MORNING MANNA - MAY 16-31, 2007

MORNING MANNA - MAY 31, 2007 - WHAT IS TRUTH?

John 18:38 (New Living Translation)
^{38 (NLT)}"What is truth?" Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, "He is not guilty of any crime.

Poor Pilate! He had one thing right. Jesus was not guilty of any crime. (Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 1:19) The trouble was, he asked the wrong question of Jesus. "What is truth?", is not the question. He could have asked, "Are you Truth?" The truth is not a thing. It is a person. Jesus said, "I am the truth." (John 14:16) Instead of concentrating on Pilate's previous question, "You are a king then?", Jesus said that He came to bring truth into the world. He also said that those people who love the truth recognize that His words are true. (John 18:37) This morning, if we really love Him, we will recognize that all His Words are true and we will live by them. He is not only the truth, but the way and the life too. That pretty much sums up everything we could need!

Are there things in your life that are confusing this morning. Does it seem that everywhere you turn, you hear a different version of what is purported to be the truth? Do you believe everything you hear on the news? The truth there seems to be dependent upon which channel you are watching. Are there problems in your family or your workplace because different people have different versions of "the truth." Today, many are saying that there is no real truth. That everything is relative. What does that do for honesty, integrity, and organization? What does that say about the world's view of Jesus? That mind set only brings confusion and we know that God is not the author of confusion. Satan is the author of confusion and all lies, including the lie that everything is relative. (1 Corinthians 14:33, John 8:44) Poor Pilate, he didn't have a clue; but the same thing could be said about most of our world today. It's about time for us who really know Jesus, the Truth, to stand up for Him.

This morning, we can know Jesus and He will set us free. The Word says, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32) What Pilate didn't realize was that he was standing right in front of the Truth, even speaking to Him. Unfortunately, he didn't recognize Him for who He was. So, instead of asking, "Are you truth?", he asked, "What is truth?" Pilate thought he had all the power that day. He thought he had the power to free Jesus in his hands. Little did he know that He had no power at all of that sort. Jesus could have freed Himself right then and there. He chose to stay so He could free Pilate and the whole world of their sin. But, Pilate didn't get it. He didn't bother to really get to know Jesus, to really get to know the truth. If he did, he might have been set free from the guilt he felt as he tried to wash it off of his hands. (Matthew 27:24) This morning as we search the scriptures together, let's seek to know Jesus, not just scriptural knowledge. (1 Corinthians 2:2) The Amplified Version puts 1 corinthians 2:2 this way: "For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified." Only the truth we know will set us free. We can be so familiar with the Word that we don't really know Him. Just as when He was in the flesh on earth, He is always moving. Always entering in and touching circumstances into which He is invited and welcomed. We may hear various versions of what is supposed to be truth about lots of different things. That may tend to tempt us to be confused. That's when we have to invite the only real Truth into those situations and know that we are free from any confusion and all lies. God's Son is the Truth and whom the Son sets free is free indeed. (John 8:36) If you haven't already done so, let the Truth set you free right now! If you haven't had a nice intimate and current conversation with the Truth lately, today is the day to begin to know Him better!

2 Samuel 14:14 (New Living Translation)
^{14 (NLT)}All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. That is why God tries to bring us back when we have been separated from him. He does not sweep away the lives of those he cares about—and neither should you!

MORNING MANNA - MAY 29, 2007 - GLORY!

John 17:22 (New Living Translation)
^{22 (NLT)}"I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are—

Glory. God gave it to Jesus. Then Jesus gave it to us! What is glory anyway? The Strong's Concordance says it is very apparent "glorious, honor, praise, dignity, worship." It comes from a root word having to do with, among other things, "thinking" and "reputation." It's not difficult to for me to believe that God would give Jesus glory. But, to think that Jesus would give glory to me is a bit more challenging to my thought process. How wonderful is that? I was surprised when I saw the meanings of the words from which, "glory," is translated. You see, I have a room in my house that I always clean last. If there is no time left in the day, it is the one that stays messy. It's the place I dump stuff I don't know what to do with. As I looked around in it a few days ago, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the thought that I needed to organize it and clean it up. I remember thinking, "there is no dignity here." There certainly wasn't and I'm still working on that room! If you saw it, you probably wouldn't think much of it or maybe even much of me! The room is in a house that looks great on the outside. You would never guess that inside this lovely home was such a messy room. I'm making plans to give it a little glory.

Our lives were just that way before Jesus came. He found us in a mess but then gave us His glory. We may have looked good on the outside. But, things were different on the inside. We had no real dignity, we were of no reputation. He then made Himself of no reputation and died a very undignified death so that we could be given dignity and have His reputation! (Philippians 2:7, Romans 5:8) Is that awesome or what?!? It makes it so much more meaningful to me when I sing those familiar words, "Our God is an awesome God." It doesn't even make sense that anyone would do that for another. Much less, the Creator of the world for a people that rejected Him. There is no greater love than this! (John 15:13) Jesus left His glory in Heaven. He came to earth. He allowed those He created to strip Him of His dignity. Then He turned right around and gave dignity and glory back to anyone who will now believe that He is Lord. We, who had no reputation now get to walk in His reputation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Wow! Why would Jesus do such a wonderful thing? The scripture says that He did it because He wanted us to be one just as He is one with God the Father. He wants to bring us together in unity. So, He gives all believers His glory. (John 17:23) He has a greater purpose for giving us glory than just to make us feel special. He is building His body, the church. If you are a believer, you are a part of that body. He is fitting each of us together perfectly. (Ephesians 4:16) We don't all look alike or do the same thing. But we all have His glory. Just like in the human body, the nose doesn't look anything like the knee but the body would be very deformed if it was missing either. (1 Corinthians 12:15) Just think what would happen to our bodies if our hand decided to cut off our foot because it did not look like the hand? Or if the ear refused to listen because it could not speak? If this started to happen in a human body, it would destroy itself. Destruction is of the evil one. (John 10:10) The purpose of Jesus giving us all His glory is so that we could appreciate each other and work together just as in a normal human body, every part works together to make the body function properly. So we could experience abundant life individually and as a corporate body. This morning, lets be thankful for the glory that God has given each believer. Let's put aside any preconceived ideas about how the another believer should look or operate (aside from the obvious scriptural warning against sin). Do we know how each cell and each nerve works in our own bodies? That is complicated enough. But, can we really discern, as God discerns, how each part of His body works? His divine purpose for that part of His body? The Word says that anyone who calls on the Name of Jesus will be saved. (Romans 10:13) Jesus warned against judging another person's ministry. (Mark 9:39-42) When we work in unity, His desire will be fulfilled. He said He wanted us to have His glory so we could experience perfect unity. From that unity, the world will know that God sent Jesus to earth. Not only that they will know the love of God! That's exactly what God wants! So, let's just do what Jesus said and preach the gospel, making disciples of all nations. (Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19) The Head of the Body, who is Jesus, will take care of all the parts. With His glory, our part is just to do our part!

