My Manna

My Manna

"For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the 
message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not 
combine it with faith." Hebrews 4:2-3.

I run into anemic Christians everyday.

They have a form of religion but fail to mix their belief with faith and 
obedience.

The apostle Paul described them when he said-
- "these people have a form of godliness but deny its power."
2 Timothy 3:5.

What are the telltale signs of anemic faith?

When you no longer pray about decisions-
- you have anemic faith.

When you fail to speak to others about their relationship with God-
- you have anemic faith.

When you're unwilling to spend time with God everyday-
- your faith has become anemic.

You no longer have a living faith!

God spoke to John, the apostle, through a vision and told him about some 
Christians who were part of the church in Laodicea:

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.
I wish you were either one or the other!
So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out 
of my mouth. " Revelation 3:14-18.

These are strong words from our Lord!

We are all susceptible to growing cold and anemic in our faith.

Ask God to revive your heart and to restore the fire of your faith-
-so that you will experience a vibrant and active faith that impacts the 
kingdom of darkness.

My Manna 

Have you ever tried to run away from God? 
 
Don't try!
You can't!!
 
"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your 
presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in 
hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and 
dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me".Psalm 139:7-12.

No matter where we go in the will of God-
He is there!
 
Why should we flee from Him? 
"If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall fall on me,' even the night 
shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, 
but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both 
alike to You".Vs. 11,12. 
 
Sometimes I've found myself in dark places and have wondered-
"Does God know?" 
 
He indeed knows!
If we sin, we go out into the darkness, but God sees us.

And sometimes when we are walking with the Lord-
-we still find ourselves in darkness. 
But that darkness is as light to God.

God is everywhere and sees everything!

Rather than flee from Him-
- we should flee to Him.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" .Psalm. 46:1.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God-
- neither height nor depth, east nor west, darkness nor light. Romans. 8:38.39.

God promises to "never leave you nor forsake you".Hebrews. 13:5.

The next time you go through dark days, remember that-
God knows your problems and needs. 

You may take refuge in Him.
 
He will see you through!==== ========= ========= ======== ========

My Manna

Telemachus was a fourth-century Christian and monk.

He lived in a remote village.
He spent most of his time tending his garden and praying to God.

One day, God told him to go to Rome.
The monk responded obediently and set out on foot.

Weeks later, he arrived at the city's gates to witness a great festival 
taking place.
He followed the crowd through the streets toward the Colosseum.

Inside, he saw the gladiators stand before the emperor and say:
"We who are about to die salute you."

Telemachus realized they were going to fight to the death for the 
entertainment of the crowd, so he cried out, "In the name of Christ, stop!"

As the games began-
Telemachus pushed through the crowds, climbed over the wall, and dropped to 
the arena floor screaming over and over, "In the name of Christ, stop!"

The crowd thought this was part of the show, so they began laughing.
When they realized it wasn't, their laughter turned to angry shouts.

Suddenly, one of the gladiators plunged his sword into the body of 
Telemachus.
He fell to the sand and his last words were, "In the name of Christ, stop!"

Then, a hush fell over the Colosseum!

And one man in the upper rows stood up and walked out.
Soon, others began to follow and in silence everyone left the Colosseum.

On that day in 391 BC-
- the last battle to the death between gladiators in the Roman Colosseum was 
fought.

It was all because one tiny voice-
- that could hardly be heard above the uproar spoke the truth in God's name.

Won't you be that small voice-
- in the commotion of our culture today?

Pray that others might be sensitive-
- to hear the message of truth spoken by you in God's name.

My Manna 

"Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." John 2:17.

Huguette Clark was a reclusive heiress who owned mansions in California and New York, though she never visited them. 
She preferred her Fifth Avenue apartment. 
She also rented a room in a local hospital, despite being in ideal health.

She lived to be 104 years old. 

Her one and only interest was collecting dolls. 
She spent millions of dollars on dolls, doll clothes, and dollhouses. 

Her biographer called it her passion and obsession. 
Her love for her dolls dominated her life.

Every person needs a passionate pursuit!
We need something we can pour our lives into, a cause to which we can give our lives. 

But it should be a-
- worthy passion and a worthwhile pursuit. 

It should touch on the eternal-
- on matters related to God's house, not dollhouses. 

It was said of Jesus: "Passion for God's house burns within me." John 2:17.

People are passionate about many things in life-
- politics, sports, health etc.

But let's be passionate about growing in our walk with God and advancing His work. 
Ask Him today for His zeal.

If we want to be thoroughly hot with zeal-
- we must go near to the furnace of the Saviour' s love.

My Manna
 
"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 
It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out" Luke 14:34-35. 
 
If there is no such thing as fresh or stale salt-
- how could Jesus say this? 

There are two ways-
- salt can lose its saltiness. 
 
One is-
- by dilution!
 
The other-
- by pollution!!
 
Put some salt in a glass and add water. 
Stir, taste, and then add more water. 
 
The more you dilute the salt, the less you will taste it. 
Soon it has no value as salt. 
 
Or, take some salt and add to it other things. 
Continue to mix in things, polluting the salt, and eventually you will not notice the salt. 
Its saltiness is lost to the pollution. 

Followers of Jesus are to be the "salt of the earth." Matt. 5:13.
 
But our saltiness can be lost the same way. 
 
Our testimony can be so watered down that-
- by dilution it loses its saltiness, 
 
Or so much other stuff can come into our lives 
- that our testimony is lost due to pollution. 

Stay salty!
That is what Jesus wants. 
 
Do not let into your life things that will dilute or pollute.

My Manna
Have you ever asked God - sincerely and fervently - to help you fight a particular bad habit?
 
God loves you and wants you to be free from it even more than you do.

And because of this-
He wants to help you overcome it.
 
