MORNING MANNA - MARCH 31, 2007 - SETTLE DOWN AND GIVE

Deuteronomy 16:16-17 (New Living Translation)
^{16 (NLT)} "Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. They must appear before the LORD your God at the place he chooses on each of these occasions, and they must bring a gift to the LORD.
¹⁷ All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the LORD your God.

There are occasions when we celebrate God corporately in the place He chooses.  (Hebrews 10:25)  We do this most every Sunday and many times during the week depending on our fellowship habits.  When we choose a place to worship and celebrate God corporately, it should be done carefully and with prayer.  The Word says we are to go before Him at the place He chooses.  It may not be the place we would choose at first but, in the process of prayer, He will direct us to where He wants us. (1 Peter 2:5)  Once we get there, it's important to stay unless we have very clear direction that we should move.  We're not there to be made to feel good, although God will minister to us where He puts us.  We're not there to be served (although we will experience that if His Name is honored), but to serve.  (Galatians 5:13)  Within the context of our fellowship, we will be able to take our place within the local body and that body will then function properly.  Unfortunately, these days, there are many who, for one reason or another, like to church-hop.  We are always at home when visiting a fellowship that lifts up the Name of Jesus because we are all one Body.  (Romans 12:5)  But, when we run from one place to another all the time and never settle in to a local family of believers, the body of Christ suffers and we suffer too.  If you're not in a place that teaches and preaches the good news of the gospel of Christ, then pray and ask God to lead you to the place He chooses and where His Name is honored.  When He puts you there, stay and worship and serve.

The Word also says that when the Israelites came before the Lord in celebration, they were to bring Him a gift.  We still do that today.  (Matthew 22:21)  We really should bring a gift whenever we go before the Lord.  Money is good.  It shows where our heart is.  (Luke 12:34)  It shows where our trust is.  (Matthew 6:33)  But, it's not the only gift we have to bring.  We have time.  We have talent.  We have praise.  (Hebrews 13:15)  We have worship.  We have ourselves.  (Romans 12:1)  Every time we come before God we should bring what we are able.  Some will have more money than others.  The amount is not important.  It's the manner in which it is given that counts.  If we have lots of money, a large gift may not be as significant as the widow's gift which is very small.  (Luke 21:1-3)  It might be that you are physically challenged at the moment and just getting yourself to a place of corporate worship is an offering.  God is looking at our hearts and He is the judge of whether the gift is acceptable.  We know that He always wanted the first and the best of everything.  All of what we have belongs to Him anyway.  He only asks that we offer some of what He has given us back to Him. 

What do you have to offer the next time you go before the Lord, either in corporate worship or in personal devotions.  Time?  Talent?  Money?  Praise?  Worship?  Your heart?  Whatever God has given you and me, He wants us to give back accordingly.  For most of us, that's quite a bit.  The more He blesses us, the more we should want to give back.  (2 Corinthians 9:7)  Most of the time it doesn't work that way.  When we begin to receive great blessings, we many times become selfish and want to keep it all rather than give back to the Lord.  But, He says we should give according to the blessings given to us.  That's something to think about!  The passage above is speaking about giving at festivals of the Lord.  These are celebrations.  Do we celebrate God by giving?  Or does our giving become a habit -  or worse than that, a dreaded duty?  As we meditate on this principle today, may God lead us individually to give to Him according to how He has blessed us.  (2 Corinthians 8:12)  We can start with giving Him our hearts in gratitude and praise.  (Ephesians 5:15-20)  If we have nothing else, we can always give thanks to God for who He is and for His love for us! 

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 29, 2007 - GOD IS AWESOME AND WORTHY OF PRAISE!

Deuteronomy 10:20-21 (New Living Translation)
^{20 (NLT)} You must fear the LORD your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone.
²¹ He is your God, the one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done mighty miracles that you yourselves have seen.

How awesome is God to you today?  We sing, "Our God Is An Awesome God,"  But, do we really believe it?  Or, have we heard His name so often that we have become complaisant and kind of take Him for granted?  We are told to fear God.  Sometimes that brings up negative thoughts because we often think of fear as a negative thing.  We don't have to do that in this context.  Fear here means to hold in awesome reverence.  A holy reverence.  We are to set God apart from everything else in our lives and above everything else.  Because we have realized that God is so far above us in holiness (Ezekiel 36:23) and His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), we will naturally want to worship Him (Hebrews 9:14).  We're told to hold fast to this holy, awesome God.  The same verb used for "hold fast," is used for the relationship between a husband and wife.  It is the word, "cleave."  If we are believers, we are a part of the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:9) and, as such, we need to hold fast to our Husband.  He is our protection and our covering (2 Samuel 22:31).  He is a loving Husband.  We do not always remain faithful but He loves us as a husband loves his wife. (Jeremiah 31:32)  He always remains faithful.  (Psalm 117:2) 

The Message says that we should reverently respect God, serve him, hold tight to Him and back up our promises with the authority of His name. (Deuteronomy 10:20)  If we are believers, our word carries authority.  His authority.  The Amplified Bible says, "...by His name and presence you shall swear."  Jesus went so far as to say not to take any oaths. (Matthew 5:37)  We are always to speak the truth because the Truth lives in us.  (John 14:6, Revelation 3:20)  When we received Jesus, we received truth and authority.  The authority that comes from the Father. (Matthew 28:18)  When we think of our word having great authority, we have to stop and realize what that means.  It does not mean that we are better than others or have power to control others. (Mark 10:43-45)  We do have power.  But, it is only given to us so we can serve others.  Then, a simple, "yes" or "no" should be sufficient from us and when we say it, we should mean it and carry it out as if it was God's very word.  That's what God does.  That's what we should do.

