GIVE NO ROOM TO THE DEVIL

A young girl named Sandy had a strong hatred for her father, as she had seen him, in her small age, beating up her mother mercilessly. Bitterness kept mounting in her heart, and when she became a young girl she moved out of the house. One day, while speaking to a friend over the phone, she happened to refer to her father, "I hate my father!" she spat. That was the last her friend heard on the other end. Anxious to know if anything had happened to Sandy, the friend made enquiries and was shocked to hear that the moment Sandy had said the words, "I hate my father," demons had entered her and she had fallen on the ground writhing in pain. Finally, as some Spirit-filled servants of God ministered to her, twenty-nine demons came out of her and she became a brand new person in Christ.

Sandy sincerely confessed to her father all the hatred she had had for him and also confesssed that she had planned to kill him by poisoning his food. The father was really touched by his daughter's changed attitude and their relationship became better than ever for the glory of God.

Yes, the Word of God is true. Satan will take advantage of us if we do not forgive others from our heart. Just as Sandy was giving room for twenty-nine demons in her heart, if you do not forgive those who wrong you, as days go by, many demons can possess you or afflict you. There is great blessedness in Christlike forgiveness.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

YOUR HEART IS THE PROBLEM...!

"The waters thereof roar and be troubled" (Psa 46:3)

We may wonder why some people always shout, get angry and are always in a rage. From the above verse we find that roaring people are troubled people. When your heart is troubled, you unnecessarily shout and get upset over very little things.

The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. Isa 57:20,21

So when your heart is restless like a troubled sea and there is no peace in your heart, you will be not only shouting but also casting up mire and dirt on others. In other words, a troubled man will always blame others for everything that is happening around him.

Child of God, do you blame others for your problems? Then the reason is, your heart is not resting in Jesus.

The meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Psa 37:11

A meek person will be peaceful and at rest no matter what problem or trial he faces.

How do you face the trials and troubles of life?

Do you often accuse others for the problems you face? Do you get troubled about little things? It is a true saying that the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. When our heart is right with God everything will fit in the right place like a jigsaw puzzle.

- Late Pas.T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

TO DIE IS GAIN...!

"To me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Phil 1:21).

Here St.Paul considers as gain, as thing which almost every human being considers as loss. When a saint or a good man dies, people generally consider it as a loss but Paul sees through his spiritual eyes that death is a gain for him, for heaven, for all the glorified saints, and hence for all of us.

Paul says, "To me to live is Christ and to die is gain," but for some people it is the other way round: "To me to live is self and to die is loss!" Their earthly riches, possessions, enjoyments, ambitions, name and fame, will all be lost for ever once they die, and they do not know whether they have any hope or anything worth rejoicing in, after their death.

If death has to become a gain to us, there are things which we need to count as loss, as Paul did. "What things were gain to me, those I counted as loss" (Phil 3:7). The earlier two verses, verses 5 and 6, speak about seven things that Paul counted as loss for Christ. In a sense, these seven things speak about our boastings in the flesh. Only the saints who renounce the things of this world and live for Christ, can shout, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" The things we boast about, including our glorying about our spiritual life, will ultimately bring great loss or disaster to our spiritual life.

If you live for yourself the very word 'death' will give you fear, worry, sorrow, anxiety and pain. Dear child of God, have you come to the spiritual state in which you can say from the heart with Paul, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain," or are you afraid of death?

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"

MAKE A COVENANT WITH YOUR GOD

"The bow shall be seen in the cloud: and I will remember my covenant... and the waters shall no more become a flood and destroy all flesh" (Gen 9: 14, 15).

The rainbow is a sign that all the past sins are forgiven and forgotten by God. When you have genuinelt repented for your failings and sins you must enter into a covenant with God - you can be very sure God has forgiven you and cast all the sins you have confessed behind His back. If you do not make a covenant with God, you will be confronted with the same failures no sooner than you repent.

Many repent for their sins but they do not believe that the Lord has forgiven them and that victory is ahead of them, and therefore they do not enter into a covenant with the Lord. Today the Lord is speaking to you. Enter into a fresh covenant with God. Don't allow the devil to keep bringing before you all your past failures and mistakes. It is very sure that you are going to have the victory. Keep your covenant with God before you and go from victory to victory.

The rainbow is seen as an arch. If you are under this arch, under the covenant, that very covenant or arch will cover you and protect you from all the wiles of Satan. So dear child of God, remember, when we break our covenant with God, we are unprotected and exposed to all the assaults of the devil.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"

THE DEMON OF ENVY

"My feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked" (Psa 73:2,3).

Many people have slipped and actually gone to the very pit of hell because of envy. "They envied Moses... and Aaron... the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram... They went down alive into the pit (Sheol)" (Psa 106:16,17; Num 16:33). In other words, envious people are useless not only for heaven but also for the earth.

