Apr 30 - ANGER KILLS

“Wrath killeth the foolish man“ (Job 5:2).

How true! “Haman (was) full of wrath.” Ultimately, ”they hanged Haman on the gallows …” (Esth 3:5; 7:10). Do not be a foolish Haman. Before the noose of your anger tightens around your neck, cut it off for ever.

“Wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword “ (Job 19:29). For your wrath, you may face punishment now and the judgment of God at the end. See also Proverbs 19:19.

The Scriptures show that there is no excuse, for “the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” (Jms 1:20). Some have an excuse – ‘I was provoked’ or ‘I was under tremendous pressure!’ Consider Moses, the meekest man on earth. “Because they provoked his spirit, … he spake unadvisedly with his lips” (Psa 106:33). God was very firm with him. The man of God who led the people of Israel for forty years, could not even visit the good land!

Once, when Moses was angry, the Lord told him something like a remedy – “Speak to the rock.” When you lose your temper, the remedy is the same: speak to the Rock, which is Christ (I Cor 10:4), for deliverance. Alas! Moses, instead of speaking to the Rock, spoke to the people unadvisedly. You cannot expect to speak soberly when a wrong spirit is dominating you.

Wrath is connected with sickness and sorrow (Eccl 5:17). Recently, a man who got angry with someone and was on his way to get hold of him, died of a heart attack!

          “I want the love that always sweetly bears

           Whate’er my Father’s hand may choose to send;

           I want the love that patiently endures

           The wrongs that come from enemy or friend.”

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 29 - BE LITTLE NOT LITTLE SINS

“Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones” (Psa l37:8,9).

Even a heartless person will find it difficult to dash little ones against a rock. But God Who is most gracious and compassionate, exhorts the saints to do it. It is even surprising to read that the one who does this act shall be happy.

These words were spoken against the daughter of Babylon. Babylon the Great is called ‘the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth’ (Rev 17:5). If Babylon stands for all immoralities and abominable sins, the daughter of Babylon could stand for the little sins of impurities and defilements.

Happy, and of course, blessed shall he be, who searches out the seemingly insignificant sins in his life and dashes them against the Rock which is Christ i.e. destroys these sins (darkness) by bringing them to Christ (the Light).

“Take us the foxes, the little foxes (little sins), that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes” (S.S. 2:15). These foxes enter through the small holes in the fence and spoil the vines eating up the tender sweet grapes. In other words, these little foxes or sins will spoil our vine, even our good testimony, our joy, peace and grace. When tender grapes are eaten up, fruitfulness is cut off. Once these little foxes come inside the garden they no more remain little but in no time turn into fatted foxes and hence will not be able to go out through the “little holes” they came through. “No sin is small. No grain of sand is small in the mechanism of a watch,” said Jeremy Tailor.

Be “very cruel” to the very little sins in your life and “dash them against the Rock!”

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 28 - DIE IN SHALOM

“Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season” (Job 5:26).

This is a great promise for the children of God who walk with God. A shock of corn comes to the store house when it is most healthy and useful. We should not die at a time when we are useless and a burden to others, but at a time when we are most useful and a great blessing to all (including our enemies).

Read about the promise of God to Abraham: “Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace (shalom); thou shalt be buried in a good old age.”The word shalom means good health, prosperity, safety, rest, peace, completeness etc. “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace” (Psa 37:37). Here also the same word shalom is used. So it is the good pleasure of God that His saints end their lives in peace – in good health, in rest, in prosperity. Prosperity means prosperity in every sense – spiritual life prospering, health prospering, the grace of God prospering and life prospering for the glory of God.

We read that, according to God’s promise, “Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people” (Gen 25:8). It doesn’t say ‘in a bad old age’ but ‘in a good old age’. This experience of  ‘a good old age’ is promised to a number of saints in connection with their old age. The words ‘of years’ are in italics in the Bible. So the verse could be: “Abraham died in a good old age, an old man and full.” He died full of blessings, full of grace, full of the goodness of God, full of health and full of spiritual wealth.

Dear child of God, are you afraid of your future – thinking you will become sick and weak and a burden to others? According to your faith, be it unto you. Abraham believed and God counted it as righteousness and God performed what He promised to him. Let us believe as Mary did. “Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45). May the Lord fulfill our longing to end in peace, in shalom.

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 27 - A NEW LIFESTYLE

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb 11:13).

 The promises referred to here were the promise of Christ and the blessings or merits of Calvary. The Old Testament saints only could see them far away by faith; but what an influence those promises had on them! They all lived confessing that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth and died in faith. If so, how much more diligent we who have received the promises should be, to live as strangers and pilgrims on the earth!

Although Abraham was a very rich man, he lived in tents and taught the tent life (faith life) to his children and grandchildren. Why? He had a revelation of a city which had foundations and whose builder and maker is God (Heb 11:10). Obviously , that city is New Jesusalem, the city of jasper. Abraham was not called to live in the city of New Jerusalem, but when he received a revelation of the city, he was able to leave his country and his kith and kin in his old age, and live in tents.

If we have faith we will die daily; dying is gain, as St. Paul says!

If by faith, we can see the glorious promises of the resurrected body and of New Jerusalem and Zion, what a difference it will make to our lifestyle! How easily we’ll give up many unnecessary things that clutter our lives! How many things we’ll see as ‘loss’ rather than ‘gain’! How many things we’ll throw away calling them ‘dung’! How differently we would value the things we now look upon as ‘dear’ and ‘precious’!

May the Lord help us to live in faith and die in faith – in case the Lord tarries.
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 26 - GOD WANTS A LAD

“There is a lad here …” (Jn 6:9).

Although there was a great company of people gathered around Jesus, when there arose the need to feed the multitude, no one had anything to offer. It appeared, even the disciples were not prepared to face the situation. But a little boy was ready to sacrifice all that he had. He had brought five loaves and two fishes and he gave them to Jesus. It was a lad who made himself available to the Lord for this unique sacrifice. There are millions in the world who are suffering from spiritual hunger. The Lord is looking for ‘lads’ who will offer all that they have to the Lord as a sacrifice. A life that is passed on from the creature’s hand to the Creator’s, will turn to be a blessing to thousands.

