My Manna

My Manna

"If you love me keep my commandments." John 14:15.

A ruthless businessman once said to author Mark Twain-
"Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read the Ten Commandments aloud from the top."

"I have a better idea," Twain remarked, "You could stay home here and keep them."

Talk is cheap. 

It's what we do that counts—not what we say—and when our words don't match our actions, we are, as the Apostle Paul put it, as empty vessels and ​​​​​​clanging cymbals​!​

One of the best lessons I learned from one of my many teachers was the written comment he seemed to relish writing in bold red letters in the column of several of my written assignments. 

It simply read, "Show me. Don't tell me." 
I got the message!

I've never forgotten that lesson. 
It really applies to all of life's lessons we want to impart to others—especially to our children! 

Whatever we want to teach others we need to model ourselves before we can make any lasting impact on anybody else.

Otherwise what we say is unbelievable and the only person we deceive in the long run will be ourselves.

As a general rule-
- we teach best that which we ourselves most need to learn. 
And the place to begin modeling what we want to teach is at home!

My Manna
"They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out from their distress; He made the storm be still." Psalm 107:29.

Life is not free of challenges. 
Difficulties and even tragedies are to be expected. 

As a matter of fact, Jesus told His disciples:
“I tell you these things so that you will have peace.In the world, you will have troubles. But take heart, I have overcome the world and all its difficulties.” John 16:33.

Whenever you face tough times-
- your first urge may be to scream: 
“Why?” 

Certain trials do come into our lives because of our own sin-
- but many times they occur when we’re right in the middle of God’s will. 

We’re not doing anything wrong. 
We’re doing what God wants us to do. 

Certainly, that was the case for the disciples. 

Jesus told them to get into the boat and row across the Sea of Galilee. Mark 4:35-41.

They were obeying Jesus when they suddenly found themselves in a horrific storm. 

It was so bad they didn’t even know if they’d survive. 
But, here is the important message from that event – they did survive. 

With the help of Jesus-
- they did survive!

Accept the fact that your life will not be a perfectly smooth ride. 
The road will sometimes have bumps and potholes and sharp turns. 

All roads do. 

Look upon these tragedies and difficulties as part of life. 

Turn to Jesus for guidance and He will lead you as you ride through life’s trials and tribulations.

My Manna

"Dear brothers, I have been talking to you as though you were still just babies in the Christian life..." 1 Corinthians 3:1.

Some people have received Christ but have never reached spiritual maturity. 

They have been in church all their lives, and yet they have never become mature Christians. 

They are considered-
- “spiritual children” and 
- “babes in Christ.” 

They know little Scripture. 
They have little desire to pray, and bear few of the marks of a Christian in their daily living. 

To say, “I will resolve to do better, I will muster all my will power and revise my way of living,” is noble, but futile. 

A corpse could as well say, “I will-through sheer effort-rise out of this coffin and be a living man again.” 

You need a power outside yourself. 
You cannot get over the habits and chains that are binding you. 

You need outside help. 
You need Christ's Lordship.

The Bible tells of a bridge of faith which reaches from the valley of despair to the high hills of glorious hope in Christ.

It tells where we are, but beyond that-it tells where we may be in Christ. 

Now, of course, you will not be completely mature until you are in the presence of Christ, but you should be growing every day as a Christian.

How to grow?
Only by obedience! 

Obedience to God Almighty in every aspect of your life! 
May God help you obey as you seek his help.

My Manna

I recently heard a pastor say that the reason he doesn't give an invitation in his sermons for people to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and to follow him, is because Jesus didn't give invitations! 

Yet 21 times that we know about Jesus said to people, "​​​​​​Follow me​!​" 
I don't think you can get a clearer invitation than that.

Jesus not only said in his invitation for people to follow him-
- but that when they did, he would make them fishers of men. 

If you and I are true followers of Jesus-
- we, too, have been commissioned to be fishers of men; 
- that is, to invite and seek to win people to Jesus and to follow him. 

However, how many who claim to be followers of Jesus today are "fishers of men for Jesus," and share some of the gospel-
- but never draw in the net by inviting people to accept Jesus as Saviour and to follow him? Luke 5:10.

As followers of Jesus it is our responsibility to inform people that, according to the words of Jesus, to enter God's heaven, they, like Nicodemus, must be born again—spiritually—otherwise they will never even see the Kingdom of Heaven, let alone enter it.

It is also our responsibility to invite them to accept Jesus as their personal Saviour-- and in so doing receive God's forgiveness and his gift of eternal life.

Jesus also said, "I have come to seek and to save that which was lost."Follow me​!​ Luke 19:10.

In all of our teaching, preaching, and witnessing for Jesus Christ, if we make people feel comfortable with God just because they go to church, but never invite them to follow Jesus and to receive his forgiveness for their sins, we are not only teaching a false, incomplete gospel, but are inadvertently damning people to a lost eternity.