"The patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph" (Acts 7:9). So when we have envy we are practically selling our Joseph, Jesus. We are delivering Him up to be crucified. "The chief priests had delivered Him for envy" (Mk 15:10).

"The Jews which believed not, moved with envy..., gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar" (Acts 17:5). When we are moved with envy we destroy God's work and become troublemakers. Having lost our faith, we try to destroy the faith of others too. But look at the good example of Jesus - He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater things than these shall he do" (Jn 14:12). Jesus wanted His disciples to become more useful and do greater things than He did. If Jesus the Almighty God wanted to raise the man He created from the dust to such a level, how much we need to rejoice and praise God when others, particularly our juniors are respected or blessed more than us!

Look at the beautiful spirit of St.Paul: "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ" (I Cor 1:4). It is easy to thank God for the grace we ourselves have received. But it requires great grace and humility to thank God always for the grace given to others.

Dear child of God, examine yourself and see whether the abominable wicked spirit of envy is working in your spirit.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"

"HOLY GROUND"

The place that God appointed for Noah to rest with the ark was the mountains of Ararat. 'Ararat' means, 'holy ground'. Till he came to the 'holy ground' he was wandering aimlessly. True till we are grounded in holy living we will be wandering in our Christian life without any purpose or rest in soul.

As far as Noah was concerned, the flood waters were intended to bring him to the 'holy ground', Mount Ararat. So also, our tribulations are meant to help us reach the holy mount, Zion.

The ark apparently had no steering; no human effort brought it to the mountain. It is not our greatness or cleverness that can help us live a holy life and reach the holy mount, but the grace of God - provided we abide in Him, as Noah did in the ark.

After reaching the 'holy ground' Noah was made the ruler of the whole earth. God brought both Moses and Joshua to 'holy ground' before they were made great leaders, before they did great things for God. The amazing thing is that Moses and Joshua were not conscious of the holy ground they were standing on till God told them. Alas, many so-called leaders in the spiritual world think they are living a holy life while their life doesn't certify so.

When the ark rested on the holy ground the tops of the mountains were seen (Gen 8:5). Seeing the mountain-tops points to our insight into the highest spiritual revelations and experiences - which can be acquired only if we learn to rest in the holiness of God.

When the waters of judgment came down, Noah went up; and after that he came down to have dominion over all the earth. Similarly, when the judgement comes the saints will go up to the mid-sky, and after the seven years of tribulation they will come to the earth to rule with Christ for a thousand years.

The Lord is calling His saints to abide in Him and reach the 'holy ground' so that they may escape the judgment and rule the world with Him.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"

SUPERNATURAL BRAIN

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Heb 11:3).

"Through faith we understand." If you have no faith, you have no proper understanding. Without faith, all your understanding of spiritual matters is but misunderstanding. A person can, with his natural brain, understand the natural things of this natural world. But to understand things of the other world, one needs a supernatural brain called 'faith' which is activated by the Holy Spirit. Human understanding is limited, as the human brain is limited. Once faith comes into our heart, our understanding becomes unlimited - like an ocean (I Cor 2:11, 12). However, when faith is gone, spiritual understanding is dead.

The Word of God which framed the worlds, is framing us also. The Word of God is called the word of faith (Rom 10:8) - which has creative power. The word for "frame" in Greek means "to make thoroughly fit." In other words, faith in God's Word makes a man thoroughly fit physically, spiritually, emotionally etc. "His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong,.. yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness" (Acts 3:16).

How can a man believe that God can meet his spiritual needs, if he cannot trust in God for his material needs like health, healing, finance etc?

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"

NEAR TO THE HEART OF GOD...!

"Call ye upon Him while He is near" (Isa 55:6).

'Calling upon God while He is near' is, being receptive to His Word and correcting our lives according to His counsel, when He speaks to us. If we live close to God in times of troubles and trials, we will be able to boldly testify along with the Psalmist - "God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

"What nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon Him for?" (Deut 4:7). If today you life is far away from God, far away from His presence, far away from His love, far away from His grace, far away from his power, and far away from His goodness, when you face a trial or trouble you will find God far away from you.

"There is a place of quiet rest;

Near to the heart of God,

A place where sin cannot molest

Near to the heart of God,

There is a place of comfort sweet;

Near to the heart of God,

A place where we our Saviour meet,

Near to the heart of God.

There is a place of full release;

Near to the heart of God,

A place where all is joy and peace,

Near to the heart of God."

When your heart is far away from God there is no satisfaction, no rest; life will be bitter, empty, dark, filthy and dry.

May the Lord help us to live very close to Him so that, in our troubles, we may have the joy of experiencing our God as a very present help.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

COME TO CHRIST...!

"Make thee an ark of gopher wood... pitch it within and without with pitch... and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof" (Gen 6:14-16).

