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A SONG AND A PRAYER |
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MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 16-31, 2006
Enter subhead content here  MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 31, 2006 - BLESSING GOD David tells himself and tells us, "Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless his
holy name." How can we bless the Lord? He has everything. We can bring Him our praise and our worship.
Psalm 103 is a wonderful place to go to remember all the things God has done and who he is. We can then begin to praise
Him for the marvelous works He has done in our lives. We can worship Him for who He is. He is our Savior.
Worship Him! He forgives all of our iniquities. Praise Him! He is our healer. (Psalm 103:3) He is our redeemer. He is kind and loving. He is more than merciful. (Psalm 103:4) He renews our youth and makes us soar like an eagle! (Psalm 104:5) He brings righteousness and justice for us and for all who are oppressed. (Psalm 104:6) He makes His ways known to us (Psalm 104:7). He doesn't get angry quickly. (Psalm 103:8) Even when He has to get angry, He will not stay that way. He doesn't hold a grudge. (Psalm 103:9) Here's a great one - even though we have sinned, He does not give us what we really deserve. (Psalm 103:10) He remembers that we are frail and made with dust. (Psalm 103:14) Our days are few and we may change but His mercy and love last forever. (Psalm 103:17) Psalm 103:13 and Psalm 103:17 remind us that God's promises are to His children. We are His children if we show reverential fear for Him.
If we bless Him, If we worship Him. If we praise Him. Like David, we can choose to live a lifestyle of blessing
God not only with our songs and our words but with our deeds and obedience. Oh yes, we will make mistakes but we can
bless God by repenting when they are pointed out to us - just like David (2 Samuel 12:13). Just one look at list of reasons to bless God in Psalm 103 gives us good reason to do it. If it only affected us, it would be more than worth it. But there is an added
benefit in Psalm 103:17 that should encourage any parent or grandparent to begin right now to bless God. His righteousness falls on our
children and theirs if they will follow suit. What kind of example are we to our children and grandchildren? Will
they know how to worship the Father who longs for their attention? Only if they see in us what is commanded in Psalm 103:22. May we say, like David, "I, too, will praise the LORD." MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 30, 2006 - SING YOUR PRAISE BUT BE CAREFUL Psalms 101:1-2 (New Living Translation) What do you
sing every day? With all the media available, I'm sure you have some tunes rolling around in your head that come
out every once in a while. The psalmist said he would sing of God's love and justice. He purposed to praise
the Lord with songs. For those of us who attend church, we do that every Sunday morning and maybe Sunday night and mid-week.
But what do we sing in the meantime? I hope we are constantly rehearsing God's love and justice and praising Him
with songs. It is good to go to church to praise the Lord but praise should begin in our hearts, in our homes (Ephesians 5:19). I notice that the very next thought the Psalmist has is that he will lead a blameless life.
A life of integrity in his own home. This sort of life is a praise in itself. Jesus said that we should obey His
commandments if we love Him. The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul
and mind (Matthew 22:34). The second, which Jesus said is like the first, is that we love our neighbor as ourselves. These commandments
involve blameless living. Obeying them will result in a life of integrity. Leading a life of integrity
is translated "a perfect heart" in the King James Version. Having a perfect heart in your own home is where
the rubber meets the road. Can those we live with witness to the fact that we are the same person at home as we
are in public (and especially in church)? If not, perhaps we need to ask God to cleanse us of double-mindedness (James 1:8). One way to be sure to sing songs of praise to the Lord is to listen to them at every opportunity.
That keeps our focus on good things and our thoughts turned in the right direction (Philippians 4:8). Toward God. As we sing about things that are just and pure, lovely and of good report, etc., we cannot help
but praise the God who brings such things into our lives even in such a troubled time as this. It will set our
hearts and feet to walk wisely and not foolishly (Ephesians 5:15-16). It will help us to walk that walk of blamelessness and integrity before God and man. The Psalmist
asks the question right in the middle of these thoughts, "When will you come to my aid?" It would seem that
God would like more than just a song or shout of praise before He manifests Himself in our life and comes to our aid.