This was the Apostle Paul's experience:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13.

How can God help you overcome this habit?
 
First-
He wants to help you be honest about your own helplessness.

As long as you think you can conquer that habit on your own-
- you'll probably keep on failing.
 
Its grip on you is too strong.
And you are too weak.

If you think you can overcome it on your own, you'll never truly seek God's help.
 
But when you admit your helplessness and ask God to help you, then there is hope.

Begin now by turning to Christ and confessing your need for His help - and His forgiveness. 

Then-
God will help you by giving you a new desire to do what is right in His eyes - not out of fear, but out of love.
 
When Christ comes into our hearts-
- we begin to realize just how much God loves us.

And we'll want to love Him in return by living the way we should. 

Finally-
God wants to help you by giving you the practical wisdom you'll need to overcome your habit.
 
For example, avoid situations where you know you'll be tempted.

And surround yourself with people who know Christ and can encourage you. 
 
Conquer that habit!

My Manna
"I preached that they should repent and...prove their repentance by their deeds." Acts 26:20.

Some evangelists asked me:
"Why don't we see more of the kind of converts coming into today's church that we used to get a few decades ago...those who from the very start seem 'out and out' for Jesus?" 

I replied that I thought it had something to do with the way we present the truths of Christianity to potential converts.

A butterfly, struggling to get out of its chrysalis, was given a helping hand by a well-meaning observer. 

As a result, however, the butterfly was unable to fly-
- because it is in the struggle to emerge that it develops the strength to soar. 

The observer, intent on making it easy for the butterfly to leave the chrysalis, inadvertently contributed to its early demise. 

We do something similar when we help people avoid the struggle that radical repentance invariably brings. 

The modern-day church (with some exceptions) is like an inexpert midwife bringing damaged children into the world-
- damaged by lack of attention to basic principles. 

To return to the metaphor of the butterfly-
- in the church today there are many butterflies unable to fly because when they emerged from their spiritual chrysalis someone made it easier  for them than they should have. 

We can do that by-
- wrong statements or 
- incomplete statements or 
- even by a misplaced emphasis. 

Evangelism is making it easy for men and women to be saved.
But we must be careful that we do not make it easier than it should be.

My Manna

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:6.

Do you know that you make a fool of yourself when you argue with an ass? 

The Bible tells of a man named Balaam in the Old Testament in Numbers 22. 

He was headed in the wrong direction. 
He wanted to please himself and was ignoring God, so God finally spoke to Balaam through his donkey. 

He was furiously mad at the animal! 

He argued with it and almost beat the poor animal to death until he realized that God was trying to speak to him through the donkey, to help him get on the right path.

Sometimes-
God will go to extraordinary means to get our attention when we are hell-bent in going our own self-destructive way. 

It could come through a financial jolt or through a rebellious child. 

When those times come, getting angry may be foolish.
But taking time to listen may be the key to seeking God's guidance about the right way to go. 

Is God trying to get your attention to keep you from making a fool of yourself? 

Take time to listen!
He'll change your course and get you where you need to go.

My Manna
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1.

What does it mean to be "in Christ Jesus?"

Think about what it was for Noah to be in the ark.
The ark was waterproof.

How do we know it was?
God told Noah, "put pitch on the inside and on the outside." Genesis 6:14.

The word"pitch in the Hebrew is "kapar! "
It is exactly the same word translated as"atonement. "
 
We are in Jesus as Noah was in that ark.

Just as the storms of God's wrath beat upon that ark-
 the storms of God's wrath beat upon the Lord Jesus.

But-
We are on the inside!
And not one drop of judgment can come through.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written:
For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 35-39.

Reflect on the things Paul says which will never separate you from God's love.

Give glory to God that your sins have been atoned by the righteous blood of the Saviour.

My Manna

"You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 
Acts 1:8.      

I met a young man not long ago who dives for exotic fish for aquariums. 

He said one of the most popular aquarium fish is the shark.

He explained that if you catch a small shark and confine it-
- it will stay a size proportionate to the aquarium. 

Sharks can be six inches long yet fully matured. 

But if you turn them loose in the ocean-
- they grow to their normal length of eight feet.

That also happens to some Christians. 

I've seen the cutest little six-inch Christians who swim around in a little puddle. 

But if you put them into a larger arena- into the whole creation-only then can they become great.

Jesus commanded all believers to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [he has] commanded." Matthew 28:19-20.

There is no room to grow inside the walls of a Sunday School classroom, church building, or your own home. 

We have been called to go outside of those walls and reach out to the lost world that needs to know Jesus.

Get involved in doing missions and evangelism-
- in your neighbourhood, city, or state through your church, local seniors group, or Bible study class. 

If you are physically unable to get involved-
- become a prayer warrior for the cause of Christ. 

Your prayers are needed both on and off the mission field.

Get out of the puddle you've been swimming in!
And take your faith to a larger arena-the world.

Pray that God would open the doors for you to reach out to those who are lost in your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

My Manna

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;They shall mount up with wings like eagles,They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31.

I don't like to wait in long lines-
- at banks,post offices, being stuck in traffic during rush hour, 
- or being put on hold by a computer. 

Waiting time seems to be a waste of time. 

This is why waiting on God is-
- so difficult for many believers to do. 

That's also why many people quote the verse that is not in the Bible, "God helps those who help themselves." 

That's secular counselling!
It’s not scriptural counselling!

The statement speaks to the lack of faith-
- how God needs us to take charge to get things done.

But one thing's for sure: 

What we need to do is-
- to trust God and 
- be willing to do His will, in His timing, not our own. Hebrews 10:36.

For the right action at the right time equals the right result. 

Waiting on God is tough.
But God's timing is always best for us, and for others.

Waiting time should not  be a waste of time. 
"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." Psalm 37:7.