Five loaves could speak of the body with five senses; two fishes could imply the spirit and soul. Dear reader, are you willing to surrender your spirit, soul and body unconditionally into His hands? May the Lord do the rest.

If this boy had been selfish and had eaten all that he had, it may not have satisfied even his own hunger; but when he gave it all to Jesus, he had satisfaction in many ways. His sacrificial service was rewarded with the greatest satisfaction of having the name of the Lord be glorified by his exemplary giving.

When Jesus received the five loaves and the two fishes He blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples without taking anything for Himself. The disciples then distributed them to the multitudes, again, not keeping even a bit for themselves. We find that after all were fed and satisfied, twelve baskets remained with the leftovers.

Dear reader, we need the spirit of Jesus and His disciples. This sacrificial spirit eventually helped everyone to be fed – the crowd, the lad, the disciples, and even Jesus.

            “Great accomplishments in life are the result of great sacrifice.”
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 25 - WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART?

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, 0 God, Thou wilt not despise“ (Psa 51:17).

Why does God want us to have a broken heart? It is possible for one to be unaware of what is in one’s heart. For example, an apple may be shiny and golden in colour and very attractive to the eyes; but if we cut it into pieces we may find to our shock that it is rotten and maybe even breeding worms. Similarly, unless our heart is broken we may never know what is in our heart – although God knows everything in it.

God led the people of Israel through the wilderness for a long period of forty years, to make them know what was in their hearts (Deut 8:2). The sad story is that they failed to know what was in their heart, and fell into temptation. Most of them, therefore, perished in the wilderness. If we are to follow God all the way, we must know what is in our heart; for this, a broken and a contrite heart is very essential.

Peter did not know what was in his heart – till he denied the Lord. Being full of self-confidence he said, “Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison, and to death” (Lk 22:33), but soon afterwards he denied the Lord! If we do not seek to know what is in our hearts, like Peter, we too may fall into temptation.

When Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up, he said, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips” (Isa 6:1,5). When we see God lifted up, we will realize how lowly or small we are in the presence of God.

Job was indeed a man of God. In fact, God Himself gave a testimony about him to Satan (Job 1:8). Such a man as Job still needed breaking – see Job 16:14. God broke him, to make him finally say, “God maketh my heart soft” (23:16).

May the Lord help us to have a broken and a contrite heart so that we may know what is in our heart.
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 24 - WITHOUT JESUS IN YOUR LIFE…

One evening, after the miracle of the five thousand fed, Jesus went to a mountain to pray alone, and the disciples got into a ship to go to the other side of the sea of Galilee. Though they toiled and rowed hard right from the evening, the ship was still in the midst of the sea in the fourth watch of the night, tossed about by the waves. The absence of Christ is often the cause of our troubles. The disciples wanted to go to the other shore, but as Jesus was not in the ship, their labours were all in vain. Similarly, if we want to go to the heavenly shore, Christ should be in the ship of our lives as the Captain. If Jesus is not in the centre of our lives, all our labours, however good they may be, are fruitless.
 

As they were sailing without Jesus, they faced a boisterous sea and a contrary wind. Without Jesus we only face things contrary to our expectations and plans. In that hour of great trial and despair Jesus went to them walking on the boisterous sea, demonstrating that “God is mightier…than the mighty waves of the sea” (Psa 93:4).
 

Dear reader, if you will handover your life to Jesus, He is willing to come near and demonstrate His mighty power in your life. Without Jesus in your life you will never reach the heavenly shore. Make sure He is in the centre of your life; make sure He is the centre of your life.

          “Without Him I could do nothing,

            Without Him I’d surely fail:

            Without Him I would be drifting

            Like a ship without a sail.”
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

An Evening Digest - Trusting God In Silence and Absence

Article written by  Steve Wickham

"When you hear God's silence, and feel his absence, trust in his presence." - Gavin Adams (Watermarke Church)

Every Christian, and a vast number of non-Christians, have experienced the silence and absence of God; the felt phenomenon. Of course, God is ever present, but we are ever so prone to feeling neglected, unanswered, and abandoned. It is our human default to not give God the credit his faithfulness deserves, because we assign to God (often without thinking) a human standard of care. I mean, how many humans have failed us?

There is also the practical issue of God intentionally leaving us to our own devices, especially when we have strayed from the straight path, or when we insist on a prayer being answered, or when life just isn't working out 'as it should'.

But sometimes we are trying our best to obey God, and still there is a void; still we cannot feel or sense God; the Lord has become more silent than ever, and absent to us.
Why does this occur?

EXPLAINING THE SILENCES AND ABSENCES OF GOD
I'm not sure if there is a categorical explanation; one that fits all situations.

But we can say, and this is where the blessedness is contained, that when we feel God has withdrawn his Presence from us, we are being given an opportunity to grow in faith and godly maturity. We have to be careful, however, for that not to sound clichéd. Only afterward will we truly know what we have gained out of such a dry time. And we always gain in accord with trust.

Perhaps it is a case that God's silences and absences are about training us to seek God ever more fervently - and to learn the golden art of trust without reason to trust: faith!

RESISTING TEMPTATIONS TO RUN FROM GOD
It's natural during dry times of absence and silence to respond to our anxiousness for God's comfort by seeking comfort in things other than God. The world has a never-ending array of very poor substitutes for God - and most if not all of these are problematic. When we run from God we may run into the unreliable arms of those we shouldn't trust just so we will feel momentarily comfortable, or we will run to a drug or alcohol or food, etc.
But the Presence of God is found in trust.

In our dryness, baroness and emptiness is the very faculty needed in receiving God. Yet, because we see no evidence of God we run, instead of seeing silence and absence as a sign - an opportunity - for the impression and action of faith.

Feeling alone without God creates anguish. But, when we make a stand, in our peril, and seek God instead of running from God, we display trust. God never betrays such trust. We must be determined to make God our comfort and not worldly temptations.

Article source from : http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Wickham

Apr 23 - ROOM FOR EVERYONE

“Of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; … two of every sort shall come unto thee.”(Gen 6:19,20).

