ANGER KILLS...:

"Wrath killeth the foolish man" (Job 5:2).

How true! "Haman (was) full of wrath." Ultimately, "they hanged Haman on the gallows..." (esth 3:5; 7:10). Do not be a foolish Haman. Before the noose of your anger tightens around your neck, cut it off for ever.

"Wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword" (Job 19:29). For your wrath, you may face punishment now and the judgment of God at the end. See also Proverbs 19:19.

The Scriptures show that there is no excuse for anger, for, "the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (Jms 1:20). Some have an excuse - 'I was provoked' or 'I was under tremendous pressure!' Consider Moses, the meekest man on earth. "Because they provoked his spirit,... he spake unadvisedly with his lips" (Psa 106:33). God was very firm with him. The man of God who led the people of Israel for forty years, could not even visit the good land!

Once, when Moses was angry, the Lord told him something like a remedy - "Speak to the rock." When you lose your temper, the remedy is the same: speak to the Rock, which is Christ (I Cor 10:4), for deliverance. Alas! Moses, instead of speaking to the Rock, spoke to the people unadvisedly. You cannot expect to speak soberly when a wrong spirit is dominating you.

Wrath is connected with sickness and sorrow (Eccl 5:17). Recently, a man who got angry with someone and was on his way to get hold of him, died of a heart attack!

"I want the love that always sweetly bears
Whate'er my Father's hand may choose to send;
I want the love that patiently endures
The wrongs that come from enemy or friend."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

BELITTLE NOT LITTLE SINS...:

"Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones" (Psa 137:8,9).

Even a heartless person will find it difficult to dash little ones against a rock. But God Who is most gracious and compassionate, exhorts the saints to do it. It is even surprising to read that the one who does this act shall be happy.

These words were spoken against the daughter of Babylon. Babylon the Great is called 'the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth' (Rev 17:5). If Babylon stands for all immoralities and abominable sins, the daughter of Babylon could stand for the little sins of impurities and defilements.

Happy, and of course, blessed shall he be, who searches out the seemingly insignificant sins in his life and dashes them against the Rock which is Christ i.e. destroys these sins (darkness) by bringing them to Christ (the Light).

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes (little sins), that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes" (S.S. 2:15). These foxes enter through the small holes in the fence and spoil the vines eating up the tender sweet grapes. In other words, these little foxes or sins will spoil our vine, even our good testimony, our joy, peace and grace. When tender grapes are eaten up, fruitfulness is cut off. Once these little foxes come inside the garden they no more remain little but in no time turn into fatted foxes, and hence will not be able to go out through the "little holes" they came through. "No sin is small. No grain of sand is small in the mechanism of a watch," said Jeremy Tailor.

Be "very cruel" to the very little sins in your life and "dash them against the Rock!"

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

DIE IN SHALOM....:

"Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season" (Job5:26).

This is a great promise for the children of God who walk with God. A shock of corn is brought to the storehouse when it is most healthy and useful. We should not die at a time when we are useless and a burden to others, but when we are most useful and a great blessing to all (including our enemies).

Read about the promise of God to Abraham: "Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace (shalom); thou shalt be buried in a good old age." The word shalom means good health, prosperity, safety, rest, peace, completeness, etc. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace" (Psa 37:37). Here also the same word shalom is used. So it is the good pleasure of God that His saitns end their lives in peace - in good health, in rest, in prosperity. Prosperity means spiritual life prospering and your life prospering for the glory of God.

We read that, according to God's promise, "Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years" (Gen 25:8). It doesn't say 'in a bad age' but, 'in a good old age.' This experience of 'a good old age' is promised to a number of saints in connection with their old age. The words 'of years' are in italics in the Bible. So the verse could be: "Abraham died in a good old age, an old man and full." He died full of blessings, full of grace, full of the goodness of God, full of health, and full of spiritual wealth.

Dear child of God, are you afraid of your future - thinking you will become sick and weak and be a burden to others? According to your faith, be it unto you. Abraham believed and God counted it as righteousness and performed what He promised to Him. Let us believe as Mary did. "Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord" (Lk 1:45). May the Lord fulful our longing to end in peace, in shalom.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

A NEW LIFESTYLE....:

"These all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims in the earth." (Hebrews 11:13)

The promises referred to here were the promises of Christ and the blessings or merits of Calvary. The Old Testament saints could only see them far away by faith; but what an influence those promises had on them! They all lived confessing that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth and died in faith. If so, how much more diligent we who have received the promises should be, to live as strangers and pilgrims on the earth!

