2010 March 31 - Morning Manna

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:17-19).

Today’s Morsel: Jesus, the greatest leader who every walked the earth, got to a point where He felt He need to check and see how His training of the disciples was going. "And so when Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I the Son of man am?” And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:13-16). I believe that Jesus may have said 'Thank goodness somebody is paying attention and listening here. Somebody finally understands what I’ve been trying to show you for the past three years. Peter you pass the test. And because you’ve been listening and know what I’m talking about, and where I’m coming from, I’m choosing you to be the leader after I’m gone. So I’m going to give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven and here they are.' Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47). Have you been listening to Jesus when He speaks? Every time you open His word He is speaking to you. Are you grasping the meaning of what He is saying to you? The apostle Paul told the church at Galatia, "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" (Galatians 5:7). Solomon said, "Get wisdom and with all thy getting, get an understanding." Peter seems to be the only one of Jesus disciples that had an understanding of what He was teaching and instructing them, until after the resurrection, and then they all understood. What about you? How is your understanding today? Are you still confused about who Jesus is? Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord said: "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?" (Isaiah 43:10-13). Jesus said: “Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins (John 8:23-24). Do you know Him? Is your understanding of Jesus clear or is there still some fog? Peter got it because he was observant. If you really want to know Him, ask Him to reveal Himself to you and you just might be surprised what He shows you.

Sing: The Mighty God is Jesus, The Prince of Peace is He, The Everlasting Father, The King Eternally, The Wonderful in Wisdom, by whom all things were made, the fullness of the Godhead, in Jesus is displayed.

It’s all in Him, it’s all in Him, the fullness of the Godhead, it’s all is Him. It’s all in Him, it’s all in Him, The Mighty God is Jesus and it’s all in Him.

2010 March 30 - Morning Manna

In your patience possess ye your souls (Luke 21:19).

Today’s Morsel:  If you were asked, "How long is your patience", what would you say? In this life of instantaneous gratification, it seems that very few people have patience to wait any more. Someone said that this is the instant popcorn generation. Anytime over 2 minutes to cook or be gotten is too long. People use the drive through windows because they don’t like to wait and if there is a line at the drive through they go some place else with a complaint of slow service. Almost everything you buy, as far as food, comes with microwave instructions to allow you to have it faster and quicker. Automatic timers are placed on appliances to allow you to set the food for the correct time to cook. Having to wait 30 minutes for a table at a restaurant is entirely too long for some folks to wait. Church services that last longer than an hour are too long for many these days. People just don’t seem to have the patience to wait. How did we get to this point in our lives? How did we allow the enemy of our soul to trick us into making us believe that we have to have everything faster? We’ve heard it said that good things come to those who wait, an off spin of Lamentations 3:25-26 which says, “The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” Jesus said in your patience possess ye your soul. In other words, if you want to make it to heaven, you need to learn how to have patience in your life. Notice I didn’t say pray for patience, I said learn patience. If you pray for patience, you will reap tribulations, as tribulations worketh patience. You must learn patience and that comes through believing and trusting in Jesus no matter what you are going through or what trial you face. You put your trust in Him and you believe that He will see you through. Paul said that it is through patience and comfort of the scripture that we find hope (Romans 15:4). So when you are in the wilderness or valley of the shadow of death, get a scripture and hold on.

Sing: I lean on you Lord, I lean of you Lord, for the things that I need I lean on you; When I don’t know, just what to do, I’ve got the faith you’re gonna see me through; you supply my every need, and I lean on you.

2010 March 29 - Morning Manna

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:4-14).

Today’s Morsel: There seems to be trouble on the horizon. It seems as though everything we read or hear is dealing with troubles. Jesus said in Matthew 24:12 that because iniquity (wicked injustice) shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. He goes on to say in Luke 21: 26 that man's heart would fail him for looking at the things that are coming upon the earth. When Thomas Paine cried out in Valley Forge, “These are the times that try men’s souls,” I think he might have been giving us a prophetic look at what we would be facing today. Trouble just seems to be standing in the wing waiting to attack. The Psalmist said “I am so troubled that I cannot speak” (Psalms 77:4). What could drive you to a point of so much trouble that you can’t speak? Beloved, if you ever get to this point in your life, always remember that Jesus is the antidote for the troubled mind. He tells us, “Let not your hearts be troubled you believe in God believe also in me” (John 14:1), and “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthews 11:28-30). When life seems confused, Jesus still offers us hope through His Word. So read it and heed it, it is the only thing that will get you through these troubled times.

Sing: Jesus is here right now, reach out and touch him; Jesus is here right now, yours to receive; Jesus is standing near, ready your heart to cheer, Jesus is here right now, only believe.

2010 March 27 - Morning Manna

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again (Luke 6:38).

