Justified from All Things
February 28, 2010

"And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39)

Many Christians today tend to the doctrine of justification as something too "theological" to deal with. But it simply means "declaring to be righteous" a person who had actually been guilty of some offense. It is the prerogative of the judge trying his case to pronounce innocence or guilt as based on the evidence. In the case of sin against a divine law, "it is God that justifieth" (Romans 8:33), for He is the Judge.

But how can God both "be just, and the justifier" of one who is obviously guilty--as, indeed, we all are, since "all have sinned" (Romans 3:26, 23)? The answer is that we are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins." (Romans 3:24-25).

Christ has credited His perfect righteousness to our account and paid the death penalty for all our sins. We are told in the Scripture above cited (Romans 3:24) that we are justified by His grace. Then Romans 5:1 says we are "justified by faith" and Romans 5:9 says we are "justified by his blood." Finally, we are justified by the Holy Spirit. "Ye are washed, . . . sanctified, . . . justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11).

And all of this is absolutely guaranteed by Christ's victory over death. "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25). As our text assures us, "all that believe are justified from all things" in the eyes of God. In the eyes of men, however, "by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:24). HMM

A man takes his Rottweiler to the vet.  "My dog's cross-eyed, is there anything you can do for him?"

"Well," says the vetinary doctor, "let's have a look at him."  So he picks the dog up and examines his eyes, then checks his teeth.  Finally he says "I'm going to have to put him down."

"What?! Because he's cross-eyed?!"

"No, because he's really heavy."

May we understand the Lord when He speaks in accents clear and still.

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Signs and Seasons, Days and Years
March 1, 2010

"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years" (Genesis 1:14)

The subject of "time" is enigmatic. Everyone seems to know what is meant by time, but no one can define it. We may complain about time going too slow or too fast, but time doesn't go anywhere. But neither does it "stand still."

At least we can measure time intervals--seconds, hours, centuries, etc. This is because of God's gracious forethought in providing means for doing this. He was not a "blind watchmaker," as some evolutionists have called Him. He actually created time "in the beginning" (Genesis 1:1).

Then He set the sun and the moon in the sky, and made the earth to assume a global shape and to rotate on an axis, making the measurement of time in "days" possible. Next He placed stars in the far heavens in various locations and combinations and the earth to orbit around the sun, enabling us to tell how many "days" make up a "year." Then, once the earth's rotational axis was "tilted," that made "seasons" measurable. So we can at least identify time durations in days and years with their seasons, and we can subdivide or combine these in whatever ways we find convenient (minutes, decades, summer, winter, etc.).

But what about the "signs"? Although this is a controversial question, certain ancient Jewish scholars believed that God named the stars and their groupings (Isaiah 40:26; Job 38:31-32; etc.) and then revealed their prophetic meanings to patriarchs Seth and Enoch in order to record His great plan and purpose in creation permanently in the heavens. If so, it is no longer needed, since the written Word of God, "for ever . . . settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89), has now been transmitted "unto the fathers by the prophets" (Hebrews 1:1) and "shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). HMM

Daily Manna

Holiness: Condition for God's Blessing
Monday, March 1, 2010

TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 23:1-14

"For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee" (Deuteronomy 23:14).

A pathetic observation one notices these days is the content of the prayers of many professing Christians who claim the benefits of the kingdom in their prayers without corresponding piety and righteous living. To them, God is like a magician; the name of Jesus, a magic wand which, on being uttered, yields up a basketful of blessings and grants their wishes.

We see the true nature of God from the passage for consideration today. God Almighty listed out conditions for His blessings upon the children of Israel. He expressly declared that He would walk in their midst, deliver them and give up their enemies on condition that they keep their camps holy.

God is a moral God, who created a moral world and set up moral laws to regulate relationship between Himself and the world. God has not and will not abandon this cardinal principles and allow the sons of men to trample upon His laws and still expect to receive His blessings. That is why Paul the apostle wonders how men can continue in sin and still expect the grace of God to increase in their lives.