"Dear God, please help me to be a true follower of Jesus and a good 'fisher of men' by introducing people to Jesus and inviting them to accept Him as their personal Lord and Savio​u​r. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, Amen.

My Manna  

"God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7.

The greatest blessing of giving is not-
- on the financial side of the ledger 
- but on the spiritual side of a believer 

You receive a sense of being honest with God. 

You receive a consciousness-
- that you are in partnership with God
- that you are doing something constructive
- that you are working with Him to reach the world for Jesus Christ. 

You are also enabled-
- to hold on to this world's goods loosely 
- because the eternal values are always in view. 

How do you give? 
Is it liberally and cheerfully? 
Or is it sparingly and grudgingly? 

If you have been giving God the leftovers of your substance and your life-
- you have been missing the true joy and blessing of Christian giving and living.

"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.Luke 6:38. 

"Forgive me, ‹lmighty God, for so often giving You the leftovers. 
In my heart I know I can never outgive You."

My Manna

​
​"Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again." Proverbs 24:16.

Sir Edmund Hilary was the first person to conquer Mt. Everest. 

The first time he tried, he failed. 

He was knighted by the Queen of England, and at the gala occasion, on the wall behind the head table, was a huge picture of Mt. Everest. 

The people gave him a standing ovation for even daring to attempt the climb. 

When they ceased applauding-
Hilary turned his back to the audience, faced that picture and said, "Mt. Everest, you have defeated me once and you might defeat me again. But I'm coming back again and again, and I'm going to win because you can't get any bigger, Mt. Everest, and I can."

Great attitude! 

What a difference it would make if we felt the same when we face the mountains in our lives. 

The reality of life is that we often learn more through our failures than we do through our successes. 

Successes are satisfying and they are important to keep us encouraged. 

However, failure is our greatest teacher. 
This is because in every failure there is the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to become stronger, better persons. 

And this is what God wants for each of us-
-​ ​not to beat ourselves up when we fail, 
-​ ​but to grow stronger!

Whatever mountain you are facing at this time of your life—large or small—remember God is right there with you. 

If anything is his will for you, you know that with his help you, too, can say to your mountain​:
"You have defeated me once and you might defeat me again. 
But I'm coming back again and again, and I'm going to win because you can't get any bigger and I can. ​​​​​​Plus God is on my side to help me."

"Dear God, grant me the courage to face every mountain in my life and, with your help, never give up until I conquer each one and learn what you are seeking to teach me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, Amen."


My Manna

"Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom." Song of Solomon 2:15.

A four-hundred-year-old tree crashed to the forest floor. 

Over the centuries it had been struck by lightning fourteen times, braved great windstorms, and even defied an earthquake. 

In the end-
- however, it was killed by little beetles. 

Boring under the bark, they chewed away its mighty fibers until the giant of the forest lay broken on the ground.

Little things-
- can either make us or break us. 

A little lie, a little theft, a little laziness, a little neglect, a little drink a little too often, a little sarcasm, a little denial here and a little there...bit by bit we can add them all together and eventually hurt or destroy our relationships, our physical and/or mental health, and our walk with God.

On the other hand-
- a little smile, a little deed of kindness, a little encouraging word, a little thoughtful gift, a little phone call, a little bit of love given a lot of times every day can add up to a whole lot of sunshine that we can spread wherever we are and go—and in so doing encourage others, enhance our relationships, improve our physical and mental health, and please the heart of God.

"Dear God, please help me watch the many little things in my life. Help me to clean out all the 'little' sins and self-destructive habits that hurt myself and others, and help me to keep on practicing little acts of love and kindness until they become an everyday habit that will show your love to others and gladden your heart. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, Amen."

My Manna

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:9-11.

There is a Kingdom principle-
I find few others really understand.

The principle is this:
When you focus on serving others-
- your need is often met through God's supernatural law of serving.

I've seen this happen so many times.
The law of sowing and reaping comes into play in this Kingdom principle!

"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love." Hosea 10:12.

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:6-9.

Whenever God calls me to serve another person with my time and resources-
I notice how God measures resources back to me from unrelated sources.

Sometimes it comes through an unexpected donation to our ministry or a speaking engagement or a new opportunity.

It is uncanny how this happens consistently when I serve others.

We are never to view people or organizations as competition.

The Bible says that God has already assigned our portion.
We need not have to manipulate outcomes.

"LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6.

We don't serve others to get.
However, when we do serve others, there is a Kingdom principle that works on your behalf as fruit of your service.

Is there someone you need to serve today?

My Manna

Some people have the wrong idea about the Christian life!

Once they become believers, they expect smooth sailing.

Yet Jesus made it clear that troubles are ​​inevitable for God's children.

His own life was no exception:
He endured false accusation, rejection by His own people, betrayal by a close friend, and separation from His Father—to name a few.