Finally, if He truly is our God, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is worthy of praise.  His Word declares it. (Psalm 18:3, Romans 9:5, etc., etc.)  Besides that, we have seen Him work in our lives with our own eyes!  For those of us who have seen God work with our own eyes, comes a privilege and responsibility.  (Deuteronomy 11:7,19-21)  We're to spread the good news of what He has done for us - all the time.  Yes, He is worthy of praise.  Praise is not silent.  The meaning of the word is deep and has many facets, one of which is, "hymn."  Another is "boast."  How about this?  "To be clamorously foolish."   There's more too.  How many times have we boasted about our children or our new car or house, etc.  How many times have we gone to a sports event and acted clamorously foolish?  How often do we go around singing the latest secular song?  All of those things are happen every day.  But how many times do we boast about God and the things He has done for us in our everyday conversation?  How many times do we go about humming or singing a hymn or spiritual song?  When was the last time we got just clamorously foolish because we were so overcome by God's goodness?  As we sit here and meditate on revering God.  On clinging to Him.  On speaking in His truth and authority. As we realize the many things He has brought to pass in our lives, let's remember that He really is the only One worthy of praise.  Before we boast about, sing about or get clamorous about anything else today, let's do those things for God.  He's the only One deserving of them.  Our God is an awesome God.  Wouldn't you agree?   

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 28, 2007 - WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF?

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 27, 2007 - THE LONGING, LOVING HEART OF GOD

Deuteronomy 5:29 (King James Version)
^{29 (KJV)} O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

The Message paraphrases  the above verse this way:  "What I wouldn't give if they'd always feel this way, continuing to revere me and always keep all my commands; they'd have a good life forever, they and their children!"  I can just hear the longing in that statement made by God, can't you?  When He says that, don't you suppose , because He knows the beginning from the end, He is thinking about what He is going to give?  When He is saying here, "What wouldn't I give?," He is giving us a glimpse of His giving the best of Heaven.  He would give His own Son, a part of Himself, because we are unable to keep all the commandments to a "T."  He wanted desperately for His people to keep those commandments, not just for Him and for themselves, but for their children.  Because the Israelites (and we) couldn't or wouldn't, He gave His one and only Child as a ransom for us and all of our children.  The commandments are still the same today.  The rules have not changed.  But, God has simplified them for us and given us a Refuge to where we can run when we find ourselves to have come short of the mark.  Jesus became sin for us.  He took all of our failings upon Himself.  Wow!

There were originally ten commandments.  They seem simple but no person on earth can live up to them completely.  They consisted of few words but the depth of the principles involved is almost unfathomable.  Jesus helped us to understand that when He walked the earth.  Only Jesus was able to keep the ten commandments perfectly.  Many in His day looked like they were squeaky clean on the outside concerning the ten commandments but that was only the cover of the book!  Inside, they were filled with rot.  (Matthew 23:27)  We see that today too.

There's a team of evangelists who go out onto the street and question people as to whether they think they are good and whether they might go to Heaven.  They usually first ask if the person feels they are a good person.  Most say yes.  They go on to ask whether they think they will go to Heaven when they die.  Most say yes because they think they are a pretty good person - at least compared with some others.  It sure isn't hard these days to find someone that you can compare yourself with that will make you look like a saint, is it?  Then the evangelists get into the sticky stuff with questions like, "Have you ever stolen a pencil from work?"  The answer, "Well - sure."  Next question:  "What does that make you?"  Obvious answer, "A thief."  The questions go on relating to the other commandments with questions like, "Have you ever looked at another person with lust?"  Most answer, "Of course."  It's pretty hard not to have any lustful thoughts these days, isn't it?   Graphic images are put right in our faces even if we're not looking for them!  Jesus pointed out that it is not just our actions that condemn us but what is in our hearts.  And, if we entertain anything long enough in our heart, it will become an action!  God wants not only pure lives but pure hearts. (1 Timothy 1:5) Of course, the person answering, if he or she is honest, has to give a, "Yes" answer.  You know the next question.  "What does that make you?"  Again, the only honest answer in light of the ten commandments would be, "an adulterer or fornicator."  The point is, none of us is able to keep all of the ten commandments perfectly.  That's why God had to give His best.  His longing for those He created, His great love for us, caused Him to give His best.   

