Daily Manna

Repent Now, Else . . .
Thursday, March 18, 2010

TEXT: 2 KINGS 21:1-18

"And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel" (2 Kings 21:2).

An actress, Marilyn Monroe was visited by Billy Graham during the presentation of a show.  He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her.  After hearing what the preacher had to say, she said: ‘I don’t need your Jesus'.  A week later, she was found dead in her apartment.

Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah, a man who had some faults, but of whom it is nevertheless said, "He did right in the sight of the Lord."  To a great degree, he walked before God with a perfect heart, even as did David his father.  Manasseh pulled down what his father had built up, and built up the idol temples which his father had pulled down.  He was one of those who had the power of leading others astray from the truth and God.  Among the rank of idolaters, Manasseh stood first, and it was the song and glory of the false priests that the king of Judah was on the side of the gods of the heathen.

The worst of men are those who, having much light, still go astray.  You shall find among the greatest champions of the camp of hell, men who were brought up and educated in the truth of God’s word.

Those who pride themselves in rebellion and wickedness should not wait until the day of God’s wrath; for then it will be too late to repent.

Thought for today: God’s clock is ticking; don’t ignore His call to salvation!

The Poetry of God
March 18, 2010

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them"? (Ephesians 2:10)

The word "poem" is derived from the Greek poiema. Used only twice in the New Testament, it refers to two great works of God Himself. Thus, God is the divine poet who has created two great masterpieces--artistic creations of marvelous intricacy and surpassing beauty.

The first is the entire physical universe: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). In this key verse, poiema is translated "things that are made." Everything in the universe, animate and inanimate, constitutes a marvelous product of God's creative forethought and inventive skill. If a beautiful poem requires a poet to create it, so much the more does the complex cosmic poem of the universe demand a great poet of consummate wisdom and infinite power. The rejection of the poet and the message of the poem not only leaves one "without excuse" (v. 20), but facing "the wrath of God" (v. 18).

Yet an even more amazing poem is the work of transforming redemption accomplished in a lost soul saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:. For then it is we, ourselves, who become His poem! This also is a great creative masterpiece, for "we are his workmanship |same word, Greek poiema|, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." A life once dead in sin, now born again and walking in good works--this is God's greatest poetic masterpiece of all!

Both the mighty universe and the soul made new in Christ are special creations of God, and both manifest His greatness and His love. "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15) of grace. HMM

This is another interview with God

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PROMOTION

I AM raising you up.  You have humbled yourself and been abased before Me and man.
You have become the least of these and suffered the persecution of that position.
From that place you have felt the pain and agony of every day in every way.
But in that place you learned of Me.
You learned of My great love and favor.
You learned of My ways.
You learned how to praise and worship Me out of  the pureness of heart.
You sought only Me in love and have found Me in My fullness.
Now I lift you up out of the dung hill to place you among the great ones of the earth.
Be not surprised by the rapid and sudden turn of events in your life.
For now you will take My heart and ways to those who think that they see and brag of their riches;
but who are in fact poor, pitiable, and blind.
They will now see Me through you.
I will make you as the great ones of the earth as you lift and glorify Me! 
You will take Me to those who are blind that they may truly see!!!

Psalm 75:
For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Daily Manna

Make Your Choice
Friday, March 19, 2010

TEXT: 2 Kings 21:19-26

"And he forsook the Lord God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the Lord" (2 Kings 21:22).

In the world in which we live we are often confronted with divine choices each day. Usually, the choices we make often have far-reaching implications. As a philosopher once said, "if you choose not to choose, that in itself is a choice."

Amon, one of the kings of Judah, had the privilege and opportunity to use his position to influence the people of Israel in a godly way but he did not manage it well.

His father was a wicked and ungodly king and he also decided to follow the evil example of his father. The ways of the Lord are clearly laid out and taught in Israel and every Israelite was expected to choose the way of righteousness and obedience. God had also warned them that if they forsook Him, there would be punishment and judgment.

In the passage, Amon chose the wrong example of idolatry and wickedness (verse 22). It was then easy for the servants to conspire against him and he was killed in his own house because he had lost the favour and protection of God.

In our contemporary time, cases abound of people who met their waterloo by simply following sinful paths against all warning and pieces of advice. It is rampant these days to see people openly declaring "war" against God and his people as soon as they got to positions of honour in society or even in the church.

