her Baby Boy; but, the question is do you and I know? MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 25, 2009 DID YOU KNOW? - PART THREE Mark 10:51-52 (NLT) In the song, "Mary Did You Know," the songwriter is asking, "Mary, did you know that your baby boy
will give sight to a blind man?" I don't think Mary knew that when she first held her newborn Baby. Later
on, she would find out. But, I wonder if we know that nothing is impossible with Jesus. Blind
Bartimaeus hoped against all hope that Jesus would be able to give him physical sight. He believed that Jesus had this
power. He believed so much that when he heard that Jesus was passing by, he began to shout! Mark 10:46-47 (NLT) 46 Then they
reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son
of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. 47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus
of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Of course,
this irritated the people around him, many of whom were just curious about Jesus, not really believing that, because He was
the Son of God, He could do anything. There are times when we must get desperate like blind Bartimaeus. Whether
our problem is physical blindness, spiritual blindness or some other thing that binds us, we need to passionately call
out for Jesus! When we do, Jesus takes notice just like he did in the case of Bartimaeus. The others around him
rebuked him and basically told him to "shut up." Mark 10:48 (NLT) 48 “Be quiet!” many
of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” But,
Bartimaeus lost neither his faith, nor his passion. In fact, he just shouted louder! Do you have a situation in your life that is requiring you to stretch your faith
and shout louder so that Jesus will come and do for you what He did for Bartimaeus? He has no favorites and He always
responds to faith and passion that is bent upon seeking Him! Acts 10:34 (AMP) 34 And
Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality
and is no respecter of persons, Even though those around us may think we are strange to have faith and passionately
seek Jesus for something we desperately need in our lives, Jesus responds to us! Mark 10:49-50 (AMP) 49 And Jesus stopped and said, Call
him. And they called the blind man, telling him, Take courage! Get up! He is calling you. 50
And throwing off his outer garment, he leaped up and came to Jesus. It could be that God
will use the very people that try to squelch our passion to bring us closer to Him. That's what happened in Bartimaeus's
case. The same people that were criticizing Bartimaeus were perhaps surprised when Jesus sent them to tell
Bartimaeus that He wanted to see Bartimaeus! Mary could not possibly have known about this incident and the many
others that would come about during Jesus's earthly ministry. She could not possibly have known about the times Jesus
still comes to the aid of a faithful and passionate person who is calling for Him. In your life, it may be a physical
ailment such as blindness or some disease. It could be a mental or emotional, or spiritual problem for which you
see no answer. Whatever it is, Jesus is not only our Savior, but He is also our Healer. 1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV) 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that
we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. Did Mary
know when she held Baby Jesus that He would give sight to a blind man and heal so many others of so many things? I doubt
it. But, you and I know. We know that we can call on him in the storms of our lives.
The songwriter asks if Mary knew that Jesus would calm a storm with His hand. (Mark 4:39) She probably did not know of all the times Jesus would calm storms, both weather related and the storms
of our lives. But, we know! The songwriter then questions, "Mary did you know that when you kissed your little
baby, you kissed the face of God?" I think Mary knew that (in part) because she had been given some clues
by the angel, Gabriel when she conceived the Baby by the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine how it must have felt to
kiss Immanuel, "God with us?" We don't know how that felt. But, we do know that Jesus had walked
where angels trod. He left that place in the throne room of Heaven to be born so that He could be, "God with us."
Whatever you and I are facing today, His face is turned toward us. He is with us still by the power of His Holy Spirit.
Even though this day is a day of celebration for some, it is a hard day for others. If you are one of those
people facing the impossible; if you are someone who is enduring a storm of life, you can remember today that, because Jesus
came to earth, God stooped down to become "with you." He still responds to the faithful and those
who passionately call on Him. We can't kiss his face like Mary did but we can meet Him face to face, by faith,
in prayer. As the song says, "When I call on Jesus, all things are possible." A big part of the Christ-mas story is this. With God, all things are
possible and God is with us! Mary did not know all of these things. She learned them as she watched her Son grow
and minister to those around Him. But, you and I know! We have His Word with so many examples of how He healed,
touched, loved, showed compassion and mercy, forgave the unforgivable, and did the impossible! Whether this is
a carefree time for you or a hard time, Jesus deserves our praise, trust, and passion today. It is because of Him that
we have hope. It is because of Him that we have the joy of the Lord which is our strength! Joy to the world and
to you. The Lord has come. He is with you. Will you receive your
King! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 24, 2009 DID YOU KNOW - PART TWO Matthew 1:21 (NIV) Yesterday, we were talking about the song, "Mary
Did You Know," and the questions the songwriter was asking Mary. Let's keep asking those questions. There
may be something we don't know or something we may have forgotten when it comes to living out the Word of God in our lives.
The second question the songwriter asks is this, "Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?"
When the angel Gabriel made a visit to Mary to let her know that she would have a child by the Holy Spirit, he told her the
baby was to be named, Jesus. Luke 1:31 (KJV) 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in
thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. What does the
name Jesus mean? It means, "Jehovah is salvation," according to Vine's Dictionary. It means "is
the Savior." Then, an angel told Joseph that Mary would give birth to a son and that Joseph should
name Him Jesus, because He was going to save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21) I'm sure Joseph must have told Mary what the angel said! God is good at confirming His Words and directions
through others! I'm
not sure Mary knew the whole impact of how Jesus would save His people from their sins, nor that He would also save the Gentile
people. Acts 11:18 (NLT) 18 When the others heard this, they
stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege
of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.” I doubt that Mary realized that her act
of willing obedience to the Lord would bring about such change in our world. Did she realize that her Son would save
every person that ever lived, if that person was willing to receive His gift? John 3:16-17 (NLT) 16 “For God loved the world
so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life
17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through
him. Did she realize that God had your sons and daughters in mind when He sent Jesus to be born in
a manger bed? Do we realize that God loves our children so much more than we can love them and that He sent
Jesus to save them all from their sins and give them eternal life? Do we realize that, although some of us may have
some wayward sons, daughters, and grandchildren, Jesus is that Good Shepherd who goes looking for the lost sheep?
Luke 15:3-7 (ASV) 3 And he spake unto them this parable,
saying, 4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them, doth
not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5
And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And
when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and his neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found
my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven
over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance. As some of us celebrate Christmas, do we know that Jesus is the greatest gift ever given? God is not willing
that any of our sons or daughters should go without eternal life, so He sent Jesus for them! All of
them! Finally, the question, "Mary
did you know that our baby boy had come to make you new? This child that you delivered will soon deliver you."
As good as Mary was, and she was good, she could not deliver herself from her sins. What a miracle that the baby she
would deliver would make the way for, even Mary, to have eternal life. Her Son would become her deliverer! As
the years passed by and she watched Jesus grow and mature, God made that more and more clear to her. Did you
know that you need to be delivered from your sins? No mater how good of a person you are, if you have not received
Jesus and His deliverance, you are lost for eternity. Titus 3:4-5 (NLT) 4 But—“When
God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous
things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy
Spirit. Can you see, this morning, that God chose to send Jesus as a baby to live and
die for your sins so that you could have eternal life? Glance at the baby in the manger, then remember His agony on
the cross. Ask Him, right now, "Are you real Jesus? Did you come to save me?" Listen carefully
with your spirit. You and I are just some of those sons and daughters that Jesus came to save. Will we
receive that gift right now, today, and begin to let Him lead and direct our lives from this day forward? Acts 5:31 (AMP) 31 God exalted Him to His right
hand to be Prince and Leader and Savior and Deliverer and Preserver, in order to grant repentance to Israel and to bestow
forgiveness and release from sins. You are either a son or daughter of someone and Jesus came to save you!
Go ahead receive the greatest Christmas gift you have ever been given! If you are one of those sons and daughters who
have received the Gift, won't you remember that someone else's son or daughter may not have the gift yet? Will your
walk and your talk cause someone else to know that Jesus came to save and deliver them? You never know who
might see Jesus in you! MORNING MANNA- DECEMBER 23, 2009 DID YOU KNOW? Luke 1:34 (TLB) I am very fond
of singing and listening to the Christmas song, "Mary, Did You Know?," written by Mark Lowry. As
I thought of that song this morning, I stopped to think that the questions in the song for Mary could still be asked
today. They could be asked of you and me. If you are already a believer in Christ, some of the questions
will encourage you to remember what you know about Him. If you haven't yet put your trust in Him, you can think about
some of these questions and I am sure you will be convinced that He is the Savior of the world and the soon coming King.
He will take your life of sin and heartache and give you the joy of His salvation. That's the best Christmas
gift exchange I've ever heard of! Let's get started with the questions now. "Mary, did you know that your
baby boy would someday walk on water?" Matthew 14:25-27 (NLT) 25 About three o’clock in
the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples
saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take
courage. I am here!” I'm sure Mary did not know about the future events that would cause Jesus
to come to the aid of his frightened disciples, walking on water! Mary couldn't even figure out how she was
going to have the Son of God, since she was a virgin and remained that way until after the birth of Jesus. Matthew 1:22-25 (NLT) 22 All of this occurred to fulfill
the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive
a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as
his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was
born. And Joseph named him Jesus. I'm pretty sure that Mary did not know that her Baby would grow up and be
able to walk on water! God doesn't always give us
the, "why's," and "wherefore's" when He gives us a promise for our lives. Just like Mary, we may
be surprised at events that take place because of one act of obedience on our part (or, on the negative side, just one act
of disobedience). We do know that our lives will have purpose in God's plan if we have put our trust in Him. His
Word will never return void or fail. It will accomplish a great deal in our lives and down through generations to come.
Isaiah 55:11 (AMP) 11 So shall My word be that goes
forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that
which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Mary did not yet know
about the disciples that Jesus would choose. She certainly could not see into the future and know that they would be
caught in a storm at sea in the middle of the lake. I imagine she marveled at the stories later told to her by the disciples
of their fear - and then at seeing Jesus walking toward them to rescue them from the storm. Matthew 14:22-26 (NIV) 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples
get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After
he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because
the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to
them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they
were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. Mary did not know that her Son's
words, "Don't be afraid," would have so much comfort for these tired, terrified disciples. Matthew 14:27 (NIV) 27 But Jesus immediately said to
them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Mary did not know that Her Son would give His
disciple, Peter the opportunity to walk on the water too! Matthew 14:28-31 (NIV) 28 "Lord, if it's you,"
Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29 "Come,"
he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But
when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did
you doubt?" And, Mary would not probably know the outcome of the story until it was told to
her by some pretty awe-stricken disciples who had just experienced the joy of knowing they were in the presence of the true
Son of God! Matthew 14:34-33 (NIV) 32 And when they climbed into the
boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him,
saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." The question to you today, and to me, is "Did you know?" Do you
know now? First of all, do you know that Jesus is truly the Son of God? When the disciples had their experience
on the lake in the storm, their eyes were opened to the fact that Jesus was the Son of God. No one else could walk on
water! Peter tried, but he failed because He didn't have faith enough to keep his eyes on Jesus instead of looking down
at the overwhelmingly threatening waves. Why is it so important to know all of these things about walking on water at
a time when we are celebrating the birth of Jesus? Because, we all have storms in our lives when the waves threaten
to overwhelm us. Jesus was born, not only to be our Savior, but to bring us calm in the midst of our storms! We
all experience fear and even panic. This happens many times during the holidays. Some get so panic-stricken
and fearful that they take their own lives around the holidays. Stress during the holidays make others develop physical
illnesses. It doesn't have to be that way. Because of the birth of Jesus (which would not have taken place
as it did without the obedience and trust of Mary), we can now know that Jesus is the Son of God.
That He is able to comfort us in all of our fears. We can know that He will come to us, walking on top of the waves
of our hard situations. On top of the threatening circumstances of our lives. All those threatening circumstances
are under His feet as He comes toward us to go with us through whatever challenges we are facing. When Jesus steps on
something, it doesn't survive. He may even let us stretch our faith a bit like Peter did. He may allow us to step
out on the waves and do the impossible. Sometimes, if we have our eyes on Him, He will do something great through
us during the stormy times of our lives. Peter could have kept walking on those waves if He would have been totally
focused on Jesus! Are we totally focused on Jesus today so that we don't even pay attention to the waves in our lives?
If we're like the other rain-soaked and trembling disciples in the boat, Jesus will step into the boat and bring us comfort
and relief from fear. Did we know that? If we are experiencing a difficult storm in our lives, do
we know that we know that we know all of these things right now? Do we know
the end of the story concerning the storm and the disciples? When Jesus got into the boat, the winds subsided!
Did you know that you can let Jesus into the boat of your life this morning? Do you know that He is, right now, walking
toward you on the high waves of your life, making a way for you to survive the storm? Look up and catch a glimpse of
Him, by faith! I hope you are encouraged by this one little story that Mary had no way of seeing when she went
through the pain of delivering the Son of God. Will you come back tomorrow and ponder with me another question
that perhaps Mary did not know? Will you thank God with me this morning that we can know and put all
these things together because God has given us His Word. His written Word and His Son who is the Word in the flesh!
I hope you are as encouraged as I am right now about what Mary did not know, yet she chose to walk in faith and obedience.
Are you trusting Jesus like Mary did even though you don't know everything? Is Jesus in your boat of life helping you
through today's stormy waters? You can know that He wants to be there. But, you have to be willing
to let Him in! Is there room in your "inn" this season for the One who walked on water? MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 18, 2009 WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT? Luke 2:19 (AMP) Have you ever seen someone sitting quietly and wondered, even asked, "What are you thinking about?"
I have. Often, I am surprised at the answer. The two most surprising answers are, "I don't know," and
"Nothing." Oh my, to me, those are sad answers. There are lots and lots of things we can think about.
There are things that are stressful to think about, such as financial struggles, relationship problems, health issues, school
challenges, career changes; you name it. There's just a whole host of things we can think about with regard
to the everyday, practical issues in our lives. When we try to sort out some of these practical things, it's
important that we ponder on them. In that sense, we can take a lesson from Mary. She pondered all that was
happening to Jesus, herself and Joseph. I don't know if she said much. There are not a whole lot of her words
recorded in scripture. But, one thing we do know is that she was a reflective person who treasured things in her heart
and pondered them. Just what does it mean to ponder? Although I sometimes think,
"out loud," either talking to myself or hashing out things with another trusted person in my life, pondering doesn't
indicate talking. What it does indicate is putting different things together in our minds and thinking about them.
It means to put one thing with another and consider them together. It is not bad to speak or get counsel or encouragement
from another but it may be better to be quiet and reflective, at least for a time. Just like Mary did. The situations
in her life, although many times glorious, were confusing. Some were startlingly sudden. Some seemed beyond comprehension.
She certainly had a hard time seeing a big picture when she was right in the middle of each of the events in her life.
Isn't that the way it is with us? Life brings surprises and not all of them are pleasant, nor can we understand
them at the time. However, God is working in our lives, just as He was working in Mary's life. He
has a big plan. That plan includes you and me! Ephesians 2:10 (AMP) 10 For we are God’s [own]
handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined
(planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life
which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. You and I don't always see the "big picture,"
or how individual events in our lives fit into that big picture. Mary didn't either. That's why she pondered.
She put all the events she was experiencing into her heart and compared them, considered them, mulled over them and began
to see the big picture. She really had given birth to the Son of God. God was really confirming
all of this in the events of her life through shepherds, wise men, government leaders, temple officials, children, aged people.
Maybe even the animals in the stable! While pondering
and reflecting is important, what we ponder and reflect on makes all the difference in the world - and sometimes
for eternity! Proverbs 23:7a (AMP) 7 For as he thinks in his heart,
so is he......... In Proverbs 23:7, the writer is speaking of someone who does not think correctly. But, there is a flip side to that coin.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, shows us that it is entirely possible to think and ponder correctly. As we think, so we are!
Mary could have turned out to be a complaining, nagging, bitter woman with all of the discomfort and disrespect she encountered
in her journey of life. She could have turned away from God after delivering the Son of God into this world, only to
see God allow Him to be crucified ruthlessly on a cross. Instead, Mary pondered all the events of her life and all the
messages she had received from the Lord. She pondered the power and plan of God. When our lives are in upheaval
and we hardly know which way to turn; when we seem to have to run from one thing to another, putting out the fires that
crop up in different areas of our lives, what are we thinking about? What are we pondering? Are we like the person
in Proverbs 23:7 who thought about only himself? Or, do we look around and see, not only the big things, but even
more importantly the little things God is doing in and for us every day? Then, do we collect all those big and little
things in our minds and ponder them, asking God to show us a bigger picture? His picture. With all the
things vying for our attention in the world, this may not be an easy task. That being said, let me say that it is a
worthwhile task! For one thing, those things on which we ponder and dwell upon will, at some point, come out of our
mouth. What do you want to come out of your mouth? Matthew 15:18 (AMP) 18 But whatever comes out of the mouth
comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him]. If you are a believer, you
want something that glorifies God to constantly come from your mouth! Psalm 19:14 (AMP) 14 Let the words of my mouth and
the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer. You
want good things to come from your mouth but they can't unless good things are stored in your heart. What if we took
the following verse from scripture and worked on it, putting everything in it together with the events of our individual lives?
I wonder what we would all be saying? Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT) 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters,
one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about
things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice
all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with
you. One thing I notice immediately is that the peace that Jesus promised would invade our lives. Our
speech would be wholesome because our thoughts would be right with God. While we need to reflect and ponder on worldly
problems, using Godly wisdom and knowledge to solve them, our reflections and pondering's should be much higher. There
is not a single problem here on earth that is bigger than our God! So, if your mind is cluttered with negative stuff
that you constantly ponder, use the filter of God's Word. When a big problem threatens, ponder and reflect upon the
fact that God is bigger than that problem. I'll bet that's what Mary did. She knew in her heart that each event
was a part of God's perfect plan. She trusted that He would fulfill His plan. We can do the same thing.
We are no different from Mary. Mary made a choice to be reflective and to ponder and consider and put together all the
events in her life, taking them before God. Will we take some time each day to ponder and reflect on God's love for
us? His Christmas gift of salvation? His mercy? His grace? His ability and willingness to work everything
for the good in our lives if we love and follow Him? Maybe Mary knew the principle behind the following scriptural passage.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 (NIV) 2 Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
Maybe this is a good day for you and I to begin to develop the habit of pondering and reflecting, allowing God
to reveal His bigger plan and picture to us, instead of getting hung up on the small stuff. What are you thinking? MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 17, 2009 WHAT IF YOU CAN'T SEE HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK OUT? Proverbs 3:5 (AMP) We live in a time of change. Young people want change. Governments need change. Not only that,
God is also in the business of change. Change is needed to help us keep growing and maturing. Of course, I'm talking
about change for the better and not the other way around! Many of us pray fervently for miracles when we need a change
in our lives. Rightly so! God is still a miracle-working God! Most of us, if the truth be known, pray for
that miracle that will suddenly take us from a place of chaos and trouble instantly to a place of peace and prosperity.
Sometimes that's how God works His miracles; and our faith must be large enough to believe that. Matthew 15:28 (NLT) 28 “Dear woman,” Jesus
said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed. I
have seen God do these awe-inspiring, sudden miracles. There is nothing that God cannot do! Moses experienced
that word from God long ago when he found himself in a very troubling situation. Numbers 11:23 (NIV) 23 The Lord answered Moses, "Is
the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you." God
has not changed since He proved to Moses that He was able to do anything needed in the lives of His children. That said,
how many times do we look for the big, sudden miracles and miss the smaller ones that don't always feel so good at the time,
but produce great results? When God sent an angel
to Joseph in a dream, that was a miracle! The thing is, though, that God disturbed Joseph's sleep! How many of
us long for a good night's sleep and wait and wait, tossing and turning in the bed without relief? When we finally do
get to sleep and all of the many troubles of this world fade into deep sleep, how many of us want to be disturbed? If
God wakes you up in the middle of a deep sleep to talk to you, that doesn't always feel like a miracle. But,
it is! God did that with Joseph. Sometimes He does that with us. After all, it could be the only time we
are tired enough to be quiet and listen to Him! So, the next time you awake in the night, don't be frustrated.
Instead, as they say, stop counting your sheep and start talking to the Shepherd. He just may want to discuss a miracle
with you! Matthew 1:18-21 (NLT) 18 This is how Jesus the Messiah
was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a
virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph,
her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph,
son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived
by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,
for he will save his people from their sins.” God may want to lead you in the right direction or
give you a warning about your life. Matthew 2:13 (NLT) 13 After the wise men were gone,
an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the
angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Joseph, Mary's husband, seemed to hear well from the Lord in the night. Matthew 2:19-20 (NLT) 19 When Herod died, an angel of
the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up!” the angel
said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are
dead.” He listened carefully to the Lord and instantly obeyed. Joseph could have prayed to be
transported, without delay, along with Mary and Jesus, to the land of Egypt. God could have done that! Joseph
could have asked for a big miracle in this case. Joseph had God's Son with him. He might
have felt that he had great influence with God. After all, it would be a long, uncomfortable journey for Joseph.
And especially for Mary and Jesus. You would think that a good Father in Heaven would not let His children suffer
such a journey. That He would protect His Son from the rigors of such arduous travel and the dangers lurking along the
road. In retrospect, it looks like Joseph, Mary and Jesus could have used a miracle here so they would not have to suffer
any hardship in doing the will of God. Have you ever thought that way? While all things are possible with God,
He doesn't always do things the way we would like or the way we expect. His plans fit into a much bigger picture than
we can wrap our human brains around! God did not deliver His Son from difficulty. He walked with Him
through the difficulty. That is a miracle! The Creator of the earth walked with His Son through
difficulty. He still walks with His children through difficulty today! When the angel told Joseph to marry Mary,
who was already pregnant by the Holy Spirit, Joseph went ahead and did it. He could not possibly have known how it was
all going to work out but He trusted God and did it anyway. That is a miracle! When we don't know how
things are going to work out and we trust God anyway, that is not natural. That is supernatural. That
is a miracle. And, that is pleasing to God. Jesus had agreed with the Father ahead of time to come as
a helpless baby into this world to save us from our sins. Fully human (and still fully God, although He emptied Himself
of His deity for His time here one earth), Jesus had to experience the hardships, the struggles, the challenges and the growth
stages in life that you and I do. He did it. But, unlike us, He did it without sin! That is a miracle.
How did He do that? He did it just like we must do it. He trusted His Father! Then He obeyed. I wonder
if, when Jesus was finally hanging on the cross, He felt like it was a miracle........ It doesn't seem like
it, since He cried out to His Father who seemed to be looking the other way at the time. Mark 15:34 (NLT) 34 Then at three o’clock Jesus
called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you
abandoned me?” Jesus, as a human being, had to be trained by great suffering and hardship
to trust His Father. Hebrews 5:7-9 (TLB) 7 Yet while Christ was here on earth he pleaded with God, praying with tears
and agony of soul to the only one who would save him from [premature] death. And God heard his prayers because of his strong
desire to obey God at all times. 8 And even though Jesus was God’s Son, he had to learn from experience what
it was like to obey when obeying meant suffering. 9 It was after he had proved himself perfect in this experience
that Jesus became the Giver of eternal salvation to all those who obey him. His life included the challenges
and changes that we encounter in our own lives. Changes like being pulled from His cradle in the middle of the night
to travel two hundred miles in dangerous territory. Our lives, like His are interspersed with "suddenly" miracles,
along with those "process," miracles. We, too, are being conformed. Conformed to His image.
That is a great miracle. Romans 8:29-30 (NIV) 29 For those God foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30
And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Are you feeling the miracle of being conformed to His image this morning? Has God asked you to do something difficult
but that will change your life for the good? Maybe, it's only to wait for Him. Maybe, it is to move out of
your comfort zone and go to the place He tells you to go. Most likely, you can't see how this could turn out well.
However, God is working in your life and in mine. Conforming us to the image of His Son. What could be better
than that? Trusting God during extreme changes and challenges in our lives is definitely not the easiest thing
to do! But, He has given us His Word to lead and guide us through these times. He has given us His Word which
will change us during times of circumstances changing in our lives. He is for us and not against us, not matter
what we may feel like! Romans 8:31 (AMP) 31 What then shall we say to [all]
this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] We can't always see how it will work out. But, as the song says, "When you can't see His hand, trust
His heart." When you can't see how things are going to work out in your life, just keep on obeying and trust
God! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 15, 2009 WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE? Matthew 2:8 (NLT) When Jesus was born, it was a time of cultural and civil upheaval. Not everyone in that day heard about His
birth, but those who did definitely were not neutral. They all had a specific response of some sort. Today, the
mention of Jesus also usually causes a response that cannot go unnoticed. At first glance, when we read Matthew 2:8 (see above title), the statement made by Herod looks very good. Upon meeting with the wise men
from the east, Herod was sure that they knew where to find Jesus. He said wanted them to come back and tell him where
Jesus was. What he told them was that he wanted to worship Jesus. What was really in Herod's heart, though,
was envy, pride and destruction! Can you imagine anyone wanting to kill a baby? Herod was threatened by this
Baby, Jesus. Just the thought of the wise men mentioning that a new King was born was a threat to Herod.
Herod was already a very vile, vindictive, and vicious man. Even the thought of someone else having any power in his
life provoked murder in his heart. He had already ordered the murder of his wife and three of his sons. He also
had previously ordered mass executions. He hated Jesus the moment he heard of His birth and, to top it off,
he was deceitful! In order to try to eliminate this new-born King, Herod, during his brief visit by the wise men from
the east, told them that he wanted to go and worship Jesus. Not! What he really had in mind, was to kill
Jesus! I doubt if that is your response to Jesus if you are reading this today. But, that is the response of many
still, in our world today when it comes to the mention of Jesus. It is even the response of people who think of
themselves as religious. Many churches and religious groups today have been seeking to kill the real Jesus!
They disregard all of his deity, his virgin birth, his message of salvation, etc., etc. Not only do they do that, but
they try to teach it to others seeking, whether purposefully or ignorantly, to kill the real Jesus and present another
Jesus who does not claim to be the ONLY way to the Father. John 14:6 (NKJV) 6 Jesus said to him, "I am
the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Herod didn't want any other
kings in the area. He wanted to be the way! He was willing to kill to keep what he thought was his own power.
There are still those in our world who do that today. Many Christians are being beaten, tortured, persecuted and killed
by those who hate Jesus and want to eliminate the Jesus in others. We may not think we fit into this category of unsavory,
murderous people but, if we have not believed, and accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and our King, we have eliminated
the real Jesus from our lives. Many religious people
in Jesus's day responded too but their response was different when Jesus was born. When the Savior entered the world,
the scribes and priests didn't seem to care or notice. His birth was inconsequential to them because they were engrossed
in their daily discussions of religious rules and regulations. Have you ever attended a church that was so engrossed
in the rules and formalities that they didn't seem to even notice that Jesus was standing right there waiting to be noticed?
Before we get too hard on these religious communities and their leaders, let's remember that being complaisant about Jesus
is not hard to do. We, as people, have taken bits and pieces of God's Word and then tried to wrap our own agenda around
it. Instead, we should see God's agenda, even it is in the form of a Baby-King and let Him wrap His agenda around our
own, letting ours become His. If you have ever been a leader in a church or a teacher or a music person, you can know
that the everyday necessities of bringing something to the table for God's people can easily become just another thing you
do. You can lose the close relationship you had with Jesus because you are concerned about creating something that will
hold the attention of the people. At that point, we have become people-pleasers and not God-pleasers. At that
point, we have become indifferent to the very One we purport to worship and follow. Do you go to church when the doors
are open? That's wonderful! Do you go out those doors thinking you have done your duty and live the rest of your
days during the week in indifference to Jesus? Do you stop each day and pray and meditate on Him? Do you read
His Words of love in the Scriptures and apply them to your life? If not, you may need to make some changes in your life,
ask His forgiveness and return to your "first love." We cannot be indifferent or complaisant about Jesus,
no matter how the tide of the world is turning! That is an order from Jesus, Himself! (Revelation 3:15-19 (NLT) 15
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!
16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17
You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize
that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold
that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness,
and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be
diligent and turn from your indifference. Finally, we are coming to the correct response to the Baby Jesus, the Savior, Jesus, the Lord, Jesus, and the King
of Kings, Jesus! The magi came from the east because they had learned that a Messiah would be born at approximately
the time of Jesus's birth. Some believe that these magi were descendants of the magi of which Daniel became
a part in his Babylonian captivity. They believe that, although the original magi were deeply into the occult and
astrology, that Daniel had taught some to believe in the one true God. They had all seen how God had given Daniel miraculous
power to interpret dreams and how God had favored Daniel above all of them. These men were not kings, but rather men
of very high stature and they were led by an exquisite entourage of soldiers on the finest horses in the world of that
day. It was quite a picture when they traveled and not many were privileged to get a visit from them. However,
these particular wise men had learned, they were led of God to worship Jesus. Today, God is leading you and me to be
wise too. He is leading us to worship Jesus. The wise men did go worship Jesus and they gave of their best gifts.
Today God is calling each of us to be wise. To know His Word. To worship His Son. To bring our best
gifts. Somehow God had revealed to the wise men that Jesus was not just an ordinary baby. He wasn't even just
a new-born King. He was Emmanuel, God with us. Have we lost the wonder today, with all of our brightly colored
decorations and celebrations, that Jesus is still Emmanuel? That Jesus is still with us, personally! Hebrews 13:5 (AMP) 5 Let your character or moral disposition
be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your
present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you
up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor
let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] God is looking for those who will worship Him
today. He sees the power-hungry and cruel world leaders like Herod. He sees the religious people that have created
their own version of His Son and their own petty kingdoms. But, He's looking for wise people who will still fall down
and worship Him, being willing to give whatever it takes to further His Kingdom. He's looking for those of us who will
humble ourselves, seek Him, follow Him, love Him with all of our hearts, and serve Him faithfully. He's looking
for people who are willing to give Him gifts so that others can know Him too. The very first gift we need to give is
our own heart. That seems like a very large and scary gift to give. But, God never takes a gift from us but
what He gives us back something better. If our hearts are hardened like Herod's or if they are indifferent like the
scribes and priests, it doesn't matter. When we give them to the Lord, here is what He will do. Ezekiel 36:25-26 (NLT) 25 “Then I will sprinkle clean
water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart
and give you a tender, responsive heart. Into which category of
responses to Jesus do we fall? May it be that we give Him, in worship, the gift He treasures most - our hearts
and lives! Wise people still do that! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 14, 2009 BLESSED QUIETNESS! Luke 1:19-20 (NLT) We ponder the birth of Jesus during this
season, but there were several other things, besides the birth of Jesus, that were happening around the time
that Jesus was born. Some of these things get pushed to the background because our focus is on the birth of the
Baby Jesus. Being focused on Jesus is a good thing! But, the plans of our Father in Heaven were so precise.
So detailed. If we don't stand back from the close-up of the Baby in the manger, we can miss a lot of what God is showing
us in the story surrounding Jesus's birth. We can miss lessons that we might need to learn and put to practical
use in the here and now. God doesn't waste any of His Word! We can learn from all of it and we can see Jesus
in all of it. No wonder! Jesus is the Word! We're in the season of celebrating that the Word became flesh. John 1:14 (NLT) 14 So the Word became human and made his home
among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one
and only Son. He dwelled among us. Some people living on earth actually
saw the Word in the flesh! I imagine that they might have come away from His presence singing that beautiful
song of today, "I've Just Seen Jesus." Look at some of the lyrics and
take a fresh look at the Word becoming flesh! "I've just seen Jesus. I tell you he's alive.
I've just seen Jesus. Our precious lord alive." Just think! If you were living in those days,
you might have had the privilege of seeing Jesus, our precious Lord, alive - in the form of a baby! Even as we celebrate
His birth today, many times our whole countenance changes. For a moment, a short season in time, we become more like
Him. We can relate to Him because He is a helpless baby in a manger of hay. He has begun His journey to go through
all the trials and testings of life that we have to go through. And He was willing to do it as a gift for us!
Check out the next lyrics in, "I've Just Seen Jesus." "And I knew, he really
saw me too, as if till now, I'd never lived. All that I'd done before won't matter anymore. I've just seen
Jesus and I'll never be the same again!" Don't you imagine that all those that were privileged to peer
into the manger and look into those tiny eyes saw something more than an ordinary baby? I imagine that when Jesus
looked back at His visitors, they were changed forever. They had been in His presence and they knew that He saw
them too! Jesus sees you today! No matter what you are going through, He knows your fears, your pain,
your scars. And, He's felt them all too. And, if you take a very good look at Jesus, like the writer of the song
says, you'll never be the same again! The story we read about Zechariah
and his wife, Elizabeth can help us to see that sometimes we may miss the mark in believing what God has said. For instance
look at this verse: Ephesians 1:1 (AMP) 1 PAUL,
AN apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), by the divine will (the purpose and the choice of God) to the
saints (the consecrated, set-apart ones) at Ephesus who are also faithful and loyal and steadfast in Christ Jesus:
God tells us, if we have received Jesus, that we are saints. Now for some of us, our lives
may look more like we are sinners! No doubt about it, we were sinners. We may still feel
like sinners. But Jesus! Romans 5:8 (NLT) 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending
Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. When we try to wrap our minds around the fact we are saints,
called so by God, even though we still feel like and sometimes act like sinners, we might find a twinge of unbelief!
That is impossible! True! But, God is the God of making the impossible, possible! Yes! Part of
the Christmas story is to let us know that, with God, nothing, He said, "nothing," is impossible!
Luke 1:36-37 (NLT) 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has
become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37
For nothing is impossible with God.” Zechariah had been told by an angel that he and
his barren, aged wife would have a baby. A child that would prepare the way for the Messiah. Somehow Zechariah
couldn't quite wrap his mind around that. Luke 1:18 (NLT) 18 Zechariah
said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in
years.” Wow! What a promise! But, Zechariah said, "How can I be sure it will happen?"
Zechariah, even though he was a priest, had a moment of unbelief! Have you ever had one of those moments? As
our pastor indicated yesterday in a great sermon, maybe Gabriel did Zechariah a favor, although it seemed more like punishment.
Luke 1:19-20 (NLT) 19 Then the angel said, “I
am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20
But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is
born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” All I have to say about that
is that it's a good thing Zechariah was a man! I think a woman would go stir crazy if God kept her from talking for
nine months! Especially if she had just come through such an exhilarating experience as being visited by an angel!
Zechariah couldn't talk about his experience until the promise was fulfilled. All he could do was stand by and watch
God work out what He had promised. Have you ever asked God to show you something or fix a problem in your life
and then not ceased to talk about it constantly, if not out loud, in your own mind? Is your own voice keeping you from
hearing God and distracting you from seeing God at work in that very thing you have asked Him for? Do your negative
thoughts (your self-talk), sometimes keep you from seeing and hearing God fulfilling His promises in your life?
Do we, like Zechariah, need to take some time, not only during this Christmas Season but throughout our everyday lives, to
be quiet so we can hear what God is saying and so we can focus on what He is doing? The scripture tells us that God
sometimes speaks in almost a whisper. 1 Kings 19:12 (NLT) 12 And after the earthquake there
was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. You know, the kind of voice you might use when standing over the cradle of a new-born baby. While peering into
the manger this Christmas, can we stop talking long enough to be able to hear God's gentle whisper to our lives.
Zechariah had no choice; but we have a choice. We can take time, even right this minute, to quiet
our voices and thoughts and listen to God whisper His unending promises over our lives. We can hear Him.
We really can! But, first we need to allow some blessed quietness into our lives! He is even now
whispering His love over you and me, reminding us of all His promises. Shhhh......... Do you hear what I
hear? MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 13, 2009 DO WE HAVE MARY'S GIFT OF HOSPITALITY? The words we find in Hebrews 13:2 were penned long after Mary had lived on the earth and given birth to Jesus, the Son of God, in very much less than
comfortable circumstances. Yet, we find that Mary, being a humble servant of God, practiced these words of hospitality even she
was confused. Even when she was tired and perhaps in pain. Even when she had unexpected guests. Even when
the "house" was not clean and decorated with the finest. All the scriptures indicate that Mary received guests
graciously. Even strangers. One guest was startling, even scary. Others were not the guests that one
might expect to come to their home after having a new baby. Today, not many of us have angels appear in our homes
unexpectedly. And, today, we have visitors many times in the nice clean hospital where the mother is laying comfortably
in a nice clean bed, sometimes having been given medications to ease her pain. After we come home, visitors may come
to see our new born baby. But, they are not usually strangers! In fact, a young mother with a new born baby in
her home would probably not choose to answer the door if she looked out and a stranger was standing on the other side! Mary's first recorded visitor was a formidable creature, inspiring awe, and perhaps
a little fear in her. I doubt if Gabriel knocked on her door or even gave her the chance to decide not to answer it.
Gabriel just showed up. A stranger, very much different looking than all others. A stranger with some very flattering
and encouraging opening words. Luke 1:28 (NLT) Mary had more visitors right after the birth of Jesus. She was not in a comfortable bed with caretakers all
around. She was either sitting or laying on the floor of a stable, a cave, where animals were kept, trying to take care
of a brand new baby. It surely did not have that antiseptic smell or the sweet smell of baby powder. It,
likely, was pretty stinky. This was her hospital and her home away from home as the Baby, Jesus, was born. I don't
know about you, but I don't think I'd be in the mood for guests at a time like that! Especially if during the last week,
I had traveled many uncomfortable miles. I think I would have just wanted everyone to stay away and leave me alone to
rest, maybe even have a little pity party! Not Mary! This home away from home was not a home to be proud of.
Not a home "suitable," for entertaining guests. At least in our way of thinking! But, nevertheless,
guests came. They were not the most savory of characters and they, too, didn't smell too good having been out in the
field tending sheep. I doubt if there was a door on the entrance to the stable, since it was really a cave. So,
perhaps the shepherds didn't knock. They just appeared at the entrance! Mary did not turn them away. She
must have welcomed them. Even in her tiredness, she listened to this excited bunch tell about the angel who had visited
them in the field, letting them know where to find the Savior. Luke 2:18-19 (NLT) 18 All who heard the shepherds’
story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought
about them often. Mary could have turned these visitors away and we probably
would have understood but, instead, she was hospitable. She listened to their outlandish story. Then, long after
they were gone she thought about all that they had to say. If a stranger comes to our house today, would we take time,
during all of our holiday activities, to show hospitality? Would we allow them into our homes if they didn't look like
we do? Would we, if we had a brand new baby, let these people be around our new-born baby? While we have to be
wise in who we let into our homes, we never know if that stranger will be an angel. We never know if the stranger will
come telling stories of confirmation to what God has already promised us! Mary had good reason to send visitors away
when the shepherds showed up. She was tired and maybe a bit stressed. In all of our holiday preparations, do we
get so tired and stressed that we forget why we are making all the preparations. Do we get so engrossed in our holiday
projects that wear us out that we forget to show hospitality even to those who live right in our house. Are we so busy,
"doing," that we have no time to be hospitable to those around us. I just heard a story yesterday that touched
my heart. It seemed as if a little child was wanting to have some time with his mother, who was busy about "making
preparation for Christmas." When he tugged at her for attention, she pretty much snapped back, "Not now!
Can't you see I'm getting ready for Christmas?!?" Later that evening, as she stood by her son's door, she saw him
kneeling by his bedside saying the Lord's prayer. When he got to a certain point, his tongue got a bit tied and he spoke
these words, perhaps from his little boy heart, "Forgive us our Christmas's as we forgive those who Christmas against
us." Oh my! what if you were that mother? Of course she had to apologize to her little son who had so needed
her hospitality, her attention. Do we all need to apologize to The Son? Do we need to apologize to the
Son of God for turning Him away many times because we are "preparing for Christmas?" MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 12, 2009 SHE DID IT ALL BY HERSELF! BUT NOT REALLY!! Luke 2:7 (NLT) Whether you are a high-powered executive who is surrounded
with people who have questionable work ethics or whether you're a stay-at-home Mom with a gazillion things to do and nobody
in the house seems to want to pitch in and help, you can feel as though you are all alone. You can feel the burden of
having to be saddled with every task. When that happens, it is very easy to fall into self-absorption. The, "poor
me," syndrome. There are many tasks that you and I do that no one notices but they are important tasks that would
leave a gap somewhere if they were not done. So many times, we hunger for recognition while it seems to us as if we
are invisible and unappreciated. It is at those times that we need to remember Who we are living for, Who we are working
for, Who we really want to notice us and Who we really want to please. Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT) 23 Work willingly at whatever you
do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember
that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. When
those times come that we feel unnoticed and unappreciated and heavily burdened, we need to look up because God is not missing
a thing. He is the God who really sees and He appreciates and has rewards for those who will remember that, no matter
what difficulties they face in life, He will be with them. A very long time ago, another young woman who was
in dire straits realized that God is the God who really sees. He sees everything! And He cares about everything
and everyone. Genesis 16:13 (NIV) 13 She gave this name to the Lord
who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."
It could be that
you are feeling alone this morning. You may be feeling unappreciated, especially during this holiday season when we
place more burdens upon ourselves than we really need. You may feel like you are the invisible one that no one notices.
Although you may feel invisible as far as those around you are concerned, your insides certainly do not feel invisible.
The stress is beginning to have an effect on all your organs and you may be feeling fatigued and depressed. Why so?
This is supposed to be a season of joy and hope! That's why Jesus was sent to earth. To bring joy, hope, and,
above all peace! Luke 2:14 (NIV) 14 "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Jesus was sent to earth to bring glory to God and peace
to people upon whom His favor rests. His favor may rest on people but, if they don't receive it or choose to ignore
it, His peace will not be fully enjoyed! What is keeping you from being at peace this morning? What troubles are
you having in which you are feeling all alone, invisible, unappreciated, and over-worked? If you have received Jesus
as your Savior, He has given you favor! Just like Mary, you are highly favored because He has a plan for your life that
will bring glory to God and peace and joy to you! Luke 1:28 (NIV) 28 The angel went to her and said,
"Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Just like Mary, the Lord is with
you! Consider Mary for a moment. In just one small verse in our Bible, God says a lot about Mary.
We know from previous verses that she was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. That she was destined to birth the
Son of God. We know that she was probably very stressed during her pregnancy. Then, a census law, caused her to
have to travel eighty or ninety miles, either on foot or by donkey in the last week of her pregnancy. She had Joseph
with her but she had no one else. Finally, she makes it to Bethlehem where there she is turned away from the inn and
relegated to a stable (which was really a cave) to have her child. Jesus, the King of Kings, lowered Himself to be born
in an out of the way cave among animals in order to be our Savior. But, what about Mary? In those days, I have
read that the inn we often speak about was really a place with no privacy. In the center was probably a fire to keep
the place warm and families slept on benches all around the perimeter of the building. At first glance, it would seem
that being turned away from the inn may have been cruel. But, God had another plan. They had a private place,
a stable, a cave, in which Mary would give birth. However, they were alone in the cave, or so it seemed. Mary
had good reason to feel all alone. She had just come through nine months of what seemed like unending problems and struggles
and now she was giving birth to her first child - all alone. She was the one who gave birth. There is
no recorded evidence that anyone was there to help her. No midwife. No nothing. She did it.
Then she wrapped Jesus in strips of cloth. Then she laid Him in a manger to sleep. She
did this all alone! Are you feeling like you have to do everything this morning and do it without any recognition, to
boot? I wonder how Mary felt. She could have felt unappreciated. She could have felt that she was all alone.
It was her choice. I believe she chose to remember her own words of response to the angel's announcement to her.
Luke 1:38 (NIV) 38 "I am the Lord's servant,"
Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. Long after the awesome
presence of the angel had left Mary, I believe she chose to remember, though she didn't understand why she felt alone and
without notice, that she was the Lord's servant. It seemed like she was alone, there in that cave. I'll bet that
even Joseph was having trouble figuring out what he could do to ease Mary's situation. But, they were not alone!
The Son of God was with them, right there in that cave! It was His strength, although just a newborn baby, that kept
them from going stir-crazy in such an unthinkable situation. It was their knowledge and trust in Him as their own Savior
that led them out of the cave to care for and introduce the Son of God into the world as the next years would go by!
You, too, have the Son of God with you today. You, too, whether you feel unobserved, neglected, alone, or stressed,
have the power of Jesus with you! You can do all that He has commanded you to do! Philippians 4:13 (KJV) 13 I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me. No matter how Mary might have been tempted to feel all one, she was not alone.
It was the very baby, Christ Jesus, within her that gave her the strength to get through all of her hard years. It is
the very Christ Jesus within us today who sees everything we do for Him. Who strengthens us to go on when all seems
hopeless! Who gives us strength to introduce Him to the world around us! We are not alone. He is with us.
Matthew 1:23 (AMP) 23 Behold, the virgin shall become
pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us.
MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 11, 2009 IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE IT IS TODAY Luke 2:1 (TLB) In Luke's account of the birth of Christ, just before mentioning the
birth of the King of Kings, Luke mentions Caesar Augustus, the Roman emperor. It appears that Caesar Augustus was a
very unlikely candidate for ruling the whole world. He was just a nineteen year old boy, according to one author, who
was the great-nephew of Julius Caesar. He had been serving as one of Julius Caesar's staff officers.
Then Julius Caesar was assassinated. Although this young Gaius Octavius was inexperienced in government leadership,
he was named the sole heir in Julius Caesar's will, according to the author I was reading. So, in the time of Jesus's
birth, an inexperienced fairly young person was the world leader! Although he was young, he proved that he could get
ahead and resorted to cunning and cruelty to avenge his great uncle's death. Marc Antony partnered with him to do this
and then Octavius turned on him too, Thus, Octavius became the ruler of the whole Roman empire. As if that's not bad
enough, the senate couldn't see through the evil in Octavius, or else they just excused these character flaws for their own
private reasons to maintain influence and power. They all felt that he was bringing peace to the empire. Of course,
they didn't consult the common people to see if this was really true or not! Octavius was granted great honor and
power. They even gave him the title of Augustus. Apparently this was a title which carried great authority.
They made him emperor! He became Caesar Augustus. Luke
apparently wanted us to know what kind of a world greeted the Son of God. What kind of government. How would you
like to have a child in the middle of Pakistan, or Iran, or Iraq? Just like it is now in many places in the world, the
government was full of violence. Extortion minded terrorist war lords and mini-dictators oppressed the people.
They, by dishonest laws and means, emptied the people of their hard-earned cash. The people were without means of protest
because the penalty was a beating or even death. In many places in our world, this is exactly how people live today.
Even in the free places of this world, we are seeing constant change in that direction. Mary and Joseph lived under
these conditions and because General Pompey, a Roman general, had conquered the area in which they lived. They had
to acknowledge the Roman government and obey its laws. Even though it was a great hardship on Mary and Joseph, they
had to go to Bethlehem to take part in the Roman census that Caesar Augustus had implemented. It is said that one
of the reasons Augustus was taking a census was that the subjects he had conquered were multiplying faster than the Roman
citizens. It seems he may have wanted to implement population control or at least manipulate the growth of the population.
Another big reason was that he wanted to count everyone so he could get every last penny out of them in taxes. Sound
a lot like our world today? While reading all of
this can be very discouraging, we find that we become encouraged when we get our focus back on God and the fact that
He watches over those who trust and obey Him. We can know that, even uncomfortable and oppressive situations, are
not the final dictators of our lives. God has promised, to those who will seek Him diligently, a hope
and a future. He has promised that He is not out to harm us. Jeremiah 29:11-13 (TLB) 11 For I know the plans I have for
you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 You
will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest. I imagine that Joseph and Mary, being educated
in the Word of God throughout their younger days, knew the scripture we find in Jeremiah 29:11 and the story behind it. Yes! Even in the most oppressive situations, God has plans for
us! They are for good! Sometimes they feel uncomfortable; but, in the scope of God's loving plans, they are
good. Romans 8:28 (TLB) 28 And we know that all that happens
to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans. Like Joseph and Mary, we
may not understand the ways in which God is working in our lives, but He is working! His work is always
good! Joseph seems to have had a pretty hard time, at first, believing Mary's story about her pregnancy. Even after
he was convinced by an angel, he still had to endure the unbelief, and most likely being shunned, from society
in general. Mary made a trip of about eighty or ninety miles, either on foot or on the back of a donkey during the last
week of her pregnancy. But, in all of this discomfort, God had plans for good. She was about to birth the Savior.
Her own Savior and our Savior. The Savior of the world! Now, that's good! Sometimes we may feel
oppressed. Government leaders may try to run our lives down to the last detail. They may think they are in control. Caesar
Augustus thought he was in control. He thought that census was his brilliant idea! No!
It was God's idea. It was God orchestrating everything (even the uncomfortable events of Joseph and Mary's
lives) to fulfill His Word which was spoken by the prophet Micah six hundred and fifty years before Caesar ever thought of
taking a census! Jesus, God had said, would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 (TLB) 2 "O Bethlehem Ephrathah, you
are but a small Judean village, yet you will be the birthplace of my King who is alive from everlasting ages past!"
In the days when Jesus was born, Caesar Augustus thought he was in control of the world. While it is true that
he was oppressive and manipulative, power-hungry and greedy, his power was no match for God's power. Not a single scripture
could be thwarted by this one who thought he ruled the world! God even used Caesar Augustus to carry
out His own plans and Caesar was completely oblivious to it! God rules in the affairs of men! Conditions in our
world today may be very much like the conditions into which the Baby, Jesus, was born. He and His earthly parents had
to obey people who thought they ruled the world. But Mary and Joseph knew better! And, we know better
too! Jesus came unnoticed by these power-crazed world leaders; but in a manager of hay, in an out
of the way stable, lay the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! The Son of God! We may feel unnoticed and even
oppressed today because of world conditions. Jesus knows how we feel. He has lived through it! Not only
does He know. He cares! One day, when it is just like it was when He was born, He will make His presence known
on the earth again! He will come to finally end oppression, sin and death forever! He won't look like a baby any
more. This time we will see Him in all of His glory as the reigning King of Kings and Lord of Lords - forever!
Oh, hallelujah! This time He won't be ignored or relegated to a lonely stable. No one will be able to miss Him!
Just like it was then, when He was first sent to the world, He will come again! As we notice the world becoming just
like it was then, do we often stop to ponder, "Will today be the day that Jesus comes again?" And,
most importantly, are we ready, unlike the first time He came, to welcome Him? John 14:28-29 (NLT) 28 Remember what I told you: I am
going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who
is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so
that when they do happen, you will believe. MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 10, 2009 IT WAS A MATTER OF TRUST AND IT STILL IS! Proverbs 3:5 (AMP) As I read the Christmas story from the Bible once again, I am finding the characters come more and more alive for
me. More real. Take Joseph, for instance. Joseph was a righteous man. He followed the laws of God.
Matthew 1:19 (AMP) 19 And her [promised] husband Joseph,
being a just and upright man and not willing to expose her publicly and to shame and disgrace her, decided to repudiate and
dismiss (divorce) her quietly and secretly. Within this word, "just," is the meaning of being
"equitable." Joseph was equitable in his character and certainly equitable in his actions following some of the
most disturbing news a husband might hear from his wife. Joseph was innocent, so to speak, not expecting the mind-blowing
news he would hear from Mary when she returned from her three month visit with Elizabeth in the hills of Judea.
Mary had been gone three months. Don't you think that Joseph must have missed her? They were engaged to be
married. But, engagement in those days meant that the marriage had already been pre-arranged and it was a sure
thing. They were considered married during the engagement period of one year. The engagement period was a
time of purity between the engaged couple and would be sealed on the actual wedding day. In the case of Joseph and Mary,
several months had gone by during the engagement period and they had kept their relationship pure. Neither had been
unfaithful to the other. At least that's what Joseph thought! Can
you imagine Joseph's delight when Mary returned after three months of being away? He probably had much to tell her about.
How he had missed her. How his carpentry business was going. Perhaps some of the plans for the wedding day.
But, no! Mary was about to tell Joseph something that would make his world quake! Joseph, the righteous man, was
about to be told by his bride-to-be that she was pregnant! This was just not done in that day. Joseph knew
that he had been faithful to her during this time and he knew that he had not touched her. So, what was going on?
It appeared, at first, to Joseph that his trust in Mary had been unfounded. His first thought was divorce. Matthew 1:19 (NIV) 19 Because Joseph her husband was
a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. How many times has that thought come to one spouse or the other in a marriage where there seems to have
been a breach of trust? Trust is an important issue in life. We like to feel like we can trust the ones closest
to us. We feel betrayed when we find that we trusted someone and they weren't trustworthy. Joseph was no different.
Yet, Joseph still loved Mary. It is possible to suffer betrayal and still love the one who betrayed you.
Because of Joseph's love for Mary, he planned to divorce her quietly so she would suffer as little disgrace as possible.
This was Joseph's plan. But, Joseph's plan would change because of that very issue that made him consider divorce.
The issue is trust. Mary certainly wondered how she
would keep Joseph's trust. In the song, "A Baby Changes Everything," some of the words go like this.
"The man she loves, she's never touched. How will she keep his trust. A baby changes everything."
Yes, the baby Jesus was about to change everything! But, Mary had trusted God with all of her heart when she
was visited by the angel with the news that she would be the mother of our Savior. She couldn't understand it all but
she trusted God. Luke 1:38 (TLB) 8 Mary said, "I am the Lord’s
servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true." And then the angel disappeared.
In our own perplexing situations, some perhaps even including betrayal, the most important thing we can do, and the first
thing we should do, is trust God. There are so many situations in life and in marriage that defy human understanding.
Joseph was about to lean on his human understanding and divorce Mary. Are there things going on in your life where you
need to stop leaning on your own understanding and trust God? God didn't wait long before He sent an angel to let Joseph
know that he needed to put his trust in God's plan. Just as Joseph was about to make the mistake of getting a divorce,
God showed Him differently! Matthew 1:20-25 (TLB) 20 As he lay awake considering this,
he fell into a dream, and saw an angel standing beside him. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "don’t
hesitate to take Mary as your wife! For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21
And she will have a Son, and you shall name him Jesus (meaning ’Savior’), for he will save his people
from their sins. 22 This will fulfill God’s message through his prophets—
23 ’Listen! The virgin shall conceive a child! She shall give birth to a Son,
and he shall be called "Emmanuel" (meaning "God is with us").’ " 24
When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel commanded and brought Mary home to be his wife, 25 but she remained a virgin until her Son was born; and Joseph named him "Jesus."
I imagine that Joseph woke up from his dream a relieved man. Joseph loved Mary. He was willing to
trust the message from the angel of the Lord. He was willing to trust Mary that she had also received a message from
the angel, Gabriel. In all of his human understanding, none of this was believable or even possible. There are
situations regarding trust in our own lives that seem way beyond repair and impossible. But, with God, nothing
is impossible. From then on, Joseph and Mary had to walk a life of trust in the Lord. To the outside world, they
appeared to be crazy. But, to God, they were His trusting and obedient children. Their delight was not in each
other as we think of newlyweds during those first months of marriage. It was in the Lord. They had to
commit everything they did to the Lord. They had to trust Him to help them. And He did that. Although,
to the world, they seemed guilty and even worthy of death, God made their innocence clear to everyone. When we are able
to put our trust in God, despite circumstances that defy human understanding, like Joseph and Mary, He will vindicate us.
He will bring justice. The Savior that Mary birthed after a pregnancy that would make any woman cringe, will shine down
on us as from the noon day sun. May the Son shine on you and may God give you your heart's desires as you delight
yourself in Him, committing everything you do to Him, trusting Him to help you do it! Psalm 37:4-6 (TLB) 4 Be delighted with the Lord. Then
he will give you all your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do
to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it, and he will. 6 Your innocence will be clear
to everyone. He will vindicate you with the blazing light of justice shining down as from the noonday sun. As
we remember, Joseph's first desire, upon hearing the news of Mary's pregnancy, was to divorce her. Just like Joseph,
our first desires upon hearing troubling news, may be to do what our human understanding tells us to do. God may want
to change our desires into His desires! Do we trust Him? For Joseph, it was a matter of trust and it's still a
matter of trust for us! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 9, 2009 IF WE HAVE JESUS, DO WE REALLY NEED PEOPLE? Luke 1:39-40 (NLT) Have you ever picked up the phone and found a frantic friend on the other end? Or, maybe you have even answered
a knock on the door and found a bewildered and struggling friend on the other side of the door. Mary, the mother
of Jesus, had just had the most astounding experience of her life. An angel had visited her. That would have been
frightening enough. But, the news that the angel brought to her, although glorious, was confusing to her. She
was told that she was going to have a baby but she had not yet been married and had never been with a man. Has God
ever told you to do something that was illogical by the world's standards, but you just knew it was Him speaking and you had
to do it? Did you understand it all at the time? Mary certainly didn't understand this news and she asked a question.
Luke 1:34 (TLB) 34 Mary asked the angel, "But
how can I have a baby? I am a virgin." When we know the Lord has called us to do something, do we sometimes
ask, "How, Lord, how? This thing you want me to do seems impossible?" The angel was not put off my Mary's
question and he gave her all the information she was going to get about that particular question. Luke 1:35 (TLB) 5 The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit
shall come upon you, and the power of God shall overshadow you; so the baby born to you will be utterly holy—the Son
of God. But, he also brought her news of her relative, who was way past child-bearing age and who
was also pregnant. Luke 1:36 (TLB) 36 Furthermore, six months
ago your Aunt Elizabeth—’the barren one,’ they called her—became pregnant in her old age!
This news was astounding, but confirmatory to Mary. God could do anything He wanted to do in the affairs
of men and women! Luke 1:37 (TLB) 37 For every promise from God shall
surely come true." Yes! The Word of God didn't fail Mary and it didn't fail Elizabeth and it
won't fail you and me! It is full of God's promises of power for our lives. The most wonderful thing, besides
our salvation, is the fact that nothing is impossible with God! When we know that, like Mary, we want to blurt out some
words of committal. Luke 1:38 (TLB) 38 Mary said, "I am the Lord’s
servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true." And then the angel disappeared.
This morning, can we utter that same prayer with thankfulness and determination to carry out our commitment? God is so good. He will confirm the Word that He has spoken to
us through other people. In this case, Mary had been told about Elizabeth, who was much older and wiser than Mary was.
Don't you think young Mary needed somebody with skin on to talk to? After all, she had just received life-changing orders
from an angel. I doubt if she knew anyone else in the village of Nazareth who could say the same. Who would believe
her? Except maybe another person who had experienced a great miracle of God. It was Elizabeth. As the
old song says, "You need someone older and wiser telling you what to do......." Not only did God work
this set of miracles out so that Mary knew of someone she could go to for help and advice at this time, it was someone she
had trusted all her life. It was someone older and wiser. It was another woman of God. If I were Mary, I
think I might have done the same thing she did. Get out of where she was and run to someone who could give her wise
and sound advice about becoming a mother. Even the mother of the Son of God! Someone with whom she could, without reservation,
tell her whole story. Someone who would not put her down by disbelieving the whole, entirely impossible (in the
natural) scenario.. Really! An angel came to you? You are pregnant by the miraculous conception by the Holy
Spirit? After the angel disappeared, Mary must have almost run into the hills where Elizabeth lived to find solace and
advice from an older and wiser relative. Luke 1:39-40 (TLB) 39 A few days later Mary hurried to the highlands of Judea 40
to the town where Zacharias lived, to visit Elizabeth. Let me tell you, Mary made haste to
get up those hills! I was reading about a man the other day
who was very close to God. As He grew in his relationship, he realized that his thought had always been this:
the closer to God you are, the less you need people. But, in God's timing and in His grace, this man realized that it
was just the opposite. The closer to God we get, the more we need people! First of all, we're not just
here to develop a relationship with God (although that is our first priority). We are here to know Him better so we
can relate to His children better and know how to bring the lost into the Kingdom. We are here to know Him better so
we can encourage one another. We are here to know His comforting power so that we can comfort others who may have gone
through or being going through the same things we are. 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT) 4
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them
the same comfort God has given us. All of that was accomplished when Mary
ran to the hills of Judea and met up with her relative, Elizabeth. Our relationship with the Father also includes accountability.
We are to hold others accountable to God's Word. Others who have this wonderful relationship with the Father, through
Jesus, are also to hold us accountable. I saw a cute card the other day with several puppies in a cup. The
saying on the card was, "We are all in this together." Yes! We are all in this world together. Many
do not know the Lord and we can interact with them right where they are and endeavor to usher them into His Kingdom.
As far as Mary and Elizabeth are concerned, are you that older and wiser person who can comfort and confirm a younger follower
of Christ? Be ready! Are you that young follower of Christ who has become confused and even maybe scared to do
what God has told you to do? Seek out that older and wiser person. They will bless you. They will uphold
you, just as Elizabeth did for Mary. It may take a while. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months! (Luke 1:56) When we have Jesus, we need people! We need to be around people in order to introduce to them our Best
Friend. We need to be around other people of God to be encouraged and spurred on to the good works God has
called us to do. To be comforted and to comfort. To be accountable and to hold others accountable.
To fellowship and sing praise. There was a lot of praising going on during Mary and Elizabeth's visit, even though
they both had reasons to be afraid. They had joy! Do we want joy? It involves, not only having Jesus,
but being with others. The "J" in joy is for Jesus. He comes first. The "O" in joy is
for others. They come next. And, finally the "Y" in joy is for yourself. You come last. Not a
very acceptable statement in this "me first," generation. However, remember that scripture that says the last shall
be first? If we put God first, others second, and ourselves last, we will end up with the great blessing of joy!
We can't leave others out of this mix! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 8, 2009 WHY NAZARETH, WHY MARY? Luke 1:26-27 (NLT) God sent an angel to visit a very young girl, by the name of Mary,
in Nazareth. If you noticed the title, you will see that I am asking why Nazareth? And, why Mary? I was
reading about some of the history of Nazareth and it does seem like a very unlikely town to command the presence of an angel.
Perhaps an angel of judgment would have been more appropriate. Perhaps an angel of much less rank than Gabriel.
But, no, God chose to send Gabriel to Nazareth. Apparently it was a fairly backward village and it was on the fringes
of the Roman Empire. It was already supposedly famous. But, it wasn't famous for anything good. Small, though
it might have been, it was big on sin! It's location was four miles from the Roman garrison at Sepphoris. The
Roman soldiers, it seems, would often get some leave, along with some bonus pay. They headed off to Nazareth where they
could find some cheap wine and women who could be bought just as cheaply. As I read the history further, it was pointed
out that it could have been called the, "red light," district of the area. In fact, it was also said that
this fact might have fueled a recent critic of Christianity to accuse Mary of having a child by a soldier!
So, why Nazareth? Even as Jesus began His ministry and was gathering his followers, one of them, Nathaniel, asked, "What
good can come from there?" John 1:46 (NIV) 46 "Nazareth! Can anything
good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. Now, why didn't God send he angel, Gabriel to another, besides Mary? Mary's roots seemed to be simple.
Why didn't God send Gabriel to a prominent Jewish family or one of those living in Jerusalem, close to the temple? Out
of all the women in the world, who was Mary anyway? Her ancestry was good and she was apparently raised in a home where
she learned to read the Word of God and follow the ways of the Lord concerning all the holy days and Sabbaths. She was
young but she was well grounded in God's Word and was probably taught obedience and reverence for Him in her home. Could
we be raising a, "Mary," in our home? Are our homes filled with the teachings of obedience and reverence for
God. Do we spend time in His Word, teaching our children and grandchildren to do the same? Do we talk about Him
all the time, whether at home or on the road? Deuteronomy 11:18-20 (AMP) 18 Therefore
you shall lay up these My words in your [minds and] hearts and in your [entire] being, and bind them for a sign upon your
hands and as forehead bands between your eyes. 19 And you shall teach them to your
children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise
up. 20 And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates, We
don't know for sure exactly where Mary was born and raised but she found herself living in Nazareth when she was approximately
thirteen or fourteen years old. No matter where she was raised, it is evident that she was raised to keep God's Word
in her heart, deep within her inner being. In Nazareth, a sinful city, she was able to keep herself from the corruption
around her because she had her foundation in the Lord. Now what about you and me? Where do you live?
Do you live in a center of corruption? A place where there are such things as "adult" stores within
view? Are there more places of entertainment and debauchery than not? How about our country? Have we
pushed God aside for the pleasures of doing whatever feels good and whatever will make money? What about our own living
rooms? Does the TV blare away with foul language, sending suggestive, even pornographic messages to our eyes?
Whether you or I live on the streets, in a project, in the suburbs or in a downtown city, God is willing to send an angel
to speak to us there. To protect us from the evils around us. To help us live out His Word, if we're
willing followers of Jesus. You and I might never see the angel, as Mary did. Nevertheless, the angels are surrounding
us right now if we are working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Hebrews 1:14 (NIV) 14 Are not all angels ministering
spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Mary was an ordinary young girl, living in a challenging locality. But, her
foundation was what she had been taught. She had received all that she had been taught. She was working out her
salvation as best she could through what God had already revealed to her. We now have the Light of the World because
Mary was devoted to the Father, even with incomplete information about the Savior of the world. Are we doing the same?
Philippians 2:12-13 (NLT) 12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions
when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying
God with deep reverence and fear 13 For God is working in you, giving you the
desire and the power to do what pleases him. Mary, an unlikely candidate in the worldly view, was visited by
the angel, Gabriel, in an unlikely place. She was out of the way of the workings of the temple and the government.
She was obscure until that moment when the blazing light of the angel shown around her. We are all ordinary people,
but each known personally by the God who created us. He's not interested in whether we're among the rich and famous.
What He is interested in is whether we have a heart bent toward Him, no matter where we live or what challenging and uncomfortable
situations we might be struggling with. He can do miraculous things with the most common of people and places!
What may appear to be foolish to our world today will confound the wisest of worldly thinkers! 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NLT) 26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few
of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead,
God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are
powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world,
things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29
As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. You may feel out of the way and obscure
in this world but if you are following the Lord, He is you. He will visit you just like He visited Mary if you,
like Mary, have a servant's heart. If you, like Mary, have meditated and pondered His Word and are living it out with
all that has been revealed to you. You may never see that angel that visits you - on the other hand, God may just allow
you to see it! Why Nazareth? Why Mary? I don't know. But, this I do know. God is present with
you and me wherever we live and He is not one that favors one believer over another. He picked Mary out of Nazareth
and He has also picked you out of wherever you live. He wants to use you for His purposes just as He used Mary for the
purpose of bringing His Son into the world! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 7, 2009 THE SHEPHERDS RETURNED Luke 2:20 (NIV) When we have an true encounter with Jesus, things change! The shepherds in the field were not always well
thought of in their society. They were considered the lowest of the low in their profession. Isn't it interesting
that those who are considered fairly worthless in society will live up to it! We really don't know what those shepherds
spoke of in the fields or just how coarse their conversation and behavior was. But, we do know that when they saw
the Good Shepherd up close and personal, they were changed. They could do nothing but glorify God! All they
could do was praise! When they got back to the fields, nothing had changed about their profession. Nothing had
changed about the long, cold nights, trying to keep warm around a fire. Nothing in their situation had changed
but they had changed! Sometimes, don't we have glorious
encounters with the living Christ? We see Him operating in big ways and in small ways in our lives. We know
He is very close to us and we experience the glory of being in His presence. There are times when we are in corporate
worship that we feel His presence so deeply that we don't want to move. We don't want to leave that presence.
Yet, like the shepherds, we have to return to our station in life. Our situations may be cold. A marriage as cold
as the cold nights the shepherds had to sit through to do their job. Our financial situation may be complicated
and seemingly impossible. Some people may think of us in derogatory ways and dismiss us as worthless. When
we come out of those times of worship or of having seen God do a great and wonderful thing in our lives, we have to return
to the same-old, same-old. Just like the shepherds did. But, wait! No! It is not the same-old, same-old. It may look the same to people on the outside.
But, we know it is different. Our situation has not changed. But, we have been changed by our encounter
with the living Christ! The One who was born a tiny baby in a difficult situation. The One who lived a lonely
and disappointing (in the natural) life. The One who died a cruel death. Just so He could be God with us,
Immanuel. Matthew 1:23 (AMP) 23 Behold, the virgin shall become
pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us. The
One who would go to the source of what makes us tick and change us. The One who could identify with each and
every one of our situations and let us know that He knows how we feel, but more than that, He can change things. Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT) 14 So then, since we have a great
High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did
not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we
will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Yes, He is even able
to change situations! But, what He really wants to do is change us! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (TLB) 17 When someone becomes a Christian,
he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! It is Monday morning.
Another week of the same-old, same-old, with nothing seeming to change? Did you worship with your fellow believers
this past weekend? Did you spend time this morning in prayer or in the Word of God, asking to see Him. Like
the shepherds, did you look for Him until you found Him? He still reveals Himself to those who will seek Him.
Jeremiah 29:13 (MSG) 13 "When you come looking for
me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, Like
the shepherds, once we truly see Him for who He is, we will not be able to be quiet, not even in the same-old, same-old,
that may look disappointing and desperate. Like the shepherds our hearts will burst in praise. We will glorify
God. We will be changed! The shepherds returned to their everyday work but they were not the same
as when they were before they went and saw Jesus. Will you take some time this morning to stop running to
and fro and run to find Jesus and sit a moment at His feet? You don't have to make an appointment.
He's available to you 24/7. Hebrews 13:5 (MSG) 5 Don't be obsessed with getting
more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and
leave you," I guarantee you that, once you do that, you will be changed!
You will return to your earthly work and responsibilities, changed and able to glorify God and praise Him even in the most
difficult situations! And, you know what? If you invite Him, Jesus will go with you! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 6, 2009 DO YOU PONDER THE SMALL THINGS? Luke 2:19 (NIV) Perhaps, at this
Christmas Season, we find ourselves busied with writing Christmas Cards, decorating the house, planning or going to parties,
looking for just the right gifts for those we love. Could it be that, because of all the increased activity around the
holidays that we forget to stop and ponder the small things? Maybe you have just been going through some challenging
times. Let us remind ourselves that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had just gone through nine months of being
taunted and misunderstood because she was pregnant without being married. Who, in their right mind was going to believe
that she saw an angel and was given the astounding message that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her so that the Son of God
would be born from her womb? Who would think that God would even show up and have fellowship with a common woman!
That was the way it was in those days. It could be that you can relate to Mary's pain of rejection. Rejection
that was compounded by the ever changing condition of her body. Just when things should have been better for her, the
census was taken and she had to ride a donkey to Jerusalem, leaving the comfort of her own home. I don't think there
are many of us women that would want to ride a donkey on a long journey, being nine months pregnant! Or, for that matter,
to leave our home and support system! Finally, reaching their destination,
Mary started having labor pains. The streets were filled with noise and crowds. People looking for a nice comfortable
place to stay, perhaps pushing and shoving, just as we sometimes find at the Black Friday sales that are supposed
to usher in the season of "peace and good will!" Everyone wanted comfort for the night. If
they had to be there, they certainly wanted to be warm and well-fed! Don't you suppose that Mary wanted some comfort
and warmth too? How would it be to be having labor pains in the middle of crowded, noisy, dirty streets
and not have a hospital to go to for help? How would it be if you saw your husband frantically knocking on the doors
of inn after inn and constantly being turned away. Meanwhile, you were doubling over with the pains that tell you
the time is soon for your baby to be born? Wait, you were promised that this is the Savior of the world. "God,
are You sure this is supposed to be happening this way?" Would you cry? Husbands, would you be angry?
What would you do? Finally, one inn-keeper tells you that you can stay in the stable with the animals. Well, at
least you can get out of the streets and into a semi-private place to have your child. Not very warm or comfortable,
but at least private! Our Savior chose to make Himself known in an out of the
way stable where the animals looked on. Don't you wonder what animals think about? I wonder if they
were pondering the little thing that appeared in the manger. He certainly didn't look like food - but He was the Bread
of Life. Mary, of course, had been told that she would bear the Savior of the world but it doesn't look like she
was told all the details. I doubt if she knew that she would be lying in a stable on that blessed day. I
doubt if she could have known the pain she would endure during her long journey to Jerusalem or the wondering if she
would have that child in the middle of a dirty street. We don't know the details of our lives either. We do
know that God has promised us abundant life. We know that His plans for us are good and not to harm us. We know
all of this. But, along the way, do we get discouraged when the details feel less than comfortable? When we have
the urge to be angry or just crumble in a corner and cry ourselves into oblivion? No matter how hard things
get in this life (and we will have troubles), we need to watch the events going on and ponder. Just like
Mary pondered. There was Jesus, Mary and Joseph in a stable with the newborn Savior of the world. Suddenly,
their privacy was breached by shepherds. Dirty shepherds who had been out in the fields watching their sheep.
If you were Mary and Joseph, would you have welcomed company at a time like that? Certainly these shepherds were not
dressed in their Christmas go to party clothes, nor had they stopped to take a bath! The shepherds told of how God had
sent His angel to the fields to announce the birth of the newborn King. Mary listened. She watched what was
going on. She pondered every little thing that was said and done, putting it all together with what God had already
told her. She must have found confirmation there. She was not in a church listening to a good sermon in a comfortable
pew. She was in the ragged throws of life, probably still uncomfortable, physically and certainly very tired.
Yet, she welcomed the shepherds (an unlikely crew evangelists) and pondered everything in her heart. Every little
thing. Meanwhile, the little One that would change the lives of Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds and you and me was
lying in a manger instead of in a palace waiting to live out a human life and then give that life for you and me. He
was only a little thing. But, many times God uses the little things in our lives to confirm that He is definitely
with us and working on our behalf. Even in the midst of holiday celebrating or definite financial, physical, and
emotional problems, will you start pondering the little things? One person calls them, "God sightings."
Some say that the best gifts come in small packages. The night Jesus was born that was definitely true!
One small package changed everything. He wants to change you and me today! Let's be more aware of the little things
God is doing in our lives and ponder them just like Mary pondered. God is with us! We often
find Him in the little things! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 5, 2009 HOW SWEET TO BE HEAFED TO THE GOOD SHEPHERD! 1 Peter 2:25 (NRSV) Do you know what it means for a sheep to be heafed? While reading the other day, I came across that
word and found comfort and security in it, as well as freedom and focus! As Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:25, we were all going astray like most sheep do. Sheep that have not been heafed. Even the
shepherds who are supposed to lead God's sheep here on earth were going astray! I know the following passage is long,
but if you have the time, read it! Even our spiritual leaders can go astray because they are also, only sheep.
This has been proven many times over in our day! Ezekiel 34:1-20 (NIV) 1 The word of
the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel;
prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves!
Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves
with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4
You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the
strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5 So
they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.
6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered
over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. 7 "'Therefore,
you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 As surely as I live, declares the
Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals,
and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 This
is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them
from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and
it will no longer be food for them. We must continually pray for those who lead us! When I learned the meaning of being heafed, I realized that the Good Shepherd has done
that for me. And you too, if you have listened to His voice and followed Him. Apparently, in parts of England,
sheep roam the hills. It appears that they going wherever they like. They search for and find food.
These sheep are very hardy. They stay out in all kinds of weather. It looks, at first glance, as if the do not
have a shepherd. However, if you talk to a local shepherd, He knows exactly where His sheep are. The stay within
the bounds of a certain hill and they do not wander! He only brings them down for dipping worming, lambing, and
shearing. Why don't they wander? The local shepherd will tell you that they are heafed to his hill. No fences
or barriers to keep them in. It seems that the mother sheep from each generation teaches her lambs where they belong
and they stay there. Oh my, there are so many directions we could go this morning with this information! However,
I am thinking of the shepherds in the field that night when Jesus was born and about our own proneness to wander. After the angels had ministered to the shepherds and given them the message of the Good
Shepherd being born, those shepherds got all excited and didn't waste a minute getting to the stable where they would find,
not only The Shepherd, but also the Lamb of God! Luke 2:16 (NIV) 16 So they hurried off and found
Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Looks like the "heafing" process had begun
with the shepherds! They weren't forced to go to find Jesus. They could have sat in the fields pondering what
they had just seen and wondering what it was all about. But, they didn't. They took the voices of the angels seriously
and hastily obeyed what they had heard! Then they ended up telling everyone they found about finding the Good Shepherd!
The one who would heaf them and the rest of us, down through the ages, to Himself and into His Kingdom. The One who
would call us in, yet set us free. John 8:36 (NLT) 36 So if the Son sets you free,
you are truly free. He has not fenced us in, but rather has given us the freedom to stay within the bounds of
His Kingdom and find safety and care under His watchful eye! When we start to wander, He is the One who, like the
mother sheep of the English flocks, helps us find our way back to the safety of the center of the flock. Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) 6 Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it. He helps us not to cross the
borders of the Kingdom of Light into the kingdom of darkness. Isaiah 66:13 (TLB) 13 I will comfort you there as a
little one is comforted by its mother." Whether or not you consider yourself a shepherd or
not, we are all still just one of the sheep. In all practicality, we have already been, or are now, shepherds
of a sort. Every parent has had children to lead. Some now have grandchildren that they are privileged to lead.
Sunday School teachers, public school teachers, nurses, doctors, politicians and preachers. All shepherds! But,
the question is, do we all still know that we are not The Shepherd! Do we keep in mind that we need to be heafed
to Him and His Kingdom in order to receive continuous care and enjoy the freedom that has been granted to us? Being
heafed is a privilege not to be taken lightly. It brings joy, comfort, care, freedom and focus. Because the Shepherd
does not want robotic sheep, we are still free to wander away from His hill, but He is pleased when we make it our choice
to stay close to Him! How sweet it is to be heafed to the Good Shepherd! Are you heafed? And, if so, are
you leading others to the Good Shepherd? MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 4, 2009 WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHT Luke 2:8 (NLT) What are you doing this morning? Do you have a nine to five job that is pretty much the same old, same old,
every day? Are you a stay at home wife or mom who has dishes in the sink, laundry to do, errands to run, children to
care for? Maybe you're in that "sandwich," season where you are caring for children and grandchildren as well
as elderly parents. Every morning we wake up and do mostly the same things we did the day before. That's what
life was like for the shepherds in the field the night that their lives suddenly changed forever. Luke 2:9 (NLT) 9 Suddenly,
an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,
The Lord allowed them to see something they had never seen before. Drowning out the light of the glorious
stars that they must have studied and pondered each night as they sat in the fields, was a light that they had never experienced.
It was the light of the very glory of God! It literally surrounded them. They were about to be changed forever.
They were afraid. Aren't we, many times, afraid when events of our lives cause us to be changed forever? The shepherds
were doing what they were hired to do. They were doing just what we should be daily doing. Taking care of the
things God has given us to do. Taking care of our "pastures," and those entrusted to our care. Sometimes
doing these things day after day can seem tedious and maybe even downright boring. But, I am reminded that it was
"while" the shepherds were staying in the field and guarding their flocks of sheep, an angel of the
Lord appeared among them. Angels are real beings. Oh, not the sort of pretty little things we think of and picture
as angels. They are formidable creatures. Beautifully powerful and fearful to behold. They are sent to minister
to those who will receive salvation and that's just what the angel of the Lord did that night in the fields for the shepherds.
The angel announced to them that the Good Shepherd was born. It was something they could relate to. The Good Shepherd
had become a Lamb. Something the shepherds of the field could also relate to. The angel told them just how they
could find the One who would become their own Shepherd! It
could be that, even today, while we are going about our daily earthly business that something will happen that will change
our lives forever. It is for certain today, that if we have met the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, that we can expect
to find Him there with us in the simple tasks we do each day. Are you bored today with the same list of things to do
that you had yesterday? Even though you are bored, are you afraid to put that list down and look up? What if the
Lord is trying to get your attention, like He got the attention of the shepherds in the field? Sometimes the Lord will
get our attention through something that looks scary. Something that feels terrifying. Something that is going
to change the way we live forever. Like the shepherds we might be terrified at first but the angel of the Lord gave
the shepherds wise advice that night in the field. Luke 2:10-12 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t
be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11
The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of
cloth, lying in a manger.” First of all, has Jesus been born, not just in Bethlehem (which He surely
was), but in your own heart? Have you recognized Him, not just as a baby who would grow up to feel and experience everything
you experience, but as your Savior? As we go about hearing the Christmas story each year, we know that "unto us
was born a Savior." But, we must invite Him to be our Savior. Secondly, while
we are going about our business each day, things will come into our lives that will change them completely. The shepherds
had no idea that angel was going to appear out of nowhere! If we have invited the Savior that was born long years ago
to be our own Savior and Lord, we do not have to be afraid of change, even change that may look negative and be unexpected.
This Savior has promised us that, if we love Him and are the called according to HIS purpose, ALL things will work out for
the good. Romans 8:28 (NLT) 28 And we know
that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for
them. This fearful experience worked out for good for the shepherds long ago and we can know that things will
work out for good for us too! This is because God, in His infinite knowledge, knew those shepherds beforehand and He
knew us before we were ever here on earth. He has chosen us to become like His Son. Romans 8:29 (NLT) 29 For God knew his people in advance,
and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. He
has chosen us, just as He chose those shepherds! He has called us to Himself and made us right with Him, because of
Jesus. And, He has given us His glory - that same glory that shown round about in the fields where the shepherds were
just "doing their job." Romans 8:30 (NLT) 30 And having chosen them, he called
them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing,
he gave them his glory. Today, as you do what you have to do, know that while you are doing that the
Lord is with you. His ministering angels are all around you. If something comes that seems like it will change
your life forever, know that it is ultimately going to be good if you are trusting in the Savior. Know that God has
good plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11) His plans were so good that He gave us the ultimate Christmas gift. His own Son. And Jesus keeps on giving!
While you keep watch over what God has given you, He is keeping watch over you. His angels are surrounding you.
I can tell you that as a certainty, not only from His Word, but from experience! May the Christ of Christmas be your experience
also, not just at the time we have chosen to celebrate Christmas but while you are going about your
everyday life! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 3, 2009 ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY 1 Kings 8:6 (NIV) Do you think the above verse seems out of place in the story of the birth of Jesus? Somehow,
I am seeing Jesus in the way the ark of the Lord's covenant took it's place in the inner sanctuary of the temple of old.
Overshadowing the ark of the Lord's covenant were the wings of the cherubim. That picture moves my mind to what
happened the night that Jesus was born. In thee fields nearby, shepherds were doing their job, just like on any other
night. Luke 2:8 (AMP) 8 And in that vicinity there were
shepherds living [out under the open sky] in the field, watching [in shifts] over their flock by night. Back
to the cherubim. The cherubim were figures that had wings, something like angels. They stood sheltering
the ark of the Lord's covenant. The Lord's presence would overshadow the mercy seat which was just under the
wings of the cherubim. Exodus 25:22 (AMP) 22 There I will meet with you and,
from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the Testimony, I will speak intimately with
you of all which I will give you in commandment to the Israelites. As I read the story of the shepherds in the
field watching their flocks, I am amazed at the mercy of God! Shepherds were not really well thought of by society in
general. Many were crude and uneducated. Yet, a miraculous thing happened on an ordinary night when they were
at their posts and doing what they were supposed to do. The presence of the Lord, His glory, filled the air. He
spoke intimately with them through His angel. Right there in the middle of a field of sheep! Are we all not
the sheep of the Lord's pasture? Psalm 100:3 (KJV) 3 Know ye that the LORD he
is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. What must it have been like for these unsuspecting shepherds to suddenly see the manifest presence
of the glory of God? Such mercy shown to the lowest of the low of society! A glory that we had not previously
seen, except in the temple of old where God had promised to meet with men from above the wings of the cherubim which were
covering the mercy seat. Unfolding before me, I see the fields of the earth and the common people like you and me becoming
God's mercy seat. He has sent His Son, the human manifestation of His mercy, into the world. And who,
but to simple shepherds, does He first reveal this! Luke 2:9 (AMP) 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord
stood by them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them, and they were terribly frightened. Of
course they were afraid! This giant heavenly being was standing before them with wings spread over the earth!
I am reminded here that it is truly is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, even to be allowed to
see one of His angels! Those who have not repented have reason to be afraid because God may send an angel to bring punishment.
Hebrews 10:30-31 (TLB) 30 For
we know him who said, "Justice belongs to me; I will repay them"; who also said, "The Lord himself will handle
these cases." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Don't
you wonder what these shepherds were feeling at first? Maybe they were not the most spiritual people. There they
were caught off-guard in the middle of the fields facing an angel of the Lord and experiencing God's glory, firsthand.
Isn't it wonderfully odd and quite appropriate that the Great Shepherd would first introduce Himself to the common shepherd! They were very afraid, as
you and I might also be if we were suddenly face to face with a giant heavenly being and surrounded by the glory
of God! Yet, this was not a visit to bring punishment, but rather to bring mercy. The fields this earth had
become the mercy seat and the shepherds were there "under the cherubim," in the presence of the glory of God!
These common, ordinary men were the first to receive the extraordinarily, merciful message that would bring joy and good tidings
to their fearful hearts and to the fearful hearts of everyone who would receive it down through the ages! Luke 2:10-11 (TLB) 10 but the angel reassured them.
"Don’t be afraid!" he said. "I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone!
11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem!
12 How will you recognize him? You will find a baby wrapped in a blanket, lying in
a manger!" When the angel reported the birth of the Christ child, all of Heaven could
not keep quiet and these lowly shepherds experienced the exquisite choirs of heavenly angels! Luke 2:13-14 (TLB) 13 Suddenly,
the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God: 14
"Glory to God in the highest heaven," they sang, "and peace on earth for all those pleasing him." Yes!
The mercy seat had been opened up to the common, ordinary shepherd. It was opened up to, as one writer has put
it, "the poor and the wealthy, the disabled and the robust, the downtrodden and the acclaimed - thieves, abusers,
and sinners of all descriptions." (Taken from "Grace For All," The Upper Room Devotional Guide)
It has been opened up even to you and me! The Mercy-Giver was wrapped simply and laying in a manger which
the shepherds would soon see. Right there in the common and ordinary things of life, work and babies, God showed up
to bring mercy through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus comes, still today, in the common and ordinary things of our
lives to bring His mercy. In our regular, sometimes seemingly mundane, daily chores and challenges, we can still hear
the angel's voice saying, "Don't be afraid." For those who will follow Christ, peace is promised!
John 14:27 (AMP) 27 Peace I leave with you; My [own]
peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither
let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and
intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] I hope this promise of God's peace is joyful news
to you this morning! As Luke 2:10 says, this news is for everyone. But, only those who choose to receive it
will receive it's benefits. His mercy is available to you and me right now, no matter what we've done, said or thought.
The angels, sent to guard and protect those who will receive salvation, are hovering over you and me today, even
though we may never see them manifest themselves to us. Hebrews 1:14 (AMP) 14 Are not the angels all ministering
spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation? If
we quiet ourselves before the Lord this morning and receive those glad tidings of joy and peace, we just might imagine those
heavenly choirs singing praise to god. Praise, because Mercy has come to live within us. Within
these bodies that God has chosen to be His temple! 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (AMP) 19 Do you not know that your body
is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You
are not your own, 20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and
paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. As the hymn
says, "Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight over all the earth. Ye who sang creations's story
now proclaim Messiah's birth." Here are the words for you and me this morning - "Come and
worship, come and worship....................." The same angels that sang creation's story
and then proclaimed Messiah's birth probably now sing with joy every time one sinner repents and receives mercy!
Luke 15:7 (NLT) 7 In the same way, there is more
joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t
strayed away! This is so fantastic. Why don't we just begin singing along with the angels today! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 2, 2009 UNEXPECTED EVENTS Psalms 130:6 (AMP) I oftentimes find myself waiting. If I call the doctor or the appliance
repair person, I am, more often than not, put on hold for a very long time. Not being as well off in the patience department
as I should be, it irritates me. In fact, sometimes I get downright angry! How about waiting in lines at the grocery
store? That doesn't please me either! Last night, I was struck with what must have been a stomach virus.
I was really waiting for relief. It was hard to wait. However, in all of our waiting, there is opportunity to
see Jesus! There is also opportunity to be an ambassador for Him. Everyone else around us is having to wait for
something too. No wonder the world is filled with angry people! Those people, on the other end of an under-staffed
doctor's office or answering service for the appliance repair service, just may be waiting for some relief. They may
need an encouraging word from us. In all of our waiting, unexpected events can take place. Some of them may be
challenging; but in all of them, we can see Jesus if we're waiting for Him! Once, at a gas station in New Jersey,
where I had to wait a long time because you are not allowed by law to serve yourself, I started to become a bit more than
irritated. When the service attendant finally got to me, he was also very rude and agitated. For once, I listened
to the Lord's urging and gently asked the man if he was having a bad day. My goodness! The Lord had me waiting in that
line so that hard, gruff man could pour out his life's troubles to me. What a blessing it was just to be able to share
his burdens and be the Lord's ear to listen to his troubled heart. He was smiling when I left and so was I! Waiting
is not a bad thing, if we are looking for Jesus and waiting on Him in all of our earthly waiting! The psalmist declared that he was waiting expectantly for the Lord. He was, not
only waiting expectantly but he was putting His hope in the Word of the Lord. Psalm 139:5 (AMP) 5 I wait for the Lord, I expectantly
wait, and in His word do I hope. Are we content to sit, or stand, or kneel or lie on our face, and
wait for the Lord in this busy world? Is our hope really in His Word? Do we look at every waiting situation
for a chance to see Jesus? He is there in every situation and He's waiting for us to recognize Him. Are
you waiting because you have a health situation in your life that needs a touch from the Healer? Are you waiting for
relief from a financial crisis for your Provider? Are you waiting in some emotional stress for your Prince of Peace?
In all these situations, and in every situation, Jesus is there. His Name covers it all and His Word stands true.
Today we can wait, like the Psalmist, expectantly for the Lord. Our hope can be placed in His faithful Word. A long time ago a young, virgin woman waited. She was expecting.
She was expecting the Lord. Her name was Mary. I'm sure that she had to put her hope in the Word of God!
Everything about her pregnancy was unexpected. Nothing matched the norms of this world. She waited for nine long
months probably enduring sneers from her peers for being pregnant out of wedlock. Really, by the law in those days,
she should have been stoned to death. Most every event in the past nine months of her life was probably
very unexpected. How would you feel if you saw an angel? How would you feel if you found out that your body was
doing something impossible by the power of the Holy Spirit? What if the one you loved was about to desert you because
they didn't believe what you said? What about the event that lead to the coming of the Lord for Mary? Usually,
new parents have a sort of, "nesting," time before the birth of a new baby, creating a nice, warm, clean place
for the baby to be born. I wonder if Mary, after many months of pregnancy expected to be lying in a cold stable to give
birth to the Savior of the world. How sad it was that the greatest Gift ever given was overlooked by the noisy fervency
of people looking to find a comfortable place to stay because of a required census! Luke 2:1-4 (NLT) 1 At that time the Roman emperor,
Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This
was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned
to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph
was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the
village of Nazareth in Galilee. What are we waiting for today?
Are we merely on hold on the phone or standing in long shopping lines being irritated, frustrated, and angry? Or, are
we waiting on the Lord for an opportunity to see this mad, mad world through His eyes of love? Are we really waiting
on the Lord in every situation in our life? Jesus is standing at our heart's door in every unexpected event in
our lives. Revelation 3:20-22 (AMP) 20 Behold, I stand at the door and
knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him,
and he [will eat] with Me. 21 He who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant him to
sit beside Me on My throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne. 22 He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies
(churches). He is knocking. He's making a, perhaps unexpected, personal
visit to you and me! Will we open the door and let Him in? Or, will those words from long ago ring true?
"There is no room here." Luke 2:7 (AMP) 7 And she gave birth to her Son,
her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them
in the inn. Let's pray together, either for your first time, or for a renewal of the open door of
your heart, "Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus. There is room in my heart for you." MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 1, 2009 GOD SAYS, "SLOW DOWN, YOU MOVE TOO FAST" Luke 1:56 (NLT) This past Sunday the Advent Season began, when Christians all over the world begin the
celebration of the birth of Jesus. Although we know that Jesus was not actually born on the twenty-fifth of December,
this can be a time of reflection and the giving of thanks for God sending the Savior to a sinful world. As it turns
out, the way we seem to celebrate Christmas these days is with frantic movement, from party to party. From store to
store. Baking and cooking. Decorating and cleaning. Who is this party for anyway? Just whose birthday
are we celebrating? Has the guest of honor been ignored? Maybe so. It is something we all need to think
about. God once spoke to the Israelites whose lives looked great on the outside. What they said was right, but
there was a big problem. Their hearts were all wrong. How are our hearts this morning? Are they close to
Jesus or far from Him in the frantic frustration of festivities? Matthew 15:7-8 (AMP) 7 You pretenders (hypocrites)! Admirably
and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said: 8 These people draw near Me with
their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me. Just how much are we honoring
the Savior during this Advent Season, or is it all about us? How much time are we spending shopping, decorating, etc.,
compared with the time we spend in relationship and conversation with the One that we say we are celebrating? I recently
was challenged in a sermon, to spend just fifteen minutes a day being quiet before the Savior, having conversation with Him
through His Word and through the speaking and listening of prayer. It's a great challenge! Will you be challenged
today to do that every day of the Advent Season and through to the New Year? Psalm 46:10 (AMP) 10 Let be and be still, and know (recognize and
understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! I guarantee
you that, once you sit down and be quiet for fifteen minutes with your Savior, you will not want to leave! It really
is all about Him and He's the most exciting, compassionate and loving Friend you will ever find! As many of you know, the Lord allowed me to be slowed down recently and I have not written the Morning Manna since
September twentieth. I will write more on that later and how the Lord has worked in and through it all. There
are times and seasons in our lives when we need to slow down and ponder what the Lord is doing and saying to us. I suspect
that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had a time like that when she visited her relative, Elizabeth. This visit was soon
after Mary was told by the angel that she was pregnant, by the power of the Holy Spirit, with the Savior of
the world. She went to the hills to Elizabeth's home and stayed there for three months! What do you suppose
they talked about? Elizabeth was pregnant too, even though she had been barren all her life. In her old age, I
suppose she slowed down too because of her pregnancy! And, don't you think that she and Mary spoke of the
Lord and His power to create? To do things that were impossible? Luke 1:37 (AMP) 37 For with God nothing is ever
impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. Will we slow down this
morning for just fifteen minutes (but you will surely desire more minutes with Jesus if you do) to talk to Him about what
He is doing in this world and what He wants to do in and through us? Will we take time to thank Him for coming to earth
as a helpless baby, instead of the conquering King that He is? Will we remember that He came as a child and went through
everything we have gone through from infancy to adulthood? Do you wonder what Mary and Elizabeth talked about?
I think they talked about the wonder of God and about children. Specifically about the children they were about to bear
- John the Baptist and Jesus. Let's determine to take time each day to slow down, stop moving too fast, and sit with
Jesus pondering the wonder of the Christ Child being born to save whoever will come to Him! Jesus, I come! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 - HE SENT HIS WORD Psalms
107:20 (KJV) I am writing, first of all, to encourage you with the fact that
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever and that He still sends His Word and heals us and delivers us from
things that threaten to destroy us. That being said, I want to let you know that I was taken to the hospital on an emergency
basis on Sunday night where it was determined that I have blood clots in my lungs stemming from a larger clot in one of my
legs. For the time being I will remain hospitalized and have been instructed to remain as still as possible. So,
I am trusting that in God's timing I will be getting the Morning Manna out to you again. And, hopefully shortly.
I appreciate your patience and your prayers. Feel free to email me at beabecker@verizon.net and I will read them and get back to you when I am able. Hoping
to meet you in the spirit in the word until such time as I can begin to write on a regular basis again. If you are dealing
with physical problems or any other challenging situations, let us encourage one another that God truly does send his word
to heal us and deliver us from the attacks of the enemy. MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 20, 3009 - WHAT DO YOU HAVE - PART TWO 1 Kings 4:16 (NLT) 16 There was always enough
flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. This morning some of you reading this may have everything you need and even more. You may have your needs
as well as a number of extras. Some may not even know where their next meal is coming from. I am in awe
of the fact that God speaks to us, one and all, in whatever position in which we find ourselves this morning! I am reminded
of four stories with the scripture that help me to see once again, that it's not about what we have or don't have. It's
about God's ability to provide and our decisions as to what we will do with what He provides. One story may be found within the verses of 1 Kings 17:8-16 (NLT) First of all, we find that God told the prophet Elijah that he was
to go to Zarephath because He had instructed a widow to feed him when he got there. This is interesting in that
God told Elijah that He had already instructed this widow to feed him. More interesting is that when Elijah
got there, this is what the widow said, in reply to his request for a bite of bread. 12
But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And
I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few
sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.” Have you ever thought you heard
the Lord's still small voice of instruction telling you to do something that you knew you could not accomplish because of
a lack of resources? Have you turned that Voice off because of the impossibility involved in God's request? This
woman was just about to do that when God spoke through Elijah. "Don't be afraid." Isn't that just like God to urge His children not to be afraid in the face of
situations that look dreadful? 1 Kings 4:13 (NLT) 13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead
and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for
yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There
will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”
Are you facing a situation (or situations) in your life where things look impossible? At the risk
of seeming harsh in a time when you probably need some comfort and assurance, that is exactly the place where things
are most possible! It is when we come to the end of ourselves and our own resources that God is able to
begin to show His power in and through our lives . His strength is made perfect in weakness!
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NLT) 8 Three different times I begged
the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My
power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through
me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and
in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. And,
when it's all said and done, the glory can go to none other than God! The widow in this story was down to nothing.
She was gathering up sticks for the last meal for herself and her son. She seemed to be on a "Mission Impossible."
However, God didn't see it that way! I am stealing this next quote from a sermon preached by a very wise and caring
pastor. When God is involved, our, "mission impossible's," turn to "Mission Possible!" The
widow may not have thought she was really hearing from God when he had before instructed her to feed Elijah. How could
she feed another when she had nothing left for her son and for herself? But God used Elijah to comfort her and calm
her fears. Then, she obeyed. May it be that God is comforting people and removing all fear so that obedience
will be the end result. When the widow obeyed by doing something that seemed completely illogical, the miraculous occurred.
She took the little that she had. She did with it what God instructed her to do. She believed God's promise
against all odds. 1 Kings 17:14 14 For this is what
the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the
Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!” This took faith, mixed with obedience. This
morning, I pray that we, too, in our missions which may seem impossible, will mix our faith in God's promises with a
determined obedience to His commands. Walking by faith takes some practice. A lot of practice. But, the
rewards can't be measured. We can never out-give a God who loves to give His children good gifts. We will always,
in the end, receive so much more than we gave, even when we give out of our own need if God asks us to do it. 1 Kings 17:15 15 So she did as Elijah said, and she
and Elijah and her son continued to eat for many days. 16 There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the
containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. Having
lived in many types of situations in my life, I can testify to the fact that God has never left me (even in spite of my failings
and wanderings). He has always been my Provider (even when I either didn't listen to His voice). Whatever
your need is today, won't you listen to God's voice, do what He's asking you to do, and have faith in His unfailing promises?
Just one of the four stories I had in mind has been told here. When you get into God's Word, He opens
up so much that there isn't room to contain it, so come back tomorrow for more on these challenging and encouraging stories
from scripture! And walk this day and always in faith and obedience! God is your Provider. And, He will
always fulfill His promises! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 19, 2009 - WHAT DO YOU HAVE? Genesis 12:2-3 (NLT) What do you have? There are so many places in scripture that remind us that it's not how much
we think we have that makes the difference, but how thankful we are for what we have. It's not how much we give, but
our motivation for giving it. It's not whether we give out of our abundance but whether we give out of our faith in
the One who provides abundance! In these days of hardship for many, as the world economy is on a roller coaster, and
many seem to be on an endless trip down, what do we have and what are we doing with what we have? One thing that might
help us get things back into perspective is that we are blessed to be a blessing. That doesn't mean that we will have
all the latest of everything this world has to offer. But, it does mean that we are blessed by a Father who loves to
give good gifts to His children. Matthew 7:11 (NLT) 11 So if you sinful people know
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Not gifts to hoard and use to impress those around them, but gifts to share and bless those around them. God
promised to bless Abraham, our father in the faith. But, sometimes we forget to remember that within that promise was
the fact that God would also make Abraham a blessing. Genesis 12:2 (AMP) 2 And I will make of you a great
nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will
be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. Yes! God's purpose for blessing Abraham was so he could
dispense good to others! I am reminded then, of Moses. God had placed a great call on his life. But, instead of being willing
to believe God, Moses began to make excuses for not having enough to obey God. Exodus 4:10 (AMP) 10 And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord,
I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and
have a heavy and awkward tongue. Perhaps that was just Moses' perception of himself because later on we read
the following: Acts 7:22 (AMP) 22 So Moses was educated in all
the wisdom and culture of the Egyptians, and he was mighty (powerful) in his speech and deeds. So, how
do you and I see ourselves? As God sees us? Fully designed and equipped by our Creator to do what He asks of us?
Or do we focus on what we think we don't have to do the job? Moses seemed to be filled with excuses when
God sent him out on a mission. Exodus 4:1 (AMP) 1 AND MOSES answered, But behold, they
will not believe me or listen to and obey my voice; for they will say, The Lord has not appeared to you. Finally,
on this occasion, God showed Moses that even the little things we have can become great when we give them to God.
Exodus 4:2-4 (NLT) 2 Then the Lord asked him, “What
is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. 3 “Throw
it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back.
4 Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached
out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand. Can't you just picture Moses in the desert leaning on that old shepherd's staff and pouring out excuses to God as
to why he was not equipped to answer God's call on his life. I can relate! So, what is it that small thing that
you and I are leaning on while we complain or make excuses to God? Are we willing to pray, "Lord, show me what
You want me to throw down?" God doesn't fail to answer open and honest prayer. But, when He does
answer, it may seem like a very little thing that He wants us to throw down so He can give it back to us in a much more powerful
way! His answer may seem totally backward and illogical in terms of what the world tells us to do. And, even in
terms of what our own feelings tell us to do. What is it that God wants us to give back to Him so He can use us to bless
others? It might be a very small and insignificant thing to us but be the very thing that will accomplish great and
mighty things for God and in the lives of others. On the other hand, if God has blessed us in abundance, He may ask
us to live on ten percent of what He has given us so that we might bless others, using the ninety percent to help
meet their basic needs. No matter what, you and I are blessed to be a blessing! A smile. A hug. A
letter. Forgiveness when it is totally undeserved. Or, a million dollars. What is in our hands to give back
to God and to bless others? Will we dare to ask God? And when He shows us, will we do it? MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 18, 2009 - WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU HIDING FROM? Psalms 57:1 (NLT) Sometimes it is appropriate to hide. There are things that happen to and around us from which we need to stay
as far away as possible. Psalm 57 was probably written by David when he was hiding in a cave from Saul. David was a warrior but even warriors need
to know when and where to hide. David knew that Saul was wrong but David had purposed in his own heart not to overcome
evil with evil. In this case, the brave one who had killed bears and lions with his bare hands and stopped a giant with
just a slingshot and a pebble, was not out on the front lines. He was hiding. As he hid, He called on God
more than once for mercy. There are times in our lives when we have to stop fighting, be still and call upon God's mercy.
Where we hide makes all the difference! Some of us may have tried to hide behind a bottle of liquor in our lives.
Some have tried to hide in illicit relationships, hoping against all hope that this would be "the one."
Some hide behind things that look good, like a successful career or in work for the Lord. There are a vast number
of places where you and I can run to find safety until the threats in our life pass by. However, there is only one
true place of safety. And, that is in our Lord. Right under His wings! In
our world, self-sufficiency is considered a good quality but we are not in any way, or form, self-sufficient.
Nor, were we created to be that way. We all need the Lord and we need one another in order to survive and prosper.
David might have been put down in our day and even mocked. Some might have said, "Come on, David, fight!
After all, weren't you the one who killed those lions and bears and even Goliath?" As I write this, I am thinking
of Jesus. They mocked Him too when He knew His time for fighting had ceased. As He hung on the cross, those below
scowled and spit at him while telling him to come down from the cross if He was really who He said He was.
Instead, we heard words from Jesus that weren't exactly fighting words, as this world considers fighting words. We heard
words like, "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing." And, we heard these words,
"Father into Your hands I commit my spirit." Could Jesus have come down from the cross and saved Himself.
Sure He could. But He didn't. He was obedient to His Father and trusted His Spirit into His Father's hands.
He stayed there agreeing to fulfill the purpose God had for Him. Could David have come out of that cave and killed
Saul. I imagine he could have orchestrated that also. But, David knew better than to go against God's ways
just to gain a victory. Does today find you in some situation where you
need to be still before God and wait for Him to strengthen you? Do you need to be quiet and confident instead
of running around like most of those around you trying to do things in your own strength and ability? Can you see beyond
your difficult circumstances to the purpose God has for your life and know that He will send help from heaven to
rescue you and bring to nothing those who are causing you grief? Psalm 57:2-3 (NLT) 2 I cry out to God Most High, to
God who will fulfill his purpose for me. 3 He will send help from heaven to rescue
me, disgracing those who hound me. Interlude My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness. Have
you taken a safe seat under the wings of the Lord and, even though you might be surrounded by awful circumstances and even
some people who torment you, are you able to confidently say, "Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens!
May your glory shine over all the earth! (Psalm 57:5) That's what David did. It may be raining cats and dogs all around you, but, if you're
in that safe place under God's wings, you can find rest from the weariness that comes from being constantly distressed.
Psalm 57:6 (NLT) 6 My enemies have set a trap for
me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it. Interlude
There in that place of quietness, safety, warmth, and rest, we can be confident that our enemies will fall into
the very pit that they meant for our demise! If you read the remainder of Psalm 57, you will find that David finds confidence from being in his place of hiding. He finds the confidence
to let his heart sing again! His distress has turned to delight and his circumstances have not changed at all!
He's still in the cave waiting patiently for the Lord to fulfill His purpose in his life. David's circumstances
have not changed but, because He has been hiding in the shadow of the Lord's wings, David has changed. He has a new
perspective. He sees God more clearly than ever before. He is able to look beyond his circumstances to God's
unfailing love and faithfuless. It is then that David is prepared to go forward. Sometimes you and I just need
to take a while to hide. Is there someone or something in your life that you need to stop fighting in your own strength
and just run under those welcoming wings of God where you can hide and be revived? It may be tempting to try to
hide in the stuff around us that only makes our situation worse. The perfect place to hide is in the shadow of
our Lord's wings. When the enemy comes seeking us, He will not be able to find us! There, under the shelter of
His wings, we will find healing and strength to continue victoriously on this journey through life! Psalm 91:4 (TLB) 4 He will shield you with his wings!
They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Is it time for you to hide for a while? MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 - TRUSTING GOD AFTER YOUR TRUST HAS BEEN BETRAYED BY ANOTHER Psalms 55:21 (NLT) Many people have experienced a very unfortunate and deeply painful experience in their lives. You may
be one of those people and, if not, you will certainly meet some in your lifetime. These people have been wounded
emotionally to the point that they may feel unable to return to any sense of normalcy in their lives. Some have
been battered and scarred physically also, making the emotional wounds much harder to overcome. I know this
is true. I have lived through it with my own sister and am still living with the effects of what can happen when
a person that you trust betrays your trust and deals a blow that will change your whole future. David had this happen
in his life too. Look at how David laments over his situation. We know that people who claim to be our enemies
are prone to want to harm us in some way. What we never expect is that those closest to us will do the job! Psalm 55:12-14 (NLT) 12 It is not an enemy who taunts
me— I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me— I could have hidden from them. 13 Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend. 14
What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God. Yes, it could
be that the one who hurts us most deeply is one with whom we have even experienced time in church! My mother used to pray a prayer similar to the following prayer when my sister and I were small. "Lord,
don't let your prophecy that the children will turn against the parents and the parents against the children be fulfilled
in our home." My sister and I really had no idea of what she was talking about at that young age. However,
she was referring to the following prophecy by Jesus. Luke 12:51-53 (AMP) 51 Do you suppose that
I have come to give peace upon earth? No, I say to you, but rather division; 52 For from now on in one house
there will be five divided [among themselves], three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided,
father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her
daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Seeking to follow Jesus will bring unity
with others who are truly seeking to follow Him. But, it will also have the opposite effect and bring
division when one is trying to follow Jesus and another refuses the great offer of salvation and discipleship.
As with David, the results can be ugly and heartbreaking. David could have decided that he was not going to trust anybody
after that devastating experience. He could have doubted God's faithfulness and trustworthiness because it was someone
who apparently claimed to know God. If you have been through a similar experience, you may find it difficult to trust
anyone too, including the Lord! We might not say that we don't trust the Lord, but sometimes our other words and
actions prove otherwise. It is not easy to trust again when your trust has been violated, especially by one so
close to you. Jesus knew that firsthand. It was those closest to Him that betrayed and abandoned Him. It
was the ones to whom He had given the most of His time and teaching. So, if you are suffering this morning from having
difficulty trusting the Lord because of the actions of some who have claimed His Name and then shamed His Name, know that
God has not changed - He's still the same! Trustworthy. Yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 (NLT) 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today, and forever. I am of the opinion that forgiveness is a must. We don't really
free the one who hurt us and betrayed our trust. We free ourselves from bitter emotions that will bring about our demise
if we don't let them go. Someone once said that unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to die.
Forgiveness is a must because Christ forgave us when we were still His enemies. Before we got cleaned
up. When He forgave us, He asked us to follow Him. One of the things He does is to offer forgiveness. So,
if we're going to follow Him, we must learn to offer forgiveness also. He did have some rather hard words to speak to
those who would follow Him though. He said that we were not worthy of being His follower unless we put Him
first and obeyed His commands. Matthew 10:36-38 (AMP) 36 And
a man’s foes will be they of his own household. 37 He who loves [and takes
more pleasure in] father or mother more than [in] Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves [and takes more pleasure in] son
or daughter more than [in] Me is not worthy of Me; 38 And he who does not take
up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conforming wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying
also] is not worthy of Me. The gift of forgiveness was not given to us by Jesus in
a sloppy, sentimental way. The gift came with a responsibility. We needed to prove to Him, by our obedience, that
He could trust us with the gift. When we forgive someone, that may not change the one we forgive. But, it
will change us. If we see that one continuing in a pattern that goes against the Lord's principles, we can
know that the best way to live peaceably with those around us may be to stay as far away from that one as possible.
Romans 12:17-19 (NLT) 17 Never pay back evil with more
evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that
you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave
that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says
the Lord. Although it is not easy to do this, we should choose to refrain from constantly dwelling on the pain
that has been caused us by another. Our wanting to, "get even," only gets in the way of what God has planned
for those who totally refuse to repent. Notice what David says about the Lord. Psalm 55:23 (NLT) 23 But you, O God, will send the
wicked down to the pit of destruction. Murderers and liars will die young, but I am trusting you to save me. We
can count on the fact that God will bring destruction on those who totally refuse to turn from their wicked ways. That
being said, I don't think that anyone with a heart after the Lord, would want to see that sort of destruction come upon even
their worst enemy. Jesus tells us what to do. If we have no way of avoiding those who have hurt us, we must do
the following. Romans 12:20-21 (NLT) 20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If
they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”
21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Admittedly, some people
will not respond to the love of the Lord. But, we will have been His obedient children. And the rest is up to
Him. As far as trusting people who have betrayed us, if we have to be in close proximity to them, they need to know
that they need to show us that they can be trusted again. I recently read the following quote. "Gaining
trust is like filling a bucket one drop at a time." ~Todd Duncan It takes a very long time
to restore trust if we have proven to be untrustworthy. But, thankfully, God is trustworthy and has never proven otherwise,
nor will He. So, if we have been hurt badly because someone else proved to be untrustworthy, we can know that there
is One in whom we can always trust. After recounting all the pain and suffering that He went through and all the trouble
that still surrounded him, David said, at the end of Psalm 55, "But, I am trusting You (God) to save me." Have you been betrayed by another, even someone who
should have been your protector? Right this minute, you can turn to God and know that He is worthy of your trust.
He will not fail you. He will bend down and save you. Like David you and I can say, even in the middle of some
pretty challenging struggles, "But, I am trusting You to save me." MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 - PATIENCE AND TRUST Psalms 40:1 (NLT) David
makes a very powerful statement here at the very beginning of Psalm 40. When things just don't look as though they are going to pan out, and we have done everything we know
to do, sometimes we just have to wait patiently for the Lord! If you are facing circumstances this morning over which
you have no control, you can pray this prayer! Psalm 5:3 (AMP) 3 In the morning You hear my voice,
O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]. I
am praying that prayer this morning, myself! The many uncertainties of life and the many injustices can cause us to
faint within ourselves when it looks like we have done everything and there's just no way out. This morning and every
morning, whether we face challenging circumstances or whether we are in a season of smooth sailing, we must remember that
the Lord hears our voice (that is, if we are taking the time to speak to him). We, like the Psalmist can prepare a prayer
and a sacrifice of praise for the Lord and then watch for Him to move in our lives and listen for Him to speak to our hearts,
all the while, having the confidence that, as Psalm 40:1 states, He will turn to us and hear our cry! The key is to patiently wait. My trouble
has often been, in the past, that I didn't want to wait! And, to be certain, I was not patient. I had some ideas
about how to fix the situations in my life and I wanted God to go my way and help me do what I wanted to
do. The trouble is that I did not have the proper perspective. While my own ideas may not have been bad in themselves,
they did not fit in with God's bigger picture. There were times that I didn't wait on God! Every time
I go it on my own, I make a mess of things! Of course, because God loves you and I so much, He is willing to take our
messes and make messages out of them. (Romans 8:28) But, that usually requires us to make some admission of the fact that we were wrong. Wouldn't it be better
to wait patiently for the Lord knowing He is hearing our cry and that He is in the process of turning to us? Speaking
from lots of experience, I will say "yes," and "amen," to that! What was the root cause of my not waiting patiently at times? Looking back, I would say that it was because
I was lacking in my trust of a perfectly trustworthy God. Being a lover of music and one who likes to sing, I am encouraged
by what David says in Psalm 40:3 (NLT) 3 He has given me a new song to
sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.
When you and I get into desperate situations, it's not all about us and our feelings and discomfort. God
has a bigger plan in mind. He wants to give us lots more to sing about! In Psalm 40:2-3, David tells us what God can and will do for the one who will patiently wait for Him to work. David found that God
was faithful to lift him out of a miry pit and set his feet on solid ground! How wonderful to be lifted from the pits
in which we find ourselves trapped! But, this is not the greatest thing out of the whole situation. God then gave
David a new song to sing! He gave David a hymn of praise to Himself! Why did God do all of that? Sometimes
our pits in life, as uncomfortable as they may feel, are to help others! They are to show others around us how to put
their trust in the Lord when they fall into a similar pit. What are we like when we find ourselves stumbling
over a pot hole, or even worse, in a pit of life? When there is nothing we can do on our own to get out of that situation,
do others see us patiently waiting on our God? Do they see us demonstrating a trust in God that just won't quit?
The Lord did not leave David in the pit but the pit was there for a purpose. (Or, maybe God had several purposes). One
purpose was for David's testimony to shine, even during the hardship. One purpose was for people around David to see
that God would, indeed, lift him from the pit at just the right time. David would have a new song to sing because of
God's deliverance. An old song says this: "If I never had a problem, I wouldn't know that God could solve
them and I'd never know what faith in God could do." That's a very true statement. Not only would we be devoid
of the realization that God can solve any problem, others around us would not know either! God wants everybody to know that they can trust Him. Psalm 40:4 (NLT) 4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who
worship idols. He wants everybody to have those joys that come from putting our confidence in Him rather than
in ourselves or the world's system. While we live in this world, we are called to come apart from it when it comes to
where we place our trust and confidence. Those around us have perhaps never been taught of the Lord. Maybe they
have never visited a church. Perhaps they have never even opened a Bible. But, one thing is for sure,
they experience problems, pot holes and pits in life! The trust and confidence that they see in us may be the only
time they can get acquainted in the Savior and Deliverer. Our patience and trust is not just about our own comfort in
life and about building ourselves in spiritual things. It is about those who are watching us when we get into situations
which appear to have no way of escape. There are those times when others might need to see us fall on our faces before
the Living God and declare some things like this: Psalm 40:11-12 (NLT) 11 Lord, don’t hold back your
tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. 12 For
troubles surround me— too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs
on my head. I have lost all courage. Patience and trust requires humility. When we humble ourselves before
God, we relinquish the right to take care of things in our own way. We acknowledge our deficiencies and inability to
solve everything. In doing that, we give God the opportunity to bring about His good plans for our lives.
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV) 6 Therefore humble yourselves under
the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your
care upon Him, for He cares for you. The trust that God will bring us out in His time is crucial. Confidently
knowing that He is able to and wants to take on all of our cares is of utmost importance when it comes to trusting God
and being an example to others that God is truly trustworthy. While it is okay with God that we express ourselves
honestly to him as David did in Psalm 40:13, it is also essential that we develop a pattern of patience and trust as we, after having done all we know
to do, be still and wait on Him. Psalm 40:13 (NLT) 13 Please, Lord, rescue me! Come
quickly, Lord, and help me. It is in our being still before God and knowing that He is God that
we find the confidence to trust Him. Psalm 46:10 (NLT) 10 “Be still, and know that
I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” It is there that
we know that all things are possible with Him. How do we know this? Psalm 46:11 (NLT) 11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies
is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude It is
in that place of patience and trust that we can expectantly wait for Him to come quickly and help us! And, not only
will we see deliverance, but others will see that same deliverance, giving them the courage to put their trust in God, as
well. MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 15, 2009 - BUT, I AM TRUSTING YOU Psalms 31:14 (NLT) David, the
Psalmist and future King of Judah, had more than his share of problems. He was constantly in communication with the
Lord and didn't hesitate to lay out all of those problems before Him. In Psalm 31, David was going to the Lord for protection. There are many instances in which you and I need to
admit our need for protection and talk to the Lord about it. David asked the Lord not to let him be disgraced.
(Psalm 31:1) He asked the Lord to listen to him and rescue him quickly. (Psalm 31:2) It could be that some of us are in situations where we appear to be at a dead-end. Those
situations might be in the area of finance, health, relationships, and a host of other places in our lives. No
matter where and how we might feel threatened, the principles are still the same. Like David we need to lay ourselves
before the Lord and ask for Him to be our rock of protection. Our fortress where we will be safe. Psalm 31:2 (NLT) 2 Turn your ear to listen to me;
rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. Today, no matter where we might be tempted to fear, we can begin to declare, like David did (right
after his request that God be his rock of protection) that, indeed, God is our rock and our fortress!
Psalm 31:3 (NLT) 3 You are my rock and my fortress.
For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. We need to remember that, if we are believers, the
Lord has given us His name, for the honor of His name, He will do mighty works in our lives. We need to remind ourselves
that our protection from whatever challenge and attack, is from God alone. (Psalm 31:4) And, like David we can then trust our spirit into the capable hands of our faithful God. (Psalm 31:5) It may be that we have been trusting in this world's ways for deliverance. If so, we need to
remember that we do not belong to this world's system with its worship of worthless idols. If our trust has temporarily
been misplaced, we need to ask for forgiveness and once again, place that trust in the Lord. Psalm 31:6 (NLT) 6 I hate those who worship worthless
idols. I trust in the Lord. Are you going through some difficult and scary situations in your life? I have plenty that present themselves
in my life. It's not always easy to trust the Lord. But, it gets so much easier when we take some cues from
David. He determined to be glad and rejoice in God's unfailing love. He remembered that God had seen all his troubles
and that God cared dearly about what was troubling him. He remembered that God had not handed him over to his enemies,
but instead set him in a safe place. (Psalm 31:7-8) David didn't hesitate to state the details of his difficulties. He was in distress. He couldn't even see
correctly because of the many tears in his eyes. His body was affected and so were his emotions. He felt as if
grief and sadness were causing him to die an early death. He suffered from sin that had drained his strength.
That could have been a combination of the sin of others around him and his own failings. Many times our situations in
life are a combination of both. He found himself without friends and despised by most people. People talked behind
his back but loud enough for him to hear what they said. He never knew what was coming next leaving him in a state
of terror. His enemies were constantly trying to figure out how to kill him. (Psalm 31:9-13) Many of these things I just described can be applied to situations in our own lives. Distresses,
tears, grief, failing health, unstable emotions and sin can put a drain on all of our lives in one degree or another and in
many situations. Not knowing who we can trust, or if we can trust anybody, can cause us to think in negative
ways. David made a choice. He poured out all of the above complaints and distresses to the Lord. Then, he
deliberately chose to say this: "But I am trusting You, O Lord, You are my God." This is a
choice that you and I must make every day, even before those challenging situations come about! My sister and I like
to say, in the face, of very difficult trials, "But God............." There are so many situations in scripture
and in each of our own individual lives that point to the fact that everything was about to collapse around us.
But God........ God stepped in somehow and protected us. He saved us and brought us through.
Of course, He did, we're all reading this now! Our job, in the midst of troubles, is to say, "But I...."
To make that choice from what we know about our God and what we have seen Him do. To say, "But I am trusting
You, O Lord, You are my God." We can't remind ourselves and each other enough that He is truly worthy of our trust! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 - WHEN IT'S DIFFICULT TO TRUST GOD - PART TWO Psalm 56:10 (NLT) 10 I praise God for what
he has promised; Yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised. It is certainly more difficult to trust God when we have a big problem (or many problems) in our lives.
These days in which we live are filled with problems of all kinds. They seem to fly at us from every direction.
David was familiar with that feeling. He had to acknowledge his fear to God more than once! And he talked to himself
more than once, reminding himself of the reality of his situation. He knew he had problems. But, he also
knew that God's promise was always greater than any problem! What do we focus on when times get difficult?
The problems? Or, God's promises? Twice in only thirteen verses of Psalm 56, David had to speak to himself and decide to praise God ahead of time for the promise that would dissolve
his problem. Before David saw his problems wiped away by God's promises, he chose to give the sacrifice
of praise to the Lord. Psalm 56:12 (NLT) 12 I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will offer a sacrifice
of thanks for your help. David chose to do this right in the midst of his problems. He didn't wait
until he got out of them. You and I, too, can remember
to focus on God's promises rather than our problems when it becomes difficult to trust Him. We can remember promises
like the following: Romans 8:31 (KJV) 31 What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us? David was right in the middle of his problem in Psalm 56 and his enemies were threatening to take him down. You and I, if we are believers, are in a constant
warfare with spiritual forces of evil that try to take us down and sometimes work through unknowing people around us.
We must not become complaisant. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) 8 Be self-controlled and alert.
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Yet, like
David, we must be confident in the fact that, in Christ, we are more than conquerors! We do not become conquerors
by living in a world without problems. We become conquerors by living victoriously in the problems and
knowing that God's promises are greater! The Apostle, Paul, testified to this himself. Romans 8:34-39 (NIV) 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is
at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered
as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor
life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. Basically, the Apostle, Paul, was saying what David said in Psalm 56:9. 9 My enemies will retreat when I call
to you for help. This I know: God is on my side! Both David and Paul clung to God's promises and their
words encourage us to do the same. David was not quite over his fears by the time he wrote verse 11 in Psalm 56. A third time, he asked himself why he should be afraid. He asked himself what people could do
to him. Psalm 56:11 (NLT) 11 I trust in God, so why should
I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? There is nothing wrong, and everything right, in going to God and
admitting that we are being tempted to fear. Denying that would be dumb, to put it mildly, since God knows everything
anyway. And, He's not surprised by what may surprise us. Like David, we must humble ourselves before God admitting
our weaknesses and temptations. It's the only way. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT) 6 So humble yourselves under the
mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all
your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. It worked for David. He admitted his weaknesses
to himself and to God and traded his fears, cares, and problems for God's promises! Later on he became
King and a key person in the line of our Lord and Savior! God has good things in store for you and me too if we will just
get with His principles and His program! A couple of last thoughts on how David handled it when it was difficult
to trust God. He was able to offer a sacrifice of thanks for God's help before he saw it in this particular
situation because he remembered what God had done for him in the past. Psalm 56:13 (NLT) 13 For you have rescued me from
death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light. Hindsight
can be good if we are looking back on our lives and seeing the times when God has rescued us from what could have been a disaster.
If we really want to try to realize just how many times God has rescued us from death and kept our feet from slipping, we
can think about all those times, He doesn't even show us what He's doing. For example, we may come out in a hurry to
go somewhere only to find out we have a flat tire. We may be very angry because our agenda has been compromised.
But, just what if, God had allowed that flat tire so we would not be on the road at the time the enemy had prepared
that deadly accident to wipe us out? Well, David saved the very best for the very last part of the very last verse in
Psalm 56! So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.
What a victorious statement. What a grounded statement, considering David was still in the midst
of his problem! Even in the midst of the serious problems David was facing here, he could walk in God's presence
and in God's life-giving light! We can do the same thing today by focusing on God's promises instead of on our problems. By
constantly reminding ourselves of what God has done in the past. By remembering that our tears and sorrows of today
are being safely taken care of by the Lord. By being honest with ourselves and with the Lord in humility. And,
by making a decision to praise God and give an offering of thanksgiving right in the very center of the problem. David
worked through his problem in thirteen short verses here in Psalm 56. He went from being fearful of his problem to walking in victory in the presence and light of the Lord. How many
verses might we have to write for us to do the same thing this morning? It is possible and we have
a loving Heavenly Father who is just waiting for us to take an example from David! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 13, 2009 - WHEN IT'S DIFFICULT TO TRUST GOD Psalms 56:3 (NLT) Certainly there are things in life that threaten to spark fear in all of us. It could be any number
of things that cause us to fear. In the case of David, in Psalm 56, his enemies had seized him and they were using all kinds of tactics to try to bring him down. David had to talk to
himself constantly. He had to continually remind himself that he trusted in God. He did this three times in the
thirteen short verses of Psalm 156! The first was in Psalm 56:3, the second in Psalm 56:4 Like David, you and I are in a war. There will be battles that we seem to win and some that we might appear
to lose. The bottom line here is that we win the war! Under our Captain, who is the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords, we have the victory, even if we have not seen it manifested in our lives yet. That's what trusting God is all
about. 1 Corinthians 15:57 (AMP) 57 But
thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ. The
very first thing we need to do is to trust God when He said that He gives us the victory through Jesus and that
He is making us more than conquerors! That is probably why David spoke to himself three times in thirteen verses about
trust in God. It is not always easy to trust in God. David didn't find it so and we may not always find it so.
There will be things in our lives that will baffle us and sorely tempt us to give up trusting in the Lord. In
David's case, his enemies taunted him and attacked him all day long! I've had days like that and I'm sure you have too
when one temptation after another seems to present itself and I feel pretty battered and very tired! Psalm 56:1 1 O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding
me. My foes attack me all day long. When those days come, we need to remember that God is merciful and that
we can, and should, stop to and ask him for His mercy; even in the midst of the fiercest battle. When things
come against us furiously, we need to remember that David also decided to praise God for what He has promised. Sometimes
we get tired of waiting for the promises of God. The enemy, by his unrelenting attacks, threatens us by trying
to get us to believe that God will not do as He promised. But, He will! 1 Corinthians 1:9 (AMP) 9 God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy,
and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation
with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Because David knew this, he chose to praise God ahead of time,
before He saw the victory! And we can do that too! Psalm 56:4 (NLT) 4 I praise God for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? Maybe you have experienced
or are now experiencing a time when people turn the things you say in sincerity and truth against you by, as they say today,
putting their own "spin" on them. Psalm 56:5-7 (NLT) 5 They are always twisting what
I say; they spend their days plotting to harm me. 6 They come together to spy on me—
watching my every step, eager to kill me. MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 12, 2009 - MORE SPECIFIC THOUGHTS ON THE WORDS WE USE Job 29:21 (NLT) When you and I are given the opportunity to speak to friends and neighbors, how might they feel about
what we say? I was reading about Job. Job was a righteous man. Job 1:1 (AMP) 1 THERE WAS a man in the land of
Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who [reverently] feared God and abstained from and
shunned evil [because it was wrong]. God was pleased with Job and considered him a good servant. God knew
that He could trust Job, in whatever circumstances Job would find himself. Job 2:3 (AMP) 3 And the Lord said to Satan, Have
you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who [reverently]
fears God and abstains from and shuns all evil [because it is wrong]? And still he holds fast his integrity, although you
moved Me against him to destroy him without cause. When Satan went before God, desiring to bring Job down, God
had the fullest confidence in Job. Now, we see this man, Job, suffering greatly, not knowing that there was a higher
battle going on. Not understanding why so much pain and loss came upon his life. How many times have we done the
best we could and then found that the expected results did not come, but instead something that was hard? How many times
has God called on us to trust Him even when things don't look right? Reading the book of Job is always helpful to bring
reality back to our perspective of life. God had blessed Job with many blessings of children, friends, material things,
not to speak of good health. But, Satan, in his attempt to prove that man would only worship God if he had all the outward
blessings, wanted use Job to make his point. For reasons that are probably higher than you or I could put
our minds around, God allowed Satan to remove all the outward blessings from Job's life, knowing that Job loved Him enough
to remain His loyal servant. Can He trust us that much? As I was reading some of Job's answers to his, "friends," who did nothing
but discourage him, I read the following. Job 29:21 (NLT) 21 “Everyone listened to my advice. They were silent
as they waited for me to speak. I see that, when Job would speak, people would listen. Combining this
with the fact that God describes Job as being a righteous person who abstains from all evil, and holds fast to his integrity,
I realized once again that our speech, the words we use, will be a reflection of what is in our heart. Because Job had
obviously kept his heart guarded and filled with Godly characteristics, the words he spoke were respected and listened to
by those around him. In fact, his words stopped the mouths of others. His words rained down on those around him
like the much needed rain on a newly planted field in the spring. His words were refreshing words of wisdom and
life. Job 29:23 (NIV) 23 They waited for me as for showers
and drank in my words as the spring rain. I began to think about the words I say. Do my words, and your
words, refresh everyone around us? Do they leave people speechless because they are so full of wisdom, character, and
Godly principles? Does the way we talk show that we are prudent and understanding? Proverbs 16:21 (NLT) 21 The
wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive. It would appear that Job's
words were exactly that way. After all, Satan figured, Job would be like that because Job didn't lack anything.
He was fully blessed by God. But Satan also, falsely, concluded that Job would speak differently if all those
blessings were removed! Are the words we use the same words, both in situations of challenge and hardship, as well
as in times of great blessing? Do our words change with our circumstances? When we're blessed, are we quick
to throw out words of praise? And when we find ourselves in difficult times, are we just as quick to throw out words
of complaint, which are really just words that say, "God, I don't think You know what you're doing."
Are we as kind to those around us when we are suffering as we are when all is comfortable in our lives? Job was going through more pain and loss than most of us will experience in a lifetime.
But, his words always agreed with the Word of God. Proverbs 16:24 (KJV) 24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb,
sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. Reading these words from Proverbs, I was moved to check out the
original meaning of the word translated, "pleasant." It means, "agreeable." The very first
One we need to agree with, before we speak a word, is God. Do the words we speak agree with His Word? No matter
what situation in which we find ourselves? Mine do not always do that but, like you, I am a work in progress and this
is definitely an area in which I need to progress! Agreeable words are sweet to the soul. When the words agree
with God's Word they are refreshing to the soul. And, as an added benefit they bring health to the bones! If anybody
ever needed restored health, it was Job! Job 2:7 (AMP) 7 So Satan went forth from the presence
of the Lord and smote Job with loathsome and painful sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. There
was Job, disfigured beyond recognition and in great pain, not really knowing why. His friends could hardly look
at him. Job 2:12 (AMP) 12 And when they looked from afar
off and saw him [disfigured] beyond recognition, they lifted up their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe, and they
cast dust over their heads toward the heavens. To top it off, Job's wife, at least for that moment, took
sides with Satan. Her words were less than pleasant to Job. They did not agree with God's Word. And, they
certainly did not promote healing! Job 2:9 (AMP) 9 Then his wife said to him, Do
you still hold fast your blameless uprightness? Renounce God and die! It could be that some of us have experienced
some unwise words from those closest to us. But Job did not receive the unwise words, not from his wife and not from
his friends. His heart remained full of Godly character and integrity. His words agreed with the Word of God.
Job 2:10 (AMP) 10 But he said to her, You speak
as one of the impious and foolish women would speak. What? Shall we accept [only] good at the hand of God and shall we not
accept [also] misfortune and what is of a bad nature? In [spite of] all this, Job did not sin with his lips. I
notice here that what Job said could be construed as harsh and belittling to his wife. Yet, I also notice that, in spite
of all that Job was going through, he did not sin in the way he spoke. God was apparently pleased that Job stood up
for Him and opened his mouth to tell his wife the truth. This may not have seemed very agreeable to his wife at the
time. But, is it better to agree with the Word of God or agree with the sometimes negative words of those around us?
I think the principle is clear here. When push comes to shove, our agreement must always first be with God. Acts 5:29 (NLT) 29 But Peter and the apostles replied,
“We must obey God rather than any human authority. Because Job was righteous and kept his heart guarded,
even in the midst of the worst of times, God was faithful to send His Word. Job spoke only God's words and
God then sent His Word and, in the end, healed Job! Psalm 107:20 (NLT) 20 He sent out his word and healed
them, snatching them from the door of death. Just in case we're thinking about how many times we've failed God
in the area of our speech and how good Job did through all of his suffering, we can take note of the fact that the above verse
from Psalm 107:20, was spoken about people who had failed God by their own bad choices. Psalm 107:17 (NLT) 17 Some were fools; they rebelled
and suffered for their sins. This helps us to know that God is not about looking for ways to destroy us, but
to give us abundant life. (John 10:10) We may not have always been like Job, speaking words that agree with God's word. But, from this
day forward, we can seek to do that because our hearts are filled with the gratitude of knowing that God's Word is worthy
to be trusted and relied upon. It is a healing Word, even if we have brought about our own suffering through poor choices.
It is a Word that is always appropriate and one with which we can all agree. It is the Word that eventually rewarded
Job for being agreeable with God through all his suffering and for his faithfulness to pray even for those friends that had
missed the mark with their speech. Job 42:10 (NLT) 10 When Job prayed for his friends,
the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! The words we choose to use
do make a difference in every area of our lives. In everything Job went through, he did not sin against God
with his words! Could it be that this morning God wants to start a new project in our lives and help us
to learn to stay in agreement with Him with our words? MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 - SOME SPECIFIC THOUGHTS ON THE WORDS WE USE Psalms 19:14 (TLB) In the past few days, I have turned my thoughts to the words that we use and listen to every day and how
they affect our lives. We have probably all heard that the Word of God says that the power of life and death is
in the tongue. The Words we think about most, listen to, and use, will make all the difference in the world in our lives.
They will bring life or death into every situation and circumstance we face. Proverbs 18:21 (AMP) 21 Death and life are in the power
of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. What challenges
are you facing in your life this day? How can you change those circumstances, and more importantly your attitude regarding
those circumstances, by the words that roll off your tongue? The Word of God indicates that we can create
life, or destroy it, in every situation. I want to partner with God in creating life, not destroying it! If we
choose to speak negatively, we can usher death into a situation that otherwise might turn out to be okay. Proverbs 15:4 (AMP) 4 A gentle tongue [with its healing
power] is a tree of life, but willful contrariness in it breaks down the spirit. Are our tongues gentle
with those around us, even if we have to speak a hard truth? Moreover, do we use a harsh tongue in our own self-talk?
How do we think about those around us and about ourselves? If we, or others, fail, do we use words like, "stupid,"
"dumb," etc., because of our preconceived ideas about failure? Or do we think about the fact that God is a
God of second chances when we admit our mistakes and receive forgiveness? Whatever we think about in our hearts regarding
such things as failure will be the very thing that comes out of our mouths in the event of failure. Our thoughts will
cause words of healing to flow or words that make a bad situation much worse! How does your speech measure up?
Looking around you, what do you hear coming out of the mouths of others? What you hear can and will affect you.
What you hear will be a good indication of the thoughts in the hearts of others. What you choose to listen to consistently
could very well become the thoughts of your own heart. Life and death, begins with the thoughts of our hearts. I am thinking of the man, King David. He was a man after God's
own heart, even though he had many failures in his life. 1 Samuel 13:14 (AMP) 14 But now your kingdom shall not
continue; the Lord has sought out [David] a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince and ruler
over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. God chose David to be the King of His
people, and the forerunner to the Messiah, when King Saul decided to do things his own way instead of following the Lord.
God chose David even though He knew that David would fail in many ways. God is not surprised when His children fail.
It is probably not His perfect will that we fail but, when we do, He is not quick to call us a "failure."
Even God does not speak death over us when we fall. He continues to speak words of life. He continues to call
us to repentance and assure us of forgiveness. One of the things about David, as described by the following passage
from scripture reminds me of the importance of our words and why God may have chosen David to be King, even though he
would miss the mark sometimes, even many times, during his lifetime. 1 Samuel 16:15-18 (AMP) 15 Saul’s servants said to
him, Behold, an evil spirit from God torments you. 16 Let our lord now command your
servants here before you to find a man who plays skillfully on the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he
will play it, and you will be well. 17 Saul told his servants, Find me a man
who plays well and bring him to me. 18 One of the young men said, I have seen
a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who plays skillfully, a valiant man, a man of war, prudent in speech and eloquent, an attractive
person; and the Lord is with him. When King Saul got so full of himself that he neglected to follow
God, the Spirit of God left him and an evil spirit began to torment him. His servants felt that, if they could find a person
to play healing music for him during these times of torment, he would once again be well. One of the young men in Saul's
court remembered David, the young song of Jesse. He remembered several things about David, which he reported to those
looking for a suitable person to play for Saul. Among these things was the fact that David was prudent in speech and
was eloquent. Of course, the defining characteristic was that the Lord was with David. That makes my mind wander in the direction, once
again, of just how important the words are that we store in our hearts and that roll off of our tongues. Just as they
say that the eyes are the window of the soul, my thought is that the mouth is the floodgate of the heart. David was
a boy who constantly meditated on the Lord, filling his heart with good and Godly thoughts. There were no TV's, movie
theaters, or i-pod's out there in the sheep fields, spewing words of death in his direction. However, I'm sure that
David had quite a few opportunities to meet with other shepherds who were probably not nearly so interested in the things
of the Lord. I would imagine that their speech was not so gentle and prudent as young David's speech. Since David's
heart was bent toward God, I think we can safely assume that he tried to steer clear of the unwholesome speech that might
have gone on in the lives of the other shepherds that he may have come in contact with. Who do we prefer to
hang out with? People that we can touch and see, but sometimes speak death into our lives? Or the One we know
and speak to by faith? The One who is always speaking life, and even abundant life, over us?
(John 10:10) David was a person that chose to guard his heart (from which all of his words would flow). That is most probably
a true assumption since he was known to be prudent in speech. What does it mean to be prudent in speech? Very
simply put, it means to be able to discern between right and wrong words! Since words begin in the heart, David appeared
to have known how to guard his heart, at least in those early days, as we are urged to do in Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. The
very next piece of wise advice we see in Proverbs 4:24 (NLT) is this: Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from
corrupt speech. How can we avoid all perverse talk and stay away from corrupt speech? By guarding
our hearts, where our speech has its origin. And, by choosing to walk away from people and media who insist on speaking
death into and over us. Instead, we must make a conscious effort and choice to move toward those who speak the words of
God, bringing life into our situations and circumstances and healing into our bodies, souls, and spirits! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 - HELPING OTHERS BUILD GODLY LIVES WITH WORDS Proverbs 25:11 (NIV) There are many more ways to help others build Godly lives, using words, than we could discuss in this short
morning devotional. We have been given so much and we have God's Word within us, if we have made Jesus the Lord
and Savior of our lives. We now have much to give to a world around us. A world that is being bombarded with words,
the majority of which are negative and destructive. We might want to start by remembering how Jesus used words.
Luke 4:22 (NIV) 22 All spoke well of him and were
amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. He
amazed people with His Words. They couldn't believe that such words were flowing from a carpenter's son! They
didn't completely understand that this was not just a carpenter's son. They were hearing from the Son
of God and the Son of Man. You and I may not consider ourselves to be the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to
using words. People may not expect words from us that will encourage, rebuke, and edify them. But, God uses the
foolish things of this world to confound the wise. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NLT) 27 Instead, God chose things the
world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those
who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted
as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As
a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. So, for those of us who think we are inadequate
in the use of words to help others to build more Godly lives, we can know that our own inadequacy is just what God wants
to choose to show His power. And, when we see the results that God will bring about, we won't be able
to brag about anything, except the fact that God is almighty and able! Jesus appeared before the world as plain and ordinary but He was not anything of the kind. Things are not always
as they look and, as I like to remember, God uses cracked pots from which to let His Words and light flow out to the
world. If you are a cracked and somewhat broken pot, you are a prime candidate for God to use in helping those
around you find and build a more Godly lifestyle. What we do need to remember in all of this is that we need to
open our mouths and let God fill them with His Words. Jesus is our wisdom and He is right here inside
of us waiting to operate through us. 1 Corinthians 1:30 (NLT) 30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ
made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. He has promised that
when we are in difficult situations, He will teach us what we ought to say! .” Luke 12:11-12 (NLT) 11 “And when you are brought to trial
in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said." How
much more will He teach us what to say when we are out and about our everyday lives with opportunities to help others find
His way of living? We just have to keep in step with His Spirit and we'll be fine! Galatians 5:25-26 (NIV) 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in
step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
While it should not be our objective to provoke another with our speech, oftentimes our speech that is seasoned with
salt will convict another. Colossians 4:6 (AMP) 6 Let
your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned [as it were] with salt, [so that you may never be at
a loss] to know how you ought to answer anyone [who puts a question to you]. While our answers and suggestions
to others must always be gracious, they must also always reflect the truth of God's Word. I am reminded that the
words of Jesus did not always appear to be gracious. Matthew 3:7-8 (AMP) 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees
and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and
indignation [of God against disobedience] that is coming? 8 Bring forth fruit
that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart]; However, it can never
be said that Jesus ever failed to walk in the Spirit of His Father. To some people, a more direct approach is the only
thing that will move them. Stephen, a truly faithful and gracious man, had words that appeared to be less than gracious
too. His face shown as the face of an angel to the evil people surrounding him. (Acts 6:15) The words he used caused those against him to be infuriated. (Acts 7:54) Of course, Stephen was killed for speaking words of truth that those around him were not willing
to receive. We may come up against those who do not want to receive words of truth also. They may seek to hurt
us because we are speaking truth. Nevertheless, we must tell the truth, with our words, in love. If the motivation
of our heart is right, the Holy Spirit will speak through us to sometimes encourage, sometimes rebuke, and sometimes edify
those within hearing distance. There are lots of words floating around out there. Many are not true, nor
are they spoken in love. They are there to kill us and to kill others. (Ephesians 4:14) Speaking the truth, not matter how hard it is, in love, is not always easy. Ephesians 4:15 (NLT) 15 Instead, we will speak the truth
in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Although the
truth may be difficult to speak at times, we don't do those around us a favor if we keep quiet just to avoid conflict.
If your house was on fire and your loved one was sleeping peacefully, would you avoid conflict by quietly slipping out of
the house because you didn't want to disturb them? I don't think so. You would open your mouth and, literally
scream, "fire." In each situation in our lives, we need to depend on the Holy Spirit to fill our mouths with
words that will encourage, rebuke, and edify those around us and, in do doing, help them avoid the firefight of evil words
that would try to burn their houses down. Our words can help rescue others and help them to build a more Godly life.
How are we doing? MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 - BUILDING A GODLY LIFE WITH WORDS Job 12:11 (AMP) As we know, God created the world with His words. (Psalm 33:6) We also know that we are created in His image and words have a profound effect on our lives.
They can change the atmosphere in our spiritual lives, depending on how we discriminate between wise and unwise words.
The words we allow to come into our ears can create both good and evil, depending on how many times we listen to
them and whether we receive them or not. There are people today who say that they can continually listen to music
that is riddled with evil words and it will not change them. Others say that they can watch movies and TV
programs filled with vile and crude words and not be changed by that. I don't believe that is true.
Otherwise the Word of God would not tell us that our ears are for discriminating between wise and unwise words! In
Job 12:11, Job is answering his "friends," and all of their words. They are determined to get
Job to admit guilt so they can have a nice tidy package with which to prove that Job is being punished for living an
ungodly life. Meanwhile, Job knows, down deep in his heart, that he has not gone against God, even though he has not
understood why all the calamity has come down in his life. Job's words prove this. Job 13:15 (NKJV) 15 Though He slay me, yet will
I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. Even in Job's weakened state, he realized
that it was the task of his ears to discriminate between wise and unwise words. His friend's words sounded
wise and they even included some scriptural truths. Despite the discouragement his friends threw at Job with their
words, Job had apparently decided that he would spit those words out of his life just as he would spit undesirable food from
his mouth. He didn't ingest words into his heart that would tear down his life any more than you or I would
knowingly eat something that was poisonous. In another place, Job declares that he has not forgotten the
commandment of God's lips. He has not pushed the good food of the Word of God away. Instead, even among
trials that you and I will probably never endure, Job esteemed and treasured the words coming from God's mouth, even
more than the physical food needed to keep his body alive. Job 23:12 (AMP) 12 I have not gone back from the
commandment of His lips; I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Job was in a very hard place. Those closest
to him were constantly bombarding him with words that, in his heart, he knew were evil and wrong. Even his wife
said the following. Job 2:9 (NLT) 9 His
wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”
You and I do not know the heart of Job's wife but, if the words of our mouth are fruit that is coming from our hearts, we
might see those words as poisonous fruit. Not fruit to build Job's life; but to stomp it into the ground when
he was at his weakest! Yes, it may be that the ones that are closest to us will be the ones who, knowingly or unknowingly,
begin to tear us down with their words or the words they allow into our homes through the media. Like Job, we may find
ourselves feeling weak and unable to change the current situation in which we live. But, like Job, it is not wrong to
let our words to those around us reflect the fact that Godless speech is foolish. It is not life-building,
but life-destroying. Here's what Job said to his wife. Job 2:10 (NLT) 10 But Job replied, “You talk like
a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job
said nothing wrong. If we find ourselves inundated with ungodly speech, we have to choose whether we will
stay close by and take it all in or prove, by our actions and our words, that we are seeking to build our life and the lives
of others in a Godly fashion. Of course, we cannot make choices for those around us; but we can explain why
we can't participate in the listening to and speaking of ungodly words. We, then, also have the opportunity to let those,
who may not understand, know that it hurts us to see them allowing words of death and destruction into their own lives
when it is God's will to give them His abundant life (John 10:10). Unfortunately,
in the days in which we live, there will be people among us who will not really be, "of us," as believers.
They will be in our places of work, in our churches, and yes, even in our homes! Some of the characteristics of these
people who have the potential to lead us away from truthful words are as follows: Jude 1:16 (NLT) 16 These people are grumblers and
complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what
they want. As I read Jude 1:16, I don't see a direct reference to words. However, I notice four characteristics that we cannot really
detect until we hear their words. They grumble. They complain. They brag loudly about themselves.
They flatter others to further their own agenda. You can't grumble, complain, brag loudly about yourself, or flatter
others without using words! If you and I listen to grumbling, complaining, bragging and flattering, we will be taken
in by words of destruction. If we do not examine ourselves as to whether we are grumbling, complaining, bragging
loudly or using flattery speech, we will be in danger of bringing death and destruction, not only upon ourselves, but upon
those who might have to listen to us! Rather, we can build ourselves up and toward a more Godly life and build those
around us by the choice of words to which we listen; as well as to the careful choice of
the words we speak. Ecclesiastes 10:12 (TLB) 12 It is pleasant to listen to wise
words, but a fool’s speech brings him to ruin. Since he begins with a foolish premise, his conclusion is sheer madness.
Our ears were made to discern between wise and unwise, or foolish, words. God is a God of life and not death.
Words create life or they create death. What will we choose to listen to and what will ultimately come our of our mouths
as a result of how our ears discern and decide between the multitude of words around us? The Word of God says that a
fool's words bring him to ruin (or destruction). It tells us that the fool begins with a foolish premise. How
does one develop a premise? I think we do this by listening to others. If we choose to listen to unwise things,
we may start out with a foolish premise. The result? As The Living Bible phrases it, "sheer madness." "Sheer
madness" is translated "mischievous madness," in the King James Version, denoting evil folly. No
matter how you cut it, none of that depicts the building of a Godly life or the contribution of building Godly lives
in those around us! The words we listen to and the words we speak do make a difference. They can
build Godliness or they can build up the evil that comes so naturally to the unregenerate man. With all that is
within us, we should allow our ears to function as God meant them to function. We should, every day, make an effort
to discern between life-giving words and those that bring destruction. We need to choose to listen to wise words
which will build and nurture our lives and, like Job, turn away from words that foster sheer madness! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 8, 2009 - WINNING THE BATTLE WITH WORDS John 1:4 (NLT) In the very beginning, God spoke everything into existence by His Word. Psalm 33:6 (NLT) 6 The Lord merely spoke, and the
heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. Our Father and the Creator of this
world simply spoke, and things were created. That's very good reason, as His Word says, for us to be in awe of
Him and of the power of the spoken Word. Psalm 33:8-9 (NLT) 8 Let
the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him. 9
For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command. You and I were created
in God's image. Genesis 1:27 (AMP) 27 So God created man in His own
image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. If we have made
Jesus our Lord and Savior, we have also been re-created, by His Word, from a life of sin and darkness to God's
masterpiece with His works placed within our hearts. Ephesians 2:10 (AMP) 10 For we are God’s [own]
handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined
(planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life
which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Part of the work He has for us will most likely involve
words. Jesus had an ongoing exchange with the Pharisees of His day, the religious leaders
of His time, about words. We might want to remember the principle involved in His arguments with them.
The principle I am thinking of is that words do not just "pop out," of our mouths. They are a direct result
of what we have stored in our hearts. Matthew 15:18 (NLT) 18 But the words you speak come
from the heart—that’s what defiles you. In the case of the Pharisees, their words defiled
them. But, it can be different for you and me. That helps me to remember that the bottom
line concerning winning the battle with words is making sure that my heart is filled with good, and creative, words that will
bring life to me and others around me. There is a popular saying, "You are what you eat." That
is pretty much true about our physical bodies and those of us who are not careful to slow down on the fats and sweets
are aware of it, as evidenced by the extra baggage we carry around and, sometimes, by diseases stemming from our poor choices.
But, there is something even deeper at work here. What we read, listen to, and think about in our hearts is what is
going to eventually come out of our mouth. The "fruit," of our mouth will be a display to everyone around
us of what is in our heart. Will it be sweet, life-giving fruit? Or will it be sour, poisonous fruit? What
spiritual food are we taking into our hearts and minds? While God is a Spirit, so is our enemy, a spirit.
There are a variety of spiritual foods out there that are available to us, just as we have many choices of physical food to
eat. Eating the wrong physical foods will cause disease and impurities in our bodies and can even lead to death.
But a worse death is spiritual death because we do not eat the spiritual food that God gives us, but instead, partake of the
abundance of dark spiritual food that is so cleverly and entertainingly shoved in our direction. What do we
think about? And do those things that God tells us to think about fit perfectly with our choices of people to be
around, our choices of music to listen to, our choices of TV and movies to watch, and our choices of reading materials?
Let's check it out. Is what we read, watch and listen to true? Is it honorable? Is it right? Is it
pure? Is it lovely? Is it admirable? Can it be said to be excellent and worthy of praise? Philippians 4:8 (NLT) 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters,
one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about
things that are excellent and worthy of praise. I am already convicted, and encouraged, to try to keep my heart
in check by making better choices of the words I hear! As they say in the computer business, "Garbage in, garbage
out." If we really want to serve the Lord and please Him, we won't want garbage coming out of our mouths to pollute
the spiritual atmosphere any more than it already is! But, if we let the garbage into our hearts, it will eventually
come out of our mouths! Often in court cases, because of a lack of concrete
evidence, it will be said, "It was one party's word over the other party's word." In that case, a
resolution and verdict is very hard to come by. In the case of God's Word over the words of the enemy, we, who are believers
have the advantage. God's word always trumps the word of darkness. God's Word never returns void.
It never fails. It never goes out without changing the atmosphere and creating something good! Isaiah 55:11 (NLT) 11 It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
When we hide that Word in our hearts, instead of filling our hearts to the brim with all the garbage out there,
we have light and direction in our lives. Psalm 119:11 (NKJV) 11 Your word I have hidden in my
heart, That I might not sin against You! Armed with that Word, and living in a world that is a garbage-pit
of crude speech and mockery, even of our Lord's name, we can make a difference. We have the creative power
of our God within us and words are what we can use to change the atmosphere around us and create an atmosphere of peace.
If we keep our hearts clean by, as much as possible, staying away from those people and media places who use words
to pollute the atmosphere, we can avoid the possible contamination of our own hearts. (Psalm 1:1) If we then choose to choose words from the storehouse of God's Word in our hearts, we will constantly be
speaking things that will not fail to make a difference in our own lives and in the lives of those around us. Crude
and evil words cut to the heart of a true believer. King David had that problem too. He took it before the Lord.
Psalm 59:7 (NLT) 7 Listen to the filth that comes
from their mouths; their words cut like swords. “After all, who can hear us?” they sneer. If we
look at the media, it would seem that the majority of this world is speaking as though they think the Lord will not hear
them. Even in our own homes, those professing to be followers of Jesus, can create an atmosphere of destruction with the
words that come from their hearts because of the poor choices they have made to listen to things that are ungodly.
But, we know that the Lord hears everything and sees everything. He not only hears every word we speak but
He sees the condition of our heart. This morning, I am asking myself, and others, what sort of words (spiritual
food) have we chosen with which to fill our hearts? If we have made some poor choices, have we found that we sometimes
have trouble keeping things we don't want others to hear from coming out of our mouths? According to Jesus, it will
only be a matter of time until what is really in our hearts emerges from our mouths. This morning, do we need to
re-evaluate our lives in the area of what we choose to read and listen to? Do we need to seek forgiveness in these any
of these areas and turn from some poor habits? Then, do we need to resolve to fill our hearts with God's Word so
that we can be true agents of change in this evil world as we speak the Words of life? We can, through God's Word
and His grace, win the battle with words! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 7, 2009 - THE BATTLE WITH WORDS Matthew 6:7 (NLT) We live
in a time when tons of words are flying through the air in the media, being published in magazines and books, and spoken be
each and every one of us. There is an old adage that says, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will
never hurt me." If we think that names or other words used will never hurt us, we've been sadly misled. Every
word that is spoken or heard by us has an effect on our lives. In the abundance of words out there today, we may have
succumbed to a complacency that leaves us open for attack, and if not curbed, could lead to death. Each and every word
carries with it life - or death. Proverbs 18:21 (NLT) 21 The tongue can bring death or
life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. I wonder how many of our words carry death
instead of life to the listener. I wonder how many of us let words into our homes through movies and TV programs, even
radio programs, that let the evil one in to wreak havoc in our lives. I am deeply distressed by the fact that
most movies and TV programs contain language and the vain use of our Lord over and over again. In no way would
I become intimate friends with people and invite them constantly to my home who used such words! Many use those
words today without even thinking that there might be a consequence. Yet, the Lord tells us there is a consequence.
And the more of those words we use, the more the consequences. Every single one brings consequences!
Matthew 12:36-37 (NLT) 36 And I tell you this, you must
give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say
will either acquit you or condemn you.” "Well," we might say, "I avoid idle words and I certainly don't use crude words or take the Lord's
name in vain." That is a good thing! But, we're not quite, "off the hook," so to speak, in the
battle with words. What words do we allow ourselves to listen to? What choices do we make when it comes to reading
and listening? Have the movies and the TV become our companions? Do we watch whatever is there, listening
to words that bring a spirit of death into our homes and minds simply because there is nothing else to entertain us?
That is totally against what God tells us to do in His Word. Proverbs 1:10 (NLT) 10 My child, if sinners entice you,
turn your back on them! Just because we can't personally see the people in the movies or those speaking
profanities into our homes does not mean that the words are somehow, "clean." Just because we are interested
in a plot or a story, does not mean that the benefits of watching a program outweigh the risk of allowing words of death to
enter our minds and homes. If the TV or other entertainment forms have become our companions, we need to turn our backs
on them if the words they use are enticing us to enter into a vicarious lifestyle that is displeasing to God. It is
a principle of scripture that, sinners must suffer consequences if they do not repent. It is also a principle that those
who approve of what they do will suffer consequences. Romans 1:28-32 (NIV) 28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to
retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder,
strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent,
arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they
are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God's righteous
decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those
who practice them. Do the things that entertain us include anything in the scripture from Romans 1:28-32? Do the words that you and I listen to include such things that promote any of the behaviors we see in Romans 1:28-32? Are we paying to hear those words funneled into our homes and minds? If we are, I wonder if the Lord would consider
us among those who approve of such things as described in Romans 1:32. It has been said that God gave us each
two ears and only one mouth for a good reason. We are to listen twice as much as we speak. I have to confess that
I have lots of work to do in that area. In much speaking, we can prove ourselves to be foolish. Ecclesiastes 5:3 (NLT) 3 Too much activity gives you restless
dreams; too many words make you a fool. I once had a teacher who told me that it is better to keep
our mouths shut and have people wonder if we are fools than to open them and remove all doubt. The words you and I choose
to use and listen to can make all the difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Words can be just
as violent, and even more so, than sticks and stones. Proverbs 16:29 (NLT) 29 Violent people mislead their companions, leading them down a harmful path. Do
the words we choose, and the words we listen to, contain violent things that will lead us down a harmful path? Do we
continue to listen to companions (radio, TV, movies, music) that are leading us down the path to death instead of down the
path of righteousness in which the Lord promises to lead us? (Psalm 23:3) It is our choice. There will be rewards for making the right choices and consequences for making
poor choices. When we're dealing with life and death, in this case, why would we even go near death? There is
a Word that brings life. All of our words should reflect that Word. Psalm 119:37 (NLT) 37 Turn
my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. The Lord is faithful to speak
words of life to us and give us those words of life to speak to others. However, we live in a time quite similar to
Jeremiah's time when the people were rebellious and would not hear the Word of the Lord. Jeremiah 6:10 (NLT) 10 To whom can I give warning? Who
will listen when I speak? Their ears are closed, and they cannot hear. They scorn the word of the Lord. They don’t want
to listen at all. What would you and I rather listen to today? The Word of the Lord, or the words of death
that flow so freely from the people and media around us? None of our words should be idle words, especially the words
we speak in prayer to the Lord. We live in a challenging time. A time when many repeat words over and over again;
but they are just idle words. They do not come from the heart. Could that be because we have been in a battle
to tune out words that do not please God (even though some of us have not made the choice to eliminate every possible source
of these words in our lives)? Words are powerful. Powerful enough to bring life or death into our lives and the
lives of those we love. What choices are we making today to see that God's Word dwells in us so richly that we do not
want to hear anything else? When we pray, "Lead us not into temptation," are those just idle words proven
by the fact that we walk right into temptation by our choices of people and entertainment we choose to listen to? Then,
do we wonder why we go around putting our foot in our mouths or saying something crude that we never thought we would say?
Is it time to get back to basics when it comes to the war with words? Psalm 19:14 (TLB) 14 May my spoken words and unspoken
thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer. MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 6, 2009 - DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH WE'RE LOVED? Ephesians 3:16 (NLT) If you have just read Ephesians 3:16, maybe you are wondering how this verse regarding power to have inner strength through God's Spirit fits in
with the title of this morning's manna. If you're like me, you desperately need God to empower you with inner strength
through His Spirit. The world we live in is filled with things that have a tendency to deplete inner strength if we
are not careful. Many people today do not feel empowered and have very little inner strength. Some try
to, as my Dad used to say, "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." I have tried that myself. It only
serves to make me tired. I'm much to heavy to pull myself up. I only come away with sore arms and a depression
caused by failure. The Apostle, Paul, prayed that you and I would receive inner strength, not of ourselves, but from
God's glorious, unlimited resources and through His Spirit. I am reminded of that verses: Zechariah 4:6-7 (TLB) 6 Then he said, "This is God’s
message to Zerubbabel: ’Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty—you will succeed
because of my Spirit, though you are few and weak.’ 7 Therefore no mountain,
however high, can stand before Zerubbabel! For it will flatten out before him! And Zerubbabel will finish building this Temple
with mighty shouts of thanksgiving for God’s mercy, declaring that all was done by grace alone." As
soon as we remember that it's not about our limited resources and our own inner power, but by the Spirit of God that we can
be empowered, we are on the right track. You and I are limited in our humanity but God's Spirit is never limited and
the great thing about it is that He works best in our weakness! 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV) 9 But he said to me, "My grace
is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake,
I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
It is only when we admit our own human weakness, and fully rely on God's power through His Spirit, that
we can be vessels containing the perfect strength of God! You may still be asking, "So, what does this have to do with knowing how much
I'm loved?" As I read further in Ephesians, Chapter 3, I read this: Ephesians 3:17 (NIV) 17 so that Christ may dwell in your
hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, We need to be rooted
and established in love. My sorely lacking attempts at establishing myself with the love I find only within my human
capability is not enough to make me very rooted and established! I fail all the time at loving God and loving others
when I try to do it my own way! Many times I do not even love myself in the healthy way that God wants us to love ourselves.
And here's where the importance of understanding how much we're loved comes in. The Apostle, Paul, goes on to say:
Ephesians 3:18 (NLT) 18 And may you have the power to
understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. God knows
that, as humans, we are deficient in the ability to love unconditionally. So, it is His desire that we should continue
to comprehend His great love for us, not only that we might be an example of that love, but that we should be grounded
and stable, having a foundation to stand on. That foundation goes deep and is strong. God's love is long and patient.
God's love is higher than we can totally understand on this earth. It involves a lifelong quest for understanding
and deeper revelation. Ephesians 3:19 (NLT) 19 May you experience the love of
Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power
that comes from God. It is the understanding of God's love for us that gives us thee power to live in the fullness
of the abundant life that He has promised us. (John 10:10) For most of my life, I have been like the woman, Mary Magdalene, in the musical,
"Jesus Christ, Superstar," who sang, "I don't know how to love Him." I have sung in my prayers
before the Lord, "I don't know how to love You." Poor Mary, she had become entrenched in the world of men
and of earthly love. She was fearful because now she had been changed and moved by Jesus and she couldn't figure out
how to react. Many of us have been disappointed and even devastated as we looked for love from others. A love
that would be life-changing, unconditional, and forever. The point here is that Mary, at least the character of
Mary in the musical, didn't understand God's love. She couldn't figure out how or why Jesus had changed
her. She didn't even know exactly why she loved Him or what to do with that love. He was not like the other men
that had manipulated her and whom she had been able to manipulate. She had come into contact with the God of the universe,
who is love. 1 John 4:16 (AMP) 16 And we know (understand, recognize,
are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes
for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in
him. Yesterday, I read something that touched my heart in this regard. It was pointed out that
it's not that we don't love God enough, but that we don't fully understand His love for us. As I looked through the
scriptures, I was amazed at how many times God urges us to understand how much He loves us! While He does ask us to
love Him, it is not a demand for which He has not already given us the resources to fulfill. Learning about God's
love for us is a lifelong journey of understanding and revelation. But, when it comes right down to it, it's really
not all about us. It's not how much love we can muster up in ourselves for Him. That would be so miniscule that
it would really probably not make any change in our lives at all. It's all about Him. We probably are
all familiar with the following verse. 1 John 4:19 (NKJV) 19
We love Him because He first loved us. Some versions of the scripture read, "We
love because He first loved us." Very simple and yet, like God's love, very deep! Have you ever felt that
your love was lacking when it came to loving God? How about loving others unconditionally? I now realize that
what I feared about my own love was frightfully true. It is totally lacking. But, the more I understand God's
love for me and receive it, the more I will be able to love Him back and risk loving others with abandon, even if I am hurt.
I know that God will never harm me. His plans for those who follow Him are for good and for a future. To prosper
us. (Jeremiah 29:11) He will continue to love us, no matter what. People may turn against me, but, if I really understand God's
love for me, I will not be offended or want revenge. I will only want them to understand His great love for
them and pray in that direction. The realization that we do not have to come up with our own version
of love for God and for others is totally freeing. It leaves us with only the responsibility of continuing to search
the scripture and ask the Spirit for more revelation and understanding of God's love for us. As we grow in that
understanding, our roots go deeply into the soil of His love and we are free to love others, knowing that when God plants
us in His love, and plants His love in us, nothing can uproot us! Therein lies the power to really live! Do we
really understand how much we're loved? MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 5, 2009 - HAVE YOU FALLEN? YOU CAN GET UP! Proverbs 28:13 (NLT) I will start out by confessing that I have always wanted to do things
in the fastest possible way. I, like the Apostle, Peter, am impulsive by nature and don't like to mince words when,
"I'm on a mission." Unfortunately, there are times when Peter and I should probably have "KMS,"
as a dear friend of mine says. What is KMS? It is "keep mouth shut." When I started kindergarten
at the age of four, I felt I should get there fast, so I asked my mother where my car was. As usual, I was getting way
ahead of myself! Without a car, I started down a long steep hill of roughly paved asphalt to meet the bus at the bottom
of the hill. I was dressed in a dainty dress, as little girls did in days of long ago. I was running, banana for
my snack in hand, when I slipped and began to slide down that rough hill on my hands and knees, losing that banana to, who
knows where, and losing lots of skin from my bare little legs and arms. I had fallen! Since that time, I have had more crashes in life. More than I care to remember. When I finally did get
my first car, I crashed it twice within about six months. Why? Because I didn't wait until
all oncoming traffic had stopped before making a left turn. Twice! Of course, there are many worse
crashes that I have had in life that involve relationships and even my relationship to the Lord. Perhaps you can relate.
Maybe you've fallen at this point in your life and feel like you can't get up and get going again. For the longest time,
I was angry with my mother. When I fell on that dreadful day, she was standing at the top of that hill screaming
at me, "Get up. Get up." I didn't feel like I could pick up my bruised and bleeding self. I wanted
her to come and pick me up. She, on the other hand feared that I had broken a bone and she was watching closely
to see if I could stand. Later, she said she knew that if I couldn't stand, she would know that I needed
medical attention. This may or may not have been the best approach a mother could take, but she was doing her best.
Now that I recall, it may have been that she had told me not to run down that hill because it was dangerous. I may have
decided to run because I wanted to get to my destination in a hurry. Instead of possibly focusing on the fact that I
was running when I shouldn't have been, I chose to stay angry with my mother! Have you ever fallen or crashed in life? If you say, "never," I will wonder if you have ever done
anything at all! In all of my falls and crashes in life, it has been easy to blame someone else.
Many times I have done that, only making things worse. More and more, I am realizing that falls and crashes are usually,
at least in part, my own doing! You may realize the same thing about your failures in life. Does that mean that
we are worthless to the Lord? Not at all. He's the God of second chances. All we have to do is look at Moses,
Jonah, and many other Old Testament characters to see that principle in operation. God wants you and me to prosper and
He has shown us the way to push forward and break out (as the word, "prosper," means in the original Hebrew). He
lets us know that we can get up from a fall, if we will not always blame those falls and crashes on others but take responsibility
for our own part in them. We can't cover our mistakes and failures if we want to prosper in the way God has in mind
for us. That will only lead to our inability to get up and go on. If we confess those sins (mistakes and
failures) and forsake them, taking God's direction, we will receive His mercy, which includes His love, compassion,
and pity. Getting back to the Apostle, Peter. He fell and crashed so hard that he probably thought he would never
be able to get up. As my sister likes to say, "But God......." Yes, God is for us and not against us.
Romans 8:31 (NLT) 31 What
shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Even when we fall or crash. When Jesus rose from the dead and the angel met the women at the tomb, a special
message was given to the one disciple who fell the hardest. The one who really bombed. Crashed and, without the
tender care of Jesus, would have burned. The angel singled out Peter and told the women to be sure that Peter
knew that Jesus had risen from the dead. Mark 16:7 (TLB) 7 Now go and give this message to
his disciples including Peter: " ’Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told
you before he died!’ " Jesus specifically mentioned and included Peter, the one,
among all the other disciples, who had fallen the hardest. The one whose spiritual knees and arms were bruised and bleeding!
As we all know, God had a good plan for Peter within His Kingdom. He has a good plan for you and me also, if we will
admit our part in our falls and crashes, stop blaming others, turn from our erroneous ways, and look to Him for forgiveness
and a new start. Have you fallen. You can get up and Jesus is right there to help you! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 4, 2009 - ARE WE LIVING EMPTY OR FULL LIVES? 2 Corinthians 6:1 (TLB) Each time I look into God's Word, I am amazed at the depth and wealth of wisdom, guidance, and encouragement
that can be found in just one tiny verse! We can never plumb the depths of God's Word because it is living.
It does not change but it meets every need we have for every day, in every situation! Paul is speaking of being partners
with Christ in 2 Corinthians 6:1. How awesome is that? Partners with the creator of the world and the Savior of our souls!
When I read this same verse, as translated in the King James Version, it reads like this: 2 Corinthians 6:1 (KJV) 1 We then, as workers together with
him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. In reading this passage, I am particularly
drawn by two words; "grace," and "vain." Because you and I, if we have made Jesus the Lord
of our lives, are workers together with Him, we have not only a privilege, but a responsibility! From Paul's words,
it appears that it is possible to receive God's grace but take it very lightly. Even in vain. I am reminded once again that God's grace is a precious gift. We can't earn it but He freely
gives us a very costly item. 2 Timothy 1:9 (NLT) 9 For God saved us and called us
to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to
show us his grace through Christ Jesus. You and I did not deserve anything but to be tossed aside and destroyed.
Yet, God wanted to give us His grace! And He did! Just what exactly did He give us when He gave
us such a marvelous gift? Again, His word is so deep that it would be impossible to know the scope of His grace and
all that it includes. There is one aspect that particularly catches my attention this morning and that is
that grace is, according to Strong's Concordance, "....the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the
life......" Of course, grace includes such things as favor, acceptance, benefit, joy, etc. But, when I stop
to think about being partners and co-workers with God, I realize that His divine influence on my heart is of utmost importance.
How can you work effectively with someone unless you are working in unity? John 17:21-21 (NLT) 20 “I
am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21
I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you.
And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. As a partner with the Lord, we need
to be in unity with His purpose which is that the world will believe. If we receive His grace, but only certain
aspects of it, such as favor, benefit, etc., we will be taking that grace, at least in part, in vain. He offers
divine influence upon our hearts and the opportunity to reflect and act upon that influence, but He does not force
it upon us. It is influence, not something that forces us to act. It is our choice to listen to
and heed His influence - or not. I have felt that influence, that tugging at my heart, at times and yet not followed it.
Maybe you have too. When we do such a thing, we have received God's grace in vain. As I looked into the word, "vain," I found that it means, "hollow,"
or the "absence of anything that might be otherwise possessed." This is according to Vine's Dictionary.
God's grace is so rich and it is offered so freely but we have the choice to accept it or let it be absent in us. It
can be fully possessed but there is a possibility that we choose not to possess it fully! This same word, translated,
"vain," in 2 Corinthians 6:1, is also used in the following verse coming from the epistle of James. James 2:10 (NLT) 20 How foolish! Can’t you
see that faith without good deeds is useless? James speaks of the foolishness of saying we have faith if that
faith doesn't prompt us to step out and use it in practical ways. I see the same principle at work here that Paul is
speaking of in 2 Corinthians 6:1. If we take God's divine influence on our hearts lightly and do not act upon that influence, we are missing
out on everything He has to offer to us. We are living lives that are empty and hollow. Empty and hollow lives
are useless. They don't have an impact on the lives around us which is the very thing that God is about! What
kind of life are you and I living? Are we receiving the abundant life, as much as has been revealed to us by God, (John 10:10) or are we living useless and empty lives that will have no lasting impact on the world or on His Kingdom?
We have the choice today to respond to God's divine influence on our hearts and do whatever it is He is prompting us
to do, or not to do. Will we take that precious influence in vain? Or, will we step out by faith and let
our works show that we have listened to His influence and walked in obedience? I am not preaching. I am just sharing
what God is talking to me about. I have failed many times to heed His influence. Maybe you have too.
It's not always logical, according to the world's ways of thinking but it's always good. We don't need to beat
ourselves up about not following in the past. If we know of certain instances, we need to confess them to God and
ask for forgiveness, knowing that He has promised to forgive us. Now, we can make every effort, going forth,
to walk in His Spirit and keep in step with His divine influence! Galatians 5:25 (NIV) 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step
with the Spirit. One of the benefits to us is that, instead of living hollow and unfulfilling lives, we
will live the full and abundant lives that the Lord intended for us. MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 3, 2009 - ARE YOU DWELLING ON THE GIANT? 1 Samuel 17:16 (AMP) 16 The Philistine came out
morning and evening, presenting himself for forty days. Sometimes you and I may get irritated with the attitude of teenagers. Sometimes with good reason. Their
actions many times indicate that they think they will never get hurt or die. While, this sort of attitude can be a lack
of wisdom, it is not something that we want to turn off completely in our lives. I see that as I look at a very young
David. Probably a teenager. His brothers had all gone out to fight the Philistines while he remained at home with
his father to care for the sheep. Obviously, he was not considered, "qualified," to be a warrior. 1 Samuel 17:13 (AMP) 13 [His] three eldest sons had followed
Saul into battle. Their names were Eliab the firstborn; next, Abinadab; and third, Shammah. David was the youngest
of the sons of Jesse. He went back and forth from the battlefield and cared for his father's sheep. But, he must
have seen what was happening on those trips back and forth. 1 Samuel 17:14-15 (AMP) 14 David was the youngest. The three
eldest followed Saul, 15 But David went back and forth from Saul to feed his
father’s sheep at Bethlehem. It seems to me that David, who was prone to be a, "thinker," had
lots of time to think about the events he saw and heard about, as he traveled back and forth. He had at least
heard about Goliath, a formidable enemy of the Israelites. 1 Samuel 17:4-7 (AMP) 4 And
a champion went out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span [almost ten
feet]. 5 And he had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of mail, and the coat
weighed 5,000 shekels of bronze. 6 He had bronze shin armor on his legs and a bronze
javelin across his shoulders. 7 And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s
beam; his spear’s head weighed 600 shekels of iron. And a shield bearer went before him. Although, at least on one occasion, David
had seen the giant, just like the other Israelite soldiers, it appears that David did not dwell on the giant, himself.
Only the fact that the giant was mocking God and his people. Whether David had actually seen and heard Goliath
on previous trips to the battleground, I don't know. But, on a particular morning, when he had gone to deliver
supplies to his brothers, he saw and heard Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:23 (AMP) 23 As they talked, behold, Goliath,
the champion, the Philistine of Gath, came forth from the Philistine ranks and spoke the same words as before, and David heard
him. The whole of the Israelite army was paralyzed with fear at the immensity of Goliath and his booming voice.
1 Samuel 17:24 (AMP) 24 And all the men of Israel, when
they saw the man, fled from him, terrified. These terrified men were seasoned warriors on the battlefield and,
among them, was Saul, the King of Israel! We all have giants of some sort or another in our lives that attempt
to paralyze us with fear and keep us from living out the life God has purposed and promised for us. Like Goliath, they
may present themselves, in arrogance, every morning for many days. We have two choices. One, we can become paralyzed
with fear and stay a safe distance away like those "seasoned" warriors under Saul. Or, two, we can take a
risk and, in the name of our Lord, go against those giants. When we have been Christians for a while, we may get used
to the favor and blessings of God and decide that, when a giant presents himself, it's just better to stay safely, and comfortably,
far away, just like all of those brave warriors did in Israel. But, I think God wants to revive our spiritual
youth and make us strong warriors who will defeat the giants that keep us and those around us from all that God has for us.
Psalm 103:5 (NIV) 5 who satisfies your desires with
good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. If we are followers of Jesus, we will have
trouble in this world. There will be scary looking, and sounding, giants. John 16:33 (NIV) 33 "I have told you these things,
so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
We need not be surprised or intimidated when we come up against one of those giants. Our Lord has overcome
the world and every giant in it! The giants we battle may be great, but there is One who is greater
and He lives in us! 1 John 4:4 (NIV) 4 You, dear children, are from God
and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. What kinds of giants are you facing today? Addictions? Wrong
thoughts? Persecution on your job? Bullies at school? Children who turn from the Lord? Bad attitudes?
Controlling worldly spirits? Troubled relationships? Your giant (or giants) can be any number of things that come
against you, as a child of God. Whatever giants we face, we should neither dwell on them, nor allow them to hold us back. Young
David was still filled with so much zeal for the Lord that he wasn't about to stand by and see some giant defy God's people.
1 Samuel 17:26 (AMP) 26 And
David said to the men standing by him, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach
from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? David
did not dwell on how big Goliath was, although he had seen and heard him with his own eyes. David was looking at God.
David was dwelling on how big God was and still is. Even though others around him tried to dissuade him and
prevent him from fighting the giant, David maintained that youthful attitude of many teenagers. 1 Samuel 17:32 (AMP) 32 David said to Saul, Let no man’s
heart fail because of this Philistine; your servant will go out and fight with him. David was ready to
fight the giant so that he and his countrymen could be set free. Are we that ready to fight our giants, or do we let
them intimidate us. Do we listen to those around us who tell us we can't do it and give us their reasons why?
1 Samuel 17:33 (AMP) 33 And Saul said to David, You are
not able to go to fight against this Philistine. You are only an adolescent, and he has been a warrior from his youth. May
I take this opportunity to encourage you this morning, as I encourage myself? Although the giants, and those around
us, may try to tell us something is impossible for us ,for one reason or another, nothing is impossible with our
God! Luke 1:37 (KVJ) 37 For with God nothing shall be
impossible. David knew that and, even in his adolescence, he was smart enough to know that the battle was not
his. All he had to do was step forth in the name of the Lord with whatever he had in his hand. One small stone
in the hands of a boy destroyed the giant that was keeping all of Israel paralyzed! 1 Samuel 17:46-47 (NLT) 46 Today the Lord will conquer you,
and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals,
and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone
assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle,
and he will give you to us!” David did not take time to dwell on the size and history of this giant.
He did not compare himself with the giant either. He simply knew that the battle belonged to the Lord.
Instead of hesitating to take time to think about the impossibilities, he took what he had and ran against Goliath!
1 Samuel 17:48-50 (NLT) 48 As Goliath moved closer to attack,
David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 Reaching into his shepherd’s bag
and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath
stumbled and fell face down on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine
with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. Has some giant in your life been holding you back?
Do you resemble the soldiers of Israel who dwelled on the giant so long that they were frozen in fear? Maybe you lack
some things you think you need to succeed. Education? Worldly influence? Money? The right clothes?
Whatever! You see, David had no sword; but he had the Lord! And so do we, if we've given
Him first place in our lives! Whatever giant you and I may be facing today will be defeated if we keep our
eyes on the Lord and use what he's given us, no matter how ridiculous it may look to the giant or those around us! Who
are you dwelling on this morning, your giant (or giants); or your God who towers far above all giants? What are we doing with this abundant life that Jesus paid such a high price to give us? When we are gone, will
it be as though we had never lived? Never brought about changes for the better in this world that will live in?
When we realize that our time here is limited, we might want to pray the prayer of he Psalmist. Psalm 90:12 (NLT) 12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so
that we may grow in wisdom. My grandfather used to say, "Time is money." Getting past the idea
of the money we use here on earth to do business, I am reminded that time is a form of currency. God has given each
one of us a set amount that we can spend. When it runs out, there is no way to recover it. What a gift!
But, with every gift, comes a responsibility. What will we do with that gift. God has also given us the gift of
making the choice as to how we will spend our "currency," or time. How have we spent it so far?
Maybe we have squandered it as the prodigal son did with His inheritance. (Luke 15:11-32) Because you and I are reading this right now, we still have some currency left. The wise choice, if we have
not made previously wise choices, would be to return to our Father, who is lovingly waiting for us to figure out that we have
gone the wrong way. To repent and to begin using what we have wisely. What would we do this minute if we knew
that we would not have the next minute? If our currency suddenly ran out, what would we be found doing? Would
we be ashamed or at peace? Would we be found to be worthy of that longed for statement from our Lord, "Well done,
good and faithful servant," or would we be hearing something more negative? What matters most to you in your life?
The Lord? The people He has blessed you with in your life? Do we understand, like the Apostle, Paul, is saying what
really matters in life? In light of eternity, we are but a miniscule speck. On our tombstone will be
two dates. The day we were born and the day we die. The only thing in the middle will be a small dash. Although
that dash is so tiny, in comparison to all of eternity, what we do in it can make a difference now and for all of eternity!
A difference in our own lives and in the lives of others. What are you doing for the rest of your
life? MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 - BOTTOM LINE - ALL GLORY TO GOD! 2 Peter 3:17 (NLT) All of creation declares the glory of God.
(Psalm 19:1) Have you noticed? Have you ever looked out on a landscape that looked pure because it was covered with
a bright, white blanket of snow? If you have ever done that, has it reminded you that, sinful as we are, God
has promised to make us whiter than that beautiful snow? Isaiah 1:18 (AMP) 18 Come now, and let us reason together,
says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall
be like wool. The Lord is gracious in showing Himself through His creation and giving us word pictures
to help us understand how He works in our lives. God is so very gracious that, even if we didn't have His Word, He has
made Himself intelligible and clearly discernible through the things He created. Romans 1:20 (NLT) 20 For ever since the world was
created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his
eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. There are so many things that remind
us of the different attributes and character of God in creation. Way too many to discuss in one morning devotional.
But, I challenge you to think of something that is particularly interesting or beautiful to you in creation and ponder how
it got to be here, why God gave it to you, and what He is saying to you through that thing. I imagine each of us could
do that every day and never run out of things created that bring glory to God! Since, as Romans 1:20 says, mankind has no excuse for not knowing God, simply because of what we see all around us, how could
anybody think he or she has an excuse for not knowing God if He also sent His own Son to us as a sacrifice
for our sins? How can anyone fail to bow to the Lord and give Him glory when God has given us creation and
His own Son to reveal Himself to us? Not only has He shown us Himself through creation and shown us Himself through the
earthly life of His Son, He has given us the written word. No wonder we are without excuse to know God. If we
don't know Him, it is because we neglect to develop a relationship with Him. The writer of Hebrews tells us
the following: Hebrews 2:1-4 (NLT) 1 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard,
or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation
of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this
great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?
4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever
he chose. Now, we see that, added to the wonder of creation, the gift of His Son, and the written Word,
God has sent His Spirit to continue to show us things that we would not normally see. Many times, in our worst situations,
the Spirit of God will step in and change things. Sometimes suddenly. Other times, through a process. All
of this is definitely supernatural! The Apostle, Peter, in the last verses of his second epistle, once again gives us a reminder that
we need to be on guard against people who deliberately choose to misconstrue and twist God's Word. The writer of Hebrews
says the very same thing in Hebrews 2:1. I could list many other places in scripture where we find the same message over and over again.
Being a parent myself, I'm aware that I repeated myself time and again to my children about certain dangers in life.
I really wanted them to "get it." As the Perfect Parent, God wants us to get this picture too. There
will be false teachers in the world, for sure. Unfortunately, they will also be scattered through our churches.
The devil is too smart to stay away from church. He's already got the world under His control. What he really
wants is to take control of God's property. Lest this seem to be getting too negative, we know that God's Word says
that the Lord in us is greater than the devil that is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (AMP) 4 Little children, you are of God
[you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in
you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world. Yes, God has already given us the victory but He
also told us that we would have some trouble as we received that gift and lived it out in a world that wants to shut it down!
John 16:33 (NIV) 33 "I
have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world." Peter lets us know again that we've got to do something in order to
keep the precious gifts of victory we have received. We have to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord.
(2 Peter 3:17) If we fail to do that, we will be weak and easy prey for that one who is looking around for someone
he can easily devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (AMP) 8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober
of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in
fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Being devoured by the enemy certainly does not bring
any glory to God! If all of creation brings Him glory, how much more should we, whom He has chosen to call His friends
and His family? Why bother to read the Word, meditate on it and on the glorious aspects of creation? Why bother
to remember the miracles we have seen? Even those small miracles like getting a front parking space in a totally filled
parking lot when you are so tired you feel as though you can hardly even get out of the car? Why bother to be on the
lookout for people who want to lead us astray by distorting the Word of God? The bottom line is this: 2 Peter 3:18 (AM) 18 But grow in grace (undeserved favor,
spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To
Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)! We will
bring glory to God! His glory will shine through us. We, like the rest of creation, will be agents on earth through
which others can know that He is real and even catch a glimpse of Him as we live out our lives! Philippians 1:11 (NLT) 11 May you always be filled with
the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring
much glory and praise to God. These words from Philippians were penned by the Apostle, Paul.
They are said many times and in many ways by different writers throughout the Bible. We are all created as
a part of His-story and He deserves all the glory! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 31, 2009 - PETER AND PAUL ARE IN AGREEMENT, ARE WE? 2 Peter 3:15-16 (NLT) 15 And
remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you
with the wisdom God gave him— 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters.
Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something
quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. You and I probably come from very different
backgrounds. We do not, for the most part, know each other personally. We are each unique creations of a marvelous
and loving Creator. Psalm 139:13 (NIV) 13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb. God didn't just have one mold for females and one mold for males,
turning out good, but boring creatures. No! He knit each one of us together in our mother's womb, with the thread
and fabric of His own choosing. Not a one of us is exactly like the other. Psalm 119:14 (NIV) 14 I praise you because I am fearfully
and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. We, like the Psalmist, can praise
God because we have each been fashioned by the Master Craftsman. Each of us has a purpose in God's plan. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) 10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us
to do. Peter and Paul were very different creatures. They, like you and me, had very different experiences
with the Lord Jesus. Each was created by Jesus uniquely and marvelously. Each had works to do within the Kingdom.
I would imagine that they didn't always agree on every detail and perhaps their personalities clashed a bit sometimes.
Yes, they even clashed in public! Galatians 2:11 (TLB) 11 But when Peter came to Antioch
I had to oppose him publicly, speaking strongly against what he was doing, for it was very wrong. Can you imagine
that happening in one of our churches today? I can smell a "church-split," in the air. Have you ever thought about, "church-splits?' I was just
thinking that it is an impossibility. The Church that God talks about in His Word is the body of His Son. Colossians 1:18 (NLT) 18 Christ is also the head of the
church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. How
many of us are intelligent enough to know that human beings cannot split the body of Christ? Christ is the head of His
own body. He is first in everything. His physical body was broken once on the cross for us in order to
bring us to redemption and allow us to be a part of His everlasting body. 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (AMP) 23 For I received from the Lord
Himself that which I passed on to you [it was given to me personally], that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was treacherously
delivered up and while His betrayal was in progress took bread, 24 And when
He had given thanks, He broke [it] and said, Take, eat. This is My body, which is broken for you. Do this to call Me [affectionately]
to remembrance. Now both Peter and Paul (who wrote these words from 1 Corinthians 11:23-24) were strong men. They each had a past full of failure. But, through the grace, forgiveness and
love of Jesus Christ, they rose up in the Kingdom and brought many souls into the body of Christ. Their purpose was
to build up the body even though they didn't always agree. Perhaps their disagreements were a fulfillment of the words
we find in Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) 17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
As strong as these men were, they both knew that they were not the "head," of anything. They
both acknowledged that Jesus was the Head of all of the church. They both had to be humbled by the Lord sometimes in
order to remember that. So, you and I - and everyone that is in ministry must humble ourselves before the Lord and,
if we are to be exalted, He will do it in His time, for His purposes. Watch this! Matthew 23:8-12 (NLT) 8 “Don’t let anyone
call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven
is your spiritual Father 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’
for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you
must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted. While it is quite human to get "too big for our britches," when successes
come in ministry or even in our career's, the one thing that will prevail is the Word of God. All else will pass away.
The thing that Jesus prayed fervently for is this. Unity. John 17:21 (NLT) 21 I pray that they will all be
one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will
believe you sent me. Does that mean that we will never disagree with one another
on some points? I don't think so. There have always been disagreements among God's people. None of us have
all the answers down perfectly. If we did, we would not be on earth, but in Heaven. If we think we do,
we are dangerously close to the original sin of Satan, thinking we can be exactly like God! Isaiah 14:12-14 (NKJV) 12 "How you are fallen from
heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13
For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I
will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I
will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' The Apostle, Peter,
could have been in "competition," with the Apostle, Paul. He could have even held some of their disagreement
resentfully against Paul. But He didn't. As a matter of fact, Peter had a bigger picture in mind. A picture
of you and me reading the scripture today. A picture of unity. Not unity through any one man, no matter how glorious
that man's experiences with the Lord have been. The unity Peter saw was unity through the Word. Unity through
Jesus, who is the Word. John 1:14 (NLT) 14 So the Word became human and
made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s
one and only Son. Instead of ragging on Paul because Paul had a different writing style and because his words
may be difficult to understand sometimes, Peter spoke of Paul as having written with the wisdom from God. (2 Peter 3:15) Both the focus of Peter and of Paul was on the Lord. On His Church. Not their
church. They both wanted us to know the patience of God in bringing everyone who will come, into salvation. Into
a Church that no devil in Hell can split! God is interested in our salvation. He is not eager for the destruction
of anyone. However, we bring about our own destruction when we pick apart each other and tear down the good that God
has placed in others. The following words are not from a literal translation of the scripture but from a paraphrase
writen by Eugene Petersen. They do, however, capture the heart of God when it comes to His Church and the salvation
He so longingly desires to give to each one of us. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (MSG) 9 God didn't set us up for an angry
rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us,
a death that triggered life. Whether we're awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we're alive with him! 11 So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this,
no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it. In
all their differences, Peter and Paul were in agreement on the only thing that is important for this life and for the next.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Head of the real Church. They were about building His church
which is His body. That's you and me! All of us, no matter what our station in life may be, could be what
we call here in the United States, "community organizers." Although some reading this may interpret that phrase
negatively, you and I are here to help bring people to the Kingdom of God. We're all under the direction of one
Master. Like Peter and Paul, despite our differences, varied past experiences, personality types, and unique gifts and
talents, have we chosen to be in agreement and walk in unity? Are we partners in building The Church,
under the strict supervision of our Lord, seeking and praying for salvation for everyone? Are we in agreement
and unity on the fact that Jesus is the Head of the Church and not ourselves? Hopefully so, because both Peter and Paul
warn against believing twisted versions of the Word which bring destruction upon us. The pure Word of God will bring
about unity and agreement and the salvation and abundant life that God wants for you, me and anyone who will receive it!
Psalm 119:140 (KJV) 140 Thy word is very pure: therefore
thy servant loveth it. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 30, 2009 - SOMETHING TO BEAR IN MIND 2 Peter 3:15 (NIV) 15 Bear in mind that our Lord's
patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. The Apostle, Peter, has given us so much to think about in his second epistle. A few things stand
out, which he seems to emphasize over and over again. Obviously, the Lord is interested in our bearing some things in
mind as we continue our walk here on earth. One of those things is patience. God's patience. While
you and I may get discouraged because we see injustice and trouble on this earth, God is bearing that in
mind. He has not missed a thing. I am recalling that Jesus said He did not come to condemn the world but
that the world might be saved through believing in Him. John 3:16-28 (NIV) 16 "For God so loved the world that
he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. What God wants you and me to bear in mind
is that His patience means salvation. Jesus proved that in some of His last words when He asked God to forgive those
that were mocking and torturing Him. Luke 23:34 (NLT) 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t
know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. Now, if I
were God (and everyone should be glad I'm not), my patience would have run out completely just about the time I saw those
soldiers pick up the dice and gamble for my Son's clothes, even after they heard Him ask for their forgiveness.
God did not do that. That's what I call patience! We don't know if any of those soldiers later on received
salvation, but it is entirely possible, all because of God's patience. Then I am reminded of the incident just following
this total disregard for the words of forgiveness by Jesus on the cross. Next to Him were two criminals, also hanging
on crosses. Perhaps they were even murderers. They were being crucified for their law-breaking. Justly so,
I would suppose. Luke 23:39-43 (NLT) 39 One of the criminals hanging beside
him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re
at it!” 40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God
even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes,
but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus,
remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” 43 And Jesus replied, “I
assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus demonstrated, in the most cruel of circumstances,
God's patience in waiting for the last sinner to repent. One of these criminals did repent. The other did not.
While God is patient and will, at times, let us go our whole lives in sin with a death-bed repentance, we should not put
it off and try His patience. Today is the day of salvation for anyone who will choose it. Today,
you and I need to make the right choice. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (NLT) 1 As God’s partners, we beg
you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 2 For
God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right
time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. God will not force us to make that choice, but He will give
us every opportunity to do so! The unrepentant thief made the wrong choice. He played the fool in the presence
of a God who had been patient with him all of his life. In essence, he disregarded the fact that he was in the presence
of Almighty God that day. That he had one last chance to repent. He lived out the description of what God calls
a fool. Psalm 53:1 (TLB) 1 Only a fool would say to himself,
"There is no God." And why does he say it? Because of his wicked heart, his dark and evil deeds. His life is corroded
with sin. The criminal, with his last breath, lived out his foolish belief that God did not exist. Peter wants us to bear in mind that God is patient and He is not willing
that anyone should die without repenting. 2 Peter 3:9 (TLB) 9 He isn’t really being slow
about his promised return, even though it sometimes seems that way. But he is waiting, for the good reason that he is not
willing that any should perish, and he is giving more time for sinners to repent. Each morning our patient and
loving Lord renews His mercies and presents them to us because He doesn't want anyone to be consumed by His wrath.
Rather, He would like us to receive the love and forgiveness He pours out on us and turn from any ungodly ways that are
within us. Lamentations 3:22-24 (NLT) 22 The
faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his
faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The
Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” While God is a just God, He is not
that angry God in the sky with a big hammer just waiting to smash His creation when they deviate from His ways. If that
were so, all of us would have been smashed long ago. Lamentations 3:33 (NLT) 33 For he does not enjoy hurting
people or causing them sorrow. Like any good parent, our Father will allow some hurt or sorrow into our lives,
but not for the purpose of harming us. Just the opposite. So that we might look again to His love, repent, and
find forgiveness. That is His-story from the beginning of scripture to the end. Peter assures us that he is speaking
on this subject in unity with the Apostle, Paul. Paul, not only preached God's patience with people, he lived it.
He wrote the following words while being chained in prison for preaching and living out the gospel. 2 Timothy 2:10 (NIV) 10 Therefore I endure everything
for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. As
we live through some challenging days, we need to bear in mind the patience of our God. We need to constantly thank Him for
His patience with us. And, we need to mirror His patience to others. We do not know when the last chance
for repentance will come but we do know that God is not willing to let anyone perish without every last opportunity to receive
forgiveness and eternal life. God is not about destruction. That is the agenda of the enemy. John 10:10 (NIV) 10 The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Our God is patient
and willing to give full and abundant life, both now and for eternity. It's His great desire to give it to everyone.
Do you and I have appreciation for this patience, and because we have been the recipients of so great a patience, are
we willing to demonstrate it with our lives? It's something to bear in mind! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 29, 2009 - WE NEED TO PUT FORTH SOME EFFORT! 2 Peter 3:14 (NIV) 14 So
then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace
with him. As believers in
Christ you and I have so much for which to look forward. (2 Peter 3:12) No wonder we are admonished to forget the past and press forward to the things which are to come. Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT) 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not
achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is
calling us. Each of us, today, are reminded that our lives here are not permanent. We have just experienced
the passing of a prominent world figure, Teddy Kennedy. As powerful as the Kennedy family is, they could not stop the
forward progression of God's plan. None of us knows whether we will be here on earth when the heavens and earth are
folded up to make way for the new heavens and new earth; but we do know that we will not remain, as we are, forever.
We will all be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52) (NIV) 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery:
We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Some of us are familiar with the current popular rhetoric that calls for, "change." Change is
sometimes difficult, but it is necessary and inevitable. God has plans to change things. Unlike some of our human
ideas about change which may, or may not, cause some negative consequences, God's plans for change can only make things
better. If we are serving Him, no matter what we see happen here on earth, we can hang on to this: Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) 11 For I know the plans I have for
you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Yes, God has some wonderful plans to give those who serve Him a hope and
a future. A future that's filled with prosperity. Today, if you are not following Him, it's time to make a choice.
If you want the change that you experience in your life to be positive in every way, choose today to receive the gift of salvation
that Jesus purchased for you. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (NLT) 1 As God’s partners, we beg
you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 2 For
God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right
time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. The human race, as a whole, has miserably failed a
holy God. We have all turned from our Creator but, in His unfailing love and compassion, He has made a way for us to
return to Him and be accepted. He has given us the gift of salvation. There has never been so great a gift given
to so large a group of unworthy recipients! Ephesians 2:8-10 (TLB) 8 Because of his kindness, you have
been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. 9
Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it. 10
It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he
planned that we should spend these lives in helping others. When you give someone a gift, I'm sure you are happy
when they use that gift and take care of it. While we should not give, "with strings attached," it is always
a blessing when we find that the recipient of our gift treasures it, uses it according to what it was made to do, and takes
care of it. You and I have, not only the gift of
salvation, but the gifts of faith, hope and so much more. Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) 1 Faith is the confidence that what
we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. These gifts of salvation,
faith and hope are precious gifts. They require that we make an effort to use them, treasure them and care for them.
Philippians 2:12-13 (KJV) 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye
have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure. It is God, Himself, who chooses to dwell within us and work through us to do His good pleasure with
the gifts He has given us. Peter is so right in admonishing us to be diligent in making sure we are found to be spotless,
blameless and at peace with our Lord! Peter is telling us to speedily, promptly and earnestly make an
effort, studying and laboring to be found in such condition before the Lord. This morning can you and I say that
we have made speedy and laborious efforts to be sure we are unblemished in body, soul and spirit? Are we spotless?
Can we say that we have been studying and earnestly living in such a way as to be without blame? These things take quite
a bit of effort. We are given great gifts but those who have been given great gifts are also given great responsibility.
Luke 12:48 (TLB) 48 "But anyone who is not aware
that he is doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, for their responsibility
is greater. You and I are called to make diligent and earnest efforts to be spotless and blameless. And
to be found by the Lord to be in peace. That is to be at one with Him and with one another. To be joined
together. The implication here is rest and quietness. It is prosperity. Perhaps not the same kind of prosperity
we hear preached so much today, although our God is truly a generous giver to His children in every way. Being at peace
with God will allow us to risk being at peace with one another even when we might not agree on everything. That
will allow us to be quiet and at rest on the inside. We can and we must make an effort to live lives that are spotless,
blameless and filled with peace! After all, we're looking forward to living in a place where those things rule and reign.
We should get started now so that we'll be ready and able to enter into that glorious future that the Lord is preparing for
us! While we're looking forward and putting forth effort to prepare, we might just bring a little bit of Heaven to this
earth and find that others want to join us in the journey! John 14:1-3 (KJV) 1 Let not your heart be troubled:
ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 28, 2009 - ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE 2 Peter 3:13 (NKJV) 13 Nevertheless we,
according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. I like the Apostle, Peter, because he doesn't mince words. In the
whole of 2 Peter, he has given us some challenges and some things to store in our memories so that we do not get caught up
in false teaching. These things can also serve as a check-list for our own lives so that we will not be found to have
walked outside of the way of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV) 5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus
is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? Peter went through some hard times in his own Christian
life. He failed miserably but the Lord did not give up on him. The Lord did rake Peter over the coals
a bit to see if he was really repentant. To me, that proves that Peter is a wonderful vessel to speak some hard,
but loving words to you and me. John 21:15-19 (NIV) 15 When they had finished eating,
Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he
said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 16 Again
Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 17 The third time he said to him, "Simon
son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said,
"Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18
I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are
old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said
to him, "Follow me!" We may have failed miserably at times ourselves. We may have
been deceived by some false teaching. We may have even spread some false teaching. We may have fallen by
the wayside. But, God's love is not hindered by that. He works through Peter to lay it all out for us so that
we can choose the straight and narrow way. Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT) 13 “You can enter God’s
Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.
14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few
ever find it. If we've gotten off the path, today is the right day to look up and see
the Lord waiting for us to return. We can come back. We can get back into His Word. We
can renew our minds, even when His word reaches down to the sore points in our hearts. Hebrews 4:12-13 (NLT) 12 For the word of God is alive and powerful.
It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our
innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God.
Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. We can
live holy lives through His strength! Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That's what He wants more than anything else. Yes, we can! If
we have been walking with the Lord as closely as we know how, and even if we haven't, we can remember His promise.
Our behavior is not going to change His promises. Numbers 23:19 (NIV) 19 God is not a man, that he should
lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? God's promises are good for those who will come to Him and not so good for those who will not.
After giving us many challenging and hard-to-swallow words, Peter says, "Nevertheless......" We know there
will be people who will try to lead us astray. Matthew 7:15 (NLT) 15 “Beware of false prophets
who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. We know that the heavens and earth,
as we know them today, will not last. 2 Peter 3:10 (NLT) 10 But the day of the Lord will
come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will
disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
So, Peter encourages us to look forward. Nevertheless, look forward, according to God's promise.
Look for new heavens and a new earth. Wouldn't we love to live in a world where there were no prisons? That's
the world we have to look forward to. No prisons will be needed there because only righteousness will dwell there!
That includes the prisons of our own minds which hold us back because we are locked in that place of pride or greed or
unforgiveness or bitterness, addiction, lust, or some other such thing. When
Peter says, "according to His promise...," he's not speaking lightly. God, unlike many of us, has never
failed to keep a promise! And He never will! 2 Samuel 23:31 (NLT) 31 “God’s way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
So, when Peter tells us to look forward according to God's promise, He's not asking something outrageous of us.
He's not asking us to trust someone who has made promises in the past and failed to keep them. It doesn't
take a whole lot of faith to look forward to this wonderful place to live, where only righteousness will dwell, if we
go through the Bible and check out God's promises in the past. History proves that every one of them has been
fulfilled. God has a magnificently perfect track record! While you and I may have some things in our past,
good or bad, that tempt us to look back, either longing for them or wanting to seek revenge on people who have hurt us,
the Lord says, "look forward." We may be enduring some really hard circumstances, even today, and
feel like we're stuck in some sort of pit from which there is no escape. But, God says, "look forward." Yes, we
have come through all of those hard things in the past by the grace and mercy of God. We are going
through this day by that same grace and mercy. We are urged to now, "look forward." There
is a better day coming. It will be brought about by the unwavering will of God, according to His promise!
All of His promises are, "Yes," and "Amen!" 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV) 20 For no matter how many promises
God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of
God. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 27, 2009 - HOW SHOULD WE BE LIVING? 2 Peter 3:11-12 (NIV) There are a variety of lifestyles that we can observe in the world today.
They range from complaisant to the very perverse. Where do you and I fall in that range of styles? The Apostle,
Peter, has shown us, all through his second epistle, the characteristics of some who lead lifestyles of greed, self-centeredness,
and luxury, all the while claiming to be operating under the power of God. (2 Peter 2:1-3) Peter has shown us that what we see is not always what we get. It will get so bad that even the very
elect will have to be led solely by the wise discernment of the Holy Spirit in order not to be deceived. Jesus,
Himself, took the time to warn us of this. Mark 13:22-23 (NLT) 22 For
false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s
chosen ones. 23 Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time! In
fact, in the kingdom of God, it is not what we see with our natural eyes that we will get, but what we see with our eyes of
faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP) 7 For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and
conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and
holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance. Since you and I are living in the days where our choices of beliefs and lifestyles are many and varied,
how will we choose to live? As we make that choice, it is good to remember that the things we see and touch
in this world will all vanish one day. What am I hanging on to and taking time with that is going to instantly vanish?
2 Peter 3:10 (AMP) 10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish (pass away) with a thunderous
crash, and the [material] elements [of the universe] will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon
it will be burned up. Is what I spend my time, energy, and money on today worth it? Is it contributing
to a personal lifestyle that shows others and the Lord that I have my priorities set correctly? I know that I have
much work to do in this area. These are hard questions. Here are a few things that I am going to ponder and meditate on, bringing my life
before the Lord. Peter says that, in the meantime, before everything on earth will pass away, we should have consecrated
and holy behavior. We should exhibit devout and godly qualities. This earth is, and has been, in a progressive
state of dissolution. We don't know when it will be completely dissolved. We only know how God wants us to spend
our lives in the meantime. 2 Peter 3:11 (AMP) 11 Since all these things are thus
in the process of being dissolved, what kind of person ought [each of] you to be [in the meanwhile] in consecrated and holy
behavior and devout and godly qualities, You and I, by living holy lives can help bring that day to pass
when the old will pass away and the new heavens and earth will be established. Revelation 21:1-4 (NLT) 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a
new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed
for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look,
God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow
or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Today, you may be in a confusing situation
and you don't know the way out. You may be suffering grief at the loss of a loved one, a job, or a ministry.
You may have challenging health problems and be unable to find the medical care you desire and need. You may be in financial
straits so that you don't even know where your next meal will come from. You may be perplexed by children or a spouse
who is not walking with the Lord. You may even be fighting an addiction or some wrong thoughts in your own life.
We will always have to endure these things from time to time on the earth as we know it now; but it will not always be that
way for us. We can look forward to that day when there will be no more sorrow, suffering, pain, or distress. If
today is challenging for you and me, we can and should look forward. 2 Peter 3:13 (NLT) 13 But we are looking forward to
the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. Do we tend to
live in the past, longing for the "good old days?" Or, are we stuck in the mire and problems of "today?"
As believers, we know that all of these things will pass away and we are encouraged to live lives that don't cling to anything
too tightly here on earth. The more we set our eyes on what is not seen, the more we will live out those holy lives
God desires and the more we can live in joy now, no matter what the circumstances may be. We look forward to
the new heavens and the new earth that God has promised for those who will persevere in righteous living. How should
we be living? Peter is asking a rhetorical question. The answer is clear but Peter spells it out for us anyway.
We should be living peaceful, pure and blameless lives in the sight of our Lord! Are we? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 26, 2009 - IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT THAT GOD SOMETIMES SEEMS SLOW. 2 Peter 3:9 (AMP) In these days
where, in our world, wrong is right and right is wrong, some of us may long for the return of Jesus. We would like to
live in a place where righteousness reigns and love prevails. That's a good thing to long for! And, it will
come! Jesus will come back and, if we have been following Him and looking for Him, we will find ourselves
in that perfect world we all desire. Those who find all their fulfillment in this world, and have forgotten the
true word of God, may deny the fact that Jesus is ever coming back again just because He has not done it yet.
It can appear that way if we look only at what we can see. But you and I have chosen to live by faith. 2 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT) 3 Most importantly, I want to remind you
that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4
They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors,
everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” If we happen to hear anything
that, in any way, demonstrates the attitude of those described in 2 Peter 3:3-4, we will know to stay away from them and reject their teaching! If
you're like me, you like to do everything fast. You want things done now! That can be a good thing but
it can also have a negative aspect. Through the scriptures, we find that the Lord does seem to do things suddenly sometimes.
But, we don't really know what went on before that "suddenly," was manifested. Our Lord is a God of purpose.
(Romans 8:28) He doesn't just haphazardly look around and decide to do a random act of kindness. Our God graciously
works in the hearts of men to bring them to repentance, if they will. Habakkuk was disturbed about all the
violence in his world. It seemed that God was slow in reacting to the injustice. It may seem that way in our world
too. Habakkuk asked his question of God and then proceeded to listen to God and discern His answer. Habakkuk
was ready to stand corrected if need be. (Habakkuk 1:1, 2:1) The Lord did answer. He told Habakkuk to write down His answer. God's answer was that His
purpose would come at the appointed time. Although we might feel like it is slow, it will surely come and it will
not tarry! (Habakkuk 2:2-3) Justice will prevail and everyone will be affected, both those who walk by faith and those who choose
not to walk by faith. (Habakkuk 2:4 and following) Those who think they are "getting away with murder," as they say, will find
that if they do not repent, they will be destroyed. But,
God is so patient and gracious. Because he is not constrained by time as we know it, He is not pressured to change
things at a moment's notice. He is interested in you and me and in every person who has ever been born. He demonstrates
this in Isaiah when He offers Judah His help and they reject it, going their own way instead. He desired to let
them find their strength in the quietness and confidence of their faith in Him. But, they pushed Him aside because
they had "a better way." Isaiah 30:15 (NLT) 15 This is what the Sovereign Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence
is your strength. But you would have none of it. Are you and I ever guilty of pushing God's quietness
and confidence away in favor of getting something accomplished in our own timing and in our own way? Do we
willingly live a life of stress when we could rest in the Lord? If I was God, I'd take immediate action! Not God.
He said, "I must wait for you to come to me." Isaiah 30:18 (NLT) 18 So the Lord must wait for you
to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for
his help. Yes, the God we serve even waits on rebels because of His great desire to show them His love and compassion!
I know. He's waited on me several times! You see, God is not happy when the wicked die. He does not say,
"good riddance," like some of us might be tempted to think or say. He says this: Ezekiel 33:11 (NLT) 11 As surely as I live, says the
Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they
can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die? He said that in Ezekiel's
time and He's still saying it today. 2 Peter 3:9 confirms that fact. Our God is so full of grace and compassion that He'll wait till the last minute to give each
and every one of us a chance to repent of anything that is displeasing to Him! Jesus has not returned yet so that some
of our loved ones can turn to Him before it's to late. You and I may even have some things in our lives that He would
like us to remove before we see Him! Romans 2:4 indicates that, even though God is patient, we shouldn't take His patience for granted and think we have all the time
in the world. Jesus will come suddenly but He has been planning it all along. That plan made
provision for sinners to repent and saints to grow in their walk with the Lord. If things seem to be too slow in your
life, look around and let God show you how He's patiently working out His purpose in your life and in the lives of those you
love who may not have given their hearts to Jesus yet. It really is to our benefit that God sometimes seems slow! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 25, 2009 - SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER
ABOUT TIME 2 Peter 3:8 (NLT) In these days
of lists, we might want to make a list of things that the Apostle Peter tells us to remember. I am reminded that false
teachers, prophets, and scoffers abound today. I am also reminded, by Peter, of how they got that way. They
forgot the important things in life. They deliberately chose to forget God's word through His prophets and apostles.
(2 Peter 3:5) When we choose to forget that God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, we've lost it!
Revelation 1:8 (NLT) 8 “I am the Alpha and the
Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still
to come—the Almighty One.” In my family, I have the dubious title of "the only one who knows anything," because
I once told a friend that I couldn't go away for an extended period of time because no one else in the house knew anything
about where things were and how to take care of them. Hopefully, I do not think of myself as that way and, if I am doing
it all, I need to delegate or at least train others in the family to take over in the case of an emergency. I was impressed
with a billboard I saw on a long drive home yesterday. It said, "I'm the only One who knows everything - God."
Needless to say, it brought back the memories of being labeled, "the only one who knows anything." False teachers
and prophets purposefully forget that God is the only One who knows everything! Because things don't happen fast enough for them,
they think that God is asleep at the wheel or that He didn't really mean what He said when He said that Jesus would return.
They assume things about God that are just that - assumptions. On top of that, they are false assumptions. God
is not slow nor does He show up late. His timing and His ways are different than our ways. Isaiah 55:8-9 (AMP) 8 For
My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. 9 For
as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. Basically,
our version of time is dwarfed compared to God's version of time. In fact, there is no "time," as you
and I see it in God's view of things. He sees the beginning and the end. He is not bound by our clocks or calendars,
even though those things are necessary to keep order on earth. No, with God, a day can last a thousand years or
a thousand years can last a day, according to our understanding of time. That's why we should never take it for granted
if we sin and think we're getting away with something just because the consequences don't appear instantly. More
encouraging is the fact that we should not become dismayed when we don't see God's hand move instantly at our cry for help
in some situation. As usual, in the Kingdom of God, things look differently than they look to us here on earth.
Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 (KJV) 16 And moreover I saw under the sun the
place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. 17
I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose
and for every work. So, despite our fears or assumptions, God's timing is perfect. Both for judgment and
for deliverance. When we have trusted in Him and received His Son as our Savior, His plans for us are good. They
are for a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) 11 For I know the plans I have for
you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
"Future," speaks of time. We are assured that since God is the same, yesterday, today and forever, we can
leave the issue of time in His hands. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and forever. Peter tells us to remember that God's timing is exactly that. God's timing.
He can make a day long or short. He can make a short day long. He can stretch or compress time, according to His
purposes. (Isaiah 38:8) As we stop and ponder that, we should live holy lives as if time, as we know it, will end the next second. On
the other hand, we should work as if time will last another thousand years, spreading the light of the gospel
in our world to make it a better place and bringing more and more souls to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 24, 2009 - THEY FORGET, WE NEED TO REMEMBER 2 Peter 3:5 (NLT) Earlier in 2 Peter 3:1-2, Peter is calling you and I to remember the words spoken of by the prophets of old
and the commandments of the first apostles of the Lord Jesus. Now Peter describes how what he has termed, "scoffers,"
come to be scoffers. They forget. They don't just have senior moments. They don't just get distracted
for an instant. They willingly forget. The deliberately ignore. They become willingly ignorant. that, by
the word of God, the heavens and the earth were created. In doing that, they probably also forget that, apart from Jesus,
nothing could exist. Revelation 4:11 (NIV) 11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and
honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Because they forget the beginning, they are not prepared for the
ending. According to Peter, they have forgotten that God once destroyed the world by water. 2 Peter
3:6 (NLT) 6 Then he used the water to destroy the ancient
world with a mighty flood. The very same God that created the world out of water, used the water to destroy
that creation because of the sin of mankind. Genesis 6:17 (NIV) 17 I
am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life
in it. Everything on earth will perish. God told Noah that He was going to destroy the earth with water.
God has also told you and me that He will eventually destroy the earth as we know it now by fire. 2 Peter 3:7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are
being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. Ungodly men and women who have
chosen to deliberately forget, ignore and make themselves ignorant of God's word will be destroyed. Although that is
not the most pleasant thought, we need to remember it! It will not be that way with us if we will remember! Remembering God's word
is a choice. We have to be pro-active. We do have an enemy running around who tries to distract us from remembering.
The devil still tries to twist God's word to hopefully make us ignorant of its truth. In Noah's time, when the earth
was destroyed by a flood, God made a way for Noah and His family. Genesis 3:18 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark--you
and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. They entered into the ark and were safe.
God made a covenant with them. But, God did not just plop the ark down on the earth and say, "Okay, here it is,
get in and I'll save you." No! Noah had to build the ark, by faith in a society that thought he was not playing
with a full deck! He had to go against the flow of his time. Safety was there and promised but he had to "do
something!" The ark represented Jesus, our place of safety. But, today, it is not easy to remember everything
Jesus said. It is easy to remember some of the ways the world twists His word. It is not easy to live
by faith, remembering that what we see is not what we're going to get. That's why Peter calls us to remember
and shows us what happens to those who choose to willingly forget! We live under a covenant with God also, if we have
received Jesus as Lord and Savior. Hebrews 7:18-22 (NLT) 18 Yes, the old requirement about
the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. 19 For the law
never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. 20
This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an
oath, 21 but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, “The Lord
has taken an oath and will not break his vow: ‘You are a priest forever.’” 22
Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God. A
covenant is between two parties. Both parties agree to do something. If Noah would not have built the ark and
worked out his part of the covenant, he and his family would not have been saved from the flood. But, Noah took God
at His word and did something about it. He remembered what God said in spite of the way things looked around him.
He was most likely laughed at and scoffed at because of his determination to remember what God said and follow His orders.
Although you and I are participants in a new and better covenant, we are still called to, "remember." One
of the last things Jesus said was this: 1Corinthians 11:24-29 (NKJV) 24 and when He had given thanks,
He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant
in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 26 For
as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. 27
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the
body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of
the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy
manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. Although we are living under
a better covenant, we are still called to remember. We are still called to do certain things. John 14:15 (NLT) 15 “If you love me, obey my
commandments. Yes, under the new and better covenant, we're still called to obey the commandments of the Lord
Jesus. If we don't remember them, we obviously won't obey them. How do scoffers get to be scoffers? They willingly
and purposefully forget. How can we remain grounded in the precious new covenant? We can willingly
and purposefully remember God's word and do what it says! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 23, 2009 - PETER
SAYS, "MOST IMPORTANTLY" 2 Peter 3:3 (NLT) The Apostle, Peter, in his short epistle, 2 Peter, spends a great deal of time talking about the last days and
talking about people who will insist on doing their own thing. Does that sound like the age we live in to you?
It really does to me! Finally, here towards the end of 2 Peter 3, Peter says, "Most importantly,...." But, just before he says, "most importantly, he has begun
to remind us that Jesus will return. He is making every passionate attempt to get us to stir up our minds to pure things. Eternal
things . Things of the spirit. He encourages us to refresh our memories as to God's Word. That's
so that we don't get off track when the days are so bad that circumstances and great changes in worldly thinking threaten
to make us wonder if we remember what we remember! The days in which we now live are very threatening when it comes
to tempting us to forget some things that God said. Thank God, He said them several times in several places within His
word, through several prophets and Apostles! No wonder Peter is now honing in on a reminder for the last days.
A most important reminder. Actually, in the King James Version, those
words, "Most importantly, are translated, "Knowing this first..." The Greek words indicate that Peter
wants us to have full knowledge, in all ways, that there will be scoffers. He wants us to know that before
we know anything else. Obviously, as the time goes on before Jesus does return, the line will get dimmer and dimmer
about what believers believe. Some will come looking like believers, but they are really false prophets and teachers.
Some will come scoffing and mocking the truth. This word, "scoffers," in the Greek, means, "false teachers." You
and I can spot some false teachers a mile away. They are certainly prevalent in the world around us but, sadly,
some are among us and even in our churches! The way they preach and teach mocks the truth. As Peter
has told us before, they are self-centered and they run after what pleases them. They are deceitful and some
are very capable of twisting scripture just like the serpent did in the garden when he caught Adam and Eve unaware. It will be so bad that these teachers will actually tell others that Jesus is not
coming back! 2 Peter 3:4 (NLT) 4 They will say, “What happened
to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since
the world was first created.” And people will believe it if they have not stimulated
their minds to be pure and holy and refreshed their memories of the Word of God. 2 Peter 3:1-2 (NIV) 1 Dear friends, this is now my second
letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2
I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and
Savior through your apostles. We do not want to be among those who will be tempted to believe the
lies of scoffers. Certainly we do not want to go ahead and go with the flow, living as those did in the days of
Noah, thinking the flood would never come! Matthew 24:36-39 (NIV) 36 "No one knows about that
day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As
it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For
in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered
the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came
and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. If God says something
is going to come,. you can bank on it. It's coming! How much more so if He says His Son is coming! God
told of the first coming of Jesus many times, thousands of years before it happened. Then, it happened! Everyone
who knew the scriptures should have had the knowledge, but most missed it! Peter does not want that to happen to
us when Jesus comes again! Peter was there, in person, when Jesus told the parable of the ten wise and the ten foolish virgins.
The wise women were prepared to wait, even when it seemed the bridegroom was late. The foolish women were not prepared.
Are you and I prepared for our Bridegroom to return? Or have we failed to keep our minds and hearts stimulated and refreshed? Matthew
spends the whole chapter of Matthew 25 recounting the words of Jesus, Himself, giving us practical stories we can relate to in order to make
us aware that He will come again and we need to be ready! If we do not know the Word of God, we will not be
ready. But, even just knowing the Word of God is not enough when the deceivers come to lure us away with false
teaching. Adam and Eve knew the Word of God in the garden but they were dwelling on what they saw and heard from
the serpent instead. Peter is so right. We must, first of all, be sure that we do not believe the lie of those
who have distorted the Word. We must focus on Jesus, who is the Word. How are we stimulating our minds
and refreshing our memories today? You and I have just reminded ourselves once again of things in the Word.
Hopefully we have stimulated ourselves in wholesome thinking (which is not an easy thing to do today with all the unwholesome
things around us.) As we exercise our minds and hearts this morning let's thank God that He has given us His Spirit.
That Spirit speaks to us and lets us know that we can do it. We don't have to be fearful. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) 7 For God has not given us a spirit
of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. We can operate
during these difficult days in His power, His love and with a sound and disciplined mind. God has given you and
me a sound mind and given us the choice and ability to keep it disciplined so that we will not be ashamed when Jesus
does return! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 22, 2009 - STIMULATION AND REFRESHMENT 2 Peter 3:1 (NLT) As the
Apostle Peter finishes up the third chapter of His second epistle, he is reminding us that Jesus will come again. John 14:28-29 (NLT) 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will
come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am.
29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. Peter
has told us all about false teachers and prophets in the first two chapters and now he is letting us know that we need to,
above all, remember that we should be looking to Jesus instead of any supposedly new and popular teaching. If our focus
is on anything else besides Jesus, we may be deceived and found not watching when Jesus does return. Luke 12:39-40 (TLB) 39 "Everyone would be ready for him if they knew the exact hour
of his return—just as they would be ready for a thief if they knew when he was coming. 40 So be ready all
the time. For I, the Messiah, will come when least expected." When something we expect doesn't happen for a long time, we can get complaisant in our thinking. We can even
discard the thought of the event occurring because we have waited a long time and nothing has happened. Many have done
that and gone on living as though Jesus will never return. Peter wants you and me to be different. So, he writes
to stimulate our thinking. He writes to tell us to pull those pure and holy thoughts from the recesses of our minds
those things that are genuine. The Greek word here means, "tested by sunlight." We might say tested
by, "Sonlight." He is stirring us to think deep, holy, good, tested thoughts. If our thoughts have been
caught up in the world lately, here is a good list of thoughts to start with. If we think deeply about any
one of these things, our lives will change and we will probably be an agent of change for the lives around us!
Philippians 4:8 (AM) 8 For the rest, brethren, whatever
is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely
and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy
of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. How is
your thought life this morning? Is it filled with the deep and life-changing thoughts of the Lord that are
tested and pure? Peter also writes to refresh our
memory. Sometimes we need some reminders and some memory-refreshers! We are inundated with the thoughts and cares
of this world all day every day even if we don't take a step out of our homes. The TV or radio will let us know of all
those things the world is concerned about. We will also hear of all those things we might like to have. They
will even tell us we can have anything we want because we deserve it! Most of the things I just mentioned
are based on fear and greed. Hardly the thoughts of a pure mind! Those thoughts only serve to clutter our minds
and bring us dangerously close to having God's Word choked out of us, making us unfruitful. Mark 4:18-19 (NLT) 18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth,
and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. Because you and I are in God's Word today and
we are probably in it every day, God wants that world to fall into minds that will take it down deeply and think
on it constantly, reminding ourselves and other believers of the power of His Word to change lives and protect us from
those worldly thoughts that constantly vie for a place within us! Our God wants our minds to be that fertile ground
in which He can plant the seed of His Word and find a harvest of many times what has been planted! 20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word
and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” It
isn't as if Peter is telling us things that he has not already told us before. You and I probably know these things
already but I feel the Lord telling us, "Yes, you know them. But I want you to know that you know that
you know them." If you're like me, you might get a little testy when being reminded of
things you already think you know. However, when God is talking and He is reminding us of things,
testiness has to go! He has a reason for wanting His Word to be deeply planted in fertile minds where the roots will
go down so far that nothing can tear it out. It isn't just for us either. It's for those around us.
We may need to be like Peter in our dealings with some around us who may be caught up so much in the worldly cares that they
need a reminder. When Jesus comes again, He will be looking for that good and faithful servant who took His Word and
multiplied it for the Kingdom by reminding others that there is something much more profitable than what the world can give.
Is your mind stimulated and your memory refreshed this morning so you can go about your day thinking pure and holy thoughts?
Will your words to others be filled with the seed of God's Word so that you might be sowing the seeds that will bring
a harvest for the Lord thirty-fold? Sixty-fold? Or, even one hundred times what you have sown
as you walked through life? Let this morning be a time to let God stimulate His thoughts within your
mind and refresh your memory of the value of eternal things! 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) 18 So we fix our eyes not on what
is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 21, 2009 - STAYING FOCUSED ON THE COMMAND TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE 2 Peter 2:21 (NLT) As I continue to read
through 2 Peter 2 and ponder the characteristics and attributes of false teachers, I realize that there are lots of things
in Peter's writing which can become check-points for my own life. God is good to let us know exactly what
He thinks about people who start walking a life of righteousness and then become entangled again in the web of pollution found
in the world. I am sobered by the idea found in the Amplified Bible that the Lord is talking to us about people
who have escaped the depravity of the world through a full and personal knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 2:20 (AMP) 20 For if, after they have escaped
the pollutions of the world through [the full, personal] knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again become
entangled in them and are overcome, their last condition is worse [for them] than the first. I am thinking
that it would not hurt to make sure that I have not become entangled in the ways of the world again. I am realizing
again and anew how important it is to stay in God's Word and remind one another of the dangers lurking around us if we don't
stay alert. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) 8 Be
self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Although there will most certainly be false teachers and prophets
among us, we can work hard to stay in the race God has given us so that we do not end up back in the ways of the world.
Hebrews 12:1 NLT) 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by
such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin
that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. God not only commands
us to live that holy life He has called us to, but He encourages us by letting us know that we are surrounded by a great could
of witnesses to the life of faith. We are empowered by His Spirit to take off every sin that slows us down and tries
to trip us up! He is our strength and He will give us the endurance we need to put one foot in front of the other, no
matter how difficult the circumstances and run the race He has set before us! How can we do all of that? We must
keep our eyes on Jesus! Hebrews 12:2 (NLT) 2 We do this by keeping our eyes
on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding
its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. It was joy to Jesus to endure the
cross and take on all the shame so that He could be seated in the place of honor or beside God's throne. He is sitting
there right now praying for you and me! He's praying that we will not be like those false prophets and return to the
entrapments of the world but that we will finish the race! Romans 8:34 (NLT) 34 Who then will condemn us?
No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s
right hand, pleading for us. This morning we know that God is for us! Romans 8:31 (NLT) 31 What shall we say about such
wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? There is no doubt about it, Peter has written some heavy and challenging
things in 2 Peter 2:20-22. He ends with some pretty harsh words. Words that give us pictures of places we don't want to
go. The good news is that we don't have to go there. But, the option does exist. Some have chosen to go
there. We, by God's strength, will choose not to go there. Dogs returning to their vomit and pigs returning to
the mud sty are not pleasant word pictures. 2 Peter 2:22 (NLT) 22 They prove the truth of this
proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”
It is God's plan that you and I should prove something else besides these grotesque proverbs that are true about
false prophets and teachers. His Word assures us that, if we keep our eyes on Him, we can prove something else.
3 John 1:11 (NLT) 11 Dear friend, don’t let
this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s
children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. Yes, there will be bad examples all around
us and among us. We have the choice to be one of those bad examples or to prove by the holy life that we live that we
are really God's children. What are we proving by the life we live? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 20, 2009 - THE SWEET PROMISE OF FREEDOM 2 Peter 2:19 (NIV) Freedom is a precious thing. Everyone wants to
be free. Free to live, free of addictions, free of health problems, free from financial difficulties, free from stressful
relationships, free from violence and destruction, and certainly free from eternal separation from God! Free! Those
of us who live in countries where we enjoy freedom are very blessed. None of us should take that freedom lightly.
We should not use our freedom for self-indulgence, but to do what we can do to keep our nations free. It's
that way with our spiritual life also. We have the ultimate freedom if we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
John 8:34-36 (NIV) 34 Jesus replied, "I tell you
the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place
in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you
will be free indeed. Wow! If we don't remember anything else from scripture today, what a blessing to
know that, if we have received Jesus, we are free! Free indeed! Well now. What shall we do with all that freedom? It can be tempting
to do things that are not so productive or glorifying to God because we are still in the process of having our minds renewed
from being the prisoner that we used to be. Just in case we think we are hopeless in this condition, we can remember
that the Apostle Paul witnessed to this in his own life. Romans 7:18-20 (NLT) 18 And I know that nothing good lives
in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I
want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20
But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does
it. After hearing these words of Paul, we should all feel relieved. With Jesus we are set free but we
still live in a fleshly body with a mind that is not yet completely transformed. Romans 12:2 (NLT) 2 Don’t copy the behavior
and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn
to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. You and I are in a constant process
to stay free. If we are willing, our minds are constantly being transformed from prison life to a life of true freedom.
There are still prisons that exist and the enemy has those prison doors open with some good looking stuff inside to try to
get us to go in again. He's disguised as a fine and upstanding-looking gate keeper. But, really, he's got those
keys to that prison door poised and ready to slam the door shut and lock it once we are enticed in! Galatians 5:13-14 (NIV) 13 You, my brothers, were called
to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14
The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Paul says that we are called to be free. Then he gives the stern warning. Don't use that
freedom to indulge the sinful nature. When Jesus sets us free, He doesn't take away our freedom of choice. We
are free! We can do anything we want to do! If we choose to use our freedom to indulge in sinful
practices, we may be dangerously close to being drawn in into that prison that is made, by the devil, to look like something
desirable. Of course, the devil would be only to happy to oblige and lock us back up! He doesn't like it
when he sees us walking around free and with abundant life! (John 10:10) His only objective is to trap us again and kill us. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT) 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your
great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9
Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over
the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. Being free does not always mean being
comfortable. Soldiers from free countries put themselves into harm's way every day to protect those freedoms.
They are wounded and some even die to maintain freedom. You and I may not be comfortable at all times protecting
the freedom that Jesus has given us. We may have to say, "no," to some things and people. Free people
remain free only when they do something to maintain that freedom. As Peter tells us about the false teachers
that we need to watch out for, we can see that they are doing something, but it's not productive. They remain self-centered.
They are braggarts. They constantly speak about themselves and what they do. Most probably, no one else would
lift them up if they didn't lift themselves up! 2 Peter 1:18 (NLT) 18 They brag about themselves with
empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from
a lifestyle of deception. Inside, their minds are twisted with depravity.
The worst part about the whole thing is that they want company in their evil ways. They are constantly calling to the
babies in faith who have just barely been set free by Jesus. They do everything they can to lure them back into
sin and deception. Yes, they even do it by teaching things that are a form of scripture but twisted by their depraved
minds into what will become the devil's playground. We've got to be careful to avoid them. Many
do it from the pulpits of churches! That is why you and I must remain in the word of God, checking everything we
are taught by the scripture! In our world, we are appalled by kidnappers. They prey on the innocent and trusting
children of this world. In the same way, these false teachers prey on the newly free and innocent babies of the faith.
Those who have not grown in their faith are equally at risk. We should be just as incensed, and even more so, at this
awful injustice! Finally, in 2 Peter 2:18-19, my mind is sobered completely by the fact that Peter tells us that a person is a slave to whatever has mastered
him. Yes, we must be careful of false teachers. But, we must also do something to protect the freedom that Christ
has given us! We need to check our own lives to see what, if anything, has mastered us; because
deception is hard to spot. (2 Corinthians 13:5) Most people who are deceived do not think they are deceived. Many who walk around in slavery do not even know
they are in slavery. Who, or what, is your master? Who is my master? When we sort through the
catalog of our life, what do we find. Are there thoughts, habits, addictions, questionable friends, or anything
else there that have mastered us? Is there anything there that we absolutely cannot stop doing? Are we insistent
on being in close relationships with people who are unbelievers? Have we begun to be promoters of ourselves, instead
of letting God raise us up. (James 4:10) If so, we need to confess our sin and come back into the Light. (1 John 1:9) We must be mastered by none other than our Savior. Jesus Christ! People are watching us.
They can see who our master is better than we can! If they see anything but Jesus, are we like the false teachers
that Peter has so intricately described for us? False teachers promise sweet freedom. Their promises are about
as good as the political campaign promises we hear these days. Jesus doesn't just promise it. He gives it!
Have you received it? Are you free indeed? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 19, 2009 - USELESS 2 Peter 2:17 (KJV) 17 These
are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. I don't know of anyone who wants to feel that they are useless!
I surely don't! The New Living Translation translates 2 Peter 2:17 like this: 17 These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist
blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. The Lord is speaking, through the Apostle, Peter,
here about false teachers. Peter spends quite a bit of time in 2 Peter 2 explaining the characteristics and actions of these people. Although it is pretty heavy reading, I find it challenging
and even encouraging. Because God has chosen to let you and me know what it looks like to be false and to be a hypocrite,
we have every opportunity to learn how not to be! Each
follower of Christ was has things to do in this world. We are not characterized by the term, "useless."
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV) 8 For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not
by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. We are saved by God's marvelous grace and
the proof of that should be that we are useful to Him in the building of His Kingdom. We should be useful to one another as
we encourage and build up of one another in our faith. He has prepared good works in advance for us to do.
I notice that His Word says that we were created to do these good works that God has created for us to do but it doesn't say
that we are forced to do them. You and I have the choice to walk in the Spirit and do those works or to become
like the false teachers that Peter describes and become useless! If it's a blistering hot day and you're in the desert looking for a drink of water,
you would be delighted to find a well. That is, unless the well was dry! Of course, it would be useless to you
and, if you had enough strength, you might be tempted to give it a swift kick! If you're a farmer and your crops are
wilting for lack of rain, you'd be pleased to see that cloud appear in the sky bringing the promise of a good, healthy harvest
and your provision for your family. But, if what appears to be clouds to you are only a mist that is driven away by
the wind, your hope of provision will be lost. That's exactly what these false teachers are to the Lord and to His Kingdom.
We see them and hear them but our thirst for the true Word is not satisfied by them. We come away empty, thirsty and
sometimes dying. They are useless to us in our quest for spiritual growth and refreshment. That is why we need
to allow ourselves to wade through some of the hard things that Peter tells us. We need to learn these characteristics
so that we will not be trapped by the promise of water only to be lured to a dried up spring. We also can check ourselves
to be sure we are on the right track. We don't want to be useless to the Lord. He created us to serve Him and
to serve one another. He lets us know that a useless servant will be cast away. Matthew 25:30 (NLT) 30 Now throw this useless servant
into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ He has reserved
everlasting darkness for those who fall into this category. Because we are saved by His marvelous and amazing grace,
we want to be sure that we are listening to Him and doing those good works that He prepared for us long before we were ever
born. We have a choice. We can be useful, allowing the living water to flow from the Lord through us or we can
be useless, looking like something on the outside but having nothing on the inside with which to be sustained and to bring
refreshing to others. John 7:38 (NIV) 38 Whoever believes in me, as the
Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
It's our choice. We know which choice the Lord would like us to make. All we have to do is make that choice !
What glory it will be to hear our Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matthew 25:23) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 18, 2009 - ABOUT THE WAY OF BALAAM 2 Peter 2:15-16 (NIV) 15 They
have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey--a beast without speech--who
spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness. Reading 2 Peter 2:15, I am reminded that this fellow, Balaam, set a pretty poor example. He obviously had a gift because the
King of Moab knew that whoever Balaam blessed would be blessed and whoever Balaam cursed would be cursed. Numbers 22:5-6 5 sent
messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the River, in his native land. Balak said: "A people
has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6
Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to
defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed."
The Israelites were traveling and the hospitable thing to do would have been for the neighboring people to meet
them with bread and water. However, because of their fear of the Israelites, the Moabites resorted to trying to hire
a prophet to put a curse on Israel. The Moabites thought this would allow them to overtake and destroy God's children.
Their plan didn't work because, as always, God will turn curses on His children into blessings! Nehemiah 13:1-3 (NIV) 1 On that day the Book
of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever
be admitted into the assembly of God, 2 because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired
Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) 3 When the people heard
this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent. The
sin of the Moabites and the Ammonites was so bad that the Lord declared that none of them should be allowed into the
assembly of the Israelites even to their tenth generation. Deuteronomy 23:3 (KJV) 3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the
congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:
Always looking for practical applications of scripture, I am encouraged this morning that, even if someone else
"has it in" for me, God will turn that curse into a blessing! (Romans 8:28-29) I am also encouraged to remember that I am a descendent of
Abraham, by faith. And so are you, if you are a follower of Christ. We have what Abraham had. Galatians 3:6-9 (NIV) 6 Consider
Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 7 Understand,
then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that
God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed
through you." 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man
of faith. I am encouraged to know that God wants me to be a blessing to others. Not to be like Balaam,
who slipped onto the slippery slope of using his gift in the wrong way and for profit. Balaam allowed
himself to be tempted to greed several times over instead of turning from the temptation the first time. That's what
happens if we make a habit of entertaining ungodly thoughts. The gifts God gives us can be used for good or they
can be used for evil. We make the choice. We also bear the consequences of not walking
in the Spirit of the Lord. The false teachers that Peter is talking about in 2 Peter 2, are people who have gone the way of Balaam, instead of going The Way! John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father
except through me. As long as you and I continue to follow, The Way, we will be sure not
to go onto the way of Balaam. We will be sure not to listen to those who go that way too! I'm so glad the
Lord was kind enough, through Peter, to describe in great detail for us both The Way and the ways in which we should
not go! Now, God will do whatever it takes to keep His people safe and to dissuade false prophets from achieving
the goals of the devil. In Balaam's case, a donkey spoke, out loud, in a human voice! 2 Peter 2:16 (TLB) 16 but Balaam was stopped from his
mad course when his donkey spoke to him with a human voice, scolding and rebuking him. Actually,
the dumb donkey had seen the angel of the Lord and Balaam had missed him! Numbers 22:22-23 (AMP) 22 And God’s anger was kindled because he
(Balaam) went, and the Angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon
his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way
and His sword drawn in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. And Balaam struck the
donkey to turn her into the way. When I read this story, I have to wonder which one was the dumb donkey, Balaam,
or his beast of burden! We can be so blinded by the ways of this world that we fail to see The Way! Peter is not
the only one who reminds us of the way of Balaam. John, the writer of Revelation, also mentions Balaam. It is
a sober warning to us today because we need to be sure we are not among those who follow when Balaam's way may seem more inviting
that the narrow way! Matthew 7:13-16 (NKJV) 13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is
the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from
thornbushes or figs from thistles? Revelation 2:12-17 tells us of the compromising church. This is the church that is right in the midst of where Satan
has his throne. The Lord commends them because they did not deny Him, even while living right in the center of
degradation. Our world is full of the devil's ways. We need to use caution and be faithful to the Lord in
the midst of evil. But, we also need to remember that, although the Lord commended this church, He was not
happy about a few things. One of those things is that they tolerated the teachings of Balaam. Revelation 2:14-16 (NLT) 14 “But I have
a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip
up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. 15
In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. 16 Repent of your sin,
or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. I am challenged
and encouraged this morning to learn more of The Way so that I do not fall into or fall prey to the way of Balaam!
God is good. He has given us all the information we need. We don't have to compromise with the way of
Balaam or tolerate those teachings among us. The only way to the Father is through Jesus, who is The
Way. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 17, 2009 - THERE ARE THING WE CAN DO TO REMAIN STABLE IN AN UNSTABLE
WORLD 2 Peter 2:14 (NKJV) I'm still learning more from the Apostle, Peter, about the existence of false teachers among us in our churches today.
And, false teachers are certainly at work in the world, leading astray as many as possible! They
have certain characteristics and, this morning I have found a few more of those characteristics. Their constant vision
is that of adultery. They won't stop sinning. They lure unstable souls away from the true way of Jesus,
on purpose. They have exercised their hearts, just as an athlete would train for an athletic event, to fraud, extortion,
and greediness. And finally, they are cursed. Whew! I wouldn't want to be them! And, I intend
to do my best to learn from the description of their characteristics. Every day, I am asking, "Lord, where do I
need to change?" "Where am I less than You would like in my heart and in my daily walk?" Do
I often entertain lust? Do any of my habits indicate that I make a pattern of sinning in some area? Do I
ever lead people who are not fully grounded in their faith away from Jesus instead of toward Him? How do I routinely
exercise my heart? Hopefully, I do exercise my heart because I am very lax at exercising my body! Have
I exercised my heart in what is true and honest? Finally, and for sure, I ask, "Am I cursed." And, finally,
I have an answer that is certain within me. I am not cursed. I was under a curse, but praise
God, the Lord Jesus rescued me from that curse and He has rescued you too. Have you taken His hand and come out from
under the curse? Galatians 3:13-14 (NLT) 13 But Christ has rescued us from
the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it
is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through
Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might
receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. If you and I have received God's gift of salvation, we are no longer under condemnation.
That's good news! Our gratitude for such a wonderful gift should spur us on to clean up anything that is not right
within our heart. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV) 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit
of life set me free from the law of sin and death. While these false teachers, spoken of by Peter, make a pattern
of doing all of those evil things mentioned in 2 Peter 2:14, they had to start somewhere. A little sin here. A little compromise there. A little untruth
another place. It doesn't take long for us, as human beings, to develop habits. It's our choice whether we develop
habits that lead to righteousness or habits that lead to destroying ourselves and leading others astray. Just because you
and I, if we have received Jesus, enjoy the freedom from condemnation, that doesn't mean we are free to do whatever we
want to do. That way of thinking is faulty and rebellious. It is ungrateful and self-serving. Romans 6:1-4 (NIV) 1 What shall we say, then? Shall
we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin;
how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? There is another thing that you and
I, as followers of Christ, can do in order to escape the traps of false teachers and be sure that we do not lead anyone else astray either.
I am encouraged by the fact that false teachers are not able to lead stable people into destruction! They
lead unstable people into ungodly ways. What a relief! All I need to do is be stable! The trouble is that
sometimes, I have not felt so stable! The good news is that, with God, all things are possible. Luke 18:27 (NLT) 27 He replied, “What is impossible
for people is possible with God.” Jesus assures us of that. I know that, within myself, no
stable thing exists. By personality, I am impulsive, compulsive, easily distracted, and all of those other negative
things. But, in Christ, I am made stable! He is that Rock on which I stand, from which I cannot fall. However,
I can choose, by habitually living out the characteristics we see in 2 Peter 2:14 to step away from that Rock. No matter how I look at it, the consequences for doing that will be
dire and I don't want them! You and I can take God's Word literally and remember that a double-minded person is totally
unstable. We can't have one foot on the Rock and the other in the world. As the world drifts farther and farther
away from the Rock, and even as some false teachers invade the churches, we will certainly fall if we do not have both feet
solidly planted on the Rock. What do you and I need to be sure we are stable? We need wisdom. There's plenty
of that to be had in the world. But, our wisdom is to be godly wisdom. James 3:13-18 (NLT) 13 If you are wise and understand
God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover
up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness
are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16
For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle
at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
Are we firmly planted on the Rock of our salvation where the winds and waves of the world cannot touch us?
If we feel ourselves slipping a bit, we can ask God for wisdom. We don't have to be double-minded and remain unstable.
We just need to put away unbelief. James 1:5-8 (NIV) 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he
should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6
But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed
by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. Even though the word
that the Apostle, Peter, is giving us about false teachers can be discouraging, heavy, and negative, we can be encouraged
this morning because, in Christ, we need not be unstable characters who are drawn in to the trap of the devil. We have
God's Word and we have His promise that we can be fully stable. Jesus is our stability. Through Him, we can reach
out to those who may be experiencing instability, throwing them the lifeline of the Word of God! Let's be those stable
people, unwavering in our belief in the Word of God which is able to carry us victoriously through any and every perplexing
situation! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 16, 2009 - A
LOOK AT WHAT IS ON THE INSIDE 2 Peter 2:13 (KJV) As I take another look at 2 Peter 2:13, I find much more than I saw at first glance. In the context of the Apostle, Peter's, writings here,
he is educating us as to the fact that all people among us may not be true believers. They may know the language of
what has been called, "Christianese." They may look holy and pious on the outside but like some of the Pharisees
that Jesus had a problem with, they may be filled with death and decay on the inside. Matthew 23:27-28 (NLT) 27 “What sorrow awaits you
teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside
but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly
you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. Yes! Now we can be sure to spot any
among us that may possibly be deceivers and unclean on the inside! We can be sure to stay away from them! One
thing that these people do is that they live in luxury and they thoroughly enjoy it. They are interested in the
more delicate things of life. The dainty things. The things that look the best. That's what "riot in
the daytime," means in the original Greek. They have deluded themselves into thinking they are something when they
are nothing. In fact, while they may look all put together on the outside, they are spots and blemishes covered
up with theatrical make-up. They are hypocrites, just as much as those Pharisees were that Jesus was talking
to in His day! We must be careful to watch for this sort of people. Those wolves in sheep's clothing just
waiting to make us feel comfortable only to turn on us and devour us. Matthew 7:15 (NIV) "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. But wait! Although you and I may be seeking the Lord with
all of our hearts, we are in a process. Inside of each one of us, there are dark corners that we have refused to let
Jesus shine His light in. Corners that we don't care to think about because there may be some bad thoughts or habits
residing there. We've been good at covering them up. That's a good thing because we are exercising the self-control
that should be within us as a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Still, if we continue to leave those thoughts
in that dark corner without letting God clean them up, we may forget they are there and one day, they will pop out in
words and actions that we did not intend to say or do! Yes, knowing how to spot the false among us
is greatly important because, if we don't, we can get sucked into their ways so easily; but you and I are not responsible
for their decisions and for changing them. Knowing how to spot the false in us may be a bit more
difficult. Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT) “The human heart is the most
deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? We are responsible for
being true before God in all the corners of our lives. Are there things in our lives that we need to stop denying and
open them up before the Lord? Do we have the characteristic of being more interested in living in pleasure,
luxury, and having the good things in life than we are in loving God and loving His people? Have we succeeded in putting
up a good "front," in some areas but kept God from opening those doors in our hearts and really transform us? Some
of us are not happy about the way we look on the outside. One good thing for us humans is that God is not looking at
outward appearances. He is looking at our hearts. 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do
not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man
looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." While we may not be entirely happy
with what we look on the outside right now, what if our "outside" looked just like our heart looks on the
inside to God? Could it be that we would see a beast rather than the beauty we desire to see? What if everything
on the inside showed all the time for others to see. What if we had to look in the mirror and see ourselves on
the outside as God sees our heart? Thankfully, if we are truly seeking God and have received Jesus as our Savior,
we are accepted in the Beloved. He loves us just the way we are but He also loves us too much to leave us the way
we are. He wants you and me to open up every part of our heart, even the places that no one else
ever sees. Even those places that we are ashamed of. He wants to take us from where we are now to higher
levels, transparent levels, open levels with Him, with ourselves and with others. He wants to make us totally clean
inside. While I am careful to watch for those around me who may be deceivers, I am convinced that the first thing
I need to do is be careful to look inside of my own heart, objectively using God's Word, to be sure I have not deceived myself
or others. As they say, you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of
the time. As for God, you can't fool Him any of the time! Matthew 9:4 (NIV) 4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus
said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it time for your and me to follow
God on a search and discover mission within our hearts? Would we look good if we were turned inside out? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 15, 2009 - SPOTTING THE TRUTH IN ORDER TO STAY AWAY FROM THE FALSE 2 Peter 2:13 (NIV) As I read through 2 Peter, I find it difficult
reading sometimes. Peter talks about some hard stuff. Some negative stuff. Things we don't often want
to hear about. We don't want to admit they exist. It would be easier just to go on with life and blindly look
the other way regarding certain questionable situations. But, then I am reminded that God is truth. Proverbs 30:5 (NLT) 5 Every word of God proves true. He is
a shield to all who come to him for protection. He sent His Son, who is
the Truth. John 14:6-7 (NLT) 6 Jesus told him, “I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If
you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” In
Jesus, God gave us a picture of Himself, as Truth. A Truth that you and I can know. And, God requires
truth in the inward parts of our lives. Psalm 51:6 (TLB)) 6 You deserve honesty from the
heart; yes, utter sincerity and truthfulness. Oh, give me this wisdom. I suspect that is because we
are His Church. Church is not a building down on the corner. You and I, as believers, are
the Church. We are the Body of Christ. A part of a divine living Being. Because
Christ is the Truth, we need to let Him flow through us. He desires that the inward parts of His
body be filled, through and through, with truth. He is preparing a church without spot or blemish. Ephesians 5:26-27 (KJV) 26 That
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy
and without blemish. When I look
at 2 Peter 2:13, I see that these deceivers will be paid back for the wrong they have done among the real sheep of The Shepherd's
flock. They are called spots and blemishes. I don't want to be a spot or blemish! Moreover, I don't
want to be paid back by God for wrong things I have done. We know that the wages of sin is death. God will surely
let us have those wages if we insist, although His heart will be grieved at our choice. Romans 6:23 (NLT) 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is
eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. The good news out of all of this is that God has given
you and me the choice to receive His gift of eternal life through Christ and live it out transparently on this earth. Or,
we can choose to work hard to receive eternal damnation. I would choose a free gift any day over having to work
hard for nothing. How about you? Unfortunately, as we move farther and farther
into the latter days spoken of in the scripture, there will be found among us some who are really not who they say they
are. (2 Peter 3:3, 2 Corinthians 11:14) They may look like the real thing, but they are not. Here's where we can
really dwell on the negative. But, instead, we can choose to dwell on the positive aspects of this scripture!