God sent His Son to ransom us and our sons and daughters.  He did it out of the greatest love the world has ever known.  In doing so, He showed us that love would be the answer to our sinful situation.  All of the law and the prophets are summed up in the two greatest commandments.  (Matthew 22:40)  We're to love God with everything we have and love our neighbor as our self.  (Matthew 22:38-39)  If we were to do these two things perfectly, we would not be able to break a single commandment!  How's your love life today?  (John 15:12)  Mine needs lots of work!  Loving everyone, including our enemies (Luke 6:27) requires that we be filled with the love of God.  How else can we be filled except we take time to go to the Filling Station?  (Psalm 119:37)  Aren't you glad we're on the right track this morning as we look into the scriptures to be filled with God's love?  We can't love at all without knowing that it was He that enabled us to do it!  (1 John 4:19)  Many loud voices call to us from the world - "Come, come; eat, drink and be merry."  (Luke 12:19)  But as we sit here this morning we hear the voice of God calling longingly and ever so lovingly, "Come to me all of you who are weak and burdened, I will give you the thing you need - rest."  (Matthew 11:28)  There is great labor in trying to "keep the ten commandments. by ourselves."  And, it's impossible.  One element is missing when we try to do it on our own.  Love.  The Message says it this way:    "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."  I like God's ways.  He takes ten things to carry from us and gives us only two.  He takes the heavy burdens and gives us rest.  That's perfect love!  He is love. (1 John 4:10)  That Love longs for you and me this morning and reaches down to us with a way back home.  The Way is Jesus!  Because of Him, may it be well with you and your children forever!! 

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 26, 2007 - PASS IT ON - DON'T FORGET!

Deuteronomy 4:9 (New International Version)
^{9 (NIV)} Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 25, 2007 - WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

Proverbs 11:27 (New Living Translation)
^{27 (NLT)} If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you!

Whatever we look for, we will usually find!  Jesus said, "seek and you shall find."  (Matthew 7:7)  Although He is really encouraging us here to pray to God, this is also one of God's natural principals.  If you keep looking long enough for something diligently, you will usually find it.  When we seek something from God, the seeking becomes supernatural.  We have partnered with God in the thing we are looking for.  In that sense, nothing is impossible.  It is interesting in the above verse that the words, "search for" are translated from two different Hebrew words in the original.

If we search for good, we will find favor.  The words, "search for," here mean, "to seek early," "diligently seek," etc.".  The original word means, "to dawn."  Figuratively, it means to be up early at a task, implying earnestness.  It means to painstakingly search or diligently search.  So, if we seek good early or the first thing, we will find favor.  I have a wake-up call recorded on my phone. The phone rings at the appropriate time in the morning and when I answer, I hear my own voice saying, "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."  Well, I am NOT a morning person.  I don't like to talk to anyone in the morning.  As much as I like to talk, I don't even enjoy listening to myself!  However, I purposefully, cheerfully recorded that so that very early in the morning I would be encouraged knowing that it is only God who can give me a good and successful day.  I'm not at the place just yet when I'm happy to hear my cheerful self chirping those life-giving words. But, once I hear them, I am encouraged, no matter how tired I am.  We need to seek good early, before anything else gets our attention or distracts us.  The word for "search for"  here is most other times used for seeking God.  There is no other genuine good but God.  Jesus said that.  So, if we are seeking true good, we need to be seeking God.  (Luke 18:19)  Early!

Now when we go to the second half of the verse and read about the one who searches for "evil" (which means, "mischief," "hurt," "wrong," "wretchedness," "grief," "distress," and a number of other negative things), we see a different Hebrew word used to translate "search for."  Here the word means "to tread or frequent."  It also means "to worship," among other things.  Isn't it interesting that this is the way God puts it?  He is absolutely adamant that we must worship nothing else and no one else but Him.  (Exodus 34:14)  Here we find that the one that seeks or looks for mischief is frequenting or treading in the place it might be found.  We all slip and we all sin on occasion and speedy repentance is needed when that happens.  If and when that does happen, we need to run to God and in the name of our Advocate, ask for forgiveness. (1 John 2:1)  When we confess our sin, He will forgive us. (1 John 1:9)  However, it is not His intent that we ask for forgiveness and then go right back and do the same thing over and over again, taking his forgiveness lightly.  To repent means we are turning away from the sin He has revealed to our heart.  Yes, there will be times of temptation and we may backslide. But, the thing is, we should not make a pattern of it; willfully frequenting the area in which we know we are weak.  We should not walk or tread in the places that we know will pull us back.  That is not true repentance.  That is, in essence, worshipping something other than God. It's idolatry.

So, what are we looking for this morning?  We can find favor with God or we can find mischief.  I'm pretty sure we all want to find favor with God!  What we find depends upon Whom we seek early, the first thing; and then where we walk during the day (and night).  Most of us know which roads are dangerous territory in our lives.  There will be familiar voices coming from those roads calling to us to re-visit but if we have sought God and good early, we will not be as prone to taking a wrong turn!  (Isaiah 30:21) 

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 24, 2007 - LEGALISTIC OR LOVING?