When we forsake the Lord, we are forsaking our Source of security and protection. Following the bad example of ungodly parents or people around us portends serious danger. We have our own choice to make. Our choice determines our destiny.

Thought for today: Choose you this day who you will serve.

Make Your Choice

[flash=500,400]http://media.chick.com/tract_8.swf[/flash]

The Indwelling Trinity
March 19, 2010

"To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:19)

One of the great doctrines of Christianity is the doctrine of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God, who lives in the heart of each believer who trusts in Christ for salvation. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19).

At the same time, God is one God, so all three persons of the Godhead must, through the Spirit, likewise indwell the believer. Note Paul’s prayer for the believers in the Ephesian church (Ephesians 3:14-19).

"That he would grant you . . . to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man" (Ephesians 3:16). This request acknowledges the indwelling Spirit. Christ also prayed for this: "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter . . . the Spirit of truth . . . for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16-17).

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith" (Ephesians 3:17), that we might "know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (v. 19). Here is the indwelling Son. This is also revealed in Galatians 2:20 ("Christ liveth in me") and Colossians 1:27 ("Christ in you, the hope of glory").

"That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). This can only refer to the indwelling Father, as well as the entire tri-unity of the Godhead. Can this indwelling be ours? Note also that the entire prayer was addressed in the first place to "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 3:14). This, likewise, is a reflection of Christ’s promise: "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). "Filled with all the fulness of God!" What a wonderful privilege--and responsibility--is ours. HMM

grace5:

PROMOTION

I AM raising you up.  You have humbled yourself and been abased before Me and man.
You have become the least of these and suffered the persecution of that position.
From that place you have felt the pain and agony of every day in every way.
But in that place you learned of Me.
You learned of My great love and favor.
You learned of My ways.
You learned how to praise and worship Me out of  the pureness of heart.
You sought only Me in love and have found Me in My fullness.
Now I lift you up out of the dung hill to place you among the great ones of the earth.
Be not surprised by the rapid and sudden turn of events in your life.
For now you will take My heart and ways to those who think that they see and brag of their riches;
but who are in fact poor, pitiable, and blind.
They will now see Me through you.
I will make you as the great ones of the earth as you lift and glorify Me! 
You will take Me to those who are blind that they may truly see!!!

Psalm 75:
For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

i receive it in Jesus name Amen!

Jesus Face Is The Manifestation Of His Glory
Jeffrey Stewart

The manifestation of His Glory is the manifestation of His Face in the earth realm.
All of His Glory proceeds from His Face.
It fills Heaven like the sun fills the earth with its light.
When our faces are like His Face, He manifests His Glory through us.
His Face is contained in His Word. His Face is His Image.
His Image is His revelation of His inner beauty.
When we become full of His Word, His Word restores His Beauty to us.
There is nothing more beautiful than the Face of God. His Face reveals His Heart.
When our faces look like His Face, people will see His Beauty on His People, and want to get saved.
Jesus is the Face of God made visible in the earthly realm.
Jesus is The Word His Word restores the Beauty man used to reflect before the fall.
The Cross undid everything that was done by the fall.
So when we become full of His Word, His Spirit takes the Word in our hearts and makes it visible on our Faces.
The Holy of Holies is the most beautiful place to be in all existence.
David used to stay there and gaze upon the Beauty of the Lord.
We are designed to bear His Beauty for all to see, and through us restore His Beauty to all creation.
His Beauty is Love made visible. We are to make Love visible in the earth realm.
When our minds are renewed by His Word, the Holy of Holies in our hearts becomes visible in our lives.
He is restoring His Beauty to His Bride so that she will be a good gift to His Son

Daily Manna

Escape for your Life
Saturday, March 20, 2010

TEXT: 2 KINGS 22:1-20

"Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord" (2 Kings 22:19).

The reason many people get lost today is not because God does not want to save them. Their ego is the stumblingblock in the way of their salvation.

However, our text today reveals the attitude of king Josiah, who assumed the throne in Judah at the age of eight years. He had the highest office in Judah and was quite comfortable. Notwithstanding, he knew that God was not a respecter of persons.

