Repentance Archives - My Manna

You can deal with it!

MyManna — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 22:00:38 +0000

“The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
God is no pushover!
His call to holy living is-
– very clear,
– very firm,
– very hard to misunderstand.
Let’s not trick ourselves into thinking that-
– His heart of compassion has made Him soft on sin.
But rest in this:
“He knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14).
He understands the bad habits we’ve moulded over the years, the comfortable corners we run to when we’re tired or upset or discouraged.
The truth is:
The anger we feel pressing down on us is more ours than His!
-for while we could kick ourselves for caving again,
He’s heartbroken that we’ve sold ourselves out so cheaply-
– that we’ve chosen the path of pain,
– when He has offered us the path of peace!
So as you catch yourself in compromise, confess your blunders!
And promise (with God’s help) that you’ll turn your back on this foolishness.
Confession gets your sin out in front where you can deal with it!
Repentance takes it out to the curb where God can haul it off with the rest of your garbage-
– and leave you feeling clean again!
(PA)

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Hidden Killer

MyManna — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 22:00:07 +0000

“And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD.” Exodus 15:23-26.
Murmuring or complaining is one of those sins that are overlooked.
Sometimes we focus on the “big sins” such as murder and adultery that we overlook this sin-
– but the Lord doesn’t give this sin a free pass- quite the opposite.
It’s a hidden killer!
This sin unleashed a plague that killed thousands of Israelites! Numbers 16.
In this passage, we read how the Israelites, who were desperately thirsty, looked only at the fact that the water they had come to was bitter and undrinkable.
How quickly they forgot their God who had led them out of Egypt with signs and wonders.
They had just witnessed His dividing of the Red Sea and destruction of those who had enslaved them.
And yet, so quickly they returned to looking only with their natural eyes at the problem in front of them, completely forgetting the miracle working power of their God!
And so they murmured against Moses.
But honestly, weren’t they really murmuring against God?
Once again, Moses interceded for them-
– revealing the faithfulness of His God to answer every impossible dilemma and provide for every need;
– and again, setting them the example: they simply needed to go the Lord!
So often, just like the Israelites-
– we focus on our desperate situation with our physical eyes, and not with eyes of faith, and then fall into the trap of complaining.
And if you’re like me, once I start, it can be really hard to stop…until the Lord stops me, right in my tracks and He reminds me- aren’t you really complaining against me?
I have to remember to see that I actually hinder the Lord’s answers to my problems by unbelief-
– which leads to the sin of murmuring!
Let’s not allow this sin to gain a foothold-
– because it can easily become a stronghold!
The same wonder working God that led the children of Israel out of Egypt, is still at work today-
– but are we hindering Him?
If we are grumbling and complaining-
– we are missing out on His answers and blessings which are waiting in the wings to meet our faith in Him!
(PA)

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Greatest Catalyst

MyManna — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 22:00:16 +0000

“Return, Israel, to the Lord your God.Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.” Hosea 14:2.

How do we deal with demandingness?

We must repent of it.

Our passage today tells us how.

First:

Return!

“Return to the LORD.”

The key to ridding ourselves of anything that is spiritually injurious is to return to God.

The pursuit of God involves a shift away from dependence on one’s own resources to dependence on God.

Doing good and correcting wrong behavior does not automatically make us good people.

Obedience is extremely important, but it must be accompanied by deep, heart repentance.

Second:

Repent!

The passage says: “Take words of repentance with you.”

This phrase means that we must put into words a clear description of what we are repenting of.

If we are not clear about what is going on inside us, how can we repent of it?

Next:

Receive!

“Forgive all our sin.”

Repentance puts us in touch with God’s forgiveness.

We can work to bring about change also-

– but the greatest catalyst for change is humbly positioning ourselves before God and asking for His forgiveness.

Then:

Rejoice!

“Accept what is good, so that we may repay You with praise from our lips.”

The thought here is:

“Receive us that we may worship You more effectively.”

The purpose of all restoration is to worship God.

We will be drawn into true worship when we give up insisting on our own way and learn to trust God for our own happiness.

When repentance moves us from a spirit of demandingness to absolute trust in God-

– then we are in the place where God is able to make our feet like “hinds’ feet,”

– and equip us with the ability to ascend into the heights with Him.

