Knowing God Archives - My Manna

Do you know Him?

MyManna — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 22:00:19 +0000

Young woman reading bible by stream in summer

What does it mean to:
“know” God?
We can know God at different levels.
Acquaintance level-
Knowing God means to encounter Him at certain pivotal times in life.
It could be at an especially moving worship service or perhaps in a life crisis.
In that moment we really do sense something different and may even go as far as to make a shallow commitment.
But in our daily life, there is very little – if any – change.
Affectionate level-
Knowing God is not just experiencing a moment of spiritual excitement but a commitment to be actively involved with God.
Friends spend time together and are involved in each other’s lives.
At this level, we are involved with God – to a point.
We come to church and may even participate in its activities.
We try from time to time to have a daily quiet time and attempt to be disciplined in spiritual habits.
In other words, we are really working at this friendship.
However, if the friendship level is as deep as we ever go in the pursuit of a relationship with God, sooner or later we will long for something more – because we were created for an intimate relationship with God.
Abiding level-
When Jesus says we can “know” Him-
He is talking about a “marriage level” relationship.
The first time that “know” is used in the Bible is in Genesis 4:1:
“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain.”
When the Bible talks about “knowing” someone-
– it is not only referring to a physical knowledge,
– but to an even deeper level of intimacy.
Many of us settle for a nodding acquaintance or a mere surface affection with the Father when what He really desires and what we really need is the abiding level relationship.
There are many people in the Bible who had that kind of relationship with God.
-David was a man after God’s own heart.
-Moses spoke with God face to face.
-Mary, Martha and Lazarus were close, personal friends of Jesus.
-The disciples served beside Him day in and day out.
-You and I can have what those people had!
(PA)

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Above All

MyManna — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 22:00:54 +0000

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8-10.

Two conflicting opinions about material wealth exist among believers.
One says that to be truly spiritual, a Christian must keep few worldly goods.
Proponents of the opposite idea think that prosperity is a sign of God’s favour and, therefore-
– a desired possession can be claimed by faith.
Bewildered, many followers of Jesus wonder-
Which of the two is the correct approach?
But neither answer gives the full picture.
A hindrance to answering the question is our common view of what constitutes “good things”; usually these are defined as items and experiences that make us feel happy.
From God’s perspective, however, the good things in life are-
– those that fit into His individualized purpose and plan for us.
His will could include prosperity, robust health, talents, and opportunities.
But more than likely-
– the Lord’s plan involves some periods of trouble and need, and He considers those times valuable too.
When our vision of what is truly good clears-
– we are ready to understand how to receive God’s blessings.
The key to receiving life’s good things is to seek the Lord Himself rather than just the treasures He has to give.
We often approach God with an empty basket rather than an open heart-
– we tell Him what we need and wait for the bin to be filled.
But an open heart says:
“God, I just want more of You.”

According to Psalm 34:8-
God is good, and James 1:17 says that He is the source of “every good and perfect gift.”
Giving blessings from His storehouse is in God’s nature-
– but He wants His children to seek Him above all else.
(PA)

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Hear His voice!

MyManna — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:00:33 +0000

Saturday, 30 January 2016

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalms 46:10).
Before refrigerators, people used ice-houses to preserve their food.
Ice-houses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door.
In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut from the frozen waters, hauled to the ice-houses, and covered with sawdust.
Often these ice-blocks would last well into the summer.
One man lost a valuable watch while working in an ice-house.
He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it.
His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile.
A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the ice-house during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch.
Amazed, the men asked him how he found it.
“I closed the door,” the boy replied, “lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.”
So often life can become so hectic that it becomes hard to find time to sit still and just listen to what the Lord is saying.
But Jesus often secluded himself, so that He could commune intimately with His Father.
In these days and in this hour it’s so imperative that we spend time in our own prayer closets-
– so we can clearly hear what our Father is saying to us, through His still small voice.
If we do, we may find some wonderful and valuable things that others have missed.
The question isn’t whether God will speak-
– but whether we will take the time to be quiet and still enough to hear His voice!
Let’s be sure to take that time to hear what He’s saying to us!
(PR)

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Redeem your time!

MyManna — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 16:00:06 +0000

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).
Chuck Colson tells about one prisoner-
– he met who had been on death row for fifteen years..
His name was John Irving.
John was allowed out of his cell for only one hour a day.
The rest of the time he was studying to become a minister, preparing to serve God.
Noticing that John had nothing in his cell but a few books, Colson offered to give him a TV.
“Thanks,” John said, “but I cannot waste my precious time with that.”
Can you imagine wasting time on death row?
Colson goes on to say:
“The real evils of the entertainment industry are not the violence and profanity—offensive though they are.
No, it’s the banality:
the sheer waste of time.
When we turn the TV on, we turn our minds off; studies have shown that the analytical areas of the brain nearly shut down during extended TV viewing.”
Learn to use your time wisely-
– including quality time with your loved ones
– and making time to take proper care of yourself with adequate rest and relaxation
– and taking time to fellowship with God.
(PR)

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Do you know Him?

MyManna — Sun, 31 May 2015 16:00:25 +0000

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