We can learn what not to be and what not to do. We can learn from the Word of God to spot the
real thing instead of always having to look for those among us who may be deceivers. When people are trained to
distinguish between counterfeit money and real money, they study the real thing closely and carefully. Then, when a
counterfeit appears, they instantly recognize it as less than the real thing. When we really get to know the Person,
who is the Truth, we will be equipped to spot a counterfeit. So, instead of always looking
for those who are counterfeits, I think we would do well, to learn from the truth of God's Word what He wants us to know about
them and, first of all, check out ourselves to be sure we do not fall into those categories. 2 Corinthians 13:5 (AMP) 5 Examine and test and evaluate
your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves
[not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in
you—unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected? Testing ourselves is not a
negative thing. It is not a burden put upon us by our loving Lord. No, it's an opportunity for us to find out
before it's too late if we have wavered from the Truth! If we have wavered, we have the opportunity to repent and be
forgiven. (1 John 1:9) The closer we get to having the Truth deep inside of us, the quicker we will spot an imposter before we get sucked
into a trap. That's positive news. That's good news! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 14, 2009 - ARE WE HUMBLE TEACHERS? 2 Peter 2:10-12 (NIV) There is no doubt about it, punishment is coming to coming to unrepentant
people. The Apostle, Peter, is explaining the characteristics and the undoing of false teachers in 2 Peter 2:10-12. You and I may not consider this passage to be applicable to us because we may not consider ourselves, "teachers."
However, I am reminded to take these words of scripture seriously because, as I walk the road of my life, people are watching
me. They are observing and making decisions for their own lives partly based on the examples I am portraying.
People are watching you too! You and I, as believers, must be on the lookout for false teachers. They are
found even among the best of denominations and movements! And, they are surely found in the media, where we hear all
sorts of teachings about everything from secular humanism to mystical and occult teachings. 2 Peter 2:1 (NIV) 1 But
there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce
destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. Because
there will be people in authority over us in our churches, in our government, and even in the order of our own household,
who will not be following the way of the Lord, but teaching by strict orders to us or just by example, the ways of the world;
we need to be prepared to know The Way and follow Him. John 14:6 (AM) 6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way
and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me. How do we stay prepared
in this world of deception? We do what we're doing this morning. We look to the words of scripture. Psalm 119:105 (NLT) 105
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. We can't be satisfied to just
take a look at the word and do nothing with it. We must promise, like the Psalmist, to obey it. Psalm 119:106 (NLT) 106 I’ve promised it once, and
I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations. Jesus is The Word,
sent by the Father. John 1:14 (NLT) 14 So the Word became human and
made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s
one and only Son. Jesus said that all His commandments were based on love and that if we truly loved Him, we
would obey. (Matthew 22:38-40, John 14:15) Obviously, these false teachers, that Peter is describing
for us, go against the word of God. (2 Peter 2:10) Not only do they not obey the commandments of Jesus, but they try to teach us to do the same! Before we get
too judgmental of those around us, we might want to take a look at our own lives. People are looking at us every
day. What kind of example are we setting for others to follow? What example will our children see?
What do our co-workers see? What do our fellow-Christians see? The following description of the characteristics
of false teachers are not my own ideas. They are derived from the original meanings of the Greek words describing them
in the scripture. They walk after the flesh. They are basically carnal in nature. They indulge
in the lust of polluting passions; such as things like pride, greed, covetousness, drunkenness, sexual immorality, violence,
crude and vile speech, - and the list goes on. These people may appear to us to be strong but what they really
are is presumptuous, daring in a destructive way, self-willed, and self-absorbed. They appear to be afraid
of nothing. They throw their weight around because they think they can. They don't want interference
in their lives from any authority. They are insolent. They are egoists. They even imagine
themselves stronger and more powerful than celestial beings! They don't have a reverential fear of anything. 2 Peter 2:10 (AMP) 10 And particularly those who walk after the flesh
and indulge in the lust of polluting passion and scorn and despise authority. Presumptuous [and] daring [self-willed and self-loving
creatures]! They scoff at and revile dignitaries (glorious ones) without trembling, Do you know people
like that? More importantly, do others see any of those traits in us? After going through this description,
I find that I have a lot of soul-searching to do in many areas. I am confident, though, that if we do that soul-searching,
humbling ourselves before God, He will lift us up when the time is right. 1 Peter 5:6 (AMP) 6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves
in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, We don't
have to try to be, nor should we be, as they used to say, "macho." These, so called, "macho," types are operating in their
own strength, by their own rules. We don't want to be influenced by their teaching and we certainly
do not want to become like they are! One good reason that we need to check our own lives so that we do not find any
of these traits within ourselves is that God is really ticked at these people. He is saving up judgment for them.
God has the highest degree of punishment in the wings for these people. They will be punished, as Vine's Dictionary
says, "very, very much." While it is not a pleasant thought to think that this sort of judgment and
punishment will come upon another, we cannot change other people. Only God can do that. But,
we can purpose to live according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh in our own lives, as we are strengthened
by Christ. (Philippians 4:13) We can be one of those who teach, by example, when we read God's Word, believe it and then
carry it out in our daily walk. We can, through God's Word, learn to discern right from wrong and follow what is right.
Hebrews 5:14 (NIV) 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant
use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. False teachers hand out spiritual "junk
food." We all know that junk food is dangerous to our health. Some it is packaged to look, "healthy,"
but we have to read the ingredients. Eating junk food will not make us physically fit and, if we do it all the time,
it will hasten our death. Following false teachers who deceive by putting a spin on the spiritual ingredients will result
in our following them into the destruction that God has planned for them. On the other hand, we can be greatly
encouraged this morning! You and I have the opportunity to humble ourselves before God, die daily to our fleshly nature,
walk uprightly by His Spirit and through His strength, being a teacher, by example, perhaps leading others to come into the
Kingdom. Is it easy? No. Will we be tempted to follow some glitzy rhetoric? Probably. Might
we have to stay in that humble place in Christ, even in our own homes, until He chooses the time to let our light have an
effect on those around us? Maybe. Can we do it? To choose a phrase that has been in the media of late, "Yes
we can!" But, not by our own power and not by going against powers that are stronger than we are in our
natural strength. We can do all these things through the power of Christ, who has promised to strengthen us, no matter
how difficult the test may be. He has promised that we will not be tested above what we can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13) What is one of the main characteristics we find lacking in false teachers? Humility! When others look
at our lives, what do they see? AUGUST 13, 2009 - THOSE ENCOURAGING, "IF'S," AND'S, THEN'S AND BUT'S 2 Peter 2:9 (NIV) 2 Peter 2:9 starts out with an, "if." It says, "if the Lord knows how..." As I read
this, I thought to myself, "There is nothing that the Lord does not know how to do!" Right away, I was filled
with encouragement! Whatever challenges you and I may be facing this morning, God already knows how to bring us through
and out in victory. He knows what we need, before we even know what we need! For sure,
He knows our need before we even think to tell Him about it! He has already provided the answer!
Matthew 6:8 (AMP) 8 Do not be like them, for your
Father knows what you need before you ask Him. One thing is for sure. The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from
trials. We may live in a perverse and ungodly world today but the Lord knows how to rescue us from the trials caused
by the sin that is rampant around us! God shows us examples of this down through His-story. 2 Peter 2:4 uses another, "if." "If God did not spare the angels......." Now
there is a sobering thought. The magnificent and glorious angels that rebelled against God were sent to hell and
reserved for judgment. Let's not go there! 2 Peter 2:5 (NIV) gives us another example. if he did not spare the ancient
world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; Notice
the "if," there. God does not spare sinners who refuse to repent. But, He will save even just eight
out of a whole world of sinners! We must recall what Jesus's first words of preaching on this earth were. Matthew 4:17 (AMP) 17 From that time Jesus began to
preach, crying out, Repent (change your mind for the better, heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins),
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. God gives us yet another example in 2 Peter 2:6-8. We are told that God did away with the unrepentant cities of Sodom and Gommorrah and He rescued Lot.
Lot was a man, according to the Lord, that was weary and worn out from living in the midst of sin. Maybe you are that
way too. You can't seem to avoid all the sin that is going on around you. You may even struggle with sin in your
own home because some are not following the Lord. Your own righteous soul may be tortured. But, God sees
your heart and He is able to rescue you! (2 Peter 2:9) 2 Peter 2:9 (AMP) 9 Now if [all these things
are true, then be sure] the Lord knows how to rescue the godly out of temptations and trials, and how to keep the ungodly
under chastisement until the day of judgment and doom, I have just been encouraged by reading about
the things that God knows how to do. That's just about everything! Peter uses that little word, "if,"
again by saying, "......if all these things are true......," really letting us know that all
those things we just saw in 2 Peter 2:4-8 are true! This morning God has encouraged me with the qualifying words of, "if,"
"and," "then," and "but." If God didn't spare sinners in times past, He
will not spare unrepentant sinners today. But, if we repent, we will be spared! 1 John 1:9 (NLT) 9
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
wickedness. We might be looking around at many ungodly people who seem to be prosperous but, if they don't repent,
God is, even now, keeping them under chastisement. We might even feel bogged down, just as Lot did, by
the degradation going on around us. But, if we are faithful to live godly lives in a dark world and
stay close to our Lord and Savior, then, God will rescue us from our trials and protect us from the
wrath that is to come on a rebellious and disobedient world! Colossians 3:5-11 (NLT) 5 So put to death the sinful, earthly
things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy,
for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 12, 2009 - WATCH OUT FOR FALSE TEACHERS AMONG YOU 2 Peter 2:1 (NIV) I notice that Peter, in the middle of his writing, in the first chapter of 2 Peter made a qualifying statement.
He assured us that he did was not making up stories from his own mind to try to get us to believe him. 2 Peter 1:16 (NIV) 16 We did not follow cleverly invented
stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Peter was quite aware of all the devised fables that were in his world. These man-made ideas were not
just in the world, but they had permeated the Jewish religion. Men had taken scripture and come up with their own traditions.
Jesus was not happy about that. Mark 7:8-9 (NIV) 8 You have let go of the commands
of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." 9 And he said to them:
"You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! The
Jewish leaders of the day had made up so many stories and traditions that they began to believe their own lies. We all
know people like that today. But, that's not where the Lord wants you and I to be! Are we more interested in man-made
traditions today than we are in what Jesus taught in the Word? If we get too interested in those things, we will be
in danger of not recognizing the false teachers that Peter said would be among us today! Although there may be some
false teachers out there today that look prosperous, God's Word tells us that their destruction will be swift. We don't
want to go there. Peter is warning us that many are going to follow the shameful
ways of these teachers who come up with their own ideas and place them above the Word of God. 2 Peter 2:2 (NIV) 2 Many will follow their shameful
ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. First off, I don't want to be found among the
many people who are going to follow shameful ways of teachers who teach their own word instead of God's Word. I doubt
that you do either, if you are taking the time to read this devotional. Secondly, I don't want to be one of those people
who bring the way of truth into disrepute! I don't want to be a blasphemer, which is the word that is used
here in the original Greek to describe, "bring the way of truth into disrepute." I don't want to be the
cause of the world having a reason to rail on, revile, or speak evil of the way of truth! But, how can you and I be sure that we are not following
false teachers? First of all, we can remember that Jesus is The Teacher. Matthew 23:8-10 (AMP) 8 But
you are not to be called rabbi (teacher), for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 9
And do not call anyone [in the church] on earth father, for you have one Father, Who is in heaven. 10 And you must not be called masters (leaders), for you have one Master (Leader), the Christ.
His Holy Spirit will teach us all things if we are humble enough to learn from Him and look away from the tantalizing
teachings of this world which have crept into our congregations. John 14:27 (AMP) 26 But the Comforter (Counselor,
Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place,
to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of,
bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you. We should not be content to sit in a pew on Sunday
and be spoon-fed anything and everything. We need to continue to test the spirits. 1 John 4:1 (AMP) 1 BELOVED, DO not put faith in every
spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into
the world. We need to look into the Word of God ourselves, checking what we have heard in church and in
the world against what God really says. Acts 17:11 (NIV) 11 Now the Bereans were of more
noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every
day to see if what Paul said was true. We need to be rooted and grounded in the Word of God ourselves, constantly
wanting more of it and building ourselves up in it. Hebrews 5:12-14 (AMP) 12 For even though by this time
you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God’s
Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food. 13 For everyone who continues to
feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in
purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 11, 2009 - THE PROPHETS WERE MOVED BY HIS SPIRIT, ARE WE? 2 Peter 1:20 (NIV) There are lots of myths out there that sound really plausible.
Many of the ancient myths sound strangely close to Bible stories. They are intriguing and some people believe them.
The Apostle, Peter, did not want you and me to be in the dark about the Word of God. The prophets of old spoke about
the Light that would be revealed to us and, many years later, that Light was revealed. That Light is Jesus!
2 Peter 1:19 (NIV) 19 And
we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in
a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. The prophets were not
making up clever stories in their own minds and then trying to pawn them off on the world as the truth. Peter did not
do that either. 2 Peter 1:16 (NIV) 16 We did not follow cleverly invented
stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
No, Peter was careful to stay away from fictional stories, no matter how cleverly they were invented.
He saw the Holy Spirit inspired words of the prophets fulfilled in Jesus. He wants us to do the same. Going
all the way back to Moses, we find this interesting fact. Acts 3:22-23 (NLT) 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord your
God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’
23 Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely
cut off from God’s people.’ Moses was speaking, long-term, of Jesus, although he knew
nothing in his natural mind about Him. He simply told the people what God said, through the power of the Holy Spirit!
Abraham and Samuel did the same thing. None of these people were able to interpret the long-range effects of what they
said. They just spoke as the Holy Spirit carried them along! 2 Peter 1:21 (NIV) 21 For prophecy never had its origin
in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. This is very encouraging
to us today, as we read the scriptures and find the power, through the Holy Spirit, to discern truth from mythical stories.
I doubt that these men who prophesied about Jesus knew the full impact of what would have to happen to Him. I doubt
if they knew the suffering that would take place in His life so that all mankind could be saved from their ignorance and sin.
The writer of the Book of Acts, records some words from Peter as he explained to the Jewish people the fulfillment of what
their prophets had spoken in the past. Peter's audience at the time were operating in ignorance. But, you
and I don't have to operate that way. We can read the scripture from one end to the other and find His-story down through
history. Acts 3:17-18 (NIV) 17 "Now, brothers, I know that
you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled
what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. What if we have been operating in ignorance? What
if we have not done, as God tells us to do? What if we have not studied His word? 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV) 15 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. Is there
any hope for us? We may find ourselves wondering like Pilate did? "What is truth?"
(John 18:38) Yes, there is hope for us! We can start by avoiding godless chatter in our lives. We
can stop pondering stories that have no basis in scripture. 2 Timothy 2:16 (NIV) 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will
become more and more ungodly. The more time we spend on allowing fictional myths to consume our thoughts,
the less time we will have to study God's Word and show ourselves approved by knowing what the prophets have foretold
and seeing the fulfillment of these prophesies come to pass. As Peter spoke to the Jewish people many years ago,
God's Word speaks down through the ages to you and me today. His Word is, repent. In other words,
change your mind. Turn from the way you are going and go the other way! Listen to the prophets who were
moved by the Spirit of God. Learn what they said and find them to be true as you see them unfold in the scriptures
and in our world today! God is not a slave-driver. He is not wanting us to study just so we can have knowledge.
He wants us to know His-story. He wants us to know it so that we can know that our sins are wiped out. He wants
us to be refreshed by His Word and not burdened by the cleverly made-up stories of man. Peter tells us, down through
the ages, that Jesus must remain in Heaven until the time comes when God will restore everything as He promised a long time
ago through the prophets. Acts 3:19-21 (NIV) 19 Repent, then, and turn to God,
so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and
that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. 21 He
must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
Many today do not believe that Jesus will return from Heaven for those who have put their faith in Him.
Maybe that's because they, like the Jewish people of Peter's day, are walking in ignorance. Since the prophets did not
speak of things they made up in their own minds, and since no prophecy has yet failed, we can be sure that Jesus
will return. Are you ready for that? Am I? Right now, He is just waiting for you and me to come
to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (TLB) 9 He isn’t really being slow
about his promised return, even though it sometimes seems that way. But he is waiting, for the good reason that he is not
willing that any should perish, and he is giving more time for sinners to repent. I'm so glad that our God is
patient in waiting for us to repent! I'm so glad that, when we do repent, refreshment is poured on us by our loving
Father. His Spirit has spoken through the prophets so that we can find His truth. Have we taken the time to listen
to the prophets? Because we can see that their words were prompted by the Holy Spirit, are we living lives that reflect
our knowledge of the truth? 2 Peter 3:11 (TLB) 11 And so since everything around us is going to
melt away, what holy, godly lives we should be living! Yes, the prophets of old were moved by God's Spirit.
As we study their words we, too, must commit to walking in His Spirit. Galatians 5:25 (NIV) 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in
step with the Spirit. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 11, 2009 - THERE'S A LIGHT SHINING IN A DARK PLACE! 2 Peter 1:19 (NIV) Can you imagine
yourself being trapped in a dark subway with a whole bunch of other people. It's pitch black. You can't see a
thing. You can hear voices. Some crying. Some screaming. Some even yelling that they know the way
out. But, you are still in a dark place. You don't know which voice to listen to. You want someone
to tell you how to escape, but more than that, you would love to have light so you could find the way out yourself.
We live in a dark world. We do hear voices all around us crying.
Some are angry voices. Many are trying to tell us that they know the way out of this darkness. Self-help
books fill the shelves of bookstores. TV programs tout the latest philosophies and psychological theories. Drug
companies even advertise such things as anti-depressants regularly in magazines, as well as on TV, telling us to take a pill
and escape the darkness. We are bombarded by hundreds of voices. Voices in the dark, telling us that they know
how to find the glimmer of light that will help us escape. We don't have to, and we should not, listen to these many
voices that vie for our attention. Instead, the Apostle, Peter assures us that we should pay attention to the prophetic
word in the scripture. It was made sure to him when he heard God's voice from heaven. (2 Peter 1:17-18) Now Peter would like us to pay close attention to the prophetic
word because it has been fulfilled in Jesus. It is a lamp that shines in a dismal, squalid and dark place. It
shines for you and me. It is God's word. Psalm 119:105 (NIV) 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path. Some people don't recognize the Light and they go on stumbling around in the darkness,
falling into pits, unable to find their way out. As believers, we have a Light for our feet here in this world of darkness.
Even a small lamp will shine brighter when it is placed in increasing darkness just as a fine diamond shows up best
on the blackest of cloth. You and I, if we are believers in Jesus, now have the Light within us. Jesus is
that Light. He said so! John 12:46 (NLT) 46 I have come as a light to shine in
this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. Although we live in
a dark world, we are not a part of it. John 17:15-19 (TLB) 15 I’m not asking
you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from Satan’s power. 16 They
are not part of this world any more than I am. 17 Make them pure and holy through
teaching them your words of truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I am sending
them into the world, 19 and I consecrate myself to meet their need for growth in truth
and holiness. We have the Light in which to walk, so that we will not stumble. Jesus has promised
to meet our need for light in our world. But, Peter tells us we have to pay close attention to it. We need to
focus on it. An exit light will do us no good if we turn our back and refuse to look at it. It will do us no good
if we don't walk toward it. We can pretend not to see it but, if we need to find the way out, we will just end up having
a pity party and denying that there is a light to lead us out. Today, there is a Light shining for you and
me right in the middle of this dark world. Whether we choose to focus on the Light, instead of the darkness is our choice.
Whether we choose to follow that Light instead of bumbling around in the darkness is also our choice. If we make
the good and beneficial choice to focus on the Light and follow Him, His light will shine through us so that
others will turn toward Him. Matthew 5:16 (AMP) 16 Let your light so shine before
men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise
and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. There is a Light shining
in your dark world. Will you focus on Him and follow Him? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 9, 2009 - THEY HEARD WITH THEIR OWN EARS 2 Peter 1:16-18 (NLT) 16 For
we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic
splendor with our own eyes 17 when he received honor and glory from God the Father.
The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
Have you ever heard that saying, "I would have liked
to be a fly on the wall in that situation."? Can you imagine the awe of hearing the voice of God with your
own ears? That's what Peter experienced, along with James and John, on the Mount of Transfiguration. Luke 9:28-29 (NIV) 28 About eight days after Jesus
said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As
he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. While
they were on the Mount with Jesus, they had an experience that you and I would probably love to have. They audibly
heard the voice of God! Luke 9:34-35 (NIV) 34 While he was speaking, a cloud
appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A
voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." Would
you have liked to be on that Mount and heard the voice of God with your own ears? Have there been times in your life
when you wished God would just tell you what to do, by saying it out loud so you could hear it? This morning, you and
I have it, on good report, that God does speak and is able to speak to mankind audibly, if He so wishes. However, He
has given us spiritual ears with which we might hear His glorious voice today. He gave Peter, James, and John that experience
so they could pass it along to us. I'm pondering what God said when He spoke on that Mount. Basically, He said,
"I'm greatly pleased with my Son, Jesus. You need to listen to Him." Are we listening to Jesus today? In our trials and difficult circumstances, do we find a quiet
place, above all the din of the world where we can hear Him speak. That's what the Father wants us to do.
Although we will, most probably, not hear an audible voice, we can hear with our spiritual ears. You and I were not
called to walk by what we see with our physical eyes. We walk by faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT) 7 For we live by believing and not
by seeing. It is my opinion that we hear by faith also. God
has, and always will, desire to talk to His children. But, rebellious children do not listen very well. If you
are a parent, you can possibly relate to this. Sometimes they have to go their own way and find out that their way brings
disaster before they are ready to hear you. God is not surprised by those of us who go our own way at times and get
out of the "hearing" distance of our Father. While He may not be surprised, He might grieve at the thought
that His children would be set free by just one Word from Him. The Israelites rebelled and they could not
hear God any more. But, that did not stop God from hearing and seeing them! That did not change God's character,
which includes mercy. Psalms 117:1-2 (AMP) 1 O PRAISE the Lord, all
you nations! Praise Him, all you people! 2 For His mercy and loving-kindness
are great toward us, and the truth and faithfulness of the Lord endure forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) The
Lord loved the children of Israel, even though they were disobedient. The Lord loves you and me this morning, although
we may have walked away from the place where we can clearly hear His voice. Look how He restores His people when they
are willing to return to Him. Isaiah 30:19-21 (NLT) 19 O
people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond
to the sound of your cries. 20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and
suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. 21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you
should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Are you confused as to which way to turn this morning?
As for God's help. His Word says that he will respond to your cry. You may be suffering some consequences
for some poor choices you made right now but God desires to speak to you! Your own spiritual ears will
hear Him as He turns you in the right direction! To whom does God, the Father turn us so that we can hear the words of life?
To His Son, Jesus. That's what He said to Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration and that is what
He is saying to you and me today. "Hear Him." Can you hear Him this morning? If not, could
it be that you have not been really listening? Jesus often used the word, "listen," when speaking to his disciples
and to the general public. Here is one example. Matthew 15:10-11 (AMP) 10 And Jesus called the people to
Him and said to them, Listen and grasp and comprehend this: 11 It is not what goes
into the mouth of a man that makes him unclean and defiled, but what comes out of the mouth; this makes a man unclean and
defiles [him]. Since God's Word was written, not only for Jesus's time but to be passed down to you and
me, we must understand that He wants us to listen. That implies that we will be able to hear. In the case of Matthew 15:10-11, it may encourage us to listen a lot more than we talk! It has been said that we have two ears and only
one mouth. Therefore, we should listen twice as much as we talk! Jesus made every effort to see that people would
hear Him, but there are some who absolutely refuse. We don't have to be among those people if we will just listen with our
own ears and understand what the Lord is saying. John 8:42-45 (NLT) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 8, 2009 - DON'T BE CARRIED AWAY BY CLEVER STORIES 2 Peter 1:16 (NLT) When we see something with our own eyes, it lets us know
what that something is really like. Others can tell us what it's like but their perception may not be accurate. The
Apostle, Peter, saw the majestic splendor of Jesus with his own eyes. While you and I were not privileged to live
in Peter's time and see Jesus in the flesh, He has provided for us an opportunity to see His majestic splendor with
our own eyes, by faith, through His Word. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMP) 18 And all of us, as with unveiled face,
[because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured
into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord
[Who is] the Spirit. The Apostle, Paul, spoke of looking into the Word of God, like looking into a mirror.
When we look there long enough and diligently enough, we begin to look like Jesus! It's not a one-time thing.
It's a process. We are constantly being transfigured into His image if we continue to look into the mirror
of His Word. While Peter saw the majestic splendor of Jesus with His own eyes, that very same Jesus, through His Word,
has given us the opportunity to, not only see that same thing by faith, but to be transformed from one degree to another by
this same splendor. The more we gaze into His Word, the less likely we will be to be carried away by clever stories.
We won't be swayed by fairy tales any more. We will be rooted and grounded in His love and truth. Jesus has told us plainly in His Word that He is coming back to
earth again in all His power and glory. Matthew 16:27) (AMP) 27
For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory (majesty, splendor) of His Father with His angels, and then
He will render account and reward every man in accordance with what he has done. We have just read this with
our own eyes. Do we really believe it? And what are we doing about the fact that we are eye-witnesses to His Word
that He will return? Are we storing these words in our heart to help us to live righteously in the generation in which
we live? Do those around us know that we know that Jesus will come back? Or are we ashamed to let our beliefs
play out in our lives so that others might come to the knowledge of Christ too? So that they too might see
Him in His Word with their very own eyes? When we look into His Word further, we see that, unless we have lived unashamedly
in this world by letting our words and lives reveal the fact that we are eye-witnesses to His Word, He will be ashamed of
us when He does return. Mark 8:38 (AMP) 8 For whoever is ashamed [here and
now] of Me and My words in this adulterous (unfaithful) and [preeminently] sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also
be ashamed when He comes in the glory (splendor and majesty) of His Father with the holy angels. That's not
a pleasant scene to ponder. Instead of going there, we need to be reminded of some things to watch for, in the world
in which we live, so that we will not be carried away by manmade stories. We need to be eye-witnesses of all that is
in God's Word so that we will, through His Word, be able to discern what is true and what is not true. Here are a few of the warnings in God's Word about the danger
of following after anything that is not pure truth. In 1 Timothy 1:3-4, the apostle is encouraging Timothy, and us, not to pay attention to fictional things. When
I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. Don't
let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless
speculations, which don't help people live a life of faith in God. Like Timothy, you and I should stay
away from discussions that only cause strife and can't be proven by what we have been privileged to see with our
own eyes in God's Word. Again, in 1 Timothy 4:7, Paul urges Timothy (and us) to refuse old wive's fables. 1 Timothy 4:7-10 (NLT) 7
Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 8
“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in
the life to come.” 9 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 7, 2009 - WE MUST NOT BELIEVE A LIE 2 Peter 1:16 (KJV) 16 For
we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. We have access to many things in the media today. We have a broad choice of religions from which to choose.
There are lots of books being written. We are told many things by many people. It is easy to be deceived unless
we are keenly aware of what is going on around us. Most of the things we hear and read claim to have the truth.
Many denominations and religious movements that claim that they are the only ones who have the truth and
the whole truth. Peter had the same sort of thing going on in his day. People, out of vain imaginations,
would make up fictional scenarios that could easily distract one from the real truth. Romans 1:21 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t
worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their
minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became
utter fools. When we begin to think up or listen to the foolish ideas of people who are not grounded
in the Word of God, our minds will become dark and confused. We may feel wise but, in God's eyes, we have become
fools. Peter says there is such thing as cunningly devised fables. These are stories and religious
sounding things that are highly plausible but totally fictitious! Didn't the devil try to get Eve to believe something
like that? Genesis 3:1 (NLT) 1 The
serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really
say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” The enemy questioned
Eve to see if she really knew what God had said. Sadly, she did what we sometimes do. She added
to what God had said by saying that He told them not to eat it or touch it. Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3:2) Satan had twisted God's word and Eve twisted it further. That's one way fables can get started. And,
I'm sure our enemy is very happy when that happens! We must know, for ourselves, what God really said and we
must stick with His Word only! Peter knew the truth.
What is that truth that Peter knew? He knew Jesus. John 14:6 (KVJ) 6 Jesus saith unto
him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Peter did not
have to ask, like Pilate, "What is truth?" John 18:38 (NIV) 38 "What is truth?" Pilate
asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. Pilate
stood face to face with The Truth but he couldn't see Him. He was listening to cleverly devised fables instead.
Unlike Pilate, Peter saw the truth with his own eyes and heard Him with his own ears! Not just his physical eyes and
ears, but his spiritual eyes and ears too. What are we
following today? We, by faith, have the opportunity to see the truth which we can readily find in the Word of God and
see it with our own eyes. John 1:14 (KJV) 14 And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
We can, all of these years later, be assured by Peter, as he tells us of his eye-witness experience with Jesus,
that we do not have to be deceived in this age of deception. Ephesians 4:14 (NIV) 14 Then we will no longer be infants,
tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of
men in their deceitful scheming. We, like Peter, can refrain from following man's made-up fictitious fables,
no matter how well they are couched in religious language. We have been given a sound mind with which to discern whether
what we hear and read is really true or just a fictional distortion of the truth. We can do that only if
we know the Truth. John 8:31-32 (NIV) 31 To the Jews who had believed
him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." It is the truth that
we know that will set us free to follow Jesus and no other! We don't have any excuses for following fables
(in other words lies). Jesus, The Truth, belongs to us if we have believed and received Him. This is the
age of deception but, if we believe, we will not end up like those people the Apostle, Paul, tells us about in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NLT) 9 This
man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He
will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the
truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and
they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned
for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. These people will have chosen to believe lies
and they will be condemned. We, if we have chosen to believe The Truth, are no longer under any condemnation (Romans 8:1) God has given us His Word so we do not have to believe a lie! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 6, 2009 - REFRESHING REMINDERS 2 Peter 1:12 (NIV) I like Peter! The Apostle, Peter, has given us lots of meat to chew on in the first eleven verses of 2 Peter,
Chapter 1. Just in case we forget to stop eating of this "meat," of God's word, Peter ends his discourse
with this: "I'm going to always remind you of these things." He says he's going to keep reminding
us even though we are firmly established in the truth we now have. If we are believers, we all have
the truth but we need to grow in that truth, as evidenced by Peter's plan for growing our faith in 2 Peter 1:5-7. As we grow, more truth is revealed to us. When that happens we will be firmly established in
that truth that we, at that time, have. We must stay established in the truth we now have but know that, in the
process, we will grow in that truth. There will be future, "now's." Somebody has to remind us from time
to time because it doesn't always look and feel like we are established or like we are growing! We
know it by faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT) 7 For
we live by believing and not by seeing. But, it helps when we remind one another. When we remind
one another, we are also reminding ourselves! I would like to be like Peter, not fearing the reproach of people if I remind them of spiritual things, even when
they are in the straits of despair or pain. Peter knew that there was something more than the present circumstances
that we see with our eyes and feel with our emotions and bodies. He was so sure of this that He said:
2 Peter 1:13 (NLT) And
it is only right that I should keep on reminding
you as long as I live. Peter was not going to make light of the needs of others to be reminded of the
precious principles of the faith. He does not remind us, nor should we remind others, in a judgmental way.
He acknowledges that we are firmly established in what we know now. He just reminds us that we should
constantly remember these things and grow in them. He expresses, in his way, the profound words we find
written in that tiny Book of Jude. Jude 1:20 (NLT) 20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power
of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring
you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. Peter was all about
building you and me up by constantly reminding us of the really important things in life. Peter certainly had good
reason to do that. He had failed miserably but Jesus built Peter back up with a few constant reminders! John 21:15-17 (NLT) 15 After
breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,”
Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. 16
Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter
said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. 17
A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the
question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then
feed my sheep. Peter received those reminders from Jesus and, although his past was filled
with shame, he picked himself up and grew in the Lord until he was able to reach thousands for Jesus in his own
time and end up being an encouragement to us in our time! To us, he is an encouragement by reminding us of the necessity
of growth in our lives. He's not ashamed to do it either. Some may not receive it and consider reminders as, perhaps,
nagging. But that does not stop Peter! It should not stop us either, as long as we are telling the truth in love.
Ephesians 4:14-15 (NIV) 14 Then
we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by
the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking
the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. I recently
read a quote by Lily Tomlin. She is not what we might call a "follower of Christ," that I know of. Yet,
even the world knows that God's principles work! She said the following. "I
always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody." Peter
knew he was somebody because Jesus had built him back up from a very low place. He took that position of being,
"somebody," seriously. You and I are, "somebody," too! We are the somebodies that God loved
enough to redeem by the blood of His own Son! Peter knew that his time was short on this earth. 2 Peter 1:14 (NIV) 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside
(the tent of his earthly body), as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. Because,
he knew this, he diligently worked to see that, after he had left this earth, people would remember what he told them about
the Lord. 2 Peter 1:15 (NIV) 15 And I will make every effort to see that after
my departure you will always be able to remember these things. Most of us do not know the time of our death
and none of us know the day and time that Jesus will return. Then, there will be no more time for, "reminders."
This morning, if you need to be reminded of some spiritual things, will you accept those reminders and grow in them?
If you need to be an encouraging reminder to others, will you realize what Lily Tomlin realized? You are
the "somebody," that can do something about whatever, "that," is in your world
that needs changing. You can realize, like Peter did, that your words will live on and help others grow in the
Lord even after you've gone from this world. Are we being refreshing reminders today? Will our reminders live
on the minds of others after we're gone, constantly uplifting them and helping them to keep their faith? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 5, 2009 - WHAT THE WHEREFORE IS THERE FOR 2 Peter 1:10 (KJV) It is always interesting when we find the word, "therefore," or "wherefore,"
in the scripture. It, as we've heard many preachers say, is there for a good reason and we need to find out what it
is there for. It sends us back to what we've already read for a second look. It urges us to be diligent to know
what was said previously. It usually advises us of a blessing or provides a warning that we would want to seriously
consider. That's what Peter is doing in 2 Peter 1:10. He starts with the word, "wherefore." The New International Version uses the word,
"therefore." Why is Peter using this word? For one
thing, Peter uses the word, "diligence," in 2 Peter 1:10. The, "wherefore," in this same verse may refer us back to 2 Peter 1:5, where he is encouraging us to diligently make some additions to the precious faith that God has placed in
us. In fact, Peter give us several additions that we need and gives us a specific order for diligently adding them.
In two short verses (2 Peter 1:5-7), Peter spells out how we should diligently add to our faith. Let's remind ourselves again. To
faith, we add virtue, to virtue we add knowledge, to knowledge, we add self-control, to self-control, we add perseverance,
to perseverance, we add godliness, to godliness, we add brotherly love, and finally, to brotherly love, we add charity.
Whew! If we delve into each one of these things, we find a lifetime of things to continually add to our faith!
In 2 Peter 1:5, Peter uses a word for, "diligence," that means, "speed.." In other words, making
haste with eagerness, earnestness, and carefulness. He's urging us to go to work and "take care of business."
In 2 Peter 1:10, Peter uses a different Greek word for, "diligence." This one tells us to use that
"speed." We're to make an effort, be prompt to made the additions. Even labor to make them. It
also indicates that we should study. Peter is really into being diligent in spiritual matters. Are we? The,
"wherefore," in 2 Peter 1:10 may just be there to remind us to be diligent to do
those things Peter speaks about in the first few verses of 2 Peter, Chapter 1. Peter is all about us being sure of our election and calling. He's indicating to us that, by diligently taking
care of and adding to our faith, we can be sure of the fact that God has invited and selected us to be His child and
given us an inheritance of eternal life. We can be sure of walking steadily without stumbling or falling. He lets
us know later on in 2 Peter 2:20-21 that, if we don't diligently add these things to our faith, we can fall back into the corruption
of this world. The picture he paints is not a pretty one. We don't want to go there. If we do go there,
we can succumb to the teachings of false teachers because we have not diligently studied these additions to our
faith and diligently put them into practice in our lives. The "wherefore," in 2 Peter 1:10 has an implied warning, but it also brings us encouragement. It is there to point us to the fact
that, if we diligently do those things he has mentioned before, we will receive a warm welcome into the
eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Do you want that rich welcome into Heaven? Do you want to
hear your Savior say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."? (Matthew 25:21) Then, know that Peter's little word, "wherefore," is there to show you the way and
encourage you onward and upward in your faith! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 4, 2009 - WE SURELY DON'T WANT TO BE FOUND LACKING! 2 Peter 1:9 (KJV) You and I don't like to be lacking in anything. We don't feel comfortable or happy when we are in dire
need of something. It is surely not God's will that we be lacking in anything that will make us spiritually healthy
and improve our vision. When we are spiritually healthy, the material things will fall into place. (Matthew 6:33) I like the way The Living Bible paraphrases 2 Peter 1:9 But anyone who fails to go after these additions to faith is blind indeed,
or at least very shortsighted and has forgotten that God delivered him from the old life of sin so that now he can live a
strong, good life for the Lord. We walk a dangerous path when we have a lack of things in our lives that
the Lord has already given us. Such were the people of old who had knowledge, but rejected it. Hosea 4:6 (KJV) 6 My people are destroyed for lack
of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou
hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. It's kind of interesting that Proverbs 29:18 lets us know that, without vision, people perish. Where there is no vision, the
people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. The wonderful thing is that, throughout scripture,
God gives us ways to have better vision. He sent Jesus to heal the blind. Not just the physically blind, but the
spiritually blind! Isaiah 42:6-7 (NIV) 6 "I,
the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant
for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free
captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. Do you want to be sure that you don't go spiritually
blind or have very poor vision? Vine's Dictionary indicates that the words, "cannot see afar off," has
to do with people that are spiritually near-sighted. They can't see the bigger picture. They are too preoccupied
in the affairs of this world to discern spiritual things. How is our vision this morning? If it is starting
to dim, we can go back to Peter's plan so that we will have no lack of vision. If you have read, and studied
deeply, 2 Peter 1:5-7, you can get an idea of how to get on the track to better vision from the following paraphrase taken
from The Living Bible. 2 Peter 5-7 (TLB) 5 But to obtain these gifts, you
need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God
better and discover what he wants you to do. 6 Next, learn to put aside your own desires
so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. 7 This
will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love
them deeply. Peter may be suggesting in 2 Peter 1:9 that, as James said, "faith without works is dead." James 2:26 (NLT) 26 Just as the body is dead without
breath, so also faith is dead without good works. We can't be a godly influence in this world without
the additions to our faith that Peter explains, any more than we can operate if our body is dead. What's more.
Leaving a dead body in the world will cause a great stink! We don't want to be found lacking in the additions to our
faith because, without them, we won't have vision. Without vision, we will begin to perish. Stink!!
God doesn't want stinky faith. He wants us to be fully equipped with everything our faith needs to be a vital and fruitful
force in this world. Once again, here is the order by which we can grow our faith. Virtue to knowledge, to
temperance, to patience, to godliness, to brotherly kindness, to charity. If you haven't checked out these things, in
depth, it might be a good idea to do so. Your vision will start to improve when you diligently study God's word.
2 Timothy 2:15 (TLB) 15 Work hard so God can say to you,
"Well done." Be a good workman, one who does not need to be ashamed when God examines your work. Know what his Word
says and means. It's not enough just to study and know. It has to become practical in our lives.
James 1:22-25 (NIV) 22 Do not merely listen to the word,
and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but
does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after
looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the
man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard,
but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. Lest we begin to think that our God is akin to a slave
driver, we need to remember that He wants the best for us. He wants us to have clear and perfect vision so we won't
stumble through this life, get hurt, and even die. And, He wants us to be blessed!! James says that, if we do
what we have heard, we will be blessed in what we do. Sounds good to me! Then, we surely don't want to be lacking
in those spiritual things we need to live a blessed life. The Lord, our Shepherd, has given us everything we need.
(Psalm 23:1) Are we being diligent to receive everything and use it? Everything is available to us today. Let's not
be lazy or indifferent, falling back into our old way of life and then be found by the Lord to be lacking! AUGUST 3, 2009 - DOES HE SEE ANY FRUIT? 2 Peter 1:8 (KJV) How
much do you know about any given subject? What have you done with that knowledge? Even though we might be able
to spew knowledge of certain things from what is stored in our brain, we don't always do something with it, do we? That's
not how the Lord wants our knowledge of Him to be. He doesn't want us to gather knowledge about Him and about His Word
and then not put that knowledge to work in our lives. Just our knowledge will probably not win anyone else to Christ.
In fact, they may think us conceited and arrogant, even hypocritical, if we don't display what we say in the way we live and
in the way we treat others. Our knowledge of the Lord will bring us grace and peace! 2 Peter 1:2 (KJV) 2 Grace and peace be multiplied
unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, Peter prays that grace and peace will even
be multiplied to us! If we have grace and peace in our own lives through our knowledge of the Lord, we will
certainly start showing it and others will want it too. But, that's not all. Peter has given us a list of several more things that
we must add. God is about abundance. We must always be receiving and adding what He gives us and letting Him multiply
it in and through us! Here's the list of things we should be adding daily to our lives. 2 Peter 1:5-7 (NLT) 5 In view of all this, make every
effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral
excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with
patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with
brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. If we are in the process of
continually adding these things to our faith, Peter says that we will not be barren and unfruitful. Are we barren when
it comes to the knowledge of the Lord? Here's the checklist. Are we idle? Do we fail to yield a return to God
of what He has given us in His word because we're inactive? God has given you and me a precious faith. (2 Peter 1:1) James goes a little further to describe what happens if you and I have not added to our faith from the above
plan given by Peter. James 2:20 (NLT) 20 How
foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Yes, we have it, on good report,
that our faith is useless if we are not adding those things that will spur us on to do something good with what
we know. What can threaten to make us
unfruitful? One thing that can make our faith useless is to be entrenched within the cares of this world. Matthew 13:22 (NLT) 22 The seed that fell among the
thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life
and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. We can hear God's word every time we go to church.
In fact, we can hear His word coming through radio and TV broadcasts that are designed to send the His word out. We
can hear it enough times to memorize it. Even so, the worries and cares of this life or the temptation to compromise
His word to get rich, can choke out that word if we have not been practicing what we have heard. When a worry
or care threatens you, what do you do? Do you complain, whine, or give up? Or, do you put the word of God to work
in you and combat those cares by letting your enemy know that you're not bearing them alone? 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because
he cares for you. When we choose to cast all our cares on Jesus, others will see us going through
instead of being stuck in our trials. We will have spurred another on in faith or maybe even been
instrumental in their salvation. We will have been fruitful, even in the midst of our pain. When we look
around, we see fruitless people, walking in darkness all around us. We used to be that way too. Now God wants
us to learn what is pleasing to Him. To learn and then to obey. That way, our lives will constantly remain fruitful.
We will be living proof of God's ability to turn a dry and fruitless life into a life that is pleasing and acceptable to Him.
If we don't want to be fruitless, we need to turn from close associations with those who do not bear fruit. (Ephesians 5:8-11) When they see our fruitful lives, it just may convict them and perhaps they will receive Jesus! Jesus
is where it all begins! He cuts off those dead branches on us that don't produce fruit so we can be fruitful.
We don't have to be fruitless! John 15:1-3 1 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2
He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit
so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the
message I have given you. The words that Peter has given us in 2 Peter 1:5-7 will
help to prune of any dead branches on us that might cause unfruitfulness. It will help us to remain in Jesus
and not be lured into the world of darkness. John 15:4-5 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed
from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 “Yes, I
am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can
do nothing. How are you this morning? Fruitful or unfruitful? If you have never asked Jesus
to be the Lord and Savior of your life, you are unfruitful. You can ask Him into your life right now. (Romans 10:13) If you do know Jesus but you have been idle and useless, stop and remember that you are in Him. Rest
in Him. Let His life flow through you. Add those things to your faith that Peter lists in 2 Peter 1:5-7. Apart from Him, we can't do a thing. But, with Him, we can do all things, including being abundantly fruitful!
(Philippians 4:13) When God looks at you, does He see any fruit? MORNING MANNA -
AUGUST 2, 2009 - GROWING IN LOVE 2 Peter 1:7 (KJV) Years ago, there was a song sung by the vocal artist, Cher, that said that sisters and brothers needed
to love one another. There was also a popular song that told us that what the world needs now is love, sweet love.
These were not what we might call Christian songs but the theme was certainly scriptural. In Peter's plan for us to
grow in the precious faith God has given us, we have been seeing that we have to make an effort to add certain things.
Peter places those additions in a certain order. (2 Peter 1:5-7) The last two on the list are brotherly kindness and love. The world has the idea right, as evidenced
in the two songs mentioned above and a whole host of other songs that we have heard down through the years and still hear
today. There is another song that talks about looking for love in all the wrong places. That's what the world
is doing. We can see that if we just take a good look around us. But, that's not God's plan for you and I, if
we are believers in Christ. God has shown us plainly that we are to look to Him first to find love. We are
made able to love God and others only because He first loved us! 1 John 4:19 (KJV) 19 We love him, because he first
loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV) 19 We love because
he first loved us. No matter how we choose to translate 1 John 4:19, the evidence is there. We are only able to love one another and love God because He first
loved us. While the world continues to look for love in all the wrong places, we need to look only
to God and then let His love flow through us to one another. The Apostle, Peter, teaches us that we need to add brotherly kindness to the godliness we have already
been urged to add. Since godliness involves a God-ward attitude and doing what pleases God, we can be assured that,
in our growth, we need to grow in affection for one another. God so loved the world that He gave His own son.
(John 3:16) He gave His perfect and beloved son for those who were still His enemies. Romans 5:10-11 (NLT) 10 For since our friendship with
God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his
Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God
because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Because we have been shown such love, God asks
us to show affection to our brothers and sisters. 1 John 4:20-21 (NLT) 20 If someone says, “I love
God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see,
how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those
who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters. Yes, God would have us love other
believers just as He loved us. But, that seems to be a growth process. It is what Peter calls, "charity,"
and it is the final addition to his plan for adding to our faith. In that process from simple faith to a faith that operates in unconditional
love, there are many things we will work diligently to add. The last two involve love, with the "agape,"
or God-type love, being the pinnacle. Just before we get to the last one, though, we are to grow in affectionate
love. We need to learn to put others before ourselves. As it is said, joy can be obtained in the following
way: J-Jesus, O-Others, and Y-Yourself. Romans 12:10 (NIV) 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor
one another above yourselves. Someone has called it, "learning to play second fiddle."
That is not always an easy task. Our flesh often cries out to take the lead. No wonder Peter said we had to be diligent
to add brotherly love to our godliness! When the Apostle, Paul, wrote to the Thessalonians about brotherly love, he
made an interesting point. He said they had already shown that love. Maybe we have too.
But we can't get complaisant and congratulate ourselves on past achievements. There's always more to add! 1
Thessalonians 4:9-10 (NLT) 9 But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving
each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. 10 Indeed, you already show your love for
all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more. As
Paul points out, it is God who has taught us to love one another. He also gave us an example. He did not love
us once and then stop loving us. He continues to love us, through our successes and failures, through our
joys and our sorrows. Paul told the Thessalonians that, after they had already loved, to continue to love
more. To show more and more brotherly kindness. The writer of Hebrews says, "Let brotherly
love continue." (Hebrews 13:1) Let it be a fixed practice. Never let it fail. When we see a brother or sister in need, that brotherly
love should kick in and, if it is in our power, we should meet their need. When we have added brotherly love to our
godly way of living, we will be well on the way to adding what Peter calls, "charity." That pure unconditional
love toward God and toward His children. Are we on the way? Where are we on that list of additions to our
faith spoken about by Peter in 2 Peter 1:5-7? What the world needs now is love. God's love. Is our faith growing so much that
His love is beginning to spill out and flow through to others? Have we truly realized the love God has for
us so that we can love Him back with that same kind of love? It's a process and Peter has shown us the steps in
that process. It seems that the final frontier is unconditional love. What have you added to your faith thus far
in the quest for the final frontier? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 1, 2009 - HAVE YOU ADDED GODLINESS YET? 2 Peter 1:6 (KJV) Have you been reading 2 Peter, Chapter 1, the first few verses? If so, you will have probably noticed that
Peter is providing us a method by which we can add to the precious gift of faith that God has given us. There
is a definite order in Peter's writing about those things that should be added. Starting with the addition
of virtue (valor and goodness), Peter says to add knowledge. (2 Peter 1:5) Do you suppose that Peter listed those things in this order because we need to be valiant in our faith and good
in our ways so that we can use knowledge correctly? In the chain of additions, Peter goes on to
tell us to add temperance (self-control). Someone who possesses knowledge but has no self-control may not use that knowledge
properly! Then Peter says to add patience. Oh my, if you are like me, you might have to take a little more time
with this addition! This is especially true when we realize that patience is cheerfully and hopefully
waiting. I can wait, but not always cheerfully and hopefully! If I have not added self-control, I won't do
very well at being patient. Adding all of these things
requires effort on our part. It requires letting God do a deep work in us from the inside out. You can't
really hold any of this stuff we're supposed to add in your hands but our lives will definitely reflect the successful
additions, as we work on them. Today, we've come as far as adding godliness to that list. What do you think
of as godliness? There are a few things that godliness isn't. It's not what we or others look like
on the outside. It's not even a plethora of great works. Jesus pointed that out. Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT) 21 “Not everyone who calls
out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in
heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied
in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23
But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ It's
very possible that we or others can look great to the general public and be totally unknown by the Lord. Why is that?
Jesus says it's because we break God's laws. Godliness, as described by Vine's Dictionary, involves having a God-ward
attitude and doing those things which are pleasing to Him. It is not displeasing to Him for demons to be cast
out and miracles to be performed. It is displeasing to Him if we do those things without having added those
things that Peter outlines for us to our faith so that all the glory will go to God for the work He performs.
We must come to realize that we are only vessels into which God has poured this precious gift of faith and that, as such,
we are to add things to our faith that will keep us going in the right direction. Things that will remind us that our
focus must be upward first. The Apostle, Peter, and the Apostle, Paul, both tell us the same thing. We need to
train ourselves in godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7 (NLT) 7 Do not waste time arguing over
godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. How can we add godliness to
what we, hopefully, already have added in Peter's plan? First we can make a decision, ahead of time, to do
and say those things that are pleasing to God, even in the most difficult of life's situations. Romans 12:2 (NLT) Don’t copy the behavior and
customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know
God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Is it time for us to check the way we are
thinking? Are we letting God transform us into that wonderful new person? The person who thinks the way He
does, and, therefore, does what He would do? Have you heard the saying, "I think, therefore I am"?
It's what we think about that makes us who we are. The scripture tells us that what we are really thinking
will eventually come out of our mouths! Pretty scary when I think about some thoughts that cross my mind!
Because we have already added things like goodness, knowledge, and self-control to our faith, we can discern thoughts that
are not of God and choose not to dwell on them. Instead, we can discard those godless thoughts and dwell on the thoughts that
please the Lord. Luke 6:45 (NLT) 45 A good person produces good things
from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say
flows from what is in your heart. It's for sure that the true godliness that shows in our lives
will come from a heart filled with godly thoughts. God has already given us all the things that pertain to godliness.
(2 Peter 1:3) He has given them through His miracle-working power. But, we must receive all those
things that lead to godliness. What is in our lives that may not be leading us in a godly direction? Our
choice of movies, TV programs, music, books, friends, certain lifestyles, places we frequent, even our choice of religious
beliefs? Watch this. Here is a list of things given to us from the Lord through the Apostle, Paul, that will give
us some good examples of what we need to watch out for these days in order to be adding godliness to our faith instead of
letting ungodliness creep in. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV) 1 But mark this: There will be terrible
times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful,
proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love,
unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous,
rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- 5 having a form
of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. These days in which you and I live are
very close to, if not, the terrible days that Paul speaks of. People in every venue of our lives are turning to ungodliness.
It's an uphill battle for us to be adding godliness to our lives. Still, we know that God has already given
us everything that pertains to godliness. And, He has already given us the victory if we will just step out and fight
to take that godliness He has given and incorporate it into our lives! Psalm 118:13-15 (NIV) 13 I was pushed back and about to
fall, but the Lord helped me. 14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has
become my salvation. 15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous:
"The Lord's right hand has done mighty things! This morning, you may feel that you cannot keep on
going and still live a godly life in the midst of a godless culture. God is the same today as He was yesterday and He'll
still be the same tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8) When you are pushed back and about ready to fall, He will help you! He is your
strength and your song of praise. He is your salvation. There will be shouts of joy and yes,
even victory, coming from your dwelling place because the right hand of the Lord will uplift you. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) 10 Don’t be afraid,
for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with
my victorious right hand. Yes! It's true!! You and I can add godliness to our faith because
it is through Christ that we find the strength to do so! Philippians 4:13 (TLB) 13 for I can do everything God asks
me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. God has asked us to add godliness to those
other things we have been adding to our faith. He will never ask us to do anything that He will not enable
us to do! MORNING MANNA - JULY 31, 2009 - LORD, I WANT TO ADD PATIENCE - RIGHT NOW!! 2 Peter 1:6 (KJV) As we have been seeing in the first few verses of 2 Peter, we have
a precious faith. It is a gift from God. As with all gifts, we need to receive it and take care of it.
The Apostle, Peter, has given us several things to add to our faith. Any gift we receive must be cared for if it is
not to be lost or broken. Peter outlines some ways we can take care of our precious faith by making an effort
to add some things to it. In 2 Peter 1:5, we added virtue, and knowledge. In 2 Peter 1:6, we have seen that we might need to work on our self-control, otherwise known as temperance. Exercising that muscle
will always add to it and bolster our faith. But, there's even more. And, there will be more after that.
If you are like me, I like to get things done in a hurry, even multi-task, so that I might accomplish several things at once.
I am not, what one might call, patient. I stand by the microwave shouting for it to hurry it's one minute warm-up.
That's too slow for me. I want it, now! Of course, no one reading this is that way, but you might
know someone who is that way...... It is said that patience is a virtue. Maybe it is because, in
Peter's list of things to add to our faith, virtue is the first one. Hopefully, we have added that already.
If we are valiant in the battle of life, we will be able to, and we really must, add patience. We can't hurry along God's work in our lives. We see and walk by faith.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) 7 We live by faith, not by sight. Precious
faith. That faith is the evidence and substance of things we can't see. It is our assurance
and confirmation of those things we have not yet seen with our eyes. Having that knowledge gives
us the ability to add patience to our faith with each passing day. Hebrews 11:1 (AMP) 1 NOW FAITH is the assurance (the
confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of
their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. I don't think Peter
made any mistake letting us know that in the list of additions to our faith, we have to have some self-control before we can
add patience. For instance, I can't rip the microwave door open when only thirty seconds have passed and then be upset
because I haven't waited the minute needed to warm my food. I need to contain myself first and resist the urge
to open the door. Then I need to settle down and be patient! I really can't see the food getting warm. I
just have faith that, in one minute, the food will be warm if I control my urge to open the door before the
time is up and then stand there patiently. We can't see what God is doing in our lives. But, by faith, we
know He is doing things which are more than we can even believe. Ephesians 3:21-21 (NIV) 20 Now to him who is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Have you been waiting quite a long time, in faith, for something for which you have asked the Lord? If
that desire is according to His Word and will for your life, it will come. Matthew 21:22 (AMP) 22 And whatever you ask for in prayer,
having faith and [really] believing, you will receive. Lack of self-control and patience will cause us to sometimes
take matters into our own hands and try to "materialize," our own desire. Most of our problems in this world
today are due to the fact that Abraham and Sarah did that! (Genesis 16:1-4) God had promised them a child of their own and they waited, but not long enough! They waited until
they were past the age of child bearing and it didn't happen. In our own lives, sometimes we have to wait until
a thing is impossible before we see the manifestation of the promise. We have to wait, knowing that
nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37) That's so God can get all the glory! So Sari and Abram took matters into their own hands.
Very dangerous for them and for us! Now we have constant conflict in our world between the Arabs and the Israelis because
two people didn't use self-control and have patience. These were people of faith. (Hebrews 11:8-11) They didn't have Peter's words about adding self-control and patience to their faith, but we do! God
was faithful to bring about the evidence of His precious promise to them but He didn't stop them from doing what
they insisted on doing. They suffered great consequences for it and we are living out those consequences today.
No wonder Peter tells us to add patience to our faith! "Okay,"
we might say, "I'm going to grin and bear it. I'm going to have patience." Oh dear,
wait a minute! There's a small problem with that attitude. According to the Greek word from which we get
this word, "patience." we're not to get that strained look on our faces and have tensed muscles when
the trials come that will provide the patience we need to add to our faith. No! Quite the contrary. Patience
is a cheerful, hopeful, constant, enduring, waiting on the Lord! Okay,
I have to stop at the word, "cheerful." Not only am I not naturally patient, I have lots of work to do when
it comes to being cheerfully patient! Do you, like me, have that first impulse to go just go ahead and add
patience to your self-control and the other aspects of the precious faith God has given you just as fast as you can?
Not so fast! It doesn't work that way. It has also been jokingly said, "Don't pray for patience! If
you do, you'll get the trials that allow you to have patience." Actually, I don't think we really need to pray
for trials these days so that we can gather some patience. In my world, there are plenty of trials. God is giving
me many opportunities to add patience to the other things contained in my faith. Am I willing to slow down and cheerfully
add the patience He is offering me? Many times, He tells me to wait, right in the midst of a trial that is demanding
me to do things my own way because, deep down, I'm thinking, "God, I can do this a lot faster than You are doing it!"
Lamentations 3:25-26 (NLT) 25 The Lord is good to those who
depend on him, to those who search for him. 26 So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord. I am reminded of an incident in our lives that kind of illustrates this point.
My husband and I were on a trip. He ran out of socks so we went to K-Mart and he got a bag of new socks. Back
in th hotel room, he was minding his own business spending way too much time (in my opinion) trying to get those socks
out of the bag. Me, being goal oriented and "faster than God," said, "What is taking you so long."
Fast like a bunny, I grabbed that bag of socks from him showing him that all you had to do was take both hands and just rip
clean apart. "There, now you can have your socks - pronto!" Recalling this incident, I am haunted by
the look on his face as he looked first at the shredded bag on the floor and his socks thrown on the bed, and then at me.
Sadly, he said, "I wanted to save that bag." In my impatience, I did not realize that the bag was reusable
if you opened it the right way, which obviously took some patience. He had wanted to use that bag for the rest of the
trip. He was content to be patient so he could save the bag. We need to be content to add patience to our precious
faith too. God is patiently waiting to save souls. In our impatience we may just "shred a bag" that
God has been trying to save. Are you ready to add patience to your self-control and all of the other aspects of this
precious faith God has given us? There's a lot to be said about adding patience! MORNING MANNA - JULY 30, 2009 - HAVE YOU ADDED SELF-CONTROL? 2 Peter 1:6 (KJV) It's good to know that the Lord has new things for us to add to what He has given us, as we continue to walk in His
ways. The Apostle, Peter, has given us lots of rich things in the first eleven short verses of his second epistle.
He has reminded us that we have a precious faith. (2 Peter 1:1) He has reminded us of God's precious promises. (2 Peter 1:4) You and I have everything we need that concerns our lives and the way to live in a way that glorifies God.
(2 Peter 1:3) Because of all this and the many more things we find in the first four verses of 2 Peter, Chapter 1, we are urged
to add some things to the gift of faith that has been given to us. We are told to diligently add virtue to our
faith and then to add knowledge that virtue. But, Peter doesn't stop there. That means we need to put forth some
effort, but, as we can see, the benefits of this effort on our part will be rewarded. The benefits far outweigh the
efforts! There are more things to add to our faith! Once we
have added virtue and knowledge, the Lord wants us to continue with the addition of temperance. What is temperance?
Basically, it is self-control. There are lots of things going on around us that can tempt us to anger, deceit,
lies, lusts, etc. We can have the knowledge that these things are wrong because we have read it in God's Word.
But, the Lord wants us to add self-control to the weapons in the arsenal of our faith. We can
know perfectly well how to behave but, if we have not added self-control to our faith, virtue and knowledge, it
will be for nothing because we will bend to the pressure to do wrong. Is self-control something you need to
work on? Are you diligently seeking to add self-control to your life? It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
When we use it, we won't be ashamed of our own behavior. Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP) 22 But the fruit of the [Holy]
Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance),
kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23
Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law
[that can bring a charge]. The more self-control we add to our faith, the less time we will have to spend
repenting of those things we do on the spur of the moment that are not so great in God's sight. We will be able to "contain
ourselves," even in pressing situations. This is something we must make an effort to work into our lives every
day so that it, more and more, becomes common practice for us. What
might lead us to a lack of self-control? Perhaps fear plays a large part in that since the Apostle, Paul,
reminds us that God did not give us a spirit of fear. Conversely, God has given us the gift of faith which includes,
power, love, and a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP) 7 For
God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit]
of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. The enemy
uses fear to try to shut us down and finally even try to devour us. 1 Peter 5:8 (AMP) 8 Be
well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams
around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. If the devil
can cause us to forget that God has promised us the gift of faith, we're on the road to losing our self-control. If
we have been adding temperance (or self-control) to the other ingredients outlined for us by Peter, we will have a sure and
swift victory! It takes a faith filled with self-control to stand up to something that looks like a lion with
a roar that will send even the bravest of men to their knees in fear. It is said that a lion's roar can paralyze
it's prey in fear. It's not hard to defeat and tear apart a victim that is paralyzed. Our precious
faith, combined with virtue, (the Amplified Bible partially defines "virtue," as, "Christian
energy") and then combined again with the knowledge of the Word of God takes us along the right path.
When, all of a sudden, from seemingly nowhere, the enemy jumps out from the brush on that good path we are treading and trys
to paralyze us with fear in order to steal what we've added so far, the self-control that we are constantly adding will enable
us to remember that we do not have the spirit of fear. We have the precious gift of faith. This roaring lion
that is trying to paralyze us does not rule over us. We can use that self-control we have added to
our faith because we know that our King, Friend, Protector, and Provider is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! (Revelation 5:5) The enemy may have a loud and scary roar but when the Lion of the Tribe of Judah roars, everyone has
to fall on their knees! If we have received Jesus, we have placed ourselves on His side. Remembering that
fact, it will be a lot easier to add that self-control we need to our lives and then to use it. We don't need to fall
prey to fear, to self-vindication, or to any other temptation that rears it's ugly head in the presence of difficult
situations. We just need to be diligently adding self-control to our faith and turn our eyes on the Lion of the Tribe
of Judah. Hear Him roar! Use that self-control, let Him fight the battle and watch the enemy
disappear! MORNING MANNA - JULY 29, 2009
- ADDING TAKES EFFORT 2 Peter 1:5 (NIV) Are you inundated with opportunities to add to what you have? Does every
TV and radio commercial talk about more things you can get? When you see someone with something you don't have
yet, are you inspired to try to figure out a way that you can have that thing too? The world is into adding. But,
the world's way is foolish. Jesus gave us a good example of this. Luke 12:16-21 (TLB) 16 Then
he gave an illustration: "A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17
In fact, his barns were full to overflowing—he couldn’t get everything in. He thought about his problem,
18 and finally exclaimed, ’I know—I’ll tear down my barns and build
bigger ones! Then I’ll have room enough. 19 And I’ll sit back and
say to myself, "Friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Wine, women, and song for you!"
’ 20 "But God said to him, ’Fool! Tonight you die. Then
who will get it all?’ 21 "Yes, every man is a fool who gets
rich on earth but not in heaven." Is it that the Lord doesn't want us to have earthly things?
Not at all. But, if our end goal is to get more, build bigger barns, and coast along in life, we are foolish.
There is much more to life than having more, "stuff." There
are some things that Jesus does want us to add to our lives. He has already given us everything that pertains
to life and godliness, but, like the promised land of old, we need to make an effort to receive those things and to use
them. (1 Peter 1:1-4) Because we have been given the precious faith and promises of the Lord, we need to be diligent to add to
those things by the way we live. Just as in the material world, we have to work to be able to add things to our lives,
we must do so even more in the spiritual realm. Peter begins a list for us. He tells us that we must diligently,
earnestly, hastily add to our faith and the list goes on. What does Peter tell me to add to my faith? He tells me to add virtue. What exactly does that
mean to me? It means that I need to be valiant in living out my faith and defending it if someone should ask me.
1 Peter 3:15 (TLB) 15 Quietly trust yourself to Christ your Lord,
and if anybody asks why you believe as you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way. It
means I need to strive to live a life of excellence so that I can bring praise to the Lord. Matthew 5:16 (NLT) 16 In the same way, let
your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
But, Peter doesn't stop there. I must also diligently add to my virtue. What is it that I need to add? Knowledge.
That means I need to learn about the things of the Lord. 2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP) 15 Study and be eager and do your
utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing
and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. I also need to be
aware of what is going on around me. Another word for the word, "knowledge," is "science."
God has given us a precious faith but He doesn't want us to sit around like spoiled children bragging about something
that we didn't have to work for. No! He says we must diligently add to what He has given us.
We must make an effort. In one short verse, I am encouraged to add excellence to my life. To be strong and full
of valor. I am encouraged to dig into God's word and learn more. Also, to learn about what is going on in this
world so I can be prepared to discern what is of God and what is not. Hebrews 5:14 (NLT) 14 Solid food is for those who are
mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. There is so much more in 2 Peter 1:5 that is implied in adding virtue and knowledge to my faith. I'm sure you can think of other things
that can be applied to these two things we're instructed to add. Adding is going to take some effort on our
part! Are you up to the challenge? It can be overwhelming but I am comforted in many promises of God, including
the fact that I can do all things because Jesus is my strength! You can too! Philippians 4:13 (TLB) 13 for I can do everything God asks
me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. MORNING MANNA - JULY 28, 2009 - PRECIOUS SAVIOR, PRECIOUS FAITH, PRECIOUS PROMISES 2 Peter 1:4 (KJV) Today, like every day, is a good day to remember that, if we have received Jesus, we have a precious
Savior. If you have not received Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, there is a precious Savior waiting for you today.
He wants you to have His gift of eternal life. This Savior was the fulfillment of a precious promise of God. Isaiah 28:16 (NIV) 16 So this is what the Sovereign
Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts
will never be dismayed. The Apostle, Peter, uses this word, "precious." to describe our faith
and to describe the promises of God. He borrows it to reaffirm the preciousness of our Savior which was declared years
before Peter came on the scene. 1 Peter 2:6-7 (NIV) 6 For in Scripture it says: "See,
I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, This precious Savior, has given all those who will receive Him, the gift of
eternal life. Romans 6:23 (AM) 23 For the wages which sin pays is
death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord. If
that was all there was, that would be more than enough for undeserving sinners like you and me. But, that's not all!
Peter tells us that we have been given a precious faith. 2 Peter 1:1 (AMP) 1 SIMON PETER, a servant and apostle
(special messenger) of Jesus Christ, to those who have received (obtained an equal privilege of) like precious faith with
ourselves in and through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Sometimes we may
forget that, even our faith, comes through the righteousness of God and through our precious Savior. This faith is precious
because, no matter what we face in life, we can know that God has made us some precious promises. What is it that is
challenging you today? Will you stop and remember that you have a precious Savior, if indeed you have received Him?
If you are still bound by sin and the evil of this world, will you stop and know that God has promised that, if you will call
on Him right now, you will be saved? Acts 2:21 (NIV) 21 And everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord will be saved.' You can make a choice today to receive Jesus as your precious
Savior. God is filled with goodness. With excellence. With virtue. Because
of these things He has provided you and me with a precious Savior. He has given us a way to have relationship with Him.
To gain knowledge about who He really is. To receive His grace and His peace. (2 Peter 1:2) To receive a precious faith. (2 Peter 1:1) To receive everything we need for life and godliness because He has shared Himself with us. Finally,
He has given us great and precious promises. Some have said, "terrific" promises. Put another
way, "rich and wonderful blessings." This idea comes from a Greek word from which we probably get
our word, "mega." God has given us "mega" promises to which we can cling in every situation
in life! They are costly. They are honorable. They are beloved and dear to us. They come from our
God who has a reputation for never backing down on a promise! Psalm 18:30 (NLT) 30 God’s way is perfect. All
the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. Perhaps the most
difficult thing we have to do in this world is to separate ourselves from the decay all around us. To separate
ourselves from the temptation that always asks us to give in to our human desires rather than doing life God's way.
One of the most precious things about God's promise to us in 2 Peter 1:4 is that we are allowed to participate in His divine nature. This allows us to escape the great temptation
to give in to the worldly things that try to catch our eye every day. I can't think of a greater promise or miracle
than that of having a precious Savior, who gives me precious faith, along with precious promises that will never fail!
Is that not enough? If anything is discouraging you or challenging you this morning, turn to your precious Savior. Step
out in the precious faith you have been given. Participate in His own divine nature. Then rely totally on those
precious promises you learn from His Word. MORNING MANNA - JULY 27, 2009 - GOD IS CALLING US TO GLORY AND VIRTUE 2 Peter 1:3 (KJV) When looking deeper into 2 Peter 1:3, I am impressed with God. I should be impressed with God! You should too! Every
day He will surprise us with new things. He will work in and through us in ways we cannot begin to believe. Ephesians 3:20 (TLB) 20 Now glory be to God, who by his
mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond
our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. If we really believe that God is able to do such things in
and through us, much glory should be flowing in His direction as we realize that His divine power has given us everything
that has to do with life and with living it for Him! His knowledge is so vast that we could never exhaust the wisdom
and revelation He desires to give us about Himself! We are but "dust balls" on this earth. Psalm 103:14 (AMP) 14 For He knows our frame, He [earnestly]
remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Even
dust in the hands of the Master can become a marvelous creation! Psalm 39:14 (NLT) 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully
complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Right now might be a great time
to stop and "selah," (or pause) with the Psalmist and thank God for making us in such a wonderful way!
After all, when was the last time you took a lump of dirt, made a human figure out of it, tried to breathe into it and
saw it come alive? When was the last time you and I were even able to make the dirt to begin with? It is a miracle that we live
and move about. And, that we have intelligence! It is even more of a miracle that God would cherish
these beings that He made and call them to glory and virtue! John 17:22-23 (AMP) 22 I have given to them the glory
and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: 23 I
in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize
that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. Why would Almighty God call you and
me to glory? His intention was that, through His glory, we, as believers might find unity. That's what Jesus said.
God is interested in the world He created. (John 3:16) He is interested in every miraculously formed "dust ball" that is walking around! He's interested
in you too. So, maybe you have gathered a little dirt as you walked the earth. Maybe you're looking more like
a "dirt ball" than just a little dust ball this morning. It could be that you have never received the cleansing
that comes from salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Today is your day! Just honestly lay out your life before the Lord and ask Him to take over. Repent
and He will wash you white as snow. Right now! Maybe you have believed but then your feel have collected
a little extra dust as you walked through this corrupt world. Will you allow Jesus to wash your feet this morning? John 13:10 (AMP) 10 Jesus said to him, Anyone who has bathed needs only to wash
his feet, but is clean all over. And you [My disciples] are clean, but not all of you. The Lord knows
which of us need to have our feet washed but He leaves the choice to us. We can either go along and collect more mud on
our dusty feet until we stumble and totally fall or we can repent right now of anything that is not worthy of His glory and
start out on a new path with clean feet! Walking in His glory. 1 John 1:9-10 (NLT) 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim
we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. God is not only calling us to glory, but also to virtue. Being a woman, I am drawn to Proverbs 31. The chapter that describes the woman that all of us believing woman want to be. The virtuous woman. Proverbs 31:10 (AMP) 10 A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman—who
is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. Wow!
Wouldn't every woman want to be valued far above precious jewels? Wouldn't every man desire to have a priceless woman
like that? I needed to know how to be "that woman." So, I looked up the original meaning
of that word, "virtuous." The original Hebrew meaning. I got quite a shock! This word, "virtuous,"
is translated, "army," fifty-six times in the King James Version of the scripture. It is translated, "man
of valor," thirty-seven times. It includes something which is probably "a force," (by means of people,
means or other resources). It is described as "wealth," and "strength." It is powerful, worthy,
strong, substantial, etc. So much for the current idea of what a virtuous woman might look like! The thing
is that God has called us all, both men and women, to virtue. His virtue. He has given
us everything we need to get there too. Only He is totally wealthy, all-powerful, worthy, and full of strength.
We cannot see Him with our eyes, but He is the Creator of true substance. By faith, we know that our substance
lies totally within Him. Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen. It is that precious faith that Peter tells us about that assures us of
the substance of God. 2 Peter 1:1 (NIV) 1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those
who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: It
is that faith that tells us that we can do all things because Christ will strengthen us. Philippians 4:13 (AMP) 13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who
empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient
in Christ’s sufficiency]. What is it that you are facing this morning? Remember, our Lord has called
us to glory and virtue (strength and valor). Jesus has given us the glory that the Father gave Him so that we might
live our lives in unity praising Him and giving the glory back to Him. He has given us His virtue to strengthen us even
in the midst of the worst trials. Are we walking in that glory and receiving that virtue? He is calling us to
take those things and claim the victory. He has already won it for us on the cross and through His resurrection.
2 Corinthians 2:14 (AMP) 14 But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads
us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge
of God everywhere, Hopefully and prayerfully, it will be said of you and me that we have displayed His glory
and walked in His virtue!
MORNING MANNA - JULY 26, 2009 - IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED? 2 Peter 1:3 (NIV) If I ask you if you need anything, you would probably, even certainly,
come up with something! We are told every day, through the media, that we need this or that - even that we deserve
this or that! I'm so glad that God does not give me gifts according to what I deserve. I deserve nothing.
The good news is that I have been given everything! And, if you are a believer, you have been given everything
too! The world can give us things like paychecks, houses, cars, vacations, fine clothes, gourmet food, etc., etc.
But those things will all pass away and can be taken from us at a moment's notice. The world has the power to tempt
us into wanting those things and even spending a lifetime working for them. Many have done so, only to find that, at
the end of their lives, they have nothing. That is a tragedy. But, a worse tragedy is not believing in the One
who is all-powerful and receiving everything He has given us! By
God's divine power, He has given believers everything we need! This includes every believer, from the homeless
one on the street to the one who has the most earthly treasure! So, if I ask myself this morning, "What is it that
I need?" I have to say, "I don't need anything. I am more than amply supplied with everything
I need for life and godliness by God's divine power." In these difficult times we live in, that thought can
give us a whole new perspective. It can loosen those tense muscles and bring a world of peace to us on the inside!
The Lord is our Shepherd! (Psalm 23:1) We don't have to want for anything. Everything we need is a gift! This gift comes to us
through God's miraculous power! How wonderful is it that we have a Heavenly Father who loves to give good gifts to His
children? Matthew 7:11 (NLT) 11 So if you sinful people know
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Our
Father gives us these gifts by the same power He used to raise His own Son from the grave! 1 Corinthians 6:14 (NLT) 14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as
he raised our Lord from the dead. This same power is the power that will raise you and I from the dead!
Certainly, it is powerful enough to supply our every need here on earth! One of the words used to describe
divine power is, "ability." I recall a worship song entitled, "He Is Able." Here are the words: He
is able, more than able to accomplish what concerns me today. He is able, more than able to handle anything
that comes my way. He is able, more than able to do much more than I could ever
dream, He is able, more than able, to make me what He wants me to be. Yes! God's
divine power at work in our lives is able and even more than able to do miraculous things! Even far above what
we might be able to dream up or even think to ask!! Ephesians 3:20 (NLT) 20 Now all glory to God, who is
able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. This morning, if you are a believer, God has given
you everything you need for life and for godliness. Unfortunately, we live in a world that is moving toward
godlessness. We are those that may find ourselves swimming upstream, so to speak. The tide may try to
pull us the other way but, praise God, we have His promise that, by His wonder-working power, we have been
given everything we need to go against the ever increasing tide that would pull us to destruction. God has
already supplied us with miracle power to live lives that are pleasing to Him. To do those things that show our reverence
toward Him. The Apostle, Peter, has given us God's Word that we need to be careful to receive the gift He has given
us to live godly lives. God's divine power will keep us from being swept away but the current tide of godlessness in
our world. 2 Peter 3:17 (NLT) MORNING MANNA - JULY 25, 2009 - A FEW WORDS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE! 2 Peter 1:2 (NLT) This morning, would you like to experience divine influence on your heart?
Would you like to receive all of God's benefits? Have His favor? Would you like to be cheerful, even
in a difficult world? How about being calm and happy? Well off? Would you like to honestly say the the following:
Psalm 118:24 (NLT) 24 This is the day the Lord has
made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. How would you like to have all of those things, more and more?
That's what the Apostle, Peter, prayed for those he was writing to; and for us down through the ages. What about peace? This world we live in is certainly lacking in any kind of peace! What
does it mean to have peace? This word implies prosperity. True prosperity. The prosperity that comes with
quietness and rest. We can have lots of,"stuff," and still not live in prosperity. Proverbs 17:1 (NLT) 1 Better
a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict. While we may be tempted
to wish we had more things and bigger houses, we might find that behind the doors of those big houses is conflict and strife.
An absence of the very thing God wants to give us abundantly, peace. In other words, no
peace and quiet. You can't really enjoy your stuff if you're surrounded by chaos and quarreling! Quietness
and rest is promised to us if we will just come to Jesus when we are weak and loaded with cares. Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for
I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For
my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Peace comes from being one with Jesus and allowing Him to
set us at one again with ourselves. This peace is a blessing on us. We see it at the beginning of many
of the epistles and it is also a final word written by the Apostle Paul here: 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV) 16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace
at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. I am reminded this morning that the Lord wants to
give us peace all the time and in all ways. Will we receive it? In a very few words in 2 Peter 1:2, we find the Lord telling us, through Peter, that He would like grace and peace to be multiplied to us.
Not many words, but a world of difference to us. It is true that we are saved by grace. In one moment
we can start to live a life that is changed forever and destined for eternal life because of saving grace.
Ephesians 2:8 (NLT) 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed.
And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. At any given moment, even in the midst
of our most trying times, we can run to the Lord for His peace. He promised it! John 16:33 (NLT) 33 I have told you all this so that you may have
peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
But, there's more, much more! It is God's will that all of this be multiplied in us! A lifetime
of grace and peace! That means, He wants it to increase, abound, and be abundant within us! That sounds
like a pretty tall order considering the times we live in. However, it is entirely possible when we take Him at His
Word and get to know Him better and better with each passing moment. These things, Peter says, are to increase
in us through the knowledge of God and of our Lord Jesus. What does that mean? It means that the more
we recognize who God is and who the Lord Jesus is, through His Word, the more grace and peace will be in our lives.
It means that we don't just recognize Him, we receive full discernment from Him as we begin to spend more time, asking
for the revelation of His Word for our lives. And, finally, it means that we acknowledge all that we are learning and
discerning by putting those things into action. Just a short portion in a salutation of one little book in
the Bible can lead us to an every day quest to know our Lord more and receive the abundance of grace and peace He desires
to give us as. As we live out His Words, that grace and peace will continue to multiply in us and overflow to those
around us! MORNING MANNA - JULY 24, 2009 - PETER'S PRECIOUS FAITH 2 Peter 1:1 (NIV) 1 Simon Peter, a servant and
apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as
precious as ours: Are you, like me, finding out that you're blessed
to receive many reminders of the goodness and the promises of God during these troubling days in which we live? This
morning, I am encouraged to remember that Simon Peter, a stalwart of the faith, has written to you and me and it is echoing
down through the ages! He writes to remind us that our faith is precious. It is as precious as
it was to Peter when he was alive. Precious is a great word to describe our faith, isn't it? That makes
it something of great value and something to be highly treasured. Something to be guarded as we would precious jewels.
We only have that faith because of the preciousness of our Savior. 1 Peter 2:6-8 (NIV) 6 For
in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will
never be put to shame." 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.
But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, As we continue to walk with the Lord, there is always the danger
that we will forget some of the basics. We may not think we have forgotten; but our attitudes and lifestyles may
show it. We may look at others who are not yet walking with the Lord or some who have just begun their walk and
tend to feel a bit, "superior." If this becomes visible in the way we act toward these people, we will push
them away from the Lord, rather than bringing them closer. As the old saying goes, "There, but for the grace
of God, go I." We see people struggling every day. We may see some of our brothers and sisters
stumble and scrape their spiritual knees. We need to remember at that time, in order to defeat a critical and judgmental
spirit in ourselves, that we, too, are capable of stumbling or even falling. Ephesians 2:4-10 (NIV) 4 But because of his great love
for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead
in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with
Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that
in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God--9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared
in advance for us to do. It is only by God's grace that each step we take is steady. It is both sobering
and freeing to be reminded again this morning that we have the same precious faith that the apostle Peter was given.
We don't have that faith because we're so great. It's all because of, and through, the righteousness of Christ. When
we look upon a brother or sister who has somehow missed the mark, there should be no feelings of superiority on our part just
because we feel that we're on solid ground. We can deceive ourselves into thinking we're standing when we're
really on a slippery slope. 1 Corinthians 10:12 (AM) 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks
he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin].
We may not be slipping into the sin we are actually looking at in another but it's possible that we could be slipping into
a worse sin. That of pride. In this very first verse of 2 Peter, I find lots of things
on which to ponder. I must remember that my faith is precious. It is the same faith that the giants of the faith
received. It is all because of the righteousness of Jesus and none of my own. I need to remember that His righteousness
is the only way and that, if I try to present my self-righteousness to an all-knowing God, it will be a stink in His nostrils.
Isaiah 64:6 (NLT) 6 We are all infected and impure
with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and
our sins sweep us away like the wind. It's not a great idea to present filthy rags to a holy God!
I also need to remember that I don't need to, and must not, conjure up good things to do in my own mind. I must walk
by faith, knowing that I am God's workmanship. I must let His works that He prepared for me in advance, flow
through me. From beginning to end, it's all about Jesus Christ, our precious Savior who, by His grace gives
you and me, if we believe, a precious faith! MORNING MANNA - JULY 23, 2009 - IT'S OLD BUT IT'S STILL NEW 1 John 2:7 (NLT) This morning I am not writing on anything that hasn't been said before. Many times. John wrote,
and wasn't hesitant to write the same message that has been heard before. It's an old message. The message of
love. Loving one another. We are probably all looking for love. We desperately feel the need to be loved.
But are we loving others? Just before John gives this commandment, he makes reference to Jesus. John tells me
that, if I say I abide in Jesus, I ought to walk as Jesus walked. That makes this command a little more difficult.
I remember that Jesus loved me when I was not lovely at all. Romans 5:8 (NLT)8 But God showed his great love for us by sending
Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Do we not sometimes forget, especially those of us who have
been given the grace to walk with the Lord for quite a while, that we were once His enemies? Romans 5:10 (NLT) 10 For since our friendship with
God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his
Son. Still, even when we were totally unlovable, God sent His Son and Jesus willingly died for us so we
could be His friends. Romans 5:11 (NLT) 11 So now we can rejoice in our
wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Again, this is nothing new. I am reminded once more that
any love we might have is doomed to fail unless it is the love that flows from God through us and to those around us.
It is that unconditional love that sees beyond sin, failure, and even ugliness in someone else's life. We can only love
like that because Jesus first loved us. I'm not a Bible scholar but I did notice that 1 John 4:19 is translated like this in the King James Version: 19 We
love him, because he first loved us. However, when I look at the New Living Translation, I find it
written this way: 19 We love each other because he loved us
first. Then, looking at the American Standard Version, I see this: 19
We love, because he first loved us. This might be confusing to some, especially those who are
skeptical about the scriptures. There are two key words in each of these translations. The word, "loved,"
and the word, "first." It all begins with God. He loved us first. Now, we are able to
obey what Jesus said are the two greatest commandments. Mark 12:28-31 (NIV) 28 One of the teachers of the law
came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments,
which is the most important?" 29 "The most important one," answered
Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than
these." We have this clarification from Jesus today because He answered correctly when He was
being tested by those around Him who were trying to trick Him into giving some blasphemous answers. Nothing stands the
test like God's love! We may have some people in our lives who are very unlovely at the moment. Some who have been blinded by sin.
It is not easy to love people like that, but Jesus loved you and me when we were like that. And, He still
loves us when, at times, we may stray onto a wrong path. Has darkness tempted you to go the wrong way? Are
there those in your life who have hurt you or demeaned you in some way? Is your love being tested this morning?
Like Jesus, you and I need to remember what we have heard before and put it into practice. We need to remember
that we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against some nasty principalities and powers who have temporary control
over a wayward child of God. Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) 12 For we are not fighting against
flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world,
and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. It has always been that way and it will be that way until
Jesus returns to take us Home. God loves people but He's not fond of those authorities that try to lead people astray.
The command to love God and to love one another is as old as when Moses gave the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NLT) 4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord
is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
all your soul, and all your strength. The command to love one another is also very old.
Leviticus 19:18 (NLT) 18 “Do not seek revenge or
bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. They are
both old and new. 1 John 2:7-8 7 Dear
friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old
commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet
it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and
the true light is already shining. Has a new circumstance come into your life that causes you some despair?
Is there someone in your life who is hard to love? Today, we need to renew our commitment to what has always been true.
We need to love God with all of our being and let His unconditional love flow through us to others. Even, and especially,
the unlovely ones. This old and new commandment is totally possible and necessary. Jesus not only commanded
it, He also gave us His love as our resource! MORNING MANNA - JULY 22, 2009 - FROM IDLE REPOSE TO RESTORATIVE REST Proverbs 19:15 (AMP) It's not really hard to slip into habits of laziness. Other words for this sort of behavior are, "slothfulness,"
"indolence," and "sluggard." I once knew someone who liked to nap a lot. He used to joke
that he would wake up, looking through his glasses, upon which his wife had written, "sluggard!" Slothfulness
casts us into a deep sleep. It is interesting to note that this is that same sort of deep sleep that God put Adam into when He
removed one of Adam's ribs to make Eve. (Genesis 2:21) That is a very deep sleep. Adam did not know anything until he woke up. Even the possible
pain he might have felt from the removal of his rib went unnoticed by him. In the case of slothfulness or laziness,
it's possible that we can go into such a mental slump that we don't really notice or care about life that is going on around
us. We can sink into indifference and a sort of unconsciousness of all that interests us. In delving deeper into Proverbs 19:15, I was surprised to find that idleness is linked with being remiss and with deceit. Do we sometimes
deceive our own selves when we waste time? The idle person, according to God's Word, will suffer hunger. This
can be real hunger if we are not productive citizens. It can also result in spiritual hunger when we are too idle to
go and gather the Word of God. Are there places in our lives where we have become lazy and idle? The times
in which we live are very challenging. If you need a job, it may be very hard to get one. Several rejections
and dead-end interviews may tempt you to stop looking. But, we need to remember that giving up and becoming lazy only
plays into the hands of our enemy. He would like to steal everything we have and destroy us. (John 10:10) However, that's not God's plan for those who diligently seek Him. Proverbs 8:17 (AMP) 17 I love those who love me, and
those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. Becoming dejected and fearful because things don't happen
right away can be tempting. That's why we've got to remember that Jesus tells us not to worry about these things but
to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness first. Matthew 6:33-34 (AMP) 33 But seek (aim at and strive after)
first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together
will be given you besides. 34 So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. Have we
become lazy in seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness? Maybe it's time to get out that Bible that's been gathering
dust and find a Word from God that will help us get back on the right track. We need to also be discerning of the fact that the enemy will accuse us of things that are not
really true. Our enemy is so bold that he goes right up to God to accuse us. He is watching us
to see if he can find anything within us that he can distort in order to bring accusation against us. Job 1:6-7 (TLB) 6 One day as the angels came to
present themselves before the Lord, Satan, the Accuser, came with them. 7 "Where
have you come from?" the Lord asked Satan. And Satan replied, "From Earth, where I’ve been watching everything
that’s going on." The enemy did that to the Israelites, using Pharaoh. Exodus 5:17 (AMP) 17 But [Pharaoh] said, You are idle,
lazy and idle! That is why you say, Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord. It may very well be that you have done
all that you can in the physical as well as the spiritual realm. Yet, your accuser tells you that you are lazy and idle.
Before we dismiss that thought, it's a good idea to be sure we are seeking God first and then doing everything we know to
do to be productive. While making that check, if we are believers, we need to remember that we are no longer under any
condemnation. Romans 8:1 (NLT) 1 So
now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Will the Holy Spirit convict us and
help us to do better if we have fallen into a pattern of laziness or idleness? Yes, He will do that! God
is merciful. If we fall, He is there to clean us up and set us back on the right path. Proverbs 4:16 (NLT) 16 The godly may trip seven times,
but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked. While we are not
to fall into that deep sleep that comes from being slothful, we are promised rest in the Lord. Matthew 11:28-20 (AMP) 28 Come to Me, all you who labor
and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly)
in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. If
the circumstances of life have tempted you into idleness, be encouraged and, instead of falling into that deep, unproductive
sleep, come to Jesus. It is there that we will be assured of never going hungry. John 6:35 (NLT) 35 Jesus replied, “I am the
bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. There we can find rest for our weary souls and refreshment to once again do what He has called us to do. MORNING MANNA - JULY 21, 2009 - WHICH KING HAVE WE CHOSEN? 1 Samuel 12:13 (TLB) Hopefully you and I have chosen the King of Kings to be Lord and Savior of our lives. Because we do have a
choice, there may be some who have made the wrong choice and chosen the king that presides over darkness and death.
But, the good news is that it is not too late! If we have made our choice to follow the king of darkness, rather
than the Light, we can take a moment to "look him over." When we really see this deceptive king who has
nothing but death and destruction in mind for us, we can make that decision to leave that behind and enter into the Kingdom
of light with Jesus as our King. (John 10:10) The Israelites were very rebellious. They already had a King
but they didn't like the One they had. Maybe, it's because He didn't "have skin on." They couldn't see Him
and touch Him. They had lost that ability that Abraham had demonstrated. They were living by sight and not by
faith. (2 Corinthians 5:7) We can get tempted and even fall prey to following another king so it is necessary for us
to constantly remember what God spoke through Samuel to the Israelites. 1 Samuel 12:12 (TLB) 12 "But
when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you. But the
Lord your God was already your King, for he has always been your King. Fear of an earthly king had caused the
Israelites to forget that they already had a King! Has that ever happened to us? Has fear caused us to look for
our deliverance from the hand of an earthly leader instead of realizing that we are citizens of a higher Kingdom?
Psalm 118:8-9 8 It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord
than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust and take refuge in the
Lord than to put confidence in princes. God does answer our prayers. If we are insistent on certain things, God will give them to us.
He gave Israel the earthly king they asked for. Of course, their request was not a Godly request, but the Lord still
gave them a chance. 1 Samuel 12:14 (TLB) 14 "Now if you will fear and
worship the Lord, and listen to his commandments and not rebel against the Lord, and if both you and your king follow the
Lord your God, then all will be well. The Lord promised them that things would go well. If.
Both they and the king they had chosen were admonished to follow the Lord. For those of us in countries where we
are allowed a choice of leaders, it would be well for us to think about that statement. Are we choosing leaders that
will follow the Lord or have we chosen leaders that do not follow His Word? Psalm 33:12 (AMP) 12 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the nation
whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His heritage. This is a very sobering thought
to me this morning. God's principles have not changed. He is King over everything and He always will be.
His promises are all true. Some of them are hard to swallow because we play a part. Both the king and
the people of Israel were told to follow the Lord in order to have peace and prosperity. Now, here
is a promise to those who refuse to do so. 1 Samuel 12:15 (TLB) 15 But if you rebel against the Lord’s commandments and refuse
to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors. This is not such a
pleasant promise. Today, let us, as individuals, be sure we have made Jesus the Lord and Savior of our lives.
That we are following Him. If our hearts have become hardened because of those things going on around us that
defy the Word of the Lord, let's repent and ask God to make us an influence right where we are. Let's determine
to live out Kingdom principles no matter what others are doing. There is a world of darkness around us but we,
if we have chosen the King of Kings as our King, are bearers of His light. Matthew 5:14-16 (AMP) 14 You are the light of the world.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it
under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 Let
your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize
and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. Are we shining brightly for the King of Kings? MORNING MANNA - JULY 20, 2009 - LET'S NOT FOLLOW SAUL'S EXAMPLE! 1 Samuel 15:23 (NLT) The Lord, had made Saul the King of Israel.
Wow! That sounds good for Saul, doesn't it? 1 Samuel 10:1 (TLB) 1 Then Samuel took a flask of olive
oil and poured it over Saul’s head, and kissed him on the cheek and said, "I am doing this because the Lord has
appointed you to be the king of his people, Israel! Before we get to elated about the coronation of a
new King of Israel, let's look at how it all came about. A friend once told me that God answers prayers in three
ways, "Yes," "No," and "If you insist." When we insist on something, there's a good chance
that we are being rebellious, stubborn, and probably both! God says this is like we are into witchcraft and
worshiping idols! Why did Saul get to become king over Israel? Because the people insisted! 1 Samuel 8:4-5 (NIV) 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered
together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, "You are old,
and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." They
wanted to be like everyone else and have a human king that would lead them into battle. How many times have you and
I looked to our government or some other human to fight our battles for us, instead of looking to the Lord? You can't really blame Israel for wanting to be like everyone else,
can you? After all, it's nice to fit in. It's not comfortable being different. If you are trying to fit
into this world somehow, stop and remember that God has set us apart, as believers. We are a different kind of people.
We serve a higher Kingdom and our King is the King of Kings! 1 Peter 2:9-10 (KJV) 9 But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out
of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but
are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Yes, as believers, we
are a peculiar people, different from others. However, you can't be uncomfortable when you're walking in God's mercy
and light! Those that are walking in darkness are the ones who are uncomfortable! Back to King Saul.
He became king because the people insisted! They did not ask God. They just insisted on being like everyone else.
Can you see how this grieved the Lord? They rejected Him! 1 Samuel 8:6-7 (KJV) 6 But the thing displeased Samuel,
when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. 7 And
the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected
thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. God had led His people for a very long time,
showing His power in and among them. Now, they decided to go it alone with a human leader. Why would anyone who
had God as their King trade Him for a mere human? Yet, sometimes we do, don't we? Right in the very center of
the Bible are these words. Psalm 118:8-9 (NLT) 8 It is better to take refuge in
the Lord than to trust in people. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to
trust in princes. The people of Israel stubbornly and rebelliously insisted on being like everyone else
and having a king. God gave them over to what they insisted on having. Is there anything in life that you are
insisting upon, even though it is not God's will? King Saul began to lead Israel. His orders came from God through Samuel.
Too bad. Saul did not follow orders. It should have been no surprise to the people that their king would fail.
God had already warned them that he would not be a good king. 1 Samuel 8:9 (NLT) 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king
will reign over them.” 10 So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were
asking him for a king. Could it be that you and I have walked right
into situations that God has warned us about? Being rebellious and stubborn? Insisting on having it "our
way?" Our King of Kings has made kings and priests in His Kingdom. Revelation 5:10 (AMP) 10 And You have made them a kingdom
(royal race) and priests to our God, and they shall reign [as kings] over the earth! Are we walking in
full obedience to His commands? John 14:15 (AMP) 15 If you [really] love Me, you
will keep (obey) My commands. King Saul chose to do it his own way. 1 Samuel 15:19 (AMP) 19 Why then did you not obey the
voice of the Lord, but swooped down upon the plunder and did evil in the Lord’s sight? When God
gives us a command, He means it. We can't pick and choose from His commands on the basis of our likes and dislikes.
God will surely hold us accountable. Saul did not fully obey but he deceived himself into thinking that he
did! 1 Samuel 15:21 (AMP) 20 Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have
obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag king of Amalek and have utterly
destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took from the spoil sheep and oxen,
the chief of the things to be utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal. He took
some of the stuff he was supposed to destroy and decided to sacrifice it to the Lord. Saul did not realize that the
Lord wants our obedience more than He wants our sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22 (TLB) 22 Samuel replied, "Has the Lord as much pleasure
in your burnt offerings and sacrifices as in your obedience? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. He is much more interested
in your listening to him than in your offering the fat of rams to him. Because of the rebelliousness
and stubbornness of the Israelites, Saul was made a king. Because of Saul's rebelliousness and stubbornness, the
Lord then rejected him as king. Is there any rebelliousness or stubbornness in our lives today? We might
just take a lesson from Saul. The Lord wants our obedience. It stems from our love for Him. Is
our love for Him leading us away from rebelliousness and stubbornness and into a life of submission and obedience
to our Lord? Let's not follow Saul's example, but rather the example of our Lord Jesus Christ! MORNING MANNA - JULY 19, 2009 - THERE IS HOPE FOR THE REPENTANT REBEL Nehemiah 9:17 (NIV) Although Nehemiah 9:17 is a passage from way back in the Old Testament and it applied at that time to the Israelites
of old, we can learn something from it today. We may be convicted or we may be encouraged. Both are good!
How many times have you and I complained about the troubles of the day without a single thought as to all the things God has
done for us before? Psalms 143:5 (AMP) 5 I
remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I ponder the work of Your hands. Without remembering all the times He made a way for us when there was no way? Since no one has
to acknowledge anything publicly this morning, it's a good time to ask ourselves, in the presence of the Lord, if we are guilty
of failing to remember the miracles God has performed for and among us in the past. It's a good time to ask for
forgiveness and to ask for an attitude adjustment. I am always asking God to speak to me. He speaks
every day through His Word and to us, individually. Although He speaks in love and always speaks to our best
interests, sometimes His Words don't seem logical or they seem to hard to follow. It is at those times we may fail
to listen to Him. Really listen. And, then obey. When you and I fail to remember just how many times God
has brought us through before and when we fail to listen to Him, we are in danger! That's what happened to the Israelites of Nehemiah's time. They failed to listen and they failed to remember.
In another translation, it is said that they refused to obey and did not make mention of the things of the Lord. They
became, "stiff-necked." In looking up the original meaning of stiff-necked, I find that it is associated
with the word, "dense." This may mean density of tissue but, as soon as I saw the word, "dense," the
thought came immediately to mind of the recent use of the word, "dense." That's the way we describe a person
who can't seem to understand. In any case, when we do not listen to God and ask for understanding from the Holy
Spirit, we are at a loss to understand God's ways. We will, most likely, not obey what we don't understand. The
problem is not with God. He is always speaking and He desires that we converse with Him constantly. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT) 17 Never
stop praying. In talking about being, "stiff-necked," one translation says that they hardened
their necks. They did it themselves. We can do that too, if we fail to listen to the Lord and remember the
things He has done for us in the past. What happens when we become "stiff-necked?" It could be that we might
do the same thing the Israelites did. They appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. If
we have trusted Jesus as our Savior, we have the only Leader we need. But, if we choose to purposefully stop
listening to Him and stop remembering His work on the cross for us, it is entirely possible that we will end up under
another leader. In speaking about how to deal with a Christian who has gone astray and refuses to repent, Paul says
the following. 1 Corinthians 5:5 (NIV) 5 hand this man over to Satan, so
that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. When we stop listening
to the Lord and remembering all that He has done, the Lord, in His mercy, may see to it that we get to experience some of
the cruelty in the leader we have so arrogantly chosen for ourselves. The devil is out to steal what you and I have.
He wants to steal our ability to hear God. Steal our will to obey what we hear. Steal away our memories of all
that God has done for us. He thinks that, if he can do this, he will, for sure, be able to kill us.
John 10:10 (NIV) 10 The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. There's just one problem.
Satan's logic is flawed. The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:18) He is slow to anger. He is patient. He desires to give us abundant life. He is not willing that
the enemy should kill anyone! (2 Peter 3:9) In their rebellion (bitterness), the Israelites chose the wrong leader. One that would lead them back
to slavery. Some of us may have done that or may even be under that harsh taskmaster, the devil, this morning.
God is so merciful, so loving, so kind, that, even if He has to let us experience the slavery that comes from serving the
devil, He will do it. But, He is waiting for us to turn back to Him. He has not deserted us, just as
He did not desert the Israelites long ago. The Psalmist reminded us that we cannot escape God's presence.
Psalm 139:8 (KJV) 8 If
I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. Even if we
have been rebellious in our bitterness, God is still right there, just as that father was when his prodigal son returned
home. (Luke 15:11-25) In that story, the son had gone away, stiff-necked. His life ended up in a pig-pen.
But His father waited on the porch, looking down the road every day, watching for his return. Finally, his father
saw his son dragging himself toward home. He ran to that son. Although the son had stiffened his neck against
his father in rebellion, the father fell upon that same neck that had been so stiff and kissed him, welcoming him back
home again. Luke 15:20 (KJV) 20 And he arose, and came to his
father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed
him. Praise God, because of His mercy and love, there is hope for the repentant rebel! But, the
better thing would be for us to listen to Him now and remember what He has done for us so we don't have to be subject to the
slavery that comes from choosing another leader. MORNING MANNA - JULY 18, 2009 - WHAT IS REBELLION AGAINST GOD? Proverbs 17:11 (AMP) As I thought about Proverbs 17:11, I had to first ask myself, "What is an evil man (person)? I didn't have to look far when
I looked up the original word translated, "evil." The Vine's dictionary categorizes this as, "sin."
Oh my, God's word says, we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God! Romans 3:23 (NLT) 23 For everyone has sinned; we all
fall short of God’s glorious standard. If we were to persist in this evil pattern, our fate would
be spiritual and eternal death. Romans 6:23 (NLT) 23 For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Each of us has a choice this morning
to turn from being evil. We can receive the gift of eternal life right now. God offers this gift to evil
people! Or, we can choose to go on working to receive wages that may look appealing to us now, but they are really death, disguised
cleverly by the devil, to lure us into leading lives of rebellion. An evil person seeks only rebellion. That means this sort of person searches out rebellion
by any method possible. They are eager to find it. Again, I was slightly perplexed by what rebellion really
is, as described in Proverbs 17:11. I was struck by the fact that the original meaning has to do with, "bitterness."
Sometimes, our past injuries and failures can cause us to be bitter. That's why it's better to let God take
those things and make us better. If we have received that gift of eternal life, we know that His Word is true when
it tells us that all things work together for the good. Romans 8:28 (NLT) 28 And we know that God causes everything
to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Just the
remembrance of this one scripture will help us to keep from being bitter about things that have caused us pain or are, even
now, bringing discomfort in our lives. When we have surrendered our lives to the Lord, He uses the things we perceive
as good and the things we perceive as bad to do something very special in and for us. He helps
us to become more and more like Jesus! Romans 8:29-30 (NLT) 29 For God knew his people in advance,
and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them
right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. Stopping for a moment
in this thought process, I am reminded that Jesus had plenty of opportunity to be bitter. He had plenty of pain in His
life. He had more than enough conflict to make Him bitter. But He became better. Even He had to learn obedience
to His Father through suffering! Hebrews 5:8 (AM) 8 Although He was a Son, He learned
[active, special] obedience through what He suffered It may well be that you are suffering this morning. You may feel as though
you have nothing to live for. You may be suffering persecution on your job or in school. Worse yet, you may be
suffering persecution or be misunderstood at home. Jesus did not say that we would be sheltered from every storm.
He even said that there would be storms! John 16:33 (AMP) 33
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have
tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]!
For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] In
the very same breath that Jesus told us of the troubles we would face, He said, "Be of good cheer...." In
other words, put on a happy face! Replace those negative thoughts with positive thoughts from scripture. The first
thing we might want to remember is that Jesus learned obedience through what He suffered. You and I need to
do just like Jesus did! Learn obedience from those difficult times in life. Secondly, Jesus did it perfectly
and, although you and I will fail sometimes in our humanity, He has overcome for us already! A rebel will forget these
things and become bitter, always seeking, at any cost, to do evil. What choice will we make when we are in the midst
of our trials? It's our choice. We can serve the devil and become bitter, bringing death and destruction
upon ourselves. Or, we can make the choice to serve God, becoming better and receive abundant life here and forever.
In essence, becoming bitter, and following its destructive course, is rebellion against God. What is it going to be
for you and me? Bitter and rebellious or better and obedient? SONG, LET US PRAY FOR OUR CHILDREN MORNING MANNA - JULY 17, 2009 - THE JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF HAVING CHILDREN Genesis 3:16 (AMP) If you have children,
you know that there are days when joy and excitement fill the air. They grow and learn new things and your heart
just seems to burst inside you as you watch these wonderfully and marvelously made creatures that God has placed in your
life. (Psalm 139:14) Being able to have children is a blessing. Genesis 1:28 (AMP) 28 And God blessed them and said
to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and
man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the
earth. But, because of the sin of Adam and Eve, there is a challenge associated with having children.
God gives women that challenge in Genesis 3:16. It will be painful! Many commentaries indicate that the pain God speaks of is not only
the labor pains associated with the actual birth, but also the pain that comes with each passing day in raising that child.
As a mother, I can relate! It doesn't even matter how old they get, our hearts are always looking out for their good.
We know the temptations in the world and we may have fallen to some of them ourselves. Our desire is for the protection
of our children and to keep them from pain and destruction. Job felt the same way about his children.
Job 1:4-5 (NLT) Job’s sons would take turns
preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. 5
When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would
get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children
have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice. As parents who are believers, we are given the responsibility of raising
our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 (NLT) 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat
them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. We are to watch
them and learn about the natural abilities and desires God has placed in their hearts. Then we are to raise them
and give them opportunities in those areas, helping them to grow into the potential God has placed in them.
Proverbs 22:6 (AMP) 6 Train up a child in the way he should go
[and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. All
the while, we are to be teaching them in every possible teaching moment about Lord. Deuteronomy 6:4-7 (NLT) 4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord
is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your
heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves
wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again
and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and
when you are getting up. How are you doing as a parent? Is every day a joy, with not a single challenge?
I would venture to say, "No!" There is always pain in parenting. Our children sometimes force our hand
at discipline, choosing to exercise their ability to "make their own choices." That's exactly what Eve did
in the Garden of Eden. She made her own choice and then talked Adam into doing the same. Can you imagine how God
felt as a parent? He was, and is, the Perfect Parent, yet His children caused Him the ultimate pain. The Perfect
Parent would give His Perfect Son for us imperfect parents and our imperfect children. I like to remember that
there was a curse placed on the woman in Genesis 3:16. The pain of childbirth and rearing. But, greater than that, there is a promise in John 3:16 that reverses that curse if we, as parents and children, will receive it! God so loved you and me and our children
that He made a way for us to receive salvation and once again have fellowship with Him, the Perfect Parent! Within families today, there are lots of problems with children.
If you don't believe me, take a look at the nightly news and see what the children of today are doing! Many have not
been taught of the Lord. Many have and, like Eve, they think the devil's way is going to be better. Parenting
skills seem to be at an all-time low with many children having to be left alone or with strangers while both parents work
to make a living. There are some parents who have done everything they could to see that their children would have a
stable future and walk with the Lord. Yet, these children, in spite of all they have been given, choose the path that
seems right in their own eyes but fail to see that it leads to destruction. Proverbs 16:25 (NLT) 25 There is a path before each person
that seems right, but it ends in death. Oh the pain of that mother who can see her child going in the wrong
direction; but the child fails or refuses to hear her warnings! Oh, the pain of the parent who has given the truth to
their child, but that child is living a lie. The Apostle Paul said the following about his spiritual children.
We can tap into the depth of his feeling for both our spiritual and biological children. Galatians 4:19-20 (NIV) 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth
until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change
my tone, because I am perplexed about you! It could be that you are perplexed about one or more
of your children this morning, just as Paul was about his spiritual children. Are you feeling those pains of childbirth
all over again as you constantly seek the Lord to be formed in your children? Let me say this. Don't give up.
It is painful but God has given us His Word to cling to. Psalm 126:5-6 (NLT) 5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. 6
They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. Don't
stop bearing the seed of God's Word in love, even through tears of pain and anguish. You will have a harvest! Our
God is not willing that any should perish. That includes your children and mine! (2 Peter 3:9) What is the greatest joy that a parent can have? It is to see that their children are walking
in the truth. 3 John 1:4 (NIV) 4 I have no greater joy than to
hear that my children are walking in the truth. Jesus said, "I am the truth."
(John 14:16) If you, as a parent, are in one of those times of utter joy watching your child walk with the Lord, rejoice and
thank God. Enjoy those moments and let your children know that it is a blessing from the Lord. Sing praise to
the Lord! However, you may be one of those parents who are suffering some painful birth pangs again.
Don't give up! (Galatians 6:9) Bear down in those pains before the throne of God. Keep on praying. Fast before the Lord. Sing
praise through your pain and your tears. He is able and willing to deliver your child! (Mark 9:14-29) It doesn't matter how difficult the problem is! MORNING MANNA - JULY 16, 2009 - DILIGENCE HAS ITS REWARDS Proverbs 21:5 (AMP) The world that you and I live in today is a fast-paced
world. The temptation is to grab what you can, when you can. To make impulsive decisions. To try to find
get-rich-quick plans so we won't lose out. The trouble with much of that is that it doesn't follow God's plan
for His children. The temptation to succumb to impatience and fear is great in the age we live in. However, I
am reminded today, as I read Proverbs 21:5, that I must be steadily diligent, even in my thought life. There's a lot of talk about prosperity today, inside and
outside of our churches. Do we want prosperity or, as one translation puts it, "plenteousness?" Just
as in everything that has to do with life, God gives us the way to plenty. In fact, He is the way! He
gives us the wisdom to know that diligent thoughts bring plenty but impatience and hasty decisions do just the opposite.
They bring us down. I'm remembering that, regarding
diligence, our first priority should be to diligently seek God and follow His commands. Deuteronomy 6:17-18 (NLT) 17 You must diligently obey the
commands of the Lord your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you. 18 Do
what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land
that the Lord swore to give your ancestors. Instead of concentrating on the things we think we need and
focusing on prosperity, our thoughts should diligently be focused on the only One who can prosper us. How wonderful
is it that? If we seek that One diligently, He has promised that we will find Him! He said so!
Proverbs 8:17 (NRSV) 17 I love those who love me, and
those who seek me diligently find me. Diligently loving and seeking God has a sure reward. Not
like some of the schemes we have seen in the world today. He promised that we will find Him! He never
fails on any of His promises! 2 Samuel 22:31 (NLT) 31 “God’s way
is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. Where is your heart this morning? Is it on that ever increasingly
fast merry-go-round of worldly life? Are you wanting to scream, "Stop the world, I want to get off?"
If so, it's time to get a hold on your heart again. Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) 23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life. One translation of Proverbs 4:23 says we should vigilantly keep our heart. Guard it! It can get carried away with all the
bling of this world. But, that is just fake bling! It's like that proverbial villain who offers candy to the little
child, luring the innocent victim into the car, only to do harm or even kill them. John 10:10 (AMP) 10 The thief comes only in order
to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
Our enemy, the devil, would like to capture our hearts and keep them from being diligent to seek God and to
care for those things He has already given us. Where is your heart this morning? Don't accept that piece
of candy from the nice looking man! 2 Corinthians 11:14 (TLB) 14 Yet I am not surprised! Satan
can change himself into an angel of light, Instead, diligently seek the One who owns everything.
Slow and steady wins the race! God will occupy your heart and take care of all your issues in life. Will we
be diligent in seeking Him above all else? If so, God has promised to meet our needs. Diligence has its
rewards! MORNING MANNA - JULY 15, 2009 - WE MUST REMAIN DILIGENT! Joshua 22:5 (KJV) When
are you most likely to slack off and become less diligent? I would venture to say that maybe it's in a time when things
are going well and you have few challenges. In the case of the Israelites, they had just conquered the promised land.
God had given them what He had promised. Joshua 21:43-45 (NIV) 43 So the Lord gave Israel all the
land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44
The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood
them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. 45 Not one of all the
Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. All twelve tribes had worked
together to secure all of the promised land. Two and a half tribes had their land on the opposite side of the Jordan.
It was time for them to be allowed to go back and settle down with their families. When we get "settled in"
to our homes and feel comfortable in our families, we can begin to ignore the Head of our family. God gave the tribes
that were going to their homes a charge to keep. It was a reminder that they should remain diligent to keep their eyes
on Him and not on all the wonderful things He had given them. Although we have many challenges today, we also have many blessings. Our focus
should be on neither, but on the God who can bring us through the challenges and who has blessed us in spite of the challenges!
I must confess that I can get mighty comfortable with my blessings and painfully distracted by my challenges. Maybe
you can relate to that too. What does God want us to do in each case. He wants us to be careful. To be diligent. To
follow His commands. I am just recalling that the first and greatest commandment, according to Jesus is to love God
with all of our being. Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV) 37 Jesus replied: "'Love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38
This is the first and greatest commandment. Are we diligent to love the Lord with all
of our heart, soul and mind? Being prone to distraction as I am, I'm still taking lessons in diligence! This group of people that were being sent back to their homes on the other side of Jordan
were going with great riches. Joshua 22:8 (NIV) 8 saying, "Return to your homes
with your great wealth--with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing--and
divide with your brothers the plunder from your enemies." The Lord had given them victory over all
of their enemies. We have those times in our lives when the Lord delivers us from enemies and makes provision when we
thought there was no way. At those times, and at all other times, we should be diligent to keep our hearts on the Giver
and not all the gifts! Each morning, it's a good idea to check our hearts to see if we are being diligent to keep His
commandments, to cling and unite with Him, and to serve Him with all our hearts - even our very lives! Are we more concerned
about the challenges of the day? Or, about enjoying the gifts we may have at the moment? Are we concerned about
those things we have to do or want to do about these things. Of course, there is a time to be diligent about taking
care of and preserving those things the Lord has given us. But the first order of diligence should be to worship the
Lord, seeking Him diligently with all of our hearts and serving Him enthusiastically! Thank you Lord for this reminder.
I need you to help me! MORNING MANNA - JULY 14, 2009 - THE INVISIBLE WILL ALWAYS BECOME VISIBLE 2 Corinthians 4:18 (AMP) I read the following quote this morning. The invisible part
of your life will always impact the visible. ~Lt. Gen.
Hal Moore Immediately, several thoughts came to mind. Sorting
through those thoughts, I remembered that God is invisible to us right now, except by faith. Yet, if we have the Lord
in our lives, His impact is always felt and seen by others. God has not left us without a clue as to His existence.
Romans 1:20 (NIV) 20 For
since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Those who say that God doesn't exist are
without excuse. In fact, this invisible God calls them fools! Psalm 53:1 (AMP) 1 To the Chief Musician; in a mournful strain. A skillful song, or didactic or reflective poem
of David. THE [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt and evil are they, and doing abominable
iniquity; there is none who does good. Empty-headed, if you will. Corrupt and evil. Now, there's
a good example of the invisible becoming visible! A fool, who is empty-headed, will have a life that shows it!
Corruption and evil will be made visible, as we are seeing in the headlines today. God is invisible to us right now, but He didn't leave us without hope, walking in blind
faith. He sent His Son to show us all of His invisible qualities. Colossians 1:15 (NIV) 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Mankind
is without excuse if He does not believe in God, who is invisible to us right now because we can look at the intricacy
of His creation and know that the invisible God is real. Look at the beauty of a flower in bloom. Feel the mighty
power of a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake! See the miraculous softness of a newborn baby. Not only do
we have creation to show us that the invisible exists, but we also have the Word of God that tells us that His Son, Jesus
Christ, made all these wondrous things and He holds them all together. Colossians 1:16-17 (NIV) 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. The
next time you feel that God is far away just because you can't see Him with your natural eyes at the moment, use those
natural eyes to look at His creation and to look into His Word. By faith, you will be renewed in your thinking.
He will encourage you with all the surprises you find in both places! By faith, we, like Moses, can endure trials and
times of discomfort because we walk by faith instead of sight. Hebrews 11:27 (NIV) 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing
the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. Pharaoh was a very visible threat
to Moses, but Moses did not quit because he saw, by faith, His invisible Lord! We can do that too! You and I may get discouraged and be tempted to give up when we face certain extremely
difficult situations in life. That is exactly what our enemy wants us to do. He wants us to keep our eyes only
on what we can see in the natural. God's plan is for us not to lose heart. 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NIV) 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting
away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. What we see on the outside that may be wasting away
with age, other setbacks or disease is only serving to reveal the invisible that is on the inside. If we do
not lose heart, we will be renewed day by day from the inside. We never know what God can do when He works from the
inside out! (Ephesians 3:20) But, this we do know. He is able to reverse any situation. He is able to reveal any
and all of His invisible qualities and make them visible in our lives. He is our healer. He is our provider.
He is our refuge. Whether or not we see those things we want to see with our natural eyes, there is something to
be revealed in the future, for sure. We may go through some troubles here on earth, but there is an eternal glory awaiting
us that will make these things seem like nothing. 2 Corinthians 2:17 (NIV) 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal
glory that far outweighs them all. Because we have faith that the invisible will be made visible,
we can lift our eyes to a higher level than what we're looking at this present moment. We can look past the
health problems, the relationship problems, the financial problems, and the grief we may be feeling. We can fix our
eyes, by faith, on those things we cannot yet see in the natural. The things we're looking at today will pass sooner
or later. Everything we see with our natural eyes is temporary. Those things which we cannot yet see, except
by faith, are the eternal things. The things that will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Are your eyes fixed on the very visible,
and threatening, "Pharaoh's" in your life. Or, are your eyes fixed on the things
that are unseen today because you know, by faith, that you will see them? MORNING MANNA - JULY 13, 2009 - WHAT SEASON ARE YOU IN? Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV) I don't know about you, but I place more pressure on myself than anyone else. My desire is to "bloom"
all the time. Having said that, I don't bloom enough because I short-circuit myself with added stress.
God's Word says there is a time for everything and a season for every activity. What about those seasons? What
is your favorite season, and why? My least favorite season is Winter and that probably says something about me.
I recently heard a message where the preacher likened
the times of our lives to the four seasons that God brings about on the earth. In the natural, the seasons come and
go in order. The "blooms," are usually more profuse in Spring. Obviously, I want Spring-time
in my life all the time! But, God says that there is a season for every activity. Since I like
Spring, I'll start with that. Spring is a time of new growth. We start seeing color. I like that!
New growth is always refreshing and a wonderful time in our lives when we walk in ways and places in which we have never been.
God watches over each of the seasons in our lives, just as He watches over the seasons that come and go on the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:12 (NLT) 12 a land that the Lord your God
cares for. He watches over it through each season of the year! Spring doesn't last forever. The heat of
Summer comes and growing things start to mature. That process is not always comfortable. Have you ever seen
those flowers drooping in the heat of summer if they have not been watered properly? Thank God, we have the water of God's
Word to keep us growing and maturing. We will definitely have times of heat in our lives where we might feel like we're
going to wilt. If we have received Jesus, we have that living water to keep us alive and healthy, bringing us to
a new level of spiritual maturity. John 4:14 (NLT) 14 But those who drink the water
I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
Summer passes quickly into autumn, a time of harvest. If you're not in a time of harvest in your life,
this time will come and you will reap the rewards. That season will also pass. Following
autumn, and a season of harvest, is a season of Winter. We may feel cold. Life may look dreary. Just as
the trees lose their leaves and the plants seemingly die away, we may be stripped of things we don't need in our lives.
A time of rest. In that rest, when we are stripped of the unnecessary things in our lives, the Master Gardener is not
at rest. He is reviving us from deep within. All of this is brought about by a loving Heavenly
Father, who has control over each season and has determined a purpose for each one. If you are in a Winter season, know
that the cycle goes on. After Winter comes Spring again! Another season of new growth! Whatever
season you may happen to be in this morning, God is doing something special and essential in your life. Whether you
are walking in the joy of seeing new growth in your life, in the maturing process, in a harvest time, or in a Winter season
of rest, God is watching over you and orchestrating each one with a purpose. When needed you will feel those
refreshing showers of blessing that come from the Lord. Ezekiel 34:26 (NLT) 26 I
will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There
will be showers of blessing. What season are you in this morning? Rejoice and be glad for your Father
is working in you. Receive from Him the thing He is offering during this particular season. Is it new
growth? Is it maturity? Is it a harvest? Is it rest? Each is needed and we serve a loving Father
who tends the garden of our lives in and through each season! If we have received Jesus, we know
that all of the things that go on during these "seasons of life" are working together for good to
make us more like Him! Romans 8:28-29 (NIV) 28 And we know that in all things
God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers. Enjoy the present season, it will pass into the next one at just the right time! MORNING MANNA - JULY 12, 2009 - PRISONERS Zechariah 9:12 (NIV) The thought of being a prisoner is very negative. However, the truth is that, unless the Son has set us free,
we are all prisoners of Satan. John 8:36 (ASV) 36 If therefore the Son shall
make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Even after Jesus gives us that free gift of salvation, we can
struggle with prisons of our own making. Prisons of the past. Perhaps your prison is a prison of depression.
Another may experience a prison of addiction to drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, etc. Even an addiction to entertainment
is a prison, whose bars keep us from experiencing the fullness of life that Jesus died to give us. John 10:10 (NLT) 10 The thief’s purpose is
to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. Is there anything in our lives that has become a prison,
holding us back from the abundant life in Christ? Many of us are in a prison of worry. What about the economy?
What about the spread of violence? Is there really global warming? Is the coast of California about ready
to fall into the ocean? Are my children going in the wrong direction? Do I have a terminal disease? The list
could go on and on. As the list grows, so do the prison bars around us. Jesus specifically ordered us not to be
prisoners of worry. Luke 12:25-26 (NRSV) 25 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your
span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Having received Jesus as our Lord
and Savior, we are children of God. (Romans 8:16) God tells His children that, because of the covenant He made with us, sealed with blood, He will free us as prisoners
left to die in a waterless dungeon. Zechariah 9:11 (NIV) 11 As
for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
The enemy would just love to throw you and me into a pit where there is no water. He would like us to stay in the dark
there and die of thirst. Nevertheless, we serve a God who is stronger than the enemy. Even in the darkest pit
of our lives, Jesus is that living water that flows from the fountain that never will run dry. There is no place
that the living water of His Word cannot reach us. If we feel like prisoners to any circumstance this morning, we can
know that God calls us to that place of safety in Him. He calls us out of the dark, dry pit which has become our prison
into the prison of hope. Instead of being prisoners of the enemy's wiles, we can be prisoners of hope. Hope in
a God who has promised we will not be ashamed, nor disappointed. Romans 5:5 (NLT) 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment.
For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Hope in a God who has said, "I promise this very day that I will repay you two mercies for each of your woes!" Zechariah 9:12 NIV) 12 Return to your fortress, O prisoners
of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. God
is our place of safety. (2 Samuel 22:3) It is the God who created this majestic world and all of the heavens who has promised that, when we place our hope
in Him, He take our troubles and return us double in blessings! Are you a prisoner in a dark, dry pit? Or,
have you put your trust in the God who has promised you victory? Are you a prisoner of hope this morning?
If not, Jesus will give you a transfer right now if you call on Him. Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT) 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness
and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom
and forgave our sins. MORNING MANNA - JULY 11, 2009 - HAS BITTERNESS SET IN? Psalms 73:21 (NLT) 21 Then I realized
that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. Listening to
the news these days and even watching what is going on in the workplace and in homes across the world, we can begin to
wonder what is going on. We see people who have made themselves abundantly rich by deception, stealing away
the savings of others. Some are now destitute after saving to take care of themselves in retirement and send their
children to college. The Psalmist was having some trouble with things just like that. He looked around and saw
people prospering in their wickedness and the seeds of bitterness began to set in. He began to feel envy.
Psalm 73:3 (NLT) 3 For I envied the proud when I
saw them prosper despite their wickedness. There is quite a difference between desiring righteous living in the world and falling into
envy. The Psalmist, in retrospect, knew that. Psalm 73:2 (NLT) 2 But as for me, I almost lost my
footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For a brief time, he had looked at the prosperity of
the wicked and coveted what they had. That is easy for us to do these days too. Many have become rich at the expense
of those who have worked hard all their lives. People have been deceived by those whose only interest is padding their
own bank accounts. It could be that you have experienced that in your life. If you have never experienced it,
you probably watch in horror as you see the countless people who have been deceived and robbed of everything they had.
You might have even said what the Psalmist was thinking before His focus turned in the right direction. Psalm 73:7 7 These fat cats have everything their hearts
could ever wish for! We also hear a lot of boasting today. Many are turning to secular humanism,
having no use for God. This is not a new thing. Psalm 73:9-10 (NLT) 9 They boast against the very heavens,
and their words strut throughout the earth. 10 And so the people are dismayed
and confused, drinking in all their words. We see so many people applauding themselves and one another boasting
about how good they are but we see few positive changes in society. Very confusing! People today are dismayed.
Have you noticed? Some, like the Psalmist, are tempted to say the following. Psalm 73:13-14 (NLT) 13 Did I keep my heart pure for
nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? 14 I get nothing but trouble all
day long; every morning brings me pain. Those are bitter words and they come to us when our hearts have turned
from seeking Jesus to looking at all the riches of this world. Sometimes we, like the Psalmist, try to figure out why
wicked people seem to prosper so greatly. Psalm 73:16 (NLT) 16 So I tried to understand why
the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is! I have done that myself. Instead of going on
with this tirade of complaining, the Psalmist came to his senses. Psalm 73:22 (NLT) 22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. If we have fallen into the trap of envying the wicked and
trying to figure things out ourselves, we are close to being bitter, if not already there! Like the Psalmist, we need
to use that little word, "yet," to change our focus and bring our hearts back to reality. Psalm 73:23-26 23 Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right
hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. 26
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
Despite some of our foolish thinking, God does not desire for us to become bitter, but to become better.
In spite of everything, we still belong to Him and He holds our right hand. He is leading us to victory.
He keeps our spirit strengthened even when our health is precarious. All the riches of this world, ill-gotten or otherwise,
cannot compare with the fact that God is ours forever! Have you made the Sovereign Lord your shelter?
If so, you are free to let others know about the wonderful things He does! Psalm 73:28 (NLT) 28 But as for me, how good it is
to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. When we do that we can go about singing that old hymn in our hearts, "Turn your
eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory
and grace!" MORNING MANNA - JULY 10, 2009 - IT STARTS WITH THE FATHER AND THE SON 1 John 1:3 (AMP) All
of us need fellowship. We all need relationship. Many have gone to great lengths and in many wrong directions
seeking a fulfilling and satisfying relationship. Before we can have true fellowship with one another, we need to have
fellowship with the Lord. There is one relationship that we can always count on. There is One who will never leave
us, forsake us or fail us in any way. That one is God. Hebrews 13:5 (NLT) 5 Don’t love money; be satisfied
with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” He
desired fellowship with us so much that He sent His only Son to a Roman cross in order to pardon us for forsaking Him!
He offers us wonderful fellowship with Him if we will take our eyes off of the things of this world and turn them in His direction. That being said, you and I are made for relationship. Our first priority should be that blood-bought relationship
with our Heavenly Father. What a gift to be given access to the very throne-room of God! Hebrews 4:16 (AMP) 16 Let us then fearlessly and confidently
and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive
mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming
just when we need it]. Because of that relationship we can now have with God, we can know
that He hears us. He cares for us. He enables us to love Him in return. 1 John 4:19 (AMP) 19 We love Him, because He first
loved us. His desire is that we have right relationships, good fellowship, with one another. That
we share with one another and communicate with one another just as He has done with us through His Word. 1 John 1:7 (NLT) 7 But if we are living in the light,
as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
Are you troubled or hurt over some relationship in your life? The Father and the Son are waiting
to have fellowship with you. Waiting for you to turn your attention to them and receive healing, hope, and guidance.
Waiting to engage you in fellowship with other believers with whom you can share the goodness of God. All
of our relationships, all of our fellowship should start with the Father and the Son. There is no stronger relationship.
There is no sweeter fellowship! MORNING MANNA - JULY 9, 2009 - JUST A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS MAKES IT RIGHT Psalms 27:8 (NLT) In his time of trouble, David said to the Lord, "My
heart has heard you say, 'Come and talk with me.'" It appears that David was experiencing some fear.
Otherwise, he would not have said, Psalm 27:1 (NLT) 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? David
was apparently so distressed that he was trembling. I have been that way too. Most of us have experienced fear
and trembling at some time in our lives. David has taught me a lesson. Although he was feeling fear and experiencing
trembling, he began to talk to himself. In his conversation, he reminded himself that the Lord was his light and salvation.
The Lord is also our light and salvation. This may be one of those days when we need to begin talking to ourselves
like David did, not denying the feelings we have, but realizing that the Lord is greater than all of that. As David
continued to remind himself, "...The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger...." David didn't just
talk to himself. He questioned himself asking, "why." When you and I experience times of trouble, so
much so that we begin to fear or even tremble, let's start talking to ourselves. Let's ask ourselves why we should be
so fearful and quake in our boots since we have a God that is our light, salvation, and fortress. We certainly have spiritual enemies
that are always lurking to attack us when we are weak in some area. (1 Peter 5:8) Some of us may know people who wish us harm and try to actually inflict that harm. In both cases, we need
to be like David. We need to choose to remain confident. Psalm 27:3 (NLT) 3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. Now, remaining confident even when a mighty army may surround us,
and even attack, is not always easy. It's got to be a choice we make before that mighty army attacks.
And then, when the attack occurs, we need to keep on talking to ourselves like David did. Because we have a Lord who
is our light, salvation, and fortress, we need to remind ourselves that we are totally protected. Jesus told us
exactly what David was telling himself about not letting his heart be afraid. Jesus reminded us that, in this world,
we would be faced with attacks. However, we have His assurance that we need not let our hearts become fearful.
Instead of falling prey to fear and trembling, we need to recall and remind ourselves that Jesus has promised us His
peace. John 16:33 (AMP) 33 I have told you these things,
so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration;
but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it
of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] Although
David is experiencing the fear of great attack, I notice that, as soon as he begins to talk to Himself, his focus changes
from the power of the enemy to the power and peace of the Lord. Psalm 27:4 (NLT) 4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—
the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections
and meditating in his Temple. Continuing to read through Psalm 27, it is evident that David takes his eyes and thoughts off of the enemy and turns them toward the Lord's perfection.
David turns to seeking the Lord instead of trying to figure out how to defeat his enemies or take any vengeance on them.
Is that what we do? I must confess that sometimes I spend more time fighting enemies, both spiritual and perceived natural,
than I do remembering that I am safe within my Lord's arms. Psalm 27:5 (NLT) 5 For he will conceal me there when
troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. When God
hides or conceals us, we are safe! When He places us upon that high rock, which is Jesus, we are safe!
Psalm 62:2 (AMP) 2 He only is my Rock and my Salvation,
my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be greatly moved. David is so confident in the Lord that he knows
that, even if the most important people in his life abandon him, He has a safe secure place with God. If we have felt
abandonment by those close to us, we can have that same assurance. Psalm 27:10 (NLT) 10 Even
if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. When all our resources have dwindled
down to nothing, when we've been forsaken by those we love, when attack and possibly destruction seems close at hand,
we need to talk to ourselves like David did, reminding ourselves of our position. Hidden in God's sanctuary. Set
upon Jesus, the Rock of our salvation. As we talk to ourselves, we will, like David, hear the Lord Himself enter into
that conversation. Like David, we will hear Him say, "Come and talk with Me." What an invitation!
God, Himself, saying, "Come on, sit down. Tell me what's troubling you. I love you and I want to help
you." 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) 7 Casting the whole of your care
[all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and
cares about you watchfully. It is stressful to be under attack. It is stressful to live in this sinful
world. It can seem more than we can bear. God knows that. He sent His own Son to us to reiterate that invitation
to come to Him. Matthew 11:28 (AMP) 28 Come to Me, all you who labor
and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
When David heard God's voice calling him, his heart responded, "Lord, I am coming." In the struggles
we face in our world today, God is still extending the invitation to come to Him and talk it out. I am reminded that,
as the old song says, "Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right." That's very true. Now, let us
have a little talk with Jesus! MORNING MANNA - JULY 8, 2009 - ARE YOU SUFFERING? Romans 8:18 (NIV) There's
a very good chance that someone reading this is struggling with something. Suffering in some way. What was Paul
saying when he spoke about suffering? He was talking about undergoing hardship and pain. About being under the
affliction that could be emotional in nature. It could be an evil influence. It could be physical.
It could be suffering of any kind. If you are not feeling this way today, the chances are good that you have felt
this way some time in the past. Those things we have suffered may have hurt at the time but, if we are trusting in Jesus,
they will be the very thing by which we can bring hope to others. Paul
also wrote to remind us that our God is merciful and that He is the source of all comfort. He can
work in mysterious ways to bring us that comfort. Just as I was praying and asking God to speak and direct
me this morning, my phone rang. I was not going to answer it. I did not recognize the number. But
I felt led to do so. It was a loved one that I had not heard from in a very long time. God spoke
unexpectedly through this person, to encouraging me and demonstrate His love. It's true. God does
comfort us in all of our troubles. The person that called me had been through some devastating trials but has come
out praising the Lord. 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT) 4 He comforts us in all our troubles
so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. God
allowed that conversation to take place at just the right time to lift my spirit and give me hope! When we're in the midst of our troubles, sometimes
we feel overwhelmed. They are not pleasant and we may feel that we won't make it through. What we may feel
like is not always accurate. There may be more going on than we can see with our eyes. God is at
work. The enemy is at work also. What happens when we have a pain? What happens when we can't figure out
how we are going to make it financially? What happens when a child goes astray? What is usually our very first
reaction to anything that appears negative in our lives? It may be that fear is our first reaction. Yet, God has
not given us a spirit of fear. He has given us power, love and a sound and disciplined mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) It is the enemy who would love to destroy us by stealing our Christ-given freedom. (John 8:36) Paul encourages us by the Spirit of God, letting us know that we don't have to be brought back
into the slavery of fear. Romans 8:15 (NIV) 15 For you did not receive a spirit
that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
If we have believed in Jesus and trusted Him, we are sons of our Heavenly Father. If we are going through
any suffering, we can cry out to our Papa in Heaven. He will comfort us in all of our troubles.
Then, we will be able to help Him, as we share His comfort with others. As Paul says in Romans 8:18, the glory God is revealing in us far overshadows anything we might be going through. Just as a mother
forgets her birth pains when she holds her new baby in her arms, our suffering will dim when we see how God
uses it to mold us into the image of His Son. Are you suffering in any way? Don't be afraid. Instead, cry
out to your Abba Father. He is your comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3 (ASV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; He will comfort you, ease
your pain, and see you through to the other side. Instead of making us bitter, our suffering when has
the potential to make us much better! MORNING MANNA - JULY 7 2009 - A FEW THOUGHTS ON TESTED FAITH 2 Corinthians 13:5-6 (NRSV) After a particularly challenging day yesterday, I listened to a CD
with encouraging scripture on it as I prayed and went to sleep, hoping for an easier day today. As I listened and
was encouraged, I realized how many times throughout the various verses the recording artist had chosen to read, faith
was constantly being mentioned. This morning I am reminded that Paul told us to examine ourselves to see whether we
are living in the faith. We're supposed to test ourselves. It is popular these days to wear buttons that say such
things has, "believe." Many people will try to encourage another who is down by saying, "Keep the
faith." But, what or whom do we believe in? Do we believe in our own faith? Is our faith in faith?
Or is our faith in the fact that, as Paul says, "Jesus Christ is in us." That is, unless we fail the test.
Like Paul, I hope that you and I will not find out that we have failed that test! Abraham's faith in God was tested early on. Hebrews 11:17-19 (AMP) 17 By faith Abraham, when he was put to the test [while the testing of his faith was still in
progress], had already brought Isaac for an offering; he who had gladly received and welcomed [God’s] promises was ready
to sacrifice his only son, 18 Of whom it was said, Through Isaac shall your
descendants be reckoned. 19 For he reasoned that God was able to raise [him] up even
from among the dead. Indeed in the sense that Isaac was figuratively dead [potentially sacrificed], he did [actually] receive
him back from the dead. God had earlier promised Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son and that,
through that son, he would have descendants as numerous as the sands on the seashores. Isaac was finally born when
Abraham was one hundred years old. That's a long time to have faith in a promise of God! We might think that
Abraham had passed the test of faith by this time (although he had a little stumble in trying to do it in his own
strength by having a son by Sarah's servant, Hagar - Genesis 16:15). You and I might have some "stumbles," here and there too. Faith is not for the faint
of heart! It is a journey of many levels until we finally reach the shores of Heaven. There
was still more testing for Abraham. He went from one level of faith to another, as he trusted God and took Isaac up
that hill to sacrifice him. Abraham was a righteous man and it was proven by his faith in God. Is our faith
showing? Romans 1:16-17 (KJV) 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is
written, The just shall live by faith. Abraham's faith was made evident to those around him
and to us when he said, as he began his assent to the sacrificial altar, Genesis 22:5 (NASB) 5 Abraham said to his young men,
"Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." Abraham
didn't know for sure what God would do. He just had faith that God had made him a promise. He obediently followed
God through some very difficult and perhaps scary territory as he took Isaac up that hill. It didn't really look
like God would spare his son. You and I may endure some difficult and, quite frankly, scary territory as we seek
to walk by faith in our Lord. Things may not always look like God is there with us. Circumstances may
shout to us that His promises are not true. Is your faith in God being tested this morning? Are you in a
struggle, but determining to walk on knowing that all of God's promises are yea and amen? 2 Corinthians 1:19-22 (NIV) 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always
been "Yes." 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes"
in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21 Now
it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set
his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Abraham gave us a good example of walking by faith and God provided a ram for him to sacrifice instead of his son. But,
he had to walk that faith to the point of raising the knife to take his son's life. Where are you in your walk of faith?
In a great test? God sent His only and perfect Son. He is in us, as Paul says, if we have passed the test.
All of the promises that God has given to you and me are, "yes," in the Christ who lives in us. No matter
what things look like, we can count on the "yes," in all of God's promises. We can be encouraged
and strengthened to walk on by faith! God will help us pass the test, and come through victorious, just like
He did for Abraham. MORNING MANNA - JULY 6, 2009 - THE SAME LORD 1 Corinthians 12:5 (NLT) I am reminded that there is a diversity of races of people on this earth. Each one of each race represents
a person for whom Jesus died. Each one has the potential to serve our risen Lord. Just as there are different
colors, genders, and sizes, etc., of people, there are different kinds of service. Each one of us is unique and each
one was created by an all-knowing God for His own purpose. Each one of us is marvelously made. We can all thank
the Lord today for how He formed us and given us life. Psalms 139:14 (NLT) 14 Thank you for making
me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. God didn't create you
and me and place us here on earth to wander aimlessly about. He had something in mind for each of us. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) 10 For
we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. We are all unique beings. We were each created
by a loving God who gives good gifts to those who are His children. Matthew 7:11 (AMP) 11 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous
gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things
to those who keep on asking Him! As parents, we don't give gifts to our children that will harm them.
Many times, we give them gifts that go with the bent of their personality. Gifts that will help them grow. Gifts
that will teach them and help equip them to make a difference in the world in which they live. Most of the time, we
insist that they share those gifts with others. Our Father has given each of us gifts, according to His good plans and
purposes so we can share them with the rest of His children and with those who have yet, by faith in Jesus, to become
His children. Our Heavenly Father has given His children a variety of gifts. He has created good works for us to do and given
us the gifts that are necessary to complete those works. There is plenty of work to be done in the family of God.
In His Kingdom. Each of us should build up the other, just as parts of our natural body each support the
others. If we have believed and trusted in Jesus and His saving grace, we all serve one Lord.
Ephesians 4:4-6(NIV) 4 There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one
hope when you were called-- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is
over all and through all and in all. The gifts that He has given you and me are not to be exalted.
He is to be exalted. Like Moses, each of us, diverse though we may be, should sing a song like this.
Exodus 15:2 (NRSV) 2 The Lord is my strength and my
might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Each
of us, though we may serve in different ways, are called by Jesus to remember this one thing. Mark 12:29 (NIV) ... 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. We are to love
Him and love one another. (Mark 12:30-31) All of our service and any gifts we may be given will be of no use to us, others, or the Lord if we do not walk
in love. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) Despite your color, gender, personality type, denomination, age, or any other factor, aren't you glad that
we can serve one Lord! Let us serve the Lord this day and every day! MORNING MANNA - JULY 5, 2009 - WHERE IS YOUR HEART? Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) Our hearts are the very center of our beings. No wonder the scripture tells us to guard them! From
them spring all the issues of life. Every decision we will make. There are innumerable things in this world
that would try to steal our hearts away. It's important that we guard them carefully so that they are not
polluted, captured and destroyed. If we have not given our heart to Jesus, it can deceive us and lead us astray.
Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT) 9 “The human heart is the most deceitful
of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? The Lord warned the people
of Israel not to let their hearts be deceived. Deuteronomy 11:16 (NLT) 16 “But be careful. Don’t
let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods. He
told them to be careful about their hearts. He knew that, if they were deceived, they would turn away from Him and worship
other gods. What gods might we worship today if our hearts have not been guarded? Money and worry are two of
those things. Matthew 13:22 (NLT) 22 The seed that fell among the
thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life
and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. These days, it's easy to succumb to worry. Just
read the newspaper, turn on the computer, or listen to the news on television. Today, money might be a prime candidate
for stealing away our hearts. Anything that we think about more than we think about God and His love for us can threaten
to take our hearts. Where are our hearts? Are we guarding them? Perhaps the best way to set a guard over our heart is to hide God's word within it.
Psalm 119:11 (NLT) I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
When God's word is placed in all the corners of our heart, we will be less apt to wander toward other things
that are lurking, waiting to destroy us. God's word will alert us to danger. 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT) 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your
great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. As for that
temptation to let worry overcome us and lead us away from God, there is encouragement in the fact that God has provided a
way out of that for us. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) 7 Give all your worries and cares
to God, for he cares about you. The Lord has told us that we can give all our worries to Him!
That's how much He cares for us! Where is your heart this morning? Is it being sucked into the realm of worry and the
cares of this world? If that's the case, you can change direction right now and cast all those cares on your
loving Father. This is not an act of blind faith. (Hebrews 11:1) This is trust in the only One who can change your circumstances or lead you through them by His grace. We do
not have to be concerned about these things because Jesus said He would never leave us. With a Companion like that,
we can't lose. Hebrews 13:5 (NLT) 5 Don’t love money; be satisfied
with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Where are our hearts this morning? Have we guarded them well?
If not, we will find things coming out of our mouths that do not glorify God! Whatever is in our hearts will eventually
come out of our mouths. Jesus was very emphatic when He explained this to the religious leaders of His time
who had somehow let their hearts go wandering. Matthew 12:35-37 (NLT) ) 35 A
good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury
of an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day
for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn
you.” These words of Jesus have some very serious implications. This is a very
good reason to be sure we know exactly where our heart is this morning. In our own strength, we don't have the power
to guard our hearts completely but we do have a God that is willing to search them and show us where we need to change.
Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT) 23 Search me, O God, and know my
heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in
me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Our Heavenly Father is not only able
to point out what needs to be thrown out of our hearts; He's able and willing to lead us along the path of everlasting life.
Where are our hearts this morning? Skipping down the dangerous and rocky paths of this world that lead to destruction?
(Proverbs 16:25) If we examine our hearts and find that they're not where they should be, we can count on this
fact. Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT) 26 And I will give you a new heart,
and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey
my regulations. Our Lord wants our whole heart. He wants us to have pure hearts. Wherever
my heart and your heart is today, God is willing to do whatever is necessary to make it right! Are we ready and willing to
let Him do it? Psalm 119:10 (AMP) 10 With my whole heart have I sought
You, inquiring for and of You and yearning for You; Oh, let me not wander or step aside [either in ignorance or willfully]
from Your commandments. Are we ready to guard the clean heart He has given us? MORNING MANNA - JULY 4, 2009 - THE LIFTER OF OUR SOULS Psalm 113:5 (NLT) Who can be compared with the
Lord our God, who is enthroned on high? We serve a mighty God! Creator of the heavens and earth. He sits high above it all in His glory.
God reigns supreme over all the nations (even though many do not acknowledge him). Psalm 47:8 (AMP) God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne. For
that reason alone, we should sing praises to him. Psalm 47:6 (AMP) Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
This mighty and powerful God we serve doesn't just sit there proudly looking over all He has made. He
doesn't just leave us to our own devices and look the other way when we have troubles. He is into details. Even
details about us. Matthew 10:30 (NIV) And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. What
a comfort to know that our God, with all the things He has to do to keep this world together, looks low enough and cares enough
to number the hairs on our head! Yes, God stoops down very low to
look upon us, here on this earth. Psalm 113:6 (NLT) 6 He stoops to look down
on heaven and on earth. When God bends down to look, He's not just observing. He's searching
for you and for me. If there are any lost sheep among us, He is determined to find us! Matthew 18:12-14 (NLT) 12 “If a man has a hundred
sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to
search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the
truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! 14
In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.
Yes! Our God loves each one of us so much that He stoops down low to see where we are and what we
are doing. He looks to see if we're in trouble. He not only looks, but He cares and He does something about
it! Psalm 113:7 (NLT)
7 He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. Have you ever felt like that
one who has tied a knot at the end of your rope and you're left hanging on for dear life? Well, that word, "poor,"
means, "dangling," and "weak." This person is a needy person. God raises up people like that.
He makes them sit with Him in heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:6) No more dangling from a thread, my friend. God is willing and able to lift us up
from any circumstance that taunts us. Have you ever felt face-down in the dirt? Our God looks for us when that
happens. He lifts us from that dust. It doesn't matter whether we got ourselves into that situation or whether
we were pushed in. When we're feeling destitute, financially, or otherwise, our God is looking and caring and lifting.
The Psalmist declared that God lifts those who are needy from the garbage dump. One translation says "dunghill."
Not a very fragrant picture! Have you ever, or maybe this is the time, felt, down in the dumps? Our God is sitting
high, but bending low to lift you out, clean you up, and give you joy. He lets us know this throughout scripture. 1 Samuel 2:8-9 (TLB) 8 He lifts the poor from the dust—
Yes, from a pile of ashes— And treats them as princes Sitting in the seats of honor. For all the earth is the Lord’s
And he has set the world in order. 9 He will protect his godly ones, But the
wicked shall be silenced in darkness. No one shall succeed by strength alone. Are you in any kind
of need or distress this morning? The Lord will lift you up, as you follow Him. Psalm 146:7-9 (NIV) 7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, 8 the Lord gives
sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. 9
The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the
wicked. Oh weary and troubled soul, do you need a lift this morning? The Lord is the lifter of your
soul! None can compare to Him! Look up, He's looking down for you, ready to lift you to a safe place within His
loving care. MORNING MANNA - JULY 3, 2009 - THEREFORE, I HAVE HOPE Lamentations 3:21 (NIV) 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: There have been lots of reasons for people to forget they have hope recently. Natural disasters have destroyed
land, homes and possessions. The decline of the economic system, worldwide, has caused us to be apprehensive.
New diseases and old ones, for which we have no cure, are a constant threat. Relationships seem to be crumbling everywhere
you look. Infidelity and moral decay abound. Children and grandchildren are a constant concern because of the
availability of all sorts of drugs and other decadent things. Some of us may have been experiencing these
things and others that I have not mentioned. It can really stress us out to the point of wondering if
there is any hope left in all of the messes we see in the world and in our own lives. At times we might feel like
the writer of the book of Lamentations. Lamentations 3:5 (AMP) 5 He has built up [siege mounds]
against me and surrounded me with bitterness, tribulation, and anguish. Some people feel like God is totally
against them when trials come. It's not hard to think like that if we're stuck, dwelling on the present circumstances.
But, God always sees the bigger picture. He wants us to get a glimpse of it too. Have you ever felt like all your strength was gone? That things were coming at you so fast
and furious that you were in danger of being totally wiped out? That's what the prophet, Jeremiah, felt like.
Lamentations 3:18 (NIV) 18 So I say, "My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from
the Lord." His strength had seemingly disappeared. His confidence was destroyed.
His goals appeared to be unattainable. This may sound very familiar to some of us. Jeremiah remembered well all of
his troubles. He had sunk into a mud hole of depression. He felt like an outcast. He felt mistreated, even
destitute. He felt cursed and poisoned. Lamentations 3:18-26 (NIV) 19 I remember
my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. Wait now, this was Jeremiah, the prophet
of the living God! Sometimes we think of the prophets as being perfect, never feeling those down and out feelings that
often accost us without warning. When Jeremiah thought about all of those negative things, he began to lament.
Lamentations 3:20 (NIV) 20 I
well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Inside, he felt pushed to the ground.
Sunk. Maybe some of us are lamenting this morning over circumstances we cannot change. Then Jeremiah give us a small
word in his writing that changes everything. The word, "yet." Lamentations 3:21 (NIV) 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: When
we're down, and almost out, because of the trials and troubles we see, we also need to say, "yet."
It wasn't easy for Jeremiah. Out of all the garbage that was floating around in his mind, he had to specifically
"call up" something that was being pushed down by the enemy. Satan didn't want Jeremiah to think of anything
positive and he doesn't want us to either! We are bombarded by negatives. They flow through our lives like
a river. We have to determine to call up the positive things like Jeremiah did. He called up hope out of
the depths of his besieged mind. Not pie in the sky hope. Not the kind of hope that says, "Someday, when
my ship comes in." No! Substantial hope in His God. Romans 5:5 (NLT) 5 And this hope will not lead to
disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Jeremiah
did not have the full vision that we have today. He had not seen Jesus come to earth. He did not know that
Jesus would send His Spirit to us to give us a hope in which we would never be disappointed or ashamed. Yet, Jeremiah
gave us a foundation for going through difficulties and disasters in life. He reminded us of the great love our
Father has for us. A love and compassion that keeps us from being consumed. Lamentations 3:22 (NIV) 22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for
his compassions never fail. We may not escape every trial that comes to this earth but we do have hope
because God's love will never let us go! Romans 8:38-39 (NLT) 38 And I am convinced that nothing
can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today
nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate
us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yes! If we have received Jesus
as our Savior, we wake up to each day with new hope and the knowledge that God has not run out of mercy from the day before
but has filled us with His new mercies for that day! It reminds me of the song, "One Day At A Time."
God's new mercies are there for you and me, one day at a time. Lamentations 3:23 (NIV) 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. God's
mercies can be likened to a mother cherishing the baby she carries, protecting it with her life. No wonder we can say, today,
and with each new day, "Therefore, I have hope!" MORNING MANNA - JULY 2, 2009 - EVEN A FEVER HAS TO GO! Matthew 8:14 (NIV) This morning I am writing out of fresh, new experience. It is nothing that I haven't experienced
before but, since yesterday afternoon, it is fresh. It is a reminder to look to the Word for healing. I have a
fever. I do not feel well at all. This is very small in light of all the tremendous problems facing others but
it is disturbing to me because I don't know why I'm feeling this way and I don't know what to do about it. But, I know
Someone who does know why and who does know what to do! I'm encouraged that Jesus, in His compassion, looked at Peter's
mother-in-law who was lying in bed with a fever! He had just come from a conversation with a Roman centurion.
It was an amazing conversation. The centurion had come to Jesus to request healing for his servant. (Matthew 8:5-6) The amazing thing about the conversation was that the centurion did not request Jesus to go to his
home. This Roman official knew he was unworthy of a visit from Jesus, yet he believed that Jesus could do the job by just
saying the Word. Matthew 8:8 (NIV) 8 The centurion replied, "Lord,
I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. Jesus was amazed
at the faith of this man! Matthew 8:10 (NIV) 10 When Jesus heard this, he was
astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great
faith. Because the centurion was able to believe that Jesus had authority over everything and that His
Word would be enough to heal his servant, Jesus spoke that Word and the servant was healed. Right at that very
time that the man believed! Matthew 8:13-14 (NIV) 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go!
It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour. What a victory!
I'm sure many people heard this conversation and found out that God still sends His Word to heal those who will believe.
(Psalm 107:20) Jesus then went to the home of Peter, perhaps to rest. We see, in another passage, that power
went forth from Jesus when people were healed. Luke 8:46 (NIV) 46 But
Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." This sort of power that
heals people is not just a small thing. It is like the power of dynamite. It is not a trivial matter when the
Lord sends that kind of power to bring about a change in our bodies. That power flowed through Jesus and it still does.
I can imagine, though, since Jesus walked in a body of flesh Himself, He may have gotten tired with such power flowing.
Yet, when He got to Peter's house, He saw Peter's mother-in-law sick with a fever. He cared about her. He reached out
and touched her hand. At His touch, the fever left her. Matthew 8:15 (NIV) 15 He touched her hand and the fever
left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. It doesn't matter whether we are a high government official
or an elderly woman, perhaps even widowed, Jesus cares and He has the power to bring change to our lives. His healing
is available for anyone because He is compassionate and merciful. When Peter's mother-in-law was healed, she got up
and began to serve Jesus. Healing is available for body, soul, and spirit this morning. It is not just to make
us comfortable, although Jesus cares about our every care. (1 Peter 5:7) I know that the Lord is seeing me right now, just as He is seeing you in any sickness or distress you may be going
through. He is able to bring us out and strengthen us to serve Him just as He did for Peter's mother-in-law. All
we need to do is trust in His power and believe just like that Roman centurion did. MORNING MANNA - JULY 1, 2009 - GOD STILL SENDS HIS WORD Psalm 107:19: "Lord help!" they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. When you look at the world around you today, how many people do you see
in some kind of distress? It could even be that you are one of those people. Almost everyone wants
to be relieved from their troubles. Most, however, are only looking at the troubles, which are the symptoms, but not
the cause. The singer once sang proudly, "I Did It My Way." Anyone who follows the advice of that song
will end up with trouble. Doing it our way is rebellion. It is foolish. Psalm 107:17 (NLT) Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins.
Those who insist on doing it their way will have trouble. We may not see all of those troubles come
upon them in this world but, those of us who refuse to repent of our sins, will have no chance when the Lord judges the
world. Hebrews 9:27-28 (NIV) 27 Just as man is destined
to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once
to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who
are waiting for him. Jesus is coming again, even though it may seem to some that there is no indication
of it. It may seem that He is lax in taking care of those who insist on corrupting everything around them.
However, He is not slow. Rather He is so loving that He doesn't want anyone to remain foolish and die in their sins.
He is giving everybody time to turn from their own way to His way - if they will. 2 Peter 3:9-10 (NLT) 9 The
Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does
not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the
Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves
will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Looking around us, we also find many depressed people. Some
are so depressed and become so dysfunctional that they become anorexic. They stop eating. This leads sometimes
to death. Depression is a real thing and it must be dealt with. I know. I have suffered from it. Part
of the reason was that I was not focused on God. I was doing everything my way. I believed in
Him but I was still doing life my way. I went to doctors who gave me boatloads of medications. One to put me to
sleep, one to wake me up, one to keep anxiety down, etc. Soon I was a walking pharmacy. Let me say that,
if you and your doctor feel that you need a medication for a time, you should do what needs to be done. However,
while you are doing that, don't depend on the drug or the doctor. Depend upon your God. Resolve to do things His
way and not your own way. Do what Psalm 107:19 says, "Lord help!" they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. If
any of us are in any sort of distress this morning, the answer is to cry out to the Lord and do life His way. He
is the only One who can save us from our distresses! How does He
save us? He sends His Word to heal us! Psalm 107:20 20 He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.
God's Word (which is Jesus) contains everything we need to become whole again. Spiritually, emotionally,
and physically. We can be at death's door in all those ways. The worst, by far, is to be at the door of death
without ever having had our sins washed away by the blood of Jesus. Revelation 1:5 (NLT) ........Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first
to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our
sins by shedding his blood for us. If you are in distress of any kind this morning, the first thing to do is
be sure that you have called on the name of Jesus and been saved from your sin-sickness. There is nothing that you have
done that He will not forgive. Romans 10:13 (NIV) 13 for, "Everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved." You may be in emotional stress. I have already had
one call this morning from someone who really needed God's Word for emotional healing. You may have physical distress.
Again, already this morning, I got a call for prayer for someone who is in grave danger because of a mistake during surgery.
All kinds of sickness surrounds us. God can save and deliver from any and all sickness. He sends His Word.
That Word contains all the healing we need, now and forever! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 30, 2009 - O LORD, I NEED HELP! Psalms 30:2 (NIV) I have had some times in my life
when I was very sick. Pain has caused me to think I couldn't take it a moment longer. There are
others who have suffered much more intensely than I have. You may be one of them. In my hardest moments,
I knew that I could call on the Lord for help. He has always answered. Obviously so, because I am here, alive,
and writing. Psalm 31:22 (NLT) In
panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the Lord!” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.
Although the Psalmist in Psalm 31:22 is crying out to the Lord because of his city was being attacked, the principle is the same. When our bodies or
minds are being attacked so much so that we begin to panic, we might feel like the Lord doesn't see us. We
might feel forsaken. But that is not the case. As the Psalmist testifies, God hears our cries for mercy
and answers our calls for help. There have been times when I was in such pain that all I could do was
pull the covers over my head and cry out to Jesus for help. The help was not always instantaneous; but He did help me.
There have been other times when I'm sure He has protected me from getting some illness that would be life-threatening.
I have seen times when doctors made mistakes and the Great Physician stepped in to help. As I write this, I am reminded
of a song, "When I Call On Jesus." The title words go on through the song to say, "all things are possible."
Even though the Psalmist had never seen Jesus, He knew who to call on when he needed healing. When Jesus walked the
earth, He showed us the power of God to heal. Luke 4:40 (NIV) When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds
of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. As I read this passage, I am
impressed by several things. Jesus healed all sorts of diseases. He did not just pray a blanket, impersonal prayer.
He laid His hands on each one. And, He healed each one. All of them! I'm thinking of another song
called, "What A Healing Jesus." I'm sure each one of those people went away singing, "What I healing
Jesus I've found in You." We can do the same thing today. He's the same today as He was when He walked those
shores of Galilee. (Hebrews 13:8) The Psalmist in Psalm 30:3 tells the truth. Psalm 30:3 (NIV) 3 O
Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. I have experienced
that personally and seen it happen in other people. The Lord will bring us back from the edge of the grave.
Nothing is impossible with Him. He brought Lazarus out of the grave - after four days! John 11:43-44 (ASV) 43 And when he had thus spoken,
he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 He that was dead came forth, bound
hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him
go. Yes, the Lord is able to protect us from sickness and heal us of sickness. In the end, He is able
to raise us from death caused by sickness. (Revelation 21:14) God does heal today. He protects us from certain things that we will never know about until it's
revealed in eternity. But, one day, we will have to leave these earthly tents. I'm fully convinced that we may
not have to leave sick. The Lord preserved Moses and He can preserve us, strong and healthy until we walk into His arms.
Psalm 92:12-15 (NLT) 12 But the godly will flourish like
palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. 13 For they are transplanted
to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. 14 Even in
old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. 15 They will
declare, “The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!” It would be presumptuous
of me to think this way if these thoughts were conjured up in my own brain. However, I believe what the Word of God
says. Because He is able to protect us from disease and heal us when we need it, we can do like the psalmist did in
Psalm 30:4-5. 4 Sing
unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 5 For
his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Are you in need of healing in any way this morning? You can call on God just like the Psalmist did.
Ask Him for help. There is healing in His wings! Malachi 4:2 (NLT) “But for you who fear my
name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let
out to pasture. MORNING MANNA - JUNE 29, 2009 - IS GOD WAITING FOR US? Exodus 15:26 (NLT) We serve
an all powerful God who is able to protect us from disease and to heal us if we are attacked. Ephesians
3:20 (NLT) 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through
his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Just because
we have the knowledge of the truth about God and all of His power, doesn't mean that we will see the manifestation of it in
our lives. Sometimes God is waiting for us to receive and use the power. There's no question about His
ability and, because of that, one of the things He's waiting for us to do is give Him the glory. How many times have
we taken the glory for something we have done? We may have taken glory for even something simple, forgetting
that Jesus said, we could do nothing without Him. (John 15:5) How many times have we given too much glory to others, instead of realizing that what they do is because God has given
them the power to do it. I don't mean that we should not appreciate others. It's just that we can make idols of
other people and glory will be directed outward instead of upward towards God. We can do this with musical
stars, film stars, sports figures, political figures, medical professionals, and yes, even our children and our spouses!
All glory should go to God! We know that God is able to accomplish much more than we can ask or think through His mighty
power at work within us! That includes, among many other things, healing. But, sometimes God is waiting
for us to do something. When the children of Israel were being led to freedom by the Lord, they stopped
at a camp along the way to get some water. (Exodus 15:22) They had waited for three long days to find some water. I can imagine they were pretty
thirsty. But, when they got to that water and took a drink, they were, "ticked." The water was too bitter
to drink! (Exodus 15:23) Complaints started flying in Moses direction, as if he had anything to do with the
creation of the water. (Exodus 15:24) Were those people showing that they worshiped Moses, instead of God? Why didn't they just do
what Moses did after he was bombarded with their complaints? Moses cried out to God! Exodus 15:25 (NLT) 25 So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him
a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink. It was there at Marah that the Lord
set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him. The Israelites had to know that God was able to do anything for them. They had seen
Him open up the Red Sea and lead them safely through. They had seen Him close the Red Sea on Pharaoh and all his mighty
men and chariots, drowning them. They had seen Him do a myriad of other things for them. What were they thinking?
What are you and I thinking when we come to what seems to be a pool of bitter water in our lives? We know that
God is able. We know He is powerful. We have seen Him work in our lives before. Do we cry out to Him for
an answer or do we start blaming government leaders? Do we pass the test of faithfulness to God or do we just
look to others and blame them when they can't, in their human strength, fix our problems? When Moses cried out
to God, God answered. When you and I decide to cry out to God, He will answer us too. John 14:13-14 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and
I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me
for anything in my name, and I will do it! When, on our journey of life, we come to a bitter pool
of water, what do we do? Complain? Rail on the government? Decide to call the pastor because we think God
hears his prayers more than he hears ours? Or, do we, like Moses, cry out to God and then wait for Him to show
us the wood of the cross of Jesus once again. That place where all the bitter water of our lives was poured on Jesus.
That place of power that will make our lives sweet once again. That place where the clean, living water flows that will
strengthen us and heal us. Moses did not find the stick until, under great persecution, he cried out to God.
If you are under great duress this morning, you can do like Moses did. Cry out and God will hear you. Then, we
need to remember that God is waiting to see if we will appreciate that gift so much that we will walk in His ways. God
told the children of Israel that He was the Lord that would heal them if they would stay away from the ways
of the Egyptians. It works that way today too. If we will stay away from the ways of this world, from which Jesus
has delivered us, God will protect us from the sickness we see out there! Could it be that God is waiting for us to
listen to Him carefully and do what is right in His sight? MORNING MANNA - JUNE 28, 2009 - ARE YOU SICK? Psalms 6:3 (NLT) There are all kinds of sickness. Maybe this morning, you are feeling sick in some way.
By far, the worst sickness is that of sin. Without a Savior, we will be sick our whole lives. The very first thing
we need to do to combat sickness is to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. King David prayed the following.
Psalm 6:1 (NLT) 1 O Lord, don’t rebuke me
in your anger or discipline me in your rage. I'm sure that David knew that he had shortcomings.
He knew that, even though he was a man after God's own heart, he could not stand in the presence of a righteous God without
incurring rebuke and discipline. Although we still need rebuke and discipline, God does not rebuke or discipline in
anger and rage. It is because of His love for us that we receive His discipline. (Hebrews 12:7) Jesus, if we have received His saving grace, has become the buffer between God's justifiable anger and rage at our
sin-sickness. With His blood, He has healed us of our sin-sickness and made us whole. David also prayed that God would
have compassion on Him because he was weak. He needed healing because his bones were in agony. Perhaps you are
suffering like David did. Have the trials and conflicts of the day left you feeling weak and withered away?
Maybe your body is suffering from the pain of an injury or a chronic disease so that even your bones seem to be troubled and irritated,
causing you great agitation. Psalm 6:2 (NLT) 2 Have compassion on me, Lord, for
I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. Like David, we can ask for God's mercy in times of physical
challenges. Jesus showed us that physical healing was possible at His Word. We know that He is able to heal any
physical ailment we have. We can also know that permanent healing awaits us throughout eternity, thanks to the saving
grace of our Heavenly Father. (Revelation 21:4) Perhaps you, like David was, are sick at heart. When we are emotionally distressed, we
can also suffer physical illness. The Lord is close to those who are broken-hearted. Psalm 147:3 (AMP) 3 He heals the brokenhearted and
binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows]. Emotional illness can make time
seem to stand still. It can make one feel like the end will never come. It could be
that you, like David, are wondering how long it will be before the Lord will restore you. You might wonder how long
it will be before His peace will still your inner self. This morning, we can have confidence that Jesus saves us from
sin-sickness. (Acts 2:21) We can also know that Jesus is able and willing to heal our physical ailments. (Luke 4:40, James 5:16) And finally, we can know that, no matter what is breaking our hearts this morning, whether it be grief
over the passing of a loved one, a relationship gone bad, a wayward child, a financial loss, the betrayal of a friend,
or any other thing that makes us heart-sick, Jesus can and will heal that too. He told us that He was sent to do
that very thing. Luke 4:18 (NKJV) 18 "The Spirit of the Lord
is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim
liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; If you
are sick and in need of healing in spirit, body or soul, in God's time, you will see it. If you feel
like David, wondering when it will come, start rejoicing in the fact that God said it will come. Begin to praise
Him now. It won't be long before you see Him act on your behalf. MORNING MANNA - ALWAYS LEARNING Philippians 4:11 (NIV) Most all of us know that contentment is important and we all want it. For me, this morning, it is a good
reminder. I have lots of things to accomplish today and I don't have everything I want to accomplish those things.
Once again, I am learning. Taking a lesson from the Apostle Paul. He tells us that he learned to
be content in every circumstance. I am getting another lesson in that today. How about you?
The days we live in are forever and rapidly changing. We don't know what the next day might bring. One thing we
do know is that Jesus told us not to sweat the small stuff. Matthew 6:33-34 (NIV) 33 But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore
do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. If
you and I really believe what Jesus said, we will be a faster study at learning contentment! When we seek His Kingdom,
we're looking in a place where there is no lack. Now, that's contentment! (1 Timothy 6:6 Now, the Apostle Paul was not just spouting empty words. He went though many, what we would call, negative things. (2 Corinthians 11:16-29) Paul was not only content when he was weakened, he boasted about it! 2 Corinthians 11:30 (NIV) 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. Paul goes on into 2 Corinthians, Chapter 2, letting us know about many of the situations in his life. Then, he says the following. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV) 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I think that Paul is showing us that, even when we feel inadequate, even when great trials and hardships come upon us, we can learn to be content. That's what Paul did. Part of that contentment is knowing that, although we are many times weak and needy, we can hear God saying, "My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness. What a privilege and a source of contentment to know that, despite our circumstances, God's power can rest on us! When we learn that lesson of contentment, our perspective will be much different. Paul was not just content. He was actually delighted in his difficulties. It was then that He really knew that God was working in and through Him. The book of Ecclesiastes speaks about a person of prosperity who is not content. Ecclesiastes 6:6 (NLT) 6 He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use? The writer concludes by saying, "What's the use?" That's very true. Today, many people seek prosperity, the things of this world and expect to find contentment. People who have their eyes on this world in their search for contentment will always come up short. Ecclesiastes 6:7 (NLT) 7 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough. Never satisfied. Never content. Those of us who have given our lives to Jesus can know that He promised to provide everything we need for contentment. Having fully learned that, we will be able to be thankful and enjoy our time here with those things that He has given us. Ecclesiastes 6:9 (NLT) 9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind. The world tells us constantly to strive for more things. Every commercial will insinuate that we "deserve" better and more. Spend more money, you'll find contentment. That's what they say. Now, how many have found contentment in those things purchased but forever incurring interest on the credit card? No! I want to learn the contentment here on earth that Paul learned. I like the way the Living Bible paraphrases Psalm 17:15 15 But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face to face. Great contentment comes from knowing all is well between us and the Lord. We will finally be fully satisfied when we see Him face to face! Until then, every circumstance, whether we're in want or we have plenty, can be a chance to learn contentment just like Paul did. We can see God's hand at work in and through us. Jesus is always teaching and we're always learning. MORNING MANNA - JUNE 26, 2009 - A SOFT ANSWER IS ALWAYS BEST Proverbs 15:1 (KJV) This morning I am drawn
to Proverbs 15:1 because I need to do better in that area. Yesterday, my husband came home, extremely tired, from a business trip.
I was carrying a heavy load to the garage, just at the moment he pulled in the car, blocking my way. As he got out of
the car, he was in my way. He didn't seem to notice that I was struggling with a heavy box. He was just cheerful
and talking about the day, without even looking up. Now, after all, I was carrying this box because I was trying to
clean up for his office party. So, anger began to well up in me. How could he not notice? Finally,
when he got out of the car and stood up, he noticed and asked me what I wanted him to do. Guess what! I failed at
replying with a soft answer! "I want you to move," I said angrily. To
my husband's credit, he said, "I'm sorry," and moved out of my way. My answer to him was harsh and
his answer to me was soft. Now I felt guilty. I was guilty! Why
was I so angry? Well, there are practical reasons. It was hot and I was very tired from going up and downstairs
all day, rearranging things and cleaning but that's really no excuse for me to greet my husband that way. The real reason was
most likely that I didn't have a gentle and quiet spirit. 1 Peter 3:4 4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle
and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. Right here, I want to say to us wives, we need
to have the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit as we greet our husbands when they return from work. I
did not look good when I met my husband there in the garage. I was sweaty and still wearing a night gown because
I figured I could work around the house and not ruin any good clothes. Not a pretty picture. But, I only made
it worse when I responded with a harsh answer. It was evident that I was not exuding that "unfading beauty,"
that the Lord wants to show through me. Ladies, men in the workforce are around other women who look good all the
time. What incentive do they have to come home to a woman with harsh retorts on her tongue? Some may
have husbands that do not yet believe. What would that kind of harshness do to a fragile soul? 1 Peter 3:1 1 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do
not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see
the purity and reverence of your lives. I cannot say that my behavior yesterday evening would have been
conducive to winning any soul. In fact, it would probably have the opposite effect! I am grateful to God that, in this particular case even though my husband didn't seem to notice that I was the weaker
partner, his response to me was respectful instead of confrontational. He had a hard day too. He could have used
that as an excuse to rail on me, but he didn't. I wonder if he was remembering the following verse. 1 Peter 3:7 (NIV) 7 Husbands,
in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs
with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. We both know that,
at this particular time, we need God to hear our prayers and answer them. We always need that, but there are times
when we really, really know that without Him, we can do nothing! John 15:5 (NLT) “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them,
will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. How are your words? Are they quiet
and gentle? Wisdom is found in soft and gentle words. Ecclesiastes 9:17 (NIV) 17 The quiet words of the wise are more to
be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. When we have a quiet and confident spirit, our words will be
a reflection of what is inside of us. The Lord wants us to have that quiet spirit from which soft answers can flow.
He wanted the Israelites to have it but they would not. They may have been the original singers of, "I
Did It My Way." Our way never works. God's way always works. Isaiah 30:15 (NIV) 15 This is what the Sovereign Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but
you would have none of it. If my spirit had been quiet, I could have found the strength to carry that
box and have a gentle, quiet answer for my husband. But, I didn't. God is still working on me. Do you need
to let him work on you in that area too? Here's a little tid-bit that I ran across this morning in my studies.
The idea of quiet answers is also applicable in the hectic and challenging workplace of today. Ecclesiastes 10:4:4 (NLT) 4 If
your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes. This
morning I wish you all quietness and confidence in the Lord. May all of our words be a reflection of His
Spirit! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 25, 2009 - NO ROOM FOR BRAGGING Romans 2:17 (NIV) The Apostle Paul told it like it was to the Jewish people. They
were his own people but he knew they were wrong in their thinking. Their eyes had been blinded. It was the Lord's
doing; but the Jews made choices that brought it all about. Because of their hardhearted choices, they ended up with an
inflated opinion of themselves. They thought they were superior to everyone else. They judged others as though
they had all the answers and, in essence, placed themselves in the position of God, Himself. Romans 2:1 (NIV) 1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone
else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
Instead of bringing order to their lives and the lives of others with righteous judgments, they ended up
condemning themselves. We can do the same
things these Jewish people did, if we're not careful. They got into bad habits in their thinking and soon those bad
habits seemed right and normal to them. They relied on the law. They never got past that to the One who gave them
the law. The Bible is good. All of its words were given by God. But, how many of us Christians use
it to judge others, as if our confidence was in it, instead of the One who is the Word? (John 1:14) How many of us, rather than use the Bible to put another down, use it to spread Good News!
Is our confidence in a book or is it in the One who wrote the book. The One who is the Word.
The Jews boasted about their relationship with God. Romans 2:23 (NIV) 23 You who brag about the law, do
you dishonor God by breaking the law? Do we ever find ourselves boasting that because we're in a relationship
with Jesus, we're going to be given favor? While that is entirely true, we are not to boast about the favor, but in
the One who gives the favor. (Galatians 6:14) The Jews felt that they knew God's will. Of course they did! They
had the Ten Commandments. But, then they proceeded to make their own rules and add to those commandments, which were
impossible to keep in the first place. (Luke 11:46) We also know God's will and, because we do, we are not to place burdens on one another, but help to bear one another's
burdens. (Galatians 6:2) MORNING MANNA - JUNE 24, 2009 - HE UNDERSTANDS Romans 8:26 (TLB) Today, I read the following quote, "A friend understands what you are trying to say...even when your
thoughts aren't fitting into words." - Ann D. Parish As I thought more about that, I was so very thankful
for the few close friends I have who sometimes hear my heart even though my words may be jumbled and fragmented. There
are so many things happening in our world today. Things bombard us from all directions. There are times when we
might not seem to be able to put our finger on just the right words to say in any given circumstance. As I began to think more about this, I remembered the great value of
friendship. The Bible says, Proverbs 18:24 (NIV) 24 A man of many companions may
come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. The quantity of our friends is not
nearly as important as the quality of our friendships. In fact, there is indication that perhaps one with many companions
has the potential to fall into destruction. I have a few caring, wonderful, loving friends. I know they would come to
my aid if needed and do anything they could to help. In fact, they have done that before. However, there's not
a one of them who can promise me that they will never leave me or forsake me. They're all human. They all have
limitations. Jesus is that friend who can promise to stick closer than a brother and come through on that promise
every time. Matthew 28:20 (NLT) 20 Teach these new disciples to
obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
When you are with someone always, your relationship deepens. Sometimes so much so that no words are needed
at all. You just know what the other has need of. You can almost hear their heart. Jesus is that kind of friend to us, if we have
invited Him into our lives as Lord. While that is a wonderful thing to try to comprehend, I am thinking that perhaps
I should ask myself if I am that kind of friend to Him. Do I hear the cry of His heart? Am I about teaching
new disciples to obey Him? I have found myself with a myriad of questions lately about all sorts of things. Some
of these questions seem to have no answers, at least that I can find. However, I am comforted, when I go to pray about
such things. I'm comforted by the fact that Jesus has placed His Holy Spirit within me. You can't get a closer
relationship than that! His Spirit understands my questions, even when I don't understand them myself. When my
thoughts aren't fitting into words, His Spirit takes over. What a relief! The Holy Spirit helps you and me in
the problems we face every day. Some of those problems may be so perplexing that they leave us quite speechless.
Then the enemy may come in and try to tell us we don't know how to pray, making us even afraid to utter a word. How
wonderful that we can just be still! (Psalm 46:10) We can just rely on the fact that God is God. His Spirit within us will cover for us when
we don't know how to pray. That covering will be in utterances we can't understand. Thankfully, the enemy can't
understand them either, so he can't interfere with a thing! We can also cease from wondering if we are praying, "correctly,"
because the Spirit of our Friend will be praying exactly the right things, according to the will of the Father. Are
there things you can't quite express today? Just take a moment, or as much time as it takes, to sit together with your
Lord. You don't have to say anything. He knows what you need and He is making intercession for you. We may
not always understand what is going on around us and even in us. We can have this assurance though. God is
still on the throne and He is for us. (Romans 8:31) He is our friend. (John 15:15) He understands! Matthew 6:8 (TLB) "Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need even before you
ask him! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 23, 2009 - JESUS WALKED THAT LONESOME VALLEY 2 Chronicles 29:16 (NLT) Maybe you have heard that old hymn, "Jesus Walked That Lonesome Valley." The
lyrics go on, "He had to walk it by Himself. Oh, nobody else could walk it for Him. He had to walk it
by Himself." At this point, you may be wondering what this as to do with 2 Chronicles 29:16. As I read 2 Chronicles 29:16, I remembered that Jesus walked that valley. In Hezekiah's day, the Levites carted
all the things that had defiled God's temple out to the Kidron Valley and dumped it there. The Kidron Valley is just
below the temple in Jerusalem. The temple may be the highest point above that valley. Though we don't
know, this may be where Satan took Jesus to tempt Him. Matthew 4:5-6 (NLT) 5 Then the devil took him to the
holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you
are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you
up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Whether or not this was the exact location of the temptation of Jesus, I'm so glad that Jesus put the devil in his
place. Matthew 4:7 (NLT) 7 Jesus
responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” I
have thought about the fact that what the devil said was true. If Jesus had jumped off, God would have
ordered angels to protect Him. However, Jesus was not receiving orders from the devil. He only received his
orders from His Father. The enemy can use scripture to test us. Wisdom and discernment will help us
to hear God's Words and put them into action at the right place and at the right time. If
Jesus would have jumped off, He would have been protected but we would not have a Savior. It's amazing that Jesus
did not have to make a show of His power. He was not, as they say, "macho." He knew who He was.
Satan said, "'If,'" you are the Son of God........ " It may be that God has called us to do something
and the devil is using that same tactic on us, trying to get us to doubt our purpose. Tempting us to show out and show
off, acting like spoiled children. We know that, if we have believed in Jesus, we are God's children, under His
loving care and command. If Satan is trying to make you doubt today, start remembering that Jesus walked that lonely
Kidron Valley for you. He took all of your sin and mine. We have no reason to doubt or to succumb to the wiles
of the evil one. The Kidron Valley was, basically, a garbage dump. The Levites dumped all the defiled things there. Imagine
a perfect Jesus having to walk through that on His way to the Garden of Gethsemane! Years earlier, Josiah had torn down
all the pagan shrines and altars, smashed them and spread the remains in the Kidron Valley. 2 Kings 23:12 (NLT) 12 Josiah tore down the altars that the
kings of Judah had built on the palace roof above the upper room of Ahaz. The king destroyed the altars that Manasseh had
built in the two courtyards of the Lord’s Temple. He smashed them to bits and scattered the pieces in the Kidron Valley.
Very early on, there was an annual day of atonement for the Jews. At that time, a scapegoat was released
into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:20-22) All of the sins of Israel were to be on this goat so the people would be purified for one year.
I read a very interesting article from, "The Jerusalem Post." Here it is. The scapegoat of
Leviticus 16 was lead through the Kidron Valley, soon to be tossed off a mountain in the desert, thus carrying away
the sins of the people. Jesus prayed at the bottom of the mountain, asking his heavenly Father to excuse him from the ultimate
sacrifice, but later that night was led through the Kidron to be the "lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world"
(John 1). - The Jerusalem Post There were many sacrifices in the early temple in Jerusalem.
The blood ran down into the Kidron Valley. Besides being used as a garbage dump, the blood of all the sacrifices was
in that mud. Jesus crossed all of that, showing us that He was truly willing to step into all of the refuse of
our lives, all the while carrying all of our sins into the Garden of Gethsemane where He sweat His own drops of blood.
All of the blood that was in the mud of the Kidron Valley could not save us, but just one drop of blood from
the Perfect Sacrifice, the Lamb of God, saves us, cleans away all our garbage, and makes us whole again - forever!
Hebrews 9:12-15) (NLT) 12 With his own blood—not
the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse
people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood
of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal
Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15 That
is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal
inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under
that first covenant. In His great love God sent His Son to walk that Kidron Valley. He had to do
it by Himself. He became the Scapegoat and the Perfect Sacrifice. We may have to walk through some
valleys in our lives but, praise God, Jesus took the worst one for us and came out victorious over everything that might
defile us! Aren't you glad He walked that lonesome valley? MORNING MANNA - JUNE 22, 2009 - THE FAITHFULNESS OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER 2 Chronicles 29:6 (NIV) Some fathers are not faithful.
If you are one of those children who grew up in the home of a father who did not honor the Lord, you may not be
able to relate to the faithfulness of your Heavenly Father. It is said that our view of God, when we are small, is formed
by what we see in our earthly father. The good thing in all of this is that our Heavenly Father will give us clear vision
and help us to turn the other direction. In the days of King Hezekiah, they had great problems because of unfaithful
fathers. Their fathers had turned their backs on the Lord. When we turn our backs on the Lord, it doesn't just
affect us. It affects all those around us. And, in a very negative way. 2 Chronicles 29:9 (NIV) 9 This is why our fathers have fallen
by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. It causes death to ourselves.
It causes sorrow to the rest of our family. It can lead them into the captivity of the evil one. Look
what happened in Hezekiah's day! The temple
had been closed down and was in disrepair. God was not pleased. 2 Chronicles 29:8 (NIV) 8 Therefore, the anger of the Lord
has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own
eyes. Our Heavenly Father loves us with a jealous love. Exodus 20:4-6 (NIV) 4 "You shall not make for yourself
an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children
for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but
showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.
He will do whatever it takes to get us to turn to Him if we have gone our own way. Matthew 18:12 (AMP) 12 What do you think? If a man has
a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray and gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in
search of the one that is lost? Like any good parent, He will discipline us, if necessary. Proverbs 19:18 (NIV) 18 Discipline your son, for in that
there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death. The end result of punishment or discipline, in God's
view, is not to destroy or bring death; but to usher in the abundant life that an He wants to give to His obedient children.
(John 10:10) Does it feel good to be disciplined? Not usually. Hebrews 12:11 (NIV) 11 No discipline seems pleasant
at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained
by it. Indeed, if we have to be disciplined by God, we may feel like we are going to die.
But what is really happening is that the fleshly part of us is dying to make way for the new creature that is being formed
by our faithful and loving Heavenly Father. Those in Hezekiah's time were in a predicament because of the unfaithfulness
of their ancestors. You may be in some sort of captivity today, yourself. It may be to some addiction or bad behavior
that you saw as a child and it seemed normal to you because you didn't know any better. It may be that your parents
or grandparents or those who had great influence on your life did not honor the Lord. We all have choices to make and
there are some things in our lives, holding us captive, that we need to choose to get rid of, even if we learned them from
those who should have been teaching us better ways. That's not to say that we need to stop loving those people.
We just need to do like Hezekiah was doing to the temple of God in His day. We need to purify ourselves and get rid
of the things that do not glorify God. If you have received Jesus, your body is His temple. (1 Corinthians 6:19) Just as God was not pleased about the disrepair of the temple in Hezekiah's time, He is not pleased
when we allow ourselves to stay in disrepair. He will help us bring order to the temple. In fact,
He already has but some have not received it. He has given us power, love and a sound and disciplined mind with which
to make the right choices. (2 Timothy 1:7) He will not make those choices for us. We have to make the choice. Joshua 24:14-15) 14 "Now fear the Lord and serve him with
all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom
you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you
are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Maybe some of us have not made
the right choices in the past and find ourselves spiritually dying or captive to some sort of sin. It will not just
affect us, but all those around us. Why not make the choice to look to our Heavenly Father who is ready to set us free
from our own sins and from the sins of our ancestors? 1 John 1:8-10 (ESV) 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If
we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. It is our faithful Heavenly
Father's desire to set us free. ( Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18 John 8:36) He is faithful to us. Will it be our choice to be faithful to Him? MORNING MANNA - JUNE 21, 2009 - IS THERE SOME REPAIR AND CLEANING TO BE DONE? 2 Chronicles 29:16 (NLT) When Hezekiah became the king of Judah, he inherited
a temple that was totally defiled. Since he was determined to do what was pleasing to the Lord, he began the work of
restoring and rededicating the temple. (2 Chronicles 29:2) The first thing Hezekiah did was to reopen the doors of the temple and repair them. We
are told that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:16 (ASV) 16
Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Have
you allowed the enemy to break down the gates to your temple? Have things been brought into your temple that don't please
God? We can also see that God does not take lightly to anyone who destroys His temple. 1 Corinthians 3:17 (ASV) 17 If any man destroyeth the
temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye. We might just want to
check the gates of our temple to make sure they are in good repair so that the devil's marauders can't come and go as they
please. The gates of our temple should be open only to the Lord, Himself. Psalm 24:7-8 (NLT) 7 Open up, ancient gates! Open up,
ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. 8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle. Next, Hezekiah called the priests and Levites together and ordered them to purify themselves and purify the
temple. As priests and kings, it is our privilege to make the choice to bring about the purification
of ourselves. We are God's temple. (Revelation 5:10) Not doing so, will cause it's destruction. (2 Chronicles 29:3-5) His orders to the priests and Levites were to remove everything that had gotten inside the temple and defiled
it. What has made its way into your life that doesn't belong there? Is there bitterness, rage, anger,
harsh words, slander or any other sort of evil behavior? Ephesians 4:31 31 Get
rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. God
wants you, His temple, to be cleansed. He says, "Get rid of those things." Is there any filth in the
temple, anything evil? God says, "Get rid of it." James 1:21 (NLT) 21 So get rid of all the filth and
evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. We
need to get out those brooms and mops! Is there any deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy or unkind speech in you? You are
God's temple. God says, "Get rid of it." 1 Peter 2:1 (NLT) 1 So get rid of all evil behavior.
Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. There may be those of us who have lots
of "stuff," to remove from the temple! When Hezekiah came to the crown, he applied at once to work reform. Those who begin
with God, begin at the right end of their work, and it will prosper accordingly. Those that turn their backs upon God's ordinances,
may truly be said to forsake God himself. There are still such neglects, if the word be not duly read and opened, for that
was signified by the lighting the lamps, and also if prayers and praise be not offered up, for that was signified by the burning
incense. Neglect of God's worship was the cause of the calamities they had lain under. The Lord alone can prepare the heart
of man for vital godliness: when much good is done in a little time, the glory must be ascribed to him; and all who love him
or the souls of men, will rejoice therein. Let those that do good work, learn to do it well. We are the kings.
That's what God made us to be. It is our responsibility to see that the work begins. We are the priests.
We need to purify ourselves. We are God's temple. With His help and guidance, we need to keep that temple in good
repair because loving God paid a high price for us. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) 19 Do you not know that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20
you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. MORNING MANNA - JUNE 20, 2009 - FREEDOM - FAITH WORKING THROUGH LOVE Galatians 5:6 (AMP) I grew up in an atmosphere that seemed to grade a person on what they did, rather than who they were. Consequently,
I think I, in great error, thought that God would love me more if I did lots of good things, looked religious,
said all the right things, always looked the part, etc., etc. That left me with many insecurities. Maybe someone
can relate. I had it backwards. It's not that some of those things mentioned above are inherently wrong.
It's just that I got the cart before the horse! All of us need to realize that God's love is not dependent on what we
do. His love for us will never fail. It is dependent upon us just being us, openly and
honestly before God. (Psalm 139:23) It's being willing to be transparent before Him. It's allowing Him to shine the light of His Word
deep within us, cleaning out those things which are unpleasing to Him. It's not about keeping the law, but about receiving
God's abundant grace. Galatians 3:11 (NLT) 11 So it is clear that no one can
be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person
has life.” Does that mean that the law is bad? Hardly! It came from God, Himself.
It was given to show us something. Galatians 3:23-24 (KJV) It was to help us learn that we, in our sinful nature, could never perfectly keep God's law.
Galatians 3:24 (KJV) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we
might be justified by faith. The law is good. It's so good that we can't possibly keep it well
enough to please God. Because of that, it points the way to Jesus. We all want to be justified. We
all want to be accepted. We all want to be right before God. Some of us try to do that in all sorts of ways, busying
ourselves with doing good things, etc. Although it is a wonderful thing to do good things, the way to be right
with God is to simply be in Christ. Even those of us who believe can be deceived
into getting into a "works related" salvation. (Galatians 5:7) We do have an enemy who would like nothing better than to get us all hung up again in trying to do things to make
God love us more. God is God. We can't make Him do anything! The Apostle, Paul, was very clear
about this sort of lifestyle. Galatians 5:4 (NLT) 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping
the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. Paul says
that, if we are trying to be right with God by keeping the law, we're cut off from Christ. That's exactly what the enemy
wants! We certainly do not want to wake up one morning and find that we have fallen from the only thing that can save
us - God's grace, through Christ Jesus! Do you every
find yourself trying to live up to the expectations of others (the laws they try to impose on you). Or, do you read
God's law and, in your own strength, think you're up to the task of keeping it? Neither of those ways will bring you
or me closer to God. Our focus will always be on watching ourselves and looking at others to see if we're approved.
Where is God in this picture? Certainly not in His rightful spot as the focus of our worship! Paul reminds us
today that, if we're in Christ, nothing else matters but our faith in Him which is activated by His love flowing through
us. (Galatians 5:7) Is your faith activated? Is His love flowing in and through you? Then you are not forced
to do good things so you can be another step up on the ladder, closer to God. You are free to do good
things, just as Jesus did! Acts 10:38 (NIV) 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because
God was with him. You are free to walk in faith and be spontaneous
in showing your love to others and to God! Galatians 5:13-14 (NLT) 13
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy
your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For
the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” When
we try to do things to get those proverbial "brownie points" with God, we don't have a right heart. It
can look right on the outside but really our heart is bent on doing something for what we can get out of it. That's
the way of the world and the devil. We don't have to struggle for anything. God has given us everything in Christ!
We can have that child-like faith that knows that all our needs are already supplied in Christ. (Philippians 4:19) We can let God activate faith in us more and more. We can risk loving because we have been given God's
unfailing and unending love. We can stop struggling like the world around us and just be in our all-sufficient
Christ! When we are in Christ, His works will flow out of our faith-energized love. Those works will
not make God love us any more than He already does, but they will lead others to love Him more! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 19, 2009 - GOD'S GUARANTEE Ephesians 1:14 (KJV) If you're not used to the language in the King James Version of the Bible, Ephesians 1:14 may not seem too clear. But, it is truly encouraging and it is something to hold on to until
we find ourselves in Glory. In Ephesians 1:13, we are told that God has marked, or sealed us, by His Spirit. We are secure and preserved for
eternity if we have received Jesus as Lord and Savior. But God didn't stop there. He gave us a guarantee!
God didn't have to do that. He just loves us enough to do it! He wants us to be sure of His Word
to us. Isn't it wonderful that God has given us that guarantee, since we may not find ourselves feeling too comfortable
in this world? The Living Bible paraphrases Romans 8:23 this way: 23 And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit
within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that
day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us—bodies that will
never be sick again and will never die. More assurance that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We have
a slight glimpse of that future where we will have no more sorrows and troubles; and we have God's guarantee
that we will receive it! How about that - a guarantee that we will never be sick again or die. We'll even have
a new body! (Philippians 3:21) The Apostle, Paul, had the assurance that he could stand
firm in Christ. And we can stand firm too! Why? Because God has put His seal of ownership on us and sent
His Spirit into our hearts as a guarantee of the things He is going to give us! 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NIV) 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,
22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit,
guaranteeing what is to come. Are you having some troubles? Don't be surprised! Jesus did not guarantee
that we would not have any troubles in this world. He said we would! John 16:33 (GW) 33 I've told you this so that my
peace will be with you. In the world you'll have trouble. But cheer up! I have overcome the world.” The
overriding fact is that Jesus has overcome the world for us! He wants to give us His peace, even in the midst of our
troubles here. Because He overcame the world, we have God's guarantee that we are being safely and securely held by
Him until such time as we receive our total inheritance. There
are really no guarantees that we can totally count on in this world. Maybe you have found that out when you tried to
return something that failed to do what it was supposed to do. It could be that you thought your family and friends
would always be there for you. Maybe you kind of thought of those things as being guaranteed. There is only one
sure guarantee. It is God's guarantee. He seals us and preserves us, guaranteeing that we will make it to
the end and be given the inheritance He is holding for us. We can believe it because He always keeps His Word.
Numbers 23:19 (NLT) 19 God is not a man, so he does
not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not
carried it through? God's Word is God's guarantee. With such a guarantee, what is our
responsibility? Ephesians 4:30-32 (NLT) 30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s
Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day
of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander,
as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. It's interesting, isn't it that we
can bring sorrow to the very Holy Spirit that has guaranteed us so much? Paul gives us some good points to live by in
Ephesians 4:31-32 . Things we can do to prevent causing sorrow to the Spirit of the Lord. As
I read over that list, I'm going to stop writing and try to start living those things! Maybe you are encouraged to be
a blessing to the Holy Spirit too, by cleaning house a bit and adding some nice things in place of the junk you throw away.
That's not a whole lot for a loving God to ask of those who have His guarantee! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 18, 2009 - SIGNED, SEALED, AND DELIVERED Ephesians 1:13 (KJV) As I was looking at Ephesians 1:13, I was very encouraged! One commentary explained that Paul, when speaking about being sealed, was talking about an
official mark of identification on a document. The person who placed the mark on the document had the authority.
You and I, because we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, are sealed. God has placed His mark of authority on
us. A seal is for security and preservation, according to Strong's Concordance. Because we're sealed by divine
authority, we can know that we are secure and that we will be preserved! King Darius, an earthly king could not change anything to which he had placed
his seal. (Daniel 6:17) Our God is a God who does not waver. He does not change His mind.. (James 1:17) Whatever He says He will do, He does! Psalm 119:160 (NIV) 160 All your words are true; all
your righteous laws are eternal. Pilate ordered a seal placed on the tomb where they laid Jesus.
(Matthew 27:62-66) He trusted that it would be secure. How wonderful is it that Jesus has power over everything! He
rose from the dead, showing that we cannot trust in man for our security. Psalm 146:3 (NIV) 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in
mortal men, who cannot save. Pilate was a powerful figure but even his seal could not make anything secure.
A higher seal had been placed by the Father on Jesus. He was delivered from the grave. And so shall we be! Are you feeling insecure this morning? The world tells us that everything is insecure.
Who will we believe.? We may feel insecure because of our changing world. Nevertheless, we know
that we serve a God who is our security. He gave His Word. It was signed by the very blood of Jesus.
You and I are equipped with all we need. Hebrews 13:20-21 (TLB) 20 And now may the God of peace,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, 21 equip you with all you need for
doing his will. May he who became the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting agreement between God and you, signed
with his blood, produce in you through the power of Christ all that is pleasing to him. To him be glory forever and ever.
Amen. Yes! Everything has been signed and sealed! We are delivered from our sins. Colossians 1:12-14 (KJV) 12 Giving thanks unto the Father,
which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: We are delivered
from deception and temptation. 2 Peter 2:9 (KJV) MORNING MANNA - JUNE 17, 2009 - IT'S ALL ABOUT GOD Ephesians 1:12 (KJV) The Apostle, Paul,
was very excited about reminding us of all the blessings we have if we are in Christ. He spent many verses in Ephesians 1, describing them. He was among the first to trust in Christ. He realized that it was not only so God could give
him all the blessings he mentioned. The best of these things would be that Paul would point to God's glory. He
knew he was destined and appointed to praise God. You and I have also been given so much because we are in Christ.
All of that is not just to make us happy, although it really does! It's so our lives can glorify God. It's so
others can see His glory in us. Can they? King
David knew that, in order to glorify God, he had to be taught in God's ways. Psalm 86:11 11 Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according
to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. David wanted to glorify God.
Psalm 86:12 (NLT) 12 With all my heart I will praise you,
O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever, Is that our desire this morning? Is that
our desire every moment of our lives? It's not always easy to live lives that glorify God. Those around us may
not know Him yet. They may be living worldly lives and some of the things that they do and have may be very
attractive. But, when we see those things and may be tempted by them, we need to remember just how much we've been
given because we are in Christ. The things of this world will pass away but the things God has given us will last forever.
With that in mind, it will be so much easier to do what the Apostle Peter urges us to do. 1 Peter 2:11-12 (NLT) 11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary
residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12
Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they
will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. Everyone will, at
God's appointed time, have to give Him the glory He deserves. Wouldn't it be wonderful to, at that time, find out that
our lives have been a testimony to his glory? A testimony that cannot be denied. Peter also lets us know that we may very well have to suffer if our lives are proof that we are in Christ. 1 Peter 4:16 (NKJV) MORNING MANNA - JUNE 16, 2009 - GOD'S PLAN AND PURPOSE Ephesians 1:11 (KJV) There is quite
a bit of conjecture on Ephesians 1:11. I confess that I am not intellectual enough to know who, among men, is right. I do know one thing.
God is always right. Even though you and I may not completely understand His plans and purposes, they are
full of wisdom and His will is perfect, without flaw. Because He was not willing that any should perish, He withdrew
from the Jews, His originally chosen people, for a while because of their disobedience. While that may have seemed
cruel, it resulted in a place being made in the Kingdom of God for the gentiles. Romans 11:13-17 (NLT) 13 I am saying all this especially for
you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, 14 for
I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. 15
For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be
even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! 6 And since Abraham
and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because
the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. 17
But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken
off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing
God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. God did all of this out of the good counsel of His
will. He worked it all out, from the disciplining of the Jews to the ingrafting of the gentiles. His work
is always powerful and effective, unlike some of our feeble attempts to get a job planned, executed, and completed.
He had all of this planned before He ever started creating! When Job was being tested, he could not understand it. But,
God had a purpose, one that Job could not yet see. Many times we can't understand the things that happen to us.
But, we can know this. Everything that God does is good. He made good choices before we were ever placed
on this earth. He made good plans for those who will trust Him. (Jeremiah 29:11) Job was totally devastated. He didn't understand it at all. Yet, he made this exclamation.
"Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him." (Job 13:15) Job could not see the purposes of God while He was in that place of testing. We can't always
see them either. But, we know, by the fact that we're seeking God, that somehow, in His infinite wisdom, He has chosen
us as His own. John 15:16 (NIV) 16 You did not choose me, but I
chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in
my name. Even in our troubled times, He is with us. Even when we don't understand all the details, we,
like Joshua, can receive these words from the Lord. Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) 8 The Lord himself goes before you
and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." There may be
portions of the scripture we don't quite understand fully. There may be times of trial by which we are baffled.
God is able and willing to teach us, when it is His time, and to give us more revelation. God is able to take us through
or deliver us from those times of trial, making us more mature in Him. He does this because He has chosen us.
According to His plan. That plan may be more intricate than we can wrap our minds around totally. Whether we understand
everything or not, we can trust our Heavenly Father. His choice is to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:11) His choice is to have obedient children. (John 15:10) Yes, He made these choices and then called us to Himself. Romans 8:29-30 (NLT) 29 For God knew his people in advance,
and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them
right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. God has also chosen
to love those He called. Romans 8:38-39 (NLT) 38 And I am convinced that nothing
can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today
nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate
us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. I can't understand how a perfect God could
have such a great love for sinful men! But I receive it, along with the rest of His plans. Wherever we are in
our walk with God this morning, we can trust that He had it all perfectly planned and that His love will hold and shelter
us until, as the old hymn says, "We'll understand it better by and by." MORNING MANNA - JUNE 15, 2009 - GOD DOES THINGS AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME Ephesians 1:10 (KJV) Have you ever done the right thing at the wrong time? The results can be less than admirable.
Timing means so much. I'm so glad that God's timing is perfect. It may not always feel perfect.
But since God is perfect, his timing is also perfect. Before God ever made the world or made you and me, He
had a plan. He had already factored in everything and counted the cost for His creation. Because He is
God, He knew exactly what would happen and made plans to take care it. Don't ask me how He knew.
We just have to know that He knows everything! (1 Samuel 2:3) The
plan that God had before the creation of the world is still in effect. All that He has planned to do so far, He has
done. We can see it throughout the Bible. Because He knew that mankind would be lured away from Him by the
evil one, He offered His only Son to save us from our sin. Because of Jesus, we can now have a right relationship with
our Heavenly Father again. He not only created us, He gave us the opportunity to make choices, and then He sent
His Son to pay for our wrong choices! He loves us so much that He bought back what was His in the first place!
But, He didn't do it at just any time. He did it at just the right time, and in accordance with His good plan!
Galatians 4:4-7 (TLB) 4 But when the right time came,
the time God decided on, he sent his Son, born of a woman, born as a Jew, 5 to
buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law so that he could adopt us as his very own sons. 6
And because we are his sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, so now we can rightly speak
of God as our dear Father. 7 Now we are no longer slaves but God’s own
sons. And since we are his sons, everything he has belongs to us, for that is the way God planned. God is still in the process of working out His good plan and once again, at just the right time, He will
bring everything together under the authority of Jesus! Ephesians 1:10 (NLT) 10 And this is the
plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on
earth. Jesus operated in God's timing. We see Him declare in Mark 1:15, "At last the time has come!.....God's Kingdom is near!" Jesus did everything at just the right time,
as He worked to fulfill God's plan. One day, because of His obedience, God has planed to bring all things
in heaven and earth together and we will see Jesus as King of Kings over everything. It will happen at just
the right time. In the meantime, God is being patient because He wants every one of us to repent. (2 Peter 3:9) He lets us know, though, that there is an urgency in His call to us. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (NLT) 1 As
God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped
you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. For each of us,
the right time is today. If we have not received the free gift of salvation, today is the day to accept it.
If we have received it, today is the day to meditate on it, be thankful for it, and walk in it. A wise person will not
ignore it! Today, you may be going through some challenging times. In those times, we need to remember that God
has a plan. If we are following Him, His plans for us are good. They are not to harm us. (Jeremiah 29:11) He will carry out His good plans for each of us in His perfect timing. We may feel like
we cannot endure much longer. But, God, in His perfect plan and His perfect time is perfecting us! In
our troubles, God's plan is not to crush us but to complete us. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV) 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under
God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on
him because he cares for you. He cares for each of us. Philippians 1:6 (GW) 6 I'm convinced that God, who began this good work
in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus. He is conforming us, even as
He completes us. (Romans 8:28-29) All things are working together for good. They may not feel like good but they are in our lives, at
this time, to make us ready for the time when God will bring everything together under the authority of Christ.
At that time, everything will bow to Him. There is a contemporary worship song that says, "Come, Now Is The
Time To Worship." Now is the time! When, in His time, God brings everything under
the authority of Christ, wouldn't it be wonderful if we were already voluntarily bowing and confessing that He is
Lord? Philippians 1:9-11 (NLT ) 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place
of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Today, as that same
worship song says, "the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly seek You now." God does things
at just the right time, for His good pleasure, and to give us a good future. All the time is the time
that we are called to submit to His timing and worship Him. Come, now is the time to worship! We can't
possibly be out of God's timing when we are worshipping Him and giving Him the glory that belongs to Him! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 14, 2009 - IT'S NOT A MYSTERY ANY LONGER! Ephesians 1:9 (KJV) Today, there may be a chance that you are hearing about salvation in Christ for the very first time. Before
today, it was, perhaps, a mystery to you. But, if you read His Word today and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior,
that mystery will be revealed to you. If you are already a believer, it is a mystery no longer! I remember when
my sister and I were very young children. My parents loved to surprise us at Christmas-time. They were
very good at keeping secrets. Even if we did see packages in the top shelves of the closet, they were wrapped
so that we could not see the contents. They managed to keep everything a mystery to us until Christmas morning. Oh,
the delight in coming out in the morning and seeing things we never thought we would get! God planned for you and me to be able to receive salvation. Whether we are of Jewish descent or Gentile,
we can receive it. Salvation was still a mystery until God sent His Son and the ground under the cross was
made level. The revealed mystery is made plain to those who are in Christ. What a blessing to know that we can
have a new life. We might be a doctor, a lawyer, a janitor, or a homeless person on the street, yet we all have
the same opportunity. A new life in Christ. Colossians 3:11 (NLT) 11 In this new life, it doesn’t
matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that
matters, and he lives in all of us. When we receive the gift of that new life, the mystery is revealed. All
nations can believe and obey God if they choose to do so. (Romans 16:25-27) Anyone can receive eternal life. (John 3:16) Whoever will can receive Jesus. Have you, by your free will, made that choice? It isn't
a mystery any longer. Why would God reveal this great mystery
to an undeserving world? Because He it was His delight to do so. Just as it was the delight of my parents
to reveal the contents of those Christmas packages, it was God's delight to reveal the fact that, in Christ, we can receive
salvation. My parents did not reveal those presents until it was just the right time. God purposed to reveal the
mystery of salvation at just the right time. His time. Galatians 4:4-5 (AMP) 4 But
when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law, 5 To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to tone for) those who were subject to the
Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God’s sons]. As
God told the Israelites long ago, He has good plans for His children. (Jeremiah 29:11) All those days before Christmas, my sister and I would long for the desires of our little-girl hearts.
We would wonder if it was really possible that we could have them. Many times, it looked impossible. Yet,
I cannot remember a time when we were disappointed. Our parents loved us and wanted to give us good gifts. They
purposed in their hearts to do it and they purposed when to do it. How much more does our Heavenly
Father love us and want to give us good gifts? Matthew 7:9-11 (NLT) 9 “You parents—if your
children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or
if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you
sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those
who ask him. Today is a good day to open that gift of salvation if we haven't already done
so. On Christmas morning, my parents revealed the gifts they had for my sister and I. It would have broken their
hearts if we ignored those gifts. Do you suppose God's heart is breaking because there are some who ignore the revelation
of the, once mysterious, gift of salvation? If we have opened the gift of salvation, have we taken that gift
and put it on a shelf or tossed it aside among less valuable things, forgetting that it's truly the greatest gift we have
ever received? Or, are we in partnership with God, helping others to see His mystery revealed? God has made
the mystery of His will perfectly clear. What is that? 1 Peter 3:9 (NIV) 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping
his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. His
will for you and me is clear. Repent and be saved! Receive abundant life instead of death. (John 10:10) Aren't you glad that God chose to reveal His will and purpose rather than let it remain a mystery? MORNING MANNA - JUNE 13, 2009 - WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR WISDOM? Ephesians 1:8 (KJV) When we are in Christ, we are abundantly blessed, above and beyond belief! If today, you find
yourself outside of Christ, listen to Him calling to you to come to Him. Matthew 11:28-30 (TLB) 28 Come
to me and I will give you rest—all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. 29 Wear
my yoke—for it fits perfectly—and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your
souls; 30 "for I give you only light burdens." You may
be among those who are struggling under the heavy load that the world is putting on its inhabitants. But, God is so
willing to give you rest in Christ. He is wanting to abound toward you in all wisdom and prudence! Are you having trouble making decisions?
Does this world's wisdom leave you at a loss? If you sometimes feel befuddled by the wisdom the world has to
offer, you're probably on the right track! 1 Corinthians 3:19-20 (NIV) 19 For the wisdom of
this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; 20 and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." God
is not too impressed with worldly wisdom either. In fact, He calls it futile. He catches those who are so
wise in their own eyes. That sort of wisdom only proves to be a trap. One version of Ephesians 1:8, says that God showers us with all wisdom! All we have to do is ask! James 1:5 (NIV) 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. Could a loving Father make it any easier
for us? He assures us that He is ready and willing to pour out wisdom on us generously if we are in Christ. This
may be the day that someone needs that reminder. I have to remind myself of that all the time and, when I do, I am encouraged
to know that I don't need to count on this world's phony wisdom. The God who supplies all of our needs according to
His riches in Christ Jesus will supply wisdom for us too! (Philippians 4:19) That
word, "abound," has within its meaning, "increase," "excellency," and "abundance."
Aren't you glad that God has already poured out for you and me an increase of, and even abundant, wisdom? It's
an excellent wisdom, much higher than we can find in this world! He's also poured out in abundance, "prudence."
What is that? I had to find out. It is the ability to have practical wisdom, and prudence in the management of
affairs, according to Vine's Dictionary. It is basically to have understanding. The original word appears only
twice that I can find in the New Testament. It is in Ephesians 1:8 and also in Luke 1:17, speaking of John the Baptist, regarding his ministry of turning the disobedient to the wisdom of the
just. Luke 1:17 (NLT) 17 He will be a man with the spirit
and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their
children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” So,
I am encouraged that it was God's plan all along to give us wisdom and understanding. It is in Christ that
you and I have these things. We need not envy the world's wisdom and understanding. After all, it has not produced
much peace or rest! But, in Christ, we can have rest and peace because God has given Him to be our wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:31-31 (NLT) 30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ
made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore,
as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” If you are
not yet in Christ, won't you receive Him today? (John 3:16) The wisdom of this world will only lead you into a trap of your own making! If you are in Christ,
tap into that storehouse of wisdom and understanding. It will guide you safely through! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 12, 2009 - REDEEMED TO GLORIFY THE REDEEMER Ephesians 1:7 (KJV) "Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb."
Perhaps you remember this old hymn that was sung with great exuberance in many congregations. I suppose that maybe the
songwriter got inspiration from Ephesians 1:7. I read the following story in Preaching The Word. A
story which has captured and informed young imaginations for years is helpful here. In a city on the shore of a great lake
lived a small boy who loved the water and sailing. So deep was his fascination that he, with the help of his father, spent
months making a beautiful model boat, which he began to sail at the water's edge. One day a sudden gust of wind caught the
tiny boat and carried it far out into the lake and out of sight. Distraught, the boy returned home inconsolable. Day after
day he would walk the shores in search of his treasure, but always in vain. Then one day as he was walking through town he
saw his beautiful boat—in a store window! He approached the proprietor and announced his ownership, only to be told
that it was not his, for the owner had paid a local fisherman good money for the boat. If the boy wanted the boat, he would
have to pay the price. And so the lad set himself to work doing anything and everything until finally he returned to the store
with the money. At last, holding his precious boat in his arms, he said with great joy, "You are twice mine now—because
I made you, and because I bought you." - from Preaching The Word What a blessing to have been redeemed. To have been made in God's image, then somehow lost in sin, and bought
back again by the blood of Jesus! To be twice God's! What a privilege! And, now as I stop to reflect
on it, what a responsibility. Just as that little boy paid a great price to get his own toy boat
back, God has paid a great price to redeem us. Now we get to show our gratitude by bringing glory to Him! 1 Corinthians 6:20 (KJV) 20 For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. Although the Apostle Paul is speaking
of staying away from sexual sin in this passage (1 Corinthians 6:20), there is a principle at work here. We have been redeemed by the Lord. He paid the greatest price
anyone could ever pay to buy back what He created. We belong to Him. Body, soul, and spirit. So
what are we doing with ourselves? For me, this is both convicting and confirming. I hope you are also challenged
to examine yourself, making corrections where needed, and encouraged when you find that you have been glorifying God.
We can all do better. We are in a process; on a journey. It is God who will finish us perfectly.
Philippians 1:6 (NLT) 6 And
I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day
when Christ Jesus returns. However, like that toy boat, we can get swept away by the world when we
are not giving ourselves wholly to the Lord. There is a great scripture to keep running in the back of our minds.
Psalm 107:2 (NLT) 2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then
speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then keep reminding
yourself before you do anything. Then you will be more likely to make the right choice. Since you belong to God,
can it be said that you glorify Him with all that is you? MORNING MANNA - JUNE 11, 2009 - WE ARE ACCEPTED! Ephesians 1:6 (KJV) Because of the beloved, Jesus, we are accepted by God, if we have trusted in Him! In this world, people do
some strange things in order to be "accepted." They work hard to be accepted. Some are accepted and
become famous and powerful within this world's system. But, those things cannot compare with the acceptance we receive
when we are accepted in the beloved! We don't have to work at it either. It is a gift from God! The word,
"accepted," used in the King James Version is a word that indicates that we are given special honor.
God has graced us! In His eyes, we are highly favored! One version of Ephesians 1:6 says, "Now all praise to God for His wonderful kindness to us and His favor that he has
poured out upon us........" Oh, I hope that encourages you to know that, in Christ, you are very special!
Right this moment, favor and kindness are falling from Heaven on you! You are accepted in Jesus! Part of that kindness God pours out on us is the wonder that God has freely taken
away our sins. Do you ever make a mistake? Romans 3:23 (TLB) 23 Yes, all have sinned; all fall
short of God’s glorious ideal; If we believe God's Word, no matter how good we might think we are, we
have to know that we all fall short of His standards. The key word here is, "yet." Romans 3:24 (TLB) 24 yet now God declares us "not guilty" of
offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins. We all fall short
and cannot qualify to be accepted by a perfect and just God. Yet, God has declared us, "not
guilty" of offending Him. He has now freely accepted us, if we are in Christ! Just that should be enough
to declare with the Apostle, Paul, "All praise be to God." There may be places in which we might not
be accepted in this world, but there couldn't be a better place to be accepted than at the throne of God! We are all probably familiar with the Christmas story and with the following verse which
speaks about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Luke 1:28 (KJV) 28 And the angel came in unto her,
and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. This same
Greek word, which is translated, "accepted," in Ephesians 1:6 is used in Luke 1:28 regarding Mary and her favor before the Lord. This Greek word is only used twice in the New Testament. Once
to describe Mary and once to describe the rest of us who are in Christ! So, as you go about your daily business
today, if you are in Christ, remember that you are very special. You are accepted by God because of His glorious
grace and His willingness to sacrifice the beloved for you. No wonder the Apostle Paul says, that all praise should go to
God because of the glory of His grace! The grace that makes us accepted in the highest of all Kingdoms! The
Kingdom of God. I'm very encouraged to know that I'm accepted and highly favored. I hope you are too! When
a difficult circumstance comes against you today, or any day, just use God's Word to defeat the devil. You
can say, "It is written, 'I am accepted in the beloved.'" As you speak those words, remember the
favor, the honor, and the grace that God has given you and walk on in victory and confidence! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 10, 2009 - THE BLESSING OF GOD'S PLANNED PARENTHOOD Ephesians 1:5 (AMP) All of you out there who are parents know what a joy it is to have a child. There are some who have not
been able to have children, so have chosen, and planned, to adopt a child. The child who is adopted is
special, in that someone stepped in to save them from a life without family. Someone had so much love in their heart
that they planned to find a child on which to shower that love. If we are believers, we fall into this
category. Very special! God, our Heavenly Father, saw before time began what our future would be
if we didn't belong to His family. He planned, in His great love and compassion, ahead
of time to adopt us! To bring us into the family of God. Now, He already had a Son. A perfect
Son. But He was willing to send that Son to die for us so we could be adopted into His family. How great
a love is that? That the Father would send His perfect Son to die and that His Son would be willing and obedient? God's planning and timing is perfect. At just the right time, He made the arrangements
for our adoption by sending Jesus. Galatians 4:4 (AMP) 4 But when the proper time had fully
come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law, Even if we want
to adopt a child today, it takes more than love. It requires long planning and lots of money. There is a high price
to be paid. So it was for us. The supreme price was paid. Jesus was sent to purchase our adoption with
His life. Galatians 4:5 (AMP) 5 To purchase the freedom of (to
ransom, to redeem, to tone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon
us [and be recognized as God’s sons]. There are wonderful people today who will adopt a handicapped or
sick child in order to give them a chance in life. That's what God did for us. He adopted sin-sick children who
were left in a cold world to die. He cleaned us up and made us His own children! I don't know of any people, no
matter how good-intentioned they are, who would give a child they already had in order to adopt another. God's love
for us is beyond understanding! Not only did God pay for us, pick us up, and clean us up, He has made us an heir to
everything He has! Just as if we were always His! Galatians 4:5-7 (TLB) 5 to buy freedom for us who were slaves
to the law so that he could adopt us as his very own sons. 6 And because
we are his sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, so now we can rightly speak of God as our dear Father.
7 Now we are no longer slaves but God’s own sons. And since we are his sons,
everything he has belongs to us, for that is the way God planned. Wow! God planned it that way! Of course, we will have opposition as God's adopted children. The devil and the
world, to which we used to belong, will want to take us back. But, why would a member of a royal family want to
roam the dangerous streets of the world again? Romans 8:12 (TLB) 12 So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatever to your old
sinful nature to do what it begs you to do. No! We must keep on remembering the plans our Father
made and the love He showed when He paid the high price to adopt us! His Spirit will lead us and the world and the devil
will have the proof that we are, indeed, children of God. We must always be led by God's Spirit. Roman 8:13-14 13 For if you keep on following it (your old sinful nature) you
are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. As
believers, we have great confidence. Romans 8:15 15 And so we should not be like cringing,
fearful slaves, but we should behave like God’s very own children, adopted into the bosom of his family, and calling
to him, "Father, Father." It is a privilege to be adopted.
To be able to have Someone to call, "Daddy." To have that "Someone," be God, Himself!
To have Someone who speaks back to our hearts and assures us of His love and His plans to parent us forever.
To have that "Someone," be God, Himself! Romans 8:16 (TLB) 16 For his Holy Spirit speaks
to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we really are God’s children. This morning, I'm
so glad God was into planning parenthood. I'm glad He thought about me before I was ever born and made the
plans to adopt me. I don't understand it all, but I'm so thankful to be able to call God my "Daddy."
I can't wrap my heart around the great love that it took for my adoption, but I see it revealed more and more every day. It
causes me to put my trust more and more in my Father every day and thank Him for making me His child.
If you have never received Jesus, the one who paid the price for your adoption into the family of God, won't you just ask
Him to forgive your sins and allow Him to come into your heart? The Father is anxiously waiting to adopt you as His
very own, precious child. What a blessing to be the recipient of God's planned parenthood! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 9, 2009 - BLESSED TO BE CHOSEN AND FULLY CLOTHED Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) Were you that one that was always chosen last to be on the team in elementary school? If you were one
of those people, then you know how worthless you can feel if you aren't "chosen." If you were the last
one left standing when they chose teams in school, one team or the other had to take you. You might have
even seen some, not very well hidden, looks of disgust on some of the faces of the team onto which you were forced.
Maybe you are not an athletic person and there was really good reason for each team to avoid choosing
you. Even so, knowing that you are not chosen is traumatic. It causes feelings of worthlessness. This can
happen to any of us in any competitive undertaking. Just having people choose you to be their friend is reassuring and,
when people do not choose you, it can cause pain. Some children are born to parents who didn't want them and one
or both parents will make that devastatingly clear to the child. I'm so glad that God knew all of that and that He has
bent low to show each one of us that we are chosen. Yes, and even wanted. By God! Before God made the world, He had a plan. He planned for you and me to be born. He has been watching
over us all this time! Psalm 139:15-16 (NLT) 15 You watched me as I was being formed
in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me
before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
While some of us sometimes use this phrase, "I found Jesus," it's probably more like this:
God chose us and sent Jesus to find us! John 15:16 (NLT) 16 You didn’t choose
me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using
my name. If you happen to be reading this today and you think you are not chosen because you don't
believe in God, think again. This could be God pointing out to you that you are chosen. If so, all you have
to do is believe, turn from your sin and ask Jesus to become Lord of your life! Matthew 4:17 (TLB) 17 From then on, Jesus began to preach, "Turn
from sin and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." It is totally reassuring to know that I am chosen by God. There will probably be times that I am not accepted
or chosen by the world. I think Jesus implied that. John 15:19 (NIV) 19 If you belonged to the world,
it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why
the world hates you. It could be that those taken captive by the things of this world will hate us because they
can see that we are chosen. They may see that God's favor is on us and be envious of the joy and peace
we have. They may be jealous of the fact that we have salvation. As we ponder the blessing of being
chosen for salvation and of being chosen to be set apart and blameless before God, let's remember that God is still about
the business of opening the eyes of the blind. There are still people out there in the world that may not like us very
much; but they need to see the love of God pouring through us. That selfless love that washes away the dirt of the world
so that others can see Jesus. So that they can hear Him telling them that, dirty as they may be, He has chosen them.
He is about to pull then out of that miry mud-pit and clean them up for Himself! Can people spot us clearly as
being chosen by God? What do the "chosen," look like? Is this what we see when we look in the
mirror of scripture? Colossians 3:12-14 (AMP) 12 Clothe yourselves therefore,
as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself,
by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways,
[and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].
13 Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance
or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also
[forgive]. 14 And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the
bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony]. How awesome to
be chosen and fully clothed! Chosen - by God, Himself! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 8, 2009 - YES! GOD SAID, "EVERY!" Ephesians 1:3 (NLT) It's
always good to begin anything we do by giving all praise to God. God loved you and me enough to send Jesus to purchase
our salvation. With that salvation, comes blessing. We can go along in life thinking we're doing an awful lot
on our own but the reality of it is, we can do nothing without Christ. John 15:4-5 (NKJV) 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As
the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much
fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If you are abiding in Christ this morning, you have good reason to
give all praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Him, and by His strength, you can now do all
things! Philippians 4:13 (AMP) 13 I have strength for all things
in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I
am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. When we're in Christ, even when we are weak, we are strong!
2 Corinthians 12:10 (TLB) 10 Since I know it is all for Christ’s
good, I am quite happy about "the thorn," and about insults and hardships, persecutions and difficulties; for when
I am weak, then I am strong—the less I have, the more I depend on him. If you are not yet abiding
in Christ and you are carrying that heavy burden that comes from living in a really difficult world, won't you come to Him
right now? He's inviting you. MATTHEW 11:28 (NLT) 28 Then Jesus said, “Come
to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Could you rest if you had all the spiritual blessings that you need? Then, if you are in Christ,
rest, my friend. His Word declares that God has given us every spiritual blessing that is in the heavenly realms!
Now those are some big blessings! We live in this world and, if we are trusting God, we live by faith. Unlike
a common worldly belief, faith is not blind. Faith is evidence! Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen. There are things that come from the heavenly realms where we cannot see with
our eyes, but they are, none the less, very real. In fact, more real than those things we see every day with our eyes!
These blessings that are given to us by our Father in Heaven are not just spiritual, according to one Bible Commentary. blessings
-- Greek, "blessing." "All," that is, "every possible blessing for time and eternity, which the Spirit
has to bestow" (so "spiritual" means; not "spiritual," as the term is now used, as opposed to bodily).
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary We
know that, while Jesus walked the earth, He was concerned with earthly needs as well as spiritual needs. He healed the
sick, as well as bringing spiritual light. He fed the hungry, as well as offering the spiritual manna of His Word.
Whatever you are in need of this morning has already been given to you. God has blessed you with all spiritual blessings
in the heavenly realms, if you are in Christ. Now, as I remember Joshua, I recall that he was given land by the Lord. He did not then,
again, have to ask the Lord for the land time after time. It was already his but he needed to take it as his own.
It was a blessing for him and for the people of God but he had to go in and occupy it. Are we "occupying,"
the blessings that have been given to us by our Father? Those blessings that are already ours because we are
in Christ? Are we encouraging one another to be confident of those blessings and receive them? Are we
walking right into our blessings, even though the enemy tries to keep us from them? That's what God told Joshua to do
and that's what He wants us to do today too. Joshua 1:9 (NLT) 9 This is my command—be strong
and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Those
spiritual blessings belong to us, not because we deserve them, but because of God's grace and mercy. We can never forget
to praise our Father for His bountiful gifts to us. Although we cannot pay Him back, we can offer ourselves to Him by
living in humble obedience to His Word. That's what Joshua was told to do and that's how Joshua became successful!
Joshua 1:8 (NLT) 8 Study this Book of Instruction
continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper
and succeed in all you do. I'm so glad that God has blessed you and me with every spiritual blessing!
He has given us everything we need to succeed! But, unless we gladly receive those blessings, we will be in need.
This morning, let's praise God together for giving us all the blessings we need for this life and the next.
Let's gratefully receive every one of them and use them, like Joshua did, to lead others into God's Kingdom, marching on with
the sound of praise to our God! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 7, 2009 - THE BLESSINGS OF GRACE AND PEACE Ephesians 1:2 (KJV) If you
are abiding in Christ, you are chosen and set apart for Him. You are given His power to be faithful to Him. You
are a saint! (Ephesians 1:1) You have also been given His Word, through the Holy Spirit's inspiration to those who have written
it down for us in the scripture. The Apostle, Paul, knew the blessings that belonged to the faithful, chosen, set-apart
people of God. He reminds us of them when he invokes the blessing of grace and peace on the Church
at Ephesus and down through the ages to us. This is not just any grace or any peace. We might
experience human grace from others, which is a good thing. Colossians 4:6 (TLB) Let your conversation be gracious as well as sensible, for then you will
have the right answer for everyone. God's Word makes it plain that our conversation should always
demonstrate grace. Ephesians 4:29 (ASV) 29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of
your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear. If
we are in Christ, we have been given God's grace. Are our lives a constant communication to those around us of that gift of
grace we have been so freely given? It is normal that blessed people
want to bless people. It is fitting that blessed people want to bless the Blessor. God has given us His
grace and His peace. Although you and I might already know what grace really is, it's a good thing to
remind each other once in a while. We are saved by grace. (Ephesians 2:8) What is this grace by which we are saved? It is God's favor. It is God's divine influence upon
our hearts. Just think of those two things alone. God, although we are sinful and undeserving, chooses to grant
us His favor. He chooses to extend His divine influence upon our hearts. How awesome is that. Especially
when we know some things from scripture about our hearts. Jeremiah 17:9 (NASB) 9
"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? Because
our hearts are so deceitful, we can't really know our own hearts, much less, God forbid, attempt to judge the heart
of another. However, God, by His grace, can and does know our hearts. What He sees isn't a
pretty picture but He chooses, through His grace, to divinely influence a sinful heart to turn to Him. His
favor will turn even a stony heart into a sensitive, God-fearing, gracious heart. Ezekiel 11:19-20 (ESV) 19 And I will give them one heart, and a new
spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people,
and I will be their God. Now, that's grace! Something we don't deserve, yet we can have it.
We can't earn it, work for it, or buy it. It's grace! And what about peace? God promises great peace to those who will abide in Christ. It's a peace that no
one can really explain. Philippians 4:7 (ASV) 7 And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Now, this peace that God blesses
us with is not just your ordinary run-of-the-mill, feel-good, peace. It's a powerful peace! It guards our hearts
and our minds. In this uncertain and, many times, violent world, it's good to know that the very depths of our being
are being guarded by the peace that God gives. Many today would give up their worldly possessions to have that kind
of peace. But, again, it is not something we can earn, work for, or purchase. It is a priceless gift from God.
A blessing. God's peace is like an army that stands guard around us to keep us from being hit by the enemy fire.
Jesus did not sugar-coat things in life. He said we would have trouble. John 16:33 (NLT) 33 I
have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart,
because I have overcome the world.” Boy, was He right! (Sure He was,
He's never been wrong.) Of course, He knew it first-hand. (John 1:11) Whenever we have some troubles, we might take a second look at the life and death of Jesus. (Isaiah 53:3) Then, when we look at our own troubles, they will be difficult to find, in comparison. Jesus did
something quite incredible. He blessed us with His peace. People look for peace in all sorts of
ways. The world offers an assortment of enticements that promise peace. Ours is a peace that defies understanding
and goes beyond the boundaries of anything the world has to offer. John 14:27 (NLT) 27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace
of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. The
unbelievable gifts of grace and peace for which Paul prayed for us are blessings! They are not to be bought or earned.
Certainly, no one in their right mind would trade them for anything! And they are freely given to those who will abide
in Christ. He is that place of blessing without measure, of which grace and peace are two of the greatest blessings! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 6, 2009 - SO MANY BLESSINGS IN CHRIST! Ephesians 1:1 (NIV) To be in Christ is a remarkable privilege. It is the greatest
gift you or I could ever receive. And, there are responsibilities attached to it. But, the benefits, or blessings,
we receive when we are abiding in Christ are probably too many to number. I have a wonderful, believing friend
that encouraged me to read over Ephesians 1:1-13 again. As I did, some new things popped out. Things that caused me to think more deeply about all the wondrous benefits
that God has allowed you and me to have, simply because we are in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17) I have always just glossed over the first verse in Ephesians 1, but this time I took a moment to reflect on it. First, I realized that I am so blessed to be a recipient
of the experience and writings of those from the past. Those, like the Apostle Paul, who were willing to share that
experience. It brings up a whole bunch of thankfulness to God that He chose Paul to write to me! Down through
the ages, the message of God has not been stopped, partly because of the Apostle Paul's devotion to God and his unwavering
desire to do His will. And, certainly, because of God's good plan in choosing Paul to make an impact, by the power
of the Holy Spirit, on you and me these two thousand, plus, years later! Just as God chose Paul for that specific purpose,
He has chosen you and me for His own purpose also! What a blessing to know that we have a purpose while we're here on
earth and that we are making an impact! We are all different but, in Christ, we all have a purpose.
Whether we feel it is large or small is not the point. If God purposed it, it will succeed when we
walk in it! And we will bring glory to Him. Ephesians 2:10 (AMP) 10 For we are God’s [own] handiwork
(His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand)
for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged
and made ready for us to live]. Now, that's definitely a blessing! Another blessing found in that short verse of greeting by Paul is this. He calls us, "saints."
I have heard people balk at being called saints. However, we either believe God, or we don't. There's no point
in trying to rename something that God has already named! Why would we want to be found arguing with God when He has
given us the honor of being called, "saints"? Maybe those people that don't want to own that title think they
are unworthy of it. Aren't we all! Even the Apostle Paul knew he was unworthy. 1 Corinthians 15:9 (AMP) 9 For I am the least [worthy] of the apostles,
who am not fit or deserving to be called an apostle, because I once wronged and pursued and molested the church of God [oppressing
it with cruelty and violence]. Probably every one of us could think of things we have done in the
past that were wrong. Paul even had Christians murdered. Yet, God was pleased to use him greatly when he
finally surrendered to being in Christ. What a blessing for Paul and what a blessing for us. Despite our failures,
grace takes over and we now have the blessing and privilege to complete the divine purpose for which God created us!
1 Corinthians 15:10 (AMP) 10 But by the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing)
of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not [found to be] for nothing (fruitless and without effect). In fact,
I worked harder than all of them [the apostles], though it was not really I, but the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing)
of God which was with me. What a blessing to realize that being in Christ makes us very special,
yes, even saints! Jesus even said that, when we bless other believers, we are blessing Him. When we withhold
from other believers, we are withholding from Him. That's a pretty blessed status! Matthew 25:40 (NLT) 40 “And
the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you
were doing it to me!’ This morning, we can be encouraged, if we are walking in Christ.
We are saints. No organization can make a saint. God creates saints. What exactly is a saint? Someone
that God chooses, sets apart, and makes holy. It really has nothing to do with us. It is God's choice. It
is His power that allows us to walk in holiness. Since he has given us the power to choose to receive His
choice for us, we could rebel and try to walk the other way. But, why waste time? I tried that once. His
blessings of being in Christ are so strong that, once He sets us apart, He means it! And He holds on! Walk on
saints of God and follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before us, rejoicing in God's willingness to set
the likes of us apart to be his holy people! As a certain member of my family would say, "Can you believe it."
As another member often says, "You better believe it!" MORNING MANNA - JUNE 5, 2009 - NEW EVERY DAY! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) When we begin to dwell in Christ, we are blessed to have all things become new in our lives. While a
few devotionals cannot possible cover all those things, one thing we might meditate on today, and find ourselves blessed in, is
this. Every day we find ourselves with a new outlook. Every day, even though we live in a world and in bodies
that are decaying, we are being renewed! Do we have troubles each day? We certainly do! I
guess that's why Jesus urged us to take one day at a time and not be concerned about what will happen tomorrow. Matthew 6:34 (NIV) 34 Therefore
do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Within
the context of Matthew 6:25-34, I hear Jesus saying that, if we seek His Kingdom first, day by day, He will take care of
all those things we are tempted to worry about. Each day, when we are dwelling in Him, we will see Him move in new ways
in the situations in our lives, bringing grace, strength, peace, and deliverance. If you are old enough, you might find that you have some aches and pains you didn't have in earlier
years. Our bodies were not made to last forever in the state they are in. But, one day, we will
have a new body! One that is free from all sin, sickness and sorrow. Romans 8:23 (NLT) 23 And
we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our
bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights
as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. Every single day, we live in that renewed
hope. Romans 8:24-25 (NLT) 24 We were given this hope when
we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But
if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) Even when
these earthly bodies suffer sickness, each day we wake with a renewed hope that the Lord has brought the healing we need.
We know that His mercies are new every day. Lamentations 3:21-23 (KJV) 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore
have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed,
because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
The hope that we have, both for this life and for the next, is renewed every morning, as we receive brand new
mercies from the Lord! Yes! Day by day we are renewed! Day by day we are given a new perspective. Day by day, as we look at
this fallen world, we see that more and more people need to come to know the Jesus that we know and in whom we dwell.
(John 4:34-38) Day by day, our spirit man is renewed by the very Spirit of the Lord. Though we might be tempted to faint
and give up, we are given inward strength to keep on going. 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NLT) 16 That is why we never give up.
Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. These earthly tents, made of dust, that
we live in, will wear out. We will then move to a new Home that will never wear out and never end. (Luke 1:33) Although we may look extremely weak when we make the move from this earth, our spirit will be stronger than ever
by the renewing power of the Lord! The troubles of the day may seem overwhelming, but they are very light compared with
the glory that will be ours when we see Jesus and we see that we look just like Him! 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT) 17 For our present troubles are
small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
Oh yes, we will have trials but, in all of them, we are being renewed. Being made to look like the One
in whom we dwell. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT) 18 So all of us who have had that
veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more
like him as we are changed into his glorious image. Every day that we abide in Christ brings renewal.
It may not be a renewal that's visible to the world's eyes. But it's a renewal that is preparing us for a much longer and
much more abundant life than this world has to offer. Part of that renewing process helps gives us a new kind of vision.
A new perspective. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT) 18 So we don’t look at the
troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone,
but the things we cannot see will last forever. What kind of perspective do you have this morning?
By the grace and mercy of God, we can wake up to a new perspective each day! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 4, 2009 - HOW ABOUT SOME NEW DESIRES? 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) There are so many things that are new for us if we have received Jesus
as our Savior. We are privileged to dwell and abide in Him. He also abides in us! John 15:4 (KJV) 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As
the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. Now,
there is the perfect relationship! Actually, it's the only relationship that will be totally productive
and, without which, we're hopeless. John 15:5 (KJV) 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches:
He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If
we are not dwelling in Christ, we can't do anything of true significance. However, when we are in that perfect
relationship, we can do all things because He will provide the strength for us! Philippians 4:13 (KJV) 13 I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me. When
we enter into that perfect relationship with Jesus, He gives us new power over old desires. It's that same power that
raised Him from the dead. Romans 6:4-6 (AMP) 4 We were buried therefore with
Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we
too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life. 5 For if we
have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new
life lived for God]. 6 We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed
to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for
evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. Wow! If we could just get a real hold on
Romans 6:4-6, we would know that, with God, nothing is impossible for us, including having the power to cast away all the old, ungodly
desires that used to plague us! (Luke 1:37) Now,
God doesn't stop there. He gives us new power over ungodly desires but He doesn't leave us empty. To do that
would be to invite even more ungodly desires into our dwelling, just as when evil spirits are swept from a person and more
come in if that person is not filled with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 11:24-26) No! Jesus cleans us from the inside out and then He fills us with brand spanking
new desires and passions! God does for us just what the Psalmist prayed for. Psalm 51:10 (TLB) 10 Create in me a new, clean heart,
O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires. Yes! God gives us a brand new heart.
A heart that's filled with brand new thoughts and passions! Where there used to be a heart of stone, God gives
a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19-20 (AMP) 19 And I will give them one heart
[a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their
flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God], 20
That they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. And they shall be My people, and I will
be their God. How encouraging it is to know that God will put brand new desires in our hearts!
The Apostle, Paul, lets us know that it is God who places brand new desires in our hearts. Desires that are according
to His will and pleasure. Philippians 2:13 (GW) 13 It is God who produces in you
the desires and actions that please him. Jeremiah lets us know that one of the greatest new desires that we
can have is the desire to worship God. Jeremiah 32:38-41 (NLT) 38 They will be my people, and I
will be their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me
forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. 40 And I will
make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship
me, and they will never leave me. 41 I will find joy doing good for them and will
faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land. Have you been in that land of "bad desires,"
for too long? Come, dwell with Jesus in a new land called, the "land of new and godly desires."
The invitation is out. Will you come? If you're already dwelling there this morning, don't take those good desires
for granted. We need a heart filled with new gratitude each day. A heart that turns in worship
to the only One who is able to fill us with new and good desires and who is willing
to do so! It is God's desire that His Kingdom come and His will be done here on earth as it is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:10) If you have any doubt as to whether you desires are good, just check to see if they correspond to God's
desire to see His Kingdom established and His will be done. If not, sit down and have a little talk with Jesus.
Let Him take those old desires and give you brand new desires, according to His good will and pleasure! MORNING MANNA -
JUNE 3, 2009 - A LOOK AT SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S NEW! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) This morning, I'm thinking of something else that I learned from 2 Corinthians 5:17. It's not a very long verse, but it holds great promise, especially for those of us who like to have new things.
A clean, fresh start, if you will. There are a few more things that we can find that are new in this verse but, for
today, I'm thinking of the fact that, because we abide in Christ, we are given new power over old desires. Have you
ever been held captive by fleshly or worldly desires? It's not a pleasant experience. The devil may tempt us to
think it will bring us pleasure but it only brings pain and sorrow. Left unchecked, those evil desires will lead
to death. It is the cause of many of our bad habits and addictions. When we dwell in Christ, He does something
quite miraculous. He changes our minds. Then, He helps us to continue to keep them new! (Romans 12:2, Titus 3:3-8) We are given a new mindset when we are in
Christ. His Spirit now controls us and we are rescued from those unholy passions of our flesh and of the
world. Romans 8:5 (AMP) For those who are according to
the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but
those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things
which gratify the [Holy] Spirit. Before we were abiding in Christ, we had a mindset of death. We
may not have recognized that because the devil is a deceiver and a liar. (Revelation 20:10, John 8:44) We once lived a life of condemnation. But now, there is no condemnation if we are in Christ! Romans 8:1 (NLT) So
now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. If we are now dwelling
in Christ we have a new mindset. Instead of wanting to please ourselves and please the world, we want to please the
Lord. Not only do we now have a new place to dwell
and new power over old desires, we have a new room mate. When we abide in Christ, His Spirit abides in us. Romans 8:9 (AMP) 9 But you are not living
the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs
and controls you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ,
is not truly a child of God]. The Spirit of Christ abides in us, if we have received Him. He
begins to teach us how to keep our dwelling clean. He assures us that we don't have to listen to our old desires
and follow them. Romans 8:12 (NLT) 12 Therefore, dear brothers and
sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. Will the enemy still try to invade
our new dwelling place? (Mark 13:22) Will the devil still try to convince us that we are bound to do what our sinful nature tells us to do?
Will Satan still try to accuse us? (Revelation 12:10) Yes, that will happen. The next time the evil one reminds you of those sinful things you have done,
don't try to deny it. Just tell him, "That was then, and this is now. I am a new creature in Christ."
That will send the old scoundrel away - for a while. We have the promise that the One now dwelling in us,
and we in Him, is stronger than the devil! (1 John 4:4) You and I now have new power, through Christ, over those old sinful desires! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 2, 2009 - LOOK WHAT'S NEW! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) Listening to a wonderful sermon recently, I was blessed by the number
of new things that can be found in just one verse from God's Word! I have read 2 Corinthians 5:17 lots of times. I tell it to myself and others often as a reminder that we no longer are under the bondage of our
sinful past. But, I'm always excited when someone encourages me to see more in something that God has already spoken
to my heart. That's what happened with 2 Corinthians 5:17! I learned several new ways of thinking about that verse. These
new ways of thinking about 2 Corinthians 5:17 are really not new. They are pretty much obvious, but obviously I had not thought that deeply about it.
Maybe you have not thought a lot about it either. After all, it's pretty exciting, by itself, to know that we are new
creatures in Christ if we have made Him the Lord of our life! We could stop right there and bask in that for a long
time. But, the Lord always has more for us! New things, if you will. One of the new things I was led to think about is right at the beginning of this verse. "Therefore, if
any man (person) be in Christ." I have to admit that I have glossed over that phrase to get to the, "new
creature," portion of the verse. But, that one little word in the opening phrase of 2 Corinthians 5:17, is so powerful. That little word, "in," is only two letters long but it says a whole,
whole lot! In Christ, we have a new place to dwell. It is in Him! Are you dwelling in this new
place today? Are you securely in Christ? I'm not asking if you believe in God. Even demons
believe in God and they tremble. James 2:19 (NLT) 19 You say you have faith, for you
believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. We can
ask many a person on the street if they believe in God and they will answer, "yes." But, we can ask those
same persons if they are sure they are Heaven-bound and we will get varied answers, most of them indicating doubt. Why
do they doubt if they say they believe in God? Because they have never totally surrendered to dwelling in
Christ. Because they have never really entered into that new place in Christ to actually live and abide there.
There will even be people, at the last day, who stand before the Christ that they were never in and find that
they're still not in. (Matthew 7:21-23) These people will have done some magnificent things but, sadly, will be found to be dwelling outside of
Christ instead of in Him. When we're really in Christ, we're dead to sin. (Romans 6:11) Does that mean that we will never sin again? Most likely, not, but sin will no longer have power over us because
we are in the One who has overcome sin for us. When we are in Christ, we will are no longer under condemnation.
(Romans 8:1) Does that mean that the Lord will never convict us? No. Mercifully, our Lord will help us to stay on the
right path by showing us where we might be going astray. When we are in Christ, we have eternal life. (Romans 6:23) It's a gift! No longer do we struggle under the bondage of sin to find that our wages are nothing but death! When
we dwell in Christ, we also dwell in a new community. That of His Body. We may not all attend the same church
or belong to the same denomination, but if we are in Christ, we are all part of His body and we all belong to one another!
(Romans 12:5) So, just look at what's new! I need to stop now because, if I go on, I may never be able to stop.
The blessings of dwelling in a new place, in Christ, are too many to count! If you are not dwelling in
Christ, He is inviting you in right now. (2 Corinthians 6:2) If you are already dwelling in Christ, be thankful for that new place to dwell, away from the power of sin and the
snares of the world. Jesus provides us a new place in which to dwell! MORNING MANNA - FROM PLEADING TO PRAISING! Psalms 5:1 (KJV) I love to read the Psalms written by
David. He is such a "regular," sort of person, yet he was King of Israel and a man after God's own heart.
He spoke with God often and His words were many times those of complaint. In Psalm 5, David is asking, sort of pleading, with God to hear what he has to say. To consider his complaints. In
this Psalm and several others, I find that David has a lot of, "complaints." Another meaning for the word
translated, "meditation," is, "musing." It looks like David kind of just spoke openly and freely with
the Lord, not holding anything back. Maybe it was something like thinking out loud. He didn't deny or suppress his
feelings or try to convince the Lord of his spirituality. Have you ever found yourself just thinking out loud before
the Lord? When things get difficult and you don't know which way to turn, have you just poured out all your options
before the Lord, pleading with him to show you which way to turn? It appears that David did that. In Psalm 5:8, he asks the Lord to show him clearly what to do and which way to turn. It reminds me of the character, Tevia,
in "Fiddler On The Roof," when he stands in his field in a dilemma about his daughter's marriage talking to the
Lord. He says, "On the one hand......." He thinks a moment and then says, "On the other hand......."
This goes on a few times, if I remember right. I can relate. Can you? There
are times when we don't know which way to turn. When it comes right down to it, we should never make any turns
in life unless we have asked the Lord which one is right. There is an enemy who is constantly trying to distract
us, if we are walking with Jesus. He would like to get us to turn away from The Way. John 14:6 (NLT) 6 Jesus
told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. We
come upon many cross-roads in our everyday living. It really does make a difference as to which road we take!
When we are distressed travelers, it does not good to try to hide it. We serve a God who is more than willing to
listen to our complaints, feel what we're feeling, and lead us in the right direction. (Hebrews 4:15) David seemed to be at such a cross-road when he wrote Psalm 5. He begged God to listen to as he voiced his troubles. (Psalm 5:2) He knew that it was a good thing to do so in the morning and then watch to see what God would do. (Psalm 5:3) This morning, you and I can do the same thing. We can turn over every problem that we face today to the
Lord and, the earlier the better! (1 Peter 5:7) As David pleaded with the Lord that particular
morning, he recounted the fact that God doesn't look kindly upon those who are wicked and sinful. God opposes the proud.