The ark is a type of Christ. Though it was made of wood (humanity), pitch (divinity) covered it inside and outside - making it waterproof. Jesus was all divine in His character and yet so human - having all the weaknesses and limitations of human flesh. By living on this earth in flesh and blood Jesus has shown to us that a sinless life, a victorious life is possible; He has shown us that we can live above the storms of life.

Those who were inside the ark alone did not drown in the water. We cannot live this life on our own. We need to go to Christ. We need to abide in Him. We need to be kept by Him. "Without Me you can do nothing," He says. Yes, without Him we're bound to fail, we're bound to fall. But if we are found in Him, "hid with Christ in God," we shall be buoyant in life's troubled waters and when He shall appear, we shall appear with Him in glory.

The ark had one door. There is only one way to Christ. It is a narrow way - that is chosen only by few (Matt 7:14). If you go with the crowd, if you think you must please the world and worldlings, you cannot come to Christ. The way to Christ is called the highway of holiness, (Isa 35:8). To come to Christ you must, of a necessity, separate yourself from every form of sin and uncleanness.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

'LITTLE' THINGS MATTER...!

How prone we are to overlook little things! But it is these 'little' things that often work destruction on our lives. The Bible teems with many such examples.

"At the time when kings go forth to battle," David took a little comfortable rest in his bedroom. That little rest ended up in abominable adultery and the heinous murder of his own faithful soldier. It was a little covetousness for just 30 pieces of silver, that made Judas Iscariot the betrayer of our Lord. Beware of the love of money. Gehazi's little greed made him a leper all the days of huis life. How many spiritual giamts have been slain by 'little' sins! It was not a big horn, but "a little horn" that cast down "some of the host and of the stars to the ground and stamped upon them" (Dan 7:8; 8:9,10).

Are we not prone to neglect to nip in the bud things that look small and harmless? This is one of the wiles of the devil to destroy and desecrate our saintly life.

Peter had not planned to deny the Lord. But in the cold ight, having found a bonfire near him, he had only wanted to warm himself there. That little warmth of sitting in the seat of the scornful made his life bitter and he cried bitterly. Peter's denial has gone down in history as a warning for everyone. It is better to die in the cold rather than have a warmth at the expense of denying the Lord.

The Lord wants us to be very careful about very little things - be it our very little time, money or any other thing that is at our disposal. Unless we are faithful in very little, we can never be faithful in very much.

It was reported sometime ago that an eight million dollar rocket was destroyed just because a hyphen was misplaced in the computer programme. Once, an aircraft crashed, killing all the passengers and the crew, all because the mechanic forgot to place a nut in a bolt. He thought he would do it after a cup of tea, but afterwards forgot all about it. Obviously, it appeared a very small job - the nut might have, after all, cost not even a dollar - but the negligence was enough to destroy many lives and the aircraft which was worth millions of dollars.

"The tiniest of coins when held close to the eye, can blot out the sun."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

STORM THE THRONE OF GRACE

"And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth; and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake" (Rev 8:5).

The fire from the altar may speak of the holy zeal for a prayer life. There are always spectacular results for prayers generating from a holy fire. They are manifested in four ways.

1.) 'Voices' - not earthly voices, but heavenly voices or heavenly messages. If preachers in the pulpit are delivering cold and unpalatable messages, the reason could be that prayer warriors who kneel on holy ground are missing. Let prayer warriors with a holy heavenly zeal arise and "turn the battle to the gate". TO GET 'HOLINESS PREACHERS' WE NEED HOLY MEN WHO CAN STORM THE THRONE OF GRACE WITH MIGHTY PRAYERS.

2.) 'Thunderings' - denote great victory over enemies (I Sam 7:10). Why is the Church of the Lord in a cold, defeated state now - as if the devil is the winner? THERE AREN'T ENOUGH MEN OF PRAYER WHO ARE ALL OUT FOR A HOLY, UNDEFILED LIFE. Let saints arise with a clear vision of the holiness of God. Let them march to the throne of grace. Soon God will thunder from heaven and discomfit all His enemies.

3.) 'Lightnings' show the vanquishing of the forces of the devil (Lk 10:18). Oh, how God looks for saints who through their prayer and pure life bring down the forces of darkness! Dear saint, shake off the dust, arise from the dead and PRAY - PRAY TILL YOU SEE SATAN FALL AS LIGHTNING FROM THE SKY.

4.) 'Earthquake' - Yes, men of prayer who live an unblemished life can alone shake this world for Christ. Many are praying; why is nothing happening then? Some people rebuke the devil in prayer, but the devil rebukes them back, laughing at the mountain of SECRET SINS in them. Indeed, our God is the same yesterday, today and for ever. He still wants to send a big spiritual earthquake and shake the world for Christ. John Wesley once said, "Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin and who love nothing but God. No matter what background they come from, they can shake the world for Christ and establish the kingdom of heaven."

