IT'S IMPORTANT HOW WE DRESS..!

"Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them" (Gen 3:21)

God Himself took the trouble to clothe man. The coat of skin God made for them was an exemplary garment. It covered their whole body - the Amplified Bible renders 'coats' as 'long coats or tunics'. It was also not a 'see-through' garment - like those we often see people wearing.

The Lord wants us to be properly clothed - in "modest apparel", as St Paul calls it (I Tim 2:9). The New Living Translation says, it is not to be expensive garments or clothes that attract others.

Even in the Old Testament the Lord was very particular about how His peoppe dressed. "I will punish all such as are clothed with strange apparel," He says in Zephaniah 1:8. He also says, "A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing"; He says He "detests" anyone who does this! (Deut 22:5 NIV).

Child of God, what is your dress like in the light of the above? Are your clothes what please the Lord? We should dress "as becometh women professing godliness" (I Tim 2:10). Does our dress reveal we are Christians? Are our clothes what the Lord would have made for us, if He would?

- TPM Morning Manna

NO EXCUSE GOOD ENOUGH...!

"The man said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat" (Gen 3:12)

Sin makes a person blame others for one's own mistakes. Adam here blames the woman for his sin. Every soul is responsible for his own sin. Adam might have eaten of the tree from the hands of the woman, in order to please her and show her his love for her. But now, instead of showing love, he shows only hatred by blaming her for his sin.

Adam also blames God. "THE WOMAN WHOM THOU GAVEST." In effect, he was saying, "O God, it was your mistake. If You hadn't given me this woman I wouldn't have sinned."

And when God gives the woman a chance to repent, she blames the serpent (Gen 3:13). True, the serpent deceived her into eating the fruit, but why did she give it to her husband? The serpent didn't tell her to give it to him, did it?

Sin always finds some excuse. But remember, child of God, whatever your excuse, it will not hold good in the presence of God. You cannot put the blame for your wrongdoings on someone else and get away with it. Be sure your sin will find you out. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die."

- TPM Morning Manna

SHARE GOD'S BURDEN...!

When God was ruling over Israel through Samuel, the prophet and judge, the people wanted a king to rule over them. When Samuel told the Lord that the people had rejected him, God said, "They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them" (I Sam 8:7)

Earlier, when the people had made Gods for themselves, Moses had interceded for them and saved them from the wrath of God. Now when they asked for a king, Samuel realized how much God would be grieved. He bore the grief of God as his own. He pleaded with God asking Him to have mercy on them. Not all can pray like this; only those who understand the mind of God can.

In Isaiah 59:16 we read that God wondered that there was no intercessor. God still wonders that there is no intercessor. Some ministries are visible, while the ministry of intercession is a ministry done in the closet, seen only by the heavenly Father above.

The Holy Spirit is an intercessor. "The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom 8:26). And Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us (Heb 7:25). Should we not then share the burden of the Lord in unceasing intercession before His throne of grace? Is not God on the lookout for such intercessors?

- TPM Morning Manna

TWO CROWNS..:

"Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour" (Ps 8:5).

God wants to give us two crowns - crown of glory and crown of honour.

It is amazing to note that when God created us, He crowned us with these two crowns of glory and honour. But when sin came in, the crowns fell from our heads - man lost his glory and honour. "We are confounded: shame hath covered our faces... For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Jer 51:51; Rom 3:23).

However, in this Grace Period, God is creating a new man to crown him once again with glory and honour. How do we get these crowns? What is glory? In Exodus 15:11 we read, "Who is like Thee, glorious in Holiness...?" Our God is glorious in Holiness, and therefore the real glory is the holiness of God. What is honour? "Before honour is humility" (Prov 15:33). So the crowns of glory and honour speak of God's holiness and God's humility.

A crown is normally set on the head. The head shows our thoughts. Sometimes we can have holiness and humility in our words and appearance, but they may not be in our thoughts. God wants our mind or thoughts to be filled with His humility and His purity - that will be crowns of glory and honour to us.

If holiness and humility do not adorn our thoughts, we are living in disgrace - 'the crown is fallen from our heads!'

- TPM Morning Manna

KNOW YOUR LIMITS

"Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord" (II Chron 26:19).

In verse 18 we read that King Uzziah's heart was lifted up (with pride) and he went into the temple to burn incense - which was the priest's duty and not the king's. Azariah the priest, and the other priests withstood him and said, "It appeartaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord." This was the cause for Uzziah's wrath with the priest - which made him a leper.