John 16:31 (New Living Translation)
^{31 (NLT)}Jesus asked, "Do you finally believe?

Proverbs 16:3 (New Living Translation)
^{3 (NLT)}Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed.

What are your thoughts and plans this morning? We all have them. And, of course, we all want them to succeed. If we are believers, our plans must line up with God's plans. If we plan things that are obviously against His will and His Word, we can obviously expect failure and disappointment. That's why it's so important that we remain in His Word daily. When Jesus was in His ministry here on earth He taught daily in the temple. (Luke 19:47) The Lord renews our spirits every day by His Word. (2 Corinthians 4:16) The early church met every day in their homes and in the Temple. (Acts 5:42) We can't know how to plan according to His plan unless we learn what His plan is! He does have a plan for you and me individually and for His church as a whole. It is so important that we plan and walk in agreement with it. (Psalm 139:16, Ephesians 2:10) Is our delight in the Lord this morning? Are our plans of such that He can bless them and give us what we desire? (Psalm 37:4)

The word translated, "commit," in this verse is very encouraging to me because it leads me right into the New Testament and to Jesus. Its root really means, "to roll." Other meanings are, "trust" and "remove." When we make our plans according to His will, we can roll them onto Him. They are not burdensome because we can, in a sense, remove them from ourselves, trusting Him for the outcome. We are told in His Word that we can make our plans but He will direct our steps. When our plans are in line with His plans, the steps are already ordered. We just need to walk in them by the light of His Word. (Psalm 37:23, Proverbs 16:9, Psalm 119:105) I recall that His Word also tells us that we are to cast all of our cares on Jesus. (1 Peter 5:7) He does truly care for us. Sometimes things in life can overwhelm us. Our work and plans don't always appear to be attainable. This can cause worry and distress. That is not God's plan for us. As we go about our lives, His plan is for peace and our burden to be light. (John 16:33, Matthew 11:28) Yes, committing our works to God is such a blessing. Rolling everything onto Him gives us peace and confidence. He cannot fail! (Exodus 33:14)

The King James Version of Proverbs 16:3, reads this way. "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established." While the word success is very attractive to us and easy to understand, when I look into the meanings attached to "thy thoughts shall be established," I am encouraged even more than just thinking of success. In today's world, success comes and goes. A company is successful one day and gone the next. A person is promoted in the business world one day and deemed to have, "success." But, the next day we find a different story in the headlines. When our thoughts and plans are in direct agreement with those of the Lord, there is nothing that can bring them down or keep them from coming to pass! The word, "thoughts," has to do with things like purpose, imaginations, things invented or devised. God does work within our thoughts to give us witty inventions. (Proverbs 8:12 - see King James Version) He will give us thoughts that will, when carried out, prosper. The word, "established," has such attributes as, render sure, prosperous, fix, be stable, etc. It really means, "to be erect." Like a well built tall building on a firm foundation, when we have committed our plans to the Lord, we can be sure that we can stand tall and confident. We can know that those plans He has put in our hearts and minds will be established. They will be fixed and sure. What a reassuring thought in our world today where everything seems to shift under our feet moment by moment. Doesn't that just inspire you to know His Word, make your plans accordingly, roll all your cares about them on the Lord, and stand tall knowing they are firmly established?

MORNING MANNA - MAY 26, 2007 - ME, ME, ME

Psalms 119:33 (New Living Translation)
^{33 (NLT)}Teach me, O LORD, to follow every one of your principles.

These days, it's all about me! The prime question is what's in it for me? Self is exalted and most of the time God is forgotten. (2 Timothy 3:2) Not to speak of relationships broken and suffering because we think it's all about "me." (James 4:2) Maybe some of us don't realize that we think that but with the constant barrage of things we see and hear today, we begin to buy into the mind set of the world and begin to act like it's all about us. We need to get out of that and separate ourselves from the world's way of thinking. (2 Corinthians 6:17) We are to love ourselves in a healthy way but not in a selfish way. (Psalm 139:14) We need to have self-love but not be selfish. Taking care of our bodies and our minds is a good thing. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19) It is good to maintain the temple. But being consumed with the outward appearance of the temple could be bordering on selfishness rather than maintenance. Maintenance is a balance and it has to be done from the depths of the inside out. The Pharisees looked really good on the outside but Jesus called them rotten to the core. Whitewashed sepulchres. (Matthew 23:27)

After having said that it's not all about, "me," I want to get back into balance. In a sense, it is about you or, "me." The Psalmist said, "me," quite a lot in Psalm 119. God is all about you and me. He created us. He was loving us even when we were sinners. (Romans 5:8) Jesus died for us while we were His enemy, while we were still in our sin. But, now that we know who He really is, He wants us to be all about Him. (Luke 9:23) To glorify Him and reflect His goodness, grace, and righteousness. (Psalm 119:5) How can we do that? How can we become more and more like Him? There's only one way that I know of. The first thing is to admit that we're not like Him. That without Him we are lost in our sin. (Romans 3:23) To realize that we can do nothing by ourselves. (John 15:5) Then, like the Psalmist, we have to get into a healthy mode of asking about.... You guessed it - "me."