God intends to bless His children. In our relationship with God, it is we, not God, that benefits. He has everything that pertains to our life and godliness – pardon, peace, power, prosperity, provision, protection, preservation and eventually, paradise. What we need to do to benefit from His goodness is to fulfill His conditions. With the grace of God in our lives, those conditions are not grievous to carry out.

Thought for today: God’s faithfulness to His Word is unquestionable.

Daily Manna

Pay Your Vow
Tuesday, March 2, 2010

TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 23:15-25

"When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee" (Deuteronomy 23:21,22).

The Oxford Dictionary describes vow as a solemn promise made to a Deity or Saint. Once made, they become binding.

A mere secret purpose of the mind was not enough to constitute a vow; it had to be actually expressed in words. Though a purely voluntary act, when a vow is made, the performance of it, like that of every other promise, becomes an indispensable duty.

Vows are made by different people for various reasons. Hannah made a vow at the heat of her search of a child. Jephtha also, faced with a big challenge, made a vow unto the Lord.

Other sundry lessons abound in our passage for consideration today. It is honourable to shelter and protect the weak, provided they are not wicked. Proselytes and converts to the truth should be treated with particular tenderness that they may have no temptation to return to the world. It provided for the support of poor travellers, and teaches us to be kind to such, teaches us to be ready to distribute, and not to think everything would be lost that is given away. Yet, it forbids us to abuse the kindness of friends, or to take advantage of what is allowed.

It then behooves the believer to tread cautiously when making a vow, lest he rashly opens his mouth in the heat of emotion only to renege later. Faithfulness to engagements should be the hallmark of the people of God.

Thought for today: Be faithful to your vow.

Personal Greetings
March 2, 2010

"Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them" (Romans 16:14)

An interesting phenomenon occurs in the closing chapter of many of Paul's epistles, which may at first seem incongruous with the biblical doctrine of plenary verbal inspiration. This phenomenon is the recital of various names of individuals--people in the churches from which, or to which, he was writing. Most of them are people about whom we know nothing except their names, as listed by Paul. There are 11 people mentioned by name in Colossians 4:7-17. In Paul's final epistle to Timothy, right after he had written the great passage on the inspiration of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17), he mentioned no less than 18 names. In the last chapter of Romans is listed 35 names, five of which are included in the one short verse of our text!

The question is, why did the Holy Spirit inspire Paul to include so many personal names of people who were of only local interest, in epistles which God intended to be used by Christians everywhere? And, of course, these lists of names are dwarfed in comparison to the very extensive lists in the Old Testament (e.g., Numbers 7 and 26).

Perhaps the main reason for their permanent inscripturation in this fashion is simply to illustrate the great truth that God knows and cares about every one of His children. We do know that each of our names is written in "the book of life of the Lamb" and in God's "book of remembrance . . . for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name" (Revelation 13:8; Malachi 3:16). Perhaps, as a small token and assurance of these great lists in heaven, God has listed a few of these names in His Book here on earth. They were ordinary people just like us, and it will be our privilege, as Paul instructs in our text, to "salute Asyncritus" when we can, and all the other believers who have gone before us! HMM

"Shout To The Lord" by Hillsong


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzNsEBPB-Z8


Lyrics:

My Jesus, My Savior,
Lord, there is none like You;
All of my days
I want to praise
the wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,
Tower of refuge and strength;
let every breath, all that I am
never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
let us sing
power and majesty, praise to the King;
mountains bow down and the seas will roar
at the sound of Your name.

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,
forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,
nothing compares to the promise I have in You

"Majesty (Here I Am)" by Delirious


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oADMOG89UPg&feature=related


Lyrics:


Here I am humbled by your Majesty
Covered by your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

(Singing) Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
(Singing) Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty

Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Daily Manna

Make that Marriage Work
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 24:1-5

"When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house" (Deuteronomy 24:1).

The subject of marriage is not only sacred, it is also sensitive. The human nature which poses potent threat to God’s precepts often makes man to breach divine laws. That is exactly what informed Moses‘ pronouncement in our text today.