May the Lord make each one of us a censer of pure gold by helping us to live an unblemished life so that our prayers, like the heavenly incense, may result in "voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

DELIVERED IN TROUBLE...!

There are two ways in which the Lord delivers us: 1) He delivers us from trouble 2) He delivers us in trouble. We can find both these experiences in Psalm 91. Verse 3 says, "Surely He shall deliver thee FROM the snare of the fowler." In fact, all the verses from verse one to fourteen speak about the Lord delivering us from trouble or protecting us from trouble. But the 15th verse speaks about the Lord delivering us in trouble: "He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I wil be with him IN trouble; I will deliver Him, and honour him."

What is the difference between God delivering us from trouble and God delivering us in trouble? When God allows a trouble or trial in our life, we must know that God wants to promote us and honour us - "I will be with him in trouble; I wil deliver him, and honour him." Along with the deliverance, a spiritual promotion is also coming.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not delivered from the fire but in the fire. They were thrown into the fire and after they were thrown into the fire, God delivered them and then, "the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon" (Dan 3:30). God could have delivered Daniel from the den of lions. However, God permitted Daniel to be thrown in and, in the trouble, God protected him and delivered him. After he was delivered, the king greatly honoured Daniel and proclaimed that Daniel's God was the true God Who was to be worshipped by all. Joseph was thrown into the pit and into prison but afterwards he was honoured and raised to be the governor of Egypt. Mordecai was in deep trouble and all his people were to be executed by the king. However, God delivered him in that deep trouble and promoted him to be the prime minister of that great empire.

Perhaps you are in deep trouble now. Be of good cheer. Once you are foound to be faithful to the truth, the Lord will deliver you and honour you.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

A SELFLESS LIFE..!

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2).

Once Sadhu Sundar Singh was walking with a monk through a valley of the Himalayas. The monk wanted Sunder Singh to walk fast as snow was falling and they had to reach their destination before the dark. As they were hurrying along they heard a pathetic cry. It was a poor man who had fallen down and injured himself.

Sundar Singh wanted to go and help him, but the monk said that if they tried to help him, they would not be able to cross the snow before darkness set in. The Sadhu could not bear to leave the man there to die. "Maybe the Lord has brought me this way just to help that brother," he thought and went over to the man.

The monk didnt wait; he walked on by himself. The Sadhu found that the man could not walk. So he made a sling with his blanket and carried the man in his back.

Carrying the burden of a helpless man and walking up the hill was extremely difficult. However, Sundar Singh continued trudging along. Finally he could see the light of a monastery a short distance away.

As he continued to walk on carrying the man, suddenly he spied a huge bundle covered with snow lying on the way. On inspection, he found, to his horror, the body of the monk who accompanied him.!

How true it is that sharing the burdens of others gives both of us and others new life!

Christian life is esentially a selfless life - one of bearing not only the burdens and cares of others but also their weaknesses and iniquities! Let us take a look at our lives and see how far we have fulfilled the expectation of the Lord.

- Late Pas.T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

"I WILL UPHOLD THEE...!"

"I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness" (Isa 41:10).

Our holding onto the Lord is good, but much more important than that, is to realize that the Lord is holding us. A child may hold on to his mother, but his mother's hold on him makes him feel much safer. Dear reader, you are the beloved child of your heavenly Father. He holds your hand. So you have nothing to fear.

"It isn't that I cling to Him
Or struggle to be blest
He simply takes my hand in His
And there I let it rest."

Holding is different from upholding. You may hold a book or a pencil but we uphold or hold up something that is generally feeble and which cannot stand on its own. Beloved, we are weaklings. Without any divine help, we cannot stand upright. If we try to stand on our own we may fall. Our gracious Lord knows our weakness and so He has promised that He will uphold us or hold us up with the right hand of His righteousness.

Since the Lord is holding us up we have great confidence. "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24). How blessed a people we are! Though we cannot stand upright on our own, our Lord is holding us up that we may not fall. He is holding us up so that on that glorious Day we may be presented before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS...!!!

We may have many friends but they may not be near at the time of our distress and trouble. But in Jesus we have a Friend Who is "a very present help in trouble." When we are in despair He fills us with heavenly peace, as He is the Prince of peace; when we go through darkness He gives light, as He is the light; when we seem to lose the way He shows the way, as He is the way. He feeds us when we are hungry, as He is the Bread of Life.

There are many fair weather friends in this world. When our money and materials fail, they leave us and forsake us. Jesus is One Who will never depart from us whether we go through poverty or prosperity. In our poverty He is our eternal riches; in our prosperity He is our exceeding joy. He will never allow us to go astray as "He will be our guide even unto death." He goes with us all the way. He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Two thousand years have passed by, and billions of people on this earth have proved Him to be faithful to what He has promised. In fact, His very name is "Faithful and True" (Rev 19:11).