Here are a few things we, like the Psalmist, can ask. We can ask God to teach us to follow all of His principles. (Psalm 119:33) That's a mouth full and a lifetime of practice and discipline in itself. But there's so much more. We can and must ask for understanding so we can obey those principles and practice them with our whole heart. (Psalm 119:33) In these two verses we have already said, "Teach me." and, "Give me." How about, "Make me?" Yes, we can ask that too and, as for me, I need to ask that because I'm not always the most willing of creatures. The Psalmist said, "Make me walk along the path of your commands." Why? Well, he said that is where his happiness is found. (Psalm 119:35) This is true. Happiness and joy are found in walking along the path of God's commands but other paths often look more inviting! "Make me, God!" Another, "Give me," is found next. (Psalm 119:36) We need to ask God to give us an eagerness for His decrees. This appears, from the writing of the Psalmist to include a request to be delivered from the love of money. God's decrees are not that we should not have money but that we should not love it. When we are focused on His decrees, we cannot be focused on money. We can't worship two masters. (Matthew 6:24) Now a new, "me," shows up. This one is, "Reassure me." Because the world does not always look so good and circumstances can fly in the face of God's reality, we do need reassurance of His promises. (Psalm 119:38) This verse indicates to me that those promises are for those who honor Him. Are we honoring Him this morning? By sharing here in His Word, we're getting a start. Now we must carry it out into the world where we will come up against obstacles. We will need His reassurance there. (John 16:33) Oh here's one of my favorites! "Help me." (Psalm 119:39) Just those two words are a prayer that can be prayed over just about anything and any situation. Here the Psalmist is asking for help to abandon his shameful ways. Do you have anything that is not glorifying to God that keeps trying to draw you back? Most of us want only His ways to be in our lives just like the Psalmist. But, we all need help! God's help. Another great big one is another, "Give me." (Psalm 119:41) We need His unfailing love because we can tend to be a bit fickle. We also need the salvation He has promised to those that call on His name. (Acts 2:21) Without that, we're lost. Aren't you thankful for His unchanging love for you and me this morning and the salvation He has given us through His Son? God loves you and me. His desire is to give us good things and help us, encouraging us along the way. It's okay to say, "Me, me, me." when we put it in this context. Everything we are asking for will only bring us closer to Him and make us more like Him. So, let yourself go this morning without any guilt. Say things like, "Give me," "Help me," "Reassure me." Those are "me's" that the Father desires to hear! Let's not disappoint Him! (Isaiah 43:22)

2 Samuel 5:19 (New Living Translation)
^{19 (NLT)}So David asked the LORD, "Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD replied, "Yes, go ahead. I will certainly give you the victory."

Psalms 119:11Psalms 119:11 (New Living Translation)
^{11 (NLT)}I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Are you hiding the Word this morning? Deep in your heart? Psalm 119:11 gives us good reason to do so. If we have it there, we will not sin against God. Before we can hide it though, we have to get it. Are you ready to go from just reading a few verses of scripture to really studying it? The Psalmist said, "I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways." (Psalm 119:15) Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would remind us of everything He said. (John 14:26) How can Spirit remind us, though, if we have never heard it in the first place? We can hear Jesus speak through His Word as He reveals Himself to us. That's the way we get to know Him. He is the Word. (John 1:14) If you have a lover who sends you a "love letter," you are not likely to throw it down on the coffee table as a decoration and never open it to see what your lover is saying. In fact, the likely thing that will happen is that you will read it over and over again, reading between the lines, trying to get to know this person that loves you even better. Are you so in love with Jesus this morning that no dust can gather on your Bible? Do you study (read between the lines) to get to know Him better?

The Word is powerful. It is a two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12) God is able to do perfect heart surgery with it on you and me. He does this so that we will not sin against Him. Sometimes it hurts a bit but when it has done its work, we are more mature and stronger in our faith. I recently heard an illustration about the two-edged sword. When it goes in, something will be cut out. The idea is to let it cut the sin from our heart leaving our heart intact. It divides our soul from our spirit. Our will and emotions (which are still being made new in Christ) from our spirit (where God dwells). So, are you studying and hiding that Word in your heart so that you will not sin against God? Are you hiding the Word in the depths of your heart so you will have something to draw on when troubles come? And, troubles will come!

Studying and knowing the Word of God is an awesome thing. It can keep us from fear. (Psalm 56:4) If we obey, it will keep us pure. (Psalm 119:9) It will revive us when we are down. (Psalm 119:25). It will encourage us when we encounter grief. (Psalm 119:28) It will take us out of worthlessness and bring us life. (Psalm 119:37) If we are persecuted, it will supply the answers we need for those who are persecuting us. (Psalm 119:42) It give us hope in a hopeless world. (Psalm 119:43) It helps us to bring joy to others (Psalm 119:74) God's Word stands firm and gives us a firm foundation. (Psalm 119:89) It lights our way and keeps us from stumbling. (Psalm 119:105) It guides our steps. (Psalm 119:133) It helps us discern who the enemy is. (Psalm 119:158) It is like great treasure to us. (Psalm 119:162) It makes us sing. (Psalm 119:172) These are just a few things from Psalm 119 that make studying and meditating on God's Word so powerful. The great thing about all these things and the many more things we can dig out of His Word is this. Every word proves true. (Proverbs 30:5) Now, I hope we are stirred up to study, reflect and meditate on the only Word that will never let us down and will protect and defend us even better than our local police or our wonderful armed forces! His Name is Jesus.

Psalms 119:11Psalms 119:11 (New Living Translation)
^{11 (NLT)}I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

MORNING MANNA - MAY 23, 2007 - SUCCESS

Psalms 118:25 (New Living Translation)
^{25
(NLT)}Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success.

Is that your plea this morning? "Lord, please save us." "Lord, please, oh please, give us success." As the people thronged to follow Jesus into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, they shouted, "Hosanna," which means, "savior" or "to save" and "deliverer" or "to deliver." This Greek word is the word that is associated with the Hebrew word for "save" in the Psalm 118:25. The people shouted, "Hosanna" as they followed Jesus because they thought He had come to deliver them, to save them. (Matthew 21:9) He did come to save them and us too. But, many of them were seeking to be saved just from their circumstances, not to follow the King into Kingdom living and be saved from the inside out. This morning, has Jesus saved you? (Acts 2:21) Have you called on His Name in repentance? (Matthew 4:17) If not, today is your day. Today is the day to call on Him and be saved from your sins. To gain eternal life in Heaven. (2 Corinthians 6:2) The word, "save" here in Psalm 118:25 has within its meaning, things like, "free, defend, help, preserve, rescue, be safe, get victory." Praise God, salvation includes all of those things and more!