There was room for everyone in the ark. Strangely enough, there was no room for Jesus in the inn when He came down to the world; but in Him we find room for everyone – for those who are like serpents and for those who are ferocious like lions.

Whoever you may be, whatever your state may be (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, etc.) you may come to Christ.“Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (Jn 6:37). “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me,” He invites (Jn 7:37). His heart is wide open to everyone. What about you, dear reader? How large is your heart? Is there someone to whom you have not opened wide your heart?

In the ark there was not only room, but also rooms for everyone – “Rooms shalt thou make in the ark” (Gen 6:14). O child of God, have you found your unique place in Christ? Do you know what your position is in Him? Are you aware of your rights and privileges in Christ? Are you enjoying all the spiritual blessings you have been blessed with in Christ Jesus?
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 22 - COLD OLD BELIEVER!

“Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends” (Luke 15:29).

This elder son could be a type of the modern ‘cold old believer’. He has a seniority of many years to boast about – “Lo, these many years do I serve thee.”

He is full of himself – wrapped up in himself. Although his loving father ‘entreated him’ to come in and join the joyful fellowship, he argues with him. “…neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment,” he says. How can anyone believe this arrogant statement of the older son, seeing he refused to obey even the entreaties of his caring father! Often, those who speak highly of themselves are as empty as this ‘Pharisee’. Look at the complaint he makes (cold believers are complainers too!) to his father – “Thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends.”

Dear reader, if you cannot enjoy the fellowship of the saints, it means you have friendship and merriment elsewhere. If you long for ‘a kid’ (worldly pleasures), you will never enjoy the fatted calf, music and dancing (great spiritual blessings) in the Father’s house, the Church.

Maybe the elder son finally went inside – as the music and the dancing were about to end and when the feast of the fatted calf had only leftovers. Could this be the picture of the ‘Sunday Christian’, who finally (towards the end of the singing session) reaches for the back seat?

 – Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 21 - KEEPING POWER OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS

“If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I Jn 1:7).

The blood of Jesus Christ has such a tremendous power that it can keep us always cleansed and spotless and pure as we walk in the light of the truth of the Word of God.

The story is told of a white flower growing in a coal-mining area. All the miners working there and all the plants growing there, were virtually covered with the black coal powder; but there was a little plant which had pure, spotless, white flowers. One visitor to the mine was amazed to see this. He took a pinch of coal powder and threw it on the flower. Lo, and behold, the coal powder just rolled off the flower and the flower remained spotlessly pure! Then the visitor, curious about the purity of the flower, touched the petals of the flower and found the secret! It had certain natural enamel on the petals that made the petals slippery and made all the dust or powder slip off them.

Dear reader, if God can create such pure white flowers and keep them intact in the dirtiest place, can’t He do the same with us, the crown of His creation? The precious blood of Jesus Christ, like the enamel on the petals of the flower, can so cover us that we can be spotless and pure to meet the Lord when He comes. Though many children of God sing about the power in the blood, unfortunately, very few realize the glorious and tremendous power it has.

                                                         – Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 20 - HOW CAN WE RECEIVE JESUS JOYFULLY?

While Zacchaeus was clinging to the sycomore tree, Jesus came down the road, surrounded by a great multitude. The Lord came close to the place where Zacchaeus was. Then He looked up and saw Zacchaeus and said to him: “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house” (Lk 19:5). What a loving gesture!

The beautiful thing we find here is that it was not Zacchaeus who drew near to Jesus, but Jesus Who came near to him. It was not Zacchaeus who saw Jesus first, but it was Jesus Himself Who saw Zacchaeus first. It was not Zacchaeus who spoke to Jesus first, but it was Jesus who first spoke to Zacchaeus. Dear child of God, is this not true of our spiritual life also? Before we went to Jesus, He came near us. Before we saw Him, He saw us and called us by our name, as Isaiah says: “I have even called thee by thy name.”

Zacchaeus’ joy knew no bounds! He had only wanted to see Jesus, but Jesus saw him, called him by his name and conferred upon him the privilege of having Him as a guest in his house. Truly, our God is able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph.3:20).

The first thing Jesus told Zacchaeus was, “Make haste and come down!” Zacchaeus was a rich and important man, and also a chief among the publicans, which means he held a very high office. Jesus wanted him to come down from the pride of his position and possessions. This is the first thing a sinner has to do, the moment the Lord meets him.

“Zacchaeus made haste and came down and received Him joyfully” (Lk 19:6). Dear child of God, if you have not yet received Jesus joyfully, it is because you have not yet come down from your pride. Will you make haste and come down today, and receive Him joyfully?
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 19 - SHOW YOUR COVENANT- KEEPING GOD

“And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud” (Gen 9:14).

The sight of the dark formidable clouds rising in the sky is compensated by the lovely entrancing beauty of the 7-coloured rainbow. It is when dark clouds collect in the sky that we can view the beautiful rainbow. There is a great spiritual truth in this. Only when we face clouds of trials and difficulties can our lives manifest beauty to the world. It is in your trials that both you and others can see how true you are to the covenants you have made with God. It is in your trials that it can be proved what metal you are, and Who your God is. It is then that you show to the world the covenant–keeping nature of your God.

Look at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego whom King Nebuchadnezzar put into the furnace. Till then Nebuchadnezzar could not understand or see their God. But when they were put into the fire, he could see the Son of God walking with them. Yes, only in their fiery trial could they manifest to the pagan king and kingdom that there was a living God wa1king with them. If they had relented they would have miserably failed their God.

Dear child of God, are you showing your God to the world in your fiery trials? Are you showing the covenant between you and your God? Are they able to see in your life God’s faithfulness in keeping His covenant?

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 18 - WHAT IS YOUR BLOOD CRYING?

“He said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground” (Gen 4:10).

Blood has a powerful voice. Here it is pleading for vengeance. “O God , look at what my brother has done! I didn’t do a thing to him but he has killed me. Do something, Lord! Don’t spare him!” While the blood of Abel pleads for vengeance, the blood of Jesus pleads for pardon.“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!” It has wonderful power. While Abel’s blood cries from the ground, Jesus’ cries from heaven.