Luke 6:7 (King James Version)
^{7 (KJV)} And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 23, 2007 - A DIFFERENT KIND OF WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

Luke 5:16 (New American Standard Bible)
^{16 (NASB)} But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

Do you want to go into the wilderness this morning?  When I hear the word, "wilderness," my first reaction is, "Please God, don't let me wander around in the wilderness as the Israelites did."  Actually, I have been there and done that!  Don't want to go there again!  But there is a very positive wilderness experience and Jesus was the model for us.  The above verse says that Jesus would often kind of just disappear from others and go away to the wilderness to pray.  He voluntarily went to the wilderness!  Now that sounds crazy!  Why would anybody in their right mind voluntarily enter into the wilderness alone?  Well, the short answer is so you could stay in your right mind!  In these hustle, bustle days of continuous stimulation and activity, we might take a lesson from Jesus.  Actually, when shouldn't we take a lesson from Jesus?  Here are a few other instances where the Bible mentions that He went away by Himself.  (Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12)  God's word tells us that we need to constantly renew our mind.  (Romans 12:2)  I can find lots of ways to do that, including listening to anointed music, listening to others preach, reading edifying books that help me understand the Word, etc.  However, there's nothing better to renew your mind than to get alone with God in His Presence and communicate with Him.  If you're like me, you'll talk a lot at first.  Then you will realize that He wants to talk to you too!  Amazing, isn't it that the Creator of this earth would want to talk to us!!  Good communication requires a good "listener."  In this case, a "God" listener.

Our Father is a loving Daddy who is pleased when we spend time just with Him.  He has to wait a very long time for some of us.  If you are a parent, you will relate.  Our children can really bring hurt to us when they don't desire to be with us and converse on a one-to-one basis.  Not only that, they are not able to glean from the wisdom that years of living have provided for us.  We have a Father who is Wisdom.  He wants to impart that wisdom to us so we can live a life of peace and harmony.  Success and prosperity.  Health and emotional stability.  (1 Kings 3:10-13)   There are lots of self-help materials out today and support groups which are fine.  But a wilderness experience with God will surpass them all.  When we don't go voluntarily, we will usually end up there in a negative fashion just like the Israelites.  As much as Jesus loved His disciples, He recognized that He needed time alone with His Father.  If that was true for Him, how much more it must be true for us!  Do you have a time when you go away from the TV, the radio, your family, your friends, your work, the mall,  and just be alone with God and His word?  It's hard to make that time, isn't it?  We are very task oriented.  Even "ministry" will distract us and make us think that we need to "do" that instead of "be".  One of the effective tools of the devil is to make us too busy to stop and talk to God for any length of time.  Can you just imagine how God feels about this?  "I'm too busy doing Your work to stop and talk - sorry.  I'll get to You later.  I gotta go do Your business now."  If we really want to do His work, shouldn't it be that we are with Him finding out what He wants done?  Shouldn't we be remembering that it is not by our own strength, wisdom or intellect that we can get anything done?  (Zechariah 4:6) 

God is a Spirit and we must worship Him in spirit and in truth.  (John 4:24)  Where are these things found?  In the things we do?  No, no - it is in who we are in Him.  Jesus knew who He was and, because of that, He knew where He had to go to find strength and wisdom.  He found it in His Father.  (John 5:30)  We find it in our Father and in our Big Brother and their Spirit which was sent to comfort and guide us.  (John 14:26)  He found it alone with His Father and then He took what He found and ministered to others.  It's the same way with us.  We can't walk rightly in the city and in the country (or at home, church or work) until we've had a walk in the wilderness.  Not a wandering walk but a focused walk.  An appointment with God to worship, seek and be filled with the Spirit.  To be reminded of those good works that He prepared in advance for us to do.  (Ephesians 2:10)  To let Him wash our minds and renew them, taking away our own agenda and placing His back where it belongs.  To let Him examine our hearts to see if there are any anxious ways in us.  (Psalm 139:23 - the American Standard Bible says, " Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;")  Who of us has never become anxious with all the noise going on around us in this world?  We need to be like Jesus.  The only way to do that is to communicate alone with Him and with the Father.  Not to forget that communicating should be more listening than talking.  (God is really speaking to me here!)  When you go out in the wilderness alone with God, you will come back refreshed, ready to go complete with a glowing Son-tan!!  There now, go take a hike!  God is out there just waiting for you!

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 21, 2007 - LIES?  DON'T WORRY, TRUST GOD

Psalms 63:11 (New Living Translation)
^{11 (NLT)} But the king will rejoice in God. All who trust in him will praise him, while liars will be silenced.

As I write today, I am tempted to be angry, tempted to be shaken, tempted to think that I don't have time to write this, and an assortment of other temptations.  Yesterday, the Lord gave me the scripture in Psalm 62:5-6.  I confidently wrote what He gave me - that I will not be shaken.  Then it happened!  Late last night I got a telephone call from a family member with news that felt like I was shaken.  "No," I said.  "The Lord is in His holy temple, this situation must be silent before Him." (Habakkuk 2:20)  I am trusting that the situation will bow to His will because His Word says that everything must bow at the name of Jesus.  (Philippians 2:10)  Well now, I feel better.  But those feelings didn't last long.  The devil tried to get in again, this time by mail and UPS.  I received my credit card bill this morning and opened it before starting to write this only to find that I was charged for something I did not purchase.  A little over $600 worth.  That's not a small thing to me!  Guess what, I felt shaken again!  I even went back and re-read what I wrote yesterday concentrating on all the scriptures!  Yes, though I can't see how this will turn out, the Lord is in this this holy temple and all these things cannot truly shake me.  (Habakkuk 2:20)  Without going into detail, this credit card charge was related to a suspicious package I received by UPS a few days ago with the return address cut off of the label.  I have had reason to be in fear of my life in the past.  Now this fear was trying to make its way back.  "No,  I will not be shaken."  I know these are small things compared with what some of you reading this may be going through.  But, we must take a stand against the enemy and believe God's word.