The Psalmist did not stop with asking for salvation. He continued to ask for success. Will we, too, call out for success this morning? If you are reading this and you live in this world, but don't need success, I would love to talk to you! There isn't a one of us today that doesn't need success to survive here on earth! Maybe you're thinking of something specific that you are in need of this morning - success in getting a job, success in building or restoring a marriage, success in obtaining transportation or a home, success in financial affairs. That's okay to think and to ask specifically. Jesus said that we could ask what for what we wanted and He would do it. He said we could ask anything in His name and He would do it in order to bring glory to His Father. If you have received His salvation this morning, He said you can ask anything. Of course, we know that, if we have received His salvation, we will ask in accordance with His will for us. If you are asking for a blessing on an illicit affair or a blessing on stolen money or any other thing against His will, it probably means that you have to go back and check step number one above and make sure you have repented and have really received His salvation. (James 4:2-3) If you have, you will be a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17) and your prayers will be directed by His Spirit. (Jude 1:20) Jesus said He would do what we asked. If that wasn't enough, He repeated it again. (John 14:13-14) He said, "Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it!" I always figure that when God repeats something in His Word, He really wants to make sure we get it. What do you think?

The thing about success is that it is really more than success! The word, "success," in Psalm 118:25 is translated, "prosperity" in the King James Version. God has the ability and is willing not only to save us but to give us prosperity. What is prosperity? It means to push forward in various senses. It means to be profitable. Also (from Strong's Concordance) "(cause to, effect, make to, send) prosper (-ity, -ous, -ously)." Don't you want prosperity this morning? That doesn't mean just financial prosperity. It means that you will have prosperity in body, soul and spirit. Don't you want to be prosperous in all those areas? If you say, "No," I'm not sure if I will believe you. God is the cause, maker and sender of prosperity. It is not just about us. He wants us to be prosperous so we can bring prosperity to others. Do you want to be profitable to the Kingdom of God? Then you need prosperity. You and I need God to push us forward in every sense of the word. He is able but if we drag our feet, He will not force us. Do you want to fare prosperously in all that you are and all that you do? God is able. He will do it if He can trust us to give Him the glory and use our talents, time, health, and money to build His Kingdom. Since Jesus said we could ask for anything in His Name, we have the choice today to ask for salvation and prosperity. Let's ask for those things and continue to use everything He gives us to glorify Him!

MORNING MANNA - MAY 22, 2007 - TOUT LE MONDE

John 12:19 (New Living Translation)
19 (NLT) Then the Pharisees said to each other, "We've lost. Look, the whole world has gone after him!"

The above title phrase, "tout le monde" is used by the French. It literally means, "all the world." In English, it means, "everybody,." The Pharisees were very disturbed now. Many people were following after Jesus. Lots of them had seen Him raise Lazarus from the dead. To top it off, they were telling others. To the Pharisees, it looked like just about everybody was about to believe in Him. Even some Greeks visited Phillip and asked to see Jesus. (John 12:20-22) It seemed everybody wanted to at least know about Jesus and who He was. There are varied opinions about who the Greeks were that were seeking after Jesus. The Greeks were seekers of truth. One of the most prevalent ideas is that they were God-fearing people who at least went to the Jewish synagogues and their feasts. One commentary indicates that their coming to find Jesus was a symbol of the Gentiles coming to worship God through Christ. At any rate, it seemed to the Pharisees that the whole world was about to follow Jesus.

They really thought that they could do something about the world coming to Jesus. They thought that if they executed Him, His Kingdom would dissolve. (John 11:53) Little did they know that they were pretty much right in their saying. The whole world would at least come to know about Jesus and many would become followers. In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. (Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10) Why not gladly seek Him now? The Pharisees made a big mistake in thinking they could eradicate Jesus's following by having Him crucified. That only revealed a miracle even greater than Lazarus being raised from the dead. Jesus rose from the dead under His own power. (Mark 16:9) He appeared to many. (Acts 13:31) He ascended back into Heaven in the sight of several witnesses. (Luke 24:51) Then He sent His Spirit to indwell His people. (Acts 2:3) Now His Kingdom was going in His power everywhere into the world! It still is.

When Jesus left this earth, He left us an assignment. He said, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone, everywhere. (Mark 16:15) The Pharisees were exactly right. The whole world will know about Jesus and all will be given the opportunity to believe in Him and to follow Him. As we carry out the assignment given to us, His Spirit will give those new believers power to go and reproduce even more followers. (Ephesians 3:16) It is our job to be a disciple and then to reproduce ourselves by making disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19) Is the enemy fearing us today as the Pharisees feared Jesus in His day? If not, should we be checking to see if we look like disciples? Are we disciplined in the ways of Jesus? Are we making disciples? That is, spending time with people in one on one relationships being living examples as well as teaching His Word? Do we have a heart to reach the world for Jesus? Can we bring fear to the Pharisees of our day? If not, why not? His Kingdom will come as surely as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey that first Palm Sunday. The Pharisees were right that the world was seeking Jesus. Let's prove them right about the fact that they have lost too. Let's see if we can get "tout le monde" to believe and receive Him! (John 3:16)

John 11:33 (New Living Translation)
^{33 (NLT)}When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, he was moved with indignation and was deeply troubled.

Jesus was just like you and me. Except He was sinless. He had emotions. We find several in the story of the death of Lazarus. First, He was angry and troubled. The King James Version says, "He groaned in the spirit." The Greek word translated, "groaned" comes from a root word meaning, "to snort with anger." Yes, Jesus was angry and he was troubled. Troubled means agitated or stirred. Because Jesus is one with the Father, we see here a picture of God's wrath. God was very troubled and stirred up and snorting with anger. When Jesus saw the people wailing over the fact that Lazarus had died, it sparked righteous anger within Him. It wasn't as if He didn't know that Lazarus was going to be dead when He arrived. He had already told his disciples that it would be that way. (John 11:11-13) When He arrived at the scene and found it just as He had said it would be, he became angry and troubled. Do you think He was angry with the people? I don't. I think He was angry because He knew that Satan was trying to claim a victory here. Jesus knew that without Him, the people would all perish. This scene in the natural was a picture of what happens in the spiritual without Jesus. (2 Peter 3:9) We are all dead in our sin when Jesus finds us. The spiritual stench is just as bad as the stench in the tomb where Lazarus had been laying for four days. What would happen a few minutes after Jesus's arrival would be a picture of His giving us time enough to repent even though we were dead in our sins. Jesus was angry because the devil seemed to be having his way and exerting his power over all the weeping and wailing people. Jesus is angry when sin tries to steal the soul and spirit of one of His children.

