2011 April 16 - Morning Manna

As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
(Ezekiel 16:48-50)

 

Today's Morsel:  The story is told of a Texas rancher who was doing agricultural consulting for a farmer in Germany.  He asked the German farmer about the size of his property, to which he replied, “About a mile square.”  When the German asked the Texan about the size of his ranch, the rancher explained that if he got in his pick-up truck at dawn and drove until sunset, he would still be on his ranch.  Not to be outdone, the farmer replied, “I used to have an old truck like that!”

 

Humor the best medicine!

 

When God told Abraham that He would destroy the cites of Sodom and Gomorrah, most have come away thinking that it was because of their sodomy.  This was true, but God enlightens us through the prophet Ezekiel on more of Sodom's problems. "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good."  She was prideful, full of wealth, lazy, and didn't consider the poor and needy.  She was arrogant and committing abomination.  And so God said that is why He destroyed her.  Are any of these evil things in your life?  Our world seems to be following the ways of Sodom.  Will God find ten righteous in our land when He comes to destroy?  Let me encourage you today, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1).

Sing: Sin can never enter there, sin can never enter there, so if at the judgment bar, sinful spots your soul shall mar, you can never enter there.

2011 April 15 - Morning Manna

And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
(Exodus 33:12-15)

Today's Morsel:  Moses seems to have a good relationship with God.  It seems that Moses is able to talk to God face to face and to present his case to God.  Moses seems to be able to seek God in having Him change His mind when it comes to the children of Israel.  Moses knows that God loves this people and that God has their very best interest at heart.  But because of the people's continual stiffneckedness, Moses finds himself constantly before God interceding for this people.  God is so fed up with the people, that He tells Moses, "I'll send an angel before you, Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way" (Exodus 33:3-4).  To get God this angry, these people must have been really bad.  But because Moses had a relationship with God, and through his life of humility, he was able to again present his case to God.  And Moses calls God on His promise to him.  He said, "Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence."   Moses said, God if you aren't going with, then don't take us either.  What a divine display of love for God and His people.  Talk about an intercessor.  One man, Moses, who was willing to interceded for others.  One man who realized the importance of God's presence on and during the journey.  One man who knew what it meant to have God leading and guiding them.  One man, Moses, who was willing to hold God to His promise. What about you?  Are you willing to lead a life that so you can talk open and face to face with God?  When we pray, it shouldn't be repetitious, but we should be able to be open before God and talk with Him face to face.  David said, "The Lord grant all thy petitions."  God knows what He's told us.  Now, it is up to us to hold Him to His word, but we must be obedient to what He has asked us to do and not in a rebellious state.

Sing: Lead me, Lord, I will follow. Lead me, Lord, I will go. You have called me, I will answer, lead me, Lord, I will go.

2011 April 14 - Morning Manna

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints"
(Ephesians 6:10-18)

 Today's Morsel:  Most people today do not know that North and South Korea are still at war.  Since 1951, they haven't declared that the war is ended, they have only signed an armistice agreement at Panmunjom.  Technically, the two countries remain at war since the conflict ended without a peace agreement.  The United States is still at war with terror and many have rolled over, hit the snooze, and gone back to sleep.  We are still at war.  And many in the church today, have forgotten that we are at war with the enemy of our soul, too.  Satan and his demonic force is wreaking havoc amongst the church, and people don't acknowledge or know that we are in a warfare.  The enemy has taken the church by surprise.  Many people don't know what to do about their situations and circumstances. Sickness, ill health, divorce, sodomy, fornication, excessive lust, anger, indebtedness, distress, and discontentment has broken through the perimeter and have killed and wounded many more. The saints are stunned.  Tactical and technical  training of warfare and how to defend ourselves is missing.   Saints have abandoned their posts.  They've gone AWOL, running from the enemy of their soul.  The are captivated by what they see coming on the earth.  Earthquakes in divers places, wars and rumors of wars, fighting amongst ourselves.  Hate, murder, and loss of life have taken center stage.  But now is not the time to run.  Rather now is the time to do as Paul said and Stand!  We must arm ourselves with the whole armor of God, because anything that will be shaken will be shaken.  It is time to dust off our shields of faith and get our sword of the spirit (the Word of God) off the shelf and polish it up.  It is time to fight the good fight of faith and to lay hold onto eternal life.  God is looking for a few good men, will you be counted among them?

 

Sing: I got my foot on the Rock and my mind's made up, though I walk through a lowly valley, though I drink from a bitter cup; when the devil comes a knocking trying to show me an easier way; I stand right flat on my feet, I throw my head in the air, I look him, straight in the eye, I say my foot's on the rock and my mind's made up.

2011 April 13 - Morning Manna

 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: (James 1:19)

 

Today's Morsel: A  pastor just fresh from Bible College, was invited to speak at a chapel service in a prison.  He was very excited but being his very first time, he was very nervous as well.  He thought hard about how to introduce his message.  On the day he arrived at the prison, he was greeted by a large group of prisoners waiting to hear him.  As the young pastor walked and stood behind the pulpit, he said, ‘Good morning.  It’s so good to see you here!’

