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A SONG AND A PRAYER |
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MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 16-30, 2007
Enter subhead content here  MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 30, 2007 - BUT 2 Peter 3:9 (New Living Translation) God loved this word so much that He sent His only Son to die for whoever down here would believe in Him.
Whoever would turn from their sin and follow Him. (John 3:16) Is there anything that is keeping you from following Him this morning? Have you received Jesus as your Savior?
I hope you have. If not, you can do it right now. All you need to do is agree with God that you are a sinner and
let Him know you want to be saved by the blood of Jesus. (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9) If we've done that, we'll enter Heaven when we die. But, there's another possibility.
Jesus many come again to claim us before we have to go through death. He promised He would return for His church.
(2 Thessalonians 2:1) That's us. If we believe, we are the church. People have been talking about His return ever since
He ascended to Heaven after His resurrection. Yet, it has not yet occurred. There are people who don't believe that Jesus will return. (2 Peter 3:3-4) This will be their downfall. They will think they can get away with anything just because Jesus has not
returned - yet. They don't even realize that it is precisely because of people like themselves that His promise
to return has not yet been fulfilled. You see, He loves every one of us so much that He remains patient for
our sakes. He's not willing for any one of us to perish. He is not vindictive. He is totally loving,
giving second, third and many more chances for each person to respond to that love and repent of their sin. When He
started preaching, His message was of repentance. (Matthew 4:17) He continued to preach that message all through His ministry here on earth. (Luke 24:47) That is the message that He wants us to carry to the world. Repentance is not just tears and a big show of being
sorry. It's not being sorry that you have been caught in a sin. It's admitting to God that you are a sinner,
whether or not you've been "caught.." (2 Corinthians 7:10) It's letting God shine His light into the depths of your heart and reveal what is hidden there and then being
willing to let go of it and go in the opposite direction. That kind of repentance will bring forth new life and
God will apply His forgiveness. Just being sorry because we've been caught doing something wrong will not bring
life. It will bring death. Do we realize the graciousness of
our God in delaying the coming of Jesus again? If you have not received His forgiveness, He's waiting for you right
now. Maybe you have received that forgiveness but you have family members that you've been praying for
who have not yet come to Jesus in repentance. Oh, isn't it wonderful that God's patience has delayed the coming
of Christ so that you might have another opportunity to be a witness to those family members? That they might have another
chance to come to repentance? 2 Peter 3:9 is such a picture of God's love, of His patience and of His grace. He really does not want anyone to
enter Hell. But... we don't know when God has chosen to close the door of opportunity
for repentance. 2 Peter 3:10 tells us that the day of Jesus's return will come as a thief in the night. So, let this be your day for repentance
and salvation if you have not already done so. (2 Corinthians 6:2) If you have already been born into the Kingdom of God through repentance and His forgiveness, then let this
be the day you encourage someone else to do the same. If there are people in your life who don't want to listen
to your message, pray for other laborers to come into their path. (Luke 10:2) Even pray that the Holy Spirit will speak directly to them, causing conviction and repentance. There is
still time to do that right now. God has been patient for two thousand years now, giving everyone a chance to repent.
But, one day that opportunity will disappear. That day will come when it is least expected. May it be that
no one misses the opportunity while the door is still open. After that, we won't be able to say, "But, ........."
It will be too late. (Matthew 25:1-12) Psalms 119:125 (New Living Translation) Are you God's servant? If so, what is the thing that you need most to succeed in this privileged position?
You need to know your Master! You need to know Him well enough to know, not just His written law, but His character
and intent. Even His deepest thoughts. The words on the pages of the Bible cannot become the Living Word in us
unless we discern, or in other words, understand the depth of those words. Unless we understand that the words are portraying
God, Himself. The Message paraphrases Psalm 119:125 like this: "I'm your servant—help me understand what that means, the
inner meaning of your instructions." It's that inner meaning that we need from the Lord.
Not just a surface understanding of the definitions of the words contained in the Bible. For example, what good
has it done if we have memorized the words, "Love your neighbor," and then ignore someone in need? Or lash
out in anger? Or use words to tear another down? Does that show any discernment or any understanding of Gods decrees? Psalm 119:104 let's us know that it is God's commandments that give us understanding. That word, "commandments,"
in the New Living Translation is translated, "precepts," in the King James Version. The very root of this
word has to do with, "visit." When you think about it, it's fairly logical that we can't really know
God's character and intent unless we spend time with Him. As we visit with Him. As we spend time in prayer
and in His Word, we can count on Him to reveal His deepest thoughts with us. In 1 Corinthians, Chapter 2, Paul talks
about the wisdom that comes from God. 1 Corinthians 2:10 tells us that we can know the secrets of God's heart because the Holy Spirit reveals them to us. Have
you ever noticed that people who spend a lot of time together, especially marriage partners, tend to pick up each other's
traits? That's how it is with us and God. Spending time with Him, we begin to know Him better and better.
We start to take on His characteristics. He pours His thoughts into us and we are changed. What happens is that
He gives us the mind of Christ as a replacement for our worldly wisdom. (2 Corinthians 2:14-16) Are you God's servant? Do you really want
to know Him more deeply? Do you want to hear His deepest thoughts and be changed by Him? I do.
What we need to do is turn to Jesus. First of all, no man can come to the Father except through Jesus. (Luke 10:22) Do we really want to be able to discern and understand God's decrees? This understanding
will be found in Jesus. God has given Him all authority. He will reveal the Father and the
inner meaning of His commandments or precepts to us. He did that when He answered the question, "What is the greatest
commandment?" He summed it up very nicely with what we find in Deuteronomy 6:5. We need to love God with all of our heart, soul, and strength. Our spirit, soul (mind and emotions)
and body have to be in total agreement. All focused on loving God. As we begin to see through that focus,
we will find that we have greater and greater discernment. God is love. (1 John 4:8) Love is the foundation of knowing God's heart and gaining discernment. It is the basis of servant hood.
If you have come to a place where you feel as though you need more discernment, like the Psalmist, go to God.
Let Him know you want to serve Him. Ask for His discernment and understanding. Then be prepared to allow Him to
teach you to love more deeply! 2 Peter 1:2 (New Living Translation) The opening verses of 2 Peter contain a blessing written by Peter for
those in His day and for us too. Don't you love to be blessed?!? Peter was, not only writing to those of His
day, but God was reaching down through time to you and me. It is God's wish, as written through the pen of Peter,
to bless you with His special favor. It is God's wish to also bless you with His peace. Those
words, translated here as, "special favor," are translated, "grace," in the King James Version.