Although Abraham was a very rich man, he lived in tents and taught the tent life (faith life) to his children and grandchildren. Why? He had a revelation of a city which had foundations and whose builder and maker is God (Heb 11:10). Obviously, that city is New Jerusalem, the city of jasper. Abraham was not called to live in the city of New Jerusalem, but when he received a revelation of the city he was able to leave the country and his kith and kin in his old age, and live in tents.

If we have faith we will die daily; dying is gain, St.Paul says!

If by faith, we can see the glorious promises of the resurrected body and of New Jerusalem and Zion, what a difference it will make to our lifestyle! How easily we'll give up the many unnecessary things that clutter our lives! How many things we'll see as 'loss' rather than 'gain'! How many things we'll throw away calling them 'dung'! How differently we would value the things we now look upon as 'dear' and 'precious'!

May the Lord help us to live in faith and die in faith - in case the Lord tarries.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

GOD WANTS A LAD

"There is a lad here..." (Jn 6:9)

Although there was a great company of people gathered around Jesus, when there arose the need to feed the multitude, no one had anything to offer. It appeared, even the disciples were not prepared to face the situation. But a little boy was ready to sacrifice all that he had. He had brought five loaves and two fishes and he gave them to Jesus. It was a lad who made himself available to the Lord for this unique sacrifice. There are millions in the world who are suffering from spiritual hunger. The Lord is looking for 'lads' who will offer all that they have to the Lord as a sacrifice. A life that is passed on from the creature's hand to the Creator's, will turn to be a blessing to thousands.

Five loaves could speak of the body with five senses; two fishes could imply the spirit and soul. Dear reader, are you willing to surrender your spirit, soul and body unconditionally into His hands?

If this boy had been selfish and had eaten all that he had, it may not have satisfied even his own hunger; but when he gave it all to Jesus, he had satisfaction in many ways. His sacrificial service was rewarded with the greatest satisfaction of having the name of the Lord be glorified by his exemplary giving.

When Jesus received the five loaves and the two fishes He blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples without taking anything for Himself. The disciples then distributed them to the multitudes, again, not keeping even a bit for themselves. We find that after all were fed and satisfied, twelve baskets remained with the leftovers.

Dear reader, we need the spirit of Jesus and His disciples. This sacrificial spirit eventually helped everyone to be fed - the crowd, the lad, the disciples, and even Jesus.

"Great accomplishments in life are the result of great sacrifice."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART?

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise" (Psa 51:17).

Why does God want us to have a broken heart? It is possible for one to be unaware of what is in one's heart. For example, an apple may be shiny and golden in colour and very attractive to the eyes; but if we cut it into pieces we may find to our shock that it is rotten and maybe even breeding worms. Similarly, unless our heart is broken we may never know what is in our heart - although God knows everything in .

God led the people of Israel through the wilderness for a long period of forty years, to make them know what was in their hearts (Deut 8:2). The sad story is that they failed to know what was in their heart, and fell into temptation. Most of them, therefore, perished in the wilderness. If we are to follow God all the way, we must know what is in our heart; for this, a broken and a contrite heart is most essential.

Peter did not know what was in his heart - till he denied the Lord. Being full of self-confidence he said, "Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison, and to death" (Lk 22:33), but soon afterwards he denied the Lord! If we do not seek to know what is in our hearts, like Peter, we too may fall into temptation.

When Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifed up, he said, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips" (Isa 6:1,5). When we see God lifted up, we will realize how lowly or small we are in the presence of God.

Job was indeed a man of God. In fact, God Himself gave testimony about him to Satan (Job 1:8). Such a man as Job still needed breaking - see Job 16:14. God broke him, to make him finally say, "God maketh my heart soft" (23:16)

May the Lord help us to have a broken and a contrite heart so that we may know what is in our heart.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

WITHOUT JESUS IN YOUR LIFE...:

One evening, after the miracle of the five thousand fed, Jesus went to a mountain to pray alone, and the disciples got into a ship to go to the other side of the sea of Galilee. Though they toiled and rowed hard right from the evening, the ship was still in the midst of the sea in the fourth watch of the night, tossed about the waves.

The absence of Christ is often the cause of our troubles. The disciples wanted to go to the other shore, but as Jesus was not in the ship, their labours were all in vain. Similarly, if we want to go to the heavenly shore, Christ should be in the ship of our lives as the Captain. If Jesus is not in the centre of our lives, all our labours, however good they may be, are fruitless.

As they were sailing they faced a boisterous sea and a contrary wind. Without Jesus in our lives we only face things contrary to our expectations and plans. In that hour of great trial and despair Jesus went to them walking on the boisterous sea, demonstrating that "God is mightier... than the mighty waves of the sea" (Psa 93:4).