First of all, like King David, we must rejoice in God.  His word says, do it.  So let's do it!  He does't just say it once, He says it twice in the same verse!  (Philippians 4:4)  The KJV says, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."  The very first thing we must guard against is letting the enemy steal our joy.  Why?  The joy of the Lord is our strength.  (Nehemiah 8:10)  If the enemy can take away our strength, we will be easier prey and Satan is roaring around my life now.  (1 Peter 5:8)  How about you?  If not now, keep these verses in mind for later.  He's just waiting for the opportune time.  (Luke 4:13 - you can be sure if he did it to Jesus, he's coming after us too!)  One thing about this enemy we have.  He doesn't give up even though He's already lost the war!  What better way for him to find someone to devour than to weaken that person so they can't run away?  Rejoicing is what King David chose to do.  (Psalm 63:5)  Not an easy choice, but a very wise and necessary choice.  He was in the wilderness when he wrote this, not in the palace! Our strength is in the joy of knowing that God's word is true when it says we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  (Philippians 4:13)  When we are weakened, Jesus becomes very strong in our life.  (2 Corinthians 12:10)  If we will let Him.

The second thing in the context of this verse is that King David trusted in God.  We must trust in God too even when things look their worst.  (Psalm 25:1-2)  It's a faith walk.  (2 Corinthians 5:7)  Has someone lied about you, stolen from you, hurt you deeply?  Has the enemy seemed to steal your time and you can't get everything done?  Trust in God!  Go to God and ask Him, as David did, not to let your enemies succeed (remembering that we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers in high places - Ephesians 6:12  -  that sometimes use people to get to us).  That is trust.  David also said that nobody with faith in God will ever be disgraced for trusting Him.  The devil may use people to try to disgrace you but God will never disgrace you for putting your trust in Him.  But, anyone who harms the innocent will be defeated!  That's God's word.  (Psalm 25:3)  Be strengthened this morning.  Get dressed.   Put on your armor (Ephesians 6:11), put on love (Colossians 3:14)   and run the race!  (1 Corinthians 9:24)  God has already promised that all liars will be silenced.  Whether the devil is tempting you in the form of a human liar or whether he is whispering lies into your spirit that conflict with God's word, don't give in to the temptation.  The Lord is in His holy temple (That's you if you've given your life to Christ - 1 Corinthians 6:19).  Now every negative situation has to be silent before Him.  Let's never mind our feelings.  Just rejoice and trust!  (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) We are not the victims as the enemy wants us to believe, we are the victors!  God has declared it!!

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 20, 2007 - I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN

Psalms 62:5-6 (New Living Translation)
^{5 (NLT)} I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.

I'm just listening now to a lovely song titled, "The Warrior Is A Child."  We are all warriors in God's army, aren't we? (2 Timothy 2:3-4)   We all have battles in our lives.  One of the lines in the song says, "They don't know that I go runnin' home when I fall down. They don't know who picks me up when no one is around."  The world can't see who picks us up when we fall down.  But we know who He is!  Sometimes we need a quiet place to rest when the battles come fast and furious.  We get tired.  When this happens, he encourages us.  (Galatians 6:9)  Sometimes we cry, if not tears, our heart cries out.  God cares.  (Psalm 56:8)  It's then that we can do what the Psalmist did and wait quietly before God.  (Psalm 62:1)  Our only hope is in Him, although in the midst of battles, sometimes we forget and become distracted in the frenzy of activity.  I know you have experienced this because the world we live in is a battlefield.  Because we have received Jesus, we are the children of God.  We're all children - God's children.  We have to wear the armor God has provided for us if we are to keep safe in the midst of the battle with the principalities and powers that fight against us. (Ephesians 6:11-12), But inside that protective armor is still a child.  Sometimes that child feels shaken.  Have you ever felt like that?  I'm sure you have!  I have too.

God has provided His children a hiding place, a quiet place.  (Psalm 32:7, Psalm 119:114)   Here we can run and find rest for our weary souls and healing for any wounds we might have received in battle.  It is here that we can remember that, although we may feel shaken, we are actually in the Rock and we cannot be moved!  That rock is Jesus, yes, He's the One!  (1 Corinthians 10:4)  Our Big Brother, who has already won the war for us, invites us to come to Him and rest.  (Matthew 11:28)    He knows that, as humans, we will get tired and feel the burden of the battle.  It's not in His plan for us to be truly shaken, although we may feel that way at times.  He has offered to take the heavy burden of battle from us and give us rest as we come into His presence.  (Psalm 89:15)  As one worship song puts it, "Oh, the glory of His presence!"  There's nothing like it!!  Our fortress is solid and cannot be destroyed.  It is filled with His presence.  Once there, we are totally safe from harm.  (Psalm 31:20) 