The praise should stem from a life lived in obedience and wisdom. A life that is blameless and full of integrity.
Now there's a challenge for us to begin this week. There will probably be a test. But, don't
forget it's an open book test so keep your Bible handy. Plus that, if you don't pass the first time, God
is a God of mercy. You will be allowed to take it again! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 29, 2006 - SHOUT, WORSHIP, SING - BE JOYFUL!
Psalms 100:1-2 (New Living Translation)
It may be early in the morning but it's OK to shout. Really, it is! If you are near someone who needs to sleep or is ill, it may not be prudent to do it out loud right where you are but you can still shout from your heart (Proverbs 27:14). When you get with other believers, it is great to shout to the Lord (the verse says ALL the earth - imagine how loud that would be if we really did it). Believers who really, really are excited about what God can do, is doing and has done cannot really contain the joy. When they get together, it can be quite noisy. Much like when fans get together at a ball game. Now I don't really have a great interest in sports but, let me tell you, when my children played, I was one of the loudest screamers! Why? Because I loved the player. I knew the player. I was interested in the player. Is that the way it is with you and God? Do you want to shout because you are so interested in His winning (I know, He's already won and He did it for us) or are you a disinterested bystander not really connected to the game? Are you watching God move as He plays out each victory in your life? Are you Heaven's cheerleader? I always wanted to be a cheerleader but was never coordinated or cute enough. But guess what, God has called me to be HIS cheerleader. He's called you too. We are chosen to shout to Him with joy!
We can worship Him with gladness when we look back and see how far He has brought us. Even if He did nothing else for you, the sacrifice of His Son for your sin would have been enough. This world is temporary but eternity is final. Jesus paid the price for our sin with His own life. We're not only forgiven and given abundant life here but we have an eternal home in Heaven. Now there's something that should inspire our worship. But, and especially if you live in America where blessings flow freely, you have also been provided with everything you have needed to make it to this point in your life. He has been your Provider, your Protector, your Comforter, your Shepherd, - well, we could go on and on here. Above that, He has promised never to leave or forsake you. If those things alone don't make you glad, maybe you should check to see if you have a pulse. God is good and that should make us glad. Just think about it for a second, if that goodness were completely removed, where would we be?
OK then, here it is again, He wants us to come into His presence. And, and He wants to hear us sing! The God of all creation wants to hear us sing! But He doesn't want us to sing just any old song. He wants to hear a song of joy. Do you have a song of joy in your heart this morning? (Ephesians 5:19) If so, get to a place where you can shout it out. We have preconceived ideas of what beautiful singing is and it changes with generations. However, our ideas may not be God's ideas (Isaiah 55:8). What God desires is worship that comes from a grateful heart. The rhythm, pitch and intonation are not nearly as important to Him as the motivation and love behind the singing. I found at least fifteen instances in the Psalms where it says "make a joyful noise to the Lord". You can check it out for yourself! In the Strong's Concordance, the word for noise means figuratively, "to split the ears with sound." Darlene Zschech wrote a song entitled, "Shout To The Lord." It's a beautiful song that starts softly in worship with the words, "My Jesus, my Savior, Lord there is none like you. All of my days I want to praise the wonders of your mighty love." Just those words alone are enough to elicit the starting words of the chorus, "Shout to the Lord all the earth let us sing, power and majesty, praise to the King." How about it? Are you shouting with me? MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 28, 2006 - EXALTING AND BOWING Psalms 99:5 (New Living Translation) Remember the song, "You needed me"? Some of the words went something
like this, "You lift me up, upon a pedestal so high that I can almost see eternity. You needed me. You needed
me." Well, that is what exalting is. However unlike the song, where the object being lifted up was human, we
are to lift God up. We are to exalt Him. That is part of what worship is. It is realizing that there is only
One who can see eternity and it is God. We need Him! In that song I just mentioned, it would seem
that the one the singer is singing about has elevated her to such a high position that he is bowing at her feet. Dangerous! We
are never to worship another human or put them on a pedestal, especially if we love them. They are sure to fall and
not only will we be disappointed, but they will be hurt. We cannot ever put another human where God's place should
be. He is the only One worthy of being lifted up and the only One worthy of having us bow before His feet. The
King James version translates "bow before His feet" as "worship at his footstool." There we have
that word, "worship" again. It means: bow down, reference, humbly beseech, etc. It infers
that this is to royalty or to God. It is the same word used in Genesis 22:5, the first time the word worship is used in the scriptures (see October 27, 2006 devotional). What this verse
seems to be implying is that we should worship in His presence. In Old Testament times it probably meant the ark where God's
glory was manifested. Wherever God's presence is, that is where we should worship. Our quest to be in His
presence requires that we be in a state of worship. Nothing exalted but God. We, always in a humble state of bowing.