There are some friends to whom we cannot open our hearts; they may not understand our pain and sorrow. They cannot feel the hurt we feel and the distress or rejection we go through. Sometimes even our closest friends may misunderstand us if we open our hearts to them. In Jesus we have a Friend to Whom, we can ALWAYS open our heart, no matter what the trouble we are going through and what the trial we are facing. In fact He says, "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest - I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls" (Matt 11:28 Amp).

There are friends who are too busy to help us. Our heavenly Friend is ever mindful of us. He sends His holy angels to keep us day and night. He Himself watches over us without sleeping or slumbering.

O, what a Friend we have in Jesus!

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

A SWORD FOR DISCOURAGEMENT...!

The root behind discouragement is disbelief in the promises of God.

The first recorded words of the devil are, "Hath God said?" - a question intended to make the woman doubt God's word. Jesus took up the Word of God against the devil. "It is written, it is written, it is written..!"

When the Word of God comes, the demon of discouragement has to flee. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword. It can give us life and new life. The whole world was created by His Word and it is upheld by His Word. You dont need to live in the realm of discouragement.

Beloved, we are not ordinary people. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. You belong to the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and God of gods. No demon can stand before you.

Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. After the darkness there's a bright morning. After a deep valley there's a huge mountain. Trust in the Word of God. The Lord will make the bitter sweet for you. He will turn darkness into light. He will turn confusion into peace, your emptiness into His fulness, your shame into glory, your weakness into strength, your filthiness into holiness, your death into life, your hell into heaven.

His Word will do that. That's why the Word is called the word of encouragement. In the name of Jesus rebuke the spirit that is discouraging you.

- Pas. T.U.Thomas, The Pentecostal Mission in "Morning Manna"

DON'T LOSE YOUR FELLOWSHIP...!

We do not find the man with the woman when she was conversing with the serpent or when she was plucking the fruit from the tree or even when she was eating it. The very purpose of God in creating woman was so that she could be a help-mate for the man. God brought her to the man so that she might be with him always. When the woman lost her fellowship with the man she turned out to be a betrayer of God's love and truth.

Just as the woman was expected to be with the man always, the Church is expected to be in close fellowship with Christ, her Bridegroom - lest she be deceived by the devil and sin against Him.

Instead of making use of her precious time to commune with Adam, the woman was communing with the devil, the serpent. Very often, children of God who profess to have no time to pray or commune with God, have plenty of time to commune with the devil. We also need the fellowship of the saints who have have a close fellowship with the Lord.

Let us maintain our fellowship with the Lord and His saints. If we try to find fellowship with someone else we may fall into the snare of the devil. "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?" (Jms 4:4).

"Have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." I Jn 1:3

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

TREASURES OF THE SNOW...:

"Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?" (Job 38:22).

It appears from this text, that there aer treasures in the snow. In the Word of God, snow is compared to purity. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa 1:18). The Psalmist says, "Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psa 51:7). From this we understand that purity of life is like valuable treasures.

Snow is always cool. Those who live a holy life will always be gentle and comforting to others even in most distressing situations. Snow is transparent and crystal clear. If we really love purity of life, we will not show one thing on the outside and be different inside. Having a transparent character is having no hidden sins, no hidden unclean motives. Snow melts in the sunshine; the hearts of those who love holiness always melts in the presence of God.

Many people of God have not experienced the treasures found in a holy life. Please observe, what God questioned Job was not, "Has treasure entered into you?" but, "Hast thou entered into the treasure?" The ocean entering into you and you jumping into the ocean are two different things. Similarly, there is difference between holiness entering into you and you entering into holiness. When you enter into holiness of God you are inside the ocean of God's holiness and that ocean is encompassing, covering and crowing you. It is like God possessing you, rather than you possessing God. You are enjoying the grace of God, but you enjoying the God of all grace is something better.

Dear child of God, why don't you enter into the treasures of the snow? Why don't you dedicate yourself right now to enter into these treasures of purity?

Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

THE WONDERFUL BOOK...!

"Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for My mouth it hath commanded, and His Spirit it hath gathered them" (Isa 34:16).

What an inspiring and encouraging verse this is! The Scriptures, the Word of God or the Bible, as we call it, was gathered together or compiled by the Spirit of God - 'His Spirit' (Holy Spirit). In fact, the blessed Trinity is involved in the collection of the contents of the Scriptures. 'The Lord' is Jehovah or the Father. 'My mouth' - here 'My refers to the Lord Jesus Christ; 'His Spirit' refers to the Holy Spirit.

What an encouragement it is for all of us to know that the Bible we hold in our hands has come from the triune God and is complete in itself! How sad it is that some people wanted to add the Apocrypha to it! Look at the warning in the last book and in the last chapter of the Word of God. "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (Rev 22:18,19).