Jesus had other emotions too. Two of which were compassion and grief. Although in Jesus's time, the Greek and Roman philosophers taught that one must remain calm and appear untouched in the face of bereavement, Jesus expressed His grief by weeping just like the rest of the mourners at the grave site. I don't believe that Jesus wept out of helplessness like we do when a loved one dies. In fact, some commentaries say that He did not wail like the other mourners but that He shed tears. It's pretty obvious that He wasn't wailing in hopelessness since He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. I believe He wept over the sin in us that causes death. It is also recorded at least one other time that Jesus wept. He stood over the city of Jerusalem and wept. He was weeping because He had come to save them. He had come to bring them life. But they would not have it. (Matthew 23:37) I think He also wept at Lazarus's tomb because, in His manhood, He was really able to feel all the grief we feel when a loved one passes on. Whatever loss we experience, Jesus is able to feel our pain. He is compassionate and caring. Being also God, He knew He was going to restore Lazarus to life. But, He could also feel the depths of sorrow being experienced at the time by Mary and Martha at the death of their brother. He feels everything you and I feel. He's been through it all. He's even wept like we weep sometimes. (Hebrews 4:15) There is a time and a season for everything. (Ecclesiastes 3:4) We do not have to hide or deny our deep feelings of grief as was espoused by the Greek and Roman philosophers. No. Jesus didn't. We don't either. But, that season of weeping will and must pass. Joy will and must replace weeping. (Psalm 30:5) The Bible tells us that weeping will last for the night but joy comes in the morning. It doesn't matter what season you are in at the moment, Jesus has been there. He has you covered for every season!

The season of weeping was short in this case for Jesus. His anger returned. His spirit was stirred up again. (John 11:38) He could not stay in His grief. If He did, He would not be effective in the raising of Lazarus. No. Jesus left that season of grief and went to a season of righteous anger during which He did warfare against the kingdom of death and won! It was not only an act of compassion for Mary and Martha or a demonstration of His power as the Son of God. It was all that. But, it was an example for you and me too. In this world, we will suffer loss. As Jesus raised Lazarus, He will also restore everything we have lost. Nothing of worth is lost to Jesus. It was an example of how we need to deal with life. We will grieve. But it will not be like the world grieves. (1 Thessalonians 4:13) It will be temporary. Because we have hope. Like Jesus, out of our pain will spring a stirring of in our spirit, a snort of anger at the enemy who brings death and destruction. It will make us stronger in battle, the battle for the souls of the ones who have no hope. Yes, Jesus had emotions too. He cried with Mary and Martha and He feels every tear that you and I shed too. He also had anger. Not the kind of selfish anger that we sometimes demonstrate. His anger was not against any person. It was rightly placed and totally against the principalities and powers in high places that try to take you and me down. (Ephesians 6:12) Will you be angry this morning? If so, be angry like Jesus. Put on your spiritual armor and fight with all you've got. Demonstrate all that Godly anger. Not against any person but against the rulers in high places that try to kill us before it's our time to die. That try to destroy our very soul and spirit. God has given us the authority, through Jesus, to destroy the power of the enemy. Will you get angry enough to do it? (Luke 10:19-20) If we are believers, we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Will you fight for the Kingdom? Go ahead, if God be for you who can be against you? (Romans 8:31)

Psalms 116:1 (New Living Translation)
^{1 (NLT)}I love the LORD because he hears and answers my prayers.

The Psalmist loved the Lord. But why? And why do we love the Lord? For the Psalmist, in this case, it was because the Lord heard and answered his prayers. In the King James Version it says, "I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications." Looking at the meanings of the original Hebrew words, it could be said, "I love the Lord because He paid attention to my bleating's." One of the meanings of the word, "voice," is "bleating's." We are the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 95:7) We are told that when we listen to the Shepherd's voice, we will recognize it and follow him. (John 10:27) A sign of a good leader is that he or she won't ask anyone under him or her to do something that he or she would not be willing to do. God does not ask us just to listen to His voice. He listens to ours too!! Though our requests may sound a bit like sheep bleating to Him, He knows each one of our voices and pays attention when He hears them. I would suppose it is rather like a mother knowing her child's cry. I had four children and I could tell the difference between each of their voices as infants. No one sounded exactly like the other one. No wonder the psalmist said he loved the Lord! It was because..... It was because the Lord knew his voice and paid attention to his cry. The Psalmist's prayer was not just a memorized, "Now I lay me down to sleep...." prayer. He was talking about earnest pleading. To God, our earnest pleading may be a light thing because of His great power and perfect perspective. But He looks down on us, the bleating sheep in His pasture, with love and realizes that we are frail, and made of dust. He listens to our cries about things He already knows He has planned to take care of. He takes note of the pain and sorrow that drives us to earnest prayer.

The Psalmist also said he loved the Lord because He bends down and listens. (Psalm 116:2) One commentary states that the person writing here was very sick and weak. The idea here was that he could hardly speak. Don't we get that way sometimes? It may or may not be a physical sickness. But, something in our lives has gone awry and we can barely speak a prayer. Yet, our loving and merciful Father, as they used to say, "sits high and looks low." He not only looks low but He bends down. The picture here is of God bending down very close to the mouth of the weak person in prayer. God cares about and listens to every word we say. It's almost as if he was straining to hear us (though God does not have to strain to do anything). Doesn't that warm your heart this morning to know that your Heavenly Father will bend down to listen to you when you are to weak to yell out? When you hardly have the energy to speak, He still hears your cry, knows your voice and listens to your plea. He has even told us in the book of Romans that when we don't know how to pray the Spirit will make intercession for us with groaning's. (Romans 8:26) Even when we cannot express our prayers in words, God hears the bleating's of our heart and speaks for us through the Holy Spirit! That's why the psalmist was so in love with the Lord. That's why we can be in love with Him too. Because.... Because He bends down to us. He does ask us to bend down and worship Him. But, He also bends down to listen to and attend to us!!