How does that sound to you this morning? Do I have an Amen? Have you exalted anything in your life above
God? How is your posture before Him this morning? Are you standing proudly or bowing in humility?
Don't worry, I'm not preaching. I'm actually asking myself these questions but you can feel free to ponder
them too. In His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). That's what I want. How about you? Then we must realize that God alone is holy and worthy
to be exalted. When that becomes a revelation, we will automatically bow in His presence before His feet!  MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 27, 2006 - OH WORSHIP THE LORD! Psalms 96:9 (New King James Version) As I was looking at this passage, I found that it
is repeated in 1 Chronicles 16:29. Yesterday, we talked about the invitation to come into His courts. Today, we see what we are supposed
to be doing there and what He wants done in His presence. It is worship. Worship is a state of our hearts. While
singing a song is an expression of worship, it is not the core of worship. Dancing before the Lord is also an expression
of worship but without holiness, it is nothing. We are to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. This is
also repeated in Psalm 29:2. Have you ever said to a child (if you have one), "how many times do I have to tell you......?" Well,
after you've said it once or twice, you are hoping they'll "get it". Amen? If God repeated
this at least three times, perhaps we should try to be sure we get it. I notice it says in the
beauty of holiness. Being curious, I checked the meaning of "beauty of holiness." At its very root,
beauty means, "to honor." Holiness means, "a sacred place or thing." It also means, "to
sanctify." Does our worship begin in a place of sanctity? Have we emptied ourselves of ourselves and
come into God's presence sanctified by the blood of Jesus in reverential fear? The very first time the word, "worship"
is used in scripture is when Abraham was on his way up the mountain to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, at God's command
(Genesis 22:5). For Abraham, it was faith mixed with obedience. For us, it must be the same. Abraham
went alone with his sacrifice. So must we. Abraham went in faith knowing that what God had promised him would
come even if he didn't understand how. This was shown by the fact that he told those at the bottom of the
mountain that he and the lad (his sacrifice) were going up to worship and they would return. Our faith must
be strong. Abraham went in obedience. So must we. We are called to come into God's courts and worship
with sanctified hearts and a reverential fear. This is not just a Sunday morning or Wednesday night affair.
It is a manner of living. It is an everyday, every moment deal. Where do you stand today? May it be that
we who believe are all in the same place - in God's presence, in reverential fear, in faith, in obedience, in true
worship! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 26, 2006 - BRING A GIFT AND COME! Psalms 96:8 (New King James Version) Do you want to be in God's presence this morning? Of course, God is everywhere. He is omnipresent.
But, do you want to see His manifest presence in your life? Do you hunger for the intimacy of His presence that you
were created for? We have an invitation to come into His courts. But, we must not come empty-handed.
When we are invited to someone's home for a meal or a party, we may bring a "hostess gift" to show our appreciation.
How much more appropriate to bring a gift of appreciation when we are invited into the courts of the living God! But
what can you bring to God? He has everything! Yes, He has everything except for the one thing He has given you
control of. Your heart - your will. The scripture above says "Give to the Lord the glory due His name."