I love what part of the meaning of, "grace," is. It is divine influence on the heart. Wow! God
wants to give us His influence on our hearts! What a blessing Peter is imparting to us. God's divine
influence on our hearts! When we have that, we will definitely see His special favor in our lives! He not only
wants to give us that divine influence but then He wants to see it reflected in our lives. That will come in the
form of our thanksgiving and gratitude. Worship. Grace gives us things that we don't deserve.
It is by grace that we are saved. (Ephesians 2:8) After that, everything in our lives is because of God's grace. Look what Paul said. (1 Corinthians 15:10) It's God's divine influence on our hearts. His special favor. Do you feel blessed yet?
It gets even better. There's that blessing of "wonderful
peace." Oh what a blessing. Especially in our day. Everybody is just looking for some peace.
Of course, the world is looking in all the wrong places and looking at human solutions for peace. They do not realize
that peace is not a thing. It's a Person. His name is the Prince of Peace. Do you know that Prince today?
Is He living within you? That was the blessing that Peter prayed for us. He wanted us to have God's
peace. His Son. Jesus gave of Himself freely to all those who were willing to receive. He offered and
continues to offer His peace. This is a peace that the world can only hope to duplicate but never will. (John 14:27) This kind of peace will relieve us of fear and keep us from being troubled by anything.
This kind of peace reminds us that we can cast all of our troubles on Jesus, our Prince of Peace. (1 Peter 5:7) He cares about what happens to us. That, in itself, is enough to bring me peace! This peace, that only
Jesus can give, is a peace that will set your mind to wondering, "Where did that come from?"
It's a peace that we cannot even explain because we will never understand it, we just have the privilege of receiving
it. (Philippians 4:7) This Heavenly peace will guard our hearts and our minds. It is like a fortress. Yes, our Prince of
Peace is also our strong tower. (Proverbs 18:10) We can run there and be safe. Aren't you glad Peter prayed a blessing of peace for you and me? Now for the "better," part. Peter prayed the blessing that we would
have God's special favor and His peace. But there is a qualification to this blessing. God always does His
part. Many times, though, He requires us to play a part too. In this case, we can have that blessing
of special favor and peace only as we get to know Jesus better and better. Is something in your life challenging
you? Troubling you? Causing you sorrow or pain? Do you want it to get better? I know. That may
seem like a silly question. Yet Jesus asked it of a man who had been troubled with a spirit of infirmity for thirty-eight
years. (John 5:6) Some people are trapped in their problems and have accepted the problem as their identity. We have to want to
get better. We cannot accept our problems as our identity if we say that Jesus lives in us. We find our identity
in Him. He is not part of any problem. He's the Solution to every problem. So, if we want to get better,
no matter what the issue is, we have to get to know Jesus better and better. (Colossians 1:9-10) Well, you can't get a whole lot better than having God's special favor and His peace! There's an old song
that says, "If it keeps gettin' better and better, Oh Lord, I don't know what I'm gonna do." Here's
the thing. As long as we keep getting to know Jesus better and better, God will pour on that special favor and His Heavenly
peace that escapes our human understanding. As we get to know our Savior better and better, there's no doubt about
it. We'll get better and better! Will you worship God?
Will you serve Jesus? No matter what? That's what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did. They were about to be burnt to a crisp in a fire that was so hot it killed the ones who threw
them in. (Daniel 3:22) Yet, In Daniel 3:18, we find them telling Nebuchadnezzar that they were going to serve God, no matter what. No bowing to
any other idol, even though it was the law of the land. (Daniel 3:15) Are we that committed today? Are there things in our lives that we bow down and worship? "Of course
not," you are probably saying. While it's true that we, at least most of us, do not bow down to any statues,
maybe we should look at some of the things in our lives that take precedence over our time spent with the Lord. Over
our giving to Him. Over our thought life. If we are not loving God with all of our heart, soul and might, then
we most probably need to identify the idol or idols in our life. (Deuteronomy 6:5) Idols don't necessarily have to be bad. They can be good things that become greater in our lives than the
best thing, which is God, Himself. These idols
can be things, relationships, fleshly desires, jobs, schooling, or any other thing that takes the top priority
in our lives. Will we put those things in their proper place and submit to God? Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego would not worship any idols even though they knew they would be thrown in the fire. Today, we are not under
any immediate threat of being thrown into a deadly fire. We can willingly turn to God and worship Him alone. We
have the opportunity to let the Holy Spirit examine our hearts and reveal to us anything that is taking God's place.
Then, we have the opportunity to put that thing or those things down and give God His rightful place. (Colossians 3:5) Right now we can turn from any idolatry and God will forgive us and heal us, just as He promised to do for the Israelites.
(Hosea 14:4) Is there something or someone in your life that has taken God's place? Are you willing to turn back and
worship God will all your heart, soul and might? No matter what? In Psalm 119, the psalmist was troubled. He was fainting, waiting to see God's salvation. (Psalm 119:81) He longed to see what we have the privilege of seeing today. We have seen Jesus bring salvation. (2 Thessalonians 2:14) But, no matter what, the psalmist was determined to put his hope in God's Word. Is there something
that you have been praying for and you haven't seen it come to pass, even though it's in line with God's Word?
This morning will you gather up your faith again and determine to do as the psalmist did? Hope in God's Word.
No matter what. The psalmist was straining to see God's promises. He had not seen them yet.
