2012 September 17 - Morning Manna

LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. (Isaiah 26:16)

Today's Morsel: Why did Benjamin Franklin say 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'? The meaning, in brief, is that if we prevent a problem from occurring in the first place, it will save a great deal more time, effort and cost than it would than trying to repair the damage done later because we hadn't paid attention to possible problems earlier. Therefore, a little preparation to keep something from going wrong in the first place is better than having to do a lot of work to fix it once it breaks or it is better to prevent a problem from occurring than to fix it afterwards. Isaiah said that when God begins to chasten us, then we start to pray (my wording). Wouldn't it be better to pray to God before we are in trouble or His hand of wrath is upon us? It's amazing how many people seem to know how to ask God for help when they are in trouble, but at other times they don't want to have anything to do with Him. I believe that the more we pray to God, the more we understand the love of God, and we have less problems we will face because the Spirit will order our steps according to His Word. If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, then I believe a daily time in prayer can prevent a heap of troubles.

Sing: Lord I can't even walk, without you holding my hand. The mountain's too high and the valley's too wide; down on my knees, that's where I learn to pray, and I can't even walk, without youholding my hand.

2012 September 15 - Morning Manna

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. (Ecclesiastes 4:1)

Today's Morsel: There seems to be a lot of oppression in the church these days. There just seems to be much worry, stress, and trouble in people's lives. And so I began to search the cause and try to look for a solution. And do you know what I came away with? Oppression is being caused by most of the individuals themselves. Because many of them think that bigger is better and that more is success and that pleasing man is more important than pleasing God. Oppression, depression, weariness, and stress should never be in the child of God's portfolio because we have too many exceeding precious promises from God to negate these things. One of the things I've found in my search, also, is that the church doesn't seem to be a church anymore. Some have made it into a business. They've come up with all these departments, heads, and committees. That's not church, that a business. And when the church becomes a business, then people have to be concerned about time. What time do we punch in and what time do we punch out. Don't go over time nor exceed my time because I don't have the time, they say. I noticed that people's hair is falling out and turning gray (and it's not from wisdom), aches and pains, baggy and saggy eyes, the deer in the head light look, and sleeplessness are only a few of the outward signs many carry. How in the world could a born again believer become their own worst enemy? I guess the quote was right when it says, "We Have Found The Enemy and He Is Us." Paul told the church at Corinth, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3). You know, Jesus was correct and straight forward when he said, "For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light" Luke 16:8). And all the while I was doing my search for the cause of oppression and looking for a solution, the Lord kept speaking to me what Hosea said, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." So here is your solution to oppression. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee"(Isaiah 26:3).

Sing: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will go strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.

2012 September 14 - Morning Manna

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. (Psalms 95:6-11)

Today's Morsel: I have noticed that a hard heart isn't cause by anyone else but we ourselves. Many people who overspend, charge things when they know that they can't afford it become angry, distressed, and mad at others because of their own doing. And they build walls around their heart and others can't get in to help them. It's soon everyone else's fault for their own doing. They blame the rich. Or they blame their up bring. Or maybe they even blame the government for their own wrong doing.

The psalmist said that Israel hardened their heart through their unbelief and could not enter the Promise Land. It wasn't anyone else's doing but their own. If they would have just believed, they could have walked into the Promise Land. But no, they didn't believe and they tempted God and missed out on their promise. Anytime we allow things to harden our hearts, others don't lose out, we do. If we are prejudice, it hurts us. If we are distressed, it hurts us. If we have envy and jealous in our hearts, it hurts us not someone else. We are told to not harden our hearts. Jesus said that our heart is the soil where the seed (the Word) is sown. If it's hard, the devil is going to take the Word that Jesus sends our way. The world is going to choke it out of us and the trials of life are going to pluck it up by its roots. If you hear God speaking to you, don't put a wall around your heart, but keep it soft so the Word can get in. When you go to worship, make sure your heart is right. You don't want to miss out on your promise.

Sing: Create in me a clean heart, O' God, and renew a right Spirit within me. Create in me a clean heart, O' God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, O' God. Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thou salvation, and renew a right Spirit within me.