What better way to give Him glory than to walk in obedience. That brings Him glory. What offering can we bring
that is fitting for the King of glory? We can only offer what has been given to us. Our hearts - our wills. Let's accept the invitation to come into His courts today, into His presence. Let's give Him the glory
due His name by walking right into His courts in full obedience to His Word showing that we truly love Him (John 14:15). Let's bring the offering He desires. That would be a heart broken and contrite over our
sin (Psalm 51:17). If your child came to you today obeying your rules, heart broken over any grief he or she had caused
you, how would you react? Wouldn't that be glory! Will you bring your Father glory today? Let's
come into His courts bringing ourselves as an offering. He will respond by manifesting His presence in our lives.
He will rejoice over such an offering (Zephaniah 3:17). He will surely be in your midst. To God be the glory! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 25, 2006 - REFUGE IN HIS PRESENCE Psalms 94:22 (New King James Version) Do you have a refuge this morning?
Yes, you do if you know the Lord. He is our refuge. Psalm 94:20 asks the question - "Can iniquity have fellowship with God?" The obvious answer is, "no".
Fellowship requires being in His presence. Where do you run when, like the psalmist,
you feel overwhelmed by the wickedness and depravity around you? (Psalm 94:1-7) You can run to the Rock of refuge. The Rock of salvation. His name is Jesus. He's
sitting at the right hand of God praying for you right now (Hebrews 8:1). Thre is a song titled, "I Go To The Rock." It describes the Rock as, "the
Rock of my salvation, the Stone that the builders rejected." Is that where you go? When you need a shelter
and a friend, He is there. There is a place of refuge when life seems to have more minuses
than pluses. But we should not wait for those negative moments to run there. God's desire is that we
live there - in His presence. We will have forever in eternity in His physical presence but the walk of faith allows
us to remain in His presence right now and in every situation in this life. Are the anxieties of this world keeping
you from His presence or driving you more and more into it? I'm asking myself that question this morning.
I'm praying that I will always be able to say with the psalmist, "The Lord has been my refuge and my defense."
Not only that but I want to continually say, "The Lord is my refuge and my defense" Today,
I am in the Rock - want to join me? He's inviting anyone who will come!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 24, 2006 - I WILL GO WITH YOU Exodus 33:14 (New Living Translation) Do you wonder sometimes what you are supposed to be doing? You probably know by this time
that God's purpose for your life is to conform you to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). But that does not really give us specific direction for everyday tasks and missions. You know
you have been called, yet you seem to lack a sense of direction. There is nothing like being in the presence of God
to alleviate any doubt as to which direction you need to go. Moses has been there, done that! Moses
stood in the very presence of God and we can too. At that time, of course, Jesus had not come to pay the price for our
righteousness. Not just anyone could stand in the presence of God. But Moses did because God had called him.
God is calling you and me today through the blood of Jesus. We have not lived a life worthy of the call but we are chosen
and precious to God. He desires to walk with us and talk with us just as the old hymn says. He does not just want
to walk with us in the morning or the evening but in every moment of every day. Of course, there will be times of more
intimate conversation in that walk - when we are alone with Him but He wants to be included in all we do. He will not
force Himself on us. He is certainly grieved when we leave Him out or ignore His presence. No wonder. How
would we feel if He ignored our presence (we would certainly die if He took His eye off of us!). What if we had a friend
who told everyone they were our friend but never acknowledged us when we were in their presence? How long do you suppose
that friendship would last? Aren't we blessed that God is faithful! He sticks closer than a brother even when
we get busy with so-called "important" things and ignore or forget Him. Being
in His presence is a fearful thing, yet the fear should come from a sense of awe and wonder that the Creator of everything
would bend to make Himself present in our lives. The only thing that can separate us from Him is our refusal to repent
of our sin. We can stand before Him boldly (Hebrews 4:16) because we are covered with the blood of Jesus. Although we can be bold in His presence, we should
never lose that reverential fear of standing before the One who created us. Moses was called of God and God calls each
one of us just as He did Moses. You could replace your own name in the verse above if you have been in His presence
and heard His call. Although Moses was blessed to hear the voice of God, he did not take it lightly. Neither should
we! Exodus 33:13 says that Moses asked to know God more intimately so he could understand Him further. Is that our
cry today? Do we want to know God more intimately? Will we take the time to sit with Him, to walk with Him, to
understand Him further? If so, He will be with us personally, give us rest and everything will be fine with us.