As His followers-
- we can expect difficulties. 1 Peter 1:3-9.

The cause of tribulation differs with each circumstance.

Some problems arise from the fallen nature of the world-
- while others result from satanic warfare. 

And we can cause our own heartache from ignorance, sin, and poor decisions.

There's also another possibility.
Sometimes God Himself brings trials. 

While this last option is difficult to accept during a painful time-
- the Lord never brings hardship
- unless He has a beautiful purpose. 

And He gives strength to endure.

Remember-
God allows struggles-
-whatever their source​,​
-only for our benefit. 

Perhaps they are to purify and grow us for greater service.
Maybe He has in mind to test our endurance and devotion to Christ, thereby strengthening our trust.
Or He might be revealing His sustaining power.

This side of heaven, we may never know the cause of each challenge.
But we can trust God's ability to deliver and mature us.

What trials are you facing?
Jesus understands your pain​-
A​nd He longs to be the One you cling to through good times and bad.

You can choose to look elsewhere for comfort.
Or you can use your hardship as a source of growth. 

No matter how painful the trial seems-
- don't waste the opportunity! 

My Manna

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." John 7:37-38. 

An estimated 500,000 tons of water go over Niagara Falls every minute.

On March 29, 1948, the falls suddenly stopped.

Those who lived near enough heard the overwhelming silence, and immediately they thought it was a sign – the end of the world had come!

However, after thirty hours had passed – the flow of water resumed.

What happened?

Heavy winds had set the ice fields of Lake Erie in motion and tons of ice had jammed the Niagara River entrance near Buffalo.

The ice blocked the flow of water until finally, there was a shift in the blockage and the river began flowing again.

The river had stopped flowing because of ice.

If we really want the flow of God’s love, peace, joy, and anointing in our lives-
- we cannot allow our hearts to become like ice.

If we do-
His life-giving current will stop.

Let the Lord search your heart for those areas-
- where the ice has built up and needs to thaw out.

He will show you where they are if you ask.

Our hearts should be burning for Him-
- so let the river flow... ​​once again!

My Manna

"He must become greater; I must become less." John 3:30.

There are times when I am doing my devotions that I journal, that is, I keep a diary of what is going on in my life. 

I sometimes look back on that and gain new insight on what I was going through back then. 

I have become more adept at interpreting God's leading and plan for me as I further experience life and receive what He has done. 

By looking back on what we have been through and seeing the hand of God there, we can have greater comfort and encouragement for what we are going through now or even what lies ahead. 

As I gain new insight into my personality and the Lord's working into my issues and problems-
I realize how small they really are compared to my Lord's holiness and greatness. 

Concentrating on Christ and what He has done will lift us up better and more completely than anything else we could ever do. 

It has taught me to look beyond myself and concentrate on Christ. 

We look at God's Word as a mirror to ourselves, into our souls, not to see us, but to see God working in us. 

When we only see ourselves, we see sin, brokenness, failure, self-seeking inclinations, and wrong attitudes. 

We must see God's interests and not our own; then our devotions and journals become tools for us to mature in the faith. 

Christ will become more real in us, as our problems become less.

My Manna

"Jesus told him, 'Stand up, roll up your sleeping mat and go on home!' Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up the mat and began walking! But it was on the Sabbath when this miracle was done. So the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, 'You can't work on the Sabbath! It's illegal to carry that sleeping mat!'" John 5:8-10.

Imagine that. 

Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and the religious leaders "tried all the harder to kill him." 
Tragically, the religious leaders of Jesus' day loved their programs more than they loved people! 

They were expecting the promised Messiah-
- but because he didn't come the way they expected him to come, 
- and didn't do things the way they wanted them done, 
- they wouldn't believe in him and refused to change.

It goes without saying that we live in a world of rapid change. 

We need to hold fast to that which is permanent and eternal-
- but in other areas of life if we don't change, we, too, may miss out and get left behind.

Here's a classic example from the business world: 

From 1900 to 1967, the Swiss were the leading watchmakers in the world. 

In 1967, when digital technology was patented-- the Swiss rejected it in favour of the traditional ball bearings, gears, and mainsprings they had been using to make watches for decades. 

Unfortunately, however, the world was ready for this advance-- and Seiko, a Japanese company, picked up the digital patent and became the leading watch manufacturer in the world almost overnight. 

Fifty thousand of the 67,000 Swiss watchmakers went out of business because they refused to embrace this new technology. 

It was not until years later that the Swiss caught up and regained their position in the marketplace with the creation of Swatch watches!

This principle also applies to each of us in today's marketplace-
- if we don't keep up our training with the needs of today's changing marketplace, again, we may be left behind.

In serving God-
- while our message never changes, 
- our methods of communicating it need to change with the changing times and the changing needs of people or, 
- again, we may get left behind—as many a business, church, and organization has. 

We never changed the message-
- only the way of communicating it. 

