Manna for Your Morning

“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” — Acts 5:38-39 (NIV) When we run off and do our own thing, we run the risk of working against our heavenly Father. Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track (Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG).

But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. — Numbers 14:24 (NKJV) In the school of ministry, we learned that “different” means next. While the other Israelites were ready to turn around and go back to the land of their captivity, Caleb was courageous and ready to conquer the enemies living in the promised land. Do you have a what’s next spirit or a what could have been spirit? Let us not have a critical, whining or complaining spirit like those who perished in the desert. The eyes of the LORD are constantly searching the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9). Even though circumstances don’t appear the way you thought they should, always be ready to move on and ask God “what’s next?”

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,”   which is translated, “God with us.” — Matthew 1:23 (NKJV) Whatever you go through today, remember, God is with you. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you (Isaiah 43:2 NLT). Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me? (Hebrews 13:5-6 MSG)

The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple. — Ezekiel 43:5 (NKJV) No matter where we are in life, God desires to lift us up to a higher place in Him. He wants to draw us into a deeper realm of intimacy and peace, and to another level of strength, and tenacity. His Spirit will lead us into another dimension of His amazing love and bountiful joy. Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart (Hebrews 10:22 NIV). One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple ( Psalm 27:4 NKJV ).

Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble. — Psalm  119:165 (AMP) “When you love God more than anything else, you will have great peace and nothing will cause you to stumble” (Pastor Matthew Pollock @The Way School of Ministry). Living free from offense, keeps us in good health. When we give place and priority to God's Word, we live in a higher place, above offense. A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11 NIV). This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men (Acts 24:16 NKJV).

Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God. Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do—they can’t keep it quiet! Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us— you’ve been so good to us! We’re walking on air! All we are and have we owe to God, Holy God of Israel, our King!  — Psalm 89:15-18 (MSG) May we know our great and mighty God. He strengthens you and helps you. He holds you up with His victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10 NLT). He faithfully comes to our rescue, each and every time. Let us give thanks and continually sing His praises!

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. — 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (NKJV) How do we endure hardship as a good soldier? We stay focused on the mission, while avoiding distractions and detours. No matter what contrary circumstances appear, we continue to stand on the Word. His Word says, no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). Romans 8:37 tells us we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. And the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). Amen!

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. — Romans 12:1 (NKJV) In view of all the mercies and compassions of God, the Apostle Paul pleads with believers to make a decisive dedication of their bodies to God. Let us serve and worship our God, in this manner of being fully committed, —giving our all to accomplish His purpose in our lives. This Memorial Day, may we honor all of the military men and women, past and present, who daily sacrifice their lives in service to our country. Whether it was giving your lives on the battlefield, suffering wounds and injuries or sacrificing precious time away from your loved ones for training and deployments, we “ Thank You ” for all you do to ensure our freedom and safety.

He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. — Isaiah 33:6 (NIV) When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation (Proverbs 10:25 NLT). The LORD is the sure foundation for our times. Let us build our lives upon Him and utilize the resources He abundantly provides for us: a rich store of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. Whatever we build in Him will last forever, and not be shaken. He is the sure foundation that will last throughout all generations. Amen!

As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. — Ezekiel 34:12 (NIV) I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak (Ezekiel 34:16a NLT). If you have lost your way in the storms of life and strayed away from our heavenly Father, just know, He is calling you to come back into fellowship with Him. We were created to dwell in His Presence and that is where we will thrive and grow whole, strong and healthy. He welcomes you to come home, today!

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? — Romans 8:35 (NLT) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us (Romans 8:37 NLT). Don’t let the challenges you face disturb you. Stand strong! We are more than conquerors. With God on our side, how can we lose? And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38 NLT). Amen!

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?” — Romans 15:1 (MSG) Even though our society is concerned about what is convenient, what we learned in school of ministry last night is that any area of strength we have is to be used to serve others. You will find true joy when you keep your eyes on Jesus and Others instead of yourself.

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. — James 3:13 (MSG) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; Jesus came that we may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10 NASB). So let us live wisely by walking in His ways and according to His Word. Live humbly in the Presence of God, with a heart full of gratitude. Live well, by fighting the good fight of faith and continuing to the end. Let’s enjoy the rich and satisfying life Jesus came to give us. (John 10:10 NLT). God has placed this rich and satisfying life inside of you. It is not in our external circumstances.

You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. — Philippians 4:19 (MSG) May you abide in His perfect peace, knowing that our generous God is your provider. He will take care of all that concerns you. His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue (2 Peter 1:3 NKJV). Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life…(Matthew 6:25a AMP).

“And now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of unfailing  love, do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you.” — Nehemiah 9:32 (NLT) When we spend majority of our time focused on the troubles we face, this world begins to close in on us and we feel battered, beat up, and burnt out. When we stay focused on our mighty God, our world expands into a myriad of possibilities, and we are full of joy, peace and hope. We serve a great big GOD and He is doing great big things in our midst. Amen and hallelujah!

