Christlikeness Archives - My Manna

Let Him Shape You

My Manna — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 17:00:00 +0000

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:25-28.

The Lord wants to give each of us a “heart of flesh” so that we will be pliable and responsive to Him.

When touched by the finger of God, a tender heart yields to the pressure and assumes the form He desires, much like a lump of clay that allows the potter to determine the shape of the vessel.

To aid in this process, God has sent the Holy Spirit to indwell each believer and awaken responsiveness in him or her.

By yielding to the Spirit’s promptings with ready obedience, the heart becomes increasingly tender and sensitive to His leading.

The Lord is able to impart greater understanding of His Word to a soft heart because it has faithfully accepted and obeyed previous teachings.

Any resistance to God will result in hardening.

But those who are accustomed to intimacy with Christ—which is the result of submission to Him—will be quick to deal with sin and return to the place of obedience and blessing.

People with tender hearts stay closely connected to the body of Christ, seeking to build up and encourage others in their walk of faith.

Such individuals are not only receptive to what God wants to tell them; they are also teachable, in that they are willing to listen and are open to being corrected by others.

This week when you read your Bible and pray, let your heart be soft toward the words of God.

As He pokes His finger into each hard area, listen to His instructions, and rely on the Spirit’s power to help you yield and obey.

Let Him shape you into a beautiful and useful vessel.

(PR)

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What a way to live!

MyManna — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 22:00:00 +0000

“Hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ” (James 2:1).
Can you think of anything that could occupy our attention more profitably than considering how to become more like Jesus?
The central condition of this is the “unveiled face.”
As the Scripture says, “We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Notice, however, that we must lift the veils if we are to be transformed.
When Jesus was crucified-
– the veil of the temple was rent in two,
– symbolizing the fact that the heart of the universe was laid bare as redemptive love.
Since God has unveiled Himself in Jesus-
– so we in response ought to unveil our faces, drop our masks, gaze in wonder and in the gazing, be made like Him.
It may be that there will be many veils that you will have to lift-
– veils of dishonesty,
– hypocrisy,
– legalism,
– pride etc.
But I assure you that-
– when they go,
– He comes!
Just think:
We who are born of the dust of the earth are being gradually transformed into the most beautiful image this planet has ever seen: the image of Christ.
What a destiny!
The wonder of that transformation can only be explained by one word – “glory.”
The drabness, staleness, and dullness of life is replaced by living that has freshness in it.
Can we live continuously like that?
Yes-
– in His strength!
“Grace” and “glory” are often connected in the New Testament.
Take the grace.
And you get the glory.
What a way to live!
“Father, help me lift every veil in my life so that the light of Your countenance may shine through.
You are the Light and You want to make me a light.
Let Your radiance steal into every darkened corner of my being now and forever. Amen.”
(PR)

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Perfect Parent

MyManna — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 22:00:17 +0000

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16).
Your personality is partly the result of the way you were parented.
Other factors are also involved, of course.
But parents have a bigger influence on their children than some like to admit.
Children from abusive homes, for example, usually suffer from severe insecurity.
They may struggle with anger in much the same way their parents do, repeating the cycle when they have children of their own.
On the other hand-
– parents who are kind and loving tend to pass on these traits to their children.
When you become a Christian-
– you are adopted by a Perfect Parent,
– a heavenly Father who loves you unconditionally.
You have nothing to fear from Him-
– because He watches over you with constant love and protection.
He is more powerful than any problem you will ever face.
You will not live in want, because your Father’s resources are unlimited.
As God’s child, then, your life ought to reflect His character.
The more time you spend with your Father-
– the more you’ll become like Him:
– loving, patient, giving, and fair.
As you grow in your faith-
His influence will come to have even more of an impact on you than your earthly parents do.
So don’t use imperfect parents as an excuse for not living up to God’s standards.
You do have a Perfect Parent-
– who will teach you how to be loving, forgiving, patient, and everything else…just like He is.
How much time have you been spending with your Father lately?
(PA)

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Reflect His Glory

MyManna — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 22:00:17 +0000

“John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light” John 5:35.

The moon is lovely on a clear night only because it reflects the light of the sun.

It has no qualities by itself to reflect its beauty.

Without the sun shining onto its surface, you and I would never see the moon.

It would simply be a dark object in the sky.

A diamond is designed to reflect the light to reveal its true value.

The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance.

There is no single measurement of a diamond that defines its cut-

– but rather a collection of measurements and observations that determine the relationship between a diamond’s light performance, dimensions and finish.

Jesus came to bring the light of His love and grace to each of us. However, we are born into a world dulled by the sin created by Adam and Eve that makes our lives dark until we meet Jesus.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Rom 3:23-24.

Jesus contrasted in many parables that those who allow His life to live in them will live in the light amidst darkness.

When you invite Jesus Christ to live in your heart it is as though a light is shining upon your life in order to reflect the glory of God’s Son through you.

Jesus calls you to be a vessel to reflect-

– the brilliant light of His love to others.

The workplace is a great place to reflect His glory!

How are your reflective qualities?

Ask Him to make your life a continual reflection of His light to others.

(PA)

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Does That Describe You?

MyManna — Mon, 22 May 2017 22:00:38 +0000

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

This verse says you’re a brand new creature if you are in Christ Jesus!

The word ‘new’ is from the Greek word kainos!

It describes something that is brand new or recently made.

It also carries the idea of something that is superior.

This means when Jesus Christ came into your life-

– you were made brand, spanking new!

The new you is superior to the old you!