This word, "because," really connects us to God. It almost seems sinful to love God because of something. Especially because He pays attention to us and because He answers our prayers. But, there is another verse that helps me understand why this is all okay. The Bible says, that we love God because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19) Here is the King James translation: "We love Him because He first loved us." We can't love God unless there is a "because." We love Him because he first loved us. We have nothing to offer in any way or form unless He gives it to us first. He is the one who shows us, by example, how to love Him. Also, how to listen to Him. How to pay attention to Him. He is leadership in its perfection. If we want to know how to love and be loved, we just need to follow His example. We need to love first. We need to listen to Him and to others. We need to pay attention not only to His voice but to the voices of our brothers and sisters who are crying out in need. This Psalm was written by someone who was delivered from the threat of death. We all have good reason to love God. He sent His own Son and delivered us from death. Now we can go to Him boldly and make all our requests known. (Hebrews 4:16) Like the Psalmist, our love for God will stem from His goodness and love for us. He has told us that He will answer our prayers. (John 14:14) Now that we are able to hear His voice and return the love that He has so freely given us, we can go out and love others. (John 15:12) Why do we love Him? Because He first loved us and gave Himself for us. (Ephesians 5:1) Because He pays attention to us. Because He answers our prayers and meets our needs. Why can we now love others? Because He first loved us. Because He has given us the power and commandment to pass that love on. Because His love is never ending. (Psalm 117:2) I never really realized what an important word, "because" is! Do you love Him today? It's okay to love Him because........... There are too many reasons to list!!

MORNING MANNA - MAY 19, 2007 - BETRAYED

1 Samuel 23:12 (New Living Translation)
^{12 (NLT)}Again David asked, "Will these men of Keilah really betray me and my men to Saul?" And the LORD replied, "Yes, they will betray you."

David had been running from Saul for a very long time, hiding in the wilderness, unwilling even though presented with the chance, to lay a hand on Saul (1 Samuel 24:10). Not because Saul was good or treated David well (1 Samuel 18:10-11), but because God had appointed and anointed Saul to be King of Israel. David knew better than to touch one of God's anointed ones. (1 Chronicles 16:22, Psalm 105:15) Is there someone in an office or position of authority above you that has not treated you well? Are you troubled by the actions of someone in leadership who is not all he or she should be? Like David, can we give it to the Lord, trusting that He will make the crooked places straight and deliver us from a bad situation? Has anyone thrown a spear at you lately trying to pin you to a wall? I hope not. That's what Saul did to David. Even though David was severely tormented by Saul, he chose the better road and stayed out of his way as much as possible but never plotted to destroy him. How about that boss? Maybe a spouse? A government leader? It could even be a church leader. We will know those who follow the Lord by their fruits. (Matthew 7:16) It is only our job to discern, not to destroy. We are to pray for those in authority over us even if the enemy seems to be using them against us. (1 Timothy 2:1-2, Matthew 5:44)

David had tried to stay out of Saul's way but one day he got word that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors. (1 Samuel 23:1) God had put a love for his people in David's heart when he was just a teen and fought Goliath. He never lost that love. David was a tender warrior. He asked God if he should go and attack the Philistines. God answered in the affirmative. (1 Samuel 23:1-2) Although David's men were fearful, God promised to give David the victory so they went to battle for their brothers. (1 Samuel 23:3-4) Saul happened to hear that David had gone to rescue those in Keilah. He was overjoyed because he was sure he could now kill David since David had trapped himself in the walled town there. (1 Samuel 23:7) David heard that Saul had located him and he went straight to the Lord to ask if Saul would really come for him and if the people at Keilah would betray him. After all of his sacrifice for these people, wouldn't you know it, God's answer was, "Yes, they will betray you." Does this remind you of anybody? David loved his people and risked his life to save them from their enemy. They were about to repay him evil for the good he had done by betraying him so that Saul could kill him. Betrayal happens even when it is no fault of the one being betrayed. In this case, God told David ahead of time and he was able to escape. (1 Samuel 23:13) In Jesus case, when He knew His time had come, he faced the betrayal from one of his own head on and bore the sin of every betrayal as well as every sin of ours on the cross. (Matthew 26:25) He can bring comfort to the betrayed as well as forgiveness to the repentant betrayer.

When we trust in God, as David did, God will protect us. God kept Saul from finding David. Saul must have spent lots of hours, used lots of mental energy and lost a lot of sleep trying to locate and kill David but he was fighting against God. That's always a losing battle. (1 Samuel 23:14) Not only will God protect us when we are fully trusting in Him. He will encourage us in the hard places to stay strong in our faith. Jonathan, Saul's son and David's best friend, did find David. He encouraged him not to be afraid. Not only that, he confirmed the fact that David would be the next king of Israel. (1 Samuel 23:16-17) Are you in a hard place this morning? Whether it is betrayal or not, trust in the Lord and be encouraged. God has plans for you and they are good plans if you will continue to follow Jesus. (Jeremiah 29:11) We may have wilderness experiences like David did when he had to remain there to stay out of the reach of Saul. But, notice that as David withdrew farther into the wilderness, he came to a great rock where he stayed. (1 Samuel 23:25) Later the Lord distracted Saul from pursuing David by having the Philistines attack Israel. (1 Samuel 23:26-28) God will fight against those who fight against Him. Saul had to stop hunting for David and go to defend himself against the Philistines. The rock where David was camped during that time was named the Rock of Escape. We, too, have a rock to camp in and on when the trials of life are threatening to get the best of us. (1 Peter 2:8) That Rock is Jesus. We can ultimately fall on or under the rock as Saul did because of his continual disobedience. Or like David, we can hide ourselve in the Rock and constantly camp close to the Rock. In every situation in life, we have that choice. Today, God's mercies are new. We have a chance to make right choices again. Will we fall on the Rock or will the Rock have to fall on us? Or will we hide ourselves in and find safety in the Rock of Escape? (Psalm 62:2, 6)

John 9:34 (New Living Translation)
^{34 (NLT)}"You were born in sin!" they answered. "Are you trying to teach us?" And they threw him out of the synagogue.

This passage from John 9:34 is very interesting. The Jewish leaders accused the man who was born blind of being born in sin. It seems that the blindness was really not in the man born blind but in those who were grilling him about his healing. Is there anyone in this fallen world who has not been born in sin? The man who was healed could have just as well said, "It takes one to know one." Probably not a good idea in this case, but still true. Have you ever met anyone who thought they didn't sin? Do you think you sin? (1 John 1:8) Do we pause to remember that our very nature is sinful until we receive the salvation that Jesus gives us? (Psalm 51:5) These Jewish leaders apparently did not think they did anything wrong or that they were even sinful creatures. Yet, they were persecuting and trying to find a reason to kill (that's called murder - a direct violation of the sixth commandment - Exodus 20:13) the only One who never ever sinned. Who were these leaders trying to lead? They weren't even considering the basics of all the rules they were trying to force on everyone else!

