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A SONG AND A PRAYER |
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MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 1-15, 2007
Enter subhead content here  MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 15, 2007 - A TIME TO CELEBRATE Nehemiah 8:10 (New Living Translation) Many in the world today like to party - to celebrate. As Christians, we do not approve of much
that is done during these "celebrations." And rightly so. Drunkenness, gluttony, inappropriate
sexual activity, and so much more goes on. All of that is totally against the Word of God. (Romans 13:13) God distinctly tells us that we should live decent lives and show by our behavior that we belong to Him.
Does that mean that we can't celebrate? Not in the least. In fact, we have more reason than anyone else in
the world to celebrate. Ezra, a scribe in Nehemiahs' time,
brought out the Book of the Law of Moses as all of the people assembled in the town square. (Nehemiah 8:1) The Bible says that the people were assembled together in complete unity. That's the way Jesus wants us
to be as Christians - in unity. (John 17:22) Ezra read from the book of the Law from early morning until noon. He read to everyone who could understand
while they all paid close attention. How many of us today are willing to sit in one accord and listen to God's Word
from early in the morning until noon? All the while paying close attention? I attended a service once where the
preacher did not expound on any scripture. He just chose specific portions of scripture and read for one half an hour.
The congregation became so fidgety that it was evident they couldn't sit under the pure Word of God for even one
half of one hour. Conviction was taking place and not many seemed to embrace it. The Word of God will never
return void. Once it goes out it will accomplish what it sets out to do. (Isaiah 55:11) Who of us is willing to study, to meditate on and to listen to the Word of God at length? To let it
do in and through us what God sends it to do? Now, you're probably
asking, "What does all that have to do with celebration?" I notice in the book of Nehemiah that it has much
to do with celebration. With Godly celebration, that is. The people listening to Ezra were in worship and in agreement
with what they heard being read. (Nehemiah 8:6) The Levites began explaining each passage so everyone could completely understand what they were hearing.
Many began to weep. Perhaps they were weeping under conviction or just merely because the power of the Word was present
among them. Then something interesting happened. Nehemiah and the Levites told them not to weep any more.
(Nehemiah 8:9) We do weep sometimes when we realize, after receiving God's Word, that we have not lived up to what it says.
But, we do not need to keep on weeping because His Word also tells us that we have a God who is faithful and just to
forgive our sins as we realize them, confess them and repent of them. (1 John 1:9) Although it may sting for a moment, it is good to receive the revelation of our sin. Only then can we turn around
and repent. This is where celebration comes in. We now have the Light of God's Word and we can walk in
it. We are no longer under condemnation. (Romans 8:1) What could give us more reason to celebrate? Those hearing God's Word were told to go and celebrate.
They were supposed to have a party! They had heard the Word that would set them free as they walked in it.
(Nehemiah 8:10) They were told to share the food and drink with those who did not have any. Once we receive the bread of life
and the living water, we have something to share with those in the world that have none. It became a sacred day - a
day worth celebrating. In fact, they had orders not to be sad or dejected. When we are depressed and sad, we become
weak. That's not the way God wants it. He said that His joy is our strength. Have you sat under
the hearing of the Word of God in one accord with others on a regular basis? (Hebrews 10:25) Do you search the scriptures as the early Bereans did so you will not be deceived? (Acts 17:11) If so, you have the power of the His Word dwelling in you because you have received Jesus into your heart.
He is the Word. (John 1:14) You have reason to be joyful. What you were yesterday is not what you are today. (2 Corinthians 5:17) His Word has cleansed you and given you direction. (Acts 3:19, Psalm 119:105) Now is the time to sing praises and be joyful. In other words, let's celebrate! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 14, 2007 - HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW? 1 Corinthians 8:2 (New Living Translation) I used
to think I knew quite a lot. Even about scripture. Then came a point where by God's grace and the power of
the Holy Spirit, I realized I really didn't know much of anything at all. The Message says in Proverbs 3:7: "Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!" When we have read
the Word of God for years and heard teaching after teaching about the Bible, we sometimes get a bit full of ourselves. Certain
things come to our thoughts automatically and that is good. But, if that knowledge is just pure knowledge, then
we will get puffed up. 1 Corinthians 8:1 says that pure knowledge gives us a big head but love edifies or builds us up. Knowledge may make us feel
important but if we don't have love, we will be nothing and the church will suffer. (1 Corinthians 13:1) Whatever knowledge we might be able to spout off is just noise if it is not coming from a foundation of love. Remember when Job got into a discussion with God? Although Job had not sinned when God allowed him
to be tested, he did think he knew something about God. He probably did know something but compared to
God's knowledge, it was nothing. It's the same with you and me. God began to ask Job questions like Job 38:4 - "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much."
If you have read the scriptures day in and day out for years, you probably do know a lot - a lot compared to the world's
standards. But then, we are not to compare ourselves with the world or anyone in it. Our standard comes from God
alone. His thoughts and ways are much higher than ours. Even the most intelligent scientist in the world today
knows nothing compared with God. (Isaiah 55:9) God gives the warning that the wise man should not be proud of his wisdom. (Jeremiah 9:23) God says, "Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes...." - King James Version (Isaiah 5:21) The New Living translation says that destruction is in order for those who think they know so much. If we begin to think we are so wise, God will use simple things to bring us back into
balance. (1 Corinthians 1:27) We are not all that wise unless we have received the wisdom of God that comes, not only from reading, but from meditating
on his word day and night. (Joshua 1:8) Not only from hearing the word preached but in doing what we hear. (James 1:22) We may have lots and lots of knowledge but, sadly, we can deceive ourselves if we have not used what knowledge
we have to live a life of obedience to the Lord. The blind man who was healed didn't know much but he knew all that
he needed to know. When asked about Jesus, he replied, "...I do not know whether He is a sinner and
wicked or not. But one thing I do know, that whereas I was blind before, now I see." (Amplified Bible, John 9:25) This man had been blind all of his life but the Savior entered his life and in one moment the man was able
to see. He was also able to give simple but convincing testimony to the power of Jesus. What is the one most important
thing you know this morning? It should be that Jesus has come into your life and forgiven your sins, making
you fit for the Kingdom of Heaven here and for eternity. (John 3:16-17) If we don't know that, all other knowledge is useless. If we do know that, then we can grow in the right kind
of knowledge and remain humble by the power of the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 3:18) We will be useful to God and be partners in building His Kingdom. (2 Peter 1:8) Paul prayed that we would be given spiritual wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:17) Then, we will grow in our knowledge of God. How much do you know this morning? Do you meditate on
what you know of the scriptures day and night, allowing the Holy Spirit to shed new light on it constantly? How much
of what you know are you using? If we claim to know a lot, the scripture says we probably don't know much.