Dear reader, if you will hand over your life to Jesus, He is willing to come near and demonstrate His mighty power in your life. Without Jesus in your life you will never reach the heavenly shore. Make sure He is in the centre of your life; make sure He is the centre of your life.

"Without Him I could do nothing,
Without Him I'd surely fail:
Without Him I would be drifting
Like a ship without a sail."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

ROOM FOR EVERYONE....:

"Of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee... two of every sort shall come unto thee" (Gen6:19,20).

There was room for everyone in the ark. Strangely enough, there was no room for Jesus in the inn when He came down to the world; but in Him we find room for everyone - for those who are like serpents and for those who are ferocious like lions.

Whoever you may be, whatever your state may be (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially), you may come to Christ. "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out" (Jn 6:37). "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me," He invites (Jn 7:37). His heart is wide open to everyone. What about you, dear reader? How large is your heart? Is there someone to whom you have not opened wide your heart?

In the ark there was not only room, but also rooms for everyone - "Rooms shalt thou make in the ark" (Gen 6:14). O child of God, have you found your unique place in Christ? Do you know what your position is in Him? Are you aware of your rights and privileges in Christ? Are you enjoying all the spiritual blessings you have been blessed with in Christ Jesus?

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

COLD OLD BELIEVER...!

"Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends" (Lk 15:29).

This elder son could be a type of the modern 'cold old believer'. He has a seniority of many years to boast about - "Lo, these many years do I serve thee." He is full of himself - wrapped up in himself. Although his loving father 'entreated him' to come in and join the joyful fellowship, he argues with him. "...neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment," he says. How can anyone believe this arrogant statement of the elder son, seeing he refused to obey even the entreaties of his caring father! Often, those who speak highly of themselves are as empty as this 'Pharisee'. Look at the complaint he makes (cold believers are complainers too!) to his father - "Thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends."

Dear reader, if you cannot enjoy the fellowship of the saints, it means you have friendship and merriment elsewhere. If you long for 'a kid' (worldly pleasures), you will never enjoy the fatted calf, music and dancing (great spiritual blessings) in the Father's house, the Church.

Maybe the elder son finally went inside - as the music and the dancing were about to end and when the feast of the fatted calf was almost over and had only leftovers. Could this be the picture of the 'Sunday Christian', who finally (towards the end of the singing session) reaches the back seat?

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

KEEPING POWER OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS

"If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I Jn 1:7).

The blood of Jesus Christ has such a tremendous power that it can keep us always cleansed and spotless and pure as we walk in the light of the truth of the Word of God.

The story is told of a white flower growing in a coal-mining area. All the miners working there and all the plants growing there, were virtually covered with the black coal powder; but there was a little plant which had pure, spotless, white flowers. One visitor to the mine was amazed to see this. He took a pinch of coal powder and threw it on the flower. Lo, and behold, the coal powder just rolled off the flower and the flower remained spotlessly pure! Then, the visitor, curious about the purity of the flower, touched the petals of the flower and found the secret! It had a certain natural enamel on the petals that made the petals slippery and made all the dust or powder slip off them.

Dear reader, if God can create such pure white flowers and keep them intact in the dirtiest place, can't He do the same with us, the crown of His creation? The precious blood of Jesus Christ, like the enamel on the petals of the flower, can so cover us that we can be kept spotless and pure to meet the Lord when He comes. Though many children of God sing about the power in the blood, unfortunately, very few realize the glorious and tremendous power it has.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

HOW CAN WE RECEIVE JESUS JOYFULLY?...:

While Zacchaeus was clinging to the sycamore tree, Jesus came down the road, surrounded by a great multitude. The Lord came close to the place where Zacchaeus was. Then He looked up and saw Zacchaeus and said to him: "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house" (Lk 19:5). What a loving gesture!

The beautiful thing we find here is that it was not Zacchaeus who drew near to Jesus, but Jesus Who came near to him. It was not Zacchaeus who saw Jesus first, but it was Jesus Himself Who saw Zacchaeus first. It was not Zacchaeus who spoke to Jesus first, but it was Jesus Who first spoke to Zacchaeus. Dear child of God, is this not true of our spiritual life also? Before we went to Jesus, He came near us. Before we saw Him, He saw us and called us by our name, as Isaiah says: "I have even called thee by thy name."

Zacchaeus' joy knew no bounds! He had only wanted to see Jesus, but Jesus saw him, called him by his name and conferred upon him the privilege of having Him as a guest in his house. Truly, our God is able to do "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph 3:20).

The first thing Jesus told Zacchaeus was, "Make haste and come down!" Zacchaeus was a rich and important man, and also a chief among the publicans, which means he held a very high office. Jesus wanted him to come down from the pride of his position and possessions. This is the first thing a sinner has to do when the Lord meets him.