Is that awesome or what? Try repeating the above verse out loud and substituting your name in the place of Moses.
Then thank God that, through Jesus, you too can enjoy His personal presence.
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 23, 2006 - SIN AND SEPARATION Genesis 4:16 (Amplified Bible) What
keeps you and me away from the presence of the Lord? We thrive in His presence but we have a great tendency to depart
from it. Cain departed from the face of the Lord. He had committed a great sin. He had murdered his brother
Abel because he was jealous. God had accepted Abel's offering and not Cain's. Of course his sin was not
hidden from God and God pronounced judgment on him. However, instead of repenting and begging for forgiveness, Cain's
heart grew even harder. Isn't it that way sometimes with us? The more we sin, the harder our heart gets.
God, being holy and righteous cannot look upon sin. Our sin drives us farther and farther
from His presence. We would all be like Cain, cursed and wandering if it were not for God's mercy and love.
He is not willing that any one of us perish or wander. His plans for us are for a future and a hope and not to harm
us. But, it boils down to the choice we make. Jesus was obedient to His father and made the sacrifice for our
sin. All we have to do is repent, receive the forgiveness through Jesus and be restored. It is possible to enter
into God's presence even though we have sinned greatly. The pull of the world would
tell us that there are greater pleasures out there than there are in the presence of God. Cain's parents were residents
of Eden. It was a land of delight and pleasure. Their hearts were also hardened by sin and they were cast out.
If their hearts had been right, they could have stayed there. Sin piled upon sin, God was forced to bring
judgment. Cain was sent out into the world to do what? To wander in a place where the ground was cursed.
To be separated from the presence of God. To be a vagabond. To be in exile. Oh, what a pull there is by
the evil in the world to make us think that we can find happiness in sin. Only in the presence of God are we safe.
Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, just as the old hymn says. If you are holding
on to some sin today, it's a good time to run to God, repent and receive the forgiveness that Jesus purchased with His
life. Then enjoy the sanctuary of His presence. He loves you and me and desires to make His abode with us.
Can we turn away such a wondrous love?
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 22, 2006 - I NEED YOUR PRESENCE, LORD Genesis 3:8 (Amplified Bible) There is a great call
today to seek the presence of the Lord. And rightly so. It is and always has been God's desire to commune
with us. Without His presence, our existence is just that - existence. With His presence in our lives, we have
abundant life. It's interesting, isn't it that Adam and Eve enjoyed the presence of the Lord when they were
created but then ran and hid from it. He had obviously spoken to Adam in person (Genesis 2:15-17). He commanded Adam as to what to eat and what not to eat. Adam knew the rules of His Creator. He
also knew the love and care of God. Unfortunately, Adam chose not to obey. Oh, I
know, Eve was the first to eat of the forbidden fruit. But, Adam knew the rules. He chose to follow His wife rather
than His God. All of life is filled with choices. We can either choose good or evil - life or death. Choosing
evil or death takes us out of God's presence. God is constantly urging, begging us to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19). After eating the proverbial "apple", Adam and Eve hid themselves. Up to that point,
they were innocent and basked in the loving presence of the Almighty God. Notice that He did not remove Himself from
them. They hid from Him. God kept calling and He is still calling today. Isn't that what we tend to
do today when we sin? Sometimes, instead of running to Him we run away from Him and get into more trouble! We
turn off that voice that is calling us back and try to go it alone. It is only in His presence that we can find peace
and the power to turn from evil instead of falling into it. How are you doing in this garden
we call the world? Are you enjoying God's presence in your life even if you have to live in a perverse generation
such as this? You can. He has provided a way. That way is Jesus. Maybe you feel like you have
failed or are too bad to run to God. Instead of running away, be encouraged. He wants you to come home and
not keep on running. He desires your presence and wants you to desire His. He has life and a future in mind for
you (Jeremiah 29:11) and is just waiting for you to come as you are seeking His presence. He will clean you up and
give you clothes of righteousness through Jesus if you will only accept His invitation. How about it? You don't
have to hide in the bushes like Adam and Eve. Come into the open, into the light of His presence and let Him cleanse
you and dress you in the royal robes of righteousness. Even the clothes are provided (Isaiah 61:10). No need to search for something to cover yourself! He's got you covered. Maybe you're feeling OK but not really passionate about His presence. He wants you to be passionate.