How are you this morning?  Is there a battle going on in your life today?  If not, there will be at some time or other.  If you have given Jesus control of your life, you are planted on the Rock who is your salvation.  You are safe in Him.  (Proverbs 18:10)  The battle may look fierce and tend to incite fear in your heart but God has promised you something different.  He has promised you and me power, love and a sound mind.  (2 Timothy 1:7)  We need not be moved by what we see.  (Psalm 16:8)  We can wait quietly before God.  (Lamentations 3:26)  If we hope in Him we will not be ashamed or disappointed.  (Romans 5:5)  A wise pastor of mine has taught me that we are never in any situation or battle.  We're always on our way through.   Another very wise pastor has used the verse from Habakkuk 2:20 to help me know the authority that lies within me and you too.  "The Lord is in His Holy Temple."  We are His temple. (1 Corinthians 6:19)  He resides in us.  In that sense, we can wait quietly inside this temple where God is living.  We can wait for Him to work in our lives.  The next part of the verse says, "Let all the earth keep silent before Him."  Whatever is coming against us from this world and even from our own flesh must keep silent when we speak with the authority of the Lord who resides in us.  So, this morning if you are troubled or in a battle, tell that situation in your life or your thought life to be silent before the Lord who resides in you.  Go ahead, say, "The Lord is in His Holy Temple.  (put the name of your situation in here),  you have to be silent before Him!"  In the mighty Name of Jesus, our situations and troubles have to be silent because He has promised us the peace that passes all of our human understanding.  (Philippians 4:6-7)  It is God's word and it's the truth.  If we know the truth, it will set us free.  The truth we know will surely set us free!  (John 8:32)  In quietness and confidence before the Lord we will find our strength to go on to total victory!  (Isaiah 30:15)  That's an offer none of us can afford to refuse.

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 19, 2007 - WHERE ARE YOU IN THE JOURNEY?

Numbers 27:7 (New Living Translation)
^{7 (NLT)} "The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You must give them an inheritance of land along with their father's relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father.

This morning we see five orphaned daughters in the Old Testament bravely standing before Moses and the elders at the entrance of the Tabernacle.  (Numbers 27:2)  This is interesting because women normally had no rights in the Old Testament and would not be found standing alone at the entrance of the Tabernacle before Moses and all the male elders.  One of the interesting things about it is that we would normally have no right to go boldly before the throne of God today either.  (Hebrews 4:16)  But for Jesus.  These five women were requesting that they receive a portion of land like the rest of their male relatives.  Their father had died having had no sons so these girls were seemingly without any right to receive a portion of land like the rest of the families.  They really had no right to stand before Moses either and make their request but they took the chance.  Their faith in God and their willingness to step out was rewarded in that the Lord granted them the land that would have been given to their father.

The Old Testament is alive with stories and types and shadows that are of great benefit to us today.  This appears to be one of them.  Adam Clarke, a Biblical scholar, tells of the names of this father and his daughters and the mysterious way the meanings of their names can speak volumes to us today.  We're all on a journey and each one of us may be in a different place.  We need to know where we are right now so we can find the way to our destination.  If we don't know where we are, how can we know how to get to where we would like to be - to where God wants us to be? 

Zelophehad's name speaks of the shadow of fear or dread. We are all born in sin and, thus, have a fear or dread of death because that's the direction we're headed.  I hope that's not where you are today but, if it is, be encouraged.  Jesus has made the way out for you!  (Acts 2:21)  The first daughter's name, Mahlah, means "infirmity".  When we live in the shadow of fear or dread, we will soon be sick of spirit, mind and body. (Proverbs 13:12)   Have you been in that place in your journey?  I have.  It's not pleasant.  If you're there now, Jesus has made a way for you too.  He took all of our infirmity upon Himself!  (Matthew 8:17)  The second daughter's name, Noah, signifies "wandering".  When we are sick and living in fear and dread, we tend to wander about aimlessly never reaching any particular destination but always looking for something.  (Psalm 119:67)  Anybody there?  Again, you don't have to stay there.  Jesus said, "I am the Way."  (John 14:6)  He meant it and you can walk in Him today and stop wandering.  The third daughter's name is Hoglah.  (I once heard someone preaching on these girls who said, "their names are bad enough - can you imagine them with their playmates - 'hey, hog, can you come and play?'")  Anyway, her name signifies "turning about or dancing for joy".  If that is where you are now, you're on the right track!  Praise God, you have trusted in the power of Jesus to heal you, turned from your wandering to walk in His way, and now you are filled with the joy of the Lord!  This would seem a great place to stop on the journey.  But there's more.  The fourth daughter was named, Milcah.  Her name means, "a queen."  During this part of the journey we come to realize that we are royalty.  Christ has made us kings and priests.  (Revelation 1:6)  What a privilege.  What a responsibility!  Are we there yet? Now we can stop, right? No, we're not there yet!  The fifth daughter was Tirzah.  This means, "well-pleasing or acceptable".  Now we are finished with our journey.  We hear the Savior say what we have been dying to hear, "Well done thou good and faithful servant."  (Matthew 25:21)  Our journey may seem long and hard to us but it is a small thing to God to take us from beginning to end victoriously.  We start this journey seemingly on a downhill road with the enemy always on the lookout but, if we follow the straight and narrow path, we will be presented as a part of His Body, glorious and without blemish. (Matthew 7:14)   We will be a well-pleasing sight to the Lord.  That is the destination to be desired and you and I can reach it if we just look at where we are today and follow the steps that lead straight to the approval of our God.  Where are you today?  If you're not on the right road, go back to the closest intersection above and continue using the heavenly GPS (God's positioning system).  You'll not go wrong again if you follow His still small voice.  (1 Kings 19:11-12)  His Word will direct you all the way.  (Isaiah 30:21)  We will reach our desired destination!