Had we not made this change-
- we never could have continued to successfully preach "the gospel to every creature" as Jesus commanded. Mark 16:15.

"Dear God, help me to hold fast to that which is eternal, but be flexible and willing to change where change is needed. And above all help me to be willing to change where you see my need for change and growth. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, Amen."

My Manna

"Pray without ceasing."1 Thessalonians 5:17.

Have you ever had one of those days when you had a very important phone call to make and you received a "voice mail" machine answer that after a brief recorded message you were put on hold...then you got the run around...put back on hold...seemingly ad infinitum until you got a real live person to talk to? 

I'm sure you have. 

I did this morning.

What if when we called on God in prayer-
- we got the following answer: 

'Thank you for calling Heaven. 
Your prayer is very important to us. 
Please stay on the line and your prayer will be answered in the order it was received. 
Or, if you would like to leave a prayer request, press '1', and after the sound of the harp state your message clearly, the date and time of your call, your prayer-phone number, and we will reply to you as soon as it is convenient. 
Have a 'God' day!'

Thank God it isn't so. 

As God's Word says:
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." 1 John 5:14-15.

"Dear God, thank you that you are always available to all who call on you—to all who are sincere and call on you in truth—and that you always hear and answer these prayers. Gratefully,  in Jesus' name,

My Manna

"The blessing of the LORD, it makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it." Proverbs. 10:22.

Christians can become so addicted to money and to achieving a higher level of living-
- that they lose all perspective and forget what they are really here on earth to accomplish.

Those who live only for the pleasures of the moment stand under the condemnation of Paul's words of 1 Timothy 5:6:
"She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives."

Many Christians have had the vitality taken from their spiritual life because of their great concern for the things of the world. 

Their lives do not reflect the glorious difference that Christ can make when a believer focuses his attention on eternal values instead of temporal ones.

An important question that every family needs to face is-
- How much money do we need in order to live in the comfort we prescribe for ourselves?

We also need to ask-
- Have we set our standard of comfort too high?

Regrettably, many people have set their standard so high-
- that they have to spend so much time obtaining an income for that level of life that they really have no time to live.

How sad to spend so much time earning a living-
- that you do not have time to enjoy the living!

I am not referring to those who must work long hours just to keep the family fed and clothed.
I am referring to those who have become so addicted to the luxuries of life that they think the luxuries are essential.

Such an attitude greatly affects our spiritual priorities!

My Manna

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it."Amos 8:11-12.

As India celebrates the 15th of August,the Independence day-
- we're often reminded of the price that was paid for our freedom.

But today, in that spirit-
I want to recall a time when a heavy price was paid for a translation of our Bible.

William Tyndale, a 16th century Englishman, translated the Bible into English while living in Germany.
Finally in 1525, he was able to publish a New Testament in English.

But the church authorities at the time were not pleased and they angrily sought to destroy Tyndale and his translation.

Finally, he was caught and brought back to England where he was burned at the stake.

As he was dying, he uttered these words:
"Lord open the eyes of the King of England."

His prayer became a prophecy-
- as it was the King of England, King James,
- who finally did publish the entire Bible in English about a hundred years later.

Our English Bible translations became a reality-
- through William Tyndale's heroic sacrifice and bravery,
- ultimately at the price of his lifeblood.

This Independence day-
- don't let your Bible sit on the shelf gathering dust.

Considering the cost that was paid so you could read it in your native tongue-
- let's all take full advantage of this precious gift.

The freedom that we so enjoy on this day is-
- only a taste of the real freedom we have in Jesus Christ;
- the promise of permanent forgiveness and freedom from sin.

The cost of that freedom was the precious blood of the saviour Jesus.

William Tyndale offered his life so we could read about this spiritual freedom in our own language.

As we celebrate our earthly freedom this Independence Day-
- let's not forget to also give thanks for our eternal liberty that we find in our Lord.

My Manna

“Will a man rob God?Yet you have robbed Me!But you say,‘In what way have we robbed You?’In tithes and offerings.You are cursed with a curse,For you have robbed Me..." Malachi 3:8-10.

You know that-
- the hardest thing for you to give up is your money. 

It represents-
- your time, your energy, your talents, your total personality converted into currency!

We usually hold on to it tenaciously-
- yet it is uncertain in value and we cannot take it into the next world. 

The Scripture teaches that we are stewards for a little while of all we earn. 
If we misuse it, as did the man who buried his talent, it brings upon us the severest judgment of God. 

The tithe is the Lord’s. 
If you use it for yourself, you are robbing God. 

We are to take the tithe as a minimum standard-
- but to go beyond the tithe is an indication of our gratefulness for God’s gifts to us. 

In the midst of sorrow and trouble-
- this life has many blessings and enjoyments which have come from the hand of God. 

Even our capacity for love is a gift from God. 
We show our gratitude by giving back to Him a part of that which He has given to us.