He will destroy those who tell lies. He absolutely hates murderers and deceivers. (Psalm 5:4-6) Your life may have been affected by lies, deception, pride, and even murder. You may
be tempted to want revenge. That is certainly a path we can take but the Spirit of the Lord is not directing
us that way. (Leviticus 19:18) If there are people who have lied to or about you, deceived you, or done even worse things, it's
okay to spill it all out to the Lord. David did. He poured out his complaint but, before the end of his writing,
he was sure that God would take care of such things. (Psalm 5:9-10) David had figured out early on, in this particular musing of his, that God would lead him in the right
direction in spite of his enemies. (Psalm 5:7-8) David had begun to renew his mind by remembering that, because of God's great mercy, he could
enter into worship in His presence and ask for very clear direction. Finally, David finishes his writing of this
particular Psalm in total and complete praise. He declares that you and I should praise the Lord too! Psalm 5:11 (NLT) 11 But let all who take refuge in
you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled
with joy. Do you take refuge in the Lord and do you love His name? David prayed for you a long time ago.
He prayed for your joy to overflow in song. He prayed that the Lord would spread His protection over you. He prayed
that you and I would sing those joyful praises forever. Right in the midst of our troubles and in front of our enemies!
Why? Because God has placed His shield of love around us. Psalm 5:12 (NLT) 12 For you bless the godly, O Lord;
you surround them with your shield of love. David was troubled at the beginning of his prayer. You and
I may have some troubles too. There are many reasons to praise the Lord anyway. He's willing to listen to our
complaint and even let us cast those complaints upon Him. And, He's willing to bring to our remembrance His power to
avenge evil and deliver us from it. Those are just two of the, too numerouse to count, reasons we can praise; but
just these two are reason enough to leave the place of pleading and break forth into joyful praise! MORNING MANNA - MAY 31, 2009 - SOMETIMES TEARS CLEAR OUR VISION Job 42:5 (NLT) There is an old song with lyrics that go like this: "He washed my eyes with tears,
that I might see, the broken heart I had was good for me." It could be that you are going through some difficulties
in life right now. Many are. You might have friends that question your faith because you are still in
the midst of some affliction. Job was well acquainted with affliction. One thing after another came tumbling
down on him until he was reduced to nothing. If you are feeling a bit sorry for yourself this morning, take some time
to sit down with a cup of tea or a cool drink and read the book of Job. You might come away with a different perspective.
Job was not an evil man. In fact, God gave Job a glowing review! Job 1:8 (NLT) 8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have
you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears
God and stays away from evil.” You may be a good and faithful servant of the Lord, yet still you
find yourself suffering in some way, or even in many ways. You might even have some, "friends," like Job.
Friends in the, "church," who try to tell you that you're suffering because you just don't have enough faith or
that you are harboring some "secret sin." It would appear that faith shows itself best in the midst of suffering. It did in
Job's life. Job had such a good reputation with the Lord that the devil just had to try to prove that Job's faith was
too good to be true. It is difficult to comprehend completely, but God knew what Job was made of. After
all God had made Job! (Psalm 139:13) God knew just exactly what He had put inside of Job. He knew He could trust Job to have
faith and trust in Him, even through all the situations the devil would throw in Job's direction. Can God
trust you and me that much? Even though Job was a man of extreme faith and trust in God, he hadn't learned everything
he needed to know. His faith and trust would be thoroughly tested. He had to lose his children, his wealth,
his health. He had to endure friends that gave him counsel that wasn't fitting for his situation. He had to be
tempted even by a wife who told him to just curse God and die. What possible good could come out of all of that?
As much as we might think we have a, "handle," on Christianity (especially if we have been a Christian for
a long while), we can never settle back and think, we've arrived. Remember Job started out with God describing
him as, blameless, full of integrity, righteous, etc. God had blessed Job with total success and wealth. But Job still
had some things to learn. In all of his suffering, Job would end up much better than we saw God describe
him in the first place. In all of the tragedy that Job suffered, he might have given up on his faith. His friends tempted him to doubt
his faith. His wife tempted him to turn His back on God. When we go through struggles, we may also be tempted
by friends, family, and circumstances to throw in the towel. (Galatians 6:9) Yet, it is within those very trying circumstances that we can grow and be victorious because,
it is in the fire that we can really see God. The three Hebrew boys did. (Daniel 3:19-26) Job did. (Job 42:5) And, in case we think that these are just Old Testament stories, we can see that Paul did also.
He suffered with a "thorn in the flesh." He prayed that God would take it but it was God's choice to
let it remain. Paul did not blame God or lose His faith. He chose to let that thorn remind Him of the unfathomable
grace that God gives to the weak. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) Because of Paul's, "thorn," he was humbled to the point where he did not just hear about
and know about God, he saw God at work every day within his innermost being. As Job's time of
suffering and testing came to an end, even though he had been a good man before, he declared, "I have heard of thee by the
hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee" God had, indeed washed Job's eyes with tears so that
Job could see Him. God undoubtedly washed Paul's eyes with tears too, allowing Paul to see Him in the fullness
of His grace. If you have been following the Lord to the best of your ability and, yet, your eyes are filled
with tears today, you can know that God is using those tears to make you better. You are going to come out with
much clearer vision. If you blink a few times, through your tears, you, like Job, will be able to say, "I
have heard about you, Lord, but now I see you with my eyes!" God has promised to be close to the broken-hearted.
(Psalm 34:17-18) God may have you sowing a few tears today, but His plans for you, if you are following Him,
are only for good. (Jeremiah 29:11) In the end, like Job, you will be rewarded with an abundant harvest. Psalm 126:4-6 (NLT) 4 Restore our fortunes, Lord, as
streams renew the desert. 5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts
of joy. 6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return
with the harvest. Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see You! MORNING MANNA - MAY 30, 2009 - DEFENDING THE FAITH Jude 1:3 (NLT) The little book of Jude, which is just before the book of The
Revelation, is so small, you might miss it when flipping through the Bible. Yet, it is very profound and has much
information in it that we need today. Apparently, Jude wanted to write about the marvelous salvation given to those
who have received Jesus. Sadly, he felt compelled to have to remind us to defend the faith. Not
just any faith, but the faith that God entrusted to us. Not a faith that changes with time and conforms to cultures
and fads. A solid faith in a just and holy God. A faith that knows right from wrong and clings to the right. (Matthew 5:6) Unfortunately, some godless teachers appear
to have crept secretly into the fellowships of Jude's time. Jude 1:4 (NLT) 4 I say this because some ungodly
people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives.
The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Does this sound familiar? Could it be that, in our day, ungodly people have embedded themselves into our fellowships
and begun teaching things that go against the faith that was entrusted to us by God? Defending the faith can be
a difficult thing. That's because these godless teachers do not march in, openly declaring their ungodliness.
They come in looking like sheep. Jesus warned us about them. Matthew 7:15 (NIV) 15 "Watch out for false prophets.
They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. Yes, some are among us now
that look just like sheep but they have disguised themselves in order to try to deceive us. (Mark 13:22) When Jude speaks about defending the faith, he uses a word that really means, "struggle." We must
actually struggle for the faith that has been entrusted to us by God because the devil wants to take it away from us by deceiving
us into thinking that God's grace is something to be taken for granted. Something to be taken lightly. The faith
we must struggle to defend tells us that we can be made right in the eyes of God through the blood fo Jesus. Romans 5:16 (NlT) 16 And the result of God’s
gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but
God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. The faith
that God has given us lets us know that, although we deserve His condemnation, He has forgiven our sins and made us right
with Him. Just as we see many today demanding that The Ten Commandments be removed from public view, there are godless
people within our congregations that insist that grace gives us the right to discard the laws of God. Will we defend
the faith by speaking the truth? Jesus did not come to discard the laws of God and let us freely run amuck
like spoiled children. He came so that we could have the privilege of walking with Him and fulfilling the law. Matthew 5:17-20 (NIV) 17 "Do not think that
I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least
stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19
Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least
in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and
the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. We've probably all heard
some of the, "I'm okay, you're okay," preaching and teaching that goes on today. But the truth is that
our faith is not based on a cheap grace. Romans 6:1-4 (TLB) 1 Well then, shall we keep on sinning
so that God can keep on showing us more and more kindness and forgiveness? 2 Of
course not! Should we keep on sinning when we don’t have to? 3 For sin’s
power over us was broken when we became Christians and were baptized to become a part of Jesus Christ; through his death the
power of your sinful nature was shattered. 4 Your old sin-loving nature was
buried with him by baptism when he died; and when God the Father, with glorious power, brought him back to life again, you
were given his wonderful new life to enjoy. Is it hard to defend the faith? I think so. Every
day, I struggle within myself to weigh what I hear and see against what God says in His Word. Every day, I
struggle to, not only learn, but to do what true faith tells me to do. I don't have to do that. And neither do
you. We get to. We have the privilege to struggle to defend the glorious gift of faith the
Jesus paid for with His life. Are we on the defensive when it comes to struggling for and living out our true,
God-given faith? MORNING MANNA - MAY 29, 2009 - NO MATTER WHAT Philippians 1:15 (NLT) There are lots and lots of preachers and teachers around these days.
There are lots of ministries, both large and small. In the Apostle, Paul's day, as he sat in prison for preaching the
gospel of Christ, he reflected on some of the preachers of his day. I imagine that his reflections still hold true today.
There are those preachers who may be preaching with the motive to acquire sheep, but forgetting that all the sheep
belong to the Good Shepherd. John 10:11 (NLT) “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
sacrifices his life for the sheep. When just, "acquiring sheep," is the motive for preaching or for
an entire ministry, it can lead to ill-will and envy between those who are supposed to be preaching the "good news."
If we are led of the Lord to be a preacher, teacher, or any kind of minister (and we are all called to spread the gospel),
we need to be careful and remember that, even if God makes us a shepherd, we are still only a lamb in His sight. It's
not so important that other sheep follow us as it is that all sheep follow Jesus! That, all, includes
every teacher, preacher, evangelist, and minister. No
matter whether we are a famous, well-known, preacher, evangelist, or teacher or whether we are the lowest of the lay people called
to spread the good news, we need to carefully keep our motives in check. Some in Paul's day were preaching
out of envy. Ever jealous if another preacher seemed to have a larger following or a better reputation. When
we do things out of envy, no matter how good those things are, we are not pleasing to the Lord. James 3:14-16 (NLT) 14 But if you are bitterly jealous
and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15
For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder
and evil of every kind. While, at first it is pretty normal to quickly examine ourselves and think
that we have no jealousy or selfish ambition in our hearts, we need to be wise and carefully check our own hearts,
allowing God to shine the light of his truth into every corner. (1 Corinthians 10:12) The devil is deceitful. (John 8:44) Our own hearts are deceitful. (Jeremiah 17:9) When it is our desire and calling to preach or teach the good news of the Gospel, the enemy will be right there
to try to take us down. He won't appear as a demonic abhorrent creature. He knows we would recognize him right
away. He may even come from within what we call "the church." He is a master deceiver. Paul mentioned
that in another of his epistles. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (NLT) 13 These
people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15
So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will
get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve. How sad would it be if we had preached, taught, and evangelized for our whole lives with the wrong motives?
But, perhaps some have. Matthew 7:22-23 (NLT) 22 On judgment day many will say to me,
‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’
23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s
laws.’ Yes, we can do lots and lots of good things, "for the Lord," and even have
those things published around the world; but they may never reach Heaven! What we do must be without such things
as jealousy, spite, envy, quarreling, contention, strife, rivalry, and provocation. Paul noted that some in his day preached
out of contention, that word meaning, "seeking to win followers." There are some in our day that do
that too. It might even be one of us. Paul realized that he had to keep himself pure from bad motives. 1 Corinthians 9:27 (KJV) 27 But I keep under my body, and
bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. He
realized that he could preach to others and be a castaway himself. If Paul maintained a such constant check on
himself, we probably should also! There is something else that scripture reminds us of in this situation. Some
will preach with impure motives. They may suffer destruction themselves, but God's Word and His Kingdom will
never suffer loss. Paul realized that, no matter who was preaching it, the gospel was going out. Philippians 1:18 (NLT) 18 But that doesn’t matter.
Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will
continue to rejoice. Because God's Word was going out, Paul rejoiced, even though he knew that some did
not have good motives. We should also rejoice. God will deal with the motives of those who preach, teach
and evangelize. The important thing is that His Word will never return void. It will accomplish
everything He sends it to do! (Isaiah 55:11) Our job is to keep on saying and doing His Word, without selfish ambition and with pure motives.
And, rejoice. No matter what, His Word still goes forth. It still brings life! (John 5:24) MORNING MANNA - MAY 28, 2009 - WHOSE INTERESTS ARE WE THINKING ABOUT? Philippians 2:4 (NLT) There
are so many ways we can show others that we care for them. Just being there is one of them. Yesterday, I
had a wonderful time with friends. It was a challenging day. Things weren't falling into place as I had expected
with some responsibilities I had. My husband was also going through some, "do or die," things at work.
When the ladies arrived at my house, I had to make a decision to go ahead and enjoy the fellowship and try to forget the other
things going on. We were all dealing with difficulties in our lives but, as we sat down for lunch, I asked
for prayer for a good outcome for my husband's trial that day. They were more than willing to take the time to sit and
agree with me in prayer for him. They seemed pleased to think of his interests, and mine, even though they had problems
of their own. A blessing was prayed over all of us and we then were able to eat lunch and share with one another with
joy. Although the luncheon was at my house and, technically, I was "practicing hospitality," so were my
two friends. Romans 12:13 (NLT) 13 When God’s people are in
need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. They invited me into their
lives, allowing me and my problems inside of their hearts. They took my interests before the Lord and shared some
of the burden I was feeling. Galatians 6:2-3 (NLT) 2 Share each other’s burdens,
and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help
someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Are we willing to forget (or put aside for the moment) our own interests to uplift another?
Do we practice hospitality, in that way, by allowing others into our own busy lives? Everyone contributed something
to our lunch together, from food, to cleaning up afterwards, to conversation. These ladies were genuinely concerned
for me, even about being sure I had no mess to deal with after lunch. 1 Corinthians 10:24 (NLT) 24 Don’t be concerned for your own
good but for the good of others. They were concerned for my good, not only in spiritual ways, but in practical
ways, as well. Do we pray for others, listen to others, invite them into our hearts and lives, as well as look
for practical ways to relieve their burdens? You know, I can hardly remember what the other two ladies were really wearing
but they were beautifully clothed with what is spoken of in Colossians 3:12 (NLT) 12 Since God chose you to be the
holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. After lunch,
because the cleaning up was all taken care of, we had time to sit and look at some pictures and hear some music that one of
the women brought to share. We all got to enjoy her happiness at being in a band with members of her family. We
got to share her joy as she sang praises to the Lord. Suddenly, the phone rang. I could see, from the caller ID,
that it was my husband. I hesitated to pick up the phone. I took a deep breath, not knowing what kind of news
he would have for me. It was as though there were two angels right behind me. I could hear them calling out to
Jesus on our behalf. As I heard my husband's positive report, and my friends got the idea, I heard the sweetest, whispered
symphony going on behind me. They were spontaneously repeating, "Thank You, Lord," "Thank You, Jesus."
It was a display of genuine love and affection. Yes!
They were wearing the beautiful robes of love spoken of in Colossians 3:14 (NLT) 14 Above all, clothe yourselves
with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. At that moment,
we were all rejoicing in the One who brought one of us through, yet another trial. Right then, their attitude was the
same as that of Jesus. Philippians 2:5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus
had. They chose to think of others; and my husband and I were the recipients! How often do we put our
own needs and troubles aside to think about the things others are going through? Whose interests are we thinking about
most? MORNING MANNA - MAY 27, 2009 - FRIENDS Proverbs 18:24 (KJV) Do you have lots and lots of friends? Or just
a few close friends? Do you take time for your friends? I have very few friends. Those that I do have are
precious. Still I do not spend enough time with them. I realize that, sometimes when I pray, I am the
first thing on my prayer list and my friends come after that. I want to do better. Proverbs 18:24 is translated many different ways in different versions of the Bible. One version says that a person
who is a friend to the all the world will come to ruin. It is certainly good to choose our close friends wisely. Proverbs 13:20 (NLT) 20 Walk with the wise
and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. When choosing close friends, it's best
to remember that it's much easier for us to be pulled downward than to pull someone else up. There may be a time
when a true friend has to tell us the truth, even if it hurts. Proverbs 27:6 (AMP) 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
but the kisses of an enemy are lavish and deceitful. Today, I have the privilege of meeting with two friends. We all met in one
church and, since then, we have all gone in separate directions. Friends come in all sizes and shapes. One of
the two that will be in our little group today is a widow. One is divorced and in a new relationship. I am married.
We each have our own set of struggles and challenges but we can each bring something to the table to encourage one another
and uplift one another. How wonderful to be able to share our differences and yet be a part of God's sharpening process
on one another! Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) 17 As iron sharpens iron, so a friend
sharpens a friend. I read a little saying, written by Ann D. Parrish, that touched my
heart. It brought me full circle in my thoughts about friends. Here's what she said. "A friend
is able to see you as the wonderful person God created you to be." If you have received Jesus as your
Lord and Savior, He has called you His friend! John 15:14-16 (NIV) 14 You are my friends if you do
what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know
his master's business. instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known
to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear
fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. We could not choose
a better friend than Jesus! The wonderful thing is that He chose us!! He saw what we could be.
He saw, in us, the wonderful person God created us to be. He also saw the sin that had tarnished that creation that
God called, "very good." He knew that the love of a true Friend was what we needed for us to be restored.
He knew it would require the greatest sacrifice love could offer. Even before we acted like a friend to Him, He chose
us to be His friends. (Romans 5:10) He made the sacrifice for us. John 15:13 (NLT) 13 There is no greater love than
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. I have been so privileged to see Jesus in the
friends He has given me. I have experienced their love and sacrifice for me. I have received the sweet fragrance
of their good counsel. Proverbs 27:9 (AMP) Oil and perfume rejoice the heart;
so does the sweetness of a friend’s counsel that comes from the heart. Our friends on earth may disappoint us or
they may leave this earth before we do. When it comes right down to it, there's only one Friend that will never,
ever leave us. Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT) 8 Do not be afraid or discouraged,
for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Is the Lord your best friend? Do you spend time regularly with Him? MORNING MANNA - MAY 26, 2009 - THE PERFECT MARRIAGE Hosea 2:20 (NLT) If you are a woman, you may, or may not, know the joy of what it feels like to be pursued by a man who loves
you and is willing to do almost anything to gain your love in return. That is probably every girl's dream. Taken
to an even higher level, it's amazing that, whether we are a man or a woman, our Lord loved us so much that He was willing
to do anything, even give up His own life, to gain our love in return. Yes, God commanded that we should love Him.
Deuteronomy 6:5 (KJV) 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God
with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Does that seem difficult to you?
You can't see God. Sometimes He might even seem impersonal. I believe that God knew we would have trouble loving
Him with all of our heart, soul, and might. He wanted us to be able to see Him in the flesh. So He sent Jesus.
(John 1:14) And, He showed us that we could love Him because He first loved us and showed us
that love by the life and sacrifice of His only Son. 1 John 4:19 (KJV) 19 We love him, because he first
loved us. Although, today, we can only see Jesus through the scriptures and by faith, we can read
eye-witness accounts of those who have seen Him and touched Him. 1 John 1:1 (TLB) 1 Christ was alive when the world
began, yet I myself have seen him with my own eyes and listened to him speak. I have touched him with my own hands. He is
God’s message of life. They watched Him live a life of sinlessness and sacrifice to become
our Savior. Our Spouse, if you will. The perfect Spouse. Ephesians 5:25 (NLT) For husbands, this means love your
wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her If you are married, you are surely, by now, aware of the fact that there's probably not a marriage on the face of
the earth that is, "perfect." Some are better than others and some need lots and lots of work. In times
of distraction and deception, marriage is harder to maintain. Financial troubles, insecurity, fear, health problems, and
morality issues, among other things, can bring stress into a marriage. That's the way it was in Paul's time and we also
live in uncertain times. 1 Corinthians 7:28 (NLT) 28 But if you do get married, it
is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles,
and I am trying to spare you those problems. So, if you are reading this and you're not married, be sure
to count the cost before you get married. You will have some troubles! Above all, allow God to choose your
mate for you. Let Him lead you to a person that is in the process of yielding to Him and being conformed into the
image of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 6;14-15 (TLB) 14 Don’t be teamed with those
who do not love the Lord, for what do the people of God have in common with the people of sin? How can light live with darkness?
15 And what harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a Christian
be a partner with one who doesn’t believe? When God created man, He declared, "It is not good for man to be alone." (Genesis 2:18) And so, God made a wonderful thing. He made a woman! Although, I am a woman.
I have never wanted to be alone either. Whether you are a man or a woman, deep inside of you is that longing to have
a loving companion. If you are a man, and you find a wife, do everything you can to keep her. Proverbs 18:22 (TLB) 22 The man who finds a wife finds
a good thing; she is a blessing to him from the Lord. She is a blessing from the Lord, so love her and
be faithful to her. To all the women out there, when you find a husband, respect him. Ephesians 5:33 (KJV) 33 Nevertheless let every one of
you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. That word,
"reverence," or "respect," (as it is translated elsewhere) comes from the Greek word, "phobeo."
Sounds like our word, "phobia," to me. As wives we are told to be in awe of our husbands. This is a
reverential fear, just like we all should have toward our God. So, is there a perfect marriage? Yes, There is!
We probably won't attain that in our marriages here on earth, but we should always be working on our marriages and submitting
to one another in love because we have a truly reverential fear of the Lord. We will never have the perfect earthly
spouse because we're all human and we will, at some time or another, fail or disappoint one another. Whether we're male
or female, we have a perfect Heavenly Spouse who is waiting to step in to comfort and care for us if and when our human spouse
falls short. And, we look forward to the time when the Lord will receive His bride, the Church. (Revelation 21:19) That's if we're committed to reverence and submit to Him. (Ephesians 5:22) Look what God says to those who are willing to turn from the loving this world to loving Him.
Hosea 2:19 (NLT) 19 I will make you my wife forever,
showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. That's the perfect marriage! MORNING MANNA - MAY 25, 2009 - LOOKING FORWARD... Titus 2:13 (NLT) What are the things that you look forward to? A vacation?
A day at the beach? How about the spa? Or maybe a good golf game. It could be just a nice warm bath to relieve
some stress. What makes you look forward to certain things? I guess I look forward to them because it gives me
a break from the harsh realities of this life. Indeed, our Lord was right when He told His disciples that we would have
some troubles while living in this world! (John 16:33) Even though Jesus never sinned, made a mistake in judgment, or did anything wrong, He had troubles. He didn't
deserve them but He had them! And, so will we. Did Jesus
look forward to anything? Or, did He grumble and get "stuck" in the things He had to endure while He
was on this earth? He did look forward! Hebrews 12:2 (TLB) 2 Keep
your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew
would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God. No wonder the scripture
tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus. He's not only our Savior, He's are prime example. We watched Him,
through scripture, endure the most trying of experiences. His experiences ran the gamut of anything that, and so
much more than, you or I could ever experience. Through it all, He kept on going. He kept on doing good.
He even endured the cross. Why would He do that? Because He was looking forward to the joy that would be His when
He had completed His mission and brought salvation for you and me! Jesus looked forward. And, no
matter how difficult we feel the situations are that we are dealing with today, we will have victory if we keep on looking
forward and do not become entangled in our circumstances. 1 John 5:4-5 (NLT) 4 For
every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5
And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus could look forward because He set out to win the battles of life for us, despite the troubles
in this world. And, He did it! He didn't give up. (Galatians 6:9) Was He uncomfortable at times? What do you think? Hebrews 13:12 (NLT) 12 So also Jesus suffered and died
outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. Do you feel as though you are suffering
in some way today? Remember that Jesus took on all of your suffering, no matter what it is, so that you could have a
hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) 11 For I know the plans I have for
you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Yes!
God looked down from before the foundation of this world and saw you! He sent His only Son to take your place
so you could have something to which you could look forward. The Israelites had been in captivity for some seventy years
when the Lord spoke to them about the good plans He had for them. The Lord has spoken those words to you and me also,
if we are following Him, listening to Him, and obeying Him. We may feel as if we've been held captive
for too long by circumstances, but God is our Deliverer! All He asks is that we show our love for Him by obeying
Him. John 14:15 (TLB) 15 "If you love me, obey me; Even
though we will endure trouble in this evil world, grace teaches us to say, "No," to its evil
ways and constantly turn to godly living, all the while, looking forward. (Titus 1:12-13) Our seasons in life will change. God will give us relief from troubles at just the right time.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT) 13 The
temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation
to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. His
good plans for each of us are tailor-made and He knows exactly what we need and just when we need it to help us grow and overcome.
We all have a lot for which to look forward. We are being formed into the image of God's son, even through trials
and problems. (Romans 8:28-29) Plus, Jesus is going to return to give us the final victory! We look
forward to seeing Jesus face to face. We look forward to the new and perfect Home He is now preparing for us.
John 14:1-4 (NLT) 1 “Don’t let your hearts
be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room
in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where
I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” Are we
looking past those things that are difficult this morning? Right past them to the joy of seeing Jesus? Of living
in that Home He is preparing where troubles will be no more? As we look forward, are we saying, "No," to the
things that will deter and distract us and, are we being taught by grace to live and love in a way that pleases our Savior? Are
you living right, loving fervently, and looking forward? MORNING MANNA - MAY 24, 2009 - LIVE WHERE, WITH WHAT? Titus 2:12 (NLT) Grace is something we like to remember. It's something to sing
about and talk about. Grace makes us feel good and comfortable because we know that we are saved by grace. Ephesians 2:8 (NLT) 8 God saved you by his grace when
you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. What is grace? It is the
graciousness of God to us. It's His divine influence on our hearts. It's what makes us acceptable in His
sight and allows His favor to rest upon us. It's the source of all the benefits we receive from the Lord.
It brings us joy. It shows us the generosity of our Lord and prompts us to be like Him. It gives us pleasure
and it gives God pleasure to give it to us. For it, we give thanks to the Source of grace. You probably already
knew all these things and may have your own definition of God's grace in your life. I did not realize, though, that
grace also is supposed to teach us some things. Titus 2:11-12 (NIV) 11 For the grace of God that brings
salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness
and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, Grace should be teaching us to say, "No," to certain things.
It should also be teaching us to live in certain ways in some uncertain circumstances. While living in this evil world,
the grace that God has given us ought to be teaching us to exercise self-control. The word for, "self-control,"
or as translated, "wisdom" in the New Living Translation, really means to live with a sound mind, 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) 7 For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. To live in moderation. Philippians 4:5 (KJV) 5 Let your moderation be known unto
all men. The Lord is at hand. To live soberly. Romans 12:3 (NIV) 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not
think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment,
in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Where are we supposed to live in these virtuous
ways? Right in the middle of this evil world! It would seem an impossible task and, indeed, it is an impossible
task if we're counting on our own strength to do it. But, thank God, we are given the promise that we can do all
things through Christ. He will strengthen us. (Philippians 4:13) His grace will teach us. It would seem like those things would be enough. But grace teaches us even more. It teaches
us to live righteously. In this evil world, there will be things that draw us to wander from the path of righteousness
but the grace of God will whisper in our ear, "don't go that way." Are we letting grace teach us? We should
also be learning from our teacher, grace, to live godly lives. To be devoted to God and to His ways. Are we learning
from grace? I once heard that another word for humility is, "teachable." Are we humble enough to be
taught by the grace we have freely been given? Look at this invitation from Jesus.Matthew 11:29 (NIV) 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for
I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. In the days of the Old
Covenant, mankind had the law. No one could live up to it perfectly. (Galatians 3:24) Then, God made a way for us to come to Him through the only One who did live a perfect life, even in a
violent, abuse, imperfect world. John 1:17 (KJV) 17 For
the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. God sent His grace in the person
of Jesus Christ! The truth is that we do live in an evil world. A world full of temptations,
troubles and challenges. But we serve the One who has overcome the world. John 16:33 (NLT) 33 I
have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart,
because I have overcome the world.” Are you finding it difficult to live a
godly life in the midst of a perverse world? Learn from Jesus. Let His grace teach you. We all need to be
willing to be a student of God's amazing grace. MORNING MANNA - MAY 23, 2009 - THINGS TO TURN FROM Titus 2:12 (NLT) While the title, "Things
To Turn From," may not seem encouraging, it really is. Everything in God's Word is encouraging to us if we
have chosen to follow Jesus. When we were young, perhaps we thought of our parents as trying to take our fun
away when they forbid us to do certain things. When we were young, we thought as a child. 1 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT) 11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought
and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
We couldn't see the bigger picture. We didn't have the experience and wisdom to know that they were not trying to steal
our fun. We were immersed in our own wants and maybe we may have been a bit rebellious and sneaky to get them.
For some of us, that required a lot of grace and mercy on the part of God! Thank God for loving, forgiving, patient, and
praying parents! Thank God that He is our Heavenly Father with all those attributes and more. As God's children, we are instructed to "grow up." Hebrews 5:12 (NLT) 12 You have been believers so long
now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s
word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. We ought to be teaching one another about
what God has revealed to us through His Word. Of course, since growing up is a process, all of us will not
be on the same level. But, we should be on a higher level right now than when we first believed and we should be
growing more with each passing day. Can you imagine having a teenager who could not eat solid food, but still
drank from a bottle? I wonder how God might grieve when He looks at His children who have not developed spiritually.
The writer of Hebrews calls those people dull and inattentive. Hebrews 5:11 (NLT) 11 There is much more we would like
to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.
As parents, we get frustrated with our children when they seem to display, "selective hearing."
They appear to be dull of hearing. If you are a parent, you may have even said a time or two, "Are you listening
to me?" At each state of our
development as children, we are expected to progress more and more. God is looking for that in His children too.
Those who do not mature properly will not be able to tell wrong from right. Hebrews 5:14 (NLT) 14 Solid food is for those who are mature,
who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. When we really recognize
the difference between right and wrong, we will want to turn from the wrong. We will turn from godless living
and sinful pleasures, even though some of those ways might have been pleasing to us before we "grew up." Growing
up is not easy. Ask any adolescent if you can't remember your own "growing up" days. There are growing
pains as the bones, tendons, and ligaments stretch us into physical maturity. There are times of confusion and strange
feelings when hormones begin to change. As we grow spiritually, there are times that mirror those times of physical
growth. During those times, we are being trained to have the skill to recognize right from wrong. We are being
tested and strengthened as we learn to turn from all ungodly ways of living. As we learn to turn from desires that come
from the corrupt world in which we live. Maybe you know someone who is in a spiritually adolescent stage.
Slightly rebellious and inattentive to God's Word. Maybe you are that person. The Lord may need to administer
some discipline. (Hebrews 12:5) But, through it all, He calls for each of us to turn from wicked ways, from ungodly living, and from worldly,
sinful pleasure. Is that so He can steal our fun? (John 10:10) Far from it! In His Parental Wisdom, He has planned the best for you and me if we will turn from those things
that only bring us death and destruction. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (TLB) 13 If I shut up the heavens so that
there is no rain, or if I command the locust swarms to eat up all of your crops, or if I send an epidemic among you,
14 then if my people will humble themselves and pray, and search for me, and turn
from their wicked ways, I will hear them from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land. This morning
the thought comes to my mind to be encouraged when God tells me to turn from things that may harm me and harm those around
me. It tells me that He wants the best for me, and you too. I would rather grow up spiritually and turn
from such things, receiving forgiveness and healing from God than have God turn from me. What is
our level of spiritual growth and are we continuing to grow as our Father desires? Are there things we need to turn
from? MORNING MANNA - MAY 22, 2009 - WHAT SAY YOU? 1 John 2:4 (TLB) The things we say are of great importance.
The people of Israel learned this the hard way when they refused to believe God's promise. Their words of unbelief
reached God's ears. All of our words reach God's ears too. God wasn't happy with their words. Is
He happy with our words? Deuteronomy 1:34-36 (KJV) 34 And the LORD heard
the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying, 35 Surely there shall not
one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, 36
Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon,
and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD. What we do is also of great
importance. If I told you I was going to give you a million dollars and then failed to do so, you would obviously know
that I was lying to you. God not only hears everything we say, He sees everything we do! And, it appears that
He puts those things together to see if they match. Of course, we know that God knows everything and He surely knows
whether we are deceiving ourselves, others, or even trying to deceive Him by the failure to have our actions match up with
our words. God knows whether you and I have genuinely looked for His precepts in order to do them or if we have
just been saying the words and doing what we want to do. Psalm 119:167-168) 167 I have looked for your commandments, and
I love them very much; 168 yes, I have searched for them. You know this because
everything I do is known to you. If you are taking the time to read this right now, the chances are that you are really searching God's Word because
you want to follow it. But, there may be some who are searching because they are curious or have not found
the answers to life anywhere else. No matter which category you fall into, God's Word is for you, to
you, and will work in you. It is a living Word that will speak to you personally and to your individual
situation and circumstances. Hebrews 4:12-13 (NLT) 12 For the word of God is alive
and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.
It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is
hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. God's Word
will show each of us whether we are like those people who say they are followers of Christ but don't prove it by the way they
act. In other words, as they used to say, "Do we walk the talk." I can't imagine anything worse than having God
call me a liar! But then, He knows my heart and He knows your heart too. He has told us in His Word that
our hearts are deceitful and wicked. He has also told us that He will search them. He's not only going to
look at what we say, but what we do. He says He will reward us according to what our actions
deserve. Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NLT) 9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really
knows how bad it is? 10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” The Psalmist
has given us indication that God will discover every secret that lies within our hearts. (Psalm 44:20-21) While the words, "I'm a Christian, I'm on my way to Heaven," and "I belong to Christ,"
can easily tumble out of our mouths because we may have them memorized, we all need to check our lives each day to see if
what we are saying is true. Because, if we're not doing what Jesus has told us to do, we're lying. The worst
thing may not be that we might fool others, but that we are deceiving ourselves. We, because of grace, are still given
the opportunity to test ourselves to see if we really believe and do what we say. (2 Corinthians 13:5) If we find ourselves failing the test and missing the mark, we can repent. 1 John 1:8-10) 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If
we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. There's one thing much
worse than having God call me a liar. That would be if I call God a liar! This
morning, as we do a little self-evaluation, asking God for His revelation, do we find that what we say matches what we
do? If we say we are following Jesus, are we doing what He said to do? What say I? What say you?
What says God? 1 John 2:6 (NLT) 6 Those who say they live in God
should live their lives as Jesus did. MORNING MANNA - MAY 21, 2009 - ARE CARES GETTING TO YOU? Mark 4:19 (KJV) What is distracting you this morning? Before I go any further, I
must say that I am writing this morning in a battle against distractions. What are distractions? They are the,
"cares of this world," that Jesus speaks about in Mark 4:19. Look how the Amplified Bible puts it. Mark 4:19 (AMP) 19 Then the cares and anxieties
of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and
the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless. If
I succumb to the distractions that are bombarding me this morning, I will be unfruitful. That's not what I want.
Yet, the enemy is telling me to try to take care of the distractions and cares by myself. The truth is, I know that
only God can take care of them and only if I put Him first. Matthew 6:25-34 (KJV) 25
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for
your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly
Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you
by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take
ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow
is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore
take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye
have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for
the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This morning, the worldly cares that are threatening
to steal my fruitfulness are many. I would suspect that lots of you are in the same position. We live in
an uncertain world. The deceitfulness of riches has brought many to their knees and destroyed many. The one main
"care," that has threatened me is, life insurance. It is about to be taken away from us. What
will I do if something happens to my husband? According to this world's standards, I will be reduced to poverty. The
mere thought of it makes me tempted to harden my heart. But, God has told me to do just the opposite and perhaps
some of you reading this need to do this too. Hosea 10:12 (NLT) 12 I said, ‘Plant the good
seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to
seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ Before Jesus even came to earth,
God spoke to Hosea about the danger of hearts that were too hard to receive God's Word. Jesus spoke again of that in
His message in Mark 4:13-20 My particular care about life insurance should be superseded by the fact that I have real life insurance.
I have trusted in Jesus as my Savior and, no matter what happens here on earth, I have abundant life. (John 10:10) And, after this earthly existence I will have eternal life. (John 3:16) How about you? Have the cares of this world pushed you farther away from God instead of bringing you closer? Is
your heart dried out and hard, filled with the stones and even boulders of care that this world has dumped on you?
It's time to plow up that ground and cast all your cares upon Jesus. He cares for you! (1 Peter 5:7) 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (NLT) 1 As
God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped
you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. Yes, today
the cares of this world threaten to destroy us, to take away our joy, and to distract our hearts from the only One who can
help us. To prevent us from being fruitful. And, today God still calls out to us to keep the ground
of our hearts cultivated so His Word can enter in bring us what we need and so that Word can flow from us and
bring fruit to glorify Him. Psalms 95:8 (NLT) 8 The Lord says, “Don’t harden
your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. How about it? Like me,
do you need to do a little plowing and get all those stones of distractions and care out of the garden of your heart? MORNING MANNA - MAY 20, 2009 - DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE? Job 17:8-9 (TLB) The question as
to whether bad things happen to good people has been asked for ages. Really, all we have to do is ask Jesus! He
went about doing good while here on earth. Acts 10:38 (KJV) 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was
with him. All the while, people rejected Him. They mocked Him. They made secret
plans to harm Him. And, finally, they lied about Him and crucified Him. These were not just any people.
They were the very people that should have received Him as their Messiah. They were the ones He came to save.
They were the "church" of the day. It was those people who should have been closest to Him that repaid
His goodness with unthinkable evil. Yes, bad things do happen to good people. Jesus was the supreme example.
If you are going through something disturbing, you can know, if you are in right standing with God, that you will come
out better than before. In this rose
garden of life, here on earth, we have to contend with the thorns. We will be pricked by the thorns at times.
We may be fooled by those closest to us who pretend to be giving us a beautiful rose but instead press the thorns deep into
our hearts and even our lives. I have seen this happen in my own family when, what should have been the closest of relationships
here on earth, turned to evil. We know that none of us are truly good, except God. Jesus said that. (Mark 10:8, Psalm 53:3) There are those of us who fear God. Job was one of those people. Job 1:1 1 There once was a man
named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from
evil. If we listen to some of the preaching today, we would expect that God would spare Job from anything
unpleasant. But, that was not the case. Instead, God chose to use Job to bring glory to Himself. God
allowed Satan to test Job, having confidence that Job would not turn away from his faith. And, there was the Apostle,
Paul. He had to contend with his thorn too. The following is an excerpt from, "The Message," which
is not an actual translation of the Bible, but a paraphrase. However, the writer's paraphrase of the scripture
may give some of us some insight as to how God uses the thorns in this life. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (The Message) 7 Because of the
extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant
touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger
then of walking around high and mighty! 8 At first I didn't think of it as a
gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, 9 and then he told
me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad
to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving
in on my weakness. 10 Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer,
these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And
so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. So, if we fear God, have received Jesus as our Savior, and are walking in the Spirit
to the best of our knowledge, might something that seems bad happen to us? Will we be challenged and tested?
I think both the Old Testament and the New Testament give us that answer. Yes, we will. And, if we're really walking
in the Spirit, we will consider it joy! James 1:2-4 (NLT) 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles
come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that
when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it
grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If we are
seeking to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we will consider it joy because we know that, when that testing is over,
great joy will be manifested in our lives. Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV) 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down
at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition
from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. There may be those of us who are enduring great
challenges or hostility from others this morning. There may be those who are feeling weary and about to give
up. Do not lose heart! Joseph didn't. His own brothers wanted to kill him. They were jealous
of him. Is someone jealous of you today? They sold him into slavery. Have others tried to sell you into
the slavery of sin by telling you how good it is and even offering you benefits for entering in? Even though Joseph
was a man of integrity, those he worked with and for lied about him, put him in prison, forgot him, and sought to
bring him harm. In all of that Joseph endured. He did not lose heart even though all those bad things were happening
to him. When he was reunited with his brothers who had brought about all these years of suffering, he repaid them good
for the evil they had done to him. Romans 12:17 (NIV) 17 Do not repay anyone evil for
evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. Joseph trusted that God had a plan
and that His plan was good. Genesis 50:20 (KJV) 20 But
as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people
alive. He proved in the end that although bad things do happen to good people, the way those people prove
they are good is to endure to the end, trusting that God has promised to work everything out for their good, including forming
them into the image of His very own Son. (Romans 8:28-29) Job obviously trusted God, even in the worst moments of his life, when everything was taken away from
him and he could find no comfort in the advice of his so-called friends. During all of that Job said, "...the
righteous shall move onward and forward; those with pure hearts shall become stronger and stronger." Indeed,
although Job went through times of great hardship that he could not understand, he did grow stronger and he did
move onward and forward. (Job 42:12-17) God restored him with twice as much as he had before! Do bad things happen to Christian people? Sometimes
they do. Our job is to do what Job did, what Jesus did, what Paul did, and what a host of others did. (Hebrews 11) Walk by faith, trust in God's good plan, and know that joy comes in the morning! (2 Corinthians 5:7, Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 30:5) MORNING MANNA - MAY 19, 2009 - WHERE DOES YOUR WISDOM COME FROM? Job 12:13 (NLT) Job makes a statement about true wisdom. I have noticed that people who seem to have wisdom have experienced
suffering and trials in their lives. Job is certainly an example of this. Yet, even though he doesn't understand
why he has gone through trials and tribulations, he still declares that true wisdom is found in God. Have you
gone through some hard things in life? Are you facing situations for which you don't have an answer? Where do
you go for wisdom? Do you, like Job, still trust that all wisdom belongs to God? Job also said that counsel and
understanding belong to God. So, we know that there's no better place to go for true wisdom than to God. James 1:5 (NLT) 5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous
God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. If you have ever sought wisdom from someone
and been ridiculed for asking what they consider to be a, "dumb question," be assured that God is not like that.
He wants us to ask questions in our search for wisdom. He will not ridicule or rebuke us. He will generously
give us the wisdom for which we ask. There are lots
and lots of, so-called, "experts," out there. While it is good to seek counsel, we need to be sure we are
seeking counsel from those who have already sought counsel from the Lord. He is the "Wonderful Counselor,"
and so much more! Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) 6 For a child is born to us, a son is
given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace. Jesus is not only our Wonderful Counselor. He is our wisdom.
1 Corinthians 1:30 30 God has united you with Christ
Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed
us from sin. So, as we seek to find answers for the complex problems of our lives today, and for eternal
life, we can and should go to Jesus. He is our wisdom. The "wisdom," of men can lead us astray. How does true wisdom begin?
It begins when we receive the message of the cross. Lots of things in this life threaten to destroy us and the
enemy will not stop trying to destroy our chances for eternal life with our Father. But, the message of the cross, even
though it is foolish to much of the world, including the world of "experts," is the power of God. Remember
that Job said, "all wisdom and power are found in God." We are safely protected by God's power when we have
received the message of Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross. We have begun to be wise. Those who do not receive
it have a definite problem. 1 Corinthians 1:19 (NLT) 19 As the Scriptures say, “I
will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” They
are headed for destruction. I wouldn't want to be them. Not too wise! Where do we look for
the wisdom we need today? We must first look to Jesus and the cross. Although that may seem foolish, the
scripture tells us the following. 1 Corinthians 1:25 (KJV) 25 Because the foolishness of God
is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. What sort of things are troubling you
today? Where will you find the wise answers you need? May it be that we pray for one another, as Paul prayed
for the believers in Ephesus. Ephesians 1:17 (NIV) 17 I keep asking that the God of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
Knowing God better will help us know His ways. All of His ways are wise. As we follow them,
His power will begin to work in our lives. Where does your wisdom come from? Hopefully you and I are drawing wisdom
from the Source of wisdom, which is Jesus. MORNING MANNA - MAY 18, 2009 - THOUGHTS OF HOPE Hebrews 10:23 (NLT) A sort of hopelessness is settling over the world today. There are many things that are happening that
can tempt us to lose hope. Instead, we need to hold on to the hope that Christ has given us. The writer of
Hebrews urges to hold on tightly. That means we have to make sure we possess that hope, just as the
Hebrews had to go in and take possession of the promised land. They had battles to fight and so will we. Just
as they were promised victory, so are we if we will actually seize the hope that God has promised us and
hold it down. Don't let it get away! We must stand firm in our hope as we stand firm on the solid rock of
our salvation. Psalm 18:2 (NLT) 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress,
and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
The Lord is our hope and He has always been faithful to His promises! God, in His great mercy, has sent us a Savior. (Luke 2:11) Because of Jesus and His sacrifice, we can belong to the family of God. (Ephesians 2:13) God has chosen to set His Son over His whole house of which we are a part! Hebrews 3:6 (NLT) 6 But
Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain
confident in our hope in Christ. As with any privilege, there is usually an accompanying responsibility.
We are God's house if we keep our courage, and remain confident in our hope in Christ. In these uncertain
times, our part is not always easy. Circumstances fly in the face of hope. The media does not foster hope. Sometimes
people will try to take away our hope or laugh in our faces for holding to hope, against all hope. God has given us
great assurance though. He will never ask us to do anything if He's not going to back it up with His confidence
and strength. Hebrews 6:18-20 (NLT) 18 So
God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore,
we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain
into God’s inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for
us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. God has given us His own promise
and oath to be an anchor for our souls! If we have come to Him for refuge we can have great confidence if we
hold to the hope that is before us. Aren't you glad that, although we may be lied to by people, God cannot
lie! Just thinking of this makes my hope more secure. Are you holding on to your hope this morning?
The Lord says that it leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. There can't be any safer place to be
than in God's inner sanctuary seated with Jesus, our High Priest! Psalm 25:3 (NIV) 3 No one
whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. The
Psalmist tells us that, if our hope is in God, we won't be put to shame. Other translations use the word,
"wait on the Lord," in place of hope. Others use "faith," in the place of the word, "hope."
Hope implies all of that. Are we waiting in hope, no matter what things look like? Psalm 33:20 (NIV) 20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield. If we are waiting in hope, we will surely find that the Lord is our help and
our shield. He said so, and He can't lie! (1 Samuel 15:29) Do you find it difficult to keep on hoping, against all odds? Are you feeling a bit weak?
Read God's words and know that, if you hope in Him, He will renew your strength. He'll do much more than that. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) 31 but
those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. The word, "hope," is also translated, "wait."
Waiting is not always easy, especially in our "microwave," society. But, God is cooking up something good
for those who will choose to hope in Him and wait for Him. (Psalm 23:5) While we're hoping in God for the solution to whatever it is we need, there are a couple
of things we can do. Psalm 71:14 (NIV) 14 But as for me, I will always
have hope; I will praise you more and more. By faith, and because of what He's done for us in the past, we can
praise Him more and more! We can be strong and take heart, continuing to do the good things that God has called us to
do. (Psalm 31:24, Galatians 6:9) And, we can find rest for our souls. (Psalm 62:5, Matthew 11:28) Whatever else you need to think about this morning, be sure to keep your thoughts of hope. We serve a God
of hope! (Romans 15:13) MORNING MANNA - MAY 17, 2009 - BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV) For a child of God, all things are
going to work together for the good. Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who
are the called according to his purpose. That has always been one of my life verses to cling to. No matter
what happens in me, to me and around me, I know that God is in control. Even if things are painful and challenging,
He is with me. (Matthew 28:20, Deuteronomy 31:6, Deuteronomy 31:8,Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5) Yes, if you and I have received Jesus, God has become a friend to us, just as He was Abraham's
friend. (Isaiah 41:8 James 2:23) I remember that Jesus said to His disciples, I call you friends. (John 15:14-15) When we truly have made Jesus the Lord and Savior of our lives, we have a friend in God.
A friend that sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NLT) 24 There are “friends”
who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. A friend that sticks closer than a brother
is something to be treasured. We have glimpses of that here on earth but no human being is totally perfect. At
times we lose friends because of hidden agendas on our part or on their part. At times we lose friends because death
takes them. But there is One who will never, ever leave us. That one is Jesus. I have a friend that helped me when I kept quoting Romans 8:28 as one of my favorite scriptures. It didn't feel so good when he helped me but I am better for
it. He reminded me of Romans 8:29, which is an extension of the thought in Romans 8:28. Romans 8:29 (AMP) 29 For those whom He foreknew [of
whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image
of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. If we
have been chosen by God beforehand, we are being molded into the image of His Son. You know, it doesn't always feel
good to be "molded." That means that we're going to feel some pain in this life, as the Lord carefully shapes
us into the image of His Son. How we deal with that pain will determine how quickly God can mold us into His. We will have trouble in this world.
We will have cares. Jesus said that. (John 16:33) Maybe you're going through some trouble at the moment. By faith, lift your eyes and heart and remember that
Jesus also said, "I have overcome the world." This week I have been privileged to experience the pain and
cares and troubles of several people. As I saw them going through these things, I watched them cast their cares upon
Jesus. Instead of making them bitter, their troubles only served to make them better. The worse things got, they,
more and more, believed that they could cast their cares on Him. They trusted that Jesus cared for them even in
the midst of their trouble. I sat and prayed with a woman in a nursing home who was racked with pain. She
has been that way for several weeks now. It is enough to distract anyone but she turned her eyes toward Jesus
and praised Him, calling our for His mercy. We prayed through together. He was there. I attended a Homegoing
celebration for a man who had been down and out in his early life but who had been found by Jesus through all those troubles.
His life ended with him, even in his own trouble, pain and cares, going out and testifying to those on the streets that Jesus
could help them too. He spoke powerfully the words, "Jesus is real." Yes, Jesus is real!
That man's grieving wife stood before the congregation and put her cares aside, urging everyone, with great scriptural clarity,
to give their lives to Jesus and be saved. She had given her own cares to Jesus who cares for her and turned her
thoughts toward those attending the memorial service. She, like Jesus, was not willing that any should perish but
that all should come to eternal life. Do you now what is implied by, "cares?" Distractions.
How many of us are distracted by everyday cares so much that we complain and take our eyes off of the Lord, instead of running
to Him for help and helping others run to Him with their cares? The Lord wants us to cast all of our cares on Him.
All of our distractions. Why? Because He cares for us. His care for us is not an anxious care like our distractions
are to us. Rather we are the object of His loving care. He has been thinking of us and been interested in us before
we even got to this place. He knew right where we would be right this minute. He knew every trouble and heartache.
He knew about everything that could distract us from seeking Him. And, in His care for us, He planned to be here with
us to lead us through. Are you distracted by the cares of this world? Cast it all on Jesus. Because
He cares for you. MORNING MANNA - MAY 16, 2009 - HAVE YOU TAKEN GOD'S NAME IN VAIN? Exodus 20:7 (KJV) This is an interesting commandment. The Lord has placed it in scripture
twice. Once in Exodus and once in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 5:11 (KJV) 11 Thou shalt not take the name
of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. I
seem to remember that if my parents told me something more than once, they really wanted me to understand that they meant
what they were saying. Now, most of us reading this today would probably, on first thought, think that we're okay here.
Most of us probably do not curse and use God's name in vain when we are speaking. We should remember
the Jewish people of old as we consider this passage. They did not even speak God's name because they didn't want to
use it in vain. But, what about their lives? They claimed to take the name of God but did the way they conducted
themselves show it? Apparently, Jesus felt that they had missed the mark in this area. Mark 7:6-7 (NLT) 6 Jesus replied, “You
hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but
their hearts are far from me. 7 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’
Right here, I will openly confess that I have probably missed the mark also. Maybe
you have too. Taking God's name in vain doesn't just mean to use it as a curse word, although that is certainly not
acceptable and a violation of the commandment. But, what if we use it lightly? Some of us who have known the Lord
for a long time may be guilty of that. Just as in relationships on earth, especially marriage relationships, we may
begin to sort of take the other person for granted. One commentary says that using the Lord's name lightly, unthinkingly,
or by rote constitutes taking the Lord's name in vain. Now that I've thought about it, I agree with that.
Matthew 6:7-8 (KJV) 7 But
when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have
need of, before ye ask him. True faith knows that the Father knows what we need. We don't
need to constantly bring up His name as though it were a magical charm. We do need to remember that His name
is more powerful than any name on earth. We do need to speak of Him and make Him the center of our lives.
(Deuteronomy 6:4-8) Long ago, the Lord called to the city of Jerusalem to fear His name. (Micah 6:9) All through scripture we are called to do that. When we truly fear His name, we will not take it
in vain - in any way, shape, or form. MORNING MANNA - MAY 15, 2009 - THAT PRETTY MUCH COVERS IT! Psalms 103:22 (KJV) Psalm 103 begins with the psalmist, David, telling himself, actually sort of ordering himself, to praise the Lord with
his whole heart. (Psalm 103: 1) Sometimes we just have to talk to ourselves about praising God, lest the circumstances of our lives cloud the fact
that He is still in control and He has brought us this far by His grace! David goes on to tell himself
not to forget those good things God has done. (Psalm 103:2) In the challenges of life, isn't it true that we periodically concentrate on the down times instead of reminding ourselves
of all the good things that God has done in our lives? To cement
his resolve to remember what God does for us David goes on to list numerous things in Psalm 103. We might want to write some of these things down so that we will constantly remember too. God forgives our sins
and heals our diseases. (Psalm 103:3) If we didn't remember anything else, that would be enough! But, there's much more! He saves us from eternal
separation from Himself and puts a crown of love and tender mercy on our head. (Psalm 103:4). He fills our lives with good things and, of special interest to those of us who are aging, He renews our
youth! (Psalm 103:5) How many things is that, so far? And, there's much, much more. Throughout Psalm 103, David recounts all the wonderful things that God does for us. (Psalm 103:6-18) If you're a bit discouraged today, go to Psalm 103 and read about those things. They are many and the implications we find there are too many to count!
Yes, God's thoughts to us are just too many to number! Psalm 139:17-18 17 How precious it is, Lord, to realize that
you are thinking about me constantly! 18 I can’t even count how many times
a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me! As
David goes on, in Psalm 103, reminding us that even the angels praise God all the time, we can be encouraged to do the same. I don't
think there's anything that God has not covered in His words, through David, regarding our welfare! No matter what your
situation is this morning, you can be encouraged by the fact that your Father in Heaven is, not only able, but willing to
handle everything concerning you. He's laid it out for us so we can be reminded in Psalm 103 and all through His Word. In the very last verse of Psalm 103, David brings it all back home. Everything that God has made in every place of His
dominion should bless the Lord. The Lord has made everything. John 1:1-3 (TLB) 1 Before anything else existed,
there was Christ, with God. 2 He has always been alive and is himself God. 3 He created everything there is—nothing exists that he didn’t make. The
Lord has dominion over everything. (Psalm 103:19) MORNING MANNA - MAY 14, 2009 - CAN YOU HEAR THE ANGELS? Psalms 103:20 (KJV) There is a lot of talk about angels these days. Much of it is sentimentalized and totally untrue. We
like to look at cute pictures of angels, yet, if we really saw an angel up close and personal, we might not be so enchanted.
In fact, we might be afraid! In scripture, when an angel would appear to a person, one of the first
things they would usually say is, "Don't be afraid." This happened with Mary, the mother of Jesus. (Luke 1:30) Look what happened when the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the field on the night
of Jesus' birth. Luke 2:9-10 (NLT) 9 Suddenly,
an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,
10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I
bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. This sort of reaction to seeing an angel
occurred in the Old Testament, as well. Daniel saw an angel and he fainted but he was revived with those reassuring
words, "Don't be afraid...." (Daniel 10:4-12) Yes, God's angels are powerful creatures. Some words to describe them are
warrior, champion, chief, giant, and valiant. Vine's Dictionary uses the word, "hero," to describe the strength
of these angels. They are proven warriors. This sort of creature can be very formidable to look upon.
No wonder people were afraid when they were visited by an angel, in person! Yet, with all of their fighting ability,
they are subservient to God Almighty. They carefully listen to His Word and carry out everything He says. We might
take a lesson from these angels! They use their strength to carry out God's Word. How are we using our strength?
Mark 12:30 (NLT) 30
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ While these magnificent creatures are listening to God and carrying out His commands,
they are blessing Him. They are saluting Him, they are praising Him. They are congratulating Him! Should
we not do the same? Psalm 103:21 (KJV) 21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his
hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Although they are mighty warriors, they attend to the
Lord as servants. They do His will and follow His commands, all the while pouring out blessing upon Him.
The Lord has sent them as messengers to you and me. They help us and even serve us so we can inherit salvation.
We are protected by them because God has chosen us! Hebrews 1:14 (NLT) 14 Therefore,
angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. Did you realize
that you were that important to God? He sends these mighty warriors to watch over you and care for you. Nothing
can happen to you that God has not planned. And, although some things may not feel good, they will
turn out for good if we will trust Him and keep on following Him. (Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11) Even before you knew you would receive salvation, God had you surrounded by His mighty hosts.
The angels were guarding you, all the while they were blessing God and doing things His way. He counsels them and they
listen. Then they guard us in all of our ways. Psalm 91:9-13 (NLT) 9 If
you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil
will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. 11 For he will order his
angels to protect you wherever you go. 12 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. 13 You will trample upon
lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The next time you feel threatened
by anything, just imagine hearing those mighty angels blessing God. Imagine you hear them conversing with Him about
just how to protect and guide you. Imagine their obedience to Him. Then know that, with all that going on in your
favor, you have nothing to fear. Can you hear the angels? MORNING MANNA - MAY 13, 2009 - HIS THRONE AND HIS KINGDOM Psalm 103:19 (KJV) Wow! The Lord has prepared His throne in the heavens and His kingdom
rules over everything! How spectacular and encouraging is that? But, even more encouraging is this. He has
given us access to His throne! That's because of Jesus who is our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
(Revelation 19:16) There's no way we could have access to the throne of Almighty God if, Jesus had not overcome the enemy for us and
given us salvation. Yes, to those of us who will follow Him and overcome this world's system, which is run by the
enemy, we will be able to sit with Him on His throne. Revelation 3:21 (NLT) 21 Those who are victorious
will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on
his throne. This is what He tells the church in Laodicea. I want to be victorious. Don't
you? Jesus had a complaint against those in the Laodicean church. He was not happy with their lackadaisical
attitude. They weren't hot and they weren't cold. In the world we live in, that's a very great temptation.
We're so busy about our worldly business that we take the Lord for granted. Most of us do things like go to church
and some read the Bible every day and some have a time of prayer. But, are we operating in a rote manner, without the
passion that our Father desires. The promise to sit on the throne with Jesus is made to those who would overcome
such an attitude. Will we? Revelation 3:19 (NLT) 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So
be diligent and turn from your indifference. Yes, we may have the opportunity to sit on the throne with our Lord Jesus when we get to Heaven.
But, what about now? What a great God we serve! He established His throne in Heaven and then He sent His own Son
to die for us because He wanted to give us access to that throne. Today, you and I, if we have received Jesus as our
Lord and Savior, have access to the throne of God! If we are weak this morning. If we are faced with challenges
we cannot overcome by ourselves. If we are suffering. If we are sorrowing. No matter what our condition,
we can go boldly before the throne of God and find help and mercy in our time of need. Jesus fixed it that way for us!
Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT) 14 So then, since we have a great
High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did
not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we
will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. If that doesn't make us want
to burst out singing, "Amazing Grace," I'm not sure what will! Right now, you can bow your head and head up
to the Throne. Your Father is waiting there to give you that thing that you need most today. Then, there's the matter of His Kingdom.
Although we may have some fears today about the kingdoms of this world fighting amongst one another to rule, those fears
can be quenched in a moment's time when we remember that God's Kingdom is supreme. There may be some struggles now but
we have read the end of the Book. We know that God's Kingdom will overcome and outlast every other
kingdom. We know that God's Kingdom never suffers lack. We know that God has invited us to be a part of that
Kingdom. What an invitation! The enemy will try to force us to be a part of his kingdom. But, God,
Mighty God, is gentle enough to extend us an invitation. We can choose to receive it or not. Who, in
their right mind, would pass up an invitation like that? The Kingdom of Heaven is very near to all of us. The
way to accept the invitation to become a part is to repent of our sins. Jesus told us that. (Matthew 4:17) Are you seeking His Kingdom this morning? He promised that anyone who would seek His Kingdom first
would be supplied with everything needed to operate here in this world. Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT) 31 “So don’t worry
about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things
dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom
of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything
you need. Again, I have to say, "Wow!" Almighty God has established His throne in the
Heavens, given us access to it right now, and made it possible for us to sit with Jesus there in the future!
He has given us the knowledge of His Kingdom and extended an invitation to us to enter in! If this world is beginning
to wear on your nerves this morning, just remember that, if you have not taken the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of Heaven,
the invitation is extended and you will then have access to the very throne of God. If you have already accepted
that invitation, remember that, by faith, you are now seated in the Heavenly places with Christ and you can look down on your
challenging circumstances instead of using that awful phrase, "under the circumstances." God is willing to
share His throne and His Kingdom with us right now and forever! Wow! MORNING MANNA - MAY 12, 2009 - TO CHILDREN AND CHILDREN'S CHILDREN! Psalm 103:17 (KJV) If you are reading
this today and you are following the Lord, you are blessed. His mercy is everlasting. It is eternal. It
is upon you, as you hold Him in reverent fear. That means that you have His favor, His lovingkindness, His goodness
and even His pity. With all of that, how can we fail? Romans 8:32 (NLT) 31 What shall we say about such
wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? If you are struggling this morning
with any issue, you can know that God is on your side if you are on His side. When we fear the Lord, we are more than
conjurers! Romans 8:37 (NLT) 37 No, despite all these things,
overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. No matter what we may face today, we can trust in
the mercy of the Lord to sustain and care for us, as long as we stay close to Him. There couldn't be a better promise than to have the love, mercy, favor, kindness, and goodness of the Lord!
But, there is a condition. We must fear Him, keeping His covenant and following His commandments. Psalm 103:18 (KJV) 18 To
such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. When we look at the Ten Commandments,
we find that none of us are able to keep them perfectly. Yet, our Lord made a new covenant with us when He sent Jesus
to take away our sin. (1 Corinthians 11:25) This new covenant was sealed with blood. The precious blood of Jesus. In this covenant,
we have forgiveness if we will confess our sins and repent. (1 John 1:9) Jesus even summed up the commands of God for us so that they would not be too hard to remember.
Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT) 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must
love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This
is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the
demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Have you ever thought about the
fact that if we followed these two commandments, we would automatically have kept all of the Ten Commandments?
They are all based on love. Well, we who desire and commit to follow
the Lord are doubly blessed, and even more, because His mercy and his righteousness is not only for us but for our children
and their children too, if they will follow Him. Now we have a great part to play in this. Some of our children
may not be so interested in following Him. We, because of our love for them and for the Lord, have the privilege and
responsibility to pray for these wayward ones. Jesus is always looking for that one lost sheep. (Luke 15:1-7) Maybe one of your children or grandchildren are one of those lost sheep. It is not God's will
that any should perish, not any of the lost sheep. (2 Peter 3:9) So, we can know that we are praying in God's will when we pray for the salvation of our children and
grandchildren. We can remember God's promise that His mercy will be to our children and grandchildren. There is
an enemy out there who is trying to take their souls away but greater is He that is in us than that enemy! 1 John 4:4 (AMP) 4 Little children, you are of God
[you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in
you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world. On top of that, we know that the prayers of a righteous
person are effective! (James 5:16) Even more, we know this. Matthew 21:22 (KJV) 22 And all things, whatsoever ye
shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Yes! We know that the mercy of God is with us
and that, in that mercy, He has made us vessels to pray that His will be done here on earth. (Matthew 6:10) It is His desire to save our children and grandchildren and to shower His mercy and righteousness from generation
to generation. Will we pray for our children fervently so that God can continue to show His mercy and righteousness to
children and children's children? MORNING MANNA - MAY 11, 2009 - GOD EVEN MAKES DUST FLOURISH! Psalm 103:14 (KJV) We have all probably been to funeral services where the words were spoken, "from ashes to ashes, dust to dust,"
as the body was lowered to the ground. Sometimes, when life is good and we are vibrantly healthy, we forget that we
are but dust. Genesis 2:7 (KJV) 7 And the LORD God formed man of
the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. We forget that, in and of ourselves, we are weak. I mean, just how strong is dust? We know that we can
blow on dust and it will disappear into the air. We should always keep that in mind. God remembers how He made
us - entirely of the dust from the ground! So, why do we feel so alive and vibrant at times? What gives us that strength and energy that we sometimes feel?
What brings that dust to life? Today, those who do not acknowledge God think that it's something inherent in
mankind. Yet, how could energy and vitality come from mere dust? What makes us alive and strong is the fact that,
after God formed us from the dust, He gave the breath of life to that intricate clay figurine. It is only by the
power of God's breath that we remain living souls in this earthly dust tent. 2 Corinthians 5:1 (NIV) Now we know
that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human
hands. We all have a purpose here on this earth and God has placed His purpose within each of
us. When His purpose for us being here is finished, the breath of life will leave this body of dust and return to the
dust. Psalm 103:16 (KJV) For the wind passeth over it, and
it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. In the meantime, even though our days are very short compared to all of time, we were meant to flourish. Psalm 103:15 (KJV) 15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. Young
or old, God has created you and me to flourish while we're here. Have you ever looked out on a field of fresh green
grass? How beautifully alive it looks! How about on a field of wildflowers? The colors are dazzling
and they wave strongly in the breeze, bringing color to the world and delight to the observer. That's exactly what God
wants us to be like while we're here! We are never too young to bring glory to God like the grass and the flowers do.
(Psalm 8:2) Sometimes we think of young people as being rebellious and looking more like a weed than a wildflower. That doesn't
have to be the case, as Paul told Timothy. (1 Timothy 4:12) When we begin to age, we might think that we're not able to flourish. But, that's just not so. Moses
did not grow sick or weary. He did not stop flourishing. He merely was taken Home when God's purpose for Him was
finished. (Deuteronomy 34:7) Yes, our days are short and we are wise to take that into consideration, using them judiciously. (Psalm 90:12) And yes, God has promised to allow us to flourish just like that grass and those wildflowers in the field,
even into our old age! Psalm 92:12-15) 12 But
the godly shall flourish like palm trees and grow tall as the cedars of Lebanon. 13 For
they are transplanted into the Lord’s own garden and are under his personal care. 14 Even
in old age they will still produce fruit and be vital and green. 15 This honors the
Lord and exhibits his faithful care. He is my shelter. There is nothing but goodness in him! Yes, we were
made of dust, we are still dust, and to dust we will return but God has placed His breath within us. From
conception to the grave, we will flourish because God has placed His own breath of life in us. He has done a glorious
thing with this dust of His. What can we do but turn right around and give the glory back to Him! Psalm 139:13-16 (NLT) 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit
me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship
is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was
woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded
in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. MORNING MANNA - MAY 10, 2009 - NOT JUST TODAY, BUT EVERY DAY! Psalm 103:13 (KJV) How often does God think of you and me? Watch this! Psalm 139:17-18 (NLT) 17 How
precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t
even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! That pretty
much indicates to me that God's thoughts about you and me are constant! God is thinking of you and me every
day and all through the night! In the United States, where we are celebrating Mother's Day today, we might think
of how much our mothers have thought of us. They thought of us before we were ever born. Good, and real mothers,
protect and cherish their children, even before they are born. That sort of love can remind us of our Heavenly
Father. God is mighty and powerful but He is also loving and nurturing. He even tells us that He will take over
for our mother if she should happen to fail us! Isaiah 49:15 (NIV) 15 "Can a mother forget the
baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
How awesome is it that the Creator of this vast universe should promise to never, ever forget us! His
love for us is so great that He promises to be the perfect Parent, whether or not our parents on earth have lived up to our
expectations and hopes. Psalm 27:10 (NLT) 10 Even if my father and mother
abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. Although we may not have our parents alive on earth today, God
will take us in. No matter how old we get, we never lose that need to be held close. Whether or not our parents
met that need and, whether or not they are still alive today to give us those needed hugs, we can know that we have Someone
that will hold us close and protect us. Constantly. Our Heavenly father never loses sight of us! There is a sad aspect to the fact that our Father wants to hold us close and nurture
us. Luke 13:34 (NLT) 34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together
as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. The sad aspect to that is that
we may not be willing to let God take us under His wings. If you are a parent, you may know how sad it is when
your children do not respond to your great desire to love, nurture and protect them. To teach and guide them so
that they will not experience the harsh consequences that may come from unwise decisions. Can you imagine how our Father
grieves when we turn away from His open arms? Jesus wept over Jerusalem because her people were unwilling to come to
the Father through Him. You, as a parent, may have had your times of weeping also. You may have wept time after
time for that child who has gone astray. You may be that child who has gone astray. (Luke 15:11-24) We have all gone astray at some time. (Isaiah 53:6) If you are that parent of a prodigal child, God knows how you feel. He has prodigal children too. He has
seen your tears and wept with you. He has recorded each one in a book and collected them in a bottle. Psalm 56:8 (NLT) 8 You
keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Your
weeping may endure for a night but God has promised you His joy in the morning! (Psalm 30:5) We know that He is not willing for anyone to perish. He wants everyone to have eternal
life. (2 Peter 3:9) So keep on believing for His will for your child! (Matthew 6:10) Keep on believing, as you pray, that all things are possible! Mark 9:23 (KJV) 23
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Maybe
you're that one who is still wandering far from home. If so, today is the day that God wants to help you.
(2 Corinthians 6:2) Today is the day that He is inviting you to come back home, no matter what it is you have done. He
is offering to forgive you and bathe you in His healing love. (1 John 1:9) He's been thinking of you all this time and watching at the door for your return. Many of our mothers
are like that too, but our Heavenly Father is the perfect parent, able to make us good parents and able to fill in when
our parents may have made some poor choices. He tells us that we should honor our parents. (Exodus 20:12) As we honor mothers today, let's remember all the while, that our Heavenly Father is due the greatest honor. Not
just today, but every day, our God is thinking thoughts of love, compassion, and mercy for us. He is the one that
put those nurturing, loving ways in our mothers. Those should be our thoughts toward our children, our parents,
and others around us. Every day! MORNING MANNA - MAY 9, 2009 - CAN YOU MEASURE THE DISTANCE? Psalm 103:12 (NKJV) Could
the Lord have given us a better description of how far He has taken our sin from us? How far is the east
from the west? No one can measure it! How far are our sins from us if we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior?
No one can measure the distance! Because of our Lord's great mercy, He doesn't anger quickly. (Psalm 103:8) He doesn't deal with us according to the enormity of our sin. And, He doesn't stay angry forever, although
He has a perfect right to do so. (Psalm 103:9) He doesn't constantly accuse us and He doesn't give us what we really deserve. He doesn't do any
of those things and that might surprise us. How many of us would act that way toward someone
who constantly gave us good cause to be angry? Instead of doing what some might say would come, "naturally,"
God does what comes, "super-naturally." That's what He does best! We all fall into the category of, "sinner." A sinner is, someone who has rebelled
against God and broken His commandments. A perfectly just God (which our God is) would have to condemn us to death.
However, because our God is also perfectly merciful, He has chosen to make a Way to, not only forgive us of
our sins, but to remove them from us. John 1:29 (NIV) 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming
toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
How far does He remove them from us? As far as the east is from the west? God is so loving and merciful that He
wants us to be sure to get the fact that we don't need to carry our sin any longer. In fact, we couldn't even
find it if we looked for it! God has removed it so far from us that we can't measure the distance! Have you been knowingly rebellious toward the Lord? (Romans 3:23) Have you done things that were so rebellious that you might think that God can not forgive you?
The enemy would like to have you think that but it's not true. (2 Peter 3:9) God is not only just, He is compassionate. Psalm 86:15 (NIV) 15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and
gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. He sent Jesus for people just
like you and me. Those who have broken His commandments and who are spiritually sick. Mark 2:17 (NLT) 17 When Jesus heard
this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who
think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” He is that Great Physician,
who is looking for sin-sick patients to cure. He can remove all the cancer of sin from us so that we look and feel
like we have never been sick at all. Are you ready to let Him remove all of that from you? (1 John 1:9) He's right there to do just that. (Revelation 3:20) Once you have confessed that you are a sinner and received Jesus as your Savior, all your sins will be removed
as far as the east is from the west! So far, that you can't measure the distance! Do you need to do that today?
Hebrews 3:15 (TLB) 15 But now is the time. Never forget
the warning, "Today if you hear God’s voice speaking to you, do not harden your hearts against him, as the people
of Israel did when they rebelled against him in the desert." MORNING MANNA - MAY 8, 2009 - THAT'S GREATER THAN I CAN IMAGINE! Psalm 103:11 (KJV) As I read this verse, I remembered an e-mail I recently received that showed the perspective of the earth and the
heavens. It showed a Hubble Telescope Ultra Deep Field Infrared view of countless entire galaxies billions of
light-years away. There is no way I can wrap my mind around just how high above the earth the heaven is. We can't,
even with our telescopes, see to the end of the galaxies that God has created! Yet, God has declared that His
mercy toward us, if we fear Him, is as great as that distance! That distance is much more than we, as mankind, can measure
yet! We are all in need of mercy. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) 16 Let us then approach the throne
of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. We all come short of the standards God has set for us. (Romans 3:23) He has promised that mercy to us and He says it's as great as the heaven is high above the
earth! That's pretty great! The original word translated, "mercy,"
in the King James Version is so much richer than we might think at first glance. Other versions translate this word
as, "lovingkindness," "steadfast love," and just plain, "love." I remember a song many
years ago called, "What the World Needs Now Is Love, Sweet Love." Isn't that the truth! However,
God's love toward us is not a sentimental, wishy-washy, totally emotionally-based love. It is a steadfast
love. A love that doesn't give up. It's also a love that He wants to be mutual. It has rights and
obligations between those in the relationship. We can see in Psalm 103:11 that the mercy that comes from God is more than we can imagine but it is contingent on something
that we need to do. We need to fear God. Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV) 13 Now all has been heard; here
is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. While we know that His love is greater than we can imagine, His power is also greater than we
can imagine. (Psalm 104) He can do anything at any time He wishes. (Matthew 19:26) We all fall so far below His thoughts and His ways. (Isaiah 55:9) We are all undeserving of this unimaginable mercy that is offered to us by our Father. That's
good reason to fear God. As children, we fear our parents, especially when we've been disobedient. But, if
we come from a fairly functional family, we know that our parents love us. How much more so with God! God has
a perfect love for us. It is steadfast, strong, and it contains mercy greater than the mind can conceive! As children, we don't always recognize the fact that our parents know what is best
for us. It may seem to us, at times, that they are only trying to keep things from us or keep us from having fun.
We have all probably been through those times with our Heavenly Father. Most of us did not go against our parents wishes
when we were children because we feared the consequences. We knew that they loved us but we also trusted them to carry
out the discipline that was promised. So it is with God. He is powerful enough to destroy us, yet loving and merciful
enough to carry us through every trouble, deliver us from every enemy, and cleanse us from every sin! In our relationship
with our Lord, our part is to love Him back and fear Him. He is, no doubt, the stronger! His mercy (or lovingkindness)
is so strong and steadfast that, even if we should stray, it will not let go of us! This morning, we can be assured
that our God is strong and powerful. He can do whatever He wants to do. That's good reason to have a
healthy fear of Him. But, His mercy is greater than the distance between earth and heaven - something we cannot imagine.
That's good reason to trust Him with our lives and love Him in return! MORNING MANNA - MAY 7, 2009 - THANK GOD, WE DON'T GET WHAT WE DESERVE! Psalm 103:10 (KJV) Aren't you glad that the Lord does not deal with us according to our sins! The Israelites
realized this. (Ezra 9:13) They knew that they had broken God's Word and deserved much more severe punishment than
they received. Even when we are disciplined by the Lord, He does not discipline us in His wrath, but rather in His love.
He tells us not to provoke our own children to anger. Colossians 3:21 (NLT) 21 Fathers, do not aggravate
your children, or they will become discouraged. God does not ask us to do something that He would
not do. He does discipline us, but not according to what we deserve. His discipline is for molding
us, just as a potter would mold a piece of clay into a fine vessel. (Isaiah 64:8) It is not His will that we should become discouraged. He wants ut to be encouraged as we find ourselves
growing more and more like Christ. Not only does God refrain from rewarding us according to our sin, He does just the opposite.
He blesses us with things we don't deserve! Sometimes, we may be tempted to use that old phrase,
"life is not fair." No, actually, it is not. To be totally fair and just, mankind would be destined
for Hell. Although He is entirely just, we have a loving and merciful God. He made a way for us to live
forever with Him in eternity. How can that be? I'm always glad to remember that God has not treated me
fairly and justly. Instead of sentencing me to a life separated from Him, which would be fair and just, He sent
His Son to pay my ransom. (Mark 10:45) And yours too! From Jesus' standpoint, that's not really fair, but He loves you and me so much that
He took our punishment. Isaiah 53:5-6 (KJV) 5 But
he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and
with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Because
of Him, God does not punish us as we deserve. We are now given the opportunity to receive salvation through the blood
of Jesus. I hope you have received this salvation and, if not, that you consider doing it today. 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV) 2 For he says, "In the time of my
favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is
the day of salvation. Because we are born with a sinful and perverse nature, we wouldn't stand a chance without a Savior. But
now, because of Him, we are granted access to the throne of the Father. What a great and marvelous gift we have been
given! Even though we have all failed God, He will hear us and help us in our time of trouble. Hebrews 4:16 (AMP) 16 Let us then fearlessly and confidently
and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive
mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming
just when we need it]. Yes! Instead of counting up all of our failures and mistakes, He sees the blood
of His Son covering those things and He gives us grace. If you are in a time of need this morning, and you have received
Jesus as your Savior, you need not fear to go before our Father. Although you, like the rest of us, deserve to be turned
away and punished harshly; we can trust that our Father will give us the grace and mercy we need to get through today.
And tomorrow. And every day. If we can't think of another thing to be thankful for today, we can be
truly thankful that our God does not deal with us according to our sins! Thanks be to God for His unlimited grace and
mercy through Christ Jesus! MORNING MANNA - MAY 6, 2009 - GOD DOES NOT STAY ANGRY FOREVER Psalm 103:9 (KJV) Did you ever get a "whoopin' from the Lord?" We, as His children, sometimes have to get spanked
once in a while in order to help us remember how to behave. That's not a popular idea in today's culture but
God's principles have not changed. He tells us not to spare the spanks that are needed. That is, if
we love our children. Proverbs 13:24 (NIV) 24 He who spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. If we really believe that, we may find ourselves being accused
of being "politically incorrect." Be assured that God is not worried about being considered politically incorrect!
He is concerned about our moral and spiritual correctness though. Since we are all prone to wander, some
discipline is required to help us stay on the right path. (Psalm 119:176) If you've experienced a "whoopin'," from the Lord, that's good evidence that He
loves you and is interested in your well-being! Proverbs 3:11-12 (NIV) 11 My
son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because
the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. Instead of being upset with your
Father, rejoice! He loves you very much!! One
of the wonderful things about our Father is that He does not constantly strive with us. He does tell
us what is required of us and we need to pay attention. If we are an inattentive child, we may need some discipline.
His Word gives us all the guidelines we need in order to be an obedient child. Our obedience to the Lord is a good indicator
of how much we love Him, or if we love Him at all. John 14:15 (NIV) 15 "If you love me, you will obey
what I command. That is a very sobering thought. What kind of children are we? Loving and
obedient children or rebellious children. Not striving with us all the time is very gracious of our Father. But,
it could be very scary if we have hardened our hearts. (Hebrews 3:8) Because He will not continue to strive with us, we need to be sure we have not ignored His instruction
so long that we have no more conscience. (Romans 1:18-32) God will not always accuse us or bring a case against us.
That word, "chide," has to do with a legal case brought in court. We know that we do have an accuser
and that one is Satan, himself. If we have made Jesus the Lord of our lives, we are no longer under any condemnation.
Romans 8:1 (AMP) 1 THEREFORE, [there
is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who
live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the
Spirit. The accuser has no case against us. Is that because we are
not guilty? No way! We are all guilty. (Romans 3:23) None of us has lived a life of perfection - except Jesus. (Hebrews 4:15) He paid the price for us and now, our Father sees His Son when He looks at those of us who have accepted His Son.
Do you feel like God is angry with you? He may be disciplining you and, if He is, repentance is in order. (Matthew 4:17) Or, if you are walking in the Spirit, the accuser may be trying to bring you down by constant
accusations. (Revelation 12:10) God does not remain angry with His children. The devil is the one who accuses them day and night. In
other words, God doesn't hold a grudge. Neither does He constantly nag and condemn us. We can be truly
thankful that God will not always be angry with us, though we may deserve it. That gives us good reason to keep rejoicing
and keep singing, just as the Psalmist says: Psalm 30:4-5 (NLT) 4 Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise
his holy name. 5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. MORNING MANNA - MAY 5, 2009 - ALL THE THINGS HE IS TO YOU AND ME Psalm 103:8 (KJV) I
don't know about you, but I'm truly thankful that our God is full of those things that I need most. I'm
always finding myself missing the mark in some way! I'm always in need of His mercy. Thankful, because
He is so gracious with me. Relieved because He is unthinkably patient and so slow to become angry with me.
What about you? Today is a very good day to reflect on those things. To be aware of just what a wonderful Father
we have! 1 John 3:1 (TLB) 1 See
how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children—think of it—and we really
are! But since most people don’t know God, naturally they don’t understand that we are his children. Today is a good day to rejoice in the fact that God's
mercy, graciousness and patience were manifested when He sent His only son to die for you and me! 1 John 4:9 (NIV) This is how God showed his love
among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. There are things
that go on in our lives every day for which we need to draw upon God's grace. His favor. His willingness to,
as they say, "sit on high and look down low." He not only looks down low, but His graciousness
and His mercy indicates, in the original language, that he "bends" low! Right now, He is willing to bend down
low and give you the favor you need for whatever situation you are in. He's willing to gather you just like a baby
chick under His wings of protection. Psalm 91:4 (TLB) He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter
you. His faithful promises are your armor. Although our Father may need to discipline us once in a while, just as any good father would, He
is slow to anger. (Hebrews 12:7) While you and I may have some temper issues and be tempted to discipline our children in anger when they push us to
our breaking point, God is slow to anger. Just think about it. If He were to unleash His anger on us, it would
be all over! It is God's choice to do for us what He asks us to do. 1 Corinthians 13:5 (regarding love) It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps
no record of wrongs. God's love is not easily angered. He is abounding in mercy toward His children.
Though He must discipline us sometimes, it is to make us better, not bitter. It shows His great love for us.
He is making us more like Jesus. And that's a good thing! That's a loving thing! He is even merciful
in His discipline! Are you in need of compassion this morning? Some mercy? Some favor? Some love?
We have a Heavenly Father who is full to the brim of all those things. He would like to shower those things
on His children. (Matthew 7:11) He is all those things for you and me. It might be nice if we just took a moment this morning to reflect
on what life would be without God's mercy, lovingkindness, favor, compassion, steadfast love, etc. Most thankfully,
we are not without those things and that is great cause for singing and joy! We're surrounded by
God's favor! Psalm 5:11-12 (NIV) 11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. 12 For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
That's pretty much everything we need! Is there anyone who will sing and rejoice this morning?
You're surrounded by all the good things you need from your Father! MORNING MANNA - MAY 4, 2009 - GOD MAKES HIS WAYS KNOWN TO US Psalm 103:7 (KJV) How sad it is that many in our world today are not interested in God's ways! How wonderful it is that the
Creator of the whole universe would want to share the knowledge of His ways with us! How interesting it is that, if
we have a problem, we can look into His Word and find the answer to whatever that problem is! Although we have His written
Word that we can read, we cannot exhaust finding out about God's ways because that Word is living. (Isaiah 55:9) It is not just words on a page but it is the living Christ. John 1:14 (NIV) 14 The
Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the
Father, full of grace and truth. When we read the written Word, we have a Teacher, a Helper
who will open that Word to us and we will see God's ways and find encouragement, comfort and help as we see His powerful
acts. John 14:26 (NIV) The Lord wants us to know that He's just the same today as
He was yesterday and that He will be the same tomorrow. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and forever. His ways are sure and they never change. God made His ways known
to Moses and His acts to the children of Israel so that they could follow those ways and realize, by His acts, that He is
truly God. He has made His ways known to us today and given us examples of His might power to act on our behalf.
What an encouraging thing to do for us. God knew that there would be days like these. Days where we might feel
unsure of things and insecure. He knew there would be days in which we would wonder which path to take. So,
He made it clear to us. He sent His Way into the world. (John 3:16-17) He wanted us to be able to see His Way in person. Although we cannot see that Way in person
today, by faith, we know that He lives in us. Are you having trouble finding your way this morning. Let me encourage
you to look to the One who is the Way. God has made His Way known to us in Jesus! John 14:6-7 (NIV) 6 Jesus answered, "I am the
way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If
you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." Yes, because God loves you and me so much and because of His great mercy, He has chosen to reveal Himself to us.
He has chosen to reveal His ways to us. Even if He would not have given us His written Word, we have no excuse
for not realizing that God is God! Romans 1:20 (NIV) MORNING MANNA - MAY 3, 2009 - ONLY THE LORD CAN DO IT! Psalm 103:6 (KJV) Oppression is all around us. We see people oppressed by poverty. Some are oppressed by demonic spirits.
Some are oppressed by others who are more powerful than themselves. Some are oppressed by infirmity. What
is it to be oppressed. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary says that it means, "to crush or burden
by abuse of power or authority," and "to burden spiritually or mentally: weigh heavily upon." God has
always had a heart for those who are oppressed. Psalm 9:9-10 (TLB) 9 All who are oppressed may come to him. He is a refuge for them in their times of trouble. 10 All those who know your mercy, Lord, will count on you for help. For you have never yet forsaken
those who trust in you. Anyone who is experiencing oppression right now can go to the Lord.
Do you need a refuge today from something that is weighing you down? Something that is even so heavy that
it is holding you down, keeping you from being that person that God created you to be? Jesus has promised
to lift that burden. (Matthew 11:28) Our enemy, the devil, would
love to see as many as possible living in an oppressed state. He would like to use all the power that he has
to crush us if at all possible. If he can't utterly crush us, he would like to burden us so that we are made totally
ineffective. The enemy will work through people who have turned from God or were unwilling to follow Him when
called. We may see these people as our enemies but we know that our enemies are not actually those people.
Our enemies are the evil principalities and powers that are working through people to bring injustice and unrighteousness.
(Ephesians 6:12) God has promised to arise and come to the aid of any who are oppressed and will call on Him. Psalm 12:5 (NIV) 5 "Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,"
says the Lord. "I will protect them from those who malign them." Although it may seem, at times,
that the Lord does not see the oppression that goes on and doesn't hear the cries of those who are oppressed, God does
not miss a thing. He will bring righteousness and judgment for those who have been unjustly treated and kept
from flourishing. There is a Savior. He came so that we, who were oppressed, could receive righteousness and judgment.
He was oppressed so that we could be relieved. Isaiah 53:7-8 (NIV) 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. MORNING MANNA - MAY 2, 2009 - PROVISION, PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION Psalm 103:5 (KJV) As I read Psalm 103:5, I am reminded of birds. God speaks of birds a lot in the scriptures. He tells us of our worth
to Him by reminding us that His eye is on even the smallest sparrow that falls. Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV) 29 Are not
two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So
don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Some of us are enduring trying times.
Things look pretty scary out ahead. But, Jesus has told us not to be afraid because He cares for every tiny sparrow.
And we are worth so much more to Him! The Psalmist talks about God satisfying his mouth with good things.
Here is how the NIV translation puts it: "who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is
renewed like the eagle's." What is it that you desire today? If we are following Jesus so closely
that our desires are aligned with His, the Lord will grant the desires of our heart. Psalm 37:4 (TLB)
Be delighted with the Lord. Then he will give you all your heart’s desires. As I continue to think of little birds in a nest, I can picture
them with their heads uplifted, mouths wide open, awaiting their parent to satisfy them with good things.
That's what the Lord has promised to do for us if we will sit in anticipation and trust, waiting for Him. Jesus
assures us that we don't have to worry when we trust Him. He gives us more examples of how He is able to take care
of all His creation. Matthew 6:26-27 (NIV) 26 Look at the birds of the air;
they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than
they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Are
your storehouses running low? Jesus says, "Look at the birds of the air......." They don't even
have storehouses and our Heavenly Father feeds them. If your storehouse is a bit low and that old devil, fear, is knocking
at your door, be like a little bird. Open your mouth wide, look up. Let praise flow to the Heavenly Father who
will take care of you as surely as He feeds the birds of the air! I'm also remembering another example of how Jesus spoke of birds. How He wept over Jerusalem
because He saw that they needed help. He knew He was the Answer. However, they were too stubborn to come to Him.
He wanted to be that nurturing, protecting force for them. He loved them like a mother hen loves her chicks and
hides them safely under her wings from the dangers surrounding them. Matthew 23:37 (NIV) 37 "O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Today, right now, Jesus
still extends that offer of love to you and me. No matter what it is that might be troubling us or threatening
to close in on us and destroy us, He offers a place of refuge under His wings. Will we be like the stubborn Israelites
or will we run to the safe refuge we are offered? Psalm 17:8 (TLB) Protect me as you would the pupil
of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings as you hover over me. What do you need this morning?
The Lord has promised to satisfy you with good things if you will trust Him. He's promised provision and even
protection. He's also promised preservation! He will renew our youth like that of an eagle. There's
the picture of the bird again. Only this bird is a very long-lived, vital bird. You might say, "the king
of birds." Isn't that just like the Lord to give us the best? If you feel like you're so weak that
you have to stay on the ground with all the turkeys, think again! Look up, God wants to restore your strength so you
can soar like an eagle. Not a bad offer! If it feels like nothing is going to change for the better,
we need to just wait. If we wait on the Lord, we will find that, in no time, we'll be soaring like the king of birds.
Just like God said! All because of His great love for us. Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV) 28 Do you not know? Have
you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and
his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases
the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble
and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They
will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. It
is God alone who provides, protects and preserves! MORNING MANNA - MAY 1, 2009, WE DON'T HAVE TO STAY IN THE PIT! Psalm 103:4 (KJV) Oh my, this is the day that the Lord has made! Are we going to choose
to rejoice in it? Psalm 118:24 (NIV) This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. The
things around us may not look like reasons to rejoice but the One who lives in us, if we have received Jesus,
is great reason to rejoice! He has overcome the world and all those things that cause us trouble!
John 16:33 (TLB) I have told you all this so that
you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome
the world." Yes, God has made a way for us to live above the circumstances instead of staying in the pit
the world might prepare for us! Ephesians 2:6 (KJV) And hath raised us up together,
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Psalm 103:4 says that He redeems our life from destruction. That's what the King James Version says.
Other versions say, "He ransoms me from hell," and "He redeems me from death," and "who
redeems your life from the pit." And another says, "who redeems your life from the pit and corruption.
The original word actually has to do with a pit which is a trap. If you feel trapped in any way this morning, you can
call on a God who will bring you up out of that pit which has hemmed you in! Life in a pit is depressing,
dark and dreary and will eventually lead to death. Our God is a mighty deliverer who will bring us up out
of that pit. Psalm 40:2 (ASV) He brought me up also out of a
horrible pit, out of the miry clay; And he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. Do
you find yourself in some kind of pit this morning? Feeling trapped by circumstances? God will bring you out.
And, he will set you on the Rock! That Rock is Jesus. You might be feeling a little weak
and slow right now but God will establish your steps because you are set in the Way. Jesus is the Way! (John 14:6) It gets even better! Not only does God deliver us from
the pits of life, but he crowns us with His tender mercies and compassion! That may give us a word picture of being
crowned like royalty. And we are royalty, if we belong to the Father by way of the blood of His Son. (Revelation 5:10) Actually the picture gets better though. The original word used for "crowneth," means,
"to encircle (for attack or protection). God mightily delivers us from the pits of life, encircles us with his
kindness, goodness, mercy, favor, and yes, even pity. As if that wasn't enough, He adds compassion. The kind
of protective love a good mother has for the child she carries in her womb. A tender and protective love which is always
plural. We can't exhaust the compassions of the Lord! This morning, God wants to deliver us from feeling trapped
and encircle us with His love, protecting and loving us as He gives us life and life more abundantly. (John 10:10) The enemy would like us to stay down in the ditch. In the pit, if you will. But God has other plans, if
we are trusting and following Him. (Jeremiah 29:11) We might have been pushed into a pit. We might have slipped in accidentally. Or, we might have willingly
jumped in! God has given us His Word about this. He will deliver us if we call on Him. We don't have
to stay in the pit! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 30, 2009 - YES, GOD SAID, "ALL" Psalm 103:3 (KJV) These days, with so much deception going on, we may be tempted to think of ourselves as, "good," people.
We are sometimes even told that there is no such thing as, "sin." If we compare ourselves with murderers,
terrorists, rapists, and the like, we can feel pretty good about ourselves. But, the fact is that we should never compare
ourselves with any member of mankind. Galatians 6:4-5 (NLT) 4
Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t
need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our
own conduct. That's right, we're each responsible for our own conduct. We can't be impressed
with ourselves or compare ourselves with others in the area of sinfulness. We were born into sin. Psalm 51:5 (AMP) 5 Behold,
I was brought forth in [a state of] iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I too am sinful]. Not
only that, once we started to grow, we started to sin willfully. Romans 3:23 (NIV) When we are born into this sinful world, we encounter disease.
God has said that he would heal all of our diseases. The worst of these diseases is sin and we have already
been reminded that God has promised to forgive that if we will ask. He is also our healer when it comes to our minds,
emotions and bodies. If we abuse our bodies because we are in bondage to something harmful to us, we can bring
on disease. When God delivers us from sin, He begins a process of renewing our minds and changing us so that we
dislike those things that might bring disease. When the Israelites were in bondage to the Egyptians, He delivered them
and then He promised that He would not bring those diseases upon them that were prevalent in sinful Egypt. Exodus
15:26 (NIV) He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes,
if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the
Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." At the time God gave the Israelites
this promise, He stated, ....."I am the Lord, who heals you." He is still the Lord that heals us today. (1 Peter 2:24, Hebrews 13:8) Are we cooperating with Him by walking a lifestyle
that will aid in keeping ourselves free from disease? (Romans 12:1) Are we allowing Him to free us from all bondage? If we truly have received salvation, we will surely
be healed of all of our diseases. God said it and God doesn't lie. (Numbers 23:19) Our lives are eternal. Life here on earth is just a part of
our lives. God is able and does deliver us from sickness and disease here. I have seen it happen and experienced
it myself many times and so have you. But, God is not limited to healing us right here, right now. The surety
of the matter is that one day, if we belong to Jesus, we will be totally healed and free from all sickness! Revelation 21:4 (NIV) 4 He will wipe every
tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Are you in need of forgiveness this morning?
Are there some things in your life that are not glorifying to God? You can know that God has said He will forgive you
of all your sins. All we have to do is confess those sins and be willing to turn from them. Acts 3:19 (ASV) 19 Repent ye
therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence
of the Lord; Maybe you have been in a dry season lately. What a wonderful thing God has promised
us! We can confess our sins, turn from them, and He will forgive them all. If that's not enough, the Bible
tells us that we will come into seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord! There's nothing like being
in the presence of the Lord! Sin and sickness have to flee because Jesus took it all upon Himself for us! He has
even given us instructions about how we can be healed. James 5:16 (NIV) 16 Therefore
confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful
and effective. It is interesting that sin and sickness are connected and that confession of our sin can bring
about a change in our lives in both areas. Psalm 32:3 (NLT) 3
When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Why waste
away and groan all day long (or even for a lifetime) because of sin and sickness? God has promised to forgive all
sin and heal all disease. Do you trust that He is telling the truth? Are you willing to do
things His way so you can enjoy all His forgiveness and healing in your life? MORNING MANNA - APRIL 29, 2009 - I WILL REMEMBER Psalm 103:2 (KJV) I don't know about you but I have a hard time remembering things sometimes. I am learning to write things
down. Even then, if I just write myself a little note, sometimes I forget where I put it! There are lots
of things, though, that we really should remember. They are the essential things that will keep us
going when everything around us says, "Just forget it, there's no use to try." What are those things that
are so important to remember? They are the benefits (or blessings) of the Lord. The Psalmist, David, said we should
remember all the Lord's benefits. Wow! All is a lot! When we do that, it's
not hard to bless the Lord with all of our mind, will, and emotions. With our soul. Psalm 68:19 (KJV) Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with
benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. Look how the Amplified Version of the Bible states
this verse: Psalm 68:19 (AMP) 19 Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and
carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! What
are the things that can help us keep going when we think we just can't go any more? Remembering that God daily has
loaded us with His blessings, that He has carried us along all through our lives. After all, how did we get this far?
It was God. He gave us more than enough to get to this moment! Now, if we start to remember all of the benefits we have received from God during our lives, there
would be no room to remember anything else! What would happen is that we would be so full of gratitude and wonder that
we could do nothing but bless the Lord! That's exactly what David says we should be doing! We can't out-bless
the Lord! He will turn it right around and shower us with more of His blessings! Are you blessing and praising
the Lord this morning, even if the rest of your day looks ominous? Obviously, God wakened you and me and opened
our eyes this morning. Psalm 118:24 (NLT) 24 This
is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Today is another day that God
has made! With our will, we need to choose to rejoice and be glad in it. The enemy would like us to look
ahead and fear. Or, look behind and carry our failure into today. God wants us to look at His present.
His gift of the present. At this very moment, we need to rejoice and be glad in the gift of the present that God has
given to us. We need to remember those things He has done for us and choose to rejoice. Choose to bless
Him! Our
Father is a loving and compassionate Father. He loves to give good gifts to His children. Matthew 7:11 (ASV)
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is
in heaven give good things to them that ask him? If you are a parent, you have given your children
gifts. Some of them are exciting and sparkling and some are practical. Most children who receive practical gifts,
like socks and underwear, will not be as excited about them when they open them. Yet, these are the things that will
keep them covered, protected, and warm. Our Father gives us good gifts every day. Some are practical and
some are those things that He knows we really, really want. Every day He gives us new mercies. Lamentations
3:23 (TLB) Great is his faithfulness; his loving-kindness begins afresh each day.
Just the gift of His faithfulness is enough to keep us praising and blessing Him! He, being a good Father, may allow
some trials in order to grow us into mature children. These things are also gifts - the practical kind. James 1:2-4 (ASV) 2 Count it
all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; 3 Knowing that the proving
of your faith worketh patience. 4 And let patience have its perfect work, that ye
may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. Yes, it is important that we not forget all of
God's benefits. That means that we have to make a choice to remember them. As
the old hymn says, "Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings, see what God has done."
That will lead us right into another hymn, "Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice. Oh come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him
the glory great things He has done!" Are you blessing the Lord right now, as you recount all
of His benefits? I will choose to remember. How about you? MORNING MANNA - APRIL 28, 2009 - BLESS THE LORD! Psalm 103:1 (KJV) There is no doubt about it, the whole world is experiencing hard times! But, does that change who God is in
any way? Praise the Lord, He is just the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) In this seemingly ever-changing world, there will always be One who is constant! (Hebrews 6:17) The Lord. Jehovah. No matter what we are going through, He has promised to be with us. Isaiah 43:2 (NLT) 2 When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. So, although you and I may be facing difficult,
challenging and even impossible-looking situations, we can and must bless the Lord. Some of the words that comprise the word, "bless," are, "congratulate," "praise,"
"to kneel," "salute." Sometimes we may wonder about how to bless God. He is certainly
worthy. Romans 9:5 (NLT) 5 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their
ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over
everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. Even if we are hard pressed this morning, we are still
able to read these scriptures. If you are able to read this, you have been extremely blessed. And so have I.
The very least we can do is turn back around and, even if it is through tears or sweat, bless God because He has
brought us this far! However we do it, God is pleased when we kneel before Him. Or we shout congratulations
to Him. Or we salute His majesty. Or we sing His praises. All through the ages, it has been His
desire that mankind would know that He is God. When we bless Him, we let Him know that we know! Here's
just one of many examples of the expression of that desire. Ezekiel 28:25-26 (NIV) 25 "'This is what
the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will show myself
holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.
26 They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they
will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the
Lord their God.'" Through Jesus, God has gathered us to Himself. If you have not made Jesus your
Savior and Lord, today is the day to do that. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Because of the mercy of Jehovah, we can be saved. We can experience His abundant life.
Romans 5:21021 (TLB)20 The Ten Commandments were given so that all could
see the extent of their failure to obey God’s laws. But the more we see our sinfulness, the more we see God’s
abounding grace forgiving us. 21 Before, sin ruled over all men and brought
them to death, but now God’s kindness rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now, we can approach Jehovah, whose Name is holy. We can know that
we will be accepted; and even listened to! Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) 16 So
let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when
we need it most. God has promised that we will find help from Him. So, this morning, let's purpose
to bless the Lord with all of our soul. Our soul includes our will, our mind, and our emotions. With everything
in us, with our whole being, let's purpose to bless the Lord in spite of the circumstances we may be facing. He
has already blessed us and has promised to continue to do so. Whether we sing, shout, kneel, or just be still before
Him, we can bless Him this morning because He is Jehovah. He is Lord! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 27, 2009 - WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH YOUR HAND? 1 Samuel 16:23 (KJV) You and I are living in an age of deception and disobedience. These are the dangers of the last days.
Like King Saul, who was disobedient, many will think the Lord is with them but He is not. (1 Samuel 16:14) We should be careful to read the scriptures, meditate on them, and receive God's Word into
our lives. Otherwise, we may become deceived. Matthew 24:24 (NRSV) 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will
appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. There are things out
there that look good to us, but we must be careful not to judge a book by it's cover but to judge every, "cover,"
by the Book! God's Word. If
we are not seeking the Lord through His Word, we could also become disobedient, just like Saul did. There is a penalty
for unconfessed and unrepentant disobedience. It is so easy to become deceived into disobedience. Our hearts can
deceive us by their mere sinful nature. Jeremiah 17:9 (AMP) 9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick!
Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]? This deception, leading
to disobedience, does not elude those in leadership. In fact, the enemy would much rather take down a leader!
That way, there is the possibility that many will be taken down with the leader! We see the tragic example,
in King Saul, of a man who started out well and ended up being tormented because of disobedience. If we hold leadership
positions, we should be all the more careful to stay close to the Lord and in His Word daily. You and I may not be leading
a whole host of people or speak from a pulpit or a radio or TV position, but be assured that we each have followers.
Are they following us as we follow Christ? (1 Corinthians 11:1) Or are we leading them down a path that leads to destruction because we have been deceived and disobedient? We see two men in the above mentioned
passage in Samuel, Chapter 16. Saul, who was disobedient and David, who was obedient. Finding no one who could
ease the torment of King Saul, his attendants sought someone to play some music which would soothe him and drive
the evil spirit away. (1 Samuel 16:16-17) Now, we know that David was a man after God's own heart. (Acts 13:22) It would not just be the music that David played that would soothe King Saul, it would be
the presence of God in David that would make the difference. David obeyed and took a harp, playing it with his hand.
Saul was refreshed. What can we do today in this deceived and disobedient world to help people out of the darkness and
into the marvelous light of the Lord? God has put something in each of our hands which, by the power of His Holy
Spirit, we can use to bring refreshment and hope to those around us. What can we put our hand to do that will make a
difference? Whatever it is that God has given us to do, let's do it with all our heart! Colossians 3:22-24 (AMP) 22 Servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not only when their eyes
are on you as pleasers of men, but in simplicity of purpose [with all your heart] because of your reverence for the Lord and
as a sincere expression of your devotion to Him. 23 Whatever may be your task,
work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, 24
Knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance
which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah). If
we have made Jesus the Lord of our lives, we will want to serve Him well by serving others. Just as David eventually
received his reward for serving God by playing for King Saul, we will receive our reward from the Lord, part of which is knowing
that we have brought refreshment and relief to individuals in a lost and dying world. We may not all be able to
play a harp like David, but God has given us each something we can do with our hands that will make a difference.
What can you do with your hand? MORNING MANNA - APRIL 26, 2009 - WHO CAN DWELL WITH HIM? Psalm 15:1 (NIV) Is it your desire
to be more like Jesus? It probably is, if you have realized and received the great gift of salvation that Jesus
gives. If you have read the scriptures, you know that Jesus lived a life, not only of purpose and mission, but
of example. As I read Psalm 15, I see some indicators of what it might be like to be more like Jesus. Doing these things
will not save us but having these things come from a heart that is changed by the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus
will show that we are being transformed from a worldly, "soulish" creature more and more into the image
of Christ. Romans 12:2 (AMP) 2 Do not be conformed to this world (this
age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal
of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable
and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. What indicators can we find in Psalm 15? Psalm 15:2 (AMP) 2 He who walks and lives
uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart, Are
our steps upright? Another word for that is, "perfect." Are our lives so clean that no blame can be
cast upon us? What do we think about? And what things to we talk about? Are all of those things true?
(Philippians 4:8) Of course, we know that Jesus was all of these things! 1 Peter 2:21-22 (ASV) 21 For
hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Psalm 15:3 tells us that the one who can dwell in God's sanctuary does not slander anyone. In other
words, he or she does not speak lies about anyone. This person does not hurt or afflict his or her friends.
If we are really like Jesus, we do not take up a reproach against our neighbor. What does that mean? This word
was used in the Old Testament to describe the taunts and abuse that would be thrown at those who were disgraced. The
rumors that would be spread about them. I'm so glad that Jesus does not taunt, abuse, or spread rumors about those
of us who are disgraced by sin. And, aren't we all? (Romans 3:23) No, instead, Jesus gave the sacrifice of Himself to cover our reproach and disgrace. How do we choose our close friends? Do
we accept and condone behavior that is ungodly? Or do we choose to walk away from it, despising those things that are
in opposition to God's ways? When it comes to choosing between honoring those who walk in God's ways over
those who insist on remaining on the path of destruction, what do we do? (Psalm 15:4) In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but the who honors those who fear the
Lord (who revere and worship Him); who swears to his own hurt and does not change; How about the
indicator of our word? When we say we will do something, do we follow through? Even if it means we will have
to suffer or sacrifice something? Aren't you glad that God's Word is always true and that He will do what
He says He will do? Jeremiah 1:12 (ASV) 12 Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast
well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it. Last, but not least, how do we handle our money?
Do we help those less fortunate? Or do we make them pay a high price for our help? Are we prone to bribery?
Can we be "paid off," to be on the side of evil? Psalm 15:5 (AMP) [He who] does not put out his money
for interest [to one of his own people] and who will not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall
never be moved. All of the above things are good for checking our behavior. All of the above things
are true about Jesus. We cannot attain these things to perfection while on earth. But, Jesus did. He is
now seated with His Father in Heaven. He did ascend to God and He dwells with Him! He is always praying
for you and me that we might be less and less conformed to this world and transformed into people who will dwell peacefully
and eternally with God. Romans 8:34 (NIV) 34 Who is he that
condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding
for us. Yes, Jesus did everything that was necessary to dwell with God, to live forever in His sanctuary.
He did everything necessary so that you and I, although totally unworthy, could be there with Him. Will we follow in
His steps, allowing Him to be, not only our Savior, but our Example? The Psalmist questioned, "Lord,
who may dwell in Your sanctuary and live on Your holy hill?" Because of Jesus, we now know that we can
dwell with Him forever! 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 (NIV) 17 After that, we who are still alive and are
left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
18 Therefore encourage each other with these words. MORNING MANNA - APRIL 25, 2009 - GOD TURNS THINGS MEANT FOR EVIL TO GOOD Genesis 50:20 (NIV) 20 You intended to harm me,
but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. There are lots of challenges going on in the world today. We hear of lack and financial disasters every day,
if we turn on the nightly news. We might even be seeing it in our paychecks or even in the loss of a job. This
is not the time to be discouraged. Psalm 31:24 (AMP) 24
Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord! Even
though things may look bad, and, especially when things look bad, we need to wait for, hope for, and expect the Lord!
He has promised that He would be there for us if we have put our trust in Him. Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) 5 Keep
your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you." We
may have some trouble in this world. Jesus never said that we wouldn't. He did not say that He would keep
us from troubles but that He had overcome them. John 16:33 (NIV) 33 "I
have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world." Because of the hard times and, because of jealousy or power struggles, some
who do not trust in the Lord may try to harm us. That happened to Joseph. His own brothers threw him in a pit
and then sold him as a slave. They lied about him, telling his beloved father that he was dead. They took
away the treasure of the beautiful coat of many colors that his father had given him. (Genesis 37:1-36) Joseph had lots and lots of trouble in this world - for years! But, he
kept on following and trusting the Lord, even when just about everyone in his life seemed to either forsake him or try
to do him in! (Genesis 39:1-40:23) Joseph never lost sight of the dream and purpose God had placed in his heart, even though many years
had passed. (Genesis 37:5-11) Joseph may have had some pride at the massive dream put in his heart. We don't know
but, what we do know is this. God has a purpose and a dream for each one of us and He will bring it to pass, even though
He may have to lead us through some testing and troubled waters to get there. Neither our own shortcomings,nor the power
of the enemy to defeat us can stop God from completing His purpose in us! Philippians 1:6 (NIV) 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus. Joseph's own brothers had turned away from him and even tried to kill him! For
many years, they did not even know where he was. Then came a time of great famine. All the while, even though
Joseph was enduring great trials and hardships, God was working. He was working to provide during this time of
lack. He was working to finish out the dream He had placed in Joseph's heart. It was true that his brothers
would bow before Him. Genesis 42:6 (NIV) (NIV) MORNING MANNA - APRIL 24, 2009 - WHAT A REFUGE! Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV) Some days are more difficult than others. It would seem that attacks come from every direction. How good
it is to know that our enemies are not people! They are not flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) For we are not fighting against
flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world,
and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. If you are suffering from some kind of attack this morning,
and you are a believer, you can know that God is on our side. The One that lives in you is greater than those evil spirits
that try to come against God's people. (1 John 4:4) Moses realized that. And, just before he died, he blessed the people of God. Part of that blessing was
that God would be their refuge. That is a blessing for us today too. As the popular worship song says about
the Lord, "My comfort, my shelter, tower of refuge and strength." God has promised to be our shelter, our refuge, our strength. As Deuteronomy 33:27 says, "underneath are the everlasting arms." This is our assurance that all of God's
power is holding us up. It is not by our own strength that we can accomplish anything; but by the power of God. If
we belong to God, we are His holy temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (AMP) 19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives
within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, 20 You
were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to
Him in your body. God cares about every detail of that temple. It is only by the Spirit of
God that this temple can be protected, upheld and maintained. We are weak in our natural state, but God is
filled with power and He has promised us His Spirit as we contend with the enemy, who would like to see God's temple
destroyed. Zechariah 4:6-7 (TLB) 6 Then he said, "This is God’s message to Zerubbabel: ’Not by might, nor by
power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty—you will succeed because of my Spirit, though you are few and weak.’
7 Therefore no mountain, however high, can stand before Zerubbabel! For it will flatten
out before him! And Zerubbabel will finish building this Temple with mighty shouts of thanksgiving for God’s mercy,
declaring that all was done by grace alone." Is there an enemy seeking to harm God's temple today? Is something threatening you and trying
to keep you from being all that God created you to be? As God told Zerubbabel, "....no mountain,
however high, can stand before Zerubbabel." Jesus told us the same thing. When the enemy builds a mountain
in front of us, Jesus tells us what we can do. Mark 11:22-24 (NIV) 22
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23 "I tell you the
truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes
that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever
you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. What is coming
against you today? God considers it an enemy against His very own temple. He has promised to deliver you
and me from all such enemies. Psalm 18:2-3 (TLB) 2
The Lord is my fort where I can enter and be safe; no one can follow me in and slay me. He is a rugged mountain
where I hide; he is my Savior, a rock where none can reach me, and a tower of safety. He is my shield. He is like the strong
horn of a mighty fighting bull. 3 All I need to do is cry to him—oh, praise
the Lord—and I am saved from all my enemies! When the enemies of life come against you and me, we
have a Refuge. We have a Defender. When God says, regarding our enemy, "Destroy him," it will
be done. What a mighty God we serve! He is our Refuge and Strength! A very present help in trouble!
(Psalm 46:1) MORNING MANNA - APRIL 23, 2009 - FOLLOWING JESUS Luke 14:27 (NIV) No one ever said following Jesus would be easy. Only that it would be worth it. Jesus, Himself, said
that anyone who would not carry his cross and follow Him could not be His disciple. Is your cross heavy this morning?
Maybe you feel like the man I saw in a cartoon depiction, dragging an enormously long and heavy cross. Others in the
picture were carrying crosses too. This particular man got very tired and begged to have his cross shortened so it would
not be so heavy to carry. He got his wish. All those carrying their crosses suddenly came to a deep ravine on
their pathway. There was no way around it. One by one, the others used their cross to make a bridge across
the ravine so they could go on with their journey and get to their destination. Unfortunately, the man who had asked
to have his cross lightened did not have a long enough cross to bridge the gap and he was left alone unable to carry on.
It costs something to follow Jesus. At times the cross we must bear may seem too big and heavy. But we have been
promised that it will be worth it. 2 Corinthians 4:17 (AMP) 17 For our light, momentary
affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving
for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a
vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!], As heavy as that cross may seem at the moment,
the glory and blessing that will be ours will far outweigh it if we will not give up! We are told that we must not give up. Galatians 6:9 (AM) And let
us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we
shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. It's going to be hard sometimes to
keep on going. There will be temptations. At times we may stumble. (Proverbs 24:16) But, if we have not given up, lost heart, and denied our Lord Jesus, He will be right there to pick
us up again, clean us up and help us along the way. Psalm 40:1-2 (NLT) 1 I
waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He
lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked
along. I read a little phrase today that made me think. It said, "Following Jesus costs
more than anything - except not following Him. Yes, we may have to walk away from certain things that are not
good for us or glorifying to Him. It may seem like we're giving up a whole lot to follow Him. But, not following
Him will cost us a life separated forever from God. Separated from love because God is love. Jesus tells
us about that in Matthew 25. Does your cross seem heavy this morning? Are you tempted to ask for it to be shortened?
Don't give up. When you are weary, just call on the One who asked you to carry it because He's willing
to help you carry it. If we humble ourselves before Him admitting that we can't do it by ourselves,
He will step in and help us. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV) 6 Humble
yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Our Savior carried His own
cross too and, when he got too tired, Simon the Cyrene was called in to help out. (Mark 15:21) In the same way, Jesus tells us to come to Him when we're weak and heavy laden. He calls
us to take His yoke on us. Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) 28 "Come
to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke
upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. MORNING MANNA - APRIL 22, 2009 - ETERNAL ENCOURAGEMENT 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NLT) I'm sure you've had those days when you feel like you have more
you want to do than you have day to do it. When those days come around, we can be tempted to get discouraged because
we can't do all the things we had planned. Probably what we had planned was good. Yet, if we try to cram a
whole bunch into the container of our day, the lid will not fit on and we will probably end up, "blowing our top."
Not a very good thing to do. And, that's not how God wants us to be either. Colossians 4:6 (NIV) Let
your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. We
can get so caught up in wanting to do a million and a half "good things," that we forget that only God
can do that much. He has given us specific works to do which He planned out for us a long time ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared
in advance for us to do. By now, you might have guessed that I wanted to do lots and lots of good works
today. I know I will not have time so I am having to really ask God, "What do You want me to do?"
"What are the works You have prepared for me to do today?" Paul prayed for the Thessalonian people that God would encourage their
hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. We all need that kind of encouragement. That is my prayer
for everyone reading the Morning Manna today. Because we know that He has already planned the good works we are
to do and that He will give us the wisdom to know the proper time and way to do those things, we can rest in Him. No
situation we face is too difficult for Him and He will bring us through it if we trust Him, instead of trusting in our own
strength. If time does not seem to permit everything we wanted to do, we can know, if we remain in His
presence, that all is well. His timing is perfect. It is His desire to strengthen us to do and say what we
do well and graciously. When we push ourselves past our limits and begin to go in our own strength, there are times
when we may miss the mark even though we are trying to do a good thing. We truly can do all those things that God planned
for us to do because, when we are in His will, Christ will strengthen us to do them. Philippians 4:13 (NIV) 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. There is an
old saying, "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it." Now, although that saying may be old,
it's true. And, it's encouraging! Because God has encouraged us, and promised His encouragement from
now, throughout eternity, let's encourage someone else with His Words. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) Therefore encourage one another and build
each other up, just as in fact you are doing. MORNING MANNA - APRIL 21, 2009 - IS IT TIME TO TURN AROUND? Luke 24:33 (AMP) Turning around in life can be the best thing we ever do! That's
exactly what repentance is. And, the first words in Jesus' public ministry were these. (Matthew 4:17 (AMP) 17 From
that time Jesus began to preach, crying out, Repent (change your mind for the better, heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence
of your past sins), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Since the Word of God says that Jesus preached
that message from the time He began His ministry, we can assume that He hasn't stopped preaching it. In fact, the
Bible confirms it elsewhere. (Acts 26:20 and other scriptures) Is there anything in your life that you need to turn from?
Do you need to turn around and go the other way in some area? Now is the opportune time. As I watch those two disciples on the Emmaus Road, I see that they really
didn't get it at first. I've been that way so many times in my life, even when I've thought that
I did get it! Jesus was patient with these men, explaining everything to them that they needed to know.
Even then, they didn't get what He was saying and they didn't even realize it was Jesus that was with them until He
sat at the table with them and broke the bread for them to eat. (Luke 24:30-31) It could be that Jesus has been patiently walking with you and me along the road of life and we have
not recognized Him at times. He may have been revealing Himself to us, waiting for us to finally see Him clearly.
He has even listened to us time and time again as we have poured out our tales of woe to him just as Cleopas and His
friend did on the Emmaus Road. (Luke 24:18-24) If only they had known that they didn't have the right perspective! That they weren't
even speaking the truth! We may have been like that at times but, thankfully, the Truth will find us and He will set
us free if we are willing to receive that freedom. He tells us He is the truth. John 14:6 (ASV) 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the
way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me. And, He tells us He
will set us free. (John 8:32, John 8:36) But,
we need to turn around. Those men on the Emmaus Road had a very long walk that day, going from Jerusalem toward Emmaus.
They also had a long talk with Jesus on the way. There's a song with the lyrics, "Just a little talk with
Jesus makes it right." That's what happened for those men that day. They had that little talk with
Jesus. They told Him all about their troubles. He listened to their cries. And He answered, by and
by. When they finally realized who He was, they knew they had been headed in the wrong direction. Instead
of leaving Jerusalem, shrouded in despair, they should have stayed and stood on the promises Jesus had made before He
was crucified. Then they could have celebrated the resurrection of Jesus with His other followers. At
the moment they saw Jesus clearly, they got up, turned around and went the other direction. They went right back
to Jerusalem. When we hear Jesus and see Him clearly, we may be convicted because we have been wandering
away from His will instead of waiting on Him. That's a good thing. It helps us to decide to turn around and
go the other direction. To repent. Aren't you glad that Jesus did not condemn those followers on the
Emmaus Road? They had it all wrong but He did not condemn them for it. He merely opened the scriptures to reveal
Himself to them and their hearts burned within them. (Luke 24:32) When Jesus shines His light into our hearts, revealing a wrong direction, it's time to turn around.
Time to repent of anything that is not pleasing to Him. He did not come to condemn us, even though we may not have
it all together. John 3:17 (NIV) 17 For
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. No! In
love, He is convicting us of those things which are harmful to us, even asking us to "turn around." Those
men had walked the Emmaus Road all day long. They were probably tired from the journey. Instead, at the end
of the day, when Jesus revealed Himself, they got up, turned around, and headed in the right direction. Will
we do the same? MORNING MANNA - APRIL 20, 2009 - AT THE TABLE WITH JESUS Luke 24:30 (NIV) Fast food is convenient, isn't it? We feel full after we eat it. We didn't have to cook it.
We don't have to clean up the kitchen afterwards. We can even eat it in the car as we race toward the
next event of the day. We can eat it by ourselves. We don't need conversation. Just gobble it down and
throw the wrappers away. Hopefully, they don't stay on the floor of our car or get thrown, as litter, onto the streets!
What a good meal! The trouble is that, although it tastes yummy, it is not as nutritious as it should be and there
is quite a bit of it that we will wear for a long time. And, I'm not talking about what we're
wearing on our clothes because we spilled while trying to eat on the run! The two
men on the road toward Emmaus encountered a Stranger. This stranger was so intriguing that when He talked, their hearts
were stirred up. (Luke 24:32) It could be that they began to get hungry. The words of this Stranger had caused spiritual
hunger and they were probably beginning to get hungry from their journey. Jesus would soon show them that He cared about
both. Suddenly, they had begun to understand the scriptures as the Stranger recounted them and explained Himself
through them. They had read the words before but they had never really encountered the Word. Now, even though
they didn't know it, the Word was speaking to them! John 1:14 (NLT) 14 So
the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory,
the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. Jesus, the Word, wants to speak to us this morning
too. He's right here where we are because we have chosen to take this time to talk to Him and then listen to what
He has to say. His Spirit is with us to remind us of Who He is and of all the things He has taught us. (John 14:26) The road of life has some rough places in it and we often need Jesus to come along side of us
to remind us of all the things He has told us before. Hard times can threaten to distract us and cause us
to forget that He is our Provider, our Guide, our Wisdom, and even our very Life! Cleopas and his friend were so taken in by the Stranger that they extended hospitality to Him, inviting
him into their place of abode. (Luke 24:29) Because you and I have invited Him in this morning, He is right here. (Revelation 3:20) He sat at the table with the two men. This was simple food that they were about to eat but it was not fast,
non-nutritional food. There's something about the table that God sets before us that is, not only satisfying,
but totally nourishing. Psalm 23:5 (AMP) 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my
[brimming] cup runs over. Just think about these two disciples that were walking, figuratively, in
the shadow of death. They thought Jesus was dead. They had forgotten His promise to return from the dead.
Because they had forgotten His promise, they began to lose hope. Yet, Jesus did return from the dead because
none of His promises can or will fail! (2 Corinthians 1:20) Jesus is that Shepherd that prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies.
The enemies of the world, the flesh and the devil, are always encamped about us threatening to leave us torn apart, weak,
and starving to death. But the Good Shepherd, keeps us on the path of righteousness, renewing our strength, if
we will sit a while at the table with Him and listen as He reveals Himself to us. (Psalm 23:3) As these two distraught men traveled the road away from Jerusalem, Jesus caught up with them and,
upon their invitation, went in to eat with them. If you have been walking away from where Jesus is, you can know
right now that He's caught up with you and is lovingly, gently, talking to you right where you are. We can
imagine that the two men saw those nail prints in His hands as He broke the bread for them. Although they were
the ones that extended the invitation to Jesus, He was the One who prepared that table for them in the presence of
the enemies of doubt, discouragement and defeat. As He broke the bread and gave it to them, their eyes were opened.
They saw Him for who He was! They were fed Bread from Heaven. The Bread that would satisfy forever and supply
the strength to keep walking despite the taunting of our enemies. John 6:51 (NIV) 51 I
am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh,
which I will give for the life of the world." This morning, our Shepherd has fed us with His
Word. He has shown us once again Who He is. The Bread of Life. He has given us a piece of Himself to help
us through the day and to sustain us for eternity. As we read His Word, may our hearts continue to burn within us, so
much so that we will hunger for more and share what He gives us with others! As we go about our business today,
may others recognize that we have been at the table with Jesus! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 20, 2009 - HAVE YOU EXTENDED THE INVITATION? Luke 24:28-29 (ASV) 28 And
they drew nigh unto the village, whither they were going: and he made as though he would go further. 29
And they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. And
he went in to abide with them. Although
Jesus had some hard words for the two men on the road to Emmaus, they did not turn Him away. (Luke 24:25-26) They kept walking with Him and listening to Him, as He explained Himself through the scriptures. (Luke 24:27) They still did not yet recognize Him for who He was, but they didn't give up. (Luke 24:16) When the two men got close to the village where they were going, it looked as if this Stranger that had been conversing
with them would keep on going. (Luke 24:28) They had all probably been walking a long time. Perhaps the words of the Stranger were starting to jog their
memory. Maybe the men were just hospitable. The good thing is that they strongly urged Him to stay with
them. God is so good. When we invite Him to come in and dine with us, He will! Revelation 3:20 (AMP) 20 Behold,
I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him
and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me. What will we do if Jesus should speak some hard words to us? What if He were
to tell us how foolish we are and how dull of heart we are. What if He said we were slow to believe? (Luke 24:25) You know, maybe that is true sometimes! Can we receive that and still follow Him, even
inviting Him to stay with us? I hope so. Jesus spoke some hard words to others in the scriptures too. The outcome
was much different than it was with these disciples that walked the road to Emmaus with Him. (John 6:60-67 (NLT) 60 Many
of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” 61
Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words
I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe
me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father
gives them to me.” 66 At this point many of his disciples turned
away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are
you also going to leave?” This morning, you and I have the choice. If the Words of Christ
are convicting to us or hard to understand, we can either be like the many disciples that threw in the towel and left Him
or we can be like Cleopas and his friend. We can turn away from Jesus and never have the blessing of understanding and
benefiting from His Word. Or, we can invite Him to stay with us and know the joy of His presence,
even if we haven't yet understood it all. Which will we do? Those two on the road could have missed the time
of their, "visitation." But they didn't. They chose to urge Jesus to stay with them because the
day was almost over. We never know when the "day" of this life is almost over. We should
never put off making the right choice. (2 Corinthians 6:2) At one point, Jesus stood over Jerusalem and wept because He had told them the truth in love. He wanted them
to turn from their evil ways and find refuge in Him. But, they wouldn't. Luke 19:41-44 (NIV) 41
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and
said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes.
43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against
you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to
the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize
the time of God's coming to you." Today, Jesus has spoken to you and me through His Word.
Some of it may be hard to understand and some of it may be convicting. But, He has left us with a choice. We can
either turn away and find destruction like He spoke over Jerusalem. Or, we can extend an invitation to Him to stay with
us, even share a meal! We can't come away from His Word without making a choice. (Joshua 24:15) What will you do? Have you extended the invitation to the One who is inviting you to come to Him?
(Matthew 11:28) Even now, He is knocking on the door of your heart. Only you can open the door and invite Him to come
in. MORNING MANNA - APRIL 18, 2009 - MOSES AND ALL THE PROPHETS Luke 24:27 (NIV) As Cleopas and his friend continued down the Emmaus Road, discussing their hopelessness, the Stranger with them
began to speak to them about things that would eventually rebuild their faith and give them new hope. Of course,
we know that this Stranger was Jesus, Himself. But the two on the Emmaus Road had not recognized Him. It could
be that, in our own lives, we get so caught up in our circumstances that we might not recognize Jesus, even if He were
to appear in the flesh and walk along side of us. This morning, we might remind ourselves of some of His Words to us. John 14:17 (AMP) The
Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize
Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. Jesus
does walk and talk with us every day. Do we ever fail to recognize Him, as the two men did on the road
to Emmaus? Just think of the lessons we have learned from the Old Testament and how they point to Jesus. What about the
sacrifice of Isaac? (Genesis 17:19-22:14) What about the redemptive story of Ruth and Boaz? (Ruth 2:1-4:10) How about Joseph's suffering which shows us a small picture of the suffering of Christ for the good of His
people? (Genesis 37:23-47:12) We can look at, "weeping Jeremiah," and find a picture of how Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they could
not recognize and receive Him. (Luke 13:34) We could go on and on building our faith, strengthening our hope, finding Jesus in every part of the Scripture. These
examples are just a few, among the most obvious. If we will let Him, He will reveal Himself to us through His Word,
just as He had begun revealing Himself to the dull of heart on the road to Emmaus. Where are you on the road
of life this morning? Aren't you encouraged and thrilled that Jesus meets us exactly where we are? As we meditate
on His Word, may we see Him more and more clearly. May we learn to recognize Him and know Him better
and better, as He reveals Himself to us through all of His Word. MORNING MANNA - APRIL 17, 2009 - SOMETIMES SUFFERING IS NECESSARY Luke 24:26 (NIV) 26 Did not the
Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" I
hate to think about the prospect of suffering. Pain is disdainful to me. Comfort is usually foremost
on my mind, even in choosing things like clothes and shoes or sheets and blankets. How about you? Not
only do I avoid suffering, I'm not happy when I have to watch another suffer either. But, suffering does
exist. Jesus told his disciples that He would have to suffer the agony of the crucifixion. He told them
before He went through it. Mark 8:31 (NIV) 31
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief
priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. They didn't
want to hear it. Mark 8:32 (NIV) 32 He spoke plainly about
this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Then, He had to remind Cleopas and his friend
as they walked in desperation down the Emmaus Road. Sometimes I need to be reminded too. His followers did not
want Him to suffer and die. They wanted Him to take over the world without suffering and allow them to
do the same. But Jesus had another plan. He knew that, without His suffering and giving up His life, His
followers would be lost. All of them, including us! Although His disciples may have had the best intentions,
not wanting their Master to suffer, Jesus knew it was the enemy speaking at that moment. Satan was trying
to get Jesus to believe that He did not have to suffer to save His people. Satan was trying to use a misguided
believer to undermine the plan of God! Praise God, Jesus didn't shrink from that suffering. Neither was
He deceived by the temptation of the enemy coming from the mouth of His disciple. Mark 8:33 (NIV) 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me,
Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." I'm so thankful that we will never have to endure the suffering that our Savior went through! He took our
sin upon Him and took the punishment for it. There could be no greater suffering. Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed
for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Like
the disciples of old, we may want to shrink from suffering or from even thinking about those who may be suffering. Even
though we will never know the intensity of suffering that Jesus went through, we may have to suffer for Him at some
point, in some way. The Apostle, Paul, did and he wrote the following to the Philippian believers. Philippians 1:29-30 (TLB) 29
For to you has been given the privilege not only of trusting him but also of suffering for him. 30 We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past; and I am still
in the midst of a great and terrible struggle now, as you know so well. Although many today preach that becoming a follower of Jesus will cause our lives
to be void of trouble, it is many times just the opposite. Following Jesus will change our lives.
We will begin to become all that God meant us to be. But, that may not be pleasing to those around us who want
to stay in darkness. They will be troubled when His light shines through us. They will not be happy about
the exposure of their way of living. Ephesians 5:8-11 (NIV) 8 For
you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for
the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find
out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,
but rather expose them. Persecution may come. It won't feel good. But, here's
what Jesus said. Matthew 5:10-12 (NIV) 10 Blessed
are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 "Blessed
are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets
who were before you. So, if we find that we are in the midst of some kind of suffering, we must remember
just as Jesus did, that there is joy and reward to follow. (Hebrews 12:2) We would hope that we would not have to suffer for doing what is right but, in this upside down
world, we never know. 1 Peter 3:14 (NIV) 14 But
even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." If
we suffer because we have done what is right, we have the assurance from God's Word that we need not be afraid.
We also have His Word that His reward will far outweigh our troubles. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV) 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are
being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for
us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on
what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Suffering,
unless it is for wrongdoing, has a purpose in God's plan and it will be rewarded.
MORNING MANNA - APRIL 16, 2009 - ARE WE SLOW TO BELIEVE? Luke 24:25 (AMP) As we continue on the Emmaus Road with Cleopas and his friend, we may find that it is not unlike the path we
travel every day. The two disciples there on the Emmaus Road who were anxious to discuss the events of the day,
even with someone they did not know, were troubled and discouraged. Do you ever get that way? The enemy is always
right there anxiously awaiting us to entertain thoughts of despair. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (ASV) 8 Be sober, be watchful:
your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, 9 whom
withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world. There's
great news today. Jesus is also on the road and He's right there too. In fact, He's not
only on the road, He's dwelling in us if we have invited Him. 1 John 4:4 (ASV) 4
Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that
is in the world. If we're going through some sort of discouragement, we need to look up. He
has some things to say to us. They may sound like hard sayings at first. They probably didn't sound too friendly
to Cleopas and his companion. Things had not gone as those two men on the Emmaus Road
had expected. Maybe things in life have not gone exactly as you expected either. The one thing on
their minds was that Jesus died. No wonder they were so dejected! They seemed to have forgotten some of the words
He had spoken in the past. The certainly had either forgotten, or dismissed, the words of the people who had witnessed
to His empty tomb. When we forget or ignore the Words of the Lord we, too, can get dejected. Those disciples were
walking, but they were not walking by faith. They had begun walking by sight and the things they saw became
bigger than what they had believed! 2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP) 7 For
we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship
to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance. When
the cares and events of this world became their focus, they became dull and slow to believe. That can happen today,
just like it happened then. It could be happening to some of us right now. The troubles in the world
may have caused us to forget some of the promises of God. As we continue down life's winding, and sometimes treacherous
path, we need to remember that all of God's promises are true. (2 Corinthians 1:20) We need to remember that all of His Word is true. (Psalm 33:4) We can look to all of His word, including the prophetic books, and find Him revealed there. Cleopas and
his friend needed a reminder from Jesus. They listened to Him as He gave them a rebuke and kept on walking with Him.
If that's what we need today, let's thank Him for reminding us, receive the rebuke, get back into the Word, and enjoy
the rest of the journey with Him! No more being slow to believe! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 15, 2009 - DON'T GIVE UP HOPE! Luke 24:21 (AMP) Without hope, life
becomes dull at best. As we continue walking with the two forlorn followers of Jesus down the Emmaus Road, we find them
continuing to talk to Him, even though they don't even know who He is. I have had people start a conversation with
me in shopping malls or grocery stores. Before I know it, they are pouring out a story of lost hope and a life of despair.
They don't even know who I am but their hopelessness has caused them to overflow with discouragement, so much so that
they are unable to hold it all in when someone with a listening ear appears. I'm thankful for those opportunities but
it makes me sad that there are so many people out there that seem to be without hope. When we encounter people with
no hope, it is a wide-open door to present, to them, the God of hope! If your own hope tank is running low today, just
remember Paul's prayer for the Romans. Romans 15:13 (NIV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus listened to the two men on the Emmaus Road recounting the whole story regarding His crucifixion, He did
not immediately correct them or rebuke them for being hopeless. He listened to them tell Him everything He already knew. Sometimes,
just talking about something that is disturbing to us will give us a different perspective. Maybe as they talked, they
realized for themselves, that they should not be hopeless. They had already been given a message that Jesus had risen
from the dead. (Luke 24:22-24) But, they had not believed. Even when confronted with some convincing evidence! If you are reading this,
you may have already been given messages from the Lord through His Word. You may have even read your Bible all
the way through several times during your life. And still, there may be days when your hope starts to fade, just like
these two on the Emmaus Road. Maybe you have forgotten some of the message that you have read. Maybe the cares
of the world have begun to try to choke out the message. (Mark 4:19) Right this moment, if you find yourself needing more hope, know that any one of these scriptures may
be Jesus trying to talk to you just as he talked on the Emmaus Road. Jesus is waiting for you to tell Him
what's troubling you. It doesn't matter how large or how small the trouble is or how many troubles there are.
He wants you to tell Him everything. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (AMP) 6 Therefore
humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may
exalt you, 7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries,
all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. I'm so thankful that Jesus
walked with the two distraught disciples and listened patiently while these hopeless men told their story to
Him. That lets me know that He will listen to you and me too, no matter how ridiculous we might sound.
Jesus might have said, "Come on guys, what's wrong with you? I told you I would rise from the dead. I
sent some ladies to let you know I wasn't in the tomb. Even Peter and John said the tomb was empty!"
If He had said that, they surely would have recognized Him at that moment. He had all the power to do that but
He chose gentleness and patience instead of shaming them. He listened until just the right time. He let them hear
their own voices of hopelessness before He showed Himself as their hope. There may be things in our lives that seem
hopeless today. That same Jesus who walked the Emmaus Road, and caught up with His followers there, is close
to you and me today too. His Spirit is with us to remind us of all the promises He gave us. John 14:26 (NIV) 26 But the Counselor,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have
said to you. His Spirit will fill us with hope again if we will just talk to Him and let Him know
about those things that are attempting to defeat us. (Romans 15:13) Whatever road we are walking today, no matter how rough that road is, we can find ourselves
filled with hope. Because God is our source of hope, we can walk every road confidently filled
with hope by the power of His Spirit! On this life's journey, hope is a necessity. (1 Corinthians 13:13) Never leave home without it! Don't let anyone take it from you. Don't ever give
up hope! And, always be sure your hope is in nothing but the Lord! Psalm 130:5 (NIV) 5 I
wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. MORNING MANNA - APRIL 14, 2009 - DO WE QUESTION GOD? Luke 24:18 (NIV) It was the third day after Jesus had been crucified.
A couple of His followers were headed away from Jerusalem. How long do we wait when something
in us, or a situation concerning us seems to have died, before we give up on the Lord and leave? (Psalm 27:14) There are times we need to walk away from something if we are sure that the Lord has closed the
door. Other times, we need to hang in there in faith knowing that, if God has said He will do something, He most
certainly will! Numbers 23:19 (ASV) 19 God
is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and will he not do it? Or hath
he spoken, and will he not make it good? Actually, these two dejected followers of Jesus didn't have a whole lot of excuse for being
so hopeless! The Lord had already sent word that He was indeed alive. Luke 24:22-23 (ASV) We have to get past the messengers, get past our own prejudices,
and get into the Word of God. Whatever He has said, He will do. Isaiah 55:11 (AMP) 11 So shall My word be
that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish
that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. What might be
causing us to walk down the road of life, hopeless and dejected today? Maybe even walking away from God's promise
instead of toward it? Let's look around and listen to all the messengers that God has put in our pathway.
If their message coincides with His Word, let's believe it and begin walking with new strength in our steps. Do we,
oftentimes, question a message because it doesn't fit with the way we have heard it before? Do we
question God's Word by our own traditions? Mark 7:13 (AMP) 13 Thus you are nullifying
and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on. And
many things of this kind you are doing. That's a pretty scary proposition. Yet, this may have
been what was going on with Cleopas and his friend there on the road to Emmaus. They weren't used to receiving
a message from a woman. We could substitute lots of other types of people for the word, "woman."
We need to remember that God can, and will, use whom He pleases! Isn't that good reason for us,
today, to study and meditate on the Word of God? We need to know, when we receive a message, whether or not it
is truly from God. If we don't know Him well enough from His Word, we might not recognize Him. At first,
these two followers did not recognize Jesus, although He was standing right there talking to them! The good news is that our
God is merciful and, if we keep seeking Him, He will see to it that we find Him and recognize Him. Jeremiah 29:13 (AMP) 13 Then
you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Before we stand questioning (and even doubting) the very One we have been seeking,
as the two on the road to Emmaus did, let's look to His Word. Jesus is the Word. (John 1:14) When we are familiar enough with Him, we will surely recognize Him when He speaks, no matter how He speaks, or
through whom He chooses to speak. He's on the road with us right now. (Matthew 28:20) Let's lift up our heads, look to Him, allow Him to reveal Himself to us, and follow Him without question. MORNING MANNA - APRIL 13, 2009 - AND HE WALKS WITH ME Luke 24:15 (NLT) It was on the first day of the week after Jesus had been crucified.
Lots of people had been following Him during His ministry. Mark 2:15 (KJV) 15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat
in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed
him. There were some of his followers who had heard that He had risen from the dead, but they
just didn't get it. Can you imagine the hopelessness of a true follower of Christ who didn't yet fully believe that
He had come back from the dead? How often to we go about our daily walk, especially these days, acting as if
Jesus has not risen from the dead? Being dejected and discouraged because some of our situations seem, "lifeless?"
We know, in our minds, that He is risen but do our hearts sometimes find themselves on the lonely road of sadness or even
hopelessness? Out of those people that followed Jesus, some were
really seeking the Kingdom of God and some were just plain curious. They saw the miracles and healings
that Jesus did and they were attracted simply because of that. Isn't that what we find among those who profess to follow Christ
today? Some really, really want to know Him intimately and others are just following because of the outward manifestations
of His power that they see. Jesus is merciful. He does not want anyone to perish. 2 Peter 3:9 (TLB) 9 He isn’t really
being slow about his promised return, even though it sometimes seems that way. But he is waiting, for the good reason that
he is not willing that any should perish, and he is giving more time for sinners to repent. He will do
whatever it takes to draw someone to Himself. John 14:11 (NIV) Yes,
Jesus truly cares when you and I find ourselves on some lonely road fighting discouragement, depression and hopelessness.
What happens when we feel that way? Don't we sometimes have to talk it out? That's just what Cleopas
and his friend were doing as they walked on the road to Emmaus when, suddenly, another traveler joined them unexpectedly.
Luke 24:14-15 (TLB) 14 As they walked along
they were talking of Jesus’ death, 15 when suddenly Jesus himself came along
and joined them and began walking beside them. Maybe they were so discouraged that they hardly looked
up. For whatever reason that God had chosen, they did not recognize this other traveler even though they had been following
Him closely before His crucifixion. (Luke 24:16) Even the voice of Jesus did not bring them out of their doldrums. Their ears must have
been dulled by their despondency. Luke 24:17 (TLB) 17 "You
seem to be in a deep discussion about something," he said. "What are you so concerned about?" They stopped
short, sadness written across their faces. Jesus always wants to know what we're concerned
about! He even wants to take those concerns from us and lighten our load. (1 Peter 5:7) How often, during our own troubling times, have we not recognized His voice asking us, "What are you so concerned
about?" Are you walking a road this morning that feels like the road of "Drudgery?" Do you have
a downcast countenance like these men on the road to Emmaus? Has discouragement or depression made you unable
to recognize the voice of Jesus? Have the all too threatening and highly visible circumstances around
you caused you to listen to what the world calls, "the facts," instead of remembering what you know Jesus
has told you before? Today, on whatever road you find yourself, be aware that Jesus may be (and probably is) speaking
to you. Look up. Will you recognize Him? As the old hymn says, "Look full in His
wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." Let the light
of that glory and grace give you renewed hope this morning! Then you too, can sing another favorite old hymn and know
that it's true. "And He walks with me and He talks with me...." MORNING MANNA - APRIL 12, 2009 - JUST LOOK AROUND AND KNOW Matthew 6:26 (AMP) Have
you ever had moments where you feel like no one cares? Maybe like there is no one to take care of you? Moments
when you feel helpless to make the changes you feel are needed in your life? When we feel like this, many times worry
and anxiety set in. Jesus doesn't want us to get into that mode. So, He has given us things all around us
to look at. Things that show His great power in creation, as well as His power to maintain those things He created.
(Colossians 1:17) He has, not only the power to do these things, but the love and mercy that cause Him to consistently carry them out.
(Acts 17:28) When we start to become anxious, we can look
at the birds. They rarely seem anxious. They chirp and gather their food, seemingly without stressing about
where it's going to come from. Although they only have, "bird-brains," they seem to have the calm assurance
that God will feed them. And He does! As we listen to the new life coming forth in Spring and the "chirp-chirp,"
of the birds, we can remember that God has promised to take care of us, just as He takes care of them. In
fact, we're worth so much more than the birds to Him! Matthew 10:29-31 (NLT) 29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall
to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your
head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to
God than a whole flock of sparrows. As we look around on God's creation, especially in the Spring, when new life springs up from the ground,
we see fields of flowers in glorious hues. These luscious blooms did not strive or struggle. They just remained
planted in the ground. It was dark there and the ground was sometimes cold but, as they remained, they grew and
produced a flower that was more beautiful than anything the richest man in the world could purchase! Matthew 6:28-29 (NIV) 28
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Yes,
there may be some dark, cold times in our lives but if we remain planted in our Lord Jesus, the giver of life, we
will become the best that we can be. (John 15:4) He will provide for us and take care of us. Matthew 6:30 (NIV) 30 If
that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much
more clothe you, O you of little faith? What is it that we're running after today, so much so, that
it is causing us to be anxious and worry? No matter how much we worry or fret, we cannot give life to ourselves. Matthew 6:27 (NIV) 27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? It is only when we trust the One
who is the Life that we can enjoy a life of freedom from worry. (John 14:6) Are we different from those around us who do not believe? Matthew 6:32 (NLT) 32
These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
Or, do we look around at creation and realize that the God who made us, and everything around us, will take care of us because
He loves us and knows what we need? Is there something you are worried about today? Go outside and take a walk.
Look at everything around you and know that the One who made everything and holds everything in place knows what you
need. Then look a bit higher. Seek His Kingdom and His righteousness. As we do, He has promised that
He will take care of the rest! Matthew 6:33 (NLT) 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously,
and he will give you everything you need. If we're tempted to worry or, if we feel distressed,
all we have to do is look at what God has placed around us. Simple things like flowers and birds will remind us
that He's still in control. He cares and provides for all of these things. You and I are assured that He cares
for and will provide for us too! Just look around - and know! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 11, 2009 - DON'T WORRY, WE HAVE REASON TO BE HAPPY! Matthew 6:25 (NIV) Jesus commanded us not to worry. We see that in Matthew 6:25. In the Amplified Bible, it says, "stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried about your
life)" With the world economy the way it is and with the threat of terror, pirates, wars, and natural disasters,
this is quite a command! For some, it is difficult to cease their anxiousness. What about such things
as, "Will there be food on the table tomorrow?" Or, "Will I have enough money to put gas in the tank
to get to work." Or, "Will I even have a job tomorrow?" What are the things that you find
yourself being perpetually uneasy, anxious, or worried about? How can Jesus tell us that we should not be that way when
things look grim? It's because He has asked us to acknowledge Him as Master. Matthew 6:24 (NIV) "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. It's
because, as our Master, he has promised never to abandon us. Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) Keep your lives
free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will
I forsake you." He has promised, as we follow Him and submit to Him, to supply all of
our needs. Philippians 4:19 (NIV) And my God will meet all your
needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Now, isn't that reason enough to stop
worrying and be happy? So, what can we do when we're tempted by the things around us that look threatening?
For one thing, we can remember that we need to look higher than those things. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on
what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. As the saying goes,
"This too shall pass." And it will. Everything that we are seeing and experiencing in this world
will pass. It is those things that we cannot see right now, except with eyes of faith, that will last. With
that in mind, we can remember what Paul said to the Philippians and follow suit. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. What will happen when we follow the command of Jesus to release our anxiety on Him? 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) Cast all your
anxiety on him because he cares for you. When we have thanked God for what we do have and
spoken to Him in prayer about all of our concerns, His peace will flow through us. There's nothing like His peace
to make us happy! We can't even understand it! There have been some days when everything seems to
be going wrong, yet inside, I have this strange peace. I have to know it came from God because I'm not that way
normally! We serve a Master who cares about every detail of our lives - both large and small. We don't
have to be anxious about any of it. In fact, we're commanded by our Master to give it all to Him! The exchange
is wonderful. It's happiness (blessedness) and a peace that lets us know that, even though we have some troubles
in this world, we are over comers by the One who lives in us and has already overcome every difficult situation that we will
ever encounter! John 16:33 (NIV) MORNING MANNA - APRIL 10, 2009 - WHAT ARE YOU AIMING FOR? Matthew 6:33 (AMP) It never ceases to interest
me when I see that the Kingdom of God is pretty much upside down compared to the kingdoms of this world. I
should know that by now; but the Lord knows I need to be reminded of it because the world's kingdoms tend to be
so much louder than the still, small voice of God. The glitz of their pomp and tradition can make some pretty impressive
mental images in my mind. Reading the passage in Matthew 6:24-34, helps me to get back to reality. Especially in the days we face in the world today. First, Jesus
tells me (and you) that we can have but one master. Matthew 6:24 (AMP) No one can
serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise
and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).
At first this seems very basic. Of course
I'm not serving two masters! You're not either. Right? In this age, when the enemy is out to deceive
the followers of Jesus, it never hurts to check our hearts on this principle. Anything we trust in can become
our master. Any master, other than Jesus, will only bring us into bondage. It may not look like it at first.
After all, we feel safer when we have money in the bank, clothes in the closet, food in the frig, a car (or two) in the garage,
a good retirement plan, excellent health, etc. While nothing is intrinsically wrong with any of those things, they can
slowly become foremost in our minds, increasingly taking over as, "master." The interesting thing is
that the lack of these things can also cause them to become our master, if we focus on them rather than on the only One
who can supply all of our needs. These things can easily begin to strangle the seed of God's Word (and God's
Word is Jesus John 1:14 - NIV - The Word became flesh and made his
dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.). Let's
check out Mark 4:19 (AMP) - Then the cares
and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of
riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless. Anything, other than Jesus, that becomes our master, will only bring destruction
and death. The trouble is that it may look shiny and appealing at first glance. John 10:10 (NIV) The
thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The enemy would like to master us so he can steal from us, kill us, and destroy our soul. Jesus would like us to
choose Him as master so that He can give us abundant life! The devil is not going to come to
those of us who believe looking like the devil. He knows that we're a lot smarter than that! As the days go
on, and the world gets farther and farther away from God, the enemy is going to come more deceitfully after those whose hearts
are turned toward God. He's already got the rest of the world in his grip. What He wants is God's
children. How could you hurt a parent more than hurting their children? The devil is going to be like that stranger
that we warn our children about. The nice looking person on the street that offers them a ride or a delicious
looking piece of candy. Matthew 24:24-25 For false Christs and false prophets will appear
and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. 25
See, I have told you ahead of time. The devil is not going to come to you and me as
a ghoulish looking creature. We would know him in an instant that way. He's going to come looking like an
angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14 (AMP) And it
is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; As that angel of light, one of
those things he will do is direct our eyes toward the good things that we can have and turn them away from the Giver
of those good things. He'll dangle that worldly, "candy" and "comfortable ride" in
front of us so that he can pull us into his kingdom of darkness to destroy us. He doesn't care what happens
to you and me. He's out to get Jesus. The Jesus in us. Can you imagine the Father's heart that is
grieved just like our hearts, as parents would grieved, if our children were deceived and taken in by that
nice looking stranger? Because of that, we need to aim for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Jesus promised that everything else we need would be added if we do that. We need to really believe what He said.
When the Lord adds the things we need, we have no cause to worry because He doesn't give us things to ultimately
destroy us but to give us life! Proverbs 10:22 (NKJV) The blessing
of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. The world's kingdoms are now proving
that they are unable to sustain us. Do you think that's the Lord's merciful way of helping us get back
to seeking His Kingdom first? MORNING MANNA - APRIL 9, 2009 - THANK YOU, ABBA, FATHER! Colossians 1:12 (NIV) We all have something to be thankful for if we have received the
glorious salvation which was purchased for us by Jesus! There is no salvation aside from Jesus. No other name
by which we can be saved. (Acts 4:12) I know that I am so grateful to Jesus for what He did for me on the cross. But, many times, I neglect to
remember that it was the Father who loved me so much that He gave His Son. Do you ever neglect to, or
forget to keep thanking the Father for His great gift of His Son? Colossians 1:12 says we should always give thanks to the Father. He is the One who has qualified us to be partakers
of the inheritance of those who walk in the light! We have not qualified ourselves. It is our Father who has chosen
us and given us the privilege of coming into His Kingdom of light. (1 Peter 2:9) It is our Father, God, who has rescued us from the darkness and
transplanted us into the Kingdom of His Son. (Colossians 1:13) Unless He had thought of us, we would have been doomed to darkness now and throughout eternity. Aren't
you glad this morning that you have a perfect Father in Heaven? You may not have or have had a perfect Father on
earth but you have a perfect Heavenly Father. A loving Heavenly Father who, even though we all deserve to be left in
darkness, made a way out for us. That is something to be thankful for! Always!! Have you told your
Heavenly Papa today how thankful you are that He made a way for you? He didn't even make it hard. He did it for us! He sent His own Son as a, once
and for all, sacrifice. (Hebrews 7:27) Jesus purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. (Colossians 1:14) As Paul prayed for the Colossian people, in Colossians 1:9-14, we can see the great love he had for those people. He had already realized what a great
Heavenly Father he had and now he wanted others to realize it too. Part of his prayer was that they would
always give thanks to our Father, God, because He is the only one who could make us fit to share in what His Son
did for us. Is that what we do - always? In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus cried out, "Abba, Father."
He called His Father, "Papa," or, "Daddy." Mark 14:36 (NIV) "Abba, Father,"
he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
Because Jesus was able to comprehend the love of His Father so well, and because His Father's love
for us flowed through Him, He went on to purchase our salvation on the cross. He did the Father's will.
Now, God has chosen to give us the Spirit of sonship. Now, you and I can cry out to Him in the endearing and
closely relational term, "Abba, Father." Galatians 4:6-7 (KJV) 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son,
then an heir of God through Christ. How could we better pray for another than to pray Paul's prayer
for the Colossians? How often we, ourselves, should remember that we have not qualified ourselves to be in
God's Kingdom. It is our Abba, Father who has qualified us. For that, we might often want to remember to cry
out, "Thank You, Abba, Father!" MORNING MANNA - APRIL 8, 2009 - STRENGTHENED WITH ALL POWER Colossians 1:11 (AMP) Paul began his prayer for the Colossian people by asking God to fill them with the knowledge of His will. He
prayed for them in this way because he had heard of their faith in Jesus. They were leaning on Him. They
trusted Him. They loved and showed that love to others who loved Him. Colossians 1:4 (AMP) For
we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [the leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence
in His power, wisdom, and goodness] and of the love which you [have and show] for all the saints (God’s consecrated
ones), As we pray for one another, Paul's prayer for the Colossian people can be a good start. Paul wanted to see the believers walking in a way that was fully pleasing to God.
He wanted them to have much deeper insight into who God is. That's what we want for others, isn't it?
There are troubles in the world that are caused by people who do not walk in ways pleasing to God. Some of those people
are believers in Christ. The best thing we can pray for them is Paul's prayer for the Colossian people. Unless
we really get to know God through His Word, we will not know how to walk in a way that is pleasing to Him. We may say
we know Him but, if we don't know His ways, we do not really know Him. Hebrews 3:10 (ASV) Wherefore
I was displeased with this generation, And said, They do always err in their heart: But they did not know my ways; The wonderfully good news of the gospel is that we can know
God and we can know His ways! We can have his wisdom and He will give us understanding. James 1:5 (NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to him. No wonder Paul formed his prayer for the Colossians the way he did!
As he goes on in his prayer for them, he asks that they will be strengthened with all of God's glorious power. Wow!
I'm praying that for you as you are reading this now. God's glorious power. What exactly does
that mean? That word, "strengthened," means, "enabled," "given ability." It is the
Greek word, "dynamoo." Sounds a lot like dynamo to me! This word comes from the root Greek
word, "dynamis." It is word from which we get our word, "dynamite." It
is the same word used to describe the power that raised Jesus from the dead! (Philippians 3:10) As we read on in Colossians 1:11, Paul prays that they will be strengthened with God's power. Twice in this verse, Paul makes mention of the
power that raised Jesus from the dead. It is God's will, as we learn and do His will, that we should be filled with
all the power that raised Jesus from the dead. No wonder Jesus tells us that anything is possible for those who
believe. (Mark 9:23) Knowing that we have that power within us will help us to cheerfully and calmly wait on God. That's
what the words, endurance and patience really mean. Are there things in your life this morning which are so challenging
that you are having a hard time waiting on the Lord? Much less, waiting cheerfully and calmly?
We all have troubles because we live in this world which is full of sin. Be of good cheer today. Jesus has overcome
the world! (John 16:33) Don't give up! Inside you, because you have made Jesus your Lord, is His resurrection power. At some
point, you will find that dead situation come to life again. In the meantime, that same power that raised Jesus from
the dead will give us the strength to wait on God in calmness and with cheerfulness. While we're waiting, let's
ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind others for which we can pray the prayer that Paul prayed for the Colossians. Colossians 1:9-14.
MORNING MANNA - APRIL 7, 2009 - GROWING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD Colossians 1:10 (NIV) Why, in
essence, was Paul praying for the Colossian people as he did in Colossians 1:9? In fact, he said that he had not stopped praying for them. It was a continual thing. He
wanted them to be filled with the knowledge of God's will. Why was that? Did he just want them to
have, "head knowledge?" Not at all. There is a good reason why Paul continued to pray for the Colossians
and a good reason why we need to constantly pray for one another also in this way. God wants us to be able to life a life that shows that we acknowledge Him. That we have Him first place in
our lives. He wants us to walk in a way that is appropriate. Paul knew that, so that is how he prayed for
the Colossian people. We know that too because it is part of God's revealed will to us in His Word. Sometimes
we get off the track though. There are times when our walk may be less than pleasing to God and less than appropriate
for someone who has been bought by the blood of Jesus. Ephesians 1:7 (NLT) He
is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
During those times of temptation and trial, wouldn't it be wonderful to know that others were praying for
us? We may have the desire to always walk in a way that is pleasing to God but, like Paul experienced, we may do
what we don't want to do - or not do what we really want to do! (Romans 7:18-19) Have you ever experienced something like that? Then, the enemy comes right in to gleefully accuse us and
further tempt us to think that we may not belong to Jesus at all. (Revelation 12:10) He tries to destroy and undermine the knowledge of God that we have. One day that enemy will not be able to
hurl those accusations (some of which are entirely true) at us in order to tempt us to doubt our salvation. But, for
now, this same Paul, who struggled with sin just as you and I do, gives us the principle of praying for others to really,
really, know the will of God and grow in their knowledge of Him. MORNING MANNA - APRIL 6, 2009 - AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO PRAY Colossians 1:9 (NLT) Paul,
when he wrote the letter to the believers in Colossae, gave us a good example of how we might pray for others. We know
that everyone has everyday practical needs and we can address those and bring them before the Lord. (Matthew 6:11) God knows all of our needs and He has promised to take care of them. (Matthew 6:8) Paul understood this because he wrote in Philippians 4:19 that he was certain that God would provide all of his needs and ours too, when we are following His will. (Philippians 4:14-16) As Paul prayed for the Colossian people, he asked
God to give them complete knowledge of His will. Sometimes, don't we say, "I just want to know God's will,"
concerning this or that situation? At times, we might feel it quite impossible to know God's will. Yet, Paul
dared to pray that the Colossians would have complete knowledge of God's will. Paul wanted those he had
grown to love and care for to be able to discern God's will for themselves. He wanted them to be filled
with it. When we are praying for those around us with specific needs, what could be better than praying that they have
the complete knowledge of God's will? When we discern God's will and find ourselves in the center of it, everything
else comes into focus and balance! Jesus taught us to pray that God's will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:10) How can we possibly know if this prayer comes to pass unless we have the knowledge and discernment of what God's
will really is? When we know God's will, we can walk in it and be part of God's answer in bringing that
prayer, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," to pass. God's will has always been of supreme importance in how we live our lives. The Psalmist, in Psalm 40:8, said, "I desire to do your will, O my God." (NIV) The Psalmist found true joy in doing God's will.
How better to pray for those around us than asking that they know God's will in which they will find true joy. That
leads to strength, because we also find that the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) As we know the will of the Lord, and do it, we will become stronger and stronger! Paul wanted those he
was praying for to have spiritual knowledge and understanding. In these days, there's tons of human knowledge floating
around, but we are seeing a definite lack of spiritual knowledge and understanding. Many are being deceived because
they don't know the will of God. (2 Timothy 3:13) Let's continue to read God's Word and pray for His revelation of His will in our lives. Let's ask
Him for the strength to carry out that will. Then, let's pray, as Paul did, for others so that they will be able
to see and know His will too! We may have loved ones who are struggling with all sorts of things, financial troubles,
health troubles, relationship troubles, and a host of other needs. What they really need is spiritual knowledge and
understanding so that they can be in the center of God's will. There, all their needs can be supplied. It's
time to start praying! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 5, 2009 - FREE? INDEED! John 8:36 (NIV) Is
anyone in bondage? If you are reading this right now, the chances are that you already are a believer. So,
the chances are that most people will be tempted to think, "I'll just stop reading here because this doesn't
apply to me." There's also a slight chance that some will keep reading because they don't have that sense
of freedom, even though they have received salvation. Why don't we have it? Is it because we're not free?
That couldn't be it because God's Word says that if Jesus sets us free, we will surely be free! We do have
abundant life. (John 10:10) If we are, "church people," we might find it difficult to admit that we have struggles.
That it's possible that we are in some kind of bondage. Why is that? Because, when we go to church, we look
around and sometimes assume that, just because everyone looks like they have it all together, they do. (Galatians 6:4-5) Right then, a certain kind of bondage sets in. We are reluctant to admit that we have struggles because the
enemy has duped us into thinking that, if we are Christians, we've got to be perfect. Then we get into the
mode of trying to be perfect and, the harder we try, the worse we get! In our own strength, we're doomed to break
free from the chains of anything that binds us. The first thing we
need to do is cry out for help. Where does that help come from? Some today think it should come from government.
Others look for help from those who appear to have more than they do. The Psalmist said, "I will lift
up my eyes to the hills." (Psalm 121:1) But even the highest hills cannot protect us from the flood waters of things like pride, greed, lust, selfishness,
jealousy, etc. We have to look much higher to find the help we need to be set free. Lots of those
who look really good in our churches have things on the inside that aren't looking so good. They sing all the songs
about being set free, but inside they carry things that no one can see from the outside - at least not on a Sunday morning.
We have to look higher than the hills to find true freedom. The Psalmist was probably looking to the hills of Jerusalem
on which the temple stood. We might look to the church too. The church is a good thing but we have to look even
higher than that. (Psalm 121:2) We must look to the truth. If we know the truth the truth will set us free. What is the truth?
It is not written words or ideas. It is a person. Jesus said, "I am the truth." (John 14:6) He also said that we would know the truth and the truth would set us free. (John 8:32) Do you really know Him today? The
enemy would like to keep us locked behind the bars of our inadequacies, addictions, bad attitudes, and fears.
We can't break those bars by ourselves. But, Jesus came to set us free - really free. If we have received
Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we must believe that He has made a doorway right through those bars and we can walk
in freedom. He is that Door. John 10:9 (ASV) 9 I am the door; by me if any
man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. He is the Way. He's the only way out of things that bind us. Is
there something that you've been struggling with for a long time, even though you have received Jesus? Maybe you've
never talked about it with anyone before. You can talk about it with Jesus because He already knows about it.
He's just waiting for you to seek Him. (Matthew 11:28) He knows exactly how you feel. (Hebrews 4:15) Even better, He was tempted with those same feelings but He did not yield to the temptation. Then
He took all of that for you and me, went to the cross with it on His shoulders, and allowed mankind to nail Him
there. He became the prisoner so we could become free. If you have received Jesus, He has set you free.
Even when we don't feel like it, it's true. God knows everything that we struggle with.
He knows us better than we know ourselves. (Psalm 44:21) He knows that we are frail and weak. (Psalm 103:14) He cares so much about our inability to set our own selves free that He sent His Son to do it for us. (Romans 8:2) Freedom is ours today. Freedom from bondage, sin, death, and the many things that threaten to enslave us every
day. However, each day is filled with new mercies from the Lord. (Lamentations 3:23) Yes, we may stumble but, if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive it. (1 John 1:9) Each day we can begin by thanking God for our freedom. We can rejoice in our freedom. (Psalm 118:24) We can begin each day by making the decision to renew our minds. Each day we can remember
that our job is to walk in freedom because Jesus has already done the job of setting us free. (Romans 8:2) Each day we can remind the enemy of that day on the cross when the Lord set us free once and for all. (Colossians 2:15) Free, indeed! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 4, 2009 - GOD'S PROMISES Numbers 23:19 (NLT) They used to say that women were fickle.
That women always changed their minds. Today, we might call it, "flip-flopping." And, both men and women
are doing it. Quite a lot. Just think about the last presidential campaign we had here in the United States.
Lots of promises were made and, before the election was even over, candidates changed their minds. They continue
to change their minds. What about human relationships? People change their minds all the time and break their
promises. We might even be tempted to think, because we experience that every day, that God is that way too.
No way! God is not a man. He does not lie. He is not human. He does not change His mind. That's
why it's kind of fun to break out that old hymn, "Standing On The Promises." We can stand
on God's promises and know they will never change! Joshua knew,
right to his dying day, that God had been faithful and would always be faithful to His promises. Joshua 23:14 (NLT) “Soon
I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has
come true. Not a single one has failed! Joshua knew that God had kept every promise he ever made.
Everything had come true. All the good that God has promised will come to pass for those who love Him and are obediently
following Him. On the contrary, God has made some pretty scary promises too. They will also come true for
all those who choose to turn their backs on Him. Joshua 23:15-16 (NLT) But
as surely as the Lord your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey
him. He will completely destroy you from this good land he has given you. 16 If you
break the covenant of the Lord your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will
quickly vanish from the good land he has given you.” What category are you and I in this morning?
Which promises of God will be fulfilled in our lives? Praise
God, we can know, if we have received the gift of eternal life through Jesus, that all the good promises of God belong to
us! (John 1:12) We are now His children and, because He has been so good to us, we have a desire to be those obedient
ones who will receive the good promises! As the hymn says, are you, "standing on the promises of
God?" Is He your King? (Revelation 19:16) If not, He has promised that if you will come to Him today, He will take you into His Kingdom. (2 Corinthians 6:2) He has promised that He would put His Spirit within you. (Romans 8:11) He promised that He would never leave you because you trust in Him. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5) He promised that you would have eternal life. (1 John 2:25) That's just a few of the promises of God that will never, ever fail! Part of that hymn, "Standing
On The Promises," goes like this: "Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling storms of
doubt and fear assail. By the living Word of God I shall prevail. I'm standing on the promises of God."
If you are being pelted by those howling storms of doubt and fear this morning, remember that the promises of God will
not fail. He is right there with you, even in you, to bring you victory. How do I know that?
He promised! Isaiah 41:10 (TLB) Fear
not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with
my victorious right hand. MORNING MANNA - APRIL 3, 2009 - WE NEVER KNOW WHAT A DAY WILL BRING James 4:14 (AMP) Being rather late in writing this Morning's Manna, I have seen the
news this morning that a crazed gunman blocked the back door of a public place in New York and then went in the front
door firing a gun, wounding and killing all that were in sight. This was a glaring reminder to me that we don't
know the least little thing about what may happen today or tomorrow. Life is very fragile and it can be snuffed out
in a second without notice. We don't know what the next moment will bring but we do know that our lives here on
earth are in the process of withering away, from the moment we are born. 1 Peter 1:24-25 (AMP) 24 For
all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like [the] flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower
drops off, 25 But the Word of the Lord (divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever.
And this Word is the good news which was preached to you. There is only one thing that will last forever
and that is the Word of the Lord. If we have received that Word within us, even if our bodies suffer death, our spirit
will live forever in the presence of the Lord. We don't yet know who was killed and injured in that building this morning.
Most, if not all of them, were probably innocent. They were probably going about their daily business, with not
even a thought of impending doom. Bad things do happen to good people. We can see it from the beginning
of time. Abel, who followed God, was killed by his own brother! Abel perhaps never saw it coming. In an
instant, that young man's life was ended by one angry blow from a jealous relative. (Genesis 4:8) What we do find in this story, that is encouraging, is that Abel was a follower of the Lord.
Hebrews 11:4 (NIV) 4 By
faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well
of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. Abel's life still speaks
to us today, letting us know that, no matter what happens to us or when it happens, if we are following the Lord, we will
make a difference for good in the lives of others. By our faith, just like Able, our lives will speak even after
we're gone from the earth. We know that, when we have eternity to get to know everyone who has followed Jesus, we
will be able to sit down and talk to Abel about what it was like to be one of the first people on earth. We don't
know how many of those people who were killed today were carrying the Word inside of them. We only know that, if
we are believers, every day that God gives us is a day to spread the good news of the Gospel to those around us.
Every day is a day to be thankful for what God has given us and to share it with someone else. Today may be the last
moment that someone has to receive salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2) We don't know what the next moment will bring for them, or for us. (1 Chronicles 29:15) We do know that one day, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, it will be too late to spread the hope of the
Gospel. Jesus will return to take all those who have put their trust in Him. 1 Corinthians 15:52-53 (NLT) It will happen in a
moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised
to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed
into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal
bodies. Are we ready for that? (Luke 12:40) Is the Word living in us. (Romans 8:9) If Jesus, the Word, is living in us, are we sharing Him with others? (1 Corinthians 9:23) We never know what a day will bring to us or to those around us! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 2, 2009 - THE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Isaiah 32:17 (NLT) Wouldn't we all love to experience peace? To have quietness in our hurried lives? To be confident?
We can have that through righteousness. Isaiah 32:17 (NIV) 17 The
fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. The
fruit of righteousness will be peace. The effects of that will give us quietness and confidence forever! How wonderful
is that? All we have to do is be righteous! Simple enough - right? There's just a small problem.
Have you ever tried to be righteous, I mean totally righteous in actions, as well as attitude, for even a few hours?
You can't do it. At least not on your own. All of our righteousness, all of it, stinks in
the sight of God. (Isaiah 64:6) So then, how can we have the fruit of righteousness,
which is peace? How can we see the effects of righteousness in our lives? How can we have quietness
and confidence? We can, and must, trust in the One who has become our righteousness by taking all of our sin (our
unrighteousness) upon Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) 21 God
made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Have you ever been trying to, "follow the rules," and found yourself anxious and lacking confidence?
Maybe you were looking good and, "righteous," on the outside but, inside, you certainly were not quiet! Do
we think that we can make ourselves more righteous by following everybody's rules and expectations of us? Even more,
do we think that we must follow all of our own rules in order to be righteous? If we remember carefully, that's
what the Pharisees in Jesus' day did and He wasn't too pleased with that! (Mark 7:8) How many times have you decided to
do something that would make you feel good about yourself? Maybe a diet? Maybe spending less money? Maybe
even something spiritual, like deciding to pray for an hour every day or read a certain amount of scripture each day.
How many times have you failed at trying to follow a "rule," you made for yourself and felt less than righteous?
Aren't you glad that God does not get as disappointed in us as we get in ourselves? When God looks at you and me,
if we have received His Son, all He sees righteousness. It is nothing we have gotten on our own. It's part
of the, "great exchange." Jesus takes our sin and we are given His righteousness. We would never be
able to be confident enough to approach our Heavenly Father if it weren't for the righteousness Jesus gives us.
Now, we can go boldly to the throne of our Father, knowing He isn't judging us for all those times we didn't
quite get it right. (Hebrews 4:14-16) He's just sees righteousness in us, His own righteousness! There's nothing that
can give us more peace than knowing our sins are forgiven and that God has filled us with His righteousness. All fear
and turmoil will have to cease. Inside we will have a quiet spirit and we will walk with confidence and in peace
before God and man. Righteousness and peace go together and Jesus has given us both! Peace is delicious
and it's a very satisfying fruit! John 14:27 (AMP) 27 Peace
I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your
hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit
yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] MORNING MANNA - APRIL 1, 2009 - WHEN MONEY WON'T HELP, JESUS WILL! Isaiah 55:1 (NIV) These may seem like the worst of times but they
can be the best of times if we realize that Jesus never changes. (Hebrews 13:8) He has promised never to leave us. (Hebrews 13:5) We may be short on money but, if we have Jesus, we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24) With money, it is said that you can buy companionship; but money cannot buy a true friend!
With money we can buy a building in which we intend to live but money cannot buy the Shelter that we find in the Lord. (Psalm 73:28) Nor, can it make a house into a home. What are you feeling in need of this morning?
What cares are on your heart? Jesus invites us to cast them all on Him. (1 Peter 5:7) Money can buy us an appointment with a worldly counselor or psychologist but it can't buy the counsel we can receive
from our Wonderful Counsellor! His counsel is free and found in His Word! Psalm 16:7 (ASV) I will bless Jehovah, who hath given me counsel; Yea, my heart
instructeth me in the night seasons. In these times, when we're tempted to look at our bank accounts or
retirement accounts and notice that they are extremely low, we might want to take the opportunity to allow our faith
in the Word of the Lord to grow. There was a royal
official in Capernaum who heard that Jesus was in town. Wouldn't you know it, Jesus was there just at the right
time! He's right here this morning with us too! This man was a rich man. He probably had everything
he could want or need. (John 4:46) He was certainly far from what you and I might think of as a ,"beggar." Yet, the
very next thing we find is this rich man begging! (John 4:47) Why would a wealthy man have to beg? Because there are some things that money can't
buy. But, praise the Lord, Jesus was there. He alone was able to give this royal official the greatest desire
of his heart. The man's son was sick and about to die. The man's money and worldly power was simply useless
in this case. He might as well have been bankrupt. No amount of money or influence could change the child's
condition. In an instant, the wealthy, influential man was turned into a beggar. He begged Jesus to come
and heal his son. It was urgent. His son was about to die! Jesus did not respond as we might think.
Instead, he had some thought-provoking words for the man and those in the crowd. Thought-provoking words for you and me too! John 4:48 (ASV) Jesus therefore said unto him, Except
ye see signs and wonders, ye will in no wise believe. Maybe we can look at the words of Jesus in two ways. First of all, His words
may have seemed lacking in compassion. Why didn't He just run to the aid of this distraught man? The
man probably thought something like that too because he repeated his request, not seeming to pay any attention to what Jesus
had replied. (John 4:49) The man continued begging and pleading. The words of Jesus didn't seem to address the problem.
We might even conclude, from His words, that we are not to ever want to see miracles. But, that is not the case because
Jesus said that miracles would follow those who believe. (Mark 16:17-18) It wasn't that Jesus had lost His compassion or willingness to perform mighty miracles. As
I look at this scripture a second way, I see Jesus trying to accomplish something far more powerful than just performing a
one-time miracle. He doesn't go to the official's home. He merely tells the man to turn around
and go home by himself. He also tells the man that his son will live. (John 4:50) He wanted the man to believe. I don't know about you, but I might have been caught
saying, "But, but, but........ I need You to come Jesus. I need to see You
do this thing, right now!" Not this man. The beggar suddenly turned into a giant of the faith.
He believed Jesus! He believed the Word that Jesus spoke! He obediently turned and went home. I wonder how
long that walk home seemed. I wonder if the man wondered why Jesus didn't go with him. The truth is that Jesus
may be looking for more than just granting us what we are begging for. A miracle lasts for a short time at best, since
everything will pass away eventually. Faith lasts for eternity and Jesus wants faith to be a lifestyle for us. (1 Corinthians 13:13) Money cannot buy faith but by faith we can turn to Jesus, receive His Word and find our miracle.
When the man got home, his son was healed. And it happened just at the time when he believed the Word that Jesus
spoke and acted on that belief! (John 4:51-53) What in our lives today is going to require that we believe the Word of Jesus, even when it doesn't seem
to make much sense compared to what we see? What things can we be thankful for, knowing that no amount of money could
have purchased them? When money can't help, Jesus can! He will not only show His compassion but He will
do us a great favor by allowing us to grow in faith, making us more pleasing in His sight. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) 6 And
without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards
those who earnestly seek him. We can take an example from the man who plead with Jesus and then turned
and went his way in faith before he saw, with his eyes, that his son was healed. Jesus still performs miracles.
He is still the giver of life. (John 10:10) And He still wants us to walk by faith and not by sight! (2 Corinthians 5:7) No amount of money can buy those things! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 30, 2009 - THE PRICE OF A GOOD NAME Philippians 2:9 (NIV) Because Jesus is the Name that is above all other names, you and I can
find everything that is necessary for this life and for eternity. We have the freedom to approach God Almighty
and call Him Father because of the Name of Jesus. Hebrews 4:14-16 (AMP) 14 Inasmuch
then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us
hold fast our confession [of faith in Him]. 15 For we do not have a High Priest
Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to
the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. 16
Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s
unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every
need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. Yes, we can go boldly before
God's throne in our time of need because Jesus paid the price and, it is in His Name, that we have access to the Father. What was the cost of that wonderful Name? Jesus had to feel
and undergo every feeling that you and I have ever had. Don't you think it's hard enough just to deal with
your own feelings and struggles? But, what if you had to deal with the feelings and struggles of every single person
who ever lived? What if you had to deal with them and still remain perfect and holy? Although Jesus was there
with His Father and they created the world together, powerfully speaking everything into place, He chose to empty Himself
of all the power that belonged to Him in order to save us and set us free. To bear all of our sin and sorrow.
Philippians 2:6-8 (AMP) 6 Who,
although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God],
did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, 7 But
stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became
like men and was born a human being. 8 And after He had appeared in human form,
He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! The King of Kings and
Lord of Lords chose leave His throne and become a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief because of His compassion
and love for you and me! (Isaiah 53:3) You'd think that someone like that would attract us, wouldn't you? That we would gravitate
to Him and be thankful for such a sacrifice. Yet, the scripture says that His own people turned their backs on
Him. He was despised for His sacrifice. They didn't care! How much do we care today? Has
anyone turned their back on you? Does it sometimes seem that no one really cares about how you feel or
what you do? The enemy would like you to feel that way, since that will keep you away from the very One who can help
you. Jesus gave up everything so you and I could know that we are cared for. (1 Peter 5:7) So we could cast all of our own cares upon Him. What cares do you have this
morning? Jesus paid the price to be able to take those cares for you. Because He gave up everything, God
exalted Him to the highest place. God gave Him the Name above all Names. It's the very Name, at
the mere mention of which, everything has to bow, including our cares, our sicknesses, and our sin. (Philippians 2:10) Jesus! When you're down to your last hope, you can know that Jesus was willing to give His all
to get that powerful Name so that you could call on it and find rest and relief. Matthew 11:28 (AMP) 28 Come
to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and
refresh your souls.] As the hymn we used to sing says, "His Name is Wonderful." It
cost Him everything. In fact, that Name is priceless! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 29, 2009 - THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE Isaiah 9:6 (KJV) Some of
us have experienced relationships that seemed to go nowhere. Friends, lovers, children, spouses, and parents
have disappointed us. For some, it has been worse than disappointment. It has even been violence and abuse.
Abandonment, which sometimes takes the form physical and sometimes emotional. For those who have experienced such
disappointment, we can be comforted in the fact that, if we have received Jesus, we have an Everlasting Father. That's
one of the names that Isaiah gave to the Savior. Isn't that what we're all looking for? Someone who will
take care of us and love us without condition and forever? Someone who will never leave us? The Bible says
that God will take us in even if our mother and father, for some reason, abandon us. Psalm 27:10 (AMP) 10 Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the
Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child]. The
name of Jesus not only brings us comfort in the fact that we will never be left alone and abandoned, there is much more. (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20) Found within the matchless name of Jesus is, "Prince of Peace." Not only are we looking for closeness
in relationships, we are also looking for peace in relationships and peace in our world. There is one relationship that
promises to be peaceful. When we make the Lord our Shepherd, we have also made the Prince of Peace the Lord of
our lives. There are all kinds of things that threaten our peace. Jesus said it would be like that. He said
that we would have some troubles in this world. I'm sure no one in the world could disagree with that statement
from Jesus! (John 16:33) We have all seen our share of trouble in this world! But, the Prince of Peace has promised that He
would place His peace in us. Before we ever went through that problem, He had overcome it. And,
He's already overcome every problem we will go through in the future. Instead of struggling and worrying, He
wants us to receive that peace that comes from Him. The kind you can't explain. The kind that keeps you going right
in the middle of the worst troubles. (Philippians 4:7) The kind that keeps, not only our hearts, but our minds, as well. Some have never had a good, "father-figure." For those people, God has promised
to be that One. That One in which you find security, nurturing, and provision. (Deuteronomy 1:31) Just as He cared for the Israelites, even when they were rebellious, He will care for us. If
we leave Him, He will not only wait for us, but come running to receive us back as soon as we realize we have gone too far.
Luke 15:20 (NIV) 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was
still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around
him and kissed him. When our Everlasting Father holds us in His welcoming arms, His peace invades
our hearts and minds. When life gets troublesome. When disappointments come. When you think you may have
gone too far away from God. Turn toward home. As soon as you turn around and start toward the Lord, you'll
find that your Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace is headed your way! He just can't wait to let you know you're
still part of the family and that in Him you will find the peace and provision you long for. It's all
in the Name. The Name of Jesus. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 28, 2009 - WHAT'S IN A NAME? Philippians 2:9-11 (ASV) You may or may not be like me. I'm not impressed with big names, nor
those who drop them to try to impress others. However, there is one name that I'm totally impressed with. That
Name is Jesus. There's not another name mentioned on earth that all folks will have to bow to.
No other name is so important that every single person ever born will have to confess that person as Lord. Lots
of names are being thrown around and lifted up these days. Actors, actresses, sports stars, musicians, politicians,
and even religious figures. But, those headlines are going to fade one day, along with all of those names.
Besides that, none of those names, no matter how important they are or even how good and powerful they might be at the moment,
can do what the Name of Jesus can do! None of those names will last forever. None, except the Name of
Jesus! We can be confident because, in each name that belongs to Jesus,
we find blessing and security for ourselves. Unlike some people, He is not out just to flaunt His Name and lord
it over others. He wants to share His Name, and everything it contains, with those who will receive Him.
There is so much power in this one Name that it is able to sustain us through this life and through eternity. For instance,
we may have some problems in life. If you haven't had a problem in life for which you needed some counsel, I would
love to meet you! One of the names of Jesus is, "Wonderful Counsellor." (Isaiah 9:6) While it's true that there are counselors of many disciplines out there in the world, there is
none like the Wonderful Counsellor! He can't give you wrong advice because he is also, "The
Word." (John 1:14) Whatever counsel we might seek should be based on the counsel of the Wonderful Counselor. If not,
we will surely not find blessing! (Psalm 1:1 (KJV) Blessed
is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of
the scornful. With all that is going on in the world today, you might be one of those who
are feeling powerless to do anything. But, if you're trusting in the name of Jesus, you're also trusting in
the one whose Name is, "Mighty God." He created everything, so He's certainly able to take care of
it. (John 1:3) He is powerful enough to speak to us, even today about anything we ask! (Hebrews 1:1-2) He is mighty in salvation. As one of the new worship songs is wonderfully named, "Mighty to Save." (Isaiah 63:1) He is mighty in works and miracles. Maybe you need to ask Him to do something in your life this morning.
(Matthew 13:54) Something that can only be accomplished by His might. No matter what the nightly news may be saying, there
still is One in control and He is mighty! Mighty enough to maintain control and do anything that is necessary and needful.
Also, gentle and caring enough to counsel us when we're confused and need direction. What's in a name? Not much if it's just any name. But, if it's the Name of Jesus, everything
is in The Name. Do you need guidance and counsel this morning? Are you feeling weak and powerless?
In either case, if you have made Jesus the Lord of your life, you can turn to Him and find the answers you need
and the power to carry out those answers. In a day when despondency and even depression is rampant, we can and must
look up. (Luke 21:28) Right past all the names of others. Instead of dropping names for influence, we can and must
lift up the Name of Jesus, follow His counsel, trust in His might. Because of that Name, all our needs will be supplied.
(Philippians 4:13) MORNING MANNA - MARCH 27, 2009 - THE, "IF," IS UP TO US Deuteronomy 28:1 (KJV) God has never wanted His people to be in the dark. After all, Jesus is the Light! John 8:12 (ASV) 12 Again therefore Jesus
spake unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have
the light of life. Do you ever feel like you're in the dark about knowing God's will? We
don't have to be. If we're feel confused as to the direction we should take, we can know that His Word
will be a light to our path. Psalm 119:105 (NIV) 105 Your
word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. So, if we're not sure whether something is
God's will, the first place we might look is into the Word. While we are looking there, we might want to remember
that we are not just looking at printed words on a page of a book called, "The Bible." We're looking to,
"The Word," who is Jesus. (John 1:14) In Deuteronomy 28, God made a covenant with His people. God makes covenants with us throughout His Word so we can know His will.
I notice that the first part of the covenant is exactly what God wants for His children. He wants good things. (Matthew 7:11) But, like any good parent, He will not waste good things on disobedient children. Look at the verses in Deuteronomy 28:1-14. Especially notice the first verse. What does it start with? It starts with the word, "If."
That, "if," doesn't have to do with whether God is willing to bless his children as He describes in
the following verses, through verse 14. God is willing. The Israelites didn't have to wonder
what God's will was. They didn't have to wonder if they would be blessed or not. They could know it. "If,"
they did all those things that God commanded in Deuteronomy 28:1-14, it was His will to give them all those things He mentioned. However, they also knew what was not
His will. There are even more verses to follow that describe, even in more detail, those things that
God does not desire in the lives of His children. (Deuteronomy 28:15- 68) It vividly gives us a picture of what will happen if we do those things that are not in God's will. It lays
out the consequences of such behavior. Guess what those verses start with? "But, if."
God, in this passage, lays out a covenant with His people. (Deuteronomy 29:1) What a God we serve! He doesn't want us to ever wonder about His will! "If," we obey
Him, we don't have to ask if it's His will to bless us. We know it is! He told us so.
"If," we don't obey Him, we don't need to bother saying, "Lord, bless me, "if" it's Your
will. We can already know that it's not His will, unless our request is accompanied with repentance.
(Mark 6:12) The, "if," is up to us. Look at the conversation in Mark 9:22-23. A distraught father comes to Jesus with a son who has been overtaken by evil spirits. As he speaks
to Jesus, He reports the desperate situation. Mark 9:22 (NLT) 22 The spirit often throws
him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” Then
he says, "Have mercy on us and help us, "if" you can! Can you imagine how Jesus must have felt?
He had been sent to do just such things! (Luke 4:17-19, Isaiah 42:5-7) What did Jesus say at that point? The, "if," didn't depend on Jesus. There
was no question as to whether Jesus could deliver the boy. The question was, if, the dad could
believe. Mark 9:23 (NLT) 23 “What do you
mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” We
can see that the dad, like many of us, had to ask for help with his shaky belief. Jesus didn't seem to mind
his honesty. And we also see that Jesus did show mercy, even though the dad was struggling to believe what
seemed to him to be impossible. Jesus healed and delivered the boy. Do you have any doubt about God's desire
to give you good gifts this morning? Health, success, good relationships, deliverance from bad habits and addictions,
comfort, etc.? Do you think believe it's His will to do these good things for you? 1 John 5:14 (NIV) This is the confidence we have in approaching
God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Can we know what His will is? See
what Paul wrote to the Colossians. Colossians 1:9 (NIV) 9 For this reason, since
the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will
through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Paul did not tell those people (or us) that he was praying
that God would fill them with the knowledge of His will, "if it was God's will" to do so.
Nope. Paul was sure that God wanted to fill them (and us) with the knowledge of His will!
Do you want to know God's will for your life? Watch this. Check out the implied, "if," in this passage.
Romans 12:2 (NIV) 2 Do
not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able
to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. All through the
Old and the New Testaments, there are passages that contain, "if's." If we do our part, God will
do His. The great thing is that our part is nothing compared with what God wants to do for us. If we love
Him, we will obey His commandments. (John 14:15) If we obey His commandments, which are fulfilled in loving Him and loving one another, He will pour out blessings
that we can't imagine. (Matthew 22:34-40, Ephesians 3:20) If. He is willing to bless us without measure, if we are willing to abide in, trust in,
and follow Him. It's up to us! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 26, 2009 - HOW IS YOUR SOUL TODAY? 3 John 1:2 (KJV) In the third epistle of John, he wrote to his beloved friend, Gaius.
Paul had been told of how Gaius was living a life of faithfulness to the Lord. He was walking in the truth. (3 John 1:3) Some traveling evangelists had noticed Gaius because of his faithfulness and commitment to walking in the truth. Do
those around us notice that we are faithful? (2 Thessalonians 1:4, Matthew 5:16) Do they notice that we walk in the truth of God's Word. (3 John 1:4) Or, do we look just like everybody else? (John 17:16, 1 Corinthians 6:11 ) Because of the reports that Paul had heard about Gaius, don't you suppose
that Paul assumed that Gaius had his soul in order? Since, our soul is the seat of our emotions, feelings, desires, and
will, it cannot be in order unless it is ruled by our spirit which has been made right with God. (Romans 8:10) Paul seemed to know that Gaius was a man whose soul was directed and kept well through his spirit, which had been redeemed
by the Lord. To begin to be in health and prosper, the very first thing to do is receive the gift of salvation from
Jesus. (Romans 6:23) Lots of times, we throw 1 John 3:2 around as a blessing for others, which it truly is in many cases. However, if we just use it haphazardly,
could it be more of a curse? If someone tells me that they want me to prosper, even as my soul prospers, that
may not indicate much prosperity! What if I am ruled by my emotions which are out of hand? What if my desires
are not under the control of the Holy Spirit? What if my will is not in line with God's will? Then, I have
just been wished very little in the way of prosperity and health! The word used for prosperity here actually indicates
success in our journey. The word, health, comes from the Greek word, "hygiaino." Sounds like our
word, "hygiene," doesn't it? It means to be safe and sound. It also means to be uncorrupt and
true in doctrine, according to Strong's Concordance. It is a word that includes wholeness. In this journey
of life, God wants us to be successful and to stay clean - safe and sound. Paul wanted wholeness for Gaius and he knew that Gaius was doing those things that we need to do to achieve wholeness.
To achieve true, consistent, and lasting prosperity and health. On our journey to wholeness, we are usually called upon
by God to be a participant. It is true that God is able, and sometimes willing, to deliver us from a disease
instantly. We should always give Him the glory for that. We should always believe that, most certainly, nothing
is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37) But, maybe (and I think, probably) God wants even more for us than just seeing a miracle now and then.
Maybe, because we are His beloved friends, just as Gaius was Paul's beloved friend, God wants the joy of seeing our
souls really prosper. Gaius was faithful and he was walking in the truth. That's exactly why Paul
could hope, above all things, that Gaius would prosper and be in health in the physical realm. This morning,
are there "soul issues," that need to be taken care of in our lives? Are there some things in our
emotions that need to be dealt with? Are our wills totally centered in the will of God? Have we put our desires above
the desires of God for our lives? Can someone truly say to us, "I want you to be as successful and healthy
along your way as your soul is healthy and successful?" And, if they say that, will it truly be a blessing?
I have a friend that admits that she was a, "soul," person much longer than she has been a, "Spirit,"
person. Now, she is allowing God to turn that around. Is your soul prospering and in health? If
not, you and Jesus can begin to turn that around right now. If you have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior,
do it now and your spirit will be made whole. Then, turn from anything that is not true and pure in your soul.
Renew your mind. (Romans 12:2) Let the Word of God wash your soul clean. (Ephesians 5:26) As your new spirit begins to control your soul and make it whole and prosperous, may you prosper and be in health
in every way! That is God's will for His beloved! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 25, 2009 - WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! Luke 6:10 (ASV) Is God able to heal today? Of course He is! (Hebrews 13:18) He's the same today as He was yesterday. There will never be a day when He's not able to heal us.
(Mark 10:27, Luke 1:37) And, willing too! (Mark 1:40-41) But, just as with His other blessings, He may ask us to do something to participate in the process. It is at
this point, that we realize that obeying God is connected to being healed. It may be only that we need to believe in
the midst of impossible situations. (Mark 5:36) Or, the Lord may ask us to do something about our lifestyle. Whatever it is, if we don't do
our part by acting in obedience, God is not obligated to do His part. Of course, because He is merciful and full of
grace, He may make an exception in some cases but, in general, He's looking for obedience in His children. (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) Just think about the priceless gift of salvation.
It is a gift and we cannot accomplish it on our own. (Ephesians 2:8) However, we do have to do something. We have to receive it. (John 1:12) We have to repent. (Matthew 4:1) And, we have to work it out seriously. (Philippians 2:12) Both the Old and the New Testaments give examples of God's
healing power. They also show us the many ways the ones that were healed were told to participate. Take a look
at Miriam, Moses's sister. Her case of leprosy was brought on because she sinned against Moses by speaking against
him. (Numbers 12:1-2) God could have left her leprous for the rest of her life, but Moses prayed for her and God heard his prayer of faith.
(Numbers 12:13) Miriam was healed but, before she could see it, God said she had to leave the camp of the
Israelites for seven days. (Numbers 12:14) What would have happened if she did not obey? In the New Testament we see, among other examples, a
man with a withered hand. Jesus, in His compassion, healed the man. But, in this case also, the man had to do
something in obedience. First, he had to step up to Jesus, even though the religious leaders were sitting around just
waiting to attack, since it was the Sabbath Day. (Mark 3:1-3) According to these leaders, healing was not allowed on the Sabbath Day. Then, of all things, Jesus commanded
the man whose hand was withered to, "stretch it forth." (Mark 3:5) Now, this man is in an uncomfortable position, both socially and faith-wise! Jesus is commanding him to
do something he can't do! How can he stretch forth a hand that is withered? Besides that, what if he tried
and looked like a fool in front of all those people? What if nothing happened and he was left humiliated and still disabled?
I wonder how I would feel in that instance! Thankfully, the man obeyed and he was healed. What would have happened
if he had not obeyed? He probably would not have been healed. You and I would probably not have this story
in the scriptures so we could be encouraged in our own faith in the power of Jesus to heal. We may not have thought
about obedience being connected to healing. If you are in need of healing of any kind today, what is Jesus asking you
to do? Have faith? Get rid of stress in your life? Give up some bitterness, or unforgiveness? Change
your diet? Get more rest? Put away pride? Keep a cleaner living environment? Get some exercise?
Whatever He is speaking to you to do this morning, do it! Obedience really is connected to healing! At Jesus's
command, we have to do something! When we obey, He always blesses and his blessings include healing. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 24, 2009 - HE SENDS HIS WORD Psalm 107:20 (AMP) Imagine that you are a person of great authority. Some may not have to have much
imagination in this area, since some of you may, indeed, possess great authority. As such a person, you have people
serving under you who are far below you in position and power. Now, imagine that one of these people that works for
you becomes ill. This person is unable to move. Paralyzed. What do you think you might do? We find
such a situation in Capernaum, as we look at a Roman centurion. He encounters Jesus on the street. Matthew 8:5-6 (NLT) When
Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord,
my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” This centurion, although having great
power, could not order his servant to be well! He realized that authority like that was out of his realm.
So, in great humility, he turned to Jesus. The centurion, if he was like some of our high-ranking people today, could
have looked the other way when his servant fell ill. The centurion was probably a busy man. He may not have
"had time," to seek out Jesus for someone else. But, he did. Are we that way? The centurion could have just left the servant in the care of others of like status,
but he didn't. He must have heard of or seen Jesus teaching and healing among the crowds of people and he believed
what he heard and saw. In fact, not only did he believe it, but he put his faith to work on behalf of another.
Someone who was far below himself in status and position. Are we taking every opportunity to step out in faith and go
to Jesus on behalf of others who need healing? (James 5:16) No matter what their position is in life? Jesus
was about to go to the centurions home in response to the request! Matthew 8:7 (NLT) Jesus
said, “I will come and heal him.” If we have any doubts about the willingness of Jesus to
heal, even someone who may not know all about Him yet, we can see here that, upon the expression of faith in Him, He is compassionate
and willing! And, as we will see, He is also able. But, the centurion, understanding authority, quickly spoke
up. Although he was a powerful and influential man within the Roman army, he recognized that Jesus had authority coming
from somewhere greater. It came from His Father. (John 12:49) So, the centurion admitted to Jesus that, although he was extremely powerful within his realm of authority,
he was not worthy for Jesus to come to his home. Isn't that the truth! None of us, no matter how powerful
and influential we might be, are worthy for Jesus to come to our home. Yet, He comes willingly, but not forcefully.
He knocks on our heart's door. He waits patiently to see if we're going to let him in. (Revelation 3:20) In this case, Jesus would have gone to the centurion's home, even defying the traditions of the
Jews of that day. He was willing. But, Jesus was impressed with the centurion and his faith. (Matthew 8:8) Instead of needing to have Jesus walk him back to his house and actually see a healing
take place, this centurion believed Psalm 107:20. He believed that Jesus could send His Word. Why? The centurion, being well-versed
in the area of authority, realized that Jesus had authority to heal. (Matthew 8:9) Just by sending His Word! (Matthew 8:10-12) Jesus had come to save and heal His own people, the Jews. Now, He is impressed
by the faith of this Gentile. Isn't it good to know that we are not saved or healed because of who we are or
because of our power or worldly status, but because of who Jesus is? You and I have access to the throne of God today,
just like this Roman centurion had access to Jesus that day. (Hebrews 4:16) We can and should go there on behalf of others! We can walk away from the throne knowing that God has heard
and that He will answer, just as He answered the centurion that day. (Matthew 8:13) (NLT) 13 Then
Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant
was healed that same hour. Mind you, the centurion, did not see the servant
healed. He simply obeyed Jesus, turned around and went home, and found that it was just as Jesus had said. The
servant had been healed at the very hour Jesus spoke it into being! Do you suppose that, walking by faith on his journey
home, was hard for the centurion? (2 Corinthians 5:7) Can we be like this centurion today, believing that when we ask God to send His word to heal another, He will do it?
MORNING MANNA - MARCH 23, 2009 - WHO IS LIKE OUR GOD? Isaiah 40:25 (NIV) When we go shopping, we compare this brand with that one. Sometimes we compare people, although we know we
should not. But, God says, "To whom will you compare Me?" We may have some pretty good people in our
lives but none of them can be compared to our God. We may have respect for pastors, doctors, lawyers, and others who
have supported us and helped us in life, but none of them can compare to our God! We may set our spouse up on a pedestal
and expect that they will bring us fulfillment and happiness. They very well may love us and bring us comfort and security.
But, not one can compare to our God! The Lord, through the prophet, Isaiah, asks us the question. "To whom
will you compare me?" He also asks the question, ".....who is my equal?" Of course, when God asks
a question, He already knows the answer. He's looking for us to get in agreement with Him. He wants us to
know, for sure, that there's nobody who can compare with Him. And, that there is nobody equal to Him.
Psalm 40:5 (Amp) Many,
O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I
should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered. When we are faced with a need that seems just too much for us to handle, we've got to remember that we belong
to a God beyond compare. A God who has no equal. And, He is our Father. He urges us, right
in the middle of our monumental problems, to lift up our eyes and look at His creation in the skies. (Isaiah 40:26) If you've ever been away from the city lights on a dark night, you've been able to look up into the skies
and see God's handiwork as a myriad of stars brighten the sky. It's breathtaking! Not only did God create
them, He calls them all by name, and He controls them! I don't know anyone in this world who could do that.
Do you? On top of that, He makes sure that not a one is missing. That's because of our God's great
power. His might and His strength. Just as He is in control of and keeps the stars in place, He's got you
and me in His loving hands. But maybe, just now, there are some who are feeling a little insecure. You and I are not the only ones who sometimes feel that God has
overlooked us. That maybe He hasn't seen the problems we have. The people of Israel must have felt that
way too. (Isaiah 40:27) And God says to them, in essence, that He knows everything they have asked for and He knows
everything they need. (Matthew 6:8) Sometimes, we just need to remind ourselves that God's thoughts and ways are so much
higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9) Also that, when we follow and obey Him, He has already planned a good future for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) Although it may seem that He is silent now and has not heard our cries for help and deliverance, He
is on our case. Each individual case. (Isaiah 40:28) Just as He knows all the names of the stars and keeps them in place, He knows each one of us personally
and holds us in place. (Acts 17:28) Although we may get weak and weary and have to sleep, God never sleeps. He's always looking
out for His children. (Psalm 27:10) While you and I are sleeping, God is still working on our issues! Although others may hurt us,
abandon us, or leave us with unfulfilled needs, He will always be with us. (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20) We can't compare Him with anybody else. His thoughts about each one of us are too numerous
to count. Is there anyone like our God? I don't think so! Neither did Hannah, of old. She was
childless but the Lord heard her and, in due time, she was able to conceive. She realized that there was no one like
her God. (1 Samuel 2:2 (NLT) 2 No one is holy like the Lord! There
is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. Whether
we have seen the answer we have asked Him for, or not, we need to confess this morning that there is no one like
our God. No one who is equal to Him. There is no one in whom we can put our full faith besides Him. He's
beyond compare! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 22, 2009 - WITH JESUS, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE! Luke 8:49 (NIV) Have you ever been in a situation where you felt that all was lost. Dead, so to speak? The man, Jairus,
who was a leader of the synagogue, was in that situation. He had gone to Jesus because his daughter was sick. (Luke 8:41-42) Not many of the religious officials believed in Jesus. In fact, most were out to, not only discredit
him, but destroy him. (Matthew 12:14) But, Jairus was different. He was probably going, "against the tide," of his day and in his circle
of associates. Good for Jairus! He believed. Everything would be well for him! But, he would have
to walk by faith, wait on God, and follow Jesus to see his answer. And so do we. Suddenly, there was a seeming distraction. Jairus had a dying daughter and Jesus was on His way to heal her
but somebody else pushed their way through the crowd and interrupted Him. (Luke 8:44) Have you been longing for an answer to your prayer? Believing that Jesus was on His way? Yet, have others
been blessed and healed, but you're still in the same situation? Can you imagine Jairus? Staring in utter
dismay that Jesus would stop for an ordinary person? (Luke 8:45-46) After all, Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue! And Jesus was stopping for a mere woman! Jairus
had to wait. How would you feel if it were your child who lay dying and Jesus decided to stop for somebody else
who didn't seem to have such a critical problem? Especially if you were a well-known leader and Jesus had stopped
for an unknown person in the crowd. What would the religious leaders of our day do in this case? Jairus was then tested to the uttermost. Word came from his house that his daughter
had died. It was too late! Jesus had waited too long!! (Luke 8:49) The messenger even urged Jairus to just go home and not to bother Jesus any further. At times we, too,
will have those around us who tell us to give up. Jairus may have even felt that Jesus was ignoring him but, at just
the right time, Jesus, hearing the discourse between the messenger and Jairus, broke in to the conversation. "Don't
be afraid," He told Jairus. "Just believe and your daughter will be healed." (Luke 8:50) If you were Jairus, what would you have thought at that point, "Just believe?" "My daughter
is dead, and You want me to believe." "You're telling me not to be afraid?" "It's
too late, You waited too long!" Maybe Jairus was even thinking that Jesus had His priorities
wrong. After all, Jesus stopped for a commoner in the crowd when Jairus had served in the synagogue! Jesus
stopped for an old, weakened woman when a young child was dying! Despite what Jairus may have thought, he followed
Jesus to his house. Isn't that what we must do when we have prayed and prayed and it seems too late for
Jesus to answer? As long as we walk with Jesus, it's never too late. Jairus proved that he believed when He
followed Jesus despite what the circumstances looked like. Everyone there was sure the child was dead for good.
They even stopped their mourning long enough to laugh at Jesus when He told them the child was not dead, only sleeping.
(Luke 8;53) But, who got the last laugh? I wonder if Jairus and Jesus laughed together to see the young girl brought
back to life? (Luke 8:54-55) We have got to remember that it is never too late with Jesus. He can raise, even dead things.
He is the life and He can give life to what and whom He will at any time He wills. (John 11:25) Will we, like Jairus, patiently wait for him, not demanding what we might think is our right, and follow
Him? With Jesus, it's never too late. We can and will see His resurrection power at work in our
lives. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 21, 2009 - FROM A NOBODY TO A SOMEBODY! Luke 8:46 (KJV) How
do you feel about yourself this morning? Circumstances and troubles can give us a negative picture of ourselves.
While we shouldn't think more of ourselves than we should, the opposite is true also. (Romans 12:3) In this
world, the competition is fierce. (Luke 22:24-27) Everybody wants to be a, "somebody." The trouble is, there are so many who see themselves
as a, "nobody." Society will reinforce that perception by placing certain values on people because of their
looks, their strength, their intelligence, their financial status, even their spiritual rank or outward performance.
It's interesting that God doesn't see things the way the world sees them. (Philippians 3:3) And we can be truly thankful for that! The woman we read about in
Luke 8:40-48 had every reason to feel like a "nobody." We might be able to relate to some of the reasons she
felt that way about herself. Because of her twelve-year battle with illness, she was poverty stricken.
Many people consider those who are poverty stricken, "nobodies." (Proverbs 29:7) Certainly not anybody could would dare to get close to a famous public figure. She was sick so she could
not do all the things that other people do. If you cannot join in with others in this world, you might find yourself
considered a, "nobody." (Matthew 25:43) Basically, according to Jewish law, she was quarantined. She should never have been out in the
crowd that day. (Leviticus 15:25-30) She was almost worse than a, "nobody," in the eyes of the people. But, something happened
that day when she decided that, despite her apparent, "nobody," status, she would try to get to Jesus. There's
a lot to be said for determination and a faith that will not waiver. Despite the fact that she felt worthless and
useless, she made it! Somehow, she got through the crowds and touched the hem of His garment, just as she had purposed
in her mind to do. All of a sudden, or like the Bible many times says,
"suddenly," her status changed. Have you ever felt timid about being recognized in public because you know
you don't have what it takes to meet all of society's expectations? Maybe that's the way this woman felt.
She just wanted to touch the hem of the garment of Jesus because she knew she would be healed. Perhaps, maybe even much
to her dismay, Jesus stopped. He noticed her. He said, "Somebody has touched me......." (Luke 8:46) Actually, that word, "touched," in the Greek means, "to attach oneself to." What happened
in that instant when the woman attached herself to Jesus? She suddenly went from the status of a, "nobody,"
to a, "somebody." Jesus singled her out and let her know that she was a, "somebody," in His eyes.
She had been made whole because of her faith in Him. In the Kingdom of God, there are no, "nobodies."
To Jesus, everybody is a, "somebody." This is not a status we have to work for and struggle for, like those
in the world. It is one that is given to us because we believe. Because we attach ourselves to our Savior,
receiving salvation, which includes wholeness and the status of relationship with God. Have you been feeling
a little down lately? Like maybe you're a "nobody?" That can change suddenly when you purpose
to attach yourself to Jesus, no matter what people think. When He makes you a, "somebody," nobody can take
it away from you! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 20, 2009 - IN TIMES OF DESPERATION Mark 11:22 (NLT) The world is in a time of desperation. People are looking for answers everywhere but no one seems to have the
answer. Perhaps God is trying to tell us to look to Him, instead of looking to one another. (Psalm 118:8) Do you have a, "mountain," in your life that just doesn't seem to move? It could be financial
or it could be a number of other things such as illness, addiction, marriage problems, a wayward child, need for employment,
or maybe you just want to fill in the blank for yourself. Jesus taught us that, through faith in God, we could
move mountains! Mark 11:23 (NLT) I
tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will
happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I recently read something about Hudson Taylor that gave me hope and more faith. Apparently
he had written a letter to a friend in 1870. Mr. Taylor was reading Mark 11:22 but he was reading it in the King James edition of the English New Testament. In his letter to
his friend, he said that he went to the Greek original and found increased light on this verse because, in the Greek original,
it read, "Hold to the faithfulness of God." There is a lot of talk about, "faith," in the evangelical
community today. It is almost as if, in some cases, "faith," has been given the status of a god. It
is not our faith, per se, that brings about change. It is the object of our faith that makes all the difference.
It is the faithfulness of God that even allows us to have any faith! (Romans 12:3) Do you have a mountain that
needs to be moved today? Don't put your faith in your faith. Put it in the faithfulness of God.
Know that, when you hold on to the faithfulness of God, nothing will be impossible. Luke 1:37 (NIV) 37 For nothing is impossible with God." Whatever
that thing is that is standing between us and God's purpose for our life can be moved in an instant. Not because
we have such great faith, but because of God's faithfulness to us. In these days of desperation, we can remember
the woman with the issue of blood. (Mark 5:21-34) She was truly desperate. She was sick. She was weak. She was penniless. She was,
"unclean," in terms of the Jewish law, so she would not be allowed in public without running the risk of being
stoned. She was a woman. She was interrupting Jesus, who was already on a life and death mission. Can you
relate to any of those conditions? Nevertheless, she must have heard about Jesus somehow. When He came to town,
she risked everything, letting her faith in Him somehow propel her through the crowd. She didn't even need
a Word from Him. She just knew if she could get close enough to Him to touch His clothes, she would
be healed. Mark 5:28 (NIV) 28 because
she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." I'm so glad for the testimony
of this sick, weak, penniless, unclean, risk-taking woman! I'm glad she did not say, "Oh, I wish Jesus
could heal me," and stay hunkered down in her isolation. I'm glad she didn't say, "I hope
Jesus can heal me." She said, "I will be healed." Because she had such
great faith in Jesus, she risked everything and used the last bit of her strength to push forward to be in His presence.
To touch Him. And He saw her faith in Him and honored it. She was healed. Her mountain was moved!
For twelve years, she had looked to others for help. One day, she turned her eyes to Jesus and she received the help
she needed because she believed He could do it. We all have a mountain in our way at some time in life. We can
push and shove on it forever and ask others to help us. It won't move. But, in our moment of desperation, if
we put our faith in God and trust completely in His faithfulness, we will find that our mountain will get
out of the way and we will be walking on a straight path right in the center of God's perfect will. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 19, 2009 - ARE WE RESIGNED TO BEING SICK? Galatians 6:4 (NIV) 4 Each one should test his
own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, As I recall the story of the paralyzed man who was lowered to the feet
of Jesus to be healed, I can relate to him. I can imagine some of the things that might have hindered him from ever
even believing he would walk. Although, I don't see, in the scriptures, how long this man had been paralyzed, it
must have been for a while. Could he have gotten used to being that way? When I was young, I was a sickly child.
I was told that I was, "fragile." I grew up with a mindset that I would always be sick. That I was weak.
I compared myself with others who could do much more than I could. Without realizing it, I grew up with a "victim,"
mentality. That sort of thing can happen to us when we start comparing ourselves with others in any way. We are
all sick in some way. (Romans 3:23) Since sin is at the center of every kind of sickness, we are all touched by it in some way or another. And,
compared to God, we are all weak. But, in that weakness, we, instead of concentrating on our own disability, can become
strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10) What about the paralytic man? What do you suppose his mindset
was? We don't know if he was paralyzed because of something he had done. He may have been paralyzed because
of something someone had done to him. For whatever reason, we know that Jesus first said, "Your sins are forgiven."
(Luke 5:20) How long do you suppose that man laid on his mat, unable to move, comparing himself with others who had two good
legs and were able to get about? Did this bring on bitterness and envy? I know that I have found myself envious
of others who could do things I could not do. I wonder how long it took him to become comfortable in that position.
(Philippians 4:11) Don't we always try to adapt to our circumstances? To find a "comfortable place?" There
is a great difference in becoming resigned to a circumstance and being content in it. In our contentment, we know
that God is able to deliver us at any time. (1 Timothy 4:18) If we are resigned, we may be walking in unbelief instead of in faith. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Finally, maybe he had become sure that he would be
paralyzed for the rest of his life. When his friends came to take him to Jesus, do you wonder if he resisted at first?
Do you suppose he might have been afraid to get into such a large crowd? After all, there would be pushing and shoving.
What if he got jostled off his mat? And, how about the fact that after they got there, he had to trust his friends to
carry him on a mat up on top of a roof and then lower him down to the feet of Jesus! He was already paralyzed.
He was already a spectacle compared to those around him. What if he fell off? What if they dropped him?
Don't you suppose that, if you were that man, you might have had at least a bit of fear? I know I would
have. I don't like to feel helpless and weak, much less in public! Praise the Lord, the story of the
paralyzed man had a great ending. After assuring the man that his sins were forgiven, Jesus said, "Pick
up your mat and go home." (Luke 5:24) Of course, the man had to lay there on the floor at Jesus's feet for a while, as Jesus dealt with the unbelief
of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. (Luke 5:17, 21-24) Are you in a weakened condition in some way? Have you resigned yourself to it? Or, are you contentedly
trusting Jesus to deliver you in His time and in His way? Do you feel like that paralyzed man laying there
on the floor at the feet of Jesus? You have had one Word from Jesus, just like the man did. "Your
sins are forgiven." Now you're still laying there and Jesus seems to be ignoring you. He's busy
dealing with others. If that's where we are today we can be content, but not resigned and feeling victimized.
Because Jesus has not forgotten a thing. He knows we're still at His feet waiting. Just as He did for
the paralyzed man, He will finish His work in us. In our weakness, whatever that may be, we will be made strong
by His power if we will stop being resigned to something and contentedly trust and wait for Him. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 18, 2009 - THE FAITH OF FRIENDS Luke 5:20 (NLT) Some
of us this morning may be in need of healing. Our bodies may be screaming for a physical healing. And Jesus hears
those prayers because He is our compassionate Savior. Matthew 14:14 (ASV) And
he came forth, and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. Jesus certainly
understands what it is like to have a body that is burning with pain. (Isaiah 53:3-5) But, Jesus also knows that a sick and dying spirit is much more dangerous than any sickness in our body. One
day a group of men heard that Jesus was in town. They had a friend who was paralyzed. Instead of just going to
see Jesus themselves, they decided to take their friend along. (Luke 5:18) They were sure Jesus could heal him. Do we take our friends to Jesus daily as the Holy Spirit brings them to
mind? When they got to the house where Jesus was teaching, they were hindered by the crowds. (Luke 5:19) What is hindering us this morning from praying for or helping a friend who is in need of healing? These men
did not give up easily. They climbed onto the roof of the house, removed some tiles, hoisted the man on his mat up there,
and lowered him right to the feet of Jesus! When we are distracted or seemingly hindered from helping those in need
of healing, do we make the extra effort? I know I have so much more to learn in this area. Well, Jesus was impressed by the faith of these friends but He didn't say the words they expected Him to say.
Instead of healing the man's paralysis right away, He said, "Your sins are forgiven you." I wonder if
these tired, and probably sweaty men, were disappointed at these words. Certainly there were some in the crowd that
were greatly offended by the words of Jesus. You would think it would be those who didn't believe in God or know
the scriptures. But, surprisingly, it was the religious authorities of the time! (Luke 5:17, Luke 5:21) Here we see that Jesus did more than a few things in this situation, but not exactly what most people
expected. First He went to the root of the problem. Sin is always at the root of sickness, whether it is a
specific sin in our lives, or the sinful nature into which we are born. Sin is missing the mark. (Romans 3:23) We have all done that. It started with the devil. (Isaiah 14:14) Not being satisfied with the angels he had managed to take with him in his fall, he entered the Garden
of Eden where Adam and Eve were in perfect health in every way. He wanted to deceive God's children and destroy
them. He did succeed in deceiving them but God was not about to let His precious children be destroyed. (Genesis 3:1, Genesis 3:14-15) Thus began the decline in the spiritual, emotional, and physical health of mankind. That's why Jesus
had to come. (John 3:17) If you have not received Him as Lord of your life and confessed your sins to Him, today you can do that.
(Matthew 4:17, 2 Corinthians 6:2) Today He wants to forgive you of your sins, just as He did for the paralytic
of that day. If you are in pain today and
you need a healing, but you don't know Jesus, The Healer, find some friends that know Him. Ask them about Him.
If you are too weak to go to Him, let them carry you to Him. Become a follower of Him. The faith of those
who follow Jesus can help you find your way in this life and in eternity. If these faithful friends had not thought
about their disabled friend, that man may never have had his sins forgiven. The paralyzed man may have heard
about Jesus being in the area. But, he had no way to get to Him. He may have had some faith that Jesus could
heal him but his disability kept him from getting to Jesus. Do you know anyone who needs help in getting to Jesus? As
believers, we have the opportunity to help our friends come to Jesus. It may require some extra effort, just as
we see in the story of the paralyzed man's friends. What we expect to happen may not happen right
away. I doubt if those friends expected the first words from the mouth of Jesus to be, "Your sins are forgiven."
But, by faith, we know that the Great Physician does not just cover up symptoms. He goes to the root cause and
gives the cure. In all of our lives, sin is the root cause of our spiritual, emotional, and physical disease.
We live in a fallen, sinful world and we can be touched and harmed by it. Nevertheless, Jesus can and will reverse
this curse if we ask Him. Do you have friends who will help you to find the healing you need in Jesus? Sometimes
we hesitate to listen to these people. They're just too, "far out." The paralyzed man, perhaps thought
his friends were a little radical as he lay there on his mat watching them make a hole in someone's roof so
they could lower him to Jesus. Are you a friend who has faith enough to take someone to Jesus, no matter what
it takes, and let Jesus start the healing process? If so, lift them up, and then let them down gently at the feet
of Jesus. He will do the rest. God still honors the faith of friends. (Galatians 6:2) MORNING MANNA - MARCH 17, 2009 - IS SICKNESS SOMETIMES RELATED TO REBELLION? Psalm 107:17-21 (NIV) What is a fool? It is a perverse person. One who lacks wisdom
and discipline. (Proverbs 24:7, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 15:5) A fool will not acknowledge guilt but will actually laugh at it. (Proverbs 14:9) A fool insists on claiming his right to be right and will fight about it, rather than seek peace. (Proverbs 20:3) Fools love to quarrel. Don't even try to discipline one of these kinds of people because the Bible says
that your efforts will be wasted. (Proverbs 16:22) Haven't we all played the part of a fool at one time or another? Thank God, He is a God of grace
and transformation. As we learn His Word and follow, He will make us into a new creature! (2 Corinthians 5:17) Psalm 107:17-21 give us a good picture of what happens to foolish people. Sometimes, in His mercy, God will allow them to suffer
affliction (including sickness) because of their sin. This is not a punishment, rather a wake-up call. God is
not willing that any one of us should die a fool. He does not will that we should die in our sin. (2 Peter 3:9) Like any good father, He will use whatever means He thinks necessary, including sickness, to bring us back
to reality. (Deuteronomy 8:5) That does not mean that all sickness is a result of sin in our lives but it does mean that we might want to inquire
of God to see if, in some area, we might be unknowingly (or even willfully) playing the part of a fool or a rebel against
Him. (Psalm 139:23) What things happened to these examples of people who chose
to live a life of rebellion and sin against God? Psalm 107:18: They loathed all food and drew near the gates
of death. Many have lost their appetite due to depression or some other illness. Of course, if we
don't eat, we will die. Some of us have not realized that, not only must we eat food to stay physically alive, but
we must eat spiritual food to keep spiritually alive. Daily. Are you in some trouble this morning with depression
or loss of appetite? Have you also lost your appetite for God's Word? Our spiritual health will
pass through our emotions and our will. It will affect our bodies. (Proverbs 18:14) So, perhaps, instead of concentrating on our physical afflictions, it would be good to build up our spirits.
With a strong spirit, we can endure a physical illness. If our spirit is crushed, we stand little chance of becoming
whole. So what might be the first thing we can do if we find ourselves in some need of healing? Psalm 107:19: Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. God's
Word indicates that we should cry out to the Lord in our trouble. Only He can save us from our sickness and
distress. He may use others to help us such as doctors and psychologists, but He is the only One who can bring
total healing. How does He do such a thing? Psalm 107:20: He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the
grave. Yes, you guessed it. He sends His Word. He sends the Holy Spirit of Jesus, who is the
Word. (John 1:14, John 14:26) This morning, will you call on the Lord if you are sick in body, soul, or spirit? Will you go to His Word?
Will you receive it, as He sends it forth to heal you in every way? When He's finished with you, there will be nothing
left to do but this: Psalm 107:21: 21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and
his wonderful deeds for men. Now, this may be a process, depending on just how sick you have become
in any one, or all, of these areas. But, because we have the promise that God will rescue and deliver us, we can start
today by giving thanks to Him for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men (and women)! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 16, 2009 - THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID Isaiah 55:3 (KJV) When Isaiah speaks of the sure
mercies of David, he is talking about the promises of Christ. He is showing us that we have a covenant with Him,
if we have come to Jesus in faith. In this covenant, all sorts of things are promised. For one thing God promises
that our soul will live. There is nothing worse than having a depressed and despondent soul. Emotional sickness,
sickness of the soul, will drag us down until we can't see God's hand upon our life. At the same time,
it will release chemicals in our body which will cause physical symptoms, and, in the long term, physical disease.
(Proverbs 17:22) My mother-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer when she was about eighty
years old. She was told that she had three months to live. There was nothing they could do for her. We
all went to Jesus in prayer. The bottom line is that she lived to be ninety years old! Yes, she did suffer somewhat because
she had to use oxygen all the time and that limited her activities. However, during all that time, she kept a prayer
list a mile long and spent a great deal of time in prayer for anyone she heard of that needed prayer. (James 5:16) James tells us that we can pray for one another for healing. That's just what she did and, in the process,
God was healing her! Like the rest of us who have physical problems, she had her moments, but her faith in God
kept her joyful and in prayer for others. At the age of ninety, she became ill with congestive
heart failure. I was privileged to be with her much of the time and I would often hear her call out, "Jesus
have mercy on me." Isn't that much like the blind man, Bartimaeus, who called from the sidelines, "Son
of David, have mercy on me."? (Mark 10:47) Many tried to stop him. (Mark 10:48) You know, if you and I are calling out to Jesus, the devil will try to stop us too. He'll tell us that Jesus
really doesn't heal today. Like Bartimaeus, we must continue to call on Jesus. The sure mercies
of Jesus, as foretold by the prophecy of Isaiah, are still in effect today! We, too, can call out, "Jesus
have mercy on me." We, too, can receive healing. I sat, alone, with my mother-in-law in the hospital
room as she passed from this world into the arms of our merciful Jesus. As I read this passage from Isaiah, I realized
that Jesus answered her prayer and she did go Home healed. You see, toward the very end, she motioned that she did not
want her oxygen any more. With the agreement of the doctor, we took it off. By all rights, she should have
been gasping for breath, turning blue, etc. That did not happen. She lay there peacefully and, as I held her hand,
I hardly knew that she was gone. Jesus had mercy on her. He healed her. We don't know how and
when Jesus will heal us or just how He will choose to show His mercy. We do know that He will heal and
that we can receive the "sure mercies of David," mentioned in Isaiah 55:3. Do you need healing mercies today? As the song, "Call on Jesus," aptly says, "When I call
on Jesus, all things are possible." That, my dear friend, includes healing. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 15, 2009 - DOES JESUS HEAL TODAY? John 3:17 (KJV) If you just read John 3:17, shown above, you might wonder what that verse has to do with the question, "Does Jesus heal today?". At
first glance, it probably means nothing to you. This verse is about salvation. Yes, it is. But, healing
is also included. It is through the blood of Jesus that we are saved from our sin-sickness and it is also through the
blood of Jesus that we are healed from our emotional and physical ailments. What does it mean when John 3:17 says that, through Jesus, the world might be saved? The word, "saved," means just that, "to save."
It also means, "deliver, protect, heal, preserve, do well, be whole." (Strong's Concordance) Just
in case we might be tempted to think that this word is only used for spiritual sickness, we might want to check out a
few verses in the new testament where the same Greek word, "sozo," is used. James 5:15: Here James tells us that the prayer of the faith by the elders of the church shall save (sozo) the sick and the Lord
shall raise that person up. In addition it says that if that person has committed any sins, they will also be forgiven. Luke 8:26-39: Luke recounts a story of a man possessed by many demons. This was a very sick man. Jesus completely healed
the man. This same word, "sozo," is used in Luke 8:36, as eye-witnesses described the man's healing. In Luke, Chapter 3, we find Peter and John at the gate of the
temple called, "Beautiful." Here they see a man lame from birth, begging for money. Instead of money,
they, through the healing power of Jesus, give the man healing. Peter uses the same word, "sozo," to
describe this man's healing. (Acts 4:9) In Matthew 9:21, the woman with the issue of blood also uses the word, "sozo," when she pushes forward, through the crowd, to
touch Jesus for her physical healing. Jesus uses that same word in Matthew 9:22 to confirm the woman's healing. Today, if you have made Jesus the Lord of your life, you can go
to Him in your time of sickness, whether it be spiritual, emotional, or physical. You can also go to Him, asking for
healing for others. Jesus never changes. One of His characteristics is that of compassion. (Matthew 14:14) Out of that compassion, he healed the sick when He walked the earth. Since He is the same yesterday, today,
and forever, (Hebrews 13:8) we can know that His compassion never ends. (Lamentations 3:22) He is still willing and able to arise with healing in His wings for those who will come to Him in faith.
(Malachi 4:2) Jesus didn't come to condemn us but to bring healing for our spirits, souls, and bodies. MORNING
MANNA - MARCH 14, 2009 - HEAL ME LORD! Psalm 6:2 (NLT) Are you in need of any type of healing this morning? I see, from Psalm 6:2, that David must have suffered some troubles in his life that prompted him to call on Yaweh
Rapha for healing. When David is calling out to God for compassion, he is saying, "I am sick."
Then he tells the Lord that his bones are in agony. This may sound familiar to some. Have you ever felt weak?
Unable to do those things you desire to do? Have you ever felt pain in your bones? It could be from arthritis
or even a high fever will cause pain in our bones. Whatever it was, David felt as though he were going to die. (Psalm 6:4-5) I've had those moments. Maybe you have too. David was troubled because he was
surrounded by enemies. There's nothing worse than needing to fight or defend yourself and finding yourself
too weak and too sick to do it! David admitted that his soul was troubled. When our soul or emotions gets stirred up, it does affect
our bodies. (Psalm 6:3) When our bodies contract some sort of disease, it usually also affects our emotional state.
Here was David stressed out over his enemies and, to top it off, he was sick and in pain. Does anybody relate?
David felt like he couldn't hold on a moment longer. "How long?," he begged God. I've done that
a time or two also. Maybe you have too. This morning, you and I have enemies that we can't see. Those evil
rulers and principalities in high places. (Ephesians 6:12) I'm encouraged by David's example in this case. David must have had about as much as he could take and his faith rose up inside of him. He
spoke to his mountain of sickness and his enemies. Psalm 6:8 (NLT) Go away, all you who do evil,
for the Lord has heard my weeping. Years later, Jesus would tell his disciples that they could, in faith,
speak to a mountain and it would be removed. (Matthew 21:21) What mountain of disease or suffering in your life do you need to speak to in
the Name of Jesus? As David speaks to his enemies, he assures himself and declares to them, Psalm 6:9 (NLT) The
Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer. This morning, whatever sort of healing you're
in need of, you can declare that the Lord has heard your prayer and that he will answer. We know that He knows
what we need before we even ask Him! (Matthew 6:8) We also know He told us that, whatever we ask, believing, we would receive.
(Matthew 21:22) He didn't say when we would receive it, only that we would receive it.
Even if we are literally raised from the dead, just like Lazarus, these bodies made of dust will still have to die.
However, we are assured of our ultimate healing when we pass from this life to the next and receive brand new perfect bodies.
(1 Corinthians 15:42-44) Bodies that will never again feel pain or the suffering of death. (Revelation 21:4) In the meantime, our God is able to appear suddenly and relieve us of whatever it is
that is causing us pain. David knew that. That's why he declared those things that tormented him, "suddenly,"
gone. (Psalm 6:10) Like David, you may have been crying out, "How long, Lord." (Mark 5:29) God has heard your prayer. Just like he heard the woman's prayer that had the
issue of blood. For twelve long years, she suffered and even suffered financially. One day, she heard Jesus was
in the crowd. Her faith stirred up in her and she pressed in to touch him. She waited for twelve long agonizing
years but one day, when she touched Jesus, she got her, "sudden," healing. (Mark 5:34) He's as close to you today as He was to that broken and weak little woman. Won't you
reach out by faith like David did? Like the woman with the issue of blood did? He will hear and answer your
every prayer. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 13, 2009 - DO YOU NEED A DOCTOR? Exodus 15:26 (AMP) What is your doctor's name?
Or, like many of us, you may have several doctors, each with a different name. The Lord revealed one of His names to
us in Exodus 15:26. That name is "Yahweh Rapha," meaning, "The God who heals." Among the
many names that God has which reveal his individual characteristics, one of them is, "The God who heals."
Since God cannot change, He will always be, "The God who heals." (Numbers 23:19) Throughout His Word, God makes covenants with His people.
He made one with the Israelites when He brought them out of Egypt. God never breaks a covenant. To the Israelites,
God promised to keep them free from the diseases He had brought upon the Egyptians. Because we are also God's
children, we know that He will also protect us from disease. There's just one thing. There are conditions
to the covenant that God gave the Israelites. They pretty much boil down to the fact that, in order to receive God's
healing, we need to listen to Him and obey Him. If
we look carefully at Exodus 15:26, we see that God said he would do His part, if they did their part. What was their part? It was
to listen to His voice. It wasn't just to listen as we might think of listening to some background music.
It was to listen carefully and keep His words in their minds. When they had listened, the were told to do
what is right. To obey his commandments. To keep his ordinances. In Psalm 119:107, the Psalmist is praying for relief from affliction. Medical scientists today are just beginning
to realize that emotional upset and spiritual sickness can affect our physical well-being. As the Psalmist prayed for
relief, He also, in many of the surrounding verses in Psalm 119, admitted the importance of following God's Word. If we need a doctor this morning, perhaps
we should check in first with Yahweh Rapha. When we come to Him, He will check our hearts first. (Psalm 139:23) As we get those issues straightened out with Him, we will begin to feel much better. Before
we seek out any other doctor, it might be well to seek the Lord, our Healer. To listen to Him and be a compliant
patient. There's no better prescription for our healing, spiritual, emotional, and physical, than His
Word. Psalm 107:20 (NLT) 20 He
sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 12, 2009 -NO SILVER AND GOLD IN YOUR POCKET? Acts 3:6 (KJV) There have been times in my life when I wanted to do great things.
I would say to the Lord, "If I just had this or that, I could do it." At the time, I didn't have, "this
or that." Besides that, "this or that," would cost money. I didn't have the money either!
Money, of course is necessary. Silver and gold are needed to pay our bills and put food on our table. But, sometimes
I have forgotten that God can get silver and gold to me any time He wants to. He is God. All things are possible
with Him. (Matthew 19:26) Nothing is impossible with Him. (Luke 18:27) Can not the One who owns the earth and all that is in it distribute silver and gold to whom He will? (Psalm 24:1) Did Jesus promise that all His followers would have
mounds of money? I don't find that promise anywhere in the Bible. I do find that Jesus promised that we would
have everything we need. (Philippians 4:19) That promise seems to be based on a condition. What is that condition? It is that we seek His Kingdom
first. (Matthew 6:33) When I have told the Lord that I could do, "this or that," if I just had, "this or that,"
I have almost audibly heard Him reply, "You have everything you need." Obviously so, because He cannot
break a promise and He has promised to give us what we need! What He was telling me is that, when I have Him, I have
everything I need. Do you wonder if Peter and John went around with
their heads hanging down because they didn't have a lot of silver and gold? Do you think they thought that God didn't
have favor on them because they didn't have, maybe as much as some others? It doesn't appear that way.
They knew within themselves that they had everything they needed. They seemed to be looking for someone to give
it to. There was a lame man sitting outside of the temple as Peter and John were about to go in. (Acts 3:1-3) Have you ever been walking, when a street person came up to you and asked for some money? What did
you do? Many times, people like that are ignored. Peter and John could have ignored the man but they didn't.
Instead, Peter looked intently at the man and told the man to look in their eyes. (Acts 3:4) Of course, the man was probably highly anticipating some money. Someone had noticed him and paid attention to
his request! (Acts 3:5) Surprise, surprise! Peter and John didn't have any money to give him. No! They had something
much better. By the Spirit of the Lord, they brought healing to him. (Acts 3:6) They stood there and told him, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." (Acts 3:7) Now, if you've had much experience with doctors, you know it just doesn't happen that way in their
offices most of the time. Besides that, you have to go to them on their time schedule and you can't
ask them for money. Instead, they take all your money. God's Kingdom is filled with things much
more valuable than silver and gold. Peter did not just sternly tell the lame man to get up and walk and then stand there
piously waiting to see if the man would obey. Peter stooped down himself, took the man by the hand, and raised him up. The
Lord instantly gave what was needed and the man's feet and his ankle bones received strength! He didn't
just walk. He leaped in the air, he stood and then he walked and jumped for joy as he went with them to
the temple. Best of all, he was praising God all the way. (Acts 3:8) This man was now healed and free. He could earn a living for himself. No more begging and feeling like
he was less than others. If you think you don't have what you need this morning because you don't have the silver
and gold to buy it, take another look. Some of the greatest gifts we can pass along to others don't involve money
at all. These are gifts that no amount of money could even buy. Today, watch for the people God will
put in your pathway. If they are needy, take notice and do whatever Jesus tells you to do. If you are a believer,
He has placed all that you need right inside of you. You don't have to worry if your pockets are empty. Jesus
is in your heart. He will never leave it empty. He's waiting to bless you and someone else too!
No silver and gold required! MORNING MANNA - WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT, RICHES OR A GOOD NAME? Proverbs 22:1 (AMP) If you are listening to the news these days, you have noticed that the focus is
on silver and gold. It's on riches. Or, really, the lack thereof. If you have invested in
the stock market, you may have lost most or even all of your monetary riches. If you have invested in a home, it
may be worth less than the mortgage you are trying to pay off. Why is all of this happening? Among the, probably
many, reasons, here is one. People have chosen great riches over having a good reputation. They have
chosen to risk their reputation for riches. Among the crimes we see today, some of the worst ones are committed
by those people who use smooth words, but inside are ravening wolves. They scam people out of the money they are
saving for their children's education or for retirement without batting an eye. These deceivers amass billions
of dollars for themselves, but trash their reputation. The scripture tells us that a good name or, as another translation
puts it, a good reputation, is to be sought after more than great riches. When we know that our Father in Heaven has purposed and promised to be our Provider, we can be assured that we will
have what we need. (Philippians 4:19) There is a scramble going on today because of the world's economy. The test is now.
What are we going to seek first? Or, I should say, who are we going to seek first? Hopefully, this test
will prompt us to seek the Lord! Matthew 6:33-34 (NIV) 33 But
seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its
own. He's exactly Who we should seek first! Even if we have made a mess because
of some poor choices. Will we be humble enough to turn our messes over to Jesus and let Him make a message out of them?
He said, everything we need would be given to us if we would seek His Kingdom first. That's because His Kingdom
never has an economic problem. His Kingdom will never go bankrupt. Although we are citizens of the country
in which we live in this world, we belong to a higher Kingdom if we have given our lives to Jesus. A Kingdom that is
eventually going to rule every country in this world. (Daniel 7:13-140 Today, we must live by faith that He is going to take care of us completely until that time and for eternity!
Because we are citizens of a higher Kingdom, we are cared for and provided for by the King of Kings! The Word of God says that the righteous will live by faith. So, first
of all, our reputation has to be in good standing with God. We need to be righteous. Oh, dear! For
all of us that is impossible because we have all sinned and come short of having a good reputation with
God. (Romans 3:23) But, if we will receive it, Jesus has offered us His reputation, His righteousness. (1 Corinthians 1:30) He gives it to us for free. (Romans 6:23) But, it is not cheap. It came at a great price. (1 Corinthians 7:23) Now, we can have a good reputation with God. How about our reputation among mankind? Do we display the
fruit of the Holy Spirit. Are we kind, honest, gentle, patient, etc., etc.? (Galatians 5:22-23) If so, those around us will see it and the glory will go to God where it belongs. (Matthew 5:16) Yes, we are going through some troubles in the world right now. It looks like they come from a lack
of silver and gold. But could the lack be because some have sought silver and gold while discarding their
reputation and the reputation of Almighty God? The good thing is that Almighty God is merciful. If anyone
will turn from their sins, He will forgive them, no matter what they have done. Matthew 4:17 (TLB) From
then on, Jesus began to preach, "Turn from sin and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." Perhaps,
in this time of worldly economic meltdown, God wants us to get our priorities back in order. What is more important
to us? A good name? Good standing with Him and with our fellow man? Or, is it silver and gold?
Maybe He wants us to remember that what we think about most is what we worship. What exactly is that? Is
it our Father in Heaven? Or, is it the gifts of silver and gold that He has given us? Maybe He wants us
to remember that He told us to have no other gods before Him. Maybe He is showing us the truth that the love
of riches is just like He said. The root of all evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) Today, we can be a part of the solution to the problems facing our world. We can determine to choose and
value a good reputation above striving for great riches. When your name is mentioned, what is the
first thought that comes to the mind of God and to others? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 10, 2009 - SILVER AND GOLD Proverbs 25:11 (AMP) We all need money in order to survive in this world. But, just how
much importance do we place on such things as riches? How much do we value silver and gold? This morning,
I read Proverbs 25:11 It talks about apples of gold in settings of silver. The scripture is describing what our words can be. Our
words, spoken at the right time and in the right way are so valuable. As valuable as apples made of gold given in baskets
made of silver! In these hard economic days, the enemy would have us focus on our lack rather than what we
have. While it is true that silver and gold are at an all time low, you and I, as believers, have something worth just
as much, and more. It's our words of encouragement and advice spoken at just the right time. Just think about
walking into a mansion and seeing silver baskets on a mantle piece. Look, those baskets are filled with large,
shimmering apples crafted from pure gold! Now, think about what you can say when someone comes to you and needs
a word of encouragement to help them keep going. You've got a treasure chest of things more valuable than silver
and gold within you! Living by faith and not by sight is what
we are called to do. (2 Corinthians 5:7) The times we live in now are testing us to see if we really are going to do that. Our sight tells us one thing.
I know of people who have no work. Others who are working at menial jobs, making a mere pittance of what their abilities
qualify them to do. Credit card companies are raising their interest rates by more than twenty points if someone is one
day late, just one time, with a payment. The whole world is experiencing what looks like great lack. That's
what we see with our eyes. Where has all the silver and gold gone? Where have the riches gone? If we
look deeply inside of ourselves, we will find that they are not gone. What looks like silver and gold is gone
but what God sees as even more valuable than silver and gold is still within us. It is our words that can give life
when silver and gold cannot. By His Words, God created the whole world. He spoke everything into place.
Then, when the world turned against Him, He sent His Word. That Word, Jesus, gave us life. Not any amount of silver
or gold could have paid the ransom for our lives. Only the blood of Jesus could do a thing like that. (1 Peter 1:17-21) If the economic crunch, or any other type of crunch,
is weighing heavily upon you today, remember that your hope is not in the economy of this world or in any other man-made
plan. It is God who gives the power to get wealth. (Deuteronomy 8:18) It is God who gives us the power to do anything we do, including take the next breath. Having
had an awful case of pneumonia and knowing the feeling of not being able to take a breath, I can attest to the fact that
God is the one who provides everything we need, including our next breath. (Acts 17:28) When you can't get a breath, silver and gold and all the riches in the world will not help you.
When you're in a circumstance that you can't get through, no amount of money will get you out of it. No person,
no matter how strong they are, can rescue you. Our trust must be in God alone. (Psalm 118:8) Today, no matter what the circumstances are that you and I face, we have hope.
That hope is not in people or in the economy. It is in God. We never have to be ashamed of that hope.
We do have an enemy. He would like to make us think that we have no hope or to make us look to silver and gold
or people for our hope. We must do like the Psalmist did. Psalm 38:15-22 (ASV) 15 For
in thee, O Jehovah, do I hope: Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 9, 2009 - GENTLY POWERFUL 2 Corinthians 10:1 (NIV) It doesn't matter whether you or I have an outgoing
personality or not. We still carry power within us. (Philippians 2:13) Today, with so much "hype," in the world and sometimes in ministry, if we are of the more contemplative
type or have a naturally gentle temperament, we might feel that we cannot make an impact on the world. However,
we can still have a powerful impact on others! It is not we who make the impact, but the One who lives in us.
While the world tends to look for a powerful person by outside appearances and actions, God has a more in-depth approach.
He looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) Whether we are naturally outgoing and assertive in our personality
or naturally gentle and easy-going, God is looking inside at our heart. The Apostle, Paul, was a naturally zealous person
before His conversion. (Philippians 3:6) He was a "get-it-done," type of person. He was naturally powerful and certainly not weak. But,
after his conversion, He chose to be meek and gentle in his approach toward people. He was visited by
Jesus, Himself, so Paul could have added that to his natural powerfully personality and been hard on those he ministered
to. Instead he chose to be humble and meek. He chose to be gentle and mild. That did not change the
fact that he was on a mission and it did not mean that he was weak in his belief. When we, like Paul, get to know Jesus, He begins a process in us, leading us to be more and more like Himself.
He did not come to tear people down, though He certainly had the power to do it. (John 3:17) I'm certain that, in His humanity, he might have been tempted to call down fire from Heaven on some of those that
so cruelly opposed Him. During His greatest trials, He did nothing to harm anyone personally. (1 Peter 2:23) He was teaching us what Paul continues to teach in 2 Corinthians 10:5-6. We don't live the way the world lives and we don't fight the way the world fights. We
fight with spiritual weapons because our enemies are not people but wicked spiritual rulers in high places. (Ephesians 6:12) So, it doesn't matter what we look like on the outside or what type of personality we have, we
are all powerful because Christ in us gives us the power to demolish any argument or pretension that sets itself
up against the knowledge of God. (2 Corinthians 10:5) Today, if, because you have a tender personality, you feel that you have no power, know that the
power of Christ in you is all you need to effect a change in things around you. You have divine power
to fight those spiritual forces that cause evil. There may be some of us who are so outgoing and zealous, that we have
to make a choice like Paul did when he chose to be gentle and mild with others. Like Paul, we must still keep
our vision and core beliefs without compromise. All of us are unique. We all look different. We all
have different personality types. God has a special purpose for each one. Some of us are powerfully
gentle and others are gently powerful! Either way, we all have power and the Lord wants us all to
be gentle! Philippians 4:5 (NIV) 5 Let
your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 8, 2009 - GENTLENESS IS A PART OF WISDOM James 3:13 (KJV) 13 Who
is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. The mark of a truly wise person is gentleness. Humility. Meekness. We
can recognize it in a person whose behavior is virtuous. One whose deeds are honorable. One who, though
that person may be highly intelligent, doesn't have that, "know-it-all," attitude. God
wants children who are wise and, at the same time, gentle. Paul said he was called
to be an ambassador for Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20) Because of that, he did not want to call attention to himself, but rather, reflect Christ. (1 Thessalonians 2:7) Jesus was the epitome of gentleness and wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:30 (NLT) 30 God
has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made
us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Jesus is our wisdom. He is that wisdom
that comes from Heaven. The world has a different
kind of wisdom. It seems wise but, it only leads to destruction. (James 4:15-16, Proverbs 16:25) It is never coupled with gentleness, meekness, or humility either. The world's wisdom is full
of envy and jealousy. It is full of contention and strife. Competition is the key word and anything goes to get
success. It does not do what Jesus came to do. It does not reconcile or bring people closer to God.
It only drives them (and us) further away. (James 3:14) What kind of wisdom resides in our hearts today? If the world or the organized church
is driving us to be contentiously competitive, that's the wrong kind of wisdom. We need to be wise enough
to know that God is fully capable of and will raise up whom He will raise up and take down those He wishes to take down. (Psalm 75:7) And what does the scripture tell us about how to achieve success? It tells us
to humble ourselves before God. 1 Peter 5:6 (Amp) Therefore humble yourselves
[demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, How
do we humble ourselves before God? Unlike this worrying world, we cast all our cares on Him, trusting that He will
take care of us and lift us up at just the right moment. (1 Peter 5:7) We stay well balanced, vigilant and cautious of Satan's traps. (1 Peter 5:8) We stay firm in our faith, being rooted and grounded, withstanding all of the devil's temptations.
(1 Peter 5:9) We humbly remember that we cannot establish ourselves but that it is our God who establishes and settles
us. (1 Peter 5:10) When we know these things, we will know that we are wise. This sort of wisdom will always bring us back to our
focal point, which is Jesus. Looking at His sacrifice for us will keep us humble. It will cause us to remember
that He is our wisdom and we have none on our own. James tells us essentially the same thing Paul tells us about wisdom. It is gentle. It yields peace.
It's free from doubt. It is free from selfishness and competitiveness. James 3:17-18 (Amp) 17
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate,
gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial
and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity). 18 And the harvest of
righteousness (of conformity to God’s will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who
work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals,
with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]. Can
it be said of us that we are seen as wise because of our gentleness? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 7, 2009 - A GENTLE MINISTRY 1 Thessalonians 2:7 (ASV) Do you think of a minister of Christ as one who stands behind a pulpit on Sunday morning? That is true,
but we are all ministers, if we have received Jesus as our Savior. If that were not so, He would have taken
us Home the moment we were believed. We may not minister from a pulpit in a church, but we're all called to minister
to those around us, just like Jesus did. He went about doing good. (Acts 10:38) We're supposed to do that too. (Matthew 5:16) He spoke of His Father. As we pray with one another, our Father is to be the focal point. (Matthew 6:9-13) He pointed the way to Heaven. (John 3:36, Colossians 1:28) How are we doing? And, are we doing what we do with a gentle spirit? Do we encourage one another? 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (NIV) 11 For you know that we
dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting
and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. Do we comfort one
another? 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (KJV) 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves
together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. Do we urge one another to live lives that show
that we belong to God? Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT) 24 Let
us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And
let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his
return is drawing near. And, do we do all these things with a meek and humble spirit? Or do we have
motives that are less than Christ-like? When the Apostle, Paul, ministered to those in Thessalonica, he was gentle with
them even though he could have used his office of Apostle to place burdens on them. (1 Thessalonians 2:7) He and the other apostles, instead, were as gentle as a mother caring for her child. Is that how we are when
we minister to others? I
am so privileged to have a few special friends who have modeled Paul's gentleness, encouragement, comfort, and urging
in my life. They have ministered by listening to me, even when I might have sounded illogical at times. They have
seen the best in me when my best side was definitely now showing! They have sent cards, notes, e-mails, and even sacrificial
gifts that I didn't deserve. They've stopped in to help just when I thought I couldn't make it. They
have shared the Word of God with me and helped me to walk closer to Him. They have comforted me in the death of loved
ones and in hard times with wayward family members. They did all of that without expecting anything of me. All
these things were done because of their love for God which overflowed to me without any expectation from me. (1 Thessalonians 2:3-6) Just as Paul did with the Thessalonian people, they have joyfully shared their lives with me, while sharing
the good news of the gospel to help me in every situation. (1 Thessalonians 2:8) Their lives have ministered to my life. How grateful I am that God has blessed me with such special people!
How it makes me want to be more like them! To be more like Jesus. To be a gentle minister to the needs of others.
The analogies that Paul uses of a mother's nurturing and a father's practical help may be a foreign concept
to you. You may not have had parents like that. Good news! God wants to be all of those things
for you. (Psalm 27:10) Then, He wants to allow you the privilege of sharing what He's done for you, gently, with others. Who is
ready this morning to become a gentle minister? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 6, 2009 - CAN WE FIND A BETTER WAY TO SAY THAT? Proverbs 15:1 (KJV) Some of us in our family
have a tendency to speak sharply. We may be telling the truth but our words cut to the core. This happened
quite a bit in one household. I was amazed at the gentle, but corrective response of the spouse. "Can
we find a better way to say that?" Over and over again, he spoke softly and used this phrase when harsh words were
spoken, rather than getting angry. You know what? It worked. It was much better than getting into a heated
argument over something that was not really worth it! I know, first hand, that a soft answer turns away wrath.