We can get that very same way, especially if we have been Christians for a long time. We can know the rules and be proud of ourselves for following them until we become something worse than a rule-breaker. We become self-righteous and critical and judgmental. We walk around just looking for faults in others, even other Christians. The disciples were about to get like that but Jesus put a stop to it. They saw other people preaching that weren't in "their" group. They asked Jesus to make them stop but He said, "No." (Mark 9:38-40) The Jewish leaders had fallen into the trap of thinking they were an exclusive group of people. We, as Christians, can do that too if we forget the grace by which we were saved. (Ephesians 2:8) God told His chosen people as they entered into the promised land that they should be careful to remember that they were not receiving it because they were so good. (Deuteronomy 9:6) They were not and neither are we. (Romans 3:23) Neither were the Jewish leaders that thought so much of themselves in Jesus's day. They prided themselves in all that they knew but they were bumbling around in worse blindness than the man who was born blind. And, they didn't even recognize it! (John 9:39) The Good News is that Jesus loves us all and died for every one of us - no exclusivity. All anyone of us has to do is receive His free gift of salvation. Who we are and what we have is all due to the grace, goodness and faithfulness of God. Here the man born blind was being condemned of sin by the very ones who didn't recognize the fact that they were the worst kind of sinners. They were in total denial. (John 9:41) They needed their spiritual eyes opened just as much as the blind man had needed his physical eyes opened.

As the leaders began to question the man born blind but healed by Jesus, I imagine that he became rather disgruntled and frustrated. Here were the people that were supposed to know God frantically trying to get information out of him. He was a nobody of that day. He had been a beggar just moments before. Finally, it appears that he had taken enough of their questions. From the text, it looks like he sarcastically asked them if they wanted the information so they could become disciples of Jesus too. (John 9:27) Boy, did he put his life on the line! They cursed him and said they knew God spoke to Moses but they didn't know anything about Jesus. (John 9:28-29) Wow! The newly healed man took the open door of opportunity. "That's strange," he said. Then he began a short discourse about how God listens only to those who worship Him, not to sinners. He affirmed the fact that Jesus could not have healed his eyes unless He came from God. (John 9:33) It was a marvelously short and convicting teaching. And, it came from someone who had never read (he hadn't been able to see). Someone who had nothing (he had been a beggar all his life). He had actually not even confessed formally that he was a believer... yet. Only later did he do that when Jesus found him again. The Jewish leaders threw him out of the synagogue. (John 9:34) Then Jesus went and found him. Isn't that amazing. The man with the real testimony, the one that taught from real experience with Jesus, the one who had been touched by the hand of Jesus was thrown out of the synagogue. Was it because he didn't look the part? Was it because he had been a beggar? Or was it because he had the real message, the real truth about God and His love for mankind? Is it possible that we have become like the Jewish leaders in some cases and let our traditions and Christian language and rules keep us from hearing the message of love and healing that Jesus brought? Not just to those of us who dress up on Sunday morning and fill the pews of the church. But, to those who are downcast and troubled. Those who, for whatever reason, have never even stepped into a church. This man, who was now teaching those who knew everything, came directly from the gutter where he had begged just to exist. Don't you know that Jesus looked for this man after knowing that he had testified on His behalf? The man didn't know anything except that once he was blind but now he could see. Is that our testimony today? Or are we sitting on the laurels of some rules we have kept or how we look in front of the church? We are all undone. Some of us just don't know it or refuse to admit it. Jesus found the man and directly revealed His identity to him. (John 9:35-38) How awesome is that! Jesus sought out the one who looked the least likely for promotion. The least likely to be given favor. He did not directly reveal His identity to those who were self-righteous and proud, even though they looked good. (Luke 22:67, etc.) Yes, this former blind, beggar was teaching the Jewish leaders! God can and will raise up anyone He wishes. He will exalt the humble. (James 4:10) Which group will we fall into this morning, the Jewish leaders or people like the former blind beggar renewed by the touch of Jesus? Can we teach others about Him even if we have no formal education or degree? Just a touch from the Master's hand can give you and me a testimony that can change the world. Do you want to be an overcomer and help others to do the same? The Word of God says that we can do it by the word of our testimony and the blood of the Lamb. Just two requirements (Revelation 12:11). Let's go for it!!

MORNING MANNA - MAY 17, 2007 - WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?

1 Samuel 18:8 (New Living Translation)
^{8 (NLT)}This made Saul very angry. "What's this?" he said. "They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they'll be making him their king!"

What happened here with Saul, the king of Israel? Can I suggest a few things? There were things in his heart that didn't belong there. There was disobedience. There was anger. There was jealousy. (1 Samuel 18:9) There was insecurity. (1 Samuel 10:22, 1 Samuel 15:17) These are just a few suggestions but more than enough for our little discussion today. I would venture to say that it may have started with insecurity. Saul was appointed king of Israel by Samuel, the prophet of God. In other words, God appointed Saul to be king. (1 Samuel 9:17) You and I know that God doesn't call us to do anything He didn't create us to do and equip us to do. When we're insecure, we are essentially not trusting what God says. That could lead to disobedience. Saul did disobey God greatly at one point. (1 Samuel 15:18-19) By not totally listening and trusting God, Saul did what was right in his own mind (or maybe he even went against his own conscience) rationalizing what he did. But, God was not interested in his rationalization. He rejected Saul. (1 Samuel 15:26) God has created us and planned out good things for you and me to do. (Ephesians 2:10) We are not saved by doing good works. (Romans 11:6) But, obedience to His plan for our lives is essential in our walk with the Savior. (Colossians 2:6) Doing those good things He planned for us to do should stem from our gratitude to Him for our salvation and our desire for others to know Him too. Saul was also angry and jealous. David seemed to succeed in everything he did and the people began to praise David above Saul. (1 Samuel 18:5-7) Instead of being glad that he had such a mighty warrior under him, he began to resent David receiving praise. Saul wasn't satisfied with the fact that God had made him king. He wanted all the attention. Oh my, we've uncovered discontent here too. Very unlike the apostle Paul who said he had learned to be content in any situation. (Philippians 4:11) Saul had not learned to be content even though he had the highest office in the land. How about us? Are we learning to be content? With all of these deficiencies building upon one another, Saul was rejected as king. There is a lot to learn from just these few things.