“For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” — Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)  The LORD our God takes great delight in us. Second Samuel 2:1 says, “My heart rejoices in the LORD;” This relationship is meant to be a two-way exchange. He gives of Himself and we give ourselves to Him. Even when we get distracted and pay little attention to Him, He still watches over us, and woos us back into fellowship with Him. Regardless, He continually lavishes His love on us. Let us take great joy in knowing Him and being known by Him, in this intimate, everlasting covenant of love.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. — James 4:8 (NKJV) The enemy desires to pull us away from God, but our heavenly Father wants us to draw near. If you cannot hear His voice, maybe you are too far away. Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22 NLT). Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16 NASB).

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD God is the eternal Rock. — Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT) Fix your thoughts upon the LORD —His goodness, His greatness, His unrelenting love for you. Remember His mercy and grace. Think about His mighty strength and wonder-working power. “For with God nothing will be impossible.”  (Luke 1:37 NKJV) The distractions of the enemy will only cause you to drift away from God and tempt you to quit. As we keep our trust and reliance upon the LORD, our Helper, we will experience perfect peace. Depend on God and keep at it because in the LORD God you have a sure thing (Isaiah 26:4 MSG): overwhelming victory, good success, true peace and everlasting joy, etc.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. — 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) If you have any cares, concerns or worries that are weighing heavy upon your soul today, give them to God. In Matthew 28:30 (MSG), Jesus said, “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” God really does care about you, and He wants you to live an abundant life, free and full of joy and peace.

The LORD replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.” — Exodus 33:14 (NLT) When God called Moses to lead His people to the Promised Land, Moses felt inadequate for the task and voiced concerns about who God was going to send with him. (Exodus 33:12). We may feel unequipped to perform the task the LORD has given to us, but as long as we have His Presence with us, we are more than able. God He will provide whatever we need to complete the assignment.  In Exodus 33:14 (NCV), the LORD says, “I myself will go with you, and I will give you victory.” Amen!

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. — Philippians 4:6 (AMP) Anxiety comes when we allow our thoughts to jump into the future and play out worse case scenarios. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34 NIV). We enter God’s peace when we dwell in His Presence and stay focused on Him in the moment.

…as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. — 1 Corinthians 2:9 (AMP) Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits (Psalm 103:2). We have so much to thank God for. He redeems our lives from destruction. He heals all our diseases and forgives all our iniquities. (Psalm 103:3-4). He woke us up this morning and sustains us with His breath of life. Today and everyday, we can also gratefully recognize our Moms. Thank God for the woman who gave birth to you, and for all the women who served as “Mother” in your life. Happy Mother's Day to all the women who have loved, supported and encouraged others.

Begin Afresh! Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, — Philippians 3:13 (NKJV) Stop beating yourself up over the mistakes of days gone by! Rather than dwelling on the past, use your time and energy focusing on the here and now. God gives us new compassions and brand new mercies every morning, so we can begin afresh. Press on toward the dreams and visions God has placed in your heart! What has God called you to do today?

“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” — John 16:33 (MSG) Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you (1 Peter 4:12 NLT).  Jesus told us, here on earth we will have many trials and sorrows (John 16:33 NLT). However, as we place our trust in God, we will stand unshaken by the ordeals of this life and assured of the Lord’s deliverance. Take heart! Jesus has overcome the world.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. — Genesis 50:20 (NIV) Our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). However, no weapon formed against us shall prosper. What the enemy intends for our harm, God will cause all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28). So fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12) and God will use your testimony to touch the lives of others.

For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” — Ezekiel 18:32 (NKJV) God, our Savior, desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4 NKJV). Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, (Hebrews 12:1 NIV). Amen!

For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, for we are also His offspring. — Acts 17:28 (AMP) Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3 NKJV). God created us in His own image (Genesis 1:27 NKJV), with a purpose and plan for our lives. We are His offspring, and He watches over us. As long as we remain IN HIM, He protects us, guides us, strengthens us and gives us wisdom. Anything we have outside of Him is merely rubbish and will disintegrate in the fire. What we build in Him, will last forever.

For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; — Ezekiel 12:25a (NKJV) God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19 NIV) God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). When He says He loves you and will be with you, He means it. Stand on God’s Word, which stands forever. Don't give up on your dreams. Keep believing. It will come to pass. God fulfills every promise He has spoken. Amen!

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. — Romans 12:11-12 (MSG) As we continue to renew our minds with God’s Word and pray fervently, we will be alert, fueled and aflame for the LORD. Instead of listening to the voices telling you to give up, pray all the harder, when you encounter difficult times. Then you can be cheerfully expectant, as you trust in and look to our heavenly Father to victoriously bring you through.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light — Ephesians 5:8 (NIV) We are containers of God’s light. Let us be the light and shine brightly on those living overcome by darkness. Just as we opened our hearts to receive from God, let us also keep our hearts open to transmit His light to those He brings our way. When extend to others, the love, kindness, grace and mercy of God, we are allowing His light to invade the darkness of this world.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) And which of you by being overly anxious and troubled with cares can add a cubit to his stature or a moment [unit] of time to his age [the length of his life]? (Luke 12:25 NLT). Instead of worrying, activate God's formula for peace: pray about everything + continually give thanks to God = experience peace. Amen!