He is passionate about you. He proved it by sending His Son to be scorned, mocked, beaten and crucified. Just
for you. That's over the top passion! Let's begin this season of Thanksgiving with praise and passion
for His presence in our lives.
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 21, 2006 - PERSECUTION AND PROMISE Matthew 5:10 (King James Version) If you are now or ever have been persecuted because you have shown righteousness in your life, you are blessed. God has a reward for you. The world hates the things of God. Their eyes are blinded to His truth. They lash out at it just as those in the Old Testament lashed out and killed the prophets who were bringing the Word of God. If you suffer persecution for doing something good, you are in the best of company. Those who love to do evil do not like the light of righteousness because it exposes their deeds (Ephesians 5:13). They have to try to snuff out the light that a righteous person brings on the scene. Jesus said that what the world hates Him because He testifies against their evil works. Because the world can see Him in righteous people, it hates them too (John 15:18). Then comes persecution. Jesus promised the kingdom of heaven to those who would suffer persecution for being righteous. James lets us know that we should be joyful when we come under trial (James 1:2-4). When we suffer under trials without wavering in our faith or caving in to the ways of unrighteousness, it perfects us and gives us patience. These characteristics are required in the kingdom of heaven. While the gift of salvation is free to all who will receive it, there is a cost to being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. There are many, many wonderful promises of blessing and abundance for the believer but there are also promises of suffering for and with Jesus (Philippians 1:29). Of course, the persecutions and trials are painful and we are not told to be joyful because we enjoy the pain but because of the joy it will bring. Jesus endured the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. We are to endure persecution for the same reason - we are promised the kingdom of heaven. Are we willing to be persecuted for being righteous? As T.D. Jakes says, "Get ready, get ready, get ready!" Making the decision now before the persecution comes will enable us to have our priorities set and our faces set like flint to press on for the kingdom! Recently I received an e-mail from a friend who told me she had heard a lady with cancer being interviewed. She was asked the question, "Have you ever asked God, 'why me'?" Her answer was "no". She said, "I have never asked God, 'why me' when the good things happened to me so why should I ask 'why me' when something bad happens?" Although Matthew 5:9 is not speaking of illness but of persecution for living a Godly life, the principle is the same. Many today in third world countries are being severely persecuted and tortured because they live righteous lives. Christians in other times have also suffered great persecution. Should we be surprised if the world hates us for exposing evil by our righteous living? Should we ask, "why me" when we know that the very same thing happened to the prophets and to Jesus? What are we prepared to suffer today for the joy of receiving the kingdom?
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 20 - 2006 - PEACEMAKING MEANS WAR! Matthew 5:9 (King James Version) What is your purpose in life?
Romans 8:29 indicates that it is God's purpose to make us like His Son. We are being conformed to the image
of Jesus if we have been called by God. One of the names of Jesus from the Old Testament is Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, then we are also to be peacemakers. The Prince of Peace is
the Son of God who is the God of peace (Hebrews 13:20). It stands to reason that if peace is a characteristic of the King and the Prince, then we servants
must reflect their nature. One commentary says that peace is a restorer of unity. That stands
to reason too since Jesus came to reconcile man to God and create the unity that was broken by sin. The message coming
from the God of Peace and the Prince of Peace is called the gospel of peace. Those of us who are willing to be peacemakers
are spoken of kindly in Romans 10:15 where it is said that the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace are beautiful. In
Ephesians 6:15, the scripture urges us to have as part of our spiritual armor, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel
of peace. Unfortunately, peace does not usually come without a spiritual battle. Feet not protected properly
can get wounded. When that happens, we won't be able to stand and keep fighting. We won't be
able to continue in pursuit of the enemy either. On top of that, should we need to get away, we will not be able to
run. There is another thing about having your feet covered with the gospel of peace. If you step on something sharp,
you won't be injured (irritations will not make you ineffective). So, being a peacemaker
is really being a soldier for the Lord. It is overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21). It is giving up your rights for the sake of unity of the Body of Christ or the unity of your family.