He had to ask God, "When will you comfort me?' (Psalm 119:82) Is there something in your life this morning that is very troubling? Maybe it's a wayward child or a failing
marriage. Maybe someone has turned against you at school or in your job and you don't know why. Are you,
like the psalmist, straining to see God's promises manifest in your life? God is the God of all comfort. He
is now just waiting for you to keep on trusting Him, no matter what. Right now, He will comfort you until you
see His promises revealed in your life. (2 Corinthians 1:4) Have you ever felt exhausted from waiting, like you were just going to shrivel up and blow away? That's
how the psalmist felt too! (Psalm 119:83) But, instead of running off and finding something or someone else to worship, he said, "But I cling to Your
principles and obey them." We may have put other things in this life before God. Or, we may be like
the psalmist, just struggling to stay in faith waiting to see God's promises manifest. Wherever we find ourselves
this morning, it's time to rise up in faith, put lesser things in their place and cling to the only One worthy of
our worship. No matter what! Psalms 119:71 (New Living Translation) What a picture I find in Psalm 119 of someone who needed to be broken. Someone who had to go through some suffering and discipline in order to come
out thinking right! Maybe you feel that you have suffered for nothing, that life has been unfair to you. You might
even be a Christian and feel like that. The fact is, the very thing that caused your suffering may be the thing that
brings you closer to God. The thing that helps you live for Him. Let's check out what the psalmist was
saying in Psalm 119. For one thing, he wanted his actions to consistently reflect God's principles. (Psalm 119:5) He was obviously trying to obey God's principles but sometimes falling short which is implied by the fact that
he said, "Please don't give up on me!" (Psalm 119:8) Sometimes I find myself needing to say that prayer too because I find that I have missed the mark in a particular
area without really meaning to or wanting to. Thank God, we have Jesus, our Redeemer who will never give up on us. He
is before the throne of God always interceding for us! Do you pray the prayer that the psalmist prayed in Psalm 119:18? Do you want God to open your eyes to see the wonderful truths in His law? We sing that song all the time, "Open
the eyes of my heart, Lord." Do we really mean it? What did
the psalmist realize about his life? How did he end up having his eyes opened? How did he learn to live with his
actions lining up with God's principles? He had to go through something. That something was not pleasant
at the time but it produced some good fruit. It was really the answer to his prayers. Whatever you may be
going through this morning, even if it is painful, just may be the answer to your prayers. Those prayers that beg God
to bring you closer to Him. Notice Psalm 119:67. Here the psalmist says, "I used to wander off until You disciplined me." Have you ever wandered
from God's path? Did He discipline you? If so, rejoice! (Hebrews 12:7) You know that the perfect Parent will discipline His children because He loves them. What happened when the
psalmist was disciplined? He began to closely follow God's word. Isn't that what you and I long to
do, closely follow God's word? Yet, sometimes we get off the beaten path. We decide to go our own way.
Then our Father, God, disciplines us. It hurts. But, its effect is that we follow Him more closely.
You may be going through a situation this morning but God has not revealed any deviation from His path to you. In this
case, perhaps you are being tested. Job was. (James 5:11) He didn't understand at the time. He just had to trust that eventually his suffering would turn out for
good. (Romans 8:28) He trusted and pressed through great opposition. His latter days were better than his former days! (Job 42:10) The psalmist says in Psalm 119:68, "You are good and do only good; teach me your principles." Yes, he acknowledged that God is good and that
He does only good. We acknowledge that today, right? That's the truth and that's a given. Then,
he once again asks God to teach him His principles. What does it appear that God used to teach His principles? In
this case, it is implied that He allowed suffering to come into the psalmists life. After it was all over,
the psalmist declared, "The suffering you sent was good for me." Are you going through something unpleasant
at the moment. Can you worship God with a sacrifice of praise, letting Him know that you trust Him even in this?
You are not in a situation, you're going through. God has
good plans for you if you will just turn to Him in worship. (Jeremiah 29:11) When you do come out on the other side, you will be able to look back on whatever is causing you pain today and
say to God, "It taught me to pay attention to your principles." For the most part, we humans are intent on
going our own way and doing our own thing just like sheep. (Isaiah 53:6) God loves us just the same. He's not willing that any of us should perish but He will do whatever it
takes to keep us on the right track. If it takes being broken, He will allow that to happen. Do we trust like
the psalmist, that in our brokenness, we are actually being made really whole, being put back together
in a way that we will glorify God? Do we trust that all His decisions are fair, even though they don't always
"feel" fair? Are we humble enough before Him to admit, like the psalmist, "...You disciplined me because
I needed it."? Maybe you have been disciplined. Maybe you have suffered brokenness. I have. I
may go through it again, only God knows what I need. Praise God, that's why I'm paying attention to His
principles today! Psalms 119:49 (New Living Translation) Have you ever had someone promise
you something and then not come through with it? What a disappointment!! And, what an opportunity for the enemy
to get in there and suggest resentment and bitterness, even sometime hatred. Maybe you have made promises, with every
good intention of keeping them, but have failed for one reason or another to complete the thing you vowed to do. There
again, what an opportunity for the enemy to come in and remind you of those things time and time again. To load
you with feelings of guilt. Maybe you have even accepted that and allowed him to pile more and more on you. If
so, you have probably made more promises that you didn't keep just because you believed the lie of the enemy and
accepted his twisted description of you. If you have been the one on the short end of a promise, why not forgive the
one who fell short and set yourself free from any bitterness? If you are the one who fell short in making
good on a promise, why not ask for forgiveness from your Heavenly Father and then from the one to whom you made the promise?
Now, about promises that cannot and will never be broken.
There really are promises like that! They come from our Heavenly Father. The perfect Father. Our Daddy. There
are plenty of them too! In Joshua 21:45, it is mentioned that all of the good promises that the Lord had given Israel came true. Since God does not change,
all the promises He has given us will come true too. Solomon prayed to God in 1 Kings 8:23, saying, "...You keep your promises and show unfailing love to all who obey you and are eager to do your will."
As sincere as we are, we cannot make a promise to anybody else that might not have to be broken because of an extenuating
circumstances. We can't even guarantee that we'll be on this earth to complete the promise! Our lives are
in God's hands. But God never changes and He's always going to be there to make good on His promises.
They are pure just like the finest of silver refined in a furnace. (Psalm 12:6) Nothing can or ever will stop God from keeping His promises. (2 Corinthians 1:20) If we do make a promise, God wants us to be sincere and do everything we can to keep it, even if it might be a sacrifice.
(Psalm 15:4) We should remember, no matter how much we want to do a thing, to count the cost before making
any rash promises. There are times when the circumstances of life
or the assaults of the enemy might cause us to wonder like the Psalmist, "...have His promises permanently failed?" (Psalm 77:11) Yet, in the same Psalm, he began to remember the times in the past when God had come through on the promises He had
made. The times when even the impossible happened. (Psalm 77:16-20) What did the Psalmist do then? He decided - made a choice - to keep those promises that he
had seen fulfilled constantly in his thoughts. (Psalm 77:12) He knew he could not stop thinking about them. Otherwise, negative thoughts would flood his mind and he would
be defeated. It's the same with us. We've got to constantly remember God's track record. Especially
when we're in situations and circumstances that threaten to distract our thought from His faithfulness. It's
perfect! Like the Psalmist, we've got to keep in mind that God is almighty. Nothing is beyond His control.