The saints of the Old Testament could not forgive their enemies. The cry of those who were martyred for the truth in the Old Testament is, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood?” (Rev 6:10). But in the New Testament, through Jesus, we get the grace to forgive like Jesus did. Stephen, the first martyr of the New Testament, died crying, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge!” (Acts 7:60).

“Ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem … and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Heb 12:22,24). If, in this Grace Period, anyone wants to take vengeance, he doesn’t have the blood of Jesus but that of Abel.

Child of God, check and see what your blood is crying. Are you, like the Old Testament saints, hoping the Lord will avenge the evil done to you? Or are you, like Jesus, breathing out forgiveness and love on those who have hurt you?

“Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted … forbearing one another, forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13).

                                                  – Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 17 - “BY ANY MEANS SAVE SOME”

“If by any means I… might save some of them”  (Rom 11:14).

St. Paul’s motivation to save souls by any means, made him sacrifice much, and as a result innumerable people got saved. Even after 2000 years his epistles continued to be awesome, and all over the world souls are not only getting saved but are also being transformed. Any sacrifice we make to rescue even one soul from hell-fire is worth the while.

        When a child of God was going around distributing tracts, he knocked at the door of a house. After a while, a man opened the door. The Christian offered him a tract. The man of the house snatched the tract and banged the door shut on his face. Anxious to know why the man had been so upset and angry, the Christian went back to the house after a few days. This time, the man had a smile on his face when he opened the door. He invited the Christian and showed him the fan from which he had hung a rope to commit suicide. He had been in the act of putting his head into the noose that day when the doorbell had rung. “Anyway, I’m going to hell. Why should I spend all my time in hell wondering who might have rung the bell? Let me see who is standing outside and then proceed with my suicide plan,” he had thought, and answered the door. The sight of a man with a tract annoyed him, and he was going to chuck the tract into the wastepaper basket when the words, ‘YOU ARE SOMEONE SPECIAL’ caught his eye. He paused to glance at the contents of the tract. As he read, a light dawned in his heart. He gave his life to the Lord and gave up all his foolish plans.

          Dear child of God, do all you can by all means and at any cost, to save souls from eternal destruction. Don’t go to heaven empty handed. What a joy it will be to be welcomed at the pearly gates by the souls you led to Christ! What a thrill that will give to your spirit all eternity!

          “Help us, Lord, to be a lifeline

           To a dying world today

           Bringing hope to hopeless people

           And sharing salvation’s way.”

 – Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

An Evening Digest - God Remains Faithful Even When We Pull Away From His Love

Article written By Melody M Angco

Even before you were born, God has already prepared a place for you on earth. You already have a spot in His heart even when you're still in your mother's womb. You were brought to this world with the angels celebrating your arrival. The heavens are filled with joy because another child of God is born. You were raised and God has prepared a good future for you.

But then there were times when temptations would knock on your door and problems will sweep you off your feet. These factors pulls you away from God, and you will be left wandering in the desert of unhappiness and fear. You become the slave of the world until you come to the point of giving up your life because of too much pressure.

Many times we've lost our way, lived according to the world, and given up our souls to the call of desires and yet God patiently waits for our return. He sent His son Jesus to rescue the lost. Such a sacrifice that He watched His son died just so He can save the souls of His people. He cries for every souls that are lost and celebrates for every child who comes back to Him.

Whenever you feel like nobody cares for you and you are being swallowed by pressures in life, start looking up and just whisper God's name, he surely will hear you. Most of the time, we prioritize our jobs, careers, and our desire for earthly things. We focus on things that will merely give us more pressure. The lord said in His word that who ever calls unto Him will be blessed. Why worry for your everyday needs when you can pray and it shall be provided?

Many successful people still feel empty and unhappy despite all their achievements. Many rich people die of stress when in fact they have nothing to worry in life. And finally, a lot of people work hard everyday and yet find out at the end of the day that their efforts are still not good enough. They all get tired and start asking themselves where and how to find rest. The Lord said, come to me and I will give you rest. Whoever wants to fill something which is missing in their hearts, you've got God to to the job for you.

People get married and become miserable. The wife starts nagging to her jobless husband. The husband then finds a way to get out of the home and finds another woman. The marriage is already at the point of breaking. As a woman, do you have to bear the pain of losing the harmony and peace inside your home? Turn to God, ask for forgiveness and be humble. He promised to heal broken relationships and restore a shattered home.

You may be facing a cliff while strong winds are blowing from behind you, you cant look down nor turn your back, but you can look up. Say a prayer, its never too late for a miracle. You may be lost in the wilderness with nothing but darkness, dont be afraid, God is with you, just close your eyes and get on your knees, He surely will send a light for you. The Lord never abandons us, He always has our back, all we have to do is call. No matter how far you are, He hears. No matter how hard the walls around you, He can break it. And no matter how painful the situation is, He can heal it. Now get on your knees, and say His name, Jesus.

Article source from http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melody_M_Angco

Apr 16 - CHECK YOUR SPIRIT

“…that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God”  (2 Thess 2:3,4).

Although the Antichrist is to be revealed in bodily form only after the Rapture, the spirit of Antichrist already exists and is at work (1 Jn 4:3).

This “son of perdition” or the Antichrist sits in the temple and demands worship. We are the temple of God (1 Cor 3:16). In these last days, we should be very diligent to see that the spirit of the Antichrist does not enter us. How do we know when the Antichrist has entered the temple? Once he comes into the temple he will begin demanding worship and honour. If you are demanding or expecting respect, honour and glory from others, beware, the ANTICHRIST, IS ALREADY IN THE TEMPLE! If we do not immediately repent and return to God, this proud spirit may devastate our Christian life.

          The Bible does not say God resists sinners or backsliders. But He resists the proud. “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (Jms 4:6). If God resists a man, what will his final destiny be! After saying God resists the proud, it says “resist the devil” – as if proud people are like demons! Indeed, the proud are, in one sense, the embodiment of the devil.