Josiah, therefore, consistently took progressive steps to be in good reckoning with God so as to escape His anger. Apart from the fact that he gave money to construction workers, who themselves proved faithful to repair the house of God, when he realized through the revelation of the contents of the newly discovered book of the law that Judah had deviated totally from the expectations of God into idolatry, he repented.

Although God said, "I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof", He spared Josiah on account of his repentant, humble and submissive attitude.

Be wise unto salvation and escape for your life. Nothing else can wash your sins away except the blood of Jesus. You need to repent, be humble and to submit to God.

Thought for today: It is not late; you can change today.

In a Moment of Time 
March 20, 2010

"And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time" (Luke 4:5)

It is interesting that there are just three "moments" mentioned in the New Testament and that there are three different Greek words so translated, each used one time only in the Bible.  Furthermore, each of these three "moments" is used in a context which is anticipatory of the future.

First of all, Satan tempted Jesus by flashing before His eyes a vision of the whole world, offering it to Him immediately without His having to endure the cross, if He would rule it for the devil. Here the Greek word for "moment" is stigme, meaning a "point," like a period after a sentence.  In an infinite "time line," it would be just a dot on the line, a "point" in time.  Satan’s apparent dominion over this world, though it lasts six thousand years or so, is only a moment compared to eternity, and Jesus knew this was a poor bargain.

One day, in fact, He will return to reclaim the world from Satan.  At that great day, "we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).  In this passage, the unique word is atomos, meaning an indivisible particle.  That is, in an "atom of time," too instantaneous to measure, we shall be changed to be like Him in "his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21).

Right now, however, our bodies are weak and easily beset with pain and sickness. Nevertheless, we are assured that "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). The word here is parautika, referring specifically to the present moment.  What we must endure "here and now" is so brief compared to the eternity "then and there" that it is not even "worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). HMM

Daily Manna

Self-delusion
Sunday, March 21, 2010

TEXT: JEREMIAH 37:1-21

"Thus saith the Lord; Deceive not yourselves . . . " (Jeremiah 37:9).

Many people think today that their action or inaction will attract no consequence. That is wishful thinking. Sometimes, when people have a relief from a negative situation, they think that is the end of it and begin to rejoice instead of using the period to put their life in order.

This was the situation of the people of Judah during the reign of Zedekiah and the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah. God has given Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon power over Judah because the people would not accept God’s word from Jeremiah.

They hoped that Pharaoh would deliver them. God’s word to them was, "deceive not yourselves." God said, the Chaldeans will destroy Judah and the people must become their captives. They sought for God’s mind, but they were not willing to do it.

This is the attitude of many people today. When God demands repentance, they refuse and engage in self-delusion. They go about working out their own righteousness. They get involved in religious rituals, attend religious meetings, pretend to be seeking God while indeed they do not care about His will.

We cannot hide from God. Our secret activities are open to Him. Jonah felt his running away to Tarshish would hide him from God but he was wrong; the eyes of the Lord run to and fro the whole world. Let’s not deceive ourselves.

Thought for today: Self-deception leads to eternal ruin.

Daily Manna

God Will Deliver You
Monday, March 22, 2010

TEXT: Jeremiah 38:1-13

"Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire" (Jeremiah 38:6).

We all love to protect ourselves from danger or anything that tends to threaten our security or harm us.  Nobody would like to walk into a deep well of marshy water with his or her eyes wide open.  But the fact remains that we are daily confronted with danger, especially when we belong to the minority that stands for the truth and righteousness in a hostile environment.

Jeremiah was a notable prophet of God who delivered God’s message to the princes and the kings of Israel without fear or favour.  What he said was in fulfillment of God’s words concerning backslidden Israel.  He was opposed, persecuted and thrown into a pit with the aim of killing him.  But God used a servant in the king’s palace to deliver him and save his life.

Persecution are part and parcel of the Christian life.  Every genuine child of God must have a cross to bear.  Jeremiah was in the will of God, yet, suffered persecution.  The dungeon into which he was thrown was full of mire.  Talk of rubbing in pepper into a festering sore!  But the Lord delivered him.  As the scripture affirms, God knows how to deliver the righteous.  When we commit ourselves to stand for righteousness and speak the truth at all times, our lives may be under threat, but God will defend and deliver us from every danger.  "He that keepeth Israel will neither sleep nor slumber." As we keep serving Him and doing His will, let us remember that, underneath us are the everlasting arms.