First, we know that whatever comes out of our mouths was first planted by us and then nurtured in our hearts. What are we nurturing in our hearts this morning? Unlike his predecessor, Saul, David was a man after God's own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14) Are we after God's heart this morning? Or, are we, like Saul, so insecure that we have to be busy about trying to create our own little kingdom? God is really speaking to me here! David was so into seeking a heart after God's heart that he allowed God to search and prove him, even in the night hours. (Psalm 17:3) He was determined not to sin in what he said and he knew that would require a pure heart. Whatever is in our heart will eventually come out of our mouth. (Matthew 12:34) Have you ever had a situation where you said something that was not appropriate or glorifying to God and then wondered, "Where did that come from?" It came from a recess of your heart that is not totally cleaned yet. You are in the process if you have given your life to Jesus. God will reveal everything that is in our hearts. How thankful we should be when those things happen. The thing is now revealed and can be turned over to God to be healed! It's not down in a dark corner of our heart any more and we can choose to give it up. If we don't turn it over immediately, we like Saul, can go on in a pattern of insecurity, anger, jealousy, discontentment and disobedience and destroy ourselves. Jesus came to heal and deliver us from all of those things. We just have to let Him do His work in us. When He becomes the center of our hearts, everything that comes out of our mouths will be Kingdom-building and God- glorifying. Out of the abundance of our heart, our mouth will speak!

Secondly (and for sure not all that we could glean from this story) is the fact that when we do speak, we create something. We are made in God's image. When God spoke, things came into being. We have the same qualities that God has, although we are tainted by sin. That's why we have to become a new creature in Christ in order to speak properly. (2 Corinthians 5:17) The old us must pass away and the new us must emerge. As this happens, we need to remember that we are told that taming the tongue is very difficult (I would say impossible without the love and discipline of Jesus). (James 3:5-8) No wonder. We have already figured out that out of the abundance of our heart, the mouth speaks. Taming the tongue requires taming the heart. Who but God can do such a thing? The King James Version of the Bible tells us that, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." We may say one thing but be thinking another. I'm sure that Saul really didn't think (consciously) that the kingdom of Israel would be given to David when he angrily said, "Next they'll be making him their king!" Maybe down deep inside, Saul's insecurity did see David as taking over the kingdom. Whatever happened here, he opened his mouth and spoke something. He spoke in anger and haste (never a good idea)! What he spoke came to pass. That's not really what he wanted but he spoke it and it happened. What things are we speaking today that we really don't want to come to pass. We have only two choices in our speaking really. Life or death. (Proverbs 18:21 - the King James Version reads, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue:......") What do we say to ourselves about ourselves? What do we say to others? Today may be a good day to check that out. Deceitful words can crush a spirit. When we speak them to ourselves, we crush our own spirits. When we speak them to others, we can usually see the crushed spirit that results in another. That's surely not what we want to do. (Proverbs 15:4) Gentle words to ourselves and others will bring life and health. Wouldn't you like that in your own life? Don't you really want to bring that to the lives of others? Now we have a good idea of where things come from when they roll off of our tongues without our conscious permission. We also have a charge to keep (of course remembering that we can do nothing without Christ but we can do all things through Him). We need to control our tongue. (James 1:26) Are we up for the challenge today? If not, our merciful God will probably test us in the future to give us another chance! But, why take the chance? Why not do it now?

MORNING MANNA - MAY 16, 2007 - WHO IS JESUS?

John 8:25 (New Living Translation)
^{25 (NLT)}"Tell us who you are," they demanded. Jesus replied, "I am the one I have always claimed to be.

Who is Jesus to you? As Jesus spoke to a crowd in the temple, He told them that they would die in their sins unless they believed in who he really was. (John 8:24) In the New Living Translation, it reads, "....unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be." He also told them that they would understand who He really was after He was crucified. (John 8:28) Well, we know that He was crucified and we have read the whole account. There were eye-witnesses. Now we should understand who He really is. The first thing we need to understand is that He is our Savior. We need to accept Him as Lord and Savior of our lives. Otherwise, we will die in our sins. (John 8:24)

Jesus, the One who was before Abraham was. (John 8:58 - the King James Version reads, "Before Abraham was, I am.) Jesus, the Word, who came in the flesh to deliver us from sin. (John 1:14) Jesus, the one who is Immanuel, God with us. (Matthew 1:23) Jesus, Son of man and Son of God in one. (John 10:36-38, John 6:27) As the Gaither song says, "There is something about that Name." Its really more than something. Its Someone. When God spoke to Moses and gave him that mammoth assignment to go and deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Moses wanted to know His name. (Exodus 3:13) Moses was afraid no one would believe him if he didn't know the name of the One who sent him. God's reply was this: "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you." (Exodus 3:14 - quote from the King James Version) At that time, He also told Moses to tell the children of Israel that He was Jehovah, the God of their fathers. (Exodus 3:15) Later, as people expressed specific needs, God gave Himself other Names to go with Jehovah to show that He is absolutely everything any one of us could ever need.

What is it that you are in need of this morning? God let us know throughout the Old Testament that He is everything we need. Then to seal the deal, He sent His Son in the flesh. (1 Timothy 3:16) They are One with each other. (John 10:30) They are the, "I AM" of whatever it is you and I are in need of. Is it peace? He was that to Gideon and He will be peace to you and me too. (Judges 6:24) Jesus is the Prince of peace. (Isaiah 9:6) Perhaps healing? God said, ..."I, the LORD, am your healer." (Exodus 15:26 - quote from the New American Standard Bible) Peter and Isaiah both tell us that by Jesus's stripes we were healed. (1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5 - see King James Version) Are you lost? Jesus said, "I am the Way." (See all the "I AM" statements.) Have you been lied to or have you believed a lie? He said, "I am the Truth." Are you feeling like you aren't really living, like there's something more to life? He said, "I am the Life." (John 14:6) Are you in the darkness of sin or in the dark about anything in life? Jesus said, "I am the Light." (John 8:12) There is ever so much more wrapped up in the person of Jesus and the Name given to Him by His Father, Jehovah. Today, He asks you and me just as He asked the disciples two thousand years ago, "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15) We have a choice. We can acknowledge and receive all that He is today or we can wait and be forced to acknowledge it when everything in heaven and earth will bow to Him. (Romans 14:11,Philippians 2:10) If we wait until we are forced, it will be too late to receive all that He is. As they say these days, it's a "no-brainer." He is the great "I AM" of everything we need. He offers Himself to anyone who will receive Him. (Acts 10:43) Who would want to turn that down? This morning, who do you say that Jesus is?