One, by his pronouncement that a man could divorce his wife if he became displeased with her because he had found some uncleanness in her was by no means an intention by Moses to change the demand or standard of God on this subject. Rather than give a command to divorce their wives, Moses merely permitted it, and the two are not the same thing.

The demand of God is that they should be together forever, for better or for worse. Jesus referred to Israel’s attitude as "hardness of heart" (Matthew 9:18) and warned that, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder" (verse 9).

Today, however, divorce is rampant as people do for every reason, a situation akin to the practice during the time of Jesus when the Pharisees demanded to know from Him whether it was right to divorce for every cause.

Love, temperance and forgiveness which are necessary to keep marital relationship till the end have taken flight in many homes and this has broken many marriages. Some other couples are merely patching up their relationship. The will of God is that your marriage should remain solid forever, and you can make it work; you must make it work.

Thought for today: Love and forgiveness will keep your marriage.

For the bible said iron sharpeneth iron

"Love NEVER takes offense because Love understands ALL things".

        When confronted by those who are unrighteously motivated towards us it is very important, first of all, to NOT take offense and, then, after separating ourselves unto God with a view to both seeking and gaining a deep understanding {revelation} of the situation, remain [for the most part] silent ["a man of understanding keeps silent" - Proverbs 11:12b]. As we are faithful to spend quality time praying "specifically" for all those involved it is certain that we will know exactly what to do  - speak or not speak, act or not act etc. - in precisely the right time-frame. There are times, though, when the Holy Spirit will just take over and speak exactly what needs to be spoken, immediately - sometimes in a manner that sounds very harsh to the one on the receiving end but, in reality, it is the perfect Love of God [although it is certain they won't think so - at least initially]. The one thing about righteous indignation is that it is, of course, ALWAYS  the spontaneous fruit of "righteous" motivation, and a heart that is wholly given to the Father's highest purpose and greatest good for the one that is being confronted - regardless of what they may have said or done to us in the past.

Daily Manna

Oppression Forbidden
Thursday, March 4, 2010

TEXT: Deuteronomy 24:6-22

"If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you" (Deuteronomy 24:7).

In His principle of human relations as handed down to the children of Israel, God abhorred murder by all means. He also frowns at stealing, especially, when a human being is the stolen "item."

God also prescribed death for anybody who stole his brethren for money-making. The command of God on the domestic relationship is predicated on the principle of live and let live. To avoid a situation where some people become predators over others, God decided to role out a set of laws forbidding the kidnap of fellow human beings for whatever reason.

In this passage, He gave instructions that the poor, the stranger, lepers and slaves should be treated fairly. What He said to the children of Israel, He says to us today. As believers, we should not treat the instruction of God with levity. In our contemporary times, many people are involved in kidnap business. They have turned the ugly thing into a booming business for ransom and ritual purposes. All those who take part in this sinful business are enemies of God and will one day come under His severe judgment if they fail to repent and desist.

It is God’s desire that there should not be any form of oppression against the downtrodden. We are challenged to treat others as we want them to treat us. Because they are human beings like us, created in the image of God, we must do to them as we want others to do to us.

Thought for today: Live and let live.

The Witness of Creation
March 4, 2010

"Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name" (Amos 5:

This striking exhortation is inserted in the midst of a prophetic rebuke by God of His people Israel. They were rapidly drifting into pagan idolatry, and Amos was trying to call them back.

His exhortation, given almost 2,800 years ago, is more needed today than it ever was before. Modern pagan scientists have developed elaborate but absurdly impossible theories about the chance origin of the universe from nothing, and the evolution of stars, planets, and people from primordial hydrogen. But the mighty cosmos and its galaxies of stars--even the very constellations, such as Orion and Pleiades (the "seven stars", as well as the solar system--were made. All of these had to be made by an omniscient, omnipotent Creator, who had a glorious purpose for it all.

Similarly, the global evidences that waters once covered all the earth's mountains (i.e., marine fossils and water-laid sediments at their summits) cannot possibly be explained--as evolutionary geologists try to do--by slow processes acting over aeons of time. God the Creator had to call massive volumes of water forth from their original reservoirs and pour them out on the earth in His Flood judgment on a rebellious world.