Even our most pressing and painful circumstance. (Psalm 77:13) He truly is faithful and He does keep all His promises. (Psalm 92:15) He is the God of miracles and wonders! (Psalm 77:14 Psalms 92:15 (Amplified Bible) 15
(AMP) [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and
there is no unrighteousness in Him.) Is the Lord your Rock this morning? Even if you have sometimes
been tempted to say, "Promises, promises," either to someone here on earth or maybe even to God Himself, will you
make the choice to do as the Psalmist did and fill your mind with the past times that God proved His promises to you?
Will you choose to remember that He is almighty and faithful to every Word, every promise? Then we will be able to say
with a totally positive attitude, "Promises, promises!!, Yes all God's promises are true!!"
There are some song lyrics that express the truth of this perfectly, "Standing on the promises, I cannot fail.....Standing
on the promises of God." I feel better already. I hope you do too! 1 Peter 2:4 (New Living Translation) We hear so much about rejection these days. We
have to be tolerant of every sinful way so that the sinner won't feel, "rejected." Many churches do not
preach on sin for fear of someone feeling, "rejected." If we have psychological problems, according to
modern secular psychology, rejection can be the root cause. Rejection, according to most modern thought, causes
a sense of worthlessness, hopelessness, and a host of other negative reactions. But, let's look at our Savior. Jesus.
He was rejected by the people. He was even rejected in a sense by His own family who thought He was off His rocker. (Mark 3:21) Yes, Jesus suffered great rejection. He came to the earth He made. He came as a baby but, in all
of this earth, no one had room for Him to be born so God chose a humble manger. He preached to His own
people showing them by the scriptures that He was their promised Messiah but they rejected Him. (Luke 4:18, Luke 19:47) He did great miracles among them hoping they would believe Him, but to no avail. Instead, they wanted to kill
Him. (John 12:37) Rejected! Hopefully not by any of us. Now, you or I might feel rejected this morning
but how many of us have been so rejected that people wanted to kill us? I know, some have. I have seen
it first hand and it is devastating. But many of us believers do not know that extreme rejection.
Really, as believers, we should feel rejected and we shouldn't feel badly about it. The world will
reject us because their leader, Satan, rejects us. Just like the world, for the most part, is rejecting Jesus. Satan
would even like to kill us hoping to kill the Christ inside of us. That's how rejected we are but that's good! Are you having trouble this morning with feelings of rejection? Your first stop
should be in the Word of God. Counseling is good but your real freedom will come right from the mouth of God as
written in His Word. If we are really citizens of the Kingdom of God, the world is going to hate us.
As we have just seen, it hated Jesus too. Even some, if not most, of His own "church" people hated Him.
They were so blinded by their agendas and religious traditions that they couldn't see who He was. (John 15:19) We won't feel at home in this world anymore when we are really walking with Jesus. The words to that old
song, "This world is not my home. I'm just a passin' through," will become reality for us. I'm
sure that's the way Jesus felt even though the earth was His and was made by Him. Yet, those who occupied it
had no room for Him. Sometimes it has no room for us either. Was He bitter? Did He go around blaming
people for His rejection. No. He received it, knowing that it proved He was doing the will of His Father.
Jesus was rejected in the worst of ways. He was persecuted constantly. He said we would be too. Should we
feel hopeless, helpless and worthless when that happens? (Matthew 5:10) That's not what Jesus said. In fact we, above all people should have hope, know that we're not
helpless, and know that we are worth everything to our Father! It's true, at times we may feel lonely. We don't fit in with the party crowds, with the bar-hoppers,
with the crude-talkers, etc. But, we are accepted by God! (Romans 5:16) If you feel rejected this morning and lonely, just think of Who accepts you. Instead
of feeling sorry for yourself, no matter how hard your circumstances, feel sorry for those out there who seem to be accepted
by everybody and his brother, yet unless they turn to God, they will be rejected by Him. Yes, Jesus was rejected
by humanity in general but He was chosen and precious to His Heavenly Father. So are you! So am I.
Because God sees His Son when He looks at those who have received salvation, we are accepted. (Romans 3:27) We can't boast about it because we have done nothing to receive it. It has been given to
us as a gift because we have been chosen. (1 Peter 2:9) This morning, realize that you are special. You are chosen. You have been given the
gift of being accepted by your Father in Heaven. No psychologist in the world can give you a cure for "feelings
of rejection" that will top that one. Now, it's our privilege to go out into a world of people who are suffering
from "rejection," and invite them to receive what God has so graciously given us. Who will be the first
to let someone else know that we have found the cure for "feelings of rejection?" We don't even need a
degree! Rejected? No, you're not. You're accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6 (King James Version) 3
(KJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 23, 2007 - ARE YOU HOLY? 1 Peter 1:2 (New Living Translation) Are you sometimes discouraged, thinking you can't meet the standards
of a holy God? Do you think of yourself as being holy? As I read 1 Peter 1:2, I am encouraged by the fact that Peter said that I was chosen long ago. As you
read it, it says God chose you long ago. It says that the Spirit has made us holy. When
we learned that Jesus did this for us, we obeyed Him and received the gift of salvation by His blood. We are
cleansed by His blood. But, sometimes we forget that we are holy. We think we have to do something that has already
been done for us. Look at 1 Corinthians 1:2. Paul is letting the Corinthians know that God made them holy. In addition, Paul goes on to say that God did
that for all Christians everywhere. For anyone who calls on the name of the Lord. You and I are one of
those "anyone's." How about 1 Corinthians 1:30? Jesus made us pure and holy. He purchased that for us. In whose eyes do you want to appear holy?
Your own eyes? The eyes of others? Those eyes are not the ones we should be concerned about. What we need
to realize is that we are holy in God's eyes. (Ephesians 1:4) Long ago, before the world was even made, God loved us chose us, in Christ, to be holy. That is what we are in
His eyes. We're without fault in God's eyes! We may falter and slip in our walk sometimes but
isn't it encouraging to know that we are already holy in God's eyes? It's enough to fill us with so much
gratitude that we wholeheartedly want to follow Him and live a holy life. Jesus, through His sacrifice for us, has brought
us into the very presence of God. (Colossians 1:22) Can anything unholy stand in God's presence? No! His word says we are holy. We stand before
him blameless and without a single fault. Wow! I'm sitting here just soaking that in! What does a holy person look like? They look like you and me! Because we
are chosen, we get to wear the best of clothes. God has given them to us. But we have to receive them and put
them on. I really like nice clothes. Don't you? Let's see what God has put in our wardrobe.