Let us desire and determine to do His will and He will take care of our security.

Thought for today: "The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work."

Aceldama

"And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood" (Acts 1:19)

Never was a tract of land more fittingly named than Aceldama, an Aramaic word meaning "field of blood," for it had been purchased with blood money, "the price of blood" (Matthew 27:6). The purchaser had been Judas (through the "executors" of his estate, as it were, following his suicide), but the blood he sold, to acquire the price of the field, he had deemed "innocent blood."

The miserable thirty shekels of silver which consummated this transaction was the price of a slave in ancient Israel (Exodus 21:32), but this slave was none other than God incarnate, so the thirty pieces of silver--the price set by the religious leaders of Israel--was the price for the sale of God.

The prophet Zechariah, more than 500 years before, had acted out a prophecy of these strange events: "So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver . . . a goodly price that I was prised at of them" (Zechariah 11:12-13). Next, according to both prophecy and fulfillment, this blood money was cast down in the temple and then used to buy the potter’s field (Zechariah 11:13; Matthew 27:5, 7-.

These and many other such details in these accounts constitute a remarkable type and fulfillment of prophecy, and thus a testimony of both divine inspiration and divine foreordination. But, more than that, it is a striking picture of the price of our salvation, for the "field of blood" typifies that great field is the world (Matthew 13:38) and Christ is the man who, searching for "treasure hid in a field . . . selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field" (Matthew 13:44). All that He had--the very blood of His life--was willingly shed that we, dead in sins and hidden in the world, might be "purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). HMM

Heaven Opened 
March 23, 2010

"And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man" (John 1:51)

Daily Manna

False Sense of Security
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

TEXT: Jeremiah 38:14-27

"But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live" (Jeremiah 38:20).

The word of the Lord had clearly laid it bare that death by famine, sword and pestilence awaited those who lingered in Jerusalem, but that those who ventured to the Chaldeans at that time would live. Jeremiah, the prophet, was misunderstood by the king’s lieutenants who wrongly accused him of weakening the hands of the soldiers remaining in the city. He was regarded as subversive and unpatriotic.

King Zedekiah, out of fear, did not help matters either as he tried to extricate himself, leaving Jeremiah at the mercy of his accusers. The prophet would have died in the miry dungeon but for the intervention of a concerned eunuch, an Ethiopian servant of the king who was brave enough to tell the king of the evil the king’s lieutenants had done to Jeremiah and how he was about to die in the dungeon.

Zedekiah played hide-and-seek game while seeking to rescue Jeremiah, trading Jeremiah’s safety for an assurance from the prophet to keep a lid on the king’s disclosure to him. The less men fear God, the more they fear men; often, they dare not act according to their own judgments and consciences as Zedekiah did in this case.

The king still remained tardy until Jerusalem was captured. He had the premonition on what was going to happen and privileged information on what to do, but he squandered them.

How often have men in authority allowed calamities to come upon those under their watch, only because of timidity! Since we will account for our deeds in the offices we occupy, it is right for us to begin to act boldly, wisely and well, thinking less of our own selfish ends and personal safety.

Most of all, everyone must take his security in his hand by hiding under the refuge that is in Jesus Christ through faith in the atoning blood of the Lamb.

Thought for today: True security is in Jesus.

Heaven Opened 
March 23, 2010

"And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man" (John 1:51)

In Jacob's dream (Genesis 28:12), angels were ascending and descending on a great ladder between earth and heaven. Christ promised a future reality in which He Himself would be the ladder to the opened heaven.

But that was to be "hereafter." Until Christ came to die and rise again, heaven was closed, for nothing unclean could enter there and death had "passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12).  Even those who died in faith could only be "comforted" in "Abraham's bosom" deep "in the heart of the earth" (Luke 16:22, 25; Matthew 12:40), because "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins" (Hebrews 10:4).

Then Christ died and rose again "to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews 9:26).  In His spirit, "he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth," and "when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive" (Ephesians 4:8-9), leading all pre-Calvary saints with Him into heaven.  Then was fulfilled the wonderful scene predicted in Psalm 24:7: "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in."