My Manna
Almost every week-I receive at least one letter from someone who'sbeen trapped by pornography over the Internet!

The Internet can beused for great good.But it also can be used for great evil.

And thewidespread availability of pornography over the Internet may be itsgreatest evil.

Realize!The first step is to realize that this is sin in God's eyes. 

It isn'tjust a bad habit, nor is it only something that appeals to your lustsor your craving for excitement. 

It is sin!And you must not excuseit or deny it or say that it doesn't really matter.It is sin!Andthe Bible warns that "after desire has conceived, it gives birth tosin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James1:15.

Repent!This is why I urge you to turn to Jesus Christ and open your heart andlife to Him. 

He doesn't love your sin.But He does love you.

And He wants to come into your life and take away your sins and begin tochange you from within. 

Replace!Commit your life to Him.
And then ask Him to fill you and replace everything that is evil or wrong with Hisgoodness and purity. 
"..whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9.

Resist!
Then take practical steps to fight this habit. 

Get a program for yourcomputer that will filter out unwanted sites, and use it. 
Move yourcomputer into a place where others can see what you are doing. 
Inaddition, share your problem with a trusted friend who can hold youaccountable for what you watch.

My Manna

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers." Philippians 4:6.

Historians will probably call our era “the age of anxiety.”

Anxiety is the natural result-
- when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us.

When we make anything else our goal-
- frustration and defeat are inevitable.

Though we have less to worry about than previous generations, we have more worry. 
Though we have it easier than our forefathers, we have more uneasiness. 
Though we have less real cause for anxiety than our predecessors, we are inwardly more anxious.

Calloused hands were the badge of the pioneer-
- but a furrowed brow is the signia of modern man.

God has never promised-
- to remove all our troubles, problems, and difficulties.

In fact, sometimes I think the truly committed Christian is in conflict with the society around him more than any other person.

Society is going in one direction.
And the Christian is going in the opposite direction.

This brings about friction and conflict. 

But God has promised-
- in the midst of trouble and conflict, 
-​​​ ​a genuine peace, a sense of assurance and security, 
-​ ​that the worldly person never knows.

"Lord Jesus, teach me to keep my eyes centered on You rather than on myself and my anxieties. Help me to allow You to give me peace of heart and mind today.Amen!"

My Manna

"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." Colossians 2:8.

Legalism, in Christian theology, is a term referring to an over-emphasis on discipline of conduct, or legal ideas, usually implying an allegation of misguided rigor, pride, the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God, or emphasizing the letter of law at the expense of the spirit. 

Wow! 
Did you get all that?

One reason fundamentalist Christians are so resented is-
- quite frankly, because some fundamentalists have added words to Scripture. 

Well-intentioned people feel there is a need to add to Scripture and not trust Scripture to be enough. 

Throughout the years, we have seen certain legalisms permeate many denominations. 

Every denomination grabs hold of certain legalisms with the best of intentions. 

Of course, there are no greater legalists today than the secular legalists who espouse political correctness. 

They have become the modern day Gestapo-
- when it comes to enforcing select legalisms of their choice.

Understand that man-made legalisms are an insult to God and to His Word. 

It’s like saying the Bible is incomplete-
- and we have the knowledge to correct the scriptures with added insight on what is right and wrong. 

In fact, we are getting into some very scary territory when we do that. 

God’s Word plainly says:
“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5-6.

That’s strong! 
The Word of God is enough!

My Manna

"Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:17.

Napoleon Hill said, "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe can be achieved." 
While this statement sounds rather grandiose, there is certainly a measure of truth in it. 

It's somewhat similar to what Jesus said two thousand years earlier: 
"According to your faith be it unto you." Matthew 9:29.

As the old saying goes, you can't steer a ship or a bicycle to go anywhere until they're moving. 

Zig Ziglar in his book, 'See You at the Top', put it this way: 
"The largest locomotive in the world can be held in its tracks while standing still simply by placing a single one-inch block of wood in front of each of the eight drive wheels. The same locomotive moving at 100 miles per hour can crash through a wall of steel reinforced concrete five feet thick."

The important thing is that we get moving! 
As James said, "Faith without works is dead."

Some people are sitting around waiting for some kind of special call or revelation from God before they get involved in his work. 

It's not likely to happen because- God has already given us lots of instructions in his Word regarding what to do. 
All we need to do is read these instructions-...and start moving into action!

Be a doer of God's Word and not just a hearer.

Y-O-G-A
My Manna

Since Vivekananda first introduced yoga to the West more than a hundred years ago, yoga has become as American as apple pie.

As noted by New Age expert Elliot Miller, “Yoga is rapidly becoming integrated into such traditionally secular institutions as public education, health care, and the workplace. 

It has been widely embraced by Roman Catholics and mainline Protestants, and over the past several years a Christian yoga 
movement has been thriving among evangelicals.” 