(Colossians 3:12) Tender hearted mercy. Oh, this is a wonderful garment and it looks very good on both men and women, young
and old! It's a garment that reveals our deepest feelings of sympathy, pity and mercy for others. Why not?
It is also a garment that is representative of how God sees us! Of course, we don't deserve to be loved
by Him or be His chosen people. We didn't do anything to earn it. We could never do anything worthy of
receiving it. Yet it was given to us. Now we're allowed to wear the garment showing others that we will treat
them as God has, and still does, treat us! Then, we have the garment of kindness. This word really means,
"usefulness" and it has to do with moral character, gentleness and goodness. Has God been kind to you?
He has to me! Now we get to wear the garment showing that we will pass it along to others. Let's not forget
the expensive clothes in our closets. They were paid for with the blood of Jesus. All we have to do is put
them on. Oh, by the way, they're not to be saved for a special occasion. They won't wear out
and they will get even more beautiful the more they are worn! So will we, as we wear them! Let's see what else is in our closet, garments chosen and God-made, just for you and me! Humility.
This, to me, is one of the classiest pieces of clothing anyone could have. It's priceless and very unique in our
day in age. It doesn't look like a whole lot on the hanger but when we put it on, we're dressed to go anywhere
in style. We can dine with kings and presidents or we can visit the homeless, all in the same garment! Make no
mistake about it, wearing the garment of humility, we will be noticed even though humility does not beg to be noticed.
Right next to humility in the closet, we find meekness. It looks so well with humility! The garment of meekness
gives us the soft approachable look. We are gentle in the garment of meekness. Just like we might envision Jesus.
That doesn't mean that we are weak. Just like Jesus, we are strong but the garment of meekness shows that we have
that strength under Godly control. The last garment mentioned in Colossians 3:12 is patience. Hmmm..... I wonder if it's mentioned last because it is one of the finest garments in the
closet and maybe the most costly - who knows? We do know that Jesus was patient when He walked this earth. He didn't
even rail back at those who were wrongly accusing him during His time of trial and crucifixion. He just endured the
cross knowing that as He did that, there was joy coming. Do you wear the garment of patience well? I find that
it doesn't fit all that well when I'm into my own agenda or fixed on myself. But, if I turn to God and
fix my eyes on Him, He changes my shape so that the garment of patience fits perfectly. No bulges showing and no
strained seams! Now we know that we are holy and that God has supplied us with all the garments that go with that
holiness. But, He has given us the job of putting them on. Do you have them on today? By the way, they
all go together for that "layered" look and they are cool in the summer and warm in the winter. You can't
go wrong with this wardrobe. It's made in Heaven. There are other responsibilities that we have as holy
people too. But, dressing for success is one of the important things. The best part about these garments
is that they reflect what is on the inside too! They are a part of God's special favor upon His chosen,
holy people. Wearing them and living them will bring us God's special peace. The more we wear them, the more
of God's special favor and peace we will have! Isn't that something! We're holy because God made us holy. We
have beautiful garments that we can put on, hand-tailored by our Heavenly Father who just happens to also be the
King of Kings. And, we receive more and more of God's gifts as we wear the gifts He has
already given us! Aren't you glad that God chose to make you holy? I'll bet you can't wait to
get to the closet and dress yourself in your royal garments! Wearing them will enable us to walk in the holiness
that God has already placed in us! Go ahead, get all dressed up - I dare you! When you do, take a look in your
spiritual mirror. Don't forget what you saw there when you go about your day! MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 22, 2007 - WHAT DO OUR ACTIONS REFLECT? Psalms 119:5 (New Living Translation) Are you sometimes disappointed in yourself? You want to live a godly life but your actions don't consistently
reflect God's principles. Those of us who have been in the scriptures for a long time usually know much
more than we do. But, some of us are not in the scriptures enough to know what to do. Either
way, we all want and desire what the Psalmist expressed, "Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your principles!"
Both types of people have something to work on. Don't you think that, deep down inside, we all know that we would
be truly happy if we completely followed the law of the Lord and lived a life of complete integrity? Isn't
that what we're striving for if we really love the Lord and want to please Him? (Psalm 119:1) And, wouldn't it make us happy if we searched for God with undivided hearts? (Psalm 119:2) God has asked us to keep His commandments carefully. (Psalm 119:4) Does that mean that we have to live a life of striving to remember each of the ten commandments constantly and all
that is implied in them, checking our every thought and action against the details of each one? That would be extremely
tedious and lead to legalism and a critical and judgmental spirit. No. We don't have to concentrate specifically
on each one because Jesus came to fulfill all of those laws. He broke it all down into two categories and gave only
two commandments which encompass all of the ten commandments and reflect all of God's principles. Love the Lord
with all your soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as you love yourself. (Matthew 22:36-40) The Pharisee's of Jesus's day wanted to trick him into getting into the details and intricacies of the law.
But Jesus didn't get taken in by their craftiness. If we're
walking in love toward God and our neighbor, we certainly will not compromise with evil. (Psalm 119:3) Our love for God and His great love for us will keep our feet on His paths. If we really want our actions to
consistently reflect God's principles, we need to compare them with His commands. Do we love Him with all of our soul,
mind and strength? (Psalm 119:6) Do we love our neighbor as we love ourselves? These two commands will shed a tremendous light into
our hearts. Every action begins in our thoughts and is held in our hearts before it is manifested as
an action. Sometimes we need to examine ourselves as to what might be lurking somewhere in our heart. God's
word tells us we should examine ourselves as to whether our faith is genuine. (2 Corinthians 13:5) Faith expresses itself in love. (Galatians 5:6) An action is a form of expression. Are our actions produced by faith expressing itself in love? If
so, then we will be reflecting God's principles more and more consistently. Does that seem impossible to you?
