Witness Archives - My Manna

The Death of All Dreams

MyManna — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 22:00:28 +0000

For the twelve men who left homes, families and livelihood to follow Jesus
– His words produced a growing sense of dread. Jesus finally used plain language to describe what imminently lay ahead:
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he said to them: “We are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed…They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to be mocked and flogged and crucified” (Matthew 20:17-19).
Some of the twelve had dreamed of a political revolution to overthrow the hated oppressors. Perhaps a few saw a return to true religion while still others hoped Jesus’ healing miracles predicted a society free of debilitating disease.
But then Jesus plainly described His plan of far greater scope, the perfect plan to cure man’s hatred to man, to replace false piety with true religion. His solution would provide the way of salvation, a way to cross the abyss of sin between men and women and God.
But
– This plan demanded a perfect sacrifice and Jesus loves His followers and all of us to such a degree that He is willing to become that sacrifice. The news sounds bad! In fact, it sounds like the death of all dreams! But it is, in reality, the best news ever! The Son of Man is come to seek and to save what was lost.
Thank the Lord Jesus for providing eternal life by His death on the cross. By trusting in Him we can experience that life, not just in the future, but right now!
Put yourself in the disciples’ shoes! How would you have responded to Jesus’ words? Talk with a friend about what Jesus’ suffering and death mean to you.
(PA)

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His Ambassadors

MyManna — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 22:00:12 +0000

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20.
Recently Southern Baptist missionaries found themselves in grave danger-

-when the government of an African country was overthrown.

Anarchy prevailed as security evaporated.

Foreigners were targets of bandits and rampaging mobs.
The missionaries were rescued and evacuated-

– when the American ambassador negotiated a truce between the warring factions.
Because he represented the authority and resources of the United States-

– he was able to leverage the international reputation and influence of our country,

– not by personal power but by whom he represented.
God yearns for the whole world to be rescued from the bondage of sin and has provided for their salvation.

But when Jesus returned to heaven, having shed His blood in redemption for a lost world-

He appointed us as His ambassadors!

We are to be His representatives to bring people out of the chaos and hopelessness of sin into the kingdom of God.
Our personal power doesn’t intervene and reconcile people to God-

– but because we represent His authority and power to save, redemption is possible.
“Father, may I faithfully represent You in this lost world. Amen.”

(PA)

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Hearts for the Lost

MyManna — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 22:00:46 +0000

“And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.“1 John 5:20.
There is a tale told of that great English actor Macready.

An eminent preacher once said to him: “I wish you would explain to me something.”
“Well, what is it? I don’t know that I can explain anything to a preacher.”
“What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds follow you wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all!”
Macready’s answer was this:

“This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction.”
It is easy to know when something is aflame.

It ignites other material.

Can you imagine how quickly the truth of Jesus could spread-

– if we were only passionate about living it and sharing it?

We who know God need to be on fire-

– igniting the world around us!

Let’s give our inhibitions and fears to the Lord-

– and ask Him to light the fire in our hearts for the lost!

(PA)

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Yet So Irritated

MyManna — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 22:00:36 +0000

“First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck in your brother’s eye.” Luke 6:42.

Most of us live by a double standard.

We judge ourselves one way, but we use a different set of rules for others.

When we sin, we’re quick to explain the reasons behind our disobedience:
“I was exhausted.”
“I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“I was under a lot of stress.”
When it comes to other people, however, that’s another case.

We put on our judge’s robes and pronounce them guilty, regardless of the evidence:
“He knew better.”
“This isn’t the first time she’s done this.”
“There’s just no excuse for that!”
It’s good to help your friends live the life God desires-

– but your first priority should be to make sure your own life is pleasing to God.

When you’re diligent to keep sin out of your own heart-

– you’ll then be able to see others in the correct perspective.
Whenever you’re involved in willful, deliberate sin, it distorts everything you see.

But when your heart is pure-

– you won’t be so quick to condemn others for their sins,

– nor will you jump to conclusions about them.

You’ll have the grace to help without judging.
What makes us so comfortable with our own sins-

– yet so irritated by the sins of others?

(PA)

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Prime the Pump

MyManna — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 22:00:43 +0000

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39).
A man was travelling across the desert. He consumed all the water he brought along with him. He was in desperate need of water.
He saw a pump and rushed to it. He lifted the handle and tried to prime the pump but no water comes out. A notice on the pump read:
“Dear traveller,
Do not despair. There is plenty of water below the pump. Dig on the left of the pump and you will find a bottle of water.
Empty that water into the pump. The water will get the pump to work. Draw out as much water as you want.
You will be tempted to disbelieve me and drink that bottle of water. If you do, there will be no water left. You will be thirsty again.
But if you follow my instruction, you will find that there is enough water to last you for the rest of your journey. Fill your water bags.
Before you leave, don’t forget to refill that bottle with water and bury it for the next traveller. You will help to ensure that there will be a continuous supply of water.”
Jesus offers us that drink of water, that is He Himself, the living water.
We can empty our lives for ourselves. We can enjoy Him and pray for ourselves only.
Or we can pour it into His hands.
If we do the latter, He will use us as a channel of His grace to bless the lives of others.
Would you keep Jesus to yourself or share Him with others?
(MT)