Because of its rock-star status-
I’ve developed the acronym Y-O-G-A to give you a memorable overview on what this practice entails.

Y

“Y” reminds us that the word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit word “yogah,” which means “to yoke or to unite.” 

Indeed, the goal of yoga is to uncouple oneself from the material world and to unite oneself with the god of Hinduism-
- commonly understood to be Brahman, the impersonal cosmic consciousness of the universe. 

Put another way-
- yoga is the means by which the user’s mind is merged into the universal mind.

O

“O” represents the Hindu mantra “om”-
- a Sanskrit syllable cherished by Hindu yogis as the spoken quintessence of the universe. 

Repeating such mantras as “Om” over and over is a principal means by which yoga practitioners work their way into altered states of consciousness. 

The objective of achieving an altered state of consciousness is always the same: 
- to dull the critical-thinking process because the mind is seen to be the obstacle to enlightenment. 

As noted by the late Indian guru Rajneesh, “the goal is to create a new man, one who is happily mindless.” 

Shockingly-- what was once relegated to the kingdom of the cults is now being replicated in churches. 

Despite such dangers as possession or insanity-
Hindu gurus openly encourage trance states through which devotees tap into realms of the demonic and discover their “higher selves.” 

Whether experiencing involuntary movements or encountering illusory monsters, all is written off as progress on the road to enlightenment.

G

“G” is reminiscent of the "gurus" who developed and disseminated yoga for the express purpose of achieving oneness with the impersonal god of Hinduism. 

Most noteworthy among the gurus is Patanjali who founded yoga around the second-century BC Of particugar significance in the 
West is the aforementioned Vivekananda, a disciple of the self-proclaimed “god-man” Ramakrishna. 

In 1893 Vivekananda used the Parliament of World Religions to skillfully sow the seeds for a new global spirituality. 
Second only to Vivekananda in the Westernization of yoga was Yogananda—proudly hailed as “Father of Yoga in the West.” 

Finally, of special note is Muktananda, popularizer of kundalini yoga, a method by which divine energy thought to reside as a coiled serpent at the base of the spine is aroused; ascends through six chakras; and aims for union with the Hindu deity Shiva in a seventh center allegedly located in the crown of the head. 

Such Hindu gurus have been so successful in exporting yoga to the West that today it is common fare in classrooms, corporations, and even churches.

A

Finally, the “A” will serve to remind you of the Hindu word "asana." 

As repetition of the word “Om” is used to work devotees into altered states of consciousness-
- so too a regiment of asanas—or body postures—are used to achieve a feeling of oneness with the cosmic energy flow of the universe. 

Coupled with breathing exercises and meditation practices, asana positions are the pathway to serenity and spirituality. 

According to Yoga Journal,“asanas are their own type of meditation; to perform difficult postures you have to focus on your body and breath and relax into the pose.” 

While multitudes are being seduced into believing that asanas are spiritually neutral, nothing could be farther from the truth. 

Indeed, as pointed out by one Param of the Dharma Yoga Ashram-
- to think of asanas as mere body positions or stretching exercises is analogous to believing “baptism is just an underwater exercise.”

In sum, while an alarming number of Western Christians suppose they can achieve physical and spiritual well-being through a form of yoga divorced from its Eastern worldview, in reality attempts to Christianize Hinduism only Hinduize Christianity.

"Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace.." Hebrews 13:9.

Yoga is not just a harmless physical exercise, it opens the door to demonic control. 

On which side do you ultimately want to stand? 
The devil’s or Christ’s? 

The consequences are more serious than you might realize.

We live only once, and while here in this life-
- we are to follow the example of Jesus Christ as presented in the Bible. 

When we die-
- ""we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad""  2 Corinthians 5:10.

My Manna

"I was hungry, you gave me food..." Matthew 25:35.

During the war a church in Strasburg, Germany, was totally destroyed.

But a statue of Christ which stood by the altar was almost unharmed. 

Only the hands of the statue were missing. 

When the church was rebuilt-
- a famous sculptor offered to make new hands.

But, after considering the matter, the members decided to let it stand as it was—without hands. 

“For,” they said, “Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work on earth. If we don’t feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, entertain the stranger, visit the imprisoned, and clothe the naked, who will?” 

Christ is depending on us to do the very things which He did while upon earth. 

If the gospel we preach does not have a social application-
- if it will not work effectively in the work-a-day world, 
- then it is not the Gospel of Christ.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10.

My Manna
Spotless present!

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.

It is unfortunate in a marriage-
- if there is an array of sordid memories of past sins on the part of either partner. 

If young people could only realize that-
- a happy marriage depends not only on the present, but upon the past, 
- they would be more reluctant to enter into loose, intimate relations with anyone and everyone. 

Many a marriage has been imperiled-
- by the backlash of past sins, 
- which were not just confessed, 
- but “found out.”

