2010 April 8 - Morning Manna

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts

(Isaiah 6:1-5).

Today's Morsel: How do you think you would have reacted if you saw what Isaiah saw? Would you be ready for such splendor and grandeur? Often, I don't think that many people believe that Jesus is going to come again. But He has warned us in His word, "But as the days of Noe(Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:37-44). Isaiah was so afraid and awestruck when he saw the Lord that he cried out, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Maybe Isaiah saw himself as being destroyed because of gossip, lying, or being a false witness. Whatever it was, he saw at that very moment his life as being destroyed. What will you say when you see Him face to face?

Sing: I saw the Lord! I saw the Lord! He is high and lifted up and His trained filled the temple; He is high and lifted up and His training filled the temple. The angels cried holy; the angels cried holy; the angels cried holy unto the Lord.

2010 April 7 - Morning Manna

The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever (Psalms 9:17-18).

Today’s Morsel: We have all at one time or another heard or read jokes about heaven and hell. We’ve heard or read jokes about people going to hell and Satan offering them a deal; or they go to heaven and Saint Peter meets them at the gate and gives them a quiz to get in. And we all laugh, as humor is good medicine. But even though people may joke about heaven and hell, heaven and hell are no joke. They are both real places. When Jesus told the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke chapter 16, He said that after their death; Lazarus is in Abraham’s bosom, and the rich man is in hell. He told this parable to enlighten us as to both places and to let us know that we decide which one we will dwell in after this life. The psalmist said that the wicked and all nations that forget God shall be turned into hell. The children of Israel was warned by Moses, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage” (Deuteronomy 6:4-12). He told them do not forget God. But we know, according to scripture, that they forgot all about God and the Bible tells us their end. What about you, have you forgotten God and what He’s done for you? Paul said: “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:11-15). I pray that you never forget God. You will never find anything else to replace Him, nothing else will satisfy your soul and be a dear friend to you.

Sing: Jesus, I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me. Jesus, I’ll never forget how you set me free. Jesus, I’ll never forget how you brought me out; Jesus, I’ll never forget, no never.

2010 April 6 - Morning Manna

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (Psalms 90:9-12).

Today’s Morsel: If you could see the scale of your life, how many days would you say that you have left upon the earth? The psalmist says that we live our life as a tale that is told. James says, “Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:13-14). James said our lives are as vapors which are quickly gone. Since none of us know just how much time we have, what are you doing with your time? Like some cell phone minutes, ou time doesn’t roll over. Either you use it or lose it. Are you spending time with Jesus? How much of the 1440 minutes did you let drop that could have been used to strengthen your relationship with Jesus today? How much time are you spending with family and friends? Are you devoting all your time to your career and work, building no memories with your loved ones or Jesus? How will they tell the story of your life? Hebrews 11 is written so that you know that they did not waste their time. They used it wisely. They redeemed every moment of it. It is a said that your employer and those with whom you work with will only say about 30-60 second about you at your funeral, but after that, nothing will be mentioned, and that is if you are still working with them when you die. But your family will continue to remember you and talk about you as long as they live. The psalmist said, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Sing: Jesus said, Here I stand, won't you please let me in, and you said, I will tomorrow. Jesus said, I am He, who supplies all your needs; and you said I know but tomorrow. (Chorus)

(Chorus) Tomorrow, I’ll give my life tomorrow, I thought about today, but it’s so much easier to say, tomorrow. Who promised you tomorrow, better choose the Lord today, for tomorrow very well might be today.

Jesus said, here I stand, won’t you please take my hand; and you said, I will tomorrow. Jesus said, I am He, who supplies all your needs; and you said I know, but tomorrow (Chorus)

And who said tomorrow would ever come, for you, still you laugh and play and continue on to say: Tomorrow; forget about tomorrow,, won’t you give your life today, Please don’t turn and walk away. Tomorrow, tomorrow is not promised, don’t let this moment slip away. For your tomorrow , very well may be too late.

2010 April 5 - Morning Manna

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet (Proverbs 3:24).