We can see this spirit of the Antichrist in operation in many modern preachers, singers, faith healers, etc. How often we see children of God getting embittered and leaving the church just because they were not shown enough respect and honour! By that they further yield to the spirit of the Antichrist that is within them. Eventually, they destroy not only themselves but also many others, by injecting the same foul spirit into them. “Who opposeth and exàlteth himself…” No surprise, such “antichrist-possessed” people are often in the centre of oppositions and contentions – with a view to exalting themselves.

The spirit of Antichrist is a self-exalting spirit but the spirit of Christ is a self-abasing spirit – “I must decrease; He (others) should increase (shine or be more useful than me).” O reader, which spirit is ruling in your life?

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

An Evening Digest - 3 Steps to a Closer Walk With Jesus

Article written by Matthew Robert Payne

Many people wish for a better life in Christ. You may be surprised to find it is closer than you think. To be honest, just to simply share what gives me a close relationship with Jesus my Lord, is what I am writing this short article about. If I had to look at what made my faith strong this is what I would come up with.

Step 1 - The Living Word Many people when they talk about steps to be closer to the Lord speak about having a regular relationship with the Word of God. I don't think it is a matter of how much of the Word of God you know, it's a matter of how much is living inside of you. Any person can quote the verse in Isaiah 53 that says, "By His Stripes you are healed" but a person that has that verse living inside of them is an actual healer that can be used to heal people.

We need more than the written Word, we need to have full revelation of the Word and believe in it with all our heart. A good relationship with Jesus comes with real revelation of scriptures in our heart. Only with living Word in our hearts can we fight the enemy. It takes a relationship with the Holy Spirit for the Word to become living within you, and I pray that this might happen for you.

Step 2 - A Two way conversational prayer life with Jesus In the parable of the Good Shepherd Jesus says that His sheep know His voice and he speaks to them and they follow Him. It is an important part of your spiritual walk with Jesus to be able to hear Him speak to you. Some people reading this may scoff and think that only a mystic of prophet can hear from Jesus, but the parable of the Good Shepherd says otherwise.

Being able to pray and then listen to Jesus as He speaks to you is vital for a close walk with Jesus. Just as the living word is important to your spiritual walk so is a two way speaking relationship with Jesus. Many people have a great Christian life without speaking to Jesus but we are talking about having a closer walk with Jesus.

Step 3 - Obedience When you have a two way conversational relationship with Jesus he will tell you things that He wants you to do. Added to that we have the commands of Jesus that exist in the gospels that we need to obey. You cannot have an abiding relationship with Jesus without obedience.

I feel these three steps will bring many people closer to Jesus. We could mention faith, humility, loving your neighbor and other things, but getting these three accomplished will have your relationship improve out of sight.

Article source from http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Robert_Payne

Apr 15 - ENJOYING GOD’S GOODNESS

“Give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness” (Psa 97:12).

Please observe, it doesn’t say, ‘Give thanks at the remembrance of His goodness’ or ‘Give thanks at the remembrance of His blessings’ but, ‘Give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.’ So, if you cannot thank God with a grateful heart, it is not that God has not done any good things for you, but that you don’t love holiness. Holiness is His goodness. If you can enjoy God’s holiness now then you can enjoy God’s goodness for all eternity.

The Psalmist says, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psa 27:13). The Psalmist would have been discouraged had he not believed to see the goodness of the Lord. One goodness of the Lord is the holiness of God. Of course, the Psalmist did not fully experience the holiness of the Lord, but he believed that a holy life is possible. That was the reason why he turned to the Lord with a broken heart and confessed his sins to the Lord – as we find in Psalm 51.

The simple truth is that, if you don’t believe to see the goodness of the Lord or the holiness of the Lord in your life, one day you are going to faint or be discouraged. Holy people will never be discouraged as they will be enjoying the fulness of the goodness of God in the land of the living. In fact, one saint says that a holy life is “Canaan flowing with milk and honey”.
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 14 - ALTERING THE WORD OF GOD

“Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”(Gen 2:17).

While speaking to the serpent, the woman omitted some very important words from what the Lord had said. She said, “God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it lest ye die” (Gen 3:3). We find that the words ‘in the day’ & ‘surely’ are omitted. Though God had emphatically warned ‘thou shalt surely die’ she removed the emphasis by omitting ‘surely’. Moreover she added the words ‘neither shall ye touch it’.

          The Word of God is a fire; it is a hammer; it is a sharp two edged sword. Be careful while handling the Word of God. Seek wisdom from God to understand it. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Tim 2:15). When we study God’s Word, our approach should be: “Lord, O don’t know anything; help me to understand.” It is not how much of God’s Word we read that matters, but how we read it – be it only a few verses. There are many truths in each verse; so make sure you understand what you read.

Neglect of the Word of God or lack of knowledge of the Word of God will bring ruin to our life. God says, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deut 4.2). “But to this man will I look, even to, even to him … that trembleth at My word” (Isa 66:2).

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 13 - ARE YOU CORNERED?

“And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.” (Exo 14:10)

They were literally “between the devil and the deep sea.” Before them were the boisterous waters of the Red Sea obstructing their forward march, and lo, behind them Pharaoh and his mighty army with their iron chariots and well-trained horses in hot pursuit. On either side, apparently, were lofty mountains.

In their dilemma, their only source of comfort had been the knowledge that the angel of God and the pillar of cloud were before them. Alas, now that refuge too was gone! The angel of God went behind them, and so did the pillar of cloud which signified the presence of God. It seemed as if God had forsaken them in their anguish. We do not know, but it would not be surprising if Moses, in his despair, had cried out, ‘My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?’ There are times when we are faced with a similar situation in our journey to heavenly Canaan. We find that all doors are closed to us, and that our God does not answer our prayers or seem to have pity on us. We feel we are forsaken and forgotten by everyone.

However, dear reader, for people of God, the greatest trial often turns out to be an occasion of the greatest deliverance and victory. Though all things seem to be against you, as Jacob once thought, they are in fact in your favour, praise the Lord ! Everything is planned by God in His immense love and mercy. In every minute detail, God’s intention is to reveal His mighty hand and invincible power.