Today’s Morsel: Why has giving to the church and the work of the Lord taken on such an evil meaning? Why do people not want to give to the churches anymore? I’m not talking about finances only, but also time and talents as well. Where have we gone wrong? One of the problems with giving to the church is most people give grudgingly versus giving willingly and freely. The children of Israel were to give their offerings freely and willingly. Now that we have been engrafted into the church, we must give of our time, talents, and treasures willingly and freely. Paul said that God loves a cheerful giver. Just because a minister dresses nice, lives in a nice home, or drives a nice vehicle, should not stop you from giving to the church. It was God that ordained that the minister live from the tithes given to the church. Paul said you should not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. Jesus said give and it shall be given to you. We should give because we love God, not because of who is ministering. If he’s not right, God will deal with him. Let me encourage you, don’t stop giving to the work of the Lord. God sees your heart and will reward you for doing what you know is right to do. That $20-$50 you give to missions just may save a soul or help feed the hungry. Remember, you can’t put a price tag on a lost soul. It may someday be one of your own.

Sing: I dreamed I went to heaven and you were there with me, we walked upon the streets of gold beside the crystal sea; We heard the angels singing, then someone called your name, you turned and saw this young man and he was smiling as he came. And he said, "Friend you may not know me now" And then he said, "But wait" You used to teach my Sunday school when I was only eight. And every week you would say a prayer before the class would start, and one day when you said that prayer I asked Jesus into my heart."

(Chorus)
Thank you for giving to the Lord I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord I am so glad you gave.

2010 March 26 - Morning Manna

My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes (Psalm 119:48).

Today’s Morsel: The two huddled together, working line by line, bar by bar, composing the hymn, “Love Lifted Me.” The words were jotted down by James Rowe, and the music was hammered out at the piano by his friend, Howard E. Smith, whose hand were so twisted from arthritis that his friends wondered how he could play the piano at all. But there they were, James pacing back and forth while Howard banged away at the melody. When they finished, the world had the song, “Love Lifted Me.”

Often, we may think that it was our own power that lifted us from the situations and trials we went through, but if we were to look again, we would see that it was God that lifted us. The psalmist said, "My hands will I lift up unto thy commandements, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes." When we lift our hands in praise and adoration to Jesus, there is a freedom of submission of our will to His. When we lift our hands, it can be for many purposes, but none like praise to Him. With our hands lifted and our mouth filled with praise, it releases a sweet smell to our Saviour. I don't know about you, but with all my being I want to praise Him; and if that means lifting up my hands, that is what I will do, for He alone is worthy of my praise.

Sing: I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more, but the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Chorus: Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, Love lifted me; Love lifted me! Love lifted me! when nothing else could help--- Love, lifted, me.

2010 March 25 - Morning Manna

But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak (1 Corinthians 8:9)

Today’s Morsel: One of the responsibilities that every country has is that of protecting its citizens. But how do you feel when people begin to use that freedom for the wrong reason? How do you feel when you see people demonstrating against your government when you know, in your heart, that they only have your best and their best interest at heart? Jesus came to set the captives free, but many of the people He set free are misusing their freedom. They are using the freedom and liberty for the wrong reason. Many of them speak blaspheme against Him. They use His name in vain. They denounce the church, not realizing that the church's goal is to help them and their families continue to enjoy the freedom that Jesus came to give us all. When people do not understand the mission of the church, they denounce the church. Paul was using his freedom to arrest and persecute Christians until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) and Jesus asked him, Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me? In other words, Paul, what have I done to you that you are doing this? Don’t you understand what I did by giving my life was for you, too. Until people really understand what it means to be free, they will never understand true freedom. You see, those who denounce the church don’t understand freedom. They haven’t talked to the man or woman that has been delivered from an addiction of drugs and alcohol, to hear their story after coming in contact with Jesus. They don’t know that man or woman who has been delivered from sexual or physical abuse. They haven’t talked to the person whose finances have been restored, or whose prodigal son or daughter has come home from a cesspool of sin. Paul said that we should not allow our liberty to become a stumbling block to them that are weak. Don’t use your liberty for the wrong reason, but use it for worshipping the King of kings and Lord of lords. Freedom isn't free!

Sing: Through You the blind will see. Through You the mute will sing. Through You the dead will rise. Through You all hearts will praise. Through You the darkness flees. Through You my heart screams, I am free!

I am free to run (I am free to run). I am free to dance (I am free to dance). I am free to live for you, (I am free to live for you). I am free (I am free), yes I am free.

2010 March 24 - Morning Manna

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:1-2).

Today’s Morsel: The Bible seems to call upon us to continue to renew our mind. How we think will determine our successes and failures in life. Vince Lombardi Jr., head coach of the Green Bay Packers, in his book, “What It Take To Be #1” said; and I quote; “Continuous renewal is an umbrella term for anything you can do to keep in touch with your values and your life purpose. This is a discipline that all successful people fashion for themselves. The will to win---the will to achieve---goes dry and arid without continuous renewal.”

The Apostle Paul said that we must be transformed by renewing of our minds. When we realize who we are in Christ, our thinking is renewed. Our minds should continuously be upon heaven and what Jesus has chosen for us to do while we are here upon the earth. Even when we are faced with difficult circumstances and situations, how we see them with our renewed spiritual mind will determine if we will come through them victorious or defeated. Joshua and Caleb saw the same thing the other ten spies saw in the Promised Land. The only difference was Joshua and Caleb saw what God had promised them instead of who was there and how big they were. Paul said, "If you be risen with Christ, then seek those things which are above." We must renew our minds and see every trial and circumstance as a stepping stone propelling us toward our goal.

Sing: Change my heart O’ God, make it ever true, change my heart O’ God, may I be like you!