All of these witness to the fact of creation and judgment, not to impotent "gods" personifying natural forces. Men urgently need to seek the true God of creation and salvation before judgment falls again, for "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). HMM

God My Personal Saviour 
March 4, 2010

"And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour" (Luke 1:47)

One of the most wonderful titles of the Lord Jesus Christ is that of Saviour.  This word (Greek soter, from which is derived our theological term "soteriology," the study of salvation) occurs 24 times in the New Testament and is applied only to Christ, "for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

It occurs first of all on the lips of the virgin Mary in our text above, when she realized that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Saviour.  It is significant that this first use of soter recognizes that our Saviour can be none other than God Himself[i]--"God my Saviour"--[/i]and also that this fact should cause our spirits to rejoice, as Mary's did.  He becomes our personal Saviour when we believe on Him, as did Mary.

He is also "the Saviour of the world" (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14) and the "Saviour of all men" in the sense that His work on the cross is sufficient to save all who will receive Him.

There are eight other verses in the New Testament in which "Saviour" is taken as synonymous with "God." The final occurrence of "Saviour" is one of these, and it is in one of the greatest doxologies of the Bible.  "To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen" (Jude 25).

There are many today who see the man Jesus as a great teacher and example, but who reject His deity.  There are many others who believe in a cosmic deity of some kind, but are unwilling to believe that He could become uniquely incarnate in a perfect man.  How urgent it is that we believe and teach that our Creator must also become our Saviour if we are ever to be saved.  We must "trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe" (1 Timothy 4:10).  Then we can rejoice with Mary in "God my Saviour." HMM

Daily Manna

Equity
Friday, March 5, 2010

TEXT: Deuteronomy 25:1-19

"But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Deuteronomy 25:15).

Justice in some places is sold to the highest bidder. Those who have money and are in positions of authority have a different kind of justice from those who are poor and not connected to high places.

In commerce, it is common to see diverse weights and measures. People sell substandard materials for the price of good ones. They make ungodly gains as they exploit the unsuspecting buyers. It is common today to find workers defraud their employers and get paid for the work they did not do.

God does not expect believers to be involved in such dubious deals. Christians in places of responsibility and authority make decisions every time. In taking a position on any matter, you are expected to justify the righteous and condemn the evil-doer. The wicked should be punished in a way to correct and not to humiliate and make him vile in the eyes of his brethren. All men should be treated equally. There should be no partiality or respect of persons. There should be no injustice among believers.

God hates cheating and all those who cheat are abominable in His sight. Those who are just on the other hand are blessed of God and have long life. Consider this: many people who come to great wealth today die in the prime of their life. We must avoid oppression, injustice, unjust weights and measures. God will judge every evil work.

Thought for today: The just God demands justice.

Another Jesus 
March 5, 2010

"For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Corinthians 11:4)

The verses following our text contain an enlightening warning about false teachers. One should not carelessly follow a personable religious leader merely because he "preaches Jesus" or urges audiences to "receive the Spirit."

"Jesus" is quite popular among worldly people today, but not the true Jesus. The popular Jesus may be the baby Jesus in the manger at Christmastime, or the buddy Jesus of Nashville "gospel" music, or the success-counseling Jesus of the positive thinkers. He may be the romantic Jesus of the Christian crooners, the rhythmic Jesus of Christian rock, or the reforming Jesus of the liberals, but none of these are the Jesus preached by the apostle Paul, and therefore not the real Jesus who saves men and women from their sins.

Jesus in reality is the Lord Jesus Christ, the offended Creator of the universe (Colossians 1:16), who had to die as man on the cross to redeem us through His shed blood (Colossians 1:14, 20), and who then rose from the dead to be set "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named" (Ephesians 1:21).  Finally, it is this Jesus "who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:1).

The Lord Jesus, as He really is, is not the popular Jesus of T-shirts and bumper stickers, politicians and entertainers. He was "despised and rejected of men" (Isaiah 53:3) so they "crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:.