But, if our lives are a living testimony of what we know, we have begun to learn something! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 13, 2007 - THE ENEMY'S PLAN Nehemiah 4:15 (New International Version) The enemy has a plan. It's not a good one either. Satan
would like you and me to stop our work for the Kingdom and cower in fear of him. That's exactly what the enemy was
doing when the Israelites were trying to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. They made plans to fight against Jerusalem and
throw them into confusion. (Nehemiah 4:8) That's what the enemy would like to do to us too. When we come up against confusion, we know that it is
not of God. (1 Corinthians 14:33) Just like the Israelites, we need to pray to our God and
guard ourselves day and night. (Nehemiah 4:9) We have been given weapons to use to protect ourselves from the wiles of the enemy. (Ephesians 6:13-18) Yes, the enemy will make plans to attack us just when we feel the weakest. The people of Judah had begun to
complain because the workers were getting tired and there was so much to do. Complaining will always leave an open door
for the enemy to enter. (Nehemiah 4:10) At the same time, the enemy was making plans to overtake them before they knew what happened and stop all of
their work. (Nehemiah 4:11) That's exactly what the enemy still does today. When he sees that you and I are about to get something wonderful
done for the Lord, he tries to instill fear in us and make us think he's going to beat us down. When we start
complaining, the devil finds it easy to get a foot hold. When we're feeling weak, the enemy is watching just waiting
to devour us if he gets a chance. (1 Peter 5:8) Nehemiah assessed the situation. That's what
we need to do to when things look ominous. Then Nehemiah called the people together and told them not to be afraid of
the enemy. (Nehemiah 4:14) We don't need to fear the enemy either. We need to encourage one another in the fact that he is already
a defeated foe. He may think he has some power left but all power belongs to our God and He has placed it in us if we
have received Jesus as Lord and Savior. (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:17-18) We don't have to fear the enemy but we, like Nehemiah admonished the Israelites, need to remember the Lord. He
is great and glorious. (Nehemiah 4:14) We need to fight for our sons and daughters and all of those around us who need the Lord. When we remember
the Lord and speak to our problem about how big the Lord is instead of magnifying the problem, we will have success in the
fight. Submitting to God while resisting the devil always makes him run. (James 4:7) When the enemy heard that the Israelites knew of their plan and that God had already frustrated that plan, the Israelites
were able to go back to their work. We know the plans of the enemy to destroy us and our loved ones. But, we also
know the plans that God has for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) We have been given the armor to fight against Satan. When the Israelites went back to their work,
they worked with one hand supporting their load and the other holding a weapon. They each had a sword belted
to their side. (Nehemiah 4:17-18) Do you have your sword on this morning? We have been given every weapon we need to win every
battle. We have a great big sword, the sword of the Spirit. It is the Word of God. Are you carrying
your weapon while you continue the work God has given you to do. These are perilous times, just as in Nehemiah's
time. Let's purpose never to be without our spiritual weapons and to continue the work of the Kingdom even
while we keep a guard on our hearts and lives. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 12, 2007 - HIS PRESENCE Psalms 31:20 (New Living Translation) Every day is
a day the Lord has made. We have a choice to make regardless of the circumstances we're waking up to. We can
do what the Psalmist did and rejoice. (Psalm 118:24) Or, we can choose to focus on our challenging circumstances. We may even wake up with some regrets from the
failures of yesterday. But, this morning, we can choose to remember God's Word. This morning and every morning,
His mercies are fresh and new. They give us a new start to make right choices and have success. (Lamentations 3:22-23) He wants to keep us from destroying ourselves and to give us another chance to do those things which will
bring us His blessing. How is your morning? Did you wake up with any fear or regret? Maybe you woke up with grief
over a great loss in your life. You may have spent the night in tears but God has promised to bring you joy in the morning.
Will you receive that gift now? (Psalm 30:5) You can be sure He cares about what has hurt you and the tears it has caused. (Psalm 56:8) Whatever foe has been trying to defeat you can be defeated this morning. God has goodness stored up just for you and me if we have reverence
for Him. His is our Abba Father and He is King of Kings. Everything your Daddy owns is yours if you are an
obedient and respectful child. All that goodness that God has is stored up just waiting for you and me. (Psalm 31:19) God is watching for us to honor Him and give Him the chance to lavish those great blessings on us. He will take
us in when we run to Him for protection from those things that threaten to bring us down. Things like fear, dread, depression,
grief, lack, hopelessness, etc. He chooses to bless us lavishly right in front of a world that tries to put us down
and make us think we're not worth anything. Not true! We are children of the King. We have a loving
Father who wants to show off for His children - right in front of the whole world. (Psalm 31:19) Where does He provide such complete protection and such lavish blessing? In His presence. Oh, the joy of being in
His presence. (Ephesians 3:12) He has a place near to His heart where we can hide when the hard things of life threaten to take us
down. When the enemy comes against us. He has a place for us where we can be safe from attack. (Psalm 31:20) Even if the enemy prompts people to lie to us or about us bringing scandal and ridicule, we can find
complete shelter in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Do you need a place of refuge this morning where you can find
shelter, peace, joy, and love? (Psalm 91:2) There is a song that says, "In the presence of Jehovah, God almighty, prince of peace;
troubles vanish hearts are mended in the presence of the King." The King just happens to be our loving
Father too. He's always waiting and even longing to grant us a place in His presence. As I sit here writing
this and watching my little grand-daughter sleeping peacefully in my presence, my heart is filled with such great love toward
her. I can't help thinking about how much more God's heart is overwhelmed with love for us when we rest
in His presence, trusting Him for protection, shelter and, yes, even great blessing! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 11, 2007 - SECURELY IN THE KINGDOM
OF GOD 1 Corinthians 6:11 (New Living Translation) God has done so much for all of us.
We can all think of many ways in which we have been blessed by God. But none surpasses the blessing of being made right with
God because of what Jesus has done for us. Nothing outshines the knowledge that the Spirit of God witnesses with our
spirit that we have been made His children. (Romans 8:16) We did not always experience the wonder of knowing that we were God's children. We may have been going through
life without even realizing that we were doing wrong. (1 Corinthians 6:9) The world does not consider many things to be wrong that God has spelled out as wrong in His Word. (1 Corinthians 6:10) But, now, as we read God's Word, the Holy Spirit sheds light upon it. We now know that greed, abuse, and
cheating (among many other things) do not constitute characteristics that make one eligible for Kingdom citizenship.
As soon as God reveals a thing to us through His Word, we repent and turn from that thing by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We may have once done some or many of those things mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 but now we know to turn from them. We have been cleansed and made holy. We have been made right with God
by calling on the name of Jesus. His Spirit has raised us from sin to salvation. (1 Corinthians 6:11) From legal
disputes to sexual practice, we are to be different than those in the world. We are now set apart by God and for God. Should
we be in the courts suing one another? (1 Corinthians 6:1-8) Should we engage in any type of sexual promiscuity or perversion? (1 Corinthians 6:12-18) The scripture is very clear in these cases. Why should we keep ourselves from such things as these and from such
things as drunkenness, greed, idolatry, dishonesty, etc.? It's because we do not belong to ourselves.
(1 Corinthians 6:19) We are the dwelling place of God's Holy Spirit who was graciously given to us when we believed. Our body
is to be used to house the Spirit of God. It was bought with a great price, paid by the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 6:20) His Word says that we are to honor God with our body. How can we do that? By keeping ourselves pure.