"Zacchaeus made haste and came down and received Him joyfully" (Lk 19:6). Dear child of God, if you have not yet received Jesus joyfully, it is because you have not yet come down from your pride. Will you make haste and come down today, and receive Him joyfully?

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

SHOW YOUR COVENANT-KEEPING GOD

"And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud" (Gen 9:14).

The sight of the dark formidable clouds rising in the sky is compensated by the lovely entrancing beauty of the 7-coloured rainbow. There is a great spiritual truth in this. Only when we face clouds of trials and difficulties, can our lives manifest beauty to the world. It is in your trials that both you and others can see how true you are to the covenants you have made with God. It is in your trials that it can be proved what metal you are, and Who your God is. It is then that you show to the world the covenant-keeping nature of your God.

Look at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego whom King Nebuchadnezzar put into the furnace. Till then Nebuchadnezzar could not understand or see their God. But when they were put into the fire, he could see the Son of God walking with them. Yes, only in their fiery trial could they manifest to the pagan king and kingdom that there was a living God walking with them. Everyone could see their covenant with their God. If they had relented they would have miserably failed their God.

Dear child of God, are you showing your God to the world in your fiery trials? Are you showing others the covenant between you and your God? Are they able to see in your life God's faithfulness in keeping His covenant?

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

WHAT IS YOUR BLOOD CRYING?

"He said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground" (Gen 4:10).

Blood has a powerful voice. Here it is pleading for vengeance. "O God, look at what my brother has done! I didn't do a thing to him but he has killed me. Do something, Lord! Don't spare him!" While the blood of Abel pleads for vengeance, the blood of Jesus pleads for pardon. "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!" It has wonderful power. While Abel's blood cries from the ground, Jesus' cries from heaven.

The saints of the Old Testament could not forgive their enemies. The cry of those who were martyred for the truth in the Old Testament is, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood?" (Rev 6:10). But in the New Testament, through Jesus, we get the grace to forgive like Jesus did. Stephen, the first martyr of the New Testament, died crying, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge!" (Acts 7:60).

"Ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinking, that speaketh better things than that of Abel" (Heb 12:22, 24). If, in this Grace Period, anyone wants to take vengeance, he doesn't have the blood of Jesus but that of Abel.

Child of God, check and see what your blood is crying. Are you, like the Old Testament saints, hoping the Lord will avenge the evil done to you? Or are you, like Jesus, breathing out forgiveness and love on those who have hurt you?

"Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted... forbearing one another... forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye" (Eph 4:32; Col 3: 13).

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

'BY ANY MEANS SAVE SOME'

"If by any means I... might save some of them" (Rom 11:14).

St Paul's motivation to save souls by any means, made him sacrifice much, and as a result innumerable people got saved. Even after 2000 years his epistles continued to be awesome, and all over the world souls are not only getting saved but are also being transformed. Any sacrifice we make to rescue even one soul from hell-fire is worth the while.

When a child of God was going around distributing tracts, he knocked at the door of a house. After a while, a man opened the door. The Christian offered him a tract. The man of the house angrily snatched the tract and banged the door shut on his face. Anxious to know why the man had been so upset and angry, the Christian went back to the house after a few days. This time, the man had a smile on his face when he opened the door. He invited the Christian in and showed him the fan from which he had hung a rope to commit suicide. He had been in the act of putting his head into the noose that day, when the doorbell had rung. "Anyway, I'm going to hell. Why should I spend all my time in hell wondering who might have rung the bell? Let me see who is standing outside and then proceed with my suicide plan," he had thought, and answered the door. The sight of the man with the tract annoyed him, and he was going to chuck the tract into the wastepaper basket when the words 'YOU ARE SOMEONE SPECIAL' caught his eye. He paused to glance at the contents of the tract. As he read, a light dawned in his heart. He gave his life to the Lord and gave up all his foolish plans.

Dear child of God, do all of you can, by all means and at any cost, to save souls from eternal destruction. Don't go to heaven empty-handed. What a joy it will be to be welcomed at the pearly gates by the souls you led to Christ! What a thrill that give to your spirit all eternity!

"Help us, Lord, to be a lifeline
To a dying world today
Bringing hope to hopeless people
And sharing salvation's way."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

CHECK YOUR SPIRIT

"...that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (II Thess 2:3,4).

Although the Antichrist is to be revealed in bodily form only after the Rapture, the spirit of Antichrist already exists and is at work ( I Jn 4:3).