I have seen it work. There is much more power in speaking a tender word than there is in speaking something harsh.
When Proverbs 15:1 speaks of an answer, it means either an agreeable answer or a contradictory answer. When you are being
contradicted, would you respond better to something harsh or something gentle? Watch this: Proverbs 15:4 (KJV) A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.
In modern day language, the Lord is telling us that we actually can have healing in our speech. He wants us to
speak life and not death. Proverbs 18:21) If we are believers, we are representatives of the One who is the Life. (John 14:6) Speaking anything less than life would be sinful. Now, we may have to correct some situations that are leading
to death by trying to warn someone of the pending danger in what they are doing. We need to be salt and light and
speak the truth. (Matthew 5:13-14) But not viciously. Perverseness in our speech means that we are speaking viciously. It means we
might need someone to come along and say, "Can we find a better way to say that?" If we are listening
closely to the words that come out of our mouth, we just may hear the voice of Jesus saying, "Can we find a better way
to say that?" Have you ever heard someone say,
"That really blew my mind!"? Well, if it is in regard to having been spoken to in a harsh and angry way, they
were describing it exactly. What happens someone speaks harshly to you? Do you get flustered? Do you want
to fight back? Do you want to just run into a corner and hide? Something happens to your mind, to your spirit.
It is a negative reaction. It is a reaction that causes death. I remember Jesus talking about calling someone
a, "fool." Matthew 5:22 (NLT) 22 But
I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, (Greek
- "fool") you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger
of the fires of hell. Don't you suppose He was so adamant about that because He came to
bring us life? (John 10:10) It's His will that all should come to eternal life. (2 Peter 3:9) But, when our tongues get in the way of that, we put ourselves in danger, as well as destroying someone else's,
spirit. Their mind. Their very life! Remember Moses? He was one of the most humble men that ever lived. (Numbers 12:3) Yes, he had his problems with frustration and his anger got him into deep trouble. He was
only a human being just like the rest of us. But, he had a humble heart. That is what God is looking for in you
and me. Whatever is in our heart will eventually come out of our mouth. (Luke 6:45) See how Moses spoke to the people: Deuteronomy 32:1-2 (NLT) 1 “Listen,
O heavens, and I will speak! Hear, O earth, the words that I say! 2 Let my teaching
fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on
young plants. As I read further down into Deuteronomy 32, I find that Moses had some pretty difficult truth to tell the people. But, instead of railing on them, He wanted his
words to settle like dew. How gentle and tender! He wanted them to fall like gentle showers that would not harm
a tender young plant. Moses seemed, in this case, to have found a good way to say something hard. Can we,
in our desire to have a gentle spirit, find better ways to say the things we have to say? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 5, 2009 - BEFORE YOU KNOW IT Matthew 12:15 (NIV) If you are feeling weak or needy in any way this morning, take courage. (2 Corinthians 12:10) We do have a gentle Shepherd. When we will stop flailing around and kicking our feet, trying to find
answers, we will look up from our quandary and find Him waiting. His gentle eyes will reflect His heart.
He wants us to have peace. John 16:33 (NIV) 33 "I have told you
these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
It's His desire that you have abundant life. John 10:10 (AMP) 10 The thief comes only
in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till
it overflows). He wants you to have joy. John 15:11-12 (NLT) 11 I
have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. His first
response to us is one of gentleness. Is that our first response
to others who may be weak physically, spiritually, or emotionally? Jesus could have said, "Forget this gentleness
stuff, I've got the power and I'm going to get you guys if you don't get off my back." He had been
going around doing nothing but good but there were some who were intent on destroying Him with words and even with physical
abuse and death. When He encountered those types, He didn't lose His gentleness. I have to admit that
I tend to lose the quality of gentleness when people insist on telling me I'm wrong when I know I'm right! I
have the tendency to fight and argue. But, Jesus didn't do that. His mode of operation was to leave when
things got to the point of an argument. (Matthew 12:15) After all, when you know that you know that you know that you're right, what's the point of fighting about
it? He knew who He was. Do we know who we are in Him? Why did He leave? Because He had more
important things to do than argue with those who had hard and stubborn hearts. Those who had eyes to see saw that He
was gentle and they followed Him. We know what happened from there. He healed them all! He was gentle with
them because they needed help. There are some people who are not going to change their minds, no matter what.
It's useless to get into a heated discussion because there are other people out there who need an encouraging
word, a helping hand, a touch of gentleness. Have you ever felt like
a bruised reed? Just about ready to fall on the ground and die? Maybe somebody with a heavy foot stepped on you.
How about a smoldering wick? Your light may be almost ready to go out. Jesus will be gentle with you if you
will let Him. Matthew 12:20 (NLT) He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering
candle. Finally He will cause justice to be victorious. If you're feeling weak and
rather helpless today, our gentle Savior is waiting for you to look to Him. He's not angry with you.
He wants to help you. He isn't out to crush you or extinguish the light that you have. He wants to bring
strength to your body, soul, mind, and spirit. He wants to fan that small flicker inside you so that His light
will shine brightly through you. Is that the way you and I respond to those who are weak in any way? Philippians
4:5 - Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (NIV) Do you know that
the mere mention of the name of Jesus brings hope? Matthew 12:21 (NIV) 21 In his name the nations will put their hope."
He's never loud or boisterous about it. Matthew 12:19 (NIV) 19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one
will hear his voice in the streets. He doesn't have to be because God anointed Him with His own Spirit.
Matthew 12:18 (NIV) 18 "Here
is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice
to the nations. Jesus has given that same Spirit to us. (Acts 2:38) Part of the fruit of His Spirit is gentleness. Do you need a gentle touch today? Jesus is waiting
to give it to you. Look around. You will see all sorts of people who need a touch of gentleness. People
are hurting and feeling like giving up. Which of us will quietly and gently touch them with the love of Jesus? Before
you know it, things will change! Justice will triumph. Hope will be restored and even unbelievers will come to
the gentle Savior. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 4, 2009 - ZEALOUSLY MEEK Matthew 21:13 (NLT) We
know that Jesus is described by Zechariah as being meek, yet victorious and righteous. Does being humble and meek mean
that we never do anything when we see wrong prevailing? It doesn't appear that way if we follow in the steps
of Jesus. He was humble, meek and gentle. He was all these things before His Father and then toward
mankind. As He rode into Jerusalem, He rode on the back of a donkey, but that did not, at all, men that He was
weak in any way. (Matthew 21:5) It did not mean that His overwhelming zeal to see His Father's work done on earth was in any way diminished.
His Father's business was literally His food! (John 4:34) As soon as Jesus entered Jerusalem and got off that
donkey, He entered the temple. He didn't like what He saw. It was wrong. People weren't there to
worship and to pray to His Father. (Matthew 21:12) They were there to make money. (Jude 1:11) Did the fact that Jesus was upset mean that He was suddenly no longer meek and gentle? Or, that He was
no longer humble? It didn't change those qualities at all. He would not have been true to His Father
if He did not point out the error of the activities in what was supposed to be His Father's house. He recognized
evil and He exposed it. (Matthew 21:13) What happened to all that gentleness? For a moment, Jesus just had to let the truth be known and get rid
of those who were hindering the real work of God in the temple. Just
as fast as Jesus made a change in the atmosphere of the temple, He was gently healing those who were blind and crippled.
(Matthew 21:14) Of course, the religious professionals were indignant because this humble Jesus was doing many more and wonderful
things than they had ever done or thought of. They thought they had the power and here was this meek Galilean exhibiting
more power than they had ever seen! And He wasn't asking for anything in return. Even the children adored
Him. (Matthew 21:15) Being meek does not mean that we are to overlook error when we see it in the church. Jesus didn't overlook
it. In fact, it greatly disturbed Him! He did something. He exposed it and changed things so His gentleness,
meekness, and kindness could be seen, felt, and experienced by those who were in need. There are times when
confrontation is necessary. When we find that we have the choice of obeying either God or man, the choice will always
have to be to obey God. (Acts 5:29) This may cause others to accuse us of being judgmental. They may see it as a lack of humility. Yet, our
meekness must always be before God first. There is a very find line between being judgmental or mean-spirited and being
zealous for God's principles and the truth of His Word. It's interesting that Jesus did not overturn tables
in the marketplace, but in the house of God. There is a higher standard for God's house. I can imagine
that the chief priests and scribes were calling Jesus everything but humble, meek, and mild. But, we know better.
The children, the blind, and the lame knew better too. To the humble and meek, He showed Himself humble and meek.
To those in error, He showed Himself as the Truth. He showed Himself zealously humble in seeing His Father's will
done. When confronted by the totally incensed temple officials, Jesus did not change His mind. He merely,
gently, gave them the Word of God concerning the event, just as He had done when He entered the temple. (Matthew 21:13, Matthew 21:16) Then, He, apparently meekly, left. (Matthew 21:17) He didn't stay around and argue. He gave them the Word and left. Jesus gave us a sound example
of how to be zealously meek, even if, and more likely when, we have to confront error. It will always
be by the Word of God. That's why we have to study it, meditate on it, and walk in it. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 3, 2009 - IS THIS A KING? Matthew 21:5 (ASV) Can you imagine, instead of a large, prestigious motorcade, seeing the President of the United States come into a
city riding on a donkey? How about the Queen of England? Of course, that would never happen in our time!
We have cars now. But, what if one of them or, can you imagine the Pope, came into town in a Volkswagen? Without
all the outside trappings, would any of us recognize them as anything other than an ordinary human being? It's not
going to happen, is it? Do you suppose that's because we have come far from God's description of leadership?
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey. He did not proclaim Himself, King. He didn't have to. People
had seen Him and watched Him. Although He demanded nothing of the people, they flocked to Him. (Matthew 21:8-9) He didn't demand to be in the spotlight, but there He was! Placed by God, not by Himself.
Why did such a thing happen? Because God had ordained it to
show us that, it is in humility and meekness, that we will find our fulfillment in Him. God is looking for those who
are willing to be conformed to the image of His Son. (Romans 8:29) So many of us like to, almost arrogantly say, all things work for good, using Romans 8:28. Some of us act like spoiled children, almost demanding from God that nothing bad should ever happen to us.
Demanding that we always have everything we want. I wouldn't want a child like that. Would you? The
truth is, all things do work for good if we humbly accept the fact that we are only called to love God and walk according
to His purpose for our life. It's not about us. It's about Him. It's about being like
our Father. Then, as we do that, He will see to it that we are conformed to the image of His Son. We will be humbled
to know that Almighty God could use us. We will find that, it is in our weakness, that we are made strong by His power.
Because the Kingdom of Heaven is upside down, compared to our kingdoms in this world, we will find our greatest power
comes from humility, meekness - gentleness. Do you think Jesus had an easy time of it on earth? Do you think it was hard for Him, knowing He
was King of Kings, not to take that position and lord it over people? Power has the tendency to corrupt. We can
see that in the governments of the world today. God has such a different idea of leadership than we do. He said,
if we are to lead, we must be the servant. (Matthew 23:11) How much better do you think it would be if our businesses and churches were run that way?
How about our own homes? Can that even happen? It can happen when we allow God to conform us to the image of His
son, no matter what we have to go through. In Zechariah 9:9, there is a prophesy that Jesus will ride into Jerusalem meekly on a donkey. In the same passage,
it says He is righteous and victorious. The reason He can come humbly to His people is that He knows He
is righteous and victorious. He knows He is anointed by the Spirit of God. (Isaiah 42:1) He doesn't need to shout it out. He never walked around shouting for the purpose of drawing people to His
ministry. Isaiah 42:2 (NIV) 2 He
will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. He didn't have to. Did He look
like a King? Probably not in the way we think a King would look. Do the leaders of today look like
Jesus or do they look like Satan, who knew He was not God, but wanted to take God's place. Moreover, what
do we look like, as God's children. He has made us priests and kings, not because of who we are, but because of
who He is. Do we look like Him? Do we know, within ourselves, that His power is shown best in our humbleness,
our meekness, our gentleness? If we know it, does it show in our lives? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 2, 2009 - A PICTURE OF GENTLENESS 2 Samuel 22:36 (NIV) Part of the fruit of the spirit is gentleness. Some versions of the Bible use the word, "meekness."
(Galatians 5:22-23) God will never ask us to be something that He is not. Although He is all-powerful, He is also gentle.
He is meek. Not weak, for sure, but meek. I once heard that the definition of meekness was, "power
under control." That pretty much describes God, doesn't it? I'm so glad that He doesn't unleash
that almighty power on me every time I deserve it. David praised God, not only because God gave him victory, but because
God was gentle enough to stoop down to make David great. That's what God is doing in our lives today too.
There are so many things that could be worse in our world today, yet God has held back His power and is gently urging us to
turn to Him to find our answers. He is gently urging us to be gentle too. I
read a story this morning that really made me know just how far I need to move in the direction of becoming gentle.
I read about a woman whose husband was kidnapped by some middle-eastern terrorists. I suppose she could have left
the country and fled for her life, but she stayed. She stayed because she wanted to see the release of her husband.
That, in itself, is an act of love. However, she didn't seek his release in a loud, boisterous and demanding way.
She cared for the children in that country and loved the people. She brought music to them. Soon, her husband
found that, even in captivity, he was given much favor. The word had apparently gotten around. This woman had
made a difference, even in her difficulty, by her gentleness. Finally, they allowed her husband to escape. The
Lord had worked through this woman's gentleness, not only to free her husband, but to let His love flow to the people
of a land that had probably not seen it in action before. The woman, herself, had experienced the power that comes from
being gentle. Would you or I have been that meek - that gentle? When
we think about Jesus, we know that He is also portrayed as meek and gentle. We need to also remember that He's
the One who was there, making our world. He's the One who holds it together. Colossians 1:17 (TLB) 17 He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything
together. It's in Him that each one of us live and move and have our being. In other words, without Him, we wouldn't
have a world and we would not be living! (Acts 17:28) Now that's power! And yet, Jesus did not use that power when He hung on the cross to free you and me from
our sin. He could have called down fire on those around him who were so arrogantly railing against Him. Whether
they knew it or not, they were on dangerous ground. (Matthew 27:11-14) As the Son of God hung on the cross writhing in physical pain, as well as the pain in His Spirit that was bearing
all the sin of the world, He cried out, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing." (Luke 23:34) It didn't mean much to those around Him at the time. They went right on with what they were doing,
even gambling for His clothes as He hung there dying. He had the power to save Himself and let us remain captive to
sin and endure eternity in Hell. He knew He had that power. But, because of His gentleness, because of
His meekness, He chose to reserve that power until the right time. Three days later, He used that power to
rise victoriously to save all who would believe! (Matthew 28:6) Just like the wife who put her own safety aside and used her gentleness to effect the rescue of her husband, Jesus
gently rescued us. At His own expense. Now we are called to be like Him! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 1, 2009 - HAVE YOU LOOKED EVERYWHERE BUT UP? Luke 21:28 (NLT) You have probably noticed that the world seems to be changing rapidly. At one point, when Jesus was speaking
to His disciples, He explained that change would happen. (Luke 21:5-28) What changes are you experiencing today? They may be changes that don't feel so
good, due to the circumstances you face. Where are you looking to find your answers? Jesus said that
many would come, saying they were they Messiah. He said that was not our answer. (Luke 21:8) Jacob once worked for an overbearing Uncle, Laban, who tried to act as his master. Only when
Jacob looked higher than Laban, did he see the miracle that God was the One totally in charge.
Genesis 31:12-13 (NLT) 12 “The
angel said, ‘Look up, and you will see that only the streaked, speckled, and spotted males are mating with the females
of your flock. For I have seen how Laban has treated you. 13 I am the God who
appeared to you at Bethel, the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made your vow to me. Now get ready and leave
this country and return to the land of your birth.’” God was the only one that could
release Jacob from His troubles. If anyone or anything is competing for position as our master today, we are invited
to heed the words of Jesus, "Look up...." The Psalmist did look up. He looked to the mountains. In looking even that high at the glorious
splendor and majesty of the snow-capped peaks, he realized that he needed to look higher. As wonderful as the mountains
were, they were only created things. He needed help from the One who created them. As towering and strong
as those mountains were, He realized that only God could help him in his time of need. Psalm 121:1-2 (NLT) 1 I
look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from
the Lord, who made heaven and earth! If you are in a time of need today, you too, can "look up."
Look higher than the highest mountains. Our help comes from the Lord. He hasn't turned away. He
doesn't sleep. He sees everything. He has promised to watch over us and keep us safe forever. But we
won't see it unless we, "look up." (Psalm 121) All through the word of God, we are called to, "look up."
Why? Because God wants us to worship Him alone. To trust in Him alone. Isaiah gave a similar call
to the Israelites and that call extends to us too. Isaiah 51:6 (NLT) 6 Look up to the skies
above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece
of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!
In essence, everything created, no matter how high or how low, will one day change or come to an end.
Nothing in our lives will remain the same except for One. The One who created everything. Jesus spoke of earthquakes,
famines, plagues, and great wonders coming from Heaven. (Luke 21:11). He spoke of nations rising against nations. (Luke 21:10) We've certainly seen a great change in the nations of the world in our generation. Jesus
spoke of persecution. (Luke 21:12) He spoke of trouble in the middle-east. (Luke 21:20) He said that we would see strange tides in the sea and that the seas would roar. (Luke 21:25-26) Even the Heavens will shake and most people will be terrified. But, what does He call us to do?
You guessed it. "Look up." Why? Because we will see Him coming! Our total
redemption will be here. Until that final, "looking up," day, you and I have the privilege of making
it our lifestyle to, "look up." No matter what our difficulties are, the Lord is watching over us and
He knows what we need. Matthew 6:8 (TLB) 8 "Remember,
your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Sometimes I tend to look around
me instead of looking up when things get difficult. "What can I find to help me?" "Who can I go
to that will be able to help me?" Maybe you have done that a time or two too. God wants us to go right
to the Source of help. The source of ultimate salvation and salvation from our troubles on this earth.
He just wants us to, "look up," until we see Him and Him only! In Him and Him alone will
we find redemption. Keep looking up! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 28, 2009 - IT'S TIME TO TURN Psalm 37:27 (NIV) I am remembering a description of Jesus. Along with all the other ways in which we can describe Jesus, here's
an accurate description. He went about doing good. (Acts 10:38) God is working in and through each one of us who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, conforming us
to be like Him. (Romans 8:29) God is using everything in our lives to make that happen. (Romans 8:28) We may not be comfortable with every circumstance in our lives but, if we love God and are following in His calling
on our lives, all those things will turn out for good. We will become more and more like Jesus who went about doing
good! The Lord has been trying to get His people to turn from
evil and do good for a very long time. The Psalmist gives us good reason to do so all through Psalm 37. He gives us comparisons between those who will turn from doing evil and those who will not. We
know that we have been given salvation as a free gift. Ephesians 2:8 (AMP) 8 For
it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s
salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own
striving], but it is the gift of God; Although salvation is free through the sacrifice of Jesus,
God doesn't give us the gift to place on a shelf until we get to Heaven. He wants us to do something with
it. He wants us to receive it and work it out. (Philippians 2:12) The Gift is precious and, with it, comes the responsibility of handling it and allowing it to grow in us.
Salvation involves repentance. Repentance involves turning. It isn't always easy to turn from evil.
We are sometimes now even aware of the fact that we need to turn from something. God lets us know a little bit
at a time. As He reveals little things to us, we, in obedience, turn in the right direction. What happens if we don't turn? If we deliberately and
purposefully choose evil, we may appear to flourish for a while, but we will be cut off. (Psalm 37:34-36, 38) Our Father doesn't want that for us. He wants the best. He doesn't ask
us for obedience without providing rewards. He has a heart to want to give us good gifts. Matthew 7:11 (KJV) 11 If
ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give
good things to them that ask him? But, like any good parent, He doesn't want us walking down dangerous
roads where we might encounter things that will harm us or even kill us. He wants us to turn and He's willing to
lead us. (Psalm 23:3) Then we see the benefits. The Psalmist gives us lots of pictures of the benefits that come from turning
in the right direction. How about abundant life? (Psalm 37:27, John 10:10) The enemy would like to take our life but Jesus offers a better life. How about having a constant Companion
to help lead the way? (Psalm 37:28, Matthew 28:20) We can know we're never alone. How about being kept safe? (Psalm 37:28, Psalm 18:2) He is our safety. How about knowing that the land belongs to you? (Psalm 37:29, Matthew 5:5) God made the land for His children. We would all love to be able to give good counsel, wouldn't we?
(Psalm 37:30, Colossians 3:16) Those who are on the right path can do that. Do you ever need protection from slipping and falling in life?
(Psalm 37:31, Psalm 18:33) When we're walking with God, there is no condemnation! (Psalm 37:32-33, Romans 8:1) When we're falsely accused, we will not be condemned. All of these things, and so much more, await
us if we will just turn from anything that we know is evil and do what is good. We have that hope in our God,
as we travel His way. (Psalm 37:34) A wonderful future is promised to us when we turn toward good, (Psalm 37:37, Jeremiah 29:11) If we are willing to turn, the Lord will be our Rescuer, our Fortress, our Shelter, and our Salvation.
He is all of those things! We can all see the road signs of life. One says, "This Way To Hell"
The other says, "Heaven Ahead." It's time to turn. Which road will we take? MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 27, 2009 - DO YOU HEAR GOD LAUGHING? Psalm 37:13 (NIV) Have you ever thought
about hearing God laugh? The angels must hear it because the Bible says God does laugh. Why does He laugh?
One reason for it is because nations rage against Him and think they can outwit Him. (Psalm 2:1) That is pretty funny when you think about it. Can the created rage against and outwit their creator? Isaiah 45:9 (NLT) 9 “What
sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one
who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’
In Psalm 37, we see God laughing again. It is for, basically, the same reason. He knows that wicked people will come to a
day of destruction. Yet, some continue on that path, trying to free themselves from the One who made them. What are some characteristics of wicked people? The plot against the righteous.
(Psalm 37:12) They even snarl at them in defiance. They always have their swords out and ready to butcher those who do right.
(Psalm 37:14) The wicked borrow but they don't have any intention of repaying the debt. (Psalm 37:21) In essence, they are thieves. They spy on the righteous, waiting for a chance to accuse them and even demand
their death. (Psalm 37:32) Isn't that just like Satan, the accuser of the brethren? (Job 1:6, Revelation 12:10) We see a lot of that going on in our world today in the name of religion, but this is not the way of the Lord. Even
in all of this, God can laugh. He's not happy about His people being persecuted, but He's totally amused
to think that some people think they can conquer Him or ever be free from Him. (Psalm 2:3) If only everyone would realize that, instead of trying to run from God, we should make Him our Refuge. (Psalm 2:12) Do you think some of that laughter might be because God also knows the plans He has for those who will follow
Him? And those plans are very good. (Jeremiah 29:11) Now that we know what the wicked look like. We
see their mode of operation. Let's see what God has in mind of those who will follow Him. Even
while the power of the wicked is being broken, God will uphold the righteous. (Psalm 37:17) God knows all about those who are walking with Him and He has promised that their inheritance will last
forever. (Psalm 37:18) That's a powerful promise. Many people are losing things in the economy of the world today. The only
inheritance that will last forever is the one that God gives to His children. When disaster comes, the righteous will
not fade away. They will have plenty in times of famine. (Psalm 37:19) And, they will enjoy what they have! Psalm 37:19 (NIV) 19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. You can identify a righteous person by their giving. They
are generous givers. (Psalm 37:21) Even while the wicked are cursed and cut off, those blessed of the Lord will inherit the land. (Psalm 39:22) God delights in those who have trusted Him to lead them. He will not let them fall, even on rough ground.
He upholds them with His own hand! (Psalm 37:23-24) Their children are blessed. (Psalm 37:25-26). Which category do you and I fall in? The wicked or the righteous? Which characteristics describe us?
Hopefully, we fall within the "righteous," category because we have trusted in Jesus, given up on our own agenda,
and let Him lead the way. All of us are wicked to start with. It is only when we put on the righteousness
of Christ that we can be counted in that category. (Ephesians 4:24) If we have not yet done that, now is the time to exchange our highly over-rated, self-righteousness for His perfect
righteousness. (Philippians 1:11) There is lots of rejoicing in Heaven when one who is wicked turns to Jesus. I don't know if God
laughs out loud, but I do know that there is great joy in Heaven when we are willing to turn from our wickedness to His
righteousness. (Luke 15:7) Let's be the ones who bring God joy by our repentance and righteous living, rather than being the ones that
God laughs at because of their stubborn, arrogant ways! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 26, 2009 - AN ABUNDANCE OF PEACE Psalm 37:11 (KJV) There will always be
people out there trying to steal our peace. Really, it is the enemy, using people, trying to steal our peace.
(John 10:10) But, the fact is, we're guaranteed an abundance of peace. Multiplied peace. Increased peace. God
wants to weigh us down with His peace. Of course, there's an, "if," to that promise.
That, "if," involves the way we live. Those who make a decision to live in a pattern of doing evil will
disappear. You and I may not appreciate God's timing in this, but we can appreciate His grace and patience.
He's not willing that anyone should perish and He gives everyone ample time to repent. (2 Peter 3:9) However, in a while (God's while), they will be gone. We will look around and be surprised because
we don't see them anymore. (Psalm 37:10) There's a much better future in
store for those who are meek. Those who choose to humble themselves before God. Those who, although they could show
strength, choose to be gentle. A good example of that was the Apostle, Paul, when he explained that, because
of holding the office of apostles, they could have been a burden to the Thessalonian people. But, they
chose to be gentle. (1 Thessalonians 2:7) To be meek. That's exactly the way Jesus is with us. He is meek and
gentle. He's a gentle Savior. Listen to His gentle call to all who will listen. Matthew 11:29-30 (ASV) 29 Take
my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. There will be a day when He stands before
us in judgment but, today, He is gently calling us to find rest in Him. To find peace. To learn of His loving
character. Who will answer that call? Even the most wicked and evil person has the opportunity to come to
Jesus today. (Acts 2:21) One day, it will be too late but today is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Who will receive the precious gift? Yes, the wicked will be cut off. We are given this picture time and time again in the scriptures. The Psalmist says that we are not senseless. We are not fools. We can understand that there is no future for the wicked. (Psalm 92:6-7) There's a different story for those who are meek. (Psalm 147:6) The Lord supports them. He undergirds them with His peace. When our minds are renewed in Christ, and we walk in His Spirit, we will be walking in peace. (Romans 8:6) It would be impossible not to be walking in peace, since Jesus is the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) When we humble ourselves, and we are meek enough to admit that we can't do it on our own, we're on the right path. The path that leads to peace. (James 4:7) There is no peace when we insistently follow the enemy (who is out there urging us to follow him every day). Resisting the devil, by making ourselves meek before the Lord, is the only way to make our adversary go away. Meekness is part of the fruit of the Spirit. So is peace. They go together in a package. Galatians 5:22-23 (ASV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. Are you longing for more peace in your life? Abundant peace? Do you know that your Father in Heaven is longing to give it to you? He wants to give you so much peace that you will be astonished. You won't even be able to figure it out! Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV) 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Do you want that abundant peace? Then, rejoice - all the time! Be gentle with everyone. Don't be anxious. Instead, humbly thank God, letting Him know your desires and everything that is on your heart. There it is! Abundant peace for those who are willing to humble themselves before God and men! There's no need to strive for honor or position, being tempted to follow the path of the wicked. We only have to humble ourselves before God. (1 Peter 5:6) In due time, He will place us in that good place He has prepared for us. In the meantime, He will supply us with abundant peace! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 25, 2009 - WATCH YOUR TEMPER! Psalm 37:8 (NLT) What makes your angry? Most of us get angry at injustice, especially when it directly affects
us. Today, we see injustice all around us. There's plenty to make us angry. Have you ever experienced
someone who would angrily talk to the TV when a newscaster was broadcasting something irritating? I've
seen people become angry when they were waiting for a parking spot and someone came in from the other way and, literally, stole
it. I've gotten angry when I am paying for a service and don't get the service that was advertised.
All those things involve injustice. Most of those things involve other people who are doing something that affects
us adversely. Even though those things are wrong, the Lord wants us to stop being angry about them. We can't
overcome evil with evil. That only makes for more evil. What we need to do is overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21 (NIV) 21 Do
not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. That's not always easy. But it is part
of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) It's called, self-control. Even though it's called, "self"-control, we know that we can't
do it totally by ourselves. It is Jesus in us that gives us the strength to do what He asks us to do.
(Philippians 4:13) Have you noticed that angry people
are not the best looking people? There's a good practical reason right there not to be angry! The word, "anger,"
comes from a Hebrew word that speaks of flaring nostrils. Not a pretty sight! It's not good for our health
either. It causes rapid breathing. It changes our body chemistry. It changes our whole countenance.
I've seen people become so enraged that their faces turned beet-red. Anger can cause a good looking person to look
downright ugly! The Lord tells us to rid ourselves of all anger. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV) 31 Get rid of all bitterness,
rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind
and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. If we are holding
on to any anger this morning, let's willingly give it up and ask the Lord to remove it far from us. When we hold
on to it, we just leave a door open for the enemy to come in. Ephesians
4:26-27 (AMP) 26
When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun
goes down. 27 Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity
to him]. The last thing we need to do is given the devil an opportunity to get a foot in the door!
MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 24, 2009 - REST AND PATIENCE Psalm 37:7 (KJV) You have probably noticed that some
people seem to get away with just about anything. There are those who keep on sinning, many even committing terrible
crimes, and no one does anything about it. God doesn't even seem to do anything about it. In this
present world where wrong is oftentimes touted as right, it would be easy to become fretful and anxious. This could
even lead to trying to take matters into our own hands. God doesn't seem to have that idea. Justice and
vengeance belong to Him. (Deuteronomy 32:35) All of our times are in His hands. Twice so far in Psalm 37, God has told us not to be bothered about unscrupulous people seeming to prosper. When your Parent tells you something
twice, it's time to start getting it. God is bigger than all the wicked people in the world put together. When
He is ready to take care of them, He will. It will be so bad that we will not want to see it. That's why we
should pray for our enemies and those that do not have His Light. (Matthew 5:44) God is not willing that anyone should perish. (2 Peter 3:9) Aren't we glad of that. He stooped to pick us up and bring us to this point. What should we do then? The Lord tells us to rest in Him. Oh my goodness!
When I read the Hebrew meaning of this word, "rest," I knew I needed a lot of work done on the inside of me!
It means, "to be dumb." In other words, be silent. I often laughingly say, "Help, I'm talking
and I can't stop." The Lord wants us to live before Him in quietness. Yes, we are to pray and make our
petitions known to him. Philippians 4:6 (NLT) 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead,
pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Paul is essentially
telling us in Philippians 4:6, the same thing the Psalmist is saying in Psalm 37:7. We need to calm down, stop fretting, tell God what we need and thank Him for what He's done.
That's it. No badgering, whining, complaining - just trusting. His hearing is perfect and He already knows
what we need before we even ask! (Matthew 6:8) That's pretty amazing but it's true. Jesus is the one who said it! Who would know
the Father better than the Son! Resting also means, "stand still." To, "tarry." To,
"wait." Within the meaning of the word, "rest," is to "be astonished." Don't
you know that when we just stand, be quiet and wait to see the salvation of the Lord, we will surely be astonished! Lamentations 3:26 (KJV) 26 It
is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. Salvation and deliverance
belong to the Lord and He never fails! What is the other
thing we should do? Here's another thing that's repeated throughout scripture. We need to learn to wait
patiently. That's pretty hard for some of us. Many of us want to set things in order and see justice done,
now! We don't want to wait. We judge everything by our own sense of time and by the fact
that we have only a certain amount of years on this earth. Yet, God judges differently. He has all the time in
eternity. His timing is perfect. When we read the story of Joseph and put ourselves in his place, I wonder how
many of us would have had a heart like His. Totally bent toward trusting and waiting on God. (Genesis 37:5-37:36, Genesis 39:1-50:26) Joseph had to be quiet and wait patiently before the Lord many times and in extremely painful and troubling circumstances. I'm
sure it wasn't easy. Do you ever find it painful to wait patiently for the Lord? Then, you've got the
right idea. Just as it was painful for Joseph, it can be painful for us to wait on the Lord for deliverance from the
evils of this world, the evils of our own fleshly desires, and the evil that is directed from Satan. However, we've
got to remember that God never promised that life would be a bed of roses. Even if it was, we would still have to contend
with the thorns. (John 16:33) The words, "wait patiently," from the Hebrew actually mean, "writhe in pain." If you
didn't know that already, I'm sorry to be the bearer of such tidings. But, I'm sure I'm not
telling you something you didn't already know from experience. It is many times painful to wait on the Lord and
not do our own thing! Encompassed within the Hebrew word for "wait patiently," is also the idea of "bringing
forth." The idea of something being birthed. God is letting us know that, even though we may go through some "labor
pains," while waiting on Him, He will bring forth the things in our life that we need. This waiting patiently
and sometimes painfully is not for nothing. Something good will come forth. The ideas of resting and travailing
at the same time do seem a little foreign. But, when we truly know the One in Whom we are resting, a little light
and momentary trouble, will fade away once we see what He is birthing in our lives. (2 Corinthians 4:17) It will always be something good and it will always be what is best for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) Do you need to stand still and be quiet before the Lord, resting in Him and trusting in Him? I do,
and it is many times painful but I very excited about seeing, in His time, what God is bringing forth! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 23, 2009 - ONLY GOD CAN BRING FORTH WHAT WE NEED Psalm 37:6 (KJV) I wonder if some of you are like me. You try to figure everything out. You have
a Plan A and a Plan B and some other ideas - just in case neither of those plans work out. You want to be
right. Good planning is not wrong. In fact, we need to make plans. If we don't have goals and plans,
we will wander aimlessly and be totally unproductive. We will squander our time away. I once heard a preacher
say, "to wander is to squander." Ephesians 5:16 (KJV) 16 Redeeming
the time, because the days are evil. If we were going on a trip, but made no
plans as to how to get there, it would take us a lot longer than we thought it would. And, if we were on a time schedule,
we might just miss the thing we were going for. Some of us have made plans without asking God and found ourselves in
rebellion against Him. Isaiah 30:1 (NIV) 1 "Woe to the obstinate
children," declares the Lord, "to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my
Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; If we are not doing our planning by the Lord's Spirit, even though
we think our plans are good, we will find that we end up bringing forth nothing. Except maybe turmoil and heartache.
Let's go ahead and make good plans while knowing that God's plan is the best and He may have to interrupt our good
plan to allow us to walk in His best plan. Proverbs 16:9 (TLB) 9 We should make plans—counting
on God to direct us. When we're adaptable to His plan, He will let it be known that our plans are
right. Is it wrong to want to be right?
Only if we are wanting to be right so that we can feel like we're better than others. Only if we want to stand
in judgment of others. Wanting to walk in the truth is a good thing. (Psalm 86:11) Jesus is the Truth. (John 14:6) He is the One who said, "Follow Me." (John 12:26) He walked in righteousness and that's the way He wants us to walk too. When we are walking in Him and He
in us, we won't have to figure out how to be right. It is His righteousness in us that makes
us right. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV) 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And in this dark world, believe me, our righteousness
will shine like the noonday sun! Have we given up fretting because evil people seem to prosper? (Psalm 37:1) Have we given up envying those who seem do be living all the wrong ways and yet find worldly success? Are
we fully trusting in the Lord? (Psalm 37:3) As we trust Him, are we doing the good that He leads us to do? Is our delight solely in the Lord? (Psalm 37:4) Do we trust Him to give us the desires of our heart, even as we make His desires our desires? Or do we
try to get the desires of an unregenerate heart in all the wrong ways? Have we committed everything in
our lives to Him? (Psalm 37:5) That's a big thing! We only have one life. Who is in charge of it? Is it the Lord? Or,
is it still us? When we have gone before Him with all of these things and found that place in Him where we
can trust in Him, then, and only then, will He bring forth our righteousness. Really, it will just be His
righteousness showing through us, since even our best self-righteousness is pretty stinky. (Isaiah 64:6) And, watch out! He shines as bright as the noonday sun. (Malachi 4:2) He will set us free to trust in Him and allow Him to bring forth His light through us as we walk in
a world of darkness, taking His healing. Let's let God work in and through us causing those around us
to have to put on their "Son-glasses." MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 22, 2009 -
IS YOUR WAY COMMITTED? Psalm 37:5 (KJV) What does it mean when God tells us to commit our, "way," to Him? The word, "commit," encompasses
just about everything. From the Hebrew, it means, "to roll." Have we rolled everything in our lives
over to the Lord? Do we trust Him with everything? Exploring the Hebrew word, "way," we find that it includes our course of life. What course of life are we taking today? Are we walking
with and in the same course as the One who called Himself, "The Way?" (John 14:6) If not, our way will not lead to our Father, but to a very undesirable destination! Our way includes
our mode of action. What is your mode of action? Our actions will always come from what is deep down
inside our hearts. When we have committed our way to the Lord, our mode of action will become more and more
like His. Our way includes our conversation. What kinds of things do we talk about? Whatever we
think about the most will be what eventually comes out of our mouths. Matthew 15:18 (NIV) 18 But the things that
come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' What sorts of things
are we supposed to have in our hearts? Here they are. Philippians 4:8 (ASV) 8 Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these
things. Another thing that is included
in the word, "way," is our customs. Do we really examine the customs we keep? The traditions to
which we adhere? Where did they come from? Did they come from, "The Way," or did they come from the
ideas of men? Our way, which we are to commit to God, is our whole journey of life and everything in it. That's
a pretty big package but, when we realize that there is no other, "Way," that we can be successful and receive eternal
life, we might need to get serious about committing our way to the Lord. It's very true that you can never
out-give God. He is not going to ask us for something unless He's going to give us something better. The great
exchange is that we can give Him our, sometimes troubled and flawed way, and He will give us His perfect way.
He doesn't make us do this. It's an option. Deuteronomy 30:19 (TLB) 19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you that today I have set
before you life or death, blessing or curse. Oh, that you would choose life; that you and your children might live!
MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 21, 2009 - DELIGHT AND DESIRE Psalm 37:4 (KJV) What comes to your mind when you think about delight? I wasn't sure so I looked up the Hebrew word.
It is a word meaning "to be soft or pliable." Figuratively, it means, "effeminate or luxurious."
"Delicate." "To have delight." According to Merriam-Webster, it means,
"to take great pleasure," "to give keen enjoyment," and "to give joy or
satisfaction to." So, now I have a better picture of what it might mean to delight myself in the Lord.
Are we soft and pliable before the Lord as we trust in Him? Do we take great pleasure in Him? Do we greatly
enjoy Him? And, do we provide joy and satisfaction to Him, as we do His will? We are urged not to fret or trouble ourselves when evil people seem to prosper. (Psalm 37:1) If the Lord is truly our delight, maybe we will be less apt to look at others. I want the Lord to
be my delight. Don't you? I'm tired of trying to figure out why this one or that one seems to succeed
even though they don't seem to be walking in the Truth. I need to remember that the Lord is the One that I must
look to and find delight in. Are you finding your delight in the Lord this morning? If so, He is delighting
in you. You will be blessed because you are looking to Him and not at those who are bent on doing evil. Psalm 1:1-2 (NIV) 1 Blessed
is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. When we have made the Lord our delight, our hearts will begin to change. They
will become more and more like His heart. (Romans 8:29) Our desires will change too. (James 1:21) We will desire what He desires. (Philippians 2:13) As we delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts. It's pretty simple.
When we want what our Father wants, He gives it to us. What is a desire? According to the Hebrew word, it's
a request or a petition. Are we delighting ourselves in the Lord this morning? Have we made His desires
our desires? Are we requesting those things from Him that we know He would delight in? If so, we can
go boldly before His throne of grace and know that He hears every petition. Every request. (Hebrews 4:16) On this day and every day, let's look to the Lord, delight in Him. Let's delight Him by asking
for those things that would please Him. He is a good Father. He wants to give us good gifts. Delightful
gifts. Desirable gifts. (Matthew 7:11) Delight in Him and He will give you what you desire. MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 20, 2009 - DON'T WORRY Psalm 37:1-2 (NIV) To tell the truth, I'm encouraging myself in the Lord this morning.
I hope you are too. As we look at Psalm 37, we can encourage one another. If we are watching, listening or reading news these days, we see all
too many men and women being exposed for doing evil things. These people have made themselves rich and powerful at the
expense of some others. Reading Psalm 37:1 again, I am reminded that God has promised to see to it that evil-doers will wither and die away.
On the other hand, He has promised that those who trust Him will flourish even into old age. Psalm 92:12-15 (TLB) 12 But
the godly shall flourish like palm trees and grow tall as the cedars of Lebanon. 13 For
they are transplanted into the Lord’s own garden and are under his personal care. 14 Even
in old age they will still produce fruit and be vital and green. 15 This honors
the Lord and exhibits his faithful care. He is my shelter. There is nothing but goodness in him! Yes, that's right, the righteous will flourish forever. Psalm 92:12-13 (ASV) 12 The righteous shall
flourish like the palm-tree: He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 They
are planted in the house of Jehovah; They shall flourish in the courts of our God. Of course the enemy
is trying to dissuade you and me from thinking like that. Financial troubles surround us and the enemy tries to make
us think that we are not flourishing. Health problems arise and the enemy tries to tell us we can't flourish.
Family problems surface and there is the enemy again trying to tell us we can't flourish.
(Psalm 37:25) The Word of God is one hundred percent true. If God says we will flourish, we will flourish!
Does that mean that we will not go through some storms? Of course not. The Lord makes the rain to fall on the
godly and the ungodly. Both good and evil people go through suffering. The difference is that the righteous have
a Companion that sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24) The enemy may try to tell us how bad we are. When that happens, we can agree. Yes,
we are bad. We are sinful. We are lost and numbered with evil people unless we have that
Companion, whose name is Jesus. He has promised to be with us to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20) Not only has He promised to be with us through all the storms of life, He has given us His righteousness.
Because of that we will flourish forever, no matter what the nightly news is saying. Romans 5:15-17 (NLT) 15 But
there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought
death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man,
Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from
the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being
made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.17 For the sin of this
one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness,
for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. If
we have received that righteousness from Jesus, we will flourish and He will be with us through everything. Even the
darkest and the last valley we go through on earth. (Psalm 23:4) Are you tending to fret or be troubled this morning because
the world seems to be falling apart? More specifically, does it seem like your world is falling apart?
Falling apart because some have chosen to do wickedly? God says not to fret. Jesus told us not to let our
hearts be troubled because of troubles in the world. He has already overcome the world and we are in Him. (John 16:33) He is the Life. He is my Life. He is your Life. (John 14:16) He is that Good Shepherd that will never lead us astray. (Psalm 23:1, John 10:14) He's the one who has prepared a table before us right in the presence of our enemies. (Psalm 23:5) He is the One who will anoint us in these times of worldly turmoil so that we can continue to flourish. Some
have made themselves rich at the expense of others, but God has told us not to be envious of that kind of riches and those
kinds of people. If we have Jesus, we are truly rich and those riches will last forever. If we have Jesus, we
will not be wiped away and wither and die, along with the wicked. We will flourish. Though it may look
dark, He has made it simple for us. All we need to do is seek Him and His righteousness. Everything
we need to flourish will be provided. (Matthew 6:33) Even in the midst of times such as these, when the wicked sometimes seem to flourish, we know the Truth.
We don't need to worry about it. All we need to do is tell God what we need and thank Him for what He's done
in the past. Unlike human beings, He's not going to change. (Philippians 4:6, Numbers 23:19) He is the Master Gardner and He's going to see to it that those weeds are gone. Those who remain
in Him will flourish! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 19, 2009 - DO WE KEEP THE SABBATH? Isaiah 58:13-14 (AMP) Do you want to ride on the high places of the earth? Do you want the heritage
God has promised you? In Isaiah 58, God gives us so many ways to show Him that we really mean business. Fasting is a good way to do it. When
we fast, we should check out the fourteen verses in Isaiah 58, as well as other places in scripture, to see if we are really fasting in a way that pleases God. These principles
regarding fasting are not just for fasting. The are principles that come from the very nature and character
of God, Himself. They are principles that should be a part of our lifestyle. He wants us to seek Him and
be the images of Him that we were created to be. (Genesis 1:26-27) Because of sin, we have distorted that image. Jesus sends His Spirit to make us more and more like Him.
He wants us to be the way we were before sin damaged and distorted God's image in us. (2 Corinthians 3:18) As we become more and more conformed to His image, we will love what He loves and do things more and more in the way
He does them. The last principle God mentions in Isaiah 58 regards the Sabbath. First of all, we need to remember that this is not the first time God speaks
about observance of the Sabbath. It's one of the ten commandments. Most of us would never violate most of
the other nine commandments, but how many of us violate the one about keeping the Sabbath? (Exodus 20:8) What is the Sabbath? The word means, "intermission, and "to cease." That's
what God did when He created the world. He worked for six days and then rested on the seventh day. He set apart
that day as a day for all mankind to rest. Now, if God needed to rest after six days of work, it stands to
reason that human beings need a rest! After all we're only made of dust! (Psalm 103:14) Look at the first Sabbath. Genesis 2:1-3 (KJV) 1 Thus the heavens and
the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day
God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which
God created and made. God sanctified the seventh day. He set it apart as holy, He dedicated it as
a consecrated day. How many of us observe the day as consecrated and holy? Or, do we work to make more money?
Or do we make it a party day? Here is another translation of Isaiah 58:13: (NLT) 13 “Keep
the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight
as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires
or talk idly. No matter how you translate it, the day belongs to the Lord and He has given it back to us, not
to work or party, but to rest and delight in Him. Now, let's get picky. Do we talk idly on the Sabbath?
The Bible says that idle talk leads to poverty. Proverbs 14:23 (AMP) 23 In all labor there
is profit, but idle talk leads only to poverty. There's a principle again, not only for
the Sabbath, but for every day. And how about this example of idle talking? 2 Timothy 2:16 (AMP) 16 But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people
into more and more ungodliness. MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 18, 2009 - RUINED THINGS REBUILT Isaiah 58:12 (AMP) If you have been reading along in Isaiah 58, you have seen that God has given us lots of information. Information on how do things His way. Also, information
about the blessings that will flow when we finally do see it His way and begin to cooperate. Isaiah 58:12 is very encouraging to me. As generations come and go, mistakes are made and patterns are formed. Some of
us have come down through generations that have a pattern of destruction. This becomes a curse that falls on us.
Only Jesus can reverse that curse. All of us are in danger of that if we do not know the Lord Jesus as our Savior.
But, there is some good news. Israel had made some grievous mistakes which left their land in ruins. God stepped
in and gave them instructions on how to fast His way in order to bring healing. (Isaiah 58:8) In order to bring deliverance. (Isaiah 58:9) Have you or members of previous generations in your family made some bad choices that left some
things in your life in ruins? God has explained in Isaiah 58 how we can be the ones to restore those ruins, if we will. Without going through the beginning verses
of Isaiah 58 again, it is basically to seek His ways and to relieve the oppressed and help the afflicted. Can
you imagine what your family would be like today if everyone had done that? Can you imagine what your country would
be like today? What the world would be like? What would our churches look like? If we will learn what God
wants and do it, He promises so many things for us. Some of us will be the ones to rebuild the ruins in our families!
In our land. In the world. Who are those people who will be called Repairer of the Breach? They are the
ones who will trust in and follow, "THE Repairer Of The Breach." It is our Lord Jesus who came
to rebuild us and to help us raise up spiritual foundations again. And, Jesus is not only interested in raising up spiritual
foundations. He cares for us so much that He's promised to supply all the things we need if we will just follow Him.
(Matthew 6:33) We can be the ones who will rebuild the ruins of bad habits and poor choices in our own lives and in
the lives of those around us! Who will be called the Restorer
of Streets to Dwell In? Of course it is those who will really be followers of the One who is called the Way! (John 14:6) It is the will of Jesus that you and I follow in His steps, in His way. Then, we can
make firm and straight paths again for those who still have weak limbs. Hebrews 12:13 (AMP) 13 And cut through and
make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the
right direction], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be put out of joint, but rather may be cured. You
and I can be called, "restorers of streets to dwell in." Not only will we walk on restored streets,
but we will help those along who need to find the Way and keep them from falling aside, losing their way and dying.
What needs to be restored in your life? In the lives of your family, in the lives of your city, your country, your
world? We can raise up those broken down foundations by turning to and building on the Cornerstone.
1 Peter 2:4-6 (NIV) 4 As
you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5 you
also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a
stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." How
can we be repairers and restorers? By turning to and seeking God with all our hearts. (Deuteronomy 4:29) By following His agenda and bringing relief to the afflicted and the oppressed. (Isaiah 1:16-17) What can you and I do today to help restore and repair the life of one who is less fortunate? Let's ask
God to show us and then let's do it! As we begin to help rebuild the ruins in the lives of others, God will begin to
reconstruct the ruins in our own lives. MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 - GUIDANCE, SATISFACTION, STRONG BONES, FRESH WATER - WHO
COULD ASK FOR MORE? Isaiah 58:11 (AMP) Isn't it wonderful that God's Word applied during the time of Isaiah and it still applies today? If
this was ever a time when we, as believers, needed the Lord to guide us, it is now! If you have been reading the Morning
Manna for the last few days, you will know that we are exploring a passage in which God tells us what His idea of a true
fast is. He's also telling us that, when He notices that we have got the idea and are carrying it out, there will
be benefits for us as well as those around us. This morning, because of the financial state of the world, many
are losing their homes. Many are losing jobs and other sources of income. Families are stressed and, in some cases,
falling apart. Young people are losing their way. We all need guidance. God promises that He will guide
us continually. Even when there are so many roadblocks, as there are today. Even when there are figurative
land-mines along the way, God will guide us if we have obeyed His message in Isaiah 58. If you haven't read Isaiah 58 through all at one time, take time to read it. You'll be amazed at the simplicity of God's plan
for a true fast. Of course, it may be convicting and it may require us to make some lifestyle changes but God will not
leave us or forsake us when we follow Him. (Hebrews 13:5) He already knows the plans He has for us. They are good. (Jeremiah 29:11) But, if we're not where He is and doing what He's doing, we could miss them. The Israelites had missed
God before and had suffered the consequences. (Jeremiah 29) We don't have to miss God today. We can receive His promises if we will be one of those
who will truly follow Him. I really want to be guided by God continually,
don't you? He promises to do that if we will follow Him. Regarding fasting, the Israelites had made their
own traditions around fasting. They had created their own agenda. How merciful God is. He tells them where
they went wrong. He tells them (and us) how to get it right. We don't really have an excuse because God has
laid out some simple things for us to do in Isaiah 58. When we do that, He will guide us continually! Wow! John 16:13 (AMP) Not only that, He
will satisfy us when we go through dry places. He never said we would never have to walk through dry places, only
that He would provide, as long as we are walking with Him. Jesus, Himself went to the wilderness and it was dry.
He was tempted by the devil but He overcame by the Word of God. (Matthew 4:1-11) When we go through the wilderness, we need to know God's Word. We need to do whatever
He says. And we can do it because we know that His plans for us are good if we do it. We can
do it because He has promised to strengthen us to do it. (Philippians 4:13) Are you in a wilderness today? Maybe you've even been fasting. Fasting is a good thing in itself
but we need to be sure that we're doing it God's way. God's kind of fast is to reach out to the oppressed, and
the afflicted with His love. It's to have an attitude like that of the Lord. Even as I write this,
I am experiencing distractions from every which way. I am constantly having to pull my mind in through the strength
of Christ (Philippians 4:13) to conform to His ways. (Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 2:16). The enemy will come from every which way to get us
off the track. We just need to be rooted and grounded in God's Word and follow His ways of love. (Ephesians 3:17) There are other benefits of following God's kind of fast and God's principles in everything else
in life. How about having strong bones? That really is a word that means increase and strength. Who
doesn't need that in these times. The Lord is so good. He has shown us how to walk in His ways so that
He will be able to bless us with strength. If we follow the principles in Isaiah 58, God promises that we will be like a watered garden. Oh how blessed we are that our God is the Gardener.
(John 15:1) When we have accepted Jesus, we are part of God's garden. He waters us so that we can grow
and flourish. He even creates a bubbling stream right in our midst so that we can refresh others with that living
water. (John 4:10) He supplies us with what we need to perform a fast that pleases Him. Are you feeling a bit dry
this morning? Are you in need of divine guidance, satisfaction, and strength? Are you thirsty? (John 4:14) If you know Jesus, retreat to that living water that flows from His presence in you. (John 7:38, Psalm 23:2 ) If you don't know Jesus, receive Him right now and you will have receive
the living water you need to make it through this dry world. Right now, God is willing to create streams in your desert. To
give you the strength to go on. The strength to sing His praises! Isaiah 35:5-6 (KJV) 5 Then
the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then
shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams
in the desert. He offers us living water right now. That, "He," is Jesus.
He's our Counselor, our Satisfaction, our Healer, our Strength and our Thirst-quencher. He's the one who will
help us to take all those things to the oppressed and afflicted around us. Will we let Him? MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 16, 2009 - THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE Isaiah 58:10 (AMP) When my grandson was a young child in Sunday School, the teacher was teaching them a little song you may have
sung yourself when you were young. It's called "This Little Light Of Mine." She was having the class
put up their "pointer," finger and circle it while singing, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it
shine." My little three year old grandson would have none of it. He wanted to get real. He told the
teacher, "That's not a light - it's a finger!" God is getting real with us in Isaiah 58. He wants us to get real too. At that time, lots of things, including fasting, were done for outward show.
They were done out of tradition. They were done because the people thought they could manipulate God. In other
words, "If I do this, You have to do so and so for me. As I read this passage, I'm struck by the fact that
I see that in the world today! I see it in my own self more times than I'd like to admit!! Jesus saw it too.
(Matthew 23:5-6) What was Jesus really wanting to see? What does He still want to see? God
really wants us to let our little lights shine. But, sometimes we do it for outward show. Maybe we carry a Bible
with us all the time but rarely look in to the scriptures for ourselves. Or, maybe we pride ourselves on
the fact that we are in the church every time the doors are open but live a different way when we're in the world.
Maybe we have busied ourselves with church work until our schedules are overflowing but we don't have time to stop
and pray or take care of our families properly. In Isaiah 58 God is talking about fasting but do you see a bigger principle? I see that He's
interested in pointing us to real unity and relationship rather than being so interested in all the outward signs of sacrifice.
He wants our love. How does Jesus describe love? John 14:21 (AMP) 21 The person who has
My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and
I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself
real to him.] Obedience may sound like a harsh word to those of us who have a "mind of our own."
Yet, the Lord and Lover of our souls does not give any commands that will cause us pain. His commands are all for our
peace and prosperity. (Jeremiah 29:11) No wonder the scripture tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice! Psalm 40:6 (AMP) 6 Sacrifice
and offering You do not desire, nor have You delight in them; You have given me the capacity to hear and obey [Your law, a
more valuable service than] burnt offerings and sin offerings [which] You do not require. If we truly love the Lord, we will have an interest in what interests
Him. What is that? It appears that He's very interested in people. Not only other people.
He's interested in you. And me. He's interested in everybody. (John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9) He wants to take away our gloom and darkness. He wants our
little lights to shine because they have been turned on by His Light. How can that happen? In these days, it might
seem that gloom and darkness are fast closing in. If we take a look around us, we will see that many sit in gloom and
darkness. God's kind of fast is so different than ours! His fast is for us to relieve the afflicted.
Those who are browbeaten, depressed, abased, and oppressed. His fast is that we feed those who are hungry. Maybe
you're thinking, "I'm some or all of those things, myself." That may be true. You may be living
in obscurity and darkness but you have everything you need if you have Jesus, the Light of the world! (John 8:12) If you have received Jesus as your Lord, you have His Light in you. John 12:46 (NLT) 46 I have come as a light
to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. We are
little lights that shine out in this dark world to relieve those who are suffering and stumbling. Matthew 5:16 (AMP) 16 Let
your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize
and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.When we function properly,
feeding the hungry and relieving the afflicted, then our own insecurity and obscurity will disintegrate and we will find that
we receive more and more light! Are you surrounded by darkness this morning? Maybe even feeling that you have
no purpose? Try God's kind of fasting. Encourage those around you who are struggling with any
kind of darkness in their life. Share those things that are life-sustaining for you with others. Let that light
that Jesus has placed in you shine! Do you need light? Then share the light that you have. Matthew 25:29 (AMP) 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and
he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have
will be taken away. God gives more light to those who share His Light. MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 15, 2009 - THEN YOU WILL CALL, THEN HE WILL ANSWER Isaiah 58:9 (AMP) Do you ever feel like you have called and called and the Lord does not hear you? Has He not answered?
Of course, because God is God, He hears everything. He knows everything. But, He does not choose to respond to
everything in the way we think or expect He should. If you are a parent, you may have had the experience of a whining
child expressing his or her desire over and over again. Some parents will simply ignore the child to curb the irritating
behavior. God never ignores His creation. If He turned away just for one nano-second everything would
literally fall apart. (Colossians 1:17) Even though mankind has come to think exceptionally highly of himself, the fact is that, whether we admit it
or not, it is in God that we all live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28) God is hearing everything we say and He even hears what our hearts are saying. He knows us inside and out. When
we think He is ignoring us or not paying any attention to us, that is far from the truth. He sees everything and knows
everything. He knows our hearts and our desires even better than we know our own. He is just waiting to answer
our calls and our cries. What He wants is for our hearts to become like His heart. He wants our desires to
be His desires. Then He will answer. His desire is for
His children to be set free. He wants oppression to cease and freedom to reign. His idea of a true fast is
not just for us to abstain from something we like, but to put ourselves aside to relieve oppression. Sometimes
we think that God has been ignoring us or that we just haven't found the right words to pray. We don't see the
answers to our prayers manifested. But, God knows and sees everything. He is like that parent that tires of a
disobedient child whining and nagging to get what he or she wants even though it may not be the best thing. He
hears, but He's waiting for us to have a right attitude. So, He has laid out some guidelines for us, letting
us know what He is looking for. In Isaiah 58:6-7, God gives us some guidelines of the things He is looking for. He lays out His agenda and urges us to
adopt it as our own. Isaiah 58:6-7 (AMP) 6 [Rather]
is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed
go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke? 7 Is it not to divide your
bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house—when you see the naked, that you cover him, and that
you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood? If we decide to wholeheartedly accept God's agenda and partner with Him in His desires, which are spelled
out in Isaiah 58:6-7, we will not have to cry out and cry out over and over again, wondering when He is going to answer. Isaiah 58:9 says that, if we have followed His agenda, then when we call, He will answer. We will cry out
and then He will say, "Here I am." He begins to give us even more insight
as to the "if's," involved for us to hear His answer to our cries. We have to be concerned about
the oppressed. We need to have the mind of Christ. (Philippians 2:5) He was so concerned about our oppression that He chose to leave glory and come to set us free. (John 8:36) When our minds are renewed to think as He does, we will be concerned about the oppressed too. (Luke 4:18) Just as Jesus was, we will be attentive to both the physical and spiritual needs of those around us. We
will stop pointing the finger of blame. We will realize that we are all to blame, but we have received
forgiveness from the One who was blameless. (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23) Our hearts will be softened toward others. Our speech will change because it will be coming from a heart
that has been changed to be like the heart of our Savior. (Psalm 19:14) God is reminding us today that He hears every prayer we pray. He's waiting for you and me to have a
heart after His own heart. He wants to see His heart mirrored in our own. Then we will hear
His answer. Then, when we call, we will hear Him clearly say, "Here I am." MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 14, 2009 - THEN IT WILL HAPPEN! Isaiah 58:8 (AMP) There is so much talk in the church today about prosperity. So much talk about healing. So much emphasis
on these things, with each one claiming they know the "formula," on how to get them. Why is that so?
If we just look at God's Word, we will find out what His ideas on these subjects are. After we find out, we need
to follow. The results are guaranteed by a God who cannot and will not lie. (Numbers 23:19) In these days of economic turmoil and overwhelming health problems, despite all the medical technology, it's pretty
hard to believe that prosperity and health are possible, isn't it? Yet, God says that, for those who are following
Him and His ways, there is hope and a good future in store. (Jeremiah 29:11) God's plans for us are not disaster or harm. But there is an "if." We always
play a part in God's work. Sometimes we fail. It is then that God's mercy and grace will
make up the difference if our hearts are right. If they are turned toward Him. There's that
"if," again! Do you want to walk in total light so you
can see exactly which way to turn? Do you want healing and restoration to come. And, come in a hurry?
Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Are you tired of fighting battles of sin that you just can't
seem to win? Do you do things you don't want to do? And, do you neglect to do those things that you really,
really do want to do? (Romans 7:17-20) Do you really want your righteousness to shine? Then, we have to turn from concentrating on what we
want to do and find out what God wants us to do and do it. Some big clues are found in Isaiah 58. How about this? Do you want peace in your life? Do you want to walk freely through life not
having to always be looking back because you know that God's got your back? In Isaiah 58, God tells us how all of this can happen. And even more. I'm so
excited about the encouragement that comes from God's Word! How can you and I experience all these wonderful things
we have been talking about? The previous verses in Isaiah 58 have told what God is looking for regarding a fast. He's not looking for pretence. He's
looking for the practical application of our faith in Him. He's not looking for selfish motivation and
desire but for us to seek Him. What motivates Him? What are His desires? Here
are a few things we can think about. He would have us break chains of injustice. When we see justice being ignored,
are we quick to humbly, but boldly point it out so that others will not be oppressed? What about exploitation in the
workplace? If we have a measure of control in that area, are we following God's principles in managing or do
we cave in to this world's selfish and greedy ways? And, here's another thing. What about freeing the
oppressed? There are those who are oppressed spiritually and those who are oppressed materially. They are all
around us. Are we sensitive to those people and do we make an effort to ease that oppression? When it is in
our power, do we cancel debts? Those can either be financial debts or the other kind. The other kind of debt
is the debt we place on a person who offended us by not offering full forgiveness. Do we share our food with the
hungry? Spiritual food, as well as physical food? Do we share our homes with those who have no place to
go? Do we share our clothes with those who have no money to buy the things they need? Are we available to our
families when they have a need? (Isaiah 58:6-7) God does not keep us wondering about what to do. He makes it simple. Most of us can start somewhere on
this list. Some of these things are pretty straight-forward. Others require us to really go deeply into our heart
and check out all the ramifications of the instructions. All of them require that we find out what God wants.
We know that we want healing and prosperity. God knows it too and He wants to give it to us.
(Matthew 7:11) When will it happen? Just read Isaiah 58:8 again and find out when God says it will happen. Basically, it will happen when we seek His
Kingdom first. (Matthew 6:33) God explains that in Isaiah 58 and Jesus sums it up in Matthew 6:33. Let's stop asking, "When, God, when?" Let's start learning
what God wants and do it. Then we will see the when come to pass!
God said it and all His promises are true! When? Always! (1 Corinthians 1:20) MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 13, 2009 - A FAST THAT GOD LIKES Isaiah 58:7 (AMP) Does God want us to take care of our bodies? Of course! We are the temple in which His Spirit lives. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ASV) 19 Or
know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own;
20 for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body. We
are only stewards of our bodies. They are owned by God. They are inhabited by Him, if we have received Jesus.
It stands to reason that it would be in our best interest to be a good steward of what God owns and the place where He dwells.
Some people fast so they can keep their bodies cleansed and in shape. That's not a bad thing. As believers,
God wants us to do more than that though. We need to fast and pray. (Matthew 6:5-18) From that fasting and praying, certain things should flow from our lives. What results does God want to see
from our fasting and praying? It would seem that He wants to see changes in us rather than do something for
us. He is Who He is. He is always doing things for us. Now, it appears that He would like us to do
something for others. In Isaiah 58:7, He gives us a few things that He would like to see flowing from our time of fasting and prayer. One
of those things is sharing our food with the hungry. This is a very practical thing. Of course, we need to share
our heavenly manna with those around us. We need to give the Word of God to others. But, it's pretty hard
to listen to spiritual things if you have nothing to eat to keep your body going. James 2:15-16 (ASV) 15 If
a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, 16 and one of you say unto
them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit? God
is interested in our physical well-being, as well as our spiritual well-being. Another thing we might do to please God
would be to take someone who is homeless and poor into our home. These days, with home foreclosures increasing,
it may not be too hard to find someone with whom we can share our home until they get back on their feet. How about
clothing? I have so many things in my closet. Maybe you do too. Is there someone near you that is in need
of something that you have more than enough of? God is looking for those who will share what He has given them
with those who have a need. What about our relatives? We all have them. Some have more than others. They
are a blessing. God has set us in families for a reason. He wants us to care for one another, providing for their
needs. 1 Timothy 5:8 (NIV) 8
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith
and is worse than an unbeliever. With families spread all over the globe these days, it's sometimes
hard to keep track of each other and to really know each other's needs. When we fast, it might be a good idea to
pray that God would reveal the needs within our family and give us a heart to meet them if He has given us the means to do
it. From Isaiah 58:7, it appears that God would have our fasting result in meeting the needs of others. The hungry, the homeless, the naked,
and the needs of our families. If we are fasting food, it will be good for our bodies. It will be a cleansing.
As our bodies our cleansed, may our hearts be cleared of selfishness and opened to see and meet the needs of those around
us. With that kind of fast, God is well pleased! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 12, 2009 - SETTING THE OPPRESSED FREE Isaiah 58:6 (NIV) God
has a fasting program that will bring results beyond what we can ask or believe. (Ephesians 3:20) His power works best in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) When we deny ourselves something that is pleasurable to our flesh, sometimes we feel weak. Especially
if we are used to eating quite a bit and we decide to forego a few meals! As we pray during that time of separating
ourselves from what is our usual comfort and solace, we find solace and comfort in the Savior. We can see Him more clearly.
If we are fasting food, every time our stomachs growl, we will be reminded that we don't live by bread alone but by everything
that God says. Matthew 4:4 (NIV) 4 Jesus
answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Lots
of people who are not even believers fast. They do it to lose weight. God's principle for fasting is just
the same. Only it is spiritual. His fast is to help us get rid of those things that weigh us and others
down so that we can't run the race and win the prize He has prepared for us. (Hebrews 12:1) Jesus fasted for forty days and nights in the wilderness.
(Matthew 4:4) Afterwards, He was very hungry, as we can imagine! (Matthew 4:2) Then, in Jesus's hunger and weakness, the devil came around. (Matthew 4:3) He does that to you and me too. He's always looking for someone who is alone and weak. (1 Peter 5:8) And the devil is capable of devouring us. The only thing that will send him running is the Word of
God. Jesus knew that. He was our perfect example for what we should do if we are fasting and the enemy comes at
us. You know the enemy will come! As we fast, we need to use the Word of God to turn the enemy away
from ourselves. We need to pray it and speak it over others for whom we may be fasting. What happens when we do
this? If our fasting is to seek God and to let Him work through out
weakness, we will find that He will be with us and fetters of wickedness, injustice and pain are broken off. We may
need them to be broken off of us or we may be praying for another person; or even as much as a nation. Nothing is impossible
with God. (Luke 1:37) That's right. No word from God shall be without power and effectiveness! As Jesus fasted, He used
the Word to send the devil away. As we fast, our thoughts can be totally centered on God's Word and His desires.
It is His desire that His children be set free from anything that holds them back from serving Him and living in complete
freedom. How great is that that He allows us to be partners with Him in losing those chains that bind us and others!?!
As we fast, we can ask God to help us undo and remove the heavy yoke we feel when we are so burdened down by the cares of
this life. (1 Peter 5:7) It is not God's will that we should be burdened down by anxious thoughts. Psalm 139:23 (NIV) 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. The
devil is a hard taskmaster. He is an oppressor. We can work with God, as we fast, to let the oppressed go
free. What is oppression? It is being broken. Cracked. We know that Jesus came to set people like
that free and He wants us to use our fasting to continue to carry out His work. He came for broken people.
Luke 4:18 (AMP) 18 The Spirit of the Lord
[is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor;
He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who
are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], Oppressed
people are crushed, bruised, discouraged, or struggling. Maybe you are in that condition right now. Maybe someone
you know is a broken person. God has allowed us to work with Him to set people free. Ourselves and others.
Free from the bondage addictions and habits that are way too hard for us to break on our own. Freedom from the yoke
of unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment. Free from slavery to pornography, greed, and lust. Free from anything
that will hold us back from knowing God in a more intimate way and being effective in carrying out His purpose for our lives.
Freedom to work with Him in setting every captive free! God's chosen fast is to set people free!!
Free from Satan's grasp. Are our fasts done for that reason? MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 11, 2009 - IS THIS ACCEPTABLE? Isaiah 58:5 (AMP) In answer to the title questions of this morning's manna, the answer has to be a resounding, "no." God
was more than a bit irritated at His children because He had instituted fasting in order for them to seek Him.
Instead, they made a ritual out of it. They did it so that others would see them. Jesus warned us against that
kind of fasting. Matthew 6:16-18 (NIV) 16 "When
you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you
the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put
oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that
you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Although
we are talking about fasting, it doesn't matter what we do for the Lord, it should not be done out of ritual or done
mechanically. It should be done out of relationship and communication with Him. No one else has to see or
even know about the things we do for Him. What we do for him in our private moments with Him will be
evident to others by our lifestyle. A husband and wife do not demonstrate to the world everything they do in private.
Yet, when seen in public, people know that they are married. When we want people to notice what we are doing, we
have our full reward in that recognition. The Israelites could not see that they were just going through the motions
and congratulating each other which, by the way brings about another distinct temptation. We can become rigid and
judgmental, looking only on the outside of another while God is looking at the heart. Theirs and ours. We can do right things in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons.
Is this acceptable to God? He asks us that question in Isaiah 58:5. However, when God asks a question, He already knows the answer. He just wants us to come into
agreement with Him. The answer is, "no." We can't do a right thing in the wrong way or for the wrong
motive and expect God to bless it. He warns us about this even in the matter of prayer. Prayer certainly
isn't wrong. It's a wonderful thing when we do it in the right way. Without it, we would have no intimate
communication with our Father. He wants to hear us. He wants us to call on Him. (Jeremiah 33:3, James 1:5, etc.) But, when we do it in the wrong way or just because we think that
our long-winded, repetitive, eloquent prayers will be heard by others, we're headed down the wrong track. Look
what Jesus says about that. Matthew 6:6-8 (AMP) 6 But
when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father,
Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. 7 And when you pray, do not
heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard
for their much speaking. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need
before you ask Him. I am seeing a principle in operation here. Fasting and praying should never be mechanical, ritualistic, or
for the eyes and ears of anyone else. Of course, people will obviously know that we are not eating when it's
time to eat and we don't participate. Rather than make a big deal about our sacrifice, we should be show
our excitement and testify about what God has done for us. The emphasis needs to be taken off of us and
the attention turned to God. (John 3:30) People will know that we pray but we have to be extremely careful that we do not do it in a way that brings
attention to ourselves. This same principle also involves our giving. Is our giving acceptable to God?
Only we can answer that question. If it is for others to see how generous we are, then, of course, the answer is again,
"no." Is it done out of a pure heart, strickly as our gift to God, and our want to help those in
need? Then, the answer is, "yes." Matthew 6:2-4 (AMP) 2 Thus, whenever you give to the poor, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites in
the synagogues and in the streets like to do, that they may be recognized and honored and praised by men. Truly I tell you,
they have their reward in full already. 3 But when you give to charity, do not let
your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 So that your deeds of charity
may be in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly. God sees everything we do
and He sees the motives behind those things. He does bless and reward His children for their good behavior, but He
knows the difference between acting and being. An interesting theme along the lines of fasting, prayer,
giving, and good deeds is this: the deeds that are done in secret are rewarded openly by God.
Have you been doing something for a very long time and no one has seen it or noticed? Maybe that's a good thing!
It may not feel good at the moment, but our Father has noticed! He has rewards in store for those who will
not give up serving Him with a pure heart. It could be that you will not be noticed here on earth but those rewards
are not lost. They are stored up in Heaven awaiting you. Are we willing to be steadfast in prayer, fasting,
giving, and good deeds without thought of human recognition? If so, a harvet is coming. The acceptable seed
we have been sowing will produce more than we can imagine. Galatians 6:9 (AMP) 9 And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint
in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax
our courage and faint. Whatever we do, may it be acceptable in God's sight! Psalm 19:14 (AMP) 14 Let
the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and
my Redeemer. MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 10, 2009 - DO WE WANT OUR VOICE TO BE HEARD BY GOD? Isaiah 58:4 (AMP) How do you make your voice heard by God?
Do you sometimes feel as if He doesn't hear you? Does He ever ignore people when they pray? Do parents sometimes
ignore their children's demands? I think so. For one thing, a good parent will not give a child something
that is not good for him or her, no matter how much that child desires to have it. What if you gave your child a glue
stick to do his homework and then found that he had used that glue stick, instead, to glue things on to your walls?
God is not against fasting. He calls people to fast. But, He wants us to use the fast in the right way.
Not like the child who misused the glue stick. Moses fasted for forty days. Exodus 34:28 (AMP) 28 Moses was there with
the Lord forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant,
the Ten Commandments. During this time, Moses was in the presence of God. When He returned, his face was
shining so brightly that he had to cover it with a veil because those around him couldn't even look at him. Exodus 34:29 (AMP) 29 When
Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of the Testimony in his hand, he did not know that the skin of his face
shone and sent forth beams by reason of his speaking with the Lord. During Moses's time of fasting,
he remained in the presence of God and God gave Moses His Word. The
Israelites were not fasting as Moses did. They were not fasting to be in the presence of God and to hear from Him.
They were fasting because they wanted Him to do something for them. They wanted their voice to be heard on
high. Moses was fasting because he really needed to hear God's voice from on high! Moses
heard God's voice and was able to carry His commandments to the people. Because Moses had fasted and heard
from God, the people around him benefited. Exodus 34:31-32 (AMP) 31 But
Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and [he] talked with them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all the Lord had said
to him in Mount Sinai. They had the opportunity to know what God had said and to obey
it. The question for us today, as it should have been with the Israelites of Isaiah's day, is this. Do
we want to talk and give Him our list of demands or do we want to listen to God and receive His Word? If we do choose to fast, how do we conduct ourselves during that fast? Are we mean-spirited toward others
while thinking that God will answer us just because we have chosen to give up something that we like? When Moses fasted, he
was able to experience the presence of God like no one else had. There is nothing better than being so closely in God's
presence that people will notice it when they see you! But, it wasn't just for Moses benefit. God wants us
to love Him with all of our hearts but He also wants us to love what He loves. Matthew 22:35-40 (ASV) 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question,
trying him: 36 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment.
MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 9, 2009 - WHERE DID THEY GO WRONG? Isaiah 58:3 (AMP) Have you ever put your want of something from God before your worship
of Him? I realize that I have. We have been taught to pray, asking God for the things we want. And, there
is nothing wrong with that. In fact, God wants us to do that. He's a loving Father who loves to give good
gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:11) Every good dad wants the very best for his children and that's what
our Heavenly Father wants for us too. He tells us that He will grant the desires of our hearts. Psalm
37:4-6 (ASV) 4 Delight thyself also in Jehovah; And he will give thee the desires of thy heart. 5 Commit thy way unto Jehovah;
Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass. 6 And he will make thy righteousness to go forth as the light, And
thy justice as the noon-day. As I read Psalm 37:4-6, my eyes gravitate to the part that says he will give me
the desires of my heart. And so He will, but there is a condition. I must delight myself in Him. I must
trust Him to bring things to pass. He must always come first. I don't always do that naturally. Many
times self is first. Sometimes my desires don't stem from delighting myself in Him, but in my own comfort and pleasure.
Sometimes I feel good about my "rightness," instead of being focused on His righteousness. Am I doing everything
right? Can people see that I'm doing God's work? Will God see me and give me exactly what I want?
While it's true that God does reward us, those rewards are not based on the deeds we do, but on the fact that we're
doing them because we believe that God is who He says He is. (Hebrews 11:6) When our works flow out of our believing
who God is and seeking for Him, then the rewards come. What
happened with the people of Israel? They thought that if they fasted and were hard on themselves, the Lord should notice
and do what they wanted. Instead, it seems that the Lord wasn't paying much attention to all their "self-sacrifices."
They wanted to know why. God had an answer for them. It probably wasn't what they wanted to hear but God will
not flatter His children. He will always tell them the truth so that they can be set free. (John 8:32)
He told them they were fasting to please themselves. I don't know about you, but it doesn't please me to push
a plate away. I'm pretty fond of eating! But, it is true that we can do all sorts of outwardly pious religious
acts to look good to others. (Matthew 6:16) Or even to look good to ourselves. We can do them to try to
buy something from God and even to earn something by our good deeds. Yet, our Father is a giver of gifts. He needs
nothing from us and we can never buy anything from Him or do anything to earn His favor. The things He offers are priceless.
We could never pay enough or do enough to buy or earn anything He gives us. Because the Israelites fasted, they thought they had really done something to deserve God's favor. But,
what they got was exactly the opposite. They found themselves being rebuked by Him. No matter how good our deeds
are, they are never enough to make us deserve anything from God. All of our righteousness is like filthy rags before
God's perfection. (Isaiah 64:6) As they were fasting, God noticed that they were oppressing their workers.
Of course, it is not wrong to fast. God was not displeased, in essence, with the fact that they fasted. He was
displeased because they thought they could get what they wanted from Father if they looked like they were doing something
good. Instead, they should have been grieving over their failures and turning their lives around as they were fasting.
They seemed to also think that the rest of their behavior didn't matter, since, although the appeared to be so righteous,
they were driving their laborers into the ground. For their own profit. Instead of seeking Papa, they were seeking
profit. The bottom line was that they didn't seem to care about anything but what they were doing. They appeared
to be fasting just so they could feel better about themselves. And, maybe put a demand on God. Yet, they were
mistreating others. Where was God in this picture? Not where they expected Him to be. Rather than receive
from Him, they were rebuked by Him. God was not where He wanted to be either. He was not first in their hearts.
(Mark 12:30) What are our motives for the works we do, "for God?" Do we know Him well enough to know
that all of those works should stem out of a relationship with Him? Out of being in His presence? As we do anything
for the Lord, we want to be aware that He is looking more at our heart than He is our deeds. What He's looking for
is our motive. And, He's looking for our worship. Obviously, the fast of the Israelites did not bring them
closer to God. If it did, their lives would have shown it. Where did they go wrong? The attitude of their
heart was wrong. Let's make sure that, no matter what we endeavor to do, the attitude of our heart is always one
of wanting a closer and deeper relationship with the Lord. He just wants us to want Him. We can't earn anything.
He freely gives us all things! (Romans 8:32)  MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 8, 2009 - PIOUSLY PRETENDING Isaiah 58:2 (NLT) Isaiah, the prophet, was sent by God to point out the truth to the Israelites. God is so loving and
so interested in us that He wants us to know the truth. The truth may not always feel good. In fact, the truth
may hurt. Learning the truth may require us to make some changes. Those changes should be moving us
more in God's direction. In Isaiah 58:2, God is observing His chosen people. He notices that they act pious. He does not say
they are pious. In more harsh terms, He is saying that they are hypocrites. There is a very big difference
in acting a certain way and in being that way. Before any of us feel far above being like the Israelites,
we need to allow God to search our hearts. Psalm 139:23-24 (TLB) 23 Search me, O God, and
know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything you find in me that makes you
sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. We also need to examine our own selves to be sure we are
rooted and grounded in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NLT) The Israelites looked good on the outside. They did the right things, but with the wrong motives.
They went to the Temple every day. They seemed to be delighted to learn all about God. As it turns out,
this was only a ritual on their part. Again, they were acting a certain way but their hearts were far from that way. Jesus
noticed that same thing when He walked the earth. (Matthew 15:8) Needless to say, that is still a problem today. We hear about it all the time. People say
they don't want to be involved with the church because of all the hypocrites. Sometimes we, who are in the church,
are offended by that statement. But, perhaps we might want to get that heart check-up and find out if there could be
any truth to the allegation. For the most part, we probably look pretty good on the outside. But, what does the
inside look like. Jesus exposed the inside of the religious leaders of His day and it didn't look good.
Matthew 23:27 (AMP) 27 Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful
on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything impure. The Israelites acted like a nation that would never abandon the laws of God. But,
on the inside they were abandoning them. If God did not spare judgment on His chosen people who acted like a Godly nation
but were really not, will He spare judgment on the nations that do this today? You see, God is more interested
in who we really are. We can fool people. We can hide the real intent of our hearts from
people but we can never hide it from God. He searches everything out and He's looking for the real thing.
Jeremiah 17:10 (AMP) 10 I
the Lord search the mind, I try the heart, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his
doings. He's searching for a people that are searching for Him. Not just for what He can do for
them, but for who He is. The Israelites of that day wanted something from God but their want was more than their worship.
God saw right through it. God sees right through us too. They pretended they wanted to be near Him when what they
really wanted was what He could do for them. How do we stand in that area? It was not a problem that existed only
at that time. It has always existed. Today is a good day to let God search us. To examine ourselves.
To be sure we are not just piously pretending. God will tell us the truth if we will truthfully seek it. He desperately
wants us to know the truth so that we can have the opportunity to repent, if necessary. And, so we can be set free!
(John 8:32) God is such a good Father that He will not hold back the truth from us. The great "I AM" is looking
for people who are real "beings." He doesn't need actors. He's looking for those who will worship
Him in spirit and truth. (John 4:24) Which are we? MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 7, 2009 - WHAT SHOULD
A PROPHET DO? Isaiah 58:1 (NLT) There are many in our day who claim to be
prophets. Many who make that claim are not prophets. (1 John 4:1) It has been that way all along.
Jeremiah 23:9-11 (NLT) 9 My heart is broken because of the false prophets, and my bones tremble. I stagger like
a drunkard, like someone overcome by wine, because of the holy words the Lord has spoken against them. 10 For the land
is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning— its wilderness pastures are dried up.
For they all do evil and abuse what power they have. 11 “Even the priests and prophets are ungodly, wicked men.
I have seen their despicable acts right here in my own Temple,” says the Lord. Many will tell us what we would like to hear in order to keep their ministries funded.
(2 Peter 2:1-3) Those who are really seeking the Lord may give to them unwittingly. Of course, when we give, if
our hearts are right, we are giving as unto the Lord. Whatever we give in that spirit will be accepted by the Lord and
the, self-called prophet will be held accountable for what happens to the gift. So, what does a real prophet do?
A real prophet will rightly divide God's Word and will tell people of their sins. (2 Timothy 2:15) We can
take an example from Jesus. Many say He was just a prophet. (Matthew 21:11) We, who are believers,
know that He was Everything. The first words of His public ministry were not words that we might think of as encouraging
or the bright promises of an easy and happy life. What were they? Here's what they were. Matthew 4:17 (ASV)
17 From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Just in
case this is sounding too harsh for a morning devotional, let's be encouraged to follow Jesus. According to Him,
the first step, and the foundation of all the blessings to follow, is to repent. That means to turn around and stop
sinning. How can we know if we're sinning if we don't know the word of God? So, what is a prophet supposed
to do? Fill us with pie in the sky, lofty promises, that although they are true are only for true followers of Jesus?
Or, should they to present the whole word of God, letting us know how to repent, truly follow the Way, and put ourselves in
line for the blessings that follow? When we hear that Word, we will either be convicted or God will be confirming something
in us. God does not want to condemn us. He wants to save us. (John 3:17) But, we have to be willing
to do our part. Tell the truth. Listen to the truth. Obey the truth. Isaiah was told to
shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. May are shouting today, but what are they shouting about? We need to
listen to those who will tell us the truth about ourselves, as God sees it. Are we listening to prophets who are doing
what they're supposed to be doing? Are those of us who know the Word of God shouting with the voice of the trumpet
to win those who are lost to Jesus? MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 6, 2009 - WHEN THE COLD WINDS BLOW Matthew 7:25 (AMP) It's not
a matter of, "if," cold winds will come. It's just a matter of, "when." For many, these
days, the winds of life are cold. They seem to be raging. We know that we're not promised a lifetime
of freedom from the winds of tribulation and trouble. In fact, Jesus told us just the opposite. We will have
trouble in this life. The cold winds will blow at times. (John 16:33) There will be storms and times when the things in our lives seem to be blowing haphazardly around. But,
we can be at peace on the inside because we know the One who can calm a storm with one word. (Mark 4:39) If we know Jesus, we know the One who has assured us that He has overcome the storms of this world. If you find
that you are in a storm of life this morning, turn to the One who can rebuke those winds. As you do, He, not only begins
to rebuke the winds of circumstance, He calms the storm inside of us. Who
is that one who can help us out when the storms of life overwhelm us? Of course, it's Jesus! He's
that Rock of ages that we sing about. The One in whom we can hide when we're battered about in the wind.
(Matthew 7:25) When everything around us feels like sinking sand, if we've put our trust in Jesus, we are fixed on
the Rock. Those who have chosen to build their lives on the sand will find no help. Indeed, they will be washed
away by the flood. (Matthew 7:27) Today is the day to be sure that we have put our trust in the Rock of our salvation. (Psalm 62:2) When the winds blow, He will be our defense. Unlike those who have failed to trust Him, we will be secure and
unmoved. Stable. Sure. Safe. Grounded. If
you are in one of those cold, windy storms today, perhaps the floods threaten you. (Isaiah 43:2) We can be encouraged right now because God has promised to be with us. Those waters will not
overtake us. We are, by faith seated in heavenly places, above the windy circumstances. (Ephesians 2:6) It could be that some of us are concerned because those in power seem to be creating a wind that will sweep us
all away. We need to remember that God is in control of the affairs of men and of the wind. Although people
may rise to power and seem great in our eyes, even capable of stirring the winds in our lives, God will have the last say.
Those who have built their house on the Rock of righteousness will find that those winds have come and gone and their
house is still standing. Those who have not built upon the Rock will be blown away. (Isaiah 40:24) Today, and any day we find ourselves being tossed about by the wind, let's remember that we don't have to
buck that wind by ourselves. We can run to God, wait in His presence, and rise above the winds on the wings like those
of eagles. (Isaiah 40:31). That's what eagles do, you know. They rise above the winds and soar. The storm actually becomes that
thing that enables them to glide through the air with ease! Is there a storm brewing? Maybe there's one in
full force. If not, know that one will eventually come. As we wait on the Lord, we will find ourselves
using that storm to rise higher. Then, in due season, we will see that God has actually used those winds to make us
stronger! (Romans 8:28) MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 5, 2009 - HE'S YOUR SHEPHERD Psalm 23:1 (KJV) We're
all pretty dumb. I didn't say that first. God said it first. He calls us, "sheep."
(Ezekiel 34:31) Sheep, of course, are dumb animals. Dumber than most animals! They wander off frequently. They are
fearful. They can't find their own way to good pasture. They fall over and can't get up. Our hearts
are like that. (Jeremiah 17:9) Isn't it true, especially today with all the graphic pictures we see and words we hear, that our hearts are prone
to wander? It doesn't take long for the hearts of mankind to wander as we see in the story of Moses.
Moses, the shepherd of the people of Israel, went up the mountain to hear from the Lord. The people thought that
Moses stayed too long, and the people's hearts wandered. Upon Moses return, he found the people worshipping
a golden calf that they had made with the gold jewelry they had. (Exodus 32:1-6) Where do you suppose they got all of that gold? I suspect it was a blessing of God. When they left Egypt,
the Egyptians gave them gold. (Exodus 3:21-22) God had favor upon the sheep of Israel and caused the Egyptians to give them gold! How soon those wayward
sheep forgot all of that! They used the blessings of God to worship idols! They somehow forgot that God was
the Shepherd of their hearts. We might want to take a lesson from
their mistakes. We need to remember that God is the One who made our hearts. (Psalm 139:14) They are wonderfully made, but they need the guidance of the One who made them. Our hearts need to be shepherded.
God knows that very well and we should remember it too. There are many false shepherds in the world seeking
to control our hearts. But there is only One real Shepherd. The Lord, Himself, has promised to be our Shepherd. (Isaiah 40:11) We might deceive ourselves into thinking that we know our own hearts but the Shepherd lets us know differently.
He says, "....who can know it?" As you may have heard someone say, "God never asks a question because He
doesn't know the answer." That's true! Who is the only One who can know the hearts of
His sheep? The Shepherd, of course. (Psalm 139:23) He knows every nook and cranny of each and every heart! (Psalm 44:21) He will search out everything in there, no matter how deep it might be hidden. He knows us so much better
than we know ourselves. (Psalm 139:2) Although this sounds a bit ominous, we need to remember that our Shepherd is the Good Shepherd. (John 10:11) When our hearts have deceived us into walking into some darkness, the Good Shepherd, who is
also The Way, will shed His light on the path. (Psalm 119:105) If you have trusted Jesus, the Good Shepherd, with your heart,
you can know that He will not lead you astray. You may wander but, like that little lamb that goes down the wrong trail,
the Shepherd will find you. If you have not trusted Jesus to be your Savior and the Shepherd of your heart, this morning
is the time to do it! (2 Corinthians 6:2) Today, the Shepherd is waiting to help you if you will call on Him. The Good Shepherd is worthy of our trust.
He is compassionate. He cares for His sheep like no other can. (Matthew 9:36) He sees us when we are helpless. He wants to help. He knows when we are fainting. He wants to revive
us. (Isaiah 40:31) It is not His desire that we should be scattered, wandering around, vulnerable and on our own. (Ezekiel 34:12) When we make the Lord our Shepherd, we will not lack for any good thing! Trust Him with your heart today.
If you have wandered away from Him, stop for a second. Cry out to the Shepherd. He hears every bleat and
baa. Listen for the Shepherd. He's calling for you to get back in the Way. If you have fallen, look up.
Just as good shepherds of this earth pick up their sheep when they have fallen and can't get up, Jesus will pick you up
and put you back on your feet again. Jesus wants to be the shepherd of your heart. Will you trust Him? MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 4, 2009 - WHAT IF YOUR STRENGTH IS SMALL? Proverbs 24:10 (AMP) For many, these are days of adversity. Terrorism threatens the world. The whole world is in
economic stress. Morality is at a low. Families are in crisis. Churches are in turmoil. Governments
are floundering. On December 23, 1776, Thomas Paine wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls."
That was certainly true in those times. It is also true today. At that time, there was a war for freedom.
At this time there is also a war for freedom. There has always been a war for freedom. The freedom that only God
can bring. It is that freedom that sets an individual free from sin. The freedom we war for is for release from
the slavery of the world system and entrance into the Kingdom of God. Some of us find ourselves weak. We encourage
ourselves with the worship song that says, "And now, let the weak say, 'I am strong.'" And,
so we should because we do not want to faint in these days of adversity. But, we must know that our strength is not
within ourselves. Yesterday, I heard an old hymn that I don't
hear very often any more. The words caught my ear. If you are a young person, you may have never heard this hymn.
Listen with your heart to the words of the first verse. "I hear my Savior say, thy strength indeed
is small. Child of weakness, watch and pray. Find in me thine all in all." Of course
our new songs are not written in old English with all the thee's and thy's, etc. But, don't let that keep
you from hearing the message. Jesus knows, because He made us, that we are weak. (Psalm 103:14) His word lets us know that He sees that we have very little strength. (Revelation 3:8) So, how can we bear up in the days of adversity? By not denying the One who gives us the strength to make it
through. We must remember that it is by His strength that doors are opened for us. He is the Door! When
those doors are opened, no person can shut them. We're not powerful enough to open the door for ourselves.
But, Jesus, the Gentleman, opens the door for His bride. That's you and me if we are believers.
He makes a way of escape for us when the circumstances of life are on our heels. When we were too weak and helpless
to save ourselves from our sin, Jesus died for us making a way of escape. (Romans 5:6) When the temptations and trials get to be too much for us, He sees our weakness and makes a way of escape. (1 Corinthians 10:13) It is God's strength in us that enables us to stand up against trials, not our own. "Lord, now indeed I find, thy power and Thine alone, Can change the leper’s spots and melt
the heart of stone." These are more words found in the song, "Jesus Paid It
All." The songwriter, Elvina Hall, was exactly right when she wrote those words somewhere between 1822 and
1899. All the power and strength we need rests in Christ alone. There's nothing that He
cannot do. (Mark 10:27) He became weak so that we could be strong in Him. When He hung on the cross, he suffered a weakness that
we will never have to know if we will trust in Him and not deny Him. The apostle, Paul, had it figured out. He
knew he was weak. But, in his weakness, he became strong in the power of Christ. (2 Corinthians 12:10) Paul certainly had days of adversity! (2 Corinthians 11:23-30) But, this same Paul was the one who said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:10-13) Are you feeling weak this morning? Keep that thought because you are weak. The Good
News is this. Just like the old hymn says, "Jesus Paid It All." Paul tells us that He is glad to boast
of his weakness. Where are you feeling weak this morning? Boast about it, out loud. (2 Corinthians 12:9) As you do, the power of God will show forth in you. He will do a work in and through you that you
will not even be able to believe. (Ephesians 3:20) Yes, we are weak but His power, in us, does amazing things! In these days of adversity, we can trust
in the One who, "paid it all," so we could be free. He paid it all so we could receive Him and walk in His
strength. Habakkuk 3:19 (NIV) 19 The Sovereign LORD is my
strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed
instruments. Yes, the Lord is our strength. We are weak but He is strong in us.
The way may seem steep today but we can get to the high places as He strengthens us. When we find ourselves a bit tired,
we need wait on Him. He will restore us with His strength. Not only will we walk on high places, we will
soar like the eagle! Isaiah 40:29-31 (NIV) 29
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even
youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those
who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they
will walk and not be faint. May His Word give you new strength today and cause you to overcome
any adversity in your way! Jesus paid it all for us to have this privilege. All to Him
we owe! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 3, 2009 - WASHED 1 Corinthians 6:11 (NLT) I was just talking to my daughter, who is dealing with a whole litter
of new puppies. As we talked, the subject of bathing came up. We were commenting on the futility of giving some
dogs a bath. I remember my grandmother had a little Chihuahua. My grandmother would get her all cleaned up and
looking nice and shiny. The next thing we knew, if the door was opened, little Cindy Lou made a bee-line to be free.
The very first thing she would do would be to get out there and roll in the dirt! She didn't just roll
on the grass. She would find the dirtiest place available and roll there. Oh, that was frustrating!! That
once shiny coat of fur would be filled with dirt and thistles. Don't you wonder how God feels when He cleans up His children and some of them end up back out in the dirt?
I'm so glad that God is patient and does not give in to frustration! (2 Peter 3:9) I'm so glad that God's Word is the place where I can go to be washed if I should find a spot of
dirt on myself and even if I have gotten pretty dirty. (Ephesians 5:25-27) Jesus gave up His life for you and me so we could be made clean. Washed by His Word. If we are uncertain
as to whether a thing is, "dirt," for us, we can go to His Word. It will not only point out the dirty
spots in the road but, if we have somehow gotten into them, it will wash us clean! Just as a good husband
provides and cares for his wife, even at his own expense, Jesus loves us. He keeps on cleaning us up. But,
He doesn't want us to run right back out into the dirt like Cindy Lou did! Now, my grandmother loved Cindy Lou. Do you think that she gave Cindy Lou to the dog pound just because Cindy
Lou got herself dirty right after she had a bath? Actually, nothing could get between my grandma and her little
dog! Being a rather large lady and having such a small dog, she was able to keep Cindy Lou right inside her dress
next to her heart. Isn't that exactly where God keeps us? Close to His heart? We might rush off
when given the chance, or distracted, and find ourselves in the dirt but God will not let us stay there. (Psalm 139:8) He loves us too much for that. He's watching all the time, ready to pick us up again and pour more water
of the Word over us. (1 John 2:1) His Word says that all of us were dirty. (Romans 3:23) Some of us were pretty dirty before He found us and picked us up the first time. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) We had no place in His Kingdom, yet He was gracious and picked us up. (Romans 5:8) We were stray, dirty, hungry, mean dogs (so to speak) on the streets of this world. Yet, God reached down to
where we were, picked us up, washed us clean and made us heirs of His Kingdom! (James 2:5, Luke 6:20) As we are brought into the Kingdom, we are set free. (John 8:36) That might sound as if we can do anything we please. We might say, "I'm allowed to do anything!"
(1 Corinthians 6:12) While that may be true because we are free, everything is not good for us. Unfortunately, our
freedom gives us the choice to go out and roll in the dirt again. While it will not make us any less God's child
than rolling in the dirt made Cindy Lou a "pound" dog, it will do us harm and bring grief to the One who loves us
and has washed us clean. How are you doing today? Are you clean and spotless? Or, have you been
out there rolling in the dirt? Your place is not in the dirt but next to the heart of God. Have you been to the
Word to check yourself out? Why not? You can know how good it feels to be washed clean and securely resting
next to God's heart! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 2, 2009 - DO EVERYTHING IN HIS NAME Colossians 3:17 (AMP) What have you been doing this morning? Let me confess that I watched a movie. I sat down in a chair and
turned on the TV. This was with the intention of watching a good Christian teaching program. However, as the screen
brightened, a larger than life clown appeared, so colorfully dressed that it captured my eyes. You see, my husband had
the movie channel on yesterday and a new movie was just starting the moment I turned on the TV this morning. I was captured
by the big screen colors and sounds and, before I knew it, I had gotten comfortable in that chair and watched the
whole movie. Needless to say, I found it necessary to try to discard the language that was used. But the colors
were nice and there was some excitement and a love story was beneath it all. The only thing is, could I really watch
this movie in the name of Jesus? As I read Colossians 3:17, I realized that I am supposed to do everything in the name of Jesus. You know, I've read that verse
many times before but the impact of, "everything," did not hit me until today. It may slip my mind again if
I become distracted but I pray that it will not. What have you done this morning? The first thing you did was
wake up. Did you wake up in the name of Jesus? In other words, was Jesus the first thing on your mind? Maybe
He was. But then you had to get dressed and start your daily responsibilities. So, when you dressed yourself,
were you doing it in the name of Jesus? To put it a different way, is your style of dress something that would bring
glory to God? What do you listen to or watch the first thing in the morning? The news? A movie? Or,
do you listen to and watch things that point you toward God instead of away from God? We could go on asking ourselves
questions such as this about everything we do throughout the day. I wonder how our report card would look? It is not my practice to watch movies at all, much less in the morning! But, I
was pulled in by the colors, excitement, and intrigue of something that really did not help me lead me toward God. I'm
not blaming anyone but myself. I made the choice. However, I had to pray each time I heard a less than Godly word.
(Ephesians 5:4) I was well aware that the values in the movie, although it would not be considered a bad movie
by most, were not Godly values. (Philippians 2:14-15) My intent was to watch something edifying but I was distracted by something that would waste time.
Could I really do this in the name of Jesus? I think not. But, to tell you the truth, I wasn't thinking about
that. All of us get distracted from time to time. But, our goal must be to press forward to the receive the
prize that awaits us. (Philippians 3:14) That prize comes through Jesus. Although we live in this world, we are not to be a part of it.
(John 17:16) Does that mean that I can never watch a movie? No. It means that I can do anything if
I can do it in the name of Jesus, depending on Him to help me do it, while giving thanks to God. I looked
up that word translated, "everything." In it's original Greek form, it means, just that - everything,
"all." I could really start coming down hard on myself right about now. I could think that this is an
impossible task. Everything? Every dish I do? Every purchase I make? Every word I say?
Yep, it's impossible. Except for a couple of things. All things are possible with God. (Mark 9:23) Everything! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13) You can too. Yes, everything! So, it's time to get up and go on, putting everything
behind us and pressing toward that mark of perfection. (Philippians 3:12-13) Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV) MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 1, 2009 - WHAT ARE THEY SO AFRAID OF? Acts 4:18 (NIV) If you have been reading along each day in the Morning Manna, you will know that the last several have been
centered around the name of Jesus. And this one is too. I am so impressed lately, also even as I think
back on difficult situations in my life, by the importance and power of the name of Jesus. Peter and John found that
they could make a great difference in the lives of others by teaching and speaking in the name of Jesus. So can
you and so can I. They had just brought healing to a lame man. When the onlookers saw such a miracle, they were
willing to listen to Peter and John as they preached about this One who could make lame people walk. Peter
and John were all about teaching and speaking in the name of Jesus. Today, it would benefit us and those around
us if we could catch that zealous, compassionate, and powerful faith that Peter and John had. It would also
bring glory to our Father, which is what we were ultimately made to do. You know, we can catch it! Jesus
is still the same today as He was in Peter and John's day. (Hebrews 13:8) And, He will do for us what He did for Peter and John. And for the lame man! (Acts 10:34) Yes, Peter and John made a big difference in the life of the lame man.
They also made a big difference in more than five thousand other people! (Acts 4:4) Wow! Just two men, teaching and speaking in the name of Jesus and it brought healing to a lame man and revelation
and salvation to at least five thousand others! Now, Peter and John were not considered well-educated. In fact,
they were just considered common men. (Acts 4:13) They were considered, common, by the world. But, in fact, they were most uncommon men. They
had been with Jesus! We may think that we have no special training to be a minister of the gospel because we have not
been to seminary. But, the fact is, we don't even have to have a sixth grade education to be a minister of
the gospel. (Matthew 21:16, Luke 18:17) Once we have been with Jesus, we have more than enough! Being with Jesus had given Peter and John courage to
speak out and to act out in faith, bringing healing to the lame man. When the crowds took notice, Peter and
John shared Jesus with them. That's all we have to do too. We need to be with Jesus, minister to those
needy ones we find on our way, and when others notice the difference, share this same Jesus that made it all possible!
It's so simple a child can do it! When we have been with Jesus, people will see
the difference. We will feel the difference. We will have the boldness that only can come from His Spirit to
do things we could not ordinarily do. We will have the courage to let others know exactly Who and why we believe.
(1 Peter 3:15) Does that mean that everyone will love us and that we will go merrily on our way, enjoying the mountain top experience?
Sometimes not! Peter and John didn't on this particular occasion. In fact, they were put in jail! (Acts 4:3) While some people readily accepted the gospel of Jesus, others were afraid of it. Unfortunately, these
were the people that were in control at the time. So, to calm their fears, they arrested Peter and John and put them
in jail, probably hoping that would teach them a lesson. The next day, they questioned Peter and John, but a night in
jail had not squelched the Holy Spirit in them and they proceeded to let the officials know that their power to heal
the man was in the name of Jesus. (Acts 4:8-11) There's a good chance that you and I will also, at times, experience some uncomfortable situations, even when
we have spoken or done a good work in the name of Jesus. Some people will be afraid of giving up control of their
lives to the Lord and they may try to discourage us or even order us not to teach and speak in the name of Jesus. People
who choose to disregard the name of Jesus have good reason to fear. He is that Rock that we can run into and be
safe but, if we will not come, He is that Rock that will cause us to stumble and fall. (1 Peter 2:5-8) The rulers of Peter and John's day were afraid because they could not deny the power in the Name of the One who
is called the Cornerstone - Jesus. (Acts 4:14) In the end, they told Peter and John never to teach or speak in the name of Jesus again. (Acts 4:18) Of course, Peter and John could not obey. (Acts 4:19-20) The officials continued to threaten Peter and John, but finally let them go because they were afraid.
What were they so afraid of? There is power in that name. At the name of Jesus a lame man was healed and
a multitude of people were praising God. If the officials had detained Peter and John any further, there would have
been a riot. (Acts 4:21-22) Officials today are trying to stop us from teaching and speaking in the name of Jesus. We may fear the thought
of that, but we must remember that it is actually they who are afraid. They know there is power in that
Name. Satan, through them, wants to put a stop to its use. But, one day every knee will bow to
that name. (Philippians 2:10) We are most blessed today to be given the privilege of carrying that name and, with the name, the power to change
the lives of people for the better and bring glory to God. Let's remember that the enemy, and his camp, is afraid
of that name. We, on the other hand, can remember that greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world. (1 John 4:4) What is the name of the One who is in us? Jesus! His name is wonderful! Let's continue
to use it! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 31, 2009 - SILVER AND GOLD CAN'T BRING HEALING Acts 3:6 (AMP) There is only one thing
that can bring true and ultimate healing. Although we have been taught to think that it takes money, that is not true.
If you are reading this right now, you have probably never been in the place of the beggar who sat at the gates of the temple. The
gate was called Beautiful. (Acts 3:10) It probably didn't look very beautiful from the vantage point of the beggar who sat there every day,
unable to walk. I can imagine that he watched people come and go and longed to be able to do all the things they
did. One day, the vantage point of the crippled man changed drastically. It was all because of the name of
Jesus! This poor lame man was being carried along to be put
in his place at the gate of the temple one day. It was a day that seemed just like all the rest before it.
He would be placed there and beg until someone came and carried him away for the night. Just at that moment, a divine
encounter took place. This was going to be a very different day! Peter and John were just walking into
the temple. The lame man saw them and began his begging. He asked them to give him a gift. (Acts 3:3) He probably had no idea of who he was speaking to when he encountered Peter and John. When he asked for
a gift, he had one thing in mind. Money. He certainly was unaware of the fact that he was about to get much more
than he asked for! God is like that. He does much more for us than we can even ask for! (Ephesians 3:20) Money might have helped him get a little food but he would have been exactly in the same place the next day.
Still lame. Still dependent on everybody else. Still longing to be walking in and out of the temple like those he watched
every day. But, this day was going to be different. And, this day can be different for you and
me too. Peter and John heard his request but they didn't offer
him any money. Instead, they only asked him to look at them. (Acts 3:4) Can you imagine being that beggar? Maybe he didn't often look up. He could have lived a life of such
disgrace that he would rarely look someone in the eyes. Needless to say, he would have had to lift his head to look
at them since he was seated on the ground. Some of us, although we are not sitting on the sidewalk begging, may have
the beggar's mentality. We may feel disgraced and unworthy. We may hesitate to engage in eye contact with
others because we feel, "below," them. Maybe life has been hard on us. W need to be healed. It
could be emotionally. It could be mentally. It could be physically. And, we all need to be healed spiritually
by receiving the forgiveness given to us by Jesus. (Romans 3:23, Romans 10:13) Today, we need to look up. That's what the lame man had to do when Peter and John said, "Look
at us!" As the man looked up, he was expecting some money. (Acts 3:5) He dared to look up. Then he heard the words of Peter. "I don't have any silver and gold."
(Acts 3:6) Thankfully, the man did not become instantly bitter because he thought he was not going to get anything. He
kept an upward gaze and then heard these life-giving words. "I'm giving you what I have. In the
name of Jesus get up and walk!" God doesn't give everyone silver and gold. But God does give
everyone who asks, the name of His Son. In that name is healing. With his healing, the lame man was
now able to work so that he could get silver and gold. We can spend a lifetime of earnings to find healing for our bodies
souls and spirits. That happened to a woman in Jesus's time. After all those earnings are gone, we can
find that we're not healed. In fact, we're worse off than when we started. (Mark 5:26) Like the lame man, she finally found true healing in Jesus. (Mark 5:24-34) Jesus is not walking the streets in the flesh these days. Or is He? He's given us His
name and all the power that goes with it. Doesn't the scripture tell us that we can have anything we ask
in prayer in the name of Jesus? If we believe? (John 14:12-13) Yes, it does! Silver and gold are good, but healing is better. Let's ask God to increase our faith
so that we might be like Peter and John, giving what we have in the name of Jesus. Let's be like the lame man who
was willing to look up and receive what he needed instead of what he asked for! There is much focus on silver and
gold these days (or the lack of it). But, what the world needs is not more silver and gold, but healing. We can
receive healing in the name of Jesus. We can be instruments in bringing that healing in the name of Jesus! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 30, 2009 - THE PROMISED GIFT IS IN THE NAME Acts 2:38 (KJV) If your boss or your teacher gave
you an instruction and promised you a gift beyond your wildest dreams, would you follow that instruction? If you knew
for sure you would not have to do anything but follow two simple instructions in order to receive the greatest gift you
could ever receive in life, would you follow the instructions? What if that person told you the gift would keep you secure
for the rest of your life? Even if the instructions were hard, we would probably follow! As Peter preached to
the Jewish people one day, he gave them a couple of simple instructions. He broke it down into two easy parts. The
number one part was, repent. Repentance is a turning around. That has to happen in our hearts before
it can happen in our lives. We have to admit to ourselves and God that we have sinned. We've missed the mark.
It's a fact. (Romans 3:23) All of us. Peter tells the Jews that everyone needs to repent. (Acts 2:39) Jews and Gentiles alike. That means the instruction and promise is to you and me! Everyone who will
follow. Each one has to follow the instructions. We can't do it for anyone else and no one can
do it for us. Peter is not preaching a gospel different from that of Jesus. The very first words out
of Jesus's mouth, as He began His public ministry were, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17 (AMP) 17 From
that time Jesus began to preach, crying out, Repent (change your mind for the better, heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence
of your past sins), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Once we have realized and admitted our sin to ourselves and God, the second part of the instruction given by Peter
is that we must be baptized for the forgiveness and wiping away of those sins. We do that in public as an outward sign
that a change has taken place in our heart. We have admitted that we are unclean before God. Now, He is asking us to
be baptized in water as a symbol of our dying to our sin. As a symbol of being washed clean. But, there is a stipulation
to this baptism. It is made effective by one important thing. The name of Jesus! The promise of
the gift is in His name. We have done nothing but follow His instructions and He promises the greatest gift
anyone can ever receive. What is that gift? It is His
Spirit. Why is this such a great gift? Because, when we are given His Spirit, we have everything we need in this
life and the next! Through His Spirit, He continues to pass our more gifts! Check out the following passage of
scripture and see that each one of us is given what we need by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (AMP) 7 But
to each one is given the manifestation of the [Holy] Spirit [the evidence, the spiritual illumination of the Spirit] for good
and profit. 8 To one is given in and through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak]
a message of wisdom, and to another [the power to express] a word of knowledge and understanding according to the same [Holy]
Spirit;9 To another [wonder-working] faith by the same [Holy] Spirit, to another the
extraordinary powers of healing by the one Spirit;10 To another the working of miracles,
to another prophetic insight (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose); to another the ability to discern and
distinguish between [the utterances of true] spirits [and false ones], to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues, to another
the ability to interpret [such] tongues.11 All these [gifts, achievements, abilities]
are inspired and brought to pass by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, Who apportions to each person individually [exactly] as
He chooses. I know that was a long passage but, in it, you can be encouraged because, if you have repented
and been baptized in that wonderful name of Jesus, you have been given His Spirit and His Spirit has given you the thing that
is needed for you to operate within His will in this life. That's not all though. If you need comfort, His Spirit
comforts you. (John 15:26) If you need healing, His Spirit touches and heals you. (Isaiah 61:1) If you need deliverance from addictions that are destroying your life, His Spirit will deliver you. If you need
help, His Spirit is your Helper. The list goes on and on! And where does all of this come from? The name
of our Lord and Savior. Jesus! We are so blessed. God has not given us hard instructions. All we have to
do is change our mind to agree with His, admitting that we fail every time we try to go it alone. Then, we need to express
that change in our minds by entering into the waters of baptism in the name of Jesus. Don't you love gifts?
Who doesn't! The gift of the Holy Spirit is yours if you have followed God's instructions. Even
if you have not followed, it can still be yours! Repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus and receive the Gift right
now! In the mighty name of Jesus! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 29, 2009 - HIS NAME IS LIFE John 20:31 (KJV) Has the enemy been lurking
around lately trying to discourage you? Trying to make you feel overwhelmed? Trying to steal your joy? Kill your
enthusiasm? Destroy your life? No wonder! If you have believed in Jesus, Satan knows that you have life
through His name. He thinks he can destroy it. It's his desire to do so, but he cannot. (John 10:28) What happens when the enemy bombards you with thoughts and feelings of negativity? Do you try to find your own
way out? It could be that you retreat into doing nothing. Or, do you remember that you are the recipient of life?
Not just life, but abundant life. (John 10:10) And, it's through the name of Jesus! There's a song
that declares, "When I call on Jesus all thing are possible." That's right! Calling on the Jesus can
change your circumstances in the twinkling of an eye. That name has life in it! And, even if your circumstances
don't change immediately, your perspective will change. You will be transported back from your victim mentality
to the proper mentality. No matter what people say, no matter what it looks like, you are a victor!
(Romans 8:37) God's Word says so! Where you were feeling that you were under the circumstances,
your vision will be restored and you will see that you are seated with Christ above the circumstances!
(Ephesians 2:6) Now, that's life! I have seen the Lord bring people back
from the brink of death when I have called on the name - Jesus! I have also heard of many testimonies where people
have actually been dead for a fairly extended time and, at the name of Jesus, they got up again. All of these things
are possible. (Matthew 19:26) Jesus did it when he was on earth. He stopped funerals in their tracks! (Luke 7:14) He gave us His name, and all of it's power, so we could do the same, although there are few who are
such giants in faith. Even Abraham believed that God could raise the dead when he, by faith, obediently walked
up the hill to sacrifice his promised son, Isaac. (Hebrews 11:19) Abraham had not seen or heard the name of the real Promised Son yet, but, by faith, he believed.
God is the God of the living. (Luke 20:37-38) We know that we cannot live here forever here on this earth. But, that doesn't mean we will die. Our
bodies will not work any more but our spirits will soar like never before. "I can mount on wings like
eagles and soar......," are more of the words of the song, "Call on Jesus." Yes! It's
true! God's word declares it. (Isaiah 40:31) As we walk the earth, with all of it's trials and tribulations, we have life in the name of Jesus.
He allows us to soar when we remember to call on His name. When it looks like we have lain our body down to death,
if we have believed that Jesus is the Christ, we have even greater and more abundant life, as our spirit soars freely to the
One who's name made it possible for us to live eternally! Jesus is the Life. (John 14:6) He has freely given us His name through which we share that life with Him now, this moment, and forever!
Hallelujah! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 28, 2009 - JESUS CARRIES HIS FATHER'S NAME John 10:25 (KJV) I was reading a book by Franklin Graham, The Name. In
the book he tells about being the son of the famous evangelist, Billy Graham. In his younger years, he didn't pay
much attention to his family name. Later on, he realized that, because he carried that name, he had both privilege and
responsibility. "I knew that if I did something disgraceful, it would not just embarrass me but bring shame
to my family's name that so many people in the world admired." Franklin Graham learned, as he realized
the value of his family name, the importance of the name of the Lord. Today, Franklin Graham is bringing honor both
to his earthly father's name and to his Heavenly Father's name. He is reaching out to people everywhere in the
world in the name of Jesus. However, he has found that, in doing that, he doesn't always gain favor among the multitudes. Jesus didn't gain favor among some groups of people either, even though
His works were good. (Acts 10:38) Why is it that his healing deeds only bought hatred of him from the religiously-correct? (Luke 13:14) Well, one reason seems to be that He carried His Father's name. That name is all-powerful. In general,
we don't like to think that we can't control something in our lives. The religious leaders of Jesus's day
had control pretty much sown up. They didn't want this lowly carpenter-preacher to undo any of their nicely
traditionalized rituals. They were more interested in their tradition than in the travail of the people. They
were more interested in their positions, titles and names than they were interested in The Name. In
some cases, it is the same today. When we make our religious practices foremost and neglect to realize that Jesus, the
One who carries His Father's name, wants a relationship with us, we're on a slippery slope. In general, do you think we're on that slope today? How do people react when
you speak of Jesus? When you use the Name? The name of the Lord will be proclaimed on the earth
no matter what. He will see to that. Psalm 8:1 in The Living Bible says, "O Lord our God, the majesty and glory of your name fills all the
earth and overflows the heavens." Will we be the ones who will help take that name wherever we go? Jesus
has carried the name of His Father to us. It is the most powerful name on earth or in heaven. Jesus has given
us the gift of being able to use His name and all the power that goes with it. His name makes it possible for us
to stand before His Father without fear of destruction. (Hebrews 4:14-16) He carried the name of His Father to earth and then He gave it to us. We are His bride. (Revelation 19:7) When women get married, they take the name of their husband. When we receive Jesus, He gives us His name.
Through that name, we have also been given the power to do His works. As we see from John 10:25, people will not always believe what we say, but some will believe because of the works we do in the
name of Jesus. (Mark 16:17-18) Today, when the name, "Jesus," is mainly used as a curse word and in vain, what are we doing with
it? (Deuteronomy 5:11) Do we carry it in vain? Or, do we realize the great privilege and responsibility that comes with carrying the
name of the King of Kings? Today, we hear of, "name-droppers." They are those who seek influence
and power by using the name of someone famous. We are not, "name-droppers." Let's be, "name-lifters!"
Those who are name-droppers have no influence or power within themselves. We, who lift the name of Jesus, carry His
power within us to bring salvation and healing to a messed up world. Let's carry and use that name in humility and
boldness so that others will hear and see and come to Him. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 27, 2009 - CALL HIS NAME Matthew 1:21 (KJV) Women have babies all the time. But, not women who are virgins.
(Luke 1:27) And so, we know that this was a very special baby who was born to Mary over two thousand years ago.
Because she was a virgin. Now, that's an impossibility! Yes, it is. That is, unless God brought
it about. And He did! Although Mary was engaged to marry a man named Joseph, the marriage had not been consummated.
Now a very special baby was about the enter this world through some very difficult circumstances. Immoral women
were stoned to death in those days. It looked like Mary was a candidate. God went to great measures, not
only to talk to Mary, but to talk to Joseph too. (Luke 1:31, Matthew 1:21) Both Mary and Joseph were obedient. They worked through the hardships and trials. They were probably ridiculed
and talked about. Even perhaps threatened and persecuted. They refrained from consummating their marriage
until Mary brought forth the baby they were to call, "Jesus." (Mark 1:25) Then, when this special baby was born, they obediently called his name, Jesus. (Luke 2:21) From their example, we can know that if God calls us to do something, we may be talked about. We may
have to sacrifice some of our own desires. We will have to listen to God carefully and be obedient. And last,
but not least, He may call us to do something impossible! Why was it necessary
that He be called Jesus? Because, God, His Father and our Father, calls things as they are. The name, Jesus,
comes partly from the word, "Jehovah." Jesus is named after His Father, of course. That
word, "Jehovah," is combined with a word meaning, "to save," or "to deliver." God
saw that His children were perishing here in the earth. What father would not try to save his dying children?
Our Father in Heaven loves you and me so much that He had to send His Son, named after Himself, to be our deliverer.
(John 3:16) He had to be named Jesus, the name that you and I know today as the name above all names. (Philippians 2:9) When we call Jesus, "Savior," that is a part of the meaning of His name. When we call him, "Deliverer,"
that is also a part of His name. Aren't we glad that two
people, confused though they might have been, listened to Almighty God and obeyed Him? They may have had other
names in mind for this child, but they believed God that His name should be, "Jesus." What's in a name?
Everything is in a name when that name is, "Jesus." In His name we have everything we need.
Mary and Joseph called His name, Jesus. When you and I are in need today, we need to call that name, "Jesus."
Do we need salvation? It's in Jesus. Do we need to be saved from a circumstance or situation? Jesus
is the One to call on. Are we bound in some addiction or attitude. Jesus is the One who will deliver us.
Are we just tired and needing some help. You've got it! Help comes in the name and person of Jesus!
Are we facing ill-health and aging bodies? We are preserved in the name of Jesus! Maybe we're right in
the face of our enemy, Satan, being buffeted about. It's in the name of Jesus that we find our defense.
He will take care of avenging the evil one for us! Sometimes, don't we get ourselves into unfortunate circumstances
by our own poor choices? Or, we find ourselves pushed or placed in circumstances over which we have no control.
Call the name! Jesus. He is the only One who will always come to our rescue when we call.
He's the only One who as the power to keep us safe, even in dangerous situations. When we call His name, "Jesus,"
we will always have victory! His Name means, "freedom." (John 8:36) I'm so glad that Mary and Joseph listened to God and called the baby's name, "Jesus." You see,
I know, from experience and from the Word of God, that the name of Jesus contains so much power that, if I can think
of no other words to pray, all I have to do is say, "Jesus!" Mary and Joseph called His name, "Jesus."
Now, you and I have the privilege of calling that name, no matter what we need. Everything is in that name.
Jesus! What do you need? Right now, just call His name! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 26, 2009 - DON'T PROVIDE FOR YOUR FLESH Romans 13:14 (KJV) Do you know what time it is? You're probably scratching your
head and wondering, "Why is she asking me what time it is? Of course, I know what time it is!" But,
do we really realize what time it is? In scripture, Paul told the church at Rome that it was getting late.
(Romans 13:11) He seemed to be trying to awaken the people out of a spiritual sleep. Although Jesus had not made His return
to earth, Paul warned the Roman believers that the time was close. That was over a thousand years ago. So, what
about this time? What about now? How much more should we heed this warning concerning the call to our spirits
to awaken! When we really realize what kind of times we are living
in, there are certain things that we're going to have to do. One of those things is that we need to stop living
in darkness. The world is a dark place but we are called to live in the Light. In Jesus. (Romans 13:12) When we are living in Him, we will think clearly, we will be aware of our surroundings. Though they are dark
and dangerous, we will be protected by the faith and love He has given us. We will be confident enough to take a look
around and know that He is near and will soon be here. (1 Thessalonians 5:8) We need to get dressed for His coming, if we are not already. What are you wearing this morning? Clothes
stained from walking around in this dirty world? It's time to get cleaned up! We need to shed all of
those clothes and put on Christ! We need to be dressed so that we look like Him in everything we say and do. That's
a tall order, isn't it? We can be encouraged though. God will never ask us to do anything that He will not
equip us to do. (Philippians 4:13) He will awaken our spirit, if we're willing. He gives us His righteousness, if we'll put it on. (Romans 5:17) He wants us to be light and walk in light and He is that Light that fills us to do the job! (John 8:12) Yes, God has provided everything we need for every occasion,
situation, and season! We can either take from His storehouse or we can take from the storehouse of the world. It's
up to us. Paul shows us a glimpse of the world's storehouse and of the things that will put our spirits to sleep
if we choose from those things. We might just start skimming Romans 13:13 and, getting part way through the verse, think we have not taken any provision from this storehouse. Hummm....
I don't go to wild parties. I'm not a drunkard either. So far, I'm looking pretty good. How
about you? I certainly do not commit adultery. Oh, I'm just so good. I'm so moral. Maybe
I don't have to read further. Looks like I don't have the wrong provisions in my life. If we're really
wanting the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we'll read to the end of the verse. How about jealousy and
quarreling? Well............. Okay, maybe I have a few wrong provisions here. We have all made provision
for the flesh in the past, whether we've gone to liquor for comfort or whether we've made ourselves sick with envy.
Let's face it, it comes naturally. We want to feel good! All of these things make provision for the flesh.
For those soulish desires that are constantly in the middle between our bodies and our spirits. Paul tells
us to stop thinking ahead of time about the things that might gratify our lusts. God already knows what we need
and He's promised to supply, or make provision for, all of those needs. (Matthew 6:7-8, Hosea 14:8) His provision is best. Why go to the world and pick up provision that will destroy us rather
than bring life? What is it that you just can't live without unless you can have it? Whatever that thing
is, unless it's the Lord, you need to throw it out the window and run to God's storehouse before you take
on some provision that will bring you death instead of life. What time is it? Well, as Paul says, it's
getting late. It's time for us to wake up! It's time to assess our lives and see where we may
have been making provision for the flesh instead of receiving God's provision for our spirit! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 25, 2009 - IT'S MY CHOICE TO REJOICE! Psalm 118:24 (KJV) Almost everybody
knows the verse in the book of Psalms that says, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad
in it." Today is the day that the Lord has made and, no matter where we find ourselves,
we have a choice. What will our choice be? To complain? (Philippians 2:14) To be discontent? Philippians 4:11 (NKJV) ... for I have learned in whatever state
I am, to be content: Or to rejoice? (Psalm 89:15-16) Every day that we open our eyes in the morning is a day that the Lord made. There will be sunny days
and there will be rainy days. Some days will be filled with seemingly more trouble than we can handle. Some days
will find us on a mountain top. Every one of those days comes complete with new mercies from the Lord which are sufficient
to carry us through. (Lamentations 3:23-24) I notice that Psalm 118:24 says, "...we will rejoice." Rejoicing every day is an act of our will
in response to the goodness of the Lord. Every day our hope is renewed and we are given good reason to rejoice
because God's faithfulness and compassion toward us never fails. Trials may come and they may tempt us to do everything
but rejoice. It's true that some days are very hard to get through. Are we supposed to rejoice because
of that? No, the reason for our rejoicing is because the Lord is the Lord of this day and the Lord
of us! (Psalm 139:16) The Psalmist declared in Psalm 23:6 that the Lord was with him through all the days of his life. Anytime we realize that the Lord is
with us is a time to rejoice. And, whether we realize it or not, the Lord is with us! (Romans 8:35-39) He's just waiting for us to recognize Him and rejoice. We may have some days of struggle and hardship on
this earth but God is with us. His unfailing love and compassion are always upon us. He leads us through
each day, promising to renew His mercies the next morning. At the end of our days on earth, the final, never-ending
day will find us dwelling with the Lord forever and ever. Now, that's good reason to rejoice! The whole context of Psalm 118 gives us the reason we can choose to rejoice every day. Jesus is the reason! He spent most of His days on
this earth being rejected by those He loved and came to save. However, Psalm 118:22 lets us know that God made Jesus, that stone that the builders rejected, the Cornerstone. (Acts 4:11-12) We may have some pretty trying days but they are nothing compared to the days Jesus went through in His thirty-three
years on this earth. He did it for us. He lived out every hard thing we could ever go through. (Hebrews 4:15) He did it so that we could receive salvation. So that we could have a reason to rejoice. But, it's
still our choice. When we get downcast because of situations here on earth that seem to have no answers, we
need to remember that Jesus is the answer. He's the Way when there seems to be no way. He's the
Light in our darkness. He's the strong Tower that we can run into for safety. He's all that and much more!
Then, instead of crumbling under the pressure of the problems, we can remember to rejoice in the reality of our redemption.
The enemy knows that he can't stay around in an atmosphere of rejoicing. Satan knows that his power is broken
when God's children start rejoicing. (Acts 16:16-26) We do have a choice though. We can complain or rejoice. Will we make it our choice to rejoice? (Philippians 4:4) MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 24, 2009 - WHOSE VOICE DO YOU HEAR? John 10:27 (AMP) This morning we hear many voices in our lives. We hear pastors and preachers from varied denominations
speaking. We hear the media giving us, predominantly, bad news. We hear friends giving us advice, well intended, but
sometimes not the best. We hear our relatives relaying their opinions, and even their pronouncements, as to who
we should be and how we should live our lives. We hear those in authority telling us what to do, although many
times those things are not just or in our best interest or the best interest of the world. And, we hear our own self-talk.
That talk could be based on irrational feelings, leading us astray. We hear all of those things and more, but who and
what are we really listening to? In all of those voices, it is possible to detect the voice of our Shepherd. He
can speak in any manner He chooses and through anyone He chooses! Jesus
said that His followers hear His voice and they are listening. They follow Him. Real sheep are
known to follow the voice of their shepherd. Another shepherd can come along and try to lead them but, if the "voice,"
is not right, they will refuse to follow. Today, Jesus is speaking to us, if we are listening. If we really know
Him, we are listening. We don't just listen once. We "are," listening. Continuing
to listen. His Spirit can speak to us through anyone or anything. We just have to recognize His voice.
We may not like or appreciate the vessel He uses to speak to us. We've got to get past that and really
listen to the voice of our Shepherd, Jesus. If God could speak through a donkey, He can speak through anything. (Numbers 22:28) God will speak through anything and anyone to accomplish His purposes in our lives. That's
how much He wants to talk to us. That's how much He desires that we hear Him! I doubt that Balaam expected
to hear a word from God through a donkey! God can and will speak to us through believers of all denominations and non-believers
alike. His Word is not bound by these earthly vessels. 2 Timothy 2:9 (KJV) 9 Wherein
I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. No matter what happens
to us, God can speak through us. God can and will speak through anyone He chooses. We
should be encouraged by the fact that He chooses to speak through us. As such chosen vessels, we should be
encouraged to keep constantly listening to Him so that we do not misconstrue what He is saying. However, even if
we do, His Word will not be bound! It's not about our voice, it's about His voice! So, whose voice are we listening to this morning? There are two key
voices seeking our attention right now. There's the voice of our Shepherd. Obviously He is the one
we desire to follow. Then, there is the voice of the enemy, who parades as, and sounds quite a lot
like, a shepherd. (2 Corinthians 11:14) This false shepherd is good at imitating, but the sheep whose heart is at one with his true Shepherd will detect
the difference in the voice. Scientifically, it has been said that we all have a "voice print." Just
like each, "finger print," is totally unique, each of our, "voice prints," are totally unique. How
much more the difference between the voice of the Shepherd and the voice of the seducer? One of the ways
we can recognize the voice of the Shepherd is that we will hear the voice of truth. He is the truth. (John 14:6) While on the other hand, we know that the enemy speaks in lies. (John 8:44) Can we hear the voice of truth in the media? Sometimes. Can we hear the voice of truth in a religious
denomination that differs from our own? Yes, many times. No one has a corner on the truth but the Truth,
Himself. He is the Cornerstone. (Acts 4:11) He has the corner on everything! He is not bound from speaking to us wherever we are. He is
not bound by vessels or vicinities. He's the Shepherd that is leading us "through" everything in
life. (Psalm 23) Let's listen for Him in every place, in every situation, and through every person we encounter. Because
we belong to Him, He won't lead us astray. He will keep us on His path. He will use whatever and whoever
is necessary so that we don't lose our way. In every situation in life, we need to listen for His unique voice
and follow it. It will always be the voice of truth because He is the Truth. It will always point us
in the right direction because He is the Way. It will always rise up in us and give us abundant life because He
is the Life. It will always speak in love because God is love. (1 John 4:8) Let's be encouraged today to stop looking at and judging the vessel as much as we listen to The Voice! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 23, 2009 - WHO AND WHAT DO YOU OWE? Proverbs 22:7 (AMP) If we think about the above statement, it has many facets. The rich rule over the poor. Who are the poor?
We are the poor in the sense that, until we receive the blood-bought salvation of Jesus, we remain destitute in our sin.
(Psalm 34:6) We've got to recognize the fact that we are poor before God can shower us with His rich
blessings. (Matthew 5:3) God is rich. He created, maintains, and owns the whole world and the heavens too.
When it's all said and done, God is the one who owns the most! It doesn't matter how many "toys,"
a person has when he or she dies, God even owns all of those toys! He will re-distribute them as He sees fit.
We need to be careful not to deceive ourselves into thinking that the things we have (some of them probably bought on credit)
make us rich. Proverbs 13:7 (AMP)7 One
man considers himself rich, yet has nothing [to keep permanently]; another man considers himself poor, yet has great [and
indestructible] riches. True riches come from being redeemed and brought into the Kingdom of God, with all of
the privileges and riches contained therein. The bottom line is that God is the richest and God rules. We are
all poor until we receive a touch from Him. (Romans 3:23) What about those toys (that we may buy on credit)?
While it may look like we are rich, we may possibly be among the lowest of the low. And, in danger of being a fool.
(Luke 12:16-21) I did not say, "fool," God did. If you've ever been in great debt, or if you are at this moment,
you have the feeling that you are a slave. The fact of the matter is that you are a slave. Your
work is all dedicated to your taskmasters - the credit card companies and the loan companies. If you don't
perform for them, they'll take all those "toys," and you will even have to pay them, remaining a slave
to them, after they take the toys away! It is very true that the borrower is slave to the lender. While
it is also true that God is in charge of all the wealth in this word, He doesn't promise just to dump it out on us for
us to squander. We have to do something to get it and we have to use wisdom in taking care of it. God doesn't
just give us wealth. He gives us the power to obtain wealth. (Deuteronomy 8:18) It is not God's plan that His children should be slaves to the lenders in this world's system, but that we
should be servants in His kingdom. (Deuteronomy 15:6) God provides worms for birds. But, He doesn't just rain them down from heaven right into their nests.
He has given them wings to fly to the ground and beaks that are suited for digging in the dirt. He gives them the power to
get those worms. But, they have to use the power or they will starve! God has given you and me power to obtain
wealth too. His Word declares it and it's true. It's also true that He has given us His wisdom, if
we will use it, to manage and be a good steward of that wealth. (Proverbs 19:8) In the end, remember, it's all His anyway! We
all owe God a portion of what He has given us. (1 Corinthians 16:2) If we don't give that back, we are thieves. It would be bad enough to steal something from a store; but
when we steal something from God's storehouse, we're on pretty dangerous ground! (Malachi 3:8) Giving back to God is, not only a requirement, but it serves to remind us of the fact that we
would have nothing if it weren't for Him. (Romans 11:36) It keeps our focus on the only One who should be our Master. It also releases blessings from
Him. So much so, that we can't contain them. (Malachi 3:10) This is one truth about debt in God's word. Another truth is this, and it stems from
the illustrations about material wealth. There is another kind of wealth. Something that will never, ever
fade away. It's called love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) Jesus said that we are to owe no man anything but to love them. (Romans 13:8) That pretty much indicates that we should not run our credit cards into the ground until we owe men
our lives! Our lives, as believers, belong to God. (1 Corinthians 6:19) We don't even belong to ourselves! So, when we begin to owe men anything but love, we may
be trying to sell what already belongs to God! Oh my! Not only that, just how much do we "love"
our creditors? I don't know about you, but that's pretty difficult for me! Well, this has been a
hard thing to write because I, along with many of you, may have to make some changes in my life. It will not necessarily
be easy but the rewards will be great! While it's true that we need to give our tithes and offerings to God, they
won't mean a thing unless they're given in love to Him and with a love for our fellow man. 1 Corinthians 13:3 (NIV)3 If I give all I possess
to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. So, who do you owe today?
What do you owe? It could be money and it could be love - or both. Are you needing to make some changes, with
God's guidance and wisdom, so that you can truly owe nothing but love to any person? And, so that you are not stealing
from God? Are you needing to realize that all of the laws of God are centered in and fulfilled in love? Romans 13:8 (NIV) 8 Let
no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the
law. God paid a debt He didn't even owe when He gave His best to free us from sin. (John 3:16) He paid it out of love. What do we owe? Whether it is love or money, or both, God will give us the wisdom
and strength to pay that debt! But, like those little birds digging for worms, we need to operate in the power He has
given us! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 22, 2009 - CRUSHED Matthew 12:20 (NLT) How are you feeling this morning? Full of hope and vitality? Or, maybe there are circumstances in your
life that you think you just can't get through. You may be feeling weak and out of touch with God. Here's
just the medicine you need this morning and every morning. Jesus does not crush those who are weak.
While you and I may feel crushed at times, we are not. God said that Jesus would not crush us.
When we are weak, and looking to Jesus, we can know that we are strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10) Stronger than we could be by ourselves because it is His power within us that gives us strength. The enemy may
try to crush us by using people or things in our lives to discourage us and make us give up, but we need to recognize
his strategy and begin to think and speak God's Word. Jesus will not crush us. In fact, Jesus
took our crushing for us in the Garden of Gethsemane where He struggled, even to the point of sweating drops of blood. (Matthew 26:38) Maybe you're feeling hopeless this morning. Life has
come at you hard and you're looking around for a way out when there seems to be no way out. Let me encourage you
and myself this morning. There is a Way out! Jesus is the Way! (John 14:6) Our Good Shepherd will lead us through and out of our valleys. (Psalm 23:4) He will not snuff out even our smallest hope. No matter how small we may find our hope, we don't have
to be ashamed. Romans 5:5 (KJV) 5 And
hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Jesus
is right there to keep that hope alive by the power of His love and His Spirit. There are three things that will last
forever. Faith, hope, and love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) Although, love is the greatest, hope keeps us filled with enthusiastic expectation. We know that God has
the power to work in us and for us. He has the power to do wonderful things that we might never dare
to hope for. (Ephesians 3:20) Yet, we can dare! Because we know His Word is true. In fact, we must dare because Hebrews 3:6 tells us that we need to remain confident in our hope in Christ. Will you dare today to remember that Jesus took your heavy load as He suffered and died for you? Will
you encourage yourself, if you are feeling crushed and hopeless, that Jesus wants you to come to Him when you are too
burdened to go on? (Matthew 11:28) Can we remember that, whenever the cares of this world threaten to crush us and render us hopeless, there is One Who
wants us to cast all of those cares upon Him? (1 Peter 5:7) Will we dare to put our confidence in these things and all the promises of God? It's
not much of a dare when we realize that every Word of God is true and all His promises are Yes! Even Amen!
(Proverbs 30:5, 2 Corinthians 1:20) Is it tempting to yield to the feelings of heaviness and hopelessness today? Of course
it is. We can't stick our heads in the sand and pretend that circumstances around us don't look
threatening. Yet, this same Jesus, who will not crush the weakest of us, the One who will not extinguish even the smallest
hope in us, has overcome the world! (John 16:33) And, if we have received Him as our Savior, He lives in us. Through Him, we have also overcome the world!
Throw off those feelings of heaviness and hopelessness! Greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world!
(1 John 4:4) Yes, and we are more than conquerors of anything that confronts us! (Romans 8:37) We know the end of Matthew 12:20; and we know the end of the Book. We have victory in Jesus! We would have been crushed
if Jesus was not crushed for us. But, because He took our crushing, we can lift up our heads this morning
and know that it is not we who are crushed. The enemy is crushed beneath the feet of our Savior and,
because Jesus is in us, beneath our feet also. (Genesis 3:15, Colossians 2:15, 1 Corinthians 15:57) Yes, the enemy is crushed! You and I are not crushed
under worldly circumstances. We are seated with Jesus above the circumstances. (Ephesians 2:6) We are not hopeless. He is taking even our smallest hope and making it greater! As the
Apostle Paul prayed, "May you overflow with hope." (Romans 15:13) And, in Ephesians 6:10, Be strong with the mighty power of God! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 21, 2009 - DON'T WORRY - BE HAPPY! Philippians 4:4 (AMP) My husband and I took a trip to the Caribbean Islands. We saw people everywhere wearing tee-shirts with the
saying, "Don't worry - be happy." When you think about it, in our world today, it almost sounds like a
flippant statement. With the global economy in a decline, with crime rates high, with terrorism threatening, with morals
deteriorating, why shouldn't we worry? What do we have to be happy about? The answer to both of those questions
is, "God." It's because of Him that we can be worry-free and because of Him that we can be happy (even
when the "happenings" around us don't make us feel happy). Why shouldn't we worry? Because, worry is a sin. Because, Jesus told us not to worry. (Matthew 6:25) Because, God has never failed, nor will He. (Isaiah 55:11) The only ones of us who really have anything to worry about are those who have never given their hearts
and lives to Jesus. (John 14:6) That particular worry is also unnecessary because we have a choice. Today, Jesus is offering to help.
Today He is offering salvation. (2 Corinthians 2:6) Today, He wants to bring you under His wings where you will not have to worry any longer! (Luke 13:34) What is worry? It is a thought or thoughts
of fear. It is being anxious. Scripture tells us so many times not to fear. (2 Timothy 1:7) The only fear we need to have is a reverential fear of God. (Isaiah 8:13) He is in control and He cannot fail. It truly is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God! Hebrews 10:31 is in a passage of scripture which lets us know that we should not forget our faith. Faith is just the opposite
of fear. If we let our faith begin to dwindle, fear will have an opportunity to take over. Worry will set
in and we will find ourselves, literally, sick and unable to function. The thing is, we can't change anything
in our lives for the better by worrying! (Luke 12:25) But, we can change things for the worse. Scientific studies have shown that many diseases are linked to
worry. (Proverbs 12:25) Worry will cause us to shift our focus off of faith and root us in fear. We will not be able to do the things
we normally do well. Our whole focus will be changed to something we can do nothing about. No wonder the
enemy wants us to worry. If we do, we make his job so much easier. He doesn't have to destroy us.
We destroy ourselves by just entertaining and dwelling on thoughts of fear. Worry. Are worrisome thoughts
coming into your mind? Choose to delete them. (Romans 12:2, Philippians 4:8) Some of us get so used to worrying that it seems we can't be happy without worrying. I knew someone
like that. He readily admitted, "I'm not happy unless I can worry about something." Let's not
let a lifestyle of worry keep us from the good things God has planned for us. A worrier cannot fully enjoy
anything because that person is focused on something else all the time. (Matthew 6:34) Something that probably will never happen. Or, perhaps a past sin that has been forgiven. Instead
of worry, let's just remember what Paul told us. Rejoice! He said it twice in one verse which is a pretty
good indication that we should be getting it. Maybe we should all wear tee-shirts that say, "Don't worry -
be happy!" That way, we could be a constant reminder to each other that we have a God who is in full control of
everything and who has offered to take all of our worries and cares. (1 Peter 5:7) Don't worry - be happy! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 20, 2009 - OUR POSITION Philippians 1:1 (KJV) Do you ever think of yourself as having a title? Maybe some of you do have worldly titles, such as judge, senator,
president, CEO, etc. You may have a position in this world. But, what about a heavenly title? What is your
heavenly position? Well, if you've received Jesus as your Savior, you've got a title and position. You
are identified as a "saint." You are called saints in the scripture. (Philippians 1:1) If you were living in Philippi during Paul's time, and you were a believer, Paul would have called you, "saint."
If you are God's child, you are a saint! Because of our position as saints, God
has begun a good work in us. (Philippians 1:6) God always finishes what He starts. Yes, God has a purpose for each of us who have position. He has good
plans for us as He continues to work out His purpose in us. (Jeremiah 29:11) We have come into a partnership with the gospel of Christ. (Philippians 1:5) Because of our position, God has allowed us to partner with Him. He has also promised to provide for us.
When God does His work in and through us, He never fails to provide everything we need. (Philippians 4:19) We also have His protection. (Psalm 32:7) After all, if He's going to complete the work He started in us, we'll need to be protected. God doesn't
forget anything! Finally, we can be partakers. We can partake in ministry
to other saints and with other saints. (2 Corinthians 8:4) Paul was speaking here to the Philippian believers. (Philippians 1:7) They had sent him money. One of them, Epaphroditus, had gone to deliver the money and to help Paul. The
Philippian people were partnering with Paul in his ministry by supplying the things he needed. You see, while Paul
was writing all of this for you and me, he was in prison. As Epaphroditus was partaking in ministry to Paul, he
got sick. (Philippians 2:25-30) In fact, Epaphroditus almost died. (Philippians 2:27). But, God, who had a purpose for both Paul and Epaphroditus, raised Epaphroditus up from the brink of death.
There's that protection coming from the One in whom we have position! As you and I partake in the ministry of others,
as the Philippians did with Paul, we will also share or be partakers of the grace God has given the others.
How God is glorified when we, the saints, work together to help one another spread the good news of the gospel! Even
in prison, even in sickness, God's grace and mercy follow the saints. (Psalm 23:6) Because of our position in the Lord, as saints, we have a purpose. We have provision. We have protection.
We are privileged to be a partner with God and with other saints. As such, we enjoy the grace and mercy that surrounds
those who live to glorify God. (Philippians 1:9-11) Now, that's a perfect position to be in! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 19, 2008 - HAVE YOU RECEIVED ALL THAT GOD HAS FOR YOU? Romans 8:32 (KJV) Earlier this morning, I heard an interesting story. It was about
a couple living in Ireland during hard times. They desperately wanted to go to America, where they felt that they would
have a chance a success. So, they scrimped and saved until they could get passage on a ship coming to America.
They had just enough money to get the cheapest cabin available. The journey was a long one and they sat, day after day,
in their small cabin in the bottom of the ship. One day, the purser happened to be walking by and their door was open.
He saw the couple huddled in their cabin eating something. Concerned, because he had not seen the couple before, he
asked what they were eating. "We only had enough money for the cheapest cabin on board," was their reply.
"We didn't have enough money to pay for food, so we packed crackers and whatever we could pack to help us get through
the journey." Astonished at seeing this precious couple still scrimping, the purser told them that the ticket they
bought included all the food they could eat. They could have gone to the restaurant, on board, any time they were hungry
and eaten as much as they wanted. It was all paid for! Their journey was almost over and they had been eating
like prisoners when they could have been feasting like kings and queens. Do we sometimes forget that, when Jesus paid the price for our passage to Heaven, He also paid the price for the
whole journey? It's all paid for! So why do we, even though we may be believers, sit huddled in the earth
eating stale crackers when the Lord has set a feast before us? (Psalm 23:5) What blinds us to the fact that our cups are running over? The enemy would like to keep you and me stuck at
the bottom, scratching out a meager meal once in a while. But the enemy is a liar! (John 8:44) Jesus did not leave us on this earth as if we were just passengers stuck in line waiting to get
on the ship to Heaven. This earth is our journey. It's a part of eternity. On the journey to
that place where we will see Him face to face, He as provided everything we need. And, our God provides well for His
children. (Matthew 7:11) Yes, Jesus paid it all! This morning, let's determine to change the way we
think. When the enemy comes in with a thought that says, "You'll never make it," let's counter that
thought with God's thoughts about the matter. While the enemy is a liar, God never lies. (Numbers 23:19) God says that, if we believe in Jesus, we will make it. In fact, we will not only make it, we
are victors! (Romans 8:37) On this ship that we call, "earth," will we have some troubled waters? Of course we will but
Jesus already paid the price to see us through every storm. Not only that, He's in the boat with us. (Matthew 28:20) And, He's not worried! (John 16:33) He doesn't want us to worry either. Despite anything we might go through, the victory is ours
because Jesus paid the price for it! Maybe the enemy is whispering this morning, or even yelling through all of
the media of today, "You don't have the resources to feed your children, to provide shelter, to meet the needs of
your family." That seems to be a great fear today and the enemy sure likes to use fear to get us off the track.
What does God think about all of that? He says that, if we will seek Him first, all of those things will be
taken care of. (Matthew 6:33) God has more than enough for all of His children. (Psalm 95:4-5) We can't even imagine what He can do in, for, and through us! (Ephesians 3:20) His Kingdom will never be bankrupt. He satisfies every need there is. (Acts 17:25) On this, "ship," God has provided everything we need and it's all paid for by Him. He, not
only gave us His Son, but He also freely gives us all things necessary for the journey! (Romans 8:32) God is the only one who has given us the power and ability to obtain what we need on this journey. He owns this,"ship,"
and our passage has been paid for. (Deuteronomy 8:18) We just need to look around, get out of that little cabin that has cramped us for too long, go to the banquet table,
and enjoy the journey, receiving everything that God has paid for! See you at the table! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 18, 2009 - THAT LITTLE WORD, "ALL" Matthew 6:32 (KJV) As you and I make our way through this troubled world, the enemy may come
and try to tell us that we are not going to have our needs met. Logically, it may look like he is telling the truth.
But, as we are tempted with something like this, we can remember that little word, "all." Look at Matthew 6:32. Our heavenly Father knows all the things we need. Clothes, food, shelter, etc. (Matthew 6:31) Not only does He know what we need but, He will give us all those things if we will seek Him. (Matthew 6:33) What does,"all," mean? It means, "everything." It also means, "everyone."
It means, "daily." It means, "whatever." The word, "all," is used so many times
in the scripture that we could be supplied with Morning Manna for a long while as we explored each passage where we see that
little word. However, this morning, we see that all of our needs are known by our loving heavenly Father and
will be supplied if we will just seek Him. There's another place
where we see the word, "all." It has to do with loving God. (Deuteronomy 6:5) You see, God is a God of "all." He doesn't want any less from His children. What He wants
is just like what any parent wants. He wants children who love Him with all of their hearts. What does that mean?
Jesus said that, if we love Him, we will obey Him. (John 14:15) Do we love God with all of our hearts? If we do, we will obey Him. And, God is just waiting to
bless obedient children with all the things He knows they need. (Deuteronomy 11:13-14) Do we want all that God has for us? Then we need to give Him all of our love. You might
be thinking, "How can I be sure that I obey all of God's commandments?" If we want to prove that
we love God, we need to love one another. (Galatians 5:14) Paul says that the law can be summed up in one command. That is to love our neighbor as ourself. Sounds
pretty easy, but maybe that's our problem. We do love our neighbor as we love ourself. Some of us have very
little love for ourselves! Of course, we're not to love ourselves in a narcissistic manner. However, we are
to love ourselves because God loves us. He has chosen us to be His temple. (1 Corinthians 6:19) If God loves us that much, we can love ourselves enough to take care of ourselves. As we do that, appreciating
the fact that we are wonderfully and marvelously made by our Creator, we will begin to be able to obey that one command
that Paul gives us. That love will flow to others who are all wonderfully and marvelously made by our Creator. How about all those who refuse to love God and obey Him? Do we need to
concern ourselves about that? No. Psalm 145:20 (KJV) 20 The LORD preserveth
all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. God keeps track of all that. He will
preserve all those that love Him. That means He'll put a hedge around us. A hedge with thorns on
the outside to keep us protected. He'll guard and protect us; and attend to us all the while. He will be our
keeper. He'll observe us, reserve us for Himself, and preserve us. In other words, He'll save us in all
ways. For all those who will not turn from their wrong-doing and acknowledge God and obey Him, destruction
is waiting. Annihilation, desolation, extermination. There is good news for all of us, though. Jesus
is willing to make all people right in God's sight. He's willing to give life to all people.(Romans 5:18) All we have to do is receive that gift. (Romans 6:23) If you are feeling that you have fallen one too many times, stop feeling that way. Look
up and know that God still loves you. All He wants is all of your love in return. Just
look at this, "all." 1 John 1:9 (NIV) 9 If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. God
knows all about you and me. (Psalm 139:1) He knows it all and He's still willing to forgive all of our sins and purify us from all of
our unrighteousness. That's because, although we are precious to Him, it's not all about us. It's
really all about Him! There's nothing we can do or have or be without Him. (Acts 17:28) But, with Him, we can do all things! (Philippians 4:13) In Him all of our needs are supplied. (Philippians 4:19) Let's just give Him all the praise! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 17, 2009 - HAVE YOU FORGIVEN YOURSELF? Genesis 45:5 (KJV) Do you remember the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. If you don't, you might want to go back and read
it again. You can find the story of his birth starting in Genesis 30:24 and continue on with the story for a long time. The end of the part of the story that we are remembering
today is in Genesis 47:12. Now, Joseph had a very hard life. There's probably not a thing in our lives that could surpass
in quantity, and perhaps intensity, the things that happened to Joseph. Joseph was loved by his father, even more
than any of his brothers. (Genesis 37:3) He was given a beautiful gift by is father that set him apart from the rest of his brothers. That
coat only seemed to make his brothers hate him more. (Genesis 37:4) When the Lord gives us a gift, it is a wonderful thing but the flip side is that our brothers and sisters in
Christ may be tempted to be envious. As we look around at others that seem greatly gifted of God, are we also
tempted to become envious? It seems like Joseph might get pretty bitter about being hated just because he had his
father's favor. He probably got pretty tired of being spoken to harshly. He could have harbored
unforgiveness and bitterness but, it seems that he didn't. God
gave Joseph a dream. Watch out when God gives you a dream! You have to be careful about who you choose to share
it with. Joseph shared his dream with his brothers. That wasn't a good idea. (Genesis 37:5) Maybe Joseph was a little bit proud when he shared his dream with his brothers. (Genesis 37:8) His brothers only hated him more after hearing his dream. Maybe Joseph did not realize, at the time, the cost,
and responsibility, of big dreams from God. Joseph then received another dream from God. A dream of leadership
over his entire family. (Genesis 37:9) This time he told it to his brothers and to his father. (Genesis 37:10) Oh dear, his brothers were more and more incited to anger and hatred toward Joseph. His father didn't
like it too much either but he pondered it, wondering what it all meant. Maybe God has given you a dream that is bigger
than you can imagine. Sometimes, the people closest to us don't understand that dream. Joseph's father
didn't. Sometimes, the people closest to us can even get angry and want to destroy that dream. Joseph's
brothers wanted to destroy Joseph's dream and they decided to just go ahead and destroy Joseph! (Genesis 37:28) Instead of being killed, God arranged an escape for Joseph. He was sold as a slave. I'm not sure
if you or I would consider that an "escape." I might have been extremely bitter about going from extreme
favor to slavery. Wouldn't you? But, Joseph didn't get bitter. As
the story unfolds, we find that Joseph is much like Jesus. Jesus left the glory and comfort of Heaven to become a
servant to those who hated Him. (Matthew 12:18-21) As Joseph was shuffled from place to place, the favor of God never left him. Do you think it's because
Joseph never lost his trust in God? (Genesis 39:4, Genesis 39:21) Even in some situations that would destroy the average person? As we fast-forward to Genesis 45:5, we find that Joseph has been reunited with his brothers. Now the brothers are not so angry! They find that Joseph
has been elevated to the second in command over everything in Egypt. (Genesis 41:43) Now, the brothers see that Joseph's giftedness and dreams were from God. Even being sold as a
slave did not remove God's favor from Joseph. Now, the brothers are having to bow down to Joseph and they are
afraid. Rightly so, too! Joseph now holds the power of life or death over them. I'm not going to
say what I would liked to have done with them if they were my brothers! But, Joseph, not only had the
favor of God, but he showed the favor of God to them. He, essentially said, "forgive yourselves."
(Genesis 45:5) Joseph realized that God had a purpose for all of his pain. Even though he could have blamed his brothers for
the pain and executed punishment, He realized the purpose that God had brought about in his life. His purpose was
to give bread to his family in a time of famine. It was to feed them so that they could live and multiply.
Isn't that just what Jesus has done for us? He is the Bread of life. He has forgiven us even before
we stopped hating and going against Him. (Romans 5:10) God spared Joseph's life so he could spare the lives of his family. God gave His Son to a life of servant
hood here on earth and even death on the cross. But, He raised Him again so you and I could have forgiveness
from our sins and eternal life. Now we are forgiven, if we have received that gift. (Isaiah 43:25) God doesn't remember our sins against him any more. He doesn't want us to remember them either.
Just as Joseph asked his brothers not to be angry with themselves for all that they did to him, Jesus is asking you and me
to stop being angry with ourselves for past sins. Because He has forgiven us, we must forgive ourselves.
If we don't, we're saying that His Word is not true. But, it is. (Psalm 33:4) Now, do you and I need to receive it and forgive ourselves? (Romans 8:1) MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 16, 2009 - WHICH YOKE ARE YOU UNDER? Galatians 5:1 (KJV) If you are old enough, you will remember that, if a certain boy really,
really liked a certain girl, he would carry her books to and from school for her. Of course, that was during the days
that most of us walked to school! If you saw a couple together and the girl was walking freely without the weight of
her books, while the boy was carrying the double load, you knew that the boy was really interested in the girl.
So interested, that he was willing to take her heavy load and carry it for her. Although, it may have been what we used
to call, "puppy-love," it was a good glimpse of what the Lover of our souls is willing to do for us. By the
way, the boy may have been carrying the double load of books with one hand so he could hold his girlfriend's hand with
the other. Isn't that what Jesus promises to do for us when He invites us to come to Him and take His yoke
upon us? While taking something upon ourselves, at first, sounds like we will have a greater burden, it is just the
opposite with Jesus. He sees us here in this world, trying to carry the heavy load all by ourselves. (John 16:33) He paid the price to overcome this world. Because of His great love for us, He is willing and invites us to
let Him carry the heavy part. (Matthew 11:29) To walk closely linked to Him. Under a yoke, there was always a lead ox. The lead ox carried the bulk
of the weight of the load. Is Jesus leading in your life? Or ,are you trying to carry the load of your cares
and trials all by yourself? There is another yoke mentioned in the
Bible. It's a yoke we don't want to be under! In fact, it will weigh us down so much that it can
make us ineffective. The weight of it will eventually kill us if we do not realize that we need to be set free
by Jesus from that yoke and receive the yoke that He offers. That yoke is called, "bondage."
That's the yoke we are under when we mistakenly think that we can get through this life alone. It is on us when
we think that we can do anything by ourselves. (John 15:5) When we allow ourselves to forget that, without Jesus, we can do nothing, we're headed for entanglement
in bondage. But, the Apostle, Paul, says that we should not be entangled again in the yoke of bondage. Why
would we want to carry everything by ourselves when Jesus has paid the supreme price for us to be able to give us liberty?
Could it be pride? (Proverbs 11:2) Have you longed for balance in your life? I have. A
yoke is a, sort of, balancing beam. In order for the team to go forward, it has to stay balanced. In and
of ourselves, we cannot stay balanced. When we're under the yoke of bondage, the main part of the burden is on us.
Satan loves to do that to us. He doesn't care whether he goes forward or not. But, he sure doesn't want
you and me to make any progress! (John 10:10) 1 Peter 5:8 (AMP) 8 Be well balanced (temperate,
sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring
[in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. So, there we are under that heavy yoke of
bondage, struggling to get somewhere but getting nowhere. And getting weaker all the time. (2 Corinthians 3:17) Are you tired this morning? Maybe it's because you have come under the bondage of rules
and regulations again. Maybe it's because you feel that you have to "do" something
big in order to please God. If you're tired and feeling the heavy load of bondage to your own inflated
expectations of yourself or the expectations that others have of you, know that Jesus has this expectation
of you. "Come to Me and rest." Matthew 11:28 (AMP) 28 Come to Me, all you
who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] The
enemy will try to force his heavy yoke on us but Jesus calls us to, "Come." We have a choice.
The enemy will try to deceive us and leave us no choice. But, Jesus calls us to cast every care we have upon Him.
As we walk hand in hand, He will carry all of our cares because He really cares about us! (Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7) What kind of yoke are you under this morning? A yoke of bondage
that is heavy, chafing, and bringing you down fast? Or are you this kind of yoke? Matthew 11:29-30 (AMP) 29 Take
My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease
and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My
yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My
burden is light and easy to be borne. This morning, right now, may each of us receive the invitation
to let Jesus carry the weight of our cares. Let's let Him give us liberty from any yoke of bondage and
find rest under His yoke! Under His yoke, we can hold our shoulders up, stand fast, and freely move forward
in His power! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 15, 2009 - WHAT COMES FIRST? Matthew 6:33 (AMP) What is the first thing on your mind in the morning? What is the first thought that comes to you? Don't feel
like you have to be spiritual about this. Just be aware each morning of what is first in your mind when you wake up.
We all know that our first thought should be of the Lord. But, sometimes it isn't. Our first priority, then,
should be to take a worldly thought or a negative thought captive. (AMP) 5 [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories
and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every
thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), If the enemy can sneak in a destructive thought the first thing in the morning, he has pretty much captured
our day! It is his great joy to put thoughts into our minds that will either distract us from God or actually keep us
from the true knowledge of God. (John 10:10) We need to learn to recognize those thoughts and immediately bring them into captivity into the obedience of Christ.
In that way, our day can start out right because we have disciplined ourselves to get our thoughts on Who should be first
in our lives every day. By the way, if we go to sleep the night before and carry negative thoughts with us, they will
most likely be our first thoughts when we wake up, making it more difficult to bring them into captivity. (Ephesians 4:26) So, in order to get the first thing right each day, we need to watch what we think of last before we go
to sleep the night before. As I progress into my day, I realize
that, when I have put God first, my day goes well. Does that mean that I don't have any challenges?
Absolutely not! Jesus basically said each day would have its own troubles. (John 16:33) We can't be in this world and not have troubles. But,when those trouble and trials
come, if I have given my first thoughts to the Lord and sought His direction for my day, He carries me through
each trial. On top of that, even though I may feel uncomfortable (and often do), He is teaching me something.
He is working out patience and character in my life. He is making me strong and mature.
James 1:2-4 (NLT) 2 Dear
brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3 For
when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.4 So let it grow, for
when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. Conversely,
if I have jumped out of bed with my own thoughts racing through my mind, my day deteriorates pretty rapidly. (Luke 17:33) Do we think we don't have time in the morning to put God first? The reality is that if we try to cling to
what we want, we will lose it. But, when God is first, when we love Him and are doing what He has called us
to do, everything will work out for good! (Romans 8:28) Our priorities are so important! How do we really
know what our priorities are? We can figure it out pretty easily. What do we think about most? The Bible
says that what we think about will determine who we are. As a person thinks, so is he or she. Our behavior
will eventually come out of who we are. As a matter of fact, Jesus said that, if we have focused the
thoughts in our heart about a specific thing, we have already done it. (Matthew 5:28) Thinking about God and His Kingdom first and foremost will save us a lot of misery. What we think about
will inevitably come out of our mouth. (Matthew 15:18) What we talk about most will also give us a good idea of our priorities. Do we talk about our problems or do
we first think of and talk about how God is bigger than all of our problems? Do we talk about our sicknesses?
Or do we first think of and talk about our Healer? Do we talk about ourselves all of the time or are we talking about
the Kingdom of God? Are we interested in others and their joys and trials as much as we are interested in talking about
our own? (John 13:35) And, of course, those things that we think and talk about will determine our deeds. What do we spend most
of our time on? If we have not sought God's Kingdom and His righteousness in our thoughts, it will lead to negative
and sinful conversation. When we don't put the right things first, we will suddenly find ourselves doing
those things we never intended to do! (Luke 6:45) We can even do things that are not bad in themselves but bad for us. That's because they are not the
things God called us to do first. (1 Corinthians 6:12) We are free to do what we want to do in the Lord but we need to first ask, "Lord, what is it that YOU want
me to do?" Our priorities show what or whom it is that we worship. What is our first priority?
Is it our Lord? Is He the One we think of most, talk about most, and allow to direct our deeds? Is He first in
our life? He was for one woman. She poured everything she had out on Him. And that woman is remembered
throughout the ages when the gospel is preached. (Mark 14:3-9) Her first priority was Jesus and He blessed her by allowing the memory of her deed to live throughout
the ages. What a joy. There's an old saying, but I think it's true. If we want
to have real peace and joy, we can find it by prioritizing this way: J=Jesus,
O=Others, Y= Yourself. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 14, 2009 - LAY IT DOWN John 10:18 (NLT) When I think of Abraham and all that he went through, I can easily be puzzled. God promised him a
son, Isaac. (Genesis 17:19) God promised that He would confirm his everlasting covenant with Isaac and his descendants. Yet, after waiting
and waiting for the promised son, and receiving him, something strange happened. Abraham was asked to lay his son
down on an altar and give him as a sacrifice to God. (Hebrews 11:17) If I was Abraham, I confess, I would have been confused. "But God, You promised him to me and you said You
would confirm Your covenant with his descendants." I would have wondered just how that could happen if
I laid my son, my promise, down as an offering. That would mean I had to give up the thing God promised me.
Or would it? Abraham followed God's orders and went up to the place of sacrifice with Isaac. Isaac was old
enough to know about sacrifices so he was confused when they got to the altar and the main ingredient was missing. The
lamb. (Genesis 22:7) Abraham knew that he had to lay Isaac down but his faith in God's promise didn't waiver. Isaac
knew that he had to be obedient so he laid upon the altar, not knowing how God would still keep His promise if he died
there. As we all know, God provided a ram in the bushes and Abraham and Isaac sacrificed the ram. (Genesis 22:13) When God asks us to lay something down, we can be assured that He has something better in mind. Abraham's
faith was strengthened, so much so that you and I have the benefit today. Abraham believed God. God declared
him righteous because of his faith. (Romans 4:3) Because Abraham was willing to lay down everything, even what God had promised him, we can now share in his blessing.
(Romans 11:17) And Abraham was blessed in abundance! Jesus laid down his
glory in Heaven and came to earth as a human baby. He didn't have to do that. That life of glory belonged to Him.
But, He chose to lay it down. After being on earth and doing only good, He then laid down His earthly life.
It was hard for Him. He did have a choice. But, He chose to lay it down because He trusted His Father. (Luke 22:42) He had His moment alone with His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane where He sweat drops of blood
because the decision to "lay it down," was so hard to make. Aren't you glad Jesus trusted God enough to
make the right decision? If He would have made the selfish decision, you and I would be destined for Hell because
we could not be reconciled to God without a Savior. The process of laying His life down was difficult, indeed.
He suffered greatly in that process but He had already stated before His crucifixion that no one could kill Him.
He determined to lay His life down voluntarily. He also stated that He had the power to take it up again.
He knew His Father so well that He trusted that something humanly impossible could happen. He would live again. What do we need to lay down this morning? Everything! Jesus said that we
could not follow Him if we refused to lay down our selfish desires. (Matthew 16:24) Some of the things we refuse to lay down may not even be bad. They may be some of the good
things we have done in the past. (Philippians 3:13-14) The Apostle, Paul, was following the pattern of "laying it down," when he chose not to dwell
on his past failures or boast about his past accomplishments. He laid it all down so that he could reach Jesus.
We can't expect God to fill our lives with His blessings of abundant life if our lives are filled up with the
clutter of the past and worries about the future. With all of that in our lives, there's no room for God to put
any more in. We've got to be empty before we can be filled! We've got to lay it all down and reach
to the Lord with open hands in order for Him to give us His best. He wants to do that. He did it when He gave
His Son for us. Abraham had to let go of what God had placed in his hands in order to get God's best.
What is it that you are clinging tightly to this morning? It could be something that God has promised you.
Or, it could be something selfish like unforgiveness, pride, greed, lust, or bitterness. Whatever it is, "lay
it down." I don't mean, "give up." Just re-commit it to the Lord every day and give Him
the control. When we try to hold on to our lives, we will certainly lose them. Jesus made that clear for
us. Matthew 10:39 (NLT) 39 If
you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it. Most of us know
that when we try to run our own lives, we get into messes. When we cling to life, it seems to inevitably slip out of
our fingers. But, when we trust God enough to lay down our lives, we can know that we're promised abundant life.
(John 10:10) We can know that God has plans to prosper us and that He has a good future in mind for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) It's hard to cling to things by ourselves. It's much easier to trust God and let Him take
everything and give it back to us in greater dimension, and without struggle. That happened with Abraham.
It happened with Jesus. And, it will happen with us if we will just, "lay it down." MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 13, 2008 - HE IS OUR FOOD! Psalm 136:25 (AMP) This morning, as we read Morning Manna, let's just think about what the manna that God gave to Israel was. It
was food. It sustained the Israelites in the wilderness. (Psalm 78:24) It also gave us a glimpse of the Manna that would come from Heaven. Even the Word of God. His name is
Jesus. (1 John 1:4) God has always been interested in His creation. And, as for mankind, He is interested in us - body, soul, and
spirit. He does, indeed, give food for all flesh. That includes every living creature that He made,
in accordance with its needs. Only God knows how to feed every creature in His creation the proper food, in the proper
proportions. The kind of food that will keep them alive and healthy. God knows that we need more than just physical
food to keep us alive. (Deuteronomy 8:3) He wants to be sure that we know it too. Just as God cares for and feeds the little sparrows and keeps them,
He feeds us. (Matthew 10:29) If God cares about the smallest bird and feeds it, just think about how much more He cares about you and me and
is willing to feed us! (Matthew 10:31) Yes, God cares so much about men and women, boys and girls, that
He sent His own Son to this earth to feed us. Jesus is our Bread of Life. (John 6:48) He is the completed picture of the manna that fell from Heaven for the Israelites. How did the Israelites get
the food that God sent from Heaven? They had to go and gather it. They had to go to it. (Exodus 16:16) So, we must go to Jesus. God not only fed the Israelites but He prescribed exactly how much they needed
to gather and eat in a day. We can't binge one day a week and then expect that nourishment to last for
the other six days. I doesn't work that way physically or spiritually. God's mercies are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) Each day, the Israelites needed to go out and gather the manna they would need for the day. Each day, we must
go to Jesus, the Bread of Life, for the spiritual food we need. Only He knows exactly what kind and how much we will
need for our day. I don't know about you, but I tend to exhaust God's mercies each day. By the time the
next day comes, I need a fresh Word from Him. If I try to exist on things that I've hoarded from the
previous day, I stand the chance of getting spiritually sick. If the Israelites gathered more than they were told to
in any one day and tried to keep it until the next day, it would spoil. It would be wormy and stink. (Exodus 16:20) You would probably not leave milk and meat out on the counter and then partake of it the next day.
If you do, you stand a chance of getting sick. Each day we need to eat of God's Word. We need to
eat what we can digest and not try to consume more or less than God gives us. If we try to store up knowledge
for the sake of knowledge, we may get a spiritual disease called, "pride." (1 Corinthians 8:1) If we do not gather our Heavenly Manna and eat it, we will surely suffer spiritual weakness,eventually, ill-health.
If we never eat at all, we will surely die. (John 6:53) Are you hungry this morning? I hope so. Because,
our God has promised to feed us. He spreads out a banquet table in front of us, even when our enemies are close.
(Psalm 23:5) We can sit and eat in peace and enjoyment because, in Him, there is protection and revelation.
He sheds a light on and within us through His Word so we can get through the mine-fields of this world that would otherwise
destroy us. (Psalm 119:105) Because we have eaten of the Bread of Life, we will not fall or be defeated. (Psalm 119:133) There is a whole world of people out there who are hungry. Ecclesiastes 6:7 (AMP) 7 All
the labor of man is for his mouth [for self-preservation and enjoyment], and yet his desire is not satisfied. They try to fill the void in their spiritual stomach with all sorts of things. Houses, cars, money, sex, drugs,
alcohol, movies, video games, etc. Perhaps you have done that or are still on that merry-go-round that gets you
nowhere but dizzy and confused. This morning, we can determine to set a breakfast date with God each morning.
Don't go out into the world weak and unprepared to fight the enemy that is just looking around for some weakling
to devour. (1 Peter 5:7) God promises to open His hand and feed anyone who is willing to eat. Psalm 145:15-16 (NLT) 15 All eyes look to you
for help; you give them their food as they need it.16 When you open your hand, you
satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. Yes, God wants us to eat His words and live. The
prophet, Jeremiah did that. Jeremiah 15:16 (KJV) 16 Thy
words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy
name, O LORD God of hosts. In devouring God's word, Jeremiah found joy and was able to rejoice, even
in the midst of trials. Jesus plainly declared that we must have much more than just physical sustenance.
We must allow Him to feed our spirits ever day, just as we eat the physical food He provides for us. (Matthew 4:4) Jesus is our bread! He is that bread that we can eat and never suffer spiritual hunger again! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 12, 2009 - DO YOU KNOW THAT GOD HAS RESCUED YOU? Psalm 136:24 (AMP) Are
you struggling with a problem in life this morning? Or maybe you're struggling with the fact that you have
never surrendered your life to the Lord. You are still under the control of the devil and you want out! Whatever
we are struggling with, we have a Redeemer. We are rescued. But, perhaps we have not received that gift.
I saw a cartoon the other day showing a prison, called "Sin Prison." The gates were wide open and the
guard was standing outside. A passer-by stops and, looking confused, says to the guard, "Why are you still here,
I thought the Governor pardoned all the prisoners." The guard replied, "He did but some of them
won't leave! Most of us know that Jesus paid the price for our sin and that we can receive that gift
of forgiveness and leave the walls of "Sin Prison." But, just in case there is one out there who has never
received this gift, I want to tell you, the gates of your prison are open. You can walk out, a free person. Just
receive the gift of salvation - today! (2 Corinthians 6:2) Jesus came to set us all free. All we have to do is take His hand and leave those prison bars and chains forever.
(John 8:36) There are lots of enemies out there, under the direction
of Satan, just itching to take us down. They all have the same agenda that Satan does. They want to steal
from us, kill us, and destroy our chances of having abundant life here and eternal life with our Father. (John 10:10) Our enemies would like nothing better than to devour us and they're always looking for the chance! (1 Peter 5:8) But, here's some good news. It may sound like bad news to some; but it is really good news!
God has promised to rebuke the devourer for us. (Malachi 3:11) This verse from the Old Testament refers to agriculture because that was their form of wealth at the
time. A pestilence could come in one day and wipe out all their crops and thus, take away their source of income and
wealth. God promised that He would not allow that. But, on one condition. They were to give Him
their tithes and offerings. (Malachi 3:7-10) The life of freedom we receive from God is not the freedom so highly touted in this world today. It
is not the freedom to turn from God and His ways, but the freedom to turn to Him so He can bless us, protect
us, and remove the curse of the evil one from us. One way to turn the enemy away quickly is to be a cheerful giver.
(2 Corinthians 9:7) What is not to be cheerful about when we realize that this is one of God's methods to rescue us from our enemies?
Giving of the firstfruits of everything we have is a sure way to see God rescue us from any chains that might be binding
us. It has already been done. (Colossians 2:15) We just have to walk in it! God gave His best to us, should we give Him any less, considering that
everything we have comes from Him? (Colossians 1:18) There are other things that we cling to, like the prisoners who
would not leave the prison even though the gates were wide open. We have been rescued from them but we choose to let
them hold us prisoners. They are things like, hate, greed, bitterness, unforgiveness, pride, envy, lust, etc. Let's
just take hate, for instance. Is it ever right to hate? Yes, it is. But, we are not to hate people because
God loves people. (John 3:16) We are to hate evil. Psalm 97:10 (NIV) MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 11, 2009 - IMPRINTED ON GOD'S HEART Psalm 136:23 (AMP) Can you imagine
the God of the universe, the Creator of everything, earnestly remembering you? I hope you can. I hope we can all
grasp the concept that the Psalmist brings out in Psalm 136:23. If we were not thankful before, we will be exceedingly thankful if we can grasp this thought. All of that thankfulness
that wells up in us must go directly to our God who alone is worthy of it, just as the Psalmist declares in Psalm 136:1. Our God is good and He never forgets to direct His love in our direction. If no one else ever remembers
us, we are assured that our Father, God, earnestly remembers us. (Psalm 27:10) Does God remember us because we have done great things for Him?
No. Serving God out of a thankful heart is something we will do when we realize His great love for us. But,
it is not what makes God remember us. He remembers us because He loves us and longs to bring us into a right relationship
with Himself. He chooses to remember us even in our low estate. Even when we're cast down and abased.
As a matter of fact, God remembers us with His love even when we've gone against Him! (Romans 5:10) We can be cast down and humiliated by our own wrong choices. Even then, God will remember us. The better
choice, though, is to humble ourselves, before we have to be humiliated. (Psalm 18:27) The Apostle, Peter, knew, first hand, that it was good to humble ourselves before God. (1 Peter 5:6) Peter had made some serious mistakes but, instead of remaining proud, he humbled Himself before Jesus.
As a result God raised Peter up from what, to most, would seem the unpardonable sin. (Mark 14:72) Not only did God raise Peter up, He honored Peter by allowing him to be one of the greatest servants of God ever
known. Are you feeling low this day? It could
be because you have made some choices that brought you to a cross-roads in your life. That is not all bad. God
is remembering you right this minute. He sees those choices you have made and is ready to forgive you and get you on
the right track again. (1 John 2:1) We all need to cast ourselves down at the foot of the cross and humble ourselves before God. He remembers
the proud also. But, those who insist on remaining proud will eventually be destroyed. (Luke 14:11) That's not the choice we want to make. When we have humbled ourselves before God, we can be assured that
we will be raised to the right level, in His time. Yes, you and I are imprinted on God's heart right now. The
actual root of the word translated, "remembered," is "to mark," (so as to be recognized).
If we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He recognizes us. He knows us by name! (John 10:3) He calls us to follow Him. If we have humbled ourselves, we will following Him willingly. Not only does
God have us marked for Himself, but He has also marked His own heart to remember us. We are recorded in His
heart! Imprinted, if you will. Because God's heart is a heart of love, we can be encouraged this morning that
we are remembered with love. He is always mindful of us and He thinks well of His creation. (Genesis 1:31) We have all been stubborn and gone our own way, but God loves us too much to let us destroy ourselves without
offering us redemption. (Isaiah 53:6) His heart is so full of love that He sent His only Son to bear the imprints of nails in His hands and feet
and the imprint of a sword in His side. Jesus bears those imprints for us so that we can be imprinted on our Father's
heart! There can't be a better place to know that your name is in print! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 10, 2009 - YOU HAVE A HERITAGE Psalm 136:21-22 (AMP) If you are a believer in Christ, you have a wonderful heritage! The very first time the Hebrew word, translated
here as, "heritage," is used in the scripture is in Genesis 31:14. Rachel and Leah were speaking of how they would not receive a heritage from their father. Their husband,
Jacob, had been told in a dream that God had given him a portion of their father, Laban's, wealth.
Rachel and Leah were ready to take the wealth and go with Jacob. They realized that, their father had, basically, cheated
them out of their heritage. Their inheritance. (Genesis 31:15) They also realized that God had just transferred quite a lot of their father's wealth
over to Jacob. (Genesis 31:4-13) Now, God was watching over Jacob and He saw that Jacob had been mistreated. God was about to
do something about that. The wonderful thing for us to realize is that Jacob was not the greatest person, himself. His name
means, "heel-catcher," or "supplanter." Webster's Dictionary describes a supplanter
as this: to supersede (another) especially by force or treachery. Jacob had lived
up to his name. He had used treachery to supersede his brother Esau by securing his birthright for a
bowl of stew. If that wasn't enough, Jacob deceived his father into giving him the blessing of the firstborn
that rightfully belonged to Esau. (Genesis 25:29-33, Genesis 27:18-29) You would think that Jacob was not worthy to receive any heritage. And maybe you might be tempted
to think that about yourself also. But, God's thoughts are higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9) The truth is Jacob was not worthy and neither are we, but we belong to a God whose loving-kindness and mercy
last forever! (Romans 5:10) In Psalm 136, we see, with the Egyptians and the Israelites, that God is in control of who receives a heritage. The Israelites
were not worthy of receive the heritage they got any more than Jacob was worthy. Or, any more than you
or I are worthy. It's not about us. It's about the love of our Heavenly Father who loves to give good
gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:11) Can we just get that through our heads? It's not about us or the wonderful things we do.
It's about our Father and His everlasting love for those who are His children. God says that good people
leave an inheritance for their grandchildren. (Proverbs 13:22) God is a much better parent than any of us could ever hope to be and He has given each of His children the heritage
of everlasting life because of His everlasting love and mercy. That is the greatest heritage anyone could ever receive.
But, there's more. God has said that the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous. Who are the
righteous? Perfect people? No! They are imperfect people just like you and me who have
received the righteousness of Christ. We, like the Israelites, have a heritage which we need to receive
by faith. Doesn't the scripture say that the righteous are not forsaken and that their
children would not beg bread? (Psalm 37:25) Thank God, it's not all about us! Our heritage rests
solely with Him and He has placed a guarantee on it. (2 Corinthians 1:22) For those who are willing to serve Him, God gives a heritage. (Psalm 136:22) Just look at the heritage God has given us: Psalm 37:18-19 (AMP) MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 9, 2009 - THE KING OF KINGS HAS THE LAST WORD Psalm 136:17 (AMP) There
are many things and people in this world that try to have authority over us. The bottom line is that nothing but God
should take absolute authority over us. (Matthew 11:27) All true authority comes from and is in God. Peter recognized that and he proclaimed that
we should obey God rather than human authority. (Acts 5:29) Before we get too far off here, we must remember that obeying God involves submission to others unless they
ask us to do something that goes against God's Word. For instance, the case of husbands and wives. (Colossians 3:18) And, Romans 13:1-6 lets us know that we should obey the government so we can have a clear conscience and keep from being punished.
Although God sets all rulers in place, He does not take away their will to choose either His ways or their
own. At times, we may find ourselves under leadership that has chosen to go the wrong way. In that case,
first of all, we should pray for them. (1 Timothy 2:2) It is to their advantage and to ours. The benefits we get are great. We can live in peace, quietness, godliness,
and dignity. Obviously, that is much better than a life of strife and turmoil. We don't have to worry about
the erring leader or concentrate our thoughts on them because, in our prayers for them, we have also turned them over to the
Lord. He will have His way and His way is always the best way! (Daniel 2:21) The Psalmist was praising God and declaring His everlasting
love and mercy for many things in Psalm 136. One of those things was the pulling down of great and famous kings. (Psalm 136:18) Two words are used in verses 17 and 18 to describe the kings mentioned. These kings were obviously kings
that went astray somewhere along the line. The could have been older, insolent, loud, mighty, proud, powerful, etc.
All those meanings and more are found in the root meanings of the words translated, "great," in Psalm 136:17 and "famous," in Psalm 136:18 At the root of these words the implication could be that they set themselves up as noble, magnificent,
and glorious, that they boasted in their own strength, forgetting that they were just a king, but that God was the King of
all kings. If we are promoted to leadership in any way, we should remember that we have been placed there
by God and follow in His steps. Anyone who does not do that is in grave danger of being destroyed. Psalm 136:16-17, tells us that God smote and slew these kings who had set themselves up to be so great. That means that God made His
strike on them with deadly intent. He slaughtered them! There's no way anyone would ever want a fate like
that! Even if you are a king, you can't stand up against the King of Kings! (Psalm 2:10) Two kings are mentioned by name in Psalm 136. One is Sihon, the king of the Amorites. The word, "Sihon," means, "tempestuous."
It infers a sweeping or wiping away. I imagine, Sihon at one time felt that he was as tempestuous as a storm and could
sweep or wipe away anyone who got in his way. He ruled over the Amorites. The meaning behind the word Amorites
is, "publicity," and "prominence." Although I do read and watch the nightly news, I realize
that most of what I am listening to is very detrimental to my thought life. Almost everything "published,"
is negative. If we base all of our belief in the publicity of today, we will find that it soon takes prominence
over what God says. It's possible that we will find ourselves in the middle of a tempestuous storm that sweeps us
off of our sure footing in God's Word. The other king mentioned is Og. His name means, "round," and
has within its root meaning, "gyrate." I could not find the meaning of his earthly kingdom, Bashan.
However, "round," reminds us of a circle or a wheel. I'm just imagining a wheel spinning
or gyrating round and round and never getting anywhere. If we let kings other than the King of Kings rule over our thoughts
and actions, we will be swept off our feet and never get anywhere. We don't want to be under that kind of authority
because the Word of God says that He obliterates that kind of leadership. What or who have you allowed
to have authority over you this morning? Some people and things appear to have great authority but only One
has the real authority. It is Jesus Christ. The authority was given to Him by His Father. (Matthew 28:18) The King of Kings will have the last word, as He did with Sihon, Og, and their kingdoms. (Revelation 20:15) Let's be sure we don't let anything, or anyone, distract us from staying under His authority! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 8, 2009 - HE WILL LEAD YOU Psalm 136:16 (KJV) God led His people through the wilderness. He has never stopped leading His people if they will follow.
(Luke 9:23) We have to allow ourselves to be led of God by getting rid of our own agendas and desires and replacing them with
His plans for us. (Philippians 3:8) It's not hard when we remember that His plans for His followers are always good. (Jeremiah 29:11) It is not His plan to bring disaster or harm upon us. His plans are for a good future for us and to keep us
operating in hope! Yet, sometimes, don't we find ourselves in a wilderness situation? (Psalm 95:8) That may not be so bad, after all. (Psalm 65:11-13) Especially if we remember that if we love God and are doing what we're called to do according to His purpose,
all things will work together for good. (Romans 8:28) What is that good? For us to become like Jesus. (Romans 8:29) As I recall, Jesus had to have a wilderness experience. (Matthew 4:1) That experience served to catapult Him into a ministry that changed the world! Let's hold on to our hats
as we recall that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Yes, God led Him there and led
Him through it. What, exactly, is a wilderness?
As I checked on the original word in the Strong's Dictionary, I was surprised and led to many avenues of thought. We may
think of being in the wilderness as a very negative, uncomfortable, and stressful condition. While it may, indeed,
be somewhat uncomfortable, it has many positive connotations. For example, it means to walk. Walking
is not destructive for us. In fact, taking a walk can rid us of stress and produce chemicals in us that will make us
feel better. It also helps strengthen our body. When we are led by and walk in the Spirit, our soul and spirit will
react like our physical bodies do to walking. (Romans 8:1). Walking in the Spirit and being led by the Spirit gives us freedom from condemnation, a very powerful and destructive
force. Sometimes our wilderness experiences will really begin to wear on us. Have you ever just cried out
to God, "God, please help me, I can't go on?" One of the meanings in the original word translated,
"wilderness," is, "carry." God knows when our strength is gone and when we're too weak to keep
walking. He has promised to carry us then, even through that, sometimes dreaded, wilderness of old age! (Isaiah 46:4) The word translated, "wilderness," has
within its meaning an aspect of speech. When you get down to the root meaning, it means, "to speak."
God wants to speak to you and me. If you're anything like I am, He may have to lead you to a wilderness so
you will stop long enough to have a conversation with Him. It also means to subdue, to appoint, to command, to
commune, and I will not go on with all the positive aspects of this meaning of this word. Even with those few things
mentioned, we must know that, within our wilderness, God is leading. God wants to speak to us, to
commune with us. He wants to walk with us, to subdue those negative things in us that cause us to destroy ourselves.
I know I will never think of a wilderness experience in the same way again. Being led involves walking with God, allowing
Him to carry us, when we can't do it on our own. That word translated, "led," also has within its meaning,
"prosper," and "grow." As God led the Israelites through that wilderness, it was His desire
to lead them into the Promised Land, a prosperous land filled with milk and honey. But one whole generation was
so focused on the discomfort they experienced in the wilderness that they could not focus on God and on the place where God
wanted to prosper them. To grow them into His mighty nation. We have all been led by God to this place
this morning. Now we are all given some choices. We can believe that God will lead us through, no matter
what our own personal wilderness looks like. We can know that God wants to prosper us and receive that prosperity with
humility and gratefulness. We can know that it's God's desire, that through this wilderness, we should grow
to become more like His Son. Or, we can complain and let negative, toxic thoughts rule our minds and kill our
bodies and be like the generation of Israelites that refused to led from the wilderness into the Promised Land. What
is our choice? If we have made the wrong choices in the past, it is not too late to make the right ones because as Psalm 136 says, over and over again, God's mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 7, 2009 - OUR GOD IS A SHAKER! Psalm 136:15 (AMP) Do you have some enemies in life? Sometimes they look like
people, don't they? Sometimes they may even look like the one we see in the mirror in the morning! We need
to remember that our enemies are not people. Yes, the enemy may use people who are not familiar
with his schemes. But, his intent is just to use and abuse them and then destroy them. (John 10:10) That's why we need to pray for those who despitefully use us. (Luke 6:28) It may seem to us that they are trying to destroy us; but it is really the enemy, the devil, who is
trying to get at least two in one shot. If Satan can deceive the one who is trying to hurt you into bringing
havoc into your life, Satan then has a chance at getting you too. Don't let him! Remember the words of
Jesus, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing." (Luke 23:34) Are we supposed to be like Jesus? Yes, we are! Jesus knew that the mocking world at the foot of His cross was
deceived by he evil one. That's why He stayed up there on the cross and took their shame. And ours too!
That's when He made a mockery of the devil and his cohorts. (Colossians 2:15) He endured all of the suffering and shame and prayed for His enemies. Jesus overcame
evil with good. (Romans 12:21) He could have just come down from the cross and destroyed all those people who were mocking Him. But,
He knew that they were not His real enemies and He chose to go to the source, destroying the evil rulers and authorities. The act of God at the Red Sea is such a good picture of how God will shake off our enemies. Pharaoh represents
the power of those evil spiritual rulers and authorities. God had given Pharaoh several opportunities to let God's
chosen people go. But, each time Pharaoh made the wrong choice. Pharaoh was a real person and God chose to make
an example of him to let us know that nothing is too hard for our God. Although people are not our enemies,
some people will continue to make wrong and evil choices, even when given the opportunity to choose the best. It is
not our job to judge people, only to pray for them. The job of judging belongs to Jesus and He will do that later. (Matthew 16:27) But, isn't it interesting that the enemy will try to get us involved in judging, thereby distracting
us from the God who can shake us lose from any enemy that might be badgering us? It doesn't appear that Moses stood there at the edge of the Red Sea looking back at Pharaoh and his army, judging
them. No! Moses kept his focus on God. If Pharaoh was insistent upon following the devil, that was not Moses's
business. It is not our business either if someone in our lives insists on following the evil one. It is
only our business to keep our eyes on the One who can relieve us and shake the real enemy off of us. When God opens
the way for us of escape, which He will, just like He did at the Red Sea, we have to have the faith to take that way.
(1 Corinthians 10:13) We have to trust God even though there may be large walls of threatening things on each side of us. (Exodus 14:22) The King James Version of the Bible says that God, "overthrew" Pharaoh and his hosts in the Red Sea.
That Hebrew word, translated, "overthrew," is described this way in Strong's Dictionary: a primitive root [probably identical with <H5286> (na`ar), through the idea of the rustling of mane, which usually accompanies the lion's roar]; to tumble
about :- shake (off, out, self), overthrow, toss up and down. Just look at that! God will cause
our enemies to tumble about. He will shake them off and out of ourselves! He will toss them up and down!
It's like a lion when it gets ready to roar. Just the sound of the roar sends things scurrying. But, wait.
There's even more! That Hebrew word is probably identical to another Hebrew word meaning, "to growl."
We know that we have an adversary who goes about like a roaring lion. (1 Peter 5:8) From what I have heard, just the roar of a lion can paralyze it's victim. The roar of Pharaoh's
chariots and his angry soldiers must have threatened to paralyze Moses. But, no! He took God at His Word
and led the Israelites through the path in the Sea. They were safe! Now, although we do have an enemy who goes
around like a roaring lion, we also have a God who is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah!
When He roars, everybody has to listen. Just as the last Israelite crossed to the other side of the
Red Sea, God, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, roared. His roar was so loud and it shook things up so much that those
walls of water crashed down on Pharaoh and his army. The enemy had been defeated! The Israelites did not
have to fight. They merely had to obey God and they were delivered. What is threatening to defeat you this
morning? Is an enemy seemingly always at your heels? Are you hearing some pretty loud, "roars," in your
life from Satan? Are those roars threatening to defeat you? No way! The Lion of the Tribe of Judah will
roar an Almighty Roar at just the right time. If you will trust Him and follow His lead, you will see your enemy
defeated just as Moses and the Israelites did! You gotta say, "Hallelujah," to that! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 6, 2009 - WHATEVER YOU ARE IN THE MIDST OF, JESUS IS IN THE MIDST WITH
YOU Psalm 136:14 (AMP) Many of us find ourselves in the midst of some pretty scary things today.
Our world is changing quickly and we may feel that we're alone here to deal with the challenges and changes. If
we have received the gift of salvation, we can know that we're never alone. We may have to learn a few things.
Such as how to be content in each situation. Philippians 4:11 (AMP) 11 Not
that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am
not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. The Apostle, Paul, said he had learned that.
I'm sure that Jesus was pleased with Paul because later in scripture we find that the writer of Hebrews tells us
to keep our lives free from the love of money and be content with what we have. Why should we do that? Because
God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) That's the best promise we could ever receive. God is bigger than, as Veggie-Tales says, the boogie man!
Nobody but God could be bigger than the boogie man! Put yourself
in the place of the Israelites there on the shore of the Red Sea. First, it looked like an impossible situation.
Then God showed them a way through that situation. He made a very wide dry path through the Red Sea.
(Exodus 14:22) The only thing was, the walls of water were standing there, held only by the power of God. Of course,
death by the Egyptians threatened them from behind giving them impetus to just go ahead and walk through. But, what
must they have felt like when they were walking through? It's not normal for large bodies of water
to part and stand up for hours and hours. I don't know about them, but I would have felt a little concerned about
those walls of water letting go and consuming me. That is if I had not already known that God said I could pass through
the water without being consumed. (Isaiah 43:2) I think, even though it was a great miracle, it took great faith on the part of the Israelites to keep going, believing
that God was going to see them all the way through. Isn't that what we feel like when we're going through things
that seem overwhelming and way to hard for us to figure out? Sometimes we may not even realize that God is holding back
those walls of whatever it is that was keeping us from His complete deliverance. It may look ominous to us,
like those huge walls of water did to the Israelites, but God is there, right in the midst, as we walk through
that impossible situation! Check out the following verses written
by David in Psalm 138. They confirm the fact that, right in the midst of our troubles, God is there to revive us and save us with His
right hand from our enemies! He is there to perfect those things that concern us. Then that same declaration is
made that we see in repeated twenty-six times in Psalm 136 . "Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever."
Psalm 138:7-8 (AMP) 7 Though
I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and
Your right hand will save me.8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your
mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever—forsake not the works of Your own hands. No matter what
we might be challenged with this morning, God is right there in the midst of it. He's here to make a way.
He's here to lead us through that way, even when the way itself seems frightening. He's here to revive us and
to save us. He's here to deliver us from our enemies. He's here to perfect us. I've always wanted
to be perfect. Many of us try it on our own. We can't. I've tried. But, God is right there
in the midst of our troubles and trials to do what we can't do by ourselves. (James 1:2-5) He does all of this for us even when we get our own selves into some difficult situations. Why? Because
He wants to be in our midst. All we have to do is welcome Him. He wants to be our Savior and
Deliverer. All we have to do is receive that. He loves you and me with an everlasting love. It's
His desire that we love Him in return and love those in our midst because He loves them too. That
loving-kindness and mercy will never end! What's happening in your life today? Remember Your loving and merciful
Father is in the midst ready to deliver you and perfect you. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 5, 2009 - GOD WILL MAKE A WAY Psalm 136:13 (AMP) Have
you ever thought you were getting out of a difficult situation and then suddenly run into a blockade that made it impossible
for you to come out? Were you tempted to give up? Maybe you're going through something like that right now. You
know God has promised to deliver you but the thing that you face is so big that you know deliverance is impossible.
I wonder if that's what the Israelites thought when they came to the Red sea with the Egyptians right on their tail.
God, through Moses, had told them that He would deliver them. He had even given them an enormous amount of booty from
the Egyptians as they marched away. (Exodus 12:36) You see, the Lord can cause even our enemies to look favorably upon us and give us the things we need.
What is it that you need today? Even if it's in the hands of your enemies, God can get it to you if you are keeping
your eyes on Him. As we keep our minds stayed on the fact that
nothing is impossible with God, even when we come upon blockades that would threaten to take away all that He has already
given us, we can be confident. (Luke 1:37) If God has promised it, He will make provision for it. Even if He has to move an ocean for you to do it!
Even if the enemy is right behind you, shouting to you, "You can't make it." Inside of you is
a still small voice whispering encouraging and loving words, "You can do all things through Me. I will strengthen
you." (Philippians 4:13) God can open doors where there wasn't even a door to begin with. (Revelation 3:8) He is the door! (John 10:9) He knows that we aren't all that strong, all by ourselves. All He wants is for us to look to Him.
We have a Big Daddy. He opened a door for the Israelites at the Red Sea. He parted it. He divided it
right in half, making a dry path large enough for thousands of people to walk through safely. What "Red Sea,"
stands looming before you today? Are you looking up for your Father's deliverance? That's the only way.
Don't look back at the enemy who is running after you shouting words of discouragement. If you're looking back,
you won't see that open door when God places it in front of you. I remember a time when my sister was in hospital miles away from me and not expected to live. No flights
were available. We started to drive, believing that was God's way to get us there. Then, out of nowhere
fog filled the air. We could not see anything. We couldn't even tell if we were on the road or if there were
other cars near us. You couldn't even see headlights or tail lights! My husband kept trying to drive.
As I sat there, not knowing if my sister was still alive or not and looking at the blockade of fog that surrounded
us, I remembered the Red Sea. Suddenly, my faith kicked in. I said, "God, if you could part the Red Sea,
you can part this fog." Praise the Lord, it's not about us. When He has something for us to do or somewhere
for us to go, He will make the way. He will give us supernatural faith for that moment! He did it for Moses and
He'll do it for you and me too. Well, it was one of those, "suddenly's" that only God can bring
about. He parted the fog and we were able to get to my sister. God had made a promise that she would live
and she did live. My mother and I were able to go into the ICU and take her hands and pray for her. According
to man's plans, she was supposed to die. The medical community was able to do nothing to revive her as she
lay there being kept alive by their machines. However, God still had a promise and a purpose for her and He opened
that door through the fog, allowing us to get to her at just the right time. Although she was happy in the presence
of the Lord, He then opened the door of Heaven and told her she needed to come back. She's still here
today, living proof that God will make a way where there seems to be no way. Is there some kind of a Red Sea in your
life this morning? Are you in a fog as to what to do? Look up, as the Bible says, your redemption is close. (Luke 21:28) Although we know that Jesus is speaking of a final redemption from this world's problems, He's still
doing His part to make a way through the problems we encounter here on earth. (John 16:33) Don't dwell on the problem, dwell on the promise and the One who promised it. His provision will surely
come. If you trust Him, He will divide whatever He has to in order to make a way for you! MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 4, 2009 - HE WILL BRING US OUT! Psalm 136:11 (AMP) Do
you want out? Out of bondage, of addictions, of sin? There is only One who can bring us out. And that is
our God. He brought Israel out from among the Egyptians where they were enslaved. He has made a way out of
all those things that would enslave us too. What is troubling you today? Financial troubles? Troubles with
your marriage? Children gone astray? Strained relationships within your church family? How about alcoholism,
drugs, pornography, lust, pride, envy, bitterness, or we can just fill in the blank ourselves with the things that tend
to take all of our thoughts, time, and energy. While we may think that someone struggling with something like alcoholism
is so much more bound than we are, We should think again. We need to remember that unseen things of the heart, like
bitterness, that are also powerful and cruel task-masters. (Ephesians 4:31) Is it possible that we might be in bondage and not realize it? Especially
when it comes to those hidden sins that no one can see. Have we become so used to being critical and prideful that we
no longer see ourselves the way we really are? Are we counting on those who have gone before us for our freedom?
(John 8:33) The Pharisee's did not even realize that they were enslaved to the traditions of men when Jesus offered to deliver
them from their bondage. If we were to ask the average young person on the street today if they needed to be set free,
they might respond, "free from what?" Bondage is prevalent, even in a free country. It's mostly
unseen and unrealized bondage. It is a bondage that can only be broken by the receiving of the gift of salvation and
walking in it. As Jesus reveals those things that bind us, He is willing to set us free from them. (1 John 1:9) Is there something that is in your life that is holding you back? God is willing to bring you out from whatever
is holding you back, just as He brought the Israelites out. Are you willing to confess that thing? Are you willing
to take His hand? God brought the Israelites out from slavery to
freedom with His own strong hand and powerful arm. (Psalm 136:12) Whatever it is that binds us, we are totally unable, on our own, to get free.
But, with God all things are possible. (Mark 10:27) It is with His victorious right hand that He will deliver us. (Isaiah 41:10) One of the things we fear most is death. Yet, the things that we become enslaved to lead to death.
The enemy is very good at deceiving us into thinking that certain things like alcohol, drugs, over-eating, excessive shopping,
gambling, elicit sex and others will bring us life. Yet they actually take us as slaves and eventually bring
death - the thing that we were trying to get away from in the first place. Bitterness and unforgiveness do the
same thing. Scientific studies have shown that people who are forgiving and free of bitterness are healthier and live
longer. It is only where the spirit of the Lord is that there is freedom. Freedom from sin and freedom from the
fear of death. (2 Corinthians 3:17) Do you need freedom today? The same God that rescued the Israelites is ready to rescue you
and me from anything that has us enslaved. (Exodus 20:2) If you have never received Jesus as Savior, will you do so today? (2 Corinthians 6:2) If the enemy has deceived you into some kind of bondage, will you let God, bring you out with His strong
and powerful arm? Without God, you are not strong enough to defeat the enemy who is trying to enslave you so he
can kill you and keep you from abundant and eternal life. Psalm 18:17 (NIV) 17 He rescued me from
my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. But, just as in the days of the rescue of the Israelites,
God's strong arm and powerful hand is extended to you and me. Its' extended to us if we will only take it.
It's extended to us because He delights in you and me. Psalm 18:18-19 (NIV) 18 They
confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. 19 He brought
me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. His mercy and love are everlasting.
Will we delight in Him and be set free? Will we take His hand, lean on His powerful and loving
arm, and let Him bring us out? (Romans 8:15) MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 3, 2008 - GOD'S REVENGE Psalm 136:10 (AMP) While Psalm 136:10 may seem to be hard to swallow because it says God smote Egypt in their firstborn, it is, indeed, proof that His mercy
and loving-kindness endure forever for those who follow Him. Nobody likes to think of God bringing death. In the
case of the firstborn of the Egyptians, God did not bring death. As its leader, Pharaoh chose death for
Egypt. God had given Pharaoh many chances to let His people, the Israelites, go free but Pharaoh's heart remained
hardened. Many in Israel were treated harshly and brutally as slaves under Egyptian masters and no one knows how many
of them died because of the ill-treatment. No one but God, who sees and knows everything. God gives our
enemies a chance or chances to repent but the time finally comes when He, if we don't step in with our own, will
take revenge. Joseph had plenty of reason to take revenge on his
brothers. They sold him into slavery. (Acts 7:9) He suffered greatly for things he did not do, yet in his heart, he did not harbor revenge. Because of his
pure heart, God was with Joseph. Joseph prospered in every situation he was in and rose to the top wherever
he happened to be. (Genesis 39:2) Finally, Joseph was able to save all of his family from death by famine. He could have done otherwise if he
had harbored bitterness and revenge in his heart. Instead, he became a vessel for the saving of all of his family, even
those who had greatly harmed him. And, that was not all. Joseph was responsible for saving the lives of thousands
of others. (Genesis 50:20) As we look at Joseph's life, it reminds us of Jesus, doesn't it? Jesus did not bear any grudge
or hold anything against those who mocked Him and finally hung Him on a cross. In God's never-ending mercy
and loving-kindness, Jesus came to give everyone a chance to repent. (Luke 13:5, 1 John 1:9) To be forgiven. To live Godly lives. In His mercy, He gives us each a choice. Let's not be like Pharaoh
and refuse to repent and live for Christ. His promise is wonderful that we can repent, but His promise that those who do not
repent will perish is just as true. Anyone who is full of mercy and loving-kindness is true to their word. God, unlike
men, always keeps all of His word. (Numbers 23:19) Is there anything in our lives that causes us to hold
a grudge or desire revenge? That word, "revenge," implies that one holds a grudge. It's not
just whether or not we carry out the revenge or grudge by our actions. It's whether it is in our hearts.
God sees and knows everything that is within us. (Hebrews 4:12) He judges what is there by His Word. Early on in scripture, God said the following: Leviticus 19:18 (TLB) 18 Don't
seek vengeance. Don't bear a grudge; but love your neighbor as yourself, for I am Jehovah. So, no
matter what has happened to us in life, we have no excuse for bearing grudges or harboring thoughts of revenge in our hearts.
If we do, we are sinning. But, because of God's mercy and loving-kindness, we can repent of it and be forgiven.
(1 John 1:9) Is that hard? Yes it is. Probably impossible in our own strength. Yet, God has promised us the strength
to do whatever He has asked us to do. (Philippians 4:13) We just have to make the choice to completely surrender to a God who is full of mercy and loving-kindness.
Pharaoh did not surrender. He brought judgment upon himself and those around him. Joseph did surrender, even under
the most awful circumstances. He brought relief from famine to all those around him. Jesus surrendered to His
Father too. He brought salvation to anyone who would receive it. (John 3:16) Now, as we follow him, we are given the privilege of ridding ourselves of bitterness and revenge. (1 Peter 5:7) Those are only cares that are too heavy for us. We are also given the privilege of praying for those who have
harmed us, just like Jesus did. (Luke 23:34) God will take revenge when His time is right and not until every chance for repentance is extended.
If the truth were known, we would not want to see even our worst enemy suffer the revenge of God. No wonder He admonishes us
to pray for our enemies instead of holding grudges! Our real enemies are not people. They are principalities
and powers. (Ephesians 6:12) That's where the vengeance of God belongs. (Romans 12:19) Our only job is to trust that He has already obtained the victory. (Colossians 2:15) Then to let go of grudges and revenge and defeat the evil in this word by continuing to trust Him. (1 John 5:4) MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 2, 2008 - THE GREATEST LIGHT Psalm 136:7 (AMP) Do
you ever look and the sun and the moon, and the stars and marvel at their light? It would seem impossible to us that
the sun, moon and stars could follow their courses and be there for us at just the right time every day and every night.
Job knew the power behind the One who made the sun, moon and stars. Job 9:7 (NLT) 7 If
he commands it, the sun won't rise and the stars won't shine. While mankind may think he has mastered
many things, if God commands it, the sun won't rise and the stars won't shine! (Psalm 136:9) Even with all of our technology, we would have a very big problem if the sun didn't rise! But, it
does. (Psalm 136:8) That's because of God's everlasting mercy and loving-kindness. We may be challenged going into this new year because the world seems to be in turmoil. But, God and His Kingdom
are intact and well. The sun still rises and sets every day and, if you live somewhere where the lights of the city
don't block your view, you can see the stars every night! We all know that Job suffered
many things even though he was a man of God. (Job 1:8) Because Job was a man of God, he gave God the glory for all that He has created.
Job 9:9 (NLT) 9 He
made all the stars—the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky. We, also,
may suffer, or at least be challenged and uncomfortable, at times. But, that does not change the fact that God's
loving-kindness endures forever. If we are following Him, who is the Light, we know from His Word that all things will
work together for good. (Romans 8:28) Can you understand how God made the sun, moon, and stars? No? I can't either. His ways and thoughts
are so much higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9) We may not understand, either, how all the things in our lives can work together for good. But, the One
who put the sun, moon and stars together said they would if we would love Him and have His purposes at work within us.
If you can see the sun, moon and stars, you can believe that if you are loving God and doing what He has called you to do,
all things in your life will work together for good. The One who made all the great lights is the greatest Light. He sent His Son so we could see that Light
in the flesh. (John 12:46) His Word, (which is Jesus - John 1:14) is a light which will guide us and make the way clear for us to see without stumbling. Even when we're
challenged. Job, in all of his suffering, knew that God can bring light to the worst state of gloom. Job 12:22 (NLT) 22 "He floods the
darkness with light; he brings light to the deepest gloom. If you are struggling today with gloom and
dread of doom, know the Light has come. Not just the sun, moon, and stars as glorious and as spectacular as they
are, but the greatest Light. (Matthew 4:16) We can see that light if we are willing to look up. I don't think it's any accident that
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary discovered the empty tomb at the first light of dawn. (Matthew 28:1) Indeed, the Son had risen. The Great Light had dawned so that mankind would never need to walk
in darkness again. (Matthew 28:6) Our loving, but almighty Heavenly Father gave us the sun, moon, and stars and, if that wasn't
enough, He gave the Light of the world. His Son. (2 Corinthians 4:6-7) Yes, God has shown us the brightness of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ. He not only showed us
His glory. He put that Light within us. What will we do with that Light? We certainly will not
hide it, right? God did not hide the sun, moon and stars. And, He did not keep His Son hidden from us.
Now, it's our privilege to let His Light shine through us so that others can see the Greatest Light! Matthew 5:14-16 (AMP) You
are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light
a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let
your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize
and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. MORNING MANNA - JANUARY 1, 2009 - MADE BY HIS WISDOM Psalm 136:5 (NIV) On this first day of a new year, it's a great time to remember that God's love endures forever. It
doesn't stop at the end of a day or a year or ten thousand years. It never stops. It endures forever. It's
without end! We could stop right there and be encouraged and give thanks, couldn't we? But, Psalm 136 gives us so many reasons to give thanks to God. All we have to do is look up into the sky. Or, look around
us right here on the earth. (Psalm 136:6) We have ground to walk upon. We have trees and plants to gaze upon and to use for food. We have the beautiful
blue sky with its cotton-puff clouds. God did it all. He did it by His understanding, or as the original word really means, by His wisdom. It was His supreme
intelligence that led Him to create the heavens and the earth. It was by His discretion and reasoning that
it all works together so smoothly and consistently. It was His skillfulness that brought about a place where mankind
could live and breathe. (Isaiah 42:5-7) It was by His wisdom that everything was created. In His wisdom, He also send His Son, His Word. (John 1:14). In His wisdom, this same God who spread out the heavens and the earth, foretold the ministry of His
Son. The One who would set the prisoner free and confirm God's covenant with those who will believe.
He sent His Son to demonstrate real love to us and for us. (1 John 4:9) The world thought they had killed this Love. But He rose again and that Love endures forever! Anyone who
is seeking the wisdom of God will recognize that Jesus is wisdom and receive Him. (1 Corinthians 1:30) Have you done that? We live in a world with so many
wonderful things to see and God has made them all - by His wisdom. No wonder the Psalmist declares, "what a variety
of things You have made." And then declares, "In wisdom You have made them all." (Psalm 104:24) By God's wisdom and understanding, He spread out the heavens and the earth. Wonder of wonders, God has offered
to give us wisdom too. (Proverbs 2:6, James 1:5) God created the heavens and the earth with us in mind. His wisdom is not selfish, unlike that of the
world. Many think they have wisdom but, if it is selfish and jealous, it is the wisdom of this world
and not of God. (James 3:15) Do you want the kind of wisdom that comes from God? The kind that caused God to stretch out the heavens
and the earth for you and me? Then, after we had messed up, to send Jesus to be wisdom for us? All we have to
do is ask! We will know that we have it when we find that our wisdom is pure, peace loving, always gentle, willing to
let others have their way, full of mercy, full of good deeds, does not play favorites, and is always sincere. (James 3:17) As we perhaps make some resolutions or decisions on this first day of a new year, why not include desiring and asking
for God's kind of wisdom and understanding? (Proverbs 9:10) MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 31, 2008 - ALL BY HIMSELF Psalm 136:4 (KJV) As we go through the
last day of this year, its a good time to reflect on what God has done. Yesterday was my birthday. Although
I have always had a problem figuring out why I am here and, at times, have been very unsatisfied with who I am, I realize
that it is a miracle that I am here! And I know that God doesn't waste miracles. He has a purpose for
each one. Before you think I'm just being big-headed, it's a miracle that you are here too! God carefully
and remarkably knit us together before we ever saw the light of this world. (Psalm 139:13) Yes, it took parents to get together so we could be conceived but, after that, they were helpless to put us together.
God did it and it is a miracle! If you have ever witnessed the birth of a baby or even a kitten or a puppy, you
know that it is humanly impossible. (Matthew 19:26) But, with God, all thing are possible. Even miracles. And, He does them all by Himself! Take, for instance, new birth. That is impossible with men. But, again, with God, it is, not
only a possibility, it's a reality for those who will believe. (John 3:3-4) Just as we can't watch how God puts a new baby together inside its mother's womb, we cannot see how the Holy
Spirit works to bring us new birth. (John 3:8) It is a wonder brought about by God, all by Himself, as we, by faith, receive it. Yes, our God does great wonders all by Himself. That word, "wonders,"
includes things that are hidden to our eyes and understanding. Take peace. God does require that we follow His
ways. (Philippians 4:46) Then, as we do, a great peace comes over us. (Philippians 4:7) A peace that defies our human understanding. A perfect peace, even in the midst of the most trying
of circumstances. That is a wonder! Our God does great wonders. He does exceedingly above anything we
can ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20) If you stop to look back on your life, or even on this year, you will find that God has brought you to this point.
You will probably be able to think of times when you knew you couldn't have made it except that He was with you.
Some have been healed of cancer. Some have had run-away children return. Some have received employment when many
around you have not been able to find any. Some have been sustained even though they have not been able to find employment
yet. Some have been comforted with a comfort unspeakable when your loved one departed for Heaven. Some have had
a child or grandchild born. Some have met the love of their life. The list could go on and on and, indeed it does
go on and on. Because God's mercy endures forever, He continues and continues to do wonders (also called miracles)
in each of our lives. We don't even know the half of it because many of His wonders are hidden. Yet, we
are alive and remain because of them. As we leave this year, lets leave giving thanks to the God who does countless
wonders in our lives and in the lives of those around us. As we leave giving Him thanks, we will also enter the new
year with a thankful heart. Only the God who does these wonders all by Himself is worthy of our thanks and praise.
Let's devote ourselves to giving Him the thanks He deserves as we leave this year and go into another year remembering
His great love toward us and the wonders of that love. (Colossians 4:2) Let's remember that His love and mercy will continue all through this coming new year and beyond! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 30, 2008 -
LORD OF LORDS Psalm 136:3 (AMP) Since
I love to sing praise to God and, since I love good music, I am always swept away by the "Hallelujah Chorus."
During one part of the chorus, it says, "And He shall reign forever and ever." (Luke 1:33) Near the end, just before the glorious, "Hallelujah's," the words thunder out, "King of kings
and Lord of lords," repeating with each part of the chorus until the climax of, "Hallelujah," rings out over
and over again. Is this Lord of lords reigning over your personal
life today? Are you in a perpetual state of giving thanks to Him because His love, favor, mercy, etc., etc. last forever?
As one paraphrase puts it, "His love never quits." (Romans 10:13) We can all say, "Hallelujah," to that! Who is this Lord of lords? He's the King of glory. (Psalm 24:8) He is the one spoken of in Revelation 19:16. (AMP) 16 And on His garment (robe) and on His thigh He has a name (title)
inscribed, king of kings and lord of lords. He's the one who is ruler of Heaven and earth.
He's also he one who has given us His Spirit so that we might be able to call Him, "Lord." (1 Corinthians 12:3) He is both Lord and Savior. (Acts 2:36) By confessing His Lordship over us, we are saved. (Romans 10:9) Although He died for us, He also rose again so that there would be no doubt in our minds that He is both Lord of us
who are living and of those who have died. (Romans 14:9) He is the Lord before whom we shall stand when He returns again. (1 Thessalonians 2:19) Because of Jesus, our Lord, God has saved us and withholds His anger. (1 Thessalonians 5:9) For these reasons and so many others written in scripture, it is good to give thanks to the Lord of lords.
You might even break out in song right now. "King of kings and Lord of lords, Hallelujah!" "Thank
You Lord, for your love that lasts forever!" MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 29, 2008 - HE'S THE GOD OF GODS Psalm 136:2 (KJV) What are we thankful for today? For family? For shelter? For food? For a job? For clothing?
You name it, we all have something for which to be thankful. In fact, we probably have many things for which we should be
thankful. And, we should be thankful. Nothing should be taken for granted. But, nothing should take a higher
place in our heart than God does. I once heard someone say that it would be impossible to make an idol out of your
children. I, hopefully graciously, have to disagree with that. If our children are first in our hearts, before
God, we are in danger of making them gods. Whatever is first place in our hearts, becomes, in essence, a god to
us. Right from the beginning, God insists that we have no other gods before Him. (Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 5:7) There is a subtle danger for us to begin to worship the gifts more than the Giver. God truly is the God of gods. He is God over all those things that may seek to
dominate our thoughts and minds. He doesn't want anything to take His place in our hearts. So, the Psalmist
says ".....give thanks unto the God of gods." It is because of His mercy, alone, that we have
what we have. It is because of His love, alone, that we have so many things to be thankful for. So many things
that might bring a temptation to just change our focus a bit from God to some of the gods of this world. We might
think that we don't worship other gods. That's because we might put names on those people or things we
think of as other gods. But, the truth is that what, or who, we think about most, is what or who we worship.
God wants all of our worship. He wants first place. Without Him, we could do nothing. (Acts 17:28, John 15:5) Without Him, we would have nothing. (Matthew 6:25-33) Those are reasons enough for us to be giving thanks to the God of gods this morning. Our God of gods is great, mighty and awesome. (Deuteronomy 10:17) In fact, one of the meanings attributed to the word translated, "mighty," is "hero."
Indeed, our God of gods should be our, "Hero." He is mighty among us. (Zephaniah 3:17) He is mighty to save us. And, although He is a warrior and a powerful deliverer, He is mighty in rejoicing
too. And that rejoicing is over us! He is so mighty that He can turn our chaotic lives into peace. (John 14:27) With His mighty love, He calms our fears, just as Jesus calmed the storm on the sea. (Mark 4:39) And, to top it off, He is mighty in song. He rejoices over us with singing. We are His beloved creation
and He is our loving God. Although many things and people may try to play, "god," in our lives, He is
still the great, "I Am." The God of gods. It is fitting that our first thoughts in the morning, our
last thoughts at night, and all of those thoughts in between as we look over all He has given us, be of thankfulness to the
God of gods! His love endures for ever and ever. The God of gods is singing His song of love and peace over
you right now. Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 28, 2008 - TIME AND TIME AGAIN Psalm 136:1 (KJV) The
author of Psalm 136 appears to be unknown. But, it could be a model Psalm for any of us. Any of us could
have our own Psalm with many verses. Psalm 136 has twenty-six verses and each verse repeats the same theme. "...for His mercy endureth
forever." Twenty-six times in Psalm 136, that phrase is repeated, and that's not counting all the other times in scripture we read that same thing.
Vine's Dictionary says that this word is one of the most important words in Old Testament theology and ethics. Not
surprising when we know that it is sometimes translated,"love." Everything in God's Kingdom is based on
love. (Mark 12:30-31, Romans 13:9) I'm so glad that God's mercy endures forever. That word, "mercy," includes loving-kindness
and favor. I have heard it said that God's mercy shelters us from receiving what we deserve, while His grace gives
us things we don't deserve. Either way, God is kind. Despite our failings, He gives salvation and deliverance. God
is love. (1 John 4:8) As the Israelites sang Psalm 136, the Levites probably sang the first part of the verses while the people responded with, "....for His mercy endureth
forever." The first three verses deal with who God is, while the rest, except for the last verse, deal with what
God has done. God is good. He has been good to all of us. While we all probably agree with the fact that
God is good, we may all have different ideas about what, "good," is. I went through the meanings of the
Hebrew word which is translated, "good," in Psalm 136:1. I was very surprised. Maybe you will be too. Here are some of the meanings within this word: good
in the widest sense, well, beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, favor, fine, glad, graciously, joyful, kindly,
loving, most merry, pleasant, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare...., etc. I hope you didn't just skip through all those words which are contained in the word
translated, "good," as it relates to our God. Why not go back, look at each one and get a mental picture of
God in your mind as you think a while on each one? You may just come away knowing your Father in a more intimate way.
I, for one, have never thought of God as being, "cheerful." However, since He made us in His image, would
He ever demand that we ever be anything that He wasn't? How about asking us to be cheerful givers? (2 Corinthians 9:7) He loves a cheerful giver. No wonder, He sees Himself reflected in us when we give cheerfully! In that
word, "good," are contained so many things we could meditate upon to become better acquainted with our Father in
Heaven. Our Father is beautiful. He's the best. He's bountiful. He's pleasant. He's
sweet. He's precious. How do those few descriptions of God and His goodness change the way you see your Father?
And, there's so much more - all contained in that one little word, "good." As an aside, if we go back
to the root Hebrew word for the word translated here as, "good," we find this meaning: "(be,
do, go, play) well." Strong's Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. When you were young, perhaps
your earthly daddy played well with you. He stooped down to where you were and entered into your world. If
so, you are blessed. If not, you have a perfect Heavenly Daddy! He does everything well. No
wonder we can repeat over and over with the Psalmist, "...for His mercy endureth forever." As we go into the
new year, let's go in meditating on who God is, what He has done, and His great mercy that will endure forever.
Into every new year and into eternity! Yes, time and time again we can declare "...for His mercy endureth forever!" MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 27, 2008 - GOD'S LOVE NEVER QUITS Psalm 136:26 (KJV) A good friend from past times called me this afternoon just to stay in touch. How nice it is when people we
know don't forget us and call every year or so just to say, "Hi." As we discussed the current world conditions
and how our lives were affected by them, we began to recall the Israelites when they were in Babylon. Their usual songs
of praises were silent. They had hung they're lyres in the willow trees and they sat around depressed, dwelling
on their captivity. How sad. (Psalm 137:1-2) They only thought about the "good old days." Their praise seemed to be contingent on their position.
Did they forget that their God was not hindered by circumstances? Did they forget that God is present in every situation?
Did they forget that God is deserving of praise from the prison as well as from the palace? Do we forget that sometimes
too? As we all deal with changing world conditions and some of us
find ourselves in challenging circumstances, what are we dwelling on? The circumstances? The good old days? Or,
the consistency and faithfulness of our loving Father? Have we hung our proverbial lyres in the weeping willows and
sat down to weep ourselves? Paul and Silas found themselves in a very dark place one night. Their hands and feet were
in shackles. They didn't have any instruments on which to praise. That didn't stop them though.
In the dark of the night, praises sprang forth from their lips. They were in the dark literally and figuratively.
They had no idea of how they might get out of that prison. In fact, it was impossible - for them. But, not for
their loving Father. He was blessed by their sacrifice of praise. (Acts 16:25-34) He made a very notable and obvious way for them when there was no way. God literally moved the earth! Not
only were they spared, but the blessing overflowed onto the prison keeper and his whole family! What is tempting you to "hang up your lyre" and weep like the weeping willow? Yes, there are things
going on around us that make success and even survival seem impossible. We don't need to deny that.
What we do have to do is declare that, in spite of everything, God is still Who He is. He is the "I Am,
of whatever it is we need. His love never quits, as Eugene Peterson paraphrases it in, "The Message." Another
way to say it is, God's favor is perpetual. If that is so, shouldn't our praise be perpetual? There is
always cause for rejoicing and praise, even through tears and trials. It's a choice we need to make, by faith, ahead
of time. The prophet, Habakkuk did. (Habakkuk 3:17-19) As the old song says, "God on the mountain is still God in the valley." His love, mercy,
and favor never quit. That's why we must not quit praising Him. I was happy to hear from a friend from the
past. I had no idea he was thinking of me but the phone call brightened my day. Even when we are not aware that
God is thinking of us, He is. Our days are brightened by His Light. (Psalm 119:105) He is more faithful and loving than the kindest of friends. (Proverbs 18:24) His thoughts for us are way beyond number. (Psalm 139:17-18) His love and favor are constant and forever! He is worthy of all of our praise - all of the time!
His love never quits. Let it be that our praise never quits! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 26, 2008 - THE ANSWER WILL COME Daniel 10:12 (NLT) Have
you been praying and praying for a thing and it has not been manifested? Are you challenged and tired of waiting?
Maybe you are beginning to lose heart. First of all, we must never lose heart because God's promise is that, if
we don't get weary in doing His will, we will see a harvest. (Galatians 6:9) We will see that long-awaited answer to our prayer manifested. Take
Daniel. Daniel had been praying and praying for God to come to the rescue of His people, the people of Israel and for
understanding in the matter. We can learn a few things from Daniel about prayer. Daniel prayed in humility. He
fasted as he prayed. (Daniel 9:3) Daniel worshiped the Lord for who He is. He confessed that God always fulfills His promises and
that His love is never-failing for those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Daniel 9:4) Daniel also prayed honestly about the sinfulness and rebelliousness of the Israelites. He did not say,
"they" sinned. He said, "....we have sinned..." (Daniel 9:5) Daniel then pleaded with God to act on his request. (Daniel 9:17-19) Yes, Daniel knew how to pray. When we pray, do we humble ourselves and fast? Do we worship God, acknowledging
who He is, in spite of what our circumstances look like? Are we honestly repentant about our sins and the sins
of our country and our ancestors? Then, do we plead our case before God, realizing that we do not deserve help but that
He is ever so merciful? (Daniel 9:18) What if, by chance, we've done all of the above
and have seen no answer? We can learn yet another lesson from the story of Daniel. As we recount what happened
to Daniel, we need to remember that God will do for us what He did for Daniel if we will trust Him and not give
up. (Acts 10:34) God (who is not deaf), had heard Daniel the moment he had humbled himself and began praying for understanding.
(Proverbs 15:29, Daniel 10:12) The answer to Daniel's prayer had been delayed by an agent of the enemy. The spirit of the prince of Persia,
one of Satan's officers, had tried to stop the answer to Daniel's prayer. (Daniel 10:13) There was a war going on in the heavenlies. Daniel could not see it. All Daniel knew was that it
seemed like God was not answering his prayer. We might have those times too. It may seem like God
has not heard our prayer. Or, if He has, He decided to ignore it. That is not the case. One day, an
angel suddenly appeared to Daniel, explaining the warfare involved to get his answer to him. We don't know
how much warfare is going on in the heavenlies in order for our prayers to be answered. We do know that God has called
us to trust Him and walk in faith believing that whatever we ask, believing we will receive. (Matthew 21:22) The first thing the angel told Daniel was, that he was greatly loved of God. (Daniel 10:11) The second thing was, "Don't be afraid." (Daniel 10:12) We must not fear either because God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) Later the angel, again, told Daniel that he was deeply loved by God. So are you! (John 3:16) Then the angel told Daniel to be at peace, take heart, and be strong. (Daniel 10:19) That's what Jesus is telling you and me today too. He said we would have trouble in this world.
Daniel had his troubles and we have ours too. But Jesus also said that we should be of good cheer, or take heart, because
He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) When the angel spoke those words to Daniel, Daniel was strengthened. May it be that you and I are strengthened
by the fact that, though our enemy is mighty, our God is even mightier. (Psalm 89:8) He has dispatched angels to watch over us and protect us. (Hebrews 1:14) Today, no matter what the circumstances or the challenges, may it be that we are strengthened, knowing that we are
loved by our Father and that angels are watching over us. May we know also that God has heard our prayers,
and although the answer may be delayed, our it will come! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 25, 2008 - NOW, THAT'S GOOD NEWS! Romans 1:2 (NLT) There's
more than enough bad news being broadcast over the media today. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the main news was
good news? It's not that there is a lack of good news. It's just that the world seems to have a tendency
to dwell on the bad news. What would happen if that all changed? The
Apostle, Paul, knew that he was sent by God to preach Good News. (Romans 1:1) I would watch his program if it were on TV these days! Wouldn't you? The Good News that Paul
preached to the Romans is still being preached to us today right from the mouth of God through the Holy Scriptures.
The Good News was promised by God long ago and God fulfilled His promise. (Romans 1:2, Luke 2:11) God always fulfills His promises. (Daniel 9:4) Over two thousand years ago, a young virgin held God's unfailing love in her arms. (Luke 2:7) For two thousand years, Jesus has been calling with unfailing love to all who will listen, "Come to me!"
(Matthew 11:28) Now, that's Good News! On this day when many are celebrating,
how many are still dwelling on the bad news of this world. How many will dive into a mound of presents only to miss
the greatest Present the world has ever been given. How many will look for more and more presents, with no satisfaction,
and miss the joy and contentment of God's glorious presence? What news are you mulling over in your heart this morning?
The news you might have heard when you turned on the morning news? Or the Good News that Jesus came to earth to dwell
among us? (John 1:14) The Good news that He's still the same as He was when He walked the shores of Galilee. (Hebrews 13:8) The news that He still touches lives and makes them brand new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) How about the news that, for those who seek Him first, He will take care of all the rest? (Matthew 6:33) Now that's good news! And there's ever so much more. So much so, that He'll give us new
revelation of His Good News every day. No more listening to the same old things over and over like they do with the
bad news on TV. His News is new and fresh every morning just like the manna that fell in the wilderness for Israel.
(Exodus 16:14-15) Today, the Baby that was born in the manger, and grew up to die on the cross for our sins is alive.
(Revelation 1:18) And, if we're in Him, we'll live forever more too. (1 Thessalonians 5:10) Now that is Good News! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 24, 2008 - THE CRY OF THE SAVIOR THE CRY OF THE SAVIOR On a night long ago 'neath a starry
sky, a Child was born, can you hear Him cry? Leaving the warmth and the love
of His Father, He came to earth and, to most, was a bother. No
welcome into the world He made; this Christ-child, in a manger was laid. Not
a room in an inn could be found for Him only a manger bed in a stable dim. Is it still like that in His world today? In all our celebration, do we turn Him
away? Yes, He left the warmth and love of His Father Today, can it be that He's
still a bother? Do our traditions take first place? Do
we run here and there at a frantic pace? Is there room in our hearts for the Savior, Jesus Or by our actions, have we told Him to leave us? The ribbons
and bows will be put away; But the cry of the Savior still rings today, "Have
you any room in your heart for Me? I left my Father to set you free." "Although you celebrate my birth, Only I can bring peace to the earth. My
gift to you is the best ever given I gave you my life and now I am risen." "The gift of salvation I offer you; but will you receive it, be one of the few? It comes with assurance and peace for your heart, With joy and with hope and a brand new
start." "I'm coming again and it may be today. If
I came today, would I still be in the way? In all of your feasting and revelry Will
you be to busy to notice Me?" Beatrice Lyon Becker December
24, 2008 Manna to feast on today: MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 23, 2008 - JUST STOP AND SAY, "THANKS" Ephesians 1:16 (MSG) I was preparing to write today on a different topic, but the Lord impressed
upon me to use this title: "Just Stop And Say, "Thanks." I am learning not to argue when He makes
such a strong impression on me, so here it is. As I opened my e-mail this morning, there was a, "thank-you,"
to me in it from a dear friend. She's not a friend that you do things with every day. We have spent only a
small amount of time together, if you consider how long a lifetime is. However, when the Holy Spirit bonds you in a
time of healing, that friendship cannot be broken. During the time we did get to spend together, she was very critically
ill. Together, we watched and prayed, as God healed her in a way that you could only believe if you had seen it.
Since then, she has done many things to help out with her family. In fact, she has been indispensable to them.
How good God is to keep us alive and well so He can accomplish His purposes for us and so we can be a blessing to others!
(Psalm 116:6) I do not use the paraphrase, "The Message," to
study from but, in this case, my own thoughts were in one accord with the way Eugene Peterson paraphrased Ephesians 1:16. You see, this dear sister has been a constant encouragement to me with her testimony of God's faithfulness.
In the most dire of circumstances, the only thing on her lips was, "Thank you Jesus." And it still is.
She has been sick this week with something that might take most of us down, but not her. She stated her condition and
asked for prayer. We prayed. God answered. Overnight! She stopped what she was doing to give Him thanks
and to send a note of thanks to me and to others who went to the throne of grace on her behalf. (James 5:16) I just could not help but use that as the topic for
this morning's "Manna." What an example of a grateful heart! Psalm 66:8 (AMP) 8 Bless
our God, O peoples, give Him grateful thanks and make the voice of His praise be heard, What
an example for us all to follow. It's not that this sister's life is free from trouble. Far from it.
But, in everything she chooses to give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (TAB) 18 No
matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Let
me tell you that this precious sister would be giving thanks even if she had not yet seen God's
answer o healing! Can we say the same thing about ourselves? As I read her e-mail, I was so impressed with the
fact that, whether things are going well or not, it's good to take moments out of our day to just say, "Thanks!"
to our Lord. Especially when circumstances look bleak, it's good to look back and thank Him for all the things He's
done in the past. (Jeremiah 33:11) Which reminds me of another very dear sister who sings a song called, "He'll Do It Again."
We may not know how and we may not know when, but God will do marvelous things again in our lives.
He hasn't changed. He's just the same as He was in the early days of Israel as He is today in our lives
and He will never change. (Hebrews 13:8) Now, right now, whether things are just hunky-dory for you or whether they're supremely challenging,
stop. Just say, "Thanks," to God. And, after that, it wouldn't hurt to
tell someone else that every time you think of them, you give thanks to God! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 22, 2008 - THE FOOL Psalm 53:1 (NLT) There has been a great disturbance recently because a group of atheists
demanded the right to put up their statement of "non-faith," next to a Nativity scene on government property.
Of course, it is very distasteful and could even be called hateful toward those of us who believe. However, no matter
what they say in their statement, there is a God and He is alive and still in control. He, Himself, said that
people would rage against Him. More than once, God calls those who are against Him, "fools."
Psalm 2:1 (TLB) 1 What
fools the nations are to rage against the Lord! How strange that men should try to outwit God! Believers
may feel outraged at what is happening but there have always been people who either by word or actions declared, "There
is no God." It's bad enough being called a, "fool,"
by another person but I certainly would not want to be thought of, in the mind of God, as a fool! Would you? What
is happening in this world is very sad. Instead of becoming so incensed with unbelievers that we border on being hateful
ourselves, we might want to remember the words of Jesus when He said, "Pray for your enemies." (Matthew 5:44) Wouldn't it be better if incidents like the one I mentioned above ended up in the conversion of an unbeliever
(or many of them)? I'm reminded of Elijah when there was a showdown between his God and Baal. (1 Kings 18:17-39) Elijah was so confident that he was willing to put his faith in Jehovah God against all odds. He stood side by
side with the prophets of Baal giving them the opportunity to prove themselves to be right. But, of course, the victory
belonged to God and it always will. When God says something more than once, He probably wants us to be sure to
get it. It is also written in Psalm 14:1 that only fools say that there is no God. I once heard a story
about an atheist complaining about Christians having all the holidays. "What we need is a holiday of our own."
With a slight smile, his friend answered. "How about April 1st?" The foolishness of trying to ban
God is seen in the following quote: It is illegal to read the Bible in the public schools
of Illinois, but a law requires the state to provide a Bible for every convict! Don't worry, kids, if you can't read
the Bible in school, you'll be able to when you get to prison! —Baptist
Beacon God is fully able to defend Himself. (Psalm 74:22) Foolish people can continue their tirades against Him but their cause is hopeless. The Lord is the beginning
of knowledge. The fool proves himself to be a fool when he despises Gods wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1:7) Though we may be tempted to try to stop them, they are their own worst enemies. (Proverbs 18:7) Besides that, they probably won't listen anyway. (Proverbs 23:9) There will always be those who, in their pride, decide they don't need God. We are not that way.
If there was ever a time, this is the time for us to be careful how we live. (Ephesians 5:15) To be conformed to the image of Christ instead of following the foolish ways of the world. (Romans 8:29, Titus 3:3-8, Romans 12:2) MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 21, 2008 - A HAPPY BELIEVER Luke 1:45 (KJV) Elizabeth and Zacharias were Godly people. They were obedient
and righteous. (Luke 1:6) Zacharias was a priest and Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. (Luke 1:5) But, they had never been able to conceive a child. And, now they were old. (Luke 1:7) In those days, women were looked down upon if they did not have children. How sad is that? To
have obeyed God all your life and not to be blessed with a child? To be thought of as less than others because
you were childless. We don't know about God's timing. All we know is that it is perfect. Zacharias
was going about his duties obediently when his day was interrupted by a visitor. (Luke 1:8-12) It wasn't your normal visitor, it was an angel. Needless to say, Zacharias felt fear seize him. But,
that was not God's will for Zacharias. So, the first message of the angel was, "Don't be afraid." (Luke 1:13-17) The enemy will always try to get us to fear just at the point that God is about to answer our most outlandish prayer.
The angel then announced that God had heard the prayers of Zacharias and that he would have a son, whom he was to name, "John."
Then, to top it off, the angel detailed the greatness of this promised son. As my grandson used to say, when he was
a baby, "Tan U Beeweeve it?" (Which means, for those of you unfamiliar with baby-talk, "Can you believe
it?") Unfortunately, Zacharias could not believe it. He
had the logical excuse. There's probably not a one of us in his circumstances that would not have
realized that what the angel was saying was impossible. "I am an old man and my wife is old too. How
can what you say be true?" But, God doesn't ask us to believe what we know is possible. He asks us to
believe for those things that are totally impossible for us but always possible for Him. The angel was speaking to Zacharias
about a natural, physical birth. Jesus later spoke the same principle about spiritual new birth. (Matthew 19:26) Like Zacharias of yesteryear, many today just can't believe in the free gift of new birth through Jesus.
The angel didn't seem too happy with Zacharias's doubt. Gabriel pronounced a mute-sentence on Zacharias
for his unbelief, but only until the promised birth was accomplished. (Luke 1:19-22) Although we may not be struck mute by an angel if we don't take God at His Word, it would be better for us
if we kept quiet about our unbelief because God's Word will always perform what it sets out to do. No matter how absurdly
impossible it may seem to us. When we speak words of unbelief, we are succumbing to that fear that fell on Zacharias.
Whatever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23) Fear, except reverential fear of God, always leaves a door open for the devil and he is only to happy to instill
fear in us. He hopes that, once he has infected us, we will infect others too by speaking our negativity onto others.
There is better way. Elizabeth, the woman living in disgrace
all these years because she was childless, found the promise to be true. (Luke 1:24-25) She did not doubt, but exclaimed that God had taken away her disgrace. She believed that God
had done this impossible thing for her and shown her favor. God had mercifully taken away her husband's voice so
that he could not "bring her down," with his doubt. When we know that we know, that we know that
God has promised to do something for us, we need not listen to any naysayers. When we know we have His favor, we can't
listen to those who would say otherwise. Elizabeth did not yet know that God was up to something in Mary's life
too. Elizabeth knew that God had done something for her but she did not yet know the scope would reach far
beyond herself being delivered from disgrace. It would reach to Mary and to the whole world. How often do we think
it's all about us and our problems? No, God will bless others through the blessings he gives to us. In the
meantime, Gabriel had also made a visit to Mary, announcing the birth of the Savior through her. (Luke 1:26-38) Although Mary could not understand how everything could happen, she became a willing,
believing vessel. Having been told by the angel that her cousin, Elizabeth was pregnant, Mary went to visit her.
They had their own little worship service together during which Elizabeth exclaimed these words: Luke 1:45 (NIV) 45 Blessed
is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" Two women of faith,
brought together by the Holy Spirit, reveled in the blessing of God. The word translated, "blessed," in this
case means, "happy." It means, "fortunate," and "well-off." When we believe
what the Lord says, we can and will be happy just like Mary was. Mary was an ordinary young woman, no different from
the rest of us, except that she believed that the Lord would do what He said in her life and she was willing. Somehow,
even in difficult circumstances, when we believe and are willing to be used of Him, we are happy. We are well-off and
we are fortunate. It's our choice. Hopeless or happy! Fearful or fortunate! Woeful or
well-off! Which is your choice? MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 20, 2008 - THE MANGER FOR HIM, A MANSION FOR US Luke 2:7 (KJV) Can you
even imagine where you would live if you had all the wealth in the whole world? If, at your word, you could create
as much wealth as you wanted? (Psalm 50:10) Can you imagine what the courts of Heaven must look like? (Revelation 21:21) Or having the earth just to rest your feet on? (Acts 7:49) Jesus can imagine it. All of it was and is His. He chose to lay it all aside though to live for a brief
and troubled time here on earth with us. (Philippians 2:6-8) Yes, Jesus laid aside all He had and put on flesh so that He could give us the good gifts that His Father desires
to give His children. (Matthew 7:11) We couldn't receive those gifts because of our sin so Jesus had to make some exchanges for us. Jesus took the manger so we could have a mansion! If we have received His forgiveness,
He is even now preparing a place for us that we can't even imagine in our wildest dreams. First of all, it
is a place where we will no longer be exposed to and tempted to sin. It is a place where we will be constantly in His
manifest presence. John 14:3 (KJV) 3 And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
It is a place filled with mansions. John 14:2 (KJV) 2 In
my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Can you imagine it, God, Himself, leaving His glory and submitting to being born of a peasant woman into a cold,
uncaring world and being placed in a manger? He did it. And, He did it just for you and me! He did it so He could
give us a mansion in glory to live with Him forever! Jesus took suffering
so we could have salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-101 Thessalonians 5:9-10 (NIV) 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or
asleep, we may live together with him. Would you want to leave Heaven's courts to come to people who would
not only not know you, but torture you? Jesus did it. He became a man of suffering and acquainted with grief. (Isaiah 53:3-5) He did it so we could be saved. What an exchange! Not only can we be saved, but, that word, "salvation,"
has a much broader meaning. It means, "rescue," "safety (physically or morally)," "deliver,"
"health," "save," and "saving," according to Strong's dictionary. Jesus
took the suffering so we could have all of those things. What is it you need to be saved and rescued from today?
Do you need health? Do you need deliverance? Jesus paid it all. He took the suffering so you and I could
take the salvation. Jesus took the cross so we could have
the crown. (John 19:17) Do you want that crown that Jesus paid for? Just receive Him and follow Him to the end.
Just as the old hymn says, one day you will exchange all your worldly trophies for a crown. A crown that can never
be taken away from you, but, a crown that you will want to cast at the feet of the One who purchased it for you because
He alone is worthy to receive it. (Revelation 4:10-11) He took all of our sin and bore it on the cross. (1 Peter 2:24) When they decided to mock Jesus by putting the crown of thorns on His head (Matthew 27:29), He bled drops of blood that would cleanse the perpetrators of such a crime. (1 Peter 1:2) He took the cross and the crown of thorns in our place. There is a crown of righteousness
awaiting us if we are looking forward to His return. (2 Timothy 4:8) There is a crown of life waiting for those of us who love God and patiently endure testing. (James 1:12) Yes, God loves and delights so much in His people that He let His perfect Son take the cross
so He could give us a crown. (John 3:16) The best crown of all is the crown of salvation. It is given to the humble who have realized that Jesus
took the manger and is preparing for us a mansion. That He took the suffering so that we could have salvation. That
He took the cross so we could receive the crown! Psalm 149:4 (NLT) 4 For
the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Have you humbly received His gift? MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 19, 2008 - LET IT BE Luke 1:38 (AMP) In 1970, Paul McCartney and John Lennon, of the Beatles, wrote a song entitled, "Let It Be." It is
now a pop classic. Maybe one reason it has lasted for so long is that there is some truth to its message.
According to what I have read, it was written just about the time that the Beatles were close to disbanding. The
inspiration for the song apparently came from Paul McCartney's depression over a dream he had about his mother. Both
his mother and John Lennon's mother had died when they were young boys. Paul wrote the words, "When
I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be." You
see, Paul McCartney's mother's name had been Mary. When he found himself in times of trouble he wanted his mother
and he must have seen her in a dream. Her words of wisdom to him were, "Let it be." I'm sure he
was troubled at the time, with the Beatle's on their way to parting. They were not only wildly famous,
but they commanded big dollars. What would become of each one individually? Perhaps Paul McCartney felt a
bit helpless as to what to do next. We don't know. One thing we do know is that, sad as it was that he lost
his mother at a young age, he was not looking high enough. When we find ourselves in times of trouble, if we will seek Him,
Jesus will come to us. Strangely enough, an angel came to
a young virgin over two thousand years ago. (Luke 1:26-28) He brought confusing words that did not seem to make any sense in the world she lived in.
(Luke 1:34) The girl's name was Mary. She was engaged to be married to a carpenter whose
name was Joseph. Everything was going along fine until she got word that she was the chosen one to be overshadowed by
the Holy Spirit and miraculously become the mother of the Son of God. In her world, that meant trouble. (Luke 1:31) Who would believe that she had seen an angel? Who would believe that she had not slept with a
man? Who would believe that God had sent a message to a young peasant girl? Would Joseph even believe her?
She could have "flipped out," and tried to run away. She could have been like others in the past, who
had been used of God, and made excuses as to why she could not be the one. But she didn't. She spoke words
of wisdom. "Let it be." Luke 1:38 (AMP) 38 Then
Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said. And the angel left
her. As God's vessels, are we as wise as Mary? Do we hear what God says and, despite our possible
confusion over how it could be, say, "Let it be?" What has God told you that He wants you to do?
He has told us all that He wants us to be conformed to image of His Son. (Romans 8:29) And, He may have spoken privately to you with a dream that is bigger than you could ever dream yourself. Will
you let it be? Will you trust God that, if He says it, He's able to complete it? (Philippians 1:6) Paul McCartney continued writing, "And
in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be." Oh,
if only Paul McCartney would have looked higher and realized that, in our hour of darkness, the Light of the world is standing
right in front of us calling us to Himself. (John 8:12, Revelation 3:20) Calling us to take shelter under His wings. (Matthew 23:37) But, like the people of Jerusalem in Jesus's day, there are many today who won't "let
it be." Will you let it be? Many, like Paul McCartney, have lost parents at an early age due to
death, divorce, abuse, or neglect. God has not forgotten you. He wants to take you in. (Psalm 27:10) He promises never to leave us. (Deuteronomy 31:8, Hebrews 13:5) And He means it. (Numbers 23:19) If it seems dark around you, remember Jesus is waiting to shed His light on your life and
every situation in it. Will you let it be? Paul McCartney continues writing, "And when the
broken hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be." Paul McCartney
had it right again. God wants people to be in unity - in Him. (Psalm 133:1) Will we let it be? Yes, there are broken hearted people living in the world. They are just the ones that
Jesus is looking for. (Psalm 34:18) Unfortunately, Paul McCartney goes on to say, "there will be an answer."
He could have said, "There is an answer." The answer is not in a philosophy or in
a nighttime vision of a departed loved one. The answer is in a Person. His name is Jesus. He came into
this world through a young, confused, perhaps scared young woman who said to God, "Let it be." Those
were words of wisdom. He's still wanting to enter this broken hearted world through the most unlikely people and
in the most unlikely ways and places. Are we available like Mary was? Are we willing to say, no matter what
God tells us to do, "Let it be?" MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 18 2008 - AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME Romans 5:6 (NLT) God
sent Jesus into this world at just the right time. God does everything at just the right time. His
time. You and I are bound by the time of this world but God is not bound by time at all. Still, He knows
just when it is the right time is to deliver us and save us. Not only from our sin, but from anything in our lives that
holds us in bondage or threatens to destroy us. As one popular Bible teacher
says, we're so prone to say, "When God, when?" We want everything in our time. Because
of the technology available today, we measure our time in nano-seconds. I know. I do it too. I stand
at the microwave counting down the seconds and wondering why seconds seem to be getting longer! When the Internet pages
don't download in the twinkling of an eye, I start to get agitated. God's timing is so much different than ours.
While He does have His "suddenly's," much of His actions involve processes in which He grows His children up
in their faith. (Acts 12:7) For instance, Peter had to go through successes and failures. He did have a, "suddenly," in jail with
the appearance of the angel to deliver him, but He certainly spent some time in repentance with every moment probably
seeming an eternity after he denied Jesus. It must have seemed like forever before Jesus sent him a message after his
resurrection. (Mark 16:7) Waiting for God's time takes faith. Remember Abraham? He was promised a child with Sarah.