“Tender and skillful Invader of my heart, I yield my stricken being to You for healing. Drain every drop of demandingness from my being. For I want not only to be better but to be whole. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

(PA)

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An Epidemic

MyManna — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 22:00:53 +0000

“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” 1 Peter 2:11.
I once read a strange story in the news about a plumber who was called in to unclog a drain.
He had one of those snake-like devices that runs down into a drain and keeps running until the drain is cleaned out.
But this time, the “snake” did a strange thing.
It went outside of the house through an open vent and into the house next door.
Then it went down through a vent, came out, and grabbed a ten-year-old girl who was playing in her backyard.
Fortunately, her little brother started crying, and they stopped.
The fire department had to use cable cutters to set the girl free.
After reading that story-
I thought about how sin can be that way.
You never know where it’s going to go.
When we commit a sinful act-
– we don’t realize the repercussions that can take place and the other lives that can be impacted by it.
Billy Graham once said, “Immorality is an epidemic in our churches just as it is in the secular world at large…No wonder the world is in crisis.”
God has a lot to say about immorality-
– and specifically adultery, in Scripture.
It made His Top Ten list-
– the Ten Commandments.
It was, in some cases, punishable by death.
And we see it addressed in the New Testament as well.
God has told us not to commit adultery for good reason.
When you cross that line of protection that God has placed around your and your spouse’s life, you do so at your own peril.
And the repercussions of that sin can last-
– for months, years, and yes, even a lifetime.
(PA)

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Any Amends?

MyManna — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 22:30:13 +0000

If you have ever watched soldiers doing close-order drill on a parade field-
– you know how quickly they can reverse themselves and head in the opposite direction.
If they attempt this while standing still-
– the command is “about face.”
If they want to reverse while marching-
– the command is “to the rear, march.”
In either case, there is an abrupt change leading in an entirely different direction.
This is a good picture of what genuine repentance looks like.
It means to change one’s mind and start moving the opposite way.
One of the Bible’s greatest preachers of repentance was John the Baptist-
– who called his hearers to a complete “about face.”
He had seen too many shallow gestures where people pretended to repent-
– but were not willing to change their behaviour.
John insisted that those who exhibited only superficial contrition should instead “bear fruits in keeping with repentance.” Luke 3:8.
When his listeners asked what he meant by that-
– they were told to share their food and clothing,
– to be fair in their business practices,
– and to be content with their wages.
In other words-
– they were to change their ways and
– leave their old patterns of behaviour behind.
Repentance includes something else also: A willingness to make restitution to anyone whom we have wronged.
When Zaccheus the tax collector received Jesus into his house-
– he showed the true nature of his repentance when he said,
“If I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” Luke 19:8.
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any amends you may need to make.

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Slippery Slope

MyManna — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 23:00:52 +0000

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12.
When a nation loses its ability to discern morality-
– it embarks on a slippery slope toward self-destruction.
Especially when it comes to basic sexual morality.
When a nation turns its back on the commands of God-
He will say, “That’s the last step. I wash My hands. You asked for it. You got it.”
Our country is in a crisis-
– and unless we have a moral rebirth,
– we will join the graveyard of the nations.
It’s time to wake up.
Time is passing.
It’s time to look up.
Jesus is coming.
It’s time to sober up.
Satan is working.
It’s time to pray up.
Mountains need moving.
Ask the Lord to heal our land-
– forgiving the iniquities of the wicked by bringing salvation to their souls.

“Jesus answered and said…if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” Matthew 21:21.

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Not truly converted

MyManna — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 23:00:09 +0000

“I am going to send you to the Gentiles, to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me” (Acts 26:17-18).
When the apostle Paul stood before King Agrippa and explained what God had called him to do in proclaiming the Gospel, he broke it down into one of the most clear presentations I have found anywhere in the Bible.
Paul said that God had called him to proclaim this message-
– which was to open the eyes of his listeners that-
– they might turn from darkness to light,
– from the power of Satan to God,
– and that they might receive the forgiveness of sin,
– and an inheritance among those who are sanctified.
Here, we see five steps:
One, your eyes are opened.
Two, you turn from darkness to light.
Three, you turn from the power of Satan to God,
Four, you receive the forgiveness of sin and,
Five, possess an inheritance among those who are sanctified.
Many people have taken step one-
– but they have never made it to step two onwards.
They have had their eyes opened and have seen there is a God and there is a devil.
They have also seen there is a choice to be made.
They have seen that Jesus Christ is the answer to their problems and that they need to trust in Him and turn from their sin.
They intellectually agree with these things.
But they haven’t taken step two, which is-
– turning from darkness to light and
– from the power of Satan to God.
And until you have taken that step-
– you are not truly converted!