As to the necessity of confessing past sins to one’s mate-
I don’t think it is always advisable or necessary. 

I have known of homes that were wrecked by such confessions-
- insisted by few foolish pastors and preachers. 

When He has cast all his/her sins into the depths of the sea-
- why should you bring it to the surface? Malachi 7:19.

The Holy Spirit buries every sin in the blood of Jesus.
The evil spirit exposes every sin to everyone.

Whose work you are trying to do?

The main thing is to confess any past wrongs to God-
- resolve to be true to your marriage vows; 
- and absolve the black past by a spotless present!

My Manna

Stay Away from Yoga!

We are bombarded by messages of yoga’s peaceful and healthful benefits.
But what we don’t hear, specifically in India, is the true origins of this type of lifestyle. 

Yoga postures are offered to the 330 million Hindu gods. 
They are offerings to their gods. 

If you do these postures and you do this breathing technique and this meditation, then you will be accepted by a god, little “G.” 

That’s a real danger.

Body

We see most of the people doing yoga poses in front of the statues of the gods.

But the Bible says:
We are to "offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God.” Romans 12:1-2.
So we abstain from things offered to idols. Acts 15:29.

Breath

In yoga they do what they call pranayama breathing. 

Prana is the Hindu word for life force, the same concept as the word chi in some martial arts. 

Yoga breathing attempts to manipulate that life energy is perilous. 
That is a dangerous thing.

We are coming out from under the blood of Jesus when we do stuff like that, and we are no match for the enemy in those areas. 

I think of what Paul said in Ephesians 2:2, that Satan is the prince of the power of the air. 

Blank

A third area of concern in yoga is the concept of emptying the mind, which is contradictory to what the Bible teaches. 

We are transformed by the renewing of our minds, not the emptying. Romans 12:1-2.

Breakout

Along with emptying the mind-
- yoga guides people into astral travel, 
- which is where people actually leave their bodies.

I wonder with those experiences when I left my body what got in there when I was gone?

Only at our departure from this world-
"We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8.

Christians should be careful before heading to the local gym for a yoga class. 

But if you are a Christian who thinks it’s all right to attend yoga classes because you think you are strong enough not to fall prey to demonic deception that’s being taught and you enjoy the physical benefits, please consider a younger believer or weaker Christian who is watching your lifestyle. Romans 14:19.

If you go to a yoga class-
- chances are they might be inspired to go also, 
- and they could fall completely off track in their walk with God.

My Manna

I believe that the changing of people’s hearts is the primary mission of the church. 

The only way to change men and women is to get them converted to Christ. 

Then they will have the capacity to live up to the Christian command to “love your neighbour as yourself.” Mark 12:31.

We as Christians have two responsibilities: 

First-
- to proclaim the Gospel of Christ as the only answer to mankind’s deepest needs. 

Second-
- to practice as best we can the principles of Christ to the social conditions around us. 

The world may argue against a creed-
- but it cannot argue against changed lives. 

This is what the simple Gospel of Christ does when it is preached, proclaimed and practiced in the power and authority of the Holy Spirit.

I would call the church today back to its main task-
- of proclaiming Christ and Him crucified. 

He can change lives and meet the deepest spiritual needs of mankind, as the only panacea for the problems that face the world.

My Manna

Yoga is Satanic Worship!

One of the biggest and the fastest growing cult in the world is yoga. 

It is a spiritual pandemic-
- that is contaminating the entire world, 
- including our churches and our people.

Yoga is one of the greatest evangelisation tools of Hinduism, Buddhism and The New Age Religion. 
Most people among them are yoga promoters.

They could be your fitness instructor, your doctor, your physiotherapist, schools your kids attend, your friends, your employer, and sadly even some churches promote yoga.

Yoga is rooted in occult and satanic rituals.

Yoga is deceptive!

Most people are deceived into thinking that yoga is just a sequence of exercises that promote health, relaxation and wellbeing. 

Far from it, it is demonic worship and an open door for satanic attacks on people that practice them.

Every pose in yoga is a worship position to a Hindu deity. 

Hinduism is based on pantheism, which believes everything is a god and everybody is a god including yourself and yoga helps attain this oneness with other gods (demons) and brings you with the self-awareness that you are a god.

In simple words, yoga is tapping into the demonic realm and the more positions, exercises or techniques you perform, the more demons you give access to in your life.

If you have practiced yoga and you think it has benefited you immensely and you have not encountered any demonic manifestations within yourself, just don’t jump to the conclusion that it is harmless.

Yoga is devious!

If yoga was the only form of exercise you have known, that does not mean you cannot exercise again.

There are other forms of exercises to remain fit and healthy, for instance, walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, rope jumping, rowing, weight lifting, muscle building, etc. depending on your fitness level.

Be prayerful and discerning before exercising, especially stretching as most of the stretching pose involves yoga. 