It was twenty years later that Abraham saw that promise come into being with the birth of Isaac. (Genesis 17:19) Do you wonder if Abraham was saying, "When, God when?" At
just the right time, God always shows up in our lives and makes Himself very much known. He knows when the "fullness,"
of each situation in our lives has come about. He knows exactly when to show up so that He gets all
the glory. That's the way we want it, isn't it? The difficulty of living that out is that, "the
right time," will probably be during the time when we are well aware of just how weak we are. After all,
if we saved ourselves from a difficult circumstance, we would get the glory. Romans 5:6 says that we were powerless to save ourselves. That was just the right time for God to
send Jesus. God's time to show us the way of escape is usually when we're stretched just as far as He can
lovingly stretch us without breaking us. (1 Corinthians 10:13) Are you wondering, today, when God is going to help you out of some challenging situation? You
can stop wondering? You can know. It will be just at the right time. Maybe you think you can't
make it one more minute. Think again. Psalm 31:15 (NIV) MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 17, 2008 - THERE IS HOPE! Romans 15:13 (NLT) In
these days of uncertain economic times with many people out of jobs and others unable to keep up with monthly expenses, we
need to watch out for the enemy. The enemy is not the economy, the illness, the relationship, or any other of the troubles
we face in the world. The enemy is still Satan and one of his most effective tools in this climate is to try to take
away our hope. What are our hopes placed on? Are they
placed on material things? Are they placed in people? That won't work. We need to place all of our hopes in
Jesus. (Romans 15:12) He's the One who can speak material things into existence and change the hearts of people. By all appearances,
it looks like it would be realistic to buy into the devil's lie that we have no hope. But, we don't live by
appearances. We live by faith. (Hebrews 10:38) That faith will help us stay happy and full of peace as He takes us through the troubled waters of
this world. Paul's prayer in (Romans 15:13) was not just that we would have hope but that we would overflow with it. In other words, to superabound
in the quantity and quality of our hope. Even to have enough to spare. Enough to share with those hopeless ones
around us. Enough to help us rebound when things look desperate. As
fast as things are moving in this world, we need to be like the Psalmist who asked God to lead him and teach him by His truth.
He said, "All day long I put my hope in You." Yes, all day long, with every turn of events, we need to renew
our hope in the Lord. (Psalm 25:5) Do you sometimes get discouraged? Although we don't like to admit that we do,
we can take comfort in the fact that the Psalmist got discouraged too. Instead of denying it, he admitted it and went
ahead to encourage himself in the Lord and reaffirm His trust in Him. (Psalm 42:11) We need to stop denying feelings of discouragement and immediately turn those feelings around
just like the Psalmist did. The Lord is worthy of our trust and He is our Hope. (1 Timothy 1:1) One of the reasons that the world is in such a mess is that it has been trying to force God out.
We are not that way if we have received Him into our hearts. They are without hope. No wonder there is such
a deluge of bad news in the media. God says the world, without Him, is without hope. (Ephesians 2:12) The good news that should be in the media is this: When we have the God of hope living within
us, His mighty power is able to accomplish ever so much more than we could ever think to ask for or hope. (Ephesians 3:20) There is hope. For now and for the future. (1 Thessalonians 4:13) All we have to do is cling to it. Cling to Christ who is our Hope. Hebrews 10:23 (NLT) 23 Without
wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 16, 2008 - THE LORD IS WITH YOU Joshua 1:5 (AMP) You know, if we were just reading through the Old Testament, we
might be awe-stricken by the message that God gave to Joshua. He said, "As I was with Moses, so I will be
with you." Wow, Joshua must have been some special person! Moses too. Can you imagine
God telling you personally that He would be with you? Well, stop imagining and know it because Jesus came to
let us know that He would be with us to the end of the age if we would just follow Him. (Matthew 28:20) God told Joshua that He would not forsake him or fail him. Did you know that Jesus brought that promise to you
and me too if we will be content with what He has given us? Hebrews 13:5 (AMP) 5 Let
your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions]
and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any
way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you
helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] Joshua and Moses were certainly special people. But, you know what? You are too. It is God's
desire to be close to you, to love you, to provide for you, to protect you. Me too. Will we let Him? When
someone wants to be close to us, we have to let them in. We have to invite them. We have to trust them with our heart.
Relationships in this world are many times disappointing because people are not perfect. They promise to be there forever
and ever but things happen. Divorce, disagreement, hurt, even death. People may tell you that you're
special but, if and when you fail them, you're no longer special to them. Before we get too down on people, we might
want to check to see if we've done some of those things too. We're all prone to sin and to being fickle.
However, we serve a God who says what He means and does what He says. He calls us friend and He is a Forever Friend!
John 15:14-16 (NIV) 14 You
are my friends if you do what I command.15 I no longer call you servants, because
a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from
my Father I have made known to you.16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed
you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Will
we also be His forever friend? Now, you may be saying, "Well,
I have already blown it. I said I would be His friend but then I let Him down." Yes, that is tragic.
But, it doesn't have to be fatal. Do you remember Peter? He promised the Lord Jesus that he would stay with
Him to the end and even die for Him. (Luke 22:33) Then Peter "blew it." (Matthew 26:75) Peter was unfaithful but he found out that God never ceases to be faithful. (2 Timothy 2:13) Peter failed but God never fails. Judas failed Jesus too but, the difference is, Peter was repentant
and Judas was not. It was not that God did not want to be Judas's friend. He did. Jesus even called
Judas, "friend." (Matthew 26:50) Peter received the love and forgiveness that Jesus offered but Judas chose to go his own way, which led to death.
(Acts 1:18) Let's rejoice in the fact that God is still with us. Because of Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in us.
(Ephesians 1:13) His promises, all through His Word are true. Whatever we go through, He is with us if we will not turn Him away. (Isaiah 43:2) When we feel alone and, even if we are abandoned, God will be with us. (Psalm 27:10) He's so with us that we are protected under His mighty wings of grace and glory. (Psalm 36:7) That is, if we will let Him hold us there. (Matthew 23:37) Yes, the Lord is with you. Even if we have failed, He will hold us close again if we
will confess our wrongdoing and return to Him. (1 John 2:1) Are we still with Him? (Luke 9:23)
MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 15 2008 - HE STILL SENDS HIS WORD John 1:14 (AMP) This will be a
shortened version of the Morning Manna, due to a minor illness. But I do want to leave you with a some comforting thoughts.
There will always be sufficient heavenly manna for us to get us through each day, no matter what the circumstances.
God's Word is sufficient for every need, especially and including, those times when we are struggling with illness.
All we have to do is gather the manna that we need from His Word and let it wash us inside and out. There are lots of
sicknesses out there. They range from mental, to emotional, to physical, to spiritual. If you are being attacked
in any of those areas, you can know that the Word is your answer. Jesus is the Word. If you are too tired to get
up and read, get yourself a CD with scripture on it and just listen and let the Word wash and heal you. Here are three points that will help if you are in a struggle with some kind of illness
today. You might want to remember them, even if you're very well today, because there may be a time that you will
need them or a time when you need to pass them along to others. Know
this. Psalm 107:20 (NIV) Pray this. Jeremiah 17:14 (NIV) Always remember these things. 1 Peter 2:24 (AMP) Are you in need of any kind of healing today? Just go to the Great Physician. He has a Word for you that
will bring healing and wholeness again! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 14, 2008 - THE THINGS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED Acts 17:28 (NIV) Wouldn't it be great if, every moment of our lives, we were conscious of the fact that we are only alive because
of the goodness of God? (Job 12:10) I want to be that way but, I confess, many times it slips my conscious mind. God places reminders in our path
though. Last night, my husband and I were returning from an extended time away from home. We decided to stop and
get carry-out from a Thai restaurant since there was not any quick-fix food in the house. As we walked in, a walker was sitting by the cash register. I have to admit that I thought it was an inconvenient
place to put somebody's walker. It was in my way! The man behind the register took our order cheerfully
and, as we waited, he got up from his chair and took the walker saying, "I had a stroke." Oh my! My
eyes were suddenly taken off of my own troubles and I was amazed at how that man used the time between customers
to exercise his way back to health! As he made his way back to the cash register,
he stopped to talk, giving us every detail of his tragedy, while at the same time, recounting just how well
he was doing after only three weeks. Three weeks? Three weeks after a major stroke, he was back at his job.
He was not only back there, he was cheerful and caring. He was positive and encouraging even though he was struggling.
I had to mention that God was good in helping him to return to health so fast and he readily agreed, giving God the glory
for all of his progress. He said that He had, indeed, experienced a miracle. He described the amount of energy
it took for him to speak a few words. Yet, he did not hold back his words of cheer for others. As he described
his re-learning process for his speech and his muscles, my heart ached. I knew what he was talking about.
I have watched my own sister have to re-learn everything after being poisoned with a cyanide-laced capsule. I have felt
the pain of trying to take a breath when no breath would enter my lungs because they were both filled with fluid. (Psalm 56:13) Yes, we do take our lives for granted sometimes, don't we? Especially when things are going well.
When you can't speak, or move, or take a breath, you know that you know that these things are not to be taken
for granted. It is truly in God that we live and move and have our being. He still performs
miracles when we need them and most of us can testify to that. (Psalm 77:11) However, most of us would do well to realize that we live in His blessing moment by moment. (Psalm 31:19) I can use my fingers to type this message. You can take your next breath. All because of our
loving Father who is not far from any of us and, indeed, lives within those of us who have invited Him. Let's give Him
thanks with a grateful heart today for all the blessing in which we live and move and have our being! (Psalm 138:1) MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 13, 2008 - WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO 2 Chronicles 20:12 (NIV) Many of us are facing battles today. In some
of those battles, we think, "I don't know what to do." That's probably true. With the complexities
in the world today, we may not know what to do Even world leaders are at a loss in knowing what to do in the battles
of the economy, terrorism, crime, etc. There is something we can learn in all of this. There is a way
to victory in whatever battles we might face. King Jehoshaphat, of Judah, faced an
insurmountable battle. In this dilemma, he had the right idea. He recognized God as being sovereign. (2 Chronicles 20:6) When we acknowledge that God rules in our lives, as well as over the nations, one struggle will be out of the way.
We will not find ourselves fighting against God. Jehoshaphat also remembered God's covenant. The
covenant He made with Abraham As people of faith, we are Abraham's descendants. (Romans 9:8) We, too, can call upon God for His covenant promises to be manifested in our life. (2 Chronicles 20:7) If the battle of life is perplexing and overwhelming to us, we, like
Jehoshaphat, have the privilege of acknowledging and sitting in God's presence (2 Chronicles 20:8-9, Psalm 16:11) Our bodies are the temples of God. (1 Corinthians 6:19) We are the sanctuaries for His presence. His Name is in us and over us. There is nothing that brings peace
in the midst of struggle like God's presence. Jehoshaphat also recognized the goodness of God. (2 Chronicles 20:10) God, in times past, has spared people from destruction. He still spares us when we recognize His goodness. You
can probably remember at least one time in your life that the goodness of God has spared you from something disastrous.
His goodness protects us daily even when we're not aware of it. Jehoshaphat also chose to realize that, when God
gives something, He will preserve and protect it. (2 Chronicles 20:11) The enemy had come to steal the and that God had already given to Judah. Can anyone pry something out of God's
hand? Once He has given us His Word, it is final. The land belonged to Judah and Jehoshaphat was confident in that.
What is the enemy trying to steal from you today that God has given you? Peace? Joy? Health? Faith?
Maybe its something material. Whatever it is, if God gave it to you, nothing can take it away from you. While it's
true that we may not know what to do, Jehoshaphat has given us the perfect example. What do you do when you
don't know what to do? Try what Jehoshaphat did. Acknowledge your own lack of power against things that
are mightier than you are and put your eyes on God. (2 Chronicles 20:12) Say, "God, I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you." By the way God honored Jehoshaphat's
surrender to Him and fought the battle for him. God will fight our battles for us too. He's the same today
as He was then. (Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17) Don't know what to do? Position yourself, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. Don't
succumb to fear. The battle is not even yours! It belongs to the Lord. (2 Chronicles 20:15) The Lord is with you! (2 Chronicles 20:17) Now, you know what to do! MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 12, 2008 - I STILL LOVE YOU Romans 5:10 (NLT) I once heard a story about a lover who was spurned by the love of his life. He was not angered by the non-response
of his wife to the love he had given. He was broken-hearted. Have we ever thought of God as being angry with us
or wanting revenge on us when we failed to show our love to Him? Do we think that God loves us less when, by our actions,
we disobey His commandments? God is God and He is love. (1 John 4:16) Nothing we can possibly do can change who God is. Nothing can stop Him from being Love.
If a man can love a woman so much that his whole life
is clouded by grief when she doesn't return that love, how much more does God love us? I often used to
think of God being angry with me when I failed to live up to his commandments. What I didn't realize was that
he was just like that broken-hearted husband. He was not angry with me. He was grieved.
He was angry. Yes, He was. But, He was angry at the sin. He was not angry with me,
the child He created. The husband who lost the love of his life was not out to destroy her. He desperately wanted
her to have a change of heart and love him once more. That's the way God feels about us. He desperately
wants us to turn back to Him and love Him. (Ezekiel 18:32) He wanted that so much that He showed it by His actions when He sent His perfect son to die for us to take the sin
from us. (John 3:16) God is love. He can't deny Himself. We are
the object of His love. He wants, more than anything, for us to voluntarily return that love. (Psalm 91:14) He will not force us to do that. He is a gentleman. We can turn from Him and turn
against Him. We have all done that. (Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:23) Yet, His love will never fail. Lamentations 3:22 (NIV) 22 Because
of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
It will never cease. He is just waiting for us to return to Him just as the father was in the story of the prodigal
son. (Luke 15:11-32) That man's son had been disrespectful to his father. He had, in effect, stolen his father's money.
But the father was waiting when the boy finally came to his senses and went home. Do you feel like you
have failed the Lord. Do you think He might be angry with you? Does that make you run from Him
instead of running to Him? The truth is that He loves you just as much as He loves that one that you think
is the "perfect Christian." He loves you even more than that broken-hearted husband who grieves at the loss
of his beloved wife. The truth is that, no matter what we have done, our Father is waiting for us, His eyes
searching for us to come home. We never see God running in scripture. Never in a hurry. Except
for once. That is the time He is shows us the enormity of His love in the story of the prodigal son. In that case,
the Father picks up his robes and runs with open arms to embrace the dirty, but repentant son. That's just what
God does for us. No matter what we've done, God is ready to run to us with open arms if we'll just turn to Him.
As He stands watching the world, for the most part it is turning from Him. Yet, He says, "I still
love you." Will we be like the wandering wife and break His heart? Or, will we return His love and receive
forgiveness and fulfillment? (Luke 24:47)
MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 11, 2008 - "D"-DAY Isaiah 60:1 (AMP) Have
you ever had a "D" day? I mean one of those days when nothing seemed right? Probably nothing would make
you happy. You were just plain depressed. You may have been depressed because of specific circumstances or you
may not even have known why you were depressed. The world seems to be in a depressed state at the moment. Economic
collapse and terrorism vie for first place on the evening news..., and the morning news..., and the afternoon news.
The Bible says that darkness shall cover the earth and dense darkness will cover the people. That's what
depression is, isn't it? It's darkness and, in its more acute form, dense darkness. Because this is a time of darkness in the world, the enemy
will probably come to us and try to put that spirit of depression on us. It may loom larger than life all around us and threaten
to suck us in. But, when that happens, we must remember what God told the people of Jerusalem, His chosen people.
"Arise." We are His chosen people because of the sacrifice of Jesus. (Romans 8:33) Although the enemy may roar very loudly in our face, we need to remember that we are not subject to his destruction.
(1 Peter 5:8) Because we belong to Jesus, we can know that we're a prime target for Satan. Because we are such a visible
target, we need to remember to be well-balanced in our lives and remember and know that we have a sound mind. A mind
that cannot be destroyed by the "D" word. (2 Timothy 1:7) A mind that has the assurance of another "D" word. (Romans 5:10) Are you down and depressed today? Precariously close to
the dungeon of depression? Listen to God's words for his chosen people. "Arise from the depression
and prostration in which circumstances have kept you - rise to a new life... Isaiah 60:1 Amp. Now the enemy will try to accuse us of being a fake or a hypocrite if we find ourselves depressed.
However, God is telling us something completely different. He is saying, "Shine (be radiant with the
glory of the Lord)." When I'm depressed, I sure don't feel very radiant, do you? The enemy never ceases
to remind me of what a mess I look like too. (Revelation 12:10) Yes, the enemy loves to accuse us of anything he can dredge up. How can I shine? How can you
shine in such a dark, depressing world? Here's the good news that will shatter any depression: "...for
your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:2) Yes, our Light has come. (John 1:5) It is Jesus. (John 8:12) On our own, we have no radiance. But, when Jesus shines on us, depression will have to flee. We
can shine. In fact, we must let Jesus shine through us! We can, as God says, Arise! He's
given us a new life. (2 Corinthians 5:17) "D" day now means deliverance, not depression! (Romans 5:10) MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 10, 2008 - WHAT DO YOU KNOW? Proverbs 14:6 (NLT) Many people seek knowledge. There's an abundance of knowledge
out there today. (Daniel 12:4) Lots of people know lots of things. Because knowledge flows from them like a fountain, we might assume
that we should listen to them. We might assume that they have wisdom. However, it is not the amount of knowledge
that one has, but it is the kind of knowledge that counts. And, it's whether one has the understanding
to put that knowledge into good use. For example, a person can attend seminary and even graduate with honors.
He or she can have a good repertoire of scripture, yet not have an ounce of understanding of it. All of that knowledge
may never have made it from the head to the heart. Although equipped with a prestigious theological degree, he or she
may not be able to lead one person closer to the Lord, comfort a bereaved soul, or speak healing to a sick body. That
kind of knowledge will be of no use. Knowledge is only profitable if one is a person of understanding,
someone who knows how to put that knowledge to loving, practical use. How
much do we know? What are we doing with what we know? Are we proud of our knowledge just because we have so much
of it? There is a Biblical principle that tells us that knowledge, in and of itself, can "puff us up."
1 Corinthians 8:1-2 (KJV) ... Knowledge puffeth up, but charity
edifieth. 2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet
as he ought to know. Oops - in that case, we are sinning in the area of pride.
Our knowledge has become a stumbling block to us and to those around us. Socrates was a very knowledgeable person in
his time. Yet, he said this: "As for me, all I know is that I know nothing." Yes, compared
to God, Socrates knew nothing. With his vast store of knowledge, he had nothing no reason to think that he was
all that. And, neither do we! The first thing we need
to understand is what it means to fear the Lord. To be in reverential awe of Him. (Proverbs 2:5-6) Then we can begin to obtain knowledge. The knowledge of His Word. It is from His
mouth that the knowledge and understanding we need comes. When we have that kind of knowledge, we won't have
to worry about keeping it. (Proverbs 22:12) We won't have to compare our knowledge with the knowledge of others. God will preserve it in us. Those
who use their knowledge for evil purposes to deceive and hurt others will find that their plans are ruined. No amount
of human knowledge or strength can substitute for the knowledge and wisdom that comes from the Lord. When
we have that, we can be strong, even in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:10) What do you know? If you know God's Word and have His wisdom, you are mightier and more
powerful than any strong man. (Proverbs 24:5) If we're feeling a little weak, lets determine to know God's Word and get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7) Just what do you know? If you have searched these scriptures and asked for understanding, you have
some of God's knowledge to put into practical use. You can be confident that, as you serve Him and acquire
more knowledge, understanding and wisdom from His Word, you will become stronger and stronger. What do you know?
MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 9, 2008 - VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE Colossians 1:15 (NLT) There have been times that I have felt invisible. Times I have wondered why I was in the place I was in because
it seemed that no one took notice of me. Sometimes I have even spoken to people and they have totally ignored
me, as though they didn't see me at all. I used to get upset about these things but I am learning that God is in
charge of the visible and the invisible. He will cause things and people to be visible and invisible at His discretion,
for His purpose and for our best interest. (Colossians 1:16) Take our belongings, for instance. (Psalm 91:14) My sister tells me the story of how she was shopping with her grandson and forgot her purse in the shopping cart
in the parking lot. It had quite a bit of money in it. Probably all that she had. She is disabled, so she parks
in the disabled parking spots. Sure enough, she was parked in the very first spot in front of the grocery store.
A very visible parking spot. She put her groceries in the car, got in with her young grandson, and drove to Wal-Mart.
Then she realized it. She had forgotten to put her purse in the car. She began to pray that God would make the
purse invisible and her grandson asked God to protect it. They drove back to the grocery store and there was her
cart. Sitting there in plain sight in the very first parking place. People were walking by and there was a man sitting
in his truck in the adjacent parking place. It was as though the purse (the only thing in the cart) was invisible to
everyone, except, of course, to God and to my sister! You can imagine her joy and the faith that was built in her grandson
when they found that God had, indeed, made that purse (which was actually in plain sight) invisible to the general
public! (Psalm 35:10) Knowing that sometimes I seem to be invisible, I am learning
that it may not be all that bad. Instead of feeling like I'm overlooked, I'm learning that I might just be being
protected. Remember when they wanted to push Jesus over a cliff? (Luke 4:28-30) He was in the middle of a crowd. You would think He didn't have a chance of getting away.
Obviously, everybody could see Him and they were roaring mad. But, they didn't see Him. He slipped
away. Walked right through the crowd! He was, to them, invisible! But, not invisible to God!
God protected Him because it was not the time or place for Him to be sacrificed. (John 7:30) Impossible, you say? Yes, but all things are possible with God. (Matthew 19:26) The next time you or I feel, "invisible," it just may be that God has His eye on us and is
protecting us from something. (Psalm 32:7) Or, He may be saving the awareness of our presence for just the right time so He can use us in just the
right way. (Acts 8:26-40) Jesus was never really invisible to God but He was invisible to humanity until just the right time. At just
the right time, God made Him visible to us. He sent Him into the world in the body of a tiny baby. (John 1:14) At the right time, God allowed His only, perfect son to be visible to the world on a cruel Roman cross so that
we might acknowledge His sacrifice and be saved. (Mark 15:24, 1 Corinthians 1:18) Today, sadly, Jesus is invisible to many. Their eyes are not opened to Him.
We just may be the ones to make Him visible to a lost soul today. (Matthew 5:14) If we are willing, He will probably make us extremely visible, at just the right times and in the right
places, so we can do just that. Whether we are invisible or not to the world, we are always visible to
God and He will protect and keep us! And, though God may seem invisible to us, He is more than
visible, by faith. We can keep going without fear, knowing that we are walking in God's purpose, whether we
are visible or invisible to those around us. (Hebrews 11:27) MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 8, 2008 - KEEP WALKING Genesis 3:8 (AMP) How would you like to
be walking in a garden of perfection? Adam and Eve got to do that. Then something happened. Maybe Eve turned
one way when the Lord told her to turn another. (Isaiah 30:21) For whatever reason, she ended up face to face with the devil. Of course, he did not look evil.
He did not even spout off profanity. He merely questioned her as to whether she really knew what God had really
said. (Genesis 3:1) That was the end of walking in a garden of perfection for mankind. Eve didn't really know for sure
what God had really said or else she forgot. Do we know what God has really said? We all know what happened
from there. (Genesis 3:23) Adam and Eve were banished from the perfect garden when Eve was deceived by the devil and Adam willfully
disobeyed God. They ate of the forbidden fruit. (Genesis 3:11-13) When Adam and Eve were banished, all of mankind was affected. As one preacher puts it, "Adam and Eve ate
us out of house and home." Adam and Eve were in a place where they could walk with God as He walked in
the garden He had made but, by their choice to disobey Him, they lost that privilege. What if Eve had not taken the walk in
the garden that led her to where the devil was waiting? What if Adam had walked away from Eve when she tempted him to
eat of the forbidden fruit? We will never know. But, this we do know. God is merciful. He is
not willing that any of mankind should perish and never be able to walk with Him again. (2 Peter 3:9) So He made a way. The perfect Man was sent to earth. The
perfect Son of God. He walked this earth in perfection and then was offered up as a sacrifice for all of us who have tried
to walk in our own strength and failed because we have been born in sin and into a sinful world. Jesus walked completely
in the will of His Father. (John 5:30) He walked in the presence of His Father. Now, because of His sacrifice, we can be restored to walk
in the presence of God, both now and forever. As I was sitting in a hotel room today while my husband was out working,
I was asking God for direction and trying to listen carefully. All I could hear was, "keep walking."
Life has been throwing a few challenges at us lately and it has probably been that way with you too. My first impulse
is to just sit down and quit. However, I know that is not the answer. Even among great persecution, Jesus went
about doing good. He walked and, as He walked, He did the will of His Father. I was getting the feeling that
God was speaking to me not only of spiritual things but of natural things also. After all, He gave us a hotel
room right next to the exercise room. Not much excuse for me not to exercise! I finally gave in and
went to the exercise room. I tried the first machine. It was a bicycle. It didn't work. I tried
the next machine. It was an stair-climber. It didn't work either. I tried the third and last machine.
It was a treadmill. It worked! Obviously, God had wanted me to walk! Just like I heard Him saying,
"keep walking." If only I would always listen to His Spirit
the way I finally listened to Him when He told me to go to the exercise room. If only I would go directly to
what He told me to do every time He told me something instead of trying other things that might attract my attention
like I did in the exercise room! We need to keep walking. We need to walk in the right paths, the ones that He
lights for us. (Psalm 119:105) The way to do that is to read His Word which will light the path before us. As we see that Light,
we must follow in His footsteps. 1 Peter 2:21 (AMP) 21 For even to this were you called [it is inseparable
from your vocation]. For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you [His personal] example, so that you should follow in His
footsteps. There may be a bit of suffering but there is also great reward. (Hebrews 12:2) How can we know if we're walking in His footsteps? He has told us how. 2 John 1:6 (NIV) MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 7, 2008 - CALMING THE STORMS Psalm 107:29 (AMP) I'm sitting on a ferry in the middle of the Long Island Sound. The weather
is bleak. And, it is windy. As I look out on the turbulent water and feel the ferry being tossed this way and
that, it reminds me of life. Jesus said that, in this life, we would have trouble. (John 16:33) The whitecaps and waves of the troubled waters of life may toss us around too. Just like this
ferry is tossing right now. However, in addition to saying we would have trouble in this world, Jesus also
told us to be of good cheer. Why? How can we do that? Because... He has overcome the world and all of its
troubled waters. (Isaiah 43:2) As I watch the winds toss the water up around
the ferry, I'm reminded that God is in control of every splash. The waves are overwhelming to me but, because
I know He controls them, I can be still before Him. (Psalm 46:10) Maybe you are going through some troubled waters right now. Those winds of adversity are strong
and the waves seem to be battering you. What can you do? You
can anchor yourself to the Rock of ages. Jesus. He's the one who, with one word, can calm the storms in your
life. (Mark 4:39) He's the only one who can help you rest peacefully, just like He did, during a threatening storm.
(Matthew 8:24) The apostle, Paul, was even shipwrecked. That's always a possibility. But, even in
that, God brought him through the impossible situation and made Him stronger. (2 Corinthians 11:25) Today, there are false teachers who tell us that, if we belong to Jesus, we will never suffer.
That's just not true! In fact, it's a promise that we will suffer. (2 Timothy 3:12) The rain and the sunshine will come to both the godly and the ungodly. (Matthew 5:45) The winds of adversity blow on all of us. The difference is that, when we are trusting
in God, He may not take us out of adversity exactly when we want to be taken out, but He will take us through. (1 Corinthians 10:13
MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 6, 2008 - HOW GOOD IS YOUR FOUNDATION? Luke 6:49 (NLT) I saw a program on TV the other night that showed disasters waiting to happen. One was a high-rise building
in the Philippine Islands. The building started to literally tip forward until it fell over across the street and into
another high-rise building. As it fell, it took out electric lines and many people lost their homes. Many were
without electricity and business in the whole area came to a standstill. How could that happen? One of the causes
was that the foundation was weakened by adjacent construction. Jesus
talked about building a house without a foundation. It can be an impressive, tall house. It can look good on the
outside but not be able to withstand even a gust of wind. (Luke 6:49) That's what we are if we call Jesus our Lord but then refuse to obey His words of life to us. Jesus said it's
like someone building a house without a foundation. (Luke 6:46-47) How is our foundation? Is our foundation built on underlying
rock? 1 Peter 2:4 (TLB) 4 Come
to Christ, who is the living Foundation of Rock upon which God builds; though men have spurned him, he is very precious to
God who has chosen him above all others. Is the Cornerstone the Rock of our foundation?
If it is, we will be obeying His teaching. If it is, when the storms come and the waters of tribulation rise
and beat against our house, it will stand firm. It will not lean and fall like the high-rise in the TV program that
I saw. The fall of that building was caused by adjacent construction. There are all kinds of religions and
philosophies very close to those of us who have built our lives on the Rock. We must not let those things
shake or crack our foundation. Just like that building caused destruction to everything around it when it fell,
if we fall, we will harm or destroy those around us. That's not God's will. He wants us to build each
other up. (Romans 14:19) Only the sound teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ will be a solid enough foundation to keep us standing
tall. As we obey them, they will be our sure foundation for a godly life. (1 Timothy 6:3) Many claim to know Jesus. They may look good on the outside and say all the right things
but God knows those who are his. (2 Timothy 2:19) If we claim that we know Him, we must turn away from all wickedness and live in His truth.
It is the only foundation that stands firm. How is your foundation? MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 5, 2008 - HOW'S YOUR VISION? Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) Do you have a vision? Maybe your vision is to become independently wealthy. Or, maybe it is to have a
happy family. To have a good job? To get married. Maybe to purchase a home of your own. There are
lots of visions that we can have for ourselves. A vision, according to the Hebrew word used in Proverbs 29:18, is, "a sight (mentally)", for example, "a dream or revelation." Some people have no vision
at all. If we don't know where we want to go, we'll for sure never get anywhere! God's Word says that, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Nobody wants to perish.
So, how do we get a vision for what God wants in our lives? First, we need to know Him and know His plans. We
can find all of that in His Word. When we know Him and follow Him, we know that His plans for us are good.
(Jeremiah 29:11) He has a good vision for us, both now and for eternity. He has plans to prosper us. That is, to provide
for our needs and give us His peace. If you don't have that vision for yourself today, won't you call on
the Lord for His saving grace? (Ephesians 2:8) That's His vision for you. You can make it your vision for yourself too. It's not
His will that any should perish but we need to receive His vision for us as our own. (2 Peter 3:9) Jonathan Swift said, "Vision is the art of seeing things invisible."
In that sense, I can equate vision with faith. If I have a need that I can't possibly find the answer for, my answer probably
is in walking by faith. (Galatians 3:11) My vision must be in my faith that God's vision for me is good and perfect and that He will carry it out,
as I seek His will. Faith is a vision of things that we can't see. (Hebrews 11:1) It is such a vivid vision that it becomes, "evidence." It is the "assurance" that God's
promises are true. That He will, indeed, provide for every need. When Jesus walked the earth, He healed many blind
people. (Matthew 21:14) He gave them vision so they could find their way around in the natural world. So they could see the beauty of
His creation. Those healings were more than just to show us that Jesus can heal blinded physical eyes, even
though He can and He will still heal our physical bodies today. They were also to show us that He wants to give
us spiritual vision. He gives us vision because He does not want us to stumble, fall and perish. He shows
us that He can open our eyes, by faith, to things He has prepared for us, even though they are not manifested yet in
the natural. Revelation, or vision, comes from Him. If He has put a dream in your heart and you can't see
it plainly yet, hang on to that vision. Keep looking to Jesus. Keep on walking by faith. (Hebrews 11:6) The vision may be delayed but it will surely come to pass. That's what happened when the Lord gave
Habakkuk a vision. (Habakkuk 2:1-3) Do you have a complaint, like Habakkuk did, this morning? Maybe you had a vision and you don't see
it being manifested. Maybe you had no vision at all and you need to receive God's vision for you. Habakkuk
was assured that, though the vision might become clear slowly, he was to wait patiently because, when
God gives a vision, it is a sure thing. How's your vision? MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 4, 2008 - PREPARATION IS VITAL Proverbs 30:25 (KJV) What could be weaker than an ant? Not a whole lot. But the word of God tells us that they are wise in
the sense that, even though they are weak, they still take the time to prepare for what lies ahead. They prepare in
the summer when the opportunity is ripe. We can all learn a lesson from the ant. We, too, are weak - in
and of ourselves. Psalm 103:14 (AMP) 14 For
He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust. If our God
has imprinted upon His heart that we are just dust, we might do well to remember that fact ourselves! I can't
imagine how small I look in comparison to God! I can't imagine how weak I am in comparison to Him either.
But, I know that He has allowed me to prepare myself to be strong in Christ if I will receive Him. (Philippians 4:13) Have you prepared yourself for now and forever by receiving the free gift of salvation? (Romans 6:23) Preparation is a necessary thing in our natural
lives as well as our spiritual lives. There are consequences in both areas when we decide to play the fool and
disregard preparation. Proverbs 22:3 (TLB) 3 A
prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
Are there consequences that we are suffering today that could have been avoided if we had prepared in the past?
Even if there are, God is a merciful God. When we turn to Him and admit that we have been unprepared, He will give us
a chance again to take the preparation test. This time, if we're prudent, as the Bible says, we will pass
the test by diligently preparing as we seek God for His wisdom. As we do prepare for events in our lives, there
is always the need to remember that our only work is to prepare. The victory belongs to the Lord. (Proverbs 21:31) Is there an area of your life where you need to do some preparation? Abraham Lincoln once said that
he was going to study to get ready because, if he did, perhaps his chance would come. It did come! Do you remember when you were in school? Or perhaps you are in school now.
On the day of the test, you needed to be prepared. Most of us know what it feels like to have taken a test in school
and come away totally bummed out because we were not prepared. The consequences were harsh. A low grade.
But, we made the choice and then we had to try to reverse the consequences. It's much worse, though, when we do
not prepare for things in everyday life. It is the wise person who will watch and be prepared for upcoming
events. Many troubles can be avoided that way. The little ants seem to know that, as they gather their food for winter.
Do you feel like you lack wisdom? God has already prepared for that. Just ask Him for it and He promises to give
it to you. (James 1:5) Whatever it is that you're facing today, seek God's wisdom and prepare as He leads you.
Making preparation for this life is important. But, even more important is making preparation for life after we leave
this world. Do you have ample oil from the Holy Spirit in your life today? Are you prepared to keep shining for
the Lord until He returns? In Matthew 25:1-13, we read the story of ten bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom to arrive on the scene. Some were wise
like the little ants and some were foolish like those of us who refuse to prepare. Of course, the foolish ones suffered.
The bridegroom was a little late and they ran out of oil. The wise, prepared bridesmaids had brought extra oil and so
they enjoyed a party with the bridegroom. Jesus paints that picture for us because He wants us to be prepared to
meet Him when He returns. Yes, preparation is vital to our existence in this world and in the next. Here's
what Jesus says to us: Matthew 25:13 (NLT) 13 "So stay awake and be
prepared, because you do not know the day or hour of my return. MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 3, 2008 - DO YOU WANT HONOR? DO YOU HAVE HUMILITY? Proverbs 18:12 (AMP) Have you noticed lately
that so many people are clamoring for fame and for honor? I am struck by the fact that those who seek honor, as an end
in itself, are probably haughty people. What is haughtiness? It means, "to soar," according to
Strong's Concordance. When we try to lift ourselves up with our own strength, we will become haughty.
Not only that, we will have to keep ourselves, "soaring." At some point our own strength will run out and
there will be disaster. However, that doesn't mean that God doesn't want us to soar. He does. He
just wants us to wait on Him to do the lifting. (Isaiah 40:31) Nobody likes to be humiliated but when we begin to think we can do life
on our own without God and without the help of others, we become proud. Proverbs 29:23 says that, "pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor." If we suffer humiliation,
it is usually because we brought in on ourselves by some form of pride. Maybe we don't have the right estimation
of ourselves. Charles Spurgeon said, "Humility is to make the right estimate of yourself." Romans 12:3 (AMP) 3 For
by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly
than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each
according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him. Paul warns us not to think of ourselves more highly
than we should too. Rather than be humiliated, it would be better
for us to humble ourselves. (James 4:10) James tells us to humble ourselves before God and He will lift us up. There is nothing wrong with fame,
leadership, and influence unless we think we're all of that. It is only when we realize that God is the
one who lifts people up and puts them down that we will have the right estimation of ourselves. (Psalm 75:7) It is only when we realize that it is in God that we live and move and have our being that we can be balanced in our
thinking of ourselves. (Acts 17:28) While it is true that we are wonderfully and marvelously made, we can take no credit for that. It is God who
deserves the glory. (Psalm 139:14) When we stop to think of that, we should be humbled knowing that whatever gifts and honor we have in this life come
strictly from God's doing and none of our own. The devil is out to destroy us. (John 10:10) What better way than to convince us that we are more than we are? To tempt us to that spirit of pride that leads
to destruction. Satan's job will be done by us if we yield to that temptation because destruction most
definitely follows pride. God certainly wants to give His children good gifts. (Matthew 7:11) Some of those gifts may include honor, leadership, influence, and fame. However, we might do well to remember the
musing of F. B. Meyer. "I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves - one above the other and the
taller we grew, the more easily we could reach them. I now find that God's gifts are on shelves one beneath
the other and that it is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower." (Psalm 18:27) In these perilous days, there may be a time when we need to be rescued and we won't be able to do it by ourselves.
Honor and fame in this world are fine but nothing can be more honoring to us than when God stoops down and rescues
us. The scripture says that God will rescue the humble, but humiliate the proud (or haughty). Do you want to be
honored by God and men and avoid humiliation? Then, in a world where most everything is about "me, myself, and
I," its time for us to begin to estimate ourselves rightly and humble ourselves.
MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 2, 2008 -
IT'S ALL IN OUR PERSPECTIVE Luke 18:27 (NLT) I had the privilege of coloring
the other day with my six year old granddaughter. We were looking at the pictures in the coloring book and she was explaining
to me that the mountains in the background only looked little because they were far away. On the other hand, flowers
in the front in the picture looked big. She once again explained to me that they looked big because they were close.
She is already learning perspective and I suspect she will be a great artist. We all know that mountains are really
bigger than flowers but they don't look that way in a picture if the flowers up in front are the focal point. In
life, where is our focal point? How is our spiritual
perspective? The fact is that our God is bigger than anything or anybody. Do we really know that even
though the circumstances in life seem closer and, therefore, bigger? Or, are we looking at Him from
such a distance that He seems small in comparison to the things that we have our focus on? How can we see Him up close?
One of the first things we need to do is look for Him. Place our focus on Him, instead of those things that are
in our face tat are challenging us. Deuteronomy 4:29 (AMP) 29 But
if from there you will seek (inquire for and require as necessity) the Lord your God, you will find Him if you [truly] seek
Him with all your heart [and mind] and soul and life. Circumstances that seem so big may cause us some discomfort and even threaten to break our hearts. However,
when we look to the Lord, we will find that He is close to us. He is close to those who have broken hearts. He
is especially close to us when we admit to Him that we have not had the right perspective. (Psalm 34:18) The Amplified Version of the Bible says He is "...close to such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly
and thoroughly penitent." Jesus said that those things that are impossible in man's perspective are possible
with God. (Luke 18:27) Do we have the right perspective? We do if we remember that God is close to us if we will seek Him
and turn from our sins. We do if we have been born again and come to the Father through His Son, Jesus.
(John 14:6) We do when we remember that, although our problems look big, nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37) Where is our focal point today? MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 1, 2008 - OPPORTUNITIES Ephesians 5:16 (NLT) Doing good does not come naturally. Especially when the days are evil. Paul wrote that we should
make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. The days were evil in Paul's day and
they are evil today. Do you want the opportunity to do good? I do. But, we should count the cost as
we pray for such opportunities. Do you want to show patience to those around
you? Especially those who do not have the assurance of eternal life? That's an opportunity for doing good.
Patience will instantly catch the eye and ear of those floundering under this world's frenzied system.
If you want patience, you will be given the opportunity to show it. It will be a stretching moment. The grace
to be patient will be learned most likely during a moment of trial. The apostle, Paul, suffered so many things during
his life. In all of those things he learned and practiced patience. (2 Corinthians 6:6) He also reminds us of the fact that doing good (showing good fruit in our lives) does not come naturally.
It comes supernaturally. It comes only when we allow the Holy Spirit full control of our lives. (Galatians 5:22) We all want patience but do we all want the opportunity to show patience? How about being loving? The greatest commandments are that we love the Lord with all of our hearts and love
our neighbor as ourselves. (Mark 12:30-31) Again, we find that, if we want to be loving, we will need to take the opportunities that come along. What
happens when things don't go as we would like in our lives? Does it affect our love for God? Do we love Him
less when we don't get our way? Or, do we take the opportunity to love Him with all of our hearts even
when things don't appear to be going right? (Habakkuk 3:17-18) How about loving someone who is unlovely? Jesus said we were to love even our enemies. (Matthew 5:44) God says we were to overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21) How will we ever know if we can do those things if we don't have the opportunity? To love God and to love
our neighbor, we will need to take the opportunities. They will probably look more like tests than opportunities.
Will we take those opportunities? What opportunities have you had in your life to demonstrate love, patience, kindness,
mercy, hospitality, etc.? Have you taken them or did you complain about the hardship involved? I know that, in
my life, I need to be more thankful for opportunities and I need to take each one knowing that those opportunities are
coming from a loving Father who wants to see His children grow. He'll give us every opportunity to do
just that!
MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 30, 2008 - REST FROM THE CURSE Genesis 5:29 (AMP) When Adam failed to obey God in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world. With sin came a curse on mankind.
(Genesis 3:17) Before sin entered, Adam and Eve had dominion over everything in the garden. (Genesis 1:28) Their purpose was to tend the garden and take care of God's creation. It was not toil as we know toil today.
God's presence was with them. (Genesis 3:8) He walked and talked with them. They were in unity with Him. They were fruitful in everything they did.
Then sin entered their lives. It caused them to know pain, suffering and death. It caused them to have to labor
intensely for their provision in life. (Genesis 3:17) Life was hard after that and sin became rampant in
the world, just as it is happening today. It grieved God's heart just as it grieves His heart today. (Genesis 6:6) His intentions for His children were to let them live happily and fruitfully in a perfect, peaceful place.
But, His children were so rebellious that He knew He had to destroy them. (Genesis 6:7) Then one man caught His eye. It was Noah. Noah was a righteous man. Noah found grace in the eyes
of God. (Genesis 6:8) God's favor was upon him. God shared His plans with Noah. (Genesis 6:13) There was total violence on the earth. God would have to stop it. So, He chose one man and his family to
make a new start on the earth. It wasn't easy for Noah. God told him to build an ark because it
was going to rain and flood the world. (Genesis 6:14-17) The trouble was that Noah had to build the ark in clear sight of the world when all the world knew that there had
never been a flood. The sun was shining and there was no indication of danger. There had never even been any rain.
Noah must have looked crazy to the rest of the world. But, Noah obeyed God rather than caving in to the taunts of those
watching his project. (Genesis 6:18-22, Genesis 7:5) And, just as God said, the flood came and destroyed everything but Noah and his family in the ark and the pairs of
animals that God had sent into the ark with them. (Genesis 7:17-24) It is not always easy to obey God and follow His word to us but His word will never fail. Just like Noah,
if we follow it in spite of opposition, we will be saved. Wouldn't you
know it, God's children then, again, became rebellious and the tide of sin started all over again. This time, instead
of sending just a man to bring new birth to the world, He sent His only Son. (Isaiah 9:6) Jesus came to reverse the curse that was placed on mankind when sin entered the world. (John 3:16) Unlike Noah, Jesus was all God, in addition to being all man. He was the only One who could successfully
reverse the curse. (Galatians 3:13) The reversal of that curse is a gift to us but we are free to either receive the gift or reject it. (Romans 6:23) It is God's will that we all receive that gift and enter into eternal life with Him where paradise is will
be restored for us. (2 Peter 3:9) Have you received that gift? The gift of eternal life? In the flood of Noah's time, God
washed sin off of the earth with water. Jesus came and took our sin upon Himself. He washed us clean with His
blood and continues to wash us with the water of His Word if we will receive it. (Ephesians 2:13) Noah's name means , "rest." God gave the earth rest and a new start when Noah and his family were
spared. But, Noah could not save the world. He was only a type and shadow of the only One who can give us
true rest. (Matthew 11:28) Jesus is our rest. (Hebrews 4:8-11) Does your soul need rest today? Let Jesus teach you. He is humble and gentle. In Him you will find
the rest that you need and freedom from the curse of sin. (Matthew 11:29, John 8:36) MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 29, 2008 - DO YOU SHOW FEAR? Exodus 20:20 (NLT) We
serve an awesome God. If we are not serving Him, we have a great deal to fear. (Hebrews 10:31) Here we are in the vast universe that God made. We are, from His perspective, probably less than a pin-point.
Yet, He created us as complex and wonderful beings. (Psalm 139:14) He knows the number of hairs on our heads while, at the same time, He keeps the stars in their places! (Matthew 10:30, Colossians 1:17) The thought of being loved and cared about by such an awesome God should evoke awe in us. A reverential
fear. As our circumstances in this world change, it might tend to cause
us to fear a bit. Circumstances will change but another awesome thing about God is that He will never change.
(Hebrews 13:8, Ephesians 1:5) Because we are His children, we can be sure that we're secure for now and forever. (Proverbs 14:26) Yes, if we have a reverential fear of our Heavenly Father, we are secure and it keeps us from sinning.
There's another thought that should keep us in awe, especially in the insecure world system in which we live today. In the Old Testament, we are given a few ways in which we can show that we have that
reverential fear of God that will keep us from the fear of insecurity. Here are some of them. Show respect
for the deaf and don't take advantage of the blind. (Leviticus 19:14) We can show that we fear God by treating those who are less fortunate than we are with respect and equality. How about
the way we treat the elderly? One way to show our fear of God is to treat the elderly with respect. My grandfather
used to demand that we stood up when he entered the room. At the time, I thought it was silly but now I see that God
thinks we should do that too! (Leviticus 19:32) God knows that we truly have reverential fear for Him when we take care not to take advantage of one another. (Leviticus 25:17) You can read more throughout Leviticus 25. But, the main idea is that we can show that we have reverential fear for God by loving those that He loves.
By treating them the way He treats us. With respect, mercy and love. Our Heavenly Father has not given us a spirit
of fear. Instead, He's given us power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) We have been set free from the fear that brings dread and bondage into our lives. (Romans 8:15) We have been adopted by God Almighty, maker of Heaven and earth. We're allowed to call Him, "Daddy." Just
as a child looks up to its earthly daddy, we need to look up with reverential fear to our Heavenly Daddy. Many times throughout
scripture, His message to humanity has been, "Fear not." (Psalm 91:5-6) Don't tremble at changing and uncertain circumstances. Instead, tremble in grateful awe at the God
who can change any circumstance. Do you show fear? The right kind of fear? MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 28, 2008
- PAUSE - THINK OF THAT! Psalm 68:19 (AMP) There are
several times in the Psalms where we see the word, "Selah." As the Amplified Version of the Bible puts it,
"pause, and calmly think of that!" In this world that seems to be spinning faster and faster, it's difficult
to take the time to, "pause." Some of us don't seem to have a second to spare. If you are a busy
Mom or Dad with more jobs than you can juggle, I'm sure you can relate. If you're a person of retirement age
but are still working because you have to, I'm sure you also will relate. Even if you are homebound or in a retirement
setting, you probably hear the news on TV. You also can relate to increased pace of activity in the world. With
increased speed, comes increased burdens. They can feel heavy at times. Especially when we're not in a position
to change things ourselves. We can either let the pace of the world push us along and become burdened by all of it or
we can let God carry us day by day, as Psalm 68:19 says he will do. I'd much rather be carried in God's loving arms than be roughly pushed by the world,
wouldn't you? We can feel loaded down with burdens to carry or
we can be carried. The choice seems easy enough. Who would want to carry a heavy load when they don't have
to? Yet, do we insist on carrying things that are too heavy for us? The scripture tells us to cast all
our cares on Jesus because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7) He cares about what happens to us! Yet, sometimes I have found myself casting aside His promise instead of really
casting all my cares on Him. Have you ever done that? As a matter of fact, what is causing you concern
right at this moment? Stop, pause, and think about it for a moment. Selah. Then, while you're still
paused, think about the fact that God will carry you along. That is, if you will let Him. He will
carry you along by the still waters. (Psalm 23:2) He will also carry you through when the waters threaten to pull you under. (Isaiah 43:2) Yes! Selah! Jesus plainly said that we could come to Him
when we're weak and heavy-laden. (Matthew 11:28) Are you weary this morning? Are the burdens of this world weighing you down until you feel like you can't
take a breath sometimes? That's exactly what the enemy is trying to do. He's trying to weigh us down with
so many burdens that we can't run the race that God has called us to run. (Hebrews 12:1) Those burdens that we carry will keep us from the progress that God has ordained for us. Besides that,
when we carry them, we are not receiving all that Jesus wants to give us. He wants to carry our burdens.
He wants to take them from us. He suffered and died so that we could be free from those burdens. When
we do not receive His gift of rest, are we saying, "I can do it myself - it means nothing to me that you sacrificed
yourself for me."? I certainly hope that's not what I am indicating when I find myself once again trying
to carry those burdens alone! I don't know about you, but I need to pause and think about the great sacrifice that
Jesus made for me so that I could be free. (John 8:36) Psalm 55:22 (NLT) 22 Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly
to slip and fall. Carrying heavy burdens could cause us to stumble and fall. Being carried
in the arms of God, we never have to worry about slipping and falling! Pause and think of that! What burdens
do you need to give to Jesus today? Let go of them and cling to your Father's strong, loving arms. He
will carry you safely through. Selah. MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 27, 2008 - I MUST NOT RETURN Psalm 85:8 (NLT) The ways of
this world are certainly foolishness to God. If we have believed in Jesus, we are not part of those ways any more. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We are new creatures who must be in this world but not a part of it. Because of Jesus, we are no more a
part of it than He was. (John 17:16). He walked in the world and loved His creation, but He did not become a part of the world system.
Even though He was not a part of the world, He did not judge the world. (John 12:47) He did not ignore the world. He just reached right to where people were with His love and He's doing
that still today. Because we are to be like Him, we are to do what He did. We're to reach out in love without
becoming entangled in the world's foolish ways. We have to walk
in the world but we're told not to be a part of it. There's a fine line there. We're to
be a light in the world. (Matthew 5:14) However, if we are not careful, we can get so involved with the world that our light will be dimmed.
Are we walking in His Light? So much so that we will not return to the foolish paths that the world is taking?
(Psalm 119:105) I don't want to return to the foolish ways of this world but, if I don't have His Word in my heart, my
feet will slip back into foolishness. (Psalm 119:11) One of the things I find in His Word is His promise of peace. Jesus is
the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) As I walk through this world, I know I will have trouble, but I am promised that I can have peace in my heart. You
are too. (John 16:33) He speaks peace to those who are faithful to Him. (Psalm 85:8) Those who listen carefully to what He is saying. Today, I want to be listening carefully to what He is saying.
I want to follow His voice and not the voices of this world that call so loudly. (John 10:27) I have been delivered from the sin and death of this world. Have you? (Romans 5:10) One thing I know is this: I must not return! (Titus 2:12, Hebrews 12:1) MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 26, 2008 - WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GIVE THANKS? 2 Chronicles 20:21 (NLT) Tomorrow it will be Thanksgiving
Day here in America. What started as a day to honor God and all that He has given us is now just another holiday.
A time to be with family, probably to eat a lot, to take the day off from work, etc., etc. If we truly know Jesus, every
day is a day of giving thanks for us. Every day is a day to remember that it is God who has blessed us as individuals
and as a nation. Psalm 33:12 (AMP) Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He
has chosen as His heritage. Yes, a nation who keeps God as their Lord
is truly fortunate. As we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, let's pray that America will turn her whole heart toward
God and keep Him as Her Lord. America, along with
the world, is in a time of turmoil and confusion. The enemy of our souls, the devil himself, is trying hard to do his
dirty work everywhere. (John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8) Our only hope is in the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:17) There are wars and terrorism all over the world. There is also a war going on for the souls of every man, woman,
boy, and girl. It's time to give thanks. So, how does giving thanks and war go together? It might
not seem possible, but they do. We can find some clues as to
how war and giving thanks go together by looking at the story in 2 Chronicles about King Jehoshaphat and the nation
of Judah. They were in a terrible fix. They had to go to war against people who appeared to be much stronger than they
were. Our enemy, Satan, is much stronger and more cunning than we are if we do not have Jesus in us.
Jehoshaphat appointed singers to march ahead of the army after God gave the go-head to fight the war. God has given
us the go-ahead to fight the war against the unseen principalities and powers too. (Ephesians 6:12) We might wonder why Jehoshaphat would appoint singers to march out against the enemy before the army went out.
God's ways are not our ways. They are much higher. (Isaiah 55:9) It's not just that the singers sang. It's what they sang that made all the difference.
They sang, "Give thanks to the Lord; His faithful love endures forever." Guess what? The army never
had to make a move. As soon as thanks-giving went forth by faith, the war was won! (2 Chronicles 20:22-23) God confused the camp of the enemy so that they slaughtered one another! Our battles are not our own.
Like Jehoshaphat, our battles belong to the Lord. (2 Chronicles 20:15) As we see in the story of Jehoshaphat, God is fully able to fight any battle and win. The glory goes to
Him. What is our part? It begins with knowing that God is our only hope in battle and in offering thanks to Him
even before we see the victory. What battle are you fighting today? No matter what day it is,
we will usually encounter some kid of battle. That means that every day should be thanks-giving day for us.
As we begin to thank God for His faithful love that is always and forever with us, He will enter the battle for us and He
never loses! MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 25, 2008 - LISTEN! Revelation 3:22 (NLT) Down through
history, it has been God's desire that His people listen. Not just listen to anybody, but listen to Him. Adam
and Eve listened to the wrong voices. Eve listened to Satan and Adam listened to Eve. Adam had heard God, but
He didn't heed God. Eve had perhaps heard Adam explain God's commands to her but it appears that
she had not really listened. Adam and Eve had the upper hand in the Garden of Eden. They were given dominion over
it and everything was perfect. They were the head and not the tail. That is, until they failed to
show that they understood what God said. Do we sometimes hear but not really listen? If we are really listening
to God, our actions will prove it. We will obey what He has said. We, too, are given the opportunity to be the
head and not the tail. Many people quote that part of Deuteronomy 28:13 but they fail to note that being the head and not the tail involves hearing, understanding and obeying God's word.
We go on to read in Deuteronomy 28:15, that there is a flip side to that promise. If we don't listen to God, understand and obey, the Bible says we are
open to curses. The choice is ours. (Deuteronomy 30:15) God's people have been given the choice from day one
to listen to Him - or not. Unfortunately, many times, His people chose not to listen. Oh, they probably heard,
but they didn't take time to understand and to follow. It's easy for us to do that today too, especially with
the glut of information in this world and the pace at which it bombards us. We still have a choice today, though. We
can listen to the world or we an listen to the Word. We can listen to the Lord and reverently fear and worship
Him. We can follow His commands and all will be well. Or, we can rebel and refuse to listen and find that His
hand will be heavy upon us. (1 Samuel 12:14-15) God gave Israel stern warnings. He begged them to listen.
(Psalm 81:8, 13) He wants to give His people good things but we have to want to listen. We have to want God's presence. (Psalm 81:11) He let the Israelites go on their own way. Blindly and stubbornly, they followed their own desires. Of
course, this led to their destruction. That's not what God wanted for them. They made the choice not to listen.
Not to understand. Not to obey. (Psalm 81:12) At one point, God told His people that they were hearing Him but they weren't listening. (Isaiah 42:20) Let it not be said of us today that we are hearing but not listening. Everything depends upon our listening
with understanding and obedience. Just hearing is not enough. When a shepherd leads his sheep, the sheep listen
to his voice and follow. If there is a stubborn sheep, it will hear the voice but it will not listen and follow.
Jesus said that His sheep know His voice. (John 10:27) It is today that God would have us listen to His voice and find salvation. Today, the Holy Spirit tells us to
listen to His voice. (Hebrews 3:7) Today, there is a stern warning from God, just as He warned His people long ago. We must listen. We must
not harden our hearts like the Israelites did. (Hebrews 3:15) Jesus urged us to listen to His voice and seek to understand it. (Matthew 15:10) If we are confused today and need direction, we can ask God. He will graciously be that voice that says,
"turn this way." (Isaiah 30:18-22) But, we need to be listening. God speaks of listening from the beginning of the Bible right through
to the end. Many times in the book of Revelation God says, "listen." (Revelation 3:22) Do you hear it? God is still saying, "Listen!" He's still speaking. Are we really listening?
MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 24, 2008 - NO BOASTING, EXCEPT..... Proverbs 27:2 (KJV) There is a great deal of boasting going on in the world today. In the political campaigns of the
free world, we hear each candidate boasting of how they are the one who can solve all the problems and bring order.
Yet, after each election, it seems the people are disappointed to find that much of the rhetoric was only boasting.
Proverbs 27:2 tells us to let others praise us instead of singing our own praises. Better yet, why not give all our praise to the only One who is deserving of our praise? (Deuteronomy 10:21) If we boast at all, it should be in the Lord and not in ourselves. (Psalm 34:2) We may be able to pull the wool over the eyes of mankind but we can't fool God. He knows
that we are nothing in ourselves. He remembers that we are but dust. (Psalm 103:14) Now I ask you, what does a dust ball have to boast about? The apostle Paul boasted, but
not about his strength, looks, or any other such thing. He boasted about his weaknesses. 2 Corinthians 11:30 (NIV) 30 If
I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. Why would Paul be so happy to boast about his
weakness? Because then the power of Christ would work through him.(2 Corinthians 12:9) When we're in need of power, it does little good to boast that we can pull ourselves up by our proverbial bootstraps.
When we boast, instead, of our weakness, then the power of Christ is free to take over and deliver us. If
you could choose between your own power and the power of Almighty God, which would you choose? Do we really have anything but weakness to boast about? I don't think so. When I read in
God's word that I am saved by grace through faith, I see that it has nothing to do with me. (Ephesians 2:8-9) It's all about Him. If I were saved by the works that I do, I could boast. But, no matter how many
good works I do, I can't do enough to earn my salvation or the love of God. God did not want us to boast about
what we do. He wants us to boast about what He does. About His power. That relieves
us of a lot of pressure. The world is filled with competitiveness. We, as Kingdom dwellers, have no need to boast. We
know that God loves us and gives us each salvation based on His work and not on our works. We don't need to try
to outdo each other because, as they say, the ground is level at the cross. We're free to receive love and salvation
and to love one another without competition. We make our boast in Christ alone.
MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 23, 2008-
PREPARATION Proverbs 4:26 (KJV) There have been times
in my life when I did not prepare. A lot of those times, I would just wander. My way of wandering would be
to shop. I would go from store to store looking through sale racks, picking up lots of "bargains." Many
of the things I picked up were really unnecessary - but the price was good! Of course, I spent too much money.
All those things were on sale but I really did not need them. And, all those "low prices," would
end up being very large sum! Then I heard a preacher say that, "to wander is to squander."
Proverbs 4:26 tells us to ponder the path of our feet. The word, "ponder," comes from a Hebrew word meaning,
in part "prepare (a road)" It also means to "weigh mentally." When I would just wander
around shopping, I had not thought about and prepared my path or mentally weighed the amount of time or money I was spending. There
were consequences in both areas. When we don't prepare our path of life and think about where we are going, we will
wander. We won't get anywhere. We will be squandering the days that God has given us. (Psalm 144:4) As we remember to prepare the foot-path of our lives, we
know that we need a light for that path. It is God's word. It is a light for our path and a lamp for
our feet. (Psalm 119:105) Proverbs 4:26 tells us to make sure all our ways are established. The word, "ways," means, in part, "our
course of life." And, the word, "established," in the Hebrew, means, "to prepare."
Twice in Proverbs 4:26, God tells us to think ahead, to prepare. Have you prepared your course of life? (Psalm 90:12) Have you established, pondered, and mentally weighed, not only the course of your life on earth,
but the course of your life throughout eternity? Jesus tells us this about being prepared for life
now and forever: John 5:24 (AMP) 24 I assure you,
most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words [who listens to My message] and believes and trusts in
and clings to and relies on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [does not
incur sentence of judgment, will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life. Are
we prepared? MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 22, 2008 - IS YOUR HEART GUARDED Proverbs 4:23 (KJV) Have you ever considered trying to keep balance in your life? My desire is to have a balanced life. I
have never had a good sense of physical balance. When I was young, I could not learn to ride a bicycle or skate.
I was uncoordinated because my sense of balance was not right. That changed my whole life. I was not like
most other children who thought nothing of riding bikes and skating. One thing that was wrong was that my perspective
was off because my eyes did not work together. How is our spiritual perspective today? As I thought about balance, another word came to mind. Centered. Proverbs 4:23 says that we should keep our heart with all diligence. Part of the original meaning for the word, "heart,"
is, "center." It includes our will, emotions and intellect. If our center is off, the rest of our
lives will be unbalanced. The word, "keep," means to guard, protect, and
maintain. So many things can threaten to get us off center so that we become unbalanced. Relationships, finances, health, bitterness,
pride, a whole host of things. We're supposed to keep or guard the center of our being with all diligence.
That word, "diligence," means, "a guard (the man, the post, or the prison)," according to Strong's
Dictionary. Now we have two mentions of guarding in Proverbs 4:23. All of the issues of our lives flow from the center of our being. No wonder God wants to be in the center of
our being. To live in our hearts. No wonder He wants to be the center of our thinking and our worship.
(Deuteronomy 6:5) It is when He is at the center that we will have the right perspective and we will be balanced. That's
what He wants for us. As we stand guard over our own hearts, God has promised to give us the His peace which will
guard our hearts. (Philippians 4:7) Do you want to have balance in your life? Do you want to be sure your heart is guarded so that your
life will flow with peace and balance? Rejoice in the Lord. Be considerate to everyone. Don't worry,
just take your cares to Jesus. Tell God what you need. Thank Him for all He has done. (Philippians 4:4-6) In other words, make Him the center of your being. (Matthew 22:37) Love Him with all that you are. Guard His place in your heart and He will bring balance and the right perspective
to all of life's issues. MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 21, 2008 - DON'T BE DECEIVED! Matthew 24:24 (NIV) Jesus warned us about the danger of being deceived by people who claim
to be the Messiah and those who do not divide the word of God properly. He said that these people would try to deceive
even God's chosen ones. If that were possible. We need to be on guard every day, and even more so,
as the world at large dismisses the one holy God to serve the gods of their choice. (Matthew 24:12) Deception started in the Garden of Eden. The devil is the father of lies and he started
early on to deceive mankind. (John 8:44) Genesis 3:13 (AMP) Jesus spent
a good amount of time warning us about what would happen in the world before He came back again. (Matthew 24:25) If we have not invited Jesus to be present in us, we may be led astray by those who masquerade as light-bearers.
(2 Corinthians 11:14) Jesus said many would come looking like prophets but they would be deceivers. Right from their father, the devil.
(Matthew 24:11) Many people will be caught up in the lies of these deceivers. Why would anyone be snared by a false prophet?
Because they will look like the real thing. The devil does not usually appear as an ugly looking, outwardly lying
creature. Especially to God's chosen ones. He has to sneak around. He has to disguise himself in order
to fool us. He's very good at it too. He's been practicing since the he met Eve in the Garden of
Eden. How did Satan challenge Eve in the garden?
Among other things, he questioned her knowledge of what God said. Genesis 3:1 (AMP) 1 NOW THE serpent was
more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he [Satan] said to the woman,
Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden? When he did that
consistently, perhaps Eve got flustered. Who knows? Maybe she hadn't carefully listened to Adam if he
told her what God really said. She added just a little bit to what we see that God told Adam to begin with. Here's
what God said to Adam. Genesis 2:17 (AMP) MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 20, 2008 - SING A NEW SONG Psalm 96:1 (NIV) When we sing, we have a tendency to sing to each other. Most of the songs we hear today are telling a sad story
or singing the praises of a lover. Even songs sung in church are often done to entertain the congregation. We
don't often admit that but, the next time you are in church, look around. Hopefully, you won't find that to
be true but, chances are, you will find at least a smidgen of something resembling worldly entertainment. If anyone
should be entertained, it should be God! Psalm 96:1 tells us to sing a new song. To whom should we sing this new song? To the Lord, of course! All
the earth should sing a new song to the Lord. Most of the world is not singing a new song or any other song
to the Lord. The songs we sing are all about us! Day
after day, our song should be to the Lord, declaring His salvation. (Psalm 96:2) How long has it been since you, in your prayers, or your song, just thanked the Lord as you declared with new
excitement, His salvation? I'm asking myself that question. We sing about a lot of things and that's not
bad. God has done many and marvelous things for all of us. But the greatest, by far, is His salvation. Do
you have a song this morning? You don't have to be a songwriter to have a song. All we have to do is open
our mouth and start singing to God. Singing our acknowledgement of His salvation. I admit, this may not be easy
at first but I know that there will be blessings as God hears His children singing to Him. When our little children
sing to us it's beautiful to our ears, even if it's not perfectly on pitch and even if the words don't rhyme.
How much more our Heavenly Father must love to hear His children singing a new song to Him. A song from the heart. I'm reminded of how David sang to the Lord in the fields while He tended the sheep.
He had a lot of practice out there with no one to talk to but his sheep and his God. We know that David was a man after
God's own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14) When King Saul disobeyed God, God found a man after His own heart. He found David in the fields with the sheep.
He had heard the songs from David's heart each day. If you happen to find yourself alone or lonely, sing a new song
to the Lord just like David did. Although David started out as a lowly shepherd boy, God was listening to him all the
while. When it came time to choose a king for Israel, God remembered the songs that David had sung to Him. We're
told to tell everyone about God's marvelous deeds. That comes after we're told to sing a new song to the Lord.
(Psalm 96:3) How can we tell everyone about His marvelous deeds if we have not experienced the joy of salvation? How
can we sing a new song and songs of deliverance if we have not experienced it? David experienced it, shared it
with God and then God shared His kingdom with David. He even made David a ruler over the kingdom of Israel. As
king, David was in a position to share the marvelous works of God with many others. God hears and blesses those who
will sing a new song to Him. Every day His mercies are new. (Lamentations 3:22-23) That, in itself, is reason enough to sing a new song to the Lord. When we do sing to Him, we will find
that it's not a one-way street. He will sing back and the song will resound from earth to Heaven and from Heaven
to earth. (Zephaniah 3:17) As we sing to the Lord, He will rejoice over us with singing. What a divine duet! MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 19, 2008 - I WILL WAIT BECAUSE Lamentations 3:24 (NIV) Troubles come to all of us. We might think that, because we're believers, we won't have troubles.
But God makes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on both the just and the unjust. (Matthew 5:45) In fact, it may be that we have more affliction than the unbeliever because we have an enemy who is not happy
that we are no longer in his camp. He's out to try to steal that abundant life that Jesus has given us. (John 10:10) Is there something you've been waiting for for a very long time? Be encouraged today. We
can continue to wait because He will renew our strength when we think we just can't go on any longer. (Isaiah 40:31) Abundant life in no way means that we will
not have troubles. In fact Jesus said we would have troubles. (John 16:33) Abundant life, in part, means that we can trust God. We can wait for Him. Why? Because in His great love He
will not allow us to be consumed. (Lamentations 3:22) Because His compassions never fail. Have you
ever waited and waited and then waited again? It's hard. But, it's so much easier when we remember that
His mercies are new every morning. Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow. Maybe that's because He
was trying to remind us that each new day, along with its own troubles brings new mercies. (Matthew 6:34) We can wait because the Lord is good to those who hope in Him. (Lamentations 3:25) Are you waiting for Him and seeking Him today? His word says that it is good to wait quietly for His salvation.
(Lamentations 3:26) So, no matter what your need is in this needy world, wait for the Lord. As you wait for your answer,
wait on the Lord. In other words, be like a good waiter in a restaurant. Go to Jesus and ask Him what
He would like you to do. Treat Him like the Royalty that He is. Lavish your care on Him. As we wait
on Him and wait for Him, He will not fail. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 18, 2008 - WHAT DO I DO? Matthew 18:15 (AMP) What do we
do when we don't know what to do? When we can't find our way in a certain situation, we know where to go.
If we're believers in Christ, we won't have to go far. The Way is living in us! (John 14:6) There are lots of things that can perplex us in life. Relationships can be as much or more troubling than
anything. What do we do if a believer wrongs us? In the natural, our first impulse might be to go to others to
"vent" the wrongs done and console ourselves. The first impulse is not always the best way. We need
to operate in the supernatural, not the natural. Jesus says we are to go privately to the offender. Confrontation is not always easy. It is especially not easy if we do it in the
right way. While we are to confront someone who is in the wrong, we need to check ourselves to be sure we are
not doing it for the wrong reason. We also might want to check our own fault-meter. It could be that we need to
do some house cleaning before we try to clean up somebody else's house. Matthew 7:3-5 (AMP) 3 Why
do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother’s eye but do not become aware of and consider
the beam of timber that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother,
Let me get the tiny particle out of your eye, when there is the beam of timber in your own eye? 5
You hypocrite, first get the beam of timber out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the tiny
particle out of your brother’s eye. If
and when we do confront someone, are we doing it vindictively? Do we want vengeance for the hurt that we suffered? Leviticus 19:18 (AMP) 18 You shall not take
revenge or bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Are
we anxious to give the offender the truth? That's not bad in itself. Jesus said, "I am the truth." (John 14:6) But, are we seeking to give out the truth with no other motive but love? That is the
question. Ephesians 4:14-16 (NIV) 14 Then
we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by
the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking
the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 17, 2008 - DISTRESSED Psalm 55:17 (NLT) Are
you distressed this day? Some days are like that. When you get a lot of them in a row, it's even more
distressing. The Psalmist must have felt like that when he declared, "Morning, noon, and night I plead aloud in
my distress." But, thank God, the Psalmist didn't stop there. He finished by saying, "....and the
Lord hears my voice." Yes, the Lord heard David's voice and the Lord will hear our voice too
when we find ourselves distressed over the circumstances of life. Maybe you have called out to the Lord to hear your prayer
and listen to your cry. (Psalm 55:1) When we don't hear back from the Lord right away, aren't we tempted to think He might be ignoring our cry?
But, of course, He is not. He knew we were going to cry out before we cried out. He knew we would have a need
before we even had it. (Matthew 6:8) Not only did He know we would have the need but He has promised to supply all of our needs. (Philippians 4:13) David was overwhelmed by his troubles. My friend, sometimes we get that way too. We don't like to
admit it, but sometimes we do. We just need to admit it - at least to God. (Psalm 55:2) When lots of troubles surround us, we're tempted to
fear, aren't we? David did. He trembled and shook. This was the same David that killed lions and bears and
giants! (Psalm 55:4-5) In our humanity, it is possible to get overwhelmed just like David did. He felt the jabs of the enemy and heard
the roars of those who were out to get him. (Psalm 55:3) We have an enemy too. He is not made of flesh and blood so we do not need to look around for some human being
to blame. (Ephesians 6:12) We don't need to try to get even with anyone. Our enemy roars loudly. (1 Peter 5:8) He comes at us with the intention of stealing from us. Even destroying us. (John 10:10) He lies to us, trying to create fear and distress. (John 8:44) He tells us we are unworthy. He tells us we are unable. He'll tell us we can't make it.
He'll even tell us that God does not love us. He'll tell us anything to get us into distress. And yes,
he uses people sometimes to do his dirty work. David's enemies were very real and our enemy is very real too.
David's enemies were powerful and so is ours. As
powerful as our enemy is, God is more powerful! (Psalm 55:6-8) We might feel like David when he said he wished he could fly away on the wings of a dove. He
even wished to go to the quiet of the wilderness. The wilderness can look like Heaven if you're surrounded by problems
and people who seem to be problems. Escape on the wings of a dove sounds good but it would get very lonely after a while
out there in the quiet wilderness. Like David, there are times when the assault of the enemy comes though someone who
is close to us. (Psalm 55:12-14) Those are probably the hardest of times. Instead of fighting back against people, we need to learn to do
what David did. Call on the Lord. He will rescue us every time. (Psalm 55:16) There is a battle being waged against us. (Psalm 55:18) Many may oppose us but God will keep us safe. (Psalm 55:19) The devil is not going to change his ways and he will continue to try to use others to help him destroy what
belongs to God. But, we have a wonderful word from the scriptures to remember. Jesus made a mockery of the
devil and his workers two thousand years ago on the cross. (Colossians 2:15) David was right. Our enemy will not change his ways but his plans were defeated at the cross by our dear Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our enemy has been disarmed. We are safe in Jesus, no matter what the circumstances
may look like. (Psalm 37:28, Matthew 28:20) Jesus wants to turn our distress into rest. (Matthew 11:28) MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 16, 2008 - A MESSAGE FOR THE PERFECTIONIST Hebrews 10:14 (NLT) Have you ever
sat in a chair and kept trying to sit over and over again? Of course not. You're already sitting! You
might do some other things while you're sitting in that chair but you don't have to keep concentrating on sitting.
You're already seated. If you are a perfectionist, you probably want to be perfect. If you're
like me, you keep trying and trying. Have you ever read a Bible verse several
times and then one day the light dawned and it was like you had never read it before? As one who likes perfection
and never was satisfied with myself because, no matter how hard I tried, I could not achieve perfection, the light dawned
on Hebrews 10:14 for me. How much time I had wasted trying to be something that I already was! I could not be perfect
in my own eyes because my eyes are human. But, it's not our eyes that are important. What is important
is how God sees us. If you're a believer, you're perfect. In God's eyes. When He looks at you,
He sees His own Son. Perfection! I read Hebrews 10:14 so many times, yet still tried to be and do things to make myself perfect. No wonder it didn't work.
God already saw me as perfect. While it is true that I have sinned and
done things against God's law, He has chosen not to remember those things. All because of that one sacrifice
by Jesus once and for all. (Hebrews 10:10) Instead, He has chosen to see you and me as perfect. We don't have to do good deeds to be perfect. We don't
have to do or be anything to be perfect. We are and we do good because we have been
made perfect already. Ephesians 2:8-9 (AMP) 8 For
it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s
salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own
striving], but it is the gift of God; 9 Not because of works [not the fulfillment
of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can
pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] In fact, we can't do anything
to be perfect because we don't do the perfecting. God did it through His Son, Jesus. Being a perfectionist
is probably mostly pride-based. Being perfected is humility-based. Trying to do what only God can do
and, indeed, already has done through the Holy Spirit, would be prideful. Accepting the gift is humbling. It is
acknowledging that we are unable to be perfect in our own strength and kneeling at the cross of Christ to receive what only
He can give. Perfection! MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 15, 2008 - HE SEES THE KEYS Genesis 21:19 (AMP) Today, I had what felt like a very unfortunate experience. I was in a store shopping.
I bought the things I had picked up and started for the car. The trouble was that my car keys were missing. It
would not have been such a bad situation if I was not traveling out of state without a spare key. The other thing is
that I knew that, if someone had found the keys, they could have taken them to the parking lot and found my car by pushing
the button on the key fob that makes the horn honk in the car. My mind raced wondering if someone would just open the
car and drive away. Needless to say, I was befuddled. I had looked up and down the aisles of the store, but to
no avail. A very sweet lady stopped and told me she would look for me, which she did while I guarded the car.
Still no keys. All I could do was remember that Jesus knows where everything is. While in the parking lot searching through my purse for what seemed like the millionth time, I saw a familiar looking
lady come out of the store. I remembered that I had seen her while shopping. I stopped her and asked her
if she had seen any keys. She hadn't. But, God had seen me there alone in the parking lot and He had placed
this special lady there to encourage me. She was an evangelist. She reminded me that God would protect both me
and my property. She spoke kind, yet firm words. I was to go back in the store and look low. I had done
that already but I knew God was speaking. He had seen me and He cared. (1 Peter 5:7) Back I went into the store looking low. Low and behold! They keys were sitting
on a pile of books on a bottom rack! Many people had gone in and out of the store. No one had seen the keys.
But God saw. God heard my cry. God sent another believer and God opened my eyes to see the keys. I had been
down that aisle looking before, but my eyes had not been open to find them. Encouraged by another believer, I now had
eyes of faith again! (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Looking back on the incident with great thankfulness to
God for placing another of His children there to speak words of encouragement to me, I realize even more that, just as God
opened Hagar's eyes to a well of water in a dry desert land, He can open my eyes to things that are lost. (Genesis 21:20) Are you missing something in your life? It could be something as small as a coin. (Luke 15:9) It could be something as big as eternal life. (John 3:16) It could be anything in between. Hagar, long ago, realized that God was the God who really sees. (Genesis 16:13) The God who created the world sees you and sees me. He sees everything, trees, bees, and yes,
even keys! There is nothing hidden from God. (Mark 4:22) Jesus wants us to know that about His Word. Our eyes are not yet open to the depth
of His Word. There are hidden things that we learn progressively if we will pay attention to it. (Psalm 119:105) Today, let's search through the Word as diligently as I searched for my keys. I couldn't
go anywhere without them. We will be able to move ahead as we understand God's Word more and more - but only
if we are listening. If we don't search for and use the keys of the Word of God, we won't get anywhere!
(Mark 4:25) Jesus promised to give us the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 16:19) He is watching to see if we'll lay them down somewhere and forget them. He sees everything.
Do you have your keys? God sees. If you have lost them, God sees that too and, if you'll ask Him, He'll
help you find them again! MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 14, 2008 -
THOSE WHO ARE WISE WILL LEARN FROM HISTORY Psalm 107:43 (NLT) Do you want to be numbered among the wise? It is possible. The Lord invites us to ask for wisdom
if we need it. He promises to provide it too! (James 1:5) I don't know about you but, these days, my constant prayer is for wisdom. The Psalmist wrote a whole chapter on the faithful love of the Lord, showing that it endures forever.
Are you going through a difficult time right now? Many are. In Psalm 107 we can find numerous examples of how God's faithful love was there when everything seemed hopeless. He has
gathered those who were outcast. (Psalm 107:3) He has brought those who were lost and homeless back. (Psalm 107:4) He has restored those who were hungry and thirsty. (Psalm 107:5) All they had to do was cry, "Lord, help!" And, He rescued them. (Psalm 107:6) Some even sat in darkness and deepest gloom. They were prisoners.
We have all been prisoners bound by the chains of sin. (Psalm 107:10) We've all been rebellious. (Psalm 107:11) But, even when we're so rebellious that we fall into a pit of our own making, God's love endures.
He may let us suffer the consequences, but He will save us when we call for help. (Psalm 107:12-20) Psalm 107 goes on and on to tell of the mighty power and unfailing love of God. What does this have to do with history
and wisdom? If we are wise, we will take His-story to heart. The history of God's love and faithfulness.
While we may be enduring challenging circumstances, if we are wise, we will reflect on His-story and we will know
that God is more than able to help us meet the challenges. The history of my life shows that God is able to deliver.
If you are reading this right now, the history of your life shows that He has brought you this far. He's ready to
make more of His-Story in our lives too because He knows the plans He has for us. History making plans. Plans
for good. (Jeremiah 29:11) If we are wise, we will look back on the wondrous works of our God, recognize His presence with us in the present, and
look forward to the plans He has for our future! MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 13, 2008 -
TENDER AND COMPASSIONATE Psalm 103:13 (NLT) I'm so glad the Lord is tender and compassionate. Aren't you? There are days that I just need
to know that my Heavenly Father looks at me with compassion and tenderness. He is like a father to His children.
You might be one of those people who did not have the best father. Or maybe you did not know your earthly father at
all. Our Heavenly Father is the perfect Father. He will not abandon those who look to Him with reverence
and awe. Some earthly fathers abandon their children but we have a compassionate and tender Heavenly Father who is willing
and able to take us into His loving arms. (Psalm 27:10) You may not have been abandoned by your earthly mother
or father. But, you may be encountering other troublesome circumstances right now. Maybe you're feeling weak.
Is your health failing? Things on your job may be precarious. Do you have a child that is wayward?
Or suffering from a disease? If none of these things are affecting your life, you could probably write your
own problem (or multitude of them) in right here. When we suffer through troubles and trials, it could
be that we feel alone and abandoned. Yet, we are told by a tender and compassionate Father that we should count it all
joy when these things happen. (James 1:2) Does that sound like tenderness and compassion to you? Maybe not, at first glance, but let's take another
look. (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20) Our Father is a good Father. He desires such
a close relationship with us that He allows us to call Him, "Abba," or "Daddy." Romans 8:15 (NIV) 15 For you
did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry,
"Abba, Father." But, just as a good earthly father would do, He helps His children
grow to be healthy and strong. As we grow, God will tenderly and compassionately stretch us. He will test our
faith so that we have a chance to grow. (James 1:3) Because we live in a fallen world, tough times will come. Because God is a tender and compassionate
Father, He wants us to be ready to handle those times. (James 1:4) In His full knowledge of each of us, He knows exactly how far to stretch us. Are you being
stretched today? Do you feel some "growing pains?" Because our Father is tender and compassionate, He
will not let us be tried more than we can handle. He will show us a way out at just the right time.
(1 Corinthians 10:13) He understands just how weak we are. (Psalm 103:13) Jesus comes to us in our weakness and gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13) If we are obedient children of our tender and compassionate Father, we will be able to say, like the
Apostle, Paul, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10) Whatever else may be going on in our lives, we can trust ourselves into the arms of a tender and compassionate Heavenly
Father. (Isaiah 30:18) MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 12, 2008 - KEEPING OUR TESTIMONY, NO MATTER WHAT Revelation 12:11 (NLT) Have you ever become discouraged in your attempt to testify for the Lord?
Have you tried and tried to tell someone the good news of the gospel and the just don't get it or they just won't
receive it? You're in good company. Paul, the great apostle testified in Jerusalem over and over again. I
have heard it preached that he had "zero" converts. We can be encouraged to remember this morning that it's
not our responsibility to make another believe or receive Jesus. Our only job is to testify. God will bring the
person to Himself in His own time. It can get discouraging when we constantly testify
and see no "results." Like Paul, we should remember that it's not about us. It's about being obedient
and sharing what God has given to us with those around us. We may be tempted to give up when we see no apparent progress.
But then, do we walk by what we see? No! We walk by faith. (2 Corinthians 5:7) So, when you're about to give up because you see nothing, be all the more encouraged. Keep on doing well
because God promises there will be a harvest if we will not get weary or lose heart. (Galatians 6:9) Paul wrote those words in Galatians 6:9 and he put them into practice in his own life when he testified for Jesus even in the face of great opposition.
As he did, the Lord stood with him. (Acts 23:11) He'll stand with us too if we continue to testify for Him. (Matthew 28:20) Paul had always wanted to go to Rome to testify. (Acts 19:21) You'd think that God would maybe deny that desire, since Paul had not won any converts in Jerusalem. Not
so. Paul was, indeed, sent to Rome. His promotion did not depend on the "notches in his belt,"
of those he had won to Christ. It was all about the calling of God and Paul's obedience to it. It was about
Paul's perseverance in the face of awful persecution and great suffering. Can we find a lesson in all of this from
Paul? Paul kept his testimony to the end. He said he had fought the fight and finished the race. He did it
holding fast to his testimony. (2 Timothy 4:7) Are we holding fast to our testimony, no matter what? MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 11, 2008 - HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MEMORY? 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 (KJV) Children
have a way of speaking simply. They are forthright and matter-of-fact. As I sat coloring with my six year old
grand-daughter, she began to describe to me something that was a horrible experience for her. She told me
how she had once thought she lost her memory of her birth. You see, her birth was difficult. She was premature
and struggled to live. She has been told of it and she savors every detail. In her six-year old way, she is thankful
that she won the battle and now enjoys life with her parents. As she described the moment that she thought she
had lost her memory of it, she told me how she cried and cried. It was devastating to her. Then, somehow the memory
returned and she was elated. She told me that she never wants to lose the memory of her birth. Have you ever feared that you would lose the memory of your new birth? Or, maybe you have
lost the memory. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Have you fallen away from your first love because the memory of that miraculous event has
been dimmed by all that has happened since? (Revelation 2:4) Maybe you have never been born again. If not, this is the day that can become a memory you
will not want to lose. This is the day God is calling you to Himself, ready to give you salvation - new birth.
(John 3:3, 2 Corinthians 6:2) As
I thought about spiritual birth, I remembered the zeal I had when I first received Jesus as my Savior. I wanted everybody
to know about Him. I wanted everybody to be born again and I told everyone about Jesus. As the years have gone
by, there have been times when the excitement of being a new creature died down. I have had times when I lost
that childlike faith and excitement of being born into the Kingdom of Heaven. (Mark 10:14-15) Instead of remembering that, because I am a new creature, I am seated in Heavenly places
above the circumstances of life, I have used phrases like, "under the circumstances." (Ephesians 2:6) I have even become depressed even though I have every reason to be joyful. I confess, there have
been times when I almost lost the memory of the miracle of my new birth. How about you? It's easy,
after years of being a believer, to take it for granted. Instead, I want to have that childlike
faith that weeps if I fail to remember the awesome love and grace that gave me new life in Christ!
(Revelation 2:5) Let's remember that we get to share life with our loving Father because Jesus died to give us new
birth. We are now His children. (John 1:12) Let's not lose the memory of our new birth! (1 Peter 1:3) MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 10, 2008 - HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD? Daniel 9:4 (NLT) How is
your prayer life? Do you feel, at times, that your prayers rise only as far as the ceiling? Do you ever feel less
than adequate in the faith department? Do you struggle to find the "right" words? Words that you think
God will hear and be pleased with? I have had all those thoughts at one time or another. I confess that I still
have, "my times." Those times come mainly when I forget that my prayer is not about me. Do you ever forget that prayer is not about you and all your wants and needs?
(Matthew 6:10) It's easy to do, especially if your needs feel overwhelming. Things like relationship
problems, financial problems and health problems. Another thing we might tend to forget is that God is always
faithful and that His Word is altogether true. (2 Timothy 2:13, 2 Corinthians 1:20) His Word tells us to call upon Him and that He will show
us great and mighty things that we have never seen. (Jeremiah 33:3) If He said it, we can trust Him to do it! So,
why do we get overwhelmed, discouraged and frustrated at times? (Psalm 42:11) Why do we think we have to fumble around with our "thee's," and "thou's,
trying to get through to the God who has already promised to be with us forever? (Matthew 28:20) He's the one who has promised to supply everything we need. (Philippians 4:19) Is it because we also forget that prayer is about God? (Psalm 142:5) Do we forget how big our God really is? (Deuteronomy 10:17) I think that's it! There's a good old saying that goes like this: "Don't
tell God how big your problem is - tell your problem how big your God is." It's very true. When we stop
to think that the God who made the universe, and never ceases to control it, knows everything about us, it is astounding.
He even knows the number of hairs on my head - and yours too! (Matthew 10:30) Our prayers will start and end with praise, rather than petition, when we take a look at the greatness
of our God. No more repeating our list of needs over and over again. We know that God is so big that He knows
our needs before we even ask. (Matthew 6:32) Are we sill to ask? Yes! (Matthew 21:22) Our perspective is what will make the difference. Our piddly needs (though they seem huge to
us) are no problem for our great God to solve. (Isaiah 55:9) That's reason enough right there to have our prayers centered around praise to Him.
(Psalm 86:12) The question we have to ask ourselves is this, "How big is our God?" We know the
answer is that He's much bigger than anything we encounter on earth. We just have to remind ourselves at all times!
(Psalm 103:1) MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 9, 2008 - GENTLE AND RESPECTFUL WAYS 1 Peter 3:13 (NLT) I really want to do good, don't you? That's what Jesus did. He went about doing good. (Acts 10:38) He healed people who were oppressed by the devil because God was with Him. We can find all sorts of
good things to do but, unless God is with us as He was with Jesus, they won't amount to anything. All of our good
works are like dirty rags to God. Our best tries at good deeds are useless unless they are directed by God.
(Ephesians 2:10) When we do those good things that God planned in advance for us to do, we would expect that people
would not harm us. That they would think well of us. Yet, today many are persecuted and even maimed and killed
because they are preaching the good news of the gospel of Christ. They are trying to live according to His commands
but the enemy is working through others to stop the living out and preaching of the gospel. (John 10:10) He comes to steal, kill and destroy. In America, we are blessed
to be able have the choice to live Godly lives and share the good news of the gospel without much persecution.
The scriptures let us know though that there may be cases in which we might have to suffer because we want to live righteous
lives. In that case we are to be happy. In the Amplified Bible, it says we're to be envied. Jesus once
said this: Matthew 5:10 (NIV) 10 Blessed
are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Peter tells us that
we should not worry or be afraid if those things happen to us. (1 Peter 3:14) That is probably a decision we should choose to make ahead of time because persecution is never pleasant. Because
it comes from the enemy, he probably will strike when we're tired or weakened. (1 Peter 5:8) We need to choose ahead to time how we're
going to respond to persecution if it comes We need to remind ourselves that we can't do it on our own.
We can only do it through Christ as He strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) We will only be able to handle such circumstances if we have set Christ apart in our hearts as, not only Savior, but
as Lord. We're instructed to always be ready to give an answer to any person who asks us why we have that hope
that makes our lives different. (1 Peter 3:15) What will our answer be? Unless we know God's word and have practiced living it, we will not have an answer.
(2 Timothy 2:15) Even if we have the answer, it has to be given in the right spirit. The spirit of gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:16) It might not be difficult to have a spirit of gentleness and respect when things are going well. But, how about
in a situation where we're being persecuted? As I write this, I am keenly aware of the fact that I need to
work on my spirit and let God do some fine-tuning in the areas of gentleness and respect in these good times. I want
to be prepared if times of persecution come. How about you? The scripture infers that it may, at times,
be God's will for us to suffer some persecution. (1 Peter 3:17) If those times should come, it's going to be our job to handle them with gentleness and respect. Gentleness
and respect are parts of God's righteousness. Better to suffer for being gentle and respectful than to
suffer for repaying evil with evil. (Romans 12:21) Are our ways gentle and respectful? MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 8, 2008 - GENTLE RESTORATION Galatians 6:1 (NIV) Have you ever felt like just shaking somebody or giving them a good smack? If you've never had
that urge, you may not have been around people very much! I have to admit that there are people that try my
patience to the max when they make a poor choice. Especially when I'm sure they know better! Patience
seems to be among the missing in my spiritual fruit. Before I go on, I need to realize that God wants me to have
patience. In order to have patience, I will be tested. Since it is God's will for all of
us to display the fruit of patience, we will all be tested. (Galatians 5:22) When we find that someone we think should know better is sinning, our patience will be tested. Jesus passed
the supreme test on the cross. The world was sinning and He was suffering because of it. Yet, He said, "Father,
forgive them for they don't know what they're doing." (Luke 23:34) That was the essence of patience, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:23) I've done things that are wrong, thinking, or rationalizing, that it
was okay. Later I have regretted those decisions. You may have done the same thing. At that moment, the
words of Jesus were falling on us like gentle rain, "Father forgive her (or him), she (or he) doesn't know what
she's (or he's) doing." Aren't you glad that we have a High Priest who is always praying for us?
Especially when we make a less than saintly decision? (Romans 8:34) There will be times when others, even Christians, will be found sinning. The very first thing we can do is what
Jesus does for us all the time - plead for them in prayer. (Ephesians 6:18) Then we might do a little pleading for ourselves for the fruit of patience, kindness, and gentleness. When our own hearts are right and we realize that we are not exempt from being tempted
,and even falling into sin, we can begin to try to restore the one who is sinning. Gently. We're called
to share each other's problems and troubles. (Galatians 6:2) That includes their (and our) shortcomings and lapses into sin. If we are not tempted by the particular
sin that we see in another, we might think of ourselves as much better than they are. Yet, we are no better because
all of us sin and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) All of us, like sheep, have gone astray in some way. (Isaiah 53:6) Though we might think of ourselves as better because we do not sin in the area that we see our fellow man in,
we just deceive ourselves. We might think we are really somebody. But that is in our own estimation, not in God's
If we do that, God says we are really a "nobody." (Galatians 6:3) When we see another in sin, we should consider it a test. We can either think we're too good or important
to stoop down and gently help them up. Or, we can remember that God stooped low in mercy and picked us up when
we were ignorant of our own sin. And, He still rescues us from time to time when we get off on the wrong track.
Is there someone in your life that you need to restore, "gently?" Is the irritation of another's
sin shaking your spiritual tree? What is falling? Patience? Kindness? Gentleness? If
not, you may be falling into sin. You may just need another to come along and gently restore you! MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 7, 2008 - SOMETIMES I JUST HAVE TO TELL MYSELF Psalm 103:1 (NLT) You've just gotta love David! He didn't need to go to meeting after meeting to get encouraged in the
Lord. He was able to encourage himself in the Lord. He talked to himself. Some people say that, if you talk
to yourself and you answer yourself too, you might be a little bit touched in the head. Well, when David talked to himself
about the Lord, the Lord heard and He answered. It's that way with us too. David got into some pretty
bad predicaments. He managed to bring some of them about by his own poor choices and then some were just, "there."
My life has been the same way and I would wager that yours has too. No
matter what the circumstances, we find David in a state of worship - singing, meditating, talking to himself about the Lord,
and talking to the Lord. In Psalm 103, David begins by saying, "Praise the Lord." We might want to begin each of our days praising the Lord too.
It changes the whole atmosphere. David says, "I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name"
(Psalm 103:1) That's a great idea! If I don't tell myself to praise the Lord with my whole heart, I find that my heart
starts being divided by all those other voices around me that are telling me what to do. (James 1:8) Oops! Instability creeps in. The enemy, who comes to steal, kill and destroy will come and try to steal
those thoughts of praise from us, knowing full well that, if he can do that, we will begin to die. (John 10:10) Our loving Father doesn't want us to die, rather He wants us to have abundant life in every circumstance.
David seems to have found the way to keep that abundant life, no matter what situation he was in. He told himself to
praise the Lord with his whole heart. Paul and Silas did that too even in the darkest of circumstances. They praised
from the pit of a prison. Not even the deepest pit or prison can keep God from hearing our praise. When He does,
He acts for us. (Acts 16:23-27) He sent an earthquake for Paul and Silas! Are you in some
situation that seems dark and impossible? In our darkness we can praise God because even the darkness is light to Him.
(Psalm 139:12) And, He has given us Jesus, who is the Light! (John 8:12) That's another great reason we have to tell ourselves to praise the Lord with our whole heart! As
David and Paul and Silas found out, life will be filled with challenges and times of darkness and even some bad times.
(Isaiah 45:7) But, in all of these things, we have so many things we can say to ourselves about what the Lord has done and continues
to do for us. (Psalm 103:2) Here are just a few of those things. We are more than conquerors. We are overcomers. (Romans 8:37) Nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:39) His Kingdom is not bankrupt, all we have to do is seek it. (Matthew 6:33) If we are following Him, everything will work out for the good (even the bad)! (Romans 8:28) Etc., etc. What are you telling yourself today? What if we, altogether, told ourselves to praise the Lord
with our whole hearts? The world would finally see the change that it has been looking for. Go on, tell yourself
to praise the Lord with your whole heart. It will make all the difference in your world. Sometimes, I just
have to tell myself, "Praise the Lord!" MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 6, 2008 -
OBEYING GOD RATHER THAN MEN Acts
5:29 (NLT) In our rapidly changing world, more and more emphasis is being placed
in the power of mankind. Many seem to have forgotten that it is God who gives mankind its power. There is a great
danger in falling into the trap of thinking that it's all about us and ignoring the fact that we only live because God
has given us life. Herod fell into that trap when he took glory for himself instead of giving glory to God. (Acts 12:21-23) (AMP) 23
And at once an angel of the Lord smote him and cut him down, because he did not give God the glory (the preeminence
and kingly majesty that belong to Him as the supreme Ruler); and he was eaten by worms and died. We can
learn a lesson from Herod's demise. Always give God the glory. It is in Him that we live and move and have
our being. (Acts 17:28) As we look to our leaders for direction, we must show
respect for their office because we know that it is God who lifts one up and puts down another. (Psalm 75:7) We must obey and pray for authority because God commands it. (1 Timothy 2:2) However, we cannot blindly accept and follow their values if those values go against the principles of God's
Word. We have been given a scriptural principle that we must obey god rather than man. This may take some doing
on our part. It will take humility along with strength. Love and respect along with refusal to compromise the
truth of God's Word. Are we up to the challenge of today?
First of all, we can't obey God unless we really know Him and know what he has said in His Word. (Psalm 119:11) Secondly, we need to meditate on what He says until it becomes a part of who we are. (Psalm 119:27) As we do that, we will begin to walk out the truth. (Deuteronomy 8:6) In doing that, we may come against those who, like Pilate, say, "What is truth?" (John 18:38) Pilate, the great leader, asked that question when The Truth was standing right in front of Him. (John 14:6) He didn't even recognize the Truth when it was staring him in the face. Leaders are only people. They
are vulnerable like everyone else. (Romans 3:23) Sometimes they don't see the truth. That is why we must pray that God will have mercy on them, just as we want
Him to have mercy on us. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) We all have the responsibility of knowing God's truth and obeying it. No matter what country
we live in, if we are believers, we are citizens of a higher Kingdom. (Isaiah 9:6-7) Our allegiance is to the King of Kings, first and foremost! (1 Timothy 6:15) As citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, we should be the best of citizens wherever God places us, as long as the
authority of man does not require us to break God's laws. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Wherever
we live on this earth, may we be found as those whose God is the Lord. (Psalm 33:12) Let us be found living in peace with everyone as much as possible. (Romans 12:14-21) God is still in control. He is still the supreme authority. God is still on the throne!
(Psalm 103:19) MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 5, 2008 - THE WAY TO HAVE A GENTLE AND QUIET SPIRIT Philippians 4:8 (KJV) Do you have a gentle and quiet spirit?
(1 Peter 3:4) If not, do you wish you did? God has given us tools to help create a gentle and quiet spirit within us.
It is His will that we have his peace. (Philippians 4:7) Paul has given us five things we can do to have that peace. (Philippians 4:4-6) Rejoice. Be gentle and considerate with others. Don't worry. Pray about
everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for everything He has done for you. Then His wonderful peace
will guard your heart and mind. Your spirit will become quiet and the presence of the Prince of peace will
flow through you. How attractive! Paul went on to give
us eight things to keep on our minds to help us receive, not only the peace of God, but the presence of the God
of peace. (Philippians 4:9) What is your first thought in the morning? Is it positive or negative? Do you wake up thinking
about all the things you didn't get done yesterday and dread having to do them today? Do you wake up feeling sorry
for yourself because you feel lonely? Do you wake up with bitter feelings toward another because you haven't
exercised forgiveness? Or, do you wake up with, as I just heard on a children's program today, "happy
thoughts?" While it is true that our circumstances may look
less than favorable, we do not live "under," the circumstances. We live above them. (Ephesians 2:6) Sometimes, I have to admit, I forget where I am seated. We are seated in the heavenly
realms with Christ. Is there any reason to think negative, "unhappy" thoughts? I am encouraging
myself today to renew my mind so that my thoughts will lead me to have a quiet and gentle spirit. Romans 12:2 (NIV) 2 Do not conform
any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. I encourage you to do the same.
Paul has wonderfully outlined eight helpful ways to renew our minds. (Philippians 4:8) We just have to choose what we will think about. Here's God's suggested list. If it's true, think about it. If it's honest, think about it.
If it's just (fair and equitable), think about it. If
it's pure (clean, modest), think about it. If it's lovely (pleasing and agreeable),
think about it. If it's reputable well spoke of, think about it. If it's virtuous (excellent), think about it. If it's praiseworthy, think
about it. The next time we start to think about things that are contrary these eight "happy
thoughts" from God, we need to take the negative thought captive and replace it with one or more of the eight thoughts
Paul recorded in the scripture. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) 5 We
demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought
to make it obedient to Christ. Soon, we will find that we are acquiring a quiet
and gentle spirit. We won't have to wish for it anymore. It will be ours as we experience the peace of
God and the God of peace within us. MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 4, 2008 - BEAUTY THAT DOESN'T FADE 1 Peter 3:4 (NLT) What are we known for? How do others see us? More importantly, how does God see us? Are we preoccupied
with how we look on the outside? Or, does our attractiveness come from what's on the inside? Women
have a tendency to try to make themselves look good on the outside, which is fine. But, the outside will fade.
(2 Corinthians 4:16) Hair will turn gray, clothes will wear out. It's not only women either. Men also tend to try to look
the part. There used to be a very popular saying, and a whole book was written about, "Dress For Success."
It is good to be well-groomed and clean but our success will not come solely from what we look like on the outside.
We may get in the door because we look good, but what is on the inside of us will eventually show through. What
will it be? A heart filled with bad thoughts and unrest or a heart filled with the peace of God? (Philippians 4:7) Speaking to women, Peter urged them to be well-dressed from
the inside out. Underneath all of the outside apparel, concealed deep within our hearts, God is looking for something
very precious to Him. Being precious, it is expensive. And sometimes it will cost us something. We just
might have to give up our right to be right sometimes. We might have to hold our tongues! God is looking
for a meek and quiet spirit. God is looking for our heart (which includes our feelings and thoughts) to be filled with
those things that do not decay. (2 Corinthians 4:16) Because our bodies were not made to live forever, they will decay, but a well-nourished heart will never decay.
Do you have a well-dressed heart today. Is it filled with peace so that you will carry peace wherever you go?
How do we do that? One way is to follow Paul's prescription in
his epistle to the Philippian church. (Philippians 4:4-6) Rejoice always! A joyful heart is a peaceful heart. (Galatians 5:22, Psalm 32:11) Let your patient consideration and gentleness be evident. What we give to others will be multiplied to us.
(Luke 6:38) That will bring peace and, with peace, we will have a gentle and quiet spirit. It is the principle of sowing
and reaping. If we sow consideration, gentleness and peace, that is what we will reap. (Galatians 6:7) It may not come from others instantly but we are urged not to faint or lose heart in well doing. We will
reap a harvest. God promised. (Galatians 6:9) Remember that the Lord is at hand! He's coming soon. Besides that, if we have received Him, he lives
in our hearts. If the Prince of peace is in our hearts, quietness and gentleness lives there. (Isaiah 9:6) If something else comes out of our mouths, we need to clean house! There's obviously a place
within our hearts that we have not turned over to the Prince of peace. Next, we have to stop worrying. God
has a good plan for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) He knows exactly how we feel in every challenging situation. (Hebrews 4:15) He knows and he cares enough to take all our burdens if we will let them go. (1 Peter 5:7) All we have to do is pray about everything. Not just our "wish lists," but with thankfulness for everything
God has done. When we've done those things, we will begin to feel a flood of peace that we can't even understand flowing
through our hearts. Our spirits will become quiet and gentle as we realize the great gift God has given us and we will,
from the inside out, become attractive to others as we overflow with gentle, peaceful quietness. That kind of beauty
will never fade. It will grow more beautiful day by day as we practice the peace that comes from following Paul's
prescription. MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 3, 2008 - PROTECTION FROM DECEPTION Joshua 9:14 (NLT) Joshua was a man of God. He was anointed by God to lead the Israelites into the promised land. There's
not much of anything in scripture that we can find that sheds a bad light on Joshua. Even his name means, "Jehovah
saved." There's no doubt that he was chosen of God to do a great work. (Joshua 1:1-5) There is one place in scripture where we do find that Joshua,
along with the rest of Israel, made an error. They were deceived by the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites had heard about
the victories that God had brought to the Israelites and, fearing for their lives, decided to resort to deception to save
themselves. (Joshua 9:4) Unfortunately, Joshua and the Israelites found themselves craftily deceived. We, too, have an enemy that is out to deceive us. Jesus said he would masquerade as false messiahs and false
prophets. He will try to deceive God's chosen ones. (Matthew 24:24) He will disguise himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14) Joshua, an anointed man of God, was deceived. We need to learn a lesson from Joshua and realize that we
must guard against deception ourselves. The enemy will most likely not come to us looking like a red beast with a long
tail and a pitch fork. He most likely will not come to us looking like himself. He is a master at deception.
Joshua slipped once and was deceived, and that once brought some unwanted consequences. How did he slip?
He did not ask for counsel from the Lord. (Joshua 9:14) How can we keep from being deceived by our enemy, the devil? We can constantly ask for counsel from the Lord.
He is ready and waiting for our request. (James 1:5) We can never be too careful in keeping ourselves from being deceived by the enemy that is out to destroy us.
(John 10:10) No matter how spiritual we are or how anointed we are, we can see from Joshua's mistake, that we need to
ask God for wisdom in every situation. His counsel will be our protection from deception. MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 2, 2008 - THE COMMAND TO BE COURAGEOUS Joshua 1:9 (NIV) There
is a lot of talk about prosperity in our churches today. Everyone wants to be successful. While it is true that
only God can make us prosperous and successful, we do have a part to play. As the Lord gave Joshua the assurance that
he would lead the people into the promised land, He also gave Joshua some instructions. Joshua was to meditate on God's
law day and night, speak of it, and be careful to do everything that is written in it. Only then
would Joshua be prosperous and successful in his work. (Joshua 1:8) We, too, must follow the pattern God gave Joshua for success and prosperity.
Do we meditate on God's word day and night? Do we speak of it constantly? Are we
careful to do everything that is written in it? (John 14:15) Joshua also received a command from the Lord. It is
a command that you may have heard from the Lord too when things seemed to tough to handle. I have. Joshua's
job would not be easy. There would be battles to fight and ground to win. It's like that in our lives too.
The command to Joshua and to us is this: "Be strong and courageous." When challenges arise and
things seem impossible, there's no time to be afraid or dismayed. It's time to remember that the Lord is with
us wherever we go. (Joshua 1:9) He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) Jesus also gave a command to his disciples. It was to win battles against the enemy and gain souls
for His Kingdom. As His disciples,we are to make other disciples by teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded
us. He gives us that same promise that God gave Joshua. He promises to be with us to the end of the age.
(Matthew 28:20) Our obedience to the Word of God, along with the promise of His presence brings true and lasting prosperity
and success. God has given us His word to meditate on and speak. His word will never return empty but it will
prosper where it is sent. (Isaiah 55:11) If we are speaking it, it will bring success and prosperity. If we truly believe it, we can take courage because
the Word is alive. (Matthew 14:27) Jesus is that Word. (John 1:14) Today, let's meditate on, speak and do His word. Let's determine to be strong and courageous, not
matter what we face. God has not given us a spirit of fear. He has given us power, love, and a
sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) Besides that, we have the presence of God through the power of His Spirit if we have received Him. (1 John 3:24) The command to be courageous is not so hard when we realize that God is present with us and He will bring
us to victory! (1 Corinthians 15:57) MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 1, 2008 - THE PITS OF LIFE Psalm 30:3 (NLT) Have you encountered some pits in your life? How did they affect you? Were you able to praise from the
pit or did you succumb to a pity party in the pit? Let's talk about someone who had a few pits in his life. This
particular boy experienced the death of both of his parents before he was eleven years old. He could have
settled into the pit of depression and refused to keep going. He kept going anyway. This boy was then
raised by a brother who really didn't want the job of raising a little brother. The boy probably
felt abandoned. (Psalm 27:10) Maybe someone had taught him that God would take him in even if he had no one else to nurture him. The boy grew and married but after only thirteen years of marriage, he experienced
another loss. His wife died. He married again. Between his two marriages, he had twenty children.
(Psalm 127:4) Twenty children! Yet, there was sadness and loss there too. Ten of those children died when
they were only infants. One of his children died in his twenties. One was mentally retarded. This man, who
had such a hard childhood, grew to adulthood, only to experience more sorrow and greater challenge. Have you experienced
a great deal of sorrow and disappointment in your life? Do you find yourself in a pit having a pity party?
If so, leave that miserable party and have a praise party! In the
end, the man we are referencing eventually went blind and was paralyzed by a stroke. Perhaps he had good reason
to feel like his life was one great big pit. We might even think he had good reason to just sit in his pit
and do nothing. Yet, he did not. Instead, he chose to write music of praise and share that praise with the
rest of the world. The praise that came from the pits of this mans life have inspired and encouraged the world for years
and years. Because of this man, many have been blessed. Who was this man? His name was Johann Sebastian
Bach. He is one of the greatest composers of church music in history. He composed one such piece, "My
Heart Ever Faithful," to a text written by Christiane Mariane von Ziegler. His beautiful
music blessed the listener's heart as they heard the words, "My heart, ever faithful, sing praises, be joyful,
sing praises, be joyful, thy Savior is near." Instead of remaining in a pit of despair, Bach wrote music of praise
and faith. The song goes on to say, "Away with complaining, faith ever maintaining.....thy Savior is here." When
we find ourselves in a pit, whether we fell in, got pushed in or even jumped in willfully, we can remember that it is
God who pulls us from each pit. It is for that reason, like Bach, we should keep a faithful heart, sing praises,
be joyful, stop complaining, and maintain our faith. Corrie Ten Boom and her sister, Betsie, were prisoners in
a Nazi prison camp. That is a pit! Betsie died there but Corrie went on to testify to the following.
"There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still." The ladder out of the pits of
life is praise! (Psalm 40:2)
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 31,
2008 - IT'S NOT ALWAYS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE John 15:1-2 (NLT) I just read a story about a grapevine. The vine was extremely happy that it was
able to get through the winter. It figured that it would have no more troubles. The warm summer weather would make
life easier the surrounding garden would be a beautiful place to live. Then something happened that didn't feel
so good. The gardener came in with his knife and began to cut, cut, cut. (Hebrews 12:11) Ouch! That's not what the grapevine expected. The vine thought it might even die. It felt so
bad. At first it thought that the gardener was trying to kill it. Have you ever felt like you were being cut to the core? Did you think that God had surely abandoned you or
was punishing you severely? In the story of the vine, the gardener explained to the vine that he was not trying to kill it,
only to keep it from being disgraced by the end of the summer season. What felt so bad now, would turn to good
for the bewildered grapevine. (Romans 8:28) The gardener wanted the vine to be beautiful and so he had to prune the branches that would later bear
fruit. That's what God does for us. (Romans 8:29) Sometimes it feels like God is doing something to us but He is really doing something in us and
for us. As the summer moved on, the gardener was pleased when he saw that there were huge clusters of grapes
on the vine. After our Heavenly Gardener prunes us and takes away the things that keep us from growing, He will be pleased
with the fruit that we bear. And, we will be too. In the story of the vine, the grapevine thanks the gardener
because it has been able to produce lovely fruit. It finally realizes that, without pruning, it could not
have produced such large sweet clusters of grapes. We need to be filled with thankfulness always, even when things don't
feel so good. (Ephesians 5:20) The Gardener will never do anything to ultimately harm us. (Jeremiah 29:11) In the long run, we will be better and more fruitful. If you are going through a season of pruning, know that the season of fruit-bearing is coming. Continue
to do what you know is good and soon the clusters of sweet fruit will emerge. (Galatians 6:9) It will come right in time. Jesus is the vine and God is the Gardener. God will prune all of the branches
that bear fruit. So, if you're feeling the sharp edge of His pruning shear today, know that it's because you're
a fruit bearer. Jesus lets us know that his message prunes us. (John 15:2) His word is sharper than a two-edged sword. It cuts deep, but it cuts skillfully. It goes right to
our heart and does it's surgery to cut out any heart disease. (Hebrews 4:12) That kind sometimes feels like adversity. It feels like the grinding of wheat in a mill. It feels
like being pressed in an olive press. Like an impossible battle. Like a cross that is way too heavy. That's
only what it feels like. It's not always what it feels like! The One who is doing the pruning has
promised us the victory. He is our victory. (Romans 8:37) Like the vine with the enormous, luscious clusters of grapes, we will be stronger for the pruning, the
battle, and the pressing. When we are pruned, we might feel like we're dying. But, only the things
in us that are harmful are dying. The things that hold us back are being cut away and they are dying but we are growing
stronger and stronger. We're being prepared to produce more, bigger and better fruit!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 30, 2008 -
IN SOME CASES THE PRINCE OF PEACE BRINGS DIVISION Luke 12:52 (NIV) If you are a believing parent of a wayward child today, you know that
sometimes Jesus will bring division to a household. That is not His perfect will but, if our children choose to
walk away from Him, it will automatically create division. And hearts will break. Don't you suppose God's
heart broke when He heard His perfect Son pray from the cross, "Father, forgive them because they don't know what
they're doing." (Luke 23:34) God had sent Jesus to make a way for us to be His children. It is His will that we should be one with Him.
Yet He, being all knowing, knew that some of us would choose to walk away. There would be division, but
it would be by our choice, not His. If you have a child who has gone
astray, your heart is probably broken today. God understands that. His own Son became our sin on the cross. At
that moment, His Father had to look away from Him. (Mark 15:34) Instead of seeing His perfect Jesus there on the cross, He saw you and me and all of our sin. Do you suppose
that God, while looking the other way, was shedding a tear because of the division between Him and His Son? As parents,
we certainly shed tears when our children choose to walk the wrong way. We feel like Jesus who looked over Jerusalem
and called out to His people. He was their answer but they would not respond. (Luke 13:33-34) Right then, the heart of Jesus must have been breaking. When
I was young, my mother used to pray that God would keep us from experiencing Luke 12:52. I didn't understand what she meant then, but I do now. There are so many divided families
and so many young confused, hurting and angry young people. As parents, all of us are less than perfect
and some of us have failed miserably. If you are a young person, you may have become rebellious,
looking for your satisfaction in everything but the Lord. You may consider it, "old-fashioned," to believe
in a God you can't see. (Hebrews 13:8) All of us are imperfect but God can fix that. (Isaiah 53:6) In some cases, the Prince of Peace brings division because we are not seeking Him like we should to be the
head of our lives and of our families. However, He wants to bring peace to us. It is our choice. Just
look at this scripture describing the mission of John the Baptist. Luke 1:17 (AMP) 17 And he will [himself]
go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn back the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient
and incredulous and unpersuadable to the wisdom of the upright [which is the knowledge and holy love of the will of God]—in
order to make ready for the Lord a people [perfectly] prepared [in spirit, adjusted and disposed and placed in the right moral
state]. This is what God really wants for us and for our children. He demonstrates that for us in the
story of the prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-24) It is never too late to return to our Father in Heaven. It is never too late to let the Prince
of Peace bring reconciliation to our families. If you are that young person who is running away from the Godly values
of your family, you will get nowhere going that direction. You may feel picked on, but your family only wants the
best for you. And God desires to accomplish in you more than you could ask or believe. (Ephesians 3:20) As parents and grandparents, we must seek to live lives of righteousness before our children and grandchildren.
If we do this and point them to the Lord, He has promised that He will teach them and that they will have great
peace. Indeed, the Prince of Peace will bring them peace and hearts and families will be mended. (Isaiah 54:13) Hear the Lord calling today: Jeremiah 3:22 (NLT) 22 "My
wayward children," says the LORD, "come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts." Child
and parent alike, let us reply like the people of old, "Yes, we will come," the people reply, "for
you are the LORD our God. Lord, restore our broken lives and families. We commit them to You, knowing
You are able to keep everyone and everything we have committed to You. (2 Timothy 1:12) MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 29, 2008 - A MATTER OF THE HEART Psalm 139:23 (AMP) As much as we might
like to, we cannot search to the depths of our own heart. Our hearts are deceitful. Jeremiah 17:9 (AMP) 9 The
heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know
it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]? We are apt to deceive ourselves
into thinking that everything is fine within us. When we deceive ourselves, we deceive others. We can look extremely
good on the outside, yet be totally unhealthy on the inside. I read
of a young athlete who was found dead in his hotel room. He looked like the perfect picture of health. But, that
appearance deceived him and deceived others. He actually had a large blockage in two coronary arteries and several other
things wrong with his heart. For him, it was a matter of the heart but he did not know it and no one else knew it either.
We can be that way spiritually. If we use wisdom, we get a physical check-up periodically to check for heart trouble.
If we use spiritual wisdom, we will ask God to check our heart. (Psalm 139:23) Others may applaud us and give us positive feedback, but it's God's opinion that counts. The Great
Physician is the only one who can diagnose our heart problems correctly. I am greatly aware that it is quite easy to slip into a place of honoring the Lord with our mouths while our hearts
keep at a distance. (Matthew 15:8) If we do that, we are only deceiving ourselves. We might even deceive some others, but we can
never deceive God. He knows our hearts. (Jeremiah 17:10) He has said that the ones who will find Him are the ones that seek Him with all of their hearts. (Deuteronomy 4:29) God says we have to seek Him with all of our heart and soul. That means with our spirit,
as well as our mind and emotions. Anybody can learn spiritual language and sound eloquent speaking it. Not everyone
who sounds spiritually eloquent has a heart that is close to God. When it comes down to our spiritual health,
it is a matter of the heart. No matter what we look like on the outside, we will be still dead in our sins
if we have not been given a new heart from the Lord. Even after receiving that new heart, we still need to continually
be changed from the heart out. No amount of spiritual eloquence can change us. It can make us hypocrites if we're
not changed from the heart out. It's not a bad idea to ask God every day to search our hearts and remove anything
that is displeasing to Him. Psalm 51:10 (AMP) 10 Create
in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me. When
it comes to our spiritual health, it's a matter of the heart.
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 28, 2008 -
NO FENCES Matthew 5:24 (NIV) Is your worship unhindered this morning? Or, is there an invisible
fence that seems to be keeping you from the close presence of the Lord? It could be that there are unresolved matters
between you and someone you know. We can have the best intentions of bringing an offering to the Lord but He wants, first, that
we should be reconciled to one another. That is why Jesus said that if we bring a gift to the Lord, we should be sure
that no one has anything against us. (Matthew 5:23) If there is an unresolved situation, we should go and take care of that before making an offering to the Lord.
Offerings in the Old Testament times had to be perfect. They
had to be without any spot or blemish. (Numbers 28:3) In order for us to receive salvation, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for us. He was
without sin. He had no spot or blemish. (1 Peter 1:19) Now, we are told that we are to be found by Him to be without spot or blemish. 2 Peter 3:14 (AMP) 14 So,
beloved, since you are expecting these things, be eager to be found by Him [at His coming] without spot or blemish and at
peace [in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]. If
we are not living at peace with each other, we will be blemished by unforgiveness and possibly bitterness. Our
first offering to the Lord should be ourselves. (Romans 12:1) Being at odds with others will create a fence, so to speak, between us and God because we will be trying
to serve Him and bring our offerings to Him with unforgiveness (blemish) in our hearts. If we harbor unforgiveness and bitterness toward others, it makes our gifts, "spotted." (Luke 6:37) Jesus said that we should stop criticizing others or it would come back on us. One of the ways that unforgiveness
comes back on us is that, even though we offer gifts to God of our time, talent, and money, they are unacceptable to Him.
(1 Corinthians 13:3) Is there some relationship that you need to try to reconcile today so that your gifts will be pleasant before God?
The greatest gift you can give others is to forgive them and be reconciled. It will also be the greatest gift you
can give yourself. It will relieve you of a burden that you were not meant to carry. Jesus said that,
if we forgive others, we too would be forgiven. Not only will we be forgiven, but what we give will be accepted
by God. Our worship will not be hindered and we will be free to experience His presence with us. We may not
be able to reconcile everything. The other person may not be willing to do so. But, we need to attempt to do so,
knowing that God is pleased with that. (Romans 12:18) We're asked to live at peace with everyone putting forth the effort to do so as much as we can. "An
offense against your neighbor is a fence between you and God" - "Our Daily Bread" We certainly don't
want any fences between us and God! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 27, 2008 - THE SACRIFICE OF A FREEWILL OFFERING Psalm 54:6 (AMP) The whole world is now searching
to find the answers to economic crisis. In such a time, we all feel the stress of it. We might be tempted to hold
on to more and give less. Yet, this is not the time to withhold our giving. David was in great distress when He
decided to give a freewill offering as a sacrifice to the Lord. It is during our times of stress that we need to
determine, like David, to offer the sacrifice of a freewill offering to the Lord. No matter what happens in this world,
the name of the Lord is good. And, it is powerful! The name of the Lord is powerful enough to defeat anything that comes
against us. (Psalm 54:7) When we offer a freewill offering, even when we feel
troubled or afraid, God sees it as a sacrifice. He accepts that sacrifice knowing that it has cost us something.
It's easy to look on the bleak side of things and begin to speak negatively. It's a little more difficult to
keep looking up and remembering that God is our provider. (Philippians 4:19) That takes some faith. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Faith will cause us to offer up a freewill sacrifice of praise, even when things look dismal. (Hebrews 13:5) As that sacrifice of praise reaches the heart of God, He will respond with His favor. (Ephesians 1:6) We may not have a whole lot to give right now. You may even have
nothing material to give. But, you do have what the Bible calls, "the fruit of your lips." What
kind of fruit is there? If it is praise to the Lord, things will start to turn around. God knows our needs and,
even though this world may be in economic turmoil, the Kingdom of God will never go bankrupt! At one time, the Philippian
church helped the Apostle, Paul. Because of their freewill offering to help him, he told them that God would supply
all of their needs. When we offer up a freewill offering to the Lord and reach out to help others, we will find ourselves
well taken care of. Everyone has something to give, even if it is just a smile to someone else, a helping hand, an
encouraging word, a prayer for one in need. God has given us all something for which we can offer up
a sacrifice of praise to Him. He has given us all something we can offer in His Name, to help someone else. What freewill offering will you offer to God today and with what freewill offering will you reach out to another
today? Luke 6:38 (NIV) 38 Give,
and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 26, 2008 - TWO THINGS THAT PLEASE GOD Isaiah 56:1 (NIV) None
of our works, in and of themselves, can please God. Everything we try to do on our own is rubbish in God's sight.
(Isaiah 64:6) We, like the scripture says, are swept away in our sin, despite all the good things we might do.
If it were not for the grace of God in sending Jesus Christ to be that perfect sacrifice for our sins, we would all be blown
away. (Hebrews 9:26) Our works should not be done to win God's favor. The only way we can have God's favor is
by accepting His gift of salvation through His Son. It is because we have God's favor that we should lovingly and
gratefully want to please Him. How can we do that? Because
we have the presence of God's Spirit living in us, our goal should be to do what is right. To live justly and honestly
before a world that has seemed to go crazy. In such a world, it pleases God for us to live lives that bring glory to Him.
Matthew 5:16 (AMP) 16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble,
and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. Can we do that in our own
strength? No. And trying to would, not only be fake but, it would be a sin. It is Christ in us that gives
us the strength to bring glory to God. To live lives that are just and honest. It pleases God when we admit our
weaknesses and let Jesus be strong in and through us. (2 Corinthians 12:9) It pleases God when we are so
conformed to His Son that we, too, go about doing good because of our love for our Father. (Acts 10:38) It also pleases God when we observe a sabbath day of rest. Although that is something
that was instituted in the Old Testament, it still pleases God when we observe that day of rest today. (Isaiah 56:2)
Jesus did not come to do away with the laws of God, but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17) The laws of God were not
created to punish or restrict us, but to protect us. As we honor them, God honors us by giving us long life and success.
Being ritualistic in setting aside a day of rest is to be doing it in our own strength. That sort of defeats the purpose of
rest. It is only when we give up our own strength and fully love and rely on God that we find that true rest.
Jesus is our Sabbath. He is our rest. He invites us to come to Him every day in every situation and find rest.
(Matthew 11:28) On this Sunday, a day many choose to set apart as a day of rest, it is good to take time to reflect
on Jesus, the true Sabbath. Isaiah 58:13-14 (AMP) 13 If you turn away your foot from [traveling unduly on] the Sabbath,
from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a [spiritual] delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable,
and honor Him and it, not going your own way or seeking or finding your own pleasure or speaking with your own [idle] words,
14 Then will you delight yourself in the Lord, and I will make you to ride on the high places of the earth, and I will feed
you with the heritage [promised for you] of Jacob your father; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. Delighting in
the Lord by reflecting on Jesus, our true Sabbath and living justly and honestly out of love and gratitude for our Father
will bring glory to God and He will favor us with His presence. MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 25, 2008 -
HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS - THEY'RE FOUND IN GOD'S WORD Joshua 1:8 (KJV) If you had a loved one whom you would not see for a while, wouldn't you be anxious to hear from them?
In these days of cell phones and e-mail, we don't have to usually wait long to hear from one we love.
But, in days gone by, letters were a way to keep in touch. There were people in the early days of America
who traveled from the east to settle in the west. They left loved ones behind. A letter took a long
time to reach them by pony express. Don't you think that, when that anticipated letter arrived, they devoured
it? They probably read it over and over again, memorizing many parts of it. Some even probably folded up that
letter and tucked it in their clothes close to their heart. How much more so should we read, devour, meditate and keep
God's words of love in our hearts? When we do that, we will have good success. We will bring forth good
fruit. (Luke 8:15) Unless they knew Latin, the early church could
not read the scriptures for themselves. But that began to change in 1516 when Erasmus was able to publish a New Testament
in the original Greek language. Now, we are so blessed to be able to read the scriptures in just about any language.
We have no excuse for being ignorant of God's word and we can have no real success without it. Do you want to be happy? Everybody is looking for happiness today. It is
found only in those who follow the Word of the Lord. (Psalm 119:1) Happiness is found in people who obey His Word and search for Him wholeheartedly. (Psalm 119:2) When we do that we have success because we don't compromise with the evil of this world. (Psalm 119:3) Instead, we walk in the paths of the Lord which are lighted by His Word to us. (Psalm 119:105) As we read His Word, His Spirit teaches us the principles for a successful life. Then, He will take us a step
further if we will study His Words and meditate or reflect on them. (Psalm 119:15) Just like someone with a letter from a loved one who is far away. Do you need counsel today? It's
found in the Word of God. (Psalm 119:24) His counsel will give us true happiness and success in this life and the next. That word, "success,"
in the Hebrew brings with it the idea of acting properly. It is prosperity, wisdom, good success, etc. Now,
wouldn't that make us happy! If we want success and happiness, let's determine to study, meditate on, and hide
God's Word in our hearts and then incorporate it into the way we live.
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 24, 2008 - PRAYER AND A THANKFUL HEART Colossians 4:2 (NLT) What can you think of to pray about today? Colossians 4:2 says that we should pray with an alert mind. In other words, keep awake. Are we as watchful
and vigilant as we should be in prayer? For our family and friends? For our church? For our government?
For lost souls? Do we remember that our prayers, if we are believers, are effective? Powerful? (James 5:16) Do we constantly remember the needs of those around us and pray accordingly? How we would see
the hand of God move if we would obey His Word to pray constantly and with an alert mind! Are we praying constantly
for the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives to lead us? After
we have thought of every person and situation we can think about (and there are more than enough), we can pray with thanksgiving.
Things may not be as we would like them to be at the moment, but they are certainly not as bad as they could be. We
have the promise that, with God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) We may not be where we want to be but we've come a long way from where we were. Even if we're
in a struggle, we can and should give thanks. No situation is impossible for God. (Luke 1:37) God is our very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1) Jesus said He would never leave us. (Hebrews 13:5) Nothing can separate us from the love of our Father. (Romans 8:39) If we couldn't think of anything else to pray, prayers of thankfulness to God for who He is
could take an eternity. Do we wonder why we don't see the hand of God move? Could it be that we need
to devote ourselves more to watchful, thankful prayer? MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 23, 2008 - TIME IS PASSING Psalm 71:18 (NLT) Time is passing. If
you are young now, there will be a day that you will not be as young. If you are old and gray, as Psalm 71:18 says, you have probably come to the conclusion that you need the Lord. You have probably looked back on your life
and seen the grace that God has given you to get you this far. God is interested in us in every season of our
lives. As old and gray as we get, we will always be His children. (Romans 8:16) God has promised that He will be with us in the season
of old age. When I was young, I could not imagine myself being the age I am now. Right now, I don't feel
like all those years have gone by, but they have. If you are young, realize that these years will pass quickly and don't
waste time following the gods of this world. There are many tempting things calling to you, but none can satisfy.
Only the Lord can and will lead you in a way that will bring you true joy and satisfaction. (Psalm 119:9) If you have a few years under your belt, you can count on the fact
that God cares about you and has prepared good things for you too. He will renew your youth if you will trust him to
do so. (Psalm 103:5) When we wait on the Lord, He will give us new strength. (Isaiah 40:31) There will be a time, and that time may be upon us, when youths will become exhausted and young men will give
up. (Isaiah 40:30) But, old or young, none of us has to give up. Whether young or old, God will give you His power and strength.
(Isaiah 40:29) He truly does give strength to the weak, no matter what age we are. Time is passing but God is the God
of new beginnings. Young or old, we can begin again, no matter what is in our past. Let this day be a day
of new beginnings for you. God is willing, are you? Time is passing but God has said that today He is willing
to help you. (2 Corinthians 6:2) To give you salvation and forgiveness for your sins if you have not received it already. He is waiting to give
you strength and hope in that seemingly impossible situation you are facing and bring you through. Time is passing.
Call on Him today! Then you, too, can proclaim His miracles to the new generation. MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 22, 2008 - WHEN I AM WEAK 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NLT) Do you have weaknesses? Are there times when you feel weak, so weak that you think you just can't go on?
We don't like it when we feel weak. It's not fashionable to be weak. Yet, Paul said that he was content
with his weaknesses. I wonder how many of us could say that we're content with our weaknesses! The Greek
word used here for weaknesses is one meaning, "feebleness of mind or body." In this age where there is an
emphasis on physical and mental fitness, contentedness in being feeble is contrary to everything we see and hear. Paul went on to say that, when he was weak, he was strong. That sounds like a
contradiction! When we are weak, we are strong too, if we're trusting in the Lord for our strength.
When you think about it, we don't really have any strength of our own. It all comes from God. Without Him,
we couldn't live or move. We wouldn't even be! (Acts 17:28) The word, "strong," in 2 Corinthians 12:10, means powerful and capable. It comes from a Greek root word from which we get our word, "dynamite."
When you feel weak, you can know that you're in a great place because, in Christ, you can find all the strength you need.
(Philippians 4:13) Dynamite power! When we are weak, we invite the power of the Rescuer. (Psalm 35:10) We may suffer with some health issues and our spirit may be tempted but the scripture says that God remains the
strength of our heart. Are you feeling weak today? If not, there will probably be a time in the future that you
do. Be encouraged and remember what Isaiah 40:29 says. That's just when God gives us power. When we are tired and worn out. When we're
all out of our strength, He offers His strength. Now, whose strength would you rather have? Your own? Or
God's? No wonder Paul was content in his weaknesses! He had God's power. What an exchange! Our weakness,
for God's power!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 21, 2008 - ENCOURAGEMENT 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) What a wonderful thing encouragement is! God encouraged Joshua. Joshua 1:9 (AMP) I am so blessed
to have several friends who encourage me. In that way, they are just like God. Do you ever get a leak in
your courage tank? Then, a friend will speak positive words of encouragement to you and, suddenly, that leak is
patched up and you can go on! We are to encourage one another just as God encourages us. Are you an encourager?
If you have not been in the past, look around you and find someone who is wilting in discouragement. These days,
you may not have to look very far. Then speak an encouraging word to them and watch how they perk up! (Proverbs 16:24) When times get tough, as they are in the world today, discouragement
can creep in. When we get discouraged, we are tempted to think only of ourselves and become lax in doing the
good works God prepared for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) That's why it's important to be encouragers. Hebrews 10:24 (AMP) 24 And
let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and
incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, Let's consider how we can stir one another up to
continue to run the race. Paul encourages us all to do that. (1 Corinthians 9:24) We are encouraged to be an encouragement to others with our good and helpful words. (Ephesians 4:29) I'm thankful to God this morning for friends who have gone out of their way to speak good and helpful words to
me. There are so many people who are facing fear and discouragement in life. Let's determine to be encouragers,
just as God encourages us! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 20, 2008 - A MIRACLE OF LOVE AND GRACE Psalm 136:4 (NLT) Don't
we all love it when we hear of some wondrous thing that God has done for someone? Don't we all long to see miracles
in our own lives when things aren't looking so good? Praise God, He is a God of miracles. But sometimes
we miss them because we have taken them for granted. And, then again, sometimes we forget to thank Him. The scripture
says that God, alone, does mighty miracles. Alone. No one but God can do these things.
He does the hard things. He does things that are hidden from our sight until He chooses to manifest them. He does
marvelous things that we could never even think of. (Isaiah 55:9, Ephesians 3:20) We might be in a certain "pickle," in our lives and pray, in a sort of advisory way, asking God for
the solution that we are thinking about. Meanwhile, He has something a thousand times better in mind. He, alone,
does wondrous things. How about all of those things we take for granted? For
example, our next breath. Unless God gives us our next breath, it won't be there and we won't be here!
I know. I've had pneumonia and could not suck in a breath at all. It is then that you know what
a miracle breathing is. Right now, all of us could and should give thanks to God, whose love and kindness makes it possible
for us to breathe! Just think of how it is when a new baby is born. We're all very educated these days as
to the physiological attributes of baby-making. However, only God can knit that little one together in the darkness
of its mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13) Only God can create a unique, complexly made human being. (Psalm 139:14) The writer of The Message puts it this way: Psalm 139:14 (MSG) 14 I
thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what
a creation! Just the fact that you and I are here and walking around is a miracle! Plus that, the
Creator of the world, the one who put the stars in place and formed the oceans and the mountains, takes the time to intricately
form us. In addition, He thinks of us all the time. (Psalm 139:17-18) Does your spouse or your boss or any other friend think about you all the time? That's a miracle!
The God, who holds the whole universe in place, thinks about you all the time! There
are lots and lots of miracles happening around us every day. (Psalm 40:5) Sometimes, when I'm dog tired and have to stop at the market where the parking lot is totally full, there's
a front parking place waiting for me. That's a miracle. God was thinking of me. He knew how tired I
was and He made a place, for me! Just for me! Other times, when I have needed a certain item, it was on sale.
Just when I needed it! Little miracles happen around us all the time. Are we looking? Are we thankful?
Then there are the big, big miracles. My daughter was born, not breathing and with no heartbeat, but the Name of Jesus
brought her to life and with no resulting brain damage! My sister was poisoned with ten times the lethal dose of
cyanide. Naturally speaking, she should be dead, or at the most, a vegetable. No! A miracle from God was
more than enough to supernaturally save her life against all odds. She is alive and praising God today, twenty-some
years later! This morning, in a world full of confusion and uncertainty, let's look back and remember what
God has done for us. Let's tell it to this generation. (Psalm 71:18, Psalm 78:4) Let's keep our eyes open every day in thankfulness for the miracles that constantly happen in, to, and
around us. And, let's not forget that, as the song says, "....but when He saved my soul, cleansed
and made me whole, it took a miracle of love and grace." It is God, alone, who can perform the miracle
of saving our souls! His faithful love, indeed, endures forever! Is there a greater miracle? MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 19, 2008 - HOW GREAT A LOVE! 1 John 3:1 (KJV) Have you stopped lately to think about the magnitude of the love God has for us? It may not be something we
think about every day. As we go through life, we know that He provides for us, protects us, delivers us, comforts us,
etc., but do we stop to realize how much He loves us? Some parents today just give their children things.
They provide for them but they do not really show the love needed for their children to develop into healthy, stable,
mature adults. We do not have a Father like that. We have a Heavenly Father that lavishes his love on us and calls
us His children, even when we've really messed up! If we miss the mark or run away, He will love us back into
the family. (Luke 15:11-32) Maybe you're reading this and you think you have done something so bad that God doesn't love you any more.
We change but God's love never changes. It's always there waiting for us if we will come back to Him.
He wants to grow His children into healthy, loving, mature individuals. Only His love can accomplish that.
The Apostle, Paul, prayed a prayer for those
living in Ephesus and for us too. He prayed that we would experience the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:19 Are you experiencing the love of Christ today? The original Greek word has to do with perceiving. Do you
perceive this morning just how much God loves you? He loves you and me so much that He was willing to give
His perfect Son to die for us so He could then call us His children. His love is the greatest gift anyone
could be given. It is there for everyone. (John 3:16) However, we are not forced or obligated to perceive or receive the gift. God is reaching down right
to where we are with His love this morning. It is our choice as to whether we will really perceive the enormity
of it and receive it. "You are not compelled to accept the
gentle, unrelenting love that is being directed toward you...You may have as much of it as you wish." - Cecil Osborne So, how much of God's love will we receive? We're all hungry for
love. God has spread a banquet table for us filled with the delicacies of His love. (Psalm 23:5) Do you perceive it? He wants to lavish it on you this morning and every morning. Let Him fill
you with it so that you will be able to go out and lavish it on others. (John 15:12) Stop right now, won't you? Perceive, receive, and experience the gift of His love. MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 18, 2008 - GOD GIVES, HOLDS, AND GUARDS Proverbs 2:6-8 (NIV) Are you one of God's faithful ones? You probably are if you
are reading this right now. If you haven't yet received Jesus and become a faithful follower of God, today is your
day! 2 Corinthians 6:2 (TLB) 2 For
God says, "Your cry came to me at a favorable time, when the doors of welcome were wide open. I helped you on a day when
salvation was being offered." Right now God is ready to welcome you. Today he is ready to save you. Today
is a great day for all of us to reflect on some of the things God does for us! God gives wisdom and, from Him, come
knowledge and understanding. If there was ever a day that we needed wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, it's right
now! Are there decisions you are struggling with today? Do you need wisdom to deal with wayward children or some
other relationship? Are you searching for understanding in some situation in your life where you just don't see
the answer? We have our answer right there in Proverbs 2:6. God gives us wisdom, knowledge and understanding. It's all right there in His Word.
And, the Holy Spirit will reveal it to us if we will just turn to look in God's direction. God, not only gives us the wisdom, knowledge and understanding we need to make it in
a world pretty much devoid of those things, He holds victory for us. If we are walking in His wisdom,
knowledge, understanding and love, we have the victory, no matter what circumstances may try to tell us! God is holding
it. When God holds on to something there's nothing that can pry it from His strong hand. Our victory is secure!
He holds that victory and, all along the way, He shields us when we are walking by the light of His Word. (Proverbs 2:7) Have you really looked into His Word in a while? And then meditated upon it, asking Him what it means?
His Word is our light as we walk in a dark world. (Psalm 119:105) In many places in His Word, we will see that He is our shield. (2 Samuel 22:31, Psalm 3:3, etc.) Psalm 91:2-6 (TLB) 2 This
I declare, that he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. 3
For he rescues you from every trap and protects you from the fatal plague. 4
He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. 5 Now you don't need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day;
6 nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning. Our God is not a cruel and demanding God.
He is a God of love. He gives His children wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He holds their victory in
His hands so that nothing can take it away from them. He shields us like nothing else can shield us. Not in unbendable,
cold, hard armor, but under his wings! There under His strong wings, we are shielded and guarded in that warm, safe
place. He guards every step we take and protects the our way as we follow Him. This morning we are
secure in an insecure world because we are citizens of a higher Kingdom. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords has
got us in His care and is giving us everything we need to make it safely through. Why not curl up with the Good
Book in the warmth of the shelter of His wings? There, in that shielded place, we can learn to walk uprightly and find the
wisdom, understanding and knowledge we need for all of life's challenges! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 17, 2008 - COMPASSIONATE AND GRACIOUS Psalm 103:8 (NIV) Do you consider yourself to be compassionate and gracious? (Colossians 4:6) What does it mean to be compassionate? It means to be full of mercy. What does mercy
do? Mercy keeps us from receiving what we deserve when we've missed the mark. Aren't you glad that
God is compassionate? He has kept us from the penalty of our sin by offering us salvation through His Son,
Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:16) Have there been people in your life who have missed the mark of your expectations of them?
If we're honest, we can all probably name more than a few! And, what is our attitude toward those people.
Is it one of revenge? I hope not. (Romans 12:19) Let's not deceive ourselves into thinking that just because we don't carry out
the action of revenge, that we're safe. Revenge begins in our hearts. (Psalm 44:21) When we hold a grudge or would like to see someone suffer, we have a heart full of revenge. (Leviticus 19:18) When we're like God, our hearts are filled with mercy. We are compassionate.
(Luke 6:36) What does it mean to be gracious? Taken
back to it's root word meaning, graciousness means to stoop in kindness to an inferior. It means to show favor
on someone. We are blessed this morning to know that God is a gracious God - a God of grace. Grace gives us what
we don't deserve. Amazing grace! Just think, Jesus, the Son of God, stooped to show kindness to His creation.
That's us! Philippians 2:9 (AMP) 9 Therefore [because
He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, We
don't deserve to have our sins forgiven. We're not all that good. We don't deserve to have anyone
die in our place. (Romans 5:6-11) But, Jesus stooped and He stooped low to show us kindness. To bring God's favor to us.
Are we living gracious lives? What about those people that fall below
our expectations and hurt us, whether it is deliberate or not? Of course, if someone deliberately hurts us
without reason, that pretty much makes that person inferior (at least during their outburst of cruelty). What do
we do in that case? Do we lash back or try to defend ourselves in a tit-for-tat volley of insults and hurtfulness?
(Romans 12:21) Or, do we get rid of all anger, malice, etc., and show graciousness. (Ephesians 4:31, Colossians 3:8) Think about it. When was the last time someone did something that bothered you? What was
your reaction? Hopefully, it was not instant anger. Hopefully, we will act with grace, rather than react in
a negative way. It's a choice. We have to choose the action of graciousness before something challenging happens.
If we do that, we will be less likely to react in a way displeasing to God. We, like God, can determine to stoop in kindness
to someone who is showing less than favorable attributes. That's what God did for us. God is slow to
anger. Are we? God is abounding in love, allowing Him to stoop to a low place in order to scoop us up out of the
dirt. Are we filled with love? He wants us to be. (John 15:17) We don't even have to muster it up on our own. We can love because God first loved us!
(1 John 4:19) What do others see in us? Moreover, what does God see in us? Is it a reflection of
Himself? (2 Corinthians 3:18) Is it the graciousness and compassion that we have been shown by our Father? MORNING MANNA - NO TIME TO BE DISORIENTED! Job 5:14 (KJV) One of the ways the devil will disrespect us and insult us (or diss us) is by lying to us and trying to confuse us.
Eliphaz assumed wrongly that Job had sinned. He assumed wrongly that Job was being punished for that sin.
Even in Eliphaz's wrong assumptions, though, he made some right statements. One of those statements is made in Job 5:14. Eliphaz was speaking of men and women who are being punished by God for their sins. (Job 5:12-13) Poor Eliphaz, he was confused himself. Maybe a bit disoriented. He was judging something he knew
nothing about. Job was not being punished by God. He was being tested. At times, we may be tested too.
When testing comes, the devil would like to diss us into believing his lies and make us confused. When we
get confused, we become double-minded and unstable in all of our ways. (James 1:8) Isn't that exactly what our enemy would love to see? Well, we're not going to fall for it! These days of trouble and turmoil in the world find many voices calling to
us from this way and that way. It is not easy to stay focused on hearing God's voice. It is not easy
to keep from falling into the mainstream of the world. The world is disoriented and they do grope in the noonday as
in the night. Because, in general, the world has turned away from it's Creator. The Message puts it this way:
Job 5:14 (MSG) 14 Suddenly
they're disoriented, plunged into darkness; they can't see to put one foot in front of the other. No one knows what will happen next unless they have read God's word and believed it. If the events of the
day seem to be disorienting, we need to become focused even more on God's Word. It tells us that these things will
happen and, although they are not easy to walk through sometimes, we can see that what God says is true. And besides
all of that, Jesus said we would have trouble in this world. (John 16:33) But, He also assured us that He had already overcome all of it for us and that He would be with us to the end.
(Matthew 28:20) Instead of being dissed by the enemy into becoming
disoriented in a merry-go-round, roller-coaster world, we need to cling to, and focus on, One voice. Here's what God
said to His people long ago. Isaiah 30:21 (AMP) 21 And
your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn
to the left. In the hustle-bustle of today's world, it's easy to get side-tracked, distracted,
and then become disoriented; but when we listen to the voice of God and follow, we can stay focused and avoid the trick
of the enemy, which is to confuse us. We know that God is not the author of confusion. It is the enemy who
authors confusion and disorientation. We have a Guide who will keep us from disorientation. (John 16:13) But we have to follow. The Holy Spirit will guide us and guard us if we will let Him, but He won't
force us. The choice is clear. This is not a time to be dissed by the devil into disorientation. It's
time to let the Holy Spirit lead us, listening every moment to His voice and following His commands. It's time
to trust Him with all of our hearts and acknowledge Him in every area of our lives. Then He will make our paths straight
and we will not be confused or disoriented. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Don't let the enemy diss you into becoming disoriented! (Psalm 32:7-11) MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 14, 2008 - LEARN TO GET RID OF DISCONTENTMENT Philippians 4:11 (AMP) Here's an area in which the
enemy would really enjoy "dissing" us. He would like us to be discontent. If we let our feelings
and emotions lead us into discontentment, we find ourselves in an argument with God. His word tells us to be content.
It not only tells us to be that way, it brings contentment. The more we learn His Word and learn to live it, the more
content we become. Paul said that he was content. But he didn't just get that way overnight. He learned
to be content. (Philippians 4:11) How did Paul learn to be content? He went through many things.
He didn't stop in the middle of any of those things. He went through. If you're facing a challenging
circumstance right now, don't think of yourself as being "in" it. Think of it as going through
it. That way discontentment can't come to stay and make itself at home in your life. Instead of being
discontent because he had gone through being shipwrecked, stoned, beaten, and faced danger after danger, been in prison, etc.,
Paul learned to be content. (2 Corinthians 11:25-26) Paul had times in his life when he had a lot and times when he had very little. Through it all, he learned contentment. (Philippians 4:12) If we look back on our own lives, we will probably
discover that, although we may not have faced the extremes that Paul faced, we have had our ups and downs. God
has brought us through them all. While we were in the downs, perhaps we didn't really realize that God was with
us but He did bring us through. We're here this morning. When we've experienced mountaintop times,
we may not have recognized God there. Maybe we were too distracted by the euphoria of the moment. Nevertheless,
it was God that was there with us and He brought us through those times too. It's not our circumstances that make
us content. It's God living and moving in us and through us. (1 Timothy 6:6) It's our knowledge and realization of the fact that He never leaves us to go through by ourselves. (Isaiah 43:2) The most wealthy person in the world has not gained as much as we have if we're walking with God and we're
content. Money is not bad to have but it can't buy contentment. It's not wrong to have money but it is
wrong to love it so much that we are not content with the fact that the Lord has promised to be with us in every situation
(even when money is tight). What brings contentment is knowing that God will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) Are you contented this morning or has the devil dissed you into becoming discontent? We, like Paul, can use
every situation in our lives to learn contentment. As we remember that God is with us, no matter what the circumstance,
we will learn more and more contentment. Let's just get rid of discontentment. It's a tactic of the enemy
to take our eyes off of the faithfulness of God. Don't be dissed this morning into discontentment!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 13, 2008 - HAVE YOU EVER FELT DISAPPOINTMENT? Proverbs 15:22 (KJV) Have you had plans that just didn't seem to come to fruition?
Have you believed that you had a calling from the Lord but nothing has materialized? Disappointment can be really debilitating.
The enemy knows that well. That's why he attempts to diss us in this area. Webster's number one definition
for disappointment is this: defeated in expectation or hope. Let's not be dissed this morning by
disappointment. Disappointment is certainly a very strong feeling and emotion. It can even be paralyzing, but
that's not God's will for us. When we are tempted to become disappointed, we've just got to remember that
we're not the defeated ones. The devil is the one that's defeated. (Colossians 2:15) We're not the ones with no expectation. (1 Peter 1:3) The devil is the one with no expectation but a pit. (Revelation 20:1-2, Revelation 20:10) He wants too try to keep us in a pit because misery loves company. We're not the ones with no hope.
We, as believers, have the greatest hope. (Romans 15:13) Proverbs 15:22 is the only place in the King James Version that the word, "disappointed," is used. Proverbs 15:22 (KJV) 22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in
the multitude of counsellors they are established. The word, "disappointed," here,
in the Hebrew, means this: to break up (usually figurative, i.e. to violate, frustrate) It
also means divide, make of none effect, fail, frustrate, bring (come) to nought, × utterly, make void (Strong's
Concordance). When we give in to disappointment, we may become divided (or double minded) A double-minded
person is unstable in all their ways. (James 1:8) The best of our intentions and plans will become totally ineffective. We may fail miserably. We will be
frustrated. None of those things sound very pleasant to me. And, it's no wonder that the enemy will try to
get us to be disappointed. In others. In ourselves. Even in God. If the devil can convince us to stay
disappointed, he has gained much territory in our lives! What
if things are not the way we expected or hoped? Life isn't over yet! Do we sometimes forget that God's
timing is perfect? Do we forget that His plans for us will succeed. (Psalm 42:5, 11) And that they are good? (Jeremiah 29:11) It's easy to forget when we're under attack, but we need to encourage one another to do what the Psalmist
did. Hope in God. That hope will never disappoint us. Romans 5:5 (NIV) 5 And hope does not disappoint
us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. There are
a lot of disappointing things happening in the world today from relationships to economics to health, etc. But our hope
and expectation is in the Lord! We know that, with God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) We don't put our hope in men. We have our hope in God. (Psalm 62:5) And, speaking of counselors, we have the Holy Spirit living in us, if we have received Him. No
one could have a better counselor than that. He is a wonderful Counselor. (Isaiah 9:6) John 15:26 (AMP) 26 But
when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I will send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding Me. Yes,
it is good to seek Godly counsel from those we trust and, if we're following the Counselor, He will lead us to the proper
people here on earth. This morning, we can rise above any disappointment because that is just a tactic of the enemy
to defeat us. Don't be dissed this morning by the enemy into disappointment. Look up and see that God is reigning
and He will never, ever disappoint us! (Psalm 93:1) The One who established the world has also established you and me. (1 Peter 5:10) Will we have some challenges? Sure! But Jesus has overcome those challenges for us. (John 16:33) Let disappointment go where it belongs, right back to the enemy! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 12, 2008 - DON'T BE DISHEARTENED Galatians 6:9 (KJV) The
news all around us can tend to make us disheartened. It can cause us to grow weary. This is not the time to grow
weary. We must not grow weary in well-doing or in our faith that God is a rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) In Galatians 6:9 , the implied meaning of, "be weary," is "to fail (in heart)". When the world seems to
be falling apart and failing, our hearts, as believers, should be the opposite. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Through the good times and through the challenging times, wherever we may find ourselves. (Romans 8:39) The economy may not look good and the world may be reeling with all sorts of evil but we are in Christ and He
is in us. He said He would never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) In Luke 18:1, Jesus encourages us to pray and not be cowardly. He says we must not faint, lose heart or give up. If we stay positive
and don't give up, does that mean we live in a fairy-tale world? Not at all. Jesus goes on to say that God
hears His children who cry out to Him day and night in their day of trouble. (Luke 18:7-8) God will come quickly to our aid. And yet, sadly, Jesus goes on to ask whether He will find faith
when He returns. Has the devil tried to diss you into becoming dis-heartened? There's no doubt about it, trouble
is all around us. But it's Jesus, Who is in us, that makes the difference! Can Jesus
find faith in us now? We may have to endure some discipline
but, even then, the scripture tells us not to lose heart. No good parent will let their children run wild.
They know that, if they do that, the child will grow up to become unproductive and rebellious. Proverbs 23:13-14 (NIV) 13 Do not withhold discipline
from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. 14 Punish him
with the rod and save his soul from death. Discipline, although it hurts for a time, comes from
love. How much our Heavenly Father loves us! He will keep on disciplining us because we are his children. Hebrews 12:5-6 (NIV) 5 And you have forgotten
that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do
not lose heart when he rebukes you,6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Finally, we know that if we keep on doing what is
good and right in the sight of the Lord, in His timing, we will reap a harvest. That's a promise God has
made us in the scripture and all His promises are true! (2 Corinthians 1:20) What are you believing for? What have you been trusting God for? What are you having to
trust God more for in these times of confusion and trouble in the world? He doesn't want us to give up now.
He doesn't want us to let the devil diss us into becoming dis-heartened and unproductive. He doesn't want us
to lose our faith. This is the time to take heart and trust God more, knowing that His promise is that He will
bring the harvest in His time and His time is always the best time! Is the enemy roaring around
you so loudly that you feel like fainting? Like losing heart? Be encouraged. The Lord Jesus is willing to
take on all the cares of your heart. (1 Peter 5:7) He is calling you to come to Him when you feel disheartened, weak and burdened. (Matthew 11:28) As you do, He will give you His strength so you don't have to give up. (Philippians 4:13) You can go on. You don't have to be dissed by the devil or your feelings into
being disheartened! Here's what Jesus says about that: John 16:33 (NLT) 33 I
have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart,
because I have overcome the world." MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 11, 2008 - ARE YOU DISILLUSIONED? Has the enemy dissed you into disillusionment? One of the meanings of disillusion is this: "to cause
to lose naive faith and trust." Jesus once said that we should have childlike faith. (Luke 18:16-17) That's naive faith. That's pure trust. When we are infants and small children, we
trust our parents. We have to. We're helpless to do much of anything for ourselves. (Acts 17:28) Just because we have lived a while and have a few (or many) years under our belt doesn't mean
that we have any reason to think we don't have to naively trust and have faith in our Heavenly Father. (Psalm 125:1) We can't even take our next breath unless He enables us to do that. We are as helpless as
a baby in God's sight. It's true that we are wonderfully and complexly made. (Psalm 139:14) But, without our Maker, we can't do anything. (John 15:5) Has the devil dissed you and caused you to be disillusioned?
Have the circumstances in life begun to erode that childlike faith? Have you lost your trust in God because you
have not seen your prayers answered the way you want them answered and in the time you want them answered? In this microwave
world, we're used to having everything instantly. But, God is not that way. He doesn't want spoiled children.
He wants patient children. James 1:4 (AMP) 4 But
let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly
and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. I wonder where you and I would be
if God were not patient! Our Heavenly Father wants children that look and act like Him. The enemy would like
us to think that God doesn't love us if He doesn't give us what we want when we want it. But, that's
a lie. Children who get everything they want when they want it are spoiled. Good for nothing. Let's not be dissed by the devil and become disillusioned. We need to keep
our faith intact, especially in these days when circumstances seem to tell us to do the opposite. Things may look bad,
but that's not how we judge things. We walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) When things look bad, that's just the time that God will show us His faithfulness. We may have to wait but
the results of patiently waiting on the Lord will dispel any disillusionment brought on by the enemy. (Isaiah 40:31) Our strength will be renewed and we will find ourselves flying high. So, this morning, amidst all the hardships
and struggles, let's determine not to be disillusioned and lose faith and trust in God. The scripture says that
the Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for Him and seek Him. His unfailing love never ends. By His mercies
we have been and will be kept from complete destruction. His faithfulness is great and His mercies are new every
morning! (Lamentations 3:22-27) Don't be dissed into disillusionment by the devil. Trust in the Lord! (Psalm 91:14) MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 10, 2008 - WE DON'T HAVE TO BE DISABLED Hebrews 12:13 (NIV) Have you ever just felt weak and limp in your spirit? Maybe you
feel like you pray and your prayers don't even get past your lips. Maybe you can't even pray. It may be
that you feel like it's no use. Are there mornings that you wake up and wonder why you're still here?
You could be a believer and still have some of these feelings and others that are just as disabling. We all
know that "feelings" are not always accurate and do not always portray reality. But, feelings are strong.
The enemy likes that. He can, not only make us feel disabled, but, if we entertain those thoughts long enough, we will
become disabled. Now, that's just what the devil wants. The
thing is, we don't have to submit to being disabled in our spirit or even in our mind. If we are truly following
God, His peace will guard our hearts and minds. (Philippians 4:7) God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound and disciplined mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) Talk about being, "dissed!" That's what the enemy is trying to do to us. The enemy tries
to promote fear in our lives because, in that way, he thinks he can dis-able us. Let's refuse to fall for that lie.
We know he is a liar. (John 8:44) Today, fear is sweeping the world. Jesus said that would happen. Many are sick and their hearts fail them.
(Luke 21:26) Who do you think is the author of that fear? It is our enemy. He's out to insult and disrespect the
God we serve and our faith. He wants to try to convince us that we're disabled. However we may feel,
God is very near to us if we are seeking Him. (Jeremiah 29:13) His Spirit abides in us if we have received Him. (1 Corinthians 3:16) Although the kingdoms of this world may fall or fail, His Kingdom is forever. It will never fail. (Luke 1:33) Today, it is so important that our faith remain strong in spite
of how we may feel or what we may see going on around us. We, by faith, are children of Abraham. (Romans 4:16) All of his blessings belong to us but, like Abraham we must not weaken in our faith. (Romans 4:19) There are things that look impossible today for many of us. Like Abraham, we must not let our faith
weaken. That's what the enemy is hoping for. Then he will be able to disable us. One of the synonyms
for disable is "weaken." Abraham's faith did not become disabled. It did not weaken.
He believed and received the impossible from God. (Matthew 19:26) Is anything impossible for God to do? No! (Luke 1:37) According to Webster's Dictionary, "disable," means to deprive of a legal right, qualification
or capacity. Let's not let the enemy sway us into thinking he can deprive us of our rights as sons and daughters
of Almighty God. (1 Peter 1:4) The second meaning of that word in Webster's is this: "to make incapable or ineffective:
especially: to deprive of physical, moral, or intellectual strength." We, as children of God, through
Christ Jesus, have physical, moral and intellectual strength. He is our healer, our righteousness, and our wisdom.
(Exodus 15:26, John 16:10, 1 Corinthians 1:24) Don't be dissed by the enemy this morning. If you are a believer in Christ, the
enemy must respect that. If you are not yet a believer in Christ, why not turn to Him today. He is calling you
now and is ready to go through the tough and the good times with you, keeping you from being disabled by the enemy. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Have you been dissed by the devil and find yourself feeling maimed, paralyzed, beaten, belted, pounded,
smashed, whipped, and even tormented - disabled? The opposite of all that is to be cured, healed, fixed rejuvenated,
renewed, restored, etc. All of those things are found in Jesus! When we tap into those things, those that follow us
will have a level path on which to tread. No more limping, disabled spirits! Every believer victorious! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 9, 2008 - DO YOU FEEL DISSED? Colossians 2:15 (AMP) I have always been interested in the fact that the scripture says that God disarmed the principalities and powers
of the enemy at the cross. This morning I heard a message that brought out this fact in a new way for me and I want
to share it with you. First of all, there is now a word, "dissed," in the dictionary. It is a slang
word, meaning, according to Webster's Dictionary, "slang, to treat with disrespect or contempt; insult;
slang, to find fault with, criticize." What happened on the cross is that God "dissed" the devil
through the sacrificial death of Jesus. He not only dissed the enemy, He disarmed him! According to Strong's
Concordance, that means that God was hostile to the enemy. He deprived the enemy of his power. He made the enemy
harmless. The enemy would like to diss you and me by roaring around like a lion. He would like to see
if he can devour you and me. (1 Peter 5:8) Yes, the devil is roaring around like he's got power but he's already been disarmed. The only
power he now has over us is whether we believe his lie. (John 8:44) Colossians 2:15 says that God disarmed the principalities and powers and triumphed over them at the cross. If that is so (and
I would not argue with the scripture), the enemy has no power over us. The next time that roaring lion comes around
your way, tell him you belong to the real Lion. The one with the power. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
(Revelation 5:5) That would be Jesus. Jesus became a lamb for you and me. (1 John 1:29) He became a human being so that He could go to the cross and take all of our sin with him. But, He is also the
Son of God, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is the lamb (who is touched with every feeling we could ever have
Hebrews 4:15) and He is also the Lion, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords with the will and power to save and protect us. He is
the One that defeated those principalities and powers that came against Him on the cross. He did it so that you and
I could be set free. (John 8:36) While Jesus was on the cross, the enemy and all his minions
tried to completely diss the One who would remain "Undissable." Psalm 22:21 That roaring lion, the devil, went against Jesus with all the force he could when Jesus was on the cross. (Psalm 22:12-17) Jesus could have, as they say, called ten thousand angels, saved himself from the suffering of the cross and annihilated
all those that put Him there. There's just one thing wrong with that picture. He would have had to sentence
you and me to an eternity of darkness too. Not that we don't deserve it. That's just how much power the
Lion of the Tribe of Judah has. No comparison to that lion that just goes around roaring, trying to put fear into us.
The power of Jesus is in His love. As He pointed out to those who arrested Him, "Why didn't you arrest me in
the temple." (Luke 22:53) He had spoken openly, firmly and truthfully and yet not one arrested him. They wanted to, but they couldn't.
It was because Jesus even held the power to determine how and when He would be arrested and sentenced to death. Jesus
is like the supreme Terminator. When the time came, He gave the powers of darkness their time to reign and He took all
the heat. It was like He said to them, "Go ahead, make my day." Then He openly dissed them all terminating
their power when He, in obedience to the Father and for love for you and me, allowed Himself to be crucified.
That isn't all. Many people were crucified in Jesus's day but none carried the sin of all the world; past,
present and future, on their shoulders. All of the others were guilty of something but Jesus was guilty
of nothing. This morning, if you're feeling dissed by the enemy (and you know he works through people), remind
him, respectfully (2 Peter 1:12), as a matter of fact, of Colossians 2:15. Although you may feel dissed this morning, it is your enemy that was dissed two thousand years ago. Yes,
the devil was disarmed, and deprived of any authority or power over us by the Lamb who is also the Lion. The Lion
of the Tribe of Judah. Judah means, "praise." Because we belong to Jesus, we belong, by adoption,
to His tribe. Instead of going by our feelings, we need to open our mouths and praise the Lord for doing what we
could not do. He dissed the devil! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 8, 2008 - GRACE CURES A STIFF NECK Exodus 34:9 (KJV) The proof
that Moses desired from God, as to whether he had found grace in God's eyes, was that God would go among the people.
Only a God full of grace would move among such a people. Moses knew that they were, "stiffnecked." What
exactly is a stiffnecked person? The word, in Hebrew, means severe, in lots of variations.
For example, cruel, hard-hearted, obstinate, stubborn, etc. Isn't that the natural, sinful quality of man before
salvation? Moses knew that grace would have to be evident for those people to be set free from bondage. And God
heard Moses and made a covenant with them. (Exodus 34:10) It was a covenant of many rules and regulations. (2 Corinthians 3:7) Today, God has given us the new covenant through Jesus Christ. A covenant stemming from His grace.
As the song says, "Grace Stepped Forth in My Place." Yes, Jesus stepped forth and took the blows
for you and me making a new covenant. A covenant of salvation by grace, through the blood of Christ. Our
part now is to reflect Him. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18) Just as God's grace and favor was with Moses leading the Israelites
out of bondage, so the His grace and favor is with us through Jesus, setting us free from bondage to sin.
(2 Corinthians 3:7) He moves among us, just as He moved among the Israelites, sparing us from destruction. Moses knew that the Israelites were full of moral evil, fault and mischief. It
was not because they were so good that God was sparing them. It was because they were His chosen people and He loved them
with an unconditional love. Moses knew that the Israelites were full of offensive habitual sinfulness and constant God-offenders.
Yet, Moses, showing us a type of Christ, stood in the gap for the people and asked for God's grace and
pardon for all these things. He asked God to forgive them and spare them. And that's just what God did.
God is still pouring His grace out on you and me today. He loves us without condition because Jesus stood in the
gap for us on the cross. He's not willing that a one of us should perish without receiving His grace. (2 Peter 3:9) Still, grace is so gracious that it will not force itself on anyone. Like any other gift, we have a choice as
to whether we will receive it or not. Then, we have a choice as to whether we will open it and make use of it.
We can believe in God's grace and not really receive it wholly. We are just like the Israelites. We're
full of sin and iniquity. (Romans 3:23) Until we receive and use the gift of grace. Many of us have worked hard so that we might prove to God that we're
lovable and worthy. It sounds nice but it's totally dumb! You and I are loved by God today without condition.
We can't ever prove our worth with works because, without grace, we're just like those hard-hearted, stubborn,
etc., Israelites, no matter how many good things we try to do. His offer of the gift of grace proves that He doesn't
put conditions on His love. Do you have a "stiff neck?" Is it because you are still refusing to
rest in His grace? Are there some roots of stubbornness, harshness, self-will, etc., that need to come out? Are
you carrying burdens that you need to cast on Him? (1 Peter 5:7) We often use the phrase when we see someone doing something awful, "There but for the grace of God, go I."
That's very pious and it's probably true. It's also true that every day we need to thank God for
His grace and allow that grace to show us things that are still in our attitudes and hearts that need to be cleaned out.
His grace was sufficient for the Israelites and it's sufficient for us today too! "Amazing grace, how
sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me......." Grace is the cure for a stiff neck. MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 7, 2008 - GRACE DISTINGUISHES US FROM THE WORLD Exodus 33:16 (KJV) God's grace and His favor are what distinguishes His children from
the rest of the world. That's the way it was in the days of Moses and that's the way it is today. Is it
because God is only willing to give His grace and favor to a few, "special" people? Not really. As a
matter of fact, we're all special and unique. (Psalm 139:14) And, His grace is available to all of us. (Titus 2:11) It's our choice whether to receive it or not. In Moses time, God said, "I will show favor to anyone
I choose." (Exodus 33:19) And today, God offers favor (grace) to anyone who will call upon the name of His Son, Jesus. (Acts 2:21, Ephesians 2:8) Moses wanted God's presence in his life, and in the
life of the Israelites he was leading, because Moses knew that where God's presence is, God's favor or grace
also resides. Moses knew that the world at large would not know that God had favor upon them and that they had
found grace in His sight unless His presence went with them. God granted Moses's request. (Exodus 33:17) If we have received Jesus and His Spirit resides in us, His presence is with us. (1 John 3:24) We are walking in God's grace and favor. (Acts 15:11) Does the world around us see that, or do we quench His Spirit sometimes by the company
we keep or other poor choices we might make? 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (NIV) 19 Do not put
out the Spirit's fire; Can the world distinguish the fact that we are the recipients of
God's grace and favor? Or do we manage to cover up that grace and favor by our choice of poor attitudes, negative
words, and bad deeds? (Matthew 5:16) Moses had a great desire to see the God in whose favor he stood.
(Exodus 33:18) God graciously granted that Moses should be able to see only His back. He passed by Moses after hiding him in
the cleft of a rock. (Exodus 33:21-23) No one could see God face to face and live. So, God hid Moses in the cleft of a rock, as He passed by. And
we, by God's grace, are hidden in the Rock today. The cornerstone that was rejected when He walked on
earth is that Rock that hides us today. His name is Jesus. (Acts 4:11) As the songwriter says, "He hideth my soul in the cleft of the Rock and covers me there with his hand."
It is by God's grace that He sent His Son so that men could see His presence. (John 14:9) Something Moses only longed for in His time. We now have seen the Father, by faith, through Jesus Christ.
We have received His grace and that distinguishes us from those who have not. He wants everyone to receive that grace;
so it is now up to us to live a distinguished life filled with grace so that more and more will choose to receive it.
(2 Corinthians 4:15) God gets great glory when others receive his grace. Are you looking so graciously distinguished today that
others will want the grace that God has given you? MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 6, 2008 - WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY, "IF" Exodus 33:12 (KJV) Have you ever doubted that you had found grace in God's sight? Maybe things in your life don't look
so good. You might think that God's favor is not with you. Maybe your prayers have not been answered in the
time and way you expected. You might think that you are out of God's favor. I had one person tell me the other day
that he had used up all of God's favor. We may have made many mistakes and made very poor choices many times
but no one can use up God's favor. John Newton, the writer of, "Amazing Grace," was a slave trader. Even
he realized that, wretch that he was, he could not exhaust God's grace. Moses talked personally with the Lord, face to face. (Exodus 33:11) He just hung out there in the tabernacle and talked like friends do when they get together! We
find Moses saying to the Lord, in essence, "I don't understand." He confronts God saying, "You tell
me to bring these people out but you haven't told me who will go with me." Then he questions God as to how
God could do that to him when God said, "I know you by name and you have found grace in my sight." Do
we ever feel like Moses? We don't know the how, the where, the why, or the who. We just know God told
us to do something that seems impossible. In fact the whole faith walk is impossible without grace. Paul spoke
of being honest and sincere in all his dealings, pointing out that it was by God's grace that he was able to do that. (2 Corinthians 1:12) It is grace that sustains us as we walk by faith. (1 Timothy 1:14) 1 Timothy 1:14 (MSG) 14 Grace
mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus. We can talk to God as a friend also. Because we are children of Abraham, by faith, God calls
us His friends. (James 2:23, Galatians 3:29) Moses reminded God, as if God needs to be reminded of anything, that the children of Israel were His responsibility.
So it is with you and me. When God gives us an assignment, it is only our responsibility to trust Him and obey.
It is God's responsibility to bring His desired results. We might feel like Moses this morning.
We might not readily see God's sustaining grace right at the moment. But, that doesn't mean it's not there.
It may just be a test for us. After all, we are to walk by faith. Right? If we could always see
everything, we'd be walking by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Then the Lord said something marvelous to Moses. God wasn't sending just anybody with Moses.
God, Himself, was going with Moses. God's very presence would be with Moses. It would even give Moses rest!
(Exodus 33:14) The Lord says the same thing to you and me today. His presence is with us in the person of the Holy Spirit
if we have invited Him in. (Luke 11:13) God is not a respecter of persons. He will do for one what he does for another, if we are willing. God
will give us rest too, even in the midst of struggle. (Matthew 11:28) John Newton wrote these words as part of the song, "Amazing Grace," "The
Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures." That's
exactly what God was saying to Moses. God promised Moses His presence and He promises it to you and me today.
We don't have to say, "If I have found grace in your sight." Because of Jesus Christ, God's
amazing grace is available to you and me this morning, no "if's," about it! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 5, 2008 - LOT FINDS GRACE Genesis 19:19 (KJV) Have
you ever heard that quote, "He who hesitates is lost."? That may be true in most cases. Except for grace. God's
grace. His unmerited favor. Lot, remember, was Abraham's nephew. At one point, he lived with Abraham
and his family on the land that God had given Abraham. But, as sometimes happens in large families, strife entered
in. Their herdsmen could not get along because Abraham and Lot were both blessed with so much that the land could not
support them both. (Genesis 13:7) As the herdsmen began to argue over the food for their herds, Abraham (then still being called Abram) made a
proposal to his nephew, Lot. (Genesis 13:9) It was a generous and totally unselfish proposal too. Even though God had given Abraham all the land in that
area, Abraham proposed that he and Lot separate to keep peace in the family. (Genesis 13:8) Abraham could have told Lot where to go and settle. Abraham could have chosen the best land for himself,
but he didn't. He let Lot look over the land and choose where he wanted to set up his household.
Would we be like Abraham in that situation? Or would we insist on our, "rights?" Lot looked around at all the land and spied out what he thought was the best.
Then he took Abraham up on his offer and moved to what looked like to him to be the very best, most beautiful
of the land. (Genesis 13:10-11) Everybody wants to live where the climate is best and the land is fertile, don't they? It seems that everybody
did want to live exactly where Lot wanted to live. The trouble was that most all, if not all, of those everybody's
were selfish people intent upon living vile and evil lives. Then there was Lot. His Uncle Abram had taken
care of him after his father died. So, Lot must have known about the Lord and tried to live for Him,
even though Lot may have had more weaknesses in spiritual areas than we might want to think about. Abraham was a man
of faith. A friend of God. Lot knew about God and tried to live for Him but Lot did not separate himself totally
from the world. He chose to stay right in the midst of a totally evil place. In doing so, he brought
a lot of hardship upon himself and his family. Even his daughters were about to be married to men who would not
believe the Word of the Lord. (Genesis 19:14) Although Lot made some very poor choices, his Uncle Abram never stopped praying for him, asking God to spare his life.
(Genesis 18:16-33) Maybe you're in a safe place today because God has answered the prayers of someone that loves you very much.
Praise God for His unmerited favor! Maybe you're the one who is praying for that loved one who has made some
poor choices, even taken advantage of you by taking the best of what you had. God hears and sees it all and He answers! One early morning, as the sun dawned upon Sodom and Gomorrah, angels (who had already
given Lot a warning that the city would be destroyed by God), urged Lot and his family to hurry and leave the city.
Do you think that you would obey if an angel (or several) appeared to you and told you to hurry and leave or face certain
destruction? Lot did not leave. (Genesis 19:15) Lot lingered. He hesitated. We should never be so tied to anything on this earth that we're not willing
to leave it and let it go at God's command. No matter how beautiful it is! Now the angels got more forceful
and literally took the hands of Lot, his wife and daughters and started pulling them from the city. (Genesis 19:16) Abram's prayers were being answered. What must have seemed like unreasonable force to Lot and his family
was actually God's mercy, delivering them from the judgment to come. Finally, Lot realized that he had found
grace in the eyes of God. He didn't deserve that grace because he had lingered. Even after he realized
God's grace, he still begged to do what he wanted to do instead of following God's orders to flee to the
mountain. God answered Lot's prayer and allowed him to go to Zoar instead. Lot asked to go to a little
city instead of dwelling on the mountain top where God wanted him to go. (Genesis 19:18-22) Let's never take God's grace for granted. He will never tell us to go somewhere that He will not
give us the strength to get there. We can choose to stop before we get there and God will still be merciful
but it will not be God's best for us. God's grace will take us to the place where we can serve Him best and
we will be the most fulfilled. It will save us from destruction that others around us may have to face because they
have not been willing to acknowledge and receive His grace and salvation. It will also sustain us in the place God takes
us. Lot did find grace in God's eyes, partly due to the prayers of Abram. But, Lot did not trust
in God's favor completely. Another poor choice on Lot's part. We, too, can find grace this morning in
the presence of the Lord. (Hebrews 4:16) It's not anything we deserve, but God offers it anyway. As we take a quick look at the past,
we might say, like John Newton, in one of the verses of, "Amazing Grace," "Through many dangers, toils
and snares, I have already come. Tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home."
Yes, God's grace is amazing! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 4, 2008 - BUT NOAH... Genesis 6:7 (KJV) It's interesting
that, in Noah's time, the world was a mess. There was violence and all kinds of evil going on. (Genesis 6:5) Remind you of anything? If not, just listen to the nightly news. God, it seems, had
just about had enough of all of the rebellion of mankind. He decided that he would destroy everything. But Noah...
Noah found grace in God's sight. Genesis 6:8 (KJV) So, Noah found grace in God's sight because he was obedient and he walked in "habitual
fellowship" with God. We know that when Jesus returns, the days will be just like they were in the days of Noah.
Matthew 24:37-39 (AMP) 37 As
were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.8 For just as in those
days before the flood they were eating and drinking, [men] marrying and [women] being given in marriage, until the [very]
day when Noah went into the ark,39 And they did not know or understand until the flood
came and swept them all away—so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Who will find grace in those
days? Aren't you thankful, this morning, that we can? Aren't you thankful that grace is available to us
right now? It is by grace we are saved. (Ephesians 2:8) Just like Noah and his family were saved from the flood waters that destroyed the earth, we can be saved from sin
and destruction. But, you say, "I have not always
walked in integrity like Noah did." "I don't even have a relationship of fellowship with
God like Noah did." All of that may be true but we find that we can still find favor with God through repentance
and through receiving the gift of salvation through Jesus. (Matthew 4:17) We can still find fellowship with God, through His Son. We don't know the day or the hour when Jesus will
return and it will be too late to seek God if we haven't already done so. (Matthew 25:13) But we do know that right now, this minute, God is calling to each one of us to save us from all of our
sin and help us to walk in integrity before Him. (1 John 1:9) His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Sufficient to save us and sufficient to keep us. He is calling us to a special and awesome relationship with
Him. All we have to do is ask and follow. (Romans 10:13, Matthew 16:24) God's grace is His favor. We don't deserve it but He offers it anyway because of the price Jesus paid
on the cross. Unmerited favor! His amazing grace allows us to put the past in the past and begin anew. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Do you need a new beginning today? There will come a time, and it may be shortly, that this world as we
know it will pass away. There will be a time of judgment during which we cannot possibly stand if we have not found
grace in God's eyes. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound! Noah found it and we can too! Even though
the days are becoming more and more evil, amazing grace is still available to whosoever will receive it. (John 3:16) Watch this. Just as it was said of Noah, it can be said of you. " But (you put your name
in here) found grace in the eyes of the Lord." MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 3, 2008 - WHAT ARE WE DOING? John 21:25 (KJV) John ends his gospel with the idea that Jesus did lots of other things besides the many things that John recorded
in his gospel. In fact, John says that if those things were to be written in books, the world would not be big enough
to hold them all! That's pretty impressive. What kinds of things did Jesus do? My first thought is that
He went about doing good. (Acts 10:38) If all the things that you and I did were recorded in books, how many of those things would be good and how many would
be otherwise? Can you imagine someone living their whole life doing good? That's what Jesus did. He
was a man but God's power and anointing was on Him giving Him strength to do those good things. We, too, are destined to do good things if we will surrender our lives to God.
The plans are already in place. Each one of us is a unique masterpiece created for a unique purpose by God.
All of those things He has planned for us to do are good. (Ephesians 2:10) Yet, He has also given us the privilege of choosing not to do those good things. In fact, He won't
stop us from doing bad things! He wants it to be our choice. We should never do good things just because
we have to or because we think they will earn us a place in Heaven or some extra blessings. No! No! No! Our place
is secured in Heaven by God's grace and nothing else. None of our good works are good enough to get us a place
in God's Kingdom. (Romans 11:6) It's a gift. (Romans 6:23) Just think how it would be if we could win God's favor by our works. It would open up a whole new area of
temptation to pride. And, we already have enough temptation there, don't we? (Ephesians 2:9) Whatever we do in our own strength, no matter how good it looks to those around us, is worthless in the sight of God.
Filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6) Does that mean that we should give up because our life story
is going to include some bad things? Not at all. Those bad things can be covered by the blood of Jesus if
we will repent and receive His forgiveness. Romans 5:18-19 (NIV) 18 Consequently, just
as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification
that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man
the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Does
it mean that, if we live a life of faith, we don't need to do any good works? Not that either. (James 2:26) Our faith should produce those good works that God has already planned for us to do, as we follow Him.
(James 2:18) Those good things that we do should be the evidence or proof that we have faith. The bottom
line might be that, as we become more and more like Jesus, good works will flow from us just as they flowed from Him.
(Romans 8:29) Matthew 5:16 (AMP) 16 Let
your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize
and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. Is our faith evident by the works
that we do? MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 2, 2008 - HAVE YOU WRITTEN IT DOWN? John 21:24 (TLB) Right off, I must admit that I'm terrible about consistent journaling.
But, I'm so glad that John took the time to write down the events in his life with Jesus. If he had not, we wouldn't
have much of the New Testament scripture we have today. How we are encouraged by what John wrote! How we find
hope and strength in knowing we can believe what he wrote because he wrote a detailed and accurate account! He wrote
about both failure and success - defeat and victory. I was at a luncheon
recently and the topic was, "Writing Your Life Story." These days, there are many ways to record events in
our lives. We have pictures, and videos, in addition to writing. Writing our life story can be rewarding and revealing
to us, since it will show us times of failure and success. Times of defeat and times of victory. It will, not
only show us where we are now, it will show us where we came from. Writing the accurate story of our life can give us
a pivotal point to see where God might want to take us from here. Has God given you a vision? Have you written
it down? (Habakkuk 2:2) Do you look at it every once in a while to remind yourself which direction you need to be going? The speaker
at the luncheon said something that really made me think. She said, "God wrote a Book." Amen!!
What if God decided to leave scraps of events laying haphazardly around the earth (like many of my scribbling's do around
the house)? How long would it take us to piece together the gospel? No, God thought it was important to write a Book. He didn't just write a book. He wrote
the Book of all Books! He wrote many books before He created the world. (Psalm 139:16) Did you know that you're one of the characters in God's writings? For us, God outlined ten
points which he wrote on tablets! (Exodus 24:12) Unfortunately, when those tablets got into the hands of Moses, Moses literally broke all ten commandments
at once in anger when he threw the tablets on the ground. Can you see how anger can cause us to break all
the commandments? The next thing Moses had to do was obtain a second set of tablets from the Lord. (Deuteronomy 10:2) Maybe this will give us a clue as to the importance God places on writing! Your story is
worth writing too. It can be a wonderful legacy to leave for your children and grandchildren. They can be encouraged
by your ups and downs. They can take courage from your persistence even through your bad times. They can have
their faith increased by seeing how God brought you through everything. We read the story of Jesus in God's Book.
God wrote a book of history. His-Story! Even in the last book of the Bible, we find God talking about
writing. (Revelation 1:11-3:14) Yes, God keeps wonderful records, all written down and in good order. The very end of the
Book lets us know that only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will be able to enter
the Holy City. (Revelation 21:27) Is your name written there? (Romans 10:13) While writing our life story on paper (or electronically) can be of great value, the most important
place to write is on our hearts. What is written on your heart? Lots of useless junk and records of past
offenses and hurts? Ask the Lord to erase that for you right now and allow Him to help you write His Words of life
on your heart! Proverbs 3:3 (AMP) 3 Let
not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness] and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood]
forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart. MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 1, 2008 - WHAT ABOUT HIM? John 21:21 (NLT) Have you ever looked at other
believers in Christ and wondered why they seemed to receive certain blessings and you didn't? Have you ever wondered
why Jesus called you to do a certain thing when you'd much rather be doing what you see someone else doing? Peter
and Jesus had just had a talk. After that talk, Peter realized that he was not going to have an easy time of it.
(John 21:18) His death would be painful. He looked around at the others near Jesus. He saw John. (John 21:20) John was of a completely different personality than Peter. John had a different purpose. Each of
us has a purpose according to God's larger purpose. No one purpose is essentially better than another. They're
just different and they are all needful for the Kingdom of God to be advanced. Somehow, maybe Peter thought
that John would have it easier than he was going to have it. Thoughts like that can make us bitter and resentful toward
the Lord and toward others. Pointing to John, Peter said to Jesus, "What about him?" Jesus picked up on those thoughts running through Peter's mind. Jesus knows
our thoughts too. (Psalm 139:2) Basically, Jesus told Peter to mind his own business. Do you and I sometimes have thoughts of envy or covetousness go
through our minds when it looks like another believer might get blessed more than we are? Did Peter forget that
the rewards that come after this life are the important ones? (1 Corinthians 4:5) We can't possibly know the whole scope of God's plan and how we fit in, much less begin to know exactly
how another person fits in. Jesus told Peter for the second time in not very many minutes, "Follow me."
(John 21:19) Following Jesus doesn't include looking around
to see what others are doing. It doesn't even include mulling over why we are in the position we're in and someone
else is or vise-versa. It requires setting our faces and hearts like flint to look at Jesus only. To
go where He leads, despite what others may say or do. It requires doing what Jesus told Peter to do.
"Follow me." No more, "What about him's or what about her's?" It's not about you
or me or him or her. It's about Jesus! If we think we need to say, "What about him (or her),"
let's say it this way; "What about Him?" And then, let's follow Him! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 - JUST A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS John 21:15 (KJV) For those of us who have had the desire and the time to study the scriptures quite a bit, there is a great temptation
to think we might be a little "above," those who have not done as much. (Romans 12:3) Some of us have impulsive personalities like Peter. Peter had lots of self-confidence. Confidence is good
so long as we take the "self," out of it. "Self" falls hard. It's probably the biggest
enemy we have to defeat. Peter was aware of that because he had fallen very badly. Although he had confidently
declared that he would never deny Jesus even if all the other disciples left Him, he was unable to perform when the chips
were down. (Matthew 26:33) It looks like all the other disciples did scatter when Jesus was crucified, except for John who stood at the foot
of the cross with Mary, Jesus's mother. (John 19:27) Peter followed close enough for a while so that he and Jesus could look into each others eyes. (Luke 22:61) But Peter fell. Three times, he denied that he ever knew Jesus! Self-confidence carried Peter exactly
where it will carry us if we put the emphasis on self. Jesus reminded all of us that, without Him, we can do nothing.
(John 15:5) It takes some of us a while to really, really get that! Peter
was slow to understand too. It took him a while. But, Jesus, will never give up on us, even if we do get a little
bit ahead of ourselves. It is interesting that sometimes Jesus will take us back in time a bit to help us get things
right. It was by a fire that Peter denied Jesus. (Mark 14:66-71) Don't you think the blaze of that firelight stayed inside Peter's head as he continually remembered that he
had failed Jesus? Have you ever failed Jesus in some way? How many times have you thought about it even though
you have asked for and received forgiveness? Now the disciples were on the beach with the risen Jesus. He
was serving them a meal. They had been out fishing all night and there was Jesus on the shore standing before, of all
things, a fire! In the early dawn, I wonder what was going on in Peter's mind as he stood there looking at Jesus
once more in the firelight. Three times Peter had denied Jesus by the firelight.
Now three times, by the firelight, Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" The first time Jesus asked, He said,
"Do you love me more than these?" (John 21:15) Scholars differ on how they interpret the question. Some say Jesus was asking if Peter loved Him more than
he loved the gift of the abundant catch of fish that Jesus had just provided. (John 21:16) In other words, do you love the Giver more than the gift? That's not a bad question to ask ourselves,
as we let God search our hearts. It's very easy to get caught up in the gift and forget that we wouldn't have
anything at all, if it were not for the Giver. That may have been one of Peter's weaknesses. He was very
self-confident. However other scholars think that Jesus was giving Peter another chance to change his attitude
toward the other disciples. Peter certainly was going to be the one who stood out later on when he preached, bringing
thousands into the church. (Acts 2:14) But Peter really needed to get something settled in his heart and Jesus was right there to help him. He's
right here to help us do that too. Peter had sort of intimated that he might be quite a bit better than the others
when he confidently declared that he would not desert Jesus, even if everyone else did. If we are to lead, as Peter
later did, we must keep in mind that we're not better than any of the other followers of Jesus. We just have a different
job. Thinking of ourselves as better than others will only lead to a self-serving sort of leadership. That
is exactly the opposite of the way Jesus describes a leader. (Luke 22:26) All of us are leaders of some sort or degree, so none of us are exempt from this soul-searching that Jesus did with
Peter. Like Peter, we have all failed at some time or another. This morning, Peter's story can encourage us
to know that, even if we have to be taken aside for a moment to have a little talk with Jesus, we will be restored to
better than we were before and propelled on to the destiny that God has planned for us. There are little lambs that
need to be fed and sheep to guide. (John 21:15-17) Like Peter, we need to be ready and solidly committed to follow Jesus, considering others are following us.
(John 21:19) Life can wear us down and get us distracted from the Giver and from His call on our lives. Is anybody needing
to have just a little talk with Jesus? As the song so aptly says, "Just a little talk with Jesus makes it
right!" MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 29, 2008 - THE CLOSER WE GET THE MORE WE SEE Are you tired this morning? Maybe in need of some sort of provision?
I was touched by the story of the disciples having breakfast with Jesus on the beach. Jesus had been crucified and Peter
and some of the disciples had decided to go back to fishing for fish. They did need to make a living and that was the
way they did it. I wonder if, in the back of their minds, they were thinking, "...but Jesus said He was going to
make us fishers of men - He's gone now - what did He mean?" (Matthew 4:19) Certainly, Jesus had said He would make them fishers of men if they followed Him. They had followed Him but
they were still fishing for fish! In fact, they had fished all night and caught nothing. Have you ever been
in that situation? Tried and tried, struggled and struggled and yet couldn't see any results? Just as they were about to come to shore and go home dejected, Jesus appeared on the
beach. (John 21:1-14) We know from this account in scripture that Jesus performed a great miracle for the disciples, allowing them
to catch one hundred and fifty-three very large fish. On top of that, it didn't even break their net, although
it took all of them and all of their strength to haul in the catch! When we are just about to give up, Jesus is
right there for us! He will prove Himself to us just as He did to the disciples if we've go our eyes open.
In the case of Peter and the disciples, Jesus caused their net to be filled to overflowing with fish. He proved
to them that He was their source of income. All of their fishing expertise did not get them the catch that
they needed in order to make the money to pay their bills. Just one word from Jesus, along with their obedience, caused
an increase that they could hardly handle! Having been out fishing
all night, they were most likely hungry. As they got closer and closer to Jesus, they could smell something cooking.
Can you imagine their delight when they got to shore and found Jesus cooking their breakfast? After a long hard
night, Jesus appeared, met their long-term needs with the tremendous catch of fish and met their short-term needs too.
A freshly cooked breakfast of fish and bread. (John 21:9) The closer we get to Jesus, the more we can get a clearer picture of His love and provision for us! Imagine
just throwing your tired self down at Jesus's feet and allowing Him to serve you a meal!
If only we could remember that He is that meal that brings rest to our souls, and revives and refreshes
us as nothing else can. (John 6:51) Have you been in a long night-season and not seemed to accomplish much of anything? The Son is ready to dawn
in your life and give you new hope. As you get closer to Him, you will see your needs met and provision made for
those things you have struggled so hard to do on your own. Jesus was, indeed, going to make Peter and the disciples
fishers of men. They would soon make a very large catch. That net full of one hundred and fifty-three fish was
only a picture of what they would do in the near future for Him. (Acts 2:41) Yes, they were tired! Probably a bit confused too. Just like Elijah when he was running from
Jezebel. But, God knows that we are human. (Psalm 103:14) He steps in to bring us strength, hope and provision just when we think we're not going to make it. (1 Kings 19:6) The Bread of Life is standing on the shore of your life this morning with food to sustain you, hope to propel
you and love to see you through. Won't you sit down for a while and enjoy what He has prepared for you! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 28, 2008 - I'VE JUST GOT TO BE WHERE HE IS! John 21:7 (KJV) It hadn't been so long ago that Peter saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat he was in. Don't
you just have to love Peter? When he saw Jesus walking on the water, he said, "Lord if that is you, let
me walk on the water too." (Matthew 14:28) There's that one little tiny word in Peter's request that tells us a lot. Peter said, "if,"
that is you Lord. Jesus understood Peter's hesitancy to believe it was Him. He granted Peter's request
and Peter did walk on the water just like Jesus. Then Peter began to sink. (Matthew 14:30) It wasn't because it wasn't really Jesus that allowed him to walk on the water. It was because
Peter got distracted by the waves and probably by the fact that he was walking on water! Do you think you would
have started out walking and then, startled by the fact that you could walk on water, gotten a wee bit impressed
with yourself? Do we ever ask Jesus to prove Himself in our lives and then forget that He did
it and not ourselves? What happens then? We begin to sink, of course! When we put any stock in
what we can do by ourselves, we will only come to disappointment. When we realize that it really is the Lord in
whom we live and move and have our being, that sinking feeling will have to leave! (Acts 17:28) Well, Peter was once again on a boat in the
water but Jesus did not walk to him this time. Jesus stood on the shore. Peter didn't recognize Him
at first but Jesus showed Peter and the others in the boat, in no uncertain terms, that it was Him. He produced
a mighty miracle. (John 21:6) John was the first to recognize that it was the Lord. (John 21:7) This time Peter did not question the fact that it really was Jesus. He did not call out and ask to walk on the
water so he could get to shore. He wasn't prepared to meet Jesus either. He didn't have his clothes
on! He had removed them so he could work better. Now, in an instant, Peter dressed himself and jumped over
the side of the boat into the sea, swimming as fast as he could to get to Jesus. There are just some times in life
when we might not be prepared to see Jesus. Maybe unbelief or distraction keeps us unprepared. Those times should
be less and less as we grow up in Him. Nevertheless, when we do see Jesus, are we like Peter? Do we
do what it takes and get in His presence as fast as we can? There's really nothing like being in the presence of
the Lord. Peter knew that and he wasted no time to get there. This
morning we can find everything we need in the presence of the Lord. What is it that you need? Do you need rest?
In His presence, you'll find it. (Exodus 33:14) God promised it to Moses and He will do it for you and me too. (Acts 10:34) Jesus promised it too but the condition is that we, "come to Him." (Matthew 11:28) It's in His presence that we find the rest that we need. And we surely need rest as we move
about in this severely troubled world! Do you need refreshing? Are you still walking around but you feel like
something has sucked the life out of you? Acts 3:19 (AMP) 19 So repent (change your
mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of
refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord;
Refreshment and revival can be found if we turn from our sins, let Jesus wipe them away and come into the presence of the
Lord. Is there something we need to turn from today? Repentance is not a popular word in today's society because
people would like to think there are no absolutes. But, in fact, there are absolutes, all to be found in the
Word of God. The very first words that Jesus preached were these: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at
hand." (Matthew 4:17) That's how we get into His presence. Like Peter, I just want to be in His presence.
How about you? Peter had to quickly turn around and put on his coat since He was not fit to meet Jesus in his undressed
state. What do you and I need to take off or put on this morning? What things might we want to quickly turn
around in our lives in order to be in the presence of the Lord? It doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't
matter how small it is. It doesn't matter how large it is. If we take care of the matter now, turning
from the thing that keeps us in close relationship with Jesus, we'll find ourselves in His presence. Nothing in
this life is worth anything unless we are in His presence. It's a totally joyful place. (Psalm 16:11) Let's seek and require His face and His presence this morning just like Peter did that morning that
he recognized Jesus on the beach. Psalm 105:4 (AMP) 4 Seek,
inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require
His face and His presence [continually] evermore. Whatever it takes, I've just got to be where He
is. How about you? MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 27, 2008 - WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR US TO RECOGNIZE HIM? John 21:4 (KJV) Aren't you glad that we have a Savior who will do whatever it takes to get us to recognize Him? Maybe
the disciples could not recognize Jesus on the beach because it was still too dark to see clearly. But, we are
given other examples of people not recognizing Jesus. Mary didn't recognize Him in the garden after He rose from
the dead. (John 20:14) That is, until He spoke her name. The distraught disciples on the Emmaus Road did not recognize Him either,
although He walked along the road right beside them, talking with them on the way. (Luke 24:13) That is, until He broke the bread at their dinner table. (Luke 24:28-32) On this particular evening, Peter and a few other disciples had decided to go fishing. That's what they
did for a living and, now that Jesus was not there, Peter decided to go back to his old job. They fished all night
but as the dawn broke, they had nothing in their nets. When Jesus calls us, it's best not to turn back to whatever
we did before. Even when He is silent, it's better to wait for Him than to go off on our own. Well, can you imagine working hard all night without any reward? Some of us are
doing that in life. We are working, working, working with no increase. Everything seems dark around us.
Maybe that's the time we should ask the Lord if we are doing what He wants us to be doing. (Ephesians 2:10) We can do lots of good things and miss the best. God has already created good works for
us to do and those are the works He will bless abundantly. Still, He knows how we humans are. (Psalm 103:14) He knows what it's like to live in this world and the need to work so we can eat. (Hebrews 4:15) He knows every temptation that comes against us. Peter
and the others must have been really tired and really discouraged that early morning. Then they saw someone standing
on the shore. It was Jesus, but they didn't recognize Him. Then this stranger called out to them
asking if they had caught any fish. (John 21:5) If I was one of those fisherman, I'd probably be a little bit irritated at such a question. If
not sort of humiliated. Who was this person, anyway? If he wanted some fish, why wasn't he out there
all night slaving away trying to catch some? They reported that they hadn't caught anything and then, this stranger
had the audacity to tell them what to do! It was past fish-catching time but Jesus told them to throw their nets on
the right side of the boat. "Oh well," they must have thought. "We'll just satisfy
this guy and do it and then we're going home and have a good long rest." Wonder of wonders, when they cast
their nets where Jesus told them to, they caught so many fish they couldn't haul them all to shore! (John 21:6) Isn't that the way it is with us too? We can struggle and strain to do something in our own strength
for a long time and see no results. But, when Jesus speaks a word and we obey, we get way more than enough!
(Ephesians 3:20) As they worked at bringing in their haul, John recognized the stranger on the shore. It was the Lord! (John 21:7) Whatever it is that we need in order to recognize Jesus, He'll do it for us. Aren't there times
in life when everything seems dim and gloomy? Yet, somewhere in all of that Jesus is there. So many times we may
fail to recognize Him at first. Just when all seems lost, like with Mary, those on the Emmaus Road, and Peter and
the fishermen, Jesus will appear somehow, some way. I like the song, "Call On Jesus," and the line in it that
says, "He'll move Heaven and earth to come rescue me when I call." What is your need this morning?
Whatever it is, look up! You might not recognize Him at first but Jesus is right there for you and He will make
a way where the way seems impossible. (Mark 10:27) MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 26, 2008 - THERE'S HOPE FOR DOUBTERS John 20:25 (KJV) Poor Thomas. He had a real problem. Even today he is known
as, "Doubting Thomas." For some reason, Thomas was not with the other disciples who were gathered in that
room the evening after the resurrection of Jesus. No one seems to know why he was not there and many have been extremely
critical of him for not being present in that group of Jesus-followers who were huddled in fear. All the others were
in hiding. Before we get too critical, maybe we should give Thomas the benefit of the "doubt." We do
know that he was not hiding in the room with the others. (John 20:19) It may be that Thomas had a sick family member or some other emergency. Or, it may be that he was handling
his grief by going somewhere to be alone and sort it all out. He had not shown fear or cowardice in the past.
He was the one who had said, "...Let's go too--- and die with Jesus." (John 11:16) All we really know is that, in God's providence,
Thomas was not with the others when Jesus came through the closed doors and appeared to them in His risen state. (John 20:24) Thomas must not have been gone for long because the scripture reports that the disciples tried to tell him that they
saw Jesus. They continually tried to convince him. Maybe this constant chattering made Thomas irritated.
We don't know. However, Thomas seemed stirred up when he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see
the nail wounds in His hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in His side." (John 20:25) Whoa! Now Thomas was treading on thin ice. We know that Jesus was not happy with those who did not believe
the report of those who had seen Him after He rose from the dead. Thomas was apparently not the only one who doubted.
We see that Jesus appeared to the eleven as they ate dinner and reproached them for their refusal to believe the report of
the others who had seen Him. In other words, He was miffed at their lack of spiritual perception. (Mark 16:14) How is our spiritual perception this morning? Are we prone to doubt? Or are we bent on believing? Maybe Thomas did not want to make a rash statement without knowing the facts.
Some of us seem to believe easier than others. There is a flip side to that too. We must be careful what we choose
to believe or we could have us believing all sorts of things that aren't true at all. For instance, if you
are an e-mail person, you get "forwards" of all types. Many of these things are just plain lies.
Some will forward everything along, as though it were true. Many will believe the lies without checking into the
facts. Thomas did have facts. He had credible eye-witnesses letting him know that Jesus had, indeed,
risen and presented Himself to them. We have all those facts and more within the scriptures today. But, still
many doubt. Many deny that Jesus has risen. As long as there is breath, there is hope for the doubter.
Jesus showed us that in the story of Thomas. If we really want to know about Jesus, He will reveal Himself to us.
(Jeremiah 29:13) Having had eight days to think about what he had been told by the others and re-listen to his own words in his
mind, Thomas was given a second chance. Jesus appeared to the disciples again and this time Thomas was there.
Addressing Thomas personally, Jesus used Thomas's own words to convince him. (John 20:27) There stood Thomas, with Jesus speaking his own words right back to him. How did Jesus know? Well, Thomas
was convinced. (John 20:28) Are you struggling with doubt this morning? Because Thomas saw Jesus, he believed. But Jesus had
encouraging words for us today. He said that we who have not seen Him with our eyes would be blessed, if we believe.
(John 20:29) We know that Jesus did many more miracles than could be written. They were seen by people just like you and
I. (John 20:30-31) Only a small number of those miracles could be contained in the scriptures. The ones that are written there
are so that you and I don't have to be doubters. They're there for us to believe and, in so doing, receive life.
There is hope for the doubter. Like Thomas, this morning Jesus may be giving someone a second chance.
It's time to believe! (2 Corinthians 6:2) MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 25, 2008 - JESUS BRINGS PEACE John 20:19 (KJV) What
do you do on a Sunday evening? If your church has a service, you might be found there. If not, you might
be found resting at home. On the Sunday evening, following the morning that the tomb of Jesus was found to be empty,
the disciples were probably not resting. They were meeting together though. But, for the wrong reason.
They were afraid. It had been a very strange day with the women reporting to them that Jesus had risen from the dead.
They couldn't believe it. They thought that maybe the women were just imagining things. (Luke 24:10-11) It seemed like nonsense or an idle tale. So, they huddled up together in a room and shut themselves in
fearing that they would be the next to be executed because they were followers of Jesus. Have you ever been in a situation
where fear gripped you? Where you would rather just stay home behind locked doors? Shut and locked doors
may keep out thieves and robbers but there is One that no door can bar because He is the Door. (John 10:9) Just when the disciples thought the worst was ahead, the
best happened. Jesus entered the scene. There He was right in the middle of their befuddled huddle!
How did He get there? Who opened the door? Nobody could explain it but He was there and nobody could
deny that! When you and I get in situations that seem impossible, that tend to instill fear in us, we might shrink back
and try to disappear. It's at that moment when Jesus can appear. When He does, He speaks peace. He
is peace. (Isaiah 9:6) Peace enters our hearts and our situation and we are set free from the fear that immobilizes us. Fear always
brings friends with it. Friends like dread, discouragement, defeat, etc. We don't have to let them in.
They're all friends and tools of our enemy, Satan. (1 Peter 5:8) If, somehow, they've entered into your space while you were unaware, look up, Jesus is here this morning,
coming to you right where you are. He's ready to clean your house and fill you with His peace. What
does Jesus mean when He speaks peace to us? It implies prosperity - everything we might need for now and for eternity.
It implies quietness and unity. We are no longer divided inside but made marvelously whole. Like the disciples were, are you troubled and fearful this morning? That Sunday evening Love walked into the
room where the disciples were hiding. Love, in the Person of Jesus. Perfect Love. (1 John 4:18) The disciples were all of a sudden filled with joy! (John 20:20) The presence of Jesus can change our fears and doubts to joy in an instant. That's what happened to
the disciples as they sat probably wondering what was going to happen to them next. Jesus speaks peace to us
this morning. He has come to set us free from things that would cause us to be afraid. (John 8:36) He comes to reveal Himself to us right where we are, no matter what the situation or how we got ourselves there.
He revealed Himself to the disciples, showing them His hands, His feet, and His side, so that they might believe it was
really Him. He reveals Himself to us every day in His Word and His creation. He reveals Himself to us
in the small things of our everyday life, if we'll just look. He will speak peace and then speak peace again. Twice
He spoke peace to the tired, questioning disciples. The second time He spoke it to them, He included these words: "...as my Father
has sent me, even so send I you...." (John 20:21) Yes, when Jesus gives us peace, we have something to share with a world that's in need of such a commodity.
He will take our fears and insecurities and give us His peace to courageously take out into our world. If you don't
believe me, check out what the disciples would be doing not too many days in the future! (Acts 2:1-41) Today, Peace comes to you. Will you receive Him? MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 24, 2008 - WE'RE NOW RELATIVES! John 20:17 (KJV) What relationship
do you prefer? Servant? Friend? Or relative? Which do you think is the closer relationship? I don't
think any of us would purposely choose to be a servant, although we are called to be that if we are leaders. (Matthew 23:11) The true leaders among us have become servants by choice. They have chosen to follow the words and
example of Jesus. They walk in humility before us, gently leading us and helping us along the Way, never demanding
to be served but, instead, serving. Before Jesus went
to the cross, He assured His followers that they were no longer called servants, but friends. What an honor to be called
a friend of God! (John 15:15) Abraham received that honor and enjoyed it all His life. (James 2:23) He received it because He believed everything God said. Do we believe everything God says? Does it
show in our lives? Mary wept and sought after Jesus at a time when everything looked like complete disaster. She
knew there must be more. When her faith and persistence proved true, she would not let go of Him - literally.
(Matthew 28:9) When Jesus revealed Himself to her in the garden outside the tomb, she wanted to hold on to him. His
enemies had taken Him to the cross as she watched, helplessly unable to do anything about it. She had watched
as He hung His head and died. Now He was here again and she didn't want to let Him go. I can't say
that I blame her. Can you? As usual, Jesus always
has something better in store for us than we could ask or believe. (Ephesians 3:20) While Mary Magdalene just wanted to stay in Jesus's physical presence, Jesus was planning to go back to His Father
and send His Spirit so that He could not just be present around us but in us. In everyone who would
receive Him. (Romans 8:11) How privileged Mary was to see the two angels, to see the empty tomb, to see the risen Jesus in the garden, to
be given the task of going to tell the other disciples! God is such a merciful God. Eve was the first to eat of
the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden. She sinned and fractured her relationship with God. God
chose Mary Magdalene, a woman from whom Jesus had driven seven demons, to be the first to see the risen
Christ in a garden and then to go and tell others about Him. (Mark 16:9) When He told her to go and tell the others, He said, "...go to my brothers..." (John 20:17) Jesus had alluded to the fact that those of us who do His will were his mother, brothers and sisters one
day as He was teaching in a crowd of people. (Matthew 12:50) Now that He was risen from the dead, Mary found herself in a brand new relationship with Him and so would the other
disciples. They were and we, as believers, are now his brothers and sisters. He paid the price so that we could
be His relatives! He's not ashamed of to call us His brothers and sisters either. (Hebrews 2:11) The next time you feel down on yourself just remember, you're a sibling of the Lord Jesus Christ! You
have the same Father! You're related. You're a child of the King! You will instantly feel better. Let's
purpose to develop that relationship more every day! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 23, 2008
- DON'T LEAVE TOO SOON John 20:11 (KJV) Peter and John had just been at the tomb of Jesus. They had run
to look inside of it after Mary Magdalene ran and told them that the stone had been rolled away. (John 20:3-4) Not only that, there was no body inside the tomb! There was no denying that the body of Jesus was missing.
The grave clothes were left behind, that was all. (John 20:7) When Peter and John were satisfied that Jesus's body was not in the tomb, they left - each going to his own
home. (John 20:8) Mary Magdalene must have run back to the tomb behind the
inquisitive disciples. She must have stood there watching them to see their reaction to the empty tomb. Maybe
she wanted direction from them. Maybe a Word from the Lord as to what was really happening. They had no Word for
her. They didn't really know what was going on themselves! (John 20:9) All they really knew was that the body of Jesus was gone, under very strange circumstances. Mary was just too
grieved to leave the scene. She simply stood outside of the open tomb and wept. Have you ever been in
a situation that looked so bleak that all you could do was stand there and weep? As Mary wept, she decided to take one last look into the tomb, somehow hoping that she could see something that would
give her some kind of answer. (John 20:11) One last look to see if somehow she could find her blessed Lord. As she took that second look, she saw something!
Two somethings! They were angels! One sat at the head and the other sat at the feet of where Jesus had been lying.
(John 20:12) As if that were not enough, they spoke! They asked why she was weeping. (John 20:13) I don't know if I would even be able to speak if I saw one angel, much less two!
But Mary told them the same thing she told the disciples. Someone had taken the body of her beloved Jesus
and she didn't know where they had put it. Upon answering the angels, she turned around, perhaps to go. Maybe
she was suddenly aware that she was in the presence of angels. For whatever reason, she turned the other way and
saw something even more astounding. She saw Jesus standing there. But, she didn't recognize Him. Have
you ever asked for something in prayer and felt as if your prayer was not answered? Did you turn from the situation
thinking that all was lost? Just when Mary may have thought all was lost, Jesus appeared. There was her answer,
standing right in front of her, but she didn't recognize Him! Could it be that the answers to our prayers may be
right in front of us sometimes and we don't recognize them? Mary thought Jesus was the gardener. (John 20:15-16) Even when He spoke to her, she did not recognize Him. It wasn't until He spoke her name that her eyes
and ears were opened to see that it really was Jesus. When Peter and John didn't understand
where the body of Jesus was, they went on home. When Mary didn't understand, she stayed around, still seeking Him.
What happened? She found Him! (Deuteronomy 4:29) She found Him through persistence and tears but it was worth it! If you are looking for some answer in your
life this morning, Jesus is that answer. He is the answer to anything you need. Don't just
say a prayer and then go away thinking it is not answered, unable to understand why. Like Mary, stick around, seeking
Him with all your heart. Your answer will come, just as Jesus came to Mary. If your faith seems to be weak
this morning or if you just don't quite have the zeal you used to have concerning Jesus, get a "Mary Moment."
Don't let your love for Jesus slip away. (Revelation 2:4) Stay right there. Weep if you need to. (Psalm 126:6) Mary stood there planting seeds of love and watering them with her tears. She got a great harvest! She
saw the Lord. Wait around. (Isaiah 40:31) Mary did. She was strengthened beyond belief. Take a second look. Don't give up and leave
too soon! Listen carefully with your spirit until you hear Him speak your name. He is right here with
whatever it is you need! In fact, He's all you need! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 22, 2008 - IT TAKES TIME John 20:2 (KJV) Mary Magdalene
was one of the first to see that the stone had been rolled away from the opening to the tomb where Jesus had been laid.
(John 20:1) Can you imagine what it was like to be her? She saw the unbelievable and didn't know what to do.
Her first impulse was to run. She ran to Peter and John who had been so close to Jesus before He died. Mary did
not believe that Jesus was risen from the dead at first. It would take time. She thought perhaps that someone
had taken His body. (John 20:2) Why would anybody do that, she might have wondered. Hadn't His enemies tortured Him enough? Peter and John ran to the tomb to see if what Mary had reported was actually true. (John 20:3) John got there first. One commentary says that it was his love for Jesus that gave "wings,"
to his steps. Peter and John had very different personalities and their actions show that as they reach the tomb.
John stooped down and looked in. (John 20:5) He saw the grave clothes but he didn't go in. Some say that he didn't want to be defiled, others that
it was out of reverence. For whatever reason, John looked but took time to think about the meaning and remained contemplative.
It would take some time to understand the meaning of this. Peter, on the other
hand, barged right into the tomb and saw the grave clothes laying where the body used to be. It was just like Peter
and his impulsive personality to get right down to business. (John 20:6) John finally decided to go on in too. Once inside, he saw that there was nothing in there but grave clothes.
The Bible says, "he believed." (John 20:8) He now believed for certain that Jesus wasn't there. But, it is possible that Mary and John and
Peter did not yet believe that He was truly risen from the dead because John 20:9 lets us know that they still did not connect the scriptures with the absence of the body of Jesus from the tomb.
(Psalm 16:10-11) That would not be the end of the story for any of the three. The Lord would reveal to them all at different
times and in different ways that He was truly risen from the dead. It took some time but they all received more and
more revelation. That's just the way it is with us and with those around us. It takes time to grow in the
knowledge of the Lord and develop a deep relationship. While we should always be eager to learn more and more and develop
a deeper relationship with the living Lord, we should remember that it is a growth process. (Ephesians 1:17) An infant does not grow instantly into adulthood. It takes time. We are all accountable for what
we do with the time we have but we need not judge ourselves or others because we are not exactly where we think we
should be. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) Just as He did with Mary, John and Peter, He will teach us more and more about Himself, as long as we keep looking
for Him. It takes time. MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 21, 2008 - HE STILL ROLLS STONES! John 20:1 (KJV) When Mary Magdalene
went to the tomb of Jesus early on the first day of the week, it was still dark. That's a perfect time to go
looking for Jesus - when it's still dark. He is the Light that came to dispel the darkness in our lives.
(John 1:5) Mary was to learn firsthand that the Light truly does shine through the darkness. She literally saw that the
darkness can never extinguish the Light. When she got to the tomb, the stone was rolled away and it was empty! It's interesting to note that Mary, the woman who had been delivered of seven demons, was the privileged
one to find the stone had been rolled away from the tomb and that it was empty. She had already experienced something
like that in her life. What had previously held her down was rolled away by her Savior. Is there something holding
you down today? No rock could hold the Rock of our salvation in that tomb and nothing can hold you down when Jesus says,
"You are free." (John 8:36) You can be free today by the power that raised Jesus from the dead and set Him free from the tomb! (Romans 6:4) We can be free to walk in the Light, freed from the darkness of sin! (John 8:32) Do you feel like you're walking around in the dark?
Or maybe, just sitting or lying in the dark, not able to function? The Sun of Righteousness is ready to dawn in your
life if you will look up. (Malachi 4:2) He laid down His life for you and me in the most hideous, tortuous way and then He took it up again so that you and
I would never have to stumble around in the dark again. (John 10:18) Maybe the sticks and stones of this world have come into your life and made the once fertile, dream-filled
ground there hard and rocky. (Hosea 10:12) Jesus wants to help you break up that hard ground. A hard life can lead to a hard heart. You may even
feel that you are in such darkness that your heart has turned to stone. It's so dark that you can't see
the light at the top of the deep pit that you are in. Remember that the darkness of your life can never extinguish
the Light. Just as dark clouds hide the sun, the clouds of your life may have tried to hide the Son from you.
You may have made poor decisions that caused those storm clouds in your life. Yet, God is still there. The Son
is still shining, just waiting to shine on you. He's just waiting for you to remember that He brings life forth
from what looks like death. He's the only One who can take a heart of stone and turn it into a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 11:19) Do you need a resurrected life? Mary Magdalene got one. Then she got to see that Jesus was resurrected.
We can all have that resurrection life both here and for eternity. Don't let anything hold you back this morning
from seeking the Son in your life. Open up the windows of your heart and let the Son shine in! Your problems may
not disappear instantly but you will be able to identify them more clearly in His Light and then cast them on Him.
(1 Peter 5:7) He cared enough for you and me to face the darkness alone and gain the victory so we could walk in His Light! Resurrected!
He still rolls stones away! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 20, 2008 - GOD HAS EVERYONE IN PLACE John 19:38 (KJV) If you and I had watched Joseph of Arimathaea before Jesus died, we might have judged him harshly. As is said
in some Christian circles today, "God doesn't have any secret service agents." However, who are we to
judge? Everyone of us has good works to do that God has ordained long ago. (Ephesians 2:10) We are His workmanship. He will do what He sees best with His workmanship in His
own timing. It may not be the way we think it should be but then we cannot possibly imagine all the wonderful ways God
has chosen to provide. (Isaiah 55:9) Then there was Nicodemus. He was the one who went to Jesus at night, perhaps not willing for anyone to know
that he had a meeting with the Savior. (John 3:1) We might have scratched these men off the list of those deserving of mention in the Kingdom of God
because they weren't like all the other disciples. But God had other plans. He usually does! Those two men, who had only secretly been on Jesus's side before He died, suddenly became bold after He died.
They may not have known exactly what they were doing but they gave what they had to provide for His needs. Joseph gave
his own tomb that was carved out of a rock. Just think of that, God allowing the Rock to be placed in the rock
tomb that Joseph had prepared for himself! (Matthew 27:60) Joseph thought he was giving the tomb to Jesus but, even this story proves that you can't out-give God. Joseph
only loaned his tomb to Jesus for three days. Can you imagine Joseph's surprise when Jesus vacated the
place and gave it back to Joseph? Nicodemus brought (John 19:39) many pounds of spices for Jesus's body. Some versions say up to one hundred pounds. This may
have been enough for as many as two hundred dead bodies. It was a show of respect in those times to bring
many spices. Maybe something like when we see many baskets and wreaths of flowers at a funeral today The more
spices that were brought, the greater the show of respect. Now we see that both Joseph and Nicodemus stepped up to the
plate. Joseph gathered up his courage and went to Pilate to ask
for the body of Jesus. Mark 15:43 (AMP) 43 Joseph,
he of Arimathea, noble and honorable in rank and a respected member of the council (Sanhedrin), who was himself waiting for
the kingdom of God, daring the consequences, took courage and ventured to go to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. That's pretty open and bold! Many times the dead bodies of those crucified were left
to the animals. It took the boldness of Joseph to go before an already agitated Pilate to ask for Jesus's body.
What if Joseph was not there to do that? The scriptures would not be fulfilled. We would not really know if Jesus
rose again. What if Joseph did not give his tomb which was very secure, only having one opening and new at that?
No other human being was buried there. We would not know that it was Jesus who rose again and left the tomb empty.
What if Nicodemus had not brought the spices and the linen cloth and wrapped up Jesus's body? Then, how could we
know that Jesus had left those grave clothes behind when He rose again. It seems that all of the previously open
followers of Jesus had fled the scene. It looked like no one was there to care for Him. No one was brave
enough to go before Pilate and ask for Jesus's body. There was no one except for the two people we might judge
today as not being openly Christian enough. Let's not judge anyone, including ourselves as to where they stand
in their walk with the Lord. (1 Corinthians 4:5) God has a time and a place for each of us to shine. A time when He will work through us and give us miraculous
courage and strength to get His work done. Some are still waiting in the "wings." But, God isn't
finished yet. In His time, for His purpose, He will use any whose hearts are willing! You
are in place - do you have a willing heart? MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 19, 2008 - EVERYTHING FULFILLED John 19:36 (KJV) Isn't it encouraging this morning to know that God's Word will
always be true? There will not be a time when it is not true. (Proverbs 30:5) There will not be a time when it doesn't accomplish what He sends it to do! (Isaiah 55:11) Jesus is the Word. (John 1:14) As His season of living in the flesh here on earth came to an end, everything that was written about Him in the Old
Testament was fulfilled. The statistics are staggering as to how so many scriptures could be fulfilled in one Person.
But they were and they are still being fulfilled. Everything
that is written in God's heart pertaining to you and me will be fulfilled too. He formed us and He knows every part
of us. (Psalm 139:13) When He created us, He had a purpose in mind for us too. The main purpose is that we become like Jesus.
(Romans 8:29) When Jesus was on earth, He had things to do. Things that were planned way before He came to earth. We, too,
have things to do. Good works that were prepared for us by God before we ever took a breath here on earth.
(Ephesians 2:10) Are you struggling this morning, wondering just what it is God would have you to be doing? First of all,
let's remember that we are made in His image. (Genesis 1:26) The name He gave for Himself to Moses was, "I Am." (Exodus 3:14) God is a Being. Like Him, we are beings too. We are not, "human doings," we're
human beings! Before we get all caught up in our expectations of ourselves or other's expectations of us, let's
determine just, to be. We're fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) Let's not mess up what God did such a good job on by trying to re-create it! He's the Creator.
We're not! We must never fall prey to the notion that we are sum total of what we do. Just as every scripture had to be fulfilled concerning Jesus, everything that God has planned for you and for me
must be fulfilled too. We can delay that fulfillment or even make a deliberate choice not to participate and lose out
on everything. (Romans 6:23) We don't have to though. We can walk in step with His Spirit, receive His Word concerning
us and it will come to pass. (Galatians 5:25) God has wonderful plans for those who will follow Him. (Jeremiah 29:11) We may have to go through some seasons that don't feel so good but, as God helps us to be conformed to the
image of His Son, He will use even our sorrows and discomforts for our good so that His Word will be fulfilled in us!
It was not comfortable for Jesus to hang on the cross, already disfigured by the beating He received before being nailed
up there. It was not comfortable for Him to bear all of our sin but He did it for the joy that was set before Him. (Hebrews 12:2) We, too, can go through because our Savior is leading the way and guiding us according to His Word. (Isaiah 43:2) Every season in our lives is for a purpose. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) And every one is for the fulfillment of His Word in our lives. Be encouraged this morning to remember that,
if you are seeking Him and allowing yourself to be molded by Him, nothing you go through will be in vain. You
are not alone. The One who was and is the Word and walked out that Word in the flesh is now with you by His Spirit.
He is the Way and He knows the way. All the good things He has planned for you and me will be fulfilled if we
will just trust Him! (Psalm 9:10) MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 - NO MORE THIRST John 19:28 (KJV) Have you ever been really, really thirsty? When natural disasters happen, such as hurricanes, earthquakes
and tornados, many times the water becomes polluted and, only if we have bottled water, can we drink without fear of disease
or worse. In third world countries, there are people, including little children and babies, who get so thirsty that
they have to drink from the same water in which they bathe and where there is often raw sewage. As a result, many get
sick and die. When we choose to fill our spirits with drink from the polluted wells and springs of this world, we, too,
will get sick and, if we don't repent, we will die unnecessarily in our sin and remain thirsty for eternity. (Matthew 4:17) It's terrible to be thirsty. We are all spiritually
thirsty before we come to know Jesus. Remember the woman who came to the well to draw water? (John 4:1-26) She was more than thirsty for water to drink. Her spirit was so thirsty that she had gone from man to man seeking
to quench her spiritual thirst. But, praise God, she found the Living Water sitting on top of the well.
She received that water and ran with her spiritual water-pot overflowing so much that she brought refreshment to a whole
town of people! She even got so excited, she left her clay water-pot behind! Some of us try to satisfy
our spiritual thirst by going to the wells of alcohol, drugs, career, fame, sex, money, and a whole host of other wells
we find in this world. As we continually feel the need to get more out of those wells, they run dry and we are left
saying, like Jesus did on the cross, "I'm thirsty." The very One who is the Living Water became thirsty
in all ways so that we could be filled. (John 4:13-14) He became just like us so that we could become just like Him in His
glory. (Hebrews 2:17) Jesus not only knew the scripture.
He was the scripture. (John 1:14) He was constantly aware that, being fully man, by choice, He could not live by just eating breakfast,
lunch, and dinner. Neither can we. He lived by who He was. He lived by every word that came from God's
mouth. (Deuteronomy 8:3) So, we are not surprised when He, in His dying moments, fulfills the scripture by saying, "I'm
thirsty." (Psalm 69:21) In response to His statement, someone put a sponge filled with sour vinegar on a hyssop branch
and put it up to His mouth. No doubt the hyssop branch was stained with the blood of Christ. It's interesting
to note that Jesus was dying at the Passover. Part of the original Passover ritual involved taking hyssop branches and
dipping them in the blood of a lamb that had been killed. (Exodus 12:22) Jesus was the Lamb of God who was, at the time of His thirst, taking away the sin of the
whole world. (John 1:29) This, He did for you and for me. Are you thirsty this morning for the things of God?
(Psalm 42:1-2) If you have never received Jesus, you can do so right now. (Acts 2:21) If you know Him, but you have been going to other wells to find something thirst-quenching, return
to the Well that never will run dry. Drink deeply of Him and His Word. No one has to be like the rich man who lived
only for Himself and then spent an eternity in agonizing thirst. (Luke 16:24) Being thirsty can cause us to complain and get into trouble like the Israelites did in Moses day.
(Exodus 17:3) Let's remember that, instead, we need to go to that Rock and satisfy ourselves with the Living
Water that freely flows because Jesus took our thirst to the cross. MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 - SHARING THE SAVIOR John 19:27 (KJV) For a child to die before a parent brings horrendous grief. I can't
say that I know how that feels because no one who has not experienced it could possibly be able to imagine the depth of the
sorrow experienced by the parent. At the foot of the cross stood Mary, the mother of Jesus. This is the same Mary
who carried baby Jesus into the temple and heard Simeon pour out a blessing on Him. Simeon also gave a prophecy to Mary,
which she undoubtedly carried in her heart to this very moment when she stood watching her son die on the cross. Luke 2:34-35 (NLT) Jesus, though dying, was well aware of His mother and her sorrow. This morning
He is still well aware of any sorrow that you and I are carrying. He made provision for His mother in His dying hour. He
makes provision for us every moment in our lives right up to and through our own dying hour. (Matthew 28:20) John, described as the disciple that Jesus loved, was standing near Mary at the foot of the cross. Looking down
intently, Jesus said, "Woman, behold thy son." And, to John, He said. "Behold, thy mother."
(John 19:26) As Jesus addressed His mother, he used a term meaning something like, "dear woman." Some say that
He did not address her as His mother for a couple of reasons. One reason may have been that He didn't want to use
words that would increase Mary's emotional pain. The use of the word, "mother," to address her might have
been more than she could bear at the moment. Jesus will never allow us to go through anything beyond what we can bear.
(1 Corinthians 10:13) Another thought is that, at this moment, their relationship was changing. While He was on earth, she was His
earthly mother, yet as He hung there dying for the sins of the world, He was dying for her sin too. During those moments
their relationship would change. Mary, like the rest of us, was a sinner saved by the grace of God, through Jesus.
Her son was now her Savior. In everything, Jesus was perfect.
In His own agony, he honored His mother. (Deuteronomy 5:16) As He hung there, barely alive, He remembered John, who had followed Him all the way to the
cross. He knew His mother would need care and who better to entrust her to than John, the disciple who seemed to have
a handle on Godly love. It is said that John acted in obedience to Jesus and took Mary to his home from that time on. (John 19:27) Imagine how hard it might have been for John who now had Mary to care for as well as his own parents. If
you have ever cared for an aging parent, you know the blessing and you also know the burden. If you have ever cared
for the parent of another, you know how it feels to be loved by a mother or father who is not your own. You know
the love that comes by pure choice. Almost like adoption. How blessed John must have been, even among the practical
everyday challenges, to know that he was loved by the mother of Jesus. Loved by the Master's mother!
And Mary must have been blessed too, every time she looked at John, perhaps then remembering the love shown to her
by her son in His dying moments. The two shared, not only a mother-son relationship, but a Savior. This
morning you and I can also share the Savior with each other and with whoever He brings into our lives. 1 John 1:3 (TLB) 3 Again
I say, we are telling you about what we ourselves have actually seen and heard, so that you may share the fellowship and the
joys we have with the Father and with Jesus Christ his son. MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 - ARE WE INDIFFERENT? John 19:24 (KJV) If we are believers in Christ, we are most blessed. We have a High Priest who suffered everything we could
possibly suffer and more, yet He did not succumb to the temptation to sin like we are prone to do. (Hebrews 4:15) Do we take that for granted? Or, are we in constant awe of the fact that Jesus, our High Priest is sitting at
the Father's side always praying for us? (Romans 8:34) Does this morning find is sitting in wonder at the fact that, though we have sinned, we are no longer
under any condemnation because we are in Christ Jesus? (Romans 8:1) Do we really believe all those things to the point that it changes our lives? We can believe
it! That day two thousand or so years ago, four Roman soldiers
nailed Jesus to the cross. As was the custom, the executioners could keep the clothes of the one being crucified.
(John 19:23) According to John MacArthur, The shoes, the belt, the headdress, and the outer cloak would all be of similar value,
and would be divided among the four. That left only the inner tunic, which is represented by the word "coat."
The inner tunic went next to the skin, and this is what they gambled for. It would have been a tragedy if Jesus was not wearing
an outer cloak, or if somebody had forgotten to give Him His headdress--there wouldn't have been anything to gamble for.
But God had worked out every detail. It's interesting to note that God did work out every detail
so that prophecy would be totally fulfilled. In Psalm 22:18, we find that prophecy concerning the coat of Jesus and how the soldiers divided His clothes and gambled for the coat.
This Psalm was written hundreds of years before the event actually took place. John MacArthur also
notes the following. According to Canon Liddon, there are 332 distinct prophecies in the Old Testament that are
literally fulfilled in Christ. Now, that doesn't include the types, that's just the verbal prophecies. William Hendriksen
states that the mathematical probability of 332 specific prophecies all coming to pass in one man is one in eighty-four with
one hundred zeroes after it. There isn't even a word for that number. That is the chance of the possibility of every one
of those 332 prophecies coming to pass in Jesus. Every one of came to pass to the very letter, plus another one hundred or
so types. So, we believe that Jesus is God Incarnate, the Anointed, the Lamb slain for the sins of the world. The
statistics, of just the prophecy about the dividing of Jesus's clothes and gambling for His coat, should send
our minds soaring with wonder! God is so good. He doesn't leave us in the dark. (Psalm 119:105) He gives us reason to believe. His desire is our worship and thankfulness. (Psalm 96:9) It seems that on the dark day of Jesus's crucifixion, indifference
was reigning instead of worship. The soldiers were cold-bloodedly gambling for the coat of the man dying on the cross
above them. They could see the value of that coat so they decided not to tear it in pieces and divide it among themselves.
Rather, they gambled for it. They saw the material value of it because it had no seams. It was woven as one
piece. It was a very expensive piece of clothing and something that took time to make. But, they
were totally indifferent to the Man that had worn the clothing and to who that Man was. It is said that piece of
clothing was constructed just as a high priest's coat had to be woven - with no seams. Jesus had been wearing a
coat with no seams showing His purity and pointing us to see that He was and is, indeed, our perfect High Priest. The
Roman soldiers were totally indifferent to the death around them and to the fact that they were instrumental in crucifying
the Son of God. (Revelation 3:17) Yes, Jesus was hanging on the cross naked right above them, seen by those who perhaps nonchalantly
passed by, but those who are indifferent will find that they will be the ones being found naked, blind and poor in the
long run. (Revelation 3:18-19) Today, there is indifference to Jesus all around us. Have you noticed? Let's be sure that we
keep our sense of awe and wonder over how our Father gave His Son to be our High Priest so that we could have eternal
life. Let's continue to swim upstream against the tide of indifference toward Jesus that is still flowing today! (Revelation 3:16) MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 14, 2008 - BEHOLD YOUR KING! John 19:19 (KJV) Pilate wrote a title for Jesus and put it on the cross for everyone to
see. It said, "JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS." Pilate wanted to be sure that all who passed
by could read it, so he wrote it in Hebrew, Greek and Latin. (John 19:20) Unfortunately Pilate did not get his facts totally straight. For one thing, although Jesus was raised in Nazareth
(Matthew 2:23), He was born in Bethlehem just as the scriptures of old predicted. (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1) Jesus is and was a King, but not just the King of the Jews. He is the King of Heaven and earth and
all that are in them. (Revelation 19:16) The words of Pilate ring through the ages, "Behold Your King." This morning you and I have the privilege and opportunity to look upon, not a bloodied, beaten Jesus, but a risen
King. That fateful day just before He was crucified, Pilate presented Him to the Jews who screamed, "Crucify Him!" (John 19:15) At that point, Pilate gave in and handed Jesus over to be crucified at the will of His own people.
(John 19:16) They were insulted by the title that Pilate wrote and placed on the cross. They wanted Pilate to change it,
(John 19:21) but, in all he had been through, Pilate must have had some inkling of the truth because he said, "What I have
written, I have written." (John 19:22) When we think of Jesus this morning, what title is
written on our hearts? How do we see Jesus? (Matthew 16:15) Just as a man and a good teacher? (John 3:2) As a lamb - the Lamb of God? (John 1:29) As a suffering Savior? (John 19:1) What is written in your heart about Jesus this morning? Hopefully, you have seen Him as all those
things listed above and so much more. There is no way to exhaust the attributes of Jesus. He is all and He is
everything. Above all, He wants to take His rightful place as King of our hearts and lives. Not only should we
recognize Him as King of Kings, but as King of us! Is His title in your life, King? But more than
that, does He reign as King over everything you are and everything you do? Pilate was resolute in saying "What
I have written, I have written." Are we resolute in putting Jesus on throne of our hearts as reigning King
and letting Him stay there? As one wise person once told me, "There's not room for two on the
throne." We can't insist on occupying the throne too. Let's not just give Jesus a title. Let's
give Him full reign in our hearts! Behold your King! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 13, 2008 - WHO HAS THE POWER? John 19:10 (KJV) Have you ever done
something and then thought to yourself, "Look what I did!"? Have you ever felt that you had some power?
At least, that you had some control over certain things in your life? As we become successful in life, it's really
easy to think that we accomplished that success all by ourselves. I don't know if that's what Pilate felt when
he condescendingly told Jesus that he had the power to crucify Him or to let Him go. But, obviously, Pilate was pretty
confident in the power he thought he had. Because Pilate was unwilling to learn from Jesus, he didn't know
the Word of Jesus. Jesus had already spoken of the fact that He was laying His life down voluntarily and that He had
the power to raise it up again. (John 10:18) So, who really had the power in that situation? Obviously, it wasn't Pilate. When we actually
do have power, we don't have to wield it around as Pilate tried to do. We just have to use it and the results
will be the evidence of that power. That's what Jesus did. He, indeed, did use His power to take up His life
again! (Luke 24:6) And, how about the power it took to voluntarily lay His life down? Now, that's power! A few days ago, I was talking with someone who has been in bondage to alcohol,
drugs, and lying for many years. This person was very proud of himself. He said he had not touched a drop of alcohol
or done drugs in the past few months even though he had been tempted because of life's challenges. When I questioned
him as to who actually accomplished that in his life, he kept telling me that he did. He said, "I
did it all by myself." I tried to convince him that it was the Lord that gave him the strength but he
never would quite admit that. Why is it that we think we need to do things by ourselves? Why is it that
we even think we can do anything by ourselves? (John 15:5) Today, are you faced with a challenge? Are you trying to meet that challenge all by yourself? Don't
do it. Realize that it is only in the Lord that you live and move. (Acts 17:28) Our very lives can be taken in a moment. (Acts 17:24-26) Let's realize that and know that the power is in God's hands, not our own. If you try to do things in
your own power, you will end up in a chaotic situation sooner or later and you will have no peace. I know. I've
done it. Maybe you have too. We may tend to think that because
we have money, fame, or position, that we have power. The fact is that God's power overpowers all of our human puny
power! If we have momentary position, power, or fame, it's because God allowed it. He can just as easily take
it away in the blink of an eye. (1 Samuel 2:7) The Word of God says that it is better to trust in God than in men (meaning people). It's true.
Don't put your confidence in a person, not even in yourself! (Psalm 118:8) Instead, let's trust the Lord. All power is His. (Psalm 147:5) His power is absolute. Let's not, like Pilate, think we have one bit of power to change this or that.
Let's remember that, when we need direction and we need power, we can find it in the Lord. When we abide in Him,
He will allow His power to flow through us. (Luke 10:19) However, we should never get so caught up in the power that we lose site of the real gift that God has given us.
Eternal life. (Luke 10:20) Let's go through our day today remembering the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples - Matthew 6:13 (KJV) 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (KJV) 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 12, 2008 - WHAT DO WE FEAR? John 19:8 (KJV) When Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," he wasn't too
far wrong. What makes us afraid? (Isaiah 8:13) Or maybe we should ask, who makes us afraid? Unhealthy fear certainly is not from God. He has not given
us a spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7) Rather, power, love, and a sound mind come from God to those who are abiding in Him. Fear keeps
us in bondage. Romans 8:15 (NIV) 15 For
you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry,
"Abba, Father." It's interesting, isn't it, that Pilate thought he was holding
Jesus in bondage? No, it wasn't Jesus who was being held. That's where He chose to be. (John 10:18) It was Pilate that was being held by his own fear. What
happens when we start to fear? Suddenly our minds are not clear any more. A sound mind is what God meant for us
to have but, if we choose to surrender to fear, that sound mind may not be easy to find. We can't make good decisions
without a sound mind. If we have Jesus living within us, we have His power. But, if we choose to give
in to our fleshly fears, that power will be squelched. As believers, we have love to give but, when we succumb
to fear, we will think of nothing and no one but ourselves. (1 John 4:18) The love that God wants to pour through us will be blocked by the mountain of fear in us. (2 Timothy 1:7) The effects that fear can have in our lives are endless and they are all negative. Fear is the
biggest tactic used by the terrorists in this world today. And the father of all terrorists is the Devil. (1 Peter 5:8) There is no peace where there is fear. (Philippians 4:7) Power, love and a sound mind are gifts. God gives them. Nobody will force us to use those gifts,
not even God. He offers His gifts but it's up to us to take them gratefully and use them. Pilate decided
not to do that and the results were not good. In the end, it is said that he committed suicide. Pilate, of course, had been warned by his wife not to have anything to do with Jesus. (Matthew 27:19) Pilate, himself, kept trying to get out of making the decision to crucify Him. But, Pilate's
fear of man and fear of losing his cherished career caused him to make very poor decisions. (Proverbs 29:25) He didn't want to upset the Sanhedrin, the rulers of the Jews, because they might send a bad report about
him to Rome. He didn't want to upset the general population because they might become an angry mob and
that wouldn't look good for him either. He tried to give Jesus back to the Jews so they could punish Him
but they would have not part of it, stating that Jesus deserved to die because He said He was the Son of God. (John 19:7) That statement only instilled more fear in the already fearful governor. Pilate was a Pagan. He had undoubtedly
heard stories about deities visiting humans. What if he was going to have to kill a god? Things were not looking good
for Pilate. He was all mixed up. When we fall prey to fear, things will not look good for us either. We've
probably all been there and done that. Before we fall prey to fear, we need to remember to pray to
our Father, asking for wisdom and direction in every decision we make. (Proverbs 3:5-6) We need to encourage one another, as believers, with the fact that God has given us each the gifts of power,
love, a sound mind, and even His peace. (Hebrews 10:24) Life comes at us hard and fast sometimes. The decisions are not always easy but, instead of trying to please
men, like Pilate did, we need to remember that pleasing God is more important. (Hebrews 13:20) He's pleased when we accept His gifts and use them properly. He's pleased when we come to Him in prayer.
(1 Thessalonians 5:17) This morning, if the decisions you have to make are difficult, don't fall prey to fear. Don't make
those decisions to please men. Pray to your Father and He will direct your paths and show you things you've never
seen before. (Jeremiah 33:3) What do we fear? It should be nothing. (Isaiah 41:10) Jesus said many times, "Fear not!" He's with us! (Matthew 28:20) MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 11, 2008 - BEHOLD! John 19:5 (KJV) When Pilate sent Jesus out before the people after he was beaten, mocked and
dressed in a purple robe, wearing a crown of thorns, Jesus didn't look like much of a king. But then,
things aren't always the way the look. Pilate, no doubt, was clean, looking healthy and appeared to be in control.
Jesus looked near death, probably almost unrecognizable, torn and bloodied. Jesus looked helpless. But
then, things aren't always the way the look. In fact, we might say, behold, things are not as they look. Pilate stood before the people and said, "Behold the man." There
is one word key word in that sentence. "Behold!" Yes, Jesus was a man. He was all man so that He
could identify with all of our feelings of infirmity. (Hebrews 4:15) He went through every feeling we could ever have and, in all of it, He did not sin, making Him the perfect sacrifice
for the sins of all mankind. Being all man and all God, He could have rescued Himself from this torture and humiliation.
But, He chose not to. Aren't you glad that He loves us so much that He chose to take the torture and humiliation
that we deserve! Behold, in essence, means to really see something.
To take a good look. It denotes surprise. Perhaps Pilate wanted the Jews to take a good look at this man
they were accusing of saying He was a king. Maybe he wanted them to see just how wrong they were. How could this One
who was beaten almost beyond recognition and appearing so helpless be a king? Whatever Pilate was thinking, he didn't
behold the person of Christ. This morning we must behold, not only the man, but every other aspect of our Savior.
Behold, the Lamb of God. He takes away our sin! (John 1:29) Behold the King of Kings! (Revelation 19:16) He's going to be the One to rule and reign forever. We can be part of that Kingdom!
Behold, the Son of God! (1 John 4:15) Let's behold the might One who says, ".....behold, I come quickly; and my reward is
with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (Revelation 22:12) Let's behold Jesus for all that He is right now and all He was and will be. (Hebrews 13:8) Let's behold the fact that our Savior, the only One worth really, "beholding," will
come again. Just as the word, "behold," has an element of surprise in it, let's remember that Jesus
said He would come at a time we might not expect. Matthew 24:44 (NIV) 44 So
you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. So, as the world
is calling to us from every direction, saying, "behold this," or "behold that," let's remember to
behold all the things that Jesus is. Let's behold the fact that He might come at any time. Let's behold
the awesome privilege we have of being a part of the redeemed and of His Kingdom which will have no end. (Isaiah 9:7 ) When it comes to Jesus, we will never run out of things to, "behold." Behold, your Healer.
Behold, your Comforter. Behold, your Protector. Behold, your Joy-Giver. Behold, whatever it is you need
today, you'll find it in Jesus! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 10, 2008 - HIS SCOURGING BECAME OUR SALVATION John 19:1 (KJV) What does it mean to be scourged? One scripture in which the Greek word, "mastigoo," is used tells
us that God punishes His own children because of His love for them. (Hebrews 12:6) Nobody likes to be disciplined and, "scourged," whether literally or figuratively. No matter
what, it's uncomfortable. However, we all probably know what it felt like when we were a child and our
parents had to discipline or spank us when we needed a reminder of the direction in which we should be going. Although
it didn't feel like it at the time, they were just proving they loved us. (Proverbs 13:24) The scourging of Jesus was scourging carried to the endth degree.
Pilate knew Jesus was innocent but Pilate was a man entrenched in this world's system. He was only interested in the
furtherance of his own career. He did not want the responsibility of sentencing an innocent man to death but, on
the other hand, he had the angry Jew's demanding His death. Trying to placate the Jew's, Pilate reached into
his bag of tricks and decided to have Jesus scourged, hoping the mob would have compassion and reverse their demand to
crucify Him. Also, it was known that scourging a man would often kill him or leave him insane. (Luke 23:16) Either way, Pilate would be rid of Jesus without having implicated himself in the sentence of crucifixion. Roman
scourging was harsh, to say the least. It consisted of thirteen lashes on each shoulder and thirteen lashes on the naked
breast with a whip having three ends of leather onto which were tied pieces of sharp metal or bone. These
lashes would tear into the flesh of the victim and sometimes go so deeply into the flesh that the flesh would be ripped
open right down to the internal organs. Although it was against the Jewish law to cut men's flesh in this way, the
Jews were only to glad to hand Jesus over to the Romans who executed the torture. Obviously
Jesus, who was sinless, did not need this discipline. Nor, does God inflict such cruel discipline on any of His
children. This scourging seems like such a tragedy, along with the incidents that immediately followed. However,
the awful suffering that Jesus took that day was for you and me. It was evidence of His love, and the love of the Father,
for us. Yes, like any good father, our Father will discipline us because He is a good Father and He loves
His children enough to do so. But the scourging that Jesus took that day came to let us know that He was in agreement
with His Father's plan from the get-go. They had spelled it all out for us in scripture many years before it happened.
Were it to have been any other way, God's Word could not be proven true. As it is, we can look back into the
law and the prophets and begin to get the big picture. As awful as it is to look upon these passages of scripture describing
what our Savior endured for us, it is, at the same time, encouraging because we can see that God's Word is entirely true.
(Isaiah 50:6, Isaiah 52:14-53:6) We are also given the reason we can believe that, by those lashes, we were healed. (1 Peter 2:24) Jesus had to be scourged, mocked, slapped, spit upon. (Mark 15:19) He had to wear that crown of thorns upon His already bloody head in order to completely reverse the curse in
Genesis 3:18. Nobody forced Him to do it. (John 10:18) He could have freed Himself and left us hopelessly drowning in our sin. But, because of Jesus love and sacrifice
for you and me, we are under His grace and the curse is removed! (Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 2:8) A little scourging from the Father now and then is not such a bad thing! It means He loves us and gives us an
opportunity to learn and grow in Him. (Proverbs 22:15) Praise God that today, we can be called His children! Praise God that His Word is true and more powerful than
a two-edged sword! (Hebrews 4:12) Praise God that, by Jesus's stripes, we were and are healed and set free! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 9, 2008 - THE REDEEMER FOR THE ROBBER John 18:40 (KJV) Two thousand years ago, a bad man sat in the darkness of prison.
(Matthew 27:16) He was a robber. He even murdered some of those that he and his gang robbed. His name was Barabbas.
His name is very interesting. Some ancient copies of Matthew call the freed prisoner "Jesus bar Abbas".
The, "bar-abbas," means son of a father, according to some. While Barabbas was a son of a father,
Jesus was the Son of the Father. We know that Jesus called His Father, "Abba." (Mark 14:36) One commentary paints a rather interesting story of how Barabbas
might have felt as he sat in the darkness of the prison. He could probably hear the roar of the crowd outside, but he
could probably not hear Pilate as he posed the questions to the crowd. Perhaps Barabbas knew that the custom to
release one prisoner at the Passover would be appropriated. (John 18:39) As Pilate asked the crowd whether they wanted him to release Jesus or Barabbas, maybe, Barabbas only heard the
roar of the people yelling, "Crucify Him." (Luke 23:21) Naturally, Barabbas might have assumed that he was the one to be crucified. He may have known about Jesus and
known that He was an innocent man. (John 19:4) Can you imagine how Barabbas might have felt sitting down there in the dungeon waiting for someone to come and open
the door to lead him out to die on a Roman cross? The door did open, finally, and he was led out into the light.
He was incredibly led to freedom while the Son of the Father was led to the cross. The Redeemer was going to die
for the robber! Have we ever been robbers? Most of us have probably not committed
a robbery in our lifetime, yet some may have. All of us are robbers though. We have all robbed God of
things that belong rightfully to Him. Of course, some of you might expect that I would choose to use the verse from Malachi
here to say that, if we have not given God our tithe, we have robbed God. (Malachi 3:8) Since His Word says it, it must be true. But that's not the only way we rob God. How
about our time? (Ephesians 5:16) Our talents? Romans 12:6 (AMP) 6 Having
gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: [He whose gift is] prophecy,
[let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith; Our hospitality? (1 Peter 4:9) Maybe we have robbed God when we saw a needy person and didn't stop to help when we had the means to do so.
(Matthew 25:45) Have we ever robbed God by refusing to help Him (as in the case of helping someone who is down and out)?
There are lots of other areas we could talk about. But, just in the areas we have mentioned, all of us have fallen short
in one or more of them at some time or another. Barabbas went free because Jesus chose to die for him. The Son
of the Father died for the son of a father and for all the sons and daughters of the fathers of this earth.
How thankful we should be this morning as we reflect on the fact that Jesus took our sentence of sure death upon Himself.
We can walk as free men and women, boys and girls. Though we were robbers, the Redeemer died in our place!
It is just as though we had never done any wrong! We were robbers but now we are justified by the Redeemer!
Let's live this redeemed life with thankfulness, joy, and love! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 8, 2008 - CUSTOM OR COMPANION? John 18:39 (KJV) While some customs may be good and well-intentioned, we need to be sure that what we do every day is Spirit-led and
not just because we are following certain customs and traditions. Have you ever done a thing the same way all the time,
not even knowing why you do it that way? There is a story of a woman who would always cut a ham in half after she
bought it. She would cook only one half at a time. That was her custom. When asked why she did it that way,
she said, "That's the way my mother always did it." Come to find out, her mother did it that way because,
unlike her daughter, she didn't have a roasting pan big enough to hold the whole ham. The daughter,
however, was totally convinced that she did it the "right way," by cutting the thing in half! Pilate drew upon a Jewish custom when he found himself unable to make a just decision
concerning the crucifixion of Jesus. The results of this decision to follow custom were of much more consequence
than that of cutting a ham in half before cooking it. We can do certain things because of custom. Because we're
accustomed to doing them. Because we're comfortable with them. Or, we can search out the heart of
God and make our decisions according to His heart. Pilate, unwilling to know Jesus, could not know God. (Matthew 11:27) His decision was made purely upon custom and, although he knew that Jesus was innocent (John 18:38), custom sentenced an innocent Man to die and let a robber go free! How do we operate in our everyday lives? Do we stick to safe traditions and customs? Or, do we venture
out, searching the scriptures, seeking revelation from the Holy Spirit, and acting accordingly? It's something to
think about. Jesus upbraided the Pharisees of his day because they chose to adhere more to the traditions of men than
following God. (Mark 7:8) This morning, let's reassess our reasons for doing things. Especially the ways in which we worship.