He is the mighty God, the perfect man, the only Savior, the eternal King, and Lord of lords. God-called teachers will not preach an imaginary Jesus who appeals to the flesh, but rather the true Christ of creation and salvation. HMM

Daily Manna

Offer to God
Saturday, March 6, 2010

TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 26:1-9

"That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there" (Deuteronomy 26:2).

There is a saying that, "the person who knows how to be thoughtful will also know how to be thankful." This provides the principle that underlies the study of today.

In the passage, the people of Israel were commanded to bring the firstfruits of their lands into the house of the Lord in appreciation of how God delivered them from the oppression of the Egyptians and brought them into the land of promise. It was to be a token of their sense of gratitude for the mercy of God they enjoyed.

Today, believers are expected to honour the Lord with their tithes and offerings which are our first fruits. We need to remember the goodness of the Lord towards us, and in gratitude offer unto the Lord the first fruits of our labour. Our occupations or means of income generate ‘fruits’ that we are supposed to present unto God before we begin to spend on other things. As commanded by Moses, the offerer would have to make profession to the Lord in expression of gratitude to God and as a sign of commitment and consecration.

Nothing short of the same attitude is expected of us today if we are to continue to enjoy God’s blessings. As a child of God, you must cultivate the habit of paying your tithes and offering regularly. The Lord has promised to visit us with abundance if we are obedient to this command. If you do not have any means of generating income, go to God in prayer, so shall you be able to participate in payment of tithes.

Thought for today: The secret of reaping is sowing.

Holidays
March 6, 2010

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days" (Colossians 2:16)

This is the only verse in the New Testament that has any reference to holidays (at one time considered "holy days". However, the Greek word so translated does occur there quite often, being rendered elsewhere always by its correct meaning of "feasts."

Such "holy days" in the Old Testament economy normally required "no servile work" to be done on those days and were usually associated with a special "feast" of some deep spiritual significance. They certainly were not holidays in the modern sense, devoted mostly to pleasure.

In fact, it is perhaps significant that neither holidays nor vacations are mentioned in the Bible at all. The weekly Sabbath "rest" day is, of course, frequently emphasized. One day in seven has always been observed as a day to rest from labour and to remember our Creator. However, the other six days were to be spent working. Many can still remember when the norm was a six-day work week.

Not so now. Many complain about even a five-day week, and "T.G.I.F." is a common feeling as the "weekend" approaches. "Labour" Day is now a day mainly for fun, but it might be a good day for Christians to thank God for the privilege of work and doing that work "heartily, as to the Lord" (Colossians 3:23). Our work, whatever it may be, can become a real testimony for (or, sadly, against) the Lord whom we profess to serve.

In the ages to come, there will still be work to do for the Lord. In that day, it is promised that "his servants shall serve him" (Revelation 22:3). Therefore, we should be "abounding in the work of the Lord" right now. It will not be "in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58). HMM

Daily Manna

The Fall of the Haughty
Sunday, March 7, 2010

TEXT: EZEKIEL 28:1-19

"Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee" (Ezekiel 28:15).

Attaining success in life is not as hard as sustaining it.  In history as well as in contemporary times, one thread runs through those who rose from humble backgrounds to greatness but later abused the privilege.  As it applies to individuals, so it is to families and nations.  People have risen and fallen.  Empires have attained wide acclaim and waned.  Nations have assumed prominence and later receded into oblivion.

Ethbaal or Ithobal, the prince of Tyre (Tyrus), was lifted up with excessive pride.  His attributes in the passage today are reminiscent of king Herod’s (Acts 12:20-23) and a future reference to the Antichrist (Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2: whose common attribute is pride.

Pride is peculiarly the sin of our fallen nature.  The haughty prince of Tyre thought he was able to protect his people by his own power, and considered himself as equal to the inhabitants of heaven.  His experience should teach leaders of today some good lessons, especially if their nations are prospering under their rule.  Tyre’s prince was well aware of the comparative advantage afforded his territory by virtue of its location, as a major seaport , a popular business destination, centre of commerce and a relatively more affluent.  The beauty of the place has some elements of perfection, at that time. Ithobal may have got drunk with that realization, thinking that Tyrus was the best place there ever could be.