In fact-

You are so new that this verse calls you a new creature!

The moment we receive Christ as Saviour-

We should start displaying new attitudes in life,

– along with new behaviours and habits.

It may take time for these to become established in daily practice.

But there should be no doubt that the process is working.

New goals.

New priorities.

New relationships.

New emotions.

New perspectives.

New words.

New responses.
New and improved!

Does that describe you?
What a wonderful change-

– in my life has been wrought

– since Jesus came into my heart!

(PA)

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Determine to Have One Driving Passion

MyManna — Mon, 01 May 2017 22:00:10 +0000

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.” Philippians 3:14, 17.
The 16th-century Venetian artist Titian portrayed Prudence as a man with three heads in his painting-
An Allegory of Prudence!
One head featured a youth facing the future-
– another represented a mature man eyeing the present,
– and the last head portrayed a wise old man gazing back at the past.
Over their heads, Titian wrote a Latin phrase that translates:
“From the example of the past, the man of the present acts prudently so as not to imperil the future.”

Oftentimes, our past failures and fear of repeating them again torment us.
But we need to remember the kind of wisdom Titian displayed in his painting-
– so we can avoid the kind of anxiety that keeps us from enjoying life to the fullest right now.
The apostle Paul was able to forget his past and look forward to his future.
He said, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14.
While his memory wasn’t completely erased of past faults-
– he knew that God had forgiven him and he was free from any guilt or pride that had been bottled up inside.
As you live in daily fellowship with the Lord, trials only make you more like the Saviour.
Don’t let your past cloud your present and future.
Determine this year to have one driving passion-
– to know Christ more intimately than ever before.
Pray and rededicate your life to Christ following Paul’s example.
Ask Jesus to enable you to live fully in the present-
– gain wisdom from the past,
– and face the future with courage.
(PA)

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Be Moldable

MyManna — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 22:00:47 +0000

“But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” Isaiah 64:8.

Early in the last century-

– sculptor Gutzon Borglum gazed at the cliffs of South Dakota’s Black Hills.

As any great artist would-

He saw what no one else could the sculpted faces of US presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

After 14 years, he finally completed his project-

Mount Rushmore.

How in the world did Borglum foresee such a work of art by looking at a cliff?

He envisioned-

– what those Black Hills could become.

God is envisioning what we are to become in Him!

But in order for the Him to make a beautiful monument of us-

– we must allow ourselves to be moldable!

He wants to mold us into the image He desires-

His own!

He wants to chip away at our rough edges-

– and make us into a fine work of art,

– that all who see us will be awed and enriched.

In the hands of a great artist-

– we can be created into incredible works of art that survive the ages,

– even after we have passed through this life into the next!

Let’s become moldable in the Father’s hands-

– and make Him proud to show off what He’s created!
(PA)

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Concentrating on Christ

MyManna — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 22:00:58 +0000

“He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30.
There are times when I am doing my devotions that I journal, that is, I keep a diary of what is going on in my life.
I sometimes look back on that and gain new insight on what I was going through back then.
I have become more adept at interpreting God’s leading and plan for me as I further experience life and receive what He has done.
By looking back on what we have been through and seeing the hand of God there, we can have greater comfort and encouragement for what we are going through now or even what lies ahead.
As I gain new insight into my personality and the Lord’s working into my issues and problems-
I realize how small they really are compared to my Lord’s holiness and greatness.
Concentrating on Christ and what He has done will lift us up better and more completely than anything else we could ever do.
It has taught me to look beyond myself and concentrate on Christ.
We look at God’s Word as a mirror to ourselves, into our souls, not to see us, but to see God working in us.
When we only see ourselves, we see sin, brokenness, failure, self-seeking inclinations, and wrong attitudes.
We must see God’s interests and not our own; then our devotions and journals become tools for us to mature in the faith.
Christ will become more real in us, as our problems become less.
(PA)

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Project or Relationship?

MyManna — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 22:00:22 +0000

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Col 3:23).
All our service are directed towards the Lord.
You might be singing in the choir. Or arranging the chairs for the coming Sunday service. Or cooking a meal for the home fellowship. Or preaching a sermon.
Your service goes beyond doing a project. It is actually about deepening your relationship with the Lord.
What have you discovered about Jesus while you were serving?
Did you learn about enduring criticism? Did you learn about loving people? Did you learn humility? Faithfulness?
Or do you seek greatness? Self-satisfaction?
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt 11:29).
Serving the Lord is about knowing Him better. It is about experiencing what Jesus went through.
The apostle Paul wanted to know Christ and to enter into the fellowship of His suffering.
“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil 3:10).
Serving God is not a project. It is not so much about displaying our abilities, or just using our spiritual gifts for the Body of Christ.
It is about knowing God and His character. It is about enhancing your relationship with Him and growing to become more like Jesus.

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Caught Up In Your Status?

MyManna — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 23:00:10 +0000

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.” Ephesians 5:1.
People should think less about what they ought to do-
– and more about what they ought to be.
If only their being were good, their works would shine forth brightly.
The ground upon which good character rests is the very same ground-
– from which man’s work derives its value, namely, a mind wholly turned to God.
Are you more caught up in your status?
or in your stature?
Do you want people to see all your acts of service and commend you?
or do you consider God knowing what you do to be enough?
Are you more focused on success than on sacrifice?
When we each meet God face to face one day-
– all the success and accolades, and even good deeds, will mean little.
It will be our relationship with Christ and our measure of character that will count.
Which are you more concerned with today?
What you do?
Or who you are becoming?

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