It is trusting that the King will redeem you if you fight His battles and not your own (Psalm 55:18). If we truly love God, we will love His principles. One of them is unity (John 17:22) according to the Prince of Peace. We are to love what God loves and He loves people (1 John 5:2). When we are making peace, we are fighting against principalities and powers, not people (Ephesians 6:12). We need to get rid of the idea that peacemakers are docile, unmotivated people. We need
to realize that peacemakers must wear the full armor of God because we are fighting something even stronger than people and
we must fight in the Name and strength of God. Are we willing to put aside our differences with people long enough to
fight those evil powers who would keep the eyes of the people God loves blinded to His perfect peace? God
is challenging me this morning. I hope you are challenged too. Children of God, will you be peacemakers?
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 19, 2006 - I SEE Matthew 5:8 (King James Version) There is seeing and then there is seeing!
Jesus says that those with a pure or clean heart will see God. Psalm 24:3-4 also says that only those who have a pure heart and clean hands will be able to enter
where the Lord lives. Can anyone have a pure heart? Doesn't the scripture say
that the heart is deceitful above all things? Corrupt too? (Jeremiah 17:9) Ah, but God has given us a way to have a pure heart. James 4:8 tells us to purify our hearts and cleanse our hands. This is in regard to being focused and single-minded
in pursuit of Heavenly rather than earthly things. We can purify our hearts by staying in the presence of God.
How do we get into the presence of God? There is only one Door (John 10:9). Jesus is that Door. First, we must admit that we are sinners - that our heart is totally
impure, even at our best (1 John 1:9). Then we need to ask for and receive the forgiveness Jesus died to give us. After
that, we have the responsibility to read His Word, pray and walk in His Spirit. When God sees one who has done
this, He sees His own Son. He sees a pure heart. When He sees that, we will get to see Him! There are many ways of seeing as described in the Greek. In this verse, the word, "see" actually
means to gaze upon with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable. It differs from many other words which could also
be translated, "see". The descriptions of these other words vary in meaning from voluntary observation to
close inspection. Standing in awe is what I think of when I think of gazing at something remarkable. God
has to be so much more than remarkable. Think of it, being able to see the living God! This was not
possible but now, through Jesus, we can someday see God in all His glory! In the meantime, He is evident in all
of creation and He has sent His Son. If we have seen Jesus, we have seen the Father (John 14:9). If you have never asked for and received a new heart - a pure heart,
won't you ask now?
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 18, 2006 - DO YOU WANT IT? GIVE IT. Matthew 5:7 (King James Version) Do you start each day with a clean slate, having forgiven those who have offended you and giving people the mercy
of having another chance? That is what God does for us. That's why Jesus asked us to do it for others.
Maybe you do not show yourself mercy. Do you beat yourself up repeatedly over past mistakes and failures? If so,
you will be unable to show mercy to others. Wipe the slate clean before getting out of bed each morning - God does.
Thank God each evening for His tender mercy toward you and purpose in your heart to extend that mercy to others. You
will then receive mercy from God and, even as a kings throne is upheld by mercy (Proverbs 20:28), so your life will be held up by the mercy of God. It is just another example of reaping what we sow.
God has sown great mercy into our lives. If we sow into the lives of others, He will continue to sow it into ours. Do you want to be wise? James 3:17 tells us that the wisdom from God is full of mercy, among other things. James 2:13 also tells us that our judgment will be without mercy if we have shown no mercy. Wisdom would tell
me that I don't want to be judged without mercy! You say, "but they don't deserve mercy!" Probably
not. Neither do I. But, I'm so glad that Jesus did not get down off the cross and say that about me even though
it is true! Instead, he stayed up there. He looked at the crowd and saw me (and you) in those who mocked,
scorned and killed Him. Then He opened His mouth and with some of His dying breath prayed, "Father, have
mercy on them, they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34 ) That's mercy! If we want it, we have to give it. We can give it because we have
freely received it.