 

Sometimes those slips of the tongue can be embarrassing and hard to overcome.  Depending on our audience, we may feel like crawling under a table or running for cover.  James tells us to let every man be swift to hear, and slow to speak.   Because we are snared by our words, we must choose them carefully.  James' warning should alert us to be cautious with our tongue.  He says it can set on fire the course nature and it is set on  the fire of hell.  People get hurt, lives are shattered, and wars begin all because of words spoken at the wrong time or with the wrong intonation. Probably the best thing to do when someone says something that we don't like is to just let it go, or make sure that our reply is god-like and not man-like.  A word fitly spoken how good is it?  Solomon says it's like apples of gold in pictures of silver.  Don't feel as though you have to have the last word.  Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive.  Therefore, it more blessed to give your attention to others than to think you always have to speak.  If you speak when you are angry, your words will probably not be godly.  We must choose them carefully, because once spoken, we can never retrieve them.

 Sing:  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, Oh God.

2011 April 12 - Morning Manna

Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? (Job 9:1-2)

Today's Morsel: Do you ever wonder how you can get it all right with God?  I've had people say to me, "I'm trying pastor, believe me I'm trying, but as soon as someone says something that I don't like, there's something inside that comes out of me." Hummm!  And so I say to them, "So there is something  that is inside of you, what is it?"  And they say, "I just don't know."  Ever feel like that?  There's something there, but we don't know what it is.  James said,  "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish" (James 3:13-15).  Have you opened yourself back up for evil spirits to come back in?  This is why we are told to come out of the world after we are born again of the water and the spirit.  Solomon said, a good man is satisfied from himself (Proverbs 14:14).  Bildad the Shuhite had just finished talking with Job and telling him, "Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers" (Job 8:20), to which Job tells him, "I know it is so of a truth, but how should man be just with God?"  In other words, how can man get it right?  How can we get our lives in line with God?  Solomon said, " Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word" (Psalms 119:9).  Jesus said, " Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you (John 15:3). Therefore, if you want to be right with God, you have to obey His Word.  You have to bring your life in line with His life.  You have to be Holy the same way He is holy.  We must let the mind of Christ be in us.  If there's something inside of you that keeps rising up every time someone says something that you don't like, or you feel a little bit of temper taking place, you need more Word inside of you.  You'll never be right with God until you are right with yourself.  John tells us, "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother"(1 John 3:7-10).

Sing: Just a closer walk with Thee, grant it, Jesus, is my plea. Daily walking close to Thee, let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

2011 April 11 - Morning Manna

And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. (Acts 27:41-44).

Today's Morsel: It's amazing to me how certain objects can stay afloat on water.  A piece of iron will sink, but if it is put together and made into a boat, it will float.  Boards, life preservers,  and even people can float. 

 

After Paul and the 275 other people that were with him on this ship to Rome encountered a tempestuous storm, they all hope that they would be saved come morning was lost.  Can you image battling a storm for 14 days of treacherous winds, waves, rain, blackness of night and billows?  Not being able to see where you are, where you are going, what lies before you, and if anyone is hurt or missing?  Sometimes we find ourselves in these storm when we are disobedient to God's Word.  We hear it, but we fail to heed it.  Paul had given these men warning that there would be loss to the ship, but they believed the captain more than Paul. Oftentimes, preachers words falls on deaf ears until the storm hits.  But when the ship ran aground and broke into pieces, the people used the boards and broken pieces as life preserver to make it safely to shore.  The church is the old ship of Zion, it's the hope for the lost and the dying, it's a soul saving station, it's the tower of salvation.  It's the church triumphant and it's built by the hand of God.  Therefore, if the ship breaks into piece, get a piece of it and hold on.  It's a life preserver.  If all you know is, "For God so loved the world," hold on to that.  If all you know is, "Jesus saves," hold on to that.  If all you know is, "Repent and be baptized," hold on to that. If all you know is, " I can do all things." hold on to that.  If all you know is "God is my light and my salvation," hold on to that.  If all you know is but a small portion of the Word of God, hold on to it, because Jesus said that Heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall not pass away(Matthew 24:25).  If you hold to the word of God, you'll make it to shore safely.  For Jesus is theWord and the Word is a life preserver.

Sing:  You're going to make it, God already said that I would.  He walks beside me, and heaven, is in my view, oooh, you're gonna make it through.

2011 April 9 - Morning Manna

What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me? (Job 6:11-13)

Today's Morsel:  Do you ever feel as though you've lost your strength?  One of the things I learned in the military was that it's always mind over matter.  No matter how hard things were, if I didn't let it get to my mind, I was alright.  But as soon as I said to myself, "I can't," I would easily quit and give up and give in.  Job asked, "What is my strength, that I should hope? And what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?  Just what is your strength?  Isaiah said that the Lord Jehovah is an everlasting strength (Isaiah 26:4).  David said that God is our strength (Psalms 46:1).  Having an understanding here, gives us a deeper understanding to Job question, "Is not my help in me?"  When we understand what our strength is, and who our strength is, and who is within side of us, we understand where our help is.  Inside of us.  The Holy Ghost inside of you is your help, the comforter that Jesus said would come.   Jesus said, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:23).  He told the woman at  the well in John chapter 4, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).   Your help is inside of you.   Paul told Timothy, "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands" (2 Timothy 1:6).  Peter said that if we repent and are baptized in the name of Jesus, God would fill us with the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38).  If you feel as though you are losing your strength, or your strength is gone, why not stir up the gift that is within you.  When you add prayer, reading the Word, worship, and praise together, strength is bound to reignite itself and get you back on fire. Care to give it a try?

  

Sing:  My life is in you Lord, my strength is in you Lord, my hope, is in you Lord, it's in you, it's in you.

I will praise you with all of my life.  I will praise you with all of my strength, all of my life, all of my strength, all of my hope is in you.