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Missionary or Mercenary

MyManna — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 23:00:05 +0000

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
We are missionaries serving in a foreign land.
“Our home is faraway, upon a golden strand,” as the song says.
We are soldiers enlisted in God’s army. We fight to free the souls of men from captivity.
Mercenaries are professional soldiers who are hired to serve in foreign armies. They fight for money or adventure. They are motivated by the desire for private gain.
They are paid to fight. They can change allegiance anytime.
Christians are called to serve Christ only.
We are called to carry the Gospel wherever we go. As we go to the market, we find opportunities to share Christ with the cashier, sales assistant, shopkeeper, shoppers. As we work, we share our joy with our colleagues.
We do not seek for personal gain. Our boast is in Christ and in the cross. Jesus the Son of God has died for our sins, pardoned us, and given us a new life.
He gave His life for us, and now we live for Him.

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Impact

MyManna — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 23:00:49 +0000

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15.
The story is told how a wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream.
The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food.
The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him.
She did so without hesitation.
The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune.
He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.
However, a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.“
One of my daily prayers is that God will help me to be “like Jesus” in some way to every life I touch and that they, seeing Jesus in me, will want him for themselves.
This for me is the most precious and priceless gift I could ever give to anyone.
Could you imagine the tremendous impact we Christians would make on today’s world-

– if every one of us would make and pray the following commitment.
“Dear God, I am available today. Please use me today to be ‘as Jesus’ in some way, first to my family, and then in some way to every life I touch. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, Amen.”

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Let Your Light Shine

MyManna — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 22:30:16 +0000

Let your light shine before man, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matt 5:16).
Your good works are the light that shines.
The Pharisees were only concerned with the outward behavior. To them, you are righteous if you observed this or that law outwardly. Give, pray, fast. They made up these laws.
But Jesus taught a higher standard. Your acts must be motivated by something that comes from within you. Your behavior must be moved by a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees (Matt 5:20).
Our actions and motives may not match. We behave in a certain way to earn the approval of man.
Our motive for doing good works must come from within us. We must want to do them out of a love for God and man.
Inwardly, we should burn with a passion for God. When we burn, we shine for Him.
Others will realize that our actions are motivated by a higher interest. Our actions point them to the God who lives and moves in us. They will take note of God living in us and praise Him.
A person who does good will soon tire when he does it to satisfy his carnal self.
But a person who does good for a higher purpose will be energized by a higher power.
Are your good works motivated by a good heart?

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"Here am I"

MyManna — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 23:00:03 +0000

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8).
Warren Wiersbe’s, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, quotes:
“Millions of surveys which we have helped to take around the world indicate that approximately 98 percent of the Christians do not regularly introduce others to the Saviour.”
In a survey given to those attending training sessions for a Billy Graham crusade in Detroit, attendees were asked to answer this question by checking one of the following answers.
“What is your greatest hindrance in witnessing?”
0% said they don’t care.
9% said they were too busy to remember to do it.
12% said their own lives were not speaking as they should.
28% felt the lack of real information to share.
51% feared the reactions of those with whom they might share.
If we truly believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life-
– why aren’t we spreading the word?
Maybe we don’t really believe that.
I guess no one thought to include that reason on Billy’s survey.
Do we truly believe in heaven?
Do we believe without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the only way to get there?
If we do, how can we keep our mouths closed to a world of people who are headed for the agony of eternal burning?
“Here am I.”
This should be our cry to the Lord today.
“Send me, Lord!
Help me to open my mouth for you!
Work through me Lord, for your sake Lord, and for the sake of those who don’t know you!”
Let’s be about doing His business-
– and commit ourselves to sharing the good news with the lost around us!

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Few are frozen!

MyManna — Tue, 17 May 2016 22:00:54 +0000

I read about a vessel discovered over a century ago among the icebergs of the Arctic ocean.
In it was the captain, frozen as he was making his last entry in the log-book.
The crew were also discovered—some in their hammocks and some in the cabin—all frozen to death.
The last date in the log-book showed that for thirteen years that vessel had been moving among the icebergs-
– “a drifting sepulcher manned by a frozen crew.”
There are some churches in a similar condition.
They have an outward form of godliness but are frozen in that-
– while they have the outward trappings of religion, they are out of touch with God and reality.
Jesus said: “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
That is, many are called by God but few prove themselves to be chosen ones.
That is, only a small percentage of confessing Christians do anything tangible about God’s call to follow and serve him.
Many are cold and a few are frozen!
While millions of people around the world desperately need the gospel-
– most of us who call ourselves Christian give little for or do anything much about it.
Nor do we give much to help in that less than three percent of Christians tithe of their income for God’s work.
And even then the average church spends 95 percent of its income on itself.
Our doctrine is sound-
– sound asleep.”
Let us heed God’s Word that says:
“‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:14-16).
“Dear God, please use me to be a shining light in the world’s darkness and do what I can to help spread your gospel message around the world. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

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