(1 John 3:3) Because we know the love of our Father, we keep ourselves pure as He is pure. It's because we
know that He has made us His children even when we were once like those in the world that we keep ourselves pure. It's
because we know that Jesus will one day return and we will see Him as He really is that we keep ourselves pure. We may have once been like those who are still
blinded by the god of this world. (1 Corinthians 4:4) But now things are totally different. We have seen the Light. (Luke 2:32) Our eyes are open to Kingdom principles. Where we once stood in condemnation and guilt, we now stand acquitted
in every way. (Romans 8:1, Romans 4:25) We are right with God, not by our own works but by the finished work of Christ. (Titus 3:5) It's not that we're not going to be tempted by all those things that go on in the world. It's
not that we will not have thoughts at times about wrong things. But, we do now have the revelation of what is right
and wrong in God's sight. We do have the mind of Christ if we have surrendered our un-renewed mind to Him.
(1 Corinthians 2:16) We can do all things through Christ because He will strengthen us. (Philippians 4:13) Has anything in this world threatened to make you a slave? If so, run to the Savior who will set you free.
Even though we are freely allowed to do anything because we are in Christ, not everything is good for us. (1 Corinthians 6:12) If we are a slave to anyone or anything, it should be to Jesus only. (Titus 1:1) We are not forced into slavery but we have the choice to serve the Master or be a slave to sin. If there is
any residue of those ungodly things listed in this morning's scriptures left in us, why don't we make the choice
this morning to confess them to the Master and let Him help us turn from them? Why be a slave to those things that
will ultimately destroy our souls when we can serve One who will bear our burdens, comfort our hearts and give us a light
load? (Matthew 11:28) God only desires the very best for His children! Let's let Him make us fit for the Kingdom.
MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 10, 2007 - ACCOUNTABLE 1 Corinthians 5:12 (New Living Translation) What are your thoughts, as a Christian, when you encounter those who are totally immersed in the
sin of the world? Do you immediately want to try to get them to stop their outward sinning? I have to admit, I
don't like to be around people that are sinning outwardly even if they don't claim to belong to Christ. But
Paul said that we are not to judge them. God will judge those who do not receive Jesus as the Lord of their lives.
(1 Corinthians 5:13) We don't need to judge them or even try to get them to quit drinking, smoking, using bad language, etc.
We are to be fishers of these kinds of people. Jesus said, "I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19) Jesus came to look for and save those who were lost. (Luke 19:10) I once read the follwing statement regarding the fisher, the sinner, and Jesus. "You catch 'em.
I'll clean 'em." We can only win others by our example and our words. We can't change
them. Only Jesus can do that. (2 Corinthians 5:17) And He will do it for those who sincerely call on Him in repentance. We were once a smelly fish that
needed cleaning. No human could have made the difference in us. Only Jesus had the power to clean up our
stinky mess. In fact, we may not be as perfect as we might think, even today. Little by little, the Lord reveals
areas in my life that still have a sometimes more than a twinge of odor! According
to Paul, we need to do some judging when it comes to those inside the church who do claim the name of Christ. Have you
noticed that many churches have grown cold today? There's not a lot of preaching about the absolute standards of
God. Why is that? It's because we might offend someone who wants to live his or her own way and still feel
comfortable sitting the a church pew. That's not the way the true church was intended to be. It's
not the way the real Church is. We are to hold one another accountable when it comes to sin. Of course, we
will all slip once in a while and miss the mark. But, Paul is talking about those who know they are living in a pattern
of sin and refuse to turn from it. Paul is very harsh when he is speaking to the Corinthians about judging those
inside the church who keep on sinning. (1 Corinthians 5:12) As we read the Word of God and hopefully listen to it preached by a man or woman of God who is not afraid
to proclaim the whole Word of God, we will become more and more familiar with the standards God sets for us to follow.
His principles will become established in our lives. These are not rules to keep us from being happy or fulfilled.
They are principles and ways that will bring blessing upon us instead of cursing. (Deuteronomy 30:19) God, like any good parent, wants and even demands obedience from His children. (Joshua 22:5) The way we can show love toward God is to obey Him. (John 14:15) If you have children, you have probably demanded that they obey you about such things as not touching the
stove until they are old enough to properly handle it. When you tell your two year old such a thing, are you trying
to keep him from having fun or exploring all the wonders of his world? No, you are insisting on his obedience in
this area because you know the dangers that lie in wait should he decide to climb up there and start turning knobs.
God knows His children well too. All of His commands stem from His love for us and His desire to protect us.
What will be our choice? To live in His way and receive that protection or go off rebelliously living in our
own way bringing upon ourselves doom and disaster? Some in the Corinthian
Church had decided to do the rebellious thing. Some in the churches of our day have done the same thing. Paul
was very bold about saying that we must judge those inside the church who keep on sinning. He not only said we must
judge them but he also said, "You must remove the evil person from among you." (1 Corinthians 5:13) Sound pretty tough doesn't it? It is. And there is a distinct order in how church discipline
should be carried out within the scriptures. When we follow that order, the wayward brother or sister will hopefully
be restored before any drastic measures have to be taken. Probably the best thing would be if we all read the scriptures
daily and checked ourselves to see if we were really living them out by the power of the Holy Spirit. If we all did
that, there wouldn't be so much need for church discipline and we could spend much more time being fishers of men while
Jesus worked on cleaning us all up with the washing of His Word. (Ephesians 5:26) Nevertheless, we need to be sure that we do not associate with people who claim to be believers but live like unbelievers.
(1 Corinthians 5:11) Let's check our own lives first knowing that we need to check through God's eyes and not our own. (Proverbs 21:2) It is God who examines our heart which can be very deceitful. (Jeremiah 17:9) Let's encourage one another and hold one another accountable so that no one will miss their reward when Jesus
returns. (Hebrews 10:25) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 9, 2007 - CUT THE FANCY TALK 1 Corinthians 4:20 (New Living Translation) There's a lot of fancy talking going on today. You can hear it on the radio, and on
TV. You read it in the newspaper and see it played out in the movies. Yes, you even hear it from Christian
preachers, teachers, both from the pulpit and from Christian radio and television. Yet, the Word of God is just
the same today as it was when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 4:20. That's because God is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he was concerned because, in his absence, some of them had gotten to be very arrogant.
(1 Corinthians 4:19) They apparently thought he would not come to visit them again. How do we act when we think no one is looking?
When we think we might just be on our own for a while? Do we remember that we have a Master who has said He will return
again? Paul was going to return to the Corinthian Church. And, our Master, Jesus, will return to earth.
He may come back with a shout during our lifetime but, even if He doesn't, He will take us each individually at our appointed
time to go Home. Will He find us arrogantly doing our own thing but talking a great talk? Or, will He find
us following Him and walking in His Spirit? (Galatians 5:16) We can point
a finger at Christian televangelists and at high-powered preachers in mega-churches but as we do, we need to remember that
when we point our finger at someone else, at least four other fingers are pointed back at ourselves. How are we doing
at, not only talking the talk but walking the walk? We can have whole chapters of the Bible memorized but, if we're
not practicing what we know, it is just fancy talk. We can know all about the "love chapter."