This "son of perdition" or the Antichrist sits in the temple and demands worship. We are the temple of God (I Cor 3:16). In these last days, we should be very diligent to see that the spirit of the Antichrist does not enter us. How do we know when the Antichrist has entered the temple? Once he comes into the temple he will begin demanding worship and honour. If you are demanding or expecting respect, honour and glory from others, beware, the ANTICHRIST IS ALREADY IN THE TEMPLE! If we do not immediately repent and return to God, this proud spirit may devastate our Christian life.

The Bible does not say God resists sinners or backsliders. But He resists the proud. "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" (Jms 4:6). If God resists a man what will his final destiny be! After saying God resists the proud, it says, "resist the devil" - as if proud peple are like demons! Indeed, the proud are, in one sense, the embodiment of the devil.

We can see this spirit of the Antichrist in operation in many modern preachers, singers, faith healers etc. How often we see children of God getting embittered and leaving the church because they were not given enough respect and honour! By that they further yield to the spirit of the Antichrist that is within them. Eventually, they destroy not only themselves but also many others, by injecting the same foul spirit into them. "Who opposeth and exalteth himself..." No surprise, such "antichrist-possessed" people are often in the centre of oppositions and contentions - with a view to exalting themselves.

The spirit of Antichrist is a self-exalting spirit but the spirit of Christ is a self-basing spirit - "I must decrease; He (others) should increase (shine or be more useful than me)." O reader, which spirit is ruling in your life?

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

ENJOYING GOD'S GOODNESS..:

"Give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness" (Psa 97:12).

Please observe, it doesn't say, 'Give thanks at the remembrance of His goodness' or 'Give thanks at the remembrance of His blessings' but, 'Give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.' So, if you cannot thank God with a grateful heart, it is not because God has not done any good thing for you, but because you don't have holiness. Holiness is God's goodness. If you can enjoy God's holiness now you can enjoy God's goodness now and for all Eternity.

The Psalmist says, "I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (Psa 27:13). The Psalmist would have been discouraged had he not believed to see the goodness of the Lord. One goodness of the Lord is the holiness of God. Of course, the Psalmist did not fully experience the holiness of the Lord, but he certainly believed that a holy life is possible. That was the reason why he turned to the Lord with a broken heart and confessed his sins - as we find in Psalm 51.

The simple truth is that, if you don't believe to see the goodness of the Lord or the holiness of the Lord in your life, one day you are going to faint or be discouraged. Those who love holiness will never be discouraged as they will be enjoying the fulness of the goodness of God in the land of the living. As one saint says, holy life is "Canaan flowing with milk and honey."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas in 'Morning Manna'

ALTERING THE WORD OF GOD

"Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen 2:17).

While speaking to the serpent, the woman omitted some very important words from what the Lord had said. She said, "God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it lest ye die" (Gen 3:3). We find that the words 'in the day' and 'surely' are omitted. Though God had emphatically warned 'thou shalt surely die' she removed the emphasis by omitting 'surely'. Moreover she added the words 'neither shall ye touch it'.

The Word of God is a fire; it is a hammer; it is a sharp twoedged sword. Be careful while handling it. Seek wisdom from God to understand it. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Tim 2:15). When we study God's Word, our approach should be: "Lord, I don't know anything; help me to understand." It is not how much of God's Word we read that matters, but how we read it - be it only a few verses. There are many truths in each verse; so make sure you understand what you read.

Neglect of the Word of God or lack of knowledge of the Word of God will bring ruin to our life. "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it" (Deut 4:2). "But to this man will I look, even to him... that trembleth at My word" (Isa 66:2).

ARE YOU CORNERED..?

"And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid; and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord" (Exo 14:10).

They were literally "between the devil and the deep sea." Before them were the boisterous waters of the Red Sea obstructing their forward march, and lo, behind them Pharaoh and his mighty army with their iron chariots and well-trained horses in hot pursuit. On either side, apparently, were lofty mountains.

In their dilemma, their only source of comfort had been the knowledge that the angel of God and the pillar of cloud were before them. Alas, no that refuge too was gone! The angel of God went behind them, and so did the pillar of cloud which signified the presence of God. It seemed as if God had forsaken them in their anguish. We do not know, but it would not be surprising if Moses, in his despair, had cried out, 'My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?'

There are times when we are faced with a similar situation in our journey to heavenly Canaan. We find that all doors are closed to us, and that our God does not answer our prayers or seem to have pity on us. We feel we are forsaken and forgotten by everyone.

However, dear reader, for people of God, the greatest trial often turns out to be an occasion of the greatest deliverance and victory. Though all things seem to be against you, as Jacob once thought, they are in fact in your favour, praise the Lord! Everything is planned by God in His immense love and mercy. In every minute detail, God's intention is to reveal His mighty hand and invincible power.