May the Lord grant us the grace every day, to find the wondrous things in this wonderful book given to us by the wonderful triune God.

"Thy Word is like a deep, deep, mine,

And jewels rich and rare

And hidden in its mighty depths

For every searcher there."

"Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law" (Psa 119:18).

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

DISCOVERY OF DIVINE NEUROLOGIST...!

Recently a leading neuro-surgeon discovered that the speech centre in the brain has total control over all other nerves. This fact was written in the Bible thousands of years ago.

James, the "divine neurologist" says, 'The tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body" (Jms 3:5,6). This amazing discovery made by James was but a supernatural revelation from God.

It is estimated that every human being has about a hundred million neurons or nerve cells in his body and that each neuron can contain about 5 billion (five thousand million) bits of information! Is it not wonderful (perhaps shocking to some of us) to discover that our tongue virtually has total control over these hundred million neurons in our body!

If you say, "I am very weak," immediately instruction from the Speech Centre goes to all the nerves: "Be prepared to be weak." Instantly your whole body feels a tendency to relax, to go to bed, etc. You don't seem to have energy to do any work.

Similarly when you say, "Mr.A is a very bad fellow," straightaway all your nerve cells accept it as a fact and adjust themselves to that. Afterwards, if someone tells you that Mr.A is a very good man, all your nerves immediately get irritated and upset. On the other hand, in case you hear somebody say, "Mr.A is a very bad man," you feel very happy and may say, "You are right. I quite agree with you." Perhaps you do not realize that all your nerve cells are so obedient to your tongue, that, even if others see a thousand good things in that person, you cannot find any good in him. The simple reason is that you have already instructed your 100 million nerves accordingly!It has been rightly said, "The greatest point of danger in the world is the tip of the tongue." So dear Child of God, be careful how you use your tongue.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

ATTRACTIVE NATURES...!

"Out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil" (Gen 2:9).

The tree of knowledge had nothing evil in itself, as much as there is no evil in God. It's the disobedience of man that brought the evil effects. True knowledge is to fear God and obey Him, and the knowledge to disobey Him is evil.

God made every tree in the garden pleasant to the sight and good for food. God wants everyone in the Church to be pleasing in the sight of God and man, and to be a source of good spiritual food to others. Also, everyone in the Church of God should be a tree of life which is a source of eternal life to others.

It was the fruit of the trees that was pleasant to the sight and good for food. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Gal 5:22, 23). These divine natures are pleasing to God and man and are a good food that satisfies the spiritual hunger of others.

The condition set for obtaining eternal life and growth in divine character, is obedience. If we disobey we will lose eternal life and we will have no place in the Church of God.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

CHRISTIAN WITH A BACKBONE...!

"Keep thyself pure" (I Tim 5:22).

A deeply committed Christian girl who was very bright in her studies faced a problem. Of the many books she had to study in her degree course, there was a particular book which, she knew, contained defiling matter. As she had kept her life pure all along, this was a challenge to her. See had to choose between not reading the book and failing in the examination, and reading it and securing a pass. She prayed about the matter and decided it would be better to fail in the examination than get her mind defiled.

In the examination paper substantial marks were reserved for the question from that book. In the question it was required that comments about the book be written in one page. She prayed and wrote a whole page on how the contents of the book could defile a young person, and about the repercussions of defilement; she very strongly condemned the book. When the results were out, she found, to her surprise and joy, that she had secured that maximum mark in that examination.

Dear child of God, are you willing to pay the price to keep your life pure? You must be a Christian with a backbone. "The man who cannot stand for something may fall for anything." Stand up for holiness!

The greatest failure in life is moral failure.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

SHALOM SHALOM...!

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee” (Isa 26:3)

The words ‘perfect peace’ are translated as 'shalom shalom' in the original Hebrew, meaning ‘double peace’ or ‘double health.’ If your mind is stayed on the Lord or, when you trust in the Lord, the Lord will keep you in shalom shalom i.e. in perfect peace, and in perfect health also. If your mind is always on your problems and not on the Lord, then you will be worrying all the time. However, when your spiritual eyes are upon the Lord, you will always enjoy tranquility or perfect peace.

Perhaps today you are sick; if your mind is on the sickness then the symptoms and manifestations of your sickness, and people’s opinions about that sickness will frighten you. However, if you are trusting in the Lord i.e. if your mind is stayed on the Lord, the Lord is able, not only to heal you but also to restore health and peace to you.

Dear child of God, you may say that you are trusting in the Lord, but your mind may be wandering and worrying, and dwelling on your problems. What does the Word of God say? “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6,7). It does not say that all your prayers will be answered the way you want them answered. But if you are confident that your worries are known to God, you get peace of mind.

Your God is greater than your problems and He is so great and wise that He has a perfect solution for all your problems.