(1 Corinthians 13) Yet, if we are impatient, unkind, jealous, insistent on getting our own way, irritable, and keep score of all
the wrongs of others; we just have knowledge and know the language but we don't live by God's power. Whew!
I know who has a lot of things to work on! It's me! We can see a lot of things wrong by looking outward at
others but so many times we're only seeing things that may be in ourselves also. We just haven't admitted
it. How about some of the other things just in the "love chapter." Do we always keep the faith and never
waiver? Are we persistent or do we sometimes just give up? Do we ever lose hope? Do we press through
every circumstance enduring to the end? Does anybody else have anything to work on this morning? This is only
one chapter in the Word of God and I didn't touch on everything. Admittedly, it's one of the most important
chapters because God is love. (1 John 4:8) And we are to be just like Him. In fact, if we do not love, the Word of God says we don't even know Him!
But, every subject concerning life is spoken of in the Word of God and, if we are not growing in maturity in all of it, we
may just be just talking, "fancy talk." It's not bad to proclaim the scriptures and talk the talk. It's just that we may
tend to forget, like the Corinthians seemed to forget that Paul would visit them again, that Jesus is not only coming back
here, He is with us even at this moment and during every moment. He promised. (Matthew 28:20) That is such a comforting promise and I cling to it always. But, it can also be a good check point for
us as we live our lives. Since He is with us always, He knows our thoughts and motives, hears our words, and sees
all of our actions. He knows whether we are living by His Spirit or sometimes trying to go it alone. Just
as the Corinthians were going to be tested by Paul to see if they were just full of pretentious speeches, so we will
also be and are continually tested by Jesus to see what is really in us. (1 Corinthians 4:19) Will He find the power that He died to give us? (2 Corinthians 13:4) Jesus died on the cross in weakness so that you and I might have the power to live victoriously in Him.
We are weak and our words are just fancy talk unless we have invited and allowed Jesus to function in and through us
in all of His power. Where are you living this morning? In your own power or in the power of God? The Kingdom
of God is not just fancy talk, it's a God-powered walk through life that will take us right into the glories of Heaven.
MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 8, 2007 - MOTIVE IS WHAT MATTERS Proverbs 20:27 (New Living Translation) What is it that motivates you? When we do good deeds, are our motives always pure? Maybe they are
and then maybe again, if we searched our hearts honestly, we might be wanting to look good in front of others. If we
have a ministry in the church and it happens to position us in the forefront, what is our real motive for being
there? When we give, what is our motive? Are we hoping that someone will think better of us? Or are we only
hoping to get something in return? In all of life, what motivates us to do what we do? God will search
out every motive in our hearts whether we're aware of it or not. In the meantime, we should go ahead and ask Him
to shed His light within us and search our hearts to reveal and remove any motive that is displeasing to him. (Psalm 139:3) Our motives will be pure if we
are rooted and grounded in God's love. (Ephesians 3:17) Our love for God and for one another should be the basis for every motive of our heart. (1 John 4:7) God searches our hearts and tests our motives in order to give us what we deserve.
He also denies prayer requests because our motive is wrong. We may ask for a certain thing only to bring pleasure to
ourselves. (James 4:3) Self-centered motives are never pleasing to God. David spoke to his son, Solomon regarding the
results of God finding impure motives when searching man's heart. The message puts it this way: 1 Chronicles 28:9 (The Message) (The Message) 9 (MSG) "And you, Solomon my son, get to
know well your father's God; serve him with a whole heart and eager mind, for God examines every heart and sees through
every motive. If you seek him, he'll make sure you find him, but if you abandon him, he'll leave you for good.
Yes, God sees through every motive. We may not even see through our own motives at first. That is why we should
be very thankful that the Lord's searchlight penetrates our spirit to show us our hidden motives. If our motive is impure in anything we do, it will almost certainly
taint the result. You can't do a right thing for a wrong reason. It just won't turn out right in the end.
Look how The Message paraphrases Proverbs 17:20. 20 (MSG) A bad motive can't achieve a good end; double-talk
brings you double trouble. It's interesting how this paraphrase says, "double-talk brings you double
trouble." We're told in James 1:8 that a double-minded person is unstable in all their ways. That's what happens when our motives don't
match our methods. We're double minded and then our ways become unstable. James 4:8 tells us to draw near to God. When our love is toward Him first and then outward to others, our motives will
come into line and become pure. We are to purify our hearts by getting our thoughts and motives examined by God and
rearranged into the proper order. The New American Standard Bible says, "purify your hearts, you double-minded,"
while the New Living Translation puts it more bluntly. It says, "purify your hearts, you hypocrites." To
be a hypocrite is not a pleasant thought! Are there motives within us this morning that do not stem purely
from love for the Father and for our brothers and sisters? Let's let God ferret them out and when He does,
let's repent. God knows everything anyway and He is able and willing to reveal to us those things which would keep
us from having a closer walk with Him. (Psalm 44:21) Let's let the love of God shine deeply into our hearts this morning shedding light on any dark motives.
Motives do matter! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 7, 2007 - GOD'S DEEP SECRETS REVEALED 1 Corinthians 2:10 (New Living Translation) Can we know the wisdom of God? Can we be mature believers? Yes, of course we can. But, it's
really up to us. Much of it has to do with the choices we make every day. Paul was speaking to the saints, the
church in Corinth. He wanted to speak to them of the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 3:1) But, he could not because they had not advanced from infancy in Christ to any type of maturity. He wanted to
give them the meat of the Word but they were still in need of being bottle-fed with the milk of the Word.
Where are we this morning? I will admit that, although God has given me lots of wonderful revelation, I still have so
much to learn about His ways. Even more than that, I have so much to put into practice of the things I have learned.
We can have lots of knowledge about God. We can read through the Bible every year for years at a time and still not
be practicing what we know. What are we doing with what we know? The Corinthians weren't doing much.
They were still controlled by their sinful nature. (1 Corinthians 3:3) How awful! But, wait a minute. How did Paul know this? He knew it because they were jealous of one
another. They quarreled with each other. Paul presented them with this question: "Doesn't that
prove you are controlled by your sinful nature?" Then he asked another probing question. "Aren't you
living like people of the world?" Can we answer those questions this morning with honesty from the depth of
our heart? Are we jealous - of anyone? Do we quarrel with people? I'm having some trouble right
now myself answering these two questions. What about the next ones? Are we controlled by our sinful nature most
of the time or are we controlled by the Spirit of God? Can anybody around you tell that you are of another Kingdom or
are we living like people of the world? Well, I feel like just stopping right here. I'm challenged and
convicted already! However, there are places to go and God desires
to take us there if we're willing. He wants to give us revelation knowledge. Knowledge that can only come
from the light His Spirit sheds upon His Word and upon our hearts. This knowledge is not just so we can parade
around in front of our peers spouting off scripture and looking like we're all that. In fact, it that's what
we're doing, we're far from the point of being used of God. And, we're probably suffering from the sin of
pride. (1 Corinthians 8:1) Knowledge can make us look and sound good but, in itself, it is not going to build or encourage anyone else.