"Are you standing at 'wits' end corner',
Christian, with troubled brow?
Are you thinking of what is before you
And all you are bearing now?

Does all the world seem against you
And you in the battle alone?
Remember - at 'wits' end corner',
Is just where God's power is shown."

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

POOR IN SPIRIT

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 5:3).

This is the first beatitude spoken by our Lord. What a strange contradiction it is, to call the poor in spirit blessed! In the world, it's the rich who are called blessed or 'lucky'.

Jesus is the best example for being poor in spirit (II Cor 8:9). He emptied Himself of all His glory in heaven and came down to the earth. The blessed secret of becoming poor in spirit is to empty oneself for the sake of Christ. When St.Paul discovered this truth, he emptied himself for Christ and counted all things but dung (Phil 3:7,8).

Once we have emptied ourselves or consecrated ourselves, even if anything that is dear to us is taken away suddenly, our close walk with God will not be disturbed and we will not lose our peace or get troubled. This is proof enough that we have emptied ourselves or consecrated all that we have.

If you have not emptied yourself of everything, one day, when the time comes for you to leave this world, it will be very hard for you to empty yourself and leave!

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in 'Morning Manna'

WHY ARE PEOPLE HURT?

"My God hath sent His angel and hath shut the lions' mouth, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt" (Dan 6:22).

Daniel who was cast into the lions' den was not hurt in any manner, states the Scriptures. Although the word 'hurt' in this text is used in the physical sense, we can take it in the spiritual sense too. Why do people get hurt?

First of all, Daniel says, "innocency was found in me." Since Daniel was innocent before God and man, he could not be hurt. If we are getting hurt, it proves we are guilty and not innocent. Spiritually speaking, a child of God who is innocent or transparent in character just cannot get hurt.

Secondly, Daniel says, "also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." Since Daniel did not hurt or grieve the king, he himself was not hurt. The Lord Jesus has taught us not to hurt even our enemies, but to love them, bless them and pray for them (Matt 5:44). He went further to caution us not to offend even "little ones" who believe in Him (Matt 18:6), for, in so doing, we would be guilty of grieving God and His angels.

"No manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God" (Dan 6:23). If we believe that "all things work together for good to them that love God," it does not matter what people say or do against us; we can praise God and rejoice instead of getting hurt.

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

GROW UP...!

"The Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and eveil, thou shalt not eat of it" (Gen 2:16,17).

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was also meant for human use, as God did not create anything that was not good for man. But it appears to have been a 'strong meat' which man should have eaten after attaining a certain (spiritual) growth. "STRONG MEAT belongeth to them that are FULL AGE (which Adam had not attained at that stage), even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised TO DISCERN BOTH GOOD AND EVIL" (Heb 5:14). Children below a certain age are given only milk or some other liquid food. If they are given stron meat they will not be able to digest it; it may even cause death. In the same way, Adam ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil before he reached the level of growth set by God and experienced death in his soul. It was God's plan that man should first eat of the fruit of the treee of life and grow in life, and later eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Therefore dear child of God, "desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby" (I Pet 2:2).

Build up your spiritual life by meditating on the Word of God. When we reach the level of growth desired by the Lord, He will reveal deeper truths to us and take us to a more perfect knowledge of the Lord.

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

AMAZING REPENTANCE

"Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds" (Lk 23:40, 41).

In Matthew's and Mark's account of the gospel it is said that both the thieves who were crucified with Jesus at first reviled Jesus. We do not know exactly what it was that made so remarkable a change in the heart of the penitent thief. Perhaps it was the look of pity, pardon and mercy on the face of the Saviour as they and the people were railing on Him. Perhaps it was when the Saviour cried out from the depth of His soul, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Whatever it was, the remarkable thing is that, the thief had a complete change of heart.

The thief sincerely repented and confessed his sinfulness, even to the point of rebuking the other thief for not fearing God. He also admitted that his own execution was a just punishment. Then, amazingly, he acknowledged the sinlessness of Christ and his own belief in eternal life and the coming kingdom of God. In just a few moments the thief ahd so humbled his heart that God could do such a wonderful work in him. Many do not come to such a heart condition even in their whole lifetime of knowing Jesus!

Salvation is the result of a sincere confession of our sins and a recognition of Jesus as the One Who has power to save. Those who, in the fear of God, sincerely and deeply confess their sins in true repentance, will experience "paradise" in their souls that very day.

Dear reader, repent for all your sins - till "paradise" prevails in your heart.

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

ARE YOU DISCOURAGED?