Since that wonderful day when Christ ascended back to heaven, "to be absent from the body" is "to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:.  Heaven someday will even receive our resurrected bodies.  John prophesied it this way: "I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice . . . said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter" (Revelation 4:1).  Heaven thenceforth will be open eternally to all the redeemed.  "The gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there" (Revelation 21:25). HMM

WARNING!!!

Beware of this book!!    Oprah is pushing it.  It is scary that someone would be bold enough to write a book from God's point of view contrary to His Word.  Please send to all with kids or grandkids,

BEWARE!!

If you have children or grandchildren, work with children at church, or you have neighbourhood children whose parents you know, please take note of the information below and pass it along to others.  Schools are distributing this book to children through the Scholastic Book Club.
 
The name of the book is Conversations with God ,   James Dobson talked about this book twice this week.  It is devastating.  Parents, churches and Christian schools need to be aware of it.  Please pass this information on to church/e-mail addresses, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends.
 
Please pay special attention not only to what your kids watch on TV, in movie theatres, on the Internet, and the music they listen to, but also be alert regarding the books they read.
 
Two particular books are, Conversations with God and Conversations with God for Teens, written by Neale D. Walsch.  They sound harmless enough by their titles alone.  The books have been on the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks, and they make truth of the statement, "Don't judge a book by its cover or title."

The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the "voice of God". However, the "answers" that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of God.  For instance (and I paraphrase), when a girl asks the question "Why am I a lesbian?"  His answer is that she was 'born that way' because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed, with brown eyes, etc.).  Then he tells her to go out and "celebrate" her differences.
 
Another girl poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend.  My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin.  Should I marry him?"
 
His reply is, "Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong."
 
Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin.  His reply "I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive,  There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people.  People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the rule is "'judge not lest ye be judged."
Not only are these books the false doctrine of the devil, but in some instances quote (in error) the Word of God.
 
And the list goes on.  These books (and others like it) are being sold to schoolchildren through (The Scholastic Book Club), and we need to be aware of what is being fed to our children.
 
Our children are under attack.  So I pray that you be sober and vigilant about teaching your children the Word of God, and guarding their exposure to worldly mediums, because our adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:. We know that lions usually hunt for the slowest, weakest and YOUNGEST of its prey.
 
Pass this on to every Believer you know.  God bless!  And, if you are in doubt, check out the books yourself.

Daily Manna

Danger of Negligence
Wednesday, March 24, 2010

TEXT: Jeremiah 39:1-10

"But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him" (Jeremiah 39:5).

An incident was reported about a man whose house was about to collapse due to whirlwind that was raging heavily. This man went and hid under the roof. Meanwhile, a rescue team came with a helicopter urging this man to hold to a rescue rope thrown down to him. He refused, claiming that he believed God will help him.

This is exactly the undoing of Zedekiah king of Judah. He ignored the warnings and the counsel of Jeremiah the prophet and he paid dearly for it. He lost his life and the kingdom. The people of Judah were carried captive. “Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city . . . .

Sinners who refuse to repent will end up in hell. Negligence of the warning of God is the major reason why sinners will still suffer in hell even after Jesus had died on the cross for the salvation of mankind. God is willing to forgive all repentant and returning sinners. It is time that everyone of us should seek refuge in Christ before it is too late.

Thought for today: To obey is better than sacrifice.

Building-Vine-Body 
March 24, 2010

"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3)

There are three wonderful figures in the New Testament which depict the relationship of the individual believer to all other believers and to Christ Himself.  Christians are like little branches in the great vine, which is Christ.  They are stones in a great building of which He is the foundation and corner stone.  They are all members of the great body of which He is the head. In each case, they have been placed "in Christ," and they derive all life and meaning from Him.

As a stone lying alone on the ground is useless and ugly, so would be a professing Christian who is not truly in Christ.  But we, "as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:5) as "the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Similarly, a branch without its vine and roots is lifeless.  Jesus said: "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).

The members of a body are functionless without the head to direct them.  "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him" (1 Corinthians 12:18), and it is intended that we "may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together . . . maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:15-16).