Our goal should be to receive revelation knowledge so that we can be equipped to show God's love to others.
Not to impress others. Do you want to know the deep things of God today and continue to receive His revelation knowledge
throughout your life. I do. Then, we must get our motives in line with God's mission. When
we read God's Word and study it in depth, our goal should be so we can win others to Him by the way we live it out.
We can read everything and know all the "rules" but, without the Holy Spirit, we will be unable to have a life that
matches what we know. In order to be trusted with revelation from God, we need to be walking in the Spirit which
is the only place we will find firm footing. (Psalm 143:10) Yes! Walking and living in the Spirit will get
us to the right places with the right words that will edify and bring salvation to others. That's God's desire.
He didn't send Jesus to die for us just so we could know about Him and memorize scripture (although both of those things
are good). He sent Jesus to die so that the world could receive the gift of salvation. How will they know about
it if we don't preach it? How will they believe it if we don't live it? That second part is probably the
hardest especially if we, like the Corinthians, have not advanced from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity. And
how do we do that? By listening to His Spirit at all times and doing those things we hear. (John 14:26) Jesus didn't leave us alone here to win the world for His Kingdom. When He went away He did as He promised
and sent the Holy Spirit to be our Counselor and to teach us. Who is listening this morning? There may be times
in our lives when we're at a loss for words, even at a loss for a particular scripture. The Holy Spirit is never
at a loss for a Word or for an action. When we're at our wit's end, He can and will put His Words into our mouth.
(Luke 12:12) That is if we have first chosen to walk with Him and listen to His voice. The Corinthians had not apparently
made that choice at the time Paul was speaking to them because they were still walking in their old sinful nature. Some
of us may be walking that way too. But today is the day we are given the opportunity to examine ourselves and give it
up. We may have done wrong in the past but when we begin to live in the power of Jesus, we do not stand condemned.
(Romans 8:1-2) We walk on higher ground and we are set free from past sin. We are free to make the choice that Paul urged the
Galatians to do. Walk in the spirit so that we don't continue to do those things our sinful nature might crave.
(Galatians 5:16) Are you up to the walk this morning? Are we ready to follow the Holy Spirit in every part of our lives? (Galatians 5:25) If so, God will begin to impart even some of His deepest secrets to us. Being informed, we will then begin to
be able to bring others into the Kingdom by our wise speech and godly example. Want to know a secret? Walk in
the Spirit! God will reveal His own secrets to you! Ready to power-walk? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 6, 2007 - BRAVERY, COURAGE AND PATIENCE Psalms 27:14 (New Living Translation) Is there something you feel that you need this morning? Who doesn't have some kind of need? Have
you asked the Lord for it? That may seem like a needless question. But, it's not. Many times we forget
to ask the Lord, especially for the small stuff. He says we don't have what we need because we don't ask.
(James 4:2) Then sometimes we ask because we think we need something that we really don't need at all.
It's not what is best for us and not in God's plan. (James 4:3) It may be something that God would give us if we had the right motive for asking but we may be in a
wrong place spiritually. We may be asking for only selfish reasons. I've had my times of doing that!
If you want to admit that you've done it too, you're safe. It's only between you and God this morning.
Getting past all of the asking and why and how we
should ask, we come to a hard place. The place of patience. When we ask for something, we need to know that God
is in charge of the times in our lives. He gives everything when He is ready and when He knows we
are ready. God seems to be into patience. He says a lot about it in His Word. Many passages in the Old Testament
tell of how the Israelites tested God's patience. (Psalm 78:41) The King James Version says, "....and limited the Holy One of Israel....", while the New
Living Translation says, "....frustrated the Holy One of Israel." The actual word in Hebrew, translated here,
"limited" and "frustrated" actually has to do with grieving God. Not a good thing! Since God
is perfect in all ways, His patience is something we would do well to emulate. When we test God's patience, we limit
him from doing the good things He desires to do in our lives. Not only that, we grieve Him. He is a good Father
and He desires to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:11) Here's what one version of the Bible says about grieving God. Ephesians 4:29-32 (New American Standard Bible (1977)) 29 (NASB77)
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to
the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. God is patient with us. (2 Peter 3:9) Very patient. He wants us to take notice of that fact. (Romans 2:4) Like any good parent, He expects us to follow His example. Because He is the Source of
everything we need, He instructs us to be patient. (James 5:8) Then He provides us with what we need to do it. (Colossians 1:11) It is God who strengthens us so that we can be patient. Some have jokingly said, "Don't
pray for patience." Why? Because they know that patience is something that has to be worked out in us. We
need it, God wants us to have it and we should ask for it but it will take courage. We will need to be brave just as
it says in Psalm 27:14. Even when we pray for patience, we will have to be determined to wait patiently for the Lord to give
it to us. We will probably receive it in packages that look, at the least, less than desirable. His Word tells
us to be patient with everyone. Don't you know that is not easy! If it was easy, He probably would not have
had to include it in His Word. (Ephesians 4:2) People have faults. Of course, sometimes we forget that we are a "people." We,
too, have faults and we're extremely blessed when God and people are patient with us. Amen? Waiting on the
Lord and patiently waiting takes some bravery. It takes love, trust and a walk of faith. We have to be brave enough
to believe and trust that God calls those things that are not as though they were. We may not see what we need today
but in His time, we will see it. It takes courage. (1 Chronicles 22:13) It takes a courageous walk in God's Word every moment of every day. Waiting patiently
on the Lord does not mean that we need to stop everything (though sometimes we must stop and listen for His voice).
It doesn't mean that we don't make progress. In fact, when we are patient and when we do wait on the Lord, we're
making more progress than if we just forged ahead in our own strength and worldly wisdom! The Hebrew word translated,
"wait," means, in part, to expect. As we walk the walk of life, we need to keep moving, doing the last thing
we were instructed by the Lord to do, expecting to see His answers manifested as we go. Expectation may require
lots of courage and bravery. We may have, and most probably have had, expectations in the past. Because those
expectations were in people, we have most probably at some time in our lives been disappointed because people failed us.
God is not like that. He wants us to trust Him and patiently wait for the next answer and the next and the next.
He wants us to remember that He will always be true to His Word. Here's what The Message says about that.
Romans 3:4 (The Message) 4 (MSG) Not on your life! Depend on it: God keeps
his word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth. Scripture says the same: Your words stand fast and true; Rejection
doesn't faze you. He never fails! He is the One who will strengthen our hearts so
we can wait patiently for Him. The Psalmist seemed to be talking to himself when He said, "Wait patiently
for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." Sometimes we need to talk
to ourselves like that too! Then, also like the Psalmist, we will be able to say, ...."I am confident I
will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living." (Psalm 27:13) MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 5, 2007 - WHY THAT ONE THING? Psalms 27:4 (New Living Translation) If you could have
just one thing in your life, what would it be? What is it that you seek most from the Lord? The Psalmist
said, "The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of
my life...." If we asked each other what single thing we would like to have most, I wonder if our answer would
be the same as the Psalmist. He just wanted to live in the house of the Lord and delight in the Lord's perfections.
