“After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded” (John 13:5).

Your boss has assigned you a task!
Come up with a creative solution to a problem that has been costing the company money.

You tackle work at night and on weekends doing the needed research.
Your boss is enthusiastic about your proposal.

Later, in a company-wide meeting, the president gives your boss credit for the solution.
You find it increasingly difficult to continue serving your boss faithfully.

Serving people who have wounded us is a challenge.

Jesus overcame that challenge on the night-
He was arrested, accused, and sentenced to die.
He had gathered with His disciples to celebrate the Passover when He took a towel and a basin of water and began to wash their feet.

In that group of 12 was Judas!
– a thief and generally disagreeable sort, whom Jesus knew was about to betray him (John 13:1-6).

Judas left the meeting early to arrange the betrayal of Jesus-
– but not before Jesus washed his feet,
– along with those of the faithful eleven who remained.

The next time God asks you to serve someone you would rather not-
– remember how Jesus washed the feet of an unlovely man on the road to Calvary.

It is a contradiction to be a true Christian and not humble!

(PR)

The post It is a Contradiction! appeared first on My Manna.

“Sit here while I go and pray over there.” Matthew.26:36.

It is a hard thing to be kept in the background at a time of crisis!
In the Garden of Gethsemane – Eight of the eleven disciples were left to do nothing. Jesus went to the front to pray. Peter, James and John went to the middle to watch and pray. The rest sat down in the rear to wait.

Those in the rear must have murmured. They were in the garden, but that was all. They had no share in the cultivation of its flowers. It was a time of crisis, a time of storm and stress; and yet they were not allowed to work.

You and I have often felt that experience, that disappointment. There has arisen, may be a great opportunity for Christian service.

Some are sent to the front. Some are sent to the middle. But we are made to lie down in the rear. We do not see why we should be excluded from an active part in the Christian life. It seems like an unjust thing that, seeing we have been allowed to enter the garden, no path should be assigned to us there.

Be still! You are not excluded from a part of the Christian life. Do you think that the garden of the Lord has only a place for those who walk and for those who stand!

No! It has a spot consecrated to those who are compelled to sit.

There are three voices in a verb–active, passive and neuter. So, too, there are three voices in Christ’s verb “to live.”

There are the active, watching souls, who go to the front, and struggle till the breaking of the day. There are the passive, watching souls, who stand in the middle, and report to others the progress of the fight.

But there are also the neuter souls–those who can neither fight, nor be spectators of the fight, but have simply to lie down. When that experience comes to you – Remember, you are not shunted. Remember it is Christ that says, “Sit here!”

Your spot in the garden has also been consecrated! It has a special name. It is not “the place of wrestling!” Nor “the place of watching!” But “the place of waiting!”

There are lives that come into this world neither to do great work nor to bear great burdens, but simply to be! They are the neuter verbs.

They are the flowers of the garden which have had no active mission. They have wreathed no chaplet! They have graced no table! They have escaped the eye of Peter and James and John.

But- They have gladdened the sight of Jesus! By their mere perfume, by their mere beauty, they have brought Him joy! By the very preservation of their loveliness in the valley they have lifted the Master’s heart!!

You need not murmur should you be one of those flowers!

(PR)

The post You Are One of Those Flowers appeared first on My Manna.

Even before Titanic arrived on the big screen in 1997, people have been fascinated by its story, perhaps because there is so much to it.

Clearly, many mistakes were made that led to its sinking. Although it was called the unsinkable ship, it sank. And it sank relatively easily. 1,500 people perished in an icy grave. There were not enough lifeboats on board.

Many of them went out half-full –
– some with only four or five people when they had the capacity to carry at least 60. But one of the greatest tragedies about the Titanic is the fact-
– that while there was room in the lifeboats, no one went back to save anyone else. They had rowed out a distance from the sinking vessel because they were afraid of its suction.

Survivors said they could hear the screams of the people as the Titanic finally disappeared below the surface. Here were people in lifeboats that had room. They could have rowed back and pulled others in. Yet they did nothing about it. They waited for about an hour, and then they went back.

By then, they were only able to save a handful of people. They waited until it was too late.
Right now, there is a lost world around us. People are going down, and we have room in our lifeboat.

Do we care enough to go and pull them on board? Do we care enough to do something for them? Or will we say, “They should have gotten into the boat when there was time”?
Do you have a burden for lost people?

Are you involved in soul winning on a daily basis?
Are you supporting any evangelical mission?

(PR)

The post Are You a Soul Winner? appeared first on My Manna.

“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings” (Proverbs 22:29). 

The Lord has called each of us-
– to be excellent in what we do!

Those whom God used in the Kingdom as workplace ministers were-
– skilled and exemplified excellence in their field.

Not only were these men skilled-
-they were filled with God’s Spirit!

The Lord said to Moses:
“See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship” (Exodus 31:1-5).

Consider Huram-
– the master craftsman of bronze in whom Solomon entrusted much of the temple designs. He was a true master craftsman (1 Kings 7:14).

Consider Joseph-
– whose skill as an administrator was known throughout Egypt and the world.

Consider Daniel-
– who served his king with great skill and integrity.