          “Are you standing at ‘wits’ end corner’,

           Christian, with troubled brow?

           Are you thinking of what is before you

           And all you are bearing now?

           Does the world seem against you

           And you in the battle alone?

          Remember – at ‘wits’ end corner’,

          Is just where God’s power is shown.”
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 12 - POOR IN SPIRIT

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt.5:3).

This is the first beatitude spoken by our Lord. What a strange contradiction it is, to call the poor in spirit blessed! In the world, it’s the rich who are called blessed or ‘lucky’.

Jesus is the best example for being poor in spirit (II Cor 8:9). He emptied Himself of all His glory in heaven and came down to the earth. Therefore, the blessed secret of becoming poor in spirit is to empty oneself for the sake of Christ. As St. Paul discovered this truth, he emptied himself for Christ and counted all things but dung (Phil 3:7,8).

Once we empty ourselves or consecrate ourselves, even if anything that is dear to us is taken away suddenly, our close walk with God will not be disturbed and we will not lose our peace or get troubled. This is proof enough that we have emptied ourselves or consecrated everything that we have.

Dear reader, if you have not emptied yourself of everything, one day, when the time comes for you to leave this world, it will be very hard for you to empty yourself and leave!

                              – Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 11 - WHY ARE PEOPLE HURT?

“My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouth, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt” (Dan 6:22)

Daniel who was cast into the lions’ den was not hurt in any manner, states the Scriptures. Although the word ‘hurt’ in Daniel 6:22,23, is used in the physical sense, we can take it in the spiritual sense too. Why do people get hurt? The verses explain why Daniel was not hurt.

First of all, he says, “… innocency was found in me.” Since Daniel was innocent before God and man, he could not be hurt. If we are getting hurt, it proves we are guilty and not innocent. Spiritually speaking, a child of God who is innocent or transparent in character just cannot get hurt.

Secondly, Daniel says, “…also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” Since Daniel did not hurt or grieve the king, he himself was not hurt. The Lord Jesus has taught us not to hurt even our enemies, but to love them, bless them and pray for them (Matt 5:44). He went further to caution us not to offend even “little ones” who believe in Him (Matt 18:6), for, in so doing, we would be guilty of grieving God and His angels (vs.10).

“No manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God” (Dan 6:23). If we believe that “all things work together for good to them that love God,” it does not matter what people say or do against us; we can praise God and rejoice instead of getting hurt.
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 10 - GROW UP

“The Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it” (Gen 2:16,17).

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was also meant for human use, as God did not create anything that was not good for man. But it appears to have been a ‘strong meat’ which man should have eaten after attaining a certain (spiritual) growth. “STRONG MEAT belongeth to them that are of FULL AGE (which Adam had not attained at that stage), even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised TO DISCERN BOTH GOOD AND EVIL” (Heb 5:l4). Children below a certain age are given only milk or some other liquid food. If they are given strong meat they will not be able to digest; it may even cause death. In the same way, Adam ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil before he reached the level of growth set by God and experienced death in his soul. It was God’s plan that man should first eat of the fruit of the tree of life and grow in life and later eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Therefore dear child of God, “desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (I Pet 2:2). Build up your spiritual life by meditating on the Word of God. When we reach the level of growth desired by the Lord, He will reveal deeper truths to us and take us to a more perfect knowledge of the Lord.
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 09 - AMAZING REPENTANCE

“Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds.” (Lk 23:40,41)

In Matthew’s and Mark’s account of the Gospel it is said that both thieves who were crucified with Jesus at first reviled Jesus. We do not said know exactly what it was that made so remarkable a change in the heart of the penitent thief. Perhaps it was the look of pity, pardon and mercy on the face of the Saviour as they and the people were railing on Him. Perhaps it was when the Saviour cried out from the depth of His soul, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Whatever it was, the remarkable thing is that the thief immediately had a complete change of heart.

The thief sincerely repented and immediately confessed his sinfulness, even to the point of rebuking the other thief for not fearing God. He also admitted that his own execution was a just punishment. Then, amazingly, he acknowledged the sinlessness of Christ and his own belief in eternal life and the coming kingdom of God. In just a few moments the thief had so humbled his heart that God could do all those wonderful things in him. Many do not come to such a heart condition even in their whole lifetime of knowing Jesus!

Salvation is the result of a sincere confession of our sins and a recognition of Jesus as One Who has power to save. Those who, in the fear of God, sincerely and deeply confess their sins in true repentance, will experience “paradise” in their souls that very day.

Dear reader, repent for all your sins – till “paradise” prevails in your heart.

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 08 - ARE YOU DISCOURAGED?

Discouragement is faint-hardheartedness, a state in which we lose all hope. We lose confidence in God – “God hasn’t answered my prayer. I’ve been praying for so long. It’s no use! May be He doesn’t love me.” We lose confidence in ourselves too – “I’m a failure. Everything I try to do is a failure. I have no success in my job. In my future also everything is going to go wrong.” You also lose confidence in others – “I don’t think anybody can help me. Nobody understands me.” Discouragement makes you hit rock bottom. Spiritually and sometimes physically also, you become weak. You become a burden to others and the devil makes you feel even more discouraged.

Child of God, today the Word of God is coming to you. The Lord has not planned failure for you but a grand success. “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer 29:11 – NIV).

Discouragement is one of the worst weapons of the devil. Way back in the Garden of Eden, it was the same tactic he used. “God isn’t good. If he really loves you and cares for you, why won’t he allow you to eat that fruit?” he was trying to say to the woman. This is the door to discouragement.

In the Bible we read of a man named Ahithophel who got discouraged and hanged himself and died. Even Elijah, the man who was on fire for God, ran away from the presence of God when he got discouraged and said “Enough Lord, take me!” It was the same with Jonah. May be you too have prayed that prayer. Beloved one, that is the most dangerous prayer to pray. The Word of God says in Proverbs 8:36, “All they that hate me love death.” When you love death, you are hating the Lord Jesus. You may say, “I love Jesus.” But when you love death, when you pray, “Lord, take me”, unconsciously or maybe ignorantly, you are hating Jesus.