Have we gotten into a rut of ritual? Do we say, "We've always done it that way?" Do we resist following
the ever- flowing movement of the Holy Spirit as He leads us by showing us new His mercies every morning? (Lamentations 3:22-23) Following customs and traditions by rote may get us into trouble. It certainly did for the Pharisees and
it did for Pilate. This morning and every morning, we have a new opportunity to follow God's direction. He
promises to show us new and wonderful things that we haven't yet seen. (Jeremiah 33:3) He may not lead us in the customary way we're used to going but He will lead us in the right way
and on the straight path! (Proverbs 3:5-6) We just have to acknowledge Him and trust with all of our hearts. Instead of customs, we have a Companion!
MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 7, 2008 - NOT WHAT, BUT WHO John 18:38 (NLT) Did Pilate ask the wrong question when he asked, "What is truth?" It seems as if Pilate
was inquiring after a "thing." Actually, the Truth that Pilate needed to find was a Person.
I think we all know who that Person is. Jesus had earlier said, "I am the Truth." When we are looking
for a truth in any given situation, are we searching for a thing instead of a Person? Are we looking into circumstances
and various human solutions to find the truth when we are confused? Or, are we looking up and calling on Jesus?
We could judge Pilate harshly for looking right into the eyes of the Truth and asking,
"What is truth?" But, judgment belongs to God. (Proverbs 21:12) As for us, we can decide not to make the mistake the Pilate seems to have made. We can know the Truth.
When we do, He will set us free. (John 8:32) When we are free, we can make clear decisions because the things going on around us will not blur our vision
of Jesus. If we have been set free by the truth, our circumstances will not keep us from seeing the Truth clearly.
Pilate seems to have disregarded all that he knew about Jesus and decided upon a solution in his own strength. He could
have listened to his wife and to God, but he chose not to. He could have known the Truth and the Truth would have set
him free. Instead, he chose to believe that he was in control, sentenced an innocent Man to death, and remained
a bound man himself. It has even been said that he committed suicide not long after the crucifixion of Jesus.
The difference is that he stayed dead and lost all his power and the Man he condemned to die rose again and now
lives to rule and reign forever! (Revelation 11:15) We don't need to remain bound today! Jesus
wants to set us free. (Isaiah 61:1) We have a choice though. Just like Pilate did. Jesus is not standing in front of us in the flesh today,
but we have His Word and His Spirit. (Matthew 11:25) He reveals that Word to us if we are looking for Him as we read and study it. His Word is Himself!
(John 1:14) His Word is simple and will be revealed to the childlike. Have you ever noticed that a child will speak the
truth, even if it is not popular? The child doesn't think about political correctness before he speaks. What
he sees is what he says. He says it like it is. Until he is taught, he doesn't know any better. Has
the world taught us to remain bound to confusion and circumstances because we look right past the loving Truth in front of
us and try to find our own solutions? Jesus is the Solution! If we really know Jesus, not just
know about Him, the Truth lives in us. The solution to everything lives within us! The Holy Spirit will guide
us into all truth as we look to Him. (John 14:17) Like Pilate, the world, in general, is not looking for the Truth and unless we reveal the One who lives in us
to them, they will not find the Truth. Some will never find the truth because of their insistence on looking to other
things. Because we know the Truth this morning, let's pause to thank Him for all that He has done for us, for
setting us free, and just because He is Who He is! He will keep on revealing Himself to us as we walk with Him.
(John 15:26) He will be our Counselor. No problem will be too great for Him. If you don't know the Truth today,
just ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Don't be like Pilate and sit around asking, "What is truth?" The
Truth is a Who! And you can know Him today! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 6, 2008 - DO WE RECOGNIZE THE KING? John 18:37 (NLT) There's really no question about it. Jesus is a King.
He, not only a King, but He is the King of Kings! (Revelation 19:16) He stood right in front of Pilate, as Pilate interrogated Him, but Pilate did not recognize Him for who He really
was and is. It wasn't as though Jesus hid His identity from Pilate. It's just that Pilate was either not
able or not willing to recognize Him. Pilate's wife had a dream about Jesus and sent word to her husband that Jesus
was an innocent man. His wife warned him not to bother Jesus because she had a dream about Him. (Matthew 27:19) Yet, Pilate refused to heed the warning of his wife and refused to see the truth in the fact that Jesus was a
King - the King. Not only is Jesus the King of Kings, He is the Truth.
(John 14:6) What Pilate failed to recognize was the Truth, as well as the King. How many people today search history
and books to find out whether Jesus was really born? Whether He was actually born of a virgin. Whether He really
died. Whether He rose again. They come up with various answers, most of which do not hold to the truth.
(Revelation 2:24-25) We can watch the results of their search on any given day on documentaries made for TV and we can read about
their theories in the mountains of books available to us. (Ecclesiastes 12:12) But, unless those producers and authors recognize the Truth that Jesus is the King, we might as well not waste our
time. How about us? Do we recognize that Jesus is the Truth
and the King of Kings? (John 14:17) More than that, have we allowed Him to reign as King of our hearts and lives? (Psalm 73:28) All we have to do is look around to find that there are many people like Pilate, ever searching for the truth
and never finding it because they search in all the wrong places. (2 Timothy 3:1-9) People are always looking for someone to lead and direct their lives. But, again, they look in all the
wrong places. You can't find someone to direct your life in government or in Hollywood super-stars. Not
in sports heroes or in spouses or other relationships. No. (Psalm 118:8) The only One who is capable of revealing the real Truth to us is Jesus. That's because He is
the Truth. The only One capable of leading and directing us and protecting our hearts and minds is Jesus.
He's the only One worthy of the title of King. There are other kings in this world but Jesus is the King
of Kings. There are other purported truths in this world but Jesus is the Truth. Do we recognize
Him as such? And, if so, what can we do to help others find the Truth and make Him King of their hearts and lives?
(Matthew 28:19) If we choose to follow the King and learn His Truth, He will direct us in ways we can't even imagine! MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 5, 2008 - DEFILED John 18:28 (KJV) What does it mean to be defiled? An
example that Strong's Dictionary uses is to be morally or ceremonially contaminated. Vine's Dictionary
says, "primarily, 'to stain, to tinge or dye with another color,' as in the staining of a glass...."Vine's
Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words. When it was time for Jesus to go into the hall
of judgment, the Jews who were condemning Him would not go in because they might come in contact with a Gentile
and become, "defiled." As if they were clean? How is it that mankind has a tendency to look past the obvious? To interpret things according to our
own misguided wisdom? (1 Corinthians 3:19) Jesus was innocent of all of the charges and allegations brought against Him. Who was bringing the
charges? His own people! Who was lying about Him? His own people. The people that held the religious
offices of the day. The people that were supposed to be holy and undefiled. (Leviticus 20:26) What was going on here? It sounds like the "Twilight Zone." Do holy people lie? Not
according to the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:16) Do holy people commit murder? (Exodus 20:13) Not according to the scripture. Those that do those things are defiled. Yet, here we see religious leaders being ever so careful not to be, "defiled,"
by touching a Gentile in the judgment hall, but not the least bit afraid of bringing false charges against one of
their own in the judgment halls of their own hearts. And, seemingly they didn't even feel any remorse
about plotting the murder of one of their own! I wonder if you call an attitude like theirs, stained? Maybe polluted? How
about, contaminated. Certainly, defiled! How blind could they be? They were defiling
themselves in their attitudes and actions. Before we go too far here, maybe we can learn a lesson. It
could be that we are very judgmental of others, looking for outward appearances of what we want to call good and
holy. Maybe we don't, like God, look at the hearts of others. Of course, only God can know
the depths of a person's heart so it might be best to leave the judgment to Him....... (Matthew 7:21-23) But, it might not hurt to try to get to know a person's heart before we decide to cut them off from our world.
Maybe, when we see things we don't agree with, we do a little pre-judging rather than seeking the heart of God in
a matter. (Matthew 13:24-30) Let's not stand on ceremony when it comes to being defiled. Simply religious people will look sharp
on the outside and know all the right language but, like the Jews of Jesus's day, they could have hearts as black as coal.
(Matthew 23:27) They could be defiled and not even realize it. If we want to be truly clean, we need a relationship with
Jesus. (John 8:19) He became defiled so we could be made holy. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Do we live with an attitude of gratitude for that gift? (2 Corinthians 9:15) Let's show the world that Jesus lives in us and that He wants everyone to know the freedom that comes
from His cleansing power. (John 8:36) Thanks to our precious Savior, nobody has to remain defiled! (Isaiah 1:18) MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 4, 2008 - WHO ME? John 18:26 (KJV) Even after Peter had heard Jesus tell him that he would deny Him three
times, Peter had a problem. (John 13:38) For one thing, maybe he didn't heed what could have been a warning coming from Jesus. Have you ever felt
a warning in your spirit? The other night, after a particularly productive day, I realized that the Lord had given me
strength to do a lot more than I could have done on my own. (Philippians 4:13) I had almost completely cleaned out a very large closet in my house, along with taking care of several other things.
It was time to go to bed. I knew I needed rest and I knew if I didn't get enough sleep, I would not be able to function
optimally the next day. I thought about how that closet was almost all clean and about how many other things I had accomplished
that day. I got really excited. The key word in all these sentences is, "I." Suddenly, almost
without knowing it, I thought, "If I did all that, I could do even more - right now!" Then
I heard it. The Master's voice saying, "I wouldn't if I were you." "What?", I said.
"You mean You're giving me a choice?" And guess what? He said, "Yes, but I wouldn't if
I were you." I knew He was right. Of course, He's always right! I had done the exact amount that
He had given me the strength to do for that day. Any more, and I would be operating in my own strength, not
to speak of taking the credit for the accomplishments. (John 15:5) Every day, His mercies are new. (Lamentations 3:22-23) Every day we have the opportunity to listen to His directions and His warnings when we are about to get off the track.
(Psalm 119:133) Peter had that opportunity too. Do you think he thought he could do more than he really could? Do
you think he might have been still operating in his own strength? After all, Peter was very outspoken and very zealous.
That's the way God made him. Sometimes our strengths and gifts can get in the way of our realization that it all
comes from God. (Acts 17:28) Strengths that come naturally to us may be taken for granted and used without waiting to hear His directions
for their use. Yet, in all of that, He is patient and loving and kind and merciful. (Psalm 136:26) Peter denied Jesus three times, just as Jesus said he would. I'll bet you that Peter could hardly believe
he did that! Until he saw Jesus look at him. (Luke 22:61) Just as Peter was about to have the opportunity to heed the warning of Jesus, one more person
questioned Peter about whether he was with Jesus in the garden. This time it was a relative of the guy that lost
his ear to Peter's sword and then had it healed by Jesus. This particular person had been in the garden and probably
seen Peter slice of his relative's ear in the heat of passion. And what did Peter reply? Basically,
"Who me? Not me!" How often do our lives
parallel Peter's life? We may not, flat out, say, "I've never been with Jesus." Most of us in
America are never put to such a test. We do have brothers and sisters around the world that are put to that
test. Many are walking around maimed and disabled from the torture they have gone through because they would not deny
Jesus. Others have given their lives. But, how about our everyday lives? Do our actions, reactions,
or non-actions show the world that we really belong to Jesus? (Matthew 5:14) Or, do they, in effect, reflect our denial of Jesus? (2 Timothy 2:12) Only we can answer that and it is between each one of us and the Lord. Jesus is a restorer of those who
have denied Him with their words and their deeds. Peter is proof of that. I am proof of that too. If
you know that there are times when you could have stood up for Jesus, but you somehow missed the mark, you can know today
that He still loves you. (Romans 8:39) His love for you and me doesn't change because of our actions or inaction. Isn't that all the more
reason to listen to his direction and His warnings and then follow? If we are questioned either directly or by those
looking at our lives to see whether we really follow Jesus, may it be that we don't stand there and say, "Who
me? Not me!" MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 3, 2008 - SLAPPED IN THE FACE John 18:22 (KJV) Have you ever told the truth and been slapped in the
face for it? Maybe it wasn't an actual slap. It may have been a verbal slap. How did that make you feel?
It's happened to me before and, believe me, my first reaction was not one of a calm, collected reply! Jesus
was physically slapped in the face because He answered the high priest truthfully and directly. (John 18:19-20) What did He get for it? A slap in the face! Our Heavenly High Priest answered a corrupt earthly high
priest with the truth and an officer decided to slap God in the face! Pretty scary! Jesus couldn't help but answer truthfully and directly because He is the Truth. (John 14:6) May it be that we are so filled with Jesus that we are truthful and direct, but without malice. Now, just because
we tell the truth directly, that doesn't mean that the other guy is going to be without malice. The proverbial phrase,
"the truth hurts," is many times true. Don't people seem to want the truth but shy away
from it many times because it is not pleasant? The scripture says that we, in our natural, sinful state, love the darkness
more than we love the light. (John 3:19) Practically everything that was done during the arrest and trials
Jesus went through was illegal according to either Jewish or Roman law. The slap in the face by the officer was just
one of those illegal things. It was not lawful to hit anyone who had not yet been convicted. Yet, the
high priest said and did nothing about it. Through it all, we sense no anger in Jesus. When you and I tell
the truth directly and we are in some sense, slapped, it's a good time to remember what Jesus did. He did not slap
back. He did not attack His attacker. He merely said something akin to this: "If I have spoken amiss
or badly, tell me what I said that was bad, but if I spoke something morally right, why did you hit me?" Of course,
no one seemed to have an answer for that question. As followers of Jesus, we should all be ready to tell the truth,
in love. Ephesians 4:15 (KJV) 15 But
speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: If
we should receive a slap in the face, let's be like Jesus, remaining calm and collected. Sometimes those, "slaps,"
will come from a church member or leader. That's exactly what happened to Jesus. The very ones that should
have been protecting Him were the ones persecuting Him! If we are put into a position where we need to "turn
the other cheek," (Matthew 5:39) let's make sure we are turning our eyes from the offender right into the eyes of our loving Heavenly Father who
knows all things and will judge all things. Then, like Jesus, let's continue to walk in truth, love and sacrifice. (Luke 9:23) MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 2, 2008 - WE HAVE THE ANSWER! John 18:19 (KJV) It's
kind of amazing, isn't it, that the high priest had to ask Jesus about His disciples? And about His doctrine, or
teaching? We read so many places in scripture that the leading Jews were present when Jesus was teaching. Obviously,
everything that Jesus had done was done openly. He had walked among the people with His disciples for about three years.
He was well known among the people. Just the week before, He had ridden into Jerusalem and the crowds had wanted to
proclaim Him King. (John 6:15) The chief priests and rulers were there. They saw it all. And, they were angry. (Matthew 21:15) They even confronted Jesus right there and He answered their question. (Matthew 21:16) Is the world,
at large, still asking questions but not willing to receive any answer except that which they want to hear? Doesn't
the world, at large, have the Word of God all around them in printed form? And, if they don't happen to have a copy
of the scripture, doesn't the scripture tell us that none of us have any excuse for not knowing God, since He is
evident all around us in His creation? (Romans 1:20) The high priest that interrogated Jesus was without excuse too. The answer to every question he
could ask was standing right in front of him. The Truth was self-evident and is still self-evident. (John 14:6) That high priest really didn't want The Answer!Religion will ask a million questions and then refuse
to accept The Answer. Relationship will find a way to get to know The Answer. The high priest didn't really
want to know about the teaching of Jesus. And, as for wanting to know about His disciples, he had access to that information
from just about anybody in the area. (John 18:20-21) As a religious leader, the high priest was even conducting an illegal interrogation. Jewish law
stated that none of that could be done at night. Religion people, without a relationship with the Savior, will
often go against their own rules, condemning themselves. They were seeking to condemn Jesus that night but they
only brought condemnation upon themselves, according to their own traditions and laws! All of this had to take place to fulfill the scripture, but everyone involved will be called to answer for their
participation in the activities surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus. Everyone. That includes you and me.
We are all responsible for those nails in His hands and feet. We can argue about specifics and ask a million more questions
but the truth is that we are all without excuse if we don't realize who Jesus is. (John 3:16) He is the Son of God who came to take away our sin. (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23) Do we really know that? Do we really know Him? Or do we ask lots of questions
when the Answer stands right in front of us with open arms to accept us, wipe away our sin, and lead us into abundant
life? (John 10:10) Just like in Jesus's days on earth, the answers are right there in the open for us. Let's
put our doubts and questions behind us and receive the Answer today. Whatever our questions are, Jesus is The
Answer. Will we receive The Answer today? If we have questions and cares, The Answer says, "Cast them
all on me." (1 Peter 5:7) The only Answer we'll ever need is right in the open and He cares for you and me enough to take our
questions and cares and make a way where there seems to be no way! Let's never question that! (1 Corinthians 10:13) MORNING MANNA - SEPTEMBER 1, 2008 - PETER FOLLOWED JESUS John 18:15 (KJV) Although we may be quick to look down on Peter for denying Jesus, we might
want to first think about what it would have been like if we were in Peter's place. How quick are you and I to step
out on faith and try something new? That was Peter! He was ready to try almost anything. Remember how he
was the one who stepped out of the boat and attempted a walk on the water? (Matthew 14:29) In fact, Peter did walk on the water - for a while. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus.
None of the others in the boat had enough gumption or faith to do such a thing. Would you have stepped
out of a rocking boat onto waves and attempted to walk? I'm not sure that I would. I don't know.
I do know one thing. When you have your eyes fixed on Jesus, nothing seems impossible. Actually nothing is impossible!
(Luke 1:37) Jesus gave Peter the Word, Peter followed it, and he did the impossible. Only as long as
he didn't look at the circumstances that threatened the impossibility of the task. (Matthew 14:30) When Peter took his eyes off of the Lord and looked at the raging sea beneath his feet, his attempted
feat became a near disaster. Fear suddenly swept over him and he began to sink. Peter was a human being,
just like you and me. He had some lessons to learn, just like you and I do. One thing you can say for Peter is that, after Jesus had negotiated the release of the disciples in the garden,
(John 18:8) Peter still followed Him as they led Him away to be tried before the high priest. (John 18:15) Another disciple also followed Jesus. Some say it was John, others have other opinions.
Nevertheless, that other disciple somehow knew the high priest and was allowed inside the courtyard. After obtaining
his entrance, he talked the gatekeeper into letting Peter in also. Why did Peter go in? He was safely on the outside,
able to get the gist of what was going on with the ability to escape quickly if he had to. Once inside, he was the object
of scrutiny. However, he had followed Jesus this far. Don't we often think we can do more for Jesus than
we really can? Is that because we think we can do it? Is it possible that Peter, zealous
for serving Jesus, was attempting something a little bit above his level of faith? Was Peter still quick to act
and a little bit slow to determine whether he was doing something in his own strength or by faith? Has that ever happened
to you? Is it possible that Peter should have stayed on the outside of the gate so he would not have had to endure the
great temptation to deny Jesus? Whether that other disciple pressured
him to come into the courtyard or whether Peter wanted to go into the courtyard, it was a dangerous place to be. We
don't read about where that other disciple was but we do know that Peter was very uncomfortable for two reasons.
It was cold. He was in the enemy camp. He stood by the fire to warm himself, probably trying to blend in
with the enemy, consisting of officers and slaves of the palace. (Luke 22:55, Mark 14:54, John 18:18) There he was, right in the thick of things again. That's where Peter always seemed to end
up. That's probably because he had leadership qualities. Peter was about to encounter one of the most devastating
experiences in his lifetime. Yet, it would not hinder him from becoming all that God had planned for his life.
In John 18:15, perhaps the key words are, "Peter followed Jesus." As believers, when we follow Jesus, we
may have, "sinking," experiences. We may also have "denial," experiences. I have had both.
The key is found in repentance and in going on from there, having learned something. That something is to
keep our eyes on Jesus, believing that he has created good works for us to do. (Hebrews 12:2, Ephesians 2:10) Peter did fail Jesus. He wept tears of repentance. (Luke 22:62) He did not blame God for his failure. Nor, did he let it keep him from going on from there.
It was Peter who would be all that Jesus said he would be. Peter was a leader but he was not exempt from failure.
Neither are we. If we never step out of the boat and try anything, we're surely not going to fail! But then
again, if we never try anything for Jesus, we surely will never do anything for Him either! Let's
take a lesson from Peter and follow Jesus, letting Him restore us if, and when, we don't seem to make the mark. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 31, 2008 -LET'S NOT BE LIKE CAIAPHAS! John 18:14 (KJV) It's interesting, isn't it, that a religious leader was able to
prophesy and also to literally able to bring about murder? John 11:50-52 (AMP) 50 Nor do you understand
or reason out that it is expedient and better for your own welfare that one man should die on behalf of the people than that
the whole nation should perish (be destroyed, ruined). 51 Now he did not say this
simply of his own accord [he was not self-moved]; but being the high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was to die
for the nation, 52 And not only for the nation but also for the purpose of uniting
into one body the children of God who have been scattered far and wide. We need to remember that God places
people in office in order to carry out His plans. I was stunned the first time I read that Caiaphas
prophesied. Was this the same Caiaphas that raked Jesus over the coals? Yes, it was one in the same. How would we feel if our pastor would persecute us for speaking the truth?
It has happened before. Martin Luther first comes to my mind but there have been others. Power tends to corrupt
people but the corruption of man does not stop God's plan. He will use whatever He has to in order to
make His Word heard. Including a donkey! (2 Peter 2:16) If we happen to hold a high position in the church (or anywhere else for that matter), we should
remember that it has nothing to do with our own magnificence. It is God who raises people up. (Psalm 75:6-7) Caiaphas was the high priest at the time of Jesus's death. It was Caiaphas who incited the
people to riot and ultimately cry, "Crucify Him." That same Caiaphas had previously prophesied that one Man
had to die for all the people. Does that make it right that Caiaphas had such a great part in orchestrating the
death of this one Man? Hardly! Although
Caiaphas held the office of high priest, he was appointed by the Roman government. He stayed in power, some
say, for up to eighteen years. That was unusual during the Roman rule. They had a habit of replacing the high
priest, sometimes every year. However, in God's law, the high priest would remain a high priest for life.
What happens when corruption enters our relationship with God? Destruction and death take place. It is said that
Caiaphas had a good "working relationship," with Pontius Pilate, who is reported to have repeated difficulties with
his Jewish subjects. It was a political relationship and may have included bribery and other such evils. Politics
have no place in God's Kingdom. Position and power, as wonderful as they seem, carry with them great responsibility.
Caiaphas did not handle that responsibility well. He appears to have chosen to try to hang on to that position
and power at the expense of falling away from the God who had placed Him in the position in the first place. Caiaphas,
who should have been servant to all, instead worked with evil rulers of this world to try to extinguish the true Light and
Most High Servant of God. In our own lives, we should be discerning of those around us who may be using their position
or office in an unholy way while at the same time intently looking into ourselves to make sure we hold on to the Truth, disregarding
the temptations to compromise and give in to unholy alliances. How are we doing? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 30, 2008 - WHO WAS REALLY BOUND? John 18:12 (KJV) It must have been quite a scene there in the garden with the moonlight
illuminating a band of many soldiers and rulers arresting one Man. All those lanterns, torches and weapons to take one
Man who had no weapons, except those of love, mercy and grace! Yes, these brave men took Jesus and bound Him.
But, in order to get the bigger picture of this scene, we have to look at some other Words of Jesus. He said that no
one could take His life. He gave it. (John 10:18) Voluntarily. Now why would anyone want to give up their life voluntarily for a band of followers who deserted
them and a world who hated them? Jesus did it because He had received a command from His father. He was operating
in obedience to that command, not hesitating, but resolute and even volunteering. Those angry men did not have to go
looking for Jesus. He stepped out and confronted them when they got to the garden. (John 18:4) He made their job easy for them. Are there certain things in our lives
that we must do because we have received a command from our Father? Maybe those things are not comfortable for us.
Jesus certainly knew that He was in for great discomfort! Yet, voluntarily, He gave up His life so that you and
I could have ours back and have it in abundance. (John 10) We are also called to lay down our lives for Him. Not for any man or any organization, but for the
King and the Kingdom. (Mark 8:35) God has planned good works for us to do while we're here on earth. (Ephesians 2:10) All of those works may not be comfortable for us but He will certainly give us the grace to see them through
if we, like Jesus, are willing to follow His command. (Psalm 84:11) God is not stingy with His gifts and His calling. If we are willing
to receive, He will gladly give us gifts that will benefit us and build His Kingdom. (Matthew 7:11) He absolutely loves giving good gifts to His children. If you have children, you can relate. Right?
But, He doesn't give us those gifts so we can set them up on the mantle of our lives and display them, unopened, for all
to see. He gives them to us to use so that others around us can benefit, just as we benefit from the gifts that others
have received (if they have opened them and are using them). (Ephesians 4:12) Jesus was commanded to give His life so He could restore us to our Father. He followed through with that command.
If He had not, we would be lost today! He did have a choice though. He could have called many legions of angels
right there in the garden and wiped out that mob of nasty men. And, they probably would have deserved it!
Yet, Mercy stepped forth. He said, "Take me, let the others go." God has called you and me to do something
for Him and for His Kingdom. His call and His gifts will never be revoked. (Romans 11:29) We can, on the other hand, choose to ignore the calling and the gifts or use them improperly, when we don't
walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. What has God called us to do? What are the gifts He has given us so we can
get the job done? Yes, there may be times of some discomfort, but that doesn't change the command.
Those soldiers had bound Jesus and they led Him away, so they thought. Little did they know at the time that they were
the ones that were bound, having not heard His call and received the gifts He so desired to give them. Today,
we are given the gift of freedom if we will take it. (John 8:36) The freedom to answer the call, receive the gifts and work in God's Kingdom. Have we answered? Have
we received? Are we walking in freedom or are we bound by traditions, men and organizations who think
they have a hold on the Living God? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 29, 2008 - WHAT'S IN YOUR CUP? John 18:11 (NLT) Peter was ready to take on all the
Roman soldiers and the Jewish leaders in the garden when they came to arrest Jesus. Have you ever felt like taking on
a whole lot more than you really realistically could because you were all-fired mad! I have to admit that I'm having
one of those days today. As I read John 18:11 again and saw what Jesus said, my heart was touched and convicted. Here is Jesus, fully obedient, fully in control.
He not only has to deal with His own emotions and feelings, He has to deal with one of His followers who just hasn't gotten
the picture yet. I realized that, if I knew that I was about to suffer and die, the last thing I would want to be dealing
with would be an out of control child! Especially if I had, like Jesus did, taught that child well. Can you just
see the love that our Savior has for us, as He once again tried to teach Peter about Himself and about God's plan, which
was much higher and better than Peter's plan? Jesus said, "Shall
I not drink from the cup the Father has given me?" How could He be so calm and collected when He was about
to endure unbelievable torture? I can see one reason. He had already communed with His Father about the whole
affair. He had, in His alone time with His Father, made the decision ahead of time to drink from the cup that the
Father gave Him. (Matthew 26:39) We need to decide ahead of time, in our alone time with the Father, to do just like Jesus did and accept the cup He
gives us. With joy! He knew when He prayed in the garden that all things were and are possible with God.
Yet, He also knew that, though all things are possible with God, not all things are in His plan. (Mark 14:26) I love the scripture that says, "With God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27) It's one of those verses that keeps me going when the going gets tough. However, I am learning to realize
that, although God can do anything in my life, He will choose to let me go through things I would rather not endure.
That's exactly what Jesus was facing, but we will never face the extremity of what He went through so He could lead us
through our hard times. When times get hard and things seem out of hand, another scripture that I hold on to is Romans 8:28. Everything that happens in my life may not feel good but it will work out for good. Somehow.
God said it and I believe it. Jesus did too. He endured the cross. He drank that cup because of the joy
that was set before Him. (Hebrews 12:2) Do you know what will happen after we go through some things that may not feel good? Romans 8:29 will happen. We will be more conformed to the image of Jesus. Hallelujah! What could produce more
joy than that? What cup has the Father given you to drink today?
Perhaps your cup is overflowing with blessings so that you're having to drink out of your saucer. (Psalm 23:5) But, just maybe, your cup right now doesn't taste so good. Is it a cup of suffering? (Mark 14:36) Jesus took the most bitter cup of suffering so He could understand and be with you and me through our night
seasons in life. He is the perfect Leader. He became the perfect Leader through suffering. (Hebrews 2:10) We, who believe in Jesus, are all leaders to one degree or another. The testimony of our lives will
encourage others to follow us in our belief or turn away from the Savior. Leaders must be strong, yet humble.
What cup has the Father put in your hand today. If it is the cup of suffering, we must rejoice. If it is the cup
of blessing, we must rejoice. (Philippians 4:4) Strong medicine doesn't usually taste all that good but it may save your life. When God gives us a
cup to drink of, He knows exactly what to put in it that will be the best for us. There will be times when
the cup is full of sweet blessings and then there will be times when the cup contains blessings of suffering. To be
like Jesus, we must drink from the cup that is placed in our hands by the Father, knowing that He has our best interest
at heart. Suffering may endure for a time but joy certainly will come at the dawn of a new day. (Psalm 30:5) Jesus drank the whole cup of suffering for us. Our share in his sufferings is light and momentary in
comparison. (Romans 8:17) What's in your cup? If it doesn't taste so good today, rejoice anyway. Tomorrow will bring new
mercies from God. (Lamentations 3:22-24) And, throughout eternity, that cup will be filled with the glory of God! (2 Corinthians 4:17) Yummy forever! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 28, 2008 - MESSES AND MESSAGES John 18:10 (NLT) Have you ever felt like just slapping somebody because they were so
crude or cruel? Then you can probably relate to Peter. I certainly can. Peter was determined to protect
Jesus as the group of soldiers and Jewish rulers proceeded to try to arrest Him. Peter had already told Jesus that he
was ready to die with Him. (Luke 22:33) Apparently Peter had a little change of heart there in the garden that night. Or a brain drain. Or a disastrous
memory lapse. It appears that he figured he just might be able to fight his way out of this skirmish
and take Jesus with him. Aren't we, at times, just like Peter? Trusting in our own agendas and strength?
Trying to avoid hard times at any cost? Jesus had already explained
everything that would have to happen to Him to His disciples. He had even told Peter that Peter would, although well
intentioned, deny Him. (Matthew 26:34) I guess Peter forgot all of that in the heat of the moment. I have had my moments where I forgot the plan
of God and tried to use my own strength and resources to change things. All I can say about that is, "What a mess!"
Maybe you can relate. I know I can do all things through Christ. He does strengthen me. (Philippians 4:13) He strengthens me to do what He has planned. Not to do what I plan. Well, Peter certainly made a
mess there in the garden. It appears that he intended to cut off the head of Malchus, the servant of the high priest. Fortunately
for Malchus, Peter missed the mark. In more ways than one, unfortunately for Peter. There was a bloody
mess for a moment as Malchus's ear lay on the ground and the blood poured from his head. The calmness of Jesus
is evident, even though He knows that He is about to lose much more than an ear. He stops to tell Peter to
put away his sword and then He somehow miraculously puts the ear back together on the head of Malchus.
(John 18:11, Luke 22:51) You would think that the incident would have brought Peter to his senses and made a believer out of Malchus. Peter had a great deal of zeal. However, his spiritual amnesia caused
him to do something that was totally out of the will and plan of God. Zeal, although very needful for a believer, is
dangerous unless it is accompanied by wisdom, knowledge and revelation. (Proverbs 19:2) Peter seemed to be at a loss in all three areas that night. No doubt he was stressed. He had heard what
Jesus said but he couldn't exactly see how it would all work out. He needed a lesson in faith. Don't we
all need that at various times in our lives? Stress is so prevalent in our day. When we let our stress level
rise so high that we lose the peace that God freely offers, we're likely to make a mess just like Peter did.
(Philippians 4:7) God's peace guards our minds and hearts. Without God's peace, wisdom, knowledge and revelation
can't flow as they should. We'll be tempted to take things into our own incapable hands. We may even fall
to that temptation. However, even our mistakes will not change God's plan. (2 Timothy 2:13) Peter's mistake didn't change God's plan. He's bigger than our mistakes and He will fix the
messes we make, especially if we are quick to repent. (1 John 1:9) In the garden, I'm not sure if Peter did repent immediately, but he must have obeyed when Jesus told him
to put his sword away. Malchus didn't seem to repent either but he was healed anyway. Isn't
that just like Jesus! Fixing messes, healing the undeserving, patient with the erring follower? If you are
having or have had a messy time like Peter did (and he would a little later have an even messier time), be encouraged
today because Jesus, being the loving Savior that He is, has a plan for you just as He had a plan for Peter. (Acts 2:14-42) It doesn't depend upon your goodness. It's all about His goodness. (James 1:18) Of course, we're called to live a righteous life and that should be our goal. (Romans 1:17) But, at times, we may make a mess. If we do, we might want to read Peter's life story again to discover that
big messes often lead to bigger messages. Messages of the love, grace and mercy Jesus gives to us! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 27, 2008 - HE SET THEM FREE John 18:8 (KJV) Aren't you glad, this morning, that Jesus is all about setting people free? When the soldiers and rulers
of the Jewish people went to the Garden of Gethsemane that night to arrest Jesus, they were probably planning on arresting His
followers too. But, Jesus, in confronting the enemy, asked, "Whom do you seek?" (John 18:4, John 18:7) Of course, He was the main one they were looking for and so they responded that way. Our responses
to Jesus will determine what He will do next. Of course, Jesus knew what their response would be and He already knew
what He was going to do. He was going to protect those who were His followers. He still does that today! (1 Peter 1:3-6) The enemy had come hoping to stop
the influence of Jesus and His followers. But, Jesus had other plans. Yes, His followers were a rag-tag
band who would abandon Him, but He still had their best interest at heart. (John 16:32) He still had His own plans in place. So He gave Himself to the angry crowd and caused them to let His followers go
free. Isn't it wonderful this morning that, despite our failings and stumblings, Jesus is still saying
to the enemy, "Let them go!" (John 18:8) Even if the soldiers and rulers had wanted to arrest the followers of Jesus, they would have been unable to do so
because, as the Word says, "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed." (John 8:36) If we have believed in Jesus and His message and gift of salvation, you and I are free indeed!
It has nothing to do with us and everything to do with the gift of freedom that comes from Jesus. (2 Corinthians 3:17) We know it vaguely now but we don't yet know the half of it. Did the disciples that were set free run immediately to deliver the message of freedom in Christ to others?
Not really. They were scattered and they were afraid. They were doubters and they were deniers. The freedom
they possessed had not really possessed them yet. And it may not have really manifested itself in us either.
Some of us may experience such things as doubt and fears. Does that mean that we do not have the gift
of freedom? No, it just means that we haven't fully recognized that we have such a gift yet. When the Holy Spirit
reveals more and more of it to us, just as He did to the disciples, we will become bolder and more open about the gift of
freedom. For the disciples and for us, freedom didn't cost anything. Jesus took the rap. He
became a captive so we could be free. Using that gift of freedom may cost us everything. Although we
are free to do anything we want to do, many things may not be advantageous to us or to the Kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 10:23) The disciples were set free from the law and from sin by the sacrifice of Jesus. We are too.
He arranged for the disciples to be set free because the scripture said that He would not lose any of them.
(John 18:9) He has set us free today and promised that He would never leave us or forsake us and that He would be with us
to the end of the age. (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20) Let's determine to use that freedom for His glory! (Romans 6:15-18) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 26, 2008 - WHOM ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? John 18:4 (NLT) It is interesting, isn't it, that God asks us questions when
He already knows the answer? I am remembering in the Garden of Eden when God asked Adam, "Where are you?"
(Genesis 3:9) God didn't really need Adam to answer Him in order to know where Adam was. God already knew where he
was but He wanted Adam to admit it. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus already knew that Judas had betrayed Him
and He knew the soldiers and Jewish leaders had come to find Him. Yet He asked them, "Whom seek ye?"
He didn't wait for them to come to find Him. He stepped out and confronted them. God is always interested in where
we are and whether or not we are looking for Him. Not just whether we are looking for Him, but why we are looking for
Him. It could be that someone today might be looking for Him to blame Him for some catastrophe in their lives.
Not a great reason to look for Him but He can take it. Those that came to the garden were looking to arrest
Jesus. Somehow the tables were turned. The soldiers answered
Jesus and said that they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth. (John 18:5) He replied, "I am He." Jesus used that, "I Am," statement (Exodus 3:14) and something unimaginable happened. That whole group of soldiers and Jewish rulers (and there were lots of them)
fell to the ground! (John 18:6) They were the ones with the weapons and torches and lanterns but all of a sudden they were the helpless
ones! You can't come into contact with the "I Am," without something happening to you! Jesus could have most likely escaped with all those bodies lying on the ground.
But He didn't. He had already made the choice to give up His life for the very ones who were determined to take
it. Can you just imagine being one of those soldiers flat on your back with the one you came to conquer standing over
you and asking again, "Whom seek ye?" (John 18:7) Who is in charge here? Obviously, God never loses control. This morning let's be thankful that He
knows all the answers before He asks us the questions. Let's be thankful that, though things may look bad,
He already has a good plan and He will carry it out if we're looking to Him for the right reasons. (Jeremiah 29:11) No one could take Jesus's life from Him. He gave it up. (John 10:18) No one can take from us what God has given us either. So, whom are we seeking this morning? And
why? We can't fake it. God already knows the answer. (Jeremiah 29:13, Psalm 119:10) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 25, 2008 - OVERKILL John 18:3 (KJV) There are people today that pull out grand and glorious arguments to refute
the fact that Jesus came to save the world. (Colossians 2:1-4) They go out of their way to "prove," that He did not come back from the tomb or rise again. Some say
He never really died on the cross. He just, "swooned." All sorts of arguments have been devised to try
to keep the world from knowing about Jesus. It started right after His death and resurrection. (Matthew 28:11-15) If people don't believe that He is the Way the Truth and the Life, why go to such lengths to disprove it?
(John 14:6) They can go on their merry (but bent for destruction) way as unbelievers, and what will it matter? Yet, the
big guns come out from the unbelievers almost any time a believer gives testimony to the fact that Jesus is truly
Lord. There seems to be so much fervor to disprove the divinity and life of Jesus. That alone should
make one wonder if there isn't truth to the fact that He really is Who He says He is. Overkill will usually backfire! The leading Jews and the Romans were enemies and always at odds with one another. Except in this
one case. They were both out to destroy Jesus. They did agree on that one thing. They gladly received the
critical information from Judas and went out one moonlit night to capture Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane where He often
went with His disciples. As Jesus stood in the Kidron Valley there, He was standing in the place where the blood of
the animals sacrificed in the temple ran. The Lamb of God stood there, showing that no more would a river of blood from
sacrificed animals have to run, because His blood would cleanse the whole world. (Hebrews 9:13-15) Here was the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, choosing to be the sacrificial Lamb peacefully waiting in the Garden waiting
to drink the cup of wrath He had chosen to drink. (Luke 22:42) All for you and for me. Along comes a whole host of men, lead by Judas, the betrayer. (Matthew 26:47) The number of the soldiers and high priests may have been as little as 600 and as many as 5000. It
was a percentage of the legion stationed there to keep the peace at the festival that was taking place in Jerusalem.
How many men does it take to capture one Savior? This I do know, it only takes one Savior to capture and save the hearts
of a dying world! (John 3:16) The sky was bright as the full moon lit up everything around.
But, this threatening group of men brought torches and lanterns intending to search every nook and cranny in that
garden to find Jesus. Little did they know that they didn't need all that light to find the Light of the world!
He was not hiding. He is not hiding today either. (2 Corinthians 6:2) All the arguments that the most intellectual human can make against Him cannot stand up before Him. He
is Light and He wants to be seen by men. (Isaiah 55:6) Even then, those men with the torches and lanterns could have traded them in and received the Light that will never
go out. (John 1:5) Jesus will be found by whoever is looking for Him today. What we do when we find Him is up to us. (John 3:19) This brave group of hundreds of men carried weapons too. All this to arrest one Lamb! (John 1:29) The Lion of the Tribe of Judah had made Himself to be a Lamb in order to save you and me and any of those in
the crowd who might want to be saved. Lambs are helpless. (Matthew 9:36) Jesus knew that so He made Himself one of us and went through everything we could ever feel. (Matthew 1:23, Hebrews 4:15) You don't need hundreds of men with swords and lanterns and torches to capture one lamb! Today, amidst
all the arguments that would tell us that Jesus is not the Son of God, will we receive the Light of the Lamb of God?
Will we let His light guide us and not look somewhere else with our own man-made lights to find another way? (Romans 3:23-31) Will we look on the arguments against Jesus as overkill and pray for those who feel it so necessary to disprove
the disprovable? Will our lives show that Jesus is real - that He is living in us? (Romans 8:11) There may be a multitude today who are determined to capture Jesus and kill Him but He has already proven
once that He cannot be defeated. (John 16:33) He became a Lamb for us and now He is the King of Kings. (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 19:16) He is that Lion of the Tribe of Judah! (Revelation 5:5) Instead of joining the crowd that is still trying to capture and destroy Him, let's make sure He
has captured our hearts and lives and let's rejoice! (Philippians 4:4) Because, in Him, we also are indefeatable! (1 John 5:4, Revelation 12:11) Overkill has already backfired! The enemy may have bruised Jesus's heel but Jesus has now
crushed his head! (Genesis 3:15, Colossians 2:15) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 24, 2008 - HE KNEW THE PLACE BUT NOT THE PERSON John 18:2 (NLT) Isn't
it true that we can be hurt the most by those we have allowed to be the closest to us? There may be some of us who have
been open and vulnerable in a relationship and the other person has taken advantage of that vulnerability and done something
to hurt us. They might have stolen from us. They might have gossiped and lied about us. But mostly,
it probably broke our heart. (Psalm 55:20-21) We allowed them so much space in our lives that we probably shared many moments together in some of
our favorite places. They knew exactly where they would probably find us at any given time. Yet, did they
really know us? Or, did they just know our preferences and habits well enough to use those things against us for their
own gain or to make themselves look better at our expense? (Psalm 55:12-14) If anybody has had that experience (and most of us have
to one degree or another), we can know and remember that Jesus had that same experience and He chose to have it. (Mark 3:16) When it happens to you and me, we tend to put up walls, don't we? We tend not to want to trust
anybody again or maybe for a long while. Especially that person. And, certainly if anything
about some other person reminds us of the one that broke our heart, we are reluctant to trust them. Unlike Jesus,
we can't know the motives and hearts of others that we let into our lives. And, if we did, I doubt that we would
deliberately choose to let someone like Judas know all about us. Yet, Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him and He
let Him into His life anyway. It was to fulfill the scripture. (John 13:18) The scripture says that "He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me."
Has anyone you trusted lifted up their heel against you? Has anyone gotten to know you well enough to know where you
go and what you do but not really well enough to know who you are and how your heart can be broken? Jesus went through everything that we could possibly go through so that He could become our perfect high priest. (Hebrews 4:15) He went through everything perfectly so he could save us, "imperfects." If someone
stomps your name into the ground, lies about you, steals from you or betrays you in some manner, what do you call
them? I really doubt that the very first thing you think about calling them is, "friend."
But, that's what Jesus did when Judas betrayed Him. (Matthew 26:50) Jesus knew exactly what Judas had come to the Garden of Gethsemane to do. Yet, He asked Judas
the question, "What have you come for?" He gave Judas one more chance to repent and to see Him for who
He really was. The all-knowing Son of God and a loving Savior. Jesus did not condemn Judas. He called
Him, "friend." Judas did not accept the true Friendship that Jesus offered, but chose not to see and
hear His heart that last time there in the garden. Judas knew exactly where to find Jesus but He would not
allow Himself to really know Jesus. In our relationships with others, let's never be found to be the one
who knows another's habits and preferences and then use that knowledge to destroy them. Rather, let's seek
to know their heart and make every attempt to really be a friend. Even if it means telling them the truth, in love.
In our relationship with the Lord, it's possible that we have read His Word over and over again. We know the
place. We may even know all the "addresses," of the scriptures but not really know the Person who IS
the scripture. (John 1:14) He calls us, "friend," and gives us choice upon choice to get to know His heart, not just develop
habits. We can go through the motions of the places such as the Bible, the church, a prayer meeting, a Christian
conference or concert, and never know the Person. Or, we can seek the Person of Christ right in the place that
we are in right now. He's such a Friend that He will meet us in the place we are in; but He loves us too much to leave
us in a place that is not best for us. Do we just know the places where He is reported to be or do we know the
Person? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 23, 2008 - IN THE GARDEN John 18:1 (KJV) Many of us have fond memories of and still like to sing that old hymn,
"In The Garden." The lyrics are as follows: "I come to the garden alone while the dew is still
on the roses. And, the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses. And, He walks with me and He
talks with me. And He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known."
Do you like to garden? Do you like to sit in a beautiful garden and take in all the glorious colors and textures
as the morning sun touches and ignites the dew on the flowers into bursts of diamond-like light? God must have liked
gardens too. That's exactly where He "planted" the first of mankind. Can you just imagine that very
first garden? Genesis 2:8 (AMP) The Garden of Eden must have been a place beyond our wildest dreams and imaginations! That original garden
had numerous trees and delicious fruit. (Genesis 2:9) It also had two very distinct trees right in the center. Everything was perfect for mankind!
It was surrounded by pure water. There was gold and lots of other precious materials. Everything was there that
man would ever need! (Genesis 2:10-14) It was a haven of rest and peace. God was Adam and Eve's protector. It was His Word
that protected them. That is until, in that beautiful garden, Eve chose to come out from under the protection
of God's Word, also convincing her husband to do the same. (Genesis 3:6) As one popular preacher likes to quip, "Adam and Eve ate us out of house and home."
After that, it was no more lush garden for mankind. God had given Adam and Eve dominion over that beautiful
garden. (Genesis 1:28) Because they did not take Him at His Word and follow it, they lost that dominion and were sent
out of the garden to a life of hardship and toil. (Genesis 3:23) Fast forward to another garden - the
Garden of Gethsemane. Fast forward to the second Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:47) Jesus. Jesus chose to go to the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing that He would be betrayed there
by one of those who should have been the closest to Him. It was in that garden where Jesus would determine,
through sweating blood and tears of anguish, to give His all so that we could regain the status we lost when Adam and Eve
followed Satan instead of God in that first garden. Even if you don't have a green thumb, I'm sure you appreciate
the beauty of a garden. How can we not be reminded when we look walk through a garden that God had the
very best designed for us in the beginning. As a human race, we fell. We stumble and fall every day. But,
God is not satisfied with leaving us in our fallen state. It was in the second garden where Jesus prayed and was betrayed,
that the choice was made to give us another chance. Now we can follow Jesus. We don't have to be under the
curse any longer. (Galatians 3:13) It was in a garden where Jesus redeemed us from the curse that was brought about in that first glorious
garden where mankind lost it. Are you feeling like you have lost it today? Have you stumbled, maybe even fell?
A simple thing like a walk in a garden can renew your faith and give you hope. We can have the best of everything
and still want more! Just like Adam and Eve in the garden. Jesus had the best of everything in Heaven but He chose
to come to earth for you and me. He chose to suffer in so many ways in that garden to give us back the glory that
we so often take for granted or even throw away. (John 17:22) Do you need to get your perspective back? Why not take a stroll through a garden.
The old hymn is true. If you seek Him there, He will walk with you and talk with you and reassure you that you
are truly His own! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 22, 2008 - GLORY, LOVE, KNOWLEDGE, AND REVELATION John 17:24 (KJV) I read somewhere that some people will experience more of the things of God in this life than others.
The premise is that those who seek Him through His Word, through prayer, and service to others will see more of His glory.
When we get a glimpse of who God is and the enormity of His love in sending a part of Himself (His Son, Jesus) to live
among us and die to save us, it should ignite a passion in us to draw nearer to Him. If we really get a glimpse,
we can't help but want to see more! (John 17:3) I also read that beholding the glory of Jesus is an ongoing thing. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV) 18 But
we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory,
even as by the Spirit of the Lord. I agree with that. You probably do too.
Have you not seen Him do wonders in your life from time to time, His glory coming over you in special ways here and there?
Each time, are you not newly amazed at how wonderful our God is and what a wonderful Savior we have? Jesus prayed to His Father that we would behold His glory. We know that means
later, when we see Him as He really is. (1 John 3:2) But, in the meantime, as we draw closer to Him, we see more and more of His glory. The word,
"behold," means the following, according to Vine's Dictionary. "a spectator,"
is used of one who looks at a thing with interest and for a purpose, usually indicating the careful observation of details;
Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words. God said we would
find Him if we looked for Him with all of our heart. (Jeremiah 29:13) When we find God, we find His glory. We find His Son who is filled with all of His Father's glory.
And, we find ourselves filled with the glory that Jesus has given us! (John 17:22) Are we spectators this morning, looking at God with interest and searching for His purpose in our life?
Are we carefully observing the details of all that He does in and through our lives that reflects His glory? We
don't have to wait for Heaven. We can start "beholding," today if we haven't already. Jesus pretty much covered us in that prayer we find in John 17. He spoke of us seeing His glory. He spoke of us having an eternal home with Him. (John 14:3) He promised to reveal more and more of our Father to us. (John 17:26) As He does that, we are overcome and overwhelmed by the love the Father has for us. He literally
pours out His own love into our lives and hearts. Romans 5:5 (NIV) 5 And
hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
That's why we have a hope that the world doesn't have. (John 17:25) We now see His glory dimly but one day we will see it in full. (1 Corinthians 13:12) We definitely serve an awesome God who has chosen to give us glory, knowledge, love and revelation right now
and forever. Now what are we going to do with it? Maybe it's time to share it and get some of those who are
trapped in the world to come home to Jesus! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 21, 2008 - OH, THE GLORY! John 17:22 (KJV) If you read yesterday's Morning Manna, then maybe, like me, you're comforted and feeling secure knowing that
Someone prayed for you while He was on this earth and is always praying for you! (John 17:20, Romans 8:34) That Someone, being Jesus. It's good that we follow His example and pray for one another. (James 5:6, James 5:14) But, Jesus didn't just pray for His disciples and for us. He did a whole lot more than that.
As He prayed to His Father, He referred to the fact that He had given us the glory that God had given Him.
How about that! We have the glory that originated with our Father in Heaven. Jesus paid the supreme price
in order to give it to us. Do you think of yourself as
having glory? Most of us might balk at the thought that we are glorious (or filled with glory). We don't
need to do that. God gave us His glory, through Jesus, so that we might recognize and relate to that glory in one another.
That glory is what unifies us. It makes us one. That's exactly what Jesus prayed for and then He gave us the
means to accomplish it! John 17:23 (KJV) 23 I
in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast
loved them, as thou hast loved me. The words, "made perfect," in John 17:23 means, "complete," and "accomplish." Jesus not only prayed for us, He gave us His
glory so we could be made His perfect church, His perfect body. (Ephesians 5:27) With all of our programs and agendas, as good as they may be and as good intentioned as they may be, we cannot accomplish
and complete what we're called to do unless we are powered by the glory He has given us. What does glory mean anyway? Here's what the Strong's Concordance says.
from the base of <G1380> (dokeo); glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, object or subject) :-
dignity, glory (-ious), honour, praise, worship. Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew
Dictionary. Glory is very apparent in a wide application! No wonder the world will know of the love
the Father has for His Son! The glory of it will be apparent to them in us because He has given it to us.
No wonder it will create unity between us. You can't very well argue about apparent glory! Not the kind
that comes from The Parent! Glory has to do with things such these, noted in Vine's Dictionary.
Usage Notes: primarily denotes "an opinion, estimation, repute;" in the NT, always "good
opinion, praise, honor, glory, an appearance commanding respect, magnificience, excellence, manifestation of glory;"
hence, of angelic powers, in respect of their state as commanding recognition, "dignities,"Vine's Expository
Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words. Now we can have a pretty good opinion of ourselves.
That's not the glory Jesus gave us. We can try to command recognition on our own but that really won't
get us anywhere. The early religious leaders found that out. (John 12:43, John 5:44) It is the glory that comes from the Father through the Son that will show the world that
God is loving enough to send His own Son to save them. It is that same glory that will unite us together as one,
just as the Father and Son are One. If you have believed in Jesus, you are a glorious creature. He has given
you His glory which came from our Father. (2 Corinthians 3:18) You don't have to do anything to make it apparent except walk in His love. 1 Peter 1:8 (KJV) 8 Whom
having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Oh, the glory! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 20, 2008 - SOMEBODY HAS PRAYED FOR YOU! John 17:20 (KJV) It's so great to know that people are praying for you! I
have had so many times when going through trials, that I just knew that someone was praying for me. (James 5:16) I could almost feel it. All I could do is thank God that somebody was lifting my name before His throne.
I didn't even know who it was. I just knew somebody was. Have you had times like that? I hope so.
But, even if you haven't felt that, you can know it. If you have believed on Jesus as your Lord
and Savior, you have been prayed for! Jesus did it!! He did it before He left this earth, as He prayed for His
disciples to be in unity with Him and with the Father. His prayer was the same for us. It was for unity.
Better yet, He's still praying for you and me! (Romans 8:34) A cord of three strands is not easily broken, so the
Bible says. (Ecclesiastes 4:12) There are lots of ways to think about that scripture and apply it. One of the simple ways is this.
You, me, and Jesus. The three together cannot easily be torn apart. And, it they are torn apart, it will be either
you or me - not Jesus! His will for us is complete unity. (Ephesians 4:11-13) Jesus wanted the world to know that God had sent Him
to save them. (John 17:21) The only way they can know is by our unity with each other and with He and Our Father. Jesus's prayer
will be answered. The answer will come about in His church which He is preparing. It will not have any
spot or wrinkle. (Ephesians 5:27) It will not really look like what, "church," looks like to us today. Not a little building here, a
big building there, etc. It will be one living, perfectly functioning, building fit perfectly together
with living stones. (That's us.) There will be unity. No more saying, "I'm this denomination
or that." (1 Corinthians 3:4) Everything will decrease and fit into place as one Being, Jesus being the Head of that being. (1 Corinthians 3:9) It was Jesus's intent that we, although being wonderfully and marvelously created individuals (Psalm 139:14), be totally united in Him. We each have jobs to do and we will be rewarded for our obedience in doing what the
Lord has given us to do, but what He has given each of us to do is only a part of something much bigger and
so much more glorious. (1 Corinthians 3:8) Our Kingdom "teamwork," or unity, will bring others from the world of darkness into the peace
and security of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is praying right now for you and for me that we will have His
own mind. (1 Corinthians 1:10) He's not willing that anyone should perish. (2 Peter 3:9) Because of that, He's covering us with prayer so we can go out and, as the old hymn says, "Rescue The Perishing."
Yes, Somebody has prayed for you and is still praying for you! Because Jesus has and is praying for us, let's determine
to pray for one another and work as a perfect Heavenly team! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 19, 2008 - WHAT SETS US APART? John 17:17 (KJV) There are many characteristics that set individuals apart. One may be extremely gifted in an area.
Another may have physical strength or beauty. Someone else may be very eloquent with their words. Another
may be deformed. Homeless persons may be set apart by the way they smell. A person with a disability might
be particularly noticeable because they are in a wheel chair or walk with a walker. What sets us apart from
others? Something on the outside or Someone coming from deep inside? Jesus
prayed to the father that His disciples would be set apart from the rest of the world by the truth. That's what
being sanctified means. These days, truth has sadly been brought down to man's level. Each person's
truth is truth to him or her. Unfortunately, that effort to alleviate any sense of guilt or conviction from
our lives will not work. Truth is Truth. He is a Person. He is the Word of God. (John 1:1, John 1:14) Like sheep, just as the Bible said long ago, we have all gone astray. (Isaiah 53:6) Nothing can bring us back but the Word. Nothing but the Truth. (John 14:6) Nothing is powerful enough to save us and set us apart but the Word and the Truth. Just as the disciples were, you and I are set apart by the Word of God. Sanctified. That's so
that we can go into the world and take that salvation to others. (John 17:18) This is not just a task to keep us busy until we go to Heaven. It took our High Priest's sacrifice
to give us the power and privilege to do this. (John 17:19) Have you ever tried to sanctify yourself? I know that sounds like a silly question but, if you look around,
you see evidence that there may be an effort on the part of some to sanctify themselves. It can't be done.
We are sanctified through the Word. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NIV) (NIV) 23 May
God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 The one who calls you is faithful and he will
do it. The only trying we can do is to stay in the Word of God and meditate on it, letting it do
its sanctifying work in us. Only the Word will sanctify us, change us, set us apart, and make us holy. All those
outside things such as the latest fashion Bible, a Jesus pin, a Christian bumper sticker, the front seat in the church,
being a member of the worship team or church choir, even being a preacher - they're fine and good. That is,
as long as they are not the things that set us apart. What sets us apart from the world has to come from the
inside out. As the Word permeates our soul, it changes us. When we are changed, we are fit instruments to
work with God to change the world! So, what sets us apart today? Is it some form of truth we have concocted
ourselves? Or is it Truth, Himself? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 18, 2008 - DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL John 17:15 (KJV) When I was a little girl, my Dad would say the Lord's prayer
at night at my bedside. It was really the only way he knew to pray. He had really not been taught anything more
than that. It stayed with me all the way to when I was a teenager and Jesus found me, helping me to know that life was
more than just reciting a prayer. It was about being able to talk to my Savior and my Father moment by moment about
anything on my heart. It was about being connected to them in a vital way. Later on, my Dad found that same connection.
We should never be discouraged because the seed of God's Word will never die. It will never return void. (Isaiah 55:11) And, there will be a harvest! (Galatians 6:9) My Dad was doing the very best he could with what he had. God did the rest. Are we doing the very best
we can with what God has given us today? We may not be theological scholars, trained in seminary, with a degree a hundred
miles long behind our name. But, we do have His Word. It's simple and available to all of us. It was
given to us, not only for our own salvation, but for us to offer to the world. Whatever we give will be increased! (Matthew 13:12) Doesn't that just make you want to search the Word of God more and more? It would be much easier if we could just go off and enjoy the Word by ourselves, not getting involved with anyone
else but God. After all, even Christians have been known to hurt one another. So, even when we get involved in
church and in mission projects, we may find ourselves being hurt. I found out that the words in John 17:15, "the evil," actually mean, "hurtful." How many of us have been hurt, even by those closest to
us? It should not be that way. Just because it is that way sometimes, because people make poor choices, it
is no reason for us to retreat and stay away from those in the world who are prone to hurt us. Most of them have
no way of knowing about the abundant life that Jesus gives. (John 10:10) They are out there in a dog eat dog world, stealing and being stolen from in every way because they are under the
rule of the evil one. Jesus knew that. Instead of asking God to remove us and take us out of those
conditions, He prayed a purpose and a mission for us. It was and still is His desire that we would take what
He had given us and offer it to all of those whom Jesus had died to save. (John 3:16-17) In order to do that, we have to be in the world. Will everyone receive it? Maybe not. It is still
our purpose and mission to offer it. In a dark and tasteless world, We're to be light and salt. (Matthew 5:13-16) We can't do that by staying away from those in the world. We just can't be like them.
Pretty tough balance, isn't it! I know I can't do it by myself. I can only do anything in that realm if
I have help. And I do. So do you. The Word of God says that we can do all things through Christ who
strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) What has God given us the ability to do? We do have His Word
and that's plenty enough. It tells us to go and serve others. What things are we talented and gifted
at doing? Those things may just be the way that we can spread salt and light in the world. While we do it
we know that Jesus has already covered us in prayer. Yes, we may get a few bumps and scrapes along the way but we don't
have to choose to stay hurt because He has already prayed that we be protected from the evil (the hurtful among many
other descriptions of those words). If He prayed it, we know that it's true. (Psalm 33:4) The Father never once refused a prayer from His Son! Within that prayer that my earthly dad recited every
evening are these words, "deliver us from evil." Yes, Jesus taught us to pray that in accordance with
His own prayer for us to the Father. When we realize that all things (even things that look awfully bad) do
work together for good if we are loving God and called according to His purpose (one of which is to be salt
and light in the world), we can have the calm assurance that the prayer Jesus prayed to protect us from the evil
we find around us is definitely answered. In advance! Praise God for the provision He has made for us.
Even among what is evil, we are already delivered, abundantly provided for, and protected! (Psalm 23) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 17, 2008 - WHO YOU KNOW MAKES AN ETERNAL DIFFERENCE Some people say that, it's who you know that makes the difference in success or failure. There are a lot
of gifted people in the world but not all of them come to realize great success or fame. If you know
the right people at the right time, it can make a difference in this world. How
much more can knowing the right One make a difference for eternity? (1 John 5:20) Jesus said that eternal life is this: to know the only rue God and to know Jesus Christ. Don't
we tend to think in terms of time? Eternity, to us, maybe seems like a stretch of time that we cannot yet fathom.
Yet, it seems that Jesus is saying that eternal life is not really a span of time, but a relationship with God.
The gift of God to us is eternal life. (Romans 6:23) The gift of God to us is that we can know Him and know Jesus. The amplified Bible says that
eternal life means to perceive, recognize become acquainted with and understand God. What is married life? Isn't it when we get to really perceive, recognize, become acquainted with in
all ways and learn to understand our spouse? When we leave our mother and father and learn to cleave to our spouse? (Mark 10:7) Married life is a relationship. A relationship with our spouse. Constantly being worked
on and built. Eternal life is also a relationship. A relationship with our God. Also constantly being built
and worked on. Philippians 2:12 (KJV) 12 Wherefore, my beloved,
as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear
and trembling. Eternal life is not something that will start when we leave this earth. It is something
that starts when our relationship with God is restored through salvation in Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:21) It is a relationship that will continue to develop and grow as long as we live here on this earth.
Romans 1:17 (KJV) 17 For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. It will grow as we, by faith, lean and depend upon the Lord. (Deuteronomy 7:9) Then, when at last we see Him face to face, we will not wonder who He is or have to be afraid. (1 John 3:2) The knowing will have already taken place. That relationship, that eternal life, will have begun long
before and will just continue on at a higher level. Have you turned to Jesus yet and received the gift of salvation?
If not, today is the day to do it. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Have you ever realized that eternal life is not something in the hereafter? That it is a part of today,
if we are in that precious relationship with the Lord? Yes, Who you know does make a difference. An eternal
difference. It starts in this world and flows right on in to the one to come! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 16, 2008 - PEACE AMIDST PROBLEMS John 16:33 (KJV) Every one of us
has had problems. Some of us have some pretty big troubles at this moment. Maybe that's you.
Jesus told the disciples what was going to happen to them, as He was being crucified. The band of twelve (now eleven
because one had already betrayed Him), were going to be scattered. They were all going to run away and leave him alone.
(John 16:32) Why would those who had been with Him all along and seen the miracles, heard the teaching, and experienced His great
love run away at the very time He needed them the most? Trouble. Tribulation. It's just as Jesus told
them before it happened. In this world, they would have tribulation and trouble. So will we. Things will
not always look as we expect them to look. At times, we may fail Jesus. One of my favorite worship songs today
says this: "Even when I fail you, I know you love me." It probably wasn't until after the running away, after the failure, that the disciples realized
that Jesus had already told them that they would have troubles in this world. The thing is, Jesus didn't stop there.
It's a fact that we will have trouble. Yet, His Words overrule the facts. Despite the troubles and maybe
occasional stumbling, we have been promised peace because Jesus has overcome the world. You and I can have peace
this morning because the One who overcame the world lives within us and His peace lives there too! Though the world,
in general, walks in darkness, Jesus leads us to the path of peace. (Luke 1:79) Imagine that! That's why we may see many fall along our way but we can know that His peace will guide us
through and sustain us. (Psalm 91:7) The flood waters may come and the fires of life may threaten but His peace will get us through. (Isaiah 43:2) Jesus gave us an example of remaining peaceful in troubles.
He slept in a boat that was tossed and thrown around in a raging sea. The disciples, of course, were fearful.
They woke Him up thinking that He didn't even care that they were about to drown. Jesus knew better. That's
why He could have peace. (Mark 4:35-41) When He was rudely awakened by the shouts of His frantic disciples, a few Words from His mouth calmed
the storm and the waves subsided. Then a few other Words from His mouth probably stirred up some conviction
in His disciples. "Do you still not have faith in Me?" I think I have heard those Words from Jesus
a few times myself. He doesn't say them to condemn us. (John 3:17) His desire is that we would have so much faith in Him that peace would surround us and saturate us, even in the midst
of the troubles that He said would come. Faith and peace go together. We've received salvation and been made
right with God by faith. Because of that we have peace with God. (Romans 5:1) We have peace with God and we also have the peace of God. That same peace that kept Jesus calm during that stormy
night on the sea. (Romans 15:13) It's a peace that the world will not understand. Why would they? We can't even understand it.
(Philippians 4:7) It's marvelous. When people see it in us during hard times, it is our testimony. When problems
come, and they will, let's encourage each other to remember that we need to keep our eyes on the Peace Giver who's
name is Jesus. In Him, we have been given the gift of perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 15, 2008 - FINALLY John 16:31 (NLT) Do you ever get a really deep revelation
of a portion of scripture and think you've finally made it? You finally know what that means! Why
didn't you see it before? You know you've read it before. But, now you're really excited because you
finally see what it really means! I've been there and thought that. Then I find out that my finally
is not God's finally! What I think is finally is just another step in the process of really
believing. There will be another time, another place, another situation, where the finally that I feel today
will show up as just a resting place until the next feeling of finally takes place. As Jesus tried to explain to His disciples about His death, resurrection and return to His Father, they had trouble
understanding. (John 16:17-18) I've had trouble understanding some of the Words of Jesus too. So, Jesus kept on revealing more to them.
He'll do that for us too. At last, they said, "Now we understand." (John 16:29-30) They also said, "Now we believe...." It would seem that they had finally gotten the picture.
They were sure that Jesus was from God and that He knew everything. They didn't need any more reassurance.
Or did they? Just like the disciples, we have our mountaintop experiences when we think we can stand completely strong
and nothing can move us. The fact is true, nothing can move us because nothing can separate us from the love
of God. (Romans 8:38-39) We, on the other hand, can doubt when a particularly trying circumstance comes into our lives. Jesus know that.
That's why He said, "Do you finally believe?" Immediately, He went on to tell them that the days
would come when they would be scattered. They would doubt. They would all go away and leave Him. And that's
just what they did! (John 16:32) Have you ever moved away from
God, forgetting that He's not ever going to leave you? (Hebrews 13:25, Matthew 28:20) Our temporary doubt may cause us to forget God is there, but God will never move from
us. We can even run from Him, either in rebellion or because we're distracted, but He will always remain faithful. (2 Timothy 2:15) This can happen to the best of us. We see that it happened in Peter's case, as it did in
various ways with the other disciples. (Mark 14:30, Mark 14:72) Peter had great intentions. (Luke 22:33) Peter must have really thought that his three years with Jesus had given him all he needed to be so
strong. It doesn't matter how long we have walked with Jesus, there is always an outside chance we will become too
confident in where we are at the moment. Too confident that we know all we need to know. We should be
confident. Yes, we should. But, never in what we know. We need knowledge but our strength doesn't come
from our knowledge. (Jeremiah 10:12-14) Compared to God, all of our knowledge is miniscule. Our strength comes from the One who reveals His
knowledge to us little by little, precept upon precept. (Philippians 4:13) We can never, "know it all." There is always further revelation to be received.
As long as we live on this earth, we will never be able to say, "Finally, I have made it." "Finally,
I know enough. Finally, I believe." Ours is a journey from faith to faith until we reach our
Heavenly home. Romans 1:17 (KJV) 17 For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. This life,
for us, is a process. Hills and valleys. Seasons of rain and seasons of drought. Times of failure and times of
success. In it all, we go from glory to glory, being made into the likeness of Jesus. Our "finally,"
will be when we see Him face to face, the battles fought and the victory manifested fully. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV) 18 But
we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory,
even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Finally! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 13, 2008 - SEASONS John 16:20 (KJV) What season of live are you in? Is today
a season of sorrow? Of pain? Of distress? Of confusion? Of doubt? Of sickness? Or, are
you in a season where everything seems to be going well? Jesus, when He was getting ready to go to the cross, spoke
to His disciples, giving them revelation about the season of grief and sorrow that was about to come into their lives.
He was going to die and be buried. The disciples would weep and be in pain while the Pharisees would be partying because
they thought they had gotten rid of Jesus. (Matthew 12:14) They thought they had succeeded in their evil plot. Things are hardly ever the way the look!The
disciples, even though they were told ahead of time, doubted at times. (Matthew 28:17) I guess we would have too. Everything they were experiencing with Jesus was a, "first." Jesus used the idea of a woman giving birth as an example of how their painful season would be turned into a season
of joy. (John 16:21) Usually, the first baby is a rude awakening as the labor pains begin and the birth takes place. If you've
had children, you probably know that. If you're a Dad who has stood by his wife in labor and delivery, you may have
experienced the pain of your wife's dainty, but sharp fingernails, in your arm as she bore that pain. Until
the baby was born and you saw that it was fine, the season was tense and painful. There was that doubt as to whether
everything would be okay. But, when you saw the new little life, rejoicing began. A new season began. A
season of pain many times precedes a season of joy. That's what happened when Jesus died. That's what
may happen frequently in our own lives. It may seem like something in our lives,
our emotions, our finances, a relationship, even our spiritual walk is dead. We may experience a time of weeping and
calling out to God in confusion and, yes, sometimes even in despair. We might cry, Are you there God?" He
calmly says, "Yes, I am here. Do you not remember that I said I would never leave you?" (Hebrews 13:5) "I will bring you out of that financial situation when the season is right." Another of us might
call out, "God, Do you feel my pain?" Again, that reassuring voice comes, "Yes, of course I feel your
pain. Do you not feel the pain when your child is hurting? My Son bore all your pain so you
could be healed when the season is right." (1 Peter 2:24, Malachi 4:2) In the passing of a loved one, we may weep before God, "God, this hurts so bad. I can't get along without
that one I loved so much." God replies, "I know how you hurt. My Son died for you. I had to look
away. My pain was great. But, life does not end when someone leaves earth. Do not weep as those who have
no hope." (1 Thessalonians 4:13) When hope seems to be lost, we need to remember that our hope is in the Lord. (Lamentations 3:24) There are numerous seasons in our lives and God says they are all there for a purpose. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) His purpose. The beautiful thing about that is this. In every season, we are blessed to be able
to bear fruit. (Psalm 1:3) Our testimony may be the greatest when we are going through a difficult season. After all, it's
easy to be joyful when everything is going well! Jesus promised the disciples that they would have joy when
they saw Him alive again. (John 16:22) The kind of joy that no man could take away. This morning, Jesus is alive. We know it if we have believed
and received Him. Though seasons of difficulty will come in our lives, there is one season that is always
with us. A season of joy because Jesus is alive and with us! Yes, tears may come and struggles may ensue but,
through it all, our joy will remain. The enemy may try to steal it from us, but he can't. Not when we remember
that Jesus promised it. Nothing can rob us of that gift of His joy that flows through every season.
The joy of the Lord is our strength, no matter what season we are in! (Nehemiah 8:10) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 12, 2008 - WHEN A LITTLE WHILE SEEMS LIKE A LONG WHILE John 16:16 (NIV) We may have gotten a clue, by now, that God's timing is not our timing!
Jesus told the disciples that, "in a little while" they would not see Him any more. Then He said that after,
"a little while," they would see Him again. I have to pause to remember that God's "little while,"
is not always my idea of a, "little while." We are especially used to getting what we want in an instant these
days. If you want to buy something, you don't even have to go to the store. You can go on-line and order it
and it will be delivered to your door without you ever having to move from your desk or easy chair. And, if you need
it right away, just pay a little more and you might have it that very day or at least the next day. Now, that's
what we call, "a little while!" Jesus was
getting ready to go to the cross and die. For three days after He died, the disciples were probably thinking that
He was, maybe, gone for good. Some doubted that He would come back from the dead, even though He had told them
He would. (Matthew 28:17) Some even doubted that He had come back from the dead when they saw Him with their own eyes! Jesus told the
disciples that He was going back to His Father. But, He also told them that they would see Him again in, "a little
while." (John 16:17-18) They didn't understand what He was talking about. I don't think we would have either. Maybe
we don't understand, even today. Many are saying that Jesus will not ever return because He has not done so thus
far. To us, it's been way more than, "a little while!" We forget that, with God,
there is no time, as we know it. We don't really know what God's idea of, "a little while," really
is, do we? Especially since His Word says that one day is like a thousand years to Him! (2 Peter 3:8) What we do know is that He's not going to leave us in any situation longer than He knows we can handle
it. (1 Corinthians 10:13) We do know that when God's, "little while," is up, it's really up. That
can be a great thing or, because of our foolish choices, it can be a very dangerous thing. Will we be ready
when His little while is up? Another thing we can remember is that Jesus always keeps His Word.
It is not dependent upon our perception of time. It's dependent upon His plans and always includes His mercy
and love. He wants everyone to have the time to repent. (2 Peter 3:9-10) Have you used this window of time that God calls, "a little while," to take advantage of His mercy and grace?
Are we all aware that many around us have not even heard or perceived that Jesus is coming again? What are we doing
about it during this, "little time," that God has given us to be His light in this world? (Matthew 5:14) It may seem to us that it's been a very long while since Jesus gave the Word that He would return.
Why would He wait, seemingly to us, so long? He's waiting for you and me to get our relationship right
with Him. That's how much He loves us and wants us to be with Him forever! Let's not wait, "a little
while," to be close to Jesus. To walk and talk with Him and share His love with others. We don't
know how much longer His, "little while," will last! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 11, 2008 - HE WILL SHOW US! John 16:15 (KJV) God wanted to be with us from the beginning. (Genesis 3:8) He wanted to walk and talk with us. When Eve decided to follow another (Satan) and Adam followed Eve, something
dreadful happened. (Genesis 3:1-6) A block was put up in the relationship between man and God. (Genesis 3:7-8) Can you imagine how God was grieved? Fear, because of sin, kept mankind from total communion with God.
No more could the created feel comfortable with the Creator. If you have children who have gone astray, you know
the grief that comes from the broken relationship between you and them. They don't want to talk to you because the
mere thought of you reminds them that they have done wrong. Maybe you, like God, have called out, "Where are
you?" (Genesis 3:9) Only when they get back on track can your relationship begin to be mended. Perhaps you are, or were, that child
who has gone astray. What comfort and guidance you missed when you shut out those who loved you because of your
own waywardness! Even today, God desires to be with us.
He desired it so much that He sent a part of Himself, His only Son, pure and sinless, to be Immanuel, meaning "God with
us." (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23) Can you just imagine being one of the shepherds who found baby, God, in the manger? Or one of the wise men who
knelt at His feet? Can you imagine being Mary, living so closely to "God with us?" How wonderful
it must have been to be close to Jesus as He walked this earth! We can ask the disciples how it was when we all
meet one day to see Him face to face. In the meantime, we can believe without seeing because He has given us His Spirit.
(John 20:29) I want to know what the little girl felt like when He raised her from the dead. (Mark 5:41) How did it feel to be gone from this world and then wake up looking into the eyes of her Creator, yet still be
in this world? So many questions! It will take an eternity to hear everybody's story! Sadly, to the human mind, Jesus had to die. Although He rose from the dead gaining victory over sin
and death, He had to leave this earth and go back to His home in Heaven. I can imagine that the disciples were sad and
troubled, can't you? (John 16:5-6) Actually, I can't imagine how awful they felt because they had not yet experienced the presence of Jesus's
Spirit. They couldn't fully understand what He was trying to tell them. I don't know how people survive
without knowing that His Spirit is with them. If you're lost today in the sea of troubles we all find
in this world, be encouraged. God still wants to be with you. Today you can receive salvation.
(2 Corinthians 6:2) Today you can receive His Spirit. (Acts 19:2-6) Today, you can know that you will never, ever be left alone! (Matthew 28:20) Immanuel, God with us, is still with us even though He's not here in the flesh. It's even better now. The
Spirit of Immanuel can be with you even if you live half way around the earth, while at the same time, He is with me!
And, He's with everybody in between who has invited Him in. His Spirit connects us to the Father
and to each other! Everything that the Father knows, He has told Jesus. Everything that Jesus knows, His Spirit
will teach us! Jesus has reversed the curse that mankind brought upon themselves. Now we can walk in
the cool of the day and hear Him speaking to us, guiding us, comforting us. We have a Helper Who is like no other.
Every part of any day or night becomes the, "cool of the day," for us as we walk in union with His Spirit!
The refreshing breeze of His Spirit revives us and strengthens us. He will show us great and mighty things
that we can't even imagine if we will call upon Him. (Jeremiah 33:3) Remember that old hymn, "In The Garden?" If you have received His Spirit, you can confidently
and joyfully sing those lyrics, "And He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own........."
When He talks to us, He will show us everything we need to know! Let's stop right now and praise God for
sending us the Holy Spirit! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 10, 2008 - A SERVICE TO GOD? John 16:2 (KJV) Didn't Jesus say that He came to give us life and life more abundantly? (John 10:10) Yes, of course He did and His word is true. (2 Corinthians 1:20) Was that promise for everyone who believed in Jesus? Yes, it was. Then, why was He telling the disciples
that they would be persecuted and excommunicated and maybe even killed? Why would someone kill a Christian, thinking
he was doing a service to God? First, we might want to reconsider what abundant
life really is. The Kingdom life that Jesus promised us is not centered in this world. We are here in this
world and we have to live in it and cope with it but we are not of it, if we are followers of Jesus. (John 17:16) Jesus was not a part of this world, although the very essence of abundant life was dwelling in Him. One
of His statements, promises if you will, was that the world would hate us because it hated Him. (John 17:14) Have you ever noticed that, in this world, we are expected to conform? That was good when Jesus was popular
but, as society spirals downward, people will not be too fond of those who claim the name of Jesus and live out
His precepts. They don't want to be loved. They want their evil actions to be tolerated and accepted. And,
they seem to want everyone to join in with them. There are even religious sounding people out there today that think
they are doing their god a service if they kill Christians. Abundant life does not mean life that is without trials
or persecutions. It means a life totally connected to the Giver of Life. A life connected to Jesus. (Acts 17:28) It doesn't mean an abundance of things. It means an abundance of Jesus. An abundance of His Spirit
dwelling within us. An abundance of boldness to risk loving the unlovely. An abundance of peace. (John 14:27) An abundance of joy. (John 15:11) These are things that the world cannot buy. These are things that the world longs for but cannot attain without
turning to Jesus. Stephen, to me, was one of the most compassionate,
Spirit-filled men in the Bible. I used to cry every time I read the story of his death. The religious crowd decided
that he should not live any more because he told the story of Jesus. He did not just tell the story. He lived
it. Stephen was a man full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 6:5) Does that mean that he didn't have any trials? Hardly! He was lied about for being
full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 6:11-15) Some of us can relate to being lied about, even by those who call themselves believers. Yet in all the accusations,
the abundant life that Jesus put in Stephen was evident. His face was as bright as an angel's. When was the
last time that your face or my face became as bright as an angel when we were suffering some kind of persecution? That
was bad enough but it went further. Stephen was stoned to death for being full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit!
(Acts 7:1-59) If you haven't read Stephen's story lately, why not read it again? It gives us a totally different perspective
of what it means to be a Christian. Stephen had done nothing wrong. He had been the perfect witness for Jesus.
That didn't get him bunches of new clothes, the newest and best form of transportation, or the biggest and best house.
It got him persecution in the worst form. The crowd, whether they were only using it as an excuse or not, stoned
him to death in their zeal for, "God." They thought they were doing God a service. In actuality,
they did do Stephen a service, much as we hate to think of it that way. Stephen looked up and saw Jesus, standing by
the Father. (Acts 7:55-56) Stephen knew he was going to a place where a mansion had already been prepared for him. (John 14:3) A place where he would be able to be with Jesus forever - face to face! That is abundant life! Just
as Jesus had done on the cross, Stephen's last words were words of forgiveness. (Acts 7:60) In the middle of the stoning, Stephen gave his spirit into the hands of Jesus. How are we doing this
morning in the areas of forgiveness and surrender? There may be those that will think they are doing a great service
by persecuting us and even bringing harm to us. God did not promise that we would be spared of these things. He
did promise that He would get us through them. (Isaiah 43:2) Through, all the way to Heaven. Will we serve our Father, God, even if our service is forgiving those
who might do us harm in the name of religion? Stephen did. Jesus did too! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 9, 2008 - ADVANCE WARNING John 16:1 (NIV) All is well with you and me this morning if we are trusting in the Lord. (Philippians 4:7) That does not mean that all is well with the world, as we see constantly in the media. (Colossians 2:8) God is in control and, in that sense, everything is going just as He has planned. (Psalm 24:1, Psalm 33:11) It won't all look good or feel good to us though because we do not have God's perfected perception
yet. (1 Corinthians 13:12) However, we do have His promise that our hearts can remain in perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3) That is, if our thoughts are fixed on Him rather than on all those things that are happening around us! We're going to have troubles in this world. Jesus said that. (John 16:33) We might as well get used to it and keep our thoughts fixed on God who has better plans for us than to bring us harm.
(Jeremiah 29:11) Is it easy to keep our thoughts fixed on God when everything going on around us is in turmoil and disarray?
I have not found it so, but maybe you have. It requires discipline. The same kind of discipline that Jesus
had when He would go away from the world to be alone and be in intimate communion with His Father. (Mark 1:35) It, not only requires discipline, it requires an intimate relationship with His Spirit. When "stuff,"
seems to invade our lives, there are times we just need to say, "no more," and get away with the Lord and with His
Word. We need to encourage ourselves in the Lord just like David did. (1 Samuel 30:6) David was about to be stoned by the very men he had been leading. Instead of caving in to despair and depression,
David found courage in the Lord. He became an overcomer and a testimony to those who had wanted to turn against him.
When the stones of life head for our sanity, we can do the same thing. That's
why Jesus gave the disciples advance warning about the perils that would be coming their way. He has given
us advanced warning too. (2 Peter 3:3) All through scripture we are told what it would be like in the days before He returns to take us Home. The times
are not going to be the greatest, but we serve and are covered by the Greatest. (Psalm 91:4) He did not leave us alone and never will. (Deuteronomy 31:8, Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20) He did not leave us without knowledge and advance warning so we could be prepared for such times. (John 16:4) We can all know the end of the story and just how to get through to the end. The book of Revelation is
a scary thought to some, but it is not scary when we realize it is part of a loving, advance warning for us from the very
One that the book reveals. It is not a story of the terrible times that will come upon the earth, although it includes
that. It is a revealing of Jesus Christ. It is, not only an advance warning, but the advance description
of the "happily ever-after," story of our lives as they will be forever with the Lord. (Revelation 21:4) If you were traveling down a dark road in the night and coming to a bridge that was out, an advance warning would
be of utmost importance to you. If you have not received Jesus yet, you are traveling down a dark road that
will end in your destruction. (John 12:46) Jesus does not want that. He wants everyone to walk in His Light. (1 John 1:5) We can avoid that plunge into the dark pit because Jesus has lovingly given us an advance warning. (Matthew 25:30) We can keep from being led astray. We know what to expect and we know that we have been given the
power to overcome anything that comes against us. (Mark 16:17-18) Jesus has overcome this world, in which we will have troubles. Since His Spirit now lives
in us, if we have received Him, we are overcomers too! Praise God for His advance warning! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 8, 2008 - THE COMFORTER HAS COME! John 15:26 (KJV) A lot of things are happening in our world today. Lots
of things are happening in my own life. I have heard of so many people that are experiencing what appears to be
attacks from the devil. Seemingly from nowhere. Although Jesus had just completed talking to His disciples
about suffering because of Him, there are other things that come about in our lives that cause suffering and confusion
too. These are all from the enemy. However, it is only a test. God says that all things work for good if
we love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) These tests will come and, when they do, we should consider it all joy! (James 1:2) Why? Because we're being perfected. (James 1:3-4) We're being conformed to the image of His Son. (Romans 8:29) Now, in and of ourselves, it would be quite impossible to consider
it joy when various things come against us. It's not fun when trials come! It's not fun when temptations call
out to us. It's not fun when people turn against us. (Psalm 41:9) When those who seemed to love us all of a sudden hate us. Jesus knew all about that. So, how can we consider
it joy? We can because the Comforter has come. Jesus endured all of those things for us and He did not sin or
even complain. (Hebrews 4:15) Because He did it for us, we have an example. Not only do we have an example, we have that same Spirit that
helped Jesus get through life on this earth as a man. We have the Comforter! Now we have the strength to do those
things that are pleasing to God, even in the midst of adverse circumstances. (Philippians 4:13) Now we know that we have His Spirit to walk alongside of us in every circumstance. Our faith, working
along with His Spirit, will keep us calm, patient and confident. We may be so confused by outward appearances that we
don't even know how to pray. Yet, the Comforter knows that and is willing to step in for us, even in prayer.
(Romans 8:26-27) Yes! No matter what the circumstances facing you and me today, we have the Holy Spirit to help us. When
we are in distress, the Comforter is there. The disciples could
only guess what that would be like when Jesus told them about the Comforter who would come to them when He went away.
But, we don't have to guess. We can know and we can receive and participate with the Comforter.
We can even almost feel His presence physically. He is so real. Just as real as if Jesus were standing by our
side! But, even better than being by our side, He lives within us. (1 Corinthians 6:19) How awesome is that? The very same Spirit that allowed Jesus to sleep peacefully in
the bottom of a boat that tossed and thrown about in stormy waters will allow us to handle all of life's circumstances
with calm assurance and with immovable faith. (Mark 4:38) That very same Spirit that spoke to the raging waves lives in us. (Mark 4:39) It can speak to our raging and ragged emotions and we, in turn, can let Him speak through us
to our circumstances. Today, the Comforter is testifying of Jesus to you and to me. Do you hear Him?
Have you received the Comforter, the Holy Spirit? Do you hear Him testifying to you about Jesus as you read His Word,
meditate on it and pray? If you're not sure, just ask today in prayer. It is the Father's good pleasure
to give us the Kingdom. (Luke 12:32) In that Kingdom, we have His Spirit to carry us through to the end. (Isaiah 59:21) Have you ever seen a child carry a blanket around with him or her for the first few years of life?
It's a comforter to them. They feel lost without it. Many a parent has had to hunt down that blanket
when it's been left behind somewhere. That's the way it should be with us. The truth is, we are lost
without the Comforter. He's not just a Comforter, He's our guide. (John 16:13) The Comforter has come. We need to keep Him with us all the time, never leaving Him behind or going ahead
of Him. Galatians 5:25 (NIV) 25 Since
we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. The Comforter has come. Have
you invited Him in? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 7, 2008 - ALL THE WORDS OF THE LORD ARE TRUE! John 15:20 (KJV) I love to recount and count on the promises of the Lord, don't you? Promises like, "I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). Like the one where God says that He has plans only for our good and not to harm us; to give us a hope and a future.
(Jeremiah 29:11) And the one where we have the assurance that God will provide for our needs. (Philippians 4:19) Perhaps one of the most exciting promises of all is that, if we call on Him, we'll be saved.
(Romans 10:13) There are so many others too. Promises of assurance, comfort, provision, security, etc. But there is
also another promise that we don't usually like to meditate upon. Jesus said that those types that persecuted
Him will persecute us also. We are not better than the one we serve. We have never been promised that we will
go through life without troubles and without persecution or suffering. In the early church, many were persecuted. They did not complain about it or ask God, "Why me?".
(Acts 5:41) They did quite the opposite. They rejoiced! Is that what you and I do if we have to endure any dishonor for
the sake of Jesus? Or, do we complain? The apostles were rejoicing because God had counted them worthy to suffer
for the name of Jesus. It seems that today, we try to avoid suffering as much as possible. In this age of, "tolerance,"
are we denying ourselves the privilege of being counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus? Or do we embrace this
promise just as much as we cling to the ones that talk about the more pleasant things? Didn't Jesus say the following? Matthew 5:10 (AMP) 10 Blessed
and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and
finds satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted
for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! Although
probably none of us would deliberately choose to suffer, we find that this promise is just as good as all the rest of God's
promises. It has a great reward. Those who willingly follow Jesus and share in His suffering will be granted His
Kingdom! We can only share in His glory when we share in His suffering. (Romans 8:17) We are children of God and, as such, we will share in everything that He has given to His Son. Jesus
said that if people hated Him, they would hate us too. If that doesn't happen, then His Word is not true.
If part of His Word is not true, then none of it is true. So, if we find ourselves hated or persecuted because we have
followed Jesus, we have double reason to rejoice. It means that His Word is true and it means that the Kingdom of Heaven
belongs to us! As Paul said, Rejoice! And, again I say, "Rejoice". (Philippians 4:4) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 6, 2008 - THE SECOND TIME AROUND John 15:17 (KJV) Sometimes I think when God really
wants us to get something, He repeats it. You know, if you're a parent, you repeat things over and sometimes over
again to your children if it's something really important to their welfare. Jesus commanded that we love one
another. That command is really for our welfare. This is the second time Jesus has said that within six verses.
(John 15:12) I really think He wants us to get it. Don't you? Although it is a command (and in one translation
of the Bible, it's translated as, "demand"), it is not something that brings us into bondage. It's
not talking about making us prisoners of some harsh rule. It bring about freedom! (Galatians 5:13) Because God has first loved me, (1 John 4:19), I am free to love and serve you. Yes, I may get hurt. You may knowingly or unknowingly hurt me, but God's
love for me will transcend all of that. God has called us to live in freedom from sin. When we walk in our
calling, we're not afraid to love and serve one another. This,
"command," from Jesus to love one another will occur quite naturally if we are clinging to the Vine (which is Jesus).
(John 15:5) Those who choose to remain in the Vine will produce much fruit. That's what God's Word says. The
very first fruit of the Spirit that is mentioned is, amazingly enough, "love." (Galatians 5:22) That's the first thing that should emerge when the Holy Spirit is controlling our lives. When we have
that love for one another that flows from the Holy Spirit, we will be able to get over hurt feelings and things that
offend us. Love will overlook things that are unlovely. (1 Corinthians 13:3-7 ) Love is what will hold all our relationships together. It will cover a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8) We all fail at times and we have all hurt others, many times without even knowing it. It stands to reason that
if we have done that, it has been done to us by others. Love will cover these things. Our God covers us with
His love and, because of that, we are to do the same for others. I
have been aware lately that it's just as important to receive love from another as it is to serve another in love.
We are to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24) Encouraging another will often mean that we need to let another operate in serving us. If you are like
me, you like to be the one who serves. We can carry that way too far though and it may turn to pride and independence.
I have been served today by a dear sister who really needs someone to help serve her. I am humbled that she would take
time out of her schedule to meet a need I had. I have seen God's hand at work. His hand of love. It
came through one of His children. I'm keenly aware that He's going to bless her and meet her needs because she
did what He commanded her. She didn't do it because she was being religious and following a command. She did
it out of His love for her. If we love one another as He commanded, we also need to be receivers of the love that flows
from another. Jesus loved you and me enough to die for our sins but, unless we receive that gift, it will remain unused.
The Giver will be grieved and we will have denied ourselves something that will make us whole. Love is like that.
It must be given and it must be received. Maybe that's what Jesus repeated it two times in one discourse.
It is, of course, repeated throughout the Bible in many times and in many ways. (1 John 3:11) It's a command but it's one that He gives us the power to follow. Everything will fall nicely into place
when we all love one another. Not only that, the world will see that Jesus lives and that we belong to Him!
(John 13:35) Hopefully, we have gotten it, if not the first time around, the second time around. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 5, 2008 - YOU ARE CHOSEN SO YOU CAN ASK John 15:16 (KJV) Oh, I remember so well how it was in grammar school. I was the
most uncoordinated little person. I didn't know that I couldn't really see. I needed glasses, but
nobody knew it. My eyes did not work together but nobody seemed to know that either. All I knew is that
I couldn't ride a bicycle, hit a baseball, or do any of the other sports that, "normal," children do.
As a result, I was always the last one to be chosen in the mandatory games on the playground at school. It's
awful to be the last one standing when kids pick teams. Even, "awfuler," is hearing things like, "Oh,
no, we have to have her on our team? Believe me, "her," would have rather done something
else too! But, it was a mandatory thing. You had to play. Everyone had to be picked. I was
picked all right, but never really chosen. Have there been
times in your life when you longed to be chosen for a certain thing but were turned away? A job? A mate?
An adoption? A ministry? It could be anything. Unless we have sorted that out with Jesus, we will have some
baggage in that area. (1 Peter 5:7) We don't need any extra baggage! (Hebrews 12:1) These days the airlines are charging you lots of extra bucks if you desire to lug on that
extra baggage. It costs us something in life to carry extra emotional and spiritual baggage too. We can't
live fully in the present since we have to concentrate on the extra weight we're carrying around. We can't be
agile and spontaneous because that "stuff" holds us back. (Philippians 3:13) There's good news this morning. If
you have heard the Word of the Lord and answered it, you are one of those, "whosoevers," that are chosen!
(John 3:16) If you've never had an experiences like the ones I had in school, you can't imagine how it feels
to be specifically chosen! But, I would dare say, that most of us have had some experience with some kind of rejection
in our lives. With Jesus, there is no rejection unless we choose to reject Him. He said that we have not
really chosen Him. He chose us! Now don't you feel special? I hope so. Because you are!
He will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) Not because He has to stay with you. Because He wants to! It doesn't
matter to Him whether you are incapacitated, disabled, or challenged in any area. He wants you on
His team. In fact, if He desires that you do something you couldn't do before, He will enable you to do that
thing. In all things, He will give you the grace you need. You don't have to hit a home run every time.
You just need to stay on the team and listen to the Coach. He even uses "strike-outs," to bring about good!
Still, we should do our best not to sin. You can ask Jesus anything because you are chosen. He said we could and
He said that our Father would give us what we asked for! We may have been, "fruitless," in some of our
worldly endeavors but, once we realize and accept our, "chosen-ness," we will bear fruit. Spiritual fruit.
Good fruit. (Galatians 5:22) We can't help it. Our Source is the True Vine - Jesus. (John 15:1) He has ordained that we bear fruit. (John 15:16) When God ordains something, it happens! (Isaiah 55:11) What a privilege to be chosen by the Creator! (1 Peter 2:9) We don't need to be afraid to ask Him anything when we're walking with Him. You
are chosen, so you can ask! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 4, 2008 - ARE
YOU A FRIEND OF JESUS? John 15:14 (KJV) Such a small word can make such a big difference! Like the difference between the small words, "yes,"
and "no." There's a world of difference there! Are you one of Jesus's friends today? Lots
of times we hear that all we have to do is ask Jesus into our hearts and many say a small prayer something like, "Lord,
I ask you to come into my heart today." (Romans 10:13) That's a good thing. But, what we sometimes fail to be taught is that a prayer like that is just
the beginning. When we call on Him, Jesus comes to be with us. (Revelation 3:20) The only hospitable thing to do is make Him welcome. To become His friend. When you dwell with someone, it's really good if you are friends. Jesus promises to dwell with us and invites
us to dwell with Him. (John 15:4) Have you ever tried living with someone with whom you were not friendly? The atmosphere in that instance has
got to be pretty tense. Jesus promised us peace. (John 14:27) Peace is not usually present among people who aren't friends. Have you received the gift of peace Jesus
offers? (Philippians 4:7) It comes from having the same mind and goals that Jesus has. It comes from true unity and friendship with Jesus
and with those who follow Him. Jesus wants to dwell in us.
He wants us to have His peace. He wants us to be one of His friends. That's what He told His disciples.
(John 15:15) He has given us His Word and that Word is straight from His Father. If we didn't have His Word,
we might be called servants. We might not know His will. Romans 12:2) He doesn't intend us to be servants with no knowledge of His Kingdom. He wants us to be His friends.
Here's where that one little, bitty word comes in. He says, "You are my friends, if you
do whatever I command you." Boy, one little word can put a big condition on a statement! Are we friend of
Jesus this morning? Have we gone beyond the prayer of salvation and begun to actually do those things He commands
us to do? Have we gone beyond just believing to walking out that belief. If not, we're not His friends.
(James 4:4) James says "Abraham believed God, so God declared Him righteous." Let's not forget how Abraham
proved that he believed God. He followed the voice of God and left his home, not knowing where he was going but
trusting God's command to him. Trusting that God was leading Him. (Genesis 12:1) Then another time, Abraham was willing to sacrifice the child of promise that God had given Him because God asked
Him to. (Hebrews 11:17) One small word can mean one big lifestyle change. "If," can make the difference as to whether or
not we are a friend of Jesus. The "If," is up to us. You can't find a better friend than Jesus!
MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 3, 2008 - THE COMMAND TO LOVE John 15:12 (NLT) Command is a pretty strong word. Being very stubborn and independent, I have never liked to be, "commanded."
But, when Jesus commands us, we had better listen and obey. Not resentfully, but knowing that His commands bring life
and blessing. Failure to follow those commands will bring curses and death. (Leviticus 26:3-34) I notice that Jesus didn't say, "I hope you will love one another." He didn't say, "Please,
love one another." He said, "I command you to love each other...." A command to love sounds
like a hard command to obey! We might say, "I just don't feel any love toward........" That's
when we have to remember that love is not a "feeling." I don't imagine that Jesus felt much like hanging
on a cross. But, He did it even when we were still His enemies. (Romans 5:10) He obviously didn't "feel," like being beaten and nailed to that cross. It's
evident by His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Luke 22:42) Yet, He made the choice because He loved His Father and He loved us. Love is not a feeling. It is a choice. The decision to obey a command is a choice too. What decision
will we make regarding these two things today? The greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all of our being.
(Matthew 22:34-38) It is our choice to obey it or not. Everything else in our lives will hinge on whether or not we choose to obey.
(Deuteronomy 30:20) Whether we want to admit it or not, the Lord is our life. We may delude ourselves into thinking
we can do just fine without Him, but that's not true. The enemy will try to get us to believe that, but
we know better. Even if you didn't know better before, you do now because you just read this! Jesus
chose to love His Father enough to go to the cross for us. He was obeying that first and greatest commandment.
The second greatest commandment stems from the first one. We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves.
(Matthew 22:39) Hmmm..... In most instances, we try to take care of ourselves pretty well. In
many cases, our love for ourselves far exceeds the norm and takes on the form of idolatry, among other awful sins.
That's not a good picture and that's between each of us and the Lord. All the commandments that have to do with
others are summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Romans 13:9) That's how God knows if we really love Him or not. It is definitely a choice we have to make in advance as to whether we
will show the love of God to others, even when they seem to push us to our limit. Remember, Jesus loved us when
we were still His enemies! And, humanity pushed Him to His limit! In John 15:12, He commands us to love one another the same way He loved us! Now the command becomes even harder.
Jesus loved us when we were still His enemies. (Romans 5:10) He loved us enough to go to the cross before we turned our lives over to Him.
There may be people that you are having a hard time with in your life today. People you don't like and people that
are hard to love for one reason or another. You may even think they are your enemies. They are not. (Ephesians 6:12) Our enemies are the unseen evil powers that surround us because we live in a fallen world.
Those enemies are the ones that coerce others to do evil. We were once like that. But, Jesus loved us anyway.
Now He commands us to love those that are lovely, as well as unlovely. Are you saying, "I just can't do
that."? You're right. You can't. At least not in your own strength. I always have to
remind myself of that fact. Without Jesus, I can't do anything. (John 15:5) Neither can you. But with Jesus, we can do whatever He has commanded us.
(Philippians 4:13) The next time we are confronted with someone who appears to be our enemy,
let's remember the command that Jesus gave. Let's love them so much that they can't resist Him! We
can do that when we also remember the following scripture. We can love because He first loved us.
(1 John 4:19) He knew all about us. He knew that we would hurt Him. He loved us anyway.
Enough to lay down His life for us. He commands us to do the same but He also gives us the power to carry out that command.
Will we receive that power? How are we laying down our lives for those we may feel are undeserving? (John 15:13) Sometimes even friends hurt friends. It was Peter who denied Jesus, after being one
of the closest to Him. Jesus loved Peter anyway and gave him great power and authority. Who will be the one to
follow the command of Jesus to lay down our lives for another? Give up on having our own way. Act in love
when the actions toward us are unloving. That's a command. A command that brings life. Let's
choose love and life today! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 2, 2008 - JOY UNSPEAKABLE AND FULL OF GLORY! John 15:11 (NKJV) "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart!"
Those are the lyrics to a song we used to sing when I was young. If you're an antique little person like me, you
just might remember that song. It's tune is jumpy and joyful. If you do remember it, just start singing! Jesus
wants us to be joyful and He has promised us His own joy. (John 15:11) Some people mistake joy for happiness. We can remain full of the joy of the Lord and still be unhappy at times.
Circumstances may make us uncomfortable and some situations may not be happy situations. Things happen in life that
we can't explain and that we have no control over. That's why happiness
is called, "happiness," and not, "joy". Happiness depends on what "happens."
It can change. But, our joy can, and should, remain consistent and full through laughter, tears, birth, death, loss
or gain. Joy does not depend on what happens. It depends on Whom we are trusting. Some have said
that joy can be explained like this: "J" = Jesus, "O" = Others, and "Y" = Yourself.
Joy will be complete when the "J" comes first! There's
another old hymn that has lyrics that talk about "joy unspeakable and full of glory." Peter speaks of
that kind of joy in 1 Peter 1:3-9. 1 Peter 1:8 (KJV) 8 Whom
having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
In this passage, Peter talks about joy that is unspeakable and full of glory while, at the same time, talking
about various trials we will have to endure. Yet, those trials cannot steal our joy. Jesus gave us the supreme
example of His joy. He did not glide through His ministry to the end of His life, being totally insulated and protected
from the trouble around Him. He was tempted and He was sorely tried in every way. (Hebrews 4:15) He went all the way to the cross never giving away His joy, even though He did have times of great suffering.
(Hebrews 12:2) Do we ever give our joy away by complaining and refusing to accept
the "happenings," in our lives? If we do, that's just not God's will for us. Jesus gave us His Words.
His Words within us make our joy full. Complete. It's there, but we can choose not to express it
or even give it up. It's a great part of our testimony when our joy shines through the cloudy occurrences that
come about in life. Have you ever watched another believer go through something very difficult and been amazed that
they never gave up. Some never even complain! Many even manage a smile through pain and tears. That's
because of the joy of the Lord in them that they have tapped into by faith. They have chosen to believe Romans 8:28. All things work together for good for those that love the Lord and are called according to His
purpose. We are really happy when things are going our way; and it's okay to be happy. But our joy should
remain the same whether we are in smooth waters or on the stormy sea. Our faith will help us show that fruit of the
Spirit which is called, "joy." (Galatians 5:22) Jesus intended our joy to be full and Peter spoke of joy that was so great that we could not utter an explanation
for it. The Lord's wish for you and me this morning is that we would receive His joy to the fullest. It's
not hard when we realize that, as Peter said, it will be the proof or end of our faith and our reward will be the
salvation of our souls. Now, that's joy unspeakable and full of glory! (1 Peter 1:9) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 1, 2008 - THE EVIDENCE John 15:8 (KJV) In
a courtroom, one cannot be totally declared innocent or guilty without the evidence. Our lives are the same way. We
must show evidence that we are disciples of Jesus. How do we do that? We bear fruit. I've done quite
a few things in life flying, as they say, by the seat of my pants. I have muddled my way through things and come out
fairly successfully without really knowing what I was doing. However, when it comes to our spiritual life, we can't
fake it. Oh, we can fake it in front of other people but there is One who knows our heart and every thought and
motive we have. (Luke 16:15, Psalm 139:2) Jesus said that, what this world honors is an abomination to God. On the other hand, our fruit, coming from
being disciplined in the Word of Jesus, honors God. Are we
honoring God today? Do our lives show the fruit that comes from His Spirit? (Galatians 5:22) If so, that will be the evidence that will be needed to prove that we really meant it when we said we would follow
Jesus. That will show that we have listened to and obeyed His commandments. (John 14:15) Conversely, if we are not showing a pattern of bearing more and more fruit, it will be the evidence against us
that we are not really disciples of Jesus. (John 14:24) It will be solid evidence that our lives do not glorify God. Being a disciple, bearing fruit, and honoring God is a lifelong process. Jesus once told Peter and Andrew to
come along with Him and He would make them fishers of men. They were fishermen by trade so they could relate
to what He was saying. They knew they needed to be discipled to fish for men, winning others hearts to the Lord. They
knew they needed to be trained. The only way to do that was to follow Jesus and let Him make them what they
were destined to be. We can and should make a public stand for the Lord. It's good to do that unless
it's only words or outward appearances. Being a true disciple, truly honoring God and bearing good fruit comes from
the inside out. Someone who doesn't own a Bible can do it. People who don't have Jesus pins or bumper
stickers can do it. In fact, they may be able to do it better than some who do have those things. It's the
life disciplined in the Word of God that honors God. It's only that person who can bear fruit that is sweet and
good. Are we honoring God this morning by allowing ourselves to be disciplined by His Word? By really following
Jesus as His disciple? God knows for sure and others will know too - by our fruit. (Matthew 7:20) If others see good fruit, they will also glorify God (Matthew 5:15) but, if they see bad fruit, the evidence will show that we need to change our ways in a hurry. We will certainly
not be showing that we are fishers of men. Besides that, our fruit will give occasion to those who would like to
think God is dead, to believe they are right. Instead of bringing glory to God, we can bring Him great dishonor.
Pretty scary! Paul prayed for the Philippians that they would always be filled with the fruit of their salvation,
bringing glory to God. (Philippians 1:11) In other words, that the evidence would prove that they were true disciples. What does the evidence say about
us this morning? MORNING MANNA - JULY 31, 2008 - PRUNED - NOT BURNED! John 15:6 (KJV) As I seek
encouragement from the Lord and His Word today, I have to admit, that John 15:6 is, at first glance, a difficult scripture to read to and to meditate upon. It's downright scary if we haven't
really received the gift of salvation from Jesus. Earlier on, Jesus told us that He was the vine and we are the branches.
(John 15:5) That is a very comforting thought. He also said that He would never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:8) He invites us to abide in Him and gives us the assurance that, if we do, we will have eternal life. (John 8:31) Only if we are disciplined by His Words as we dwell with Him, will we be His disciples. We have probably all heard that all we have to do is ask and Jesus will come into
our hearts and live with us. (Acts 2:31) That is true. But what happens after we ask? It is then that we need to make the choice
to let Him dwell within us and clean us up. We need to renew our minds constantly with His Word. (Romans 12:2) If we choose not to do that, the dirt that will collect in that place where Jesus has come to live
will push Him out. Mind you, He doesn't want to go. It is strictly our choice. But,
let's just say, I wouldn't want to stay with someone who piled dirt upon me. Would you? Salvation is not
just a one time little walk down an aisle at church or a one time simple prayer. It can start like that but it's
so much more. It is something we have to choose to work out for the rest of our lives. Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV) 12 Therefore,
my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out
your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will
and to act according to his good purpose. Are we truly working out our salvation today or just gliding along on a prayer we may have said at one time or another?
Those words, "work out," mean to "accomplish," and "to finish." That implies that we need
to think about our salvation and let the Lord work His works through us, not according to our desires and purposes,
but according to His. (Philippians 2:13) We can either let God give us the desire to do those things which are right and pleasing to Him. Or not.
It's up to us. We can be unfaithful but God can never be unfaithful. (2 Timothy 2:13) Paul says in Philippians 2:12, that we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Those are pretty strong words to use. Hebrews 10:31 tells us that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. When we receive salvation, we are
yielding ourselves into the hands of the living God. A God of justice, as well as a God of mercy and love.
Our reverential fear for God should be enough to help us be branches that bear fruit because we choose to abide in the Vine.
Maybe this Morning Manna feels more like a pruning than encouragement. But, it is really encouragement. Our Heavenly
Father is the Gardener. This Gardener purges and prunes everyone that He loves. (Hebrews 12:6) You know that you can't prune your plants unless you are right there with them. Touching them and holding
their leaves in your hands. It is never your intent to harm them but to strip off any suckers and any dead branches
that may be draining them of live and abundant fruit. How much more so with our Heavenly Father. Let's submit
to the pruning and repent of anything that may be hindering our growth. We certainly don't want to be one of those
useless branches that are cut off and burned! MORNING MANNA - JULY 30, 2008 - SWEET ABIDING John 15:4 (KJV) We live in such a mobile culture
today. People are moving all over the place. Families do not stay physically intact because of job opportunities, moving
to better climates for health reasons, the desire for adventure, etc., etc. As a result, I have found that sometimes
it is difficult to stay connected to friends and family emotionally too. Experience tells me that, although I try very
hard to stay in touch, it is difficult and painful when those people are far away from me. Necessity or desire
for something better may keep us away from friends and family but nothing can keep us away from Jesus but our own bad
choices. (Romans 1:21) It is the desire of our Lord that we settle down and abide in Him.
These days, it's hard to abide. Abiding means staying in the same place. That place includes a given place,
state, relation and expectancy, according to Strong's Dictionary. It means to, "continue." Now,
how many times have you started something only to be distracted and not finish the project? Maybe that's not you,
but I have done that. Abiding means to, "endure." (2 Corinthians 6:4) If you are a physical fitness buff, you know that you can't get any results unless you endure. That usually
means some pain but, for you, the victory of a fit body is worth it. When we endure, even if it means suffering, the
victory in Christ will be ours and it will be so worth it! (2 Timothy 2:3) Abiding means to, "be present." How many times, in our human relationships are we present? We're
there, but we're not really "present?" Our minds are off somewhere else, thinking about
what we have not gotten done or what we have to get done next. We may even be multi-tasking, not giving our full attention
to any one thing or person. That may be okay for getting things practical things done but Jesus wants more than that.
Jesus wants us to abide in Him. He wants us to really be "present." Be totally
connected. He wants us to, "endure," whatever life brings us clinging to Him because without Him we can't
do a thing! (John 15:5) It is God's desire to abide with us. So much so, that
He sent Jesus to live and die for us. That's a very high price to pay for us to be able to have intimacy with our
Creator. Then Jesus sent His spirit to abide with us. (John 14:16) The King James Version of the Bible says that we should "abide" in Christ so we won't
be ashamed when He returns. (1 John 2:28) What will be our choice today? Will we succumb to the enemy's attempts to distract us and
make us run to and fro? Or will we remain, tarry, dwell in, endure with, and rest in the Lord? (Matthew 11:28) It's strange, but true, that even "religious," work can keep us from abiding in
the Savior. The Message, which is a paraphrase of the Bible, not a translation, says this: "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come
to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk
with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting
on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
(Matthew 11:28-30) Are you tired and worn out this morning? Is every day just more of the same old, same
old? Do you come to the end of the day feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied? Maybe you're even burned out
on church work or other charitable activities. Even those things can distract us from our relationship from the Lord.
When we get that way, it's not that the Lord has moved away from us. (2 Timothy 2:13) We have moved away from Him. We are getting close to becoming "non-abiders," if there is such a word.
Abiding in Jesus is sweet. It is rest, even in struggles, pain, and productivity. Not only is it sweet.
It's the only way. Without Him, we can do - absolutely nothing! Let's thank
Him this morning that He is willing to abide with us and give us the strength to do whatever He tells us to do! (Revelation 3:20, Philippians 4:13) Sweet abiding - it's the only way! MORNING MANNA - JULY 29, 2008 - THE FRUIT OF THE TRUE VINE John 15:1 (KJV) The famous old Calmets' Dictionary says: In the temple at Jerusalem, above and round the gate, seventy
cubits high, which led from the porch to the holy place, a richly carved vine was extended as a border and decoration. The
branches, tendrils and leaves were of finest gold; the stalks of the bunches were of the length of the human form, and the
bunches hanging upon them were of costly jewels. Herod first placed it there; rich and patriotic Jews from time to time added
to its embellishment, one contributed a new grape, another a leaf, and a third even a bunch of the same precious materials
. . . this vine must have had an uncommon importance and a sacred meaning in the eyes of the Jews. With what majestic
splendor must it likewise have appeared in the evening, when it was illuminated by tapers! - Preaching The Word When Jesus spoke, those around Him could always
relate. He always spoke in terms they could understand. He did that when He made His seventh, "I Am,"
statement. He said, "I am the true Vine." As we read above, the temple at Jerusalem was decorated
with a vine. It was a huge vine and something everyone knew about just by the sheer size of it. God had also spoken
of Israel as being a, "vine." It was His vine that He planted but Israel did not produce good fruit.
The grapes were sour. (Isaiah 5:1-2) What kind of fruit are you and I producing? Is it the sour fruit of bitterness, resentment, jealousy, anger,
greed, lust, rebellion, etc.? Or, is it the sweet, sweet fruit of the Holy Spirit? (Galatians 5:22) It's for sure that we will not be able to produce those things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness
and faithfulness unless we are receiving nourishment from the true Vine. (John 15:5) Are you connected to Jesus today? There are other fake vines out there. They're all calling for us
to be connected to them but they will only produce disappointment and destruction. Are you connected to the
true Vine? The good gardener will
take care of the vine he plants. In this case, the Gardener is our Father in Heaven. He is the One who
takes care of the true Vine and all the branches on it. There could be no better hands than the hands of the Father
to take care of us, "branches." He works through the vine which is Jesus. (John 15:4) So, if we're connected and abiding, we're safe and well taken care of. In my yard, the shrubs are
dying. Even the gardener is still at a loss as to why this is happening. It's so disappointing to look out
every morning only to peer into the busy street behind the house instead of looking at luscious vines. Perhaps
the gardener did not notice something that was eating those vines or that they had contracted a disease. If we
are believers, we never need to worry about whether our Gardener is capable or knowledgeable about the things that can attack
a vine and kill it. Our Gardener gives the Vine it's life and we, as branches, benefit as His life flows through
us. Aren't you glad this morning that Your Father in Heaven is caring for His precious Vine and that you, as a branch,
will always be given nourishment? We all have the ability, as branches, to bear fruit. All we have to do
is cling to the vine. The fruit will automatically start to grow. If we try to grow the fruit ourselves,
it won't work. The only way we can produce that sweet fruit that God is looking for is to cling to the
vine and let it's nourishment flow through us. Yes, it's true, the Gardener may prune us from time to time;
but that's only to make us grow more beautiful and to help us produce more fruit. (John 15:3) All good gardeners prune their vines so they won't grow wild. Jesus speaks His Word to us to keep us
from wandering off into the wilderness. Evil thoughts are cut off and good thoughts begin to grow as we are pruned by His
Word, having our minds renewed. (Romans 12:2) We, as branches, have the easiest job. The Gardener does all the work to make us grow. The Vine
holds us up and gives us nourishment. All we have to do is cling! Are you clinging this morning? If so,
I'm sure you are heavy with the wonderful, sweet fruit that only God can grow! MORNING MANNA - JULY 28, 2008 - THE DEVIL HAS NO POWER OVER US! John 14:30 (NLT) If you are like me, you really want to be like Jesus. Maybe you even try really hard. I have
found myself doing that. Occasionally, I find that the harder I try, the less like Jesus I am! It seems
like the devil loves it when I try to be like Jesus. The key word here is, "I." It happens
to be right smack dab in the center of the word, "pride." Being like Jesus is a choice we need to make,
but we certainly can't do it on our own. When we get in the way, with all of our trying, we tend
to become more like hypocrites and legalists than like Jesus. It is only when we realize that being like Him is a gift
from the Father, we can rest in Him and let Him flow through us. It comes from the inside out! Jesus told his disciples that the prince of this world (the devil) had no power over Him. Jesus knew exactly who
He was. It wasn't that the devil could not tempt Him. He could and He did. (Luke 4:2) Every time Jesus was tempted, it was for our benefit. It was so that He could be our High Priest, having
felt every temptation we could possibly feel. He never caved in though. (Hebrews 4:15) He never once sinned. Just as He was about to go through the greatest trial of His life, He said that the
devil had no power over Him. An onlooker would not think that was true, since Jesus was arrested, whipped, and then
nailed to a splintery cross. He was bleeding, naked and humiliated in front of, for the most part, a mocking crowd.
It certainly looked like the enemy had won. But, things in the Kingdom of God are not always as they look.
(Hebrews 2:8-10) Jesus was letting his disciples know that there would be times of extreme discomfort and trials. Just because
we have challenges, discomfort and trials in our lives doesn't mean that the enemy has power over us. No!
We have power over the enemy. (Luke 10:19) In fact, if we are abiding in Jesus, the enemy has no power over us. Things may happen but, in all of them,
God is working it for our good and for the good of His Kingdom if we love Him and are called according to His purposes.
(Romans 8:28) Jesus became like us, tempted in every way, so we could become
like Him. He did not promise that we would never suffer. In fact, He promised that we would suffer. (Romans 8:18) That's not a promise that many like to preach but we need to look at every promise in the Book!
In all of His suffering, He won the victory for us. (John 14:31) When we suffer and submit to Jesus during the times of trial, we have the victory. We will suffer, but
we are also promised that we will be rewarded with His glory later. (Romans 8:18) What is the victory? It is being conformed to His image. (Romans 8:29) Isn't that what we want? To be like Jesus? Sometimes God will deliver us from trials and sometimes
He will lead us through. Whichever way, He chooses is good. Jesus did what He did so that we could believe.
We may have to go through some things in life so that others can see His grace working in us and believe.
No matter what, the enemy has no power over us if we are in Jesus. If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) Nobody. Not even the devil. Let's stop giving the devil credit for anything that happens in our
lives. He can try all he wants to stop us or discourage us. He does mean to do us bad. But, what
he means for evil, our awesome God will turn to good! (Genesis 50:20) The only One that has power over us is our Father in Heaven. His is the Kingdom and the power
and the glory forever! Amen!! MORNING MANNA - JULY 27, 2008 - WHAT A GIFT! John 14:27 (NLT) Don't you just love to receive a gift?
I do. Have you ever received a gift from a loved one that was something belonging to them? Something they considered
precious? Even if that person has gone on to Heaven, when you see that thing they gave you, or hold it in your hand,
it's like having a part of them with you. It has become precious to you. That's the kind of gift Jesus
left for us when He went back to sit at the right hand of our Father. He's not only sitting there praying for us,
He left us a part of Himself. (Acts 2:33) It wasn't just a thing we could hold in our hand or look at. It was a part of Him that
we could have within us forever! It is His peace that He gives us. His Spirit is with us today if
we have accepted the gift. He is giving us, not only power (Acts 1:8), but His peace to go with it. In this world
of turmoil, we find offers of vacation retreats, spas, medications, and all sorts of other things offered to us in an attempt
to help us find peace. If we are believers, we don't have to listen to any of those offers because they just won't
work in the long run. They are nice while you have them, and all of them are not bad, but as soon as you walk back
into the world of challenges and confusion, those things disappear in a hurry. Any peace that the world offers is a
shabby counterfeit to the peace that Jesus offers. His peace is the peace that allowed Him to say, in the Garden of
Gethsemane, "not my will but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42) It was the Spirit of Almighty God in Jesus that gave Him the power to sweat the drops of blood while He peacefully
relinquished His own life for us. Are you in a "Garden," situation this morning. Is there something
you would like to have pass from your life but it just doesn't seem to be going? Rest assured that you, if
you have received the Holy Spirit, have the power to go through that situation. You have the peace to carry you
through to the other side. Jesus had it and He has given it to us too. When you get to the other side, you won't
even believe you have made it! His peace defies human understanding. (Philippians 4:7) We can't find that sort of peace in anyone or anything in this world! When
everything seems to be going right in our lives, we might not recognize the fact that the peace we have comes from
God. I know I've taken some good times of peace for granted. I'll bet you have too. It's good
to remember that, in the times of tranquility, God is the one who has orchestrated it. We always need to recognize
that or we will find ourselves on the slippery slope on Romans 1:21 and following. This passage describes people who knew God was there, but didn't recognize Him as God, and
didn't even give Him thanks. The end of that story is not one we like to read. We don't want to find ourselves
like one of those people! This morning, if things are going smoothly in your life, don't forget to recognize
that it is God that has given you this season of peace. In every situation, whether it feels good or it feels bad,
we need to remember that it's God's will for us to give Him thanks. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Because we have His gift of peace, we can do that. We can do it by faith, knowing that our lives are in
His hands and that all things will turn out for good if we love Him and are called and walking according to His
purpose. (Psalm 139:16, Romans 8:28) If things are not feeling so good this morning, our testimony will stand out among those around us. Our light
will shine. (Matthew 5:16) But, only if we choose to open the gift and use it. The gift of His peace. Have you
opened the gift and let it flow through you? Power and peace go together. (Hebrews 13:20) They both come from the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. Today, we have both the power and peace to endure any situation.
Let's begin to thank God every moment. What a gift! MORNING MANNA - JULY 26, 2008 - WHY NOT THE WORLD? John 14:22 (NLT) What does our world look like
today? Does the world, at large, really know who Jesus is? If you listen to the media, you might come to the conclusion
that the world at large does not know Him at all. He is rarely mentioned, unless you hear His name used in vain, in TV
shows and movies. It was like that in the days that Jesus was on earth too. Most people did not know Him. One
disciple asked Jesus why He wasn't going to reveal Himself to the world at large. Why was He only going to reveal
Himself to His disciples? (John 14:22) Jesus's answer was, basically, that He only revealed Himself to those that loved and obeyed Him. (John 14:23-26) Earlier Jesus had said that the world cannot receive the Spirit
of truth (the Holy Spirit). It doesn't see Him or know Him. The world, at large, is not even looking for Jesus.
But, He does dwell in the disciples and will be in them. (John 14:17) Are you a disciple of Jesus? Are you looking for Him? The world is basically ruled by its prince.
Satan. (John 12:31) Satan is the father of lies. He was a liar from the beginning. (John 8:44) So, no wonder the world at large is unable to receive the Spirit of truth! Only those who listen to the
Words of Jesus and follow them can really know Him. His Words are truth. His Spirit reveals the
truth to us. (John 16:15) Those around Jesus saw Him with their physical eyes but they didn't really see Him the way His disciples
did. That's why His followers were called, "disciples." They listened to and were disciplined
by His Words. Are we listening to and being disciplined by His Words? Or are we drawn to the world and it's
prince. Are we filled with the Spirit of truth? Or are we following the father of lies? Do you want to see Jesus? We can, by faith. And, we will see Him with our eyes when He returns again
if we are filled with His Word and His Spirit and we are looking for Him. Who are you looking for today? Not
all of those people that saw Jesus in the flesh were looking for Him when He rose from the dead. Not all people
in our world today are looking for Him. His disciples saw Him in the flesh and He promised that they would see Him later
too. (John 14:18) Orphans usually do not see or know their parents. They are basically without the comfort of a nurturing family.
Jesus did not want His followers to be orphans. He promised that He would reveal Himself to each one who loved
Him and obeyed Him. (John 14:21) He promised that these people would receive His love and the love of the Father. We will never be left
alone. (Matthew 28:20) Are you one of those who are looking for Him today? If so, you will find Him. (Deuteronomy 4:29) Are you looking for His return? Even if the world, at large, is not looking for Him, we know that
He will return. (Acts 1:11) Let's determine not to be a part of the world, at large. Let's be one of those disciplined ones that
love and follow Jesus. If we are, He will reveal Himself to us today! Then, one day, we will see Him
face to face. MORNING MANNA - JULY 25, 2008 - ANOTHER John 14:16 (NIV) Can you imagine how the disciples and those who loved Jesus must have felt when He said He had to go away?
You have probably felt that awful feeling of emptiness if you had to move away from your children or your parents and even
your friends. If you have experienced the death of a loved one, you surely know what a void that can create in your
life. Jesus does not want us to be alone. God never planned it that way. It was not His choice. With
Jesus, there is no moving away, no death. He's just the same today as He was yesterday and He'll be the same
tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8) If anybody moves away, it will be us. Jesus has not taken our freedom of choice away. But, why would
we want to move from love and security to confusion, darkness and death? Although Jesus knew He would not walk physically among the people for a long while again,
He was still Immanuel, which means, "God is with us." (Matthew 1:23) That's what His Word said and His Word is always true. (Psalm 119:160) So, how can He still be with us if He has died on the cross? He did rise from the dead. But, then
He ascended into Heaven where He sits by our Heavenly Father praying for us constantly. And don't we need it! (Romans 8:34) He knew that would happen so He gave His Word to show the disciples and show us that He would be leaving us, but not
really. (John 14:16) He promised to send another comforter. Although the wording in John 14:16 says "another comforter," that word, "another," actually means, "another of the same
sort." There is a Greek word that does mean, "another of a different kind", but that is not the
meaning here in John 14:16. This comforter that Jesus promised was not a different kind. It was a just a different form of Himself.
It was another of the same sort. He would send His own Spirit to be with us. (Acts 2:33) After Jesus rose from the grave, He promised His disciples that
He would be with them always. (Matthew 28:20) At that point, some of the disciples were still doubting. (Matthew 28:16-17) If you were one of those disciples, would you have wondered what He meant by that? Especially if
you were one of those still doubting? I think I might have. That's what He was promising in John 14:16. He said that the Comforter, His Spirit, would be with us forever - always! Again, just before Jesus ascended,
He gave the promise of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8) That promise was for the disciples who witnessed His ascension and it was for you and me. His Spirit
is with us and in us if we have invited Him. (Revelation 3:20) Jesus did send Another. It was Another of the same sort. That One is here now. As the song says,
"Holy Spirit, Thou Art Welcome In This Place." Can you sing that song this morning, and mean it with all of
your heart? Is the Comforter welcome in your place? In your heart? All of us need
the compassion of the Comforter. All of us need Him to teach and guide us. (John 14:26) In this dark world, we need His truth. (John 14:17) We all need His power, to be sure. (Luke 24:49) All of us need that new life that only His Spirit can bring. (John 3:6) There's just one catch. One, "if," if you please. The Holy Spirit is given to those who
obey God. (Acts 5:32) That's our only job. To love God and to obey Him, which are really one in the same. (John 14:15) Jesus truly did send Another. Have you received Him? MORNING MANNA - JULY 24, 2008 - LOVE
IS MORE THAN A FEELING John 14:15 (KJV) We often say, I "love," this or that.
What does that mean? How can we love a good juicy hamburger and also love our spouse? How can we love anything
in this world and then use the same word to describe our thoughts toward God? In novels, TV shows, and movies,
we usually find some kind of love story. Unfortunately, today, some of those stories are more like, "lust,"
stories, giving us a very distorted picture of love. The better stories are filled with intense, "feelings."
We get warm fuzzy feelings when we read or watch some of them. We might even shed a tear or two. But, is that
really the love Jesus is talking about when He tells us how to love Him? People
will say, "I love Jesus." Bumper stickers display those words. Pins that we wear are designed with those
words. We might even say it without realizing what it really means. Although the Lord is loving, He basically
says that our love for Him will be proven by our obedience to Him. So, are we obeying Him? All the time?
No wonder His Word says that obedience is better than sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22) Obedience, Jesus says, proves our love for Him. God would much rather have our love than any other type of offering
we might want to give. We could even give our bodies as a sacrifice, but unless we truly love the Lord and others,
it would be wasted. (1 Corinthians 13:3) Unacceptable. I have a wonderful friend who told me that she may spend some time concentrating on
all the words that Jesus spoke. I was thinking that very same thing. How can we be obedient to Him if we aren't
totally familiar with what He said? (John 14:24) Is our love so great for our Savior that it causes us to keep His commandments
without a second thought? Is obedience a lifestyle for us? That's should be our goal. No matter
where we are or what situation we are in, our first reaction to anything should come from love. Love is not a feeling.
It's an action. It requires us to hold on to and observe what Jesus said. That is not always easy.
But we can do it if we make the choice. He insists that we walk in obedience but He also promises to help us do
it. That's love. (Philippians 4:13) You usually can't tell if something is real and functional until you test it. Love proves itself to
be real when it is tested. (Psalm 66:10) The next time we might find ourselves in a difficult situation feeling stretched to the limit, we might want
to take a moment to give thanks. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) We are being refined, tested and made pure. (James 1:2-4) Love does that. God is love. (1 John 4:8) Love is not just a feeling. Love is a Person. A Person of action. He's in the process
of making us just like Himself. (Romans 8:29) We must also be people of action. People who show their love by keeping the commandments of the One they love.
(John 14:21) MORNING MANNA - JULY 23, 2008 - JUST
ASK John 14:14 (NLT) Do you remember the story of Aladdin's Lamp? It was a story of magic. Aladdin only had to rub the
lamp and a genie inside would come forth from it and grant Aladdin's wish. How nice it would be to have a lamp like
that one! Who wouldn't want something like that? As believers, we have something - no, Someone
- much better than that. Jesus said that we could ask anything in His name and He would do it! He said anything!
He wants us to know that He and the Father are one. He said that He would grant our requests so that the Father might
receive the glory through Him. (John 14:13) Jesus and the Father work together as One. (John 17:21) Remember, God, the Father, said that He would grant the desires of our hearts too. (Psalm 37:4) There is a condition though. God grants the desires of those who delight in Him. Aladdin's Lamp was a middle-Eastern folk tale. A fairy tale. It was
about magic. God is not into magic. Leviticus 19:26 (AMP) 26 You
shall not eat anything with the blood; neither shall you use magic, omens, or witchcraft [or predict events by horoscope or
signs and lucky days]. He's into reality. He desires that we have
life in abundance. (John 10:10) Aladdin, in the story of the magic lamp, had to rub the lamp in order to get his wish granted. We,
on the other hand, can have the desires of our hearts granted because Jesus lives in us. We are like the lamp. (Luke 11:36) He is the Light. (John 12:46) His Light within us causes the desires of our hearts to be right. That makes us stand
out from the rest of the world. (Matthew 5:14-16) It makes us world changers. When our desires are in accordance with those things that God desires, He
will grant them. If we delight in the Father, we will have our desires met because they will coincide with His. Do
you have a Godly desire that you have not asked for? Jesus said, all we have to do is ask. He wants to give
us those Godly desires. Jesus said that we would do the works he did and even greater ones. (John 14:12) When our desires are in line with God's desires, we will want to bring salvation, healing, and deliverance
to those around us - just like Jesus. There is another interesting
part to the story of Aladdin's Lamp. Only the one possessing the lamp could have their wishes granted
by rubbing it. That made the lamp valuable. It was something to be desired. Our lives should be so full
of the light of the Lord that people will want what we have. In the story of Aladdin, there was a sorcerer who
wanted Aladdin's lamp so badly that he tricked Aladdin's wife to get it. She had no idea of the value of
the lamp. In our lives, do we always remember the value of the One who lives within us? Do we remember the price
He paid so we could have the Light within us? Or, do we take the abundant life we have for granted? Aladdin's
wife was tricked by the evil sorcerer who promised her, "new lamps for old." She gladly traded the old lamp
for a fancy new lamp, not knowing that she was giving away the very thing that had given her all she had. (Aladdin had
asked the genie for a castle and all the finery that went with it). When Aladdin's wife gave the old lamp to the
sorcerer, he immediately summoned the genie to move the castle along with Aladdin's wife to his country. There are
so many voices today calling, "new lamps for old." Many think that believing and trusting in Jesus is
old fashioned. A good number of people believe that Jesus is not the only way to eternal life or even that there is
no eternal life. There are lots of "new lamps," being pawned off today by the evil one. But there is
only one way. That way is Jesus. We must be careful not to trade that old Lamp in on a new one that will
only serve to enslave us as it did Aladdin's wife. We need only ask Jesus when we have a request. He has promised
to answer. Do you have a request this morning? Just ask! Jesus said we could. MORNING MANNA - JULY 22, 2008 - DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE FATHER? John 14:9 (KJV) Have you ever just felt empty and didn't know what to do or which way to go next? Have you longed to see
God and hear Him give you the answers you need? People have often wished to see God. Even Moses did.
(Exodus 33:18) Phillip felt that way too. He asked Jesus for something he already had. He was searching for something that
was right in front of Him. It had been right in front of him almost three years. When we feel like we aren't
seeing God, it's not because He isn't there. It's because we aren't really there yet.
Peter, James and John had seen Jesus in His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. Phillip had not. (Mark 9:2-3) If either Peter, James or John had asked the same question, they might have received a greater rebuke. Jesus
gave Phillip three reasons to believe. These are reasons for us to believe too. One is that Jesus had God's
character. He and the Father are one. (John 14:10) The second is that He spoke the words of His Father. And, the third is that He did the works of His Father.
What do you think Jesus felt when Phillip asked to see the Father?
(John 14:8) Jesus had been telling them all along that He came from the Father, even that He was one with the Father.
He really wanted them to get it. They couldn't see it. They couldn't see the reality in the fact that
God had sent a part of Himself to be with us. (Matthew 1:23) Can you see that reality today? Do we realize that Jesus is the reality we are all looking for and that
we all need to see? Phillip was looking at the Father in flesh when He looked at Jesus, but He didn't realize it. What is reality to you? The dictionary says that reality is the state or
quality of being. Is there any better state or quality of life than life in Jesus? Yet, why do we sometimes, like
Phillip, ask for something we already have? Are you feeling empty this morning or looking for an answer that you
can't seem to find? Does what seems to be the reality of this world cloud your vision and keep you from seeing
the reality in and of Jesus? From seeing the Father? We can see the Father this morning in the Word of God.
In His Word (Jesus is the Word - John 1:14), we have everything we need. Not only can we believe Jesus because of His character, His Words, and His works,
we can do those same works and even greater ones! (John 14:12) Phillip was not the only one who was short on faith. Thomas also doubted that Jesus was who He said He was.
(John 20:25) Thomas demanded to see Jesus before he would believe and Jesus met that demand. (John 20:26-27) Not because we can, or should, order God around. It was because of the great love the Father had for Thomas.
We, like Phillip and Thomas do have everything we need. We can ask to see Jesus and the Father and He will show
Himself in His Word. Our faith is the evidence of things we have not yet seen with our eyes. (Hebrews 11:1) Will we just reach out to Jesus by faith and see Him in His Word? If so we will be blessed. He stood
in front of Thomas and let Thomas put his hands in His wounds. Then Thomas finally was convinced that Jesus was
exactly who He said He was. (John 20:28) Although Phillip and Thomas had a hard time being convinced, they finally did. Jesus said that those who
believed before they saw Him with their eyes would be blessed. (John 20:29) Do you want to see the Father today? Really see Him? Do we need a reality check? We can find
the answers we need. We can come before the Father if we just sit a while in the Word and gaze upon Jesus.
(Hebrews 4:16) Let's do it! MORNING MANNA - JULY 21, 2008 - DO YOU KNOW THE WAY? John 14:5 (KJV) Have you ever been lost? It's an awful feeling to be unable to find your bearings in unfamiliar
territory. Today, we have our navigational systems and we have computers with which to print out directions and maps
to just about anywhere in the world. That's a good feeling. It makes me feel secure when I know the way.
It's an even better feeling to know The Way. Jesus said, "I am the way......" (John 14:6) He had just finished telling his disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for them.
(John 14:2) He then reminded them that they knew where He was going and how to get there. (John 14:4) But Thomas, probably speaking for himself and the rest of the disciples, said, John 14:5 (NLT) 5 "No,
we don't know, Lord,............ We haven't any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus had actually been explaining everything
to them little by little all along. They had all the information. They were just unable to piece it together.
Jesus has given us all the information we need in His Word. There is no reason that we need to be unsure of our way
to those Heavenly mansions that Jesus is preparing for us. No reason for us to doubt that we will be with Him there
one day. But, are we asking the Holy Spirit to piece together all the information for us so that we will be built up
in our faith? (Colossians 2:7) Are we so rooted and grounded in Jesus that it is perfectly natural for us to believe that we will one day reside
in one of those mansions He is preparing? Let's never forget that Jesus is The Way. He is not just "a way," as many are preaching
today. He is the only Way. We can never see one of those Heavenly mansions in the Father's Kingdom,
much less live in one of them, unless we have found The Way. Jesus is also The Truth. The truth is that He's
the only way to Heaven. He's also The Life. There is no other way to have abundant life on this earth
because we have an enemy who is out to steal it away from us if we're not walking in the way. (John 10:10) There is no way we can have life forever with Jesus if we're not walking in the way. (Romans 6:23) Our Heavenly Father really wants to be close to us. There's just one problem. The problem
of sin. It would be impossible for us to even think of having abundant life on earth and life forever in God's
Kingdom unless God had made a way. (1 Corinthians 1:30) He did it. He sent His Son. (John 3:16) Although this may be a simple message for some of us, it is basic to our faith. There is only one way.
(Acts 4:12) Jesus is that way. Are you seeking His truth more and more every day? Are you walking in The
Way? Are you experiencing abundant life and expecting eternal life? Do you know The Way?
You can. His name is Jesus! MORNING MANNA - JULY 20, 2008 - RELIEF FROM A TROUBLED HEART John 14:1 (KJV) Is your heart troubled this morning? There are certainly enough things going on in each of our lives and
in the world to trouble our hearts! (John 16:33) We all have a story to tell. We all have things that challenge and perplex us. Some of our hearts have
been so troubled that they feel as though they are broken. There was a young boy who had to stay home from
school one day because he wasn't feeling well. His mother worked outside the home, but maintained contact with him
by phone. When she made one of her phone "check-in's", she asked him how he was feeling. He answered,
"My heart hurts." When his mother questioned him about it further, he said, "I don't know what's
wrong with it." "It feels like it's broken." That little boy had a troubled heart.
His heart was stirred up, but in a painful way. He needed his mother and, even though they talked frequently throughout
the day, she wasn't there to hold and comfort him. He wanted her presence. Jesus was speaking to His disciples just before He went to the cross. He told them not to let their hearts
be troubled. (John 14:1) He assured them that, because they believed in God, they could believe in Him too. He was going to go away for
a while but not because He didn't love them. It was because He did love them and because He was going to
provide for them. He was going to prepare a place for them and for us. (John 14:2) We may feel very alone at times and may even feel like God is far from us but He never loses contact with us.
Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to live in us until we can go to the place He is preparing for us. (John 14:26) Although we can't see Jesus, we are still connected through His Spirit living in us. (Romans 8:11) Like the little boy who felt like his heart was broken,
we may have some "heart troubles." We may not always feel like Jesus is near us or connected.
Yet, that doesn't change the truth of the matter. He is with us. He promised He would be. (Matthew 28:20) Not only did He promise to be with us. He promised us peace of mind and heart. He doesn't want us
to be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27) His gift to us is peace. What a commodity that is in our world today! Is your heart troubled? Have
you received the gift? The gift of peace. Perhaps you have never received the Gift. The Gift whose name
is Jesus. (John 3:16) You can receive Him today. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Your Heavenly Father loves you so much that it's His desire that you receive the Gift of His Son that He gave
for you. Have you received Jesus but found yourself seemingly alone and in need of some nurturing? Then
receive the gift of peace that Jesus has already given. Relief from a troubled heart can be found in the Gift who is
Jesus and His gift of peace.
MORNING MANNA - JULY 19, 2008 - WHAT ARE YOU READY TO DO FOR JESUS? John 13:37 (NLT) Does
our mouth sometimes get a little bit ahead of our head? Do we ever make a commitment to the Lord in the heat
of the moment and then find that we are unable to keep it? Have we spoken out in our own strength, forgetting
that we can do nothing unless Jesus does it through us? (John 15:5) Peter seemed to think of himself as strong and able. He seemed to think he could go anywhere and do anything
that Jesus did. He even said he was ready to die for Jesus. (John 13:37) It didn't quite turn out that way though. At least not in Peter's timing. Jesus gave Peter a warning for making
such a bold statement. Even more than a warning. He told Peter that he would deny that he even knew Jesus
three times before morning came. (John 13:38) It was true. Before the morning came, Peter did deny that
he knew Jesus. He did it three times. Just as Jesus said. Was Peter still trusting in his own
strength instead of trusting in His Savior? Have you ever told the Lord you would do something and then not done it?
Or told Him you would not do something and then done that very thing. I have. Paul seemed to have that problem
too. (Romans 7:19) At some point in Paul's life he did the thing he didn't want to do and didn't do the thing he wanted to
do. We have probably all had at least a time or two when we got excited and made a commitment to the Lord and then didn't
keep it. If Peter didn't believe the words of Jesus before, he certainly must have believed them when
he found that he had denied Jesus three times before morning. (Luke 22:54-62) I am quick to think I can do things for the Lord.
I want to do them. Just like Paul wanted to do them. I'm sure you do too. In response to a good
sermon or devotional, I have sometimes made grand promises to God, only to find out that I failed miserably later when the
rubber met the road. It's taken me a lifetime to learn that, as much as I want to do great things for the Lord,
I can do nothing unless He gives me the strength. It's usually when I feel the most inadequate and the
weakest that He shows me that I can do good things for Him if I trust Him to do it
in and through me. (2 Corinthians 12:10) I can do any and all things. So can you. But, we can do none of it in our own strength. It's only
through the strength of Christ that we can do anything. (Philippians 4:13) Peter found that out. He had great intentions and he had great faith. But he hadn't yet learned
to place his faith totally in Jesus instead of himself. Do you have great faith this morning? Are
you ready to do great things. Let's do them. We can. But, let's make sure our faith and our trust
is completely in Him. What are you ready to do for Jesus? MORNING MANNA - JULY 18, 2008 - HOW TO SPOT A JESUS FOLLOWER John 13:34 (KJV) How do you know if someone is a follower of Jesus? Men have made up rules and
regulations by which to know whether people are really followers of Jesus. Some of those things include such things
as what they wear and how they wear their hair. We might even think one a better follower if that person can speak good,
"Christianese." But, according to Jesus, there is a better way to spot one of His true disciples. Just
before He went to the cross He explained that way to His disciples as they sat at dinner. Only the eleven were
there. Judas, the one who could not seem to love, had just left to betray Jesus. (John 13:24-30) He then gave them a new commandment. It was this. They were to love one another. Not just love
one another as we might think of being loving. They were to love one another in just that way that Jesus loved them.
(John 13:34) Why was Jesus emphasizing this as new? God had already
said that we should love our neighbor the same way we love our self. (Leviticus 19:18) Jesus was the fulfillment of this command. He took love to the fullest degree. He loved, not just
those who loved and agreed with Him. (Romans 5:10) He loved those who hated, despised, persecuted, and mocked Him. In doing that, He won the hearts of men and
women, boys and girls. (John 12:32) Jesus showed us that love is not just warm fuzzy feelings, although that is nice when it happens. He showed
us just how much more is required to really be able to say that we love others. It requires that our focus
be first on God. (Mark 12:29-31) It requires complete obedience, whatever the cost. Then it requires selfless sacrifice. (1 John 3:16) That's the way Jesus loved His disciples. That's the way He loves us right now. How will people know that we are disciples of our Lord? How will they spot us in the crowds of this world?
They will know us by our love for one another. (John 13:35) What do we say about other Christians? How do we treat them? If someone on the outside was watching
(and they are all the time), would we be any different than the rest of the world in the way we treat those we call brothers
and sisters in Christ? Do we think that, just because we go to church every Sunday they will know that we are disciples? It
will be a mixed message if we go to church every Sunday and then gossip about our brothers and sisters when we leave the building.
If we carry a big Bible around and wear a Jesus tee-shirt or a Jesus pin, will that prove to the world that we are
disciples of Christ? Not if we're short tempered and mean to others. How about a Christian bumper
sticker? How's your driving? Is it so filled with love that those driving alongside you will notice that you
really live out what your bumper sticker says? Nothing we wear, carry or stick on ourselves or our cars will
prove anything unless our actions accompany the message. Love is an action, not a feeling. It requires
something of us. For Jesus, it required everything - His life. He said we should love one another just as
He loved us. How are we doing in that area? We can't do it by ourselves. We can only do it because
He first did it for us. (1 John 4:19) Now that He has done it for us, are we doing it for those we call fellow-believers? Can you be spotted as
a follower of Jesus? MORNING MANNA - JULY 17, 2008 - JUDAS OR PETER? John 13:26 (KJV) Have you ever really, I mean really failed,
at maintaining your testimony for the Lord? Maybe you have never given your life to Him. When we fail, don't
we somehow think sometimes that maybe our relationship with Him is irreparable? Do we ever compare that relationship
with that of human relationships. If we have failed or disappointed someone in us in the past and they severed
the relationship because of it, do we carry that feeling of rejection over into our relationship with the Lord?
If you're not a believer in Jesus today, have you ever been so hurt that you feel you cannot even trust God with your
feelings and your life? Failure and feelings of rejection may not humble us. They should but sometimes they
don't. Instead we may harden our hearts and let our pride kick in. Do you think that's what Judas
did? Judas did a very bad thing. But, somebody had to do it because God
had a greater plan than anyone could see at the time. (John 13:18) The scripture had already foretold the betrayal of Jesus. So it had to happen that way. God still
has a greater plan than you or I can ever understand until we see Him face to face. (1 Corinthians 13:12) You and I may slip and even fall hard without even realizing we are doing it until it's too late. That
used to happen to me. Every time it happened, I would stay down. I would keep my head down instead of looking
up to Jesus. Finally, in the depths of my disgust with myself, sitting on the stairs one day, Jesus came to me.
He said, "Get up." He told me that the worst thing I could do would be to stay down and depressed, wondering
why I was so weak. He assured me that, no matter what I had done, the most detrimental thing I could do would
be to stay down and stop serving Him. The enemy has won if we fall and don't get up again. If we have sinned,
we have a Savior who will listen to us as we repent and ask for strength to turn from our sin. (1 John 2:1, Philippians 4:13) When we finally realize that we are too weak to do it by ourselves, humble ourselves and ask for His help, the victory
will come. When we seem the weakest, He will make us strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10) Who are we like? Judas? Or Peter? Judas did
fail Jesus. But, there was still time for repentance. Instead of repenting, Judas chose to remain in his
pride and kill himself. (Matthew 27:5) Peter also failed Jesus. He denied that he ever knew Him. Not once. Not twice. Three times!
(Matthew 26:75) This is the same Peter that had told Jesus that he would never deny Him, even if he had to die with Him. (Mark 14:31) Jesus was about to die and Peter denied Him! Peter had great intentions. He also still had a fair
amount of pride. Do you imagine that Peter was operating in his own strength when he made that promise to Jesus?
Have you ever made a promise that you were unable to fulfill? Was it because you didn't take the
time to think about what it would cost you before you made the promise? Haven't we all done it at one time or another? What
will make the difference is whether we choose to be like Judas and remain in our pride, eventually killing ourselves or be
like Peter. Peter humbled himself, cried out in repentance and received restoration. (John 21:15-17) When we find ourselves in a difficult situation because we have pridefully done something in our own strength, let's
choose to be like Peter and humbly repent. Jesus wants to give us life. He does not want us to choose death as
Judas did. (Deuteronomy 30:19, John 10:10, 1 John 2:1) What is your choice?
MORNING MANNA - JULY 16 - NIGHT OR THE LIGHT John 13:30 (KJV) As Jesus sat with His disciples at the last dinner he ate with them before He went to the cross, He became troubled
in His spirit. (John 13:21) Then He told them why. One of them would betray Him. He had chosen each one of them purposefully and knowingly.
He had given great privilege and responsibility to the one that was about to betray Him. Jesus knew all along that Judas
was a traitor. Yet, He chose him because the scripture had to be fulfilled. (John 13:18) If we were in a group of people and the Lord was
with us today, declaring that someone in the group would betray Him, what do you think would happen? Would
we all begin to look around the room wondering just who it was that was going to betray Him? (Matthew 7:5) Or would we be like the disciples who each began to ask Him, "Lord, is it me?" (Matthew 26:22) Today, are we into the blame game or are we asking the Savior to search our own hearts before trying
to dissect the heart of the one next to us? (Psalm 139:23) Jesus knowingly chose Judas to be a disciple.
He never treated Judas any differently than He treated the other disciples. No one but Jesus even knew that Judas was
a thief and a traitor. (John 13:28) Jesus never exposed Judas during the years that the disciples walked together with Jesus. Judas, as one commentary
put it, was a man of class. He knew all the right things to say and do. He looked like the finest of Christ-followers.
Even when he went out to betray Jesus, the disciples thought he was going to go give something to the poor or buy something
else for the feast. There will be among us those who are just like Judas. They dress the right way, talk
the right way, and act the right way. They will be evil doers masquerading as angels of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14) But, our first thoughts should not be focused on looking around us to see who they are. Instead, we
should be asking Jesus to look within us and reveal anything that is displeasing to Him within us.
That's what the disciples did. The one who was the real betrayer finally asked, "Is it me?"
Jesus answered, "You have said it." Judas now had a choice to make. He could either admit it
and be filled with the Light or leave to do his evil deed of betrayal. He chose to leave and go out into the night.
(John 13:30) What will we choose today? (Deuteronomy 30:19) Night or the Light?
MORNING MANNA - JULY 15, 2008 - WHAT
DO YOU EXPECT? John 13:19 (KJV) Do you like to know what to expect? I always feel better if I know what to expect in any given situation.
We may think we know what to expect these days. Yet, our expectations may be dashed by the changing economic or political
environment. Jesus wants us to know what to expect. And, He wants us to expect that whatever He says
will happen, will happen. Nothing that He tells us will be changed by anything on earth. No declining
economy and no political change can change what Jesus predicts. (Hebrews 13:8) Do you want to know what to expect? Then listen to what Jesus says. As He sat with His disciples at the last dinner He ate with them before He went to the cross, He told them about
His death and resurrection so that they would know what to expect. (John 13:19) They would be able to believe and know that He was the Son of God because they would see all those things He predicted
come to pass. He didn't speak of pleasant things. He spoke of His suffering and His death. (John 13:1) He spoke of His betrayal. (John 13:21) He spoke of reality. Life may bring some harsh reality but, because Jesus did endure those hard things He spoke
of, we can have hope. (Romans 15:4) Jesus also spoke of a place where there would be no more of those harsh realities of this life. No pain, no
more suffering. No tears. (Revelation 21:4) We can believe what Jesus said. His disciples saw everything happen just the way Jesus told them it would happen.
They knew what to expect. Jesus also told us that we could expect
that He would return one day. (John 14:28) Jesus said we should remember what He said. We can count on it. Everything else He said was true.
Just as He told the disciples of future events, He has told you and me of future events too. One day He will come back
as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (1 Timothy 6:15) He will take us to a place He has prepared for us. (John 14:2-3) We can expect that. We can be sure of it if we are looking for Him. (Mark 13:32-33) If we believe what He has told us. Are we ready for that great and glorious day when we'll be going
Home forever? Are we looking up? (Luke 21:28) We can expect that our redemption is coming soon. We can expect that, if we have been following Him and serving
Him as He directs us, we will hear the long-awaited and longed for words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
(Matthew 25:21) We must be ready for His return. If you are not ready today, seek Him now. His Word also says that today
is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 2:6) If you have never called upon Him for your salvation, do it now - today. If you are already walking
with Him, don't forget to keep your head up. Look up. Be expecting. He will return just as He said.
(Acts 1:11) MORNING MANNA - JULY 14, 2008
- WASHED AND A WASHER John 13:9 (KJV) Can you relate
to Peter? I can. He was always amazed at Jesus. He also felt the need to say something constantly.
The trouble is Peter didn't always think before He spoke. His heart was right but sometimes it got ahead of his
head. For instance, I think Peter really thought he was protecting Jesus when he took Him aside in Mark 8:32 and told Him not to speak of His suffering and death. Peter didn't want Jesus to die. He had
been the first of the apostles to answer Jesus's question, "But whom say ye that I am?" (Mark 8:29) God had revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Son of God. Peter seemed protective of Jesus.
He wanted to do something for Jesus. What Peter seemed to sometimes forget is that it is Jesus who has to
do something for us before we can really do anything of value for Him. We are all unclean. (Romans 3:23) We've all gone astray and will never find our way back unless Jesus first finds us. (Isaiah 53:6) Sheep do nothing for the shepherd. They will surely die if the shepherd does not care for them
in every way. That's the way it is with our Shepherd. What can we possibly do for Him? What need does
He have that we can fill without Him filling us first? Yet, maybe you, like Peter, are anxious to do something for Him.
(Mark 9:35) To say something for Him. I am too. That is a good thing as long as we remember to
do and say nothing that doesn't come from Him! (Acts 17:28) Jesus didn't do or say anything that did not come from His Father. (John 12:49-50)
Jesus wanted to do something for Peter, yet Peter found it hard
to receive at first. Do you find it hard to receive? Especially when you feel that you don't deserve what
you are receiving? None of us deserve anything from Jesus. But, He desires to give us abundant life. (John 10:10) He desires to show us how to live life to the fullest. He shows us how to be the great
in this life. (Matthew 23:11) He does it by example. He washes the feet of His disciples. (John 13:4-5) Don't you think that Peter thought he should be the one washing Jesus's feet, at first?
He indicated that when he said, "You will never wash my feet!" (John 13:6, 8) But Jesus immediately set Peter straight. He said, "If I wash thee not, thou has no
part with me." Immediately, Peter changed his mind. He got the picture. If Jesus doesn't make
you clean, you're lost for good. But, Peter was already clean. He had already confessed Jesus as Lord.
Still, just to be sure he wouldn't be left out, Peter blurted out that he wanted Jesus to wash his head and
his hands too. Now Peter was ready to receive. But, he was asking to receive something he had already been given.
He was already spiritually clean. He just needed his spiritual feet washed after interacting with the world all
day. What kind of washing to do you need today. Do you need to be washed clean by the blood of Jesus. (Hebrews 10:22) Or, do you need to sit down with Jesus and let him clean your feet up? When we walk through the world, our feet
get dusty. We don't need a whole bath. We just need to get the dirt off of our feet. Is there someone
around you that needs to be washed? If so, you can tell them where the cleansing fountain is. (Zechariah 13:1) You can lead them to the living water where they can be made clean and have their parched souls restored. Is
there someone near you that has had a long, dusty walk in the world and needs some refreshing for their feet? Jesus
didn't hesitate to wash the feet of others and He told us to do the same. (John 13:15) It doesn't sound like the most glamorous job, does it? But Jesus said that, if we know these things and
do them, we will be happy. Everybody wants to be happy, don't they? Then let's get washed by Jesus and
then go and wash the feet of others! MORNING MANNA - JULY 13, 2008
- JUDGED John 12:48 (KJV) As my husband and I were driving along the highway in a rather remote
area, we saw an exit with only one store in sight. It was an adult book store. Just before that exit, someone
had posted a big sign that read, "Hell Is Real." Although it is true that Hell is real, many people disregard
that fact. People headed for that store probably weren't put off by the "warning sign." Many
even believe that Hell is just a myth. Jesus spoke of it often though. In Matthew 5:22, He said that anyone who was angry with his brother without a cause would be in danger of judgment and He said if you call
someone a fool, you'll be in danger of hell fire. Good reason to keep our anger in check! In Revelation 1:18, Jesus declares He has the keys to Hell which tells me it must be a real place. Especially since Jesus said
that God is able to destroy both body and soul in Hell. (Matthew 10:28) We don't need to be afraid of Hell though, because God will never send anyone there. We can choose
to go but God really doesn't want us to make that choice. (2 Peter 3:9) He will not force us to go to Heaven or go to Hell. It will be our decision. Jesus even said that
He didn't come to judge us, but to save us. (John 3:17) Not long before Jesus went to the cross, He said,
again, that He wouldn't judge us. (John 12:47) Our judgment will come but it will be based on our choices. We can either reject or accept the words of Jesus.
Oh, how He wants us to accept them and receive eternal life with Him! Let's receive Him today and take care not
to reject any of His words. God spoke of His Son and His words way back in Deuteronomy 18:18-19. Back then God urged us to listen, pay attention to, and obey them. Today, we still have the choice to bring
judgment upon ourselves or not. We have heard the Word. The Word that we have heard will judge us. What are
we doing with what we have heard?
MORNING MANNA - JULY 12, 2008 - WHO
PRAISES YOU? John 12:43 (KJV) Everybody likes affirmation. When an actor performs on stage, he or she is looking for approval - for affirmation.
We might say, for praise. The sound of applause is the great reward for a good performance. Someone once said
that the world is a stage and we're all actors. Do the actors on stage perform for the applause of the other actors?
No, they perform for the applause, affirmation and approval of the audience. Who is our audience? Men or God? Among the chief rulers of the Jews, many believed in Jesus but they would not say so
openly. (John 12:42) Why? Because, if they did they would lose the approval, affirmation and acceptance of the Pharisees. It
would be something akin to being an actor and, instead of receiving applause, being pelted with rotten eggs and tomatoes.
Or like a vaudeville performer getting the "hook." The chief rulers who believed in Jesus would have been
thrown out of the synagogue if they confessed Him openly. (John 12:42) What made them so afraid of that? Have you ever feared
losing your position? It could be a job. A place in the ministry. Political power. What made you so
afraid? Was it fear of being disgraced? Was it fear of losing money? Or perks? Maybe losing influence?
Confessing Jesus openly was not "politically correct," in the Jewish community. Today, we are encountering
the same problem. How many times do we bring His name up in a business meeting? Or at a party? Or in school?
Or are we afraid to risk it? If He's our best friend, why don't we mention it? We don't hesitate to
mention the names of our spouses, children, and other friends in public. Do we? Could it be that we, like the
chief rulers who said they believed, but would not confess it openly, love the approval and praise of men more than we love
the praise of God? Only we can answer that question. It is a question that God may be asking us. Jesus
said, if anyone would confess Him before men, He would confess them before His Father. (Matthew 10:32-33) Though we are not actors, our audience should consist of One only. Whatever approval, affirmation or
applause we need, we can receive it from God if we honor and confess His Son. The Pharisees were hypocrites, according
to Jesus. (Matthew 15:7) A hypocrite is somebody that is acting a part. Are we just acting and content to receive the accolades
of men or do we really believe that God's praise - His, "Well done, good and faithful servant," is more
than enough for us? Is there anyone or anything that we fear more than we fear God? MORNING MANNA - JULY 11, 2008 - WOULD YOU SEE JESUS? John 12:21 (KJV) Have you ever felt unwanted? Rejected? Like a misfit? Not part of the crowd? Jesus
was in the last phase of His earthly ministry when a group of Greeks at the Passover feast asked Phillip if they could see
Him. Phillip as we recall was a man who seemed to like to bring people to Jesus. He had once brought Nathaniel.
(John 1:43-46) This time, Phillip told Andrew about the Greek's request and they both went to tell Jesus. (John 12:22) What happened next was very interesting. Jesus did not say that He would
see them. He told the disciples that it was time for Him to be glorified. Then He began to speak about how
a kernel of wheat must fall into the ground and die to produce fruit. (John 12:24) Why did He answer that way? At first, it doesn't seem to make sense. But wait. Jesus had come
for the Jews. These people wanting to see Him were Greeks. They really didn't fit into the crowd that day.
At first glance, it would seem like they were being rejected by Jesus but were they really? In John 12:26, Jesus said that if any person wanted to serve Him, that person must follow Him. Is
that what the Greeks were trying to do? Follow Jesus and be with Him. Jesus also said that any person who
served Him would be with Him and that His Father would honor that person. Jesus said anyone! That
included the Greeks. But, first Jesus would have to die for them. He died for the whole
world. (John 3:16) Whosoever, anyone, who will receive Him can be with Him forever. (John 14:3). Jesus was really assuring the disciples that all people, including these Greeks, would be welcome in His Kingdom
if they followed and served Him. (Galatians 3:28) Way back in 1 Kings 8:41-43, we see that God was interested, not only in the Israelites, but in anyone who would come
from far off to honor His name and seek Him. If you are far away from Him today, He will receive you if you will come
to Him. (Matthew 11:28) If today, you are feeling rejected, outcast, or like you just don't fit anywhere, be encouraged.
Jesus loves you and He died just so you could be accepted. (Ephesians 1:6) Like the Greeks at the Passover feast, is your request, "I want to see Jesus?" If you really
want that, follow Him and serve Him. You will see Him. No longer will you be unaccepted, no matter what you have
done in the past. You will be given new life and made completely acceptable. No longer rejected because He bore
the rejection for you in order to receive you. No longer a misfit, because He said that you would be made a living stone
to be fitted perfectly into His body. (1 Peter 2:5) What may have seemed like rejection and disinterest to those Greeks was really Jesus telling them their story
of redemption. Will you see Jesus today? Will you hear Him as He speaks redemption to you?
MORNING MANNA - JULY 10, 2008 - NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED? John 12:13 (KJV) Have you ever
pictured in your mind how an event in the future would turn out? Have you ever even pictured in your mind how a current
event would turn out. Did you see the event the way you wanted to see it or did you see it the way it really
was. We tend to see what we want to see, don't we? That is unless we have a renewed mind. (Romans 12:2) It was a festive day in Jerusalem when Jesus came riding
into town on a donkey. He had been traveling, preaching, teaching and healing for the past three years but He
did not draw attention to Himself. In fact, many times He would ask people not to tell about Him. (Matthew 9:30) Still, the news was out. People had heard that He would be at the Passover Feast in Jerusalem. (John 12:12-13) So many people clamored to see Him and pay tribute to Him that the Pharisees thought they had lost their battle.
It looked like the whole world had gone after Him. (John 12:19) The religious rulers had spread the word that
anyone knowing the whereabouts of Jesus must turn Him in. They were determined to kill Him. (John 11:57) But, no one had to turn Jesus in. He wasn't hiding. He came into the city openly. In fact, so
openly that no one could miss it. People were waving palm branches and throwing their clothes in His path.
They had figured it out. He was the Messiah! Yes, they had figured it out but, in all their figuring, they figured
what they wanted to figure. He truly was and is the Messiah. His ride on the donkey was just one of the things
that proved His identity. (Zechariah 9:9) But, the people were looking for another kind of savior. They thought they could make Him King and that He
would somehow set up His kingdom and set them free from Roman rule. That was not His plan.
His plan was to save them from their own sin. Those who so excitedly shouted, "Hosanna," that day would change
their tune to "Crucify Him," by the next week! He did not meet their expectations! Do we have expectations of Jesus that may not be correct? Many preach that, if
we are believers, we will never suffer. What do you think? Did God say that we would never suffer?
Not any more than Jesus planned to set up a political kingdom and relieve the Jews from the Roman rule! In fact, God
did say that we would suffer! (Philippians 1:29) In fact, the Word of God says it is a privilege to suffer for Christ! Some think that,
because they believe, they will never be sick. Some are never sick and that is a great blessing. But,
if no one were ever sick, why would we need a Healer? A Great Physician? Why would we be instructed
to pray for the sick? (James 5:14) Yes, even the most faithful believer may contract an illness. If it were not so, we would not be told of
Timothy and his stomach troubles. (1 Timothy 5:23) It's even said that he was often sick. He wasn't even old! He was a young man.
(1 Timothy 4:12) What if he had been like the crowd in Jerusalem. Expecting that Jesus would be the exact replica of
what he had in his mind. What if Timothy would have realized that he was prone to illness and abandoned his faith because
of it. Laying the blame on Jesus. What expectations do we have of Jesus? If He does not meet them exactly
as we plan, are we open to His plan? (Proverbs 16:9) Have we ever driven our own ship of faith dangerously close to the rocks by thinking that, because our
plans didn't work out, God abandoned us? Or, do we constantly remember that His thoughts and ways are higher
than ours and adjust our expectations of Him accordingly. If He was able to bring good out of the suffering of Jesus,
can He not bring good out of any challenging circumstance in our lives. (Romans 8:28) Even in ways we don't expect? MORNING MANNA - JULY 9, 2008 - DYNAMICS AT DINNER John 12:11 (KJV) Have you ever planned dinner for company, or even family, and wondered if those you invited would be comfortable
with one another? Did you have some pre-dinner apprehensions about the dynamics that might take place? Jesus attended
a dinner in His honor in Bethany. (John 12:1-2) All the people in this dinner story were Jews. They were all His people. But, oh, the dynamics! We see Martha doing what she does best. She served and she obviously did it well.
We see Lazarus who seems to have done nothing notable in his life but die. Jesus raised him from the dead. One
very notable thing about Lazarus and Martha was that Jesus loved them. It doesn't matter whether we serve or whether
we have done nothing much but be a friend of Jesus, He loves us. As the song says, "Oh, how He loves you and me!"
Then there was Mary. Not only did Jesus love her, she loved Him unashamedly. She took a pound of very costly perfumed
ointment and poured it on the feet of Jesus. Ladies, here was a woman pouring her most costly perfume on the, probably
dusty and calloused, feet of a man! Now that is love! But, He wasn't just a man. He was her Savior!
(John 12:3) So far, we see quite an array of activity in this house. Martha is serving, Lazarus is sitting and Mary
is giving her all in worship, probably oblivious to everything else that was going on. Even in sitting and serving,
worship is involved if you're in the presence of Jesus and if you are focused on doing what you do for Him. Then
there was Judas. The disciple with the charge of keeping the money. With great privilege comes great temptation.
Just because we can do something doesn't mean that we should do that thing. Judas was a thief. He could take
the money for himself so he did. Now the atmosphere of worship in the house is suddenly broken when Judas exclaims,
in essence, that Mary wasted the perfume. Wait a second. It was her perfume in the first place.
What right did Judas have to bring this judgment? But he did. Because his motives were impure. (John 12:4-6) He thought she should sell her perfume and give them the money. Then he could take the money. He didn't
want Jesus to have her sacrifice. He wanted it for himself. Talk about some table-tension! Have you
ever been in a place of worship when suddenly someone blurted out something that totally stopped the flow? Jesus spoke
up immediately. "Let her alone......" (John 12:7) Yes, Judas, let her alone. Let her worship and let her attitude of worship spread to all those around her! Then there were others who came to Bethany because they found out Jesus was there.
And, because they wanted to see Lazarus. When somebody has been dead for four days and you hear the news that he has
been raised from the dead, it sparks your imagination. You want to see this person. Seeing is believing.
That's if you're worldly-minded. Now, if you're faith- minded, believing is seeing.
(Hebrews 11:1) So, they came to see. (John 12:9) Some of the chief priests may have been among the "lookie-loos." Whether they actually went to see
Lazarus or not, they were convinced that he was living evidence of the power of the Son of God. Not good. So they
discussed among themselves just how they might put Lazarus to death. (John 12:10) They were threatened by Lazarus, the man who had really done not much else than die. They noticed that
when people saw that he was really alive, they went away believing in Jesus. (John 12:11) What have you done for Jesus? Do you serve like Martha? Are you a giver and a worshiper like Mary?
Are you a friend of Jesus, letting it show by your lifestyle? Or are you like Judas? A thief? A robber of
worship? A fake friend? Are you like the chief priests, just wanting Jesus out of the way? Yes, the
dynamics there in Bethany were pretty varied and heated. It's just like that today when we gather together, whether
it be family, friends, job, or church. Isn't it? Where do we fit into the group dynamics?
Because of us, do people leave believing in Jesus? MORNING MANNA - JULY 8, 2008 - WONDERS AND WARFARE IN THE WILDERNESS John 11:54 (NLT) Have you ever been lonely? That's the title of a song, isn't it? I think the next words say,
"Have you ever been blue?" When my husband and I moved far away from our children and grandchildren, I was
lonely. I was tempted to be blue too. But, the Lord reminded me - and has reminded me several times since - that
it's okay to be lonely once in a while. Jesus, knowing it was not His time to die, left Jerusalem because the
leaders were plotting to kill Him. (John 11:53) They argued with His teaching but they couldn't refute His miracles. Lazarus was the last straw.
He had been dead for four days. (John 11:17) His body should have been rapidly decomposing. But, the Life-giver, the Son of God, called, "Lazarus,
come out." (John 11:43) Out from the tomb came Lazarus - whole and composed! If Jesus should keep on doing such things, the world
would end up believing in Him! (John 11:48) Those hard-headed, hard-hearted religious figure-heads did not want that. The only thing to do was to kill Him.
(John 11:53) Jesus left His public ministry and went with His disciples to a place near the wilderness. The word translated,
"wilderness," means, "lonesome." He was used to being in crowds of people. Used to demonstrating
God's love, healing and deliverance. Now, He was off somewhere in the tulles, near the wilderness - near lonesome.
His disciples had walked with Him in the crowds and experienced breath-stopping miracles. They were used to that.
Now they went with Jesus to a place near the wilderness - near lonesome. I wonder what love, healing and deliverance
took place there among Jesus and His disciples near the wilderness. It must have been a wonderful, intimate time for
them. Even though it was near the wilderness - near lonesome - it
was a special place. Jesus was no longer reaching out to the world. He was hanging out with his disciples.
Can you imagine it? Getting all of Jesus's attention! They got it - near the wilderness - near lonesome.
(John 11:54) It would not be long before Jesus would make His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and then the next week be crucified.
He knew His time to die was coming. How wonderful is it that He chose to spend some "lonesome" time with His
disciples? I imagine that, despite the fact they weren't seeing wonders being done among the people, wonders were
being done in their hearts. You can't have "alone time" with Jesus and not realize that wonders
are taking place within you. Wonders given just to you and for you. Since Jesus was getting ready for His final
ministry on earth, that of the cross, it was probably a time of warfare, or at least preparation for that final war in the Garden
of Gethsemane, on the cross, and in the tomb. If you
are experiencing a "wilderness time," it doesn't have to be a bad time. My daughter used to tell
me, "Don't be sad. Don't be blue. Somebody loves you." If you are experiencing loneliness,
you don't have to be blue. It's true. Somebody loves you. That Somebody is Jesus. Just as
He spent time with His disciples near the wilderness - near lonesome - He spends quality time with us in our wilderness experiences.
He is the living water. He is the One that causes streams to flow in our deserts. (Isaiah 43:19) If you feel as though you are in the desert, don't be discouraged. Jesus does brand new things in our wilderness
and desert experiences. He must have done marvelous things for His disciples while they were alone there near
the wilderness. He makes a way in our wilderness for us to come home. Home to Him. He creates streams of water
there for us so we will not die of thirst. Yes, right there in the midst of our wilderness or desert experience, His
living water will refresh us and keep us vibrant and alive. He will be sure that He leads us by those still waters
so we can peacefully be refreshed and refilled. (Psalm 23:2) We, like the disciples, may be taken off alone near the wilderness. If we are, Jesus is there with us.
That place of "lonesome," doesn't have to mean that we have to be lonely. It just might be one of
the best times in our lives! Our Shepherd is there with us. He's feeding us something new. He's
doing a new thing! It will be a time of wonders within us and perhaps a time of warfare to prepare us
for what's ahead. Wilderness time - lonesome time - alone time - is never wasted if we are listening to the Shepherd.
Like the disciples, we should be encouraged and soothed as Jesus takes us off to a place where He can speak to us alone. He
may speak things just for our ears only. He may also speak things that we can share with others. For
sure, we'll never be the same. For sure, we'll have more of Him when we come out. And, for sure,
we can always share that part of Him that He's given to us with others! MORNING MANNA - JULY 7, 2008 - HE DIDN'T THINK OF IT HIMSELF John 11:51 (NLT) When
I realize that God can speak through a donkey, it makes me stop and think. Have you ever thought that you came
up with the perfect answer in a conversation - and been so pleased with yourself? I have. It is especially
rewarding if we are speaking the Word of God. Well, if His Word comes out of my mouth or your mouth, it is all because
He put it there. It has nothing to do with how good we are or even with our salvation. It has nothing
to do with how smart we are. There are mentally challenged people that God uses to speak His Word. Even the devil
knows His Word! I doubt that the donkey that spoke to Balaam had ever prayed the prayer of salvation! (2 Peter 2:16) So, if we're thinking of how good we are when inspiration pours from our lips, we might as well stop. The
goodness that comes out is not because we're so good, it's because God is so good! Caiaphas was the high priest when Jesus was going about His public ministry.
Caiaphas was ruthless and calculating. He was cold-hearted. Stony hearted. And, He apparently liked
it that way because He did not respond favorably to the teaching and miracles of Jesus. He would not allow Jesus to
remove his stony heart and give him a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 11:19) He thought he had a great idea. He proposed that they would let Jesus die for the whole nation instead
of having Rome come down on them for the unruliness of the crowds that argued about whether Jesus was really the Messiah. (John 11:49) Caiaphas enjoyed his position and he didn't want to lose it. He was in the position of high priest
but he was not submitted to God. He had ulterior motives for wanting to see Jesus hung on a cross. However, God
will not be hindered by our ulterior motives or hidden agendas. Even if we are leaders. God spoke through Caiaphas
and Caiaphas was totally unaware of it. (John 11:51) Even in his own sinful spouting off, God used his words to predict that Jesus would die for the whole world (you
and me included). Not just for Israel. (John 11:51) And certainly not for the prideful, power-hungry political reasons in the back of the mind of Caiaphas! The Lord has spoken to me several times through the mouths of those who do not even
profess to be Christians. His Word is His Word and it is true whether it comes from the mouth of a non-Christian,
a fake Christian, a donkey, or a stone. (Luke 19:40) His Word will never return void. (Isaiah 55:11) When God wants to speak, He will use whatever and whoever He will, however and whenever He will. What a privilege
it is to be a true believer and have God use us to speak His Word to others! We must always be careful, though,
not to let the privilege turn to pride. The apostle, Paul, preached powerfully. He could have been tempted
to be prideful and sure of his salvation because he spoke out for God. But, he was always aware that it
was God speaking through him. (1 Corinthians 9:27) He was aware that, as God spoke through him, He was also speaking to Him. It is doubtful
that Caiaphas was ever saved, although he was in a high religious position and he spoke prophesy. He didn't
live a life of love and submission to the Lord. Paul did. Let's be sure that we do speak out for the
Lord while we remember that it is not because of our intellect, cleverness or spiritual superiority. It is
simply that God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise! (1 Corinthians 1:27) Our salvation is a gift, not because of what we do, or because of the words we speak, but because of the goodness
of God. We can speak eloquently of God and go to Hell. We can speak not a word, except to ask for salvation, and
we can go to Heaven. No room for pride, but plenty of room for praise! The next time we think of something
that seems to fit the situation perfectly, let's remember, we didn't think of it. God placed it in us
at the perfect time and in the perfect situation. MORNING MANNA - WHAT WILL YOU DO? John 11:47 (KJV) An encounter with Jesus will cause us to make a decision. Believe
it or not, we can act either out of fear or faith. We will eventually do one or the other. The chief priests
made the wrong choice. They acted out of fear. The Jews were under the rule of Rome in those days. They
were allowed to remain a nation so long as they did not cause turmoil and strife. The religious leaders were allowed
to continue to rule the people. Their position was secure so long as they were able to control the people. So,
that's what they did. They controlled the people mostly through their own dry interpretation of the scripture and
the traditions of men. (Mark 7:8) When Jesus came upon the scene, they lost control of the
people. If you are sick and Jesus heals you, it makes quite an impression on those around you. Who wouldn't
abandon the lifeless religion of pious priests to follow the Life-giver? If you are controlled by an evil spirit (or
many), an encounter with Jesus will not leave you the same. Those observing your deliverance will not be the same either.
When Lazarus died and had begun to rot in his tomb for four days, Jesus called him back to life. Many of those in the
crowd believed in Him. (John 11:45) Do you think you would have been one of those new believers? It seems that Jesus moved people to faith or fear.
The religious leaders chose to continue to walk in fear. Fear that was caused and fueled by pride and
self-reliance. Is there a fear that keeps you from totally
believing in Jesus? Is there a fear that keeps you from fully surrendering to Him as the Lord of your life? The
religious leaders all had fears that made them harden their hearts and determine to kill the Life-giver. Jesus had told
them they were full of death. (Matthew 23:27) They looked good on the outside but they were rotten to the core on the inside. They proved it when they decided
to plan the demise of Jesus. (John 11:53) What were they so afraid of? What fears in themselves caused them to want to kill another, even kill the only
One that could give them life? Would you say that they didn't want to lose control of the people? We laugh
today about being, "control freaks." Yet, it wasn't a laughing matter then. It led to death.
It isn't a laughing matter today either. God is in control. Our insistence on being in control will
lead to death. But, how many times have we felt like we had control of a situation or circumstance? Didn't it feel
good? It's not an easy thing to give up control unless you are totally confident in the one to whom you are
giving it. The various leaders had, so they thought, secured their high positions. They had climbed the so
called, "ladder." They had worked and studied to maintain position and control. Then came Jesus. He
had not just studied the word. He was the Word. (1 John 1:1) His life and His works showed that He was who He said He was. (John 5:36) They could not find a way, in all their scheming, to discredit Him. The Roman government did want
any disruptions in the streets. There wouldn't have been disruptions if the religious leaders weren't so against
the works of healing, deliverance and salvation. The common people recognized their need for such things. They
weren't receiving it from their leaders but they did receive it from the Leader. Fear of losing control and
position can cause us to harden our hearts toward Jesus. The Romans wanted to maintain their control and position.
The religious leaders wanted to maintain their control and position. Jesus didn't have to maintain His
control and position. It was God-given and beyond dispute. Even death would only demonstrate it more
fully. (John 10:18, Luke 24:44-47) The chief priests knew about all the miracles that Jesus did. When He raised Lazarus from the dead, there
was nothing they could do to refute His power. He was in control. Even in control of death. Instead
of kneeling in faith and acknowledging His control, they fought in fear. Instead of keeping the peace, they disturbed
it. Are we ready to walk in faith, giving up our control to the One who was, is and always will be in control? It
is Jesus that keeps us living and moving. (Acts 17:28) Not ourselves. He has brought us this far in life, many times protecting and providing for us miraculously. He
has performed many miracles in our lives. We can't be neutral. (Revelation 3:15-16) What will we do? Destroy ourselves by fighting to maintain our own control like the Pharisees and religious
leaders of Jesus's day? No, let's determine to walk in faith, acknowledge God's control, and receive
healing, deliverance and life. MORNING MANNA - JULY 5, 2005 - DO YOU EVER WEEP? John 11:35 (KJV) What makes you cry?
How long has it been since tears have involuntarily streamed down your face? If you are like me, you may have had a
parent that thought you were weak if you cried. Especially, if you happened to be a boy. Maybe you made a decision
at that point to "be strong." Real men and women - strong men and women do cry.
Jesus wept. It may be the shortest verse in the Bible but it's depth can't be measured. God weeps for
His creation. Hebrews 5:7 tells us that Jesus wept as He offered His prayers to the Father. And the Father heard Him. Jesus,
in the flesh, would have rather skipped the bitter cup of His death on the cross. He prayed fervently that He might
not have to endure it. He knew for certain that His Father had the power to deliver Him from death.
(Mark 14:36) And, through His tears and suffering, He realized that He would be delivered from the death He was about
to experience. He went to the cross and suffered the shame because He knew that He would not only be delivered
from death, but He would also defeat it for you and me. (1 Corinthians 15:57) Jesus did weep and we can weep too. I wouldn't call Jesus weak because He wept. Only the strongest
of people can be totally transparent in that way before God and man. When Jesus saw the people weeping at the grave of Lazarus, He wept. His weeping was, in part, because
of the consequences of sin in this world. We lose those we love to physical death because we live in a world corrupted
by sin. When we lose someone we love, we weep. Some. even some believers, say we should not weep, especially if
our loved one is a believer. While it is true that the one who has gone on is in a better place, the place they held
in our heart is suddenly vacant. No more smiles, hugs, understanding conversations, shared experiences - at least for
a while. We grieve and we probably weep. We are blessed as believers that we don't have to grieve and weep
as those who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13) We will be sorrowful but not full of sorrow. Because we know that we will meet our loved one again,
we can weep without wailing in despair. When Jesus wept, it was not with the loud wailing that was traditional at the
time. He wept with tears that quietly poured from His eyes. He was quiet but the pain was deep. His
love for Lazarus, Mary and Martha was deep. His love for you and for me is deep - deeper than we can imagine.
Even though He knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, that would not be the end of troubles for Lazarus or all
those standing around. Sin would cause more sickness and death - both physical and spiritual. Jesus wept. "Tears Are A Language That God Understands." That was the title of a
popular Christian song a few years ago. It's true. God identifies with us as we weep. He collects those
tears and records each of them in a book. (Psalm 56:8) There is a time for tears and there is a time to stop weeping. (Ecclesiastes 3:4) We can and should take time to grieve a loss. In the Old Testament we read of different amounts of time
set aside for mourning. This was done both when there was a loss of life and when sin was revealed. Yes,
God sees our weeping and He cares about it. Hezekiah, upon learning that He was about to die, turned his face to the
wall, wept, and prayed for mercy. God heard him and answered. Isaiah 38:5. As Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem the week before He was crucified, He looked over it and wept.
He wept because His own people would not receive Him. They would not receive the gift of salvation. Have you had
times of intense weeping because one or more of "your own people," would not come to Jesus? That's
okay. That's even good. God shares those tears with you. He loves our loved ones even more than we love
them. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father praying for us as we pray for others. (Hebrews 8:1) He is acquainted with our feelings. (Hebrews 4:15) The feelings that cause tears to fall. Jesus is and was acquainted with bitterest grief. Isaiah 53:3 The kind of grief that won't allow us to restrain our tears. So, do you weep sometimes? Loss is
caused by sin. Since sin pervades our world and our lives, we will have times of sorrow, grief and weeping. Jesus
did. He wept because the wages of sin is death. Loss. But He endured His own weeping and went to the cross
because He was confident of the joy that He would experience from His obedience. (Hebrews 12:2) We will have times of weeping. And we should weep over a lost world. We should
take a moment to weep over a heart-felt loss. But, our weeping, like the weeping of Jesus, will end in joy.
(Psalm 30:5, Psalm 126:6) If you are in a night-time season of weeping, know this. Joy comes the morning. When the Son comes,
your tears of sorrow will be turned into tears of joy! MORNING MANNA - JULY 4, 2008 - ARE YOU REALLY FREE? John 11:39 (NIV) Today, in America, we are celebrating
our freedom. Our independence. In that celebration, it would do well for us to consider that our independence
came from being dependent upon God. There is no way this country could have been as blessed as it has been
unless the founding fathers were seeking the Lord, which they did, although that is being denied by the "new
historians." Scripture plainly tells us that there is joy for a nation whose God is the Lord. (Psalm 33:12) It also tells us something else. (Jeremiah 18:10) The blessing on America can be taken away in a moment. America needs to bless God so God can continue to
bless America! We, as people of God, need to pray for our country and, as we do, we need to begin with ourselves. (2 Chronicles 7:14) Do we want to really be free? Then we need to humble ourselves, pray, seek the face of God, and turn from our
wicked ways. Only then, does God say He will heal the land. We need to be the example. We need to be
the light. Will we shine as the stars that are portrayed on our flag? (Philippians 2:15) We can't shine if we are covered up. (Luke 8:16) That's what happened to Lazarus. And Jesus let it happen. (John 11:4-15) Lazarus died and was buried. A stone covered the entrance to his tomb. This seemed like a tragedy.
But, doesn't Jesus have to show us that we're dead before we will receive life? Doesn't He have to
show us that we're closed up by stone walls before we will really desire freedom? Jesus is not only interested in
freeing us as individuals. He's interested in showing His power and glory to those around us too. Are
you really free today or is there some "stone" holding you back. Our hearts can turn stony and that can
keep us from being free. We put up walls around our hearts when we're hurt. We think we're protecting
ourselves when all we're doing is creating our own bondage. God wants to change all that. He wants to set
us free. Truly free. And, He's able. (Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26) He desires to "take away the stone," just as Jesus ordered them to do for Lazarus. Like Martha
said to Jesus, "...by this time there may be a bad odor...." Very true with our own hearts.
The stuff we've entombed in our heart, behind the stone walls we have erected around it is probably decaying and
will not look so good or smell so good. We may even be dead inside. But, like Jesus said, "Take away the
stone." Let's obey and let the walls of our self-made prison come down! He's waiting to give
us a brand new heart! (2 Corinthians 5:17) Not just a new heart either. A brand new life. A life of true freedom. (John 8:36) A life of independence from sin and total dependence on Him. (Romans 6:18, 22) But, there was another step in the total freedom of Lazarus.
And there is a process that occurs with us too when Jesus sets us free. The stone had been rolled away and Lazarus had
heard and obeyed the call of Jesus to come out. (John 11:43) There was just a slight problem remaining. Lazarus was all wrapped up in the grave clothes! He came
out but he looked a sight. Trying to walk in a rather mummified state! He couldn't even see where he was going.
His eyes were blinded by the cloth that wrapped his face. When Jesus sets you and me free, the initial walk may
not be comfortable. It may feel strained and we may be shocked that we are really alive. Maybe even stupefied!
How do you suppose Lazarus felt? Then Jesus gave the command to those who loved Lazarus, "Unwrap him
and let him go." (John 11:44) Lazarus couldn't be completely free and independent until he was unwrapped. Are you all wrapped up in the
things of the past? Do you know that Jesus has called you to be free and has given you a heart of flesh?
Yet, you still stumble around sometimes getting tripped up in those grave clothes that have not been completely removed?
Notice, that when someone is set free, others are involved too. Everybody shares in the miracle. That's the
majesty and glory of God. He loves us each as individuals while loving us as a whole. We can't get along
without one another. As those closest to Lazarus began to unwrap him, he could suddenly see again. He
could move his limbs again. He was independent! His independence had come from first, being
dependent upon God. Receiving new life from Him. Then, on being dependent on God's people to
help him get back into life. Are you thinking you're free this morning, yet still in your prison of a heart
of stone? Jesus is calling. As He said, He didn't have to shout to raise Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:41-43) You may hear Him calling you with a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:12) Whether He shouts or whispers to you, His power is still the same. The same power that raised Him from the dead
will raise you and me too. (Romans 8:11) Have you received new life from Jesus but failed to let other believers help you get "unwrapped?"
God's mercies are new this morning. (Lamentations 3:21-26) Are you really free? If so, do you need to find other believers who will help you unwrap the
gift of freedom that God has given you? He's ready to provide everything we need for freedom today. It's
all in Him! Let freedom ring, beginning in your own heart! MORNING MANNA - JULY 3 2008 - IT DID, BUT IT DIDN'T John 11:4 (NLT) What we read in John 11:4 is very encouraging. It must have been encouraging to Jesus's disciples too. They were
all friends with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Have you ever been greatly encouraged and then suddenly confused, or
even despondent, when the thing you were encouraged about seemed to go sour? When Jesus told the disciples
that Lazarus's sickness would not end in death, they probably thought, "Great, Lazarus is going to get well."
Especially when Jesus decided not to make a run for Bethany. It would not be unusual if Jesus just, "said
the Word," right from where He was and Lazarus was instantaneously healed. Jesus had done things like
that before. He didn't need to go to Bethany and His disciples were well aware of that. They knew His power
was able to reach across time and space. Well, after two days, Jesus suddenly seemed to change His mind.
"Let's go to Judea again," He said. (John 11:7) By now the disciples were probably pretty perplexed. They had just recently been in Judea where the Jewish leaders
tried to kill Jesus. Why would He want to go back there? (John 11:8) Another teaching moment for the disciples. And
for us too. Here's how Jesus answered them. John 11:9-10 (NIV) 9 Jesus
answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's
light. Immediately after that
statement about walking in daylight hours, Jesus returns to the subject of His friend, Lazarus. John 11:11 (NIV) 11 After
he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
Now the disciples really start showing that they are confused and don't have a clue as to what Jesus is
saying. If Lazarus is asleep, that's good. He will wake up refreshed and healed. (John 10:12) Why go there just to wake him up? They've already heard Jesus say that Lazarus's sickness would
not end in death. Their minds were totally in the natural. They weren't really hearing what Jesus
was trying to tell them. Finally, Jesus blurted it out for them. "Lazarus is dead." Can you imagine
the disciples response? If not, in a vocal way, in their thoughts? "What?" "How could Lazarus
be dead?" "Just a couple of days ago, You, Yourself told us that his sickness would not
end in death!" "Look, it did end up in death." But, the story was not over yet. It didn't.
Do you think it's always easy to be a believer? Do we get caught up in our own natural thoughts so much that
we can't see from Jesus's perspective? Sometimes, we can't even hear what He's saying exactly the right
way! The disciples sure didn't. Jesus knew them well and He knows us well too. He said He was glad
they weren't there when Lazarus died because their ability to believe would be strengthened. (John 11:15) There are certain things that seem to die in our lives even though we know that God has promised us good. (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28) Maybe we're not viewing things from our Heavenly seat. (Ephesians 2:6) Maybe we've set our eyes on earthly things, discounting the power of God in our lives. (1 John 2:15-17) Maybe we cease to remember that God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9) Maybe we sometimes even forget that His Word will not return void. (Isaiah 55:11) Jesus had not really said that Lazarus would not die. But it sounds like that's what the disciples
heard. That's probably what I would have heard too. Jesus did say that the sickness would
not end in death. And, although it looked like it did, it didn't! Jesus taught the disciples
a wonderful lesson that He's teaching me this morning too. Things are not always the way they look. If
Jesus says a thing, it's going to happen. Nothing can stop His power. Lazarus did indeed die and go to the
grave but that didn't stop the Word of God. When it was time, Jesus said, "Lazarus, come out." And
Lazarus came out! Jesus is Life. (John 11:25) There is nothing that has died in your life or in mine that He is not capable of resurrecting! Let's
live our lives accordingly. When things look confusing, as if what Jesus said is not really true, we must
keep believing. Even when things look impossible (how much more impossible can it be than to raise a
man who's been dead for four days, his body decomposing). One of the lessons for the disciples, and
for us is this - God wants us to, "believe." With Him all things are truly possible. (Mark 9:23) MORNING MANNA - JULY 2, 2008 - FAITH-STRETCHING MOMENTS John 11:6 (KJV) If your good friend was about to die, you would probably try to get there before they died so you could see them
one last time. I know that because my friend of fifty-six years went to be with the Lord a couple of years ago.
I had just moved to the middle of the country. I was trying to get unpacked and settled but it appeared that she
would not recover from brain surgery. At the Lord's urging, I stopped what I was doing and caught the next
flight to California. I was scooped up from the airport at midnight by her son-in-law and taken directly to the hospital
where the staff let me go right in to ICU. That night was the last time I saw Gloria conscious. She mouthed
the words, "I love you." I wondered to myself that, if the situation was reversed, would I be so gracious and caring
of my friend? My heart was broken. I knew she would be going Home. Good for her - sad for me.
I stayed with her the next day and sang songs of comfort, reciting scripture that the Lord brought to my heart. She
was not responding but I know the Lord was touching her with just what He wanted her to hear. That night she peacefully
took the hand of her Savior and entered into Glory. I can imagine her now free of pain and innocently running through
the fields as we did when we were two years old. Not a care. Not a heartache. Maybe you have had an experience something like that. Maybe you were calling on Jesus and it appeared
that nothing happened. It looked as if He was either absent, deaf or disinterested. Mary and Martha had one
such experience. Their brother, Lazarus, became gravely ill. They knew that Jesus loved them because He had often
stayed in their home and they had enjoyed each other's company. They were on such close terms with Jesus
and so sure of His love that they just sent word, something like this - "Lazarus, Your friend that You love,
is sick." (John 11:3) They were probably sure that Jesus would drop everything and come to heal Lazarus. He had healed many people
before. They had faith that He could do it again. But their faith was about to be stretched. Have you had
such faith-stretching moments? Jesus got the message but His response was not quite as you might expect.
(John 11:6) He stayed put for two days. He did not go directly to them! If you were Mary
and Martha, would you wonder, when Jesus did not come immediately, if He really loved you? Maybe there are
times in life when the circumstances seem so down that you wonder whether He really loves you. When
they had sent the message to Jesus, they had said something on this order, "The friend you love is sick."
The original word for love here, is a Greek word meaning, "affection, friendship, and fondness." John 11:5 tells us that Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus. This is the verse just preceding the statement that
Jesus stayed where He was for two days after hearing that His friend was sick. (John 11:6) If you really loved somebody, why would you do something like that? The word, "loved," in John 11:5 is a very different word than the word "love," used by Mary and Martha when sending their message to
Jesus. They knew that He loved them affectionately and fondly. They knew that He considered
them friends. But there was more that He wanted them to know. He wanted them to know a greater
depth of His love. The word, "loved," we see in John 11:5, describing Jesus's love for Mary, Martha and Lazarus describes an unconditional love, a love that truly has the
best interest of the other at heart. A much deeper love than just affection or fondness. Sometimes, when things don't
look good to us, God, in His great love, has something better in store for us than we could ever imagine.
In the case of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, we will read of a very happy ending to this story of what seemed to be a delay in
Jesus's response. (John 11:43) They may have even felt ignored or slighted. (John 11:21, John 11:32) Would you? If you think you might, or if you ever have felt that way, it's okay. So long as
you just share those feelings with Jesus, like Mary and Martha did. Jesus actually loved them so much that it was
His desire to use them to show forth God's glory. (John 11:4) They ended up seeing something that they never, in their wildest dreams, thought could happen. Jesus
did show up. (John 11:17) Just at the right time. Are there situations in your life where you feel that it's just too late?
Take heart! Jesus knows how you feel and He also knows His plans for you if you will just continue to have faith.
Those plans are for your good (Jeremiah 29:11) and, though you may experience some transient and slight discomfort, your faith will grow just as Mary and Martha's
faith grew when they saw firsthand that Jesus is, not only the author and finisher of our faith, but also the resurrection
and the life. (Hebrews 12:2, John 11:25) Trust Him today with whatever it might be that is troubling you. He loves you with a love that is deeper than you
can imagine! (Ephesians 3:14-19) And, He's never late! MORNING MANNA - JULY 1, 2008 - YOUR TESTIMONY LIVES ON John 10:42 (KJV)42 And
many believed on him there. Do
we sometimes get discouraged when we talk about Jesus and people don't really seem to get it? There are even times
when we may be speaking to another Christian and they have a very vague idea of who Jesus really is. (Isaiah 55:9) Actually, compared to the knowledge and thoughts of God, none of us has a complete handle on all that Jesus is.
He continues to reveal Himself and reveal the Father to us as we continue to seek Him. (Deuteronomy 4:29) As we seek Him, we become more and more like Him. (Romans 8:29) As we look at our brothers and sisters who are seeking Him, we begin to see Him revealed in them! (Galatians 2:20) It is a process and it is all in God's timing. (2 Corinthians 3:18) As believers, we are all in various stages of our growth in the Lord. We have different gifts, talents,
and callings. One thing we are all called of God to do is this - to point people to Jesus. (Mark 16:15) John the Baptist did just that. He always pointed
to Jesus. (John 1:29, 1:36) He even said that Jesus must increase and he must decrease. (John 3:30) John had a pretty big ministry there by the Jordan River. His message was repentance. (Matthew 3:2) When Jesus began His public ministry, the first thing He preached when coming out of the wilderness, after
being tempted by the devil, was the same message that John was preaching. "Repent." (Matthew 4:17) John was sent by God to point people to Jesus. (John 1:6-9) He was sent to tell everyone about the Light (Jesus). He was sent so that people would hear what he had to say
and believe in Jesus because of it. John testified of the Light. (John 1:8) That's what you and I are here for too. We are to be a witness to the Light of the world.
As such, our lives should be filled with and be a bright display of His Light. (Matthew 5:14-16) Jesus went about doing good. (Acts 10:38) Are our lives a bright reflection of His? John the Baptist
did not perform any miracles. He only pointed out sin and pointed out the Savior. (John 10:41) But people remembered him for a long time. In fact, they were still remembering his ministry,
even after he had been beheaded. John the Baptist even had some doubts. He had already proclaimed Jesus as
the Lamb of God, the Son of God. (John 1:32-34) Yet, his ministry was suddenly ended by a prison sentence. Because He told the truth.
(John 14:3-11) As John sat in prison, he must have begun to wonder if He had really heard from the Lord?
Have you ever had thoughts like that? He sent messengers to Jesus to ask if He was really the One. (Matthew 11:2-3, Luke 7:18-22) Here we see a man who never lived an affluent life, never performed a miracle, had his ministry
cut short because he told the truth, then had his head cut off because people were offended by the truth. It seems that the
very last part of the message that Jesus had for John was this - Luke 7:23 (NIV) 23 Blessed
is the man who does not fall away on account of me." What is your life like today? Have you
been discouraged because you think you have not been effective in reflecting Jesus and pointing to Him?
Have you ever wondered if you missed it somewhere? I have had some thoughts like those in my life. But,
I have never had them while sitting in a prison waiting to be executed. No, I've never been there - have
you? John was there. By all accounts, he didn't fall away from Jesus, even though he had a few
doubts. (Honestly, who wouldn't if they were in his place?) Not long before Jesus was to endure His cross, the Jewish leaders tried again to take Him before His time.
(John 10:39) He miraculously escaped them again and went back to where He started. Back to where John the Baptist had
ministered. (John 10:40) Here, He found many people who were ready to believe because they had listened to John tell about Jesus
and they had remembered it. Now they could see that it was all true. John had already been killed.
But, he lived on through his testimony and many people believed because of him. Let's not ever be discouraged if
we cannot say that we have done mighty miracles. Let's not be discouraged if we start a ministry in obedience but
God decides to end it before we think it should be ended. Look at John the Baptist. Jesus said he was
the greatest. (Matthew 11:11) It's not what others think of us or even what we think of ourselves. It's what Jesus thinks of
us that is important. (Matthew 25:23) It's not about how big our ministry is. It's about how true and faithful we are to the One who
has called us and to the calling He has given us. Jesus had a great harvest of souls right there where He had begun.
Right there where the late John the Baptist had pointed Him out to others. John's testimony and witness
lived beyond his years on earth. Yes, Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man born of women. In that same
breath, He said that the most seemingly insignificant of us in His kingdom is greater than John. Looks
like Jesus thinks very highly of those who do not fall away! Whatever our circumstances, whatever our calling, will our
faithful testimony of Jesus live on to the end of our years and even after we are gone? Will a harvest of souls be
reaped because of the seeds we have sown? MORNING MANNA - JUNE 30, 2008 - ONE John 10:30 (KJV) Jesus was in
a precarious position, still conversing with the Jews who were questioning Him all the time. Not because they wanted
information. Not because they wanted revelation. But, because they wanted to find some way to get rid of Him.
They wanted Him to say something for which they might feel justified in killing Him. We find Jesus at that
point again. They demand to know exactly who He is (John 10:24) As if He hadn't already told them! (John 10:25) They accused Him of making them doubt. They were conveniently shifting the blame.
They were the ones who chose to doubt. How many times have we been told through the Word of God, through
the revelation of the Spirit and through hearing the Word taught and preached, that Jesus is the Son of God? How
many times have we, in a fleeting thought, doubted for a moment (or more)? Worse yet, how many times have we, by
our actions, shown disbelief? God, the Father, and God, the Son, are One, just as Jesus
said. (John 10:30) They are one in purpose and intent. Their will is always the same. (John 5:30) Jesus is the revelation, in the flesh, of God the Father, who is a spirit. (John 4:24) God, the Good Shepherd, sent His Son in human flesh to reveal Himself to us so that we could look
at Him and believe. (John 17:26) A certain sector of those in the crowd who had obtained religious power were not about
to believe. No matter what they saw and no matter what they heard from Jesus. (John 10:38) Jesus is still speaking to us today. The Good Shepherd is still out there looking for sheep that have gone astray.
He is still putting the sheep that follow Him closely in the fold where they will be safe, encouraged, and
assured of their provision and protection. His desire is that His sheep become one with Him and with the Father.
Before that can happen we have to believe that He is one with the Father. The Jews did not want to believe
that. Do you believe that today? If so, no one can pluck you from the security of Jesus and your Father in
Heaven. (John 10:28) Although the Father gave the sheep to His Son, they never left the Father's possession. John 10:29 (KJV) 29 My
Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. That's because the two are one. Best of all, it is their desire that we become one with each other
and with them. (John 17:20-22) The Shepherd wants the sheep to become one and He wants them to become one with Him! What kind of love
is that? Can you resist it? God, through Jesus, says He has given us His glory! Somebody needs to shout,
"Glory!" Just why would a Good and Great Shepherd, like God, want to give dumb sheep, like us, His glory?
Come on now, when you think of sheep in a pasture, is "glory," the first word that pops into your mind? The
answer to that in inexplicable, except for love. (John 17:23-24) A love that wants to give everything it possesses to the loved ones. A love that cannot stand the thought of
being separated from the loved ones. A love that is not afraid to give away the Love that has been given to it.
Not afraid to share it. The Good Shepherd loves His sheep. They may be smelly, awkward, clueless, and
fearful. But, the Shepherd has plans for them. (Jeremiah 29:11) He sees something more in them than the clueless creatures see in themselves. (Romans 8:29) His desire is that we become just like Him. Just like the Good Shepherd! And He will perform it in
us as we continue to follow Him. (1 John 3:2) Do you wander and wonder once in a while.
Are you a typical sheep, as Jesus describes us? Be encouraged and be uplifted. The Shepherd cares for you
just as you are. He cares so much that He will not leave you in danger. He cares for you so much that He will
not leave you the way you are, but make you better in every way. He may want to move you to greener pastures.
He may ask you to stop and take a drink of water even though you feel yourself too busy to do so. (Psalm 23:1) He may ask you to lie down and rest. But, He is definitely keeping your best interest in mind as He leads you. (Psalm 23:3) He is always restoring your soul when you are downcast. He is always providing for the needs in your life.
And so much more! The Good Shepherd, (God, the Father, Son and Spirit) want to be one with you! Can sheep,
as stinky as we, grasp that thought? One! One with each other! One with the Good Shepherd!! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 29, 2008 - COMMITMENT, CONNECTION, CARE AND COMPASSION John 10:13 (NKJV) If you have children, and you have ever hired baby-sitters, you may have some discouraging stories to tell.
Lots of sitters (perhaps most) are in it for the money. That's just what they do. They sit and pay little
attention to your children. They aren't committed to you or your children. They're putting in
their time so they can collect their money when you get home. It's all about the money! It's so wonderful
when you find those who really care about your children. But, still, even those, do not have the commitment and love
you have for your own children. They are working for money. Sad to say, some in the ministry today are that way
too. They are happy to take the fleece from the sheep at shearing time but, if the sheep are in danger, the hired shepherd
is no where to be found. If an enemy renders any one of the sheep incapable of producing good fleece, the hired shepherd
wants nothing to do with them. On the other hand, a Shepherd who
has purchased the sheep, is a caring, connected, committed and compassionate Shepherd. He owns them Himself and
He is committed to them. He cares for them and nurtures them, even when one has been attacked and may require
more care than the others. If just one of them is lost, He leaves the others safely in the fold and goes to
find the one that got lost. It doesn't matter that the lamb wandered off because it got distracted or didn't
pay attention. The Good Shepherd is committed to it and will not let it be lost or stolen away. Because the Good
Shepherd has purchased the sheep Himself, they are highly valuable to Him. (Luke 12:7) Because we are the sheep of the Good Shepherd's pasture, our Shepherd is of utmost value to us! (Psalm 145:3) Our Good Shepherd has purchased us with His own blood. (Ephesians 1:7) He bought us and paid for us in full. That's why He calls Himself the Good Shepherd. (John 10:11, 14) The word, "good," means, in part, "beautiful." It also means, "virtuous"
and "valuable." The Good Shepherd is both committed and connected to each of His sheep individually.
If you are one of those sheep, that is a beautiful thought about a beautiful Savior. The Good Shepherd is not only beautiful, virtuous and of immeasurable value to us, He is also compassionate.
When He sees sheep without a shepherd, He is grieved. (Matthew 9:36) He is always moved by compassion to gather them in. Are you without the Good Shepherd this
morning? He's calling to you right now, if you are reading this. His heart is filled with compassion
and love for you. It was for you that He laid down His life two thousand years ago
on the cross. (John 10:11, 15, 17, 18) I spoke to one lovely woman recently who had been hurt by those who said they were shepherds but proved only
to be, as the King James Version puts it, "hirelings." She is skeptical of entering into another "organized," church
again because the hurt is so deep. It may be that something like that has happened to you too. There are
false shepherds in the world. We need to be aware of that and be vigilant and watchful, discerning and filled with the
Word of God so we will not be deceived. (1 John 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-9, Jude 1:1-16) Despite the presence of false shepherds, the Good Shepherd will never hurt the sheep. No matter what
may have happened in your life concerning those who define themselves as shepherds, do not run away from the Good Shepherd!
He's the only One who has promised never to forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) He's the only One who has promised to be with you even to the very end of the age if you will just follow Him.
(Matthew 28:20) Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is our beautiful burden bearer. Hired shepherds will heap burdens upon us. (Luke 11:46) They will leave us alone and struggling. But, the Good Shepherd will find us right where we are. (Matthew 18:12-13) He will lift those burdens from us. (Psalm 146:8, Matthew 11:28) He will always be faithful to us though we may fail to be faithful at times to Him. (2 Timothy 2:13) Don't wander or wonder any longer! There is a Good Shepherd. He is much more than we could
describe in this sitting or in all the moments we have on this earth. He purchased us, His sheep, with His own
body. Unlike the hired shepherd, He remains committed, connected, and caring. He remains full of
compassion because His sheep belong to Him just like our children belong to us. Our Good Shepherd is concerned for the
masses as well as the individual. We have a shepherd, who feels for us from the pit of His stomach. Have you ever
felt like that when a loved one was hurt or troubled? He yearns for us from His bowels, His intestines (word
meanings according to Strong's Dictionary and Vine's Dictionary). His affection for us comes from the depths
of His being and He pours out tender mercy on us if we will receive it. He's not concerned with what
He can get from us but what He can do for us. He wasn't hired to save us. He was
sent to save us. (John 5:36) He doesn't get paid for caring for us. He paid with His life to take care of
us. Sometimes, unfortunately, He doesn't even receive a, "thank You," from us. He even
pays us if we will receive His care. (John 1:12) "Hallelujah, What A Savior." Hallelujah, what a Shepherd! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 28, 2008 - SUBMISSIVE SHEEP John 10:11 (KJV) Why do sheep follow a shepherd?
They follow him because they know his voice. Sheep that are tended by a particular shepherd will know that
shepherd's voice. (John 10:27) Although they are not the brightest animals in the world, they recognize the sound of the voice of their
shepherd. Not only do they recognize the voice of their shepherd. They recognize the fact that they feel safe
in his care. Somehow they know that he will protect them with his very own life. David fought a lion
and a bear to protect his sheep when he was a shepherd boy. (1 Samuel 17:34-35) That is the job of the shepherd. A good shepherd will put his life on the line to protect his sheep.
That's just what our Good Shepherd does for us. That's what we should do as we shepherd others. Sheep
know the voice of one they can trust. They follow that one. Sheep
can do nothing for a shepherd, really. Sheep are defenseless in every way. They need someone to watch out
for them and protect them from the enemy. We are the same way. We are wonderfully and marvelously made but we
are not match for the enemy without our Shepherd. Just as David killed the lion and grabbed the lamb from its
jaws, our Shepherd protects us from that one that roams around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) The shepherd, although the leader, is really the servant of the sheep. He keeps watch over them day and night.
He makes sure they are fed, rested and healthy. As we function as both a lamb (in the sight of our Lord) and as a shepherd
(when we find others following us), we need to be aware of the enemy. As a lamb, we must stay submitted to
our Lord. (James 4:7) As a shepherd, we must stand in the gap for other sheep that may be following behind us. (Ezekiel 22:30, Philippians 2:4) How do we measure up in those areas? How
do we function as one of God's sheep? Are we submissive? If not, why not? Submission can sound
like a bad word if we are in the wrong mind set. Also, if we have been given a wrong impression of what submission really
is. Submission is not to subject ourselves to someone or something whose goal it is to control us.
Jesus has a different idea about submission. Those who submit to Him are not controlled. They are set free.
(John 8:36, John 10:9) By example, He showed us that it is really easy to be in submission to our Shepherd. Why
is it so easy? Because of His love for us. In that love, He laid down His life for us. Then He
took it up again to live again and send His Spirit to live victoriously in us. (John 10:17, John 16:7) Some will not follow the Shepherd because they feel they are being controlled. Although
that may be the case with some who call themselves shepherds in our day (just as it was with the Pharisees in Jesus's
day), the Good Shepherd is not out to control us. In fact, He doesn't want us to come to Him just because
He gives the command. He wants us to come to Him because we want to come to Him. Because we recognize
Him as our Shepherd. Because we recognize the loving voice that calls us, individually, by name.
Because we fall in love with Him, unable to resist the love He first pours on us. 1 John 4:19 (KJV) 19 We
love him, because he first loved us. The Good Shepherd makes it easy to submit to Him.
He proves Himself to us time after time. Protecting, providing, leading and loving. When we're in the care
of the Good Shepherd His life covers our own. It invades our own. It touches the depths of our hearts - never
harming us, always helping us. Never fighting us or forcing us, but always freeing us to be who He made us to be.
Always letting us know that we are safe in His care. (Genesis 28:15) Do you think you could be submissive to a Shepherd like that? I hope, if you have never done so, that
you're ready to fall into His loving arms today. If you're already there because you know how much you are loved,
are you ready to be a shepherd like that? The shepherd is a servant to the sheep in all senses of the word.
If we find that people are following us, let's remember that they are not there to serve us but we, to serve them.
(Matthew 23:11) To help them be the very best they can be. (1 Peter 5:2) Just like our Shepherd does for us. Submission. Hard word? Dirty word? Not if you're
under the right Shepherd! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 27, 2008 - THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND GOOD SHEPHERDING John 10:11 (NKJV) What would you say constitutes a "good shepherd"? The Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament
and New Testament Words describes the Greek word, translated, "good," here in John 10:11 as meaning, "held in honor," "of high repute," and "(have) glory." All of those
things are certainly descriptive of Jesus, our Shepherd. He described Himself that way. That may sound a little
bit boastful to some but He cannot deny who He is. (2 Timothy 2:13) He is that same Shepherd that is spoken of in Psalm 23. He is a faithful Shepherd. Sheep are not always faithful. They tend to get distracted and wander
off. But, the Good Shepherd will not lose a single one. (Luke 15:4) He keeps in mind that they are just, "sheep." (Psalm 103:14) If you're like me and have had your times of "wandering," you're extremely thankful that
you belong to the Good Shepherd! The Good Shepherd gives
His life for His sheep. Yes, Jesus gave His life for you and me! In the time that John's gospel was written,
shepherds kept sheep mostly for their wool, though some were raised for food and for sacrifices. Because they kept
their sheep from year to year, they became well acquainted with them. They cared for them twenty-four, seven. They knew
each one by their individual characteristics and qualities. That's just the way it is with our Good Shepherd.
He knows us each individually. (Psalm 139:16) In fact, He knew us before we knew Him. He loved us before we loved Him. (1 John 4:19) He knows exactly how many hairs are on your head and how many are on mine (even though the number changes as new ones
grow and other ones fall out!). (Matthew 10:30) He is so familiar with us, "sheep," that there is not anywhere that we can go to make Him lose sight
of us. (Psalm 139:8) Though this may be a scary thought, think of the love that is behind the Shepherd's watchful eye. Believe
me, I'm ashamed of some of the places I've been. But, He's been there watching. If it were not for
the Good Shepherd's protection, this sheep would have been done in long ago! (Psalm 94:17) Before Jesus came, a lamb had to be sacrificed often as a sin offering. Then, behold! The Good
Shepherd became the Lamb for all of us sheep. No more would the blood of animals have to be shed often for sin. The
Good Shepherd became a Lamb and sacrificed His blood for us once and for all. (Hebrews 7:27) That means for you and for me and for whoever will believe. (John 3:16) There's not a person that ever lived that wasn't a "whoever." The only question that remains
is, "Will we believe?" Jesus was both the Good Shepherd
and the Lamb of God. We are like Him in that way. If we are believers, we are called to shepherd, yet we are all
sheep. We all shepherd in some way, but not all of us may be good shepherds. Remember, a good shepherd
is honorable. Somebody is watching what we do. Somebody is looking to see if we are following the Good Shepherd.
Parents, this is especially true for you. Your children want to see if you really walk the talk. Whether
we are members of the clergy or whether we are just disciples of Jesus, we can be sure that someone will be watching
us and following our example. Let's hope we can be classified as a good shepherd. God is not fond of the other
kind. (Jeremiah 23:1) The Good Shepherd loves, leads, lends a hand, and lavishes good things on His sheep. Have you
noticed that? He doesn't drive us. He doesn't add burdens to us. He leads
us and takes our burdens. (2 Peter 5:7) His goal is to protect us and give us rest, refreshment, and restoration. (Matthew 11:10, Psalm 23:2-3) As we rejoice in the fact that we have such a loving and caring Good Shepherd, let's watch how we go about our
lives. Do we resemble our Shepherd as we have opportunities to shepherd? (Romans 8:29) MORNING MANNA - JUNE 26, 2008 - DO YOU RECOGNIZE HIS VOICE? John 10:5 (NLT) This morning you and I are hearing all kinds of voices. Voices from everywhere. Voices from the
news telling us all about all the awful things taking place in the world. Voices singing to us about love gone wrong.
Rappers rapping out crude and vulgar words. Television and radio preachers, each calling us, mostly with their
own brand of Christianity. Our own families telling us we should be this or that or we should do this
or that. Sometimes people even telling us we are this or that. Are we listening to those voices or do
we recognize the still, small voice of the Good Shepherd? (John 10:11, 1 Kings 19:12) The voice of Jesus. (Psalm 95:6-7) I have heard people say that they are put off by the fact
that Jesus calls us sheep. (Psalm 100:3) That's because sheep are some of the dumbest creatures on earth. They are prone to wander. (Psalm 119:176) Let's get real! We do it all the time! How many times has the Lord been the farthest thing from your
thoughts? Yet, we are told to pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) That means that our minds and hearts should have a "program," something like a computer program,
that runs in the background which is always communing with the Shepherd, even about the most mundane and common things
that we do. If nothing else, we should constantly be giving thanks! (Psalm 109:30) Yes, you caught me telling us what we should do. But, I am only repeating what I have heard
from the voice I recognize. The voice of Jesus. His Word is there for us if we will just listen and recognize
it! (John 14:26) The business of shepherding there in the Middle East
where Jesus was speaking was a good business. God was so interested in it that He sent the angels first to the shepherds
to announce the birth of His Son. (Luke 2:8-18) The shepherds would many times bring their flocks to a communal sheep-fold near the town. There would be
a gatekeeper at that fold and as the individual shepherds would return for their sheep, they had only to call them by name
and the sheep would follow. One shepherd could not make another's sheep follow. Sheep may be dumb but they
are capable of intimately knowing their shepherd's voice. They will follow no other voice. Whose voice are
you following today? Jesus calls to you and me today. His voice is distinct from those other voices we hear all
around us. He knows us by our characteristics. He calls us accordingly, by name. As the sheep of His pasture,
we must take care not to wander so far that we can no longer hear His voice. There are many false shepherds calling
out to us every day. The true sheep of Christ will not be lured away by these false shepherds. Love defines
the true Shepherd. False shepherds will steal and destroy sheep but the Good Shepherd will rescue them and set
them free. (John 8:36) That's what happened with the blind beggar. The false shepherds (religious leaders of Jesus's
day) persecuted him and threw him out of the church (synagogue) because their power and control were threatened
by the True Shepherd. Can you imagine how that man felt? He was blind from birth. (John 9:1) Suddenly, Jesus gave him sight. I'm sure he was overjoyed! Then the tables turned. Because he
was healed and knew Jesus for who He really is, the "Good Shepherd", he was ostracized from the synagogue.
(John 9:34) Wandering and wondering, he was found by Jesus. (John 9:35-39) He had probably only heard the voice of Jesus as He prepared the clay and covered His eyes. He probably
could not recognize Him by sight, since he had been at the pool of Siloam obediently washing the mud from his eyes when Jesus
went on His way. But, He recognized His voice! Again, suddenly, the man was given freedom. Another sheep
rescued by the Shepherd! No more was he an ostracized person. He was taken into the real fold by the Real
Shepherd. He recognized His voice and followed. Do you recognize His voice this morning? In love, He is
calling to you and me - calling us each by name. Are you following Him only? MORNING MANNA - JUNE 25, 2008 - AN OPEN DOOR John
10:9 (KJV) A door is a very important part of an enclosure. Without a door, the enclosure is not secure. Anything
in it is available to the common thief. Without a door, harsh weather may destroy what is inside. I always keep
the doors to my house and to my car locked. I feel more secure that way. If someone wants to come in, I have to
unlock the door first. Before I do that, I determine their identity. I would never want to live in a house without
a door! Would you? A door is a fairly common need in our day. It keeps the good things in and the bad
things out! A door was a common need for sheep in Jesus's day too. The sheepfold consisted of four walls with
just an opening for the door. As Jesus spoke to the Jewish people, they understood what He said when He said, "I
am the door." They were very familiar with sheep and shepherding. Below is a quote from "Preaching
the Word," that brings home the meaning of what Jesus was saying. When
G. Campbell Morgan was traveling across the Atlantic on a steamer, he noticed that among the passengers was Sir George Adam
Smith, the most famous Old Testament scholar at the time. The greatest preacher of the day (Morgan) and the greatest Old Testament
scholar (Smith) had a great time as they traveled together. Morgan said that among the tales Sir George told of the East was
this one: He was one day traveling with a guide, and came across a shepherd and his sheep. He fell into conversation
with him. The man showed him the fold into which the sheep were led at night. It consisted of four walls, with a way in. Sir
George said to him, "That is where they go at night?" "Yes," said the shepherd, "and when they are
in there, they are perfectly safe." "But there is no door," said Sir George. "I am the door," said
the shepherd. He was not a Christian man, he was not speaking in the language of the New Testament. He was speaking from the
Arab shepherd's standpoint. Sir George looked at him and said, "What do you mean by the door?" Said the shepherd,
"When the light has gone, and all the sheep are inside, I lie in the open space, and no sheep ever goes out but across
my body, and no wolf comes in unless he crosses my body; I am the door." Have you come into the sheepfold through the Door? There is no other way! (John 14:6) Isn't it wonderful how Jesus gives such vivid, practical descriptions of Himself?
We all know what a door is, even if we're not familiar with sheep. A door is a common thing and a necessary thing
to most of us. This description Jesus gives of Himself is one of the "I Am," statements that
reveal Him as the Son of God. It irritated the Jewish listeners because they didn't believe that He was really the
Son of God. It should soothe us because it is an indicator that our Savior is the "I Am," of whatever it is
we need. He is the Door. A Door more secure than any of our modern bolt-locked and security alarmed doors.
He is the Door that the enemy cannot cross! The Door by which we can go out freely to find food and water
in the green pastures and by the cool streams. (Psalm 23:2) He is also the Door to that place where we return to rest and find refreshment for
our souls in the security of the sheepfold. (Psalm 23:6) He is the Door to the abundant life He has promised to us. He is the Door that
keeps the enemy from stealing and destroying that abundant life. (John 10:10) As the Door, He becomes our provision, allowing us to go out to find pasture.
He is our protection, guarding the opening to the sheepfold with His own being. Nothing can touch us unless it
crosses Jesus and nothing can hold us hostage because, as the Door, He gives us the freedom to pursue the provision
He has prepared for us in safe pasture! (John 8:36) The Door is open to those who are seeking true safety. The Father calls to us today,
offering an invitation to provision and protection. (2 Corinthians 6:2) The only way to answer that invitation is to go through the Door. It's a closed
Door to the enemy. But, it's an open Door to those who will believe and enter in! (Matthew 11:28) MORNING MANNA - JUNE 24, 2008 - GO! John 9:7 (NIV) Jesus healed people when He walked on earth. He still heals people
today. (Hebrews 13:8 1 Peter 2:24) He doesn't always do it the same way every time and the timing belongs to Him alone. If you are in need
of a healing this morning, know that it is possible. (Matthew 19:26) Know that, with God, nothing is impossible. (Luke 1:37) The same God that could overshadow a young girl and plant His Son in her womb, can touch anything inside of you or
me that needs healing! As we read in John, Chapter 9, a blind man was healed. It was an especially astounding miracle
since the man had been blind from birth. Warren
Wiersbe, a well known Bible teacher says this: "Though the healing power was the same, our Lord varied
His methods lest people focus on the manner of healing and miss the message in the healing." I
found it interesting that Mr. Wiersbe came upon two reasons for the Lord using clay to bring about this blind man's
healing. On reason, Mr. Wiersbe says, is that it is a picture of the Incarnation. Just as the first
man was made of dust, (Genesis 2:7) God also sent His own Son as a man with a body of flesh. (John 1:14) The second reason, according to Wiersbe, was "irritation." Have you ever gotten dirt in your eyes?
Not a great feeling is it? What is the first thing you want to do? Probably wash it out! Wiersbe says
that we need to seek irrigation when we have irritation. Well, Jesus made clay from the dust of the earth and put
it in the blind man's eyes. The blind man was probably relieved to be told to go and wash the mud out.
Most likely it was irritating him! This irritation, Wiersbe says, is like the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever been convicted? Not a great feeling either, is it? We can thank God that the water of the Word will
wash away the irritation and make us clean and comfortable! (Ephesians 5:26) I think it is interesting that the man probably didn't even
see Jesus until sometime after he received his sight! He went obediently to the pool of Siloam (the meaning of Siloam
is spelled out for us in the scripture (John 9:7) - probably a picture of Jesus Himself, the living water Who was sent by God - John 9:4) What would have happened if the man had not been obedient? This man could be said to be
functioning in "blind faith." He never saw the One who put the clay on his eyes. But, he heard His Word.
And, he obeyed. Consequently, he got his healing. He went and washed and came home seeing! What a picture
for us today. The man heard the Word and obeyed it. He had to do something. He had to make his way
to the pool and wash the mud out of his eyes. We, too, have to do something. We cannot just hear
the Word and expect miracles. We have to do the Word. (James 1:22) If the man had just listened to Jesus and sat there with the mud drying in his eyes, he would
have never been healed. He would have never "seen" his miracle. The first part of the command that Jesus
gave the man was, "Go...." What command has He given us? Do we need healing? Then maybe the answer
is to go and take His healing to another. Jesus said that we should go into all the world and preach the Good
News. (Mark 16:15) Have we heard that Word? And, if so, are we obedient? Are you in need of a miracle? Could
it be that Jesus is also telling you to "Go....?" Here's another "Go" statement from Jesus.
Matthew 28:19-20 (AMP) 9 Go then and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 Teaching
them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and
on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be). Whatever we
hear Jesus telling us to do today, let's not just hear Him, let's do it. That's what the
blind man did. He received his sight! Obedience always brings blessing! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 23, 2008 - WHO IS JESUS TO YOU? John 9:35 (KJV) Who is Jesus to you?
We all have to answer that question sooner or later. Better now than later! (Romans 14:11) Jesus asked His disciples this questions, "Who do people say that I am?" (Mark 8:27) They said some thought one thing and some another. (Mark 8:28) But, Jesus was not satisfied with the general public opinion about Himself. He wanted to
know specifically who they thought He was. (Mark 8:29) We only read of a response from one of the disciples. Peter said, "Thou art the
Christ." Peter knew that Jesus was the Savior. Today, Jesus is asking each one of us, "Who do you say
that I am?" What is our answer? The blind man that
was healed by Jesus, as we read in John, Chapter 9, was healed instantly. His eyes were like brand new. He had
been born blind but suddenly he could see everything around him. It was not exactly so with his spirit. He was
questioned by his neighbors at first who could scarcely believe their eyes. He was so changed that some
did not believe he was even the same man they saw begging every day. (John 9:8-10) His answer to them was that Jesus was a man that healed him. (John 9:11) The blind man could see physically, but he had no idea who Jesus was. It's possible for us to be healed
physically by Jesus and yet not receive spiritual healing. Three
more times the blind man was questioned. Each time, he had begun to see more clearly with his spiritual eyes.
The second questioning came from the Pharisees. They asked the healed man, "What sayest thou of Him..."
(John 9:17) This time the healed man said, "He is a prophet." Many people might agree that Jesus walked this
earth as a man. Some might say that He is a prophet. But that is not knowledge that will bring salvation.
The third time, after getting nowhere questioning the man's parents, they called the healed man back in and put him under
oath. They tried to manipulate his answer by letting him know exactly what they thought of Jesus. (John 9:24) They called Jesus a sinner. Not being intimidated by the priests, the man said, "Whether He be a sinner
or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." (John 9:25) The healed man knew that nobody but a man of God could do such a thing. When we have been touched by Jesus, we
can't deny it. But, that still doesn't mean that we are ready to believe in our hearts and make open confession to
the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9) Finally, after suffering persecution and being excommunicated from the temple, the man had a real encounter
with Jesus. He had probably not seen Jesus before. While he had been washing the mud from his eyes, Jesus had
gone on His way. (John 9:6-7, 9:12) But Jesus, knowing that the man had suffered the scorn of the priests, found him and revealed
Himself to him, both physically and spiritually. Have you received physical healing from the Lord
but not received Him as Lord and Savior? It's possible. Right now, Jesus is revealing Himself to us through
His Word. He is asking us to confirm that we have received that revelation by answering the question, "Who
do you say that I am?" The man born blind and born in spiritual blindness was found by Jesus. He was cast
out by the religious authorities but he was received by Jesus! (John 9:35) No matter what your background, religious or not, Jesus will receive you today. In fact, He's reaching
out to you right now. Again, the man is questioned. This time by Jesus, Himself. "Do you believe on
the Son of God?" With his spiritual eyes still darkened, the man replied, "Who is He...."
(John 9:36) Graciously and tenderly, Jesus reveals Himself to the man. (John 9:37) How marvelously miraculous! The blinded man could now not only see with his eyes, but he could see with
his heart. He was healed and saved. He had made other claims about who Jesus was in the process
of receiving his spiritual sight but now he said, "Lord, I believe." (John 9:38) And the worship began! Who is Jesus to you? A man who went about doing good? A prophet? Someone
to call on when you need a healing? Or the Son of God, worthy of all our worship? MORNING MANNA - JUNE 22, 2008 - DON'T JUST PASS BY - DO SOMETHING! The people in the temple court had just tried to stone Jesus. They more than didn't like
the fact that He had just revealed many of them for who they were. Children of the devil. (John 8:44) More than that, He had just revealed Himself to them as the Son of God! (John 8:42) They picked up stones and were ready to hurl them hard and fast, but where was Jesus? Jesus passed
them by. He did it somehow without their even recognizing it! John 8:59 (KJV) 59 Then
took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and
so passed by. Is it possible that Jesus can be in our midst and we will miss Him? We probably are
not among the groups of people these days who are trying to kill Him or say that He never really existed, but we might
miss Him as He passes by if we're not paying attention. Better yet, we need to be walking with Him, in
His Spirit. I like the King James Version translation
of John 8:59 because when I go on to read John 9:1, I read this: John 9:1 (KJV) 1 And
as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. Somehow those verses went so well together,
although I had never noticed it before. John 8:59 says that Jesus hid and "passed by" His attackers. I would think he would have been running for His
life. Wouldn't you? However, I am frequently amazed at the fact that I have never read anywhere in scripture
of Jesus running! I may be wrong, but I just don't see it anywhere. Jesus was so confident in His Father's
timing. Even in danger, He didn't need to run. He was given divine wisdom and strategy to hide himself and
then just pass by. Well, even if I was at that level of faith and had just escaped a sure and painful death, I still
think I might be looking over my shoulder to be sure no one carrying a big rock had seen me go and followed me.
But, it appears that Jesus was not too concerned, if at all. His mind was not on Himself but on those He had come to
heal and save. Just after we see Him pass by the ugly crowd in John 8:59, we see this, "And as Jesus passed by......" He wasn't just running away from those who were out to get
Him. He was continuing in His ministry even as He passed by! Do we ever experience troubles with people? Are there relationships that become strained and
maybe even broken? As we pass by and through these troubles, are our minds on ourselves? Are we feeling pretty
sorry for ourselves? Jesus was not. It doesn't appear that He was complaining about having to escape from
near death. Or even about the unbelief and anger of the crowd He had just left. He seemed to be confidently walking
(not running), never losing sight of His purpose. To heal the sick and save the lost. (Luke 4:18) He had stayed around the previous crowd long enough to find out that they weren't about to believe in Him.
So, He picked up and went on. In the process, His eyes were looking for someone else's blind eyes to bless.
He found just the man. The beggar who was blind from birth. Unlike the Pharisees in the crowd He had just come
from, this man would welcome the touch of Jesus, even though He didn't know much about Him. He would obey the voice
of Jesus. Jesus stopped. Would you or I have stopped if we were in the process of retreating from an angry mob?
Although the man could not see Jesus, he could hear Him. I don't know if he even asked to be healed. But,
Jesus was ready to heal, as He still is today. The man obviously didn't see Jesus make mud out of His spit and the
dirt at His feet but He felt the touch of Jesus's fingers as Jesus rubbed the mud on his eyes. Today, we may
be dealing with all sorts of troubles. We may be walking a new pathway. But, Jesus is always ready to heal broken
hearts and give us new vision for the future. We may be struggling with something in our own lives, as Jesus was when
He was evading the blood-thirsty mob. But, are we, like Jesus walking in our purpose? Looking for someone to bless
with the good news of the gospel or a prayer for healing or a loving touch? As Jesus passed by, He wasn't just passing.
He left a part of Himself everywhere He went. As the old song says, "This world is not my home, I'm just a
passing through." As we pass by, what are we leaving behind? The Word of God says, that certain signs shall
follow believers. (Mark 16:15-18) Are people being saved, healed and delivered because we have passed by? That's what happened when Jesus
passed by! It can happen still today when the One who dwells in us works through us, as
we pass by. MORNING MANNA - JUNE 21, 2008 - JESUS IS PASSING YOUR WAY! John 9:2 (KJV) When we see a disability in someone, do we sometimes wonder what the cause
is? That's what happened when Jesus passed by a man who was blind from birth. If we are honest with ourselves,
we are all disabled in some way or another. Many disabilities are very noticeable outwardly. Others are deep within
us. Sometimes we are able to hide them effectively from those around us but we know they are there. One very encouraging
thing about John 9:1 is this. It says, "....as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth." Jesus
was passing by, on His way somewhere, but He saw the man with the disability. As we are sitting here reading
this, He sees us today. He sees us right where we are, whether we are severely physically disabled or whether we
have weaknesses in any area - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Not only does He see, but He cares. He
is touched with our feelings. The King James Version of Hebrews 4:15 says, He is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Yes, He is touched with the same
things that touch you and me and try to hold us back. The disciples
were wondering that day when Jesus saw the blind man, just why he was born blind. In their minds, it had
to be sin. They asked Jesus who sinned. Did the blind man sin? I don't know how he could
have sinned, since he was blind from his birth! Yet, I have done the same sort of thing at times - tried to figure out
why something happened by my own logic (which is so lacking compared to how God thinks). (Isaiah 55:9) Have you ever done that? At least we're in good company! The disciples, the ones closest to Jesus,
weren't quite getting it yet. That's why we stay in His Word. Little by little, precept on precept, He
will teach us to think on a higher level. Still, we will never be able to think like an all-knowing, ever-present
God! (1 John 3:20, Psalm 46:1, Jeremiah 23:24) Just because we may be disabled in some way (and all of us are
somewhat disabled in some way), it doesn't mean that we have sinned or that it is a judgment upon us. Jesus lifted
the thoughts of the disciples to a higher level by letting them know that the man's blindness had nothing to do with his
sin or that of his parents. It was simply this: "that the works of God should be made manifest in him."
When we see someone who is disabled or, if we are struggling with a disability, we might want to stop asking, "why,"
and listen to what Jesus said to His disciples. He told them they were asking the wrong questions. They were looking
for someone to blame. Have you ever done that? Unfortunately, I have been guilty! In unfortunate situations,
shouldn't we, instead of asking, "why," look for God to bring glory to Himself. When He does, it always
blesses us too! Shouldn't our prayers be in that direction, whether it concerns ourselves or someone else?
All things are possible with God. (Matthew 19:26) Nothing is impossible. (Luke 1:37) Jesus told the disciples that the man's blindness was going to be used to bring glory to God. (John 9:3) If you are disabled or if you know someone who is disabled, is your faith leading you to pray that God will use
that disability to show His great ability? That the disabled one will be used to bring glory to the Father?
Doesn't His Word say that, in our weakness, we're made strong? (2 Corinthians 12:10) Doesn't His Word also say that He uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise? (1 Corinthians 1:27) If we're feeling sorry for ourselves because of some weakness or we're trying to figure out why somebody else
is disabled, we might want to turn those thoughts in an about-face direction. If you were strong and
powerful on your own, why would you need God? And what could you possibly do to bring Him glory? But, if you have a
weakness or disability, you are just the one that God can use. Of course, we should not think that anyone
can sin and escape God's judgment if there is no repentance. On the other hand, all weakness is not due to
sin. God planned out each of your days and my days before we were ever born. He knows all about our weakness.
The wonderful thing is that He will use the very things that threaten to hinder us to show Himself powerful in us and
to show those around us that He is able! There is a worship song that says, "He is able, more than able to do
much more than I could ever dream. He is able more than able to make me what He wants me to be." That's
certainly what He did for the blind man that day. Just think of that. Can you imagine yourself being that blind
man? Whatever has been troubling you, Jesus takes note of it just as He saw the blind man as He passed by. He's
passing by this morning. His Spirit sees and is taking note of your weakness and disability. Look up,
He's able to do more than you can ask or believe! (Ephesians 3:20) Let's dare to believe that today! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 20, 2008 - THE TRUTH IN LOVE John 8:51 (KJV) We love our children so much, don't we? But, how would you feel if your child was in a burning building,
but seemed unaware? They were even blatantly denying that anything was wrong! What would you do if they argued
and refused your every attempt to talk them into safety? If they even became violent with you as you tried and
tried to get them to come to a place of safety? Not a very pretty picture. In fact, if you're really into
imagining this with me, realizing in your imagination that your child is about to burn to death, your heart begins to break.
Thank God, we are only imagining. But, Jesus was not imagining when He spoke to the crowd in John, Chapter 8.
God's children were intent on destruction! There are people all about us like that too. Perhaps our
own children resist the Truth and resist the Love that reaches out to pull them from destruction in an everlasting Hell. The
world has it backwards. They resist God and submit to the devil. We must show a different lifestyle, be an example
to a world bent on self-destruction. (James 4:7) Do we show, by our words and matching lifestyle, that we love those around us so much that we desire their eternal
safety? Even when they push us away? That's what Jesus did! That's the way Jesus loved His people. His words seemed harsh to them. They could
not receive the Truth and the Love that was being extended to them because their hearts had been hardened by their own ideas
for so long. They even accused Him of being a Samaritan, possessed of the devil! (John 8:52) Is Love and Truth convicting us this morning, pulling our hearts more and more toward Him?
Or, are we like the Jewish people that day who resisted God and wanted Jesus out of the way? (John 8:59) Yes, His own people were trying to take His life because He was lovingly and truthfully trying to save
them! The Truth cannot remain hidden. It is self-evident. As the Jews constantly badgered
Him, Jesus spoke the greatest words of truth to them. It was love reaching out to them. Love reaches out to you
and me this morning too. Love reached right through an argument about Abraham. Part of the "claim
to fame," of the Jews was their connection to Abraham. Although they greatly revered Abraham, they knew he was
dead. (John 8:52) So they challenged Jesus with that fact. Was He greater than Abraham? When the
unbelieving Jews insinuated that He didn't know what He was talking about, His reply was loving, truthful and astounding! John 8:58 (KJV) 58 Jesus
said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Oh dear, did that ever set the Jews on a rampage!
Jesus had just identified Himself as being on an equal basis with God! "I Am," is the very name that
God gave Himself when Moses asked His Name. (Exodus 3:14) This was just more than the unbelievers in the crowd could take! They couldn't stand the heat so they
determined to put out the Fire! You cannot extinguish the Truth though. You can't extinguish Love either.
God is both and He is revealed in Jesus that way. Although Jesus would sacrifice Himself for them, and for us, it was
not His time. Love and Truth slipped through the crowd before those intent on killing Him could throw
a stone. Do you wonder if some of those that believed what Jesus was saying helped Him slip away? If you were
a believer in the crowd that day, would you have helped Him? Today, the media and our much of our society are trying
to "stone," the very Love and Truth that wants so desperately to save them. He is telling all of us the
Truth today through His Word and His creation. (Romans 3:23, Romans 1:20) Is anybody listening? Yes, it sounds like a put-down at first to be told that we're sinners. That
we're nothing but "dust-balls." (Psalm 103:14) But the truth is, that's just what we are. The rest of the truth is that Love looks beyond what we are
and wants to make us what we can be. We must receive the truth so we can fully appreciate and receive the love!
Most of the crowd that day was resistant to the best God had for them. They made it hard for those who wanted to believe
to also receive God's best. (Matthew 23:13) Truth and love are still reaching today in the person of Jesus Christ, through His Spirit. Are we listening?
Are we receiving? Are we speaking the truth in love to those around us? (Psalm 40:10, Ephesians 4:15) MORNING MANNA - JUNE 19 - YOUR FATHER MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE! John 8:38 (KJV) 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have
seen with your father. I have to admit that i get a bit irked when someone
says something like this to me, "Oh, you're very religious, aren't you" I tend to retort that I am
not just religious, I have a relationship with the Lord. There is nothing wrong with religion. God tells us what
pure religion is. (James 1:27 - NIV) Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans
and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. That seems pretty simple,
doesn't it? Just three steps for God to consider us religious. 1. Look after orphans. 2.
Look after widows. 3. Keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. One other thing though. In
the scripture preceding that one it says this: (James 1:26 NIV) If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives
himself and his religion is worthless. It seems as if some, "religion," is worthless, even though
the one being religious does not realize it. Do you consider yourself to be religious? The word used here for,
"religion," has to do with ceremony, as it concerns worship. Oh my, we have our ceremonies don't we?
Each denomination and non-denomination has their own brand of ceremony. As individuals, we may have ceremonies that
we perform such as, rote prayers at meal or bed times (Matthew 6:7) We may sing songs of worship with high sounding words coming from our mouths, but other thoughts clouding our hearts.
Ceremony doesn't require intimate relationship. Religion, by itself, is different than relationship. There is one relationship that stands above all others. It is that of
a father and his children. Today, we are hearing more and more about the fact that fathers are either absent from the
family or minimally involved and sometimes even totally uninvolved. That is not the way it should be. The results
of such behavior are proving to be devastating too. Jesus showed us the importance and power that came from His relationship
with His Father. He knew who His Father was and He knew His Father intimately. We also can have that unique, intimate
and powerful relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus made the way. (John 17:20-24) The love of our Heavenly Father is what takes us beyond religion to relationship! Unlike the Jews He was speaking
to, who had made their religion their god instead of knowing the God of religion. Notice that, as they become agitated
with Jesus, they say, Abraham is our father." (John 8:39) Just a couple of seconds later in the conversation, as their agitation rises, they say, "....We have one Father,
even God." (John 8:41) Were they confused or a bit double minded? Do you wonder if that's why Jesus sad the following: (Matthew 23:9 - KJV) And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Of
course, they probably thought they had just totally insulted Jesus by insinuating that He was born out of wedlock. As
religious as they were, they were blinded to the Word of God in the Old Testament that, in several places, identified Jesus
as the Messiah, born of a virgin. Instead, they chose to think that He was just an ordinary carpenter, the son
of Joseph. In all of our ceremony, let's not neglect to stay in the Word of God so that our worship will
come from the relationship, based on the Truth, that we have with our Father through His Son. Jesus was probably the first person that could truly say to the bullies that constantly badgered Him,
"My Daddy is bigger than your daddy." "In fact, my Daddy can beat up your daddy." That
was very true, as He spoke to the Jews that day. Jesus boldly told them that, as religious as they were, their father
was the devil. Not Abraham and not God! (John 8:38, John 8:41, John 8:44) Pretty scary, huh! It's not religious activity that defines a child of God. It's the relationship
the child has with His Father. Certainly the truth implied here was that greater was God in Him than the devil in those
religious bullies! (1 John 4:4) Jesus was also letting us know that when we get past our religious ceremony to true relationship, God will be the
Father within us who is greater than the enemy's father out there in the world! And, if our Father be for us, who
can be against us? (Romans 8:31) Because of Jesus, we are adopted into the family of God. (Ephesians 1:5) His name becomes our name! He willingly and graciously gives it to us! We may have been filthy gutter
snipes, but Jesus spilled His blood to cleanse us white as snow and give us His white robes of righteousness. We are
welcome in our Father's house. We're not just welcomed, we're scooped in by the almighty, loving arms of
our Father. We are protected under His all-powerful wings. (Psalm 91:4) We are wanted. We are cherished! We were not His people but He tenderly and graciously made us His people!
(Hosea 2:23, Acts 2:39) Have you accepted the Father's offer to make you a part of His family? If not, you can do it today.
(2 Corinthians 6:2) Yes, unlike some earthly fathers, He will never abandon you. (Psalm 27:10) He will hold you close forever. Unlike some earthly fathers, He will never crush your spirit by irritating or
demeaning you. (Colossians 3:21 - MSG) Parents, don't come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits. Yes,
who our father is makes all the difference between empty religion and intimate relationship. It makes all the difference
in the world. And, all the difference for eternity! Let's do as the old hymn says and, "Come to the Father
through Jesus the Son and give Him the glory, great things He has done!" He has made a way for us to belong to
Him! (Isaiah 26:19) MORNING MANNA - JUNE 18, 2008 - TRUE FREEDOM John 8:32 (NLT) Are you free this morning? If not, you can be. It's Who you know, I mean really know, that
will set you free. We are privileged to live in a country that is still free. In America, we have freedom to make
most of the choices in our lives without persecution. Yet, even in America, some are enslaved. Most of the ones
that are in bondage don't even know it! That's because they are in bondage to sin and self-deception.
That's the way it was with the Jews that Jesus was talking to in John, Chapter 8. Instead of staying close to the
Spirit of God and growing that way, they chose to intellectualize their religion and become stagnate. Jesus had just
spoken these words to the crowd, "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Of course
this made many of them angry, since He was implying that they did not yet know the truth. Is that the way it is
today with all of the "organized religion we see in our world?" We have lots and lots of churches, yet the
Truth may or may not be found in them and if He is, it may be to one degree or another. Should we be asking ourselves
if we have silently become enslaved to our traditions and ideas instead of following the leading of the Holy Spirit?
Have we somehow managed to push the Truth into a small corner of our lives? Like the Jews of Jesus's day, we need to be sure that we are not blinded to any bondage with might be in.
Denial is not good. When Jesus told them that they could be free, they promptly denied that they had ever been
in bondage in any way. (John 8:33) Oops! They had been in bondage several times as recorded in the Old Testament. Even while they
were trying to deny that they had ever been enslaved, they were under the control of the Roman government. But, they
were religious!! As Warren W. Wiersbe said, "How difficult it is for proud religious people to admit their
failings and their needs!" I believe he's right, don't you? People are people. We are all made
of dust. (Job 10:9) Yes, just dust balls, but for the breath of Life! It's quite possible that some people today can look very
religious but be totally enslaved (even without realizing it) just like the majority in the crowd that Jesus spoke to that
day in Jerusalem. Praise God, Jesus doesn't want to leave anyone in bondage. What loving words He speaks to
us today. You can know Me and I will set you free! Oh, how I love the words of Jesus
as He proclaims that we can know the truth and the truth will set us free. But, as I look at the words He speaks just
before this in our "spiritual emancipation proclamation," I am reminded that just to know who Jesus is, just
to know that He is the Truth is only a part of the freedom equation. John 8:31 speaks about discipleship. How can you really get to know someone intimately unless you spend time with them?
Unless you learn who they are and what makes them tick? Although Jesus is the Truth and that Truth will set us free, He
will only do so as we learn from Him and follow that Truth. Jesus is also the Word. (John 1:1) It is His Word of truth that will set us free as we learn to know it more and more and apply it to our lives.
I read somewhere that the jump from knowledge to experience is fairly large. Are we experiencing the Truth in our lives
today and letting the Truth expose anything we may have been trying to deny? Have we taken the leap from knowledge and
begun to really experience the freedom that the Truth provides? Remember, the Jews were denying things that other people
could plainly see as the truth. (John 8:33) Let's not be like them! Let's be like Jesus through and through. Let's always examine ourselves
to see if our faith is strong. (2 Corinthians 13:5) Let's also ask God to search our hearts and remove anything that might lead to bondage. (Psalm 139:23, Psalm 19:12) Yes, we do have an enemy and he is very subtle. He's not going to boldly enter our lives after we've
been confessing Jesus. He's going to try to get in through any subtle and deceptive way he can to try
to bring us back into bondage. (Galatians 5:1) It's our job to stay alert and to stay free! Walking in His Word and His Spirit will guarantee that! That
is true freedom. It is free for us but it cost a great deal to God! (John 3:16) True freedom in Christ is a gift and a privilege but it comes with the responsibility of walking so close to Jesus
that we begin to look like Him! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 17, 2008 - WHO ARE YOU? John 8:25 (AMP) If you had been walking and talking with people for a good long time, don't you think that you'd
be irritated if they kept asking you who you were? Especially if you had already told them about yourself,
including your background? Here in John 8:25, the Jews, probably in their irritation, were demanding to know who Jesus was. Isn't it strange that He had
been telling them who He was from the time He began teaching? What happened? They did not hear. Their spiritual
ears were stopped up. (Matthew 13:13-15) They had ears. They could understand the words but they couldn't understand The Word! Just who is Jesus to us? Have we been hearing words most of our lives coming from
churches and parents, radio and TV? Have those words fallen on deaf ears becoming just more ideas and philosophies to
us? Or, have we heard, The Word? Unfortunately most of the Jews only heard words when Jesus
spoke. Words that made their darkness more dark because they did not judge with righteous judgment. (John 8:15-16) Do we ever tend to judge Jesus by our own human limitations? Or do we believe that He is all-powerful, all-knowing,
all God? Do we know Him well enough to have a surety in our hearts that, because of Him, all things
are possible in our lives? (Mark 9:23) Jesus said that, if we believe, all things are possible. Do we know Jesus well enough to look at every situation
and circumstance in our lives and know that we can make it through with His grace and we can overcome it with His strength?
(Philippians 4:13) Do we really know Him well enough to know that we might have to suffer for Him? (Romans 8:17, Philippians 1:29) Do we really want to know Him that well? Peter declared just
exactly who Jesus is. (Matthew 16:16) He couldn't do that by himself. Our Father, God, had to reveal it to him. (Matthew 16:17) In all the hullabaloo of today's philosophies and religions, do you ever have trouble deciding just who Jesus
is? Do you mull it over in your mind trying to make that judgment? If so, you need to stop now! The revelation
of God the Father is the only way we can truly know who Jesus is. Because He is God and He came from God, there is no
way our finite minds can ever figure Him out completely. (John 8:26) Why not pray for the Father's revelation right now! Most of the Jews of Jesus's day did not have
a close relationship with the God. They had pushed the Almighty God aside with their traditions, philosophical
ideas, and lust for position. Jesus recognized that right away and told them that they didn't really know God.
