Worship Archives - My Manna

Moment of Meditation!

My Manna — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 17:00:00 +0000

The moments that sustain us are-
– those moments invested in true devotion and fellowship with the Lord.

Moment of meditation on His Word-
– is the passport to wisdom, innumerable blessings, and unspeakable peace.

Yet at its foundation-
– it is a practical exercise!

Setting aside time.
It doesn’t matter the time of day; more important is your frame of mind.

Stillness.
Being still before God means minimizing distractions.
Turn off the television, the radio, and the phone.
Pray for God to quiet your spirit.

Silence.
Meditation involves active listening.
As you pray and read God’s Word-
– pause to think and listen for His still, small voice.

Seclusion.
It is important that you meditate alone-
– developing a personal relationship with your Father.

Self-control.
We have a responsibility to faithfully seek God, not legalistically but in earnest sincerity.
We do not have to answer impulses or rush to less important matters during our quiet time.

You will learn meditation has several effects!
Among other benefits, meditation-
– quiets your spirit,
– purifies your heart,
– produces a hunger for God and His Word,
– increases your view of God,
– increases your discernment,
– gives you a clear sense of direction for your life,
– and confirms or cautions you about counsel you’ve received.

(PR)

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Gaze Upon His Face

My Manna — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 17:00:00 +0000

“Let us . . . run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

In order to stay spiritually fresh-
You must keep your eyes fully focused on Jesus!

Our Lord was the most alert and alive person the world has ever seen.
Never once do we read that He experienced spiritual staleness,
or had to confess to being out of touch with heaven.

He was always confident, always assured, always in the right place, always doing the right thing at the right time.

Even after a period of prolonged fasting in the wilderness when He faced the fiercest of temptations, He turned – not exhausted and limp as a wet rag – but “in the power of the Spirit.”

One of the ways by which we can become more and more like Christ is-
– to stand with unveiled faces and continually gaze upon His face!

Look beyond yourself to Another!
And thus free yourself from self-preoccupation!!

Have you noticed-
-how many of the religious cults get their followers to concentrate on the divinity within them?

Then what happens?
They finish up preoccupied with their own states of mind and emotion!

As someone puts it:
“If I worship the divinity within me, I will probably end up worshiping myself.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 gets our gaze in the right place-
On the face of Christ:
“We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.”

The attention we give to this is important!
– for whatever gets our attention gets us!!

When Christ gets our attention-
He also gets us.

Our gaze must be person-centered!
– not problem-centered!!

And that Person must be Jesus Christ.

When I look at myself I feel unworthy and inadequate!
But when I look at Jesus, I feel anything is possible!!

Do not just to glance at Him!
But gaze upon His face, continuously!!

(PR)

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Meet Him In the Morning

My Manna — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 17:00:00 +0000

“So be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain. And no man shall come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all the mountain; let neither flocks nor herds feed before that mountain” (Exodus 34:2-3).

The morning watch is essential.
You must not face the day until you have faced God!

Nor look into the face of others until you have looked into His!!
You cannot expect to be victorious-
– if the day begins only in your own strength.

Face the work of every day with the influence of-
– quiet moments with your heart and God.

Do not meet other people-
– even those of your own home,
– until you have first met the great Guest and honoured Companion of your life.

Meet Him alone!
Meet Him regularly.
Meet Him with His open Book of counsel before you.

And face the regular and the irregular duties of each day-
– with the influence of His personality definitely controlling your every act.

Meet Him in the Morning!

(PR)

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Are You Reluctant to Have a Quiet Time?

My Manna — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 17:00:00 +0000

Do you know what quiet time is?

Fellowship with a holy God!

The reason that some folks do not have a quiet time is they feel uncomfortable.
The reason they feel uncomfortable is that they don’t want to look God in the face.
The reason they don’t want to look God in the face is because they have sin in their life.

What did Adam do after he had sinned and God came walking in the Garden?
Adam fled.

Before that-
Adam had quiet time with God, didn’t he?

They had boundless, unending fellowship.
But when there was sin in Adam’s life-
– he did not want to look God in the face.

Are you reluctant to have a quiet time?
Maybe it’s because there is sin in your life.

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Psalm 66:18.

Ask God to shine His light into you.
Then wait for His answer so you can repent.

“But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31.

(PR)

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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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Are You Reluctant to Have a Quiet Time?

MyManna — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 22:00:06 +0000

Do you know what quiet time is?