Outside of Christ, we are useless, and lifeless, and without direction.  In Him, we become a beautiful temple, a fruitful vine, and a strong body. HMM

Fear is "activated" by self-will [self-desire], and is always rooted in the fear of losing someone or something - particularly the "control" over one's own life. Faith is always "activated" by a divine love [for Me - and for My Will] - and exercised with a view to gaining something for [and, thus, furthering] the Church and the Kingdom

        , "But turning around and seeing His disciples, He [Jesus] rebuked Peter and *said, 'Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's.' And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels",  Mark 8:33-38 NASB

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad,
your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and Money.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
matthew 6 : 22-34

Daily Manna

Trust in God Brings Favour
Thursday, March 25, 2010

TEXT: Jeremiah 39:11-18

"Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying, Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee" (Jeremiah 39:11,12).

It was C.H. Spurgeon of blessed memory who said, ‘After all, what can a man do without the Lord’s permission. He puts a bit into the mouth of rage, and a bridle upon the head of power. Let us fear the Lord and we shall have no one else to fear. No cup of cold water given to a despised prophet of God shall be without its reward; and if we stand up for Jesus, Jesus will stand up for us’.

God had promised to see Jeremiah through all the troubles and ministerial challenges he would face. The Babylonians in their superstition had respect for magicians and fortune tellers and because Jeremiah had counselled cooperation with Babylon and predicted victory for them they treated him as a seer: they accorded him special treatment and favour on the instruction of the king. And Ebed-melech, a despised Ethiopian who showed kindness to Jeremiah was promised deliverance by the Lord.

Believers and servants of the Lord are assured safe landing in their flight through life. The sea may roar, and the wind may blow, the promise of God for His children remain unchallengeable. It is only very important that we exercise absolute faith in Him who has called us to grace and glory. Our faith will be rewarded, just as the faith of Jeremiah and prophets of old was honoured.

Whatever challenges you are facing in your personal or ministerial journey, always rest assured that you will overcome. Because the Captain of the host is the one to whom belongeth all power. As we support the Church of Christ and servants of God, giving a cup of cold water when necessary, we will be dully rewarded if we faint not.

Thought for today: There is a promise of deliverance for Christ’s faithful followers.

Holy Goodness 
March 25, 2010

""|Barnabus| was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith" (1 Corinthians 14:20)

The Holy Spirit indwells all believers (1 Corinthians 1:22; 6:19, etc.) and the fruit of the Spirit includes "goodness" (Galatians 5:22) among eight other godly traits. One should therefore expect those empowered by the Spirit (Romans 15:19) to demonstrate holy goodness.

How does holy goodness manifest itself in people?

• Good people delight in God’s holiness (Psalm 37:23).
• Good people expect God’s blessing (Proverbs 12:2).
• Good people secure their children (Proverbs 13:22).
• Good people are satisfied with life (Proverbs 14:14).
• Good people love wisdom (Matthew 12:35).
• Good people are just people (Luke 23:50).
• Good people are full of faith (Acts 11:24).

Our Lord Jesus made it clear that the "fruits" borne by our lives provide the identification of our spiritual status (Matthew 7:20) for all to see.

The parables of the "talents" and the "pounds" (Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27) teach two different applications of the same principle.

In the one case, the same amount was given to everyone and reward was based on how well each did with their resources.

In the other case, different resources were granted to each, and the reward was distributed in proportion to the faithful use of what was initially given.

In both cases, the "unfaithful" and "lazy" servant was castigated and his initial wealth confiscated. No man "having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).

Good people are productive people. HMM III

"There Is None (Like You)" by Don Moen & Paul Wilbur


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLK0Pdqr41I&feature=related


Lyrics included within the the video

There may be times when you must stir up the gift within you. There will not always be others around to turn to, but God! In the middle of the night, He deals with you. It's you and Him having a heart to heart about the test of the moment. He will use your mouth to speak over your life, your health, your salvation, your finances, your family, your dreams, your circumstances! Sometimes, you must encourage yourself in the Lord.