(John 8:19) That's why they could not figure out who Jesus was. He was the revelation of the God in the flesh
but their eyes, ears, and hearts were not open to God's revelation! (John 14:7) Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is a multitude of other things that fall under those three categories
too. He is everything we need in life. He is the Good Shepherd who will never lead us astray
or all us to be harmed by the enemy. (Psalm 23:1) As one young child said when asked to recite the twenty-third psalm, "The Lord is my shepherd, that's
all I need to know." Today, let's be sure we don't judge Jesus by our own ideas and thoughts and
surely not by the mindset and philosophies of this world. He is way beyond all of that. (Isaiah 55:9) He is so much more than we could ever imagine within the framework of our earthly minds. (1 Corinthians 13:12) Yet, He's willing to live within us and allow us to share His Life - to be His witness. In these days
of many of us searching for "who we are," let's first let God reveal just who Jesus is to us.
When that happens and we really, really know Him, we'll know exactly who we are. A child of God,
destined to be walk with Him, talk with Him, and be used of Him here on earth and destined for a life forever with
Him. (1 John 5:1) Who is Jesus to you? Who are you? MORNING MANNA - JUNE 16, 2008 - NO LIGHT - NO LIFE John 8:12 (AMP) We don't have to walk in darkness!
Just after settling a situation in which a woman had been walking in sinful darkness and then her accusers proved that they,
too, were walking in darkness, Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world." Isaiah foretold the fact that God
would send the Messiah to be a light to the Jews, as well as the whole world. (Isaiah 49:6) Of course, this made the scribes and the Pharisees angry because they did not believe that He was the Messiah. They
constantly challenged Him. (John 8:13) Hardened hearts will not see the Light. It will be as darkness to them because their hearts are blinded
by unbelief. Light is highly visible, except to the blind. In Exodus 14:19-20, we remember that when the Jews were wandering in the wilderness, there was a cloud that settled between them and their
enemy. At night the cloud would be light for the Jews but the other side of that same cloud would produce darkness for
their enemies, the Egyptians. The same is true of Jesus today. Those who believe have His Light and they
spread it to others. Those whose hearts are hardened by sin see this same Jesus, just as the Egyptians saw that same
cloud. But, because unbelief makes them blind enemies, they continue in darkness, while those of us who believe walk
in the Light. (John 3:19) Which camp are you in this morning? Jesus said that those who would follow Him would walk in the Light.
Obviously, if there is a lamp in front of you that you are following, your steps will be sure. You will be able to see
where you are going. No wonder Psalm 119:105 says that God's Word is a light for our path. God's Word is a person. It is this same Jesus
who said to the crowd, "I am the Light of the world." (John 1:14) He displayed the glory of God. He truly was, is and always will be the Light by which we see! (Psalm 36:9) Not only did Jesus say that He was the Light of the world,
He also said that those who followed Him would not walk in darkness. He went even further than that! When
He dwells within us, His Light pours forth from us. We become lights that shine in the dark world. We will be
free and we will be able to show others the way to be free as His healing light floods our innermost being. (Malachi 4:2) Jesus is God's righteous Son. He is also called the Sun of Righteousness. In the Jewish tradition,
God was considered to be the Light of the World, so these words of Jesus, making claim that He was the Light of the world
were as darkness to them. They did not believe Him, therefore they did not follow Him. Instead of following and
walking in the Light, they face darkness, just as the Egyptians did in the wilderness. The "cloud," of
His presence became as darkness to those who would not believe Jesus and follow Him! They remained full of darkness
and led others into darkness. (Luke 6:39) They were so used to living in the darkness, they could not face the Light. Those who followed Jesus just kept
being filled with more and more light until they began to see clearly. That's what will happen as we follow
Jesus too. (Matthew 5:14) Looking at the word, "follow," in John 8:12, we find that it means to, "continue following." Are we continuing to follow Jesus as we travel
the road of life? If so, we will shine like stars against the dark backdrop of this present world. (Philippians 2:15) Are we full of light this morning? The Light of life? As we follow Jesus, do our lives evidence the
fact that we are full of His Light? (Ephesians 5:8) Just as no life would exist on the earth without the sun, so no life will exist in us without the Son! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 15, 2008 - NO STONES AND NO MUD! John 8:6 (KJV) Women,
in the time Jesus was on the earth, were not worth much. They were mere possessions. They were certainly not thought
of as anywhere near equal with men! They had no rights of their own and were, basically, at the mercy of men.
Some men were not very merciful, as we see here in John 8! Jesus would show all the men there in the temple court just what a real man should look like. Jesus was
full of mercy. As believers in Jesus, we should be merciful too, both men and women! Jesus was about to change
the status of women. Later in the scripture, we find that there is no difference between men and women as far as
their rights to the Kingdom of Heaven. (Galatians 3:28) All believers, both men and women, are all children of Abraham and heirs to the promises God gave
to him. (Galatians 3:29) Jesus had just sat down and begun to teach (one commentary
said He was teaching in the Women's Court) in the temple area. Suddenly, the peace of the moment was disturbed
by a group of religious leaders shouting and dragging a woman with them, pushing her right into the midst of the crowd.
She stood humiliated and afraid before the crowd. Totally exposed both physically and emotionally. There she stood
like a trapped animal waiting to die. (John 8:3) She knew that the law stated that anyone caught in adultery had to be put to death. (Deuteronomy 22:22) If she had been given the opportunity to learn, she also knew that both the man and the woman must be
killed. She had been caught in the act of adultery. (John 8:4) Obviously, a man was caught too. But, these religious men did not produce the man that she had been caught with!
In fact, they probably could care less that the woman had committed adultery. After all, she was only a woman.
And, there is great likelihood that some of those same men that dragged her in and plopped her in the middle of the crowd
had used her before too. They certainly didn't seem to have much trouble finding a woman to catch in adultery
that early morning! Perhaps they knew, from their own experience, exactly where to go!
This rude interruption in Jesus's teaching was not really about adultery.
It was a trap to catch Jesus. (John 8:6) To turn people away from Him. To discredit His teaching. Even to find a reason to kill Him!
According to some commentaries, there were not many being put to death for adultery in that day because so many were
doing it. And, of the many, lots of them were men of high stature. They didn't want to be exposed!
Not only was this unfortunate woman probably used to provide sensual pleasure for the local men, she was now also being used
to try to achieve their political and religious gain. She had no control over her situation and no recourse. She
was just something to be used! The scribes and Pharisees insisted that Jesus give a verdict in this case right there
on the spot. (John 8:5) They even quoted the law of Moses to Jesus. They were sure they had Him trapped this time! He
would have to condemn the woman, according to the law of Moses, and lose the favor of the common people who had
heard Him preaching about grace and mercy. Or, He would have to let her go, inciting His own arrest because He
had broken the law of Moses. Either way, the scribes and the Pharisees would have victory over Him. They
thought. But, no one can fight God - and win! (Acts 5:39, 2 Chronicles 13:12) Victory always belongs to Jesus and to those who choose to follow Him. (Revelation 3:21) Jesus had just told Nicodemus in John 3:17 that He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it. The "trap," that the religious
leaders had set for Jesus now became a perfect opportunity for Jesus to show that He meant what He said. Jesus
sent the woman away uncondemned, although we remember that she was told to turn from her sin. (John 8:11) We can know this morning that, although we have sinned, Jesus has not come to condemn us, but to save us.
He has not come to sentence us to death but to give us the opportunity to receive Life. Not just us either, He came
for the whole world! The accusers, on the other hand, went away condemned. Not by Jesus, but by their own thoughts
and deeds. No one among the accusers could rightfully, "throw the first stone," at this woman. (John 8:7) None of them could truthfully say that they were without sin in this area. They had been caught in their own
trap! This morning, let's follow Jesus's example. We are sent to a lost and dying world, not to judge
and condemn them but to take the message of salvation. Before we might decide to,"throw stones," let's
remember that we also will be judged, not just by others, but by Jesus Himself. And, not just our actions but also our
thoughts. Which of us is free from sin, except by the grace of Jesus? (Romans 2:16) Not one of us can escape His judgment. So, instead of dragging people through the mud, even though
they might indeed be guilty, let's keep our robes of righteousness white! When we drag others through
the mud, we can't help but get dirty too! And, if we decide to throw stones, we'll probably get caught in the
cross-fire! (Luke 6:37) MORNING MANNA - JUNE 14, 2008 - EARLY IN THE MORNING John 8:2 (KJV) What do you do early in the morning? What is your routine? Jesus taught early in
the morning, breaking the Bread of life. After a long and challenging week and a night alone on the Mount of Olives,
we see Jesus coming early in the morning into the temple. People gathered there and He sat down and taught
them. Do you remember the Israelites gathering manna in the morning? (Exodus 16:4) They could gather as much as they needed for the day, but not more. Anything extra they gathered would rot and
become infested with maggots. (Exodus 16:19-20) And, of course, we remember that Jesus, when giving us a model prayer, taught us to say, "Give us this
day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11) Just as we need bread to eat to keep us alive physically, we need spiritual food to keep us alive spiritually.
We can't stuff ourselves with a ton of food one day and then expect to be nourished for a month. We won't be
nourished. We'll be very bloated and sick! God has shown us that He is capable of giving us both physical
and spiritual food. He gave the manna in the wilderness to keep His people alive and He gives spiritual Manna to us
everyday, if we will gather it! What is the first thing you think about doing when you awaken? Are
you hungry? Most of us are. We want to get some food in our stomachs to "break(the)fast." After
all, it's probably been at least eight to twelve hours since we have last eaten! We may even be experiencing, "grumbling's,"
coming from our stomach, letting us know it's empty! Do you have
"grumbling's," coming from your spirit in the morning? Is your spirit hungry? Are you anxious to
have your spirit fed? In showing the Israelites (and us as, we read of it) that He could provide bread from heaven for
them to eat, God was showing us a picture of how He would give us spiritual food. When we pray, "Give us this day
our daily bread," do we include both physical and spiritual bread in our heart's cry? The people who
came to hear Jesus teach that morning (John 8:2), were, whether they knew it or not, coming to feast on the Manna from Heaven. (John 6:58) Their spirits would be filled to the brim with all the spiritual food they could use for that day. Of course,
they would benefit from the nourishment they received that day by having their spirits grow and become stronger in the coming
days too. In fact, they would be so nourished that they would never die! Each morning, we have the opportunity
to eat the Bread of Life. (John 6:51) This Bread is "living bread." It's not as though you can read the Word and
study it one day and think that the next day you will not be fed by it again. We shouldn't just read it with
the intent of, "storing knowledge," either. We should put that spiritual Bread that we eat each morning
to use in our lives so that others can see and be drawn to how we live. So that their spiritual appetite will be
whetted by seeing just what the Bread of life has done for us. When we do that, we will surely be in need of more Bread
the next morning! Just like God's mercies, which are new each morning, the Word of God, the "living
bread," will speak to our needs for each day. (Lamentations 3:22-23) If you have slipped and fallen the day before, the words of 1 John 2:1 will have new and fresh meaning as you hear it again early the next morning. The specifics of our circumstances
will change with each passing day, but that same Word will guide us through each circumstance becoming more and more real
to us as we see it's new effects each morning. Many of the characters
we read about in the Bible worshipped and sought God out early in the morning. Maybe that pattern will
help us realize that, before anything else in the morning, our thoughts should be on Jesus, who is our Bread.
(Acts 17:28) The first time the word, "worship," was used in the King James Version of the Bible was when Abraham was
taking his only son, Isaac, up the mountain to sacrifice him, at the Lord's command. (Genesis 22:1-5) Although God had told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham still had faith that somehow God would remember His
promise to him regarding Isaac. (Genesis 17:16) When Abraham took Isaac up the mountain, ready to sacrifice Him in obedience to God, the Bible says, he told his servants
that he and the boy were going up to, "worship." Though, in his mind, he knew that God had said to sacrifice
Isaac on the altar, he also knew that God is always true to His promises. (2 Corinthians 1:20) So, Abraham, by faith, told the servants they would be back. Sure enough, God provided a substitutionary
sacrifice! A ram caught in a bush. (Genesis 22:13) All of these activities surrounding Abraham's, "worship," were done early in the morning. God
has provided a substitutionary sacrifice for you and me too! His Name is Jesus. He is the Heavenly Manna given
to us so that we may live, just as Isaac's life was spared. So that we may live a life of worship, as we are
nourished and strengthened by a better food than the manna the Israelites ate. (John 6:58) Are we prepared to gather this living Bread, early in the morning? Is that when our worship begins each day?
Do we practice good spiritual nutrition in order to stay spiritually fit? Every morning is a new opportunity.
Let's take it early! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 13, 2008 - TIME ALONE WITH OUR FATHER John 8:1 (KJV) We all know
what it feels like to have had a challenging week! Jesus had just had one of those. Unlike some of us, who "burn
the candle at both ends," Jesus knew how to keep Himself in balance and energized for the next day's ministry.
You and I can learn a lot if we watch what He did. The Feast of Tabernacles had just ended. It had been a
week of constant teaching and constant attack for Jesus. This Feast was a time of festivity for the Jewish people.
They were remembering the miracles of the past and how God brought them through the wilderness. They were remembering,
for one thing, how God caused water to gush from a rock when their ancestors felt they were just about to die of thirst.
Now, they were confronted with the, "Rock," Himself, as Jesus invited them to come to Him and receive living water.
Not many could, or would, believe. All of this and more had gone on for the previous week. As we might imagine, everyone
was probably tired and they all returned to their own homes. (John 7:53) That is, all but One. Jesus went, not to His own
home or to anybody else's home. He went to the Mount of Olives. (John 8:1) Apparently, Jesus spent many nights on the Mount of Olives. (Luke 21:37) This is a hill overlooking the temple in Jerusalem. Luke mentions it again in Luke 22:39. Sometimes He would go there alone and sometimes He would be accompanied by His disciples. But, He did make
time to be alone with His Father. The Mount of Olives is where David went when his son, Absalom took the city
of Jerusalem in rebellion against him. (2 Samuel 15:30) For Jesus, this was the place where He was in submission to His Father. He often went alone
to pray. It was in the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives where Jesus would finally sweat drops
of blood as He agonized in prayer, "Not my will but Thine be done," when submitting Himself fully to death
on the cross. (Matthew 26:39) The meaning of the word, "Gethsemane," is, "oil-press." Have you ever been in a situation
where you were, "pressed?" When that happens, you find out just what is inside you. When you are
pressed so hard that you are "poured out," the world will see what you're really made of. Jesus often
went to the Mount of Olives to be alone with His Father. We should often go to a place of solitude too, to be alone
with our Heavenly Father. Then, when we are, "hard-pressed," what comes out of us will be love, humility,
and yes, sometimes even sacrifice. Jesus began the shedding His blood first in the Garden of Gethsemane, at the
foot of the Mount of Olives, where He prayed alone to His Father. We are encouraged by scripture to follow the pattern Jesus set forth for us. (Matthew 6:6) Jesus said that we should pray to our Father in secret. What a wonderful thing it is to pray, in secret, to
the Father and see Him work it all out openly! There is no sweeter reward than knowing that God made a way for you when
there just wasn't any way that you could see! Jesus must have prayed in secret quite often there on the Mount of
Olives, since he spent many nights there alone. All the others who had attended the Feast of Tabernacles went to their
own homes. They were, undoubtedly there with their families and possibly their friends. But, Jesus went to the
Mount of Olives. He had more to do for the Father the next day. He needed to get away where He could commune quietly
with the One who was His strength. Where His soul could be restored. (Psalm 23:3) Have we found that balance of, "aloneness," with the Father and interaction with others? Is
your soul in need of restoration? Is your strength almost gone? One thing is for sure, without our time alone
with the Father, we will be of no use to anyone around us! Sometimes we may have to pray through many hours
alone. But, the wait will be worth it! (Isaiah 40:31) Waiting on the Lord, just as Jesus did so many times there on the Mount of Olives, will find us restored and
with renewed strength. We'll be ready to continue on the mission that God has placed in our hearts. How are
you doing with your, "alone time," with the Father? (Luke 5:16) Is it often? MORNING MANNA - JUNE 12, 2008 - WHO WAS DECEIVED? John 7:47 (KJV) When Jesus really shows up, there is always a stir among the people. Here, as we find Jesus at the end of the
Feast of Tabernacles, we see that a lot of tension is in the air. (John 7:43) Believe it or not, there are churches today where, if Jesus really showed up, there would be division!
Why doesn't He show up in some churches? Quite simply, because He's not invited and He's not wanted.
There are whole churches that are not thirsty at all! They quench the Holy Spirit and stop the flow of the living water.
(Isaiah 44:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:19) Here at the Feast, the Pharisees began to be really agitated.
They had sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus but the guards came back empty handed. (John 7:45) Without even a fight! When they got in the presence of Jesus, they couldn't resist his Words. Oh,
isn't that what will happen to us this morning as we find peace in His presence? As we hear His Words once more
from the pages of scripture? Anyway, the guards disobeyed the orders of the religious leaders because of the power of
the Word of God flowing through Jesus! (John 7:46) Quite a risk, wouldn't you say? What happened then?
I don't know if these guards were reprimanded in any other way but they were attacked by a form of mind control.
The Pharisees then flung these words back at them, "Are you also deceived?" (John 7:47) Oh my, just who was deceived? Have you ever been in that situation? You know that
you know what you know, but then someone who should have more wisdom than you do tells you that you don't know what you
know! They are not walking the straight and narrow and, because they perceive themselves as having power and authority,
they want you to continue following them. (John 7:48) Jesus once said that His sheep would know His voice and that they would follow
Him. (John 10:27) So, this morning, and every morning, if we find ourselves in a situation where those with religious
titles try to tell us we're deceived or lead us in the wrong direction, let's just listen ever so closely for
the Good Shepherd's voice and follow Him! It was not the guards who were deceived. It was the Pharisees.
Notice that thePharisees then tried to tell Nicodemus that he was deceived too! Nicodemus was a Pharisee,
himself, but he had taken the time to seek out a personal encounter with Jesus. (John 3:1-21) In their own determination to be deceived and stay that way, the Pharisees then chided Nicodemus when
he asked that Jesus be given a legal hearing. (John 7:50-51) They were so deceived that they were about to go against their own law. Just a
few moments before they had called the crowds who believed in Jesus, "accursed," because they were unlearned.
John 7:49 (AMP) 49 As
for this multitude (rabble) that does not know the Law, they are contemptible and doomed and accursed! How is it that these Pharisees, who considered themselves so learned did not research the birth of Jesus and
know that He was born in Bethlehem? Not in Galilee, as they had determined to believe. Just who
was really unlearned here? The Pharisees, although well-studied in the religious traditions of men, were totally
dumbfounded when the real thing appeared! They could have sought out the truth for themselves but they didn't
want to know the Truth. They just wanted to stay in their error. It had gotten them position (among men)
and they didn't want to lose that position and power, even at the expense of walking in error. It was bad enough
that they determined to walk in error. The awful thing was that they tried to take others with them too, even
resorting to this manipulative mind control geared to make those who knew the Truth doubt that they knew.
It wasn't just the guards and Nicodemus either. Jesus had rebuked them before because they would not come to the Truth.
And, worse yet, that they would also stop others from coming to the Truth. (Matthew 23:13) Yes, Jesus called these religious leaders, "hypocrites." As we read, study and
meditate on the Word of the Lord each day, let's pray for discernment. There are hypocrites in our day too.
First, we must allow God to search our own hearts. (Psalm 139:23) We don't want to be the ones found by Jesus to be deceived! We must follow Jesus, only.
In these trying days, there will be people, many of them leaders, who try to deceive even those chosen by God. (Matthew 24:24) Praise God, the rest of Matthew 24:24 says, "if it were possible." It's not possible when we are walking in His
Word! You can be sure these deceivers will have high sounding religious titles, just like the Pharisees of Jesus's
day. Who are we following today? If it is Jesus only, then those in whom we put our trust to lead us should have
the mindset of Jesus. Their speech and actions should depict those of Jesus. If they don't, are we deceived?
If we have been deceived, it's not to late to come to the Truth! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 11, 2008 - IS ANYBODY THIRSTY? John 7:37 (KJV) I rarely get thirsty. Because of that, I don't drink enough
water. I don't even like the taste of water! Consequently, I have to watch myself carefully. Without
water, our physical bodies do not function properly. They can't rid themselves of waste products properly.
Sickness and weakness set in. Isn't that how it is, spiritually, with some people? They don't
get thirsty. Or perhaps, they don't know they are thirsty. And, if they get a little taste of living water,
they don't seem to like the taste. They may want to add something to the water to make it more palatable.
The rest is history. They stay spiritually sick and die that way. What a great Savior we have! He came to
give us water for our spirits so we would not have to be weak and sick. So we would not have to die spiritually.
The Israelites grieved God when they refused Him as their Fountain of Living Waters. Jeremiah 2:13 (AMP) 13 For
My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living waters, and they have hewn for themselves
cisterns, broken cisterns which cannot hold water. The Israelites made a poor choice refusing the Fountain
of living waters. When they did that, they had to rely on themselves. They tried, through tradition and man-made
ideas, to keep themselves hydrated but these things proved only to be broken cisterns which would not hold enough water to
do them any good. Today, Jesus gives us the choice of giving up our old broken cisterns that cannot hold enough water
to keep us alive for His living water. God is a God of mercy. Though His people had forsaken Him in the past,
He would not leave them without hope. Jesus came to offer that spiritual water once again! Jesus was at the Feast of Tabernacles, as you will know if you have been following along
with the Morning Manna for the past few days. On the last day of the Feast, which some say is the seventh day and
some say the eighth day, Jesus spoke these words: "If any man thirst, let him come
unto me, and drink." To those in attendance at the time, these words were so fitting.
On the last day of the Feast the priests would march seven times around the alter. What is so fitting, is this.
They would pour out water they had taken from the Pool of Siloam as they chanted. Some say they chanted, Isaiah 12:3 (KJV) Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out
of the wells of salvation. The people were probably remembering how God caused the water to pour from
a rock as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. (Numbers 20:8-11, Psalm 78:15-16) Now they were listening to "The Rock," the "Chief Cornerstone." (Psalm 118:22) The Water was beginning to flow. Now they were looking at the One who would die and rise again in order
to send His Spirit to cause the living water to flow in and through them, if they would receive it.
(John 7:38-39) Jesus is calling all of us who thirst for
spiritual water to come to Him today, just as He called that day in public in the temple in Jerusalem. He doesn't
want us just to drink and be satisfied. He wants to fill our cup to overflowing. (Psalm 23:5) He wants those living waters to flow from us to all those around us, bringing salvation and healing
to those in need. The spring that Jesus places in us must turn to rivers of living water that will flow to
others! John 4:14 Jesus is the King spoken of here in Isaiah 32:1-2 (KJV)Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness,
and princes shall rule in judgment.2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the
wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Jesus
is our King. As believers, filled with the living water, the well-spring that is within
us should rise up and pour until rivers of living water satisfy the thirst in the dry, and dying world
around us. Just as our physical bodies are made up chiefly of water that needs to be replenished daily, so our
spirits are in need of the living water to be vibrant and full of Life. Let's never lose our thirst
for the living water! Let's always let that living water flow! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 10, 2008 - BECAUSE IT WASN'T HIS TIME John 7:30 (NLT) I'm so glad this morning that nothing can come about in my life
until, and unless, it is in God's time! (Psalm 139:16) Even when I run ahead of Him or lag behind at times, still He doesn't allow anything to happen
to me that is not in His time. That's true and I believe it because I have put my trust
in Him. I hope you have too. Even what the enemy tries to throw at us has to come through God's hand. It
may look like the enemy is winning but he can't go any farther than God will allow and he can't change
God's timing. (Psalm 138:7) If we're fully trusting in God this morning, we know that He is God over the enemy and over
time and circumstance. (Psalm 82:1) Isaiah 46:9-10 (KJV) Jesus went to the Feast after it had already begun. He
must have quietly slipped in through the crowds. (John 7:10) Then, He began, not so quietly, to teach, right there in the temple! Of course, as He did, it brought more
murmuring from the crowd. (John 7:12-13) Some believed and some didn't, as is always the case when the Word of God goes forth. The Jewish leaders
were taken back when they heard Him. Even though they were in total opposition to Him, they couldn't deny that He
spoke with authority. That probably made them even more angry. They even wondered among themselves how Jesus
could speak with so much substance and authority when He had not even studied like they had studied.
(John 7:15) The crowds were swayed by the opinions of the leaders (which is not always a good thing, especially
in this case). They accused Jesus of being demon possessed! They were just mimicking the thoughts of the leaders,
whose teaching was based on previous,"authorities," and traditions of men. But Jesus's teaching was based
on God's holy authority. (John 7:16) Unlike some who set themselves up to be leaders, Jesus did not set Himself up in that position. God
sent Him and had given Him that position from before time. Unlike the Jewish leaders who loved the praise
of the people, Jesus spoke only what His Father spoke, seeking only to honor Him. (John 7:18) And everything He spoke was in God's time. More than
once, within a few verses, we see that the Jewish leaders tried to have Jesus arrested. When we go against
Jesus, there is always confusion. Some people who lived in Jerusalem knew that Jesus was the One that
the Jewish leaders were plotting to kill. Yet, there He was openly preaching and teaching in the temple! (John 7:25-26) They even wondered if the leaders were convinced that Jesus really was the Messiah! These same
leaders that watched and listened to Jesus as He preached right in front of them in the temple were the ones who had
been determined to kill Him. Why didn't they just do it? Although the people might have wondered
if their leaders were convinced that Jesus really was the Messiah, this was not the case. The leaders were barred
by the hand of God, from killing Jesus because it was not yet time for Jesus to sacrifice Himself for the world.
When they finally tried to arrest Him, they couldn't. (John 7:30) We are not given a detailed description of exactly why they couldn't arrest Him. We are just told
that it was not His time. In our own lives, we are protected daily from attacks from the enemy that could
take us out. Many times we don't even know that we have been in any danger. God will not let anything
happen to His children that is not in His perfect time. One probable reason that Jesus's time had not
yet come to be arrested and die on the cross, is that many in the crowd that day began to believe in Him. (John 7:31) Of course the Jewish leaders were threatened by this so, in agreement with the leading priests, they sent the temple
guards again to try to arrest Him. (John 7:32) Jesus replied to them that soon He would go away and they would not be able to follow Him. (John 7:33-34) They couldn't follow because of their unbelief. However, for those of us who do believe, we know
where He is going and He's going to see that we get there too! (John 14:3) Well, the temple guards could not arrest Jesus! (John 7:45) His time had not yet come. As I recently read in one commentary, instead of arresting Jesus, the temple guards
had been arrested by Jesus! They were taken back by, and in awe of, the authority in which He spoke.
(John 7:46) No one, not even armed guards with orders from their commanders, was able to take Jesus, because His time had
not yet come. Nothing and no one will be able to harm us or bring our time here on earth to an end unless, according
to God's plan, our time has come. We will not leave this world unless God has preauthorized
it and preordained it. Jesus's time would come. It would be the exact time that was planned by the Father
before the world began. It would be the perfect time. When it came, Jesus would know it and submit to His Father's
will. That's the example He set for us. Since we are still here and reading this today, we know that we still
have work to do, just as Jesus did between the times they tried to arrest Him. Today, we have the opportunity to encourage
the saints and spread the good news of the gospel to those whose time may come while they are still in their sin-sick state.
Let's use our time to do what we can to win the lost and encourage one another in the faith while we can. MORNING MANNA - JUNE 9, 2008 - SPEAKING OF JESUS..... John 7:13 (KJV) The Jewish leaders there at the Feast of Tabernacles, were looking for Jesus. At first,
you might think that's a good thing. They were constantly asking, "Where is this man?" (John 7:11) They were sure they would find Him among the crowd because his brothers had gone ahead of Him and people had obviously
seen them there at the Feast. Jesus had stayed behind in Galilee, knowing that the leaders were out to kill Him
there in Jerusalem. (John 7:1) He had been wise about knowing the perfect timing to arrive at the Feast. (John 7:6) His brothers had wanted Him to go when they went, but He declined. Because His brothers were still unbelievers, He
told them that they could go anytime and it would make no difference. They didn't have a mission to complete.
They were probably not even aware of God's timing. Maybe they even wanted Jesus to go so they could see a good
fight ensue, since they knew that the presence of Jesus always caused people to argue among themselves as to who He really
was. Today, there is unrest among the people because of Jesus
too, isn't there? In America, we are not supposed to say His Name in public addresses, such as graduations,
sports events, etc. Today, we are not supposed to say, "In the Name of Jesus," at the end of a prayer,
should we even be "allowed," to pray. There was a recent incident where a teacher called for a moment of silence
at the end of the school day. She did not tell the students what to do in that moment of silence. They were free
to meditate on whatever they wished. This idea was struck down because, "somebody might pray," in
that moment of silence! We are being turned away from praying in the mighty Name of our Savior! Even silently!
It is okay to say, "God," out loud because all religions have a, "god," or even many.
But, when we use the name of Jesus, we are defining the true and living God, which is offensive to many. Why is it so
offensive? Because there is power in the Name of Jesus. (Acts 4:10) All authority has been given to Jesus. (Matthew 28:18) This unrest that Jesus faced in Jerusalem would only increase after His death and resurrection. Men and women
would be tortured and even killed for using His Name. Governments would try to legislate His Name out of existence.
(Acts 5:40) This is true today in America. In many other countries, followers of Jesus are being tortured in unspeakable
ways because they won't deny Him. But, you can't get rid of Jesus. He is the Son of God, the One
who is the Alpha and Omega. He always was and always will be. (Revelation 1:8) Why were the Jewish leaders so intent on killing Jesus? Here's
one reason. Because He revealed them for who they really were. Prideful, selfish, greedy, controlling and
fake. Unclean and full of death. (Matthew 23:27) His Life will always expose and conquer death! They would eventually see to it that He was crucified.
But, that wouldn't stop Him either. He would rise again defeating death, Hell and the grave! Praise God!
You and I can receive that victory today if we cling to and follow Jesus, despite what others may want us to do. Many
people today do not want Jesus around either. His presence still exposes all those deadly things that He exposed
in the leaders of His day. Some today love the kingdom of darkness and death more than they love the Kingdom
of Light and Life. (John 3:19) That's the way the Jewish leaders were at the time. They had seen His miracles. They had
heard His teaching. But, instead of giving up all of their arrogance and self-reliance, and all of their sin, they
decided to try to get rid of Him. Are we willing to bow down to the growing movement to get rid of Jesus in
society? We need to pray that we will be strong in His might and power not to be among those who will leave Him when
the tide of public opinion turns against Him. (John 6:66-69) Another reason the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Him was that they were fearful. That's right. They
saw that His power was greater than theirs. They were merely filled with words and platitudes but, when Jesus spoke,
things happened! That's the same reason controlling and scheming people are trying to legislate Jesus out of
our lives too. When we, who are believers, stand up and pray in the name of Jesus, things happen! Lives are changed,
people are healed, strongholds are broken. We can do all things through Christ. (Philippians 4:13) When Jesus was about to leave this earth, He said that we, as believers, could do the same things He did and even
more because He was going to the Father. (John 14:12) He has sent His own Spirit to us to enable us to carry out His work for the Father's Kingdom. He gave us
a glimpse of that when he sent out the seventy-two disciples during His earthly ministry. (Luke 10:17-20) We who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior rejoice today because our names are written in the Book of Life.
Though man can kill us, we will not die. We will just begin to live. Our faith must tell us that we need not fear
what man can do to us. (Hebrews 13:6) It is the devil-driven person that should fear us! That's exactly why the Jewish leaders
feared Jesus during His life and were compelled to kill Him. Though they appeared to be religious, they
wanted nothing to do with the Kingdom of God. They had used God's name to create their own kingdom and they
weren't about to give it up, even for God, Himself! God's Kingdom is going to overcome all of men's kingdoms.
When His children, under the banner of His Son, Jesus Christ, walk in the authority they have been given by Him, things will
happen! (Mark 16:15-18) So, let's go ahead and speak openly of Him, praying in His name, watching those things come to pass that His Word
promises! Let His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Let us be found
right there in the midst of it, speaking openly of Jesus! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 8, 2008 - DIVIDED OPINIONS Is there murmuring among the people today concerning Jesus? You bet! There, in Jerusalem,
two thousand years ago, there was much murmuring among the people about just who Jesus really was. Two thousand years
later, there is much murmuring about the very same thing. That murmuring doesn't just go on the general population.
In fact many in that population have dismissed Jesus all together. These people may say that He is a fictitious
character. Or, they may say that He is the greatest deceiver that ever walked the earth. Those who have not dismissed
Him are divided among their opinions as to who He really is. To some, He is the one who brings worldly prosperity.
To some, He's just a good man. To others, He's a teacher on the same level with other religious teachers.
And the lists go on. Today, there is much murmuring among the people about Who Jesus is, even within the buildings we
call, "church". Who is Jesus to you? To Peter, He was, "The Messiah,
The Son of the Living God." (Matthew 16:16) How did Peter know that? How can we know that? It was revealed to Him by God. (Matthew 16:17) Peter did not have a teacher to tell Him that Jesus was the Son of God. God, Himself, spoke it to
Peter's spirit. None of us can really know who Jesus is unless the Father reveals it to us. Peter was a simple
man. He was a fisherman. He wasn't a scribe or a religious leader. Yet, the Father chose to
reveal to him the identity of His Son. (Matthew 11:25) God wasn't looking for people who, "knew it all," in that day and He isn't looking for that sort
of people today either. He will reveal Himself precisely to those like Peter, the ones who know they don't
know much! The Father sent His Son to fill the hungry and refresh the thirsty. Just look at the revelation
to the Samaritan woman at the well! (John 4:24-26) Those who are satisfied in and with themselves will not be hungry for the Bread of Life or thirsty
for the Living Water. But, those who are hungry and thirsty - needy and knowing it - will be open for the
revelation of God. The revelation of who Jesus really is. Are you a bit hungry and thirsty today?
If so, you are the very one that is in line to receive the revelation. The Father reveals the Son and the Son reveals
the Father. (Matthew 11:27) We probably all know these things but, in light
of today's various opinions and descriptions of Jesus, it might be good if we encouraged one another by reminding
ourselves of the several, "I AM," statements made by Jesus. Remember when Moses wanted God to divulge
His Name so that Moses would be able to tell the people who sent him? (Exodus 3:14) God revealed Himself as, "I AM." Jesus also revealed Himself as the, "I AM." Father,
Son and Spirit, they are the, "I AM," of whatever it is you and I need today or will ever need, even for eternity! Since
today's society is divided on its opinions of Him, let's make sure we're the ones standing on the side of
Who Jesus really is, according to the Word of God. Below is a list of seven, "I Am," statements made by
Jesus, neatly put together by Susan Anthony. Is He your, "I AM," this morning? As we read through
theses seven statements and remind ourselves of who Jesus is, let's not be divided on this issue. Concerning
what is written in John 7:12, He is neither just a good man, nor is He a deceiver. He is, as Peter declared, the Christ, the Son
of the Living God. He is, as even a previously doubting Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28) Seven "I AM" Statements of Jesus Source:
Bible Book of Lists at www.SusanCAnthony.com MORNING MANNA - JUNE 7, 2008 - GOD'S TIMING John 7:9 (KJV) Has anyone ever goaded
you on, or even just encouraged you to do the right thing? But, at the wrong time? That's what happened
to Jesus as His brothers "egged him on," to go to the Feast of Tabernacles (translated, "Shelters,"
in the New Living Translation). (John 7:2-3) Their motives were wrong. They didn't really believe in Him so they were just, as we used to say, "trying
to get His goat." Yet, sometimes, people will have good motives and encourage us to do something good.
But, it will be at the wrong time. Timing is important in the things we do, the things we say and
the places we go. The Psalmist prayed a prayer that should be on our hearts every day. "So teach us
to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. - Psalm 90:12 KJV How many things do we say and do, at the urging of others - or because of our own willful thinking -
without stopping to check in with our Father to see if we are walking in wisdom? To ask if the timing
is right for this particular place, activity, or conversation? Wisdom's (God's) timing is always
perfect! That day in Galilee, Jesus could have "copped
an attitude," when His brothers insinuated that He wasn't all He knew He was. He could have let
His ego get in the way and gone to the Feast with an, "I'll show you!" mindset. Of course, that would
have been a disaster. Being out of God's timing usually does create disaster, although many times He is merciful
to us when we, "miss it." Some of us might have been tempted to go to the Feast, if we were Jesus, and
"show our stuff," if we knew we could do such a thing. Especially if others
were very vocal about expressing their doubt about us. We should never determine to do a thing, say a thing, or go somewhere,
"just because we know we can." Everything we do (and I'm talking about good things - obviously,
we shouldn't be doing bad things), should be done in God's timing, not our own. Jesus showed His brothers
that day that He was going to do what He had been teaching and preaching all along. (John 5:30, John 6:38) He was going to stay totally in His Father's will (and that included His Father's timing).
Being in God's will for us also includes timing. A thing said or done, or a place visited at the wrong time,
can make all the difference in the world. An awful difference! God has created a time (season) for every
purpose. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) On the one hand, we must not be pushed by the opinions of people, or by our own fleshly desires, into
a wrong season. On the other hand, we must not miss obeying the voice of God in right season! Jesus was the perfect
example of being discerning about His Father's timing and He did not let himself get distracted from that even when
pressure from His brothers probably really grated against His flesh. We have the opportunity today to make the decision
not to let outside pressures, or pressures from our fleshly desires, deter us from listening carefully to our Father
and responding to His call, in His time. Jesus told his
brothers to go on up to the Feast because His time had not yet come. (John 7:8) He wasn't ready because He knew that God had called Him to go at a specific time. Has
God ever called you to do something or not do something and then a friend persuaded you not to follow through on God's
call? Or, maybe you said something like, "God, I'll do it in a minute." Or, "Are
you sure that's You, God?" Did that special moment when you would have been right in the center of God's
will slip away? Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15-17 to watch the way we walk. To be wise and not foolish. He explains to us how evil the days are
and how we should redeem our time. That's just the kind of time Jesus was living in at that moment. One slip out
of the Father's will would have eternal consequences. He lived in desperate times. Things are different now,
but we also live in desperately evil times. That's why, as Paul says, we need to make wise decisions, as we
understand what the will of the Lord is. The days are evil, just as they were that day that Jesus made the decision
to remain in Galilee for a while before He went to the Feast. He made a wise, and timely, decision, based on what
He heard His Father saying, not what He heard His brothers saying. His brothers were still unbelievers.
It is not that God cannot speak to us through unbelievers. He can. But, we should know God so well,
from staying close in His Word and walking in His Spirit, that we will be able to know whether what someone
else is saying to us is really from Him. That's the example Jesus gave us. He walked the walk of Colossians 4:5-6. He walked in wisdom in front of His brothers. He redeemed the time. He knew exactly how He ought to answer
their less than gracious speech and He answered them with grace that was quite effective! That was God's time
for that kind of answer. How is your timing this morning? Do you redeem your time by making the best
of every opportunity God speaks into your spirit? That's the example set before us by Jesus. I know that
I can never stop listening to His spirit speaking to me about His timing. If I listen and obey, my life will become
a musical masterpiece with a pleasing and consistent rhythm. If I don't, the music in my life will be out of
sync and it won't please God or be pleasant and edifying to those around me! Should you stay or go today?
Should you say that thing or not? Should you be involved in that activity or another? It all depends on whether
you and I are operating in the wisdom of God's timing. Not our own. Are we following Jesus so closely
that when He picks up His foot to take another step, our foot steps in the footprint He just stepped out of? That's
God's timing! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 6, 2008 - DO YOU BELIEVE IN HIM? John 7:5 (KJV) So close and yet, so far - at least at that moment.
That's the way Jesus's brothers were just before their trip to attend the Feast of Tabernacles (Shelters, as
translated in the New Living Translation). (John 7:2) Jesus had spent about six months around His brothers in Galilee. They had seen His miracles
and heard Him teach, but they did not believe in Him. Jesus was probably not surprised at this but, I
can't help but think that it was heartbreaking to Him. Those closest to him, in the physical sense, did not
believe that He was the Messiah. They did not see Him for Who He was. Look at what Jesus said at one point: Mark 6:4 (NIV) 4 Jesus
said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor."
That remark recorded in Mark 6:4 was prompted by those in Jesus's hometown who, although they, too, had seen his miracles and heard His supernatural
wisdom, were offended by Him! (Mark 6:2-3) They could not see Him for who He was. They saw Him for what He did. He was just too familiar to them.
Some had probably seen Him when He was a child. They said, "He's just the carpenter." One practical
lesson we can learn just from this one verse is this: Our identity is not our career. Our real
identity is who we are, not just what we do. It is who God made us to be.
Jesus was the Messiah when He was born. He did some carpentry work but He certainly was much, much more than a
carpenter. That job did not define Him at all! Whatever your career is, you are much, much more than that too.
You are a child of God if you have believed in His Son. Isn't
it interesting that some watching us from a distance may see us for who we really are when those closest to
us may not? All kinds of things come into play within our family and close-knit relationships. There could be
jealousy. There could be skepticism. Most of all, it comes down to unbelief. It's not a good thing
when we may have a dream that we know God put in our heart and some will doubt and even try to dissuade us
from being all that God has told us we are. That's a very discouraging and hurtful thing if it happens to you.
Check out the story of Joseph in Genesis 37. It's hard to get over things like that, isn't it? But Jesus did not, "get over it."
He saw past it! When we truly believe in Him and in His Word in us, we can begin to look past the doubts and unbelief
in those around us and just keep walking in our Father's will. That's what Jesus did. His own
brothers did not believe in Him and all that He was, but He knew Who He was and kept on at the business of His Father.
In fact, at one point, because He was totally enveloped in Kingdom business, His family insinuated that He was not quite,
"all there!" (Mark 3:20-21) There may be times in our lives when, if push comes to shove, we must listen to God, rather than what those
closest to us are saying about us. They may also think we have lost our mind. That may be true. We may have
lost our mind. And, it's okay, so long as we have traded our own minds for the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16) Kingdom business often looks (and many times feels) like it's totally upside down. The fact is that this
world is upside down! Just watch the nightly news and you'll find out. It is the Kingdom of God and the
business of God that is right side up and always on the up and up! Jesus wasn't always applauded for doing
Kingdom business and we may not be either. Do you suppose that
Jesus's brothers were jealous? Or were they just short-sighted? They, most likely, knew that Jesus had stayed
in Galilee because He knew that the Jews were waiting to kill Him in Judea. Since it was time for the Feast of Tabernacles,
His brothers seemed to want to "egg Him on" to go and be seen there. They encouraged Him to, "show His
stuff," so that the crowds there could see His miracles and hear His wise teaching. They even sort of intimated
their disbelief as to whether He would really be accepted and believed in there. (John 7:3) Was it because they could not believe their own eyes? Why would they do such a thing, knowing that exposure
like that would probably cost Him His life? As we see in John 7:3, they scoffed at Him. They dared the Son of God to prove Himself to the world! (John 7:4) When we are in Jesus, we will never have to prove anything to anybody. (Matthew 23:12) Trust in Him will tell us that He will do His work in and through us. Jesus was not tempted
or put off by His unbelieving brothers. Knowing the hearts of all men, He knew they didn't believe. He
wasn't angry. If we have those around us who will not yet believe, we must not be angry towards them either. Jesus
was, most probably, deeply grieved, as He is over those who will not receive Him. (Luke 19:41-42) Nonetheless, He didn't stop reaching to His brothers and He never compromised His identity and
mission. Eventually they did believe. In fact, one of them is one of the New Testament writers. James
had a real change of heart somewhere along the line. A change for the better. Just look at the treasure of wisdom
in the book of James! A hardened heart that was turned to a believing heart. (Ezekiel 3:26) Believing in Jesus means following Him and obeying Him. It's not just an acknowledgement of Who
He is. Demons believe in Jesus too! (James 2:19) But, they don't follow Him and, be it far from them, to obey Him! Jesus's brothers believed (acknowledged
the fact that He could do miracles and speak wisely) in Him. They saw His miracles and they heard His teaching but they
didn't receive it. Have you received Him? Are you following Him? Do you truly believe in Him?
(2 Corinthians 13:5) MORNING MANNA - JUNE 5, 2008 - ON PURPOSE John 7:1 (KJV) Jesus was filled with wisdom as He walked this earth. (Luke 2:40). God filled Him, even as a child, with wisdom beyond His years. Jesus was the perfect example of numbering His
days on earth. (Psalm 90:12) As He numbered His days, He kept operating in wisdom. And so can we. If we knew, as Jesus did,
just exactly how much time we would have here on earth, would our lives change in any way? Would that prompt us to use
our days wisely and circumspectly? Would we choose, more carefully, the places we would go the and people with whom
we associate? If we follow the example of Jesus, we will do exactly that! For a period of six months or so, after speaking
the "hard sayings," to those in Capernaum, Jesus chose, on purpose, to minister in Galilee instead
of going to Judea. A very wise choice, since the Jews there in Judea, were just looking for the first opportunity
they could find to kill Him. John 7:1 (NIV) 1 After
this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. When
I looked into the meaning of the word, "Galilee," in the Strong's Concordance, I found that it speaks of, "the
heathen circle." For at least six months out of his three year earthy ministry, Jesus chose, on purpose, to minister
to those in, "the heathen circle." He could have chosen to go to the Jews in Judea, the, "religious people."
The ones that called themselves, "Abraham's children." But, wisdom told Him that He needed to
stay away from there for a time. He was right and they were wrong. He could have gone there and fought them tooth
and nail. But, doing so would have cut his time short and left part of God's plan unfulfilled. They didn't
want to listen to Him or learn from Him. They just wanted to kill Him. Isn't it awesome that in staying in Galilee, "the heathen circle," Jesus showed His
great mercy on those who probably knew they were sinners? He does that for us today too. Instead of going to Judea,
where He would meet the self-righteous people who had faith only in their rules and works, He chose to teach and minister
to those who were totally unrighteous. And, if they were willing to admit it, He gave them His own righteousness!
He didn't come to save those who don't know, or won't admit, they are in need of a Savior. Not even
to those who immerse themselves in religious practices and orders. Most of us have heard something like the
following said. "Sitting in a church pew every time the church doors are open will not make one a Christian any
more than sitting in a garage will make one a car." This is true. Nothing can make us a Christian
until we are willing to readily admit that we can't be one without a close relationship with the Savior.
He came to save and heal those who know they are sin-sick and in need of His Saving grace. The fact is, that is everybody.
Some just refuse to see it that way. It's true though. Romans 3:23 tells us that. Jesus tells us that too. Mark 2:17 (KJV) 17 When
Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Are you in need of the Great Physician this morning?
He's willing to take all your self-righteousness and give you His own righteousness! Wisdom told Jesus to stay away from Judea at
that particular time. The Jews there were so impressed with themselves and so threatened by Jesus and His Words that
they wanted to kill Him, as we see in John 7:1. A merciful Jesus and a Jesus filled with wisdom, numbered His days wisely, on purpose, to reach every soul
He could, as He followed the plan of His Father. He had earlier said that anyone who would come to Him would
never be thrown out. (John 6:37) Whether we have trusted in our own form of religion as the Jews did at that time, or whether we have walked in union
with the heathen culture of our time, we can know this morning that the Father is drawing us. If we will
choose to come close, He will give us to His Son and His Son to us. There are no religious works that we could
do that would be good enough to gain this special place. There are no corrupt works that we have done that can keep
us from this special place. It is not God's will for anybody to die in their sins. Not in their religious
sins. Not in their heathen sins. (2 Peter 3:9) Right now, this morning, on purpose, Jesus has not returned to this earth as King of Kings and
Lord of Lords because He's giving us all the opportunity to make the choice to repent of any of our own works and
fully trust in and lean on Him. In His infinite wisdom, love, and mercy, God is waiting for you and me, on purpose,
this morning. Will we, on purpose, accept His invitation to come? MORNING MANNA - JUNE 4, 2008 - IS IT I? John 6:70 (KJV) Did you ever wonder why Jesus chose Judas to be one His disciples? I did. So I began to
search out the answer. I found some answers that made sense to me. Jesus told the world in John 5:30 that He does nothing that is not in the will of His Father. (John 5:19-20) Since Jesus did nothing that was not the will of His Father, the choice of Judas as one of the closely knit
group of disciples was of God. God, being all-knowing, knew that Judas would be the one to forsake Jesus and help
bring about the circumstances leading to His death. It was all in God's plan from the beginning. But,
did Judas have a choice in the matter? Being one of the twelve that Jesus ate with, lived with, traveled with, taught
and closely discipled, Judas heard everything that the other eleven heard, including this: John 3:16-17 (KJV) 16 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. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved. But, apparently Judas didn't receive it. It looked like he did, but he
didn't. Judas chose not to be one of the "whosoever's," mentioned in John 3:16. At some point, Judas chose to be on the side of the enemy. Judas never made a real commitment to Jesus. I find it a sobering thought that Jesus chose Judas. He selected
Judas. He drew Judas close to Himself. But, obviously, the drawing was not mutual. Judas chose to keep
his heart distant from Jesus. Nobody else knew that. Only Jesus and Judas knew it. Right to the
end, Judas fooled all those around him. Those seemingly closest to him. But, he was not able to fool Jesus.
(John 6:64) Jesus knows the hearts of all men. (Luke 16:15) Now that is a sobering thought! Jesus knows every nook and cranny of our thought life!
Of the deepest recesses of our heart! That's not a new thought to me, and it probably isn't to you either, but I'm
more aware of the depth of it when I think about Judas. Jesus called Judas, "a devil." In the original
translation it was more like, "The Devil." The Greek word, "diabolos," was used to describe
Judas in John 6:70. This same word is used to describe Satan and, in fact, "Satan," is one of the meanings given to the
word, "diabolos," in Strong's Concordance. What do you think of when you see the Greek word, "diabolos?"
Diabolical? Yes, that's it! Judas made a choice at some point in his relationship with Jesus to be a fake. He
determined to, diabolically, master-mind (so he thought) the arrest of Jesus. How does that have any bearing on you and me today? Here's another sobering
thought. There was a "diabolos," right in the midst of Jesus's closest companions. None of the other
eleven knew that Judas was that, "diabolos," (or devil). Today, there are, most likely, Judas's in the
pews of your church and mine! They jump and shout of the best of those in "praise and worship." And, there
are some in the radio and television ministries too. Remember when Jesus taught about the wheat and the tares?
(Matthew 13:24-32) In the Garden of Gethsemane that night, when Jesus was betrayed by Judas, there was some wheat and there were
some tares or, "weeds." Jesus, although he knew Judas's heart, did not expose him as a "tare."
In fact, right up to the end, Jesus gave Judas the title of, "friend." (Matthew 26:47-50) Can you hear the heart of a loving God, giving a sinner but one last chance to repent? But, that night in the
garden, Judas, the tare, exposed himself. He refused to repent. Jesus tells us not to pull up the tares from among
us, lest we pull up the wheat along with the tares. As is evidenced by Judas, the tares will eventually expose
themselves and the wheat will be left standing and grown to maturity. An interesting thing that I found in researching
just a little bit about Judas is the fact that Judas never once used anything more than the title of "Rabbi,"
when speaking to Jesus, while Peter called Jesus, "Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16) What is Jesus to us? Is He Lord and Master, Son of God, or is He just another philosophy, religion or
good teacher? As Jesus ate his last meal with His disciples, He revealed to them that one of them would
betray Him? Judas was such a genuine, "fake Christian," that even those around the table did not know
it would be him. As a result they all, and probably with trembling voices, said, "Lord, is it I?"
(Matthew 26:17-25) The amazing thing is that Judas, himself, already knowing what he planned to do, also asked the same question of Jesus!
What must he have been thinking at the time? Jesus validated what Judas said. Jesus said, you have said it.
Judas had made the choice. He sealed his own fate. What will we do with Jesus this morning? Jesus
knows if we are fake in any way. We are totally transparent to Him. No matter what He sees at this point,
He is constantly reaching to us through His Holy Spirit. Are we reaching back? He is constantly imparting to us
through His Word and His Spirit. Are we receiving? He calls us, "friend." (James 2:23, Galatians 3:14) Are we a true friend in return? Do we need to ask the question that all the disciples asked that dreadful
night of Jesus's betrayal, "Lord, is it I?" MORNING MANNA - JUNE 2, 2008 - WILL YOU STAY OR WILL YOU GO? John 6:67 (KJV) Jesus
had just spoken one of the hardest words He had ever spoken to a crowd. He talked of His body being our bread and His
blood being our drink. (John 6:55) The people in the crowd were offended by His sayings that day. They knew that it was against God's
law to eat human flesh and to drink any kind of blood. Why was this one that they had been following now talking about them
having to eat His flesh and drink His blood? As we might say today, "That's just gross!" Their eyes and
hearts were still looking toward earthly things. They began to murmur among themselves about their perception of
how harsh the words were that Jesus spoke. (John 6:60-61) Who was among those murmuring and complaining? It was Jesus's disciples! Even though they were
murmuring among themselves, Jesus, as always, knew their hearts. He asked them directly if what He said had
offended them. The word, "offended," in the original language means a lot more than, "Did that
hurt your feelings?" Or even, "Did that make you angry?" Here's what it means according to
Strong's Concordance. It means, "scandalize." The original Greek word is the word from which
we get our English word, "scandal." The root meaning of the word, "offend," as translated
in the King James Version of the Bible is this: to entrap, i.e. trip up (figurative stumble [transitive]
or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure) :- (make to) offend. Although many of the disciples had followed
Jesus for quite a while, the words He spoke about His body and His blood had now begun to trip them up and cause them to stumble.
They were enticed to sin because they couldn't assimilate His words correctly. They were, so to speak, entrapped
in their own way of interpreting what Jesus had said. Are we ever "tripped up," by what we might
read in the scriptures? Jesus showed them how to keep from stumbling
or getting tripped up. John 6:63 records the answer He gave them and it gives us our answer today too. Jesus told them that the words He spoke
were spirit and life. His body, which was soon to be broken for them and for us, is our bread. (Luke 22:19) Our acceptance of His sacrifice awakens our spirit and gives us life. Everlasting life. His blood,
which poured out, beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane when He sweat drops of blood and continued until a Roman spear
pierced His side, is our drink. (Luke 22:20) It is that which infuses and refreshes us and makes our sinful blood better than new. (1 Peter 1:2) Only when we have spiritually taken in the fact that His blood is the only thing that can make us new creatures,
can we walk in eternal life. (Hebrews 12:24) If we run into places in scripture that tend to trip us up or cause us to walk in the sin of unbelief, we only have
to ask the Holy Spirit to take our minds and hearts to a higher place in Him, where we will receive revelation of what
we can't understand by thinking, as the crowd was that day, merely in the natural. (Ephesians 1:16-18) The words about His body and His blood were not the
only hard words Jesus spoke that day. But, because He spoke those words, many turned away from Him, deserting the Kingdom
of God. (John 6:66) He knew that would happen. (John 6:64-65) Then, He spoke even harder words, that ring down through the ages to every individual and, especially when we
go through times when His Word seems hard to us. Jesus asked of His twelve disciples, "Are you going to leave me
too?" (John 6:67) When things in life get hard and we have trouble understanding God's Word, Jesus is asking us the same question.
Peter answered so well! "To whom would we go?" Peter had gotten the message! We
have no where else to go to find eternal life. (1 John 2:23) Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) There is only one way to eternal life. That's through Jesus. There is only one truth. That is
Jesus. There's only one real life. That, of course is in Jesus! His body is bread for our
spirit. His blood is drink for our spirit. He gave Himself so that we could be spiritually nourished and
hydrated. And, this food and drink will last throughout all eternity. Most of us would not go many days without
eating and certainly we would not live many days if we did not drink! How much more so if we do not feed our spirits
with the Bread of life and take in the refreshing Living Water? We answer that question, "Will you also
go away?," by our actions. If we don't eat the Bread of the Word and drink in the fact that we need His
blood to become whole, we will die spiritually. Obviously, when we choose to believe and take in His body and His
blood, we have made the choice not to go away! If you are reading this and feeding on His Word this morning,
you have probably made the choice to stay with Jesus. If you have any question about the matter, consider, once more,
Peter's answer to Jesus, "To whom would we go?" I think we will find that the answer is clear. Jesus
is the only Way! (Galatians 3:22) MORNING MANNA - JUNE 2, 2008 - ARE YOU MURMURING? John 6:43 (KJV) What, exactly, is,
"murmuring?" When looking into the meaning of the original word used here in John 6:43, Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words, indicates that it is, "to
mutter, murmur, grumble, say anything in a low tone." Our English word, "gong," comes
from the original Greek word, "gongzyo." Although the same Greek word is not used in 1 Corinthians 13:1, my thoughts connect murmuring or the sound of a, "gong," with what Paul calls, "a loud gong," and
in other versions of the Bible, "a clanging cymbal." As Jesus clearly laid out who He was to the Jews
there in Capernaum, they murmured against Him. They complained among themselves, not loud enough to bring some
resolution to their question, but just loud enough to disrupt the atmosphere. That word, "murmur," has the
element within it of, "complaining." When I connect, "murmuring," as being the sound of a, "loud
gong," with 1 Corinthians 13:1, I am led to the belief that, without love, murmuring will occur. All of the eloquent words we could speak,
if spoken without love, seem to be as "murmuring," and even useless, to a Holy and loving God. So, what can we do with these tidbits of information to make them become alive and practical
in our own lives? (2 Timothy 3:16) Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who just would not, "see it your way?" Have you
politely worked your way out of that conversation, only to go away, mumbling to yourself (at least inside your head,
if not actually muttered under your breath)? What are those mumblings or mutterings about? Are they birthed from
love? I doubt it. Love is not easily irritated. (1 Corinthians 13:5) Unless you are much, much different than I am, you will have had times when you left the presence of someone,
mumbling to yourself about how wrong they were. You may have even mumbled in their presence, making a low ugly
sounding noise, much like the muffled sound of a clanging gong! They may not have heard the details of your mumbling
but they probably got the message! Do you think that's what might have been happening that day in Capernaum
with Jesus and the unbelieving crowd? Although Jesus could
probably not hear every detail of what they were saying with His physical ears, He heard them because, having
the heart of God, He knew their hearts. (John 2:25) I have been greatly impressed in my own life and growth in the Lord that whatever is in my heart will eventually come
out my mouth. (Luke 6:45) Believe me, I am shocked at some of the things I have heard myself saying, especially when I realize (and have to
admit because the Word of God says so) that they have come from my heart. All the more, it makes me aware
of the fact that when something is revealed to us, we need to deal with it right then and receive the forgiveness that is
promised, if we will repent. (1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:1) All complaining and murmuring come from a heart of unbelief. A heart not yet made perfect by the
love of God. (1 John 4:18) Why do we murmur and complain? Isn't it partly because we fear that we may be wrong and the other person
may be right? Perfect love doesn't fear and it doesn't murmur. If there is a wrong, it exposes the
wrong discretely, directly and gently. (Galatians 6:1) We never know when we may be the one needing rebuke, do we? On that particular day, Jesus rebuked
them saying, "Murmur not among yourselves." (John 6:43) Although He was speaking to them about a specific issue (that of His being the Bread sent from Heaven), there is a
principle involved here. God has never appreciated, "murmuring," or, "complaining." And He
never will! The Israelites marched around and around the same mountain and wandered through that same wilderness,
turning what should have been a short journey to the Promised Land into a forty year grueling experience.
Why? They murmured! Not only did they have to wander in the wilderness for forty years, the ones who did the grumbling
and murmuring never even made it into the Promised Land. (1 Corinthians 10:10) God destroyed them. Why do you think God did that? Don't you suppose that He could not allow murmuring
into that place of abundance and prosperity He had promised to them? That would defile the land, just as the murmuring
that comes from our hearts and out our mouths, defiles us and hinders the work of the Holy Spirit in us and in those
around us. (Mark 7:20-23) What has God given you the privilege and responsibility of doing here on earth? (Ephesians 2:10) Do you really have time to be going around the same mountain, mumbling and murmuring, as you go? Or would you
rather take the direct route and be pleasing to the Lord as you walk? Has murmuring ever solved even one of our
problems? It never has and it never will. There certainly will not be an absence of problems in our lives
but we are promised abundant life here, even in the middle of the problems. Then, we are promised an
eternity with the absence of all problems. That's our ultimate Promised Land! (John 10:10) Let's not let the enemy steal, kill or destroy any of that abundant life by joining with him in murmuring and
complaining. Instead, let's keep our eyes on Jesus and lift Him up. When we do that, He will
do His job of drawing all men to Himself! No murmuring required! MORNING MANNA - JUNE 1, 2008 - THY WILL BE DONE John 6:38 (KJV) Have you ever heard
it said that, if you want to be a leader, you should be willing to do whatever you are directing those under you to do?
A good manager or leader needs to be willing to step in and get their feet dirty in the lowest of the jobs of those
under him or her, if necessary. Nobody wants to be, "lorded over," and made to think that they have been relegated or,
"pushed down," by their leader. And, most of all, there's nobody that appreciates being, "stepped
on," by that proverbial, "ladder climber!" Well, we can be assured, this morning, that our Leader (if
we have allowed Jesus to be our leader), is the perfect leader! So, if you've never asked to be a part
of His Company (Kingdom), this morning is the morning to do it! (2 Corinthians 6:2) The benefits are wonderful to those who will follow. There are too many to name, but let's just review
a couple. Things that are greatly lacking in the world, at large, today. There is peace. (John 14:27) This is a peace that will never be found in following the company of this world. This is a peace that will
astound you and blow your mind (in a good way). (Philippians 4:7) There is joy. (1 Peter 1:8) It's so, "out of this world," that you can't even explain it! And, it will be your strength.
(Nehemiah 8:10) In essence, the benefits take care of all of our needs. The pay is outstanding too. To
those who follow well, the windows of Heaven will be opened and pour down more than enough. (Malachi 3:10) This is what our blessed Lord does for those who willingly come into His Kingdom. Jesus said that He came to do the will of His Father, not His own will. The will
of His Father is that Jesus should not lose any of all that the Father has given Him. That means you and me, if
we have been drawn to Jesus by the Father and made Him the Lord (or Leader) of our lives. (John 6:44) When we do come to Jesus, we see that we not only have the benefits available for living a victorious life on this
earth, we are promised that we will be raised to life for eternity. Now, that's a retirement package!
Eternity will be so much better than this life. The Father's will was that Jesus would offer salvation to the whole
world. (John 3:16) But, each individual must receive it for themselves. (Romans 10:13) It is His will that you should be saved, but He leaves the choice to you. It is His will that you should follow
after Jesus, but again, the choice is left to you. (2 Peter 3:9) Jesus was willing to pay a price far above anything we could imagine, to purchase our souls. (John 8:28) With the weight of the world's sin on His shoulders, just before He went to the cross, Jesus prayed for the
last time on earth, "...not my will but thine be done." (Luke 22:42) That's the Lord that we serve. A perfect model for the leader of today. One who is willing
to serve, no matter what the cost. (Luke 22:26) This Leader, the Lord Jesus, is the same leader who washed the feet of those He led. (John 13:5) This is the same Leader who was confident enough to say to us that, by the power of His Spirit, we would do even greater
things than the things He did in His earthly ministry. (John 14:12) No, Jesus was not afraid to give power to those under Him. It is His will that you and I, filled with His Spirit,
should do great and mighty things to further His Kingdom. Are we willing to pay the price when the going get's tough and follow our Leader? Are we willing to say,
when everything around us seems to be going sour, ".....not my will but Your's be done?" Jesus came
to do the will of His Father. He was willing to do it. Sometimes my prayer is just this, "Lord
make me willing to be willing!" He knew that it would mean the cross but He trusted His Father enough to know
that He would receive a Kingdom when it was over. We will have some kind of a cross too. (Mark 8:34) Yours will be different than mine, but all will be according to the will of our Father. (John 21:18-23) Jesus endured more than we could ever imagine in our wildest imagination. He did it because He loved you
and me. He did it because the love He had for us flowed from the Father right down through Him. He did it because
He loved and trusted His Father. He did it because He knew that there would be a fantastic outcome. (Hebrews 12:2) His joy is knowing that He, not only fulfilled the will of His Father, but gathered you and I and, "whosoever
will, into His Kingdom forever. This world, for us, is only a temporary dwelling place. Maybe that's
why Jesus talked more than once about raising us up for eternity. (John 6:39-40) As a good leader, He taught us well. In the model prayer, He taught us to pray, "Thy will be done, on earth
as it is in Heaven." (Matthew 6:10) As I pray that, I become well aware of the fact that there is an implication in there that, if I am a Kingdom
member, I have a part in His will being done here on earth, as it is in Heaven. In order for His Kingdom to come, this
world needs to see Kingdom children following their King! Doing His will. That's why you and I are sharing
the scriptures this morning. We want to, not only discern His will from His Word, but be willing to do it! Lord,
let Your will be done, starting right now, right here in my life! MORNING MANNA - MAY 31, 2008 - UNDER HIS WINGS John 6:37 (KJV) It's a cold, cold world out there! Have you ever looked around
and wondered why you were in it? Maybe even wondered what to do and where to go? I think most people, if they
were honest, would have to admit that they have had a few of those times. Many people have more than a few of those
times. Some have lives that are totally out of control and they wander from here to there, not knowing how to become
grounded. There is One that will lead us though. The Father, who created us all, has given His perfect Son so
that, "whosoever will," will come to Him and find grounding for their lives. (John 3:16) Not just their lives here on earth, but their lives for eternity. Today, many people will not come to Jesus
because they feel that they have done too many bad things, made too many poor choices. Yet, the Father is willing to
give everyone another chance! Jesus said that He didn't come into the world to condemn us but that we should be
saved. (John 3:17) If there are things in your life that seem to disqualify you from coming to Jesus, get rid of that thought.
If necessary, go back to the story of the thief on the cross. He had not had a chance to do anything to make up for
His crimes. He hung there ready to die. But, at the very last minute, the Father, through the Holy Spirit,
opened His eyes to the fact that Jesus could be His Lord and Savior. And, at the very last minute, Jesus took Him
into the family of God, never again to cast Him out. (Luke 23:39-43) It was as simple as that. A done deal. The other criminal
in that story was another story. He did not yield to the drawing and leading of God and chose to enter eternity,
lost forever. It is not God's will that any should be lost eternally. He is so patient with us, giving us
time after time to repent and be led by His Spirit to come to Jesus. (2 Peter 3:9) Not willing to drive us to repentance, but wanting a willing heart, God gives us the choice as to whether
we will be led by His Spirit. (Romans 8:14) No, God will not drive us, drag us, or force us into His Kingdom. He will gently call us,
individually. (Revelation 3:20) It's up to us whether we will heed the call, and take His hand. If we do, He will place our hand in
the hand of Jesus. He will give us to Jesus. Just like when the father of the bride walks her down the aisle
and places her hand in the hand of the groom. As that happens, we will become a part of the Bride of Christ.
We are given a promise from our Groom that He will never throw us out of the house! When Jesus says He will, "in
no wise," cast us out, He is using a double negative to be emphatic about it. Never, never, will He let us go!
Not now! Not ever!! Have you ever heard any better news than that? That's the good news of the gospel! This good news is for both Jews and Gentiles. It's for everybody! (Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13) We are all invited to be present at the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Revelation 19:9) But, we don't have to receive the invitation. This is evidenced by the parable
taught by Jesus in Matthew 22:1-14. We can accept the Father's gracious invitation to come to the Son - or not. The,
"or not," is not a wise decision, as we see from the illustration of the second thief on the
cross near Jesus. He refused to accept God's leading and went to his death in bitterness and unbelief. This
caused him to remain that way for eternity, totally separated from the Father. (Luke 23:39) It was his choice. A poor choice! God's chosen people, the Jews, had been shown miracle
after miracle. They had been given prophet after prophet. They were given chance after chance to repent, but they
did not listen. They did not receive the invitation to come to the Father. (Acts 7:51) Stephen, in his discourse to his fellow men, spoke in rebuke of their hardness of heart and refusal
to listen to the leading of the Spirit of God. We should take heed of Stephen's remark about their stubbornness
today. Are our hearts pliable and turned toward a loving God who would actually give His own Son to redeem us and give
us back what we lost in the fall of man? Or, are our hearts hard today, refusing to be led by the Spirit to that place
of eternal security and glory? In our quest to find acceptance and love, are we refusing the greatest love
of all, that of the Father toward His creation? You can see the love of the Father through the tears of love from
the broken heart of Jesus as He stood over Jerusalem and spoke these words: Luke 13:34 (AMP) 34 O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who continue to kill the prophets and to stone those who are sent to you! How often I have desired
and yearned to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen [gathers] her young under her wings, but you would not!
Can you hear the Father's cry of love through His Son for His people? In the place of the word, "Jerusalem,"
put your name in there. We're all guilty, just as Jerusalem was. Yet, we're all invited to come under
the wings of Jesus. What will our answer be? The Father is calling us through the Holy Spirit. Will
we come willingly? We don't have to. As we see in Luke 13:34, those people "would not." Will we choose to stay out in the cold, cold world where the enemy is
encamped? Will we choose to go into eternity totally separated from God and good? Or, will we allow ourselves
to be led to the safe place. The place of love, salvation, healing, light, warmth and safety? Under His
wings. (Psalm 91:4) MORNING MANNA - MAY 30, 2008 - SEEING ISN'T ALWAYS BELIEVING John 6:36 (KJV) Have you ever heard the phrase, or maybe even spoken it, "I'll believe it when I see it"? In our
day in age, that's probably very common. We may be very cynical because of the manipulation, fraud, identity
theft, media spin, etc., going on all around us. Even in our relationships, people may claim to be something and then
disappoint us when we, "see," that they are actually not what they claim to be. We tend to put up
walls about believing things that other people say, until we see the actual, "proof in the pudding." Don't
we? But, just how much knowledge do we have to have? How much do we have to see before we believe in Jesus? Jesus was pretty miffed, it seems, at the crowd He was speaking
to in Capernaum. They were a crowd of, "flip-floppers." Yes, Jesus knows all about, "flip-floppers!"
One day they were for Him, the next day, the were doubting Him. Maybe you can relate to the crowd. Sometimes our
faith gets stretched, doesn't it? Even the best of us may doubt at times. John the Baptist did. (Luke 7:20) The apostle, Thomas did. (John 20:27) And, I'm sure we could cite many others down through the scriptures. God is loving and patient with His
children. He will prove Himself to us until we, like Thomas, will exclaim with confidence, "My Lord and my God!"
(John 20:28) That's if we're willing to take a good look at Him. Those in the crowd at Capernaum had seen Jesus in the flesh. They had witnessed and experienced at least one
of His great miracles. They had listened to His teaching and heard Him speak of Moses. He spoke with great authority
and proved Himself to them with signs and wonders. Yet, part way into His discourse to them, He said,
John 6:36 (NLT) 36 But
you haven't believed in me even though you have seen me. He was standing right there among them, offering
them eternal life. But, they just wanted more and more signs and miracles. (John 6:30) Their thoughts were not on eternal life, only what they saw at the moment. Is that the way we are sometimes?
Focused on all the, "stuff," we see around us and missing the fact that Jesus is our life. (John 14:6) Now, and forever? The only work we can do to please God, as Jesus said, is to believe on and follow
Jesus. We don't believe and follow Him just for what He does for us, although He does plenty. But for
Who He is. Jesus rebuked the crowd in Capernaum that day, telling them that, even though they saw, they
didn't believe. You and I have a precious promise today if we will receive it. The doubts Thomas had prompted
Jesus to give us that promise. Thomas believed because He was able to see and touch Jesus. He could put his
hand inside the wound in Jesus's side. (John 20:27) You and I cannot do that but we're still commanded to believe. In general, you and I don't see
great miracles such as the feeding of the five thousand, but we're still commanded to believe. If we do, we will
be blessed. (John 20:29) In the case of the crowd in Capernaum, they saw but they couldn't believe. In our case, we haven't seen
Jesus in the flesh but we can believe, if we will. Nevertheless, at another point in scripture, Jesus
asks the poignant question: "When I come back, how many will I find who still believe?" (Luke 18:8) We might want to repeat Jesus's question to our own minds and hearts and let Him do a search there. If He
were to return this moment, would He find you and me believing and walking in faith? Or would He find us more like
the Capernaum crowd, ever seeing but never quite believing? MORNING MANNA - MAY 29, 2008 - FATHER, THANK YOU FOR THE BREAD! John 6:32 (KJV) Have you ever repeated
something over again when you thought the person you were talking to you just didn't, "get it?" Jesus
did that too. Several times. In John 6:32, we find Him saying, "Verily, verily," as He has done other times in scripture. Truly, truly -this must mean
that He really wants His listeners to, "get it." The crowd that stood around Jesus demanding a sign were,
perhaps, a bit dense. (John 6:30) Hopefully, you and I will have our hearts and minds open to the principles about Himself that Jesus is teaching.
It seems that the people knew the scriptures about Moses and about the manna that fell from Heaven. (Exodus 16:15) But, they left out an important part of it. Have you ever done that? I have. Without all of the
scripture our picture gets distorted. In Exodus 16:15, when the people saw the manna that fell from Heaven, they asked Moses what it was. When we read Exodus 16:15, we see that Moses told them that it was food that the Lord had given them. By the time we get to John 6:32, the people are comparing Jesus with Moses. They kind of insinuate, by their questions, that Jesus is not as great as Moses. "After
all," they tell Him, "Moses fed our ancestors with manna in the wilderness." No doubt
they were comparing the miracle they had just experienced the day before of the feeding of the five thousand plus people with
the fact that the manna that came from Heaven was enough to feed millions for forty years! What they don't
seem to be remembering is this: Moses had written many, many years early, and it was recorded in scripture,
that God gave the manna. Moses didn't take any credit for it at all. The people in the crowd
that day seemed to have either forgotten or ignored that part of the scripture. As we search and study the
scriptures, we need to make every effort to take the whole scripture. It is all given for our instruction
in righteous living. It all comes from God. (2 Timothy 3:16) If we leave things out, we will find ourselves lacking in understanding and perhaps needing correction from the
Lord just as He did among the people two thousand years ago. Praise God, He will correct us if we're
really desiring His whole Truth! When we start hearing in our spirit, "Verily, verily....," we need to listen! Jesus began to explain to the crowd that, just as God gave the manna from Heaven, God
sent Jesus from Heaven. It is our loving Heavenly Father that supplies everything we need. (Psalm 145:15) He may use people in the process, but those people are never the source of our provision. (John 6:27) Jesus came from Heaven, just like the manna did. Everything comes from the Father. One writer
says that the manna came from the lower heavens but Jesus, our Heavenly Manna, came from the heart of God. The
manna that the people ate as Moses led them in the wilderness was only a type of, a picture of, the true and lasting Bread
that now stood right in their midst. (John 6:33) Finally, they cry out, "Sir, give us this bread forever!" (John 6:34) But, even then, do they really want the Bread that Jesus is talking about? In their excitement and probably
their worldly perspective, it seems they have once again missed the point. They want to be satisfied, but their
minds and hearts are not yet in the place they need to be. They are still thinking of temporal satisfaction like their
ancestors received in the wilderness from the manna. They do not yet understand the true and eternal satisfaction that
Jesus is offering in Himself. In our attempts to obtain satisfaction, do we accept and receive all of God's
Word and trust in it? Or do we, sometimes in a moment of excitement, make a request of Jesus without
really knowing what we're asking? And, without knowing the conditions involved? The people that day saw and
heard Jesus but they just didn't believe. (John 6:36) As we search the scriptures, let's thank God every day, as we savor His Word, that He has broken the Bread
of Life and fed us. Once again, we have received our daily Bread. That Bread that, not only feeds us today,
but nourishes and strengthens us for living eternally! (John 6:58) MORNING MANNA - MAY 28, 2008 - WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES John 6:31 (KJV) Jesus was speaking to a group of people who had just the day before
seen Him perform a mighty miracle. (John 6:1-13) In fact, look at their reaction after seeing this miracle. John 6:14 (AMP) 14 When the people saw
the sign (miracle) that Jesus had performed, they began saying, Surely and beyond a doubt this is the Prophet Who is to come
into the world! What a difference a day makes! That was their reaction yesterday and this is their reaction
today: John 6:30 (AMP) 30 Therefore they said to Him, What sign (miracle,
wonderwork) will You perform then, so that we may see it and believe and rely on and adhere to You? What [supernatural] work
have You [to show what You can do]? This is how John 6:30 reads in the New Living Translation. John 6:30 (NLT) 30 They replied, "You
must show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What will you do for us? Yesterday, the
people were saying, "Surely and beyond a doubt." They were saying that because they were convinced that Jesus
was the One that Moses spoke about here: Deuteronomy 18:15 (KJV) 15 The
LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; In
some cases, this word, "hearken," is translated as, "listen to," or "hear." The original
Hebrew meaning of this word, however, is much stronger than that. It means all that and more! Here are just a few
of the implications of this word, "hearken," from the Strong's Concordance: "To hear
intelligently (often with the implication of attention, obedience, etc." It has to do with being
attentive, carefully listening, with consent and consideration. Also with contentment. It has to
do with diligence and discernment. With understanding. The people of that day listened to Jesus and they heard with their ears. They even saw miracles. But,
obviously, they were not really attentive. They were really not content with His message.
And, even though they knew the scripture from Deuteronomy, even saying it with their mouth (John 6:14), they obviously still doubted in their hearts. This morning, let's ask the Lord to show us any doubt in our
hearts as to the validity of His Word. Let's ask for increased faith to carry us through every situation on that
Word, no matter how the circumstances in our lives look. The people in the crowd that day were, at best double minded.
(James 1:8) They were definitely unstable! Just the day before they had wanted to make Jesus a king. They
were so very sure that He was the One that was foretold by Moses. Yet, the very next day, they were demanding
that He give them more before they would believe in Him. They remembered that manna came down from Heaven
and kept their people alive for forty years in the wilderness. Perhaps they thought that the miracle they had just seen
the day before was not enough. Perhaps they thought that Moses had more power than Jesus. What they didn't
realize was that Moses was only a man, a vessel used by God. Moses was only a type of the One they saw right there
in the flesh! Moses didn't feed the people in the wilderness. God fed the people. (John 6:32) The manna fell from Heaven, right from the hand of God. And Jesus came from Heaven, right from the throne of a
loving and gracious God. (John 3:16) Jesus came to feed the world. It would not be perishable food like the manna that fell and lasted only
a day at a time. It would be the Bread of life that would sustain our spirits now and for eternity.
Moses didn't deliver the people from bondage. God delivered the people and used Moses
to show that a greater One than he would come to deliver people from greater bondage than slavery to another country.
Jesus would come to deliver people from bondage to another kingdom. The kingdom of darkness. (1 Peter 2:9) The people of that day didn't have their spiritual eyes open. Standing before them was their Messiah
but they couldn't make up their minds, from day to day, about Him. Today, we need to make up our minds for certain
that Jesus is our Savior and Lord. No more waffling between what the world says and what the Word says.
No more waffling between what we might think and what God says. It's time to renew our minds, and constantly
do so, according to His Word. (Romans 12:2) Will we be like those people who couldn't make up their minds from one day to another? Double minded
and unstable? Or will we, "hearken," to Jesus and His Words? Yes, every day makes a difference
and every day can be a day of contentment, fruitfulness, peace and joy. Each day can get better and better when
we see Jesus for who He is. King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend. He is,
indeed that Prophet that Moses spoke of thousands of years ago. Today and every day, let's, "hearken,"
to His voice! MORNING MANNA - MAY 27, 2008 - NOT FOR US, BUT IN US John 6:30 (NLT) Do you ever have difficulty getting past seeking help from men and going straight to
God? (Psalm 118:8-9) Do you ever put your expectancy in your spouse, your boss, your preacher, your friend, etc.? Do
you suppose that God may be urging and compelling us to lift our eyes up to a higher perspective? (Jeremiah 17:7) As Jesus stood before the crowd, he answered their question as to what they might do to work the works of God.
It was a simple and direct answer. "....believe in the one He has sent." (John 6:45) The One Jesus was talking about was, of course, Himself. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Jesus was all man and all God. The could see Him standing before them
as a man. That didn't take faith. They saw it with their eyes. He wanted them to believe in
Him as the Son of God. But, all they could see was a man. They couldn't lift their spiritual
eyes past earthly things to see the Kingdom of Heaven and it's King standing right before them. They had, just the
day before, seen Him turn five loaves and two fishes into a meal for more than five thousand people. It is likely
no one there, or in that generation, had ever seen such a miracle take place. They not only saw
it happen, they experienced it. They were some of the ones who had eaten of the multiplied loaves and fishes.
Could they believe? No. And why not? For one reason, quite possibly because they were looking at what they
only saw as a man, instead of looking at God. Instead of putting
their faith in Jesus and believing after He answered their question with the simple truth, they demanded more of
Him. They demanded a miraculous sign. Why did they do that? They had just seen one the day before!
Instead of believing in Him and living in the constant blessing of God, they just wanted to see miracle after miracle and
sign after sign. And why did they want to see that? Not so the power of God could be displayed for the world
to see. Not so others could turn to Jesus and believe, and have eternal life too. Here's why
they were demanding even another sign from Jesus. They wanted something for themselves. (John 6:30) Something tangible, like more "free food." They were totally immersed in the things of this world and
unable to see that they should have been asking, in humility and faith, what can we do for You and Your Kingdom? What
is our mindset today? Do we run to Jesus, seeking a miracle only for ourselves, our comfort, or our
momentary desire? Or, are we living in confident faith and in the constant state of blessing that God desires to
give us? We have a Savior and King who is fully willing and able to take care of our needs. (Matthew 6:33) When He does do a miracle in our lives, it's not just for our keeping. It is a sign to which
we can and must give testimony of His love and power. The people in the crowd that day were spoiled. Their hearts
were only on the temporal things they could get from Jesus. God doesn't want spoiled kids! All those
things will be gone one day in the twinkling of an eye. Jesus was, and is right now, offering
much more. Something eternal. It's not so much what He will do for us. That is already established
and promised if we are walking with Him in obedience. (Philippians 4:19) It is what He wants to do and will do in us, if we are willing. It is the Father's good
pleasure to give His kids the Kingdom. (Luke 12:32) It is His desire to live in us. (Revelation 3:20) He doesn't want to be left standing on the outside, just handing out "worldly candy." He desires
that we should not only invite Him in to eat with us, He is our food. Inside of us we can carry the
Bread of life. We don't ever have to be hungry again! And, we carry enough to share with the world!
Are we like the people in the crowd that day? Do we only come to Jesus when we're in want or need of something
necessary for living in this world? Or have we gotten past that, knowing that He will care for us in that way? (1 Peter 5:7) Are we seeking the King and His Kingdom to be alive in us? Are we filled
and satisfied with the Bread of life? (John 6:48) Are we willing vessels to hold, carry and distribute such precious Bread? And, if the King and
the Kingdom is within us, is it flowing to a lost and hopeless world? (Matthew 28:19-20) MORNING MANNA - MAY 26, 2008 - ONLY BELIEVE John 6:29 (KJV) Jesus had just finished telling the people that they shouldn't work
for food that doesn't last, but for food that will last forever. (John 6:27) Then He said that He could give that food to them. Somehow, I don't think they got
it. Do you? Otherwise, why would they ask, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"
John 6:28 (AMP) 28 They
then said, What are we to do, that we may [habitually] be working the works of God? [What are we to do to carry out what God
requires?] There are some today that think like these people. Some people
think they can do enough works to make God pleased with them. Is it possible to work our way into good standing
with God? (Ephesians 2:9) Of course not! If we could, it would not have been necessary for Him to send His Son to live,
die and live again for us! No matter how good our works are, compared to a holy God, they are like filthy
rags. (Isaiah 64:6) Does it stand to reason, then, that the more "works," we try to do on our own,
the more we throw filthy rags at God? Who, in their right mind, would want to do that? Jesus was getting to the root of the matter of, "works." The only way to be in right standing with
God is to believe on His Son. (John 6:29) While this may not seem like much, "work," at first, it does require something of us.
It requires us to obey and follow Jesus, no matter what circumstances we might find ourselves in. Have you found
that your belief might be harder in some circumstances than in others? You're not the only one! We can read
of the story of a man with a very big problem in Mark 9:16-29. Jesus told that man, "If you can believe, all things are possible." Mark 9:23 (KJV) 23 Jesus
said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Jesus is still speaking
those same words to us today. If we can believe, all things are possible, including, and especially, our salvation.
There may be times when you and I have to cry out like the man in this story, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."
(Mark 9:24) And, you know what? If we're that honest, He will help our unbelief! Remember, all
things are possible with God. (Mark 10:27) Are we saying that we should not do good works?
Hardly! But the root and the source of our works has to come from the fact that we believe in Jesus.
From that trust and belief will flow works that prove that we are believers. (James 2:17) Belief will produce obedience and gratitude. Belief and works of obedience are inseparable, but belief
comes first. You have to receive a gift before you can use it. That Gift is Jesus Himself.
He is the lasting food that will strengthen and nourish us so that we can spontaneously do those things that please
God. (John 6:27) He is the bread of life. (John 6:48) Have you been working extra hard to try to please God? Do you always feel like you just can't do enough?
You're right. You can't do enough. And, trying will leave you lifeless. Jesus said we should
spend our energy seeking Him and the life He can give us. Once you believe Jesus enough to trust and follow
Him, He'll show you and help you do good things and He'll supply you the strength to do them.
(Philippians 4:13) He's already prepared good things for us to do. He prepared those things way before we were ever born. (Ephesians 2:10) But we can't do those things until we place our belief in Jesus and allow Him to come into our life making
us a new person. Giving us new birth. What are we working hard at today, in our own strength? Maybe
we're even doing, "works," for God. Yet, if we're not seeing any success or finding any satisfaction
and peace, we might want to check to see if we did the first work first. What is that? Only believe
on the Savior who was sent to us from the Father! (John 6:29) MORNING MANNA - MAY 25, 2008 - WHAT
DO WE REALLY WANT AND WHAT ARE WE WORKING FOR? John 6:26 (KJV) Over five thousand people had just recently eaten their fill from what started out as five loaves and two fishes.
(John 6:5-13) They had seen Jesus raise that food up and bless it before His Father. Then, it suddenly turned out to be more
than enough for a picnic for all those people! Were they impressed? You know they were! Some of them were
so impressed that they had stayed overnight and waited for Jesus to come back. (John 6:22-24) But He didn't. He was already on His way to do something new in a new place. In fact, He had done
quite a lot while they were sleeping! (John 6:17-21) When they realized that He was not there, they got into boats at the seashore and went toward where they had
seen His disciples the night before. When they got there, they found Jesus there! How and when He could have gotten
there, they had no idea. So, they asked Him. (John 6:25) He may or may not have been pleased with their question. It seems more likely
that He was irritated with what they asked. He didn't even bother to answer that question! His reply was more
accusatory (and true) than anything else. (John 6:26) He was emphatic with His response too. He not only said, "Verily," or, "Truly," once,
but He said it twice. In other words, "You'd better believe this!" He told them that
they didn't seek Him because of the signs and wonders that proved that He was the Son of God. As a whole, most of
them probably could not care less about that! What they wanted was another, "free lunch!" They were
looking for more physical satisfaction. Can you imagine that many might have been angered and offended by His revelation
of their hearts? What is He revealing to us about our own hearts today? Do we seek Him for the physical comfort
and satisfaction He can bring to our lives? Or, do we seek Him because He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Are we interested in His everlasting Kingdom or our now kingdom? It makes me think that many might have turned
away right then. The truth will either set us free (John 8:32) or send us running back into the darkness. (John 3:19) I don't know how many took the
rebuke, and stayed around for more, but for those who did, Jesus had even continued to tell them the truth. He
admonished them not to seek for physical satisfaction, such as food. When we are "all fed and ready for bed,"
we feel comforted. Can you relate? Many times, in time of crisis, I have made food my comfort instead
of turning to the real Comforter. (John 16:7) Can you imagine how offended you might get if people only sought you out for what they could get from you? And,
not for who you are? Jesus, although very likely disappointed in His creation, at the moment, kept on telling them the
truth. He kept on admonishing them and urging them. He kept on reaching to them. He does that same thing
for you and me today. He knows when we pray selfish prayers. (James 4:3) He knows that sometimes some of us only call on Him when we feel that we are in need. He knows
that we want relief and satisfaction, now! Some people work two and three jobs today trying to amass all the
toys and latest gadgets, the best homes, the luxury cars and the best gourmet food. Yet, if we are one of those people,
what are we working for? All those things will rust and fade away. (Matthew 6:19) Our stomachs will become empty again and we will only crave more and more food. Here's what Jesus said to
those that followed Him only for a, "free lunch." John 6:27 (TLB) 27 But
you shouldn't be so concerned about perishable things like food. No, spend your energy seeking the eternal life that I,
the Messiah, can give you. For God the Father has sent me for this very purpose." So, what are you
and I concerned about today. What is the top priority in our lives? Is it for things that perish? We don't
even need to be concerned about that because Jesus has said that, if we seek His Kingdom first, all of those things
that we need for this life will be given to us. (Matthew 6:33) His primary concern for us and for those around us is to give us food that will last forever! (John 3:16) He is that Bread of life. (John 6:48) Whoever eats of that bread won't ever hunger again! We don't even have to struggle and work for it.
It is a gift! Yes, Jesus can do and He does do miracles. He's the same
today as He was yesterday. And, He'll be the same tomorrow. All powerful. All loving. All merciful.
The miracles He does are to point us to Him. Not just for our pleasure and comfort. God sent Him to give you and
I food that will keep us satisfied always. He sent Him to give us drink that will quench our spiritual thirst forever.
(John 6:35) He does not always let us know ahead of time just how or when He's going to meet our needs here
on earth. He just says He will, if we will sow into His Kingdom. (Philippians 4:19) That is, if we really want Him. And, if we're willing to stop working at things so hard in our
own strength and receive His gift of Heavenly Manna! (John 6:58) MORNING MANNA - MAY 24, 2008 - WHEN? John 6:25 (AMP) After Jesus fed thousands of people with only a tiny bit of food, He
had gone into the hills. (John 6:15) He needed to get away from the crowds because they didn't understand His timing. They saw His power and
wanted to take Him by force and make Him king. Although, He was the King of Kings from before time began, the people
had the wrong idea about the how and the when of the total earthly manifestation. They wanted Him to be their
kind of king in their time. Our, "when," is not always God's, "when." Our, "how's,"
are not usually God's, "how's," either. As it turns out in this story, our, "where," is
not always God's, "where," either! Some of those
same people that had the awesome experience of eating the bread that was blessed and multiplied by had Jesus stayed overnight
at the seashore. (John 6:22) They were puzzled the next morning because they had seen the disciples leave in their boat the night before but
they had noticed that Jesus was not with them. They didn't know where He had gone but they wanted to see
Him again. So they had waited. But, in the morning, He was nowhere to be found. Have you ever seen
Jesus do the miraculous and then waited in that same place for Him to do the same thing again? Jesus didn't
stay still for long when He walked on the earth. His Spirit is still moving today, just like the wind.
Sometimes, while we're still in the glory of something He has done, He's already on His way to do something new!
Just as God told the Israelites in Isaiah 43:18-20, He is always moving. Always doing a new thing in a new place. Not
knowing where Jesus was, and not finding Him there the next morning, they decided to get into some boats that had docked nearby
and go to in the direction they had seen the disciples go. (John 6:23-24) That wasn't a bad idea! If you can't seem to find Jesus, then find His disciples. You can be sure
that He will never be far from them. Of course, the people did not know of the incident during the night when the disciples found
themselves in a storm in the middle of the sea. (John 6:16-21) The people didn't see the Son of Man walk on the waves and climb into the boat with the disciples. Only
the disciples saw that wonder and it was in the midnight hour. Wouldn't it be good if we would realize that Jesus
doesn't always work in the daylight? We don't always see what He is doing! Sometimes He works in
the midnight hour. Sometimes He is doing a great work in our lives and taking us somewhere that we couldn't
get to by ourselves and we don't realize it at the moment. He never sleeps. And, He doesn't tire of watching
over His people. (Psalm 121:4) Sometimes, it's our distress that brings us to a place of rest. A new place in Him. (John 6:21) When the people arrived on the other side of the sea, they were shocked to find Jesus there. Isn't it that
way with us too? We head off to a new place, only to find that He has gone before us and paved the way! (Deuteronomy 1:30) As one lively song says, "He'll Do It Again." God always goes before His people!
(Deuteronomy 31:8, Zechariah 12:8) The people knew that Jesus would have had to travel a very long distance if he walked all the way around
the shore line to the other side. They couldn't figure it out! If He had not gone in the boat with the disciples,
how did He get there and when must He have gotten there? How could He have gotten there before they did? Isn't
it true that the "how," and the, "when," and the, "where," are not as important as the,
"He?" Wherever, however, and whenever, being in the presence of the Lord is the important thing.
We can never figure God out. His ways are much higher and His thoughts are much higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9) But He does invite us to enter into and stay in His presence, keeping in step with His Spirit. When? Right
now! Will we accept His invitation? MORNING MANNA - MAY 23, 2008 - LOTS OF TIMES John 6:20 (KJV) I'm impressed at the many times in scripture
we're told not to be afraid. The Lord speaks to many people in many different situations saying,
"Don't be afraid." When God sends angels with messages, they also usually say, "Don't
be afraid." (Matthew 28:5) I thought I would just look at some of those times and situations in scripture where God encourages
us not to fear. Do you want to be encouraged? Let's look at just a few of those scriptures. John 6:20 is one that we saw in yesterday's Morning Manna. The disciples were out in a boat on a raging sea in
the middle of a storm. Jesus miraculously came walking to them on the water. I was encouraged by this
situation to know that, no matter whether there is a storm in my life or a storm in nature, Jesus is not hindered in being
with me. Nothing can keep Him from us! Genesis 15:1 reads like this in the Amplified Bible. AFTER
THESE things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am your Shield, your abundant compensation,
and your reward shall be exceedingly great. Way back in Genesis, before Abram's name was changed by God
to Abraham, God spoke to him, telling him not to fear. He promised to be Abram's Shield and his great reward.
He's speaking that same thing to you and me today. We have nothing to fear when God is our Shield and our great
reward! (Psalm 28:7, Hebrews 11:6) Deuteronomy 1:21 lets us hear Moses give the people a message from God concerning the promised land. God was telling the people
not to fear or be discouraged because He was definitely going to give them the thing He promised them. Are you standing
on the promises of God this morning? God is telling you not to fear. All His promises are yea and amen.
In other words, "true." (2 Corinthians 1:20) Joshua 8:1 finds the Lord telling Joshua not to be afraid, dismayed or discouraged. You know, God is saying that
very same thing to you and me today too! Whatever the current battle or the battles that lie ahead, we have the
victory in Christ Jesus! (1 Corinthians 15:57) These comforting words from God, "Don't be afraid,"
continue down through the scriptures all the way through to the Revelation 1:17, showing us that in any and every situation God is trustworthy and we have no reason to fear. Look at these words
to Israel from Isaiah 41:10 in the Amplified Bible. Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do
not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I
will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. Aren't
those words comforting and uplifting to us today too? With the word, "terror," constantly in the media, we
can trust God when He says, "....do not look around you in terror....." Here's
what Isaiah 41:14 says (Amplified Bible). Fear not, you worm
Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. Poor Jacob.
He was not the most likely candidate to be helped by the Lord. He had a past of lies and manipulation. Even those
of us who have a past that is less than spotless can be encouraged today. We don't have to fear. It's
not about what we have done, but about what God desires to do, and will do, in us if we will let Him! When we turn
to God, we, like Jacob can be assured of His help. He is our Redeemer! Matthew 10:31 (AMP) 31 Fear not, then; you are of
more value than many sparrows. Look what Jesus says when sending His disciples out with the
message of salvation. "Fear not." Today, many are resisting the message of salvation. It
is not always a welcome message. Violence is taking place all over the world because Christians are proclaiming the
message of Christ. Jesus doesn't say that we will never suffer persecution. (Matthew 5:10-12) But, He tells us not to fear it because He cares so much about us that He has even numbered the hairs
on each of our heads! He places great value on you and me and He's not going to let anything ultimately destroy
us. (Isaiah 54:17) Luke 12:32 tells us not to be seized with fear or struck with alarm. Why? Because it is the Father's good pleasure
to give us the Kingdom. In this world and in the world to come, we are the King's kids. Because of that
we don't ever have to fear lack, if we're focused on the Kingdom we have been given. (Luke 12:29) These are only a
few of the references showing that God does not want us to walk in fear of any kind. We are to fear Him only. The kind
of fear that we should have towards God is a reverential awe. There is a spirit of fear but that comes from
the enemy. God has not given it to us. (2 Timothy 1:7) Jesus came having the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. That is, He held His Father in high esteem
and knew that His Father was more powerful than anything else in Heaven or on earth. (Isaiah 11:1-2) Because that is true, we have nothing else to fear. How many times is this said throughout scripture? Many
more than we can reference here. Lots of times. Since God repeats it so many times, I kind of assume He wants
us to really get it. Don't you? MORNING MANNA - MAY 22, 2008 - DON'T BE AFRAID! John 6:20 (NLT) The disciples of Jesus had waited for Jesus to come back from His, "quiet time," up in the hills.
(John 6:15-16) It had begun to get dark and they decided to get in their boat and head toward Capernaum. Some commentary's
say that Jesus had told them to go to Bethesda before He went up into the hills. In any case, they began to sail across
the sea and found themselves in the dark of night in the midst of a huge storm. (John 6:18) Oh my, haven't there been times when you and I ventured out to do something in life and, right in mid-course,
a storm will arise? When that happens, we might, for a moment, forget that we have not been given a spirit
of fear! (2 Timothy 1:7) Everything can look black around us and be rolling under us just like it was for the disciples that night in the boat. When
we find ourselves in that situation, we need to remember that we have power, love and a sound mind. I often have to
remind myself that, thanks to Jesus, I have a sound mind in these days of turmoil and confusion out there in the world! The disciples may have been afraid of the storm but they kept on rowing. That's
what we have to do in the storms of life. Just keep on rowing! Relief is on the way. The strange
thing is that they became more afraid when the saw Jesus coming toward them walking on the water! Instead of being overjoyed
at seeing their Master coming, undoubtedly to save them, they began to fear even more. (John 6:19) The awesome sight of seeing Jesus walking on the water, even walking on the raging waves, in the fierce
wind, must have been almost too much to behold. No wonder they were afraid! Anyone who could do such a thing
must be stronger than the forces of nature! And they were in His presence. It's interesting to note
that Jesus knew exactly where they were. He knew exactly how to get to them. Nothing could stop Him from
reaching them. He saw them through the darkness and He went right to where they were. Are you in one of the storms
of life this morning? Jesus sees you right where you are and He's right there to help you. Not only that,
He's saying the same thing to us today that He said to the disciples in the tossed-about boat. "Don't be afraid.
I am here." (John 6:20) Have you ever heard more comforting words than those? I haven't. No matter how dark our situation
gets or how hard the winds of life blow, Jesus is with us on the journey. He's promised to be there. (Matthew 28:20) All His promises are true. (2 Samuel 22:31) Jesus is the Good Shepherd whose presence and care allow us to
say with confidence, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1) He's the One who gives us the assurance that, even if we're walking through the dark valley of the shadow
of death, we don't need to be afraid. We don't have anything to fear. He's with us. (Psalm 23:4) He's there to protect and to comfort us in every situation. He's the One who says, "Sit
down and relax and eat at my table. I know your enemies surround you, but I'll protect you." (Psalm 23:5) Is this one of those days that you just need to know that you don't have to be afraid? As the days grow darker
in this world, let's encourage and remind one another of the many times in scripture that Jesus spoke these words.
"Don't be afraid." He's just the same today as He was yesterday and He'll be the same tomorrow
too. (Hebrews 13:8) There won't be a single trial or trouble in any of our lives, that Jesus won't be right there saying,
"Don't be afraid, I am here." As soon as the disciples heard Him speak, they welcomed Him into
the boat. He's speaking right now. Will you welcome Him into your storm-tossed boat? He'll
do one or more of three things. He'll either calm the storm around you, He'll calm the
storm in you, or He'll miraculously remove you from the storm. To be sure, He's able to do all those
things and more! As soon as the disciples welcomed Him into their boat, they immediately arrived at their destination!
(John 6:21) They had, no doubt, been wearing themselves out rowing and rowing as the wind and waves blew them about.
But, they were obviously getting nowhere fast. Have you ever felt like that. Are you working and working
and seeming to get nowhere? Why not welcome Jesus into your situation? He's the only One that can get you
to your destination, and get you there on time. And when you get there, you won't be worn out from rowing against
the wind! Jesus is here. Don't be afraid to trust Him! MORNING MANNA - MAY 21, 2008 -THE KINGDOM WITHOUT A CROSS? John 6:15 (KJV) Can you imagine having
been one of those people in the crowd that day when Jesus fed over five thousand people with just the tiny offering
of one young boy? Can you see Jesus lifting those loaves and fishes up toward Heaven and asking His Father's blessing
on them? (John 6:11) Your stomach would probably have been growling along with the person's sitting next to you! If you're
close enough to Jesus, you can see Him with only five little loaves and two fishes, giving thanks to God!
What would you be thinking in your mind? Maybe the same thing Andrew thought? "What good is
just this little bit when we have five thousand hungry men here, plus their wives and children?" (John 6:9) Or, maybe, you would think something like this. "That's just great. We're all hungry.
Now this Jesus, not only took a little boy's lunch, He's thanking God for it and He's going to sit down and eat
while we have to go away hungry." After all, it looked like Jesus didn't have much more than enough for more
than Himself and maybe a couple of others. Well, whatever we might have thought, we've got to know that God's
thoughts and ways are much higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:8) You see, Jesus already knew what He was going to do! Those in the crowd had no idea what He was going
to do. And, if anyone even thought He was going to try to spread those loaves and fishes around to feed all of
them, they would have probably dismissed that thought as absurd. It just wasn't possible. And they would have
been right. It wasn't possible. Not in human terms or by anything that the intelligence of man could
imagine. That's why Jesus did it. To show that, although many things are impossible in our human capabilities,
all things are possible with God. (Mark 10:27) The scriptural scholars of that day should have been able
to see Jesus for who He was right away. They were well versed in the books of the law and the prophets. They
couldn't see it though. They were too tied up in a religion of their own making. Oh, they used the scriptures
in their man-made religion but they had lost touch with the presence of God. This morning, let's be
sure that we are not seeking, only to have knowledge of the scripture, but that we are seeking the presence of the
One who is the Word. As we look into the Word, He is right here, right now. He wants to talk to us and have
close relationship with us, if we will recognize Him. (Revelation 3:20) The crowd of hungry people that day were looking at Jesus. Their physical hunger, if nothing else, caused
them to take a good look at Him as He boldly held that little bit of food up and asked His Father to bless it. Even
though the teachers and scholars, for the most part, were not willing to take a second look at Jesus (unless they
were searching for some way to destroy Him), there were some in the crowd that must have remembered the Word that these
teachers had taught. Maybe they remembered Moses words in Deuteronomy 18:15. They may have remembered how the Lord, through Moses, fed the Israelite's in the wilderness.
(Exodus 16:32) As they watched those five loaves and two fishes turn into more than enough to satisfy all their hunger, with
leftovers to boot, a moment of revelation must have spread through the crowd. This morning, as we look to Jesus, and
enjoy His presence, may we find a moment of revelation. A time of refreshment and rest in Him. A time of
eating from His table of Heavenly Manna. (Psalm 23:5) As we do that, let's come away with a basket of extra so that we can feed a hungry soul along our way today. Well, the people had some revelation that day, but not complete revelation
yet. They were still thinking in human terms. They had their hungry tummy's fed on the hill with Jesus and
they were comfortable, in that respect. Yet, they were still not satisfied with their circumstances, in general.
They were hard pressed under Roman rule. Because they had a glimpse as to who Jesus was, they wanted to take Him, by
force, and make Him the king. (John 6:15) They thought He would lead a revolution and free them from their discomfort under the harsh Roman
rule. They had seen with their own eyes that He had power! Little did they know that they could not make
Jesus a king. He was already the King! God had that planned from the beginning. But, the time was not right
for what the people wanted. And, they were looking for the wrong kind of kingdom. Do we ever try to make Jesus
be what we want Him to be? Do we make our plans and then try to fit Him into them?
Does our discomfort in certain situations cause us to want to force the hand of the King? Are we even, maybe, looking
for the wrong kingdom? Jesus said that His Kingdom was not of this world. (John 18:36) Jesus, seeing that the people were not quite with His plan yet, got away from the crowd and went of to a mountain
by all by Himself. Being a man, do you suppose He might have been tempted to give in to the willingness of
the crowd to make Him their king? Do you suppose that He grappled, as a man, with the instant popularity and gratification
He could have had with the crowds of His day? We don't know what He was thinking, but He went away alone.
I can imagine that He knew that He could not have a Kingdom without the cross. Maybe, in His aloneness, He was
preparing for that great time of aloneness He would feel in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Matthew 26:36-42) And then an even worse time of aloneness where He would feel abandoned by His Father on the cross. (Matthew 27:46) As a man, maybe He had to get alone with His Father to keep His life in perspective and gain strength for
what was ahead. We have to do that sometimes too. He knew that the cross came before the fullness of
the Kingdom. He had to stay focused on that. And He did. Are you going through a tough situation?
Do you wish you could just see right now what Jesus already knows He's going to do for you? (Jeremiah 29:11) Jesus bore the weight of the sin of the world on that old rugged cross. He did it for the joy that was set before
Him. (Hebrews 12:2) He bore the cross so that many would be able to come into His Kingdom. And, he has asked us to follow Him.
(Mark 8:34) No cross that you and I bear this morning could ever compare with the cross of Christ and the weight of all of
our sin that hung upon His shoulders. If your cross feels too heavy this morning, you can go to that same Jesus
and find rest and relief. (Matthew 11:28-30) Because He was willing to take the cross to gain the Kingdom, we have access to the Father this morning.
We can go boldly before the throne of God to find grace and mercy. (Hebrews 4:6) Yes, the One who bore the cross on Calvary's mountain is the same one who is so merciful and so full
of grace that, even though He demands that we take up our cross, He offers to take the greater part of the burden for us.
There is joy on the other side of every journey we take with whatever cross Jesus asks us to bear. There
is also rest within His Kingdom, even while we carry our cross. That rest is found when we take His
yoke upon us, letting Him carry the greater load of that cross! We, too, will not enter His Kingdom without taking
up our cross and following Him. Sound hard? Maybe so in human terms. But Jesus never asks us to do
anything that He does not equip us and give us the strength to do. (Philippians 4:13) He bore the cross so we could experience the true Kingdom! There could have been no true Kingdom without
the cross. MORNING MANNA - MAY 20, 2008 - HE WAS SMALL AND HE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH John 6:9 (KJV) Do you have status? Do you have wealth? What do you have? And, who are you?
In John 6:1-14, we find the story of a little boy with a little bit of food. We also find Jesus, His disciples and bunches of hungry
people. We hear Jesus ask Phillip, "Where can we go to buy food for these hungry people?".
The thing is that Jesus already knew what He was going to do before He asked Phillip where they could go buy food.
Do you wonder why Jesus would ask such a question? Especially if He already knew what He was going to do? (John 6:5-6) The disciples had been walking with Jesus. They were close to Him. They had seen the
miracles that He had done. He sometimes sat alone with them, probably teaching them. (John 6:3) They should have known He wouldn't have to go buy food for the people. Phillip could have
just said, "We can't do it, Lord, but we know You can." They had enough experience with Him to have that
kind of faith. Instead, Phillip seems to have been a bit flustered. (John 6:7) Instead of calling on Jesus for the need, he began to think negatively. Thoughts like, "We
don't have that kind of money." Thoughts like, "Where would we even get that kind of money?"
Thoughts like, "This situation is just impossible." Have you ever been in a situation where your faith
was tested? Have you been in a seemingly impossible situation and just kept thinking negative thoughts instead of turning
to the Lord and asking Him to meet that need? Phillip didn't pass that test. He looked at the impossibilities
instead of the total possibility that was present in the One who had asked Him the question. Don't you think Jesus
would have maybe been pleased if Phillip would have said, like Hezekiah did in ages past when he was faced with a dilemma,
"Lord we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you."? (2 Chronicles 20:12) What do we do when we come up against a situation that looks impossible?
Do we renew our minds with the Word of God? (Romans 12:2) Or do we do like the media does and fill our minds with negativism and impossibilities? Well, in this particular
account, we find another key figure. It's Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. We don't hear a lot
about him in scripture but, in this case, he did look beyond the impossibilities. He must have looked around in the
crowd and found some hope. There was a young boy with five loaves and two fishes. He pointed that out to Jesus
but, even Andrew didn't quite make the mark. He added his doubt into the equation. "What are five loaves
and two fishes among so many people?" Neither Phillip nor Andrew seemed to have the idea yet, but Jesus already
knew what He was going to do! Do you know that, in whatever situation we find ourselves in this morning,
no matter how difficult, Jesus already knows what He is going to do? The question is, "What are we going
to do?" Walk in faith and trust or keep giving Jesus reasons why we can't make it? However
difficult our situation, are we renewing our minds with such things as, "With God all things are possible."? (Mark 10:27) Then there was another small figure in the crowd.
That of a little boy. This morning, are you feeling less than adequate? Maybe too small or inexperienced for the
task ahead of you. Maybe you feel like you're very insignificant compared to those around you. Maybe this
little boy felt that way too. He didn't have much either. Only five little loaves and two little fishes.
But, apparently he let go of them and gave them to Jesus. (John 6:11) It doesn't matter this morning what our worldly status is or even if we have very little in material goods.
God is interested in what we're going to do with what we have. Only in the hands of Jesus could five loaves and
two fishes provide enough food to feed well over five thousand people. You would think that, to feed that many, they
would have to have the food brought in by the barrel-full. Yet, the little bit that this boy had, when put into
the hands of Jesus, fed a multitude almost instantaneously. You would have thought that, in order to feed
that many, a "crew" would have been needed to organize everything and get it all distributed. Basically, it
took one small person willing to give what he had to Jesus. I once knew someone who would always say, "If
I had a million dollars, I would go feed orphans and give to this and that, etc., etc." Then I would ask him,
"What are you going to do with the five dollars you have now?" The answer would always be something like
Andrew's answer, "What good is a dollar or even five going to do?" That should not be the question
we ask ourselves and I don't think that's the question Jesus is asking. He's probably asking, "Are
you going to give me the little bit you have and allow me to multiply it, blessing you and a multitude of others?".
He just may be waiting to see if He can trust us with the little bit we do have so He'll know that
we're qualified to be given more! (Matthew 25:23) This morning, whether we have much or little, whether we are insignificant in the eyes of the world or world-famous,
what are we going to choose to do with what we have? Jesus knows what He's going to do. He's waiting
to see what we're going to do! MORNING MANNA - MAY 19, 2008 - TAN YOU BEWEEVE IT? John 5:47 (NLT) No, the title of this Morning's Manna is not gibberish and the words are not misspelled. It's just
that when I read John 5:47, I was reminded of a phrase my baby grandson used to repeat when he would come upon a new discovery in the world. Excitedly
and with awe, he would say, "Tan You Beweeve It?" Translation: "Can you believe it?"
He was looking right at something and would turn around and say to one of us, "Tan You Beweeve It?" He was
in awe of his discovery. Not so with the Jew's of Jesus day. They were looking right at the Word
(in which they claimed to be experts) in the flesh. (John 1:14) Most of them were looking at Jesus and essentially saying, "I can't believe it." One
of my Mom's favorite sayings when my sister or I would say, "I can't," was, "Can't means won't."
It seems like this was the case as Jesus stood in the flesh among His own people. The people He loved and came to save.
In fact, He said that in John 5:44. "No wonder you can't believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don't care about the honor that
comes from God alone." Jesus is really getting down to the business
of believing here. He was hard on the Jew's, going right to the root that was in their hearts. What was it?
It was unbelief. On the outside, they looked good. Maybe that's because they were operating to gain the approval
of those around them rather than God. Do we sometimes get caught in that trap? Do our lives consist of going
places and doing things, of dressing and even building our service to the Lord around the basis of the approval
of those around us? Today, scholars are poring over the Bible and finding their own reasons that they can't
believe it. Doing that meets with the approval of many in our society who would love to find that there's no reason
to respect their parents, no reason to stay away from immorality and perverseness, no reason not abort a baby
just because it doesn't fit into their plans or to cover a night of shame, and no reason to be accountable to God. Many
today do not want to recognize the fact that, Jesus is the reason. Some pick and choose parts of the Bible
to believe. That's like looking at a whole person with both arms obviously showing and intact, and saying,
"I believe that's you but I don't believe your left arm is really yours." What sense does that make?
I once knew a pastor that did not literally believe the accounts of the Old Testament such as, Noah's ark, the
Garden of Eden, The parting of the Red Sea, etc. The Bible is not a set of fictional stories or a buffet of spiritual
food from which we can pick and choose, according to our tastes. Doing that will result in us having a form of Godliness,
but we won't have any power. Why? Because we will be denying the very Person that our power comes
from. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) That's exactly the kind of people Jesus was speaking to in this passage. They had all the forms of Godliness
but their hearts were not changed. The Jew's that Jesus was speaking to were the
equivalent of the, "church," today. They should have recognized Him because they had read of Him through the
words of Moses (all the other scriptures they had too). Moses pointed to Jesus more than once. In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses saw far ahead into the future and told the people that God was going to raise up someone like himself from their
own people. Moses told them that they must listen to Him. Now that Prophet was standing among
them. But they would not listen. They would not hear. They would not follow and be saved having their lives changed
from being carriers of dead men's bones to carrying The Light! (Matthew 23:27, Ephesians 5:8) They had read the scriptures. They even carried them around. But, they came up empty! Today,
as we read the scriptures, let's constantly ask the Lord for a heart to believe! Let's not be like the Jew's
who, although they had great knowledge, had never let that knowledge get the eighteen inches from their head to their heart.
In all of our reading, studying, and sharing, let's be sure that we believe. Not just a belief in the
scriptures, but a belief in the One who is the scripture. When we feel empty inside, even though we might look
just great on the outside, let's check deep inside and make sure we're operating in belief. In faith.
When we run to and fro doing all of our, "work," whether for the Lord or to meet those responsibilities we have
of taking care of ourselves and our families, let's purpose to operate in a mode of, "belief." Not belief
in ourselves just because we know so many "words" of scripture or because we have a great ministry, or because of
our gifts and talents, or even because of our many good deeds. Not belief in anything but the One who stands before
us this morning as we look into His Word. The One who sometimes has to stand right in front of us, waiting
for us to notice that all the words of scripture point to Him. The One who will not enter our belief system without
being invited. He's the One who, when invited, will come in and feed us and operate in us and
through us changing our lives. (Revelation 3:20) He's the One who will pour Himself through us to spread Light to those around us. Tan you beweeve it?
I knew another little boy who would say, "You better believe it." In the case of Jesus, that's very true.
Not only can we believe Him and follow Him. We must believe Him and see Him in every part of the Word
that we read. He is that Word! MORNING MANNA - MAY 18, 2008 -
THE RIGHT KIND OF HONOR John 5:44 (KJV) Do you find it interesting that the world is full of people pushing other people
down and then even stepping on them to try to gain honor and position for themselves? Not only is it interesting, but
it is sad. And, if you're the one pushed down and being stepped on, it hurts! Why do you suppose it is like
that? Here's what James says: James 4:1 (AMP) When we look outward first, instead of upward first, we open ourselves up to jealousy, envy and anger. James 4:2 (AMP) 2 You
are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder
as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment,
and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask. Have
you ever seen that happen? Have you ever found yourself in that situation? You had expectations of being
in a certain position in life, with a certain amount of respect, and then found yourself in a lower position, with little
or no respect? If that has happened to you, how did you handle it? Did you look outward and become angry
because the one who got the position you wanted wasn't as qualified as you are? How about this? Have
you seen people become jealous in the workplace and at church because they weren't getting what they wanted? It's
not always the "position" that is the root of the problem. It's the position of our heart. We all would
like to have honor. And, it is available. But, we set our sites way too low. Jesus said that the Jews of His day sought
honor from one another. (John 5:44) Is that how it is with us? Are we so worried about what the person next to us is thinking of
us that we have to act out in a negative way, hurting others along the way? Have we climbed the corporate ladder expecting
to find that, at some level, others will stand back and honor us? Have we worked hard to rise up in church leadership,
hoping that we will receive honor from those we have served? Whether or not that happens is not the issue. For
the most part, those expectations will not be met. Why? Because there will always be someone under us who
covets the position or rank we have achieved. Honor is within our grasp. Influence is ours, despite our earthly
position or title. Power is ours, if we will use it humbly and wisely. Check out the following from
Adam Clarke's Commentary: The grand obstacle to the salvation of the scribes and Pharisees was their pride,
vanity, and self-love. They lived on each other's praise. If they had acknowledged Christ as the only teacher, they must
have given up the good opinion of the multitude; and they chose rather to lose their souls than to forfeit their reputation
among men! Pride, vanity, and self-love will not only be an obstacle to our salvation, but to everything
else we try to do in life. The greatest honor any of us can have is this: John 3:16 (NKJV) 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. How much more honor
can one receive than the honor of being loved, even while yet a sinner, by the God of all creation? Why is it then,
that we seek and strive for honor from anyone but Him? Why do we live on the praise of men when we should be seeking
the praise and honor from God? Look what The Message says in that regard: John 5:44 (MSG) 44 How do you expect to get anywhere with God when
you spend all your time jockeying for position with each other, ranking your rivals and ignoring God? Do
we want honor? Then we have to honor God and obey His Word. (1 Samuel 2:30) Do we want position along with that honor? We've got it. Ephesians 2:6-7 (NIV) 6 And God raised us up with Christ
and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in
the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
How about influence? Jeremiah, in dreadful persecution, went to the Lord about his situation. Look
what God's answer was. Jeremiah 15:19 (NLT) 19 The
LORD replied, "If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak words that are worthy,
you will be my spokesman. You are to influence them; do not let them influence you! It is by looking upward
to God that we will find that we already have honor. When we honor Him, He honors us. Everything else is supplied
in that honor that God gives to us. Salvation, power, position, love, influence, you name it. We have it all.
So, why in this world are so many of us fighting for position and seeking the praise of human beings? In whatever we
do, our main motive must be to honor God. Not to receive honor from others. As we honor Him, He will honor us!
That's the right kind of honor! MORNING MANNA - MAY 17, 2008 - WHEN YOU SEARCH, WHO DO YOU FIND? John 5:39-40 (NIV) Are you a person that searches the scriptures diligently? That's what the Jew's said
they did. This idea of "search" has been said to be like a lion scouring the plains for it's lost
young ones or a dog tracking game by the scent of a foot. Do we search the scriptures with that kind of diligence?
And, if we do, are we willing to find what, rather Who, is hidden there? (1 John 1:1) When we open the pages of scripture, we should not just be reading words on a page. The scriptures are
living. (Hebrews 4:12) They are deep. Just like one has to dig deep down into the layers of the earth to find highly sought after metals.
We mustn't just read the Word or even just memorize the, "words." The
Word is a person. That person is Jesus. (John 1:14) In all of our reading and searching, the end result should be that we find Life. Jesus is Life. (John 14:6) The Jew's of that day did search the scriptures but,
apparently not really to find Life. There are lots of reasons people read the Bible. Some think that, just by
reading it, they become a good person. Then, if they happen to memorize some verses, it makes them an even better person.
Some will use the Bible solely to judge and criticize others. Some may learn the words of the Bible in order to impress
others or even to impress God. Some even read the Bible in order to try to prove that it is wrong. Or, simply
for educational purposes. There are lots of motives and reasons why someone may read the Bible. The one reason
we should have for reading the Bible is to find Jesus. (Acts 8:35) Jesus said to the Jew's, John 5:39 (AMP) 39 You
search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through
them...... Although they may have trusted and supposed that they had eternal life just because
they investigated the scriptures, they seem to have come up short. The must have missed the very point of the
scriptures. Look what Jesus said to them at the end of John 5:39. .....And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me! Today,
we run around to Bible Studies, Conferences, etc., carrying our Bibles, pens and note pads. We listen to radio and TV
preachers. We go to church and Sunday School. But in all of that, have we merely gained knowledge about
the Bible? Or have we really had an encounter with Jesus? All of the above is good. We
should be searching the scriptures and studying them. But, in all of that, we should ask ourselves the question,
"In all of my searching, have I really found Jesus?" Jesus stood right there in front of the
Jews. He stood there in the flesh. He had already done miracles and quoted from the very scripture they,
themselves, knew so well. He embodied the scripture. They knew the scripture so well in their heads.
They were impressive around others. The sad thing was, they didn't know the scripture in their hearts. Their
eyes were blinded to the Truth. The words they had pored over in scripture had not made them better people,
only proud and arrogant people. And, in all their pride, they were totally wrong and totally lost! As such,
they refused to come to Jesus to have Life. The very Life contained deep within the scriptures. The
ones they had so carefully investigated. As we continue to search the scriptures daily, let's be sure that it's
because we're looking for Jesus. Words on a page cannot save us or change our lives. It didn't do so for
the Jewish scholars either. But, when that Word becomes alive in us, we will have found Life. We will
have seen Jesus! (Acts 18:28) He is among us today, right there in the scripture. In all of our searching, investigating, listening
and studying, may it be that our eyes are wide open. As the worship tune says, "Open our eyes Lord, we
want to see Jesus!" MORNING MANNA - MAY 16, 2008 - HAVE I DONE GOOD? John 5:29 (KJV) Reading
John 5:29 could produce some fear in us. And, rightly so. But not for the reasons that may first enter
our minds. Jesus is speaking of the time that He will come and raise, physically, those who have died. Those already
in their graves. However, He was also speaking of the fact that He will raise us from being spiritually dead to
being spiritually alive, right now. John 5:28 (MSG) 28 "Don't
act so surprised at all this. The time is coming when everyone dead and buried will hear his voice. He was speaking
to the Jews at the time and He was really trying to get them to believe in the authority that God had given Him. (John 5:26-27) Some Jews, at that time did not even believe in the resurrection. The were called the Sadducee's.
They were, sad you see, because they had no hope of a future life with God and no hope of abundant life in their day to day
existence. Today you and I have hope. His name is Jesus. (Matthew 12:21) Jesus is the hope of all the world, if they will receive Him as such. During this particular conversation
in John 5:16 and following, nobody seemed to be believing Jesus. That word, "believe," is the key word to keep in mind as we read John 5:29. If we do not have that in mind, we may be tempted to think that our good works can gain eternal life for
us with God. Or, we may be tempted to think that our bad works will give us a home in Hell forever.
Just before Jesus spoke the words in John 5:29, He had told them that anyone who would listen to His message and believe in God, Who sent Him, (John 5:24) would have eternal life. He didn't exclude people who had committed sin, done wrong things, or made bad
choices. How do I know that? Because He said, "...they will never be condemned for their
sins.... Obviously this implies that we have sinned. All of us. That's what Paul tells us too.
(Romans 3:23) So, this morning, if you are struggling with the fact that you've got a pretty ugly past, rejoice, because
Jesus is your Hope. Even if we have not done any outwardly disgusting things, there are the inward sins such as pride,
lust, and greed that are just as awful as those outward sins that we might condemn others for. In fact, God says
He hates such things as those. (Proverbs 6:16-29) The worst of these, "unseen sins of the heart," is unbelief. (John 16:9) Because, and let's try to think very carefully about this, true belief in Jesus and His
message will change our lives. What is on the inside (His message) will begin to show on the outside in our thoughts
and actions. Let's be encouraged this morning that John 5:29 indicates that those who have made a pattern of doing good in their lives will rise to eternal life with
the Lord. Can we consistently do good by our own sheer strength and willpower? Absolutely not. Just try
it for one hour and judge your every action and every thought, objectively, if you can. Look at this passage
from the book of Psalms. Psalms 14:2-3 (AMP) 2 The Lord looked down
from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, dealt wisely, and sought after God, inquiring
for and of Him and requiring Him [of vital necessity]. 3 They are all gone aside,
they have all together become filthy; there is none that does good or right, no, not one. That's exactly
why we need Jesus and why our Father sent His best from Heaven to be a sacrifice for us. We couldn't be consistently
good on our own, if our lives depended on it. And yet, John 5:29 seems to indicate that our eternal lives do depend on it! The other side of the coin is
that those who choose to ignore Jesus, not believing in Him, as the Jews were doing that day, will find themselves condemned.
(John 3:18) They were condemned because they would not listen to Jesus and believe in the God they claimed to serve. Condemnation
is ultimately our choice. Believe and live or don't believe and be condemned. Look again at John 5:24 in the Amplified Bible. 24 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you,
the person whose ears are open to My words [who listens to My message] and believes and trusts in and clings to and relies
on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [does not incur sentence of judgment,
will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life. Belief in the Father
and in the Son, Whom He sent to us, is enough work. That one, "work," will change our lives as His message
permeates every fiber of our being. It will change and affect our body, soul and spirit. Out of that work will
flow streams and rivers of good thoughts and actions. Although we could never do enough, "good deeds," on
our own to get us into Heaven, we are given the opportunity to listen to Jesus, to incorporate His message into our hearts,
to submit to Him, follow Him, cooperate with Him as He goes about doing good. (Acts 10:38) Are you trying to win God's approval with your good deeds? It won't work. There is only one
thing we can do to win God's approval. Believe on Him and receive Jesus. Do you think that you have eliminated
the possibility of Heaven for yourself because you have done too many bad things in your life? Not so! Receive
Jesus and believe Him today. Listen to His message by reading your Bible, talking to the Lord, and listening to
those who already believe. You won't have to work to change your life. True belief in Him will start
to change you from the inside out. Your thoughts and actions will start to look more and more like His. You
will begin to consistently grow as His love pours into you and then out to others through you. It won't be
the amount of good things that we do that will qualify us to go to Heaven on that day when we all stand before Jesus.
It will be whether or not those good deeds have come from a heart of belief or a heart bent on doing it, as
the old song says, "My Way." "My Way," leads to Hell. (Zechariah 4:6) Believing in "The Way" leads upward to abundant and eternal life. (John 14:6) MORNING MANNA - MAY 15, 2008 - HOW LONG DO YOU WANT TO LIVE? John 5:24 (KJV) Have you been hearing,
like I have, the many infomercial's and, "scientific discoveries," that promise longer life if you use or do
certain things? Many are caught up in retaining their youth. In fact, the latest thing that I've
heard is that sixty is the "new forty." I can't help but wonder if that's why some our thirty-five
year old's are still acting like they're fifteen! God has already made provision for us to remain
fruitful, even in our old age and given us His promise. Psalms 92:14 (KJV) 14 They shall still bring
forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; God has already given us the promise that
we will continue to bloom in our old age. And, by the way, that word (which we have all grown to hate), "fat,"
means to be rich and fertile. It comes from a root word meaning, anointed, accepted and satisfaction! How awesome
is that! We will spread our strong wings and fly, if we are firmly planted in His courts. Psalms 92:13Psalms 92:13 (KJV) 13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish
in the courts of our God. That word, "planted," actually means, "transplanted."
So, if you have not been planted in the house of God by receiving His Son, Jesus, there is hope. If you are planted
in the very poor soil of this world, come to Jesus right now and be transplanted into the house of God. Why are we so caught up in living long and youthful lives? I
believe it is because we have the deep down knowledge that God has made us to be eternal creatures. When God made Adam
and Eve, He made them perfect and with no sin. His intention was that they should live forever in a perfect
state. Then came the enemy. The one that said, "You can be even better than perfect creatures God created
you to be!" He intimated that God had withheld something good from them. Have you ever felt that way? Are
the insinuations coming at you from the enemy that God has somehow forgotten you for forgotten to give you something
good? (Check out that word, "insinuations," it starts with "in-sin.") Worse yet, have
you felt that God has purposely determined to withhold His good gifts from you? Don't dismay. Just remember
that, if you have received Jesus, you have been transplanted from this world into the next. As John 5:24 says, you have already passed from death to life. The enemy is right there to tell us lies. (John 8:44) But, Jesus has snatched us from that father of lies and transplanted us into the house of our Heavenly Father.
The devil comes to try to steal what God has given us. He's not happy about our being planted in the place of prosperity.
He lost that place due to his disobedience and he wants us to lose it too. (Isaiah 14:12) He wants to destroy our faith and our hope. (John 10:10) No way! We have passed from his kingdom of darkness into our Father's glorious Kingdom
of Light. (1 Peter 2:9) It's a forever Kingdom and we're living in it right now! No matter what our age this morning, we have the opportunity to hear the Word of
Jesus. This is not just an idle word. In fact, Jesus prefaces John 5:24 with the words, "verily, verily." meaning "amen, amen," or "truly, truly." In other
words, "It's a sure thing." It is a sure thing that if we truly hear His Words, and believe
them, we will live forever, and without condemnation! (Romans 8:1) We will flourish and grow more and more as we prosper in His courts. Are you hearing and understanding His Words
this morning, tucking them deeply into your heart? If you have any feelings of condemnation or guilt this morning, have
you received the forgiveness Jesus holds out to you? (1 John 2:1) Do you know, and have you confessed, that you have passed from death to life right now? This morning
is a part of eternity. How long did you say you wanted to live? Oh the glory of this - we will live forever in
freedom from condemnation, starting the moment we give our hearts to Jesus! MORNING MANNA - MAY 14, 2008 - HONOR THE JUDGE John 5:22-23 (KJV) Anyone who has ever been in court
can tell you that great honor is given to the judge. Even if you're not the one on trial, you are expected
to honor the judge. When he or she walks in the courtroom and up to the judgment bench, everyone stands.
The one who is on trial knows that everything hinges on the judge's decision. If anyone should dare to dishonor
the judge in the courtroom, the consequences will be humiliating, at the least. Certainly, it would be extremely detrimental to
the defendant if he or she were not to honor the judge. Friends, we not only have a
Savior. We also have a Judge. Those who have received Him as Savior, receiving His righteousness, will
find themselves in the presence of a merciful Judge. Jesus, the "Son of Man," is the one who has experienced
every temptation and trial we could possibly ever face. (Matthew 16:27) He is the one who did that and did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15) He will be our judge when judgment time comes. For His own good and loving purposes, God has given Jesus
the power to judge us. Jesus walked this earth as a human being and He knows exactly what we have gone
through in our lives. He's felt every bit of it. Isn't it wonderful that, although we will have a
Judge, He will not sit in judgement without mercy! He knows what it's like to be human and walk in human flesh. Just as we honor a judge in a state or federal courtroom, we must honor Jesus,
as Judge. (John 5:23) Our loving Heavenly Father has sent His own Son to be our Savior and our Judge. Great honor is
due both the Father and the Son. Somehow, when I look at this, I get a glimpse. Just a glimpse, of how
this all works in our favor and to our benefit. In our courtrooms of today, the judge has the
power to pronounce a sentence. In a murder case, for example, the judge will weigh the evidence and hear the
verdict of the jury and then pronounce a sentence. In these cases, it will most likely be a life or death sentence.
Life, at best, will probably be behind bars for a good amount of time. It may be, "life," but, life in prison.
In the case of Jesus, the Supreme Judge, it will also be a life or a death sentence. But, those who receive
a "life" sentence, won't do any, "time," behind bars. And, we get to choose, ahead
of time, which sentence we will receive! You can't beat that! Having chosen Jesus and honored Him as
our Savior and Lord will automatically give us a sentence of, not only life, but total freedom! The
Judge has already paid the price for our crimes! If you are a believer, rejoice this morning and see a picture
of your Savior, as well as your Judge. Know that you are safe in His courtroom. Unlike some of our judges
today, He cannot be bribed. The truth cannot be hidden from Him because, you see, He is the Truth. (John 14:6) Isn't it amazing to see that in God's court, perfect justice will be carried out? On
our own, we wouldn't stand a chance. We're definitely guilty, no matter how you cut it. It would be the
death sentence for us! Yet, God, in His most loving kindness, has made Jesus to be our Savior, taking on our sin.
When we stand before Jesus, the Judge, He will see a replica of Himself which He has purchased at great price, with His own
blood. (Colossians 1:14) How awesome is that! If you have not received Jesus as Savior, won't you do it right now today.
(2 Corinthians 6:2) One day He will stand as your Judge. You won't stand a chance either, unless He sees you covered
by His blood. As we go about our day today, let's just concentrate on giving honor to Jesus just as we
see in John 5:23. What other judge do you know who would take the death penalty for the murder you committed and let
you go free? (John 8:36) MORNING MANNA - MAY 13, 2008, YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER John 5:19 (KJV) The Jews had been looking and looking for a way to accuse Jesus of wrongdoing, yet every time they tried, He just
turned their accusations right around on them. In John 5:18, we see them thinking they have finally got something to pin on Jesus. They said that He said that He said
He was equal to God! (John 5:17) Even with that accusation, Jesus answered them plainly, letting them know that He could do nothing by Himself.
He only did what He saw the Father do. He explained to them that, apart from God, He could do nothing. And, that's
what He tells us about ourselves. "Without me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) You and I can do nothing apart from Jesus. It is His desire and His prayer that we would become one with
each other and that we all be one in Jesus in the Father. (John 17:21) Whew! That's a big "one!" There's total agreement going on in that
situation. The Jews had just condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath
when the man at the Pool of Bethesda got up picked up his mat and walked away. In essence, when Jesus that
He was not doing anything that the Father was not and would not do, He was saying that He had done nothing wrong in healing
the man on the Sabbath. (John 5:19) In fact, the implication was that He had done the perfect will of the Father. Everyone knew that God could not
sin. Therefore, if Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, it could not be sin because Jesus is One with the Father.
God will not break His own law. So, if Jesus was working in and through the Father, the healing He performed was
not a breach of God's law. Somehow man appears to have misunderstood or had a wrong perception of the
meaning of the Sabbath. At this point, they were not even recognizing Immanuel, God in the flesh, even though all
the law and the prophets of the Old Testament pointed to Jesus. (Matthew 1:23) If those against Him were going to accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath, then God must have broken the
Sabbath too! In accusing Jesus, they were accusing the God whom they professed to serve. Have we settled the matter in our hearts this morning that Jesus is actually and absolutely one with God? To
help the people of His day understand this fact, He went on to tell them that He would go on to do much greater things
than just healing a sick man. (John 5:20) As we look back through the scriptures, we find that Jesus, indeed, did do much greater things! He said
He would bring the dead back to life and He did. (John 11:43) Not only did He bring Lazarus back to physical life, He has the power to bring you and me out of spiritual death into
abundant spiritual life. (John 5:21, John 5:24) He can do this for us because He is the first and only one to rise from the dead, never to die again. (Acts 26:23) Lazarus had to die a second time because he was still living in his natural body after being resurrected. Jesus,
on the other hand, rose from the dead by the power of God within Him, and then rose to Heaven being where He continues to
be One with His Father, praying for us constantly. (Romans 8:34) When Jesus died on the cross, it was our Father in Heaven and His great love suffering there together. They shared
that pain because of their unity. When Phillip asked Jesus to show them the Father, He said, "...if you have
seen me, you have seen the Father." (John 14:8-9) Today, we see the Father and the Son through the Scriptures and we are blessed because we believe, even though
we have not seen this with our eyes. (John 20:29) We are truly blessed because we can be one with the Father and the Son by the provision of the Holy
Spirit who will be with us forever. (John 14:16) He will also remind us and teach us, just as the Father told Jesus everything He was doing. (John 5:20 John 14:26) Just as Jesus was one with the Father, so they are one with their own Spirit who is now in those of us who
will receive Him. If you haven't received Jesus as your Savior, will you do it right now and receive the Holy
Spirit? You can't have one without the other but, through Jesus, you can have the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
(John 14:6) MORNING MANNA - MAY 12, 2008 - JESUS NEVER STOPS! John 5:17 (NLT) The Word of God is true. (2 Timothy 3:16) We know that God rested and ceased His activity on the seventh day. (Genesis 2:2) He ceased His task of creating the world and all that is in it. However, He did not go on a vacation and
cease to care for what He had just created. And, He has never done that. He doesn't even take
time to sleep! (Psalm 121:3) He doesn't have to. He is God. He is Spirit. (John 4:24) We are flesh and spirit and we need to sleep for the fleshly part of us to be restored. Our spirits
are always open to God though, whether we're asleep or awake. (Acts 18:9) His Word indicates that too. We know that Jesus was present at the time of creation. (Genesis 1:26) He was a participant in creating you and me. He was with His Father and was one with His Father, knowing
His Father's wishes and plans for creation. He is still one with His Father. (John 10:30) Jesus constantly reveals His love to you and me. What a wonder! He does this because He wants us to be
one with Him. If we are one with him and He is one with the Father, we have complete unity. The Body of Christ
is intact and fully able to function!(John 17:26) In this unity, you and I never stop working either. The
word, "working," as used in John 5:17 is not exactly the meaning you and I might place on, "work," today. Most of us think
of, "work," as being gainfully employed. If you are a Mom today and, if you are blessed to be able to
operate fully in that roll, you may be intimidated or made to feel less than you are today when people ask you, "Do you
work?" Duh! "Do I work???" Of course you work! Right now, I just have to say
to you, that you have the most important job in the world. You are raising up the new generation that
is going to take over the world! Do you get paid for this job? Not monetarily. And, most of the time, not
right away. But your reward and pay will come! Money isn't everything!! Listen to what you will find
if you have been sowing the love of God into your children and raising them to abide by His principles and serve Him.
Proverbs 31:28-29 (AMP) Her children rise up and call her blessed
(happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her, [saying], many daughters have done virtuously,
nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all. When
you had children, you labored. You were a partner with God in creating new life. When the child was delivered,
you ceased your labor. Your Sabbath from delivery pain had come! But, your job had just begun! No, you will
not labor again to deliver that child but you will, like God, maintain the creation that God gave the world through you.
If you don't care for that beautiful creation, it will die. If you don't care for it properly, it will fall
apart and become unable to function properly. Take a look around in our world today and realize, Mom, that you not only
have a career, you have a ministry. Just like Jesus! When the time comes for you to meet Jesus, one reward
you will have are those longed-for words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." No amount of money, worldly
prestige, or fame can compare with an eternal reward like that! Getting
back to that word, "working," as it was used by Jesus in John 5:17. By implication, the Greek word means, "to effect, to be engaged in or with." That is the work of God.
Every day, like Jesus, we are to be effective in the world around us and engaged in bringing people out of darkness into
the Light. That's a lot of what Jesus meant when he answered the accusation of the Pharisees about His working
on the Sabbath. He was maintaining His creation. He was holding it together. In that sense, it
was not work because of His great love for that which He has created. (Colossians 1:17) He didn't just create everything and sit it on a shelf to look at it. That's not what a mother does
when she delivers a baby either. He created everything and poured His life into it. His work now is
that He is holding and will continue to hold everything together! He was pointing out to the man, by the pool of Bethesda,
that it is only in Him that we can live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28) The word, "working," in John 5:17 actually means, "to commit." God created this world in six days and then He stopped creating and became
committed to loving it no matter what the price. (John 3:16) He became committed to it and providing for it. (Philippians 4:19) Just like a mother, God is committed to caring for us! He ministers to us and protects us if we
will come to Him. (Matthew 23:37) The word, "working," here in the Greek also has the meaning of, "ministry." Though Jesus
had the right to demand us to minister to Him, He went about ministering to others. To His creation. That
was and still is the work of the Father. Are we an example of the love, commitment, and ministry of Jesus
as we go about our daily business? Every day of the week? Even though we may have a great mission and
dream in our heart from God, do we stop what we are doing for a moment, on the way to our destiny, to help that
one who is laying by the pool? That's what Jesus does for us. (Psalm 91:14-16) Pass it on! (2 Timothy 1:8) MORNING MANNA - MAY 11, 2008 - APPROVAL - GOD OR MAN? John 5:11 (KJV) We are still in the scene in John, Chapter 5, where Jesus has healed a man who was laying by the Pool of Bethesda.
That all sounds great, but the problem is that it was the Sabbath. (John 5:9) The Jews of that day had a long list of, "do's," and "don't's," regarding what constituted
the keeping of the Sabbath. They were man-made rules that pretty much wiped out God's intentions for the Sabbath.
Most of the Pharisees were just looking for a way to stop Jesus. He was always showing them for who they really were
on the inside. (Matthew 23:27) Oh, they looked good and sounded good on the outside but that was only a facade. When Jesus is present, He will
always insist on getting to the heart of the matter. It's what is in our hearts that matters because eventually
what is in our hearts will come out of our mouths and take the form of actions! What was in the heart of the man who had just been healed? The Jews, who saw the man walking and carrying his
mat, began to accuse him. (John 5:10) There he was in public, doing work! On the Sabbath! He was carrying his sleeping mat! How was he
going to answer his accusers? He wasn't even used to being in the public eye. He had been laid up for the
previous thirty-eight years! Now he was suddenly free! I would suppose he said the first thing that came to his
mind. He said, "The one who healed me said, take up your bed and walk." (John 5:11) Now, he had shifted the blame that they were trying to place on him onto Jesus because Jesus had told him to pick
up his bed and walk. That was just fine for the Pharisees because it gave them more fuel for going after Jesus!
And that's just what they did. But, again, what about the heart
of the healed man? The Jews asked him what man had ordered him to pick up his bed and walk. (John 5:12) But, the man did not really know. I'm sure he was happy to be healed but he had not really taken notice
of the Healer. Jesus had slipped away in the crowd. (John 5:13) Maybe he began to look for Jesus. We don't know. But, Jesus later found him in the temple.
(John 5:14) He confirmed to the man that he was, indeed, healed. But, that's not all Jesus said. He told
the man not to sin any more. (John 5:15) Though all sickness is not caused by sin, some is. The sickness this man had may have been caused by sin.
Even if it wasn't, the man had obviously somehow been sinning in his life. Otherwise Jesus would not have said,
"....sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." That's a pretty scary statement! The man had
been disabled for thirty-eight years. Now Jesus was saying, "Don't sin any more - it could be worse!"
When we receive a touch from Jesus, we would do well to hear the words he spoke to this man in the temple. In our gratitude
and because we have seen the awesome hand of God in our lives, let us also turn from any sin that might easily beset us. (Hebrews 12:1) Well, this man immediately left the temple and told the Jews who had made him whole. Do you think the man realized
what he was doing? The Bible doesn't record the fact that he was deaf. Most likely, he had gotten the
gist of the Pharisee's questioning and heard at least a bit of their conversation. Most likely he had realized that
the Pharisees were on a mission to destroy Jesus. Do you suppose that he was trying to win the approval of the Pharisees
by revealing the One who had healed him? (John 12:43) This prompts me to check my own motives. What is really in my heart? Can we just let the Lord show
us this morning if we are sinning this very subtle way. Are we harboring the desire for men's approval
in our hearts above our desire for God's approval? Will our resulting actions cause harm rather than good.
That's what happened with the man who was healed at the Pool of Bethesda. Perhaps he was angry because Jesus
had revealed his sin and told him to turn from it. It is pretty evident that, even though he gladly took the gift
of healing, He didn't make an effort to get to know the Healer. He went right out and told the Jews that
it was Jesus who had healed him. He probably knew that they wanted to kill Jesus. (John 5:15) Instead of thankfully staying in worship with the King of Kings, he went straight out and sought the approval of men.
Because of this highly blessed man's decision to follow men rather than God, the Jews did persecute Jesus
and looked for a way to kill Him because he had healed the man on the Sabbath. (John 5:16) How are we showing our gratitude and thankfulness to God for all that He's done in our lives? By following
Him and showing others the way? Or by seeking the approval of men who are trying to trample down His Kingdom?
I know, it's a difficult question, but it's worthy of some deep, Holy Spirit guided soul-searching! MORNING MANNA - MAY 10, 2008 - FREE IN THE SABBATH John 5:9 (KJV) As I continue to ponder the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda, I am amazed.
We've just seen that the Jews saw that the man was healed but, instead of rejoicing in God's mercy and grace,
they were busy looking at their rule book about the Sabbath. (John 5:10) They were unable to celebrate with this one who had been set free because they were bound. (John 8:36) Anyone who is bound will never want you to be free! The Jews were bound to the numerous rules
they had made up surrounding the Sabbath in order to, "protect," it. While the original
intent of making sure to obey God completely was good, the Jews began to make up their own rules, from their own
ideas about how to make sure everybody would completely keep the Sabbath. When we start trying to make up our own interpretations
of scripture, without revelation from God, we become very legalistic. We can no longer receive and enjoy God's
grace and mercy. We are bound by our own, "rules," and then we try to bind others by them as well.
(Luke 11:52) Anything that keeps our eyes bent toward ourselves and not lifted to God, will eventually bind us.
This man had looked to Jesus and he was healed. (John 5:8-9) The Jews, on the other hand, still had their eyes in their own rule book and they remained bound and bitter. The man at the pool of Bethesda had found his rest in the One who is our rest. God
had, early on, told Moses that He would go with Moses and that He would be his rest. Exodus 33:14 (AMP) 14 And the Lord said,
My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. He was Moses's Sabbath. God's presence
gave Moses rest and it's still the same today. In His presence, in The Sabbath, you and I can still find rest.
Now the man by the pool had seen the manifestation of the very presence of God in Jesus. Yes, God with us.
Immanuel! (Matthew 1:23) It is the very presence of Jesus we find our Sabbath. Our rest. Not just
one day a week but even on the other six days of the week. Have you found that rest? It is there but
some will not find it. That's what happened to the Jewish people in the wilderness. Hebrews 4:11 (AMP) 11 Let
us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for
ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness
fell]. They hardened their hearts to the very presence and provision of God. Unbelief
will always harden our hearts. That's what the Jews in the story of the man at the pool were doing too. The heart
of God is to care for His children. Not to control them with rules, but to set them free with
His principles, accompanied by His mercy and grace. He doesn't order us to come into His presence.
He invites us. He let's us know what it's like under His wings. (Matthew 23:37) Even though He has the perfect right to order us about, He doesn't want to make our choices for us.
He wants us to want Him. Instead of ordering us about, He weeps over us when we're not willing to make the right
choices. He doesn't barge right into our hearts without knocking either. (Revelation 3:20) He gives us the choice as to whether we're going to answer the door, and, even more, if we're going to invite Him
to come in. Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) 28 Then
Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.9
Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." The Lord Jesus presents Himself to us today as our Sabbath. It is our
choice as to whether we will receive Him as such. What is it that you are burdened with? It may be a long standing
physical ailment such as the man at the pool. It may be that you have a child or grandchild who is wayward and you have
no idea where that child is. It may be a broken heart over something else that has made you lay waiting for someone
to come and set you free. It could even be financial stress. Any stress can cause us trouble. I have often
thought that the word, "stress," is all mixed up and too many letters are added to it. Let's just
remove one letter and arrange the remaining letters God's way. Rest! Real rest is ceasing from our concerns
of this world and placing our focus on Jesus, our Sabbath. Otherwise, we will get all mixed up. We will
start adding things to God's Word and His ways. Our lives will change from rest to stress. Our worries
and concerns will bind us. Our priorities will get mixed up. Like the Jews who were so concerned about the man
who couldn't even walk before now walking and carrying his mat on the Sabbath! They
didn't have eyes to see that the Sabbath was the reason that the man could walk. He was not
constrained and controlled by the Sabbath. He was set free by The Sabbath! He was given
rest from what had controlled him for so long. Is anything controlling you this morning? Even some
religious idea that you have to keep all the rules or become disqualified? Yes, God gives us parameters within
which to strive to live. They are more than just rules though. They are principles for living.
Rather than being meant to control us, they are meant to free us to live the abundant life
that God has promised to us. (John 10:10) Are we like the Jews who couldn't celebrate the goodness of God because it was outside of their, "box,"
or book of rules? Are we missing the fullness of life? Or are we so focused on Jesus that, instead of being controlled
by man's rules, we are free to operate in the Spirit and let the Spirit operate in us? (Galatians 5:25) In The Sabbath, we receive all that we need. (Matthew 6:33) When that happens, we don't do things because we have to obey the rules. We are free and we want to
do the right things because we have rest and relationship with The Ruler. If we are bound by anything this morning,
will we allow The Sabbath to set us free? The invitation to us remains open. Jesus is waiting. MORNING MANNA - MAY 9, 2008 - IT WAS THE SABBATH John 5:8-9 (KJV) God has given humanity a great gift. It's the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27) God made it just for us. He knows what we need and His Word says He will provide everything we need. (Matthew 6:8) Even before we ask. Have you ever felt like you needed something but you didn't really know what
it was that you needed? Have you ever had so many things on your mind that you couldn't really focus on any one
thing properly? God has taken care of that for us and commanded us to observe what He's set in place for us.
(Exodus 20:8) It's the Sabbath. When God created the world, the creation of the Sabbath was the final touch.
He stopped working on that day and looked at all He had made. He was pleased with what He had made. These
days, we don't really take the Sabbath too seriously or, we have misconstrued its meaning. It means to
"cease." Like when God stopped creating after six days, satisfied to look upon the results of His work.
What it doesn't mean is that God went out to play golf, go to the mall, go to the beach or to look
for ways to please Himself. He was finished with His creation. The number seven, in Biblical terms, has a
meaning of completion or maturity. All that God had planned to do for the first six days, He did. Then He rested. (Genesis 2:2-3) Do you have to wonder why God was so adamant about humanity observing the Sabbath and keeping it holy? Aren't we glad that we do not live in Old Testament times! The population would
be quite sparse by now! In those days, if one didn't observe the Sabbath, the punishment was, well - let's
just say, You wouldn't do that again!" Exodus 31:15 (KJV) 15 (KJV) 15 Six
days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath
day, he shall surely be put to death. Yes, if we lived in those days, the majority of us wouldn't
be living. We'd be dead! Now,
when Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, it happened to be on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, who
were always looking for a way to discredit and even kill Jesus, found out about it. They saw the man obeying Jesus by
carrying his mat home. You would think that the Pharisees would at least show some amazement about the healing of this
man. After all, he had been totally disabled for thirty-eight years! But apparently, that was a small thing
compared to the "work" of healing being done on the Sabbath and the man carrying his mat home. They
didn't seem to care that the man was now free from his infirmity. He had ceased from being disabled. The
disease that bound him had to "cease," at the Word of Jesus. (John 5:9) The man could rest from being bound! This was his Sabbath. When rules and regulations become
more important than the work of God and more important than His people, we have somehow gone astray. That's what
it was like with the Pharisees. They were more interested in their view of the rule book than the Ruler.
Jesus was more interested in showing forth the mercy of His Father. Look what He told the Pharisees on another
occasion when they were trying to force their interpretation of God's law on Him. Matthew 12:7 (KJV) 7 But if ye had known
what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. He
went on to put them in their place with this statement. Matthew 12:8 (KJV) 8 For
the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. Nevertheless, the Pharisees went on to persecute
Him as He continued to do good and show mercy on the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:10) He continued to show them for who they were by revealing their hypocrisy. (Matthew 12:11-12) Today, we are still to observe the Sabbath. We will not be put to death if we don't, at least instantly.
However, we may be putting ourselves to death by not taking one day out of the week to "cease," from our labor.
Medical science has proven that the major percentage of illnesses today are caused by stress. Many of us never cease!
Our body chemistry was not created to be in a "full speed ahead" mode constantly. God obviously knew
that because He's the One who created us! The Sabbath day that God created for us is for our own good
and for doing good. (Isaiah 58:13) Is anybody ready for a rest? MORNING MANNA - MAY 8, 2008 - DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL? John 5:6 (KJV) Don't you wonder why Jesus would know that a man had been sick for thirty-eight
years and then walk up to him and ask, "Do you want to get well?"Actually, "made whole," means more than
just physically healed. It means whole in body, soul and spirit. It means, "sound," and "true."
That may seem like a "no-brainer," question. The answer may appear obvious. Who wouldn't want to
get well after being sick for thirty-eight years? In those days, and today, that question may not really be so absurd.
After all, if Jesus asked it, He must have had a pretty good reason. He had only three years in public ministry.
I don't think He went around spending His time asking unimportant questions. People who were lame and ill in
those days would sit around and people of compassion would give them money. That is how they made their living.
However, "sick," that is, if someone was made whole, they would have to get up and learn a whole new lifestyle.
They would have to work and make a contribution to society. We can see that in the story of the lame man at the temple
gate. (Acts 3:1-10) All these people sitting under the five porches at the pool of Bethesda were identified by their
position. Stuck! No healthy person would sit there for any length of time. Can you imagine how it might
have been filthy and really perhaps with a stench? I suspect that not many healthy people went in and stayed
a while. Probably, if people were compassionate, they stopped to give someone some money or bring some food, but
I don't imagine they stayed long. Many might not even be willing to enter the place. Have you ever been in
a nursing home? Sometimes there's not enough staff or enough care. The odor that hits you once you
walk through the doors will turn all but the strongest stomachs away. The odor is not the only thing. As you visit,
you meet people that have been sick, sometimes for a very long time. You see deformities that break your heart and turn
your stomach. You see broken-hearted and confused people. Infirmity takes its toll on its victims and it
will take its toll on those who try to care for them if Jesus is not present. But, there is hope! Jesus is
here! Jesus was present that day by the pool of Bethesda.
He singled out one man and asked him one question, "Do you want to get well?" Notice that the man did not
say, "Duh, of course I want to get well." He didn't even reply with a, "Yes." He
replied with an excuse. Look how the Living Bible paraphrase puts John 5:7. 7 "I can't," the sick
man said, "for I have no one to help me into the pool at the movement of the water. While I am trying to get there, someone
else always gets in ahead of me." We don't know if the man really said, "I can't,"
or not, but that's what he implied by his reply. My mother used to always tell me that there is no such word
as, "can't." She said, When we say we, "can't," we're really saying we, "won't."
I tend to believe what she said, although I confess that I haven't yet, in sixty-two years, completely eradicated the
word, "can't" from my vocabulary! Certainly, if we are believers, we believe that all things
are possible with God. (Matthew 19:26) We also believe that, with God, nothing is impossible. Luke 1:37 (AMP) 37 For
with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. We
also believe that we can do all things through Christ, who will give us the strength. (Philippians 4:13) The man at the pool was always looking for somebody else to help him into the water but no one was ever
there at the right time. Everybody around him was in the same situation. They were all looking out for themselves.
Are we always looking to man for our help? Or do we go boldly before our Father's throne through the blood
of Jesus and receive the grace and mercy we need when we are in some kind of troubling situation? Jesus knew this
man's heart. That's why he needed to ask the question, "Do you want to get well?" Jesus knows
our hearts this morning too, even if our hearts have deceived us into thinking we could fix ourselves or that one day some
other person would come through our lives and be "our fix." (Jeremiah 17:9) Jesus is still asking sinners and saints, alike, "Do you want to get well." Whether or not our infirmity
is physical or spiritual, we will probably find that, in order to answer the question Jesus poses in a truly
honest manner, we will have to give up some things. We will have to give up trusting in ourselves. We will have
to realize that we have no power to change ourselves or our situation. Only God can change a life. We
will have to give up counting on someone else to do what only God can do for us. We will have to realize that no other
human being can change us or our situation. Our healing, our fulfillment, our peace, our joy, our contentment,
our salvation can only be found in One. Finally, we will have to give up our unbelief. In exchange we
will have to exercise our faith. Do we really believe that all things are possible with God?
Do we really believe that nothing is impossible with God? Do we really believe we can do
all the things God has created us to do? Do we really believe that God's Word is true and
will never return without accomplishing what He sends it out to do? (Isaiah 55:11) Do we really believe these things? Like the man at the pool, Jesus first asks us if
we really want to have a change for the positive in ourselves and our circumstances. Then He
waits for our response. When we realize that we are just as helpless as the man at the pool, we're progressing. Just
as the man was looking at Jesus, listening to Him, and responding, that's what we need to do this morning. Look
up from our situations into the face of Jesus. Believe what He says. Have faith. Without it we'll never
be able to please God. (Hebrews 11:6) Jesus told the man, "Get up, pick up your mat and walk." (John 5:8) Hear Jesus this morning! He is calling us all from whatever negative situation we might be in to get
up! If He says we can get up, we can get up! Then Jesus says, "Pick up your mat."
What is that thing that has held you captive for years? Because of Jesus, it no longer holds you!
You can pick now pick it up and put it back where it belongs! Finally, Jesus says, "Walk."
The man picked up his mat and walked instantly after thirty-eight years of being confined to his mat. John 5:9 (AMP) 9 Instantly
the man became well and recovered his strength and picked up his bed and walked. But that happened on the Sabbath. Do
you want to get well? By faith, get up from where you are. By faith, pick up the thing that has
kept you down. It may be a poor attitude or a sin. It may be a good thing that needs to be used in the
proper manner instead of you becoming a prisoner to it. Carry it and put it where it belongs. By faith, walk
in the power of the Holy Spirit with newness of life and wholeness. Do you want to get well? By the power of
and according to the Word of Jesus, get up. With His strength, take control over what has been controlling
you and walk! MORNING MANNA - MAY 7, 2008 - HAVE YOU BEEN WAITING LONG? John 5:5 (KJV) We've been watching Jesus as He traveled down His path of life here on earth, always headed toward His main goal,
that of becoming the sacrifice for our sin on a cruel wooden cross. (Hebrews 9:26) He never stopped walking in that direction and He did get to His destination. (Philippians 2:8) He completed His mission of, not only dying, but getting up again and rising to His rightful position of King of Kings
and Lord of Lords. (1 Corinthians 15:4) Although He was definitely on the most important mission of all of eternity, He still found time to stop
along the way and touch the lives of many people. (Acts 10:38) He didn't walk with His head down in a, "poor me," attitude even though He knew He had to endure the
cross. He didn't walk with an arrogant attitude either, even though He knew who He was and that He would
gain the victory. Jesus walked in compassion for those he met along the way to His final
earthly destination. (Mark 6:34) He touched their lives in unique ways, changing them forever. He's still doing that
this morning. (Hebrews 13:8) If you are in need of something, Jesus is here right now. He is the Word and we're in
the Word. (John 1:14) Have you been waiting and waiting for an answer or relief from something? Waiting for a very
long time? There was a man who waited for thirty-eight years to be healed. (John 5:5) He waited to be the first one in the divinely stirred water at the pool of Bethesda. John 5:4 (KJV) 4 For
an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of
the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. But, in all those
years, he had never made it. Have you been waiting all your life for something you knew you could have but somehow
you've never got that thing? You've perhaps never been in the right place at the right time. It could
be healing. Maybe a restored relationship. A ministry. A job. Have you watched everyone else get whatever
it is that you want and you're still on the sidelines, "laying by the pool of Bethesda,"........ waiting?
Be encouraged, the Living Water is stirred this morning and He cares about your situation! Along
His way to complete His mission, Jesus found a man just like that. Thirty-eight years the man had been sick.
I don't know how long he was laying by the pool to try to find healing, but I suspect it was probably a long time.
Today, Jesus is here asking us, "What have you been waiting for?" "What is it that you need?"
What do we need today? Have we asked for it? Sometimes we don't have what we need because
we don't ask for it. James 4:2 (AMP) 2
You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is
to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification,
the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask. Instead
of realizing our own inadequacy and humbly relying on the absolute adequacy of God, we try to figure out and
manipulate our own answers. When we do that, we end up hurting, instead of helping, people along our way. Either
that, or we haven't realized yet that we need to ask in accordance with God's will and with a pure heart. James
4:3 (AMP) 3 [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to
receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to
spend it in sensual pleasures. In either case, Jesus is interested in all of us who have been waiting
a long time for His touch. In this moment, He is here with us. He is telling us to seek His Kingdom
first and that, if we do, all the things we have been waiting for will be supplied. (Matthew 6:33) Have you been waiting long? Today is your day. Now is the time to look up. The Master is here
with hope for you and healing for your situation. He's asking now. "Do you want to get
better?" (John 5:6) In this case, "Just say 'Yes'." You don't have to wait any longer.
(Hebrews 3:15) MORNING MANNA - MAY 6, 2008 - THE STIRRING John 5:4 (NKJV) Before we see Jesus heal the lame man in John 5:8, we are given a narrative about the exact time and place of the healing. We see so many things about this time and
place that point us right back to Christ, Himself. John 5:2 describes a place with five covered porches. Five, being the Biblical number that points to, "grace,"
I can imagine that these porches provided grace to those who were blind, lame, and paralyzed as they waited for the water
in the pool nearby to be stirred. (John 5:3) The water would become stirred only at a certain time. One commentary suggests that it was only during
the feast time. This particular feast that Jesus was attending was thought to be the feast of Passover by some.
If it was, that in itself, would point ahead to Jesus, the Lamb of God who would be sacrificed once and for all
for all of our sin. It was only at this certain time that an angel would go down into the pool and stir up the water.
The angel and the stirring points me ahead to the Holy Spirit who moves among us still today in miraculous ways. (John 5:4) But, we will not see or experience it if we're not in step with the Spirit and expectantly awaiting Him
to move. It's interesting to note that whoever got into
the water first after its stirring, got healed - no matter what the disease! Someone has pointed out that there are
lots of healing waters in this world, but none can heal every disease. Some are good for one ailment and
some for another but no one of them can cure all. How interesting that Jesus calls Himself the living water! Just
like the stirring of the waters at the pool of Bethesda, the one coming to Him will be cured of every sin, no matter
what it is. When we are drawn to Jesus, we have the choice to receive the living water or not. We do not
know how many times He will call for us. We just know that, "today," if we hear His voice we must not
harden our hearts. (Hebrews 4:7) If we have heard the voice of the Savior, the waters are stirred. It is the season, the certain
time, to follow and obey. It is the season to be blessed and healed. There were crowds of sick people under those five covered porches. Those crowds remind me of the crowds
of people that followed Jesus and received grace and mercy from Him. At that time, only the first one in the pool was
healed. Today, we all have the opportunity be free of sin and enjoy the blessings of healing and deliverance. Just
as the angel stirred the water in the pool, so the Holy Spirit stirs our hearts and moves among us. Have you felt that
stirring? Maybe you are feeling it now. Just enter into it and receive from Jesus whatever it is you need
today - salvation, peace, joy, healing, deliverance, love, hope..... No matter what your need is this morning, the Living
Water contains the cure. Don't wait for someone else or worry about whether you'll get there first. In
Jesus, there is room for all who will to come at once. Let's just be sure we do not miss the stirring because
we have hardened our hearts. Who will be first this morning to move into the Living Water? MORNING MANNA - MAY 5, 2008 - PONDERING THE STEPS OF JESUS John 5:1 (KJV) JESUS WAS
A JEW - HE CAME FOR THE JEWS Jesus
had been in Galilee and, from there traveled to Jerusalem. He went there because there was a feast of the Jews. He
was a Jew and had come to offer salvation to the Jewish people. (Romans 1:16) A once and for all sacrifice. (Hebrews 7:27) No more would the blood of animals have to be shed as a daily sacrifice for sin. He had come
to set His people free. (Hebrews 9:15) What a gift! You would think that the Jewish people would have coming running to receive such a gift.
Especially since they had already been told by God, through the scriptures, from Genesis on that Jesus would
come to earth. (Genesis 3:15) But, their eyes were closed and their ears could not hear the plan that the Father had for them. They hardened
their hearts. (Matthew 13:15) Have you ever hardened your heart when the gift you received didn't come in the package you expected it to come
in? Still, Jesus kept showing them that He was one of them. He didn't stop reaching for them. He didn't
stop loving them. He'll never stop loving you either, no matter what! He wept over them. (Matthew 23:37) He attended the holy day celebrations and worshipped with them, according to the Old Testament requirements.
JESUS WAS WALKING IN OBEDIENCE Jesus was walking in obedience to the scriptural commands of God
to the Jewish people. That certainly was one of the reasons why He was in Jerusalem at that particular time. When
we are walking in obedience to God, we will always be in the right place at the right time! Even though Jesus was walking
in obedience and He was going to Jerusalem to attend the feast, He didn't close His eyes to the opportunities that
surrounded Him to show the love and mercy of His Father. We all have responsibilities. Responsibilities
to the Lord and responsibilities to our families, churches and to society. Just like Jesus, as we're walking in
obedience and in the order of the Father's plan for us, we will encounter opportunities to take a moment and offer the
grace and mercy of God to another. I'm ashamed to say that I passed up an opportunity, just yesterday. My
husband and I had just come from church and were grabbing a bite to eat at a local fast food place. I got up to
go get something from the condiment bar and, as I turned around, I looked into the eyes of a young man sitting alone at another
table. His eyes caught mine and I knew he had a need. How many times have I prayed that someone would
be walking in the Spirit where my children were walking in their wayward way and give them a word of encouragement from the
Lord? I didn't say anything! Once again, I had to pass by his table. Still, he sat alone and our eyes
met. I didn't stop. I was too interested in getting back to a lesser conversation my husband and
I were having about who was right and wrong. We left. I said nothing to the young man. We got home
and his face and form were still emblazoned on my mind. Now totally broken, and knowing that I had passed up an
opportunity, I prayed for this young man, knowing also, that despite my failure, God could reach into his life through His Spirit
or another laborer. Still, my heart aches for this person that I can only hope I will see again in eternity because
someone else took the opportunity along their journey to reach out. AS
HE WALKED IN OBEDIENCE HE CARRIED AND DISTRIBUTED MERCY, HEALING AND GRACE Was I walking in total
disobedience? No. But partial obedience is still disobedience. I still had my mind on things of the Lord.
Maybe the key here is, "things," of the Lord. I am not walking in condemnation today because I am in Christ.
If you have received Him, so are you. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We're not covered with shame even if we have failed in some way. He took that for us. (Hebrews 12:2) We're not under condemnation either. (Romans 8:1) Nevertheless, we're still prone to slipping once in a while. (Proverbs 24:16) Remember when we used to play outside as children and fall and skin our knees and elbows? That really hurt.
Well, when we stumble spiritually, our hearts get skinned up. It hurts. When we miss an opportunity to extend
grace, healing and mercy as Jesus was just about to do in John 5:8, God may extend some grace and mercy to us in revealing the fact that our focus may have been on all the things surrounding
God, but not on God Himself. As He does that, our hearts and eyes will receive the healing balm of our Great Physician.
Jesus, our perfect example, took time for the opportunities placed before Him. That's what we need to
do too. Whenever we pick up the telephone today, whenever we meet someone on the street, in a restaurant, at the market,
on our job, in school, let's remember that that may be a divine opportunity to walk in the steps of Jesus. It may
be a divine appointment to minister grace and mercy along our way. Psalm 23 ends with the implication that, because the Lord is our Shepherd, grace and mercy will follow us all the days of
our lives. What follows you? A string of missed divine appointments and opportunities? Or, like Jesus, have
you sown so much grace and mercy along your way that people can see trail of grace and mercy following you?
I need to ponder the steps and stops of Jesus and follow................ By the way, may God's grace, mercy
and healing be evident in your life today! Perhaps sharing this Morning Manna has been a divine appointment. MORNING MANNA - MAY 4, 2008 - THE SHEEP GATE John 5:2 (KJV) So many times I have glossed over verses in the Bible just to get to
the "sensational," part of the story. This morning, in looking at the story of a lame man that was healed
by Jesus, I stopped at a verse I might otherwise overlook in my hurry to get to the heart of the matter. How many times
have I missed some wonderful treasure by hurriedly reading over things? Have you ever done that? Well, this time
when I took time to stop at John 5:2, the Lord just kept feeding me and feeding me out of that one verse. Jesus had just gone to Jerusalem. He's
in the city of peace. How exciting to see the Prince of Peace right there in the city of peace! (Isaiah 9:6) What a forward glimpse we get of the new Jerusalem . (Revelation 21:1-7) In John 5:2, Jesus is in Jerusalem, the city of peace by the Sheep Gate. This is the gate through which they take the
sheep that are to be sacrificed in the temple. Here we find the Lamb of God in the form of man standing near the Sheep
Gate. This is the very Lamb that would be sacrificed for your sin and mine. He knew what His earthly mission
was. He was born to die. He was like a sheep led to slaughter. (Isaiah 53:7) Are you with me? We're watching this Lamb who would be slaughtered for our sin come into His own city.
He is the Prince of that city. It belongs to Him. But, He doesn't go there to through His weight
around. He goes there to meet one man. A man who had been suffering for thirty-eight years. He is on a mission
of mercy. Strange isn't it? In John 5:2, we see that Jesus is in the city of peace. He is the Prince of peace. We see that Jesus is near
the Sheep Gate. He is the Lamb of God, who would soon be sacrificed for us. He is by a pool of water,
called Bethesda. Bethesda means, "kindness," and "mercy." Jesus is there to show mercy to
someone who has not found mercy from anyone else. When we look back
into the Old Testament, we find that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down. (Nehemiah 2:13) The gates had been burned. Nehemiah had gone there to rebuild the walls. The gates, being the most
vulnerable spots in the walls had to be rebuilt and strengthened. The first gate to be repaired was the Sheep Gate.
Wow! This is the very Sheep Gate by which Jesus stood in John 5:2. Jesus is the very one of whom John the Baptist said, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of
the world." (John 1:29) The first gate mentioned and repaired in the story of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem was the Sheep
Gate. (Nehemiah 3:1) That's the first gate that has to be built in our lives too. The Sheep Gate. The gate through which
the Lamb of God can come into our lives and take away our sin. One commentary said that the last gate to be mentioned
in the story of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem was also the Sheep Gate. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the
beginning of our spiritual life and the end of it. He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega. (Revelation 22:13) The Sheep Gate was also the only gate that was sanctified. (Nehemiah 3:1) Jesus said, "I am the gate." (John 10:9) It is through the Lamb of God, the Gate, that we can find salvation and be sanctified. There's
so much more in this preliminary verse but I'm going to stop here. I hope you have enjoyed the forward and backward
directions we can see from this verse. We can also see something wonderful in the present. Today
is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Today we can, "Behold the Lamb." Today we can enter into the Kingdom of God,
but only through the Gate. (John 10:1-8) Today, we can still find grace and mercy through Jesus. (Hebrews 4:14-16) What is your need this morning? Salvation? Grace? Mercy? Who would have thought a verse such as
John 5:2 could have led us to such beautiful pictures of our Savior? Whatever it is that we need, we can find it in our
Prince of Peace, Our Gate, the Lamb of God, the Great Shepherd......... you can take it from there! MORNING MANNA - MAY 3, 2008 - HOW FAITH GROWS John 4:53 (KJV) Can you relate to
the encounter we find in Mark 9:14-27? Especially the reply of a desperate father in Mark 9:24? The man confessed to believe, but he knew his faith was still imperfect. Have there been those times in your life
when you stepped out by faith? You heard a Word from the Lord and you believed it. Yet, you had to cry out like
the father in Mark 9:24. This father was experiencing pain, growing pains if you will. He was taking Jesus at His Word that his son would
be delivered. He had found no help anywhere before that time. Even the disciples of Jesus could not help this
deliver the son of this most desperate man. How often do we say we believe, but still experience some doubt in a corner
of our minds? How many times have we been hurt and disappointed by people who promise something and don't come through
with it? Is it really easy to walk by faith? To take Jesus at His Word and then go about our business
as usual, completely trusting? I have never found it easy to grow in faith. It's like building muscle when
you exercise. Before the muscle gets any bigger or stronger, it hurts. It experiences little tears that,
when healed, somehow make the muscle bigger and stronger. (Colossians 2:7) If you are reading along in the Morning
Manna, you know that we are talking about another desperate father. This father has also come to Jesus to ask for the
impossible. He has traveled a good distance to get there. He has humbled himself right in front of a whole crowd
of people, even though he was a man of high position and influence. He had come to the place where he knew that his
position and influence, even his wealth, could not gain for him what he wanted most. The life of his son. (John 4:47) Have you ever come to the point where you know that the abundant life that Jesus promised cannot
be attained by worldly position, influence or wealth? Real life comes only from God. Real life, abundant
life, can only be obtained through faith. Have you cried to Jesus like the nobleman from Capernaum, with tears,
for the impossible thing you needed in your life? The thing you were about to lose? Maybe you have heard
the reply of Jesus, "Must I do miraculous signs and wonders before you people will believe in
me?" (John 4:48) We can't count on and trust in signs and wonders. We must trust in Jesus, only. Yes, Jesus
is willing to move in and help us in our time of need with His grace and mercy. (Hebrews 4:16) Even perform signs and wonders, but only to point us and those around us to Himself! He doesn't want us to
walk in the power of signs and miracles but in the power of faith. Jesus gave the desperate nobleman from Capernaum only a Word. The man
took the Word and went on about his business. The man took the Word and walked in peace with that Word. (John 4:50) One commentary even suggests that he did not hurry home to find out if his son really was healed, as Jesus said.
Would you or I be that peaceful about receiving a Word from Jesus without seeing the manifestation? The man actually
must have done some other business before going home or perhaps he talked with others there in the crowd. Jesus
gave the nobleman the Word, probably about one o'clock in the afternoon. He could have been back in Capernaum
by five o'clock that evening. But we see that the man did not encounter his servants along the road until the next
day. (John 4:52) What was happening in the meantime? The mans's faith was growing. The longer he walked
on his legs of faith, the stronger they became. God was also doing another work. A confirming work. As we
see in John 4:51-52, the man met his servants on the road back to his home. They told him his son had recovered. Wow!
A miracle had taken place but the man had not been there to see it. He had only seen it by faith. Now God was
giving him confirmation that his faith was getting stronger. The servants told him the time that the boy was healed
and it was the exact time that Jesus had given the promise to the man the day before! Now, this nobleman
had gone from faith to faith. Now the nobleman really believed that Jesus was the Savior! (John 4:53) Aren't you happy for this man? His son was delivered from death. Wouldn't that
be miracle enough? No, it's not. Because God is a God of love. He wants everyone, by faith to see know that
He is really who He says He is. (Ezekiel 34:30, Galatians 3:7) God is a God of plenty. God is a God who wants great harvests and brings them about! Not only did
this man believe, but his whole family believed! The boy's body would someday have to die but the faith that was
brought about by what Jesus said and did would never die. No doubt, there were many in Capernaum that believed too after
seeing the results of one man's faith. Because of the nobleman from Capernaum, our faith is being increased
two thousand years later! What had looked hopeless and full of sorrow before now has now resulted
in a great harvest people coming to faith in Jesus. If you're in a tough situation this morning, be encouraged,
God is working a work of faith in you and in those around you. Yes, it may hurt. Just like labor pains.
But, God is growing something in you and me that, when birthed, will bring forth a great harvest. The nobleman was
willing to be patient even in great trial. James 1:2-4 (KJV) 2 My
brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;3 Knowing this, that
the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work,
that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If your faith is being tried this morning, don't
run around in circles, losing your forward momentum. Do some deep spiritual breathing. Be at peace as the nobleman
apparently was. Let your patience in your situation show that you trust God and His Word to be true. Know
that you are growing in faith. Troubles, trials, temptations? That's how faith grows. Lord, help
our faith in You to grow! MORNING MANNA - MAY 2, 2008 - YOU CAN TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD John 4:50 (KJV) Jesus had just come through Samaria where he had found many people willing
to believe that He was the Messiah. Now He was back in Galilee where He already knew that He would not be as well received
because, as He said, "a prophet has no honor in his own country." (John 4:44) However, a certain nobleman from Capernaum had heard about Jesus somehow. Capernaum was about eighteen miles
from Galilee. This nobleman had come upon some very hard times. Anyone who is a parent can relate. His little
boy had contracted a fever and was about to die. This man had great authority, wealth, and power but none
of that could stop his child from dying. The man traveled from Capernaum to Galilee and begged Jesus to go to his
home and heal his child. (John 4:47) Can you imagine the thoughts going through this man's head as he traveled? I wonder if he was bitter about
the fact that he could not, with all of his wealth, power and influence, find healing for his child. Maybe he even thought, "What's
the use of living and working so hard if I can't even make this needed difference in my own child's life?"
Have you ever wondered things like that? Nevertheless, he kept going. Jesus was
his last thread of hope. Although he could have asserted his influence and power when he arrived in Cana, he did not.
He went to Jesus and begged Him to go to Capernaum and heal his son. This nobleman humbled himself before
the feet of Jesus and begged. He didn't order Jesus to go. He didn't even use his position or drop names
to manipulate Jesus to go. He fell to his knees and begged. Here was a man of high position from another
town coming to seek Jesus while He was in Cana. All the while, those in Cana were very skeptical of Jesus
and full of unbelief. This man did not stop begging though. When Jesus answered him, it was a public
answer and meant for the hearing of everyone in the crowd. He said this: John 4:48 (KJV) 48 Then
said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. Imagine yourself as this
parent. He had just put all the hope he had into this one person, Jesus. He had finally made his way
from Capernaum to Galilee and somehow gotten the attention of Jesus. He had totally humbled himself before Jesus before
a whole crowd of people who obviously could see he was a man of position. Not only that, many in this crowd were
unbelievers, even though some may have been persons who had seen Jesus's first miracle at the wedding of Cana. Here is a man who is usually the one in control. Now,
he's waiting and hoping to hear Jesus say, "I will come to Capernaum and heal your child." Instead
he hears, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." If that was you, what would you think?
Would you be humiliated and slink off thinking He had not heard your request, or was unwilling to grant it? Just when
he needed a lifeline, was Jesus just going to stand there and issue a rebuke? If you are hard pressed this morning,
wondering where to turn next, go to where Jesus is. Hear what He says. Know that He is still saying,
"Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." But don't run away. Stick around like the
nobleman did. Because the nobleman was about to hear some more very encouraging words, John 4:50 (KJV) 50 Jesus
saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his
way. Jesus was interested in the hearts of everyone within His hearing that day. His first response was
not just to the nobleman but also to the unbelieving crowd. Jesus was looking for genuine faith in Himself, not just
a superficial faith that would fall apart if it did not see an immediate sign or wonder. He was looking for
someone to walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) What happened next was probably unbelievable to the crowd in general. The nobleman believed the Word of
Jesus and went His way. Jesus had found a man who would literally walk by faith. He's still looking for people
like that. Will He find that quality in us? The nobleman was satisfied by one Word from Jesus even though
he could not readily see that his boy was healed. Are we satisfied with just one Word from Jesus when we come with a
need that seems very urgent to us? Or are we never satisfied unless we see signs and wonders? The real wonder
is that, if we receive that one Word, our faith will have been tested and we will grow. The man believed and went his
way. What one Word have you received from the Word of God this morning? Just one Word can change a life.
Yours and that of someone you love dearly. It can also change the lives of those around you who are watching
you. This was a lesson, not only for the nobleman, but for the unbelieving crowd. As we go our way today,
let's cling to God's Word, knowing that it will never return empty and without having accomplished His purpose. (Isaiah 55:11) MORNING MANNA - MAY 1, 2008 - MOVING ON John 4:43 (KJV) Jesus was certainly having a mountaintop experience there in Samaria. One little visit with a woman at a well changed
a whole town! (John 4:42) They had wanted Him to stay with them, which He did for two days. (John 4:40) Aren't you glad this morning that we have the promise of Jesus that He will never leave us?
(Hebrews 13:5) Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) 5 Let your conversation
be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee. He said He was going to be with us always! Matthew 28:20 (AMP) 20 Teaching
them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and
on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be). As I was thinking
of Matthew 28:20, I realized that Jesus said He was going to be with us always, as we brought others to Him and discipled them to
follow Him. Although, in context, Matthew 28:20 doesn't have anything to do with the story of the woman at the well and the town that followed her to Jesus, it
has lots to do with it in principle. At the well, Jesus had just shown the disciples how to bring in a harvest of souls.
He didn't just give us eternal life so we could go to Heaven! He wants us to be like Him and bring lots
of people with us! He wants us to share in His work of being about the Father's business! That's
one of the reasons He's not going to leave us. He loves us and those around us too much to leave us. He's
going to stay with us because He also loves us all too much to leave us in our sin and troubled lives. If we only get
one principle from today's Morning Manna, let's really realize the love Jesus has for us. We're
no different than that Samaritan woman who came to the well that day, found life for herself, and brought others to Him.
All of us. Whosoever. Everyone. We all need Jesus. (John 3:16) The wonderful thing about that is that He has given Himself for all of us! Jesus, being in the form of a man, had to leave the little town of Sychar. He was actually on His way to Galilee
when He made a stop to gather some harvest from Sychar. Today, we know that Jesus never has to or wants to leave us.
Because He kept going until He finished His business at hand here on earth, we now have His Spirit (John 16:7) I wonder if those in Sychar were saddened to see Jesus move on? Do you think they might have liked Him
to stay longer? Maybe even settle there? I can't imagine life without Jesus. Maybe there were some in Sychar
who were like Mary, in the story of Martha and Mary, who were just content to sit at His feet in worship, gaze into His face,
and learn from Him. (Luke 10:38-42) Today, you and I can "move on," without ever
leaving Jesus or having Him leave us. We move by the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:25) In fact, we must always be, "moving on," because the Holy Spirit is like the wind, blowing
where it will. John 3:8 (KJV) 8 The wind bloweth where
it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one
that is born of the Spirit. We do not know when, where or how Jesus is going to work next but He is going
to move on from individual to individual, giving everyone an opportunity to be born of the Spirit. As we live and follow
the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives, we will find ourselves "moving on," with Jesus.
Our eyes will be open to new opportunities to share His love and salvation with others. Every day we have a chance to
"move on," with Jesus, our final destination being Heaven. One day we may stop and stay a while in a
certain place or with a certain person. Another day, we may have to move on, as the Holy Spirit nudges us. The
key is to "go with the flow." Of the Holy Spirit that is. There is a great tide today creating a downward
flow toward sin and destruction. Inside of us, if we have received Jesus, is a different kind of a flow. We are
each uniquely made. (Psalm 139:14) Each created for a special purpose. (Ephesians 2:10) The flow that comes from each of us draws and pulls people from the downward flow of destruction
and despair. The flow in us is a flow of God's generosity. As you and I "move on,"
with the Holy Spirit, we have things we can contribute along the way. God has given us each gifts, talents, and abilities
with which to contribute to the flow. 1 Peter 4:10 (KJV) 10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards
of the manifold grace of God. Even as Jesus moved on that day from Sychar to Galilee,
we will naturally move on through our lives. We can move in the power of the Holy Spirit or we can move in our own selfish
way. We can minister to one another with the gifts God has given us or we can keep them to ourselves and become stale,
and spiritually cold. Let's keep our spiritual circulation going by moving on in the Holy Spirit, distributing the
gifts God has given us to people along the way! Not just those like us - but everyone we see as we "move on,"
with Jesus. MORNING MANNA - APRIL 30, 2008 - THE TREMENDOUS VALUE OF TARRYING John 4:40 (KJV) If you've been reading Morning Manna for the last few days, you know we left each other at the well
in Samaria. We're still there this morning. It pays to tarry with Jesus! Jesus has just given his disciples
a great lesson on being about God's business of working in the harvest of souls for the Kingdom of Heaven. And now
part of that harvest makes its way to the Master of the harvest! The Samaritan woman has gone into town and
told the people there that she thinks she has found the Messiah. (John 4:28-29) Although she doesn't yet know everything there is to know about Jesus. She went with what
she did know. She did not know that Jesus would say the following: John 12:32 (KJV) 32 And
I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Indeed, Jesus had not even been lifted
up on the cross yet. However, this woman had gone into the town lifting up the name of Jesus and, in so doing, many
were drawn to Him. Here came many people from the town of
Sychar out to Jacob's well to see just who this person was who had told the woman so much about herself. (John 4:29) She had gone to town with just what she had received from Jesus and shared it with others. Is that
what we are doing too? Whether we know little or much, are we sharing it with others? You can't share Jesus
without sparking some kind of response in people. This woman didn't preach. She just shared. This may
be a lesson to learn. In our everyday life, preaching will not necessarily result in reaching. It is when we share
that we show that we really care. That's how Jesus reached the woman and that's exactly how she reached the
townspeople. Don't you love to be in a place where you know you're really cared for? The presence
of Jesus will always bring us the peace and security of knowing we are cared for. (1 John 1:7) Just because that woman told the people about what Jesus did for her, they believed. (John 4:39) Has Jesus done something for you that you can share with others? As the townspeople came to Jesus they saw, like the woman had seen, that He was more than just
a man. They realized the value of staying in His presence. They asked Him to "tarry," with them.
Jesus loves to be invited to tarry or dwell with us. He is always willing to tarry with us but He waits
to be invited. Do you need His manifest presence right now? Just open the door of your heart right this minute,
right where you are. (Revelation 3:20) When we stop to think about it, when don't we need to be in His presence? This world
can be quite confusing and tempt us to be in turmoil. The Prince of Peace has promised us His peace if we will
tarry long enough to receive it. (John 16:33) Jesus is always willing to abide with us when we give the invitation. That's what He did
in the town of Sychar. He stayed there for two days. Although He, for sure, knew what was going to happen,
I doubt that the disciples knew that plan beforehand. They were on their way to Galilee. What a surprise when
Jesus stopped along the way to carry out some Kingdom business. In all of our daily activities and agendas, do we stop
like Jesus did when God presents an opportunity to gather others into the Kingdom? Or do we just look the other way
like the priest and the Levite in the story of the good Samaritan? (Luke 10:30-37) Jesus is showing us we don't have to come from Samaria to be a "good Samaritan." As the townspeople
enjoyed the presence of Jesus, many more believed. Now, they were not believing just because of what the woman had
told them about her experience with Jesus. They were having their own experience with Jesus! Just look at this: John 4:42 (KJV) 42 And
said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed
the Christ, the Saviour of the world. "...we have heard Him ourselves, and know......" We
never know just what impact we will have when we just share what Jesus has done for us. The wonderful thing is
that, although our testimony may be astounding, Jesus will speak personally and individually to those we share Him with.
We don't always know how or when and we may not even see the results here on earth, but Jesus will speak.
Those you and I have shared with will hear for themselves and know that they know that they know that He is, indeed
the Christ, the Savior of the world. All this will happen when we're willing to tarry a while in His presence! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 29, 2008 - ANOTHER LESSON FROM THE WELL John 4:32 (KJV) We have been looking into some
of the applications of the story of the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well. We've seen how He risked what
people might think and say in order to offer this questionable woman eternal life. His disciples had been in town buying
some food since they had all been traveling and they were hungry. When they returned to the well, they found Jesus
in conversation with the Samaritan woman. (John 4:27) The woman ceased her conversation with Jesus, totally forgetting her water pot and went back into the town to
let others know that she had just met the Messiah. The disciples were hungry
and they tried to get Jesus to eat. (John 4:31) But, Jesus was still in the teaching mode. He was still about His Father's business.
He had just finished teaching the Samaritan woman about the water which He could give her. He had assured her that,
if she would receive it, she would never thirst again. (John 4:13) Now the subject has turned to meat. The disciples are, naturally, hungry. But, Jesus has
a lesson to teach them about meat. He tells them that He already has food. (John 4:32) Can you just imagine being one of those disciples? They've just traveled a long way, leaving
Jesus to rest and get a drink of water at the well. When they come back, Jesus is talking with a Samaritan, and a woman
at that! They're already wondering about Him but they don't say anything. Now, they spread out the food
they have just come back with and it looks like Jesus is not in the mood to eat. Why not? They're tired and
hungry! They just wonder what Jesus is talking about? Did somebody else bring Him something to eat? (John 4:33) John 4:33 (KJV) 33 Therefore
said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Ah! Now comes the lesson time. This time it's not about water, it's about meat.
It's not taught to the Samaritan woman, but to the disciples. John 4:34 (KJV) 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will
of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Food was not a top priority with Jesus at that moment.
He just had to go through Samaria. He just had to sit at the well alone while the disciples went into town for food.
Was it just to have that divine appointment with the woman at the well? I believe it was. I also believe that
He has set up divine appointments with and for you and me. He, knowing the beginning from the end, also knew that she
was about to bring a whole bunch of others to the well and Jesus had His mind on finishing that particular work. It
occurs to me that, in essence, Jesus was fasting. When we have our heart so set on doing the will of God and finishing
it, food will not be our top priority. Jesus was, although tired from traveling, reaching out to the world with love
and compassion, setting the prisoner free, bringing deliverance and salvation. Isn't that what Isaiah said a real
fast is? Watch this! Isaiah 58:5-7 (NLT) MORNING MANNA - APRIL 28, 2008 - WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THE GOOD NEWS? John 4:28-29 (KJV) 28 The
woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come,
see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? The story of Jesus's meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well
has so many applications. Each time I read it, I seem to see something else of interest. We know that Jesus sat
there alone talking with a woman. This fact, by itself, is enough to warrant a second and third look. We don't
think much about it today but, in that day according to the Jewish tradition, sitting alone with a woman was, "unthinkable."
One commentary points out the absolute unconventionality of what Jesus did. A man shall not be alone with a woman
in an inn, not even with his sister or his daughter, on account of what men may think. A man shall not talk with a woman in
the street, not even with his own wife, and especially not with another woman, on account of what men may say. (Preaching
The Word). Jesus was not concerned with what men would say. He was concerned with what His Father would say
and with doing His will no matter what it looked like to people. (John 4:34) What a good lesson Jesus teaches us in this act. He lets us know that God is looking at our heart and not at
outward appearances. He operates not by convention but by compassion. We see that the conversation between Jesus and the woman was interrupted by the return of the disciples, who were
obviously perplexed about the scene but did not question Jesus. The woman, now in the presence of several strangers,
left the conversation with Jesus. She forgot something though. She left her water pot. She was already getting
a glimpse of the taste of living water, even to the point that she forgot she needed natural water! Have you ever heard
the old saying that, "If you leave something in a place you have been visiting, it means you really want to return."?
That may be an old wives' tale or even a superstition (both of which I do not support). However, in this case, she
really wanted to return, but not by herself. For all of her life, she had gone from one man to another trying to find
the love and satisfaction she was looking for. Now she had met Jesus. She knew He was not just another man.
He even went so far as revealing Himself to her as the Messiah. She was so taken back by this revelation that, when
her conversation was interrupted by the disciples, she forgot her water pot. She forgot everything she was doing and
ran back into town to spread the news about her meeting with Jesus. Another good lesson for us. Are we so
excited by the revelation we receive that we just have to run and share it with someone else? Does everything
else in our lives, good and bad, dim compared to the revelation we have of Jesus? This morning, as we meet with Jesus, He is revealing Himself more and more to us. He is also revealing things
about us, individually, that we could not otherwise possibly know. (Jeremiah 17:9-10) As we have a hunger and thirst for His Word, we will see more and more of Him. But, will we just get spiritually
fat and be tempted like the Pharisees to look down spiritual noses at people like the woman at the well? (1 Corinthians 8:1-3) Or will we be like the woman? Excited to run with the good news of what Jesus has told us? Taking
the compassion that Jesus has shown her and doing what she could to spread it to others, even those who are not like us and
perhaps very unlovely. Some of us may know more scripture than others. None of that really matters. It's
what we do with what we know that matters. This woman had just met the One she had been searching for all her life and
in all the wrong places. She didn't know everything about Him but she knew who He was. He told her and she
believed Him. (Acts 16:31) She was not perfect in her knowledge of Him. Yet, she did what she could with what she had
received from Him, resulting in a whole town being converted. Whatever Jesus has given us this far, let's run with
the good news. Let's not get spiritually fat with knowledge. Let's stay active as we run to deliver the
message Jesus has given to us. Then run back to Him to get more. The living water never stops flowing. We
just need to stay in the flow. We never know, we might be instrumental in winning a whole town! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 27, 2008 - HE TOLD HER John 4:17 (KJV) If you read the Morning Manna yesterday, you know that we were talking about a divine appointment. A meeting
specially planned and known by Jesus before it happened. All the meetings that we have with Jesus were planned
and known by Him since before time as we know it. This divine appointment in the fourth chapter of the gospel of
John was rather strange for its time. Jesus met alone with a Samaritan woman. There are several reasons that
this appointment was, "out of the box," in that day. Jesus was there meeting with a Samaritan,
whom the Jews hated. He was there meeting with a woman, which was not considered, "appropriate."
He was there conversing with a, "sinner," and He was considered a Rabbi. All very unusual circumstances.
In one commentary, I read that even married men did not speak with their wives when meeting on the street. When His
disciples returned and found the scene, they wondered about it. (John 4:27) It's interesting to note that the didn't ask Him why He was there or what He was doing. Do we ever
see that Jesus is working in our lives or the lives of another but we don't understand the, "how," or the, "why?" The
disciples had seen that Jesus was about His Father's business. Although they didn't understand why He had chosen
this mode of action, they went on about their business without questioning. It is at just such times in our own lives
that we must not concern ourselves about some of the "how's," and "why's," of God's ways. (Isaiah 55:9, Psalm 131:1) Before the disciples returned, Jesus had
told the woman about drinking of the water of Life from Him. About how she would never thirst again. (John 4:13-14) She had great interest in what He told her. She was probably still thinking of her physical task of drawing
water from the well. Most of the other women would come early in the morning to the well to draw water. Although
it was still a task requiring a good amount of physical labor, it wasn't hot in the morning. This woman probably
did not come at that time because of the scorn of the other women in the village. She was not exactly respected
among them. She was probably eager to find a way to get around the task of coming to the well at all, much
less in the heat of the day. (John 4:15) She had not yet really understood what Jesus told her. Aren't there times in our lives when we hear
a Word from Jesus, either by scripture or revelation, and we don't get the depth of it at first? Jesus didn't
seem to be put off by that. He just asked her to go and get her husband and come back. (John 4:16) I wonder if this command was to test her heart. Sometimes the things that Jesus tells us to do may make no sense
at the moment or seem to have any relevance to the immediate situation. Jesus knew all about this woman just as He knows
all about you and me. He didn't need to ask the question but she needed to answer it. Did she try to cover
herself with some denial of the way she was living or did she admit her situation? No, (well not exactly). She
told Him she had no husband. When we come before the Lord, how do we do in that area? Hopefully we are honest and transparent.
Totally so, not choosing to gloss over little details as the Samaritan woman did. (John 4:17) What happened
then was that Jesus told her about herself. He told her that she had been honest. He commended her honesty
as far as it went. He also told her more. He told her that she had had five husbands! Then
He told her that she was living with a sixth man who was not her husband. When we converse with Jesus, we
need to be willing to have Him tell us about ourselves. In all of our living, we have a tendency to forget some of the
details of our lives or gloss over them. When we open our heart in conversation with Jesus, He will tell us something.
He certainly told this Samaritan woman something! Before, in their conversation, she did not really understand that
He was speaking to her about spiritual things. Now her eyes were being opened. She realized that Jesus was more
than just a tired traveler sitting by a well. (John 4:19) She saw Him as a prophet. Now her conversation turned to worship. She began questioning
Him about the, "how's," and "where's," of worship. (John 4:20) She still did not realize just Whom she was talking with. So Jesus told her some more.
(John 4:21-24) He told her about true worship and how God is looking for those who will worship in spirit and in truth.
The exact "how or where" is irrelevant. It is the object of our worship that is important. God must
always be the object of our worship. Finally the woman indicated that she believed that Christ would come and reveal
everything. (John 4:25) Then He told her everything. John 4:26 (KJV) 26 Jesus
saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. This same Jesus is willing to meet with sinners and downcast people
today. He is willing to reveal more and more of Himself to both sinner and saint today. Just as He told the Samaritan
woman about herself, He will reveal levels of our own hearts that we cannot find by ourselves. Those levels may then
reveal some things that need changing. (Psalm 90:8) After He tells us about ourselves (Romans 3:23), He will tell us about Himself. (Romans 6:23) He told her of grace and mercy for those that will worship God in spirit and in truth. (Hebrews 4:16) He told her Who He was. He's told us too. What are we doing with what He's told us?
MORNING MANNA - APRIL 26, 2008 - HE HAD TO DO IT John 4:4 (NLT) Jesus was on His way from Judea to Galilee. He had
a choice of routes to take. He could take the shortest one that led through Samaria. Or, He could take the longer
route like most Jews did. The majority of Jewish people of Jesus's day would not go through Samaria. Their
hatred of the Samaritans was so bad that they would go out of their way in their travels to avoid the place! Not Jesus.
He had to go through Samaria. Love made Him go. Is there somewhere that you have to go through
this morning, even though others will not take the chance? When we see who He encountered there, the story becomes
even more incredible. When Jesus and His disciples entered Samaria, they were tired and hungry. The disciples
went off to town to find some food and Jesus sat alone on a well waiting for their return. (John 4:8) At about noon, a lone woman came to the well. A Samaritan woman. In those days, women were not thought
of as very much higher than dogs. Certainly, a Jewish man would not want to be seen talking with a woman, especially
alone. Much less a Samaritan woman. Yet, Jesus surprised her by striking up a conversation, even by asking her
to meet a need. (John 4:7) He asked for a drink from the well. Needless to say, she was surprised and must have known, at once, that Jesus
was not like any other man. (John 4:9) If she didn't realize that He was different at first, she certainly had to wonder when she heard His answer to
her question as to why He would have anything to do with her. (John 4:10) He had just asked her for a drink and now He was telling her He wanted to give her Living Water! This story is so amazing. Jesus purposely decided not to take the longer route
usually taken by the Jews. He had to go through Samaria. Was it just to meet this lone Samaritan woman?
Jesus makes divine appointments. Maybe this is the morning that He is waiting to speak to you. The Samaritans were a
racially mixed people. They didn't worship as the Jews worshipped. Why would Jesus go through Samaria when
He was called to bring salvation to the Jews? (Mark 7:27) Because, He knew the beginning from the end. He is the Beginning and the End. (Revelation 21:6) He knew that His own would not receive Him. (John 1:11) Because of this, salvation would be made available to everyone. (Romans 11:17, John 3:16) If this were the end of the story of the Samaritan woman, that would be amazing enough. But, it's really
only a small portion of the depth of this story. This woman came
alone to the well, at an unusual time. In the heat of noon. It was probably because she was not well-received
by the other women in the town. She was an immoral woman, living with the fifth in a string of men. Not only
was Jesus speaking to and offering the gift of eternal life to a Samaritan. She was a woman! She was
an immoral woman!! Jesus knew that. (John 4:17-18) He could have gone another route to reach Galilee but He had to go through Samaria. There is so much
to learn from this one story. But, for this morning, I'm touched by the fact that some of us reading this may feel
ostracized by our community for one reason or another. We may know that we have a very tainted past. We may know
that we still struggle with sin. Maybe you don't even know who Jesus is. If you have heard about who
Jesus really is, you know that you're unworthy of His attention. Yet, look at this story. Jesus went purposely
to meet an immoral woman, not of His own kind, in order to bring salvation to her. He took the risk of the raised eyebrows
and the criticism of "religious," people for one unworthy woman. Are you that person this morning? Can
you see that the love of Jesus reaches to the outcasts, the lonely, the unworthy? His love is reaching out to you
and me this morning, despite our past, our race, our upbringing, even past our current situation. He loves us just as
we are and too much to leave us in that condition. That's why He had to go through Samaria. That's
why He has to let you know this morning, no matter who you are or what circumstances you are in, that He
loves you! You don't have to receive gift of that love but you can receive it. Will
you? (John 1:12) MORNING MANNA - APRIL 25, 2008 - IT'S SEALED! John 3:33 (KJV) Have you received the testimony of Jesus this morning? I think most of us have. But, if you haven't
made up your mind yet as to whether you believe that God has given His Son for your salvation, now is the time to do it. (2 Corinthians 6:2) God is waiting on you, not wanting you to miss the opportunity to receive His gift of eternal life. (2 Peter 3:9) If we have received the testimony of Jesus, then we know that God is true. (Numbers 23:19) God has given us glimpses all through the Old Testament of His Son. He fulfilled His promise to send His
Son. (John 1:14) Now we have the New Testament to bear witness of all of that. So,
have you settled in your mind once and for all that God is true and received all the Words of Jesus as Words from the Father?
(John 10:30) Most of us say that we have. But, are we a bit like the man in the story we read in Mark 9:14-29? This man really had hope that Jesus could heal his son so he took his son to the disciples. His hopes seemed
to be dashed since the disciples could not bring healing to the boy. (Mark 9:18) If we have had moments of doubt and seeming lack of success in stepping out by faith, we know we're
in good company. This group of some of the hand-picked disciples of Jesus had a moment like that. Because
of that moment, an argument ensued between the disciples and the scribes. (Mark 9:14) Who knows exactly what they were arguing about but I can imagine that the scribes are probably saying, "put up
or shut up." The religious leaders of the day were always looking for a way to discredit Jesus. Just at the right moment, as He always does, Jesus comes upon the scene. Although
He already knew their hearts, He did as He usually does. He asks us a question. When He asked what the argument
was about, a man from the crowd broke in and blurted out his problem. (Mark 9:17) His son needed healing in a bad way and the disciples seemed powerless. Jesus called it faithless.
Here were several disciples and a crowd of people who had heard Jesus before and seen His power. Somehow, it appears
that they had not completely sealed in their minds the fact that God is true. They weren't living out their faith
that God had sent His Son into their lives, complete with the power to change them. Maybe we need to take a second look
at whether it is completely sealed in our minds that what God says is true and that we can ask anything in the name of
Jesus. (John 14:13) Obviously, the disciples of Jesus were believers but they, too, needed to complete that sealing in their hearts that
God is, indeed, true. Then, there is the father of the boy. He had come in faith but the disciples had
a faith-challenging moment. Jesus arrives onto a scene where those he has been training seem to have failed
a test, an argument is raging about who knows exactly what and, meanwhile, a boy is standing by. He's really
in need of a miracle. Have we ever had a faith-challenging moment like the disciples? Have we ever ended up in
a needless argument while ignoring the real problem at hand? Are people waiting to get saved, healed, delivered,
and comforted while we discuss issues that won't really matter in a hundred years? Maybe we've been like the
boy's father. He asked Jesus, if He could help him. Here's what Jesus said to the boy's
father and he's saying the same thing to you and me today.(Mark 9:23 - Amp) And Jesus said, [You say to Me], If You can do anything? [Why,] all things can be (are possible)
to him who believes! When we've got it sealed in our hearts that God is true, we will know that all
things are possible with Him. (Matthew 19:26) Whatever He says in His Word is absolutely true. He
signed, sealed and delivered it to us by the blood of Jesus. Will we have moments like the father of this boy that Jesus
healed? Mark 9:24 (NIV) 24 Immediately
the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Probably so, if
we are honest. When that happens to me, I go to checking the seal in my heart. Either it's sealed or it isn't.
Either God is true or He's not true. When I apply the seal of His Word to my wavering heart, I find that He
is true and He will always see me through! It's sealed. Is it sealed in your heart that God is true?) (AMP) 23 And Jesus said, [You say to Me], If You can do anything? [Why,]
all things can be (are possible) to him who believes! When we've got it sealed
in our hearts that God is true, we will know that all things are possible with Him. (Matthew 19:26) Whatever He says in His Word is absolutely true. He signed, sealed and delivered it to us by
the blood of Jesus. Will we have moments like the father of this boy that Jesus healed? Mark 9:24 (NIV) 24 Immediately
the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Probably so, if
we are honest. When that happens to me, I go to checking the seal in my heart. Either it's sealed or it isn't.
Either God is true or He's not true. When I apply the seal of His Word to my wavering heart, I find that He
is true and He will always see me through! It's sealed. Is it sealed in your heart that God is true? MORNING MANNA - APRIL 24, 2008 - NO CONDEMNATION FROM GOD John 3:17 (KJV) I'm so glad that God didn't send Jesus down here to condemn me! He would
have every right to do so, but He didn't do that. I was speaking to an elderly friend the other day and she said,
"I don't know why God doesn't just blow us all up. We're so bad." This was in response to all
the bad news we hear today on the TV. The bad news is this. Yes, we are so bad! The good news is this.
God hasn't destroyed us all because He is so good. He's not willing that anybody should leave this
earth and perish in a condemned state. (2 Peter 3:9) He doesn't want to condemn anybody! He sent Jesus to die for all of us; for "whosoever,"
will believe. (John 3:16) Especially in this day in age, it's hard to believe that someone would die for another. As the scriptures
say, someone might die for a friend or a loved one but God sent His perfect Son to die for His enemies! (Romans 5:7-10) Those enemies include you and me. What a gift. God gave His best. If you gave your best (just think about anything you have that is valuable to you or the person who is dearest to
you) to someone, what would you think if they promptly destroyed it? Now, we probably wouldn't give the best of
what we have to just anyone. If we did give our best, it would probably be to someone we felt we could trust to appreciate
it and take care of it. We all know how badly we would feel if we did give our best to someone and they destroyed it
on purpose. We would probably be angry. We may even feel some condemnation toward that person. But, could
you or I give of our best freely and willingly to a person who had shown themselves to be our enemy? If we did, how
much more would we feel the right to condemn them if they destroyed it? Thank God, He is not like that! He sent
His best into this world, knowing that it would take His best to redeem the rest. Jesus agreed to do it, having made
the decision before He came not to condemn us but to save us if we would believe. (John 3:17) So, why do we sometimes feel condemned?
Why do we seem to think that God is condemning us? Do we get mixed up between conviction and condemnation? God
will by His Holy Spirit, convict us. John 16:8 (AMP) 8 And
when He comes, He will convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about sin and about righteousness (uprightness
of heart and right standing with God) and about judgment: But,
where does condemnation come from? It comes from our own choice. If we believe in God's gift of salvation
through Jesus, we are not condemned. (John 3:18) In other words, we bring condemnation and judgment upon ourselves by choosing unbelief. (John 3:19) Jesus came into this world and brought us the Light. Would we rather walk around in the Light and be
safe and free from condemnation? Or, would we rather stay in the dark and be condemned. All of us have the option.
It's about believing - or not. Are you feeling guilty and condemned this morning - about anything? You don't
have to stay that way. Come to the Light, confess any sin that you are convicted of, and determine to show by your
actions that you believe you are forgiven. Let your good actions show that you believe in Jesus. (John 3:21) If you have believed in Jesus and you still have thoughts that bring condemnation, recognize that those thoughts are
not from God. (Romans 8:31-34) If you have believed in Jesus, you are now under no condemnation! (Romans 8:1) If you are convicted of some sin, take it to Him and be forgiven. (1 John 1:9) If you have not yet come to Jesus in faith, come right now. Stop bringing condemnation upon yourself.
God loves you. He sent His best for you. He continues to hold goodness and abundant life out to you. (John 10:10) If you have already believed, know that you are no longer condemned. Really, there is now no condemnation
in those who are in Christ Jesus. Now, that's something for which to rejoice! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 23, 2008 - CAN YOU FIGURE IT OUT? John 3:9 (KJV) What if you had been Nicodemus? What if you had gone to Jesus seeking answers to your questions about
what He was teaching? We're very familiar with the term, "born again," today. But, Nicodemus may have
never heard that term. So, he goes to Jesus expecting to hear something that he can figure out with his own intelligence. He
even says, that he knows Jesus is a teacher sent from God. (John 3:1-2) He's expecting Jesus to teach him something he can understand readily. Have you ever been
in a quandary? You go to Jesus expecting to hear Him give you an answer to your dilemma but somehow you just can't
understand exactly what He's saying? That happened to Nicodemus. The first words Jesus had for Nicodemus were
kind of confusing. John 3:3 (KJV) 3 Jesus
answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jesus cut right to the root of the matter but Nicodemus wasn't quite ready. The truth is that, until
we have been born again, saved by grace, we will be at a loss to "see," (or understand) the Kingdom of God. Maybe you can remember the first time you heard that term, "born
again." If you weren't raised reading the scriptures, you were most likely a bit dumbfounded by what
it meant when you first heard it. Well, Nicodemus is probably not a lot different from most of us. He didn't
get it at first. He was quick to question Jesus as to just how a grown man could go back into his mother's womb and
be born again. As ridiculous as that question might seem, we shouldn't be too quick to judge Nicodemus. Nicodemus
was a teacher, himself. He was one of the leading teachers of Israel. (John 3:10) As a teacher, he was aware of the fact that, when you teach, you should know your subject thoroughly. Can
you imagine how astounded Nicodemus must have felt when he realized that he could not comprehend what this Teacher was saying?
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever heard Jesus say something to you, either through scripture or revelation,
and been unable to quickly understand it? Sometimes we just have to wait on Him until He opens our eyes. Do we, many times, try to figure things out with our intelligence? Do we
many times forget to include the Holy Spirit in all of our getting of understanding? Do we remind ourselves, when we
get in over our heads, that God's ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9) Nicodemus knew all the rules and regulations of the Pharisees. He was a Pharisee. But, he obviously
knew there was more. He had probably seen Jesus in public and heard the testimonies of all that Jesus had
been doing among the people. Nicodemus was a seeker. Maybe not a very courageous seeker, since he came to Jesus
in the dark of the night. Nevertheless, he sought out Jesus and wanted to know what He was teaching. Nicodemus
was taken back by Jesus's answer but Jesus was not put off by the fact that Nicodemus was clueless. Nicodemus
just didn't get it, yet. Have you ever been in a place where you just did not understand what
God was doing in your life? Or, maybe you have not yet understood just what God can do in your life.
(Mark 10:27) The first step is to seek out Jesus. You can do that by day or by night. We must all be born
again, just as Jesus told Nicodemus. We must all be changed. Can we figure out exactly how that happens?
(John 3:8) Is our human intelligence enough? God's Word says that we can't explain it. Just
as we can't explain exactly how God works to give us new birth, there are some situations in life where we just
have to trust that God is working and moving. We may not be able to figure out how or why. We may feel
uncomfortable because we can't understand and explain things. We just have to trust that the same grace
that allows us to be born again is working in every area of our lives. We have to stop trying to figure everything
out and just believe God is Who He says He is. He is the I AM of everything we need. Our job is to believe
Him, stay in His presence, and keep doing the last thing He told us to do. When you can't figure something
out, just believe God. (John 6:28-29) If you have to take a rest, go ahead and do that. (Matthew 11:28) It may just be that, as you stay in His presence, He will reveal the answer you're looking for. Or,
it may be that He will ask you to get up again, press on and walk by faith. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Either way, He's got us covered! (Jeremiah 29:11) MORNING MANNA - APRIL 22, 2008 - IMPRESSED WITH JESUS? LET'S BE LIKE HIM! John 3:1-2 (KJV) As I read John 3:1-2, I am impressed with Jesus. Really, who wouldn't be if they got to know Him? It appears that Nicodemus
was impressed with Jesus too. He was so impressed that he wanted to find out more about Him. But, Nicodemus
was a Pharisee. As we recall from other scripture, Jesus was not impressed with the Pharisees, as a group. (Matthew 16:6) He didn't hesitate to let them know it either. (Matthew 23:13) They were supposed to be shepherds, leading the people toward God. Instead, because of their own sins of things
such as pride, greed, and the lust for power, they were driving people away from God by making rules and regulations that
were burdensome to the people. Do we have some that are leaders today that are doing the same thing? If we're
concerned about that, there is only one place to go and find The Way. Nicodemus, although he was one of those Pharisees,
decided to check out The Way. But, he went in the dark of night probably because of the pressure and ridicule he
would have received from his fellow Pharisees. Why am I impressed with Jesus?
I don't think you have the time or inclination to hear all of the reasons. But, I'll let you in on
one reason that stands out in this particular story, I see something about Jesus that draws me too, just like it drew
Nicodemus. Jesus was and is accessible. Nicodemus knew that Jesus knew that he was a Pharisee.
Just seeking out a personal appointment with him might have been risky. Maybe Jesus would not want to talk to him.
After all, the thoughts of Jesus about the Pharisees were very well known. Not only that, Nicodemus went at night.
After a day of teaching and walking, don't you suppose that Jesus was tired? Aren't you tired
after a long day's work? Now, here comes somebody from a group of people who are radically against Jesus.
Wanting to talk to Him when He's tired. This person is not even willing to come out in the daylight and
seek Jesus when He's out and about. I'm totally impressed with Jesus because, even though He was probably
tired. Even though it was in the night when Jesus could have been getting some rest. Even though this person
was from the enemy camp. Even though it may have been inconvenient. Even though, for all those reasons and more,
Jesus could have turned Nicodemus away, He didn't. Oh, aren't you glad
this morning that Jesus will not turn you or me away either? No matter whether we are a sinner or a saint! (Romans 5:8, Hebrews 10:11-14) We can go to Him at any time and even, and especially, in the darkest night. We will never be turned away.
(John 6:37) I'm impressed with Jesus that He did not run after the Pharisees with any watered down gospel. Jesus
was Who He was and that drew people to Him. When He lives in us, we can be who we are in Him and people
will naturally be drawn to the Jesus in us. The question is, are we accessible like Jesus was? When someone calls
us in the night with a burden that we can't understand, do we get irritated and angry? Or do we listen to their
questions and give them the good news of the gospel that pertains to their situation? If we haven't read the Word,
obviously we will have nothing to give at a time like that. Every day we should go to the Word. I repeat this
often because it bears repeating. I encourage myself with it too. Here it is again. Jesus IS the Word.
(John 1:14) Although Jesus is not now walking in the flesh, He is still accessible by His Word and His Spirit. Just as Nicodemus
went to Jesus that night, we should be going to the Word every day and night meditating on it every second, letting it
affect all the practical and necessary things we do in life. Have you done things that go against Jesus? Are you
or have you been associated with groups that do not believe in the power and Name of Jesus? As we see from the story
of Nicodemus, Jesus will not turn you away if you come to Him sincerely seeking to know The Truth. (John 14:6) Are you a long-time Christian? Then you have been to Jesus many, many times and you know now that you have
never been turned away. Are people impressed with the Jesus they see in you when you stop what you are doing, even
though you may be tired? Even though it may be inconvenient? Even though you're not quite sure whether they've
come sincerely wanting help or seeking to manipulate or even destroy you? Have you been with the Word enough to
have some answers from Him for those that seek out answers from you? Like Jesus, are we open and accessible without
being obnoxious and aggressive? When we lift up Jesus, men will be drawn to what they see. He will be
the one who draws them to Himself. How much of Him will they see when they come to us? Are we accessible? MORNING MANNA - APRIL 21, 2008 - HE STILL KNOWS John 2:24 (KJV) Jesus had done many miracles among the crowds of people that came out to see Him. (John 2:23) They could not really discount the fact that He had done these things. They saw it happen and they believed
what they saw. God is so good to allow miracles in our lives to help us see His love. Miracles still happen.
Some who go to revivals and crusades experience them and see others experiencing them. I have seen them privately in
my own life too, without ever stepping out of my front door. God is good and He loves to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:11) He still makes Himself known in our lives today when He makes a way for us in some circumstance that seems to have
no way. We have to acknowledge God in our lives just because of the things He does for us. Yet, it
must go much deeper than that. Lots of people acknowledge God and
many, especially in America, claim to be Christians. But, how many people that acknowledge God and claim to be Christian
really live the life of Christ? Jesus saw that many believed Him when He did all the signs and wonders among them, but
He also knew that, for many, it would not go beyond what they saw and experienced in that moment. Jesus knew and still
knows the hearts of every man, woman, and child. At that point, He knew that He could not trust Himself and His power
to most of those surrounding Him. Before He can trust us with Himself, He has to see that, deep within our hearts, we
really trust Him. He has to know that, whether or not we see a miracle, we will still believe. Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV) 17 Though
the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, Jesus didn't need anyone to tell him about another person either.
(John 2:25) That's why the above questions should be asked only of ourselves and with the prayer that the Holy Spirit will
reveal to us what is in our own hearts. Have you ever had trouble with another person and gone to God about it?
I have. Sometimes I have sat there recounting to the Lord what that person has said or done to me and just
how bad it was. Sometimes, I have actually advised God as to how to take care of that person! Good thing I'm
not God! Would a better way have been to take my cares and griefs to God, thanking Him that He knows the hearts
of all people and just leave it at that? Have you ever been through that scenario? God has promised to search
the minds and try the hearts of every one of us. He's promised to give us all what we deserve according to what He
finds there. I don't know about you, but I need to stop telling God what He already knows. He knows
what people have done and said to you and to me. He will give everyone according to their ways and their works. Everyone
includes you and me. He's promised that we can just give him all of our cares, even those hurts inflicted by another
person. (1 Peter 5:7) We don't know the hearts and motives of others but Jesus does. He may or may not reveal them to us,
according to His own purposes. Jesus knew the hearts and minds of the people who said they believed in Him
because of the miracles He did among them. He knew that most of them were not trustworthy and would not follow Him.
They liked what they saw and they were glad to get the gifts but they weren't really into the Giver. Where
are our hearts this morning? Is Jesus, the Word, planted so deeply in them that deep roots are growing and producing
the fruit of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:22-23) Or, are we shallow people like most of the people around Jesus in John 2:23-24? Can Jesus, after searching our hearts, trust us with Himself? Is our faith in signs and wonders or is it
in the One who performs the signs and wonders? May it be that, as God reveals our hearts to us, we will be repentant
and allow Him to come in and reign as Sovereign Lord, dispelling any darkness or distrust. I want to be able to
be trusted by Jesus - completely trusted. I'm sure you do too. Only Jesus knows fully though. Will we
be people after His own heart? (1 Samuel 13:14) MORNING MANNA - APRIL 20, 2008 - REMEMBER AND FOLLOW John 2:17 (KJV) The disciples watched Jesus do a work in Jerusalem that was very controversial. Jesus went into
the temple at the time just before the Passover celebration. In the temple, there were merchants selling animals that
people could offer as a sacrifice. Also, money changers who (according to Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)
would change the Roman money into Jewish money, the currency in which the temple dues had to be paid. As Jesus
saw all of this going on, His passion for His Father's house flared and he drove them all out of the temple. (John 2:15-16) It was not only that they were making a shopping mall out of a holy place, they were also fleecing the people
by charging people a premium for these animals and services. Everyone, even poor people, had to have an animal
to sacrifice but some had traveled a long distance and did not or could not bring a sacrifice with them. This was
sort of a convenience store there in the temple. We all know that you can buy the same thing you pick up in
a convenience store for much less at a regular market. We often do that by choice but these people had come to worship
and, having had to travel, may have found it easier to carry money than animals. At any rate, the people coming
were being obedient in obtaining a sacrifice, but their fellow Jews were taking advantage of them by making a profit on what
possibly was the misfortune of others. Jesus, who sees everything and knows the hearts of every person, was overcome
with zeal for His Father's house. The word, "zeal,"
comes from a Greek root word that word means, boiling. It has to do with heat. With fervor. Looking at the
Hebrew word, "zeal," in Psalm 69:9, it also means jealous. God is a jealous God. (Exodus 34:14) He wants to be and deserves to be the center of attraction. As the disciples watched Jesus cleanse the temple
by tossing out all the money-changers and those selling animals, they remembered something. They remembered a scripture
from Psalm 69:9. The first part of that Psalm is what we find written in John 2:17. In other words, it caused Jesus to be righteously angry. Later on, in that same scene,
when questioned about His authority to do such a thing by the Pharisee's, it seemed like He kind of changed the subject
because He started telling them to destroy the temple and He would rebuild it in three days. (John 2:18-19) They wanted Him to perform a miracle or show them a sign. Instead, he pointed them ahead to the sign
of the cross, death being defeated, and new life. As we look further into Psalm 69:9, we find that it ends by saying this, Psalms 69:9 (KJV)...; and the reproaches of them that reproached
thee are fallen upon me." The Pharisees had a lot of knowledge of the scriptures but, for the
most part, they were spiritually blind. They had become proud of their knowledge and become puffed up in
themselves but they lacked discernment and revelation. They put great burdens on the people by making a lot of rules from
that knowledge. The people were expected to keep those rules but the leaders did not necessarily do so. They
looked really good on the outside but the inside was stinky. (Matthew 23:17) Jesus was not talking about the physical temple when He was speaking to the Pharisees in John 2:18-19. He was talking about His own body, about Himself. The latter part of Psalm 69:9 indicated that He was about to bear the reproach of having a zeal for His Father's house. His works,
though founded in love and grace and coming from the Father, would lead Him straight to the cross where the ultimate
reproach would be carried out, demanded by the very people that claimed to be God's children. The disciples remembered Psalm 69:9 as they watched Jesus do the work of cleansing the temple. The Words of the Lord caused them
to believe as they remembered one Word after another. (John 2:22) As we go about our everyday lives, what do we remember? Do we look at things through the filter
of God's Word? If we have not read and studied it, we won't be able to do that. When it comes time to
remember His Word, we won't have anything to draw on. Aren't you glad that this morning, we have an
opportunity to further study God's Word and build it into our hearts and minds? As we look at people and situations
in our lives, we will be able to remember that Word and let it work in and through us. It will teach us in
hard situations, encourage us in troubling situations, and confirm us when we have walked in obedience. There's
another thing it will do. I had that happen to me just yesterday. In a situation that greatly angered me, I did
not speak exactly as I knew I should speak. Then I remembered God's Word and it convicted me. Notice I said,
"convicted," and not, "condemned." Although I had said some very bad things, I remembered a
scripture. Then another started to work in me. Then, a third came pouring into my spirit. Let
me tell you, God is good. His Word works in every situation. The convicting scripture was this: Matthew 15:18 (NIV) 18 But the things that
come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' As I realized the ugliness
of what I had said, I also realized that those words must have been hidden somewhere in my heart or they would not have come
from my mouth. I was convicted. But I did not need to feel condemned. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV) 1 Therefore, there is
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus
the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. While it is true, I had sinned
with my words, the Holy Spirit was there bringing to my remembrance that Jesus bore my sin and shame. I don't
have to carry the burden for my mistake. But, I did need to repent and ask for forgiveness, determining
that I will let Jesus clean that part of my heart that contained those bad thoughts and words so that my mouth will not speak
them ever again. That's where I remembered the third scripture: 1 John 1:9 (NIV) 9 If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. This
morning, God will speak through His Word to your heart in any situation you are in. His Word will bring what you need
in your life today. Your need at the moment may be different than mine. It doesn't matter. His Word covers all
of life and every individual situation. Are you remembering His Word this morning? Are you letting it convict,
confirm, encourage, assure, heal, teach, soothe, comfort and more? If we don't know the Word, that won't happen.
So, let's thank God He provided the scriptures for us. Let's determine, by His grace and strength, to
dig into them and plant them deep into our memory. After that, let's just go ahead and follow the Word.
It's all about remembering Jesus and following Him! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 19, 2008 - HAVE YOU RUN OUT? John 2:3 (KJV) We can run out of important things at the most inopportune times! Jesus, His mother, and His disciples had
been invited to a wedding in Galilee. Wedding feasts were probably the most important celebration times in the life
of Jewish people. The poorer people probably never experienced another such celebration again in their lives.
The bride and groom were treated as king and queen during the feast which usually lasted seven days. They wore
crowns and beautiful robes. Everyone in attendance ate and drank. The trouble at this particular wedding was that
they ran out of wine. Running out before the celebration ended would be disgraceful. Have you ever been in the
middle of something important and ran out of a thing you needed to complete the task? Like patience? Or love?
Or contentment? What did you do? Did you let the seeming lack spoil your project or did you remember where to
turn to find what you needed? Did you, like Mary, turn to Jesus? Although
Jesus had not performed any public miracles thus far, His mother, Mary, let Him know there was a problem at this celebration.
Jesus was not in a hurry to fix it though. He respectfully, but directly, told her that it was not time for Him to meet
such a need. (John 2:4) Jesus was not ready to run ahead of His Father. Do we sometimes run ahead and try to fix things that look
amiss before seeking the will of God? One great lesson we can get out of this story this morning is that we should always
seek God's timing in everything we do. Mary
was not put off by what Jesus said to her though. We should not be discouraged either if we have asked Jesus for something
and we have not yet seen His answer. Mary had faith that, somehow, Jesus would come to the rescue in this situation.
She did not try to coerce Him into hurrying or tell Him how to do anything. She had faith. She simply said
to the servants, "Whatever He tells you to do, do it." (John 2:5) In our times of confusion and concern about lack of anything in our lives, we need never become discouraged.
What we might see with our eyes and feel with our feelings must be pushed aside and replaced with faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP) 7 For
we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship
to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance. The servants there at the wedding feast were obedient. When Jesus said, "Fill the empty jugs with water,"
they filled those empty jugs with water. We, the servants of Jesus need to wait like Mary did. When we hear a
Word from Him, we need to do it, no matter now ridiculous it may seem at the time. Like the servants at the wedding
feast, we need to obey. (1 John 2:5) The servants were the first to see the first miracle that Jesus did. Could this be because they were faithfully
obedient to a Word that seemed ridiculous? Jesus knows our every need and sees our every concern. He hears every
request, but the timing is in His hands. Ours is to listen and do. Do you sense a lack this morning?
What is it that you have run out of? Whatever it is, Jesus is able to fill your vessel with something even better than
you had before. (John 2:10) We are all vessels of the Lord but sometimes we run out and become empty, especially when we are counting
on our own strength and intelligence. (1 Peter 1:18) That's just the time we need to fill ourselves with the water of His Word. As we do that, obeying the Word
we take in, we will suddenly find that the fine wine of love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace is pouring forth from us.
Where we once stood empty, helpless and hopeless, we will be so filled that we will overflow. (John 7:38) Soon everyone around us will be drinking in the very thing we thought we had run out of! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 18, 2008 - JESUS SEES AND KNOWS John 1:48 (NLT) Are you in a place all by yourself this morning with some things
on your mind that only God can answer? That's probably exactly where Nathanael was when Phillip excitedly called
for him to come and see the Messiah. (John 1:45) Nathanael was a Godly man who most likely was something like Anna and Simeon - watching and
waiting for the Messiah. He was under a fig tree when Phillip found him. Phillip probably knew exactly where
to find Nathanael, since the Jews of that day often sat under trees to study and pray, the fig tree usually being
the tree of choice. One commentary says that the meaning of the scripture regarding the fig tree under which
Nathanael was sitting is specific in its meaning. According to Adam Clarke, this wasn't just "a"
fig tree. It was "the" fig tree, distinguished from other fig trees. It could have been the place where
Nathanael regularly went to pray and study. I am touched by the fact that the Jews, including Nathanael, would sit
under trees to pray and study, waiting for the Messiah. It would be on a tree that the Messiah would give Himself for
the world. After that, millions upon millions would be found at the foot of the cross, "The tree," finding
the Messiah and finding forgiveness of their sin. 1 Peter 2:24 (KJV) 24 Who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed. We
don't know what Nathanael was praying or studying when Phillip interrupted him but we do know that only God could have
known. God was watching Nathanael and hearing his prayers just like He hears your prayers and mine when we come to Him
with a pure heart. Nathanael's heart was pure and he was an honest man. (John 1:47) Jesus saw that even before Phillip brought Nathanael to Him. Nathanael knew the scriptures and he was confident
in what he said. He spoke honestly when he said, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" (John 1:46) He had obviously read the scriptures that pointed to the Messiah coming from Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2) As Nathanael followed Phillip and they came upon Jesus, Jesus said, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in
whom there is no guile." Nathanael, having just come from his position of prayer under the fig tree did not argue
with that statement. He knew his conscience was clear and that he had been seeking the Lord. He was just curious
as to how Jesus knew that about him. Do you have a heart toward God this morning? Only God can know
our motives and search our hearts. (1 Chronicles 28:9) God not only can know and see everything about us and within us, God does know and see everything
that concerns you and me. Like Nathanael whose heart was turned toward God, we will find that He is at work in our lives
drawing us even closer to Him even when we are sitting at the foot of the cross crying to see Him and hear Him. Nathanael received the revelation of his life when Jesus told him that He had seen him
sitting under the fig tree before Phillip found him. God sees you and me in our individual situations
at this moment too. He is already in the process of providing the answers we need. In fact, the answer has
already been provided. Jesus is the answer. In every situation in our lives, He will reveal
Himself if we are looking for Him and none other. Nathanael, knowing that God is omniscient, all-knowing, recognized
that Jesus was who Phillip reported him to be. At the moment Jesus revealed Himself to Nathanael, Nathanael's
eyes were opened and he knew that Jesus was the Son of God. (John 1:49) At this moment, Jesus is revealing Himself to you and me. He saw us from afar under this "fig tree,"
this morning. He knew beforehand and knows right now what problems and situation we are facing. He also knows
what answers and solutions He has already prepared. If we are really watching for Him and immersing ourselves in study
and prayer, as Nathanael was, we will see Him in the midst of our situation. He sees all. He knows all.
And, best of all, He loves us through it all and cares about every detail of our lives, both here and hereafter. (Psalm 33:18) Jesus saw Nathanael as he was spending time alone in prayer, meditation and study. He sees you and me this morning
too. When He finds us obeying and following His Word (which is Himself), He will reveal Himself to us. He may
use others to get us to the place where He is, just as He used Phillip to go and call Nathanael. Still, it is Jesus
who sees us this morning and He is the one who moves among us to bring us all to the place where we look to Him alone.
(John 14:21 MORNING MANNA - APRIL 17, 2008 - WHO'S FOLLOWING YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU LEADING THEM? John 1:41 (KJV) Andrew is not mentioned a whole lot in scripture. But, without
Andrew, Peter perhaps would not have known Jesus. Andrew started out as a disciple of John the Baptist.
John pointed Andrew to Jesus. (John 1:35-41) What would have happened if John the Baptist had decided to try to keep Andrew as his
disciple without pointing him to the Lamb of God? Andrew would have missed Jesus. John the Baptist would have
been responsible for a lost soul too. John was willing to decrease in order for Jesus to increase. (John 3:30) Besides all of that, Peter may not have come to Jesus. And, so on. We're all leaders in the sense
that there will almost always be somebody that will be watching us and following us. If we are believers, we are
automatically leaders. We're all called to lead others to Christ. Not to ourselves or to a specific church,
but to Christ. It's not so much a command as it is an act of love. If you were trapped in a burning building and
suddenly found that there was a way out, would you call out to those near you showing them the way you had found?
Probably so. That's what Andrew did when John the Baptist pointed him to Jesus. He led his
brother, to Jesus. His brother just happened to be Peter. Though Andrew is not mentioned a lot in scripture, we
find Peter later being instrumental in 3000 being added to the church. (Acts 2:41) Peter also wrote 1st and 2nd Peter in the New Testament. So
far, we see that both John the Baptist and Andrew pointed others to Jesus. Neither ended up with a large ministry.
John the Baptist was beheaded for speaking the truth of God's Word. (Matthew 14:1-11) Andrew, although he was an apostle, is not mentioned much after that. Because Andrew was not a writer of
any books in the New Testament and because he did not receive much mention in scripture, was he disqualified as a leader and
a great man of God? I don't think so. Was John the Baptist disqualified because he didn't try to maintain
a high-profile ministry with thousands of "followers?" Or, because his life ended in the seeming defeat
of being beheaded? I don't think that either. (Luke 7:28) What I see in scripture is that John was a great man. So, my friend, are we when we keep our
focus on Jesus. When we, by our words and our lives, lead people to Jesus. As we see, in both the cases of
John the Baptist and Andrew, we don't know what great plans God has for whomever we might lead to Jesus. And,
if we choose not to lead people directly to Jesus, we don't know how many souls might be lost in the process. This morning, someone is watching you and me. They're deciding whether
or not we are worth following. We can attract lots of people with our talents and gifts but that's not
enough. That will not save their souls. If God has given us gifts and talents, they are for the purpose of leading
people to Jesus. Not for the entertainment of ourselves and other Christians. There is not time enough left for
us to waste in that manner. Jesus is coming back. (Mark 14:62) Do we believe that truth enough to let people know that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life?
Is our faith such that, despite our station in life, we continually pray for those that are close enough in our lives
to see our example and follow Jesus? (Luke 18:1-8) If Jesus were to come for us right now, would he find us walking in faith, believing for
the salvation of those that are watching us? That is a haunting question that we find in Luke 18:8. John the Baptist and Andrew had faith. Faith to keep their eyes on Jesus. Faith that moved
them lead others to Him. Neither sought out fame for themselves, yet they were both highly instrumental in the many
souls that would be won down through the ages. We can be too, if we will choose to do the job.
When it's all said and done, we won't need to report that we have had a mega-ministry with high-profile media
coverage. Jesus is watching even now. Watching to see if we're leading people to Him despite the fact
that we may get no earthly commendation for it. No matter. Check this out: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 (MSG) 1 Don't imagine us
leaders to be something we aren't. We are servants of Christ, not his masters. We are guides into God's most sublime
secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. 2 The requirements for a good
guide are reliability and accurate knowledge. 3 It matters very little to me what
you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don't even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are
pointless. 4 I'm not aware of anything that would disqualify me from being a good
guide for you, but that doesn't mean much. The Master makes that judgment. 5 So
don't get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes,
he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of—inner motives and purposes
and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the "Well done!" of God. This is a broad paraphrase
from The Message. But let me also give you the The New Living Translation. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 (NLT) 1 So
look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God's secrets.2
Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.3 What
about me? Have I been faithful? Well, it matters very little what you or anyone else thinks. I don't even trust my own
judgment on this point. 4 My conscience is clear, but that isn't what matters.
It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. 5 So be careful not to jump
to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether or not someone is faithful. When the Lord comes, he will bring our deepest
secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give to everyone whatever praise is due. Today,
let's walk in faith knowing that if we are humbly trusting God and following Jesus, all the while leading others too,
we've got a reward coming. It may not be on this earth or it may come here. God sees everything we do. He
doesn't miss a thing. All the more reason to keep our focus on Him and point others in His direction too.
Any Andrew's or John's out there today, willing to point others to Jesus? MORNING MANNA - APRIL 16, 2008 - BEHOLD! John 1:29 (KJV) First of all, have you seen Jesus? John saw Jesus coming to him
and he recognized Him. Those people that lived in the day Jesus was on earth in the flesh saw Him with their
physical eyes. But we can see Him today too. In His Word and by the Holy Spirit. We can, hopefully,
see Him in others too if they are following Him. The more we follow Him, the more we will look like Him!
(Romans 8:29) There are many who say they are following Him. Before we start following them, we need to look in God's
Word and find out if they are really following Jesus. Remember, Jesus once said that not everyone who calls Him,
"Lord, Lord," will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 7:21-29) That means that we have to be careful who we are following. One day every eye will see Him but today is the
day we need to look up and see Him in His Word and by the Spirit. (Mark 14:62, Revelation 1:7) John saw Jesus and right away the focus was off of John.
It was on others and on Jesus. When John saw Jesus, he stopped what he was doing (even though it was a ministry
of great size) and focused on who Jesus is. Where is your focus this morning? Is it on who Jesus is? Maybe you
don't even really know Jesus that well? But, that's not problem. You can know Him by opening
His Word. He is the Word. When we truly find out who Jesus is, our lives will change.
Because of who He is! What, or who, are you beholding this morning? Where is your focus? Is it on
yourself and your problems? Or is it on the One who can solve all those problems and set you free? (John 8:36) Are you troubled about mistakes you have made? (Romans 3:23) Do you continue to struggle with sin? (1 John 2:1) Are you looking at others who say they are Christians, but then act another way? Stay in the Word.
Keep your eyes on Jesus. Pour over, study, and meditate on that Word. (Acts 17:11) The Word does not lie. (Numbers 23:19) If we keep our eyes on the Word, beholding Him for all He is, we cannot go wrong. Like John told those in his
hearing that day, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) Where is your focus this morning? Is it on the Word?
And, is it on wanting to point others to that Word? Like John, you and I should be pointing others to Jesus.
Are we worthy to do so? No. Not any more than John the Baptist was worthy and he knew it. John 1:27 (KJV) 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred
before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. We need to know it too. Yet, it
is precisely because of the Lamb of God and His sacrifice that you and I can today go boldly before the throne of our Father
and make our requests known. (Hebrews 4:14-16) It's all about Jesus and it's all about His grace. Do you need to get your eyes off of other things
and other people this morning and just sit a while and, "Behold the Lamb." Have you busied yourself like Martha
did in Luke 10:38-42? Certainly, we have to meet our daily responsibilities. But, it is in "beholding the Lamb" like
Mary did in that same story. That's where we get our sins forgiven, minds renewed, our priorities balanced,
our hearts filled with His love, and find the strength to go on. It is only then that we will be able to go out
to this dark and dying world and say to others, with assurance, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin
of the world." Only when we really recognize Him, like John the Baptist did, will we be able to point
people to Him and take the focus off of ourselves and our problems. Who are you beholding this morning? "Jesus,
may all of your people be looking in the same direction. Toward You! We sit and behold You this morning.
You are the Lamb of God. Thank you for taking away our sin. Thank you for being there to take away the sin of
the world. Let many in the world behold You today and be saved." MORNING MANNA - APRIL 15, 2008 - DON'T PASS UP THIS OPPORTUNITY John 1:11 (KJV) It's kind of amazing to me that
Jesus came into this world, the world He had made, and the world did not know Him. (John 1:11) Do you think the world knows Him today? Certainly, it does not seem as if the general population
has any idea of who He is if the media is any indication. But, even in the churches, do we really know
Him? Jesus is the Word. (John 1:14) How many sitting in the church pews today ever really get into the Word of God, not only reading
it, but meditating on it? How much of it is hidden within the hearts of those who say they are Christians? (Psalm 119:11) I can use more of the Word in my heart today! Is there a lack of power today because we have
a form of Godliness but we deny the power by our lack of the knowledge of the Word of God? (2 Timothy 3:1-5) As we read the scriptures today, we are on the right track. We are getting to
know Jesus and becoming more able to recognize Him because He is the Word. We are also gaining faith in Jesus,
knowing that what He says, He will do. (Isaiah 55:11) Jesus stepped down from glory into this dark, sinful
world to save us - His own creation. (Philippians 2:6-8) Why, for the most part do we not recognize Him and receive Him? One commentary alludes to the
fact that even the demons knew Jesus but His own did not know Him and did not receive Him. (Mark 1:23-26) What a shame! Do you know Jesus this morning? Have you received Him? You can.
He wants you to. (Revelation 3:20) If you will receive Him, He will give you the power to become a child of the living God!(John 1:12) You may say, "But, I'm not worthy
to be a child of God." And you would be right! None of us are worthy but God loved us so much that even when
we were His enemies, Jesus came to earth and laid down His life for us. For anyone who would be willing to
receive Him. Even the vilest of sinners. (Romans 5:6-11) Though we are not worthy, we can be saved. It will not be by our own power
and we cannot be perfect enough to maintain our own salvation. It is strictly a gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8) Our salvation has nothing to do with our biological family tree. It has nothing to
do with anything we could declare or do in and of ourselves. It is all from God. He gave His Son so we could become,
"sons" (children). If you have never received Him, He's still in the world today inviting you to come
and get to know Him. (2 Peter 3:9) But, the days will come to a close when it will be too late to receive Him. (2 Peter 3:10) Today, let's turn off Oprah Winfrey and any others that would lead us away from the Savior.
He is, by His Holy Spirit, still in this world and every day people turn Him away. Still, He calls and reaches
to His own. Have you turned Him away? Or, are you getting to know Him better and better each day? We still
have His Word available to us. He is that Word. Receive the Word today. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Don't pass up this opportunity! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 14, 2008 - HAVE YOU FLIPPED THE SWITCH? John 1:9 (KJV) What if you were able to buy a brand new home? A home beyond your wildest dreams. The first evening
you were settled there, night fell as it always does. Then you began to stumble aimlessly about this fabulous home because
you couldn't see. And, you weren't familiar with the floor plan and layout of the furniture yet. Would
you start complaining that something was wrong with the house? Would you continue to stumble around, stubbing your toes,
getting bruises, and maybe even falling and breaking a bone? Would you try to find your cell phone and call the builder
complaining and ranting that you were sold a defective house? Or, maybe you would just settle for candles and flashlights
(as long as the batteries lasted), forever living below your potential? I'm sure that would not be you
- me either! That's just ridiculous. We, being the intelligent creatures that God made us, would make
sure we knew where the light switches were and flip the switch before it got so dark that we would be incapacitated. (1 Timothy 4:1-4) When God made this world, He provided the light. He provided the sun-light
and the Son-Light. The world became dark and depraved because of sin. Men and women chose to walk around
in the spiritually dark world, not seeking the Light, and pretty soon, stumbling and falling seemed normal. It
was so unusual to walk in the Light that Enoch was given special mention in the scriptures. Genesis 5:24 (AMP) 24
And Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him]. Does that world sound somewhat like today's world to you? In general, our world is turning away from the
Light instead of to the Light. We have a home here on earth prepared for us by our loving Heavenly Father. He
has even given us His Son to be our spiritual Light. But, have we flipped the switch? Or, are we stumbling around
in the dark, lighting the candles of our own intelligence and using the flashlights of our own desires, being unable to see
the full glorious picture of God's plan for us? You and I, because we are searching the scriptures and applying
them to our lives this morning will find that Light. It's in God's Word. (Psalm 119:105) God's Word is always effective. (Isaiah 55:11) God's Word is Jesus. (John 1:14) Son-Light floods our being when we flip the switch of our hearts and minds and allow the power to flow. (Acts 1:8) In the natural, you and I count
a lot on the latest technology to keep light in our lives. We work late into the night with streaming light from electric
light bulbs making that possible. We use computers and cell phones that allow us to see the contrast on the screen
because of the back-light, even in the dark of night. We drive our cars through the darkest nights because we have head
lights and tail lights that show us the way ahead and make us visible to others from behind. We have street lights,
porch lights, security lights that go off when someone lurks around our homes in the night, etc. etc. We're really
quite addicted to light. But that light is all temporary. The Light that is Jesus can never be extinguished.
(John 1:5) If, all of a sudden, no one had any kind of artificial light at all, where would we be? We'd be lost at
first, and most surely complaining and grumbling. All growth would stop for a while. There would be terrible accidents.
I know that I would feel unprotected and without control. That's just the way the world was when God sent His Son
into it. Spiritually, it was a mess. People then, just as today, were on a self-destruction course. Unlike
Enoch, who had walked in close fellowship with the Father of lights, most people just went their own way. (Isaiah 53:6) Whatever they devised in their minds was right in their sight. (Proverbs 21:2) The trouble was, they were short-sighted and didn't even know it. (Proverbs 16:25) They were walking in spiritual darkness thinking they had light! If you look at much of the spiritual
thinking of today, you'll see that many have gone back to the darkness of foolish ways. Jesus is the
true Light. He came into this world to give everyone Light but He will not force us to take it. We live in this
wonderful world that was created in an orderly way by a loving God just for us. Why live in it without flipping
the switch in our hearts and minds that will allow the Light to flood our beings? We live in these bodies
that God makes work so well for us but have we flipped the switch to let the Light shine in? (John 1:12) The Light is shining this morning. All we have to do is be willing walk, by faith, repentance
and love in that Light. Then those around us, who may still be in the dark, will learn that they need
to flip the switch too! (Matthew 5:14). MORNING MANNA - APRIL 13, 2008 - WHAT'S YOUR NAME AND WHO SENT YOU? John 1:6 (KJV) There was a man sent from God. This man had a name. His name happened to be John. But, though he
was a great man, he was not the only person ever sent by God and God has plans to use you too, even if your name is not John.
(Luke 7:28) John was sent by God for a specific purpose. He was to point to the Light of the World.
He was to point to Jesus. John's purpose never did become bigger than the One Who gave him the purpose.
Although many came to the Jordan river to listen to John the Baptist, he never forgot that he was not the focus. Jesus
was John's focus and it was to Jesus that John pointed. He did that even when his own disciples left him and
followed Jesus instead. (John 1:37) He did not become offended when his disciples saw the One he was pointing to and decided to follow
that One. John knew his purpose. It was to lead people and point people to Jesus. It was not to amass a big, "ministry."
It was not to be able to count how many followers he had. God had a purpose for John just as He does for you
and me. We see some of God's plan for John even in his naming. God named John (Luke 1:13) The name, "John," according to Strong's Concordance, means, "Jehovah-favored."
God called John and planted His purpose in John's heart. When the Pharisee's asked John the Baptist who He was,
He was prepared to answer. Not with what they thought of him. Not even his own idea of himself. He answered
with exactly who God said he was when God called him. John 1:23 (AMP) 23 He
said, I am the voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness [the voice of one shouting in the desert], Prepare the way of the
Lord [level, straighten out, the path of the Lord], as the prophet Isaiah said. Just as God named John and called John, He knows your name and mine. He has called us too.
Otherwise, we would probably not be reading this right now. God may not have called you like He called John, with
a public declaration from an angel. But, God has called all of us. Just as John was a witness that Jesus
was the Light, we are witnesses today. (John 1:6-8) God called the apostle, Paul, in a totally different way. Paul had persecuted Christians. He did not believe
in Jesus. Yet God had a greater plan for Paul. Jesus revealed himself to Paul in a pretty uncomfortable way.
(Acts 26:12-18) Jesus knocked Paul to the ground. (Acts 9:1-9) It doesn't matter whether you have followed Jesus your whole life or you have been knocked to the ground at
some point and then followed Jesus. All of us are witnesses. All of us who have seen Jesus by faith and experienced
His love in our lives are witnesses sent just like John and just like Paul. We all have one purpose in common. To
turn people from darkness to the Light. We
are all sent by God to a world that is in need of a Savior. This world is dark and, without Jesus who is the Light,
men will continue to stumble and fall, eventually falling all the way into Hell. God knows your name and He knows mine.
He called many in scripture by their names. If we will listen closely, we will realize that He has called
our name too and that He has sent us as His witness into the world. But are we listening? If we have
an experience something like Paul's, do we doubt that we are good enough to be a minister of the Lord? There's
no doubt about it. We're not good enough. Like Paul, we're called and enabled by the Holy
Spirit, not because we're so good, handsome, or intelligent. (John 15:26-27) What if Paul would have doubted his experience with the Lord and his calling because he knew he was
not like John the Baptist. He could have said, "No, God. I've done bad things. I haven't followed
you from birth like John." Where would you and I be today if Paul had gone that route? Paul wrote
a good part of the New Testament! Do we compare ourselves with others and hesitate to step out in our gifts and talents
just because we're not like someone else? What if John the Baptist had dressed like all the others of his time instead
of dressing in a way that God obviously instructed him to do? Even things as seemingly insignificantly as dress
can affect the way we carry out our calling. Worse yet, what if John the Baptist was so puffed up about his calling
that he assumed that he was the reason that many that had come to him for baptism? Instead we see
him saying this with regard to Jesus. John 3:30 (AMP) 30 He
must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.] You and I
are definitely called individually, by name. We have definitely been sent for this time in which we live.