Today’s Morsel: Lately I’ve been listening to and hearing folks talking about having trouble sleeping at night . Some people say it’s because we have so many lights that are left on in our houses during the night. You know, all those little digital lights on the clock, microwave, cell phones, night lights for the kids to see how to get to the bathroom, and outside lights used for burglar protection all hinder many people from being able to get to sleep. Just what is the problem and why can’t people sleep? We see many advertisements to purchase the right mattress to help you get to sleep. Eating the right food before bed is suppose to help. Taking a certain pill is said to help. All these things are being advertized to help people sleep. How in the world have the children of God gotten themselves into such a knot that they can’t rest and find a peaceful night sleep? Solomon said, “Thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." So where have we missed the mark? I conclude that when I lie down, I’m suppose to go to sleep. And not only that, but I'm also suppose to have sweet sleep. I shouldn't need to count the sheep jumping over the fence. I don’t need to count to one hundred backwards. I just lie down and I crash. Our rest is to be worry free and without problems. David said, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” (Psalms 23:2). Green pastures are a place of rest and relaxation. If you are having trouble sleeping, then why not try spending some time with the Lord before you go to bed, as He always gives His beloved peace. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). If you need rest, Jesus is your answer. Always remember, “Jesus will keep you in perfect peace, if you keep your mind stayed on Him and you trust in Him (wording mine) (Isaiah 26:3).

Sing: Sweep over my soul, sweep over my soul;, sweet Spirit, sweep over my soul. My rest is complete, while I sit at his feet; sweet Spirit, sweep over my soul.

2010 April 3 - Morning Manna

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. (Acts 12:1-4)

Today's Morsel: The Bible says that Herod had killed James and he intended to do the same to Peter, but not until after Easter. The word Easter means the Passover. But prayer was being made by the church for Peter. Easter is a time for deliverance. Jesus died to make men free and He arose so that we, too, can walk in newness of life. The Passover was instituted when the children of Israel, departed Egypt. It was a day to be established as a memorial and never to be forgotten. Easter is a time that we all should reflect as to what took place that led to this time of what some would classify as a day of infamy. A day of disgrace to some, but a day of victory for the church. Isaiah said of Jesus, " He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth" (Isaiah 53:3-9). The Ethiopian Eunuch asked Phillip in Acts 8 as he was reading this passage, "I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:34-39). This Eunuch partook of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and he went away rejoicing. Easter is all about the Resurrection. Not only the Resurrection of Jesus, but it must be about your's as well.

Sing: I serve a risen Saviour, He's in the world today; I know that He is living, Whatever men may say; I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, And just the time I need Him, He's always near. (Chorus)

In all the world around me I see His loving care, And tho my heart grows weary, I never will despair; I know that He is leading, Thro' all the stormy blast, The day of His appearing Will come at last. (Chorus)

Chorus:
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and He talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives, He live, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives: He lives within my heart.

2010 April 2 - Morning Manna

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years (Revelation 20:6).

Today's Morsel: Have you partaken of that first resurrection yet? You see, some people say that you do not need to be baptized in Jesus name to be saved. But have they missed the point? Simon Peter, the one given the keys to the kingdom, wrote, "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21). Notice, if we were to remove the phrase in parenthesis, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) this scripture would read: "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." Comments or words placed in a sentence in parenthesis are usually for emphasis or clarification. The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Rome: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:1-11). Baptism in Jesus Name is our burial with Him into His death. And when you come up out of that watery grave, you are to walk in newness of life. You died to the world and you buried the old man and his sinful nature. Therefore, you are to be a blessed and holy people and your next death will have no power over you. But on the other hand, if you have not been baptized in Jesus name, that old sinful nature still has control over you and your second death will have power over you as well, as sin cannot enter there. Easter is the best time of the year to bring your life into compliance and a strong relationship with Jesus. And it begins the same way it did on the Day of Pentecost when they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:37-39). Have you partaken of the first resurrection? Until you do, sin is going to have control over you.

Sing: To be like Jesus! To be like Jesus! On earth I long, to be like Him. All through life's journey, from earth to glory, I only ask to be like Him.

2010 April 1 - Morning Manna

Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief (Job 16:1-5).


Today’s Morsel: Can you image being Job and your friends are ridiculing you as to why you are in pain and suffering? Their action is if they are trying to make or cause Job to confess to something that he did not do. It’s as if Job is on trial and the prosecutor is trying to get him to confess to something even though he did not do it. Job said to them, "I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all." Instead of them being comforter to Job, Job said they were miserable comforters. They became more of a hindrance to help then a help. As Paul said, like a thorn in the flesh. Job said to his friend, "I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief." In other words, Job was saying, If I were in your place and you were in mine, I would say things that would help ease or alleviate your suffering, not words that add more suffering and pain. We can learn a lot here. Our words are to be as apples of gold in pictures of silver. Our words must be spoken for edification and not destruction. Job's friends seemed more intent on tearing him down than building him up. How do you speak to someone when they are suffering or may have done something wrong? Do you ridicule them with harsh words, or do you look for words to comfort so that you get your point across and they are edified and willing to make a change? Remember, you always win more flies with honey than you do vinegar.

Sing: Let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart; be acceptable in thy sight, Oh Lord. May the words that I say, be encouraging today, to show someone else the way; and be pleasing unto Thee, Oh Lord.