Child of God, trials are sent, not to destroy you, but to bring you spiritual promotion. So take them in the right spirit. Saints are formed only in trials. So don’t let your troubles trouble you. Don’t give room to self-pity; don’t give room to discouragement. If you do you’ll become a liability to God and to others.

 – Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 07 - YOU ARE HEALED!

“If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Lord thy God… I am the Lord that healeth thee.” (Exo 15:26)

Here the first condition laid down by the Lord for healing is, “Diligently hearken to the voice of Lord thy God.” Perhaps the Lord is speaking to you during this illness and you are not listening to what He is saying to you.

“He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Psa 107:20). There is healing in His Word. The centurion said, “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed” (Matt 8:8). If the servant of a centurion can be healed by a word spoken by the Lord Jesus, how much more can we the children of God or the Lord’s servants be healed by His words!

“He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that were sick” (Matt 8:16). “My sheep hear My voice” (John 10:27). So, if you are a child of God and you are sick, the Lord certainly wants to speak to you and heal you. When the Lord speaks, His words also bring peace to our troubled hearts. “He will speak peace unto His people” (Psa 85:8). Here the word ‘peace’ (shalom) means peace, prosperity, health and healing. So when we hear the Lord speaking to us, it brings peace to our troubled spirit, healing to our body and prosperity to our soul.

Once a child of God had a severe heart attack. As she waited on the Lord, the Lord spoke to her through the verse, “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart” (Psa 73: 26). She believed in the word and it brought miraculous healing to her. She asked the Lord to speak to her and give her word that she will not have another attack. Then the Lord very clearly spoke: “Affliction shall not rise up the second time” (Nahum 1:9). She wanted to be shifted back to her room which was upstairs and prayed to the Lord about it. Then the Lord spoke through the verse: “I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in His name”(Zech 10:12). Accordingly she was strengthened to walk up and down in the name of the Lord!

Dear child of God, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice” (John 5:28, 29). If the voice of God is able to raise those who are in the graves and bring them out, how much more can you, being a precious child of God, hear His voice and come out of your sickness! By faith rise up from your bed because the Word of God is come to you:“With His stripes you are healed!”
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 06 - DON’T COMMAND

“God said, Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Gen 1:26).

God created man only after consultation. We also should cultivate the good habit of consulting one another instead of commanding or dictating. Though God had the power and authority to command, He did not do so in the matter of creating human beings. Therefore, let us also not be commanding in our attitude towards our fellow brethren.

Regarding all other creations, it is written, ‘God said …. and God made…’ (see Gen 1:6 & 7,24 & 25 etc.), but about man’s creation, it says, ‘God said … SO God created’ i.e. the creation of human beings is of more precision and perfection when compared to that of all the other creatures. We find male and female in most other creations but special mention is made of this in man’s creation – ‘male and female created He them’ (Gen 1:27).

The first purpose of God in creating man was so that he may have ‘dominion’. We should first have dominion over ourselves. As long as man had dominion over himself, he had dominion over the sea, the sky and the earth.

Let us never embark on any matter of importance without consulting others. We reign in life and grow in the divine nature of our God by respecting and honouring others.
 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 05 - “POUR OUT!”

“Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil” (II Kgs 4:2).

The widow was in deep distress and debt. She did not know that what she had in her house was enough to solve all her problems. To her, “a pot of oil” had not much worth. This is the state of many people of God today. We all have “a pot of oil” — the anointing of the Holy Spirit, but we do not realize its value.

We are indeed earthen vessels, but the Lord has kept in us a ‘treasure’ – ‘an all-surpassing power’ (II Cor 4:7 NIV). “His divine power (pot of oil) hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (II Pet 1:3).

The solution the man of God gave the widow is the same for us today – “Pour out.” You are the pot filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. As you ‘pour out’ yourself in all kinds of good works and service by the power of the Holy Spirit, you will see all the empty vessels (lives) around you filled and satisfied; all your needs will be met too.

Child of God, draw out of the well of water that is in you and serve to the needy ones around you – ‘spend and be spent’ – and you’ll find your own life enriched and blessed beyond your expectation.

          “Shall I use these ransomed powers of mine

           For things that only minister to me?

           Lord, take my tongue, my hands, my feet, my heart,

           And let me live, and love, and give for Thee.”

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 04 - FRUIT OF TRAVAILING

“He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied” (Isa. 53:11).

We see here the example of our Lord Jesus as an intercessor. It enlightens us on how we should intercede or travail in prayer.

The Amplified Bible says, “He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied.” Like a mother who sees the fruit of her travail (her baby) and rejoices, if we travail in prayer, we shall see the fruit of our prayer (though at times it may take time), and we ‘shall be satisfied’.

We pray, but do we see its fruit? Do we find satisfaction in our prayer life? If not, it is high time we change our prayer pattern. Look at how Jesus prayed: “Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears …” (Heb.5:7). Yes, a travailing mother may have strong crying and tears before she can see the fruit and be satisfied.

          Travailing in prayer was the experience of the early apostles too. Epaphras was ‘laboring fervently in prayer’ for the church (Col 4:12). And we see St. Paul asking the Romans to ‘strive together in prayer’ for him (Rom 15:30).

Let us travail in prayer till we see the fruit of our prayer and be satisfied.

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

Apr 03 - A ‘BETTER’ END

“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit” (Ecc 7:8).

Those who are patient in spirit will have a better end than others. We read about of how patient Job was and of the end he had. “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (Jms 5:11). Here we that because of his patience, Job’s end was like the end of the Lord. Can anyone expect a better end than this? Although we do not read of how Job died, his end was like the end of the Lord. The Lord was very pitiful and of tender mercy particularly at the end of his life.

The patience spoken of here is not the earthly patience. “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the Coming of the Lord” (Jms 5:7). This patience therefore refers to patiently waiting for the Coming of the Lord. The end of such saints, whether it is their departure or the Rapture, will be better than their beginning and rather like the end of the Lord. May the Lord grant us the grace to watch and wait patiently for His Coming.

          “Oh, may we never weary, watching,

           Never lay our armour down,

           Until Ho come, and with rejoicing

           Give to each the promised crown.”