I don't know about you but I love perfection. The only trouble is that there's not much, if anything, that
is perfect on this earth. But the Lord, that's a different story. David wanted to delight in the Lord's
perfections. We probably can't even find one thing that is perfect that we can delight
in this world but the Lord has perfection with an "s." We don't even know the very smallest part of His
perfections. One day, if we have trusted Him in this world of imperfection, we will see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2) We will dwell with Him forever (Psalm 23:6) and delight in everything that is perfect about Him and the home He is now preparing for us. (John 14:3) David said he wanted to meditate in the Lord's temple. (Psalm 48:9) Although David wanted to build a temple for the Lord here on earth, which his son Solomon finally did (1 Chronicles 28:6), I think he was looking ahead to that time of perfection at Jesus's feet in eternity. In His eternal temple where
no enemy would ever again threaten. (Revelation 21:4) Where there would be nothing to distract his focus from His Lord. In a sense, Jesus has come and given us an even broader revelation of where God's temple is and the perfections
we can catch a glimpse of, even in this imperfect world. We know that our bodies are the temple of His Spirit if we
have received Him as Lord of our lives. (1 Corinthians 6:19) We don't belong to ourselves any more. We belong to the One who dwells in the temple. God has said
that He does not dwell in a building made with human hands. (Acts 17:24) He made us and designed us to be the temples in which He would choose to dwell. Will we make the choice to let Him
have His choice? If so, we will experience what David was getting a small peek into. David said he wanted to live in the house of the Lord all of his life, delight in the Lord and meditate in His temple
for some specific reasons. He knew that He could be confident because the Lord was his light and his salvation.
No need for fear. Only a reason for bold confidence. (Psalm 27:1-3) We, too, are bold even in the midst of trouble and confident of our deliverance when we remember that the Lord is
our light and our salvation. Even when we're attacked by unseen enemies, our confidence in the Lord remains
strong. Because David was confident and knew He was protected while here on earth, he seemed to look beyond this earth
and desire to remain near the Lord and meditate in His temple forever. He knew that God would hide him from the enemy
in the safety of His sanctuary. (Psalm 27:5) God does that for us too. Even in this imperfect world, God will hide us when things get difficult. We
will be safe in His care. How much more when we get to our Heavenly home and live in complete safety forever!
Forever out of reach of the enemy! This morning we can sing and praise the Lord with music just like David. We
can hold our heads high above any enemy that lurks in the shadows to try to keep us down. I hope we are all doing that
this morning. That's why David wanted to live in the house of the Lord. (Psalm 27:6) He knew there would be so much joy. He was eager to offer sacrifices to the Lord. We can do all of that
and experience a part of that this morning too. Then, when perfection comes, we will be ready to walk into it and delight in
all of it's many wonders. Today, if and when enemies surround us, we can hold our heads high because we know that
we're a permanent resident of the house of the Lord. We are the house of the Lord placed here for such
a time as this while we walk this earth. He chooses to dwell within this vessel of clay that He so wondrously put together.
We don't know what we are yet to become but one day we will know as we see Jesus face to face. (1 Corinthians 13:12) What is the one thing that you would ask of the Lord this morning? MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 4, 2007 - ANOTHER KING IN DISTRESS 2 Chronicles 34:19 (New Living Translation) Reading about the kings of Israel and Judah is sometimes confusing but never boring!
Some were very, very evil, some were evil at first and then changed. Some did well at the beginning but then fell. And,
some were good from beginning to end. But God had His hand at work through it all just as He has His hand on us in every
aspect and facet of our lives. Obviously, the best way is to be obedient from beginning to end. Josiah became
king when he was a very young boy. His father, Amon, was one of those kings of whom God didn't have anything
good to say. (2 Chronicles 33:22-23) Amon refused to humble himself. Maybe that was why he only had a two year reign as king. (2 Chronicles 33:21) Amon had to have seen his father, Manasseh, repent and receive God's grace but, for some reason, he chose
to follow only an evil path. We all have that choice. We must choose blessings or curses. Our choices
will also affect those who come after us. Our children and their children after them. (Deuteronomy 30:19) There's no in-between. The Lord wants desperately for us to make the right choice. Every blessing
we could ever need or think of and more are available, if we will seek Him and repent of our sin. (Matthew 6:33, Luke 13:5, Ephesians 3:20) Now, Josiah was only eight years old when he began his reign as
king. (2 Chronicles 34:1) He had a nice long reign of thirty-one years. What made it nice, as well as long, was the fact that, even though
he was very young, he served the Lord just like David had. At the age of about sixteen, he diligently sought the Lord.
(2 Chronicles 34:3) He did not turn back or make wrong choices. (2 Chronicles 34:2) He made the choice to do what was right. Then, at the age of about twenty, he began warfare. Not
the warfare between armies and nations. A spiritual warfare. He began to destroy all the idols and places
of pagan worship and purify Judah and Jerusalem. We don't know what he experienced of his father's evil
choices in the first eight years of his life but we know that he must have experienced something. Whatever we have experienced
in our past does not have to be a revelation of our future. We have the choice to decide not to rehearse past experiences
of pain and possibly evil done to us. The Lord will open our eyes if we will let Him so we can see the hope
and the future He desires for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) We may have seen and experienced some very awful things in our past but God has new things to show us if we will just
humbly ask Him. (Jeremiah 33:3) No matter what situations we have been in previously, even if it was an evil parent (or both parents), we can choose
blessing for our lives. That's what Josiah did. And God graciously responded. We, too, are in a spiritual war. This war is against powers in high places. They are too strong
for us in the natural but God has given us special weapons to fight against all those things that have tried to bring us down.
People may have hurt us and disappointed us but our fight is not against them. In fact, the greatest thing we can do
is forgive them and fight the real enemy. (Ephesians 6:12) Is forgiveness easy? Is pressing through a difficult past a walk in the park? I don't think so.
But, it's a choice we must make if we are to walk in the wonderful divine purpose God has for our lives. It may
not be easy. It probably will take more strength than we have inside of ourselves. But, the wonder
of it all is that we're not left alone to fight this war. The battle is the Lord's. (1 Samuel 17:47) It always has been and it always will be. We are His soldiers and He is our supreme Commander. Like
any good commander, He supplies us with the weapons we need to fight this war. (Ephesians 6:13-18) He also supplies us with the strength and wisdom to use them. (Philippians 4:13, James 1:5) Not only that, the victory is already won. It was done by God's own Son, Jesus. (Colossians 2:15) Josiah did not even know the whole story
of how evil so greatly affects everyone around us until he started doing what was right. He made a right choice and
then God took it from there. He began to supervise renovation of the temple that had been long neglected. Our
bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Some renovation may be needed for some of us in that area.