Fellowship with a holy God!
The reason that some folks do not have a quiet time is they feel uncomfortable.
The reason they feel uncomfortable is that they don’t want to look God in the face.
The reason they don’t want to look God in the face is because they have sin in their life.
What did Adam do after he had sinned and God came walking in the Garden?
Adam fled.
Before that-
Adam had quiet time with God, didn’t he?
They had boundless, unending fellowship.
But when there was sin in Adam’s life-
– he did not want to look God in the face.
Are you reluctant to have a quiet time?
Maybe it’s because there is sin in your life.
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Psalm 66:18.
Ask God to shine His light into you.
Then wait for His answer so you can repent.
“But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31.
(PA)

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Worship the Christ

MyManna — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 22:00:46 +0000

“Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (Luke 2:20).
The shepherds heard the message, found the child, shared the news, everyone was amazed, and then what happened?
They returned, glorifying and praising God. They worshiped.
On a hillside, surrounded by sheep, they worshiped. They glorified and praised God.
And that is what we are called to in this season. Each of us should find ways to worship Christ this Christmas season.
In spite of the busyness. In spite of the familiarity. Take the time and opportunity to kneel before the manger, to be filled with awe at the fact that all that we imagine God to be and more is present in that little human child.
Worship Christ the newborn King!

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I Am Afraid

MyManna — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 22:30:02 +0000

“Exalt the Lord our God; bow in worship at His footstool. He is holy.” Psalm 99:5.
“No one can know the true grace of God,” said the great Bible teacher A. W. Tozer, “who has not first known the fear of God.”
He continued: “Always there was about any manifestation of God something that dismayed the onlookers, that daunted and overawed them…I do not believe any lasting good can come from religious activities that are not rooted in this fear. Until we have been gripped by that nameless terror that results when an unholy creature is suddenly confronted by the One who is holiest of all, we are not likely to be affected by the doctrine of love and grace.”
There was a time when the nature and character of God was a constant theme-
– in Christian pulpits,
– but not any more.
Generally speaking, today’s preachers and writers tend to give people-
– what they want rather than
– what they need.
This is why we must stop every time we come across a reference to God’s character in our Bibles and pause to consider it.
No one has done anything mighty for God without a new vision of God’s holiness.
Ezekiel tells us of the “rims” in his vision that were “large and frightening.” Ezekiel 1:18.
And Jacob, rising from his sleep, said: “What an awesome place this is!” Genesis 28:17.
We will be of little use to God unless we know how to tremble before Him-
– for otherwise our own ideas and feelings of self-sufficiency will soon take over.
Have we lost the sense of awe when we come into God’s presence-
– which seemed to characterize the saints of the past?
I am afraid we have.

“God, I am afraid as I draw near to You. Nothing or no one can dissolve the fears that hinder me but You. Draw me closer, for in You and You alone lie both my salvation and sanctification. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

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Real rest

MyManna — Sat, 28 May 2016 22:30:47 +0000

“Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord” (Exodus 16:23).
In 24 hours the average adult accomplishes much:
– his heart beats 103,689 times,
– his blood travels 168 million miles,
– he breathes 23,040 times,
– he inhales 438 cubic feet of air,
– he eats 3 1/2 pounds of food,
– he drinks 2.9 quarts of liquid,
– he speaks 4,800 words,
– he moves 750 muscles,
– his nails grow .000046 inch,
– and he exercises 7 million brain cells.
It’s no wonder we need rest!
When God established the laws governing the lives of the Israelite people- He built into their schedule a time for rest.
Physically it enabled their bodies to recuperate.
Spiritually it reminded them that their salvation was not complete.
They needed a spiritual “rest”-
– that would come only when the Messiah would take away their sins.
The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that even though the Jewish people practiced Sabbath-keeping, the real “rest” was a future event.
He declared, “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God” (Heb 4:8-9).
In the New Testament the command to “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” is the only one of the Ten Commandments not repeated, and for a good reason.
The spiritual rest that the Old Testament saints looked forward to and which the Sabbath represented is now a reality.
Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).
Taking a day to rest is still an important part of maintaining a healthy body.
But it’s a physical necessity, not a spiritual law.
Now we can rejoice in the true rest that comes in Christ.
Real rest is-
– in the Lord,
– not in the law.

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God is the audience!

MyManna — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 21:00:57 +0000

“Come, let us worship and bow down” (Psalm 95:6).
What is worship?
Worship is an act of spiritual devotion directed towards God!
An act of worship may be performed-
– individually, in an informal or formal group, or by a designated leader.
Worship is the number one ministry priority in our church.
We hope and pray that the Sunday worship will be-
– the most exciting and meaningful event of each person’s week,
– a place for Christians to get their spiritual batteries charged,
– and a place for seekers to find God.
When we come to worship God we generally feel as though-
– the preacher and other ministers are the performers and
– God is the subject of the performance and
– we as the congregation are merely the audience.
But this is a terrible misunderstanding of worship.
That is a consumer-oriented approach-
– focused more on what we receive than what we give.
Authentic Christian worship is just the opposite.
We, the congregation, are the performers.
The preachers and other ministers are the directors of the performance.
And God is the audience!
Next time you worship-
– try this perspective.
It just might make it a more meaningful experience.
(PR)

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