It would be if it weren't for the fact that, with God, all things are possible. (Mark 10:27) And we can't forget that His Word also indicates that we can do all things through Christ who is
our strength. (Philippians 4:13) Like the Psalmist, is it your desire that your actions would consistently reflect
the principles of God? If you really, really love someone and they are gone from you, are you overjoyed to
receive a letter, a telephone call or an e-mail from them? Do you listen carefully when they speak and even read between
the lines trying to understand exactly what they mean? If we really love God with all of our soul, mind and strength,
how do we respond to being able to read His Word? (2 Timothy 2:15) To communing with Him daily, even constantly? (1 Thessalonians 5:17) To keeping closely in step with His Spirit? Galatians 5:16 (King James Version) (King James Version) 16 (KJV) This
I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. The Psalmist declares
that, when he has learned God's righteous laws, he will thank God by living as he should. (Psalm 119:7) Have we learned the two foundational laws upon which all of God's other laws are fulfilled? Are we so in
love with God that we study His Word daily, talk to Him moment by moment, and walk in the power of His Spirit?
As we all know, love is not a feeling. It's a choice. What is our choice this morning? Can we say to the Lord,
"I have and still am learning Your Word and I will thank You by living as I should?" If so, we will find that
our actions will more and more reflect His principles. That surely is something to be thankful for - amen?!? MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 21, 2007 -
I AM NOT AN INDEPENDENT PERSON! James 4:10 (New Living Translation) If you're
sensitive to the language in the title of this morning's Morning Manna, please don't stop reading now. In today's
culture, we are taught to be independent thinkers, disregarding Biblical principles. We're taught to be
financially independent. We're taught to be independent in our relationships. Many do not want the commitment
to marriage so we have people living with one another. In some marriages, the couple will each go their own way, living
as though they were not married. In many cases, some are adhering to the teaching of being totally independent spiritually
too. However, that's just not true. It's a deception of the devil. I used to want to be totally
independent. Until I realized that I don't have the power to sustain that kind of life within myself.
You see, whether we believe it or not, it is in God that we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28) In this world, we need to be connected to God and to His people.
Spiritually, relationally, in thought, financially. Almost in any way. Except, of course, in sin
and disobedience. All of God's creation is dependent on him. We're told how even the lions are dependent
upon Him for their food. (Psalm 104:21, 27) They may be the king of the jungle but God is the King of Kings. We, too,
are dependent on God for our food. And, that's just one small facet of our lives but a very important one.
At any moment in time, floods, draught, economic collapse, etc., could cut off our supply of food. With all of
our expertise and technology, we still can't grow something from nothing. It is and always has been God that supplies
all our needs. (Philippians 4:19) Some people have great wisdom and they are able to invent ways and means to meet
our needs, but God is the source. It doesn't matter whether people believe it or not, that's the way it is.
We've seen that in instances of great tragedy from wars, natural disasters, and disease, just to name a few.
Look what The Message says: Proverbs
24:21-22 (The Message) 21 (MSG) Fear God, dear
child—respect your leaders; don't be defiant or mutinous. 22 Without
warning your life can turn upside-down, and who knows how or when it might happen? Just that one small
scripture lets us know that we were not really independent. And, that's not a bad thing to realize. As James 4:10 admonishes us, we need to bow down before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him.
We're actually doing nothing more than agreeing that He is the Source of all of our needs, including life. I
heard someone preach the other day about going to the source. All people need to realize that God is their
Source. Everything else is just a resource. It all comes form the Source. Do you need joy this morning?
Do you need strength? (Psalm 43:4) God is the source of our joy. His joy is our strength. (Zechariah 8:10) Go to the Source. Admit your dependence on Him. Do you need hope? (Psalm 119:114) It's in God - in His Word. There's your Source. If you need hope,
admit your dependence on God. Who doesn't need hope today? What God desired of the Israelites,
and of us too, is that we admit that He is the Source of our strength and our righteousness. (Isaiah 45:24-25) Don't you love to be right? Many of us have difficulty when we have to admit
we're wrong! There's only one way to be right - that's to depend on God for our "rightness"
or righteousness. Is strength important to you? If you're very young and in great shape, you may
not have thought about it much. You may take your strength for granted, not realizing that if God withdrew His
hand from you, all those ripped muscles would wither in an instant. All of your exercise and right eating would do you
no good if God wasn't sustaining you. Yes, God is the source of everything! We are totally dependent on Him.
Finances too. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and, if you've received Jesus, you're His kid. Don't
you think our Father watches out for His kids? (Psalm 50:10, Deuteronomy 8:18) How about healing? Do you need a touch today? (Isaiah 53:5) Jesus took a beating for your healing. Which ones of us will admit that God is
the Source of everything and anything we need this morning? Which ones of us will find that low place within ourselves
and just admit to God that we are not independent? We are totally dependent upon Him for everything. Even
as I am writing, I feel a renewed sense of dependency on my Father and a renewed sense of the fact that He is loving
and faithful. In bowing down to seek Him first, He has promised to meet every need in my life. In yours too!
(Matthew 6:33) As we humble ourselves and admit that we're not independent, God will honor us and
lift us up. My friend, when God honors you and lifts you up, nothing and no one can put you down. Dependence
on God is a good thing. Go ahead and admit to Him that you're not independent. Be ready to step
up to the next level as God extends His loving and merciful hand to lift you up there! MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 20, 2007 - WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO? James 2:22 (New Living Translation) Has your faith been tested lately? Abraham's faith sure was.
God had given him the promise of a son. Even when Abraham was one hundred years old and Sarah was ninety, God brought
that promise to fulfillment and Isaac was born. (Genesis 17:17, Genesis 21:1-6) Just think of it. The impossible happened.
It can happen in our lives too. Nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37) Of course, Abraham and Sarah rejoiced greatly just as you and I rejoice when God does
something very gracious and out of the ordinary in our lives. But then, there was a testing. Abraham had to prove by
his faith that he was more in love with the Giver than he was with the gift. God asked Abraham to sacrifice the very
thing that God had promised and given to him - Isaac. (Genesis 22:2) I can't begin to imagine how Abraham felt. But, he walked it out in faith.