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Genuine repentance!

MyManna — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 23:00:56 +0000

“Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever” (Jeremiah 25:5).
Recently, I’ve been studying the Jewish roots of many of Jesus’ parables.
And I came across an interesting saying from a Jewish Rabbi that I believe has something to teach us.
Rabbi Eliezer said, “Repent one day before your death.”
His disciples asked him, “Does then one know what day he will die?”
“Then all the more reason to repent today”, he replied, “lest he die tomorrow, and thus his whole life is spent in repentance.”
When I first became a believer-
I thought by simply dealing with my outward sins that I could live a state of sinlessness.
But it wasn’t long before the Lord began revealing and dealing with my inward sins and attitudes.
Now, and the longer I walk with Him-
I understand more and more the meaning of daily repentance!
If we truly want to be free and walk in His liberty-
– we cannot avoid this crucial requirement for freedom.
Because we cannot receive His forgiveness without it-
– repentance must be a way of life for us (1 John 1:9).
Staying close to the Lord is His heart’s desire for us.
But one of the main conditions for it is walking in regular repentance.
When we walk in humility and truthfulness about our sin-
– we are walking in the light,
– and the blood of Jesus keeps cleansing us from sin.
In that condition we are so much more able to love the Lord and those around us — with Him, touching one life at a time.
So, let’s lay down our pride and turn to Him every day-
– with genuine repentance!

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We must repent!

MyManna — Mon, 16 May 2016 22:00:18 +0000

“If my people . . . humble themselves . . . and turn from their evil ways, then I will . . . forgive their sin, and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Most Christians never allow themselves to come too close to the deep thirst for God that exists at the core of their being, for if they did, they would be compelled to get in touch with their basic helplessness.
Why would we want to deny this?
Because to recognize our helplessness puts us in a position where we have to repent of it.
And that is something our fallen human nature pulls back from doing.
The one word that grates and irritates our carnal nature is the word “repent.”
It is much easier to be given advice like:
“Read more of the Bible every day,”
“Add extra minutes to your prayer time,” or
“Seize more opportunities to share your faith,”
– than to be told to repent.
All these things I have just mentioned may be excellent in themselves-
– but more is required if we are to get in touch with our deep thirst for God.
We must repent!
But repent of what?
Our stubborn commitment to independence, as well as the awful desire and practice of choosing to dig our own wells.
A passionate pursuit of God demands this.
No matter what we say with our lips-
– we will never begin to pant after God until we repent of the self-sufficiency that has made its home deep within our hearts.
This, in my opinion, is the biggest single step we can take in our pursuit of God and the experience of having feet like “hinds’ feet.”
“Gracious and loving heavenly Father, help me repent deeply.
May I know at this moment a turning from self-dependence to God-dependence.
I give You my willingness.
In Jesus’ name I ask it. Amen.”

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Forget their failure!

MyManna — Sat, 14 May 2016 22:00:30 +0000

“For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well” (James 3:1-5).
As followers of Jesus Christ, we all fall short.
None of us is everything God calls us to be (James 3:2).
Repentance is the way-
– to deal with the next thing that God would change in you.
The follower of Christ presses hard after God-
– going after the joy found in an honest relationship with God.
Some of you have left a church where you used to worship.
Is everything right between you and the believers there?
Forget their failure!
Did you do and say what was right?
Or did you sow discord or cause division?
Today, deal with your part.
Ask God to forgive you and make it right.
Is your marriage cold?
Have things been left undone or unsaid?
Has your attention been elsewhere?
You’ve focused on your spouse’s failure; now look at your own.
This is first an issue between you and God.
Maybe you’ve cut a corner in your business dealings.
You’ve injured someone’s reputation and his or her career has been hurt.
Have you asked God to forgive you?
Have you asked that person to forgive you?
Maybe you struggle with a private sin.
God will forgive you if you sincerely repent.
You can go forward without this besetting sin.
It could start today.
How willing we are to repent reveals our sincerity in following Christ.
Who will join me in saying:
“I want to be right with God – whatever it takes; whatever it costs.”

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