Stretching by itself is not wrong, but doing yogic poses for stretching is wrong.

Transcendental meditation involves reciting a word (mantra) or focusing on a geometric occult symbol (yantra) is also yogic and satanic, therefore avoid such practices.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."Proverbs 14:12.

Yoga is dangerous!

As a Christian you should not practice it.

Remember the first commandment. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2-3. 

Here’s something you need to know. 

Many times demons that manifest in people are like a two year old child that throws tantrums when they cannot have their own way. 

Demons that don’t manifest are the ones that are most 
dangerous.

It’s easy to diagnose and treat a disease, if you know the symptoms. 
If the symptoms don’t show up, a person can remain undiagnosed and untreated. 

What you don’t know has the potential to destroy you, if you hold on to it and continue doing yoga.

Yoga is demonic!

When Jesus cast out demons from two men from the region of Gadarenes, the demons asked Jesus to send them to the pigs.

The pigs preferred to drown and die rather than be demon possessed. 

Demons prefer human bodies for possession, if they are unable to get a human, they settle down to possess animals or plants. Matthew 8:28-32.

Demonic possessions and oppressions don’t bring health, relaxation and wellbeing.

They bring with them disease, depression, suicidal tendencies and create disharmony in your life.

Whenever Jesus cast of demons from people, those people were also cured of physical and psychosomatic illnesses. 

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. Matthew 4:23-24.

If you have ever been involved in any kind of yogic practice, renounce this evil practice immediately.

Repent of your involvement in yoga and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you and receive deliverance from every familiar spirit associated with yoga. 

Once you have repented and have been delivered, keep away from any yogic practice and involvement in the future.

You will face the temptation of restarting yoga, but keep on resisting the devil and he will go away. 

If you give into it, your life will be worse than it was when you first got into it. “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.

Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” Matthew 12:43-45.

Therefore once you are delivered, be filled and remain filled with the Holy Spirit and never go back to any form of demonic rituals.

Some Christians have Christianised yoga by using the name of Jesus or scripture verses to do yogic meditation. 

That too is demonic as you cannot worship the True Living God using satanic rituals.

This is an abomination!

These are evil days and we need to be vigilant, prayerful and discerning.

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons."1 Timothy 4:1.


My Manna

Some  of us have trouble depending on anyone. 

Usually it stems from being burned-
- having had a parent who walked out on us, 
-a husband or a wife who betrayed us, or
- someone significant who let us down and made us think twice before we depended on anyone again. 

We find ourselves thinking "I don't need anyone. I'm on my own. And I'm doing just fine."

But how that mindset must hurt the One who longs for us to ​​depend on Him​!​

If you've prided yourself on not needing anyone, or have just feared trusting another person because of disappointment or betrayal-
God wants to more than make up for your disappointment in someone else by showing you, in His Word-
- that He's the most reliable One you could ever depend on.

Scripture tells us wonderful things about the God who wants us to ​​depend upon Him!

God  can be trusted with your-
- provision!

When we think of someone to depend on, we often think in terms of financial stability. 

God has been always faithful to me in providing for me. 
"My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19.

Jesus, Himself, knew we would be concerned about material things like food, clothing and making ends meet, and therefore, He told His followers: 

"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear...Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:25-26. 

That sounds like a pretty clear "Don't worry about it" statement from the Son of God. 
In other words, "You have a God who is in control; so don't feel that you have to be." 
Those are reassuring words for anyone who feels they have no one to depend on.

God can be trusted with your-
- protection!

We can invest in a top-of-the-line security system for our homes and take all sorts of pre-cautionary measures to protect all that we have-
- but ultimately God is the one who protects us and keeps us safe. 

The Psalmist tells us: "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalms 4:8. 
And Psalm Psalms 121:2-3 assures us "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip -- he who watches over you will  not slumber." 

God can be trusted with your-
- problems!

We can plan out our lives, but ultimately God is in control of our destiny. 

Scripture tells us He knows the beginning, as well as the end of our days and has assigned us our "portion" and established our "delightful inheritance" Psalms 16:5-8. 
That means He knows every event that occurs in our lives and every incident that takes us by surprise. 

God is so gracious that even when we take the reins and start trying to control things and we mess up, He steps in and gets us back on the right path. 

Psalm Psalms 37:23-24 tells us "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord uphold him with his hand."

And we who know Christ have the wonderful assurance from Scripture that God will work every bad move, unexpected situation, mistake on our part, or tragedy on the part of someone else, and work it for good in our lives. 

As Romans Romans 8:28 assures us:  "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose." 

Deuteronomy 33:26 says “…no other god is like ours – he rides across the skies to come and help us. The eternal God is our hiding place; he carries us in his arms….”

Whether it's protecting you, providing for you, or working out your troubles-
God can be trusted to care for His own.  

Won't you start looking to Him as the One you can depend on?