“Oh to trust Him then more fully!
Just to simply move
In the conscious calm enjoyment
Of the Father’s love!”

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

POTENTIAL OF GREAT GRACE...:

"God created great whales... which the waters brought forth abundantly" (Gen 1:21).

Great whales can be brought forth only in waters deep and wide. Similarly, great saints can be made only by great grace.

We find a great whale protecting the erring saint Jonah from the dangers of the sea and bringing him to the shore as a changed man. So also, we need great saints who protect erring saints, who bear the mistakes of the people of God and protect them from this world of sin through their prayers, and help them to reach the heavenly shore safely. The Church is in great need of saints with such large hearts. St.Paul, while speaking to the backslidden Corinthians, says, "Our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged" (II Cor 6:11).

Great whales should always be in abundant waters, for otherwise they will die. We are called with a great, high calling and therefore we should have 'great grace' - without which we cannot survive.

Dear reader, the great grace in us is able to make great saints of us. St.Paul says, "I am what I am by the grace of God!" The only limit to God's grace is the limit we put on it.

Whales are usually caught in estuaries where the river falls into the sea. When they drift into the shallow waters of the river they are trapped there. So let us be careful not to drift into spiritual dryness.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"

GOD WHO WORKS IN THE NIGHT...:

It is interesting to see how God works for His people. When the Israelites were confronted by the Red Sea in front of them and pursued by the Egyptians from behind, the Lord worked on their behalf. "The Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind ALL THAT NIGHT" (Exo 14:21). Let us not forget, that God was working that night, yes, ALL THAT NIGHT! Very often, when we face dark nights in our spiritual lives, we tend to forget the fact that God is working ALL NIGHT. True enough, at times we are in the dark and do not know where to go or what to do or how to face the morrow. We feel we have been left high and dry, but thank God, we have a wonderful Saviour Who works on our behalf ALL THAT NIGHT.

The world's most precious and brilliant stones are formed in the crust of the earth, while lying in total darkness for vast periods of time. We are the living stones that God has chosen for the foundation of New Jerusalem. The more we go through darkness, the brighter we shine for His glory! For those who triumphantly survive the dark night, the Lord comes in the morning as the Bright and Morning Star.

Dear reader, you may be faced with an impossible situation. The night may be very dark. Do not forget that God is working through the pitch darkness of that night and turning all things for your good. Strengthened by this thought, take courage and obey His command - 'Go forward.

"Step out in the storm that would crush you!
Step out in the night that would hush you!
And you will find,
There was one watching there,
The whole night through working, watching, waiting."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"

DO YOU WANT GOD'S GUIDANCE...?

A certain man of God has said, "If you are living in the Spirit you can do more things in one hour than all you can do in your whole lifetime if you were living a natural life." Pastor S.B.Earnest used to say that we can live our life in two ways. Birds can walk and birds can fly. By walking a bird can cover a distance. But by flying it can cross mountains and rivers and other hindrances. A life that is guided by the Spirit is like a bird flying.

The journey from Egypt to Canaan was only a eleven-day journey but the people of Israel took forty years for that (see Deut 1:2). It was the Lord Who guided them and not man. Why then did God take them around for forty years? God guides us according to the state of our heart.

God had not wanted to take them through the wilderness but because of the state of their heart He had to do it. For some of us it is a desert journey all the time. The desert is a place where there are no flowers, no grass, no leaves, no shade, no fruits; it is a dry and desolate place. If God is to give us guidance, if He is to lead us in the way He wants to, our heart should be right with God. If our heart is stubborn and hard, the paths God leads us in will be hard.

"Such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity" (Psa 125:5). If we hold on to our crooked ways, the Lord will not show us His perfect ways. So let us fear the Lord and depart from every appearance of evil. "What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose" (Psa 25:12).

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"

STARTING AND ENDING WITH GOD

"In the beginning God..." (Gen 1:1)

God is at the beginning of the Scriptures, and also at the end. 'Amen' is the last word of the Bible (Rev 22:21), and one name for God is 'Amen' (Rev 3:14).

'Amen' also means 'so it is' or 'so be it.' We must begin our life with God and also end it with God. Then God will say 'Amen' as a word of recognition and appreciation as we finish our earthly life.

The last word in the Old Testament is 'curse' (Malachi 4:5). The Old Testament which is otherwise known as the Law, ended in a 'curse' and not in a blessing. If we are to end our life with God, we must not be bound by the law but by love.

It is also interesting to observe that while the Bible begins with 'God' and heaven and also ends with 'God' and 'heaven,' the book of Genesis begins with 'God' and 'heaven' but ends with 'death' and a 'coffin in Egypt'. "Joseph died, ... he was put in a coffin in Egypt" (Gen 50:26). While God offfers heaven to us at the end, Egypt or this world can offer only death and a coffin.