"Encourage Yourself" by Donald Lawrence & Tri-City Singers


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6yhgFxDQMw&feature=related


Lyrics:


Lead-
Sometimes you have to encourage yourself
Sometimes you have to speak victory during the test
and no matter how you feel
Speak the word you will be healed
Speak over yourself
Encourage yourself in the Lord
oooohhh oohh

Choir-
Sometimes you have to encourage yourself
Sometimes you have to speak victory during the test
no matter how you feel
Speak the word and you will be healed
Speak over yourself
Encourage yourself in the lord

Lead-
Sometimes you have to speak the word over yourself
the pressure is all around but God is present help
oh the enemy created walls but remeber giants they do fall
speak over your self encourage your self in the lord
oh as I minister to you
oh I minister to myself
life can hurt you sooo
till you feel there's nothing left

Choir-
no matter how you feel
speak the word and you will be healed

Vamp 1-
Speak over yourself (repeat 4

Vamp2
I'm Encourage(repeat 4
I'm Encourage(Repeat till the end)

Lead- Speak over yourself encourage yourself in the Lord
oooohhhh ooooohhhhh

SUPERNATURAL MULTIPLICATION

The Lord says the harvest from the seed that you have sown is coming in! 
He is supernaturally multiplying the harvest coming forth from the seeds that you have sown.
You have sown in a hard season with many tears involved.
You may not even remember sowing all the seeds that are now bringing forth your harvest.   
You sowed many, many seeds of time, service, and love….the hours you spent in the presence of your Lord,
the prayers you prayed, the helping hand you gave to someone in need,
the kind words you spoke in response to someone’s hurt or anger, the love you gave to those who were downtrodden and rejected of the world, the time you gave to those so alone and hurting, the hungry you fed, those you clothed, those that you shared the gospel with,
and yes, the gifts you gave when you really didn’t have it to spare, but you did without that someone else might have.
The Lord saw it all and remembers each seed.
Now all the good seeds that you have sown are being MULTIPLIED by the Lord Himself to bring forth His supernatural harvest back into your life.  Reap in joy, and then sow freely with the wisdom of your Lord!


Psalm 126:
5They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.

Hebrews 6:
14Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

Daily Manna

He Does What He Says
Friday, March 26, 2010

TEXT: Jeremiah 40:1-6

"And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place. Now the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said" (Jeremiah 40:2,3).

In the days of Jeremiah, most of the people who heard him declare the judgment God was bringing upon Judah through the king of Babylon because of their sins mocked and scorned him as an old religious bigot. They persecuted him and continued in the recklessness of their sins. Backed by their king and some false prophets who sought to be popular with the people by preaching to them what they loved to hear, they thought of the prophecies of Jeremiah as a tale told only in the dream land. But alas, every word of God through Jeremiah came to pass just as they were prophesied. God said it and He did it. Now it was too late for them to amend their ways.

It is often common to find scoffers make jest of the word of God, particularly, the prophecies that have to do with the Rapture, the Second Coming of Christ and the judgment of the world. They dismiss these truths as fallacy. God has the power to bring to pass everything He has said. He did it with regard to the world in the time of Noah, Lot, the children of Israel in Egypt and now with the case of Judah in the days of Jeremiah. It is not wise at all to doubt God’s word and His ability to fulfill it. Those who have doubted have always lived to regret it.

As believers, let us take consolation from the lesson of today. Let our faith be strengthened and our hope brightened in the fact that God will do as He said He will do. Time cannot change the word of God neither can the popular opinions of men. Blessed always are those who believe, for there shall be a performance of that which is told them from the Lord.

Thought for today: Those who doubt God’s word do so to their own hurt!

Babes In Christ 
March 26, 2010

"Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men" (1 Corinthians 14:20)

The Christian life is entered by the new birth so that everyone who is genuinely born again must begin as a spiritual babe.  "Except ye be converted, and become as little children," said the Lord Jesus, "ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3).

Furthermore, they should continue to be as innocent children insofar as "malice" (Greek kakia, literally meaning "wickedness" or "evil" is concerned.  This is an attribute which should diminish, not grow, in a believer.

The sad truth, however, is that many born-again Christians remain spiritual babes in attributes which should characterize strong men and women of God.  Paul equated the term "babes in Christ" with carnality, characterized by "envying, and strife, and divisions" (1 Corinthians 3:1, 3).  Paul also speaks of those Christians as "children" who are "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14).  He urges each one to be "speaking the truth in love," so that we "may grow up into him |Christ| in all things" (Ephesians 4:15).

Spiritual growth, of course, can come only through spiritual food and spiritual exercise.  "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby"" (1 Peter 2:2).  "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrew 5:14).

Christians should become mature, both in understanding and in behaviour.  The last reference to growth in the Bible applies to each Christian: "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). HMM