(Hebrews 11:17) Isaac was old enough to know that something wasn't right too. Something was
missing. Yet he, in obedience, laid down on the altar of sacrifice. (Genesis 22:7) Can you imagine again how Abraham felt when his son first noticed that they had
the fire and the wood for the sacrifice, but no lamb? How could this father tell his only son that he was
the sacrifice? Does it remind you of the Father telling His only Son that He would be the sacrifice for our
sins? (Hebrews 10:10) Abraham and Isaac had their faith proven by their willingness to
obey and to sacrifice. God is interested in our willingness and our trust. God had already prepared the sacrifice,
a ram stuck in the bushes. (Genesis 22:13) Before the foundation of this world, God had already prepared
a sacrifice for our sins too. Jesus was waiting for the right time to come to earth and be a once and for all sacrifice
for the sins of the whole world. 2 Timothy 1:8-10 (The Message) 8 (MSG) So don't be embarrassed
to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us.
We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, 9 who first saved
us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus
long before we knew anything about it. 10 But we know it now. Since the appearance
of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work
of Jesus. The point is, what are we willing to do at God's command? If, like Abraham, we
are willing to trust God and do whatever He commands, our faith will be made complete by our actions. Today, we have
God's Word. Many of us know much of it by memory or at least know the principles. We either know where to
find them in scripture or how to look them up. I'm going to ask a hard question now of myself as well as anyone
reading this right now. How much of what we know about God's Word do we really do? I'm starting to squirm
a little bit now. The more we know of God's Word (His commands), the more will be required of us. (Luke 12:48). Not only do we have the written Word of God but, if we are communing with Him in prayer,
He will, at certain times, reveal something to us that He wants us to do. Have you ever heard him and then thought,
"That must just be my own mind."? Then later you find, after you didn't do what you thought was just your
mind, it was truly God speaking and you missed it? It's at those times we feel that "whoopin' from the
Lord." Our faith was tested but we failed that one! Since God is gracious and forgiving, He will accept our
repentance. He will also give us another chance to prove our faith by our actions. Proven and mature faith will
step out on God's written commands and on revelation from the Holy Spirit. Take a look at how silly it is for someone
to say they have faith but refuse to let their actions prove it. James
2:14-17 (The Message) 14 (MSG) Dear
friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely
talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 19, 2007 - ARE YOU RELIGIOUS? James 1:27 (New Living Translation) Do you consider yourself to be a religious
person? Is it your desire to be a religious person? Are there people that you observe who seem to be religious
and you don't feel as if you measure up? And, are there people who act and look religious but you just sense that
they are not all that? There are so many concepts of what religion is today. I don't know about you,
but I don't want to know what men think or how men define religion. I want to know what God thinks and says about
it. However, I am drawn to one concept of religion and how it differs from relationship. That concept
says that religion is man's way of trying to reach God but relationship is God's way of reaching man. Notice
that man tries to reach God by the religious things he says and does. But, God offers man
a relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ in which God reaches down and touches us. It is an undeserved
gift. Certainly, there is no way that sinful man could say enough or do enough to reach and touch a holy God.
But God, in His love for us, reached down through all eternity and sent His Son to reach and touch us. To
offer us a relationship with Him, despite our sins and failures. You may be wondering what all that has to do with James 1:27. I think we can see it if we look a little farther. First of all, despite what
we might think of the Pharisees of yesteryear and the hypocrites of this year, making us want to turn from religion,
we may want to look at religion more as God would like us to see it. Yes, it is hard to get past those people
who parade around with all the right words, scriptures, looks, and pious forms of religion. Rules and rituals are just
a form of religion but God tells us in James 1:27 what pure religion is. Since God is a holy God, He can't look upon anything that isn't pure.
So, if we are just trying to be "religious" by imitating words, phrases, actions and appearances, we might
as well relax and forget it. God sees right through that and most people do too. To begin with, the religion that
God wants from is must be pure. It must come from a pure heart with no ulterior motives. It must stem from that
relationship that we have with God because of the sacrifice Jesus made. Since what is in our hearts will eventually
come out of our mouth (Matthew 12:34), it is no surprise that James also tells us that some among us will seem to be religious. If they really have
that pure religion that he talks about in James 1:27, they will watch their tongue. A person who refuses to control their tongue is walking in self-deception,
only thinking that he is religious. God says that person's religion is worth nothing. I can see
how "religion" has gotten a bad name. Can you? Does
that mean that we should not quote scripture or be set apart from the unsaved by our actions, how we dress and the like?
No, but it does mean that we should be set apart by the kinds of things that God is looking for, not those things which might
impress men. Pure religion, coming from the gratitude of a relationship with the living God may not look like what
we normally think of as "religion." Pure religion has to do with pure relationship. God says that pure
religion means caring for and visiting orphans and widows in their affliction. The word, "orphan," actually
means, "fatherless." It means, "bereaved," and it means, "comfortless." Do you know
anyone like that? If not, are you willing to look around you and find someone like that to visit? What
does it mean to visit someone who is bereaved and comfortless? Visiting not only means, "to go see," but it
means to, "relieve." We don't all have the monetary capability of relieving someone who is in need but
we all have comfort to share. God has not left us comfortless. In fact, that same word, "fatherless,"
in James 1:27, is used in John 14:18 where Jesus made this promise to us, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."
And He did not leave us comfortless or fatherless or bereaved. He sent the Comforter. His own Holy Spirit.
Now, we're beginning to get a picture of pure and lasting religion! That word, "visit,"
also means to, "inspect," and "to select." Jesus made a big point of talking about select visitation.
Some were confused when He said , "I was sick, and ye visited me." (Matthew 25:36) There's relationship again. When we really care about people, we will do what we can to help. We will
clothe the naked, take in the stranger, relieve and help deliver the prisoner. (Matthew 25:43). Pure religion will do this because pure religion stems from a relationship with Christ. The only motive in
doing these things should be our love for Him and our gratitude for what He has done for us. Pure religion has a reward. (Matthew 25:45) It touches the heart of God. It may not look like a whole lot to man, but it moves the heart
of God. Do you know anyone who is afflicted? In this case it means, suffering, "tribulation, anguish,
pressure, burdens, persecution and/or trouble". Jesus said that when we visit, look out for, relieve
and bring comfort to them, we are really doing it to and for Him! Refusing to notice or help people in
that condition means we are refusing to do it for Jesus! (Matthew 25:40) That, in addition to keeping ourselves unspotted from the world is pure religion. It is God's definition
of religion. Now, I can ask myself the question, "Am I religious?" Are you religious? MORNING MANNA - NOVEMBER 18, 2007 - LET IT GROW! James 1:4 (New Living Translation) Are you going through a
season of testing? Let it be an opportunity for joy! (James 1:2) That's what James tells us. There's no doubt about it. Troubles will come. Jesus told us
that. (John 16:33) He even said that in this world we would have many trials and sorrows. We will have adversity.