Pride originated from the devil.  Those who are proud will certainly fall.  Therefore, live a humble and holy lifestyle to be able to enjoy God’s blessing.

Thought for today: Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall

The Duty of Rejoicing
March 7, 2010

"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee" (Psalm 5:11)

It may seem strange to think of rejoicing as a Christian duty, but the Scriptures do contain many commands to rejoice, and many of these are given in circumstances of grief or danger, as is the case of our beautiful text verse.

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice" (Philippians 4:4), Paul wrote from a Roman dungeon. In the upper room the night before He was to die on a cross, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11). And then He said: "They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service" (John 16:2). But then He said again: "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24).

If David could rejoice while fleeing from murderous enemies, if Paul could rejoice while chained unjustly in a Roman prison, if the disciples could experience fullness of joy while facing martyrdom, and if the Lord Himself "for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame" (Hebrews 12:2), then our Christian duty of rejoicing in all circumstances may not be such an unseemly command after all.

We can rejoice, as our text reminds us, "because thou defendest them." Furthermore, He Himself provides the joy, for "the fruit of the Spirit is . . . joy" (Galatians 5:22). It is not that the Christian will never know sorrow, for Christ Himself was "a man of sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3). But He also was a man of joy and, in Him, we can be like Him--"as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing" (2 Corinthians 6:10). HMM

+ Burn no "bridges" - and never give up! For it is certain that the continued exercising of faith [love] and patience will have its reward and perfect fulfillment - according to My highest purposes.

, "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises", Hebrews 6:11-12 NASB

+ A "preconceived [presumptuous] notion" is any thought taken [held to], word spoken or action carried out apart from a revelation of My Will - and the unction of My Spirit.

, "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God", Romans 8:14 NASB

, "[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)", 2 Corinthians 10:5 The Amplified Translation

Thank you guys for these thread.

"Revelation Song" by Gateway Worship (lead by Kari Jobe)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL0nDrEYDnk


Lyrics:

VERSE 1 & 2

Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain
Holy, holy is He
Sing a new song to Him Who sits on Heaven's mercy seat

(Repeat)

CHORUS

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You

VERSE 3

Clothed in rainbows of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be
To You, the only wise King
CHORUS

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You

VERSE 4
Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus, Your Name is power, breath and living water, such a marvelous mys- tery

CHORUS

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You

(Repeat)

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You

Daily Manna

God's Gracious Visitation
Monday, March 8, 2010

TEXT: Ezekiel 28:20-26

"Thus saith the Lord God; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob" (Ezekiel 28:25).

Among one of the first glimpses we get of God is that of a seeker: "Adam . . . where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9).  Someone said to a young minister, you can never be a preacher if you read the question "where art thou?" in the tone of a policeman, as if God were seeking a fugitive for justice.  You must read it as though God is a broken-hearted Father looking for a lost child.

God demonstrated unalloyed concern for the plight of Israel.  This ushered in a turning point in the history of the children of Israel.  The graciousness of God came in two different ways for the house of Israel.  First, the visitation of His great anger on Zidon: "I am against thee O Zidon".  Zidon that once served as instrument of chastisement in the hand of God to afflict Israel is now being visited with pestilence and torture. "For I will send unto her pestilence, and blood into the streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword . . .". Zidon represents the system of corruption, idolatry, evil and general departure from God that are prevalent in the world today.  Sinners will face the wrath of God if they fail to repent.

Secondly, God fought Zidon so that "there shall be no more pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor a grieving thorn of all that are around them . . . ." He did this so as to ensure that the blessings He will give to His returning children will remain unchallenged by the enemies.  "And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses and plant vineyards; yea ,they shall dwell with confidence . . . ."

God is daily seeking for the lost sinners to bring them back to Himself.  Repentance leads to pardon and forgiveness.  Forgiveness leads to restoration of all lost privileges and opportunities.

Thought for today: Repentance leads to restoration.