As the workers took care of revitalizing the temple, they found a scroll which was eventually delivered and read to Josiah.
(2 Chronicles 34:15) It was the Book of the Law. Josiah heard everything that was written in the Book of the Law.
He obviously didn't know the Lord's law. It's pretty apparent that his father, Amon, had never told him
about it. As parents, we can take a lesson from Amon on how not to be. As Josiah heard it read,
he became totally distressed and tore his clothes in despair. (2 Chronicles 34:19) He began to realize that God's anger is always directed toward disobedience and neglect of His Word.
Josiah was wise. He sent men to the prophet, Huldah, to inquire about what the Lord would have him do for himself
and for the people of Jerusalem and Judah. Once again, we see God's grace flow to one who is truly repentant and
humble before Him. Josiah was given a life of peace and a time to serve God. Because of that he was able to restore
much in his kingdom. (2 Chronicles 34:26-28) God promised that, even though judgment would come, Josiah would not see it in his life. Can you imagine
if there was just one Josiah in every country, in every generation, how the grace of God would flow and how we would
be spared the judgment that is deserved? You and I have the opportunity to be one of those people this morning.
We are reading His Word. We will commit to not only reading and hearing, but doing His Word. (James 1:22) In the process, we will receive the blessing of God's peace. Many around us will be affected.
Not as they were by Amon the evil king but as they were by Josiah, the king who used his distress to pass the test.
Are you tested with distress today. It's a test. There are two choices. Humble obedience or rebellious
disobedience. It's time to choose. MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 3, 2007 - DEEP DISTRESS 2 Chronicles 33:12 (New Living Translation) Manasseh was an evil king at first. (2 Chronicles 33:2) He was twelve years old when he became king in Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 33:13) Just imagine at twelve years old he began to do evil. If you are a young person, you can know today that God
is looking to see whether you will do evil or do good. Don't be like Manasseh was when he was twelve. Be like
Timothy. Timothy was very young to be in the ministry but the Apostle Paul told him not to let anybody think little
of him because he was young. (1 Timothy 4:12) He encouraged Timothy to be a pattern even for older people by the way he loved others, had faith and kept his
thoughts clean. Even young people are known by God and others by the way they act. (Proverbs 20:11) God has great things planned for our lives and we can start seeing those things even if we are young. If we
haven't recognized God and seen his plans for us when we are young, it is never too late! Manasseh went ahead and did things that didn't please God when he was young. He not only did those things
but he led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do them too. Did you know somebody is watching you today? They're
going to follow your example. Where are you leading others? Are your thoughts and actions leading them along the
path to life? Or sin and death? Manasseh was not doing a good job. He led the people of Judah and Jerusalem
to do even worse things than the pagan nations around them. And God had destroyed those nations! (2 Chronicles 33:9) Apparently the Lord had spoken to Manasseh and his people, warning them several times but they didn't listen.
Is God speaking to us this morning? Maybe a word of warning or maybe a word of direction? Are we listening?
Manasseh wasn't listening. But, then something happened. Because
Manasseh would not listen to God's warnings, God sent Assyrian armies and they took him prisoner. (2 Chronicles 33:11) When we don't listen to God, we become a prisoner to our own sin. Manasseh got into deep distress.
Are you in distress this morning? We really don't want to have to get into distress but it happens sometimes because
we, like Manasseh, have not listened to God's warnings. The good thing in all of this is that, in his
deep distress, Manasseh went looking for God. He cried out in humility to God. (2 Chronicles 33:12) That's what we can do too. When we cry out to God, he will hear us and set us free from the prison of our
sin. Jesus came to set the captive free! (Isaiah 42:7) Whom the Son sets free is truly free! (John 8:36) When Manasseh prayed humbly, the Lord listened to him even after all the evil that he had done. It's
never too late to repent. God was moved by Manasseh's request for help. He is also moved by our
requests for help. (2 Chronicles 33:13) He gave Manasseh back his kingdom because Manasseh had finally realized that the Lord alone is God! That's
what God wants. He wants us to recognize that He alone is God and to receive the gift of forgiveness He has given
by the shed blood of His Son. After Manasseh repented, his life turned around. He then rebuilt the altars to the
Lord, gave offerings and encouraged the people of Judah to worship the Lord. (2 Chronicles 33:16) Do you want a change in your life and is there something you need to ask God to forgive in your life? He will
hear you and me just as He heard Manasseh's prayer of deep distress. He will not only hear, He will forgive
and turn our lives around so we can once again serve Him. Are you in some deep distress this morning? If
so, like the Psalmist, turn to God and receive His mercy. (Psalm 25:16) If this is a great day for you, look around. You probably won't have to look far to find someone in
distress. Go ahead, give them the message of the freedom and forgiveness that is to be found in Jesus! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 2, 2007 - HOPE AND PEACE Romans 15:13 (New Living Translation) Hope is something we cannot do without. When we lose hope, we are
at the point of losing everything. We can hope for and in many things but God must be the source of our hope.
The apostle, Paul, knew this and his prayer for the Romans acknowledged that God is the one who gives true hope.
He wanted the Romans to overflow with hope, not in their own imaginations, but through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Are you running a little low on hope this morning? It could be that something large and threatening is looming
in your life. Or, it could be that many small things are distracting you from the God of hope. As Job went
through his great testing, he almost ran out of hope. (Job 7:6) He didn't deny the way he felt. He cried out to God about it. He shared his feelings with God, who already
knew them all anyway. He knows your feelings today too and, if they include despair and lack of hope, He wants to do
something about that. If we have been believers for a long time, sometimes we feel a little guilty of we start
to run out of hope. We know the Way. We're supposed to be up all the time and trusting God. The fact
is, we're still human. When the enemy comes in, sometimes he comes in like a flood. We can hardly catch our
breath. Hope seems distant. That's what it feels like. I'm here to tell you this morning that
the enemy will probably come in like a flood at times but our God will raise up a standard for you and for me at
those times. You will not be destroyed. You will be supplied with and given extra hope by the
power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) Are some doubts creeping into your life today? I hope not.
But all of us have those days. If this is one of those days for you, remember what the Psalmist said. He
said, "...all day long I put my hope in you." I put the italics in because I know that there are just some
days that we have to keep on letting ourselves and God know that we're determined to put our hope in Him. (Psalm 25:5) We're determined to wait quietly before Him despite alarm because our hope is in Him. (Psalm 62:5) No matter what the problem is, we can be strong and be courageous because we know that our hope is not
in ourselves or any other person or thing. It is in God. God is always faithful. (Psalm 31:24) Hope tells us that our God is bigger than any problem in our lives. Hope gives us the power to resist talking
about how big the problem is but to start talking to the problem about how big our God is. God knows us inside and out.
He knows that we will sometimes be tempted to doubt. He's already provided for that too. He sees when we're
having difficulty, at just the right time, He gives us comfort, renewed hope, and cheer. (Psalm 94:19) Yes, even when we have doubts in our mind, our Abba Father is standing right there with us willing to comfort us in
our distress and give us renewed hope. He will not only give us those things, but He will also give us cheer.