It will come from our enemy, the devil (1 Peter 5:8) and it will come from our old nature that sometimes tries to resurrect itself. (Romans 7:23-25) In all these things, we are more than conquerors. (Romans 8:37) Are you in some sort of trial this morning. If you have Jesus living within you, you are more than a conqueror.
This trial will become a blessing if you will trust Him. When James says we should let trouble be an opportunity for
joy, he is talking about going through a tough situation but remaining calm and cheerful. No matter what it is we have
to go through, we can continue to delight ourselves in the Lord. We don't have to be happy about a bad situation
but we can be happy about the fact that God is in it and He will bring us through. Faith is not true faith until it is tested. (James 1:3) Faith that is tried and tested produces endurance. We certainly will need endurance as we
resist the enemy in our lives. Our enemy will leave if we use the sword of the Spirit, as Jesus did. (Luke 4:1-12) If we give him the word of God, He has to leave. But, he only goes away until he can come at
us another time from another angle, always hoping that he can sneak in through a crack in our spiritual armor and catch us
unaware. (Luke 4:13) He may slink away for a while but, in his mind, he's thinking, "I'll be back."
Look how the Amplified Bible puts James 1:3. "3 (AMP) Be assured and understand that the trial and proving
of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience." Not only will we learn endurance through
our trials, but steadfastness and patience too. Aren't those all things we really, really need? Yet, they
can't be just poured into us. We can only receive those things through the testing of our faith. It may not
feel good. It may be difficult while we're going through but the end result will be good and we will be changed
for the better. Do you really believe that all things work for the good if you love God and are called according to
His purpose? (Romans 8:28) If so, then you believe that the trials you may be facing at the moment can be cause for joy! Romans 8:29 goes on to say that God knew His children (that's us) in advance and that all these things we go through are really
for the purpose of making us like His Son - who, by the way, endured the cross for the joy that was set before
Him. (Hebrews 12:2) Now that's endurance. Jesus was also steadfast and patient. If you are having difficulty
this morning, rejoice, you are being made like Jesus! So, as James 1:4 says, let your faith grow! There will be another test! If you don't pass this one, God will give
you a second chance. For some of us third, fourth, etc., chances are given. God is merciful! When we pass
one, we will move to a new level. The tests get more difficult as we become stronger in our faith. Yes, it
is hard. But, we have not, as yet, had to sweat drops of blood like Jesus did. (Luke 22:44) Was it hard for Jesus? Of course it was. He went through everything and more than we could possibly
face. Now, we have a high priest who can feel what we feel. We may be going through things, but the wonderful
thing is that He is going through with us. He's been there before. He feels what we feel. (Hebrews 4:15) Not only has He been there, done that, but He did it all lovingly, willingly, and perfectly. Now He's
ready to walk us through anything that might come our way. Not just through, but through victoriously! So let
your faith grow! Let's become fully developed. I want to be strong in character and ready for anything that
comes my way. Don't you? The good news is that we can. We're called to do that and Jesus has paved
the road before us. He's promised to be with us as we walk the road. The road leads to victory when we walk
it by faith. So, let your faith grow. Yes, let it grow! Hebrews 13:14 (New Living Translation) If you're old enough, you'll remember that chorus we used to sing in youth groups at church.
"This world is not my home. I'm just a passin' through. My treasures are laid out somewhere beyond
the blue. The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world any more.
Oh Lord, you know I have no friend like you. If Heaven's not my home, then Lord what will I do? The angels
beckon me from Heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world any more." That's what
Hebrews 13:14 says! Are you looking forward to that city in Heaven? Or, are you wondering if you have a place
there? You can be sure you have a place there by accepting God's gift of salvation this morning. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Yes, you can be sure that you have a place in that city in Heaven spoken of in Hebrews 13:14. (Ephesians 1:14) Do you think Heaven is near? I think so. What near means to God and what it means to us may be something quite different. But Jesus preached two thousand years ago that we should repent of our sins and turn to God because the Kingdom of Heaven was near. (Matthew 4:17) It's been two thousand years now and we are not yet in Heaven. Yet, at the time Jesus spoke that, the Kingdom of Heaven was indeed near to those hearing Him. In fact, the King was standing right next to them. Today, the Kingdom of Heaven is still near to us who believe. Jesus has sent His Spirit to live within us. (1 John 2:27) Now that's pretty close! Many of us are searching everywhere to find a "new word" from the Lord. God does reveal things to us but what are we doing with the Word that is already living in us? The one that the Holy Spirit promised to teach us? Do we really continue to live in Christ, thereby living in the Kingdom of Heaven? Eternity isn't out there somewhere in the future. It is a long time and it lasts forever and ever and we're in a part of eternity right now. What we do in this part will determine where we will be when we leave this decaying body and world. Where have we laid up lasting treasure? (1 Timothy 6:18-19) If we knew we were going to move from one part of the country to another, what would we do? Most likely, we would send those things that we really want to keep ahead of us so they would be there when we moved. That's how real our vision of moving from this earth to Heaven should be. 1 Timothy 6:18-19 tells us how to send the best stuff on ahead. We don't even have to pack it or pay a mover. Nothing will be lost or broken either! Is Heaven real to you this morning? Is it looking better and better as you watch the nightly news and struggle through difficult times here? Do we really realize that our life on earth is just a short season compared with life in our permanent home? (2 Corinthians 5:1) Paul encouraged the Philippians to live as citizens of Heaven. (Philippians 1:27) If we are really convinced that this time we are spending here is temporary, we should take heed to Paul's message too. Because we look forward to the joys of Heaven, it changes the way we live on earth. We will trust in God and we love others, wanting everyone to enjoy the hope of Heaven. (Colossians 1:3-6) Are you bound for Heaven? Then, your thoughts are on Jesus. (Hebrews 3:1) You are working hard to do those things that prove that you have been called by God. (2 Peter 1:10-11) We can be encouraged this morning with the fact that, even though we won't ever be a perfect fit in this world, Heaven awaits us. We were made for it. Jesus made the way to it. He's coming again to take us there! (John 14:2-3) This world is not my home! Enter content here Enter content here Enter content here Enter content here |
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