2011 June 18 - Morning Manna

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James 4:17).

Today's Morsel:  Are you sinning and don't know it?  What comes to your mind when you think of doing good?  James said that if you know to do good and do it not, it is sin.  Jesus calls for us to become perfect, and part of that perfection process is learning to do what we know to do is right.  There will always be the temptation to do wrong.  Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, that Adamic nature is around to tempt us.  But when we are born again, we must become like Christ, who did not sin and neither was guile found in Him.  Part of Christ's character is goodness.  If we say that we know Him, than we, too, must become as He is, and learn to do good.  When the rich young ruler called Jesus "Good Master," Jesus told him that there is none good but God.  Jesus wasn't telling him that He wasn't good, rather He was trying to give him an insight as to who He was.  He told His disciples, "Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet" (John 13:13-14).  Peter said that Jesus went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.  (Acts 10:38).   James said, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). When we understand who Jesus really is and what He wants us to do and become, we will understand what the writer meant when he said,  "But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (Hebrews 13:16).  "You'll never go wrong in life if every decision you make is predicted on, 'Would my mother and father be proud of me?'" Ken Venturi, Golf Player and Broadcast/ Analyst.

Sing:  You know the Lord's been good!  He's really been good! He's been so good to me, I just can't let Him down, I can't let Him down, I can't let Him down, He's really been good to me.