2012 September 13 - Morning Manna

And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat. Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:13-15)

Today's Morsel: In all of our lives, we come to a time that we have to make some very tough decisions. When I was in the Army, I had to keep deciding if I would reenlist or not. Even in the ministry when we hit those times of uncertainty, we have to decide if we are going to keep going or give up. Joshua told the children of Israel that they had to decide which god they were going to serve. He said, "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell." But then he told them, just so you know what I'm going to do, me and my house, we will serve the Lord. The choice about you serving God is a choice that cannot be over looked. Sad to say, so many do not choose to serve God until it's too late. When they find themselves in trouble, indebtedness, on the verge of divorce, pregnant out of wedlock, or when their lives are totally out of control, that is when they want to come to God. Granted, in these situations, God is the place to go, but wouldn't it be better for us made the decision to serve Him when we were in our right mind? One of the things of coming to God when we are full of problems and cares is that we have a hard time trusting Him to fix the problem. And the reason is our hearts are usually broken and we don't realize that God has to have time to put it back together again. And often people don't give Him the sufficient time to work on their behalf because the enemy of their soul makes them feel guilty. The choice you make today about God will be the same choice that determines your final destination. Choose you this day whom you will serve, as for me and my house - we will serve the Lord.

Sing: I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back.

2012 September 12 - Morning Manna

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. (Proverbs 4:14).

Today's Morsel: Do you ever find yourself in a rut. I mean, do you find yourself doing the same old thing over and over again even though you don't want to be doing it? Why do people who get out of jail and prison, seem to go right back into the same old way when they are released? Is it because they were taken from the path of the wicked and from evil men. Solomon tells us not to go into the path of the wicked and to not go in the way of evil men. He also tells us that there are seven things that God hates and one of those things is feet that be swift in running to mischief. (Proverbs 6:17). Paul told the church at Corinth, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). The wicked are snared by their own wickedness, Solomon said. One of the things about the paths of the wicked is that their pathways are strewed with landmines and booby traps that are not easily seen. This is why the wicked are so soon destroyed. Scripture tells us to not go into their pathway. Even Solomon said that the man void of understanding doesn't even know that the pathway of the wicked leads to hell. He also lets us know that, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death"(Proverbs 14:12). Therefore we must follow Jeremiah's advice when he said, "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein"(Jeremiah 6:16). If you don't walk in the old path, it's not God's fault.

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.

2012 September 11 - Morning Manna

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Today's Morsel: Probably one of the most quoted scriptures in the Bible is Proverbs 3:5-6, and yet it is also probably the least obeyed. For some reason, Christians like to quote scriptures, but not obey them. I guess Jesus was right when He said, "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:8-9). When are we going to get to the point that we trust Him is all areas of our lives? Did He not fulfill His promise to Abraham? Did He not bring Jacob back to Bethel? Did He not send the Holy Ghost (the Comforter) back the way that He said He would? God is not a man that He should lie. I believe if we would not lean unto our own understanding, but pray as He taught us, "Your will be done" and trust Him to do it the way that He wants to do it, we woul be in much better shape. A true believer should say as Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him"(Job 13:15-16). If God isn't going to forsake us, then we need to learn to trust. We walk by faith and not by sight.

Sing:Lord, You promised if I keep my mind on You, You'd keep me in perfect peace. (Yes you would, you'd keep me in perfect peace). With a sincere heart, if I called upon Your name, You'd never turn away from me (No, no you'd never turn away from me), said you'd give me everything I need (You'd give me everything I need). I came for deliverance, deliverance I'll receive, You said You'd deliver me and that's what I believe. came for salvation, Lord, Salvation I'll receive, You said You would save me, Lord And that's what I believe. I came just to hear Your word, Your word will I receive, You said You would send Your word, And that's what I believe.

2012 September 10 - Morning Manna

For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
(Proverbs 2:6)

Today's Morsel: I asked a young man who was appearing before the board for his ministerial license how he knew that the Bible was true. He said, "I just know it." I then asked him if he could prove it to me by scripture. When he looked a little confused, I told him to open his Bible to 1 Peter 1:20-21; which reads, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost"(2 Peter 1:20-21). And then I told him to turn to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which reads, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). You don't need to defend the Bible, the Bible can defend itself because Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Scripture says that out of the mouth of God comes knowledge and understanding. When we see in Scripture Jesus speaking to anyone, they were always confounded by His knowledge and understanding. The religious people wanted to know where He had obtained such knowledge and understanding. "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" Job 38:1-2). And Job said, "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth"(Job 40:4). Job said, I'm just going to be quiet and listen to what you have to say because Your wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, is far above what I could ever think. "If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak," Jesus said (John 12:47-50). You see, when God speaks, we all better listen, because judgment day is coming.

Sing: I'll say yes, Lord, yes, to Your will and to Your way, I'll say yes, Lord, yes, I will trust You and obey; when Your Spirit speaks to me, with my whole heart I'll agree, and my answer will be yes, Lord, yes.