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 18, 2007 - FILLED WITH WISDOM

Luke 2:40 (New Living Translation)
^{40 (NLT)} There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom beyond his years, and God placed his special favor upon him.

Jesus grew up healthy and strong and he was filled with wisdom beyond His years.  God also placed His special favor upon Him.  As joint heirs with Christ (Ephesians 3:6), we also can walk in health, strength and God's favor.  Along with that, it's His will that we, too, be filled with wisdom.  All who have believed in Jesus have a desire to be used of Him to further the Kingdom.  That's a good thing.  For that we need wisdom.  When the apostles found that they needed to delegate some tasks to others to administer a food program for widows, they didn't just choose anyone who was willing to do the job.  They looked for those who were well respected, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. (Acts 6:3)  There is not a single thing in life that does not require wisdom if it is to be done effectively.

There are times in life when circumstances will be very tough for us and we may even be persecuted.  Some may not like the fact that we appear to be "archaic" in our thinking because we believe the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Stephen was a man full of the Holy Spirit.  He knew what he believed and was trying to convince others who would have none of it.  However, not a one of them was able to stand up against the wisdom with which he spoke. (Acts 6:10)  They had to find people to lie about him in order to have him arrested.  (Acts 6:11)  Solomon had great wisdom because he asked for it.  God was pleased at his request and gave him, not only wisdom but riches and honor.  (1 Kings 3:10) 

There is human wisdom and Godly wisdom.  The first will be totally destroyed and discarded by God.  (1 Corinthians 1:19-20)  We do not want to be wise in our own eyes.  We want the wisdom that only God can give.  Although that is the best and only kind of wisdom we should seek, it will not always be popular.  Many are not satisfied with it, especially in the world in which we live today.  It was like that in 2000 years ago also. People who do not know God have only their own wisdom to count on and they get very attached to it!  (1 Corinthians 1:22)  Our wisdom, as believers, comes from Jesus who is the very wisdom of the Father.  (1 Corinthians 1:24)  God made it this way for our benefit.  (1 Corinthians 1:30)  Doesn't God make it easy for us to fall in love with Him?  Just look at all He has done for us.  He desires us to have wisdom, then makes Jesus wisdom for us.  I hope we're all in the receiving mode this morning!  While I would really like to come to your table this morning with great eloquence, I visit with you in plain speech and weakness, even timid and trembling, like Paul.  (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)  I am learning that in my weakness, He is made strong.  (2 Corinthians 12:9)  The one thing I want you to know and trust in more than anything else, is the power of God.  Our human wisdom will always fail us (Proverbs 21:30)  but God's wisdom will bring us life (Proverbs 13:14)  and make us shine as the stars!   (Daniel 12:3)  Do you want some real "bling-bling"?  Don't you love to sparkle?  Then be filled with wisdom!  Care for a fill-up this morning.  There's no cost.  Just go to the Father and ask!  (James 1:5)  He's waiting and wanting to fill your cup to overflowing!!   

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 17, 2007 - NOW I SEE!

Numbers 24:1-3 (New Living Translation)
^{1 (NLT)} By now Balaam realized that the LORD intended to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as he often did. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness,
² where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him,
³ and this is the prophecy he delivered: "This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of the man whose eyes see clearly,

Balaam had a vision problem in Numbers 23.  First of all, he didn't share God's vision completely and went along a road he should not have followed.  Secondly, he forgot to look at God's people.  This caused him to be unable to see the Angel of the Lord standing before him which some commentaries say was a theophany (a manifestation of the Lord Himself).  I can see a definite lesson here for myself today. How about you?  We need to follow God's vision for our lives and not concoct something out of our flesh.  (Ephesians 2:10)  We need to look at the needs of those around us and be willing to go, say and do whatever God wants us to.  (Matthew 25:40)  If we don't love those around us, how can we possibly say that we love and serve God?   (Matthew 22:37-39)  If we are not that much in tune with the Father, we will certainly suffer from vision problems like Balaam.  These are no ordinary vision problems and no optometrist or ophthalmologist would be able to detect the cause.  They stem from a heart problem which no cardiologist could cure, even with modern medicine.  Only the Great Physician Himself can do that.  When we are willing to undergo His treatment, our vision will return crystal clear! (Romans 16:19) 

Balaam finally realized that He had a problem.  But not before he had come dangerously close to destruction.  (Numbers 22:33)  He had acted the fool.  The KJV says,  "...the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet." (2 Peter 2:16)  This word, "madness," has within its original meaning such things as, "insanity," "to misthink," "be insane  (silly)."  BalAam had done just what I have done at times.  Perhaps you have too.   He had become as a fool, temporarily insane and silly because he did what he felt like doing instead of what he knew God wanted him to do.  In His goodness, God stopped Balaam just in time.  