The list could go on—David, Nehemiah, Aquilla and Priscilla…

May we strive for excellence-
– in all that we do for the Master of the universe!

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord , not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.

It is the Lord Christ you are serving!” (Colossians 3:23-24).

(PR)

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“But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:13-14). 

We always like to get something back from our investments!
Money we put in the stock market is done so with the hope of gain.
A gift sent to a client is given with the hope of gaining more business.
Even a favour for a friend might be done with an eye on a future time when the favour will be returned.

The unspoken agenda is-
“What’s in it for me?”

In the margin of my Bible next to verse 14 is written:
– “disinterested goodness!”

This verse exhorts us to invest with no hope of return-
– to do good without an eye on the immediate future!

Jesus tells us to show hospitality to those who cannot return the favour-
– an act of goodness but a disinterested one!

It is “disinterested” in the sense that it is not a good deed deposited with hopes of gaining something in return, like interest.

Is it really hospitality-
– when we invite someone to our home in hopes of what we might gain from the time?

But it will not meet the standard of what Jesus set before us.
He instructs us to reach out to the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.v. 13.

God will reward us in eternity!
Until then-
We should do unto others not because of what they may be able to do unto us but simply because we should!

Think of something you can do today-
– for someone who cannot repay–and do it!

(PR)

The post The Unspoken Agenda appeared first on My Manna.

“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13).

Hospitality is the practice of welcoming, sheltering, providing for, and feeding those who come into your home!
– with no expectations for rewards or personal gain in return.

Hospitality is much more than exotic menus, elegant table settings and decorations, and fancy entertainment.
It is sharing what you have and who you are in Jesus with the people God brings your way.

For those in Bible times-
Hospitality was openly rewarded when extended fully.
And openly punished when there was a lack thereof.

In the New Testament, Jesus modeled hospitality perfectly.
He met both the physical and emotional needs of those who came to Him (Matthew 15:32- 39).

New Testament writers encouraged believers to practice hospitality toward other Christians saying:
“Offering hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9).

And elders and deacons within the church, in particular, were to extend hospitality (1 Timothy 3:2).
As believers, we are called to extend this gift to all who are in need.

You can open up your heart and life, and minister to others in simple ways:
– time, food (Psalm 104:27), money (Matthew 25:34-40), energy, creativity, and love (1 John 4:11).

If you extend your hospitality, open your home, and share your heart with a child of God or with a man of God.
Your efforts will not go unnoticed (Hebrews 6:10).

Allow your warm welcome to be saturated with the love of Christ-
– so you can easily share Him with those who enter your presence.

Ask God to show you ways you can practice hospitality toward those who are in need.

(PR)

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Your boss has assigned you a task!
Come up with a creative solution to a problem that has been costing the company money.

You tackle work at night and on weekends doing the needed research.
Your boss is enthusiastic about your proposal.

Later, in a company-wide meeting, the president gives your boss credit for the solution.
You find it increasingly difficult to continue serving your boss faithfully.

Serving people who have wounded us is a challenge.
Jesus overcame that challenge on the night-

He was arrested, accused, and sentenced to die.
He had gathered with His disciples to celebrate the Passover when He took a towel and a basin of water and began to wash their feet.

In that group of 12 was Judas!
– a thief and generally disagreeable sort, whom Jesus knew was about to betray him (John 13:1-6).

Judas left the meeting early to arrange the betrayal of Jesus-
– but not before Jesus washed his feet,
– along with those of the faithful eleven who remained.

The next time God asks you to serve someone you would rather not-
– remember how Jesus washed the feet of an unlovely man on the road to Calvary.

It is a contradiction to be a true Christian and not humble!

(PR)

The post It is a Contradiction! appeared first on My Manna.

“When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, “You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over…I myself will drive them out before the Israelites” (Joshua 13:1, 6). 

Joshua had accomplished much on the battlefield and in taking the Promised Land.  
Yet, at a very old age, his command from God to take all of the land had not been fulfilled. 

The Lord had to remind Joshua that his mission hadn’t been fully achieved. 

Isn’t it interesting that God didn’t look for a younger leader-
– but went straight to Joshua even in his old age?  

God went to the person who had accomplished much and asked him to continue on with His purpose.  
The Lord wasn’t finished with Joshua.

And he isn’t through with you either! 
Whether it’s through volunteer work, a part-time job, or serving in a position at your church-

God still has a purpose for you! 
He didn’t say, “OK…when a man or woman reaches the age of 65, they are no longer of any use to Me.” 

In almost every Christian congregation or ministry-
– there are things not being accomplished that could be done by seniors.  

All that is required is a willing and able senior to step up and take the challenge God has presented to participate in various activities and ministries. 

Joshua was virtually “retired” from his job.  
But, even in his old age-

God called him out of retirement to continue on with the job he was to complete.  

Is God calling you in your later years to continue on in ministry for His purposes?
Are you willing to take on that challenge today?  

God will continue with His work through His people-
– even those who are “well advanced in years.” 

Ask God to show you a ministry in which you can be involved.
Surrender yourself, even in your later years, to fulfilling His call on your life. 

“They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing…” (Psalm 92:14). 

(PR)
 

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