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 17, 2006 - WHAT ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR? Matthew 5:6 (King James Version) OK,
I know this is not going to sound spiritual but lately, when things don't seem to be going my way, an old song has been
popping into my head. It's a song I used to hear blaring from the radio quite often when I was a teen. Every
time it does come, I have to take those thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). If you're old enough, perhaps you remember the song, "I can't get no satisfaction......."
This song certainly does not reflect the knowledge of God. Its message exalts itself (or "self")
above that knowledge. Jesus had another idea about satisfaction. He told us that we would be blessed if we would
hunger and thirst after righteousness. Our satisfaction will only come when we are filled with righteousness.
Most of the time the things I am upset about do not have much to do with my hunger and thirst for righteousness. They are
about my irritations and getting my own way. Do you want to really be blessed? I do!!
Here is how the Amplified Bible describes the phrase, "blessed are they." "Blessed
and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and
salvation)" There is nothing like having God's favor. If we truly want it, we
will hunger and thirst after righteousness. What is righteousness? The Amplified Bible says it is uprightness
and right standing with God. It is translated from Greek words with root meanings of "innocent", "just"
and "holy". If we are hungering and thirsting after these things, we will be filled with them. Jesus
said, "I am the bread of life." (John 6:35). He also indicated that He was the living water (John 4:10). What is it that you are hungering and thirsting for today? If it is righteousness, it is all
wrapped up in one person - Jesus. We have no righteousness of our own but God has given us the righteousness of His
own Son because of His great sacrifice on the cross (1 Corinthians 1:30) . Are you hungry for the righteousness of Christ? Then you will be filled. He will
not cast you away if you are truly hungry and thirsty (John 6:37). Being filled means having food in abundance and comes from a root word meaning, "pasture."
The Lord is certainly our Good Shepherd. He truly is allowing us to rest in the green pastures where we
will have an abundance of food. He's leading us beside still water where we can drink our fill in safety. Lord, make us hungry and thirsty for Your righteousness, Your Son, this morning. May we pant after you
as the thirsty deer pants for the water (Psalm 42:1). We thank You Father for providing Your own Son as righteousness for us.
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 16, 2006 - STROFT Matthew 5:5 (King James Version) Want to be blessed? Want to be
happy? Then be teachable. Be humble. Oh, don't lose your backbone. Don't be weak-minded.
You are far from that because in Christ you are strong (Philippians 4:13). Jesus was the perfect example of meekness. He was strong but no arrogant. He
was humble and tender. He kept his power under control. He was disciplined. Several years ago there was
a toilet paper commercial that described the paper as "stroft" (strong but soft). Meekness is just that.
It is not being a doormat. It is not a false humility. It is knowing that you have power through Christ but remaining
truly humble. It is realizing that you do not have all the answers and allowing yourself to accept teaching. The
word "meek" can also be translated, "gentle" and is used that way three other times in the New Testament,
two of them referring to Jesus. Jesus tells us that the meek will inherit the earth.
The book of Psalms also gives us this picture (Psalm 37:9, 11). The meek have an inheritance. They are the only rightful heirs of the earth (and everything
else that belongs to God). There are many today who think they have all the answers. They think they know just
how to run this world. They are set in their opinions and agendas. Their hearts are lifted up and proud.
Arrogance abounds. But these things should not be found in a child of God. Our Father gives the inheritance to the obedient
children. To the ones who know their position in the Kingdom. The ones who wisely use the power given to them
by the Holy Spirit. In other words, those who become conformed to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29). If we want the inheritance, we need to be under the control of the One who owns
it all. Here is an analogy I found in The Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations that you may enjoy. Learn the true meaning of meekness by listening to jockeys and horse-trainers after a horse race. The horse that
wins the race is "the meekest on the track." This is the horse most under control, the horse that responds most
quickly to the jockey's guidance. The self-willed horse, the factious horse, is frequently left at the post; when he does
get started he may run faster than some of the others, but he does not finish with the leaders who were meek. —Donald
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