Manna for Your Morning

He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. — Matthew 12:30  (NASB) Let us gather, in love, peace and unity. Tear down the walls that separate and build bridges that connect us. In John 17:20-21 (MSG), Jesus prayed: “I’m praying not only for them but also for those who will believe in me because of them and their witness about me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, so they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.” “This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse. ”— Matthew 12:30 (MSG)

Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—   — Acts 26:22 (NKJV) We have obtained help from God, therefore, we stand. Be convinced that God is on your side and He is working for your good. The LORD is our Helper. He has not brought you this far to leave you now. Instead of worrying, worship God and witness to others, about all the wonderful things He has done in your life. Amen!

 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. — John 1:6-9 (NKJV) We also have been sent from God. May we, like John, live our lives in such a way that others may see our witness by our behavior, as well as hear it by the words that come out of our mouths. We can only do this by having the same mindset John had in John 3:30, where he says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Let Christ increase in our hearts and minds that we might bear witness of Him to a world that desperately needs to know Him.

 ...that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. — Ephesians 2:12 (NKJV) Twenty-four years ago, my life was a mess and there was absolutely not an ounce of hope within me. But I thank God, for two co-workers who were faithful women of God. On Dec 5, 1989, they witnessed to me about the love and forgiveness God gives each and every one of us through Jesus Christ. That very day, God opened my eyes, to see Him and I opened the door of my heart and let Him in. That was truly the best day of my life. During my 24 year journey, the road has not always been easy, but I praise God that He has brought me this far! Let us always be His witnesses on our jobs, in our families and in our neighborhoods. There are many more, people in our world who are hurting, hopeless and without God.  And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to ev...

But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.” — Acts 23:11 (NKJV) Today, we can be of good cheer, because the Lord stands by us. If all others forsake us, He will still be there. The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3, NIV). In 2 Timothy 4:17, the Apostle Paul says, “the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached...” We are to bear witness of Jesus, at this time, to this generation, and He stands by us to give us strength.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”  — John 1:29 (NKJV) “And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”  — John 1:29 (NKJV) John the Baptist came to bear witness of Jesus Christ, but as he sat in prison he began to have doubts. In Matthew 11:2-3, he sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” What happens in the life of a believer, that he or she comes to a point where they begin to question God? Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God (Hebrews 3:12, NLT). No matter what adversities we face, we must never allow the enemy to get us to doubt our Lord and Savior and His goodness. Jesus is the One! He is the answer to every question and the solution to every problem.

...and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, — Revelation 1:5 (NIV) Today as we celebrate our Nation’s independence and remember those who have sacrificed, shed their blood and given their lives for our freedom as a country, let us celebrate Jesus, the most important freedom-fighter of all. He was the ultimate sacrifice. By His precious blood He set us free from sin and death and gave us the wonderful gift of eternal life. He proclaimed good news to the poor and freedom for those in bondage. Praise the Lord! Have a Happy Independence Day!

Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend. Job 16:19-21 (NIV) We have an Advocate on high. Let us praise the Lord who pleads with God on our behalf. Jesus always lives to intercede for those who come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:24). Thank you Jesus!

Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them. Exodus 18:8 (NIV) May we be like Moses and tell someone about our hardships and how the LORD saved us. Each one of us are eyewitnesses to what the LORD has done in our lives. There is nothing like real life stories of going from darkness to light, from downtrodden to victory to encourage the heart of someone going through. Praise the LORD for His faithfulness. Love, Jackie