Discouragement is faint-heartedness, a state in which we lose all hope. We lose confidence in God - God has'nt answered my prayer. I've been praying for so long. It's no use! Maybe He doesn't love me. "We lose confidence in ourselves too - I'm a failure. Everything I try to do is a failure. I have no success in my job. In my future also everything is going to go wrong." You also lose confidence in others - I dont think anybody can help me. Nobody understands me."

Discouragement makes you hit rock bottom. Spiritually, and sometimes physically also, you become weak.You become a burden to others and the devil makes you feel even more discouraged.

Child of God, today the Word of God is coming to you.

The Lord has not planned failure for you but a grand success.

"I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" JER 29:11

Discouragement is one of the worst weapons of the devil. Way back in the Garden of Eden, it was the same tactic he used. "God isn't good. If He really loves you and cares for you, why won't He allow you to eat that fruit? he was trying to say to the woman. This is the door to discouragement.

In the Bible we read of a man named Ahithophel who got discouraged and hanged himself and died. Even Elijah, the man who was on fire for God, ran away from the presence of God when he got discouraged and said, "Enough Lord, take me!" It was the same with Jonah. Maybe you too have prayed that prayer.

Beloved one, that is a most dangerous prayer to pray. The Word of God says in Proverbs 8:36, "All they that hate Me, love death." When you love death you are hating the Lord Jesus. You may say, "I love Jesus." But when you love death, when you pray, "Lord, take me," unconsciously and maybe ignorantly, you are hating Jesus.

Child of God, trials are sent, not to destroy you, but to bring you spiritual promotion. So take them in the right spirit. Saints are formed only in trials. So don't let your troubles trouble you. Don't give room to discouragement. If you do you'll become a liability to God and to others.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in MORNING MANNA

YOU ARE HEALED..!

If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God... I am the Lord that healeth thee" (Exo 15:26).

Here the first condition laid down by the Lord for healing is, "Diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God." Perhaps the Lord is speaking to you during your illness and you are not listening to what He is saying to you.

"He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions" (Psa 107:20). There is healing in His Word. The centurion said, "Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed" (Matt 8:8). If the servant of a centurion can be healed by a word spoken by the Lord Jesus, how much more can we the children of God or the servants of the Lord be healed by His Words!

"He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that were sick" (Matt 8:16). "My sheep hear My voice" (Jn 10:27). So, if you are a child of God and you are sick, the Lord certainly wants to speak to you and heal you. When the Lord speaks, His words also bring peace to our troubled hearts. "He will speak peace unto His people" (Psa 85:8). Here the word 'peace' (shalom) means peace, prosperity, health and healing. So when we hear the Lord speaking to us, it brings peace to our troubled spirit, healing to our body and prosperity to our soul.

Dear child of God, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice" (Jn 5:28,29). If the voice of God is able to raise those who are in the graves and bring them out, how much more you, being a precious child of God, can hear His voice and come out of your sickness! By faith rise up from your bed because the Word of God is come to you: "With His stripes you are healed!"

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

DON'T COMMAND, BUT CONSULT...!

"God said, Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth" (Gen 1:26).

God created man only after consultation. We also should cultivate the good habit of consulting one another instead of commanding or dictating. Though God had the power and authority to command, He did not do so in the matter of creating human beings. Therefore, let us also not be commanding in our attitude towards our fellow brethren.

Regarding all other creations, it is written, "God said... and God made..." (See Gen 1:6&7, 24 & 25 etc.), but about man's creation, it says, "God said... SO God created" i.e. the creation of human beings is of greater precision and perfection when compared to that of all the other creatures. We find male and female in most other creations but special mention is made of this in man's creation - "male and female created He them" (Gen 1:27).

The first purpose of God in creating man was so that he may have 'dominion'. We should first have dominion over ourselves. As long as man had dominion over himself, he had dominion over the sea, the sky and the earth.

Let us never embark on any matter of importance without consulting others. We reign in life and grow in divine nature by respecting and honouring others.

Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna

"POUR OUT!"

"Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she sair, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil" (II Kgs 4:2).

The widow was in deep distress and debt. She did not know that what she had in her house was enough to solve all her problems. To her, "a pot of oil" was not of much worth. This is the state of many people of God today. We all have a "pot of oil" - the anointing of the Holy Spirit, but we do not realize its value.

We are indeed earthen vessels, but the Lord has kept in us a 'treasure' - an all-surpassing power' (II Cor 4:7 NIV). His divine power (pot of oil) hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (II Pet 1:3).

The solution the man of God gave the widow is the same for our life's problems today - "Pour out." You are the pot filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. As you 'pour out' yourself in all kinds of good works and service by the power of the Holy Spirit, you will see all the empty vessels (lives) around you filled and satisfied; all your needs will be met too.