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

An Evening Digest - The Nature of God's Love

Article Shared from FB's God is Love and the Whole World Needs to Know it.

Me: God, can I ask You a question?
 

God: Sure
 

Me: Promise You won't get mad
 

God: I promise
 

Me: Why did You let so much stuff happen to me today?
 

God: What do u mean?
 

Me: Well, I woke up late
 

God: Yes
 

Me: My car took forever to start
 

God: Okay
 

Me: at lunch they made my sandwich wrong & I had to wait
 

God: Huummm
 

Me: On the way home, my phone went DEAD, just as I picked up a call
 

God: All right

Me: And on top of it all off, when I got home ~I just want to soak my feet in my new foot massager & relax. BUT it wouldn't work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did You do that?
 

God: Let me see, the death angel was at your bed this morning & I had to send one of My Angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that

Me (humbled): OH

GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.

Me: (ashamed)

God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick & I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.

Me (embarrassed):Okay

God: Your phone went dead bcuz the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered.

Me (softly): I see God

God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.

Me: I'm Sorry God

God: Don't be sorry, just learn to Trust Me.... in All things , the Good & the bad.

Me: I will trust You.

God: And don't doubt that My plan for your day is Always Better than your plan.

Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, Thank You for Everything today.

God: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I Love looking after My Children...

Apr 02 - OUT OF NOTHING

“God Who…calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Rom 4:17).

 

God created everything out of nothing. It is most dangerous to think we know something. To boast about our little knowledge is indeed very dangerous. “God creates out of nothing, God can make nothing out of him,” said Martin Luther.

 

What God created out of nothing is mighty. Often revival starts when ‘there is nothing’ – nothing of our cleverness, preaching or singing talent or any other human ability – but the pure grace of God. It is also true that very often revival is hindered when we, children of God, are not able to empty ourselves and come to a state of nothingness. Something that we have not dedicated or love more than our God, comes in the way of revival.

 

Elijah’s servant was right in one sense when he said “There is nothing.” There was nothing to human eyes as being favourable for a revival; everything was dark, dry and discouraging, but lo, and behold, “there was a great rain” (I Kgs 18:43,45).

 

We read that God created heaven out of nothing. When we realise our nothingness, when we realize how unworthy and empty we are, then and only then, can God create heaven in our spiritual lives. In fact, if ‘something’ we hold on to or which we have not dedicated to God stands in the way of our love or devotion to God, that could create, not heaven, but hell in our lives.

 

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion 



An Evening Digest - You Can Triumph Over Grudges!

Article written By: Diana Williams

 

 

Someone is holding a grudge against you! His or her actions towards you are less than kind and down right rude! Nothing you said or did warrants your current situation with him or her! How will you handle it? This article shares strategies for dealing with this very common problem of grudges by looking at a similar situation in the Bible. The term grudge evokes the ugly images of words such as; spite, hate, hostility, contempt, malice and scorn. To have a grudge against someone is to have feelings of resentment and bitterness. The grudge holder usually harbors feelings of envy, dislike and jealousy. Besides having a mean disposition toward the intended grudge recipient, it causes petty and rancorous behavior within the grudge holder.

 

Examining the biblical account of the infamous grudge that King Saul had against David, we discover that their relationship started amicably. Saul was often tormented so his advisers found David to serenade him with soothing harp melodies. Although David loved King Saul and felt privileged to serve him, a nasty grudge marred their relationship.

 

The grudge started after David slew Goliath, the giant, on behalf of King Saul. People became so excited that they sang praises ascribing a larger victory to David than they did to their king. Jealousy consumed Saul and from that point, he plotted David's death.

 

* Saul required David to bring a dowry of one hundred foreskins from the Philistines to marry his daughter, Michal.

* Saul threw a javelin at David on three separate occasions.

* Saul tried to kill David in his daughter's home.

* Saul pursued David and had eighty-five priests killed after one priest helped him. He massacred men, women and children leaving only one survivor.

* Saul chased David to the wilderness, yet David was able to cut off Saul's skirt unnoticed. David could have avenged himself; instead, he showed mercy and did not injure Saul.

 

* Saul was remorseful for a while and promised not to harm David.

* Saul, after a season, pursued David with three thousand men to kill him.

* Saul and his men fell into a deep sleep while David again got close enough to Saul to take his spear and water bottle. David had the opportunity to destroy Saul, yet he refused to hurt GOD'S anointed king.

* Penitent, Saul again promised to lay his grudge aside and spare David's life. (For entire account, read 1 Samuel 16:15 - 1 Samuel 26:25, AMP)

Perhaps like David, you did nothing to cause a grudge. It could be inside your family, at the work place or within someone you once considered a friend. Use David's strategy by confronting the grudge holder with kindness. Do not become vengeful and return evil for evil. Although this Bible story depicts what David endured because of a grudge, remember, GOD protected him in every instance.

 

My advice is to look at the ultimate example of JESUS CHRIST, so that you can forgive the person who is holding a grudge against you. While JESUS hung on the cross dying for you and me, HE asked our FATHER in heaven to forgive HIS murderers. By forgiving, JESUS gave the matter to GOD and was free to accomplish HIS purpose. As Christians, the Bible instructs you to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, to show that you are the children of your Father in heaven. (See Matthew 5:44-45, AMP)

It is that simple! Through your forgiveness, you refuse to accept the grudge sent your way. GOD'S word promises that no weapon formed against you will prosper. (Isaiah 54:17, NKJV) Much like refusing the delivery of an obviously despicable package, you can triumph in this situation by returning the grudge to the sender, unopened! Label it, "Return to Sender, Address Unknown." The grudge holder owns the problem and holds all of the evil, hard feelings and overall ugliness associated with it.

 

No matter the relationship, do not become distracted nor encumbered with spiteful and malicious grudge holders. Your purpose is too important and your time is too precious to waste. Enjoy your life because you belong to the Omnipotent GOD and HE has great things in store for you! When the LORD takes pleasure in anyone's way, HE causes their enemies to make peace with them. Proverbs 16:7, TNIV

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