We are witnesses, just as John and Paul were witnesses. Jesus is the only One who should be in center stage.
He must increase and we must decrease. Are we good enough by ourselves to do this? No. But God, Who has
called us, has also promised to equip us. He will give us power from the Holy Spirit to fulfill our purpose. Acts 1:8 You and I may differ in the way we carry out that purpose as much as John the Baptist and Paul differed. Yet,
God remains the same. (James 1:17) Let's just be who we are and do what He called us to do! That's basically to grow more and
more like Jesus (Romans 8:29) and to be a witness to what He has done in us and for us. (Revelation 19:10) MORNING MANNA - APRIL 12, 2008 - THE SON IS SHINING! John 1:4 (KJV) How is the weather where you are this morning? No matter what it looks like outside, the Son is shining!
In Jesus we find life. (John 11:25) Abundant life. (John 10:10) Eternal life. John 3:36 (AMP) 36 And
he who believes in (has faith in, clings to, relies on) the Son has (now possesses) eternal life. But whoever disobeys (is
unbelieving toward, refuses to trust in, disregards, is not subject to) the Son will never see (experience) life, but [instead]
the wrath of God abides on him. [God’s displeasure remains on him; His indignation hangs over him continually.] The
life that we have in Jesus, if we have received Him, sheds light on everything! Yes, the Son will
always shine in our lives. Jesus came to heal the blinded eyes. (Isaiah 35:5) He opened the eyes of blind men when He walked the earth and He still does that today. (John 9:30-34) He has all power over everything, including our physical bodies. But, He did something even greater
than opening our physical eyes. He is the way that our spiritual eyes, being darkened by our sin nature, can
be open again. He made that way for everyone but everyone will not accept it. Some would rather stay
in the darkness than walk in the "Son-shine." (John 3:19) These people can be found everywhere - on the streets, in our neighborhoods, among the affluent, in the malls, and
yes, even in our churches! Look again at the story of the blind man that Jesus healed. The leaders of
the synagogue threw him out because the "Son," was shining in his life! Is the Son shining
in your life today? Before we receive a touch from the one who
said, "I am the life," our spiritual eyes are blind. We can't see the Light in all of His
glory. We all need some eye surgery from the Great Physician. Jesus is the only One who can heal our blinded eyes
and give us the focus we need to see Him clearly. So this morning, are we following the Son? (John 8:12) Are we walking in the Light of Life so that we do not stumble over circumstances and trials that are all
around us? I really love the sunshine. I love its brightness and its warmth. But the Light of the World
surpasses even the wonders of the sun that cheers and warms me in this world! I tend to stumble easily and need
a lot of light in my world. How much more in our spiritual worlds do we need Light when we are confronted
with the deceptive tactics of the enemy who dwells in darkness and would like to keep us there too? The Light is shining
through the darkness this morning. Right into my life and into yours. Will we run and search for a dark corner
or will we just soak in that Son-Light? (John 1:5) We can try to run for a dark corner but that won't work. The darkness can never extinguish the Light. We may know the Son this morning and have seen the Light He sheds. Yet, there
may be something dwelling in a dark corner within us that we have not totally let that Light shine upon. Sooner
or later, the Life and Light of the world will expose everything and shine upon it. (1 Corinthians 4:5) Why not let it be sooner? Why not live in total, "Son-shine?" Right now, today? There
is a song that really touches my heart called, "Secret Place." It talks about our hearts being like
a house with many rooms. When you have company, do you sometimes close the doors to a room or two in your home?
You don't really want people to see that you haven't completely cleaned that room. Or maybe you had some stuff
laying around that cluttered up the place so you threw in haphazardly into the room and closed the door. Or just maybe
you didn't want others to see that you even owned "stuff" like that! As the song progresses, Jesus visits
in the person's heart and then sees a locked door. Do you have any locked doors in your heart this morning?
The Son wants to shine behind that locked door but the you, the owner of the house, have to relinquish the keys first.
Not an easy thing to do to open yourself up to the "Son-shine," especially if you've hidden lots of stuff behind
that locked door! Will you give Jesus complete access to every room in your heart? As the two of them walk into
that room, shame is uncovered. Darkness can no longer hide what has hidden there behind that locked door.
The Light and the Life begin to flood that room, cleaning up the shame, replacing it with freedom, glory and wonder.
Fear leaves the owner of the house because there is nothing left hidden. Every room in that house has been cleaned.
Jesus has done what the owner could not do alone. Now all the doors can be left open. The Son is
shining everywhere! His Light has done a deep and lasting cleaning. Will you let the Son-Light
enter every nook and cranny of your heart this morning? Every closet and every drawer? Jesus is calling us now
out of all darkness and into His marvelous Light! (1 Peter 2:9) Let's open up ourselves totally and let the Son shine in! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 11, 2008 - BACK TO THE BEGINNING John 1:1 (KJV) We have spent each day this year kind of encouraging one another with the Word of God to, "get prepared,"
for the new beginnings God has for all of us. The last topic (the "E" in, "prepare," if you've
been following along) was, "Engage in the Eternal." I'm so in awe of the fact that God is eternal and
the fact that God is "Love." Now I want to learn more about that and am led into the writings of the, apostle,
John. He's the one who called himself, "the disciple Jesus loved." John seems to have a grasp on the unfathomable
love of Jesus. In John 1:1 looking again at the eternal, it takes us right back to the beginning. God sees the beginning and
the end and everything in between. He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha
and Omega. (Revelation 21:6) Jesus was there with God before the foundation of the world! (John 1:2-3) In fact, Jesus, the second person in the trinity, created everything there is. Jesus is called the Word.
The Word is a person! (John 1:14) Jesus was is and always will be. He's got us covered for time and eternity if we'll just take Him
at His "Word." It's interesting
to note that the wording of John 1:1 that the word, "was" is used so frequently. As I think of this, I'm reminded that when
Moses asked God who he should say had sent him to the Egyptians, God said, "I AM." (Exodus 3:14) Just knowing that the Word was in the beginning, that the Word was with God and that the Word was
God, helps me see Jesus more clearly. He was, is and always will be. Hebrews 13:8 (AMP) 8 Jesus
Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages). When we
watch this changing world, how encouraging to know that Jesus will never change. Our Father will never change and His
Holy Spirit will never change! The waves of life may be crashing around us but we're safe and secure in the hands
of our Savior. He saw us before we were even born. (Psalm 139:15) He had us all planned out, including the things that we should do in our lives. (Ephesians 2:10) He has good plans for us if we will trust in Him. Just as the Israelites had a time of captivity, we too,
may have suffered a time of captivity because of our sin. Yet, God is not willing for us to die in
that sin. (Jeremiah 29:10-11, 2 Peter 3:9) He has much better plans for us than that! If you are in a time of captivity to sin, God
is calling you out right this minute. Believe right now that Jesus came to save you and confess it. (Romans 10:9) If you did that just now, He has saved you. Begin to read His Word, pray and find other believers to encourage
you along the way. Just to sum it up, in the beginning,
there was Jesus. Jesus was with God. (Genesis 1:26) Jesus was God. (John 10:30) Since Jesus never changes, Jesus still exists and always will exist. (Revelation 1:8) Jesus is with God. (Luke 22:69) He is the "I AM." Luke 22:70 (AMP) 70 And
they all said, You are the Son of God, then? And He said to them, It is just as you say; I AM. Just
as God told Moses, He was, "I AM," Jesus lets us know this morning that He is the "I AM" in our
lives. Whatever it is we are in need of this morning, we can know that the Savior stands ready for us to ask. (James 4:2) No need to be troubled or flustered this morning. That will only lead to sin. Jesus is the
"I AM........................of whatever it is we are needing. Yes, He IS. All that and more. (Ephesians 3:20) MORNING MANNA - APRIL 10, 2008 - THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE 1 Corinthians 13:13 (AMP) If you're
old enough, you'll remember hearing these lyrics being sung every time you turned on the radio. "What the world needs
now, is love sweet love." Although the song was true, its writers and singers probably didn't quite understand
the depth of what the words. It is true, what the world needs now is love, God's
love. Nothing else has so much power to change a life and to overcome circumstances. Love is what caused
Jesus to sacrifice Himself, spilling the blood that allows you and me to really engage in the eternal. Without
that sacrifice, we would be lost eternally. (John 15:13) It is God's love that carries us through this life and into the next safely. There is another song
with words that say, "Oh, how He loves you and me." That's so true! There's no one
anywhere that loves you more this morning than the Lord! He loves us in spite of the things we've done and the mistakes He
knows we will make in the future. He has never and could never love you more or less than He does right this minute.
Over and over again in the Old Testament we find repeated, "His faithful love endures forever." (1 Chronicles 16:34, etc.) That's eternal love. Engaging in His love is engaging in the eternal. That's the kind of love
this world needs. That's the love that God offers us. (John 3:16) This morning, some of us may be disappointed in what we thought was love.
That's probably because we still do not have our sites set high enough. Has a spouse, child, relative,
or friend disappointed you? Someone you were counting on to love you? That can feel devastating but it's not
an unusual occurrence. We hear about it every day. We usually disappoint and hurt the ones we're closest
to, don't we? (Psalm 41:9) Sometimes we don't know we're doing it. Other times, it's just because our love isn't yet perfected.
(1 John 4:12) In extreme cases, it's because someone has deliberately chosen to sin and bring hurt to another. (1 John 4:20) God's eternal love will never disappoint us. (Romans 5:3-5) It will never fail us. That's why the focus of our love should be on our Father first and nothing
else. (Hebrews 13:5) Everything else in this world is going to pass away. Are we engaged in what the scripture says is
the greatest thing? Are we engaging in the eternal by letting God perfect our love walk? Everything in this world will pass away, including those people that we love
the most. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) Sometimes the very people that we love the most will walk away and leave us. When that happens
we may be tempted to be bitter and blame, "love." That wasn't love at all. In essence, we're
blaming God because God is love. (1 John 4:8) Others will disappoint us and we will disappoint others. But, God will not disappoint us. He loves
us so much that He doesn't want anyone to live this life and then find that they have lost out on the most important life
- the one that will last forever. (2 Peter 3:9) If the greatest thing is love and if love lasts for eternity, what are we doing to strengthen our, "love life."
And, by "love life," I don't mean what the world means. I'm talking about God's eternal
idea of a "love life." The lost souls of those around us depend on our love life. Every person we meet
is going to have to engage in the eternal someday. It's not going to be a good experience if they have not
begun to do it in this life. When you and I speak to our family and our friends, even to the clerk in the market or
the repair person that comes into our home, are we aware that our love life is showing? Are we aware that, unless we
have chosen to engage in the eternal, we may lose an opportunity to speak a word or do something in love that will bring
another person closer to an eternity in Heaven? (Hebrews 10:24) If, among faith, hope and love; God says that the greatest of these is love, what are we doing about it?
If God is love and we say that He is in us, does it show? If love endures everything and it lasts for eternity,
are we engaging in eternity by putting everything else aside for the sake of Love? MORNING
MANNA - APRIL 9, 2008 - JUST WHAT IS ETERNAL? Our
devotional mini-topic for a few days has been, "Engage in the Eternal." That title may sound rather nebulous
and difficult to put a handle on. As I thought about it, 1 Corinthians 13 came to my mind. 1 Corinthians 13:8 lets me know that charity never fails. Never means it will not fail -forever. Charity is
everlasting! How do you think of charity? Maybe giving to the Salvation Army or serving in a soup kitchen or some
other such deed or action of giving? While that is true, it doesn't even come close to describing
the meaning of the word, "charity," that we see in 1 Corinthians 13:8 in the King James Version of the Bible. "Charity," comes from the Greek word, "agapē Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew
Dictionary." This word defines, when you take it to it's root, the kind of love God had for us when
He sent Jesus to die for our sins even though we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 (NIV) 8 But
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God
can have nothing to do with sin. (Psalm 5:4) But His love for us is so great that He sent His perfect, sinless Son to die for us while we were
sinners. We were God's enemies. We were of no use to Him in our state of sinfulness. But, as the old
hymn says, "Love lifted me." Yes, you and I were, as the hymn says, "sinking deep in sin far from the
peaceful shore." We were, "very deeply stained within sinking to rise no more." Then Love
pulled us up, cleaned us up, and set us upon the Rock! God is love. That very same word in 1 Corinthians 13:8, is used to describe who God is in 1 John 4:16 (NASB), 16 We
have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God,
and God abides in him. So, if we're going to engage in the eternal, we need to definitely
engage in God. If He is love (and we have just seen that He is), we'd better be engaging in love.
By love, of course, we're talking about the kind of love that God demonstrated toward us, saving us when we appeared
to be of no use whatsoever. Love sees beyond the present. Beyond the circumstances. Beyond the pain.
Beyond the sorrow. Beyond the persecution. Beyond the dirt. Beyond anything that tries to blur it's
image. That is not what the world teaches us. But, real love is lasting. It
is eternal. It's divine. Society, in general, is pretty much stuck in the twisted
idea of what love is by what the world says it is. But the world will pass away and all of its ideas will pass away
with it. Knowledge (including science and secular humanism) will pass away. These things are not eternal.
The world's knowledge of love has been predominantly taken over by the enemy's twisted picture of love. Lust
is what the world preaches today. Lust goes far beyond just the Hollywood type marriages and affairs.
It permeates into every thought pattern if we are not careful. It causes us to lust for money, things, power, position
and anything else that this world can offer. Why settle for those things which will definitely disappear when we can
engage in real love? The love of our Father for us and the love He has placed in us for one another. Even the
gifts God has given us will vanish away at some point. But He will not vanish and He is love. 1 John 3:1 (AMP) 1 SEE
WHAT [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named
and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge)
us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him. This morning, if you are struggling with anything
at all, ask yourself if the struggle is worth it. Is it something that has eternal value? Is God in it, either
teaching you something or helping you to stretch out and love another who may be totally unlovely? How can you relate
to and deal with the situation in love? Will you let Love (God), guide you? When we start to do that, we
are just beginning to engage in the eternal! If you have never actually received the Lord Jesus as your Savior,
ask Him into your heart this morning. Let Love lift you from your sinful state and give you eternal life. (John 3:16) We all need to engage in the eternal! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 8, 2008 - IN ALL OUR SEARCHING, WHAT DO WE FIND? John 5:39 (KJV) As we continue to touch upon, "engaging in the eternal," preparing
for the rest of this year and for eternity, where do we look to find the answers? How do we engage? We know
that the Bible is God's Word. That's wonderful. That's a good first step. The Jews knew that
too. Jesus was basically talking to them in John 5:39. They knew it was important to know the scriptures. They felt that, if one did not know the scriptures, they
were under a curse. (John 7:49) It is not enough to "know about" or have simply have knowledge of the scriptures. That will not allow
us to engage in the eternal any more than it did the Jew's of Jesus's day. They had knowledge but
they had no revelation. The Word stood in front of them in the flesh and they did not recognize Him! From the
one who has never opened the Bible to the one reading this morning who has poured over the Bible for years, there
is a lesson to be learned here. Reading the Bible (which is definitely one of the steps of preparation for life here
and forever), is only the beginning. It is not a basis for us to used to judge or condemn anyone. (John 3:17) The thief on the cross received Jesus in the last fleeting moments of his life. We do not know if he ever
read the scriptures or not. We do know that, if he read them, he did not follow them. He was a thief. He
either did not know the eighth commandment (Exodus 20:15), or he knew it but the knowledge of it didn't change his life and he lived as a rebel. (Proverbs 17:11) He had obviously been judged as cursed by his peers and sentenced to die on a cross for his crimes. (Galatians 3:13) Yet, in his last dying breaths, he engaged in the eternal. It's not how much we search the scriptures or
even how much scripture we know. It's Who we find when we search! As Jesus spoke to the Jews that day, He told them that the scriptures all pointed to Him. They
could all recite scriptures from here to eternity. Some of us can do that too. They could use those
scriptures to judge others as cursed, yet they were cursed themselves. Why? Because they counted on their own
works. Their own intelligence. Their own knowledge. (1 Corinthians 8:1) They would not turn to Jesus. (John 5:40) It's not our knowledge of the scripture that allows us to engage in the eternal. It's our love for the
One that is revealed to us in the scriptures. The One who is the Word. They didn't even realize that they
were in the dark and without revelation of the very heart and life of the scripture. They thought that knowing
every bit of the scripture would give them eternal life. They missed the point. They did not really
get the story. They did not know that what they were reading was "His-story." The focal point of scripture
is Jesus. As we seek to engage in the eternal this morning, we need to read the scriptures. We need
to know the Word of God. But, we also need to remember there is a danger in knowledge without revelation. The
Word of God does, indeed, lead to eternal life. But, it's not just the words we read in the Bible.
It's only when we realize, like the thief on the cross, that the Word is a Person. He is Jesus. (John 1:14) Anyone and everyone can read the Bible. And we all should. But, as we do, are we really seeking to engage
in the eternal or are we hoping to gain points with God? Or maybe to impress others with our knowledge? That's
essentially what the Jews were doing. The supposed that just because they searched the scriptures they would find
eternal life. Are you engaging in the eternal this morning? Obviously
you are reading this and probably looking up the scriptures referenced here. In the scripture we will find
eternal life if we let the Holy Spirit reveal Jesus to us. Otherwise, we can read and read, year after year
until our dying day and find that we have not really engaged in the eternal. The Word of God is powerful.
It does it's work in spite of us. There will be people who come before Jesus at the end of their lives
and He will say He never knew them. Strange? And some real food for thought. (Matthew 7:21-23) I don't want to be one of those people and I'm sure you don't either. Lots of people have knowledge
of the scripture. But, Matthew 7:21-23 shows that they only have head knowledge and not revelation knowledge. They use the Word of God and
it will work. Yet, though it will work because God is faithful to His Word (Isaiah 55:11), those using it are not in His will. Why are they not in His will? Because, like the Jews of Jesus
day, they have not engaged in the eternal. They wanted the knowledge and the power but missed the Person.
Jesus will say, "I never knew you." This morning I am awe stricken by the fact that we can have great knowledge
of the scripture and all it will do is serve to make us proud. We can search and search the scriptures thinking
we are finding eternal life. But, unless we find The Word - unless we find Jesus, we will not have engaged in
the eternal at all! In all of our searching, let's not come up short. Let's find the eternal.
His Name is Jesus! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 7, 2008 - WHAT ARE WE RUNNING FOR? Mark 8:36 (KJV) If you have been reading the Morning Manna from the beginning of the year, you may know that we have been talking
about the word, "prepare." This is in connection with getting prepared for new beginnings this year. It is
now April already and we're still getting prepared. As a reminder, here is how we are looking at the word,
"prepare." This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as our little devotional studies go. These are
just some basic things that the Lord put on my heart as far as getting prepared for His service and His blessing. In
your preparation (and our preparation never ends as long as we're on this earth), you will undoubtedly find more treasures
as you dig deeper and deeper into God's Word and commune with Him on a moment by moment basis. P - Pray R - Read God's Word E
- Encourage Yourself And Others P - Praise God And Give Others The Recognition They Deserve A - Arm Yourself R - Run The Race E - Engage In
The Eternal We've talked about everything in
that list and now we're down to the final,"E." Our preparation for this year, for every day we have left
to live in this world, and for how we will live when we leave this world is vitally important. It all hinges on engaging
in the eternal, even as we go about our daily responsibilities and activities now. If we look around
us, we can find plenty of wealthy people. Most of those people are not engaged in the eternal at all. (Luke 18:25) They're all about the present. Is it wrong to have money? I don't think so.
Is it wrong to have our focus on the here and now and on accumulating money? I do think so. (1 Timothy 6:10) It comes down to what or Who we love most. Wealth is not evil. It is the love
of wealth that is evil. It can draw our hearts away from the things that last forever if we're not constantly
looking to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). The love of wealth will steal our hearts and minds. The love that belongs to the Giver
of wealth will be transferred to the gift. In essence, we will have made the gift an idol and that's what we will
worship. The gifts will not last forever. They are not eternal. The Giver is eternal and our souls
are eternal. Where are our hearts this morning? Are they on eternal things or earthly things? The Bible
says that our hearts will be wherever our treasure is. (Luke 12:34) Where is our treasure this morning? Is it on earth? Or is it stored in Heaven where nothing
can steal or destroy it? (Matthew 6:20) As we turn our thoughts from running the race that is set before us to engaging in the eternal, we'll
see that we are just connecting the thoughts rather than really turning. It's all the same race track. As
we run the race, we are either running toward or away from God. What are you running for today? Are
you in the rat race? Running for things that will not last? Or are you in the race that God has set before you, keeping
your eyes and heart focused on Jesus? As you engage in the eternal, where will that eternity be? With the God
who loves you and sent His Son to die for your salvation? Let's know what we're running for and let's
keep running. All the while, let's engage in the eternal things of God. There will be an eternity for all
of us. Every soul will find a place in eternity. For some it will be doom. (Romans 6:19-23) Why get stuck focusing on the things of this world and lose our soul? All the money and things in this
world cannot purchase even one soul. Refusing to engage in the eternal can even cause us the
loss of opportunity to win other souls because we're too tied up in the present. It's our soul, and the
souls of others, that helps keep our minds on eternal things and stay in the race. That's what we're
running for! For things that last forever! Matthew 6:13 (KJV) 13 And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
MORNING MANNA - APRIL 6, 2008 - WHERE DO WE GET WEARY? Hebrews 12:3 (KJV) Before we ever get weary in our bodies, we get weary in our minds.
That's what the enemy is counting on. Why does he count on that? Because every action and even eventually
our character, starts with a little thought. It all starts in our minds. What happens when we get a thought? Good
or bad. We either accept it or reject it. Hopefully, we know the Word of God well enough to know whether
a particular thought is from Him or not. If we don't know His Word, we will tend to get tired very easily in
the race that is set before us. We will be confused as to whether the thoughts that come are from Him. He doesn't
want us to be confused. Do you know Jesus this morning? He is the Word. (John 1:14) That's the first step. Hearing His call to invite Him into our lives and take over. (Revelation 3:20) After that, we need to do a few other things regarding our minds. We need to renew our minds constantly. (Romans 12:2) That may require replacing some old thoughts that have come from the world with new thoughts
that are pleasing to God and in line with His Word. What are some of the things that have come into your mind already
this morning? Can you think of something that may not be a wholesome and Godly thought? What did you
do when that thought appeared? Seemingly, out of nowhere. Yet, there it was in your in your mind.
Did you dwell on it? Or did you ask God to help you renew your mind? If you weren't sure about whether the
thought was from Him or not, did you stop to ask Him? 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV) 5 Casting
down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ; In this race that we are running, you and I have a job to do.
Notice that in 2 Corinthians 10:5, it says that we need to bring every thought into captivity. As for myself, I might as well just stop
right here and get to work! Thoughts are constantly racing through my mind. How about you? First of all,
we need to take them all into captivity. Before you get discouraged, just remember that you can do
all things through Christ. (Philippians 4:13) Don't let this thought weary you. Just begin by submitting each thought that you have to Jesus! It
starts in our minds! As we take the thought into captivity, we just submit it to the obedience of Christ. Jesus was one hundred
percent obedient to His Father. We're supposed to be following Jesus. We can do it! We just
need to discipline ourselves to submit every thought to the obedience of Christ. Every moment, with every thought, we
need to renew our minds according to the Word of God. Are you beginning to get discouraged or even weary at the
thought of doing this? Does it sound like a job that is too big for you? It does for me. And, it is! But
then I remember this. God has given me a sound and disciplined mind! 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) 7 For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be encouraged today
because God has not asked you or me to do anything for which He has not already equipped us! Those words, "sound
mind," in the King James Version of 2 Timothy 1:7 comes from the root of a Greek word that means this, according to the Strong's Dictionary: to make of sound mind, i.e. (figurative) to discipline
or correct :- teach to be sober. Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. What we do
have to do is receive that sound and disciplined mind, be willing to take every thought captive and submit
it to Jesus for His approval and then run with what He says. The enemy will put lots of thoughts
into our minds and try to make us fall prey them to delay our race or even make us turn completely from it. We
don't have to take that! God has given us the tools and the revelation to win every battle that comes against us. The
first place we get weary will be in our mind if we are letting every thought that comes in have influence over
us. Let's keep looking to Jesus and take every thought to Him as it comes in, letting Him sort them. He will
give those thoughts that are in His will, and good for us, back to us. He will allow us to run with them,
making our race fruitful and glorifying to Him, as well as peaceful for us. Will this race always be easy? No! (John 16:33) Can we win it anyway? Yes! Can we have peace in the process? Yes! Jesus said so. (Romans 8:6, Philippians 4:7) Are you weary this morning? Don't be! Check out your thoughts. Take all of those things
in your mind that shouldn't be there captive and give them to Jesus. He came to give you a sound mind and peace
as you continue in this race! He doesn't want you to be weary. Just consider what Jesus has done for
you! Strength will begin to fill your mind. Weariness will disappear. Renewal will come. You will
find yourself running again with all the strength you need. MORNING MANNA - APRIL 5, 2008 - WHERE IS YOUR FOCUS? Hebrews 12:2 (KJV) Now that we're totally
aware of the race we are in, know that we are being watched and encouraged by the saints who have gone before us, deleted
things in our lives that would keep us from running well, and learned that the race is a race that must be run with great
patience, it's time to focus. (Hebrews 12:1-2) Where is our focus this morning? I know that there are many things in this world that call for the attention
and focus of our eyes. Many things are tempting and evil. Many are good, but not the best. Some things are
okay for others but not for us if we're serious about the race. (1 Corinthians 6:12) It comes down to our focus. What things take our focus away from Jesus? Hebrews 12:2, still talking about the race you and I are running, says that we need to focus on Jesus. Honestly, is Jesus your
focus in everything you do? I'm not preaching here or trying to put a guilt trip on anybody. I'm hearing
the Lord ask me that question. Is Jesus your focus when you decide which book to read, which TV program or
movie to watch? Is Jesus your focus when you deal with an angry child, spouse or store clerk? Are we looking past
the things that draw our focus to a worldly level to the only One who can give us the strength to complete this race?
(Philippians 4:13) Yes, He can and will give us the strength to do whatever it takes to stay in the race and win. Yet, He cannot
do it if we choose to focus on anything but Him! Where are we choosing to focus right now? Jesus is the reason we are in the race. Acts 26:23 (KJV)23 That Christ should suffer,
and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. He
was the first and only One to run it perfectly. He was the only One who could gain the victory. He wants
to give that victory to you and me but we have to want the victory enough to keep our eyes on Him.
Our will has to come into line with His Word and His will in order to run the race well. We didn't come into
this race because of our own goodness or completely by our own decision. (2 Timothy 1:9) He chose us to run the race. Ephesians 1:4 (MSG) 4 Long before he laid
down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by
his love. He has to be our focus. He's the author of our faith. He has already
chosen a path for our feet and works for our hands. (Ephesians 2:10) So, where is our focus this morning and every moment of every day? Is it on ourselves and our
momentary trials and pain? Is it on those things in the world that tend to draw our eyes away from God? Or,
is it on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. What He started in you and me, He will finish.
He always finishes well. Philippians 1:6 (AMP) 6 And
I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ
[right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
Just exactly what is He going to finish in us? Our faith. Faith is the victory that overcomes the
world! (1 John 5:4) Is our focus, by faith, on Jesus this morning? He started us in this race and He will keep us running to
the finish line if we're willing to put our faith in Him and keep on running. He endured suffering, finished
the race and is now at the right hand of our Father and His Father interceding for us. (Romans 8:34) Look up, weary runner. Focus on the One whose focus is and was on you! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 4, 2008 - BE PATIENT! Hebrews 12:1 (KJV) Are you still in the race this morning? We're surrounded by those of the faith who have gone on before
us. We can be encouraged by that. We know that we can't really run well if we are carrying too much weight. That
includes sin and anything, good or bad, that might hinder us from staying in the race. Here we are in a race, cheered
on and encouraged by the lives and the witness of many who have finished the race. We have decided to delete the
stuff in our lives that might keep us from running well. Now we are reminded that we need to run with patience!
Are you patient? Someone once said, jokingly, "Don't pray for patience - if you do, you'll have to endure
something that will give it to you." That's probably true! What this word means, is endurance.
James 1:3, tells us that when our faith is tested - when we have to endure something hard - our ability to endure will grow. Our
patience will grow. As we fight the fight of faith and run the race that is set before us, our faith will
be tested. We may be tempted to give up and quit the race. But, no. We must endure. We must be patient
and keep going! As I thought of running a race, the first thing I
thought of was speed. After all, it's a race, isn't it? When I think of running, I think of fast.
But this race that is set before us is not a race to see who can get there the fastest. It's a race that shows
our ability to endure. Our commitment to stay in the race despite frustrations, delays, heartache, and pain. That's
what Jesus did. And, we're called to follow. Jesus didn't run when He was on this earth. But
He did keep going in the direction of His calling despite the shame, hardship, and suffering He endured. He didn't
quit and he didn't get distracted from His course. If we are truly followers of Jesus, we will likely have
a few things that we have to endure in order to stay the course, to stay in the race. (Revelation 1:9) John said that we are partners with Jesus in patient endurance. What is it that may be causing you to want to
shrink from pressing on this morning? What is trying to keep you from staying patiently in the race? With
each trial you and I face and endure, we have the promise that we will become better. Our character will develop.
We'll be more able to face the next trial that comes along. Do you believe that promise? (James 1:3-4) We must choose to believe that we will become better because of God's promise here in His Word. Unbelief
will cause us to become bitter instead of better. How can we press through our trials and stay in the race? By
knowing the Word of God and by wholeheartedly believing what it says. By making the choice to be patient no
matter what. I want to share with you a story that I read in, "Preaching
The Word. It's a good example of what our running should look like as we run the race that is set
before us. We may not finish first. There may be some pain involved. But, we must finish
and finish well. James 1:12 (AMP) 12 Blessed
(happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test
and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.
In the story below, the one finishing in last place is given a medal that was won by the
first-place winner. Jesus is the first-place winner in our race. He fought the fight, finished the race that
was set before Him and won the victory. He's waiting at the finish line to reward us with a crown of life if
we will just stay in the race and keep going. His Spirit urges us on to the finish. By faith, let's just
stay encouraged, keep going, and be patient! In 1981 Bill entered the Pepsi Challenge 10,000-meter race in Omaha, Nebraska. Surgery ten years earlier for an aneurysm
in the brain had left him paralyzed on his left side. Now, on that misty July morning, he stands with 1,200 lithe men and
women at the starting line. The gun sounds! The crowd surges forward. Bill throws his stiff left leg forward,
pivots on it as his foot hits the ground. His slow plop - plop - plop rhythm seems to mock him as the pack races into the
distance. Sweat rolls down his face, pain pierces his ankle, but he keeps going. Some of the runners complete the race in
about thirty minutes, but two hours and twenty-nine minutes later Bill reaches the finish line. A man approaches from a small
group of remaining bystanders. Though exhausted, Bill recognizes him from pictures in the newspaper. He is Bill Rodgers, the
famous marathon runner, who then drapes his newly won medal around Bill's neck. Bill Broadhurst's finish was as glorious
as that of the world's greatest — though he finished last. Why? Because he ran with perseverance. - Preaching The
Word MORNING MANNA - APRIL 3, 2008 - DELETE - DELETE! Hebrews 12:1 (KJV) This morning, my computer is running very slowly. Almost all of
its storage space is used. It can't even defragment so I can use the little space that's left. There's
not enough space left to run the defragment program! Clearly, I'm going to have to do something! Probably
hit the, "delete," key and get rid of several things I have managed to store away. That's the way
it is with us in the spirit too. We can't run when we're encumbered with excess weight. We can't physically
run very well either when we have gathered an excess of weight on our bodies. I hate to mention that one, but it's
true. There are so many illustrations we could use here to point out the fact that, if we're in a race (and we are)
we can't be trying to run with any "stuff" we don't need to carry. Do you need to delete something
today so you can run the race to win? When you first became a believer, did you kind of forget everything else in your
excitement to have Jesus in your heart? Did you put most of the stuff in your life aside? (Hebrews 10:32) Has that excitement worn off? Have you picked up some stuff along the way (or gone back and picked up some of
that old stuff) that needs to be deleted so you can run effectively? First
of all, we need to get rid of all that hinders us. The athletes in the time that Hebrews was written would strip off
all of their clothes to be able to run the race. Of course, we are not going to literally strip off our clothes.
But, we are going to have to strip off all the, "extras," in our lives (good and bad) that keep us from fulfilling
the purpose for which God has called us. Those, "extras," may not be the same for you as they are for
me. If we are sincere in asking, God will show us each what we need to delete. Everyone has their own calling
from the Lord in terms of the practical things we do on this earth. But, all of us are called to run the race.
I don't know where your race is. You may need certain things for your race that I don't need for mine.
Just like the blind man threw off his coat so he could speedily get to Jesus to be healed, we need to throw off anything that
keeps us from running the best race we can. (Mark 10:50) Whatever would hinder us from, by faith, following the call that God has placed on our lives would be considered a hindrance.
That word, "weight," that we're supposed to lay aside, means, "hindrance." It means, "burden."
Yes, even burdens that we carry when we should be giving them to Jesus, will slow us down. (1 Peter 5:7) Is there something you need to delete this morning? Something that has been so heavy it has kept you from
running the race the way you want to? The way God wants you to? Secondly, we need
to delete any sin in our lives. Of course, when I think of sin, I think of the "big ones."
Let's see, "Have I killed anyone lately?" "No, thank God!" "Have I stolen anything
lately?" "No, I don't think so!" "Well, then, I must be pretty much good to go."
You too - right? Let's look at that word, "sin." According to the Greek
root word for, "sin," it is something that causes us to miss the mark (like an archer who is shooting
at the bulls eye). It is something that causes us to lose the prize. When we put that together with the words, "which
doth so easily beset us," it gets a tiny bit more complicated. These words paint the picture of a competitor
who is blocking a racer from every direction. For believers, it's not usually the "big sins" that keep
us from running a good race. It's those little things that surround us in everyday life that slow us down.
Yesterday, it seemed that everything I tried to do contained something to slow me down. I was getting irritated!
Then, the Lord reminded me that love is not easily irritated. (1 Corinthians 13:5) It was easy to get irritated! After all, I wanted to keep going but people and things were
getting in my way! I was trying to run my race instead of God's race. When we run the race,
keeping our faith, it's those little things that stand around us every day that can cause us to get irritated (which
is sin). They can cause us to be distracted and turn our eyes onto the world (which is sin). (Hebrews 12:2) There are temptations to sin in small ways, everywhere we look. These sins are things that
may be things we have a hard time releasing from our past life. They could be anything. The point is, they are
competitors. They are our enemy. They are trying to block us every which way. So, we have
to hit the, "delete," button. Maybe several times! Everyday, we need to see if there's anything
in our lives that requires deletion. Only then, can we run efficiently and smoothly, always toward the prize
of the high calling of God. How do we hit that delete button? With the sword of the Spirit that we have in our
hearts. With the Word of God. Has a competitor (or lots of them) been trying to keep you from racing for the goal?
(Philippians 3:14) Don't let anything weigh you down or hinder you. Delete, delete! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 2, 2008 - WE'RE SURROUNDED! Hebrews 12:1 (KJV) Yesterday's Morning Manna was entitled, "Wherefore."
We spoke of part of the meaning of this word in the Greek. According to Strong's Dictionary, it also has the meaning,
"truly then," and "consequently." This is a little bit stronger to me than, "wherefore,"
or "therefore." Now I read the verse in my mind, "Truly then and consequently........," The
words translated, "seeing we," are from only one word. It's that Greek word, "ego,"
that we spoke about yesterday. Now I'm reading the verse even differently in my mind, "Truly then and
consequently with all that I am and all that is in me, I know......." I don't see it with my eyes, but I know
that I am encircled, compassed about, surrounded. Having claustrophobic tendencies, I generally don't like
to be closed in or encircled by anything. But, this is different. You and I are compassed about, closed in by,
and watched by those of the faith who have gone before us. This is comforting. I think these, "witnesses,"
are there to encourage us, if by nothing else, by their testimony. We read of their testimonies in scripture and many
of us have loved ones who have gone Home who have left us the legacy of their testimony of keeping the faith and finishing
the race. The writer of The Message apparently thought of these witnesses as cheering us on to finish our race too.
Hebrews 12:1 (MSG) 1 Do you see what this means—all
these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down,
start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Do we realize that we're totally surrounded today? Surrounded
by, according to Vine's Dictionary, "a cloudy, shapeless mass covering the heavens." Again, according
to Vine's Dictionary, it is metaphorically "a dense multitude, a throng." First
of all, that means that lots and lots of people are in the heavens totally surrounding you and me. I'm thinking
we couldn't escape through such a crowd, even if we wanted to. They are witnesses of the fact that we can run
this race and win. (1 Corinthians 9:24) They have done it and now they're watching us, giving us encouragement to do it too. In that
vast multitude of witnesses are people like, Moses, Abraham, David, Paul, John, etc., etc. Also in that crowd are people
like your mother, your grandmother, your dad, your uncle, your sister, your brother. This is not just a bunch of people
watching us who have no connection to us. We're surrounded by witnesses who have fought the fight and run the
race. They have kept the faith. Faith works by love.Galatians 5:6 (MSG) 6 For in Christ, neither
our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior:
faith expressed in love. Because faith works by love and is expressed in love, what do you suppose these
witnesses think of us? I think they are expressing their love for those of us, still here on earth, fighting the good
fight of faith. They, having finished the fight of faith and I think they are now loving and encouraging us
on to finish our fight. Not only are we surrounded by all these witnesses, Jesus Himself, sits at the Father's side
praying for us. Romans 8:34 (MSG) 34 Who
would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of
God at this very moment sticking up for us. Wouldn't you say that we're surrounded? Hedged
in? Protected and encouraged? Let's remember who's surrounding us today and be encouraged to stay
in the race to the end. Victory is in sight! MORNING MANNA - APRIL 1, 2008 - WHEREFORE Hebrews 12:1 (KJV) "Wherefore," also means, "therefore." Whenever I see a, "therefore," in the Bible,
I have to wonder what it's there for. In Hebrews 12:1, the chapter starts with, "Wherefore...." Why would it start a new chapter with a word like that? Because
of the thoughts in the previous chapter. The Word of God was not always broken down by chapter and verse so we can know
that just because we come to a new chapter, it may not be the conclusion of the previous thought. Hebrews 12:1 is encouraging us to keep running the race, following the example of those we have just read about in Hebrews 11. In the last few days, we've seen how the apostle, Paul, encouraged us to do the same thing in 1 Corinthians 9:24 and Philippians 2:16. God is so good. If He wants us to do something, He'll
send encouragement through many areas of His Word. Here, the writer of Hebrews has just finished in the previous chapter
which some have called, "The Hall of Faith," giving us examples of the many people in the Old Testament times who
ran the race of faith and completed it. They did not have all the encouragement we have today. They had not yet seen
or known Jesus. Yet, here is what the Word of God says about those people. Hebrews 11:2 (NLT) 2 God
gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith. God still gives His approval today
to those who place their faith in Him, through Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 11:6) Is the race you are running today a race of faith? Is your race leading you in the right direction?
Toward God instead of away from God? As we get into Hebrews 12:1, we come to the words, ".....seeing we........" These words are right after, "Wherefore."
In Hebrews 11, we see many of those who have gone before us. We see that they had great faith and finished
their race with God's approval. "Wherefore," now that we see them, what are we
going to do? All those stories of past saints of God were not put there just to entertain us or even just to provide
knowledge. They were there to give us an example of how to run our own race and win. Some of the stories had wonderful
outcomes. Hebrews 11:33-34 (MSG)33 Through acts of faith,
they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, 34
fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Other
stories were of people who endured many hardships and even torture, of whom the Bible says, were not worthy of this world.
Did they have a lack of faith because they were not on the mountaintop with the others who had very different stories
of faith? Not at all. Hebrews 11:37-38 (MSG) 37 We have stories of
those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless,
friendless, powerless— 38 the world didn't deserve them!—making their
way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world. Each of these stories were about individuals.
Each individual had his own story of faith. His own race to run. The words, "....seeing we......,"
come from the Greek word, "ego." We hear that word these days, many times, with bad connotations. In
the Greek, it simply means, "I," or "me." Each of the people in Hebrews 11, had their own personal race to run. You and I have a race to run too. The goal of the race is
the same for all of us but the circumstances in our race are many times different. Some ran on mountaintops and
some ran in places where you and I probably would not choose to run. Yet, our race is totally chosen by God.
He has decided ahead of time just what we should do in our race. (Ephesians 2:10) We must now decide if we're going to enter into His plan or try to race the other way!
This race we are running has no room for distractions. There are no room for comparisons. At one point, the apostle,
Peter, began to question his own race but Jesus put Peter's thoughts right back on his, "ego." On himself.
John 21:20-22 (MSG)20 Turning
his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind.21 When Peter
noticed him, he asked Jesus, "Master, what's going to happen to him?" 22 Jesus
said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you? You—follow me." You
can read the whole story around this in John 21:15-24. Today, as we run our race, we have to run the race that God has chosen for us. Not the race
He has chosen for another. He has begun a good work of faith in you and in me. If we're running the good race
of faith, God will help us complete it. He started it and, if we follow Him, He will complete it!
Philippians 1:6 (AMP) 6 And
I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ
[right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
Wherefore, will you continue to run the race by faith? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 31, 2008 - LET'S NOT RUN IN VAIN Philippians 2:16 (KJV) The apostle, Paul, used the example of running a lot in his writings
to the churches and to us. In Philippians 2:16, he is urging the Philippians to hold tightly to the Word of life that he had taught them and modeled for
them. Paul knew that all of his running and fighting was worthless, if it did not produce a prize. His prize was
not only that of eternal life. He wanted the fruit of his running and fighting to be the righteous lives of those to
whom he had taught the word. Is that our goal this morning too? Are we laboring, running and striving for those
things that will last? Our own faithfulness to God? The souls and lives of men and women, boys and girls?
If not, all of our running, fighting, and laboring will have been in vain. Paul was eager to have his labor among the Philippians produce a great harvest of disciples. That's
why he was admonishing the Philippians to obey the Lord and work out their salvation with fear and trembling.
(Philippians 2:12) We are all in a race this morning. The time is getting short. Jesus will return or we will be taken home
before His return. In either case, will we be found as having run the race well? Will we have fought
the fight of faith? What will our prize be? Paul wanted to know that part of his prize would be to find that
those he ministered to had also run the race and fought the fight of faith well. If not, he considered that his running
and his fighting would have been in vain. Paul was an example
of one running a good race and fighting a good fight. He was an example of obedience to Christ. He was
an example of laying hold of salvation and then working it out as he ran the race and fought the fight. (Philippians 2:12) Paul was an example of trusting in and counting on God's grace and not our own strength. (2 Corinthians 12:9) He pointed out that it is God that works in us. But, we have to let Him. (Philippians 2:13) In all of our running and fighting, are we the example that those around us need to see? An example
of the saving grace of Jesus in full operation? Philippians 2:14-16 (MSG) 14 Do
everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Are we running
the race readily and cheerfully, not being distracted by dis-unity and quarreling among ourselves?15
Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society.
How does society see us this morning? Are we running the race to bring love and the peace of God to those dying in this
corrupt world? Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. As we run,
are we letting those around us see the grace and goodness of God in our lives? Carry the light-giving
Message into the night In this race, are we carrying the Light? Do we carry Jesus and His Word in
order to light up the very dark world in which we run? 16 so I'll
have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all
this work for nothing. Are you running a good race this morning? Fighting a good fight? It's
not just about us. It's about those who are watching us and needing to get into the right race. It's
about our families, friends, and co-workers. Like Paul, will we have the living proof of lives that have
been changed during our race? Will we be able to say that we have not run in vain? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 30, 2008 - RUNNING TO WIN 2 Timothy 4:7 (KJV) Today, mankind is running to and fro, here and there, chasing what? (Daniel 12:4) The word, "fight," in 2 Timothy 4:7 is also translated, "race," in Hebrews 12:1. We're all in a race this morning. What are we racing for? An eternal prize?
Or, are we just racing for worldly expectations and dreams - in effect chasing the wind? (Ecclesiastes 1:14) Even chasing after this world's wisdom is futile. (Ecclesiastes 1:17). It is Godly wisdom that will guide us as we run the race. (Proverbs 2:10-13) It's a fight to stay in the right race. Everything around us tries to get us to join the
"rat race." Which race are you in? We
all are finding that programs, agendas, activities, pleasures, responsibilities, etc., are calling
us this way and that way. Isn't that true? If we're not careful, we will find ourselves racing around
and then wondering why we're all stressed out and totally ineffective at anything. What does Paul say in 2 Timothy 4:7? What kind of fight or race is he talking about? Did he spend his life running around, stressed
and unable to relate to those around him and even to God? Was Paul looking this way and that, wondering where to run
next? No, he was pressed but not stressed. (2 Corinthians 4:8) He did not actually, physically run at all, that I can see. The fight or the race was in his heart
and mind. He fought the fight of faith. He ran spiritually, from faith to faith. Romans 1:17 (KJV) 17 For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Paul,
because of his experience with Jesus, was a just man. (Acts 22:15-16) Are you running today because you have had an encounter with the Living Savior or are you running
because the voices of this world are driving you here and there, all the time leading you down dead-end roads? When we get to the end of our days here on earth, what will we have to say for ourselves?
Will we be able to say, like Paul, that we have finished our course and kept the faith? Or will what we have run
for, even though it glittered in this world, show itself to be wood, hay and stubble when the Master shows us for what we
really are? (1 Corinthians 3:11-14) Running a race and fighting a fight is tiring. But, why run a race and get tired for things
that will not last. We, as believers, must run the race and keep the faith. There are lots of good works
that we can do but they must flow from God, not be something we try to do ourselves to get to God. Faith in Christ is
what pleases God. (Hebrews 11:6) Are we fighting to win the fight of faith this morning? Are we running
to win the prize of hearing, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."? Or are we running to amass works?
Works that don't flow from a heart of faith? Once a crowd of people searched for Jesus until they found Him.
He detected that they were following Him because He had given them food. But, they had failed to see the lesson
of faith that He taught them. He had taken only a few loaves of bread and a few fish and fed thousands. Can we
see a miracle of faith there? (John 6:25-26) Was Jesus showing us how to live by faith? Have we missed the substance of the miracle?
Was it faith? Then Jesus told the people not to toil for food that decomposes but for lasting food which He
would give them. (John 6:27) To believe what Jesus said, requires faith. The people promptly asked Jesus what they
could do to be doing the works of God? (John 6:28) What was Jesus's answer to them and to us? John 6:29 (AMP) 29 Jesus replied, This
is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely
on, and have faith in His Messenger]. It was, basically, "Have faith in Me." Are you
doing the works of the Father this morning and fighting the good fight of faith. Are you running with that
faith in your heart to win the race? MORNING
MANNA - MARCH 29, 2008 - BECOMING A MASTER SWORDSMAN Ephesians 6:17 (NKJV) The
last couple of days we have been talking about our spiritual sword. The weapon that helps us stay alive in this spiritual
battle we are in. We know we have to take the sword that the Spirit of God provides. We have to pick
up the Word of God and read it. We have to grip the sword tightly. We don't just read, we meditate and constantly
chew on the scripture we have read. As we do this, we become comfortable with having the sword in our hand. Then,
we want to become a master at using the weapon provided for us by the Master. As we meditate on the Word of
God, we begin to memorize it. Now, we are on our way to becoming a the Master's swordsman (or woman). Sometimes
we will have to use the sword on ourselves. Our natural desires and passions may tempt us to sin but if we have memorized
God's Word, we will be able to repeat it to ourselves and follow it. Have you tucked His Word into your heart? (Psalm 119:11) Some people are able to memorize more quickly than others. Some have trouble memorizing
the, "addresses," of scripture (chapter and verse). If you can memorize easily, praise God, do it and keep
that Word hidden in your heart. If you are among the more challenged in the memorization area, don't despair and
decide to do nothing. Start somewhere in your meditation and begin to repeat a small passage of scripture over
and over again until it becomes part of you. Memorization of chapter and verse is truly important so you can
go back and check on yourself to see if you have truly memorized the scripture correctly. It's also important
so you can have an answer for anyone who asks you why you believe, along with the ability to turn to scripture and
show others where to find the answer. However, in the spiritual war that we are all a part of, the actual
Word of God is what is going to send the devil fleeing. Notice that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He
used the scripture He had stored in His memory to counter the devil's temptations. (Matthew 4:1-11) Even though He quoted directly from the book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 8:3), He did not say to the devil, "The scripture says in Deuteronomy............," Look
what Jesus did: Matthew
4:4 (KJV) 4 But he answered and said, It
is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Jesus
spoke that way three times to the devil and finally the devil had to leave Him. The Word of God is powerful and, if
we have it memorized, we can just speak it when the enemy starts attacking us. (Hebrews 4:12) Look at the King James translation of Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) 12 For
the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Sometimes there is no time to look up a scripture verse specific to the problem at hand. The
enemy knows he cannot withstand the Word of God - your sword - so he would be just as happy if we didn't memorize it.
That way he could get to us before we had a chance to research and find what we needed. Are you becoming a master
swordsman because you have made the sword a part of your being storing it away in your heart and mind? There
is a story of a young child that was asked if she had memorized the Twenty-Third Psalm. She confidently said she had.
When she was asked to recite it, here's what she said. "The Lord is my Shepherd. That's all I need."
Although she had not memorized every word of the Psalm 23, she had memorized enough of the Word to use it confidently, in faith. She was becoming
a master swordsman. If the enemy came at you this moment with some temptation, what would happen if you just remained
calm and said to him, "The Lord is my Shepherd. That's all I need."? Right then, you'd have
taken a slice into your attacker. Not one bit of God's Word will return void. It will always do what God sends it
out to do. (Isaiah 55:11) The sword of the Spirit is never dull. Even if you have not yet begun to memorize
scripture, start today by first reading the Word, then meditating on the Word, and soon you'll find that you have memorized
some. Keep the process going. Don't be discouraged. When you come upon attack or temptation, let that
Word spill from your heart and mouth. It is your God-given weapon. It is the only thing that will
keep you alive in battle. Let the Master make you a master swordsman. Read, meditate on, and memorize His Word.
Do the best you can, trusting God to help you remember what you need when you need it. (John 14:26) The more you use your sword, the more accomplished you will become. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 28, 2008 - GETTING A GOOD GRIP ON YOUR SWORD Ephesians 6:17 (KJV) Yesterday
were looking at taking or "receiving" the sword of the Spirit by reading God's Word. That's only a
start. When we read, we have the sword in our hand but we probably have not perfected our grip on it. When we
have a tight grip on that sword, it becomes almost an extension of our hand. How do we strengthen our hands to grip
the sword tightly, making sure we don't drop it or let it slip from our fingers in battle? By meditating on the
Word of God. It isn't enough just to read it. We can read the Bible, put it down, and get busy with our
everyday responsibilities and activities and start meditating on everything else but the Word of God. I know,
I've done that! I have to do a "meditation check," every once in a while to find out just what I'm
thinking about most of the time. It's easy to get distracted by the troubles and trials of this world and start
meditating on those things. (John 16:33) The problem with that is then our worship switches from worship of the Lord to worship
of our problems. I've discovered that the things I think about most are the things I worship. Renewing my
mind with God's Word enables me to delete the unnecessary thoughts and re-prioritize the necessary ones, making God the
center of my meditation. (Romans 12:2) I want to be like a tree that is planted firmly by the streams of water.
I want to grow, be vibrant, flourish and prosper. (Psalm 1:3) I'll bet you do too! How can we do that? We can get a firm grip on our
sword. We can meditate on God's Word, day and night. I like this passage from The Message: Psalms
1:2 (MSG) 2
Instead you thrill to God's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. The King James Version
says this: Psalms 1:1-2 (KJV) 1 Blessed is the man that
walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
What happens when we meditate on our troubles and sorrows? I don't know about you, but I become depressed.
Dwelling on or meditating on negative things is a fast downhill journey. Do we accept advice from those who do not follow
God's Word? Do we hang out all the time with those who go against God's principles? Do we join ourselves
in business with those who go against God? If so, we need to get a good grip on our sword. We, according
to the sword, cannot be blessed if we do such things. Meditating on the Word of God is essential to us if we are to
be blessed! We need to check out who we walk, stand and sit with! They just may be keeping us from meditating
on God's Word. If you do a, "meditation check," and find yourself meditating on negative
things, why not start meditating on God's Word right now. You'll find your fingers gripping that Sword of the
Spirit tighter and tighter. You will be ready to really begin to fight the enemy. Your feet will be firmly
planted just like that tree by the streams. Confidence will invade your spirit. You'll be blessed and able
to stand against those negative things that come upon you, rather than receive them and meditate on them. What
are you meditating on this morning? Try this one: Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG) 11 I know what I'm
doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
Here's one to meditate on in case you need some help in searching out those negative things you might
be meditating on: Psalms 139:23-24 (TLB) 23 Search me, O God, and
know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything you find in me that makes
you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. If you're troubled this morning, try meditating
on this: 1 John 4:4 (AMP) 4 Little children, you
are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who
lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world. Are you feeling weak? Sit a
while and meditate on this: Isaiah 40:31 (NLT) 31 But those who wait on
the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk
and not faint. Do you feel your fingers getting stronger now? These are only a tiny fraction of
the things we can and must meditate on. We must renew our minds with God's Word. It is our sword. A
soldier in Paul's time would die if he didn't have a sword in battle. Without God's Word deeply
seated in the recesses of our hearts and minds, we too, will be destroyed in battle. Remember, the sword of the Spirit
is something we have to receive. Have you received God's Word, your sword? Have you been meditating
on it day and night, letting it cut out any wrong thoughts from your mind? If not, as the old saying goes, "Get
a grip!" MORNING MANNA - MARCH 27, 2008 - TIME TO PICK UP THE SWORD Ephesians 6:17 (KJV) We've
been discussing for many days now, how to arm ourselves. Today, we're going to look at the only offensive weapon
God gives us. And, it's a good one! Of course! But, once again, we have to take it. We
have to, "receive" it. We can't receive this sword unless we have received the One from
whose Spirit it comes. Jesus. If you have not received Jesus, you can do it right this minute. (Romans 10:9) We're talking about the sword of the Spirit. It is the Word of God. It is Jesus.
He is the Word. (John 1:14) All of scripture from Genesis to Revelation is His-Story. It reveals Him to us. He even told us that,
when He went away, He would send His Spirit to remind us of all that He had said. (John 14:26) Although this weapon is mainly offensive, it can also be used as a defensive weapon. We use it to cast down
arguments and thoughts that try to enter our minds and hearts that come from the evil one. (2 Corinthians 10:5) Even sometimes from our own imaginations. It is a weapon we cannot refuse to use. Are you
filled with the Spirit this morning? Do you have command of the sword of the Spirit? Is the Word of God the foundation
of your being? If not, or even if you can say, "It is so.", let's get refreshed on just how we receive
this most valuable piece of armor. As we discussed the importance
of reading God's word, earlier this year, we come full circle back to that point. The very first thing we have
to do to receive the sword is to pick up the Word of God and read it. Every day. It is not just black and
red words on a white, maybe gold-edged piece of paper. It is living and powerful. What you and I read today will
have deeper meaning tomorrow and the next day, and so on. (1 Peter 1:23) Just as Jesus revealed more and more of Himself to His disciples here on earth, He will reveal
more and more of Himself to us as we meet with Him each day to hear His Word. We hear through our eyes and our
spirits as we read. I love those days when, after reading a passage several times before, Jesus gives me a, "wow,"
moment. Then I really "get it." That's what I think at the moment. Then another day, I really
"get it," even to a deeper level as I read that same passage again. That's the sword of the Spirit cutting
deeper and deeper into my heart and mind, yet lovingly taking care not to destroy me. This sword that we carry
is meant to give us confidence and boldness. Acts 4:31 (MSG) 31 While
they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued
to speak God's Word with fearless confidence. We know the truth and the truth we
know will set us free and set those around us free. (John 8:32) This is our weapon, if we will take it. Even the sword of the Spirit of Jesus that cuts to the
core of our motives and takes a slice out of the devil every time. Tomorrow we will discuss more about receiving the sword of the Spirit. But, for the time being, let's
all choose to read God's Word for ourselves today. Just take the Bible in your hands, knowing that you are
taking the first steps to being fully armed. Hold it. Open it. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Lord
to you as you read. Believe that He will do it. Find a passage that you feel led to read. Then, hang
on. You will be pleasantly surprised as Jesus takes the time to sit with you and teach you just how to use the sword
of His Spirit. If you're not familiar with the Bible, let me suggest that you start reading in the gospel of
John. There you will find out just how much you are loved. Believe it or not, the effectiveness of our warfare
is based on love. God is love. (1 John 4:8) Even the sword of the Spirit that He gives us is designed to kill only our ungodly passions. Then, to make
us alive again in the power of God. Do you want to be really alive and have power to do great damage to Satan?
Then pick up the sword God has given you - today! Read it and then hide it away in your heart. You're
never fully armed without your Sword! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 26, 2008 - IS YOUR HEAD COVERED? 17 And
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Is anything causing you to doubt this morning? Is there anything that is causing you confusion? Anything
at all that brings dread, despair, or depression? It may be that we need to be sure our head is completely covered with
the helmet of salvation. (Ephesians 6:17) The word, "take," is a Greek word meaning, "accept." Vine's Dictionary says it
signifies, "to accept," by a deliberate and ready reception of what is offered. Just like the other
pieces of the armor of God, we have to do something with the helmet of salvation. We have to receive it. (2 Timothy 3:15) The covering we need for our heads is salvation. It takes wisdom to receive salvation. Is your
head covered this morning with the helmet of salvation? Have you wisely, by revelation from God, received Jesus as your
Savior and become, not only a son of God, but a warrior in His Kingdom? (John 1:12) In Paul's time, the Grecian helmet is said to have
had different figures implying hope. The soldier's helmet was his confidence that he would be victorious in
the battle and emerge safely. We also have that hope. We have confidence. Those are the emblems on our helmets!
(1 Thessalonians 5:8) Our hope of salvation reminds us that Jesus has overcome the world for us and we are merely cleaning up the battlefield. (John 16:33) We win. We have had the privilege (if we have taken it) to read the end of the book.
Revelation 22:14 (AMP) 14 Blessed (happy and to be envied) are those who cleanse their
garments, that they may have the authority and right to [approach] the tree of life and to enter through the gates into the
city. Our helmet of salvation will keep our minds protected by every onslaught from the enemy
that tries to get us to veer away from the Word God has given us. What are you confronted with this morning? Are
you struggling with greed or lust? How about negativity and doubt? Or, fear and dread? It could
be something else. It could be anything that threatens your hope or your confidence. The enemy will always try
to fill our minds with things that are contrary to the Word of God. The helmet of salvation will protect our minds in
such warfare. Our confidence in our salvation will keep us fighting. Our surety of victory, because of Jesus,
will energize us to go on in the battle. The confidence
that comes with receiving and wearing the helmet of salvation will keep us going. We don't need to be afraid of
anything. The helmet of salvation identifies us as being in the army of God. We don't need to let anything
or anyone intimidate us. (2 Timothy 1:7) We have the power of God. We have the love of God. We have a sound and disciplined mind
and we will keep our minds that way by wearing the helmet of salvation. If we wear all of God's armor as described
in various scripture passages, including Ephesians 6:11-18, we will never need to be intimidated. Look at this: Philippians 1:28 (AMP) 28 And
do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and
fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence]
of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God. If we have received Jesus, we have received what
He offers. The helmet of salvation. We need to wear it always. It goes along with the breastplate
of righteousness. When we are living a righteous life, we can be sure that our enemy will know that God has changed
us and delivered us. The enemy will see that, because we are delivered, we are fearless. It will be a sure
sign to Satan and his workers of their own destruction. Let's make sure our heads are covered this morning
with that helmet of salvation, showing that we have the confidence and hope of our salvation. Just one look at
that helmet will send the enemy scurrying. Give your mind a break - cover it with salvation. Meditate on
it and receive it. Salvation comes from a word indicating, safety, deliverance, defender, health, and rescue.
Do you need any of those things today? You've got them. Just put on your helmet. Don't leave home
without it! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 25, 2008 - LIFT UP YOUR SHIELD Ephesians 6:16 (AMP) We've been looking at Ephesians 6:14-15 the last couple of days in our effort to become prepared by arming ourselves. We've found that we have armor
given to us by God. But, we have to do something with each piece. Ephesians 6:16 tells us to lift up the shield of faith. The shield Paul refers to here is the shield used in his day which was
very big. It covered the whole body of the one who lifted it up. Can you imagine having to lift up a shield that
covered your whole body? And, can you imagine keeping it up? This shield of faith that Paul tells us to lift up
takes strength. Our faith must be constantly exercised so that we can have the strength to hold that shield up.
(Colossians 2:7) This morning, and every morning, our faith must be the evidence to us that we have salvation. (Hebrews 11:1) Our faith must be our assurance that our Father is genuinely interested in every detail of our lives. (Matthew 10:30) Are you lifting up your shield of faith? The shield of Paul's
day was made of two layers of laminated wood. It was then covered with linen. After that it was covered with hide.
This was all bound on the top and bottom with iron. To top it off, there was an iron decoration on the front. The size
was about two and a half feet by four feet. This piece of armor was not for the weak or faint-hearted but, unless it
was used, the soldier was open to the fiery darts used in that day. These darts had leaded tips with something combustible
to catch on fire as it flew through the air and burn their target. That's why the shields were covered with linen
and hide which would extinguish the flames before they could burn the entire shield and reach the body of the soldier.
According to Adam Clarke's commentary, some thought that poison would be attached to the darts to cause the body of the
attacked soldier to burn with intense pain. The devil would just love to burn us up! Don't be his victim. Be
a victor by picking up that shield of faith and keeping it up! These
fiery darts were lethal if you didn't have the proper shield. Over every other part of our armor we're to lift
up our shield of faith. Only our faith will stop all the fiery darts the enemy will send against us. These darts
come in the form of temptations. They come as deceiving thoughts and ideas. Anything to get us to put down that
shield and open ourselves to arrows such as pride, lust, greed, envy, vengeance, etc. We are so easily inflamed
by these things if we have not chosen to lift up our shield of faith. Our faith allows us to cling to God's Word
and effectively snuff out everything that the enemy sends against us to try to destroy us. Remember those layers of
the Roman shield? Is your shield of faith layered this morning with Word after Word of God? If so, these fiery
darts will be snuffed out before they wound you. Our shield may seem heavy at times. God's Word is weighty.
But, we've got to choose to lift that shield up and keep it up. It's how we stay alive in battle.
We live by faith! (Romans 1:17) Holding up our shield is how we please God. (Hebrews 11:6) MORNING MANNA - WHAT KIND OF SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Ephesians 6:15 (KJV) Being a woman, shoes are one of my favorite things. Sometimes I, unfortunately, have worn shoes that pleased
my eyes rather than shoes that were functional for the task at hand. What happens then, is that I am distracted from
what I am trying to do because, either my feet hurt, I become off balance, or I slip or some other such thing.
Our shoes are our foundation. As a soldier of Christ, we can't afford to be on an improper foundation. If
we choose (and it is a choice) to wear the wrong spiritual shoes, the consequences can be harmful. Paul has told
us to "stand your ground," in Ephesians 6:14. How can we stand unless we have the shoes that give us the sure foundation we need? What more firm foundation
could we have than the gospel of peace? Luke 1:79 Do you want your feet to be beautifully shod? Then put on the gospel of peace. (Romans 10:15) One commentary described the war boots of the Roman soldier of
Paul's time. They were the open-toed variety and the soldier wore them while on duty. They had a nail-studded
sole that had ties for the ankles and shins. They were not for running. They were not made for going after or
running from an enemy. They were more like cleated shoes. If you ran in them, you might slip and fall. When
Paul said for us to, "stand our ground," he described the proper shoes for doing just that. These boots gave
traction so that the soldier wouldn't slide. They were designed for the hand-to-hand combat of the day. You
had to stand against the opposition and fight to the finish. Don't we need shoes like that today? Our world
is filled with slippery slopes. We do have an enemy that is trying to pull us down those slopes every day. That
requires us to stand perfectly balanced and fight the enemy without slipping and sliding. These shoes that Paul was
describing keep us firmly planted where we are. The shoes of the gospel of peace will keep us steadfast and immovable.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (AMP) 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast),
immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service
of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose].
If you find that you have tended to slip in your walk for Christ, check out your shoes. Check
out your foundation. Is it one of peace? If not, get the proper shoes on! The gospel of peace is such a wonderful foundation. Romans 5:1 says that we have peace with God through Jesus because we have been justified by faith. Have you
received Jesus as your Savior? If so, you have peace with God. If you have never asked Jesus to come into
your heart, you can do it now and have a peace that will be totally unbelievable to you. Philippians 4:7 (KJV)7 And
the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. This peace will serve as a defense for you when the enemy tries to come and lie to you about all that God
is and all that you are in Him (and you can be sure the enemy will come!). His peace will guard your heart
and mind. Yes, we are in a war but we are never left defenseless! Peace with God is priceless and we
cannot wear those shoes of the gospel of peace unless we first receive them from God. Will you let God fit you
with the proper shoes this morning? We not only have peace with God, we have the peace of God.
Jesus promised it to us because He knew that we would surely face severe troubles in this world. (John 16:33) It is, "shalom." This word insures that we are totally complete - nothing missing,
nothing broken. When we experience complete peace, we are able to extend it to others. It makes us confident
just like those nail-studded war boots kept the Roman soldier confident and solidly planted for battle. When you go
out this morning, will you have your feet, your foundation, prepared with the gospel of peace? Will your feet resemble
the feet of the Prince of Peace? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 23, 2008 - ARMED TO STAND Ephesians 6:14 (AMP) As good soldiers of Christ, we are called to stand. According to Vine's Dictionary, this word, "stand,"
infers fidelity and stability. It is a word that means, "abode." It means to continue. As
the Amplified Version says, "hold your ground." Have you lost any ground lately? Are you defeated
in any way or do you feel like running the other way instead of standing? Things in life can look so much bigger
than they really are in comparison to God's power and the power He has given us to resist. Things in our minds can
loom bigger than the power of God if we choose to focus on them rather than the fact that we have armor with which to
fight every thought that comes against the fact that we can be victors in the battles of life. But it requires
a choice. We can't just stand there without doing something. In Ephesians 6:14, the first thing Paul mentions is that we have to tighten the belt of truth around our waist. In Paul's days,
warriors of the time had to make sure they tightened the belt around their waist because it was what held their robes
up in battle keeping them from getting in the way. It was what they hung their armor on for battle. Have
you taken action to tighten the belt of truth around your waist. It will keep everything that is non-essential
from getting in the way as you battle to keep truth foremost in your heart and mind. Jesus once said, "I am the
truth." (John 14:6) Does He have you so much in His grip that everything else about you is completely held together? We
have a choice to tighten this belt or not. Pilate asked Jesus about the truth. Jesus told him. Instead of
listening and tightening that belt around himself, Pilate let it slip off and ended up with the question, "What is truth?" (John 18:38) Pilate, like so many in our day, didn't pick up the belt of truth and put it on, much less tighten it.
Do you hear that same question raised today, "What is truth?" We know what and Who truth is. We wear
it as a belt to keep us free and armed for the battle that Satan wages for our minds and hearts. But we have
to take action by putting it on and keeping it tight. Reading the Word, meditating on it, and maintaining communication
with God will help us keep that belt tight! The second thing Paul
mentions in Ephesians 6:14 is putting on the breastplate of righteousness. The Living Bible calls it "the breastplate of God's approval."
A soldier in Paul's time used a breastplate to protect his chest from being attacked. In other words, he covered vital
organs, especially his heart. Today the breastplate that God provides is righteousness. One commentary
suggests that this is not the righteousness we receive upon accepting Christ as our Savior, but the ongoing process
of sanctification as we choose to live righteously and follow Christ. Here again, God provides the armor but we have
to do something. We have to put it on. If we fail to put it on, God is not responsible for our heart coming
under attack. Putting it on means that we live according to God's principles, thus under God's approval.
Are you suffering this morning from doubts, fears, dreading, negative thinking, or anything else that is not from God?
Have there been days when you may have forgotten to take time to put on that breastplate of righteousness? If so,
tighten the belt of truth around you, sit down for a moment in the presence of Jesus. Let Him bind up your wounds and
then don't forget to take action each day by putting on the breastplate of righteousness. Right living. (John 17:17) As we learn the truth from the Word of God, we must then choose to live in the truth. As we do that
we find that we have that breastplate on. Now those thoughts that would come against our hearts to destroy us cannot
break through. No more doubt, no more fear, etc. We know the truth and we are free from the enemy. (John 8:32) Today, as life and the devil come at you, make sure you have tightened your belt of truth and put on that breastplate
of righteousness! Read the Word, meditate on it, pray fervently, and live righteously. Then stand. Hold
your ground. Make Christ your abode and continue in Him. We'll look at some of the other armor God has given
us tomorrow. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 22, 2008 - WHICH FIGHT ARE YOU IN? 1 Timothy 6:12 (KJV) 12 Fight the good fight of
faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. We know, from scripture, that we are in a fight. We know that we have to have weapons and armor. Ephesians 6:13 (AMP) 13 Therefore put on God’s
complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the
crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. Everyone is in a fight these days. But which fight are
we in? The fight to climb the corporate ladder? The fight to have the last word in a relationship? The fight
to prove we are right? The fight to gain position (even within the church)? Which fight are we in?
Paul had some closing words for young Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12. The fight that Timothy had to fight is the fight of faith. That's the fight we need
to be in today too. Of all of the battles we fight here on earth, the fight to maintain and grow in our faith is
the most important. Why is that so? Because, without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6 (MSG) 6 It's
impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists
and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. Do you think a soldier in the military wants
to be pleasing to his commander? I do. If we want to be fully armed, we need to know that God rewards
His children, His soldiers. We need to know that God exists and that we can approach Him for our marching orders,
for the strength to fight, and for the victory in the battle. Are we fighting the good fight of faith this morning? This fight includes, the following, according to
Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary: to struggle, to compete for a prize, to contend with an adversary,
and to endeavor to accomplish something. It includes laboring fervently. Paul is telling Timothy and
telling us that we need to struggle to keep our faith and grow in it. This is especially true in our world today where
secular humanism is constantly telling us we are our own god. What a pity that anyone should think that faith in themselves
is the answer. (John 15:5) These people are not fighting the good fight of faith. They may be fighting but they're fighting
a useless fight. They are not pleasing to God. They have only the power of their humanity behind their faith.
Their faith is as good as dust! (Psalm 103:14) Although this particular fight mentioned in 1 Timothy does not have a military connotation,
it does suggest that our goal is to accomplish something. Something more valuable than anything else
we could accomplish in life. That is to seize eternal life. 1 Timothy 6:12 (MSG)12 Run
hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the
presence of so many witnesses. What fight are we in this morning? Hopefully, you and I are in the fight to
lay hold of and seize eternal life. After all, what good will it do us if we have risen to the top of the corporate
ladder when this life is over, only to find that we have lost our own soul? (Luke 9:25) What good will it do us if we have risen to great heights in the church environment if we miss
eternal life ourselves? Will the fight have been worth it? Look what Paul says about such a thing, paraphrased
in The Message. 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (MSG) 25 All good athletes train
hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally. 26
I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've
got. No sloppy living for me! 27 I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm
not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. It's
a fearful thing to think that we could go around telling others how to fight the fight and not enter into the fight ourselves,
only to lose the very thing we have been preaching about. Paul saw the danger in that. So, he disciplined himself
to stay armed with faith. The kind of faith that has its roots in God. The kind of faith that pleases God
and brings victory in battle. When it's all said and done, which fight will we have been in? The fight to
win the gold medals of this world which will be burned up and destroyed in the end? Or, the good fight of
faith? The one that brings a true and lasting reward. The words, "Well done." Matthew 25:23 (AMP) 23 His
master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy
over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master
enjoys. Which fight are we in? What will be the end result of that fight? It's the good fight
of faith that will lead us to victory in the battles we face in this world and to the great reward
of everlasting life in the presence of our Lord. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 21, 2008 - PAUL'S EXAMPLE 2 Corinthians 10:3 (NLT) As we search the scriptures
and prepare ourselves by arming ourselves properly to walk in this dark world, I find that Paul is a great example.
As he says in 2 Corinthians 10:3, we don't wage war with human plans and methods. Without being judgmental, and with a heart of repentance if we
find something wrong, can we ask some questions? How do we wage war? How does the church today, in general, wage
war? With human plans and methods? Or by the revelation, plan, and authority of God? When I read
Paul's letter to the Corinthians, I find that he does not use the world's methods. Here are just a couple
of things come to mind. One thing is that Paul encountered some
opposition within the church. Some thought he could write strong letters but that he was timid in person.
(2 Corinthians 10:1) Although those perceptions could have intimidated Paul, he did not receive those perceptions. He knew
who he was. He did not even fuss about those misperception's that others in the church had. Paul
said, "even though." Even though people saw him as weak, he knew he had been given authority by God.
He did not wield it recklessly against those in the church. Notice what he chose to do even though others thought of
him as less than he was. He chose to plead with the gentleness and kindness of Christ with those people. Paul
was armed with gentleness and kindness - the kind Jesus uses on us! What are we armed with today? Oh, yes,
we have powerful weapons such as the sword of the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:17) Some today use it on people when we should be using it on the devil and on our own fleshly ideas. I've
done that myself. To use the sword on people is not proper use of this most powerful weapon. How do
you think God will react if we come before Him with the blood of His children on our sword rather than the blood of Satan?
Paul was careful, as a warrior, not to use extreme force on those over whom he had authority. Instead he plead with
them with gentleness and kindness as his first strategy. This is certainly in opposition to those human plans and methods
that are being used in the world and in parts of the church today! Paul
knew his place and he knew where his authority came from. He did not have to waste precious time and energy, losing
focus on the battle, by comparing himself with anyone else. (2 Corinthians 10:12) Can you just imagine soldiers in a field heavy in battle comparing themselves with one another. One saying, "I'm
a better shot than you are." Another saying, "I've killed more than you." Someone else saying
to himself, "I wish I was like so-and-so." I don't think so. They're out there being shot at.
They are all fighting against one enemy and if they don't concentrate on who they are and what they're doing, they
will take a hit. How many of us spiritual warriors take hits today unnecessarily? Because, instead of concentrating
on our Commander and being focused with Him against the enemy, we are busy comparing ourselves with one another?
Measuring ourselves according to one another, instead of measuring ourselves by the standards of God and going forth
against the enemy in His power? When we read from Paul's epistles, we get an idea of the warfare he was in.
It was great. I know the following scripture quote from The Message is long. Like Paul, I'm not going
to forcefully say, "you really have to read this." But, if we really see what Paul went through, we
will get a good example of what it means to be a fully armed and dangerous spiritual warrior. Strong and focused,
pressed and pushed to the limit, but still loving, gentle, and kind. 2 Corinthians 11:21-30 (MSG)21 I
shouldn't admit it to you, but our stomachs aren't strong enough to tolerate that kind of stuff. Since you admire
the egomaniacs of the pulpit so much (remember, this is your old friend, the fool, talking), let me try my hand at it. 22 Do they brag of being Hebrews, Israelites, the pure race of Abraham? I'm their match.
23 Are they servants of Christ? I can go them one better. (I can't believe I'm
saying these things. It's crazy to talk this way! But I started, and I'm going to finish.) I've worked much harder,
been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. 24
I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, 25 beaten
by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for
a night and a day. 26 In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford
rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country,
endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers.27 I've
known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked
to the weather. 28 And that's not the half of it, when you throw in the daily
pressures and anxieties of all the churches. 29 When someone gets to the end of his
rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut. 30
If I have to "brag" about myself, I'll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 20, 2008 - WHO ARE YOU RESISTING AND HOW ARE YOU RESISTING? James 4:7 (AMP) If you have been reading the Morning Manna the past couple of days, you will realize that this is
the third day that we are looking at James 4:7. It's such a short little verse but it has so much impact! Today, who are you resisting?
Watch what Jesus said here: Matthew 5:39 (AMP) 39 But
I say to you, Do not resist the evil man [who injures you]; but if anyone strikes you on the right jaw or cheek, turn to him
the other one too. When someone hurts you in some way, what is your first impulse? I hope I'm not
the only one who says, "I just want to smack them." If we're completely honest, we do want to smack people
who hurt us. Especially when we think they ought to know better! We want to resist. After all, it hurts
to be hurt! To resist is good if we're resisting the right thing in the right way. Jesus does not want us
to resist men but to resist the devil, as we see in James 4:7. The devil is the one who will whisper in our ear, "Hit 'em back!" So, when we do not hit back,
we are really resisting the right thing. We're resisting the devil. We're resisting evil. We're
not to return evil for evil but good for evil. (Romans 12:21) Does this seem backwards and the course of least resistance? It probably does at first because that
is the way the world see's it - as backwards. But, as The Message put's it this is a "dog eat
dog," world. Now that's backwards! The Kingdom of God operates in a totally different manner.
When we return good for evil, we're actually resisting. We're not resisting the evil man but we're resisting
the enemy who is trying to get us to operate his way instead of God's way. "Resist", according to "Preaching The Word," is a military metaphor. It infers that we
must stand against a thing, as in combat. How many times do we stand against each other instead of standing against
the real enemy, the devil? It should not be that way. Especially in our families and in the church. Followers
of Christ should be like Him. When He stayed on that cross, it looked like He wasn't resisting at all. He
let them flog Him, mock Him, hammer those nails into His hands and feet. He watched while the crowd gawked at Him as
He suffered and died. He didn't resist. Or did He? What do you imagine the devil was whispering to Him
at the time? Things like, "Your Father doesn't care about you or you wouldn't be in this situation."?
Or maybe, "You can call all the legions of angels to get you down right now and just wipe all your enemies out."
We know that, if the enemy was whispering to Jesus, He did not listen. He resisted. What made Him resist the devil
and not resist those that were humiliating Him, taunting Him, crucifying Him? Love made Him resist His enemy.
You see, Jesus knew that men and women were not His enemy. He knew very well that He had to resist the devil, just as
James tells us to do. On the afternoon that Jesus died, He was in a war. He won that war for us. (Colossians 2:15) What was His weapon of choice? It was love. (John 3:16) 1 Timothy 1:14 (MSG)14 Grace
mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus. You and I are fighting
against principalities and powers in high places. (Ephesians 6:12) We must resist them - not men and women. The war is on and it will remain
so until Jesus comes for us or until we go to Him. We will always have resistance if we are following Jesus. (John 15:18) It will seemingly come in the form of another person, even someone extremely close to us. (Psalm 41:9) There will be that temptation to lash out at that person. To get them back for the hurt they have, are, or
will inflict. Who will we resist? James says, we need to submit to God (James 4:7) He also says that we need to draw close to God. (James 4:8) If we are resisting men and women, we cannot draw close to God. God loves men and women.
The fact that they are sinners does not deter Him at all from loving them. God hates evil. He hates the Evil One.
It is not His will that we should join forces with and use the weapons of the devil. 1 John 3:12 (MSG) 12 We must not be like
Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of
evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. Our weapon against the Evil One is love.
That's how resist him. By loving God enough to obey His commandments in spite of what our circumstances
look like. And, by loving the people He loves. 1 John 3:10-111 John 3:10-11 (MSG) 10 Here's how you tell the difference between God's children
and the Devil's children: The one who won't practice righteous ways isn't from God, nor is the one who won't
love brother or sister. A simple test. 11 For this is the original message we
heard: We should love each other. Let's be aware of who we resist and how we
resist. It will make all the difference in the world and in eternity! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 19, 2008 - A HUMBLE SOLDIER IS THE BEST SOLDIER 7 So
humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. You may be looking at the verse above, James 4:7, and think it is a mistake. That's the same verse that was in the title of yesterday's Morning
Manna. I know it is. It isn't a mistake. It's there because, although it is short, I found it to
be so full of insight. It's simple and basic, yet it requires great revelation to be able to live it out.
Are you humble before God today? If we are believers, our first answer would most likely be a resounding,
"yes." That's the way it should be. But is it? Really? I am, in no way, intending
this morning to bring condemnation to anyone. (Romans 8:1) Together, I want to get a revelation of the basics in being a good soldier in the Kingdom of God. James
seems to have hit on the basic of basics. Humility before God. As I looked into the words, "humble
yourselves," I found that it comes from a Greek word which is primarily a military term. So, although James doesn't
seem to be openly talking about spiritual warfare as we read in Ephesians 6:13 and following, he is still using a military term when he says, "humble yourselves." First of all, we're all born with a very terminal disease. It's called
sin. It's in our nature from the beginning. (Romans 3:23) The very basic thing we have to do is to receive the gift of salvation and forgiveness. (Romans 6:23, 1 John 2:12) Until we do that, the sinful nature that we are born with will only grow more hostile toward God.
(Romans 8:7) In short, we'll be in the devil's army instead of in God's army. But if we have received salvation, we
are enlisted in God's army. The first thing we have to do now is learn humility. Again, this is a military
term. It speaks of rank, submissiveness and obedience. It means we need to totally submit to all
of God's decisions in our lives. We have to be totally confident in our Commander, filled with trust that He
is the Victor and that He, unlike the devil, will not lead his soldiers anywhere that will ultimately hurt them. (Jeremiah 29:11) When a military soldier breaks rank, he endangers himself and the company he is fighting with. He also
puts himself in danger of extreme discipline from his commander. He is out there all alone. When we do that, as
soldiers of God, we find ourselves out there all alone too. Between the forces of good and evil. There's lots
of cross-fire in that zone! If we have broken rank, that means we have somehow failed to humble ourselves before
God. First of all, since these words, "humble yourselves," comes
from a military term, I'm thinking about soldiers in the army. This term indicates rank. Does a soldier
enlist in the army and immediately demand or expect to be a high-ranking officer? I don't think so. He may
not even get in the army if he demands such a thing. He might not pass the psychological testing! A new soldier
enlists and expects to go through basic training. He enlists knowing that he is in the lowest rank. This
training will require him to submit to and perform everything required in the basic training manual. We, too, have a
basic training manual. It's called the Bible. In becoming a soldier in God's army, we need to read
the Bible. That is a part of humbling ourselves before God. As we read and go through the exercises, we will
realize more and more our position before a holy God. We will not be going to God demanding anything.
We will go boldly, yes. Soldiers must be bold. (Hebrews 4:16) But, we will go humbly because we know the awesomeness of our Commander. And
we will know our place before Him. Micah 6:8 (AMP) 8 He has showed you, O
man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself
and walk humbly with your God? I am increasingly aware that we have to humble ourselves.
That's part of the exercise we have to do to be prepared to fight. We certainly don't want God to have
to do it for us. No soldier wants to find himself in the brig. (Psalm 18:27) We can either humble ourselves now or be humiliated by God. Better to be humble than
be humiliated, wouldn't you say? That's exactly what the sinner did in the story in Luke 18:10-14. It seems the sinner knew his place before God better than the religious man. He went away justified,
and might I say, ready for battle. The proud, religious man went home proud just like he was when he entered the temple.
He was not ready for battle. In fact, he was already defeated by the enemy and he probably didn't even know it!
Do we know our place before an awesome, holy God this morning? Or, has pride or self-will caused us to get out
of order? Did you have an agenda yesterday that was interrupted? Did it irritate you? Or, did you trust
that your Commander had you in the right place at the right time? If you have not heard from God lately, are you still
carrying out the last orders that He gave you or are you creating your own orders? Every morning is a good morning to
humble ourselves before God once more and say, "yes sir," to wherever He leads and whatever He orders. His
plans for the humble are good. Watch this: James 4:10 (AMP) MORNING MANNA - MARCH 18, 2008 - YOU CAN'T RESIST UNTIL YOU SUBMIT James 4:7 (KJV) This morning
we may be encountering some resistance from our enemy. We have to resist right back. But we've got to be sure our
resistance is not in our own strength. (John 15:5) Our being able to resist requires that we submit. James 4:7 says that the first requirement in resisting the devil is to submit ourselves to God. Then, and only then, can
we resist the devil. Then, and only then, will he have to leave us. What does it mean to submit to God.
The Amplified Bible says, "...be subject to God." The New Living Translation says, "...humble
yourselves before God." The Living Bible says, ...give yourselves humbly to God." The Message puts it
this way. "So let God work His will in you....." All those things are true and they all require one
thing - our obedience to God. We have been talking about arming ourselves the
past few days. We can't even begin to be armed unless we have submitted to God. A military officer will not
trust a soldier under him with weapons unless that soldier has proven that he has submitted to the officer. All
the more with God. The weapons God has given us are mighty and powerful. (2 Corinthians 10:4) Before we can be trusted with them, we need to go through "basic training." The basic thing is
that we are submitted to God. Then all other things become possible. (Matthew 19:26) Are you fighting battles this morning? Maybe they are internal battles. Could
it be that you find that your spirit is willing but your flesh is weak? Is your flesh putting up a good argument
against the ways of God? If so, the first thing you need to do is go ahead and submit yourself to God. Are
you fighting circumstances that seem to be coming against you that do not line up with the Word of God? The basic first
step is still the same. Submit yourself to God. After that step, we can go on to resist the devil.
One of the ways we can do that was modeled for us by Jesus. (Matthew 4:7) We resist with the Word of God. When Jesus was in the wilderness and greatly tempted by the devil. He
responded the same way each time. With scripture. Whatever battles you are fighting this morning can be won
by first submitting yourself to God. That means being subject to Him and obeying Him. We need to know
the Word of God in order to obey. Secondly, you can resist the devil and his temptations by using scripture. The
scripture is our sword. (Ephesians 6:17) We need to know the Word of God in order to be able use it. At this point, the Word of God says that
the devil will have to flee. That's what he did when Jesus used the scripture to counter his attacks.
That's what will happen if we follow Jesus's example. Jesus obeyed the Word of His Father. Then He
resisted the devil with the Word of God. Satan left Him. But, just for a while. (Luke 4:13) Satan watches for the most opportune time to come back again to see if he can get us. So, even if
things are hunky- dory for you this morning, it won't hurt to get into the practice of being submitted to God and
to remember to resist the devil. He'll be back! Let's make sure we're submitted to God and ready
at all times to resist the devil! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 17, 2008 - BREAKING THE ENEMY'S ARGUMENTS 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NLT) Yesterday we shared some ideas about the
weapons we need to choose. We are in a war and everyday the enemy tries to break us down and destroy us.
Not in a physical way but through out deceptive thoughts and ideas. As he did with Eve in the garden, so he does
with us. He makes arguments that lead us away from the whole Word of God. (Genesis 3:1) He even uses scripture. But he mixes it with half-truths. One of my friends told me the other day of a
saying she once heard. It goes like this. "Satan speaks in half-truths. The trouble is, we're tempted
to believe the wrong half." He tries to put rebellious ideas in our minds and hopes that we will choose
those ideas instead of God's Word. He does his best to keep people from knowing God. (Luke 11:52) He has succeeded in many people today. We find those people, not only in the world, but in the church
too. Before we go any further, it is only by the grace of God that you and I are not one of "those" people.
It will only be by the grace of God that we do not become one of "those" people. God's grace in our lives,
if we will receive it, will give us the motivation to stay close to Him. To get so close to Him that we know exactly
what He looks like. To have conversation with Him and listen to His voice so much that we know it like we know
the voice of our best friend. Only in this way will we know a wolf in sheep's clothing when we see one. We
will know exactly what our Shepherd looks like and what He sounds like. We can't refute arguments raised against
God unless we know God so intimately that we can instantly spot a counterfeit. (John 10:27) Before going into any war, we must know who our
Leader is. Under what flag we are marching? We must be familiar with and able to use the weapons provided to us
effectively. Our weapons are for casting down rebellious ideas and teaching people to obey Christ. We are encountering,
and will continue to encounter, resistance. We have varied and specialized weapons at our disposal ranging from love
and prayer to using the sword of the Spirit. (Proverbs 25:22, Matthew 5:44, Ephesians 6:17) Usually, we use a combination of weapons. For example, speaking the truth is necessary. It's a
very powerful weapon. It can set a person free! (John 8:32) I like that. I used to do it all the time. If I saw the truth, I spoke it! I used that weapon
like a hammer on people. I'm trying not to do that any more. Here's why. The weapon
of raw truth is so powerful that if you use it unwisely, it can crush a person. Destroy them. But, if you use
it with love, it an build them up and set them free. Ephesians 4:15 (KJV)
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head,
even Christ: (KJV) 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him
in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Our job is not to
crush people but to crush the arguments against God. The arguments that have bound people. Our weapons are for
setting people free. If you are bound this morning by any
deceptive argument the enemy has whispered in your ear, run, don't walk, to God's Word. Open it up
and ask God to show you the Truth. (John 14:6) He always speaks the truth in love. His love can crack the most deceptive argument
and blow it to smithereens. God so loved you that He sent His Son to die for you to set you free from those things that
would cause you to sin. (John 3:16-17) The raw truth is that God has every right to condemn us for our sin but He chose to
use love to free us and destroy our enemy! He wants you free and then He wants you to use your weapons to set others
free too. Truth is also a great piece of armor. (Ephesians 6:14) It will protect your heart. Make sure you wear it always. It is your breastplate.
Out of your heart, you will speak. Matthew 15:18 (MSG) 18 But
what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. Keep your heart protected
with the breastplate of truth. Then, we will be on our way to winning victories in this war. Others will be taught
by our words how to obey Christ. The proud arguments of the enemy are coming down! People are being set
free to know God! Are you armed this morning? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 16, 2008 - FIGHTING A GODLESS CULTURE 2 Corinthians 10:4 (AMP) Are you up for a fight today? We had all better be if we're followers of Christ.
However, we need to choose our weapons carefully. We don't use the normal, worldly weapons as we discussed
yesterday. You can't buy our weapons. No amount of money could purchase them. We do not use
them against people but against the principalities and powers and rulers of high places that have invaded our world and seemingly
taken over the culture of our day. Though this is just a paraphrase, I like what The Message says when it says
this: 2 Corinthians 10:4 (MSG) 4 The tools of our trade
aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. Why
has our culture become so massively corrupt? Because they have forgotten God. God is not pleased when His people
forget Him. (Amos 3:11) Some have even said there is no God. (Psalm 14:1) How foolish! Why do we have to fight
the powers that have invaded our culture? Because God loves sinners even when they are still His enemies. (Romans 5:10) God is not willing that any should die in their sins. (2 Peter 3:9) The drive for money, fame, position, and power comes from the one who started it all. It comes from
our enemy, the devil. He thought he could be like God. (Isaiah 14:14) He found that he, not only did not gain any position, he lost the position he
had. God then created man and woman to have an intimate relationship with Him. That made Satan angry.
Can't you just hear Satan saying, "Let's see.... What could I do to hurt God more than anything else?" "Destroy
his children!" By now Satan was convinced that he had made a grave error. He was mad. So he made
his way into the Garden of Eden to try to destroy God's children. Eve saw the bait Satan held out and
she bit. Then Adam did too. They already had everything they could ever need. But, they weren't satisfied.
When they heard that they could know everything God knew, they wanted that too. Genesis 3:5 (MSG) 5 God knows that the moment
you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging
all the way from good to evil." Adam and Eve were already the most powerful creatures on the earth.
They already held the highest position on the earth. For some reason, they didn't realize who they were and they
let the enemy talk them into thinking they needed to go against the One that gave them everything in the first place.
Instead of fighting the enemy, they listened to him. Do we still do that today? Things have not changed a whole lot. The
enemy, the devil, is still trying to tell us to take what we want instead of waiting for God's permission to do so.
He's still trying to bribe us to follow him by offering us things that God has already given us. We don't have to
be driven to obtain any of those things. It is God's pleasure to give them to us. (Luke 12:32) How much more power and position could you have than being a child of the King? (Luke 10:19) Jesus gave His disciples authority and He has given us authority too. (John 14:22) That same authority that Adam and Eve lost in the Garden, Jesus has given back to those who will follow
Him. The enemy has not changed his mind even though he's already been disarmed by Jesus. (Colossians 2:15) He still tries to convince us and has convinced most of the culture today that we can be like the Most
High. Most of the time he uses people to do his dirty work. Greed and pride are running rampant, along
with a lot of other ungodly things. We need to fight to win the souls of the lost back into the Kingdom of Heaven.
But, our weapons, though not physical or of a worldly nature, are powerful. They are mighty. They will pull
down strongholds in our lives and in today's culture if we will use them. Are you ready for the fight? Will
you use the weapons God has given us to fight a Godless culture? Are you armed and ready? Fight on! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 15, 2008 - OUR WEAPONS ARE DIFFERENT 3 The
world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our
battles that way—never have and never will. Do you like the way The Message paraphrases 2 Corinthians 10:3? I do. My husband and I have just been seeing, first hand, how the world operates. You may be
seeing it in your own life too. And, it's not a pretty picture. Dog eat dog is right. But,
why would you want to be a dog when you can be a child of God? Don't be mistaken, I am not ignoring the fact that
even in our local congregations, there aren't some "dog eat dog," situations. But it should
not be that way. Though there will always be differences of opinion among the children of God and varying and distinct
personalities, we are not to fight one another. Our admonition is to love one another. (John 13:35) So, maybe we can look at the fact this morning that one of our unique weapons in the Kingdom of God is love. No
one can fight against real, unconditional love. They won't win. Because God is love. (1 John 4:16) Have you ever tried to fight against God? If so, you know that you can't win! Satan tried that.
Look what it got him! We are in a war. No doubt about
it. But, in no way should that war be a civil war! Every one of us who are believers have a place in God's
Kingdom. The hand may not be near the foot or have to communicate with it much. But, it can't really do all
that it's meant to do without the foot. Have you ever been tempted to take your hand and cut off your foot?
There, you see, we don't normally divide our bodies like that. So, why would we be inclined to divide God's
Kingdom? It won't function as He wants it to if we do that. It will be missing vital parts. Our war
is never with a soldier or group of soldiers in our own army! The world may fight that way but we don't.
In God's Kingdom, we don't compete for position because we already have position in God's eyes and in
His plan. Check out this paraphrase from The Message. Matthew 5:9 (MSG) 9 "You're
blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really
are, and your place in God's family. Do you want to find out who you really are and discover your special
place in God's family and in His army? Then, we have to constantly recognize who are enemy is, never feeling that
it is one of our own. What kind of weapons are you using this morning?
And, upon whom are you using them? Some of the world's weapons are things like "...learning, personal influence,
impressive credentials (1 Cor. 1:26), rhetorical polish (1 Cor. 2:1)...," according to The Bible Knowledge Commentary. We see those being wielded today
in our presidential campaigns in the United States. Yet, these things cannot accomplish half as much to change the world
for the better as the weapons that are ours as soldiers in the Kingdom of God. We have already spoken about
praise being a weapon. We know that, "doing good," is a weapon. Love is a weapon too. It can stop
a fight before it even begins by overlooking faults and weaknesses of others and keeping our eyes on the One who is Love.
Proverbs 16:6-7 (AMP) 6 By
mercy and love, truth and fidelity [to God and man—not by sacrificial offerings], iniquity is purged out of the heart,
and by the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord men depart from and avoid evil. 7 When
a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. In looking
at Proverbs 16:6-7, I'm convinced that unconditional love is one of the greatest weapons we have in our arsenal. But, just how much
do we use it? If we do use it, we can see from Proverbs 16:7 that it pleases God and He will make our enemies be at peace with us. In some instances, we could save ourselves
a lot of time, energy and bruises, if we let God make our enemies be at peace with us. Should you and I hold each other
accountable to the Word of God? Of course, but not in divisive and destructive ways. We should speak the
truth in love to one another. And to outsiders. Love is a weapon that can win the battle without bloodshed.
You see, the blood has already been shed. Jesus did it. (Hebrews 13:12) We can risk carrying and using the weapon of love because we know who we are. We are loved
by God. We are loved by Love. Those are my fighting words this morning. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 14, 2008 - A FIGHT TO THE FINISH Ephesians 6:12 (MSG) We
began this year of Morning Manna getting prepared for a great year by doing the following: P
- Pray R - Read God's Word E - Encourage Yourself and Others P - Praise God and Give Others the Recognition They Deserve A - Arm Yourself R - Run The Race E - Engage in the Eternal We've come
through the "P.R.E.P.", "praise" being the last thing we spoke of and we have seen how praise, in addition
to bringing glory to God, is a weapon. We're beginning to be armed now and ready to go. And, we are going
to be dangerous to the kingdom of darkness! I like the way The Message
says, "This is for keeps, a life-or death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels." Sometimes
people seem to get in our face and we are tempted to think they are our enemy. They are not.
Our fight is not against people, even if they do get in our face. We have to see right past those faces that are in
our face and realize that, what's behind those faces, is the face of the devil. The devil is really a coward.
He's a sneak. He's like to have you and me destroy another person instead of destroying him. Then he's
taken out two people and he an move on to get two more. If someone has been persecuting or harassing you unmercifully,
pray for that person. Yes, pray and find something to do good for them! (Matthew 5:44) Are we children of God this morning? If so, we need to act like it! We have a choice.
Act like who and Who's we are. Or not.... (Matthew 5:45) We're not out to destroy other children that God created for Himself. Our responsibility
is only to show that we are His child. That's warfare! If you don't believe it, look
at this: Romans 12:20 (AMP) 20 But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he
is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. And check
this out! Proverbs 25:21-22 (MSG) 21 If
you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he's thirsty, bring him a drink. 22 Your
generosity will surprise him with goodness, and God will look after you. If just those two verses are
not enough to convince you, I'm not sure what will. Did you see in Proverbs 25:22 that God will look after you? He certainly will. Still, it's a fight. One of the biggest
fights we have in this war is with ourselves. We can choose to see a person as our enemy and return bad for
bad. Or, we can remember (because God tells us so in His Word) that our enemy is unseen. He is a deceiver.
He likes to masquerade as someone else. He wants us to choose to destroy each other as he hides behind the faces
of people that get in our face. He's willing to destroy the person that he's using as a cover for himself and
he wants to destroy you and me. It's our choice. We can see as God sees, according to His Word.
Or not...... (Ephesians 6:12) If we choose to see according to God's Word, we will also fulfill God's Word by overcoming evil with
good. (Romans 12:21) It sounds strange but, in God's Kingdom, good is a weapon. It will overcome evil! God would
not have told us to do it if it was not true. (Numbers 23:19) Are you armed with good? If you are following Jesus, you are armed with good. The question
is, when confronted in a battle, will we choose to use it? Or, will we resort to the flimsy weapons of this world? The battle is on. As The Message paraphrases, "...This
is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours." Every
day the enemy will come after us. Every day, we must remain armed and ready to fight. The weapons of our
warfare are not like those of the world though. "Good," is a weapon we can use every day to destroy the
evil works of the kingdom of Satan. It sounds rather simple. It sounds backwards. No, it's the
world and the devil that are backwards! God's way will bring victory in every battle. We will, for
sure, talk about other weapons God has given us as the days go by but, "good," is not a weapon that I have
considered much before. Have you? Let's use that weapon today as we come upon the enemy and see what happens.
God's Word always proves true. When we have fought to the finish, we will find that, "good," has
gotten the victory! God is good! Psalms 145:8-9 (MSG) 8 God
is all mercy and grace— not quick to anger, is rich in love.9 God is good to
one and all; everything he does is suffused with grace. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 13, 2008 - DO YOU HAVE A SHIELD? Psalms 28:7 (AMP) Do you have a shield
this morning? You may be saying, "Why would I need a shield?" You may not think you are
going to war this morning. You might think you're just going to do the laundry, take the kids to school, go to work, or
whatever. All around you things may seem pretty peaceful. Why a shield? David wrote in Psalm 28:7 that the Lord was his shield. Because of that, David said, "....with my song will I praise
Him." The past few days we have talked about the importance of praise. Yesterday we remembered that, in the Old
Testament, the tribe of Judah marched ahead of the army of Israel. We saw that the word, "Judah,"
means praise. In other words, "praise" was the first thing to come upon any threat of danger along their journey.
We saw earlier this month that Jehoshaphat had a big military problem that he could not handle alone. (2 Chronicles 20:12) He sought God's guidance and then appointed singers to go ahead of the army. 2 Chronicles 20:21 (KJV) 21 And when he had consulted
with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before
the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. We may not be aware of the war going
on around us as we go about out daily chores and activities. Yet there is a war going on.
2 Corinthians 10:3 (AMP) 3 For
though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons.
The war that we don't see going on is much greater than what war we see in the military and terrorist
wars going on in our world today. It is a war for the souls of people. Your soul and my soul. We have an enemy that just loves to sling fiery darts at us when we're least
expecting it. Satan is a terrorist. (Ephesians 6:16) That's why we need to keep on trusting and praising the Lord who is our Shield. Our faith that God is
who He says He is becomes our shield. The King James Version says, "taking the shield of faith."
That means we have to receive the shield. Have you received Jesus this morning as your Savior. There's no
way to God without first going through Jesus. (Acts 4:12) If you have done that, you have received a Shield. He is your Shield. And you will need it. You have
just defected from the side of darkness and joined the Kingdom of Light. Before this, the enemy wasn't too interested
in you. He didn't care if you used all his strategies, devices and thoughts to destroy yourself. Now
it's different. The devil wants to take you back into his kingdom or take you out. There will be
fiery darts! You need your Shield. You need to have faith in God, who is your shield.
When Paul wrote about the shield of faith, he used a word describing the shield as something that covered the soldier's
whole body. It was the approximate size of a door. I'm remembering that Jesus said, "I
am the door." (John 10:9) Vine's Dictionary has a note that says, the former usage of the original word used for, "shield,"
was, "a stone for closing the entrance of a cave." Does that remind you of anything? Everything in the
Bible points to Jesus. They tried to close Him in the grave by covering the entrance with a stone. (Matthew 27:64-66) They tried to cover the Rock of our salvation with a rock. It didn't work. He remains
The Door. He is our Shield. When, by faith, we lift Him up in front of us, no dart can harm us, no matter
how fiery it is. While praise may
not seem like a weapon, it is. First of all, it confuses the enemy. If we're praising with
our mouths instead of complaining, the devil has to sit and scratch his head. He has to wonder why would we praise in
the middle of trouble? Secondly, it keeps our focus on God, who is our Shield. All of the fiery darts
that the enemy can fling cannot penetrate a powerful and holy God. Now we have a weapon that completely covers us as
long as we don't turn and run from our faith. The shield in Paul's day covered the whole front of the body but
not the back. It only works for us when we stand square in the face of the enemy and hold it up. Of course we
have other weapons too which are listed in Ephesians 6:16-18. This morning I have just studied the word, "shield." and meditated on what a protective
weapon it is. Also on the word, "faith." Everyone has faith of some sort. But our faith is
in our Shield. The God who places Himself in front of us to protect us from our enemies. The Son of God who placed
Himself in front of us on the cross to save us and protect us from our enemies. (Colossians 2:15) In effect, Jesus has disarmed the enemy by becoming our Shield of faith. Those fiery darts that
come at us will be extinguished every time as long as we lift up Jesus continually. So, do you have a shield this
morning? If not why not take up the Shield by faith? Don't be a casualty of this war. Praise God
and have faith that He has given you ever weapon you need to be a victor. We just need to remember to receive those weapons
and use them! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 12, 2008 - PREVAILING PRAISE This morning wars are raging in the world and in our individual lives. We all have situations that cause us
to have to fight. When we remember that our enemies are not the people around us but the principalities and powers in
high places that may use people, we can forget about the world's weapons and strategies and find our strength
in the Highest place. (Ephesians 6:12, Colossians 2:15) I am encouraged this morning in reading of the blessing that Moses gave to the tribe of Judah in Deuteronomy 33:7. Moses was about to die and he gave a Word from the Lord to each tribe. What encourages me about
the blessing of Judah is this - the root meaning of the word, "Judah," is, "praise." Now I read
the words of Moses this way: "And this is the blessing of praise." Are you part of the tribe of, "praise,"
this morning? It's a good tribe to join yourself with. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah! Here's
what Moses asked the Lord to do for the tribe of, "praise." Moses asked God to hear the cry of Judah. Let's phrase it another way again using the root word for the
meaning of, "Judah." Moses was saying, "Lord, hear the cry of praise." Are you with me now?
Are you getting excited about this? Here's another point. Jesus asked God to make us believers one body, just
as He is one with His Father. John 17:22 (MSG) Judah was
the tribe that marched ahead of the other tribes. (Numbers 2:9) In doing so, they were always the first to come against the enemy. What happens when our praise
is the first thing to confront our enemy? We can save ourselves a lot of striving, worrying and energy with a prayerful
cry of praise. The Living Bible - Deut 33:7 7 And
Moses said of Judah: "O Lord, hear the cry of Judah And unite him
with Israel; Fight for him against his enemies." Though it may not seem like it, praise is a weapon.
A powerful weapon. It reaches the ears of God and, as Moses pronounced over the tribe of Judah, God will fight for us
against our enemies. Do you have any enemies that are bigger than God? I don't think so. Neither do
I. Is there any weapon that is greater than God, Himself? When God fights for us, nothing can prevail
against us. (Romans 8:31) The next time a battle looms up in your life, will you let praise march out first? Instead
of figuratively throwing up your dukes and flailing away at the enemy, will you remember that your fists
are really too weak to fight the powerful enemy that is against us today? Look at the KJV translation and The
Message paraphrase of Deuteronomy 33:7. 7 Judah:
"Listen, God, to the Voice of Judah, bring him to his people; Strengthen
his grip, be his helper against his foes." Both of these verses
refer to God making our hands strong for battle. Sometimes, as The Message notes, we just need to,
"get a grip." How can we do that in the midst of trouble? By prevailing with our praise! Want
to get a grip now? Begin praising God. We can prevail by our praise. God is mighty enough
to propel us to victory and He will do it as we give Him the glory! 7 Judah:
"Listen, God, to the Voice of Judah, bring him to his people; Strengthen
his grip, be his helper against his foes." Both of these verses
refer to God making our hands strong for battle. Sometimes, as The Message notes, we just need to,
"get a grip." How can we do that in the midst of trouble? By prevailing with our praise! Want
to get a grip now? Begin praising God. We can prevail by our praise. God is mighty enough
to propel us to victory and He will do it as we give Him the glory! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 11, 2008 - PRAISE GOD FOR HIS PROTECTION 8 My
mouth shall be filled with Your praise and with Your honor all the day. In Psalm 71, the writer seems to be in some kind of a difficult situation. He knows just what to do. He goes
to the Lord. He asks for protection. Have you ever been in a situation like that? There's no one that
can help you and you're in great need of protection. We know that we have a God who can get us out of messes like
this. Out of the mess and armed with a message! Psalms 71:2 (MSG) 2 Do
what you do so well: get me out of this mess and up on my feet. Put your ear to the ground and listen, give me space for salvation. God
does hear us when we're in a predicament. (Psalm 18:6) He is that refuge where we can find hope and strength and safety from our enemy. (Psalm 71:3-4) Just how have we all made it to this point? We've all been in situations
that looked as if they would destroy us. We've all had times where we were tempted to lose hope. (Job 7:6) Still, we're alive right now and able to read this together today! The Psalmist took note
of the thought that God was his hope. Today we, too, must remember that God is our hope. The
Psalmist had trusted God from his childhood. Whether you have trusted God from your date of your birth or
not, if you are a believer this morning, you can know that God has been the one who brought you to where you are right now.
If you have not yet believed, you can also know that God has protected you until this moment to give you a chance to receive
Jesus. (John 1:12) You may be a new believer. If so, you can start now to really trust the God who got you to this point.
(Psalm 71:6) We see the psalmist's words here in verse six saying, "No wonder I am always praising you!" He is
totally aware that God has been his protection to this point. I am aware that God has protected me since the moment I
was born even though I know that there were many times the enemy tried to take me out. There were even more times
that I was totally oblivious to the enemy's attempt to wipe me out but God stepped in quietly without me even seeing anything
and saved the day. You probably have some stories to tell too if you think back over the events of your life.
God has protected me even when I did not realize that it was Him. He's done that for you too. Think of the
story of the man who got blisters on his feet because of his new shoes. He was probably a bit irritated when the
pain became so bad that he had to stop at the drugstore on his way to work to get a band-aid. This would make him late
to work. He never did go to work that morning because his office was destroyed when terrorists flew a plane into one
of the twin towers where his office was located. God protected him. This man has a purpose yet to fulfill
here on this earth. If you are reading this right now, you are still here and protected because you, too, have a purpose
to fulfill on this earth. God's protection for the believer lasts,
not only for this lifetime, but for eternity. There is no more sting in death. (1 Corinthians 15:55) We don't die when we leave this earth. We are protected from the second death. (Revelation 2:11) When we leave here, we just begin to live, protected eternally from sin, sickness, sorrow, and death.
Right now and forever, God is our strength and our protection. (Psalm 71:8) Now the psalmist is saying, "That is why I can never stop praising you." Is that your declaration
too? Has the awareness of the awesomeness of his protection over you caused you to continually praise God?
Like the psalmist, you may have gone through some hard things. (Psalm 71:20) Most of us have if we have lived long enough. Like the psalmist, is your hope still in God because you
know that He will restore you to even greater things than before you went through your valley? (Psalm 71:21) I want to be like the psalmist who asks God to keep protecting him in his old age. (Psalm 71:18) Why is he motivated to ask for protection? Because he wants to continue to praise God and let
the new generation know just what a miracle working God he serves. We do serve a powerful, miracle-working God who has
been our protection since we've been born. He will be our protection until and through our old age. (Psalm 92:14) He will be our protection as we walk into the portals of Heaven. Yes, we are divinely protected and that's a
perfect reason to praise God! As we get prepared for seeing all that God is going to do in the rest of 2008, will
you praise Him with me for His protection? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 10, 2008 - PRAISE BECAUSE OF GOD'S PROMISES Psalms 56:12 (KJV) One version of the Bible that I was reading says, "I praise God for what He has promised." David,
in Psalm 56, is speaking of a time of fear. Yes, brave warrior, David had some times of fear in his life. Does that
make you feel better? David was a man after God's own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14) Yet, David was human just like you and me. He had some times when fear invaded his heart. One of those
times is described in Psalm 56 for us. David had been captured by the Philistines. In Psalm 56:1-2, we get a picture of how David felt at the time. There are times in our lives when the enemy seems to send his minions
from everywhere to attack us. We find ourselves in the midst of an enemy barrage with incoming shots
everywhere we turn. For the moment it is constant and the enemy seems quite confident, by the way he is coming
against us, that he will win. Bold and constant attack can tempt us to fear. But, maybe we
can look at it this way. It took bold and constant attack from the enemy to get David to fear. David
was not an easy man to conquer. (1 Samuel 17:36) He had killed a lion and a bear all by himself. He had also killed Goliath, the Philistine giant that, not even
the whole Israelite army was willing to fight against. Why did I just say all of that? Because, if you
find yourself in a situation where the enemy is coming hard, fast and constant against you, you can be encouraged! Yes,
it may seem hard and you may be tempted to fear. But God would not allow you to be in such a situation if He had not
already promised to bring you out. You would not be in that situation if God had not already made you strong enough
to handle it in His power. He has promised that. (1 Corinthians 10:13) To put it plainly, you are strong! You have probably already come through many battles just
like David. So, look back at the victories God has brought you and look ahead to His promises. While in this situation, David said this: Psalms 56:9 (NLT) 9 On the very day I call
to you for help, my enemies will retreat. This I know: God is on my side. David was talking to himself.
He was doing what he did very well in times of trouble. He was encouraging Himself in the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:6) We can do that today too. God is on our side if we have aligned ourselves with Him by receiving
Jesus. (John 1:12) We can talk to ourselves by saying, "If God is for me, who can be against me?"
If you have any thoughts of fear in your heart this morning over some impending negative circumstance, replace them with the
promises of God. Soon you'll be praising Him even before you see your victory. David said that he
would praise God for what He has promised in verse 4 of Psalm 56. Then he said, "I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?" Then he stopped for a moment
and considered what the enemy was doing to him. (Psalm 56:4-6) We can do that too but it must not last very long before we do what David did. He prayed
that God would bring them down. (Psalm 4:7) We can't bring the enemy (the devil and those he works through) down all by ourselves. We're
not strong enough. But God can and God will. Do you sometimes feel that there is no one around to help you?
That no one knows exactly how you feel and how you have been or are being mistreated and beaten up? David
felt that way too. Look how The Message paraphrases what David said to God: Psalms 56:1-2 (MSG) 1 A
David psalm, when he was captured by the Philistines in Gath. Take my side, God—I'm getting kicked around, stomped
on every day. 2 Not a day goes by but somebody beats me up; They make it their duty
to beat me up. Maybe you've felt that way before. Maybe you feel that way today. If you
are growing in and exercising your faith as David did, you just may feel that way some time in the future. David had no one but himself and the Lord at this point. Instead of focusing too
long on what His enemy was doing, he turned his thoughts toward what God had already done and what He promised to do.
He remembered that God cared about him so much that every detail of all his agony and struggle was collected and recorded. Psalms 56:8 (MSG) MORNING MANNA - MARCH 9, 2008 - PRAISE PROMPTS GOD 2 Chronicles 20:21 (MSG) Have you ever had something come against you that you knew you could not handle? You knew it was bigger than
you were? Stronger than you were? In a way that's a good thing. There's no way we can deal with
any adversity in this life by ourselves. That is, unless we have our eyes on Jesus, knowing that we can't do a single
thing without Him. (John 15:5) Sometimes we get to thinking that we can do some things by ourselves. We cannot. It is only in Jesus that
we can live and move and that we have our being. (Acts 17:28) So, just perhaps, it's a good thing that big things come against us once in a while to bring us back to the
fact that we can't make it without Jesus. But, with Him, all things are possible. (Philippians 4:13) King Jehoshaphat, of Judah had an occasion like
that. A very large enemy rose up to attack Judah. (2 Chronicles 20:1-2) Like most of us who face a battle with an enemy much bigger than we are, Jehoshaphat's reaction was one of
fear. (2 Chronicles 20:3) What do you do when your first reaction is fear? Do you fear the enemy and shake in your boots?
Or, do you fear God more and run to Him for guidance? Jehoshaphat did the right thing. He went to God for guidance.
(2 Chronicles 20:4) He gathered the people of Judah and called a fast. When we're at a loss to know what to do, it certainly
clears our mind when we go to God and when we fast. Our minds become more focused on God and we are more able to
hear Him when He gives direction in our situation. One of the first things we might hear Him say is that
He has not given us a spirit of fear. No! He has given us love, power, and a sound and disciplined mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) We are powerful warriors. We are loving people. Our minds are clear, and disciplined.
Just like Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat knew that God was more powerful than any enemy. (2 Chronicles 20:6) He knew that no enemy could stand against God. Do we know that today? God hasn't changed. (James
1:17) He's still the same today as He was in Jehoshaphat's time. Is there an enemy in your life today
that looms over you as though it was larger than day? It only looks that way. If God is for you, no matter
how large the enemy, it cannot defeat you. (Romans 8:31) This story is much to long to go into in detail this morning but
you can read it in 2 Chronicles, Chapter 2. There's so much that we can learn from this particular incident
in Jehoshaphat's life. In essence, Jehoshaphat kept his eyes on God and not on his enemy. 2 Chronicles 20:12 (MSG) 12 O dear God, won't
you take care of them? We're helpless before this vandal horde ready to attack us. We don't know what to do; we're
looking to you." While it's true that we are helpless against our enemy all by ourselves,
we are more than able to overcome any enemy when we keep our eyes on God. The first thing we need to do is look to God just
as Jehoshaphat did. This story has a great ending and our story will have the same kind of ending too if we will keep
our eyes on the Lord and not on ourselves or on our enemy. We will overcome. (Revelation 12:11) Though there is so much more to this story, the bottom line is this. Jehoshaphat appointed a
choir to go out before the army and this is what they did. 2 Chronicles 20:21 (MSG) 21 After talking it over
with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed a choir for God; dressed in holy robes, they were to march ahead of the troops, singing,
Give thanks to God, His love never quits. Is there something threatening you this morning?
Will you put the thought of it aside and give thanks to God? Will you purposefully and thankfully remember
that His love never quits? Because of that we don't need to think about quitting. Back to Jehoshaphat's
choir marching out there in front of the army to battle. They began to praise God. Will you begin to praise God
this morning even if you're up against an enemy? Here's what happened in Jehoshaphat's story. 2 Chronicles 20:22 (MSG) 22 As soon as they started
shouting and praising, God set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir as they were attacking Judah, and they
all ended up dead. Praise prompted God to act! God set ambushes against
the attacking enemy and they all ended up dead! God sent confusion among the enemy and they destroyed themselves.
Judah didn't have to lift a hand to fight. 2 Chronicles 20:23 (MSG) 23 The Ammonites and Moabites mistakenly attacked
those from Mount Seir and massacred them. Then, further confused, they went at each other, and all ended up killed. The
people of Judah just had to praise. Because of their praise, this is what God let them find when they looked for
their enemy. 2 Chronicles 20:24 (MSG) 24 As Judah came up over
the rise, looking into the wilderness for the horde of barbarians, they looked on a killing field of dead bodies—not
a living soul among them. The praise coming from those of Judah had prompted God to move His hand mightily and
destroy their enemies. Wouldn't you like to look for your enemy and find that enemy dead? Not only that, Judah
walked into the enemy's camp and took some plunder. So much plunder that it took them three days to carry it all
away! 2 Chronicles 20:25 (MSG) 25 When Jehoshaphat and
his people came to carry off the plunder they found more loot than they could carry off—equipment, clothing, valuables.
It took three days to cart it away! Do you need relief from an enemy or two today? (Let's not forget
that our enemies are not people but principalities and powers in high places - Ephesians 6:12). Your praise and my praise will prompt God to move in our lives. He will give us relief from
our enemies. He did it for Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah and He'll do it for you and me too.
2 Chronicles 20:27 (MSG) 27 Jehoshaphat
then led all the men of Judah and Jerusalem back to Jerusalem—an exuberant parade. God had given them joyful relief
from their enemies! God gave Judah joyful relief. It's true, as the choir of Judah sang, "His
love never quits." Let God's love prompt you to praise. Your praise will prompt God to move in your life. MORNING MANNA - MARCH 8, 2008 - ANNA'S ANTHEM OF PRAISE Luke 2:38 (MSG) How do you think you'll feel if God let's you live to be, say, one hundred and three years old? Will
you still be breaking forth with anthems of praise and telling people about Jesus? Anna was that kind of woman.
She had been married once for seven years. Then she became a widow. After that she served in the temple in Jerusalem.
So, if she got married when she was twelve years old (girls were married at young ages in those days), that would make her
a minimum of one hundred and three years old when she saw Jesus for the first time. While it is a known statistic
that most people who receive Jesus these days are much younger than one hundred and three, it is never too late.
With God, all things are possible. (Mark 10:27) God doesn't want anyone to die in their sins. (2 Peter 3:9) He wants everybody to see Jesus. First, by faith. Then, when either Jesus returns to earth or
when He calls us as an individual to go Home. Do you think, if you are older, that you're just relegated to the
easy chair? Do you think that you have to become weak in mind or body? (2 Timothy, 1:7, Psalm 92:14) Do you think that singing songs of praise is just for the younger generation? I don't. I see
men like Caleb, strong and of sound mind in his old age. (Joshua 14:11) I see Moses too. He died at one hundred and twenty years old, as strong as ever. (Deuteronomy 34:7) Yesterday we looked at Simeon. He was a very old man too but God had kept his mind sound and he was still praising and
prophesying. He was not grouchy and cynical, but content and full of praise. Today, we see Anna, over
one hundred years old, breaking forth in an anthem of praise! Anna's
life gives us a clue as to why she was able to be filled with praise. She had spent most of her life in the temple.
Luke 2:37 (AMP) 37 And as a widow even
for eighty-four years. She did not go out from the temple enclosure, but was worshiping night and day with fasting and prayer.
Her life was a life of worship, fasting, and prayer. Whether we are married or not, we can be like Anna.
If you are single and wanting to be married, ask God for a mate that will join you in a life of worship. There can be
nothing more intimate than that. Anna worshiped, prayed, and fasted from the time she was young. If you are
a young person, know that true praise will come from your heart and mouth only if you have spent time with the Lord.
No, you don't have to go to a church and sit in a pew for hours or kneel at the alter all night. You don't have
to do anything. But, you do have to realize who you are and be know that you are abundantly blessed
and favored. If you have received Jesus, you are the church. God doesn't live in houses made with human
hands any more. (Acts 7:48) Really, He never did want to. His plan was and still is to live in us. We
are His temple if we have allowed Him to come in and take His place as our High Priest. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (AMP) 19 Do you not know that your body
is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You
are not your own, 20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and
paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. And, Hebrews 3:1 (AMP) 1 SO
THEN, brethren, consecrated and set apart for God, who share in the heavenly calling, [thoughtfully and attentively] consider
Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest Whom we confessed [as ours when we embraced the Christian faith]. If
we have received Jesus, we are in the temple 24/7. Our bodies are His temple. I don't think
I've ever physically stepped out of my body. How about you? He is fitting each one of us little temples into
something grand and glorious. (1 Peter 2:5) What are we doing in His temple? Praying? Fasting? Worshiping? If so, we will always be ready
to break forth in an anthem of praise just like Anna! Anna was a
focused person from the time she was young. She was focused on the Lord. Because of that, He led her. At
just the time that Jesus was brought to the temple in obedience by Mary and Joseph, God led Anna to walk to the place where
they were. At just the time Simeon was praising and prophesying over Jesus, God led Anna to that exact spot. (Luke 2:38) Do you want to be where Jesus is? In the right place at the right time? Do
you want to be where others are getting revelation and speaking it? Do you want to be where praise abounds? With
all due respect, I'm not just talking about music here. I love music. It is a beautiful gift from God and
we can and should use it just like Anna did to allow our expression of praise to come forth. But, it's more
than music. Music, or our anthem of praise, comes from the heart of this temple we live in. Yes, sing a song of
praise today. Never stop singing songs of praise. (Psalm 89:1) Let's just make sure that those songs come from a heart like Anna's. (Psalm 86:2) A heart focused on Jesus. A heart of prayer, worship, and fasting. Hebrews 12:2-3 (MSG) 2 Keep
your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of
where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross,
shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. 3 When
you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed
through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Do you want to be like Anna, strong and full of praise,
even if you live to be one hundred and three? Then start right now! Keep your eyes on Jesus. Go over His-Story
time and again. As the Message puts it in Hebrews 12:3, that will shoot adrenaline into your soul! When the joy of the Lord becomes your soul-adrenaline, pure praise like
Anna's will pour out of your temple. People all around will hear it and be drawn to your Jesus. Anna may not
have seen her purpose all of those one hundred plus years. Yet, she lived a life of faith focused on Jesus. She
trusted Him. Then, probably near the end of her life on earth, suddenly it was her time! (Psalm 92:14) Down through the ages her anthem of praise has been read about and has given encouragement to the hearts
of many, pointing the way to Jesus. When our lives are through, will it be said of us that we went out with an anthem
of praise? No matter how young and old we are, let's start rehearsing now! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 7, 2008 - SIMEON'S SATISFIED PRAISE Luke 2:28 (NLT) Is there something you've dreamed about in life and you haven't seen it yet?
Maybe you have even prayed about it but, up to now, God hasn't let you see it. You're sure that God put that
vision in your spirit. But it's been a long time there. Young people, be encouraged to wait. Although
God performs many, "suddenly's" in His Word, He is not interested in microwaving visions. He wants to
give you the perfect and complete vision. That sometimes takes time. If you are elderly, you may think that you
didn't hear God. You may think that too much time has gone by and that the vision will never manifest. Young
people, middle-aged people, older people, don't give up! God's timing is much different than our timing.
Habakkuk 2:3 (MSG) 3 This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's
coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's
on its way. It will come right on time. He has an appointed time for the vision He has given you too.
God's ways are much higher. (Isaiah 55:9) His ways and His timing are always best. Simeon did not give up. He was obviously very old
because in his outburst of prophetic praise, when he saw Jesus, he declared that he was content to die. Luke 2:29 (TLB) 29 "Lord,"
he said, "now I can die content! For I have seen him as you promised me I would. I have seen the Savior you have given
to the world. In the Simeon's story, we see the faithful elderly generation in Simeon. (Luke 2:25) We see the obedient middle generation in Joseph and Mary. (Luke 2:22-24) We see a baby. This is not ordinary baby. This is Jesus. This is who Simeon was waiting to
see. God had told him he would see Him. I don't know how long Simeon waited to see Jesus but it must have
been a while. I don't know if Simeon grew tired or discouraged while he was waiting or not. But, he waited.
And his vision came just at the appointed time. This was Simeon's time to give highest praise to God. Yes,
he was very old, but he had not stopped growing in his faith with every day he waited there in the temple, waiting for the
vision God had given him to appear. God blessed Simeon. The thing that stood out in his life were his latter days. They must
have been better than the former days because God chose to put this story in His Word which would reach the world. He
was privileged to see and hold Jesus. Luke 2:28 (TLB) 28 Simeon was there and
took the child in his arms, praising God. At that instant, there was nothing Simeon could do but praise
God! I don't think Simeon praised God only for the reason that his vision was complete. I think
Simeon praised God because, once you see and hold Jesus, you have to praise God! Jesus later said
this to Phillip at Phillip's request to see the Father: John 14:8-9 (AMP) 8 Philip
said to Him, Lord, show us the Father [cause us to see the Father—that is all we ask]; then we shall be satisfied. 9 Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and
know Me yet, Philip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, Show us the Father? No
wonder Simeon had to praise God. He was seeing the Father. He was holding the Father, in the form of the Son!
Can it be that Simeon could be in the closest earthly presence possible with the Father and not praise Him? No, it could
not be. It cannot be that way with us either. When you see and hold Jesus, even by faith, you have to
praise God! Today, we cannot physically hold Jesus like Simeon did. We
cannot see Him with our physical eyes either. But, we can see Him by faith. Like Simeon, Thomas was able to
have his doubts quelled by being able to physically touch Jesus. That's okay and good but here's something
even better. John 20:29 (MSG) 29 Jesus
said, "So, you believe because you've seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe
without seeing." If you're a believer this morning, you can expect even better blessings than
Simeon and Thomas received. Jesus said it and we can believe it. Are you beginning to praise God at this moment?
I am. We can't hold Jesus in our arms like Simeon did. We can't put our fingers in His wounds like Thomas
did. We can do something better. We can hold Jesus in our hearts! (Revelation 3:20) That, though it is done by faith, is even closer than physically seeing and holding Him! Now, whether you are
in your early days in life or in the autumn or winter season of your life, this morning one of those blessings that Jesus
talked about is contentment. Oh glory, we can be content. We can have peace. Simeon could die contented
because he had seen Jesus. If, by faith, you have seen Jesus, your life will never be the same again! If you have
received Him into your heart and given the King of Kings full reign there, you'll be able to live the rest of your life
with His peace and you'll be contented like Simeon when it's time to go to Heaven. Like Simeon, will we realize
today that we have seen Jesus and that we hold Him inside of ourselves? If so, there's nothing to do but praise
God! Satisfied praise like Simeon's should flow from us today. So, is it? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 6, 2008 - PRAISE PROMOTES PRAISE Luke 2:13 (NLT) In Luke 2:13, we see a burst of praise from a vast host of angels. This has praise is in response to the message
of the angel of the Lord's message to some shepherd's. The angel of the Lord actually appeared to shepherds
to announce the most important event in human history. (Luke 2:9) That may seem incidental to us but it is actually very significant and the thought of it may just make
your day. Shepherds in that day were considered of little significance in the class structure. They were not regarded
as people of position. No titles. One commentary notes that the only people regarded as lower than shepherds
in that day were lepers. That's pretty low on the social and economical totem poll! It is also recorded
that shepherds were thieves. It might be that the only reason they were on the hills so close to Bethlehem is that
they were keeping sacrificial animals for the temple. In any case, they were out in the fields in the middle of the
night doing what they were called to do - watching the sheep to keep them safe. Not too much going on out there.
Maybe they were a little bit bored. Is it a night season in your life? Is it dark in your corner of the world
today? Are you, perhaps, having some struggles regarding your position and purpose in life? Be strengthened
and encouraged by the fact that the angel of the Lord could have gone to anyone in the world to announce the birth of the
Savior. He could have gone to the people of position in politics and the religious system. He could have
gone to the richest and most influential businessmen and women. Why did he choose to go to a field in the darkness
of night to people who were considered low class and even thieves? We
can be sure that, as unappreciated as it was to the rest of the world of that day, the shepherds were doing what they
were called to do at the moment. Watching the sheep in the quiet dark of the night. Like Zechariah, and like
Mary, they were doing what they were called to do when they were visited by an angel. God comes to us right
where we are. If we're not trying to be someplace we don't belong, we will see Him. Many times it is in
the quiet, dark moments of our lives that God gives us the greatest revelations. It is when we are
simply doing the last thing we heard Him tell us to do. It is being content to be in the place where we are at
the moment, just doing what we know to do even though we know that God has plans for us to grow and move ahead. Philippians 4:11 (AMP) 11 Not that I am implying
that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or
disquieted) in whatever state I am. God did not go to political strategists to announce the birth
of His Son. He did not go to the high priests. He did not go to those people who were spending their money,
time and energy trying to be "number one." He went to a most unlikely place to the most unlikely
people. The King of Kings stooped to give His revelation to the lowest of low. The message that would spark praise throughout
the whole world for eternity was given to low-class, poor, undone people. People discarded and despised by the world
of their day. If you're struggling today and feel lonely and undone, that's not a bad place to be.
You see, you are a prime candidate for a great, fresh revelation from the Lord. This Jesus, whose birth was
announced to the lowly shepherds, has come to reveal Himself. He will not go to those who think that their wealth,
position, fame, or intelligence are sufficient. They are certainly sick but they don't know it. He has
come to reveal Himself to those who know they are sick, who know they are undone and inadequate, yet continue to walk
in the revelation they have trusting and believing what they hear from God. (Luke 5:31) He reveals Himself to those who know who they are. To sinners in need of a Savior.
(Luke 5:30) To saints in need of strength. (Philippians 4:13) To people like simple shepherds. The
shepherds heard the angels praising God. They got excited about the message and were infected with praise themselves. Yes,
they were able to see and hear the message of salvation because they were right where they were supposed to be. It may
have been cold and uncomfortable that night and it was certainly dark. Can you just imagine how those angels looked
in the dark of night? What a contrast! Light and joy in the midst of the blackest night. Can you imagine
the beautiful sound of the angel's voices as the praised God in the quiet of the night? That's what happens
when we get a revelation from the Lord. Darkness turns to light and beautiful praise comes forth. The shepherds
saw and heard all of this. Those entangled in the world, even the religious world, were not given this great revelation.
Does that thrill your heart this morning? Does it make you want to look up to Heaven and praise God? It should.
You and I are blessed of God. Right now, we are sitting here reading His Word, meditating on it and waiting for
Him to reveal Himself through it. We may have no significant position in the world and no title. The world, and even
perhaps the religious world, may have classified us as worthless, as they did the shepherds. So what? We have
Jesus. We have His Spirit. We have a purpose in His Kingdom which He planned even before we were born. (Ephesians 2:10) We have the promise of revelation. (John 16:13-15, Ephesians 3:5) Look how praise promoted praise at the birth of Jesus. Luke 2:15-20 (MSG) 15 As
the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we
can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." 16 They left, running,
and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 Seeing was believing.
They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. 18 All who
heard the sheepherders were impressed. 19 Mary kept all these things to herself,
holding them dear, deep within herself. 20 The sheepherders returned and let
loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!
Are you in a place of no worldly position this morning? Then you're in the perfect position to hear from God, have
His Word confirmed, and praise God for everything you have seen and heard. You, too, will run like the shepherds
did praising the God who has given you revelation and confirmed that revelation. You will be contagious with healing
praise, no longer sick with sin, but made whole by the Savior and filled by His Spirit with revelation. Others
will see and hear you and will be infected with praise because of what God has revealed to you. Even in all of
this, you may or may not obtain position or title in the sight of man but you will hear, "Well done, good and faithful
servant." from God. And praise will go on promoting more praise, pointing to Jesus - through all eternity! Revelation 19:5 (MSG) 5 From
the Throne came a shout, a command: Praise our God, all you his servants, All you who fear him, small and great! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 5, 2008 - MARY'S MAGNIFICENT PRAISE Luke 1:46(NLT) Two words catch my eye in the New Living Translation
of Luke 1:46. Those words are, "responded," and "praise." Mary had just been visited by the angel, Gabriel.
This was the same angel that had appeared to Zechariah. Mary, like Zechariah, was troubled by the visit from Gabriel.
No wonder. How would you feel if you were suddenly in the presence of one of the most powerful angels of Heaven?
We know the angels are there, but to see them is another story. To hear them speak to you personally can be confusing.
Even disturbing. (Luke 1:29) Gabriel reassured Mary, just as he had done with Zechariah. The familiar words we hear from the Lord were
given to Mary too. "Don't be frightened." We may not see angels all the time today but God does
speak to us and reveal His plans for us. Those plans can appear to be much greater than we can imagine. Sure
they are! They are God's larger than life plans and He is able to fulfill them in His willing children. They
are big plans and they are good plans. (Jeremiah 29:11) We can do nothing without Jesus but we can do all things through Him. (John 15:5, Philippians 4:13) What has God called you to do? What do you think about what He has called you to do? Do you
believe it or not? Zechariah and Mary both asked questions of Gabriel.
Zechariah asked how he and Elizabeth could have a son because they were so old. Mary asked how she could have a
baby, since she was a virgin. Zechariah was walking in his calling, faithfully married to Elizabeth despite the fact
that she was barren and performing his priestly duties. So far, in her young life, Mary was walking in her calling
too. She was a righteous young woman and had remained a virgin. (Luke 1:26) One element of difference here was that the Bible alludes to the fact that Zechariah had prayed for a son.
(Luke 1:13) Gabriel had come announcing, with great joy to Zechariah, that God had heard his prayer and that He was going
to answer it. Why wouldn't Zechariah believe that? When we pray, do we really believe that God is going to
answer our prayer? Evidently Zechariah had some trouble believing here. We can't be too hard on Zechariah
though, because many of us are the same way. I once even heard a pastor say that, in his visits to the sick in
the hospitals, he prayed for the patients to be healed. Right on the heels of that conversation, he said he would be
totally shocked if one instantly got up out of the bed and walked out healed! On the other hand, I know a story of another
pastor who believed beyond all belief that his daughter would be healed if he kept praying in spite of the medical
community's determination that there was no way that she could live. You know what? She lived and has a
productive live today. Which pastor would you think is more joyful in praise? Faith will elicit great
praise. Do you have faith this morning that God is answering your prayers? Do you believe that He says what He
means and does what He says He will do? (John 14:14) Though each of them asked a question, the condition of Zechariah and Mary's heart must have been
quite different. Mary had probably not prayed to
be the mother of the Messiah, although we don't know Mary's heart. She was visited by Gabriel with news that
probably astounded her more than Zechariah's news should have astounded him. Mary's news was probably,
as we sometimes say, "out of the blue." (Luke 1:26-28) It may not have been an answer to a specific prayer at all but just a sudden revelation. Her question may
have been more warranted since she may have been shocked by the suddenness of the revelation. Judging
from Mary's response, after her initial question, we know that she was a willing servant. (Luke 1:38) Are we willing servants of the Lord today? Even if He gives us a sudden revelation that seems absurd, will we respond in
the way Mary did? "I accept whatever You want, Lord. Let everything you say about me come true." Mary
was able to say this because she truly believed that all things are possible with God. (Luke 1:37) Then she took a little trip to see her cousin Elizabeth and found that what the angel said was true. Elizabeth
was, indeed, pregnant. God will allow people into our lives today that will help confirm the Word He has given us.
God will encourage us along the way as we follow His calling. Yes, the calling may be almost unbelievable. Yet,
like Mary, we must believe and let our belief guide the way we respond. Both Elizabeth and Mary received confirmation
from God when they met. Each confirmed His Word in the other. Elizabeth gives us a clue as to why God's
response to Zechariah's and Mary's questions was different. Mary totally believed that the Lord would do
what He said He would do. (Luke 1:45) Do we totally believe that God will do what He says He will do? Through us? As Elizabeth confirmed
that Mary was right to believe God would perform what He had declared, Mary responded. Her response was one of
praise. You can read the whole outburst of her praise in Luke 1:46-55. Yes, she sang a song of praise. It wasn't the common ordinary "praise and worship," song of
the day. It was a new song. (Psalm 40:3) A song straight from Mary's own heart. She responded
in a song of praise to God. Maybe it didn't make the charts in the music world of her day. But, it did
reach the ear and the heart of God and it was recorded for eternity! What has God called you to do? If you don't
yet hear Him right now, are you willing to quietly go about doing whatever you know is right so far?
Mary was. If so, and if you believe that all things are possible with God, be ready for Him to work in your life as
He did in Mary's life. Then, like Mary, you will respond first with a faithful, willing heart and then
with a new song of praise from your heart. If today finds you wondering about what God is doing, stop wondering.
He's working out His plans in your life if you're doing what you know you're supposed to be doing today.
(Jeremiah 29:11) Won't you respond today to that knowledge by lifting your most magnificent praise to Him? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 4, 2008 - ZECHARIAH'S PRAISE Luke 1:64 (NLT) Poor
Zechariah! He had been through some things in his lifetime but, most probably, the greatest thing he had ever experienced
did not come until he was very old. He was an Israelite priest. (Luke 1:5) He and his wife, Elizabeth were righteous people. (Luke 1:6) Poor Elizabeth. She was barren. (Luke 1:7) She, too, was very old. Most likely they had prayed for a child. (Luke 1:13) But, at their age, it was a pretty sure thing that they would not have any children - ever. Nevertheless, Zechariah
remained faithful to God and to his priestly duties. (Luke 1:8-11) As we recount the story of Zechariah, we note that he and his wife are righteous. Also that Zechariah is faithful
to his calling. They could have turned the away from God. It was now, in human terms, impossible for them
to see their prayer for a child answered in the affirmative. We don't see them turning from God though.
We see them staying close to God, living in a way that would please Him. Is that what we do when our prayers
don't seem to be answered? As Zechariah
was serving in the temple, the angel of the Lord appeared to him. (Zechariah 1:11) Another interesting thing to note about the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is that the angel of the Lord appeared
to Zechariah while he was doing what he was called to do. In our desire to have a revelation
from the Lord, do we realize that the closest we will be to receiving that revelation is when we're doing what
He called us to do? Not what we decide to do, but what He called us to do. As
Zechariah was obedient to God, God met him in that place. It must have been a fearful thing for Zechariah. He
was in temple all alone just the way he was supposed to be and, all of a sudden, he was not alone. (Luke 1:10) Although, it was known that the Lord's presence was there, it was probably most unusual that He would send an
angel in visible form . (Luke 1:9) Zechariah reacted in fear when the angel appeared to him. (Luke 1:12) In fact the New Living Translation says he was overwhelmed with fear. I guess so! As is usual
when the Lord speaks to us, the angel told Zechariah not to be afraid. (Luke 1:13) That's not the only message Zechariah got! He was told that he and Elizabeth would have a child. God
was going to answer their prayer! He was even given the name of the child. It was John. Then even more
details about John. (Luke 1:14-17) What a visitation! Then Zechariah reacted as perhaps some
of us would. He doubted because he couldn't figure out how all this could happen. Everything in the
natural pointed to the impossibility of such a thing. (Luke 1:18) Why do we sometimes think something can't happen just because we can't figure out how it can happen? What
would we do if an angel appeared to us letting us know that something virtually impossible was about to happen in our lives?
Would we praise God upon receiving the news, forgetting the impossibility of the situation? Would we remember that,
with God, all things are possible? Or would we be logical and demand to know how God was going
to accomplish the thing? Because Zechariah doubted, he was stricken speechless until the time of the baby's birth.
(Luke 1:20) All of the events happened, just as the angel had promised Zechariah.
You can read the whole story in Luke, Chapters 1 and 2. Zechariah remained speechless during the whole time of Elizabeth's
pregnancy. Do you wonder if doubt will inhibit our praise? I'm sure it will. Partly because I have
experienced it. I have a very hard time opening my mouth in praise if I doubt God. Every day, I remind myself
(and others) that all things are possible with God. I do this because I forget sometimes. The circumstances
and situations in my life sometimes cloud my vision unless I keep reminding myself that praise is always in order. On
the eighth day after the birth of John, as they were performing the circumcision ceremony, suddenly Zechariah was able to
speak again. I can't prove what he said first but Luke 1:64 says this: (MSG) 64 Surprise followed surprise—Zachariah's mouth was now open, his tongue loose, and
he was talking, praising God! Zechariah wasn't just talking now. He was praising
God. And for good reason. God had answered his prayer. God had performed a miracle in his
life, giving him a baby son in his old age. And, God had loosed his tongue. Now Zechariah was using his tongue
for the right purpose. He was praising God. He could have done that upon first hearing God's word to Him regarding
what God was about to do in his life. Perhaps if he had done that, he would not have had to spend all those months unable
to talk at all. What can we learn from this? I realize that I should use my tongue more for praise than any
other kind of talk. Praise. Praise. Praise. Before anything happens. After things happen. Even
if nothing seems to be happening. Exalting God is always right. He is worthy. He is able to do the impossible
for us. He is just loving enough to do it too. No matter what is going on in your life right now, will you
choose to praise Him? MORNING MANNA - MARCH 3, 2008 - PERFECTED PRAISE Matthew 21:16 (AMP) In my search in the New Testament for the first time the word, "praise" was used, I found that it was used
by Jesus in Matthew 21:16. The record of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and being lauded as King has just unfolded. John 12:12-13 (KJV) 12 On
the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13
Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that
cometh in the name of the Lord. Jesus is seen in much of His glory in this account. He
is humble. Riding on a donkey's colt. (John 12:14) He is fulfilling the scriptures. (John 12:15) He is showing His authority and power by cleaning out the temple of those who would detract from
it's purpose of being a house of prayer. (Matthew 21:12-13) He shows Himself as the Healer. (Matthew 21:14) It's been quite an exciting and day in the life of Jesus and in the lives of those who watched these events
unfold. Just one of the things mentioned above that Jesus did would have been enough to elicit praise from
the crowd that day. But, just look at this display of Jesus giving everyone just a glimpse of Who He is!
It was so plain as to Who He was that even the children could see it. That's the way Jesus is. He wants
everyone to see Who He is. He came to save the world. (John 3:16) From the youngest to the oldest. From the intellectually challenged to the brightest.
From the baby Christian to the most mature Christian. He makes it easy for us to praise Him, if we will. The only ones who refused to see Who He was were the chief priests and the scribes.
(Matthew 21:15-16) These men obviously saw Him but were not willing to acknowledge Him and certainly not to praise Him!
In fact they were sore displeased! Greatly indignant. I think they were mad! They were too entrenched in their man-made
traditions to see the very Son of God standing before them. They were too interested in maintaining their control that
they were unaware of the fact that they were standing in the presence of the One who controls everything! They
were so interested in trying to be, "number one," that they were unwilling to recognize and acknowledge Who Number
One is! Does this remind you of another time in scripture where we see that the number one angel in Heaven wasn't
satisfied to remain the number one angel? He wanted to be like God. He wanted the control. He wanted to
make Himself Number One. (Isaiah 14:12-15) At that time, God assured Lucifer that, instead of being in control, instead of being number one, he would
be sent straight to Hell! Satan had been the "worship leader," of Heaven. His job was
to bring praise and glory to God. I have heard it said by some Bible teachers that he was capable of playing every instrument
and singing every part just from his being, and all in perfect harmony. How awesome is that? Yet, He was
not satisfied. He wanted to be God instead. Instead of praising, his pride drove him to try to take what
was not his. Why do you think that the children were able to praise Jesus on that very first, "Palm Sunday?" I think it's because they were not proud and entrenched in a lot of man-made
religion. Pride prohibits praise. They didn't know they weren't supposed to shout and be excited
when they saw something that was exciting. Their eyes weren't clouded over yet by the thoughts of ambition and control.
They saw a Man who could heal the sick, be a super-hero in the temple, be humble enough to ride on
a colt without claiming His right as King of Kings. Yes, a man who was willing to let people see, if they
would, His willingness to be one of them, someone who was not "untouchable." Perhaps the children did
not yet know that He was fulfilling the scriptures. However, those scribes and chief priests should have known!
Whether or not you are young or old. Whether or not you know every scripture or not, when you see Jesus, you just
have to praise. Just like those children that were so irritating to the religious leaders of the day.
Oh sure, you may find that you irritate a few religious leaders, even today. They want you to settle
down and be quiet. There is a place for quietness in worship at Jesus feet. Sometimes I find that place
after I have been so excited that I just have to express my praise. Then, I become so overwhelmed by what He has just
done that I can do nothing but fall, speechless, at His feet and worship. Jesus surprises us and defies our ability
to comprehend His greatness all the time. There are those moments that you just have to shout or laugh
for joy. That's what the children were doing on that first Palm Sunday. Jesus commended them and affirmed
them when He reminded the chief priests and scribes that these children were fulfilling scripture. Jesus said
that praise is perfected in children. (Matthew 21:16) In everyday words, I think of it something like this: Stories exalting God are restored, made perfect,
repaired, restored, framed and made thoroughly complete from the mouths of those that are infants, simple-minded, and perhaps
immature. Praise is perfected in those of us who see Jesus for Who He is and see themselves as children of the
God who is worthy of all praise. Today, will we put aside
everything we know and are in the flesh and, as a child, take a look at Jesus? If so, we will realize that we can
do nothing but praise Him! MORNING MANNA - MARCH 2, 2008 - PREPARED TO PRAISE MORNING MANNA - MARCH 1, 2008 - ENCOURAGED TO PRAISE Ezra 7:27-28 (New Living Translation) Yesterday, we left off looking
at some of Matthew, Chapter Nine. We were looking at the story surrounding the woman who was not only healed, but encouraged
by Jesus. I'm so thrilled by the fact that we can still find encouragement in Jesus today. Every
day thereafter too. He is my source of encouragement. God loved you and me so much that He chose to dwell with
us in the flesh bringing us the encouragement that we can make it in this world. His very Word, dwelled among men in
bodily form. Take a look at this passage from the Living Bible. Hebrews 2:14-15 (The Living Bible) 14
(TLB) Since we, God's children, are human beings--made of flesh and blood--he became flesh and blood too
by being born in human form; for only as a human being could he die and in dying break the power of the devil who had the
power of death. 15 Only in that way could he deliver those who through fear of
death have been living all their lives as slaves to constant dread. Is
that not one of the most encouraging passages you have ever read? What is it like to be discouraged? It's
to lose all your courage. It's to be in a place where you are tempted to quit. Even quit life itself. But,
God made provision for us so we don't have to live a life of discouragement and "constant dread."
He became like us and lived among us to encourage us. To deposit His courage into us. (Hebrews 4:15) To overcome for us and to help us be overcomers like He is. Just trying to take in the depths of these thoughts
God has toward you and me is so encouraging that it starts the praise flowing! I trust that it does in you too.
As Ezra did in Ezra 7:28, noted above, we can feel encouraged because the hand of the Lord is upon us! Getting back
to concluding thoughts from yesterdays Morning Manna, we remember the woman who took a risk to go where society
and religion told her she should not be. She pressed through a crowd that was too powerful for her and could have trampled
her because she was so weak from illness. She took the risk of being identified and punished. She interrupted, the
Master, though perhaps unintentionally, when He was already on another mission. She did a lot of unconventional
things because she was discouraged and desperate. Yet she was encouraged because she had heard about Jesus!No one
had been able to help her, and in trying to get help, she had lost most everything. Mark
5:25-27 (The Message) 25 (MSG) A woman who
had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years— 26 a long succession
of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before— 27 had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. When
discouragement and dead end roads seem to be the only roads we can see in life, there's nothing like hearing about Jesus!
It will give you the encouragement to take risks, even the risk of breaking the religious traditions imposed by well-meaning
but sincerely wrong religious leaders. It will give us the courage to press in to touch Jesus. In doing so,
we will find ourselves healed of everything that is trying to destroy us. We will find encouragement coming from
the very being and voice of Jesus. He did it for this woman and He'll do it for you and for me.
(Acts 10:34, Hebrews 13:8) So, what has happened while this woman was being healed? Where
is that loving and faithful dad? The one with the dead little girl? Didn't Jesus promise to go to His
house? Wasn't he a leader of the synagogue? Shouldn't he be given preference over some unclean woman with
no right to be in the crowd anyway? Obviously, this man was not making a fuss about all those things. We
don't read that in scripture at all. Obviously, Jesus was not overwhelmed by all the cries, demands and expectations
of the crowds around Him. I don't read that He was rude. I don't read that He was in a hurry.
I just see Him as steadfast and focused on His purpose and plan for the moment. He stopped to single out this woman
who had pressed in to touch Him. He could have just gone on and let her receive her healing. She knew
she was healed. Mark
5:29 (The Message) 29 (MSG) The moment she
did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with. But,
no, Jesus had another purpose. He stopped to confirm her healing and to encourage her. He stopped to
let her know who she was. A woman of faith. (Matthew 9:22) Meanwhile, the synagogue leader, the dad of the dead girl, had to be wondering,
if only in his mind, why Jesus would stop like this when He was already on His way to the urgent task of raising
this little girl from the dead. Nevertheless, neither Jesus nor the dad seemed to be impatient or distracted.
Even in the midst of this demanding, pressing, noisy crowd, there appeared to be peace and encouragement for
both the woman and the man who had to "tarry," in faith waiting his turn for the life-giving touch of Jesus.
The synagogue leader, who appeared to be humble in waiting for Jesus to minister to the unclean woman got his miracle too.
His daughter was raised from the dead. The man who was willing to wait patiently in the presence of Jesus received the
greatest miracle. Are we in such a hurry to have Jesus do something great in our house that we forget to wait in His
presence? Do we trust that when He moves, everything will happen as it should? Do we realize that we can have
encouragement and peace in the midst of this noisy demanding world when we know that Jesus is in us and we are in Him?
That's encouragement. There are so many encouraging aspects to this story we could go on and on.
To conclude, for the moment, just look at how Jesus encouraged his disciples by answering their questions, interrupted his
preaching to take action by agreeing to proceed to the house of the synagogue leader and raise his dead daughter, and
stopped in the streets to touch and encourage an "untouchable." In all of these cases, he encouraged
those around Him, confirmed Who He was and affirmed who each of those people involved were. He did it, as
far as I can see from the scriptures, in the midst of overwhelming distraction and expectation from others but He never wavered
from His purpose and the explicit call for the moment that He had. He did it without being overwhelmed or
discouraged by all the requests around Him even though He obviously did not meet every request and demand from the crowd.
He knew and affirmed those who were faithfully believing in Him and trusting Him. Today, we may be faced with many
demands on our lives from many places. Some of those demands are for good things. In our efforts to please
everyone, we may forget to please the most important One. We each have a God-given plan and purpose for our lives just
like Jesus did. We can be encouraged by the fact that He doesn't want or expect us to measure up to the world's
demands or even sometimes the demands of the organized religious system. He wants us to be like Jesus.
Not pressed, not overwhelmed, not impatient. But, focused, steadfast and immovable in our calling. How can we
do that? Be encouraged. We can follow Jesus's example. He stayed in close communication with His Father.
(Mark 1:35) He stayed long enough to listen to everything His Father said even though maybe it kept
him from meeting the expectations of the public. John 5:19 (The Living Bible) 19
(TAB) Jesus replied, "The Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing, and
in the same way. Some of the greatest things will be accomplished in and
through us when we remain in the presence of Jesus. Like the waiting dad, we may have some times when we wonder why
we have not yet seen what we know Jesus will do. Yet, He will do what He said He would do. (Jeremiah 1:2, Isaiah 55:11) He will perform His Word and that Word will not come
back empty but will accomplish everything He said it would do. I hope you are encouraged this morning. I hope
you have had a glimpse of the Source of encouragement. Ezra had not seen Jesus but even he was able to say that
he was encouraged to praise the Lord because of His hand of favor. We will praise the Lord when we are
encouraged by Him. (Psalm 71:20-22) When we are discouraged, we must praise Him. Habakkuk 3:17-19 (The Message) 17 (MSG)
Though the cherry trees don't blossom and the strawberries don't ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten
and the wheat fields stunted, Though the sheep pens are sleepless and the cattle barns empty, 18
I'm singing joyful praise to God. I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. 19 Counting on God's Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like
I'm king of the mountain! (For congregational use, with a full orchestra.) Encouragement and praise flow one from another! Praising brings encouragement and encouragement brings praise! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 29, 2008 - ENCOURAGED BY JESUS Matthew 9:22 (New Living Translation) As we end
this month talking about the importance of being encouraged and being an encourager, I find myself looking to the Source of
encouragement. His Name is Jesus. As we discussed yesterday, He knew Who he was and He knew His calling and purpose.
While He could have traveled along His three year public ministry journey and done a myriad of things, He chose to only do
those things that flowed from Who He was and what His purpose was each moment. That is encouraging. What a
wonderful example for us! Look at the instance surrounding Matthew 9:22. Actually, the story begins with the disciples asking Jesus a question about fasting. (Matthew 9:14) He answers them and seems to be in the middle of answering their questions when the leader of the synagogue
interrupts Him with a seemingly impossible request. (Matthew 9:18) Jesus might have gone on speaking about fasting since He obviously "had the floor," at that point but
He took note of the great faith of this synagogue leader. The leader's daughter had died but this
loving dad was letting Jesus know that He knew Who Jesus was. Jesus is the Life. (John 14:6) This man took Jesus at His Word. Why not, Jesus is the Word. (John 1:14) Already, I find this story totally encouraging. I can already see more clearly just who Jesus really is.
I hope you can too. He cares about individuals enough to know when it's important enough to interrupt His preaching
to let His actions prove Who He is. Here is a man of faith that Jesus is going to encourage. He will give his daughter
new life but that will not be the only thing Jesus will give the man. This man is going be strengthened because
Jesus will show him who he is too. He's going to know, because He has connected Himself with Christ, that
he is a carrier of faith and a recipient of what comes by faith. Are you encouraged yet? But wait, can you imagine the feelings this dad is having? Jesus is on his way to the man's house.
If I were that parent, my heart would be going a mile a minute, not wanting another second to pass before Jesus could
get to my house and raise my daughter. They're on their way through the town and many people are following, just
as they always did when Jesus was around. No doubt that crowd was full of people with needs. Have you ever seen
a crowd in which there were not individual needs? Most that were following probably had a good idea of Who Jesus
was in some sense because many had seen Him do great miracles and had heard His teaching. Some may have been calling
out to Him. But, one very unlikely person took a risk. An unclean woman. When you are desperate, downcast, and
discouraged, you may consider taking a risk. Today, physicians may ask you to take a prescription medication for
some ailment you have and, many times, the package insert will say that you are taking this only because "the benefits
outweigh the risks." In some instances, this medication may cause you other problems, even including
death. That's the risk you take. The risk-taker in this story knew Who Jesus was. In this case,
because she knew Who Jesus was, she knew that the benefits of touching Him would definitely outweigh the risks
because Jesus was, among so many other things, her Healer. (Psalm 103:3) Do you suppose this woman knew Who Jesus
was because she recognized Him from the Word she knew from Malachi 4:2? Knowing Who Jesus is definitely depends on knowing the Word because He is the Word. This
definitely encourages me to stay in the Word, to continue to read the Bible over and over again, allowing the Word to bring
me deeper and more wonderful revelation. I have heard that the hems of garments in those days were actually called the
wings of the garment. When this woman saw Jesus, she knew Who He was and knew, by faith, that just touching
the wings (or hem) of His garment would make her whole. Because she was an unclean woman with a bleeding problem,
she was not supposed to be in that crowd. She took the risk of being identified and severely punished.
She took the risk of being trampled by the crowd because of her obviously weakened condition. She took the risk of being
an unclean woman and reaching out to touch a man. She even took the risk of interrupting Jesus when He was already on
another mission! Yet, she knew Who Jesus was and that the benefit of touching even the hem of His garment
would be worth the risk. She also knew who she would be if she received all of Who He was.
So she did it. (Matthew 9:22) What happened? She was healed and given a Word of encouragement by Jesus, Himself! I would say that the
benefits were definitely worth the risk? Wouldn't you? Not only was she more settled than ever in
Who Jesus was, He encouraged her by letting her know who she was. He pronounced and confirmed that she
was a woman of faith! This Savior of ours is so full of encouragement
in every way that, we have run out of time this morning to go on with this story. There is definitely more which we
will talk about tomorrow morning. So, as they say, "to be continued." This next month, we will be talking
about praise. At the start of the year, we looked at the word, "prepare," and then expanded it a bit like
this: P - Pray R - Read God's Word E - Encourage Yourself and Others P - Praise A - Arm Yourself R - Run the Race E - Engage in the Eternal These are some of the ways the Lord has encouraged me to have a wonderful year this year of new beginnings.
(You can read more about that in the January 2, 2008 Morning Manna.) I hope you have been encouraged this month and,
as we flow into discussing praise, we may just find that praise and encouragement are closely linked. I think they
are so closely connected that they cannot be separated! We will finish looking at this story in Matthew, Chapter
9 in tomorrow's Morning Manna unless, of course, Jesus would like to interrupt us. If that's
the case, we'll let Him! If we didn't allow Him to interrupt us, the risks would definitely outweigh any
benefits of going our own way. I know. I've done it. I don't recommend it. It's discouraging! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 28, 2008 - SHARING SOMETHING THAT ENCOURAGES ME Psalms 21:7 (King James Version) Does it seem to you sometimes that the world is moving a lot faster than
you are? Do you feel like you are juggling the activities in your life and that you might drop the ball? Maybe
you have dropped the ball a time or two and been embarrassed because others can perhaps juggle more than you do and
they seem to keep all the balls going without any trouble. What you see is not always the way it is.
Do you tend to say, "yes" to many opportunities of service with all good intentions and then find yourself in a
bind because there just are not enough hours in a day and you don't have what it takes to give it all your all?
Maybe you're not like that but I'll bet you that, if you're not like that, you know someone like that. Always
in a hurry. Always distracted. Sometimes viably discouraged. Clearly, always on a mission of some sort.
So much so that, if you really needed a mentor or someone to help you with a problem, they would definitely not be
the one you felt comfortable in calling on? If you are like that
or you have dealings with a lot of people like that, you may tend to become discouraged. You may find yourself owning
guilt feelings because you are not like some others you know who seem to have it all together and run around making a big
splash everywhere they go. Just an aside. A big splash may make an impression for a moment. But, a ripple
will continue to grow and spread for a very long time. In reading the Bible through each year,
for several years now, I am totally and completely impressed by Jesus. Who wouldn't be impressed by Jesus?
Even people that say they're not impressed by Him use His name, if only in vain. He must have impressed
them on some level! Jesus is an encouragement to me. As Psalm 21:7 indicates, the Lord was an encouragement to David too. Although David grew from shepherd boy to King, He
knew that His only hope of stability was through the mercy of God. In a complex world, there is only One that
is totally immovable and solid. Only one Rock on which we can firmly stand. Psalms 61:2 (King James Version)2 (KJV) From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart
is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (King James Version)2 (KJV) From
the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Though
we live in a world tainted by sin, we are made in God's image. (Genesis 1:26) In all that we go through here, He is making us more like His Son. (Romans 8:28-29) Jesus is like His Father so we are also becoming more like our Father if we are in Jesus. (John 14:9-11) If this passage from the message does not encourage you, just read it again. It will! Romans 8:29-30 (The Message) Now to the point of one of the many ways I am encouraged by watching Jesus. He trusted in His Father.
Though He was part of His Father, He never made a fast move or became overwhelmed or distracted, that I can see.
He never misused or wasted the Father's power that was within Him, even to do good things. Even in
His most difficult moment, He waited on His Father. (Matthew 26:36) He expressed His honest feelings regarding His suffering to His Father. (Matthew 26:39-43) He did this three times. Yet, He submitted completely to His Father's will.
Had He thought more about Who He was and the power that was at His disposal, He could have succumbed to the distractions
of the world. He could have even received all the accolades as people declared Him King on when He rode into Jerusalem
on what we call Palm Sunday. (Luke 19:38) After all, He had all the power of His Father. He could have wiped out all the Romans and set up
His Kingdom right then. He could have gotten the glory for Himself, right then. But, He
didn't. He had a clear and bigger purpose. He knew that keeping in line with that purpose was what would
bring Him more joy and glory in the end. (Hebrews 12:2) He knew that, though He could save a generation right then, His Father's plan was so
much bigger than that. God sent Him to save the world. God sent Him to bring together a Kingdom
that would never end. A Kingdom that would include you and me! Yes, Jesus was presented with many opportunities
and distractions that could have kept Him from His main purpose but, as we will look at in tomorrow's Morning
Manna, He chose the better way. He chose always to be, not just do. Everything He
did flowed from Who He was. He knew Who He was and that was His strength. He displayed the stability and steadfastness
of His Father. He remained steady in His Father's plan and, in the end, won the victory. Not just for
Himself, but for everyone from beginning to end. Did that include doing as many things as He perhaps could have in
while He walked in this world? From what I see, it did not. Will you come back tomorrow morning and to
hear more about why I'm so encouraged by Jesus? MORNING MANNA FEBRUARY 27, 2008 - WORTH SO MUCH! Proverbs 10:20 (King James Version) Where
do the words we speak come from? They originate in our hearts. Is it any wonder that the Psalmist says, "I've
hidden Your Word in my heart.."? (Psalm 119:11) Unfortunately, there is a ton of information in our day that we can choose to hide in our hearts. Most
of it will not keep us from sin. In fact, most of it will tempt us to sin and take up space in our hearts that could
otherwise be used for the storage of God's Word. What are you hiding in your heart this morning? Maybe
this is a good day to clean all those rooms in your heart. Actually, we're not capable of that chore.
We can only be willing to let Jesus come in and do it for us cleansing the whole place with His blood and the water of
His Word. (Ephesians 5:26, 1 Peter 1:2) Will we let Him do it? Jesus once told the Pharisee's that they would speak whatever was in their heart. (Matthew 12:34) We're not any different than they are. We will eventually speak the things that are in our hearts.
Will we let Jesus make them clean this morning so that we will be a vessel that is fit to speak wisdom, feeding and encouraging
those around us? How much is your tongue worth? Proverbs 10:20 says, in the King James Version, that the tongue of the just is like choice silver. Silver denotes
worth. It denotes value and is sometimes used as money. In Proverbs 10:20, "the tongue of the just," means the tongue of the righteous man. None of us start out being
righteous. But, at some point we receive, by faith, the righteousness of God as a free gift. None of us start
out being just. But, by faith, we are justified. This morning, if we have received Jesus and the gift of
His salvation, we are justified. It is just as if we had never sinned. Galatians 3:23-24 (King James Version) 23
(KJV) But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith. Today, by faith we are just because Jesus has made us that way. The tongue
of the just is as choice silver, as Proverbs 10:20 says. Is your tongue encouraging
and feeding those around you with words that are precious like choice silver? There are so many around us looking for
hope in our world. Hope, or encouragement, is the byword of the day. But true hope and encouragement come from
Godly wisdom. This Godly wisdom is not found in the heart of one who refuses to believe and live by God's Word.
Eventually a person like that will become totally wicked because we have no good thing in us, apart from God. Jeremiah 17:9 (The Living Bible) MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 26, 2008 - WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD WITH YOUR EARS? Psalms 44:1 (New International Version) It's great to have people in our lives who tell us about the miracles
that God has done in their lives. Especially people who are older than we are and who have had more experience in some
of the things we may go through at some time. We are encouraged by what we hear. (Romans 10:14) Even though we may not come from a family that has walked closely to the Lord, we can listen to older believers when
they testify as to the great power of God. We also have the scriptures to go to and read about God's power
throughout the Old Testament and all the miracles and wonders that Jesus performed in the New Testament. The greatest
wonder is that Jesus suffered, bled and died for our salvation. When we hear about these things, we are encouraged.
When we are encouraged our faith grows and we have hope. (Psalm 78:7) If you find yourself discouraged this morning, you are carrying a burden that you can and that you need to let
go of. Focusing on what God has done in the past will help you to remember what He is able to do today
and in the future in your life. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) What He has done for another, He will do for you also. (Acts 10:34) Sometimes when we begin to focus on a problem, we forget the greater vision of the Problem-Solver. Look at what the Psalmist said to show how we can receive encouragement in
our lives. How wonderful that the Israelites determined and declared that they would not keep the past deeds of
God from their children. Psalms 78:4 (New Living Translation) 4
(NLT) We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds
of the LORD. We will tell of his power and the mighty miracles he did. Those are the things we need to
hear about to bolster our faith and encourage us to believe that God will do in this generation and in the next and the next
the same wonderful things He has done in the past. Have you listened to someone from a previous generation lately?
Have you gleaned from their past experiences with the Lord? If not, find yourself someone like that. Someone of
faith who will be able to tell you how God has worked in their lives. Have you read the Old Testament lately and heard,
in that way, of all the glorious works of God? If you're discouraged today, read the stories of people such as Ruth,
to whom God gave her Boaz. Read of the woman that received her son back to life after he had died. Read of
the woman who was broker than broke even to the point of eating her last bit of bread but, by God's powerful
intervention, had more oil than she knew what do with. If you have children and grandchildren,
be sure to share with them what God has done in your life. Let them hear with their ears too. Little ears hear
and remember much. Whose little ears will you fill with your testimony of the many times and ways God has shown Himself
powerful in your life? Whose young life will you change because they heard with their ears the testimony that came from
your mouth? You may not have any children or grandchildren, but you can be an encouragement to those in
the younger generation that God's puts in your path. Look at Psalm 78:4 from The Message. We're not keeping this to ourselves, we're passing it along
to the next generation— God's fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done. This morning, be
encouraged by listening to those who have seen God's hand at work. Read of the stories in the Old Testament and
the resurrection power in the New Testament. Know that God is working in your life. (Jeremiah 29:11) If you know of someone who needs encouragement, especially if you are older and have a testimony that might be a pick-me-up
to them, don't keep quiet. Be an encourager. Help someone else along the way to know that what God has done
for you, He is willing and able to do for them. If you are a parent, don't forget to tell your children every day
something about God's power in your life and let them know He loves and cares for them too. We have a choice as
to what we will hear with our ears. God wants us to hear about Him and understand. (Matthew 13:9) Jesus encouraged us to do that several times. We also have a choice as to what we will speak with out mouths.
(Psalm 9:1) How many ears will you fill with the heart warming and life giving stories of the things God has done for you? If
any generation has needed to know about how God can work in their lives, it's this one. As you remember what you
have heard from those in an older generation and, as you begin to encourage yourself by remembering all that God
has done for you, just pass it on! You will be blessed and another generation will know the Lord! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 25, 2008 - HELPFUL WORDS Ephesians 4:29 (New Living Translation) Have you noticed
the increase of language today that is offensive and even abusive? It is evident in all of the media and even in our
everyday life. It has become so common that it has even crept into the lives of some believers. If you are a person
involved with e-mail, you find it there. Sometimes it is not blatant and the rest of the e-mail may seem funny or inspiring
but, many times, something will be in there that is totally contrary to the encouraging and helpful words we should be saying
and writing to one another. We certainly don't need to hear even one word that is not glorifying to God! Ephesians 4:29 is a reminder that we need to be careful about the words we use. Our words are rarely neutral. They are,
for the most part, either encouraging or discouraging. They either contain life or death. The first part of the
old saying, "Sticks and stones will break my bones," is entirely true. That will happen if we are
pelted with sticks and stones. But, the second part of the saying is not true at all. "But names will never
hurt me." Names and discouraging words create wounds that we can't see but they render the receiver just as
disabled as they would be with a bone broken by the blow of a stone or a gash produced by the poke of a stick. They
can even kill a spirit, leaving a dead person walking! Thank God, His Word has resurrection power in these cases! What happens when we place just one drop of deadly poison into a large body of
drinking water? We are all aware of this because of the recent terrorist threats. It will pollute the whole body
of water. People that drink that water will get sick and some will die. Words are like that too. Look at
Ephesians 4:29 in the King James Version. 29 (KJV) Let no corrupt
communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the
hearers. That word, "corrupt," that we see there can be taken even more seriously than,
"foul or abusive" language, although it certainly indicates those things. "Corrupt," comes
from a root word, meaning, "putrefy," and, in a figurative sense, "perish." "Corrupt,"
according to Strong's Greek and Hebrew Dictionary, means, "worthless" and literally and morally bad and corrupt.
We're all appalled at the corruption in big business and politics that we hear about. And rightly so. But,
how concerned are we about the corrupt words that fly around us every day and sometimes come out of our own mouths?
Ephesians 4:29 encourages us to be an encouragement by letting our words be good and helpful. Every word will find a
target. Someone will receive it. What will they receive? How does it make you feel when foul words
come into earshot? If you have experienced abusive words, you know how they tend to stick and cause you pain and suffering
until you are able to hear the encouraging Word of God over them. Are our words helpful and good to those who hear them? How about the words
we speak to ourselves? Do they glorify God or do they bash His creation? My husband and I recently went on a fast. It
wasn't your normal fast of meals, a certain food, etc. It was a fast from negative and angry words. We
may be in the minority, but we certainly did find that it was hard. It's so easy to pick
up bad habits from the everyday world. There's plenty to choose from in the way of words! When someone else
tries your patience, it's so easy just to make a quick come-back with something a bit negative (or maybe a lot negative). The
enemy has really made an inroad in that area. If we are feeling insecure, the natural and easy way is
just to speak a few words to put another down so we can feel better about ourselves. We were surprised during our
fast at how much we had been speaking negatively and then harboring anger, not only within the house but in our
reaction to things outside. When we stopped doing that, peace was present almost instantly in our home! It's
true that there is a lot in this world to be discouraged about if we are not resting in the fact that we're safe
in Christ. Expectations will go unmet even in the best of relationships. It will be tempting to react as
the majority of the world is reacting now - with negative and angry words, even with foul language. But our mission
is different from that of the world. Evil and hurtful words, words that kill and destroy are from the enemy. (John 10:10) Our purpose is not to join in with the evil, but to overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21) Even though it may be hard, we can determine to resist the temptation lash out at someone
who is angry with a diffusing soft word. (Proverbs 15:1) Harsh and abusive words only serve to discourage and pollute our world, even bring it to destruction. We
wouldn't do that with the food we eat. Think of it this way. A Dad was enjoying his teenagers one Saturday
morning by engaging in a "brownie baking" project. They were having a great time assembling all the delicious
ingredients. One of the children used an inappropriate word in passing and was called on it by his father.
Of course, the child didn't think he had done anything that bad. After all, it was only a little word.
It couldn't matter all that much. They had just finished stirring all those delectable ingredients together
and the dad told the boy to go into the yard and just bring in just a little pinch of what the dog had done
on the lawn for the final addition to the brownie batter. "Eeeewwww! No!!" wailed the
boy, who was just waiting to dig into that scrumptious batch of brownies. "Why not?", the dad inquired.
"It will ruin the whole batch - who would eat that?," replied the boy. Words are like that too and the
boy realized that his words do make a difference. Even a little negative can ruin a whole lot
that would otherwise be so positive. Fasting negative and angry words only served to let us know that the whole
atmosphere changes with words. How helpful and encouraging are our words to one another? Would
we find it hard if we had to eat our own words? MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 24, 2008 - BEHOLD THE LAMB! John 1:29 (King James Version) Do
you ever get discouraged because of your weakness? Because of your failures? Because of maybe your inability to
overcome some secret sin? Because of inappropriate thoughts? Maybe you just can't seem to overcome pride.
Or unforgiveness. Or lust. Or greed. Have you tried time and time again to be an overcomer and yet, as you
examine yourself and analyze your life, you find that you have fallen short of those things you were striving so hard to overcome?
Yet, you still believe. You still know that all things are possible with Christ. (Philippians 4:13) The Bible says we should examine ourselves to see if we are still in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5 (The Message) 5 (MSG) Test yourselves
to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups.
You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something
about it. When we find that we are still in the faith, we find that we are still in Christ and He in us.
Will we possibly fail to live up to our own expectations or the expectations of others at some time? Probably so until
we receive our glorified bodies. Does this mean that the Lamb of God has failed to take away our sin? No.
He is the Lamb of God and He has taken away our sin. Colossians 2:15 (The Living Bible) 15
(TLB) In this way God took away Satan's power to accuse you of sin, and God openly displayed to the whole
world Christ's triumph at the cross where your sins were all taken away. Has the enemy
perhaps taken advantage of our desire to be so like Jesus that he has twisted this idea of self-examination? Are we
focusing on all of our failures and inability? All of the times we have perhaps not done as well as we would like?
And, worse yet, are we focusing on those things in others too, judging our own and the spiritual life of others by just the
things we see that are not up to par? This is not to say that we should be sloppy in our spirituality and give in to
sin. We should always be thinking about only those things that are good and wholesome. Honest and pure.
Philippians 4:8 (King James Version) 8
(KJV) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and
if there be any praise, think on these things. None of these things include sin
- ours or anyone else's. We will probably eventually do what we think about. That's why we must turn from
the temptation to dwell upon sin and "Behold the Lamb." The point is this. We are all weak in some way. We all fail to be everything our heart
wants to be at one time or another. There are plenty of things within us that we could examine so hard that we become
discouraged. That's where the twist comes in. We've all heard that, "It's not about us."
That's true. It's really not about us. It's not about the good things we do and it's not about
our failures. John knew that and he said this. John 3:30 (Amplified Bible)30
(AMP) He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.] We
would all agree, I'm sure, with John's statement. Yet, as we examine ourselves, many times we examine the negative
things we say or do so hard that they become our focus. A great trick of the enemy to make it, "All about us,"
rather than "All about Jesus." None of us have grown to
complete perfection or maturity. But, are we in the faith? If we examine ourselves to find out if we
are in the faith, we will have to ask ourselves if we believe that the Lamb of God has taken away the sin of the world.
That includes our sin. That takes care of our weakness and inability and unintentional failures. It takes care
of everything. Are we so much in the faith this morning that we can overcome discouragement over our inadequacies because
our focus is on the Lamb? When the enemy comes at us tempting us to analyze and re-analyze just how and why we have
failed or missed the mark, are we encouraged by the fact that we have a Savior who has taken away our sin and canceled all
our failures? All of it! What are we beholding this morning? Is it all about us and our miserable
failures? That may seem like humility at first but it still is keeping the focus on ourselves. We have elevated
our weakness over God's strength. Or are we in the faith? Is it all about Jesus and the miracle of salvation?
Instead of our focus being on ourselves and our sin, are we willing to give it up, know that Jesus has cleaned
it up and then forget it? Is our statement this morning, "Behold how miserably I've failed
and come so short of the mark?" Or, is it all about Jesus? Is our statement to ourselves and to the enemy,
"Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!" MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 23, 2008 - WHEN YOUR BOAT IS ROCKING Mark 6:50 (The Message) The
disciples were out in the middle of the lake in their boat. They were out there because Jesus had told them to go out
there. (Mark 6:45) It was three o'clock in the morning. (Mark 6:48) They were doubtless tired and doubly so because a storm had come up and they were struggling and rowing against the
wind. Sometimes things like that happen in our lives. We know that Jesus has given us a task to do. We know
that we are called so we go somewhere or do something in obedience. Then things begin to get dark around us.
Like night. There are night seasons in our lives that can be quite threatening. We have not gone astray.
We are right where Jesus told us to be. Yet it gets very dark. We are already tired because we have put everything
we have into the call. Then it gets even worse. A storm comes up whipping our boat of life this way and that causing
us to struggle and row against a wind that seems determined to capsize us. Have you ever been in a situation like
that? What happens then? Fear may set in as it did with the
disciples. When we are tired and alone in a storm, the enemy finds he has an opportunity to come in and take our
courage. The thing is that Jesus had his eye on the disciples from the moment the storm started to wear them down.
He saw that they were in serious trouble. We can find ourselves in serious trouble in life too, even when
we are following the call of Jesus and are obediently in the place He has told us to be. (Mark 6:48) The pressures of life and the enemy of our soul can create in us doubt and worse, yet, fear. This same Jesus,
the One who has led us this far into this very place, is watching us too. We are not out of His sight and He will
not let our boat break apart and send us into a watery grave. Although we may sometimes feel alone, He will
never leave us alone, especially when we are in the center of His will. We are never out of the care of the One who
sends us out. Is your boat of life rocking in a storm? Is this
a night season in your life? Yet, you know that you have heard Jesus and you know you are right where you're supposed
to be? Perhaps the enemy has tempted you to fear and lose courage. There is no trial that will be so great that
God will not help you get through or make a way out. As Jesus did for the weary disciples in the storm, He'll
walk on that choppy water of life and climb right in the boat with you. He will be your Way of escape. (1 Corinthians 10:13) Even the appearance of Jesus terrorized the disciples in this case. (Mark 6:49) They thought He was a ghost. One Bible commentary says they thought he was a water phantom.
Even though they had lived so closely with Jesus and seen Him do great miracles, they were still spiritually
a bit dull. Are we that way sometimes? Then He spoke to them. They heard His voice saying, "It
is I." In other words, the "I AM." Then He said, "Be not afraid." In other words, "take
courage." He was watching them from afar and saw that weariness, darkness, wind, choppy water, etc.,
could possible take all the courage they had and bring on fear and discouragement. That was not His will for
them and neither is it His will for us. So, He went to them and assured them even though they still did not have
the faith, at first, to believe it was really Him. This morning, no matter what situation we find ourselves
in, He is there. In our night seasons and in our seasons of fair weather. He has left His Spirit with
us, just as He promised, to continually be in the boat of life with us. This is not a ghost or water
phantom. It is the Holy Ghost. It is the very being of Jesus resident in us. Have you done everything
you have heard the Lord tell you to do and still your boat is rocking? One Word from Jesus will either calm
the storm or bring you peace and freedom from fear. That Word is coming forth right now by His Spirit. John 14:23-26 (New Living Translation)23
(NLT) Jesus replied, "All those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come
to them and live with them.24 Anyone who doesn't love me will not do what I say.
And remember, my words are not my own. This message is from the Father who sent me.25 I
am telling you these things now while I am still with you.26 But when the Father sends
the Counselor as my representative—and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and
will remind you of everything I myself have told you. Will we look up and recognize Jesus, receiving His Word
of encouragement and comfort? "Peace, be still." MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 22, 2008 - HOPE AND HELP Psalms 42:5 (King James Version) While discouragement may at times endeavor to creep into our lives, it has no place in the believer.
We can't stop the thoughts of discouragement. But, we must choose what we will do with them when they come.
Of course, the enemy knows exactly how to keep us down. He will present those thoughts at the times when receiving
them and running with them quite logical to us. He's sneaky that way. But, we know his tactics.
I was impressed by the following excerpt from Hannah Whitall's writings. I think it may just show us a picture
of one of the enemy's most powerful weapons. Maybe you will agree. An allegory that I heard very early in
my Christian life has always remained in my memory as one of those warnings to motorists that we often see at the top of hills
on country roads, "This hill is dangerous"; and it has many a time warned me away from the dangerous decent of discouragement. The
allegory declared that once upon a time Satan, who desired to entrap a devoted Christian worker, allied a council of his helpers
to decide on the best way of doing it, and to ask for volunteers. After the case had been explained, an imp offered himself
to do the work. "How will you do it?" asked Satan. "Oh," replied the imp, "I
will paint to him the delights and pleasures of a life of sin in such glowing colors that he will be eager to enter upon it." "That
will not do," said Satan, shaking his head. "The man has tried sin, and he knows better. He knows it leads to misery
and ruin, and he will not listen to you." Then another imp offered himself, and again Satan asked, "What
will you do to win the man over?" "I will picture to him the trials and the self-denials of a righteous
life, and will make him eager to escape from them." "Ah, that will not do either," said Satan, "for
he has tried righteousness, and he knows that its paths are paths of peace and happiness." Then a third imp started
up and declared that he was sure he could bring the man over. "Why, what will you do," asked Satan, "that
you are so sure?" "I will discourage his soul," replied the imp triumphantly. "That will do, that
will do," exclaimed Satan, "you will be successful. Go and bring back your victim." —God of All Comfort So,
when we discover those thoughts of discouragement coming in, we can know that we need to arm ourselves and remember to Whom
we belong. We have a choice to receive the thoughts, dwell on them, speak them, and discourage ourselves further
becoming the, "victim" in the above allegory or to confess them to the Lord and replace them with the hope
He provides. David did not deny that he was discouraged, badly discouraged. His soul or emotions were devastated
so much that he was disquieted within himself. In other words, everything inside his thoughts was in
great commotion and tumult. He was emotionally moaning inside. So, he had to confess it to himself and, in
so doing, in the hearing of God. Then he had to confess the truth of the matter. He had hope. Hope
is patient and trusting. It waits for what it believes will occur. It trusts. Although David may have
been tempted to stay in his emotional turmoil and become a victim of defeat, he chose to believe that he would come out
and once again praise God. He saw and felt the enemy but he chose to turn the other way. We can do that too. I like the reasons that David could confidently choose to turn God's way and give
Him praise. The word, "help," in Psalm 42:5 has within it's meaning all of the following: something saved, deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity,
health, salvation, and welfare. This is according to the Strong's Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.
Now, if I'm tempted to give in to discouragement, I can acquire quite a lot of courage just knowing that God has
all those things in mind for me. David did. You can too. I am totally encouraged by the fact that
the help we just spoke about is from God's countenance. That word, "countenance," actually means, "face."
But, it is also translated many times as, "presence." There is a song that includes the following
lyrics. It has always touched my heart. "In the presence of Jehovah........troubles vanish, hearts
are mended in the presence of the King." Included within the meaning of that word, "countenance," is,
"favor." When we really know we have God's favor, nothing can stop us - even discouragement. Is
something tempting you to discouragement this morning? Like David, let's make the choice to turn away from the enemy
and toward God who will lift us out and bring us, by His favor, into His very presence where everything we need can
be found and received. Instead of driving us down, discouragement can be the springboard to praise if we will use
it. Let's use the weapon of the enemy and turn it right back around on Him. Because of God's
presence and willingness to bring us every kind of deliverance and help, we can begin to praise Him - even right now! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 21, 2008 - WHY EVEN ENTERTAIN DISCOURAGEMENT? John 16:33 (The Message) How is your morning going? It's entirely possible, although
I hope not, that there is some discomfort in your life in some area or even in several areas. This is not
an unusual occurrence. We will definitely have those times. If we think we won't, we're not believing
the whole Bible. Jesus said that we would continue to experience difficulties because we live in a world that doesn't
acknowledge God. If you don't believe that, check out some of the latest movies, music, and even nightly news. Though
it should not be so, even in church congregations, we can find discouragement. Just living in this world sometimes
brings the temptation to give in to discouragement. Have you ever felt that way? It's especially true
when several areas in your life are affected. However, within the same phrase Jesus used to let us know that
we would experience trials and troubles, He commanded us to, "Take heart." He gave us very good reason
to do that too. He has conquered the world. That includes anything that comes from it to cause us discouragement.
I have looked at several versions of this verse and, with each one, only find more reason to go ahead and acknowledge
that there are things in my life that cause me discomfort and sometimes concern. But, I also have reason
to acknowledge that none of those things will last or have any lasting effect on me. I belong to Jesus and He has
promised me that He has conquered every one of those things! You have that promise too if you have received Him as Your
Savior and Lord. God's Word will bring you and me more encouragement
than any words I could say this morning, so let's look at The Amplified Version of John 16:33. 33 (AMP) I have told you these things, so that in
Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration;
but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it
of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] Should we or could we become discouraged when Jesus
has promised us perfect peace and confidence? Even among those things that may appear as fearful and looming in our
lives, Jesus said we could have perfect peace! It's because we are in Him. What enemy or trial can
possibly be big enough to cause God any concern at all? And, He says we are in Him. We are safe.
Whether we feel good or not. Whether we see an evident answer or solution to our problem or not. The fact is that
we are safe in the One who has overcome the problems this world brings to our lives. He has already conquered
everything for us. All that's left to us is to have faith, to trust that we are where we are, in
Him and are, therefore, overcomers with Him. Even
in the way Jesus presents this idea, He shows His covering over us. John 16:33 (New King James Version) "Be of good cheer" is the command of the Lord for His disciples,
always and under all circumstances; and He founded this command on the tremendous fact that He had overcome the world, and
that therefore there was nothing left for us to be discouraged about. As I have said before, if we only understood what it
means that Christ has overcome the world, I believe we would be aghast at the very idea of any one of His followers ever being
discouraged again.—God of All Comfort MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 20, 2008 - ENCOURAGED BY
A NAME Exodus 3:14 (New Living Translation) I
am greatly encouraged and even somewhat convicted this morning as I read portions of Hannah Whitall Smith's, The
God of all Comfort. Have you ever been discouraged and compounded the matter by the realization that
you were less than what you would like to be? Perhaps that you were unworthy of some grace or favor that you had received.
Or maybe that you your gift or talent wasn't sufficient for the job ahead? Have you told yourself, maybe not
purposely but what you know is truthfully, something negative about yourself? As we go through life, others tend to
label us and too many times we receive that erroneous label. While it's true that we are never worthy of all of
God's grace and mercy, it's also true that we should not label ourselves with negative or discouraging names, though
in the natural they may be altogether true. I have a very wise sister in the Lord who has always reminded me that we
should not judge anything before it's time. (1 Corinthians 4:5) Including ourselves. Names and labels are more important than we think.
Even the ones we place on ourselves that, while they may be true by sight, they dim and fade away by faith. (2 Corinthians 5:7) In our efforts to remain humble, do we overemphasize our weakness by placing a label
on ourselves that, by some wicked twist, the enemy will use to keep us discouraged and downcast? I have done that.
Maybe you have too. The following quote from Hannah Whitall Smith caused me to pause and rethink how I think about myself
and about my Father. But if our hearts are full of our own wretched "I
ams" we will have no ears to hear His glorious, soul-satisfying "I am." We say, "Alas, I am such a poor
weak creature," or "I am so foolish," or "I am so good-for-nothing," or "I am so helpless";
and we give these pitiful "I ams" of ours as the reason of the wretchedness and discomfort of our religious lives,
and even feel that we are very much to be pitied that things are so hard for us. While all the time we entirely ignore the
blank check of God's magnificent "I am," which authorizes us to draw upon Him for an abundant supply for every
need. —God of All Comfort While
I know we must not deny our sinfulness and weakness, the names that we might give ourselves because of the results of these
things may undermine our ability to receive all that God has promised to give us. He has taken us for His own if we
have received Jesus. We are His children. We bear His Name. What is His name? He
told Moses that He was, "I AM." We are children of, "I AM." As Hannah Whitall Smith says,
that includes anything and everything we could ever need. The "I AM," IS all things and, in Him we have all
things! That never changes. (Hebrews 13:8) The reminder of this encouraged me so much this morning. Yes, before I was
His child, I had names like, clumsy, shy, ugly, depressed, weak, poor, etc. But, this morning, because I am His child,
I now have His name and everything that goes with it. That name does not include anything negative or discouraging!
Look at how Hannah Whitall Smith expresses it. But is this all His name implies, simply "I am"? I am what? - we ask. What does this "I am" include? I believe it includes everything the human heart longs for and needs. This unfinished name of God seems to me like a
blank check signed by a rich friend given to us to be filled in with whatever sum we may desire. The whole Bible tells us
what it means. Every attribute of God, every revelation of His character, every proof of His
undying love, every declaration of His watchful care, every assertion of His purposes of tender mercy, every manifestation
of His loving kindness - all are the filling out of this unfinished "I am." God tells us through all the pages
of His Book what He is. "I am," He says, "all that my people need": "I am their strength"; "I
am their wisdom"; "I am their righteousness'; "I am their peace"; "I am their salvation";
"I am their life"; "I am their all in all." This apparently unfinished name,
therefore, is the most comforting name the heart of man could devise, because it allows us to add to it, without any limitation,
whatever we feel the need of, and even "exceeding abundantly" beyond all that we can ask or think. —God of
All Comfort Are you encouraged and comforted
by that this morning? I am. I am encouraged to lift up the name of God, the "I AM" above all the
inferior names that I could, even truthfully, claim for myself. I'm encouraged by the fact that I can completely discard
and forget all those negative names and labels because I am covered by His name. I am encouraged to remain humble as
I realize the awesome nature of the God who is able to supply everything I need. I am also encouraged to determine
not to cling to a false humility that makes me lift my own weak and inadequate names above His mighty and powerful
name. If God is all that we need, and He is; we are truly free of any name or label that would keep us bound to
anything less than God is. His Name is not only wonderful, as the song says. His Name is everything.
Whatever it is you need this morning, be encouraged by the fact that you belong to your Father in whose name and
whose being that need is already met. MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 19, 2008 - THE POSITIVE RESULTS OF OUR WORDS Proverbs 13:2 (New Living Translation) Do you enjoy the positive results of your words? To be honest,
it's something I really need to work on. If I am quick to speak in certain situations, my words can be less
than positive. Certainly less than encouraging. We are told that if we guard our mouth, we will preserve
our life. (Proverbs 13:3) If we let our flesh dictate our quick answers, we may be in for an unnecessary fight which, of course, could shorten
our life depending on who our opponent is. Are you quick to answer or do you think for a moment as to how your answer
could encourage and uplift another? It's so easy to just give someone a piece of our mind in the heat
of the moment. But, it doesn't accomplish much of anything except to fuel violence and bring destruction. Here's a better idea. We can put on love. (Colossians 3:14) This will enable us to speak kind words of encouragement to one another. It will help us to forgive one another
and forego the urge to speak harshly and add to what may have been a discouraging word. (Colossians 3:13) Love will enable us to speak words of peace that come from a truly thankful heart. (Colossians 3:15) How much easier it will be to speak encouraging words to each other when the Word of Christ dwells in us! (Colossians 3:16) Can anything discouraging come from His wisdom as we communicate it to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs? With grace in our hearts, we're sure to be an encouragement to those around us. When our hearts are
centered on Jesus, it will not be as hard to have our tongues follow with encouraging words and our hands follow with deeds
that lift someone else's burden. (Colossians 3:17) Who can we encourage today with words that bring life?
In doing that, we will also bring blessing upon ourselves. Many words are not necessary but words of quality can bring
hope and relief to a weary soul. There are lots of things we can talk about. Some of those things are very
true but very negative. They are better left unsaid to avoid discouragement and destruction. I want to learn to
be careful to speak encouraging and edifying words. Words that bring healing. How about you? (Proverbs 12:18) Paul encouraged us to encourage one another by building each other up. (Romans 14:19) We can choose to be overly critical over things that don't really matter. (Romans 14:17) Or, we can build up and encourage one another in the Lord. (Romans 15:2) Are the results of our words positive? Do we choose to speak encouragement as opposed to undue criticism
and pettiness? Do we sometimes sacrifice by not saying the first thing that comes to mind but, instead, stop and think
of what might build up and encourage the one listening? Do you appreciate encouraging words? I do.
What we sow is what we will reap. (Galatians 6:7-8) Let's choose to sow some encouragement with our positive words today. We're sure to reap a harvest
in our own lives tomorrow! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 18, 2008 - ENCOURAGED IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE Psalms 37:6 (New Living Translation) Discouraging situations and
times come into our lives. There's no getting around it. What we do with them and how we react to them will
determine our level of encouragement. Will we react in faith knowing that God is for us? (Romans 8:31) In Psalm 37:6 David says that, if our cause is just, it will shine like the sun. Does that mean that we won't go through
trials? Not at all. But, even these trials will only serve to make us better if we will allow it. (James 1:2) When we have come through, and we will come through if we're trusting in God (Psalm 37:3), we will be the better for it. (James 1:4) If you are in a distressing situation at the moment, be encouraged knowing that God is preparing you for something
much better than you have ever had. You are being groomed for better things ahead. There will always be those that are bent on evil and on doing others harm. They will at times cross our path
and try to harm us. We don't have to give in to discouragement though, because they will soon be gone. (Psalm 37:1-2) Though they may cause us temporary discomfort, we can trust in the Lord and be encouraged to continue to do
His will because He has promised that we will be taken care of. (Psalm 37:3) Though it may seem that the desires of our hearts are cut off for a time, God has encouraged us in the fact that,
if we are trusting in Him, continuing to do His will, that He will give us those desires. (Psalm 37:4) If this morning finds you tempted to be discouraged because it seems like the guy with the black hat is winning,
take heart. In a little while, those who are planning evil will disappear. (Psalm 37:9-10) That's God's promise to us. We can be encouraged this
morning by the fact that, if we commit everything we do to the Lord trusting in Him fully, He will help us. There is
no need for us to get all riled up and flustered over those who might wish us harm. God is fully capable of dealing
with them. We are encouraged to be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act.
(Psalm 37:7) No need for anger or vindictiveness. We have a Deliverer. (Psalm 144:2) If there is someone in our lives that needs subduing, God is fully able and willing if we will remain gentle
and lowly, trusting in His power and not our own. (Psalm 37:11) If you are in a hard place this morning, be encouraged by the fact that God has promised to help you and
will not leave you at the mercy of those who would try to destroy you. If you know someone who is going through
a difficult time, reach out and encourage them with the words in Psalm 37. They may just be needing a little loving and encouraging nudge from you today. Proverbs 15:4 (The Living Bible) Have you ever been around someone who is constantly using harsh words? How do you feel when you have to remain
around them for an extended period of time? Most likely discouraged or even depressed. It's difficult to remain
encouraged when you are constantly experiencing griping, complaining and negative speech. The King James Version
says, "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life:" That word, "wholesome," means, "curative."
It denotes deliverance. It means, "a medicine." How do we measure up? Do the words
we speak bring healing? Do they constitute sound advice? Are they a remedy for a difficult situation or another's
deep wound? Are they wholesome, encouraging someone else along their difficult path? Having been discussing encouragement and encouraging words for the past couple of weeks, I had the opportunity to
choose to use them in a difficult situation. I must say that I did not fully recognize the test and missed my opportunity
to pass along encouragement to others who probably needed it because I fell into the trap of needing to "be right."
Whether we find ourselves in a comfortable situation or not, encouraging words are always in order. Even when we find
ourselves in a situation that could have been a lot better if it had been done, "our way," encouraging words are
in order. If I had truly remembered that all things work together for good to those that love the Lord
and are the called according to His purpose, (Romans 8:28) I could have had great victory in speaking encouraging words even though I found myself in a very discouraging and
uncomfortable situation. Have you ever missed an opportunity to speak life in the midst of a situation that seemed pretty
dead to you? I can think of several people that day that did not receive life from my words because I fell into the
trap of speaking negative words to justify my position. Being right is not always important. And, never so important
that we should let our griping and complaints bring others to a state of depression or worse yet, anger. (Proverbs 15:1) The encouraging thing about the situation I just described
is that we have a merciful God. If we fall and fail to speak words of life, He is willing to forgive if we call on Him
in repentance. (1 John 1:9) The really encouraging thing is that He is willing to reveal our sin to us, convict us and help us to go
on again to a new level of awareness of just how important our words are. What a privilege to be able to use words to
bring hope, deliverance and healing to another. What a wonder to realize that God speaks those words to us
when we're broken and discouraged! When we fail, we can go to His Word and find sound guidance and wisdom.
(Proverbs 2:6) We can find hope and healing. (Psalm 107:20) Deliverance and a remedy for our failings. Choosing to gripe or complain only brings destruction to our spirit
and to the spirits of those around us. (Philippians 2:14) It comes right back to the fact that the power of life and death is in the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21) When we fail, as I did, to use even difficult situations as opportunities to speak life to others, we also fail
to receive healing ourselves. We open the door to further discouragement in our lives. If you have failed to use
your words to encourage others, there is no time like right now to go to God and let Him know you'd like to be forgiven.
To be given His strength to start again. We will be tested in what we learn. The wonderfully encouraging
thing is that, if we fail to pass the first time, God will allow us to take the test again! And again.
And again..... Personally, I'd like to pass and go on
to the next level. How about you? Lord, let our words be gentle, full of life and health! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 16, 2008 - NEW COURAGE Hebrews 6:18 (New Living Translation) Are you encouraged this morning? If not, take a look at the words of Hebrews 6:18. If we have run to God for refuge, we can take new courage. We can encourage one another to hold on to His
promise with confidence. Things happen in life that can greatly discourage us and, if we do not constantly run back
to our Father for new courage, we will soon be in danger of having our faith derailed. That's just what
the enemy would like. (John 10:10) But, our Father is merciful and full of grace. He is the giver of abundant life. When we run to Him with
our spiritually bruised elbows and skinned knees, He is ready and waiting with an extra dose of new courage so we can
get up and go on. Have you taken a hit lately? Has something come against you so hard that you barely
knew where to turn? Running to God will always bring safety and strength. (Psalm 59:9) People can make promises that they either fail to keep or are unable to keep.
Situations can change like the weather. All of that can bring on discouragement. But, one thing cannot change.
The God that we serve will always be the same. (Hebrews 13:8) There is no way that God is going to change. He will always be our refuge if we will run
to Him. (Psalm 46:1) He will always be there for us, ready to pour in new courage when we come to the end of our rope, or
as the New International Version puts it, our hope. Hebrews 6:18 (New International Version) 18
(NIV) God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have
fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. God wants us to stay encouraged.
If we feel low in that area, we can run to Him for new courage. Maybe this is the day that you need some infilling
with new courage. Some comfort to help you go on. God is there, never changing or wavering in His promise
to give it to us when we need it. All we have to do is run to Him and ask. The billows of life may sometimes seem threatening and the winds may howl around us but
we have an anchor. The King James Version calls the hope and encouragement we have in the Lord an "anchor of the
soul." It is sure and steadfast. It's there when things seem to move around us without reason or cause.
When there seems to be no reason for the blows that come against us, we have a refuge. We have a place
where we can go to receive new courage. It's in the presence of our loving Father who will remain steadfast and
true, no matter what else in our lives change. Psalms 144:1 (The Living Bible) 1
(TLB) Bless the Lord who is my immovable Rock. He gives me strength and skill in battle. Is there
some sort of battle raging around you this morning. Do you need some new courage? Remember that God is your refuge.
He will never change. He is filled with courage enough to fill you to overflowing so you can stay encouraged as you
press on. We have His promise and His oath on that. (Hebrews 6:18) Confidence and encouragement are ours from our loving Father. As we go from faith to faith and glory to glory,
the road in between will present new challenges and new battles. Instead of being discouraged, let's be childlike
enough to run to our Father and receive new courage for those new challenges! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 15, 2008 - DISCOURAGING WORDS Numbers 14:36-37 (New Living Translation) 36 (NLT) Then the ten scouts who had incited the rebellion against the LORD by spreading discouraging
reports about the land 37 were struck dead with a plague before the LORD. How often do we hear discouraging words? How often do discouraging words
come from our own mouths? The power of words is very often ignored. Yet, our words are so important. (Proverbs 18:21) When Moses sent the twelve spies into the promised land, only two came back speaking encouraging words.
The other ten gave a negative report. In today's society, those ten spies with the negative report would probably
be allowed to go ahead and deliver that report all over the media. However, God counted that negative report as rebellion.
Rebellion against God, Himself. He did not take it lightly. In fact, spreading those discouraging words cost the
ten negative spies their lives. Have you ever thought about the fact that discouraging words might be considered rebellion? It's
quite a sobering thought to me. Rebellion is just like witchcraft
in God's eyes. (1 Samuel 15:23) It is totally opposed to God's Word. God's Word to His children is positive. It is filled with
hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) The gospel is good news. Anything contrary to that message could be considered rebellion.
We may see things in life that look negative. That's the kind of world we live in. Yet, what
does the Word of God say about our vision? We're supposed to be walking by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) While it is true that we will face challenges, we need to remember the fact that God is in control. He
is bigger than any problem we may face. When we choose to become discouraged and even speak discouraging words,
we may not physically die as those ten negative spies did but the effects of our words will drag us down and keep us from walking
in the victory that God has promised us. Unless we change those words to words of encouragement and thanksgiving, we
will be miserable and make others miserable too. Besides that, we will not be honoring the God we claim to serve.
Discouraging words also harm the Kingdom of God. When others hear us speaking anything but encouraging words, we
will be bringing harm to them. As believers, we're supposed to be encouraging one another to stronger faith
and to thankfulness. (Colossians 3:16) The ten spies failed to be encouraged because they chose to look
at the problem of the giants instead of looking at the promise of God. They spread a discouraging report which affected,
not only themselves, but a whole nation of people. We never know just how far reaching our words are and whom they might
effect. Words have a ripple effect, whether encouraging or discouraging. Why not seek to make them encouraging?
God has given us so many promises to bring encouragement. Do we know His Word so that, when a challenging situation
occurs, we will be able to remain encouraged and be an encouragement to those around us? (Ephesians 4:29) Those ten spies chose the wrong words. If we are trusting in God and His Word to us today, we will choose encouraging
words. Words that will encourage our own hearts and the hearts of others.(Proverbs 15:23) Encouraging words are never out of place. Discouraging words will show a rebellious heart. Some of
us have a lot to work on! How many encouraging words will we choose to speak today? MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 14, 2008 -
DON'T BE DISCOURAGED Has God put a dream or a vision in
your heart? Have you followed your heart and done everything you know to do, yet have not seen the manifestation
of that dream? Out of the twelve spies that were sent into the Promised Land, Joshua was one of the only two that
came back encouraged. He and Caleb were the only two out of the group that did not become discouraged by the
negative things they saw. Namely, the giants in the land. Why do you suppose they were not discouraged by what
they saw? Maybe it was because their focus had been on the promise and not the problem. It's true that they
would have to fight to take the promised land. But, it's also true that God promised they could conquer it.
Joshua 1:2-3 (The Message) 2 (MSG) "Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people.
Cross to the country I'm giving to the People of Israel. 3 I'm giving you
every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses. Joshua had heard a word from God which means he must have been listening
for God's voice. This morning, are we listening to the voice of God rather than to the din of all the worldly voices
telling us where to go and what to do? Are we looking to the world to find success and and a way to
see our dream materialize? There is no promise from any of those voices that we will have any success. And, there
are still giants out there but, if we're listening to and trusting in the voice of God, we will
surely have victory over them. When we stay in God's Word and follow it, like Joshua, we will have success.
(Joshua 1:8) We must not let discouragement set in as it did with
the ten spies who could see nothing but the giants of the land. They had no faith in God's promises.
What is it in our lives this morning that may cause us to be discouraged? To lose faith in the promises of God?
Is there a giant or maybe several standing in the way of what God has placed in our hearts to do? We have no reason
to think that those giants have any power over us. God commands us, just as He did Joshua. He says, "strength." (Philippians 4:13) He says, "courage." (James 5:8) He says, "don't be timid." (2 Timothy 1:7) Best of all He says that He will be with us every step of the way!" (Matthew 28:20) What is it that may be holding you back, keeping your thoughts turned toward the obstacles instead of the opportunities?
We have the promise of God that, if we're seeking Him, He will be with us and fight for us. As the worship tune
says, "Nothing compares with the promise I have in You." If this morning finds you discouraged in any way, just
remind yourself that God is for you. (Romans 8:31) Because that is so, nobody and nothing that sets itself against you will be able to stand. Be encouraged.
You and God are a majority! We have the victory! (1 John 5:4) MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 13, 2008 - TAKE HEART Psalms 34:2 (New Living Translation) Life has a way of bringing discouragement every once in a while.
If we forget that we can do nothing without the Lord, we will certainly become discouraged. (John 15:5) It's easy to begin to take the Lord's guidance and strength for granted and even
to believe that we can do a lot by ourselves. While it is true that we are made in a very complex and wonderful
way, (Psalm 139:14) we're still in need of the Lord in everything we do. Even to take our next breath.
It is only in the Lord that we can live and move about. (Acts 17:28) That is why David said, in Psalm 34:2, that he would boast only in the Lord. David had been afflicted and he had his times of
discouragement. The Lord came to his rescue. He wants us to know that when we become discouraged, we need
to take heart. In the King James Version, Psalm 34:2 is written like this: 2 (KJV) My soul shall make her boast
in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. When David says, "the humble shall hear..,"
he is talking about those who are needy and even depressed. Is there an area of your life in which you have lost heart?
Are you needy or depressed this morning? It happens to all of us once in a while. Maybe for good reason too.
When we are humble, we realize that we need a Savior. We realize that we need the Lord. We know that, in and of
ourselves, we can't do a thing. Then we can become encouraged by the fact that the scriptures tell us that we can
do all things through Christ. It is by His strength that we can take heart and find the solutions to our neediness
and depression. David invites us to come together and tell of the
Lord's greatness. (Psalm 34:3) There's nothing like remembering the Lord's greatness to encourage oneself. Problems here on earth sometimes
loom above us like a dark cloud that just won't go away. But, remembering the greatness of the Lord will allow us
to remember that He is in control of everything, including the clouds. He is great enough to deliver us from the most
formidable problem that we could have. David must have had some thoughts of fear. It happens to the best of us.
But, instead of dwelling on those fears, he prayed to God. (Psalm 34:4, 6) God answered David and delivered him from all his fears. He'll do the same for us right now!
When we go through times of suffering, don't we sometimes think that it will never end? That complicates the suffering
because we begin to fear. If you are suffering this morning in any way, call on the Lord. Like He did for David,
He will answer you and deliver you from all your fears. We can, and sometimes do, run everywhere but to God when we
can't seem to find a solution to a problem. When we do that, we put our trust in the wrong place. While
it is true that God will use people in our lives to help in time of need, we should not run to people before we have
called upon the Lord. People are just like you and me. They all fail, especially if they are not trusting in the
Lord. This can bring shame, disaster, and disillusionment if we have trusted in another and they have failed us.
But, when we turn to the Lord, as David says, we will be radiant with joy and not even the slightest shadow of shame will
linger in our lives. (Psalm 34:5) How encouraging is that? We can be free of all of our fears and trust in the Lord to keep us radiant with joy! (2 Timothy 1:7) David encourages us to be encouraged this morning.
To take heart. To cheer up. To rejoice. There are so many reasons for us to do that, no matter what our
circumstances are. When we fear the Lord, instead of fearing those things that may come upon us in life, we are headed
in the right direction. The fear or reverence of the Lord helps us to do what is right in His sight. (Psalm 34:11) When we do that, we won't need to dread anything else. He's bigger than all of that. His eyes
are constantly on those who do His will and His ears are open to their cries for help. (Psalm 34:15) Do you need help this morning? Rather than deny it and try to forge your way through by yourself, just call
on the Lord. Are you broken hearted this morning or crushed in spirit by some trouble that has come into your life?
(Psalm 34:18) Then you can be encouraged. The Lord is close to you. He's just waiting for your call so He can rescue
you from those things that threaten to bring you down. He doesn't say that we will live life without trouble.
But, He does say that He will rescue us from each and every one. (Psalm 34:19) Jesus confirmed what David says to us when He said this: John 16:33 (The Message) 33 (MSG) I've
told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will
continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the
world." Whatever might be in your life this morning that is causing you to lose heart, will
you hear the words of David and of Jesus? We serve a mighty God who can and will rescue us from all of our troubles
if we will trust in Him and follow Him. Let's encourage one another to do that today and always. Take
heart and be of good cheer! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 12, 2008 - WHERE IS OUR FOCUS? 1 Timothy 4:13 (New Living Translation) Timothy had a great responsibility because, even though he was a young
man, the Lord had gifted him greatly. He was encouraged by Paul to keep a focus on the urgent things of the
faith and to remain faithful to them. He didn't have Paul with him always and so he received a reminder in
1 Timothy 4:13 to help and encourage him to keep on helping and encouraging other believers. There are so many areas in life
calling for our attention. There are so many things within the church that seem to call for our attention and energy.
Even in the church, we can become unfocused and sloppy in what we do. Sometimes we may have to step back and allow
the Lord to show us again what is important to Him. Also, to show us what good works He has prepared for us
to do. There are tons of good things to do. We might even be talented and gifted enough to do many of them.
But are we called to do them? Going back to a basic focus is good once in a while to be sure we are moving
and walking in our calling. In Timothy's case, Paul urged him to focus on three
things. Reading the scriptures to the church. Encouraging the believers. Teaching the the believers.
The Amplified Bible includes public and private reading of the scriptures. Without reading the scriptures ourselves,
we won't be able to be of much encouragement to other believers. Neither will we be able to remain encouraged ourselves. Timothy's
focus was to be upon the scriptures, encouraging others and teaching them. How important the encouragement of others
is! A discouraged person is usually not very teachable. Of those three things that Timothy was to focus
upon, encouragement is right in the middle. Timothy needed to prepare himself to be encouraging to others. He
could do this by reading the scriptures, remembering Paul's words, and keeping them in his own heart. He could
do that by allowing these things to lead him in the way he lived. Are we preparing ourselves to encourage others
by reading the Word of God ourselves and applying it to our lives? Does the Word of God come alive to others by the way
we live? Someone once said something like this, "Preach the Word always. If necessary use words."
There's nothing more encouraging than seeing another walking in the Word. Galatians 5:25 (King James Version) 25
(KJV) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. If our focus has been on
the Word, we will be able to bring encouragement to those around us just by the way we walk. That word, "walk," has
the meaning of being orderly, or maybe we could say focused. It is a word with military connotations. It
denotes marching in military rank. When we are focused on the Word of God and we walk in it, others are drawn to
it. In an out of control world, order and focus are highly prized. Encouragement comes when we and others
see that it is possible to bring some order into our lives. When we are not focused, we're not very teachable.
But, when we get our focus on the Lord, we become an encouragement to each other and His Word can take root in our hearts
and lives, spreading seed wherever we go. Where is your focus this morning? On all of the things that need to
be done? It is not wrong to be productive. Yet, if our focus is on our own agenda, we will most probably
be discouraged by the many things that come to distract us. Focusing on the Word of God and being encouraged by it will
allow us to be teachable. We will then be open to receive the wisdom of the Lord for those situations in life
that sometimes seem impossible. If you are in a situation this morning that defies your ability to handle it, why not
get focused again on the Word of God, why not encourage yourself with it and be an encouragement to others as you search
for God's wisdom? In the Word and in encouragement we can become teachable. As we learn, we can
be assured that we are on firm ground and, in the process we can encourage and teach others. Psalms 143:10 (New Living Translation) 10 (NLT) Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward
on a firm footing. If God's Word is your focus, you are an encouragement! So, focus on His Word and
be encouraged!! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 11, 2008 - A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER Romans 1:12 (New Living Translation) Have you ever been away from other believers
for an extended period of time? In this world, apart from the fellowship of other believers, encouragement is hard
to come by. At least, encouragement in our faith. Have you noticed that the majority of people walking around
today do not think much about faith or eternal things? Or, if they do, they don't express it? My husband
and I are on a cruise ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Not much going on in this crowd as far as encouragement
in the faith. There is encouragement to do those things which are not of the faith. Plenty of that. A couple
of days ago I was encouraged in the faith though. As we sat on the outside deck to eat lunch, my husband and
I prayed over our food. In a while the people sitting at the table next to us got up and came over to thank us for our
testimony of praying. They said they were also Christians. How good it felt to be encouraged in our faith!
How wonderful it was just to exchange a few words of encouragement with other followers of Christ! No wonder Paul was so eager to visit the Christians in Rome and to encourage them in
their faith. No wonder he also wanted them to encourage him. No wonder the Word of God tells us not to stop
gathering together with other believers. Hebrews 10:25 (Amplified Bible) 25 (AMP) Not
forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging,
and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching. One sure way to become
discouraged and even depressed is to stay away from other believers. When we gather together, we become a blessing
to one another by reminding each other of the fact that we belong to Jesus. Sometimes this takes the form of warning
and urging as the Amplified Bible notes. But, even warning and urging is encouragement in this case because it helps
us keep our focus on the things that are eternal. We
need to study the ways we can encourage one another and help one another to be and do the things that really matter. Hebrews 10:24 (Amplified Bible) 24 (AMP) And
let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and
incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, Watching over one another is very important, especially
when we don't generally receive positive messages from the voices coming from this world. When we're out and
about, are we aware of those around us? Some, if not most, don't even know the Lord. An encouragement to them
could be the good news of the gospel. Others are believers just like we are on the narrow road that leads to Heaven.
They may be lonely or feeling weak. A word of encouragement would go a long way towards helping them regain the strength
and courage to go on. As we go about our daily business today, let's look around and study carefully how we might
be able to stir up another believer's faith or even lead someone else into faith. Try to think about how many times
the spirit of discouragement has tried to take control of your mind and how good it would have been if you received encouragement
from another believer. Just a few words go a long way to help us stay encouraged. None of us can make it alone.
We all need encouragement. Paul was one of the strongest believers probably ever to live, yet he was eager to visit
the Christians in Rome partly because he, too, needed to be encouraged. Let's not think that, just because someone
is a leader, they do not need encouragement from us. They may need it more than we know. No matter what our position
is in life, we can all be a blessing to one another if we will do it. It will take some studying on our part in
order to find ways to stir each other up in our faith. But, the blessings to the one encouraged and to the encourager
will have long lasting and eternal effects. Let's determine to be a blessing to one another today and always! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 10, 2008 - ENCOURAGED BY
GOD'S LOVE Hebrews 12:5 (New Living Translation) It
may not be often that we feel encouraged when things don't seem to be going right in our lives. Children rarely
feel encouraged immediately when they are disciplined by their parents. The encouragement usually comes only after they
learn that the discipline was for their own good. This could take a while, sometimes even years. Because God is
the perfect parent and because we are His children if we have received Jesus as our Savior, we will at times undergo His discipline. Some
may take it lightly. They may just slough it off and keep going the wrong way wondering why things don't change
in their lives. Some may kick against it and find themselves kicking against God Himself. The fact is that God
loves His children. He wants the very best for them. He will do whatever it takes to keep us on the right track.
Just the fact that God speaks to us as, "His children," is enough to encourage us! He has adopted
us into His family. It's not that we were so good either. It's a totally undeserved privilege to become
a child of God. The writer of Hebrews is reminding us that we should not forget the encouragement that is
ours because we have been adopted into the family of God. (Romans 11:18) Neither should we forget to be encouraged when we are disciplined by
our Heavenly Father. If we don't know the Word of God, we will hardly be able to be encouraged by it, but it does
tell us that we can be encouraged when we are disciplined. His Word speaks to us every day if we will listen.
It is alive and it will address our everyday problems if we will keep it foremost in our hearts and minds. It will
convict where needed and instruct where needed. (2 Timothy 3:16) The word, "discipline" in Hebrews 12:5 really means, "education or training," with the word, "discipline" implied.
Our Father wants us to grow up and so He, in His mercy and love, teaches us by His Word and by the Holy Spirit. Are
we willing students? The word, "corrects," in Hebrews 12:5 is a bit stronger. It means, "rebuke and reproof," among other things.
Hebrews 12:5 tells us we should not be discouraged when God corrects us by revealing our sin, sending
rebuke and reproof when necessary. If we never receive any discipline or correction from God, we should be discouraged! (Hebrew 12:8) Encouragement comes from knowing that our Father has received us into His family and
that He cares enough about us to help us grow and become more like Him. Are you under
conviction about something this morning? Is there an area in your life where God has revealed some things that you
need to change? Then be encouraged. Let's not be like those who take the discipline of our Father lightly.
That word, "ignore," actually means to, "disesteem." Most of us would not have dared to ignore
or disesteem our earthly parents when we were being disciplined by them. (Hebrews 12:9) How then, can we ignore or take lightly the discipline of our Heavenly Father?
Also, let's not be like those who become dismayed when we're under the corrective hand of our Father. As Hebrews 12:5 says, we must not be discouraged. The word, "discouraged," here in Hebrews 12:5 actually means, "to faint." It never feels good to have our faults
revealed, especially by the Lord. Discipline never feels good at the time. (Hebrews 12:11) But, the results lead to abundant life forever. In this world of instant gratification,
we may be tempted to take God's discipline lightly or even faint under the weight of it. Yet, when we read
His word, we can have exactly the opposite reaction. We can be encouraged by the fact that God loves us enough to teach
us and to train us in the way of eternal life. King Hezekiah was disciplined by the Lord and he finally realized that
it was for his good. (Isaiah 38:16) If we are wise, we will realize the same thing when we are disciplined. God's
discipline is for his children and that discipline does not contain wrath. His wrath is saved for His enemies.
Look at the following quote from Theodore Laetsch, an old testament scholar: His plans concerning his people are always thoughts of good, of blessing. Even
if he is obliged to use the rod, it is the rod not of wrath, but the Father's rod of chastisement for their temporal and
eternal welfare. There is not a single item of evil in his plans for his people, neither in their motive, nor in their conception,
nor in their revelation, nor in their consummation. MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 9, 2008 - DISCORD BRINGS DISCOURAGEMENT Romans 15:5 (New Living Translation) Have you ever been at an orchestral concert when all the instruments started warming up? If so, you'll
know that there's not much harmony there. All kinds of different instruments making their individual sounds whenever
and however they choose to is not really a pleasant thing to listen to. Then, the conductor comes to the stand
and lifts his baton for the opening musical rendition. All of a sudden those individual noises sound almost
like one. They are in perfect harmony and rhythm. That's what God wants His church to be like.
Romans 15:5 indicates that God gives us patience and encouragement to help us live in complete harmony with one another. Romans 15:4 lets us know that the scriptures written in the past were there, not only to teach us, but to give us hope and encouragement.
We all need encouragement as we wait to see the complete manifestation of God's promises. God is encouraging us
to accept one another just as Jesus accepts us. (Romans 15:7) We're not all in the same place, as believers. Some are strong in the faith and grown up and some are
still weak in the faith and babies. In no way should we become critical of each other. Think of it this
way, are we going to condemn our six month old child because he or she cannot communicate the way we do? No, not
in the least. What we will do is teach them and encourage them to learn to communicate. Some have convictions
about what they should and should not eat or drink. Some have convictions about how and when they should celebrate certain
sacred days. Some are not convicted about any of these natural things and are more free in their actions.
Just because one believer is not condemned about a certain thing doesn't mean that he or she can condemn the weaker one.
We are to accept Christians who are weak in the faith, not debating or arguing with them and certainly not condemning them.
(Romans 14:1) What we are called to do is encourage one another. Are
there people in your life who do things that you would not consider doing? Or, conversely, are there people in
your life who won't do certain things that you feel perfectly free to do? We probably have both kinds of people
in our lives. When we start comparing others with our own convictions and opinions, a process of condemnation usually
begins. That is not our purpose in life. When we begin condemning others for the things they do or do not
do, there is probably some pride involved in our lives. All of us are God's servants.
We are all responsible to the Lord. He will speak to us as individuals, letting us know that what we are doing is right
in His sight or wrong. (Romans 14:4) You and I may want to change some things about the people in our lives but we can't do it. It's just
not in our power. It is only the Lord's power that will help each one of us do what we should do! Condemnation
of another will only bring discord in the Body of Christ. It will bring discouragement instead of encouragement.
Life is hard. It's hard for the rich and the poor alike. We all need to be encouraged to grow and stay in
the race. (Hebrews 12:1) Taking offense and becoming petty in our attitudes toward one another will not be encouraging to anyone.
It will not build the Body of Christ. It will, in fact, tear down instead of build. We may be perfectly right
in a certain conviction but if we demand the right to be right and destroy a weaker brother or sister, what have we gained?
(Romans 14:12-13) Even Jesus did not come to condemn you and me, though He had the perfect right to do so. (John 3:17) He came to encourage us that, through believing on Him, we could have salvation. If we would follow Jesus, we
will be an encouragement to others. At the end of Romans, Chapter 15, Paul indicates that he will come to Rome
again for a visit. Though he has to go through some trials before that visit, he is anticipating his return to them so
that they can be an encouragement to one another. (Romans 15:32) Is that the way our lives are this morning? Positive and encouraging one another? Or, are we negative,
spreading discord and discouragement? What are some of the areas in our lives where we can become more like Jesus
and encourage someone else instead of condemning what they do? MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 8, 2008 - DO YOU NEED STRENGTH? Psalms 138:3 (New Living Translation) Does
this morning find you feeling a bit weak? Are there situations in life that have sort of drained your strength?
If there aren't today, there will be some if you live long enough. David was extremely thankful to the Lord.
(Psalm 138:1) He was always worshipping and giving thanks. He knew that God's love and faithfulness was a sure
thing. (Psalm 138:2) He knew that all of God's promises were absolutely true. (2 Corinthians 1:20) We can know that today. Jesus had not come yet when David wrote Psalm 138 but we now have the knowledge that all of God's promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus. That knowledge
is encouraging! David prayed to God because he knew God would answer.
David needed encouragement just as you and I need encouragement. In Psalm 138:3, David said that God encouraged him by giving him the strength he needed. Where do you need strength this morning?
It could be in the area of finances, health, relationships, spiritual things or any number of things. Like David, we
can pray, knowing that we will get encouragement from the Lord by receiving the strength we need. As we begin
to realize that we have access to the King of Kings, joy will rise up in us and we will have strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) Sometimes our focus gets stuck on our problem rather than on the Problem Solver. God gives us encouragement
in Philippians 4:13 when Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Prayer will bring the encouragement
of the Lord and the strength to manage during any situation. We serve
a great and powerful God. (Psalm 138:5) Yet, He remembers that He made us from the dust of the ground. (Psalm 103:14) Though we are weak, He reaches down and imparts His strength to us. We may find ourselves surrounded by troubles.
When we look at them, we will feel weak but when we listen to God, we know that He will bring us safely through them.
(Psalm 138:7) Our enemies will be subdued by His strength. By His power and not our own, we will
be saved. Though we may feel weak sometimes, the One who lives in us is strong. Although we may even
feel foolishly weak, God is just waiting to use that weakness to show His power. (1 Corinthians 1:27) We can be so encouraged this morning to know that God will work out His plans for us. (Psalm 138:8) They are good plans if we're seeking Him. (Jeremiah 29:11) If this morning finds us feeling weak, let's just admit it and call on the Lord for strength. Denying our
weakness will do not good. That would just be pride. (Psalm 138:6) Humility is what God is looking for. He will give strength to those of us who will humble ourselves before
Him. He will resist the proud. (James 4:6) Do you need added strength today? It is there for us as we humble ourselves under God's mighty
hand. (1 Peter 5:6) In His time we will find ourselves lifted up and strong! Be encouraged today as God supplies the strength you
need. MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 7, 2008 - JUST KEEP ON 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (The Message) As Paul spoke to the Thessalonians, he took the opportunity
to remind them to keep on doing what was good in the sight of God. As Christians, we can take the opportunity to remind
each other that we serve a God of hope. We have the opportunity to build each other up. How do we do
that? One way is with encouraging words. These words should never be words of flattery. (Proverbs 29:5) Flattery may get you everywhere in this world but it's a trick. When we flatter others instead
of encouraging them, we actually set a trap for them. Words are important. They bring life or death. (Proverbs 18:21) Encouraging words are not the same as flattering words, though at times we may find it hard to discern
between the two. The motive behind the words will either make them flattering or encouraging. Our motive,
when speaking to one another, should always be to build the other up in the faith. That will require that we speak the
truth in love. Ephesians 4:15 (King James Version) 15
(KJV) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: The truth can be very hard to take but it is possible for us to nudge one another gently, pointing out things that
are harmful to another without bringing condemnation. As I write this, I know I have lots of work to do in this area! Just
as Paul said of the Thessalonians, we're probably already doing this to some extent, even to a great extent,
but a gentle reminder is never out of order. Individually,
our relationships can be a whole lot better if we only speak words of encouragement to one another. It's so much
easier to pull one another down than it is to pull one another up. If we go around discouraged all the time and speaking
negatively, we will pass it along and others will lose hope. (Proverbs 12:18) Do you have a friend, relative, or spouse that you might want to think more about building up? When you get
discouraged, do you tend to bring people down instead of walking in faith? When we walk in faith toward God, even those
things that might discourage us can be turned into a message of encouragement. Have you ever seen someone go through
extremely difficult circumstances, yet continue to praise the Lord? Isn't that encouraging? Even though they
are in hard times, they are encouraging us and building us up by speaking words of faith. They help us to remember that
God is in control even during the most trying of times. In the Amplified
Bible, 1 Thessalonians 5:11 begins with the word, "therefore." As has been often said, we need to find out what the words preceding
the "therefore," are there for. In this case, it appears that Paul is reminding us to build each other up
and speak encouraging words because God has not selected us to bring condemnation on us but to give us salvation. (1 Thessalonians 5:9) That's encouraging! We've certainly done things that deserve condemnation but God has chosen us to receive
His salvation instead. Not only here on earth, but for eternity. (1 Thessalonians 5:10) We're going to live forever with our Lord! With that thought, we can speak words of encouragement and comfort
to one another. If one is in a trial, the other can help encourage him or her to keep standing. If one
gets weary and can't keep up, we can speak words of encouragement to help them continue the race. The Lord is building
His church even at this moment. He has a place for each of us in that building. When we build each other up, the
Body becomes stronger. When we discourage one another or tear one another down, the Body becomes weaker. We all
need encouragement from time to time and we can all give encouragement if our eyes are on Jesus who is the
author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) He set the example for us. His words to those who believe are always words of encouragement.
He never lost sight of His purpose and we must never lose sight of ours either. We're all in the Body together.
None need be left out or left behind. Who can you encourage with some of these words today? Let's go for it
and make a commitment to keep going for it! Just keep on!! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 6, 2008 - ARE YOU STUCK? Acts 16:25 (The Message) It's one thing to be in the party crowd and be singing and dancing
at midnight. It's another thing to be singing at midnight when you're stuck in an awful situation. That's
what happened when Paul and Silas were in the dungeon. (Acts 16:23-24) Can you imagine the darkness of that dungeon at midnight? Can you imagine the smell of it? Can you imagine
being placed in close contact to the worst of criminals? That's pretty discouraging to me! To top it off,
Paul and Silas had been beaten before being chained and put in the pit. When life comes at us full force, we may not
receive a physical beating or be thrown into a dark dungeon like Paul and Silas. The chains that bind us and the
bars that keep us in bondage may look altogether different than the place that Paul and Silas were in. Nevertheless,
we can, at times, find ourselves feeling stuck in a situation that totally binds us. Bruised and bleeding, they decided
to encourage each other by praying to the One who could save them and singing loudly to Him. Their trust manifested
itself at the midnight hour when there was seemingly no way out. This morning may find some of us in a situation that
looks bleak and even hopeless. But, we can encourage one another in the fact that we serve a God of hope who is able
to deliver us from anything. (Psalm 146:5) Nothing is too far gone for the Giver of Life to restore! Is the situation you're in this morning worse
than that of Paul and Silas when they found themselves in prison? They really hadn't done anything either, except
turn people's hearts toward the Lord. Like Paul and Silas, if
we will choose to pray and sing praises to God, we will encourage ourselves and others around us. Even all the other prisoners
were touched by their praying and singing. We may never know exactly why we find ourselves in a dark place. We
can be encouraged, though, by the fact that God is with us and will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) At this point in Paul and Silas's experience, they chose to be content or satisfied with what they had.
They knew they had the ear of the Father and so they began to call on Him and sing to Him. Their hope was in Him.
It's just like that with us when we find ourselves, "stuck." Things don't look good or smell good
around us. Yet, we have the choice as to whether we will grumble and complain or whether we will encourage ourselves
in the Lord and, in the process, encourage those around us. The Lord does hear us when we call to Him
in our troubles. (Psalm 116:1) Is this a midnight hour for you? Just start praying
to your Father in Heaven who hears all your prayers. Begin to sing His praises even though it may seem silly at
the time. That's what Paul and Silas did. As they prayed and sang, they encouraged one another and all
the prisoners too. They had no idea how they might get out of the dungeon but God heard their prayers and songs of deliverance.
God acted on those prayers and soon the bars were broken and the chains fell off. (Acts 16:26) God stepped in suddenly. He stepped into a hopeless situation in His great power. A great
earthquake sent the prison reeling and all of the prisoners were set free. At this point, the jailer became very
discouraged. He was about to be killed for letting the prisoners go. He was about to kill himself first.
(Acts 16:27) But, a spark of encouragement rose up inside him when Paul assured him that none of the prisoners had run
away. Then he asked Paul and Silas what he needed to do to be saved. They were able to
tell him and he was saved. His whole household too! (Acts 16:29-31) Let's be encouraged this morning that we never know how God will use the darkest moments in our lives to
bring others into the Kingdom. We just need to keep our eyes on Him and keep the lines of communication open by
not becoming bitter and resentful or becoming grumblers. There are situations that we have no control over.
We cannot save ourselves. But God is fully able to deliver us from anything. I hope you are encouraged this morning as
we turn our faces toward Heaven, knowing that we can find deliverance and safety in the arms of our Father. Paul and
Silas were released. (Acts 16:35) But, not before they brought the message of love and salvation to the jailer who had imprisoned them. After
they were released, they walked straight out of jail to share their testimony with their friends. (Acts 16:40) They took a message of encouragement which was far greater than it would have been had they never had to go through
the midnight experience in jail. Be encouraged this morning. Whatever you may be going through. When you
come out the other side, by the power and grace of the Lord, your message of encouragement to others will be all the
more powerful. You may feel "stuck," right about now but you're only going through.
Encourage others as you go, receive the encouragement God sends you from others. When you emerge on the other side,
don't forget to tell your story so that others will be encouraged too! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 5, 2008 - WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE? Numbers 13:33 (King James Version) What do you feel like this morning? Do your feelings mirror God's Word to you? Or, do they hinder
you from receiving what God has promised you? If our thoughts are rooted and grounded in what God has promised, we can
be encouraged and be an encourager just like Caleb. (Colossians 1:20-23) Caleb kept God's promise in mind when he started in to spy out the promised land. The Lord had told Moses to send twelve spies into the land of Canaan. He finished his command with the words,
"the land I am giving to Israel." The promise was there and each of the twelve spies had the same opportunity.
God showed each of them the same things. Some were encouraged and some were discouraged. Only two found great
courage in the Lord's Word to them. These were Joshua and Caleb. The other ten became discouraged when they
looked in. They looked at what they saw in the natural instead of keeping their focus on God's promise. What do
you see when you look at your life this morning? A life of promise and encouragement? Or, a life of discouragement
and failure? What do you feel like this morning? A powerful child
of the King? Or a grasshopper trying to keep from being stepped on? When God gives a promise and leads us to a
certain place, He has promised also to be with us. In the case of Joshua and Caleb, they were the only two that
became encouraged even though what they saw as the same thing as the other spies saw. If we are encouraged to go on
this morning to receive and be all that God has promised, we will probably find ourselves in the minority. But,
that's okay, you and God make a majority! The other spies saw the large clusters of fruit. They even
brought some back but their words were discouraging. They also saw the giants that lived in the land and they became
unsure of themselves. They saw themselves as grasshoppers in the sight of the giants. They assumed that the giants
saw them that way too. All twelve spies saw both the giants and the giant clusters of grapes. Numbers 13:23-24 (The Living Bible) 23
(TLB) Then they came to what is now known as the valley of Eshcol where they cut down a single cluster of grapes
so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also took some samples of the pomegranates and
figs.24 The Israelis named the valley "Eshcol" at that time (meaning "Cluster")
because of the cluster of grapes they found! God's promises are always much more than we can ask or believe. (Ephesians 3:20) God has given each one of us His promise
that we have special works already created for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) He has promised never to leave us as we go about doing those things and holding on to His promises.
But, are we like Caleb and Joshua, who held tightly to the promises of God, becoming more and more emboldened to take what
God has promised? Or, are we like the other ten spies who spoke the some truth but in a negative way? They saw
the fruit, they knew God's promise that the land was theirs; but their focus was on the giants. Numbers 13:31 (The Living Bible) 31 (TLB) "Not
against people as strong as they are!" the other spies said. "They would crush us!" Where
is our focus this morning? In what we see around us or in what God says? In who God says we are in Him, or
in what we feel like compared to others? Today, I am tempted to see myself as a grasshopper. Things don't
look exactly like I expected them to look. The giants in life are trying to threaten me with their power and strength.
What will I choose to believe? If that is what your life is like today, what will you choose to believe? What
we choose to believe will affect those around us. It will affect our families, our churches, and even whole nations!
We will either be an encourager or someone who discourages. (Numbers 13:32) While the giants in our lives may seem huge, we need to keep our focus on the One who is the "hugest."
With God, nothing is impossible. (Luke 1:37) If we are with God, we're in a great place. Nothing will be impossible for us. The
majority of the spies were negative. Caleb, however, chose to step out and encourage all of Israel to take the promised
land. He spoke encouraging words to them. Numbers 13:30 (The Living Bible) 30
(TLB) But Caleb reassured the people as they stood before Moses. "Let us go up at once and possess it,"
he said, "for we are well able to conquer it!" Today, you and I live in a world filled with
giants. They threaten us at most every turn. What will we choose to do about it? Will we choose to keep
looking up and believing God for the manifestation of His promises in our lives? Will we choose to keep walking in enemy
territory knowing that God has already promised victory? Will we be like Caleb and say, "for we are well able to
conquer" whatever it is that threatens us? Let me leave this word of encouragement with you today, even as I speak
it to myself. We are well able to conquer and take the land that God has promised us. With God all
things are possible. (Mark 10:27) We may not feel like it when we're in the midst of troubles and trials. Yet, it is God's Word and we
can push those feelings of inadequacy and the grasshopper mentality away. It's the enemy that wants us to feel like
we can't make it. No wonder! If he can get us to believe that lie, he has won. We know that Jesus has
already defeated him. So, no matter what our feelings are this morning, let's be in the minority with Joshua and
Caleb. Let's keep our focus on the Lord and on His promises. Let's stay rooted and grounded in His faithfulness
and love and then spread the word. God is faithful. God has promised that, with His help, we will conquer.
The first territory that we must conquer is our negative feelings. We can be a Caleb! Be encouraged! MORNING MANNA -FEBRUARY 4, 2008 - HOLDING HANDS 1 Thessalonians 2:12 (The Message) The words in 1 Thessalonians 2:12 were written by Paul. He was explaining to the Thessalonians his manner of living in their midst.
He was reminding them that he sacrificed for them, working long hours, to be able to afford to stay with them and preach
the Good News of the gospel. (1 Thessalonians 2:9) Paul was interested in encouraging those around him to receive the gospel message and to walk according
to the calling God placed on their lives. He was willing to pay the price. He didn't want to burden those
around him, making them pay his expenses even though he was pouring his life into them. He truly loved them and
wanted the best for them. To make that happen, he gave of himself totally and freely. As The Message paraphrases
it, he held their hands and whispered encouragement. Along with that encouragement, he showed them, step-by-step how
to live godly lives. In reading this account of scripture, I am reminded that we, too, can be like Paul.
Wherever God places us in life, we need to be encouraged by the fact that He is sovereign and His plan for us is the best
of all plans. Part of His plan for each of us to use us to show others encouragement. With that
said, we need to stay encouraged ourselves. Paul let the Thessalonians know
just how much he loved them. Isn't it encouraging to know that you know, that you know, that you are loved?
Paul said he loved them as a father loves his children. (1 Thessalonians 2:11) That includes such things as discipline, positive appeals, comfort, encouragement, and the inspiration
to correct ungodly behavior. As we read through the scriptures, we find that God does the same thing for us.
He is our Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6) Like any good father, He showers us with blessing. But, He also encourages us to grow up. Matthew 5:48 (The Message) 48 (MSG)
"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your
God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you. Yes,
there will be testings and some hard times. Yet, in all of that, we can be encouraged. A poor father rarely, if
ever, disciplines his children. Our Father, though, is a perfect Father. We can know that we belong to Him, not
only by His blessings, but by His discipline. (Hebrews 12:6) So, if you are being tested today or perhaps disciplined by the Lord, be encouraged. This will last for a season
and then you'll find that you have grown more. As parents and grandparents, we need to follow Paul's example,
as Paul followed God's example of encouragement. Here's some
real encouragement this morning. God has called us into His Kingdom to share His glory! God, Himself, is holding
us by His powerful right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (The Living Bible) 10
(TLB) Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Whatever situation we find ourselves in this morning,
we have the encouraging assurance that we are held in God's powerful hand. He is holding your hand this morning
if you will let him. As we feel the strength of our Father's hand holding ours, whose hand can we reach out and
hold? Who needs a hand this morning? Is it you? Then go to the Word of God and find the promises that encourage
you. Is it someone you know? If so, ask the Lord to give you the love and compassion to reach out your hand
of encouragement and comfort. There's a song called, "Christian in the House." Part of the lyrics
go like this: "There are days, I'm such a mess. I'm gonna need someone just to ease the stress."
It goes on to say, "Is there a Christian in the house, someone to lend a hand?" As we remember that God can
turn any mess into a message, let's reach out to those around us and encourage them to keep walking with God. As
God looks around, let's be sure He finds us holding hands tightly, whispering encouragement to one another! MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 3, 2008 - NOT TO WORRY! Proverbs 12:25 (New Living Translation) 25
(NLT) Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. Is something worrying you this morning? Cheer up! There are
people all around to speak encouraging words into our lives. And, even if no one speaks an encouraging word to you,
Jesus has already done it and He will continue to speak encouragement to you and to me. Has the stress of life left
you feeling weighed down or depressed? Or both? Why not find some friends to speak encouragement to you and to
support you? Most certainly, do not intimately associate with those that discourage you. In the worst case, should
you be, or feel that you are, totally abandoned; it's just not so. Have some friends seemed to abandon you?
Maybe it's just that they don't realize that you need encouragement. They might even stay away because they don't
know how to encourage you. If you and I are not connected to the Word constantly, we will not know how to encourage
another. We are told in the scriptures that there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (King James Version) 24 (KJV) A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh
closer than a brother. That "Friend," is Jesus. He is the perfect Encourager and His will is
for us to become more and more like Him. To be more like Jesus, we most definitely will want to be an encouragement
to others. And sometimes, like David, we will have to be content just to be in the Lord's presence and encourage
ourselves in Him. As the old hymn says, "What a Friend We Have In Jesus." Part of those lyrics include
this": "We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer." What is it that has us worried today? It could be a vast number of things, since
this world is getting more and more complicated. We certainly face an enormous variety of issues every day of our lives.
Some of those issues will tempt us to be discouraged. It's not a sin to be tempted to be discouraged but it becomes
sin when we receive the suggestion and fall prey to discouragement and worry. Jesus said we did not have to worry about
anything. (Matthew 6:31-33) All we have to do is make His Kingdom our top priority. Many of us try to do that and then feel like a failure
when we don't see things changing right away in our lives or the lives of those we love. That's another temptation
right there! We don't need to judge ourselves to the point of discouragement. We just need to do what His
Word says. His Word always works! Sometimes we can't see His hand right away but that doesn't
mean that His Word is not working. Look at the lyrics of this lovely song, "When you can't see His
hand, trust His heart." His heart is certainly for us and not against us. The wonderfully encouraging thing that
we find in Matthew 6:33 is this - We don't have to do all the work. Just keep our eyes on Jesus, seek Him, and His promise is that
everything we need will be provided. We have a wonderful God who is interested in everything that concerns us from the
least of things to the greatest of things. That pretty much covers it. Here's another encouraging thing.
Jesus calls us to come to Him when we get tired and weak. Another of His promises is that He will give us rest.
Are you tired and weak this morning? Jesus, our Encourager, calls to you to come to Him with those worries. He
promises rest in exchange for our worries. I'm beginning to be encouraged. I hope you are too. When we receive encouragement, it is not ours to hold onto or hoard. One of the
meanings of, encouragement is, "comfort." It's a given that we will have trouble at some time or other
in our lives. (2 Corinthians 1:4) We live in a sinful world. That sin can easily discourage even the best of us. In spite of that, we
all have stories concerning the various ways God has brought encouragement or comfort into our lives. We need
to share those stories with others when the Holy Spirit gives us opportunity. Is there someone in your life right
now who is discouraged? Is this your opportunity to speak that word of encouragement and comfort to them? To help
lift a burden off of their shoulders? Or, maybe it's you. You may be the one that needs encouragement.
As we find comfort and encouragement in the Word of God, we will be encouraging ourselves. You and I have great
influence on those around us in this area. Everybody needs to be encouraged. This is made plainly evident by the following
snippet. Too often, we as Christians fail to realize how influential
our lives can be on the lives of other people, including other Christians. We should live our lives with a daily goal of producing
faith in others. John Bunyan, the renowned author of Pilgrims Progress conveys the idea of influence quite beautifully
with this quote: "Christians are like the several flowers in a garden that have each of them the dews of heaven, which,
being shaken with the wind, they let fall at each other's roots, whereby they are jointly nourished and become nourishers
of each other." Christians should remember that our spiritual growth and strength not only comes from regular
bible study and prayer, but also from using the talents and spiritual gifts that God gives us to encourage and equip others. —Bible
Illustrations So, what can you and I do with our talents and spiritual gifts to encourage others and
equip them to do the same? If we ask God to direct us, He will. (Ephesians 2:10) We just have to trust Him in that. It's in His Word. He already has a plan and a purpose for each of
our lives. (Jeremiah 29:11) We should be encouraged by just that fact. If we are, it will be pretty hard to keep us from being encouragers
to those around us. Let's go for it! I encourage you right now in the fact that Jesus loves you!
It's encouraging to know that His love is not a sugar-coated, emotionally changeable kind of love. It's
an abiding love that seeks out the best for us! Find somebody today to encourage and comfort. If you need those
things right now, know that as I write this, I'm praying that your heart will be opened to the encouragement and comfort
of Jesus. Basically, Jesus says, "Not to worry." As you become more and more encouraged just, "pass
it on!" MORNING MANNA - FEBRUARY 2, 2008 - ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER Judges 20:22 (King James Version) Some days are just hard. That's not to say that every
day is not good either. I want to share a story with you from just a couple of days ago. It's pretty Here's a story that encouraged me, even though I was a
part of it. It also gave My husband and I were on a flight to Los Angeles and we needed to use the
rest Proverbs 12:25 (Amplified Bible) Is there something in your life this morning that is causing you to have sorrow? Maybe you love someone with
no visible hope of having that love returned. Worst of all, maybe you feel that God is displeased with you. These
things and numerous other situations in our lives cause us to be anxious. Even depressed. Is something in your
life making your heart heavy this morning? Are you weighed down with care? Sometimes my thoughts are
anxious and I don't even realize it. I just feel as if something is not right. Have you ever experienced that? Those
are the times we should go to God with the following request. Psalms 139:23 (New International Version) 23
(NIV) Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. When He reveals
those thoughts, what we will need is an encouraging word! When
we are anxious and depressed, we need to get the negative thoughts out of our minds and renew them with the truth of
the Word of God. (Romans 12:2) That's encouragement! One day Jesus had
just crossed the lake and come into his own town. Some people brought a sick man on a bed to where He was. I
would dare to say this man was a mite discouraged and probably depressed. However, his friends decided
to give him some encouragement so they carried him on his bed to where Jesus was. Jesus took a look at the situation
and said, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." (Matthew 9:2) Now, this man was still on his bed because he had a physical ailment. No matter. When Jesus looks
at you and says, "Be of good cheer," that's encouragement! If you're one this morning who feels
that God is displeased with you, you may not be hearing Jesus say to you, "Be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven."
If you have never asked for forgiveness of your sins, now is the time to do it. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Then, just listen carefully and you will hear those words of encouragement. Your anxious thoughts will melt
into a peace that passes anything your mind can imagine. (Philippians 4:7) As if that wasn't enough, Jesus went on to heal the man of his illness. (Matthew 9:4-6) I would venture to say that that man went away encouraged! There is nothing like knowing our sins are
forgiven to conquer despair! But, Jesus is interested in every part of us. So, whatever is keeping us down and
distraught this morning, we can take it to the Savior and we will come away encouraged. It is well known in the medical community that anxiety, or stress, is the cause of many illnesses. The support
of an encouraging word can make all the difference in the world in helping to turn illness around. On the other hand,
discouraging words can bring another person down. Discouraging words that we speak to ourselves can cause us to bring
ourselves down. Proverbs 12:18 lets us know that wise people bring healing. You don't have to be a doctor to bring healing. You just
have to be wise enough to know enough of the truth of God's Word to speak encouraging words to both others and yourself. Becoming
discouraged leaves us without courage. One without courage feels weak and vulnerable. Do you know someone
like that? Or, maybe you resemble someone like that. Let's be wise and bring healing to ourselves by
speaking true, encouraging, godly words to one another and to ourselves. Let's take the "dis"
out and put, "en," in the word, "courage." When we began this year, we
decided to prepare for a great year. So far, we have talked about prayer and reading the scriptures. Those topics
covered the first, "p" and the first "r" in the word, "prepare." We're now beginning
with the first, "e," which will be, "encourage." Hopefully, we can discover or re-discover the
wonderful encouraging words of the scriptures and use those to encourage ourselves and encourage others. Let's
make it a year of encouragement and just watch the good things that will happen!
To See Morning Manna Devotionals for January 16-31, 2008, click here To See Morning Manna Devotionals for January 1-15, 2008, click here To See Morning Manna Devotionals For December 16-31, 2007 - click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for December 1-15, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for November 16-30, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devoionals for November 1-15, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for October 16-31, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for October 1-15, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for September 16-30, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for September 1-15, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for August 16-31, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for August 1-15, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for July 16-31, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for July 1-15, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for June 16-30, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for June 1-15, click here, To see Morning Manna Devotionals for May 16-31, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for May 1-15, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for April 16-30, 2008, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for April 1-15, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for March 16-31, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for March 1-15, 2008, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for February 16-28, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for February 1-15, 2007, click here To See Morning Manna Devotionals for January 16-31, 2007, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for January 1-15, 2007, click here To See Morning Manna Devotionals for December 16-31, 2006, Click Here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for December 1-15, 2006 - click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for November 16-30, 2006,click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for November 1-15, 2006, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for October 16-31, 2006, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for October 1-15, 2006, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for September 16-30, 2006, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for September 1-15,2006, click here To see Morning Manna Devotionals for August 16-31, click here To see Morning Manna devotionals for August 1-15, 2006, click here To see Morning Manna devotionals for July 16-31, 2006, click here. To see Morning Manna devotionals for July 1-15, 2006, click here. To see Morning Manna devotionals for June 28-30, 2006 click here. Enter content here Enter content here Enter content here |
|
|