Child of God, draw out of the well of water that is in you and serve to the needy ones around you - 'spend and be spent' - and you'll find your own life enriched and blessed beyond your expectation.

"Shall I use these ransomed powers of mine
For things that only minister to me?
Lord, take my tongue, my hands, my feet, my heart,
And let me live, and love, and give for Thee."

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

FRUITS OF TRAVAILING

"He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isa 53:11).

We see here the examples of our Lord Jesus as an intercessor. It enligtens us on how we should intercede or travail in prayer.

The Amplified Bible says, "He shall see the fruit of travail of His soul and be satisfied." Like a mother who sees the fruit of her travail (her baby) and rejoices, if we travail in prayer we shall see the fruit of our prayer (though at times it may take time), and we 'shall be satisfied'.

We pray, but do we see its fruit? Do we find satisfaction in our prayer life? If not, it is high time we change our prayer pattern. Look at how Jesus prayed: "Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears..." (Heb 5:7). Yes, a travailing mother may have strong crying and tears before she can see the fruit and be satisfied.

Travailing in prayer was the experience of the early apostles too. Epaphras was 'labouring fervently in prayer' for the church (Col 4:12). And we see St.Paul asking the Romans to 'strive together in prayer' for him (Rom 15:30).

Let us travail in prayer till we see the fruit of our prayer and be satisfied.

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

A 'BETTER' END

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit" (Eccl 7:8).

Those who are patient in spirit will have a better end than others. We read of how patient Job was and about his end. "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy" (Jms 5:11). Here we read that, because of his patience, Job's end was like the end of the Lord. Can anyone expect a better end than this? Although we do not read of how Job died, his end was like the end of the world. The Lord was very pitiful and of tender mercy particularly at the end of his life.

The patience spoken of here is a special patience. "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the Coming of the Lord" (Jms 5:7). This patience therefore refers to patiently waiting for the Coming of the Lord. The end of such saint, whether it is their departure or the Rapture, will be better than their beginning and rather like the end of the Lord.

May the Lord grant us the grace to watch and wait patiently for His Coming.

"Oh may we never weary, watching,

Never lay our armour down,

Until He come, and with rejoicing

Give to each the promised crown."

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

OUT OF NOTHING

"God Who... calleth those things which be not as though they were" (Rom 4:17).

God created everything out of nothing. It is most dangerous to think we know something. To boast about our little knowledge is indeed very dangerous. "God creates out of nothing. Therefore until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him," said Martin Luther.

What God created out of nothing is mighty. Often revival starts when 'there is nothing' - nothing of our cleverness, preaching or singing talent or any other human ability - but the pure grace of God. It is also true that very often revival is hindered when we, children of God, are not able to empty ourselves and come to a state of nothingness. Something that we have not dedicated or love more than our God, comes in the way of revival.

Elijah's servant was right in one sense when he looked at the sea and said, "There is nothing." To the human eye, there was nothing that looked favourable for a revival. Everything was dark, dry and discouraging, but lo, and behold, "there was a great rain" (I Kgs 18:43, 45).

We read that God created heaven out of nothing. When we realize how unworthy and empty we are, then and only then, can God create heaven in our spiritual lives. In fact, if 'something' we hold on to or which we have not dedicated to God stands in the way of our love or devotion to God, that could create, not heaven, but hell in our lives.

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

WALL AROUND OUR MIND...:

"Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem" (Psa 51:18)

We read that the walls of New Jerusalem are made of jasper stone, and the thickness of the wall appears to be 144 cubits (almost 216 feet) (Rev 21:17,18). Spiritually speaking, we are the city of God, New Jerusalem and Zion.

There are many meanings for the walls of Jerusalem. One meaning is, a strong wall all around our mind. We read that nothing that defileth or worketh abomination can enter into the city of God. The Lord wants us to keep our minds pure by building an invincible jasper wall all around it.

When Nehemiah heard that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down he "sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven" (Neh 1:3,4). And, with the help of the Lord, he rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and repaired its breaches.

It is interesting to note the reaction of the enemies to this: "When Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together, to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it" (Neh 4:7,8). The devil will be very angry if we close up the breaches and repair the walls around our mind.

What is this wall that we build? In a sense, it is an unbreakable consecration that we make before God not to defile our mind, our thoughts, imaginations, etc. by any means. The devil knows that if we keep our mind perfectly pure like the mind of Christ, we will be able to completely overthrow all his plans against us.

Dear child of God, how is the wall around your mind? is it so frail that enemies and wild animals can pull it down and enter into your mind, and thereby defile the thought realm?

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