If this is a hard day for you, look up and receive renewed hope and comfort from your Father. Let Him cheer you up by
the power of His Holy Spirit. If this is a real good day for you, go find somebody you can uplift with a message of
God's comfort, renewal, and joy. As Paul prayed for hope for
the Roman church, he also prayed that they would be filled with happiness and peace, as they believed in God.
That prayer is also for all of us reading the Word today. God wants us to have hope, peace, and joy. We are told
that when hope is lacking, it makes our heart sick. We get depressed. We feel sad. We are tempted to just
give up. (Proverbs 13:12) But, when our hopes are realized, we have life and joy. God is a God of making hopes come to
pass for us, as we believe in Him. Does this morning find us truly believing that He is all He says He is?
Have we put our complete trust and faith in Him knowing that we will have those things we need and desire at just the right
time? His time? We will be truly blessed if we commit to trust in God, walking by faith, putting our hope in Him
alone. When we stop placing our confidence in anything or anyone but God, we will find blessing. (Jeremiah 17:7) Much of that blessing will manifest itself in peace and joy in our lives. Maybe you feel like
Jonah this morning. He said, when he had lost all hope, he turned his thoughts toward the Lord again. (Jonah 2:7) Jonah had brought disaster upon himself through his disobedience. Sometimes we have done that
to ourselves too. But God is not wanting us to live in disaster. He wants us to turn to Him and pray to Him trusting
that He will restore our hope no matter whether we have brought on the circumstances ourselves or whether the enemy has been
attacking us. The focus is that God loves us and wants to impart hope, peace and joy to us. The problem is not the
problem. The problem is usually that we have our eyes on the problem and not on God. Is hope at a low ebb
in your life right now? Won't you just look up to the God who loves you more than you can ever believe and know
that it is His will that you have hope? A hope that stems from the power of His Spirit. A hope for which you will
never have to be ashamed. (Romans 5:1-5) The King James Version says it this way: Romans 5:1-5 (King James Version) 1
(KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is
given unto us. At least three times, the Psalmist asked himself why he was so sad and discouraged.
Maybe you're asking yourself that question right now. All three times, he determined to put his hope in God.
(Psalm 42:5, 42:11, 43:5) We've all had those feelings of despair. Even the Psalmist had them. But, this morning we have a new
chance to put our hope in God. If we will, He will bring comfort, peace and joy and there will be nothing to do but
praise Him! MORNING MANNA - AUGUST 1, 2007 - AGREEMENT, NOT ARGUMENT Romans 14:1 (New Living Translation) Do
the habits and tastes of other brothers and sisters in Christ offend you sometimes? Romans 14:1 says we should accept Christians who are weak in the faith. We're not to argue with them about what they think
is right or wrong. Sometimes I wonder who is weaker in the faith, the one who always has to be right about issues that
don't really affect salvation or the one we think has the issue. Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
(Luke 19:10) He didn't come to change personalities and personal tastes if those things did not interfere with one's salvation.
We are all made in His image but we are all very unique. Jesus didn't come to make robots. He came to save
us and use us for His kingdom just the way He made us. Our particular uniqueness may be just the thing our sovereign
God uses to minister to someone else. We're just the clay. He's the Potter. (Isaiah 64:8) While it's true that we will not all agree with one another on every single issue in life, we need to remember
that unity is important. (John 17:11) That unity is in the name of Jesus. Yes, we need to all seek to glorify God but who are we to be the judge of
whether someone does that or not? (Luke 6:37) Our focus should be on Jesus, not on the faults and weaknesses of others. There was a situation in Jesus's
time when His disciples saw some other people ministering in His name. (Luke 9:49) They self-righteously told Jesus about it and seemed to be proud of the fact that they had tried to stop them
just because they were not in the group closest to Jesus. Jesus had a different point of view. He told them
not to stop the others from ministering in His name because if they were not against Him, they were for Him.
(Luke 9:50) We don't
know when we meet others who claim the name of Christ what they have been through or are going through at present in their
lives. They may be weaker in the faith than we are. Then again, they may be stronger than we are even though we
perceive them as weak. Only God knows our hearts. (1 Chronicles 28:9) Only He is capable of judging who is the weaker and who is the stronger in the faith. We look at all
the outward signs of Christianity, while God looks straight into every individual's heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) To me, that's a very sobering thought. Not only is my judgment of those around me possibly, and most likely,
faulty but God is looking at my heart too! I may be able to look pretty good when I'm out and about but He see's
my every thought and every attitude all the time. That doesn't leave me any room to be arguing with others about
the things that don't affect their salvation. The apostle Paul said that he became like those weak in the faith
so that he could win them, hoping to get the salvation message to at least some of them. (1 Corinthians 9:22) Salvation, that's the important message. Are we able to overlook some of the things that might irritate
us about another's walk with Christ? Or, do we fight battles that we were never meant to fight weakening others
instead of encouraging and strengthening them? That does not eliminate the fact that we are to hold believers accountable but accountability
is always, always to be done in love. Wow, I have lots to practice here!! You and I are free in Christ this
morning if we have made Him Lord of our lives. If we have great faith, not much in this world will cause us to stumble
and sin. However, everyone is at a different point in their walk with Christ. Some are just learning and receiving
faith. We should never use our own freedom to make one of these weaker brothers or sisters stumble and sin. (1 Corinthians 8:9) Whatever we do in faith is not sin but when we do things we don't believe are right, it is
sin. (Romans 14:23) Either way, when we're with another brother or sister in Christ, we should not argue about the small stuff, judging
them by actions that don't affect salvation. (Romans 14:5) We will all stand accountable before God one day and you and I will only be responsible for what we have done.
(Romans 14:12) Not what another has done. That's enough for each of us to work on for a lifetime! Accountability
is different than judgment. We are to confront our brothers and sisters when we see them outwardly sinning. (Matthew 18:15) But there is a way to do it that will not bring shame to another but will allow him or her to be built up in the faith.
Private confrontation is always the first way to go. We don't need to openly expose people but cover them with
love. (1 Peter 4:8) Yes, we are to hold others accountable for the saving of their souls. But, above all, we should remember that
but for the grace of God, we could be in the same position as they are. This calls for gentle restoration, not argument.
We are to be totally humble in our dealings with one who has slipped into sin. We, ourselves, are not above temptation.
God has, by His grace, lifted us out of sin. We need to follow His example and gently and humbly help lift others from
sin. (Galatians 6:1) Are we godly this morning? Then, we must remember that we are not above temptation. We must refuse to
argue and debate about the small stuff concerning another believer's life, be loving enough to confront a fellow believer
if they have slipped into sin, and be gentle and humble in restoring them. Boy, that's a mouthful and a lifetime
of discipline and training in the love of God! But, the rewards are worth it. We will live in unity and peace
with our brothers and sisters in Christ and the Kingdom of God will prosper! Enter content here Enter content here Enter content here Enter content here |
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