Child of God, it's important to begin your life with God, it's important to begin every year, every month, every day, every project, every thing you embark on, with God. It's even more important to finish it gloriously, to finish it with God.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"

GREATNESS

"Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side" (Psa 71:21)

When God increases your greatness, one thing is very sure - you will find comfort everywhere and the Lord Himself will be comforting you in times of trials and troubles. However, in Daniel 8:4-7, we read of a ram (male sheep) becoming great by pushing westward and northward and southward. "I saw the ram pushing westward and northward and southward... he did according to his will and became great." Yes, you can become great in two ways. First, according to Psalm 71:21, when God increases your greatness, you will be great indeed. Secondly, as mentioned in Daniel 8:4, you can become great by pushing yourself around - doing your own will and influencing people with money, materials or alluring words.

What happened to the ram that pushed and became great? In verse 5 we read that a he-goat came in a rage and stamped the ram to the ground and destroyed it. This is a warning for all those who usurp authority to be leaders - politically, spiritually or otherwise. With your pushing and pulling, your manoeuvring, manipulating or crookedly influencing people with sweet words or attractive incentives, you may become great. But remember, the end will be disastrous; you will never find comfort in your elevated position. However, when God raises you, no one can stand against you, and in every situation the Lord will comfort you; you will find comfort and will be a comfort to others.

"Ability may take you to the top but only character can keep you there."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas in "Morning Manna"

HE CARES FOR YOU

"Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me" (Isa 49:14-16).

How often, in our distresses and difficulties, we think the Lord has forsaken us or forgotten us! In the above text the Lord wants to show us how much he cares for us and watches over us.

"Can a woman forget her sucking child?" Some mothers forget their grown-up children at times, but a mother can hardly forget her sucking child, as the child is helpless without her. But the interesting truth the Lord reveals here is that, even if the mother forgets her sucking child, and does not have compassion on it, he will never forget us. In another place he promises, "the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee" (Isa 54:10).

How mindful the Lord is of those who cling to Him, of those who trust Him like a baby does!

"I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands." We can always see what is written on our palms unlike something written anywhere else. The Lord wants to assure us that just as a name that is engraved on the hand of a person is always before his eyes and therefore cannot be forgotten, He cannot forget us. Our names are not simply 'written' but 'graven' upon the palms of His hands. It is very painful to engrave something on our hands and whatever is engraved cannot be easily erased either. So one loves very dearly the person whose name is engraved on one's hand. How much the Lord must love us then!

"Thy walls are continually before me." The Lord has promised that He will be a wall of fire around us. The Lord not only sets a wall of fire around us, but he is also watching over the wall so that no enemy may penetrate the wall. If there is a wall of fire around you, the enemy cannot penetrate it; he will be consumed in the fire if he tries to!

O dear child of God, you are well protected and well cared for by the Lord. So cast all your care upon Him. "If the Lord careth for thee, be thyself at rest," said Archbishop Lieghton.

"He careth, He beareth,

I'm graven in the palms of His hands;

He watcheth and guideth,

He makes the bitter sweet to me."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"

A YEAR WITH GOD BEFORE US

"I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places" (Isa 45:2,3).

This will be true for us in this New Year. Surely the Lord will go before us. We may face crooked situations (and people), but the Lord will straighten them up as we follow Him. We may also confront many obstacles, like the gates of brass and bars of iron that threaten to halt our spiritual progress; but the Lord Himself will break in pieces such gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron.

"Treasures of darkness" - There may be dark patches in our path, but the Lord has promised to give us many precious souls in darkness, as special treasures this year.

"Hidden riches of secret places" - Here the "secret places" speak of the secret chamber of prayer life - dwelling in "the secret place of the Most High" (Psa 91:1). There are hidden riches for those who have a deep prayer life.

Like the people of Israel, we are in a wilderness journey, but the Lord Himself promises to go before us. "My presence shall go with (before) thee and I will give thee rest" (Exo 33:14). His presence is going to give us rest. And His presence shall go with us till we reach our eternal rest.

The Lord did not say, "My presence shall abide with you" but, "My presence shall go unto you." God's presence has a 'go' in it. It will make you go forward; it will make you an ongoing vibrant Christian. The gospel has a 'go' in it. "Go ye therefore... and teach all nations... Lo, I am with you alway" (Matt 28:19,20); "The Lord shall fight for you... go forward" (Exo 14:14,15).

In this New Year, the Lord wants to fight all our battles but on the condition we keep going forward.

We know that our future is going to be blessed because our Lord holds our future. He certainly has great plans for us. We may not know the path we may have to traverse this year, but we know Who goes before us, and that makes all the difference.

"The Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not" (Isa 58:11).

"I have a Guide Who never falters,

And when He leads I cannot stray,

For step by step He goes before me,

And marks my path; He knows the way."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in "Morning Manna"