All of a sudden, we now see a different Balaam and hear a different message coming from his mouth.  God, in His mercy will stop us in our tracks even if He has to use a donkey.  After many silly maneuvers by Balaam, the above verse tells us that, "by now" Balaam realized that the Lord intended to bless Israel.  Isn't that what the Lord told him in the first place?  (Numbers 22:12)  Besides that, being a prophet, he must have seen and known God's plan for His people.  There are just some things that God has already told us and we would do well not to have it said about us, "by now (put your name here) realized."  God's timing is perfect and we can't thwart His plan by our foolishness or refusal to do what we know to do.  But, He is looking for those with willing hearts, soft hearts that will follow His Spirit rather than their feelings.  He loves us too much to leave us where we are when we're on the wrong track like Balaam but He would much rather we would just stay in His will!  In God's mercy, Balaam now could see the people as God saw them.  As He saw them that way, the Spirit of God came upon him and he finally got down to business and spoke the words that God wanted spoken.  This time they were coming, as we read above, from "the man whose eyes see clearly." 

Lord, open our eyes this morning that we might see clearly to walk and talk in Your way.  Let us see Jesus and follow in His footsteps as He always sought Your will and loved Your people with a perfect love.  Let us see ourselves and others as you see us.  Deliver us from any lusts of the flesh or silliness that would cause us to be spiritually blind and foolish.  Give us divine wisdom and do whatever You have to do to keep us in Your will.

MORNING MANNA - MARCH 16, 2007 -  DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

Numbers 22:29 (New Living Translation)
^{29 (NLT)} "Because you have made me look like a fool!" Balaam shouted. "If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!"

The verse above sounds something like what we remember from the Garden of Eden, doesn't it?  When caught in the sin of following their own agenda, because of what they saw, Eve blamed Satan and Adam blamed Eve.  (Genesis 3:12-13)  The blame game started.  Have you ever blamed someone else because your carefully planned agenda did not work out?  You can always know that, if I asked the question, I have done it myself!  Balaam had been told by God from the onset of this particular situation not to go with Balak, the Moabite, and curse the Israelites.  God's answer was, "No" from the beginning. (Numbers 22:12)  Balaam might have had a clue because he told Balak's messengers to wait overnight to see what the Lord would say.  First of all, Balaam probably knew what the Lord would say but maybe he didn't have enough courage to just come right out and say it at the moment.  Can anyone relate?  Secondly, there was a reward involved if he would curse Israel.  There's temptation!  Third, it doesn't appear that Balaam approached God about the matter that evening.  It looks like God came to Balaam.  (Numbers 22:9)  Again, it kind of takes us back to the incident in the Garden of Eden.  God is asking a question. (Genesis 3:9)  When God asks us a question, He doesn't want to know the answer.  He already knows everything!  He's trying to get us to "get it."  I confess, I don't always get it the first time.  But, God is gracious, many times He will re-phrase the question until I am forced to answer correctly!!

Well, Balaam did not totally accept God's first answer.  Ever done that?  Me too.  When the Moabites refused to take "No" for an answer,  (Numbers 22:14-16) Balaam indicated that he had no power to go against God's will.  (Numbers 22:18)  But, he refused to step away from the situation totally.  He asked them to stay another night to see if God had anything to add to, "No."  (Numbers 22:19)    He kept going back to God like a spoiled child to a parent trying to wear them down.  Maybe God would change His mind or have something more to say?  Balaam didn't seem to understand the meaning of the word, "No."  Sometimes we don't either.  Then we insist on following our own agenda.  God seemed to see that Balaam had his mind set on going with the Moabite officials so He said, "Ok, go ahead but do only what I tell you."  That's pretty scary but sometimes God lets His children learn the hard way.

What follows is humorous to me, although it certainly is a great lesson for those of us who have our minds set with no provision for God's intervention.  Balaam got on his trusty donkey and set out with these high officials.  The next thing you know, I can imagine that the officials may have been scratching their heads (as well as two of Balaam's servants who were also with him) as Balaam began having a conversation with his donkey!  The Lord was angry (one version says, "furious") that Balaam had gone.  If you are a parent, can you relate to a stubborn child just having to find out for himself that his way is wrong?  I know I was a challenge to my parents!  Anyway, God sent an Angel to block the way.  (Numbers 22:22).  It appears that perhaps Balaam's heart was too hard and his eyes were blinded to the Angel of the Lord because he was set in his own way.  The Moabite officials probably did not see it either since the Angel was sent only to block Balaam.  However, the dumb donkey saw the Angel! It helps to be free from the cares of this world so that you can see the things of God!  The donkey kept trying to avoid the Angel and now Balaam was angry!  (Numbers 22:27)  He beat the donkey.  Then an amazing thing happened.  The dumb donkey was no longer dumb.  He spoke!  The Bible does not say whether the servants or officials heard the donkey speak.  I kind of think they probably did not since this was between God and Balaam.  My.... can you imagine what a scene that was?  There is Balaam carrying on an ongoing heated conversation with a donkey!  Finally the Lord opened Balaam's eyes and he saw the Angel.  He admitted his sin but not any too soon.  The Angel indicated that He would certainly have killed Balaam and spared the donkey.  (Numbers 22:33)  God is so gracious to us that He will use anything to keep from destroying us because of our stubbornness!  There are times when people or things in our lives seem to hinder us when we think we should be going someplace and we get angry.  Maybe it would be a good idea in the future to be sure we are seeing everything God wants us to see.  No agenda is worth going against the will of God.  The next time we come to an impasse, let's ask the Lord to open our eyes to His ways.  Let's not begin playing the blame game.  Having private conversations with donkeys in public could be pretty humiliating!