Once a person named Zachariah came to meet a servant of God to discuss some domestic problems, and during the conversation, he got very angry with the servant of God. Immediately he had an attack of paralysis. He never recovered from the paralysis; he died a most pathetic death.

Dear reader, have you given room for pride and interfered in the duty or responsibility of any servant of God? Are you guilty of having reacted angrily at any time to the counsel or reproof of the leaders? If God has not stricken you with spiritual (and maybe even physical) leprosy, realize that it is purely the mercies of God and that you have been given an extended period of time to repent.

You may be a person of great importance but that doesn't give you the licence to go out of bounds. O King Uzziah, repent of your wrath!

- TPM Morning Manna

GOD'S CONCERN FOR YOU...:

The Lord God... made He a woman, and brought her unto the man" (Gen 2:22).

"Brought her unto the man" - This implies that the creation of the woman was not done near Adam.

It was God's burden and His concern, to prepare a bride for Adam, and the bride was God's own selection and perfection. The man was not supposed to be worried about finding a bride for himself. God will do the work of finding a help-mate for us, provided we are in the garden (many go out of the church to find a wife). It is true Adam could not find a wife for himself anywhere in the garden, but God took charge of the matter. We hear many parents and youngsters saying, "I couldn't find a suitable person in the church." The problem is that they want a match of their liking.

God has brought us into the Church, the true Garden of God, and He will provide us a help-mate in the Church itself, and not outside it. Let not our own choice hinder God's plan in our life.

The woman had only one person to love and set her affection on, and that was the man; the man too had only the woman to love. We have only one to love and that is Christ, and Christ too has only one to love, and that is His Church. Therefore those who are not in the true Church of God can never be formed as His Bride.

- TPM Morning Manna

SNARE OF THE FOWLER...:

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Ps 91:1).

"Shadow", in Hebrew, means DEFENCE. One cannot hide from a lion in the shadow of a tree. Nobody can defend us or protect us in times of troubles as our God can. Only when we dwell in the secret place, can we be in the defence of the El-shaddai. No enemy can enter into that secret place. The enemy cannot even see us. Our mother-like God will preserve us so.

"He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler" (vs 3). Till the bird is trapped, the fowler will remain in hiding. Once the bird falls in the trap, all hope of survival is gone.

Sin is a snare. "Sin first deceives, then deadens, then destroys.' "He goeth... till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life" (Prov 7:22,23). Too often people are sunk too deep in sin to get out, before they realize that they are in a deadly trap.

Death can be a snare. "The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me" (II Sam 22:6). The devil will set up a snare for us to fall in it and die before God's time. We may not be able to discern it as the snare of death. Sickness is not the certificate given to us to gain entry into heaven. God will inform us when our life-work is over. If an employee is faithful to his master, would not the master inform him in advance if he is going to retire?

If we live in the secret place of the Most High surely our God will deliver us from the snare of the fowler; the devil cannot trap us because he cannot see us.

"He will hide... me, safely hide ... me,
Where no sorrow or temptation can betide me;
He will hide ... me, safely hide ... me;
In the secret of His presence He will hide me."

- TPM Morning Manna

MUCH IN A FEW WORDS...:

The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary" (Isa 50:4).

Often, for speaking much we need little or no learning, while to speak "a word" we need greater learning.

A great topic presented in an abnormally large volume very often yields little results; so also our words in our day-to-day life.

Mary Magdalene went through a period of extreme sorrow after Christ's crucifixion and death. At last she was so wearied that she could no longer stay indoors; early in the morning on the first day of the week she ran to the sepulchre to take away the dead body of the One she loved much. However, one word from the Lord did a marvellous thing in Mary. That one word had a magnetic influence on that situation.

"Jesus saith unto her, Mary, She turned herself and saith unto Him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master" (Jn 20:16). That one word "Mary" from the Lord, did a tremendous work in her spiritual life and thereafter she never was the old Mary. That one word from her Saviour made her realize Who it was that was speaking to her, Whom she had first mistaken for the gardener. Before that, though the Lord had been standing close to her, she did not know that it was Jesus. Only ONE WORD, and not a sermon, made her recognize Him; it dispelled all her fears, discouragements and weariness, filling and thrilling her heart with heavenly joy, peace and grace.

Let us learn "how to speak a word in season."

- TPM Morning Manna

WHERE ARE YOU GOING...?

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God Whom he hath not seen?" (I Jn 4:20).

There was once a very good believer sister named Grace. She had been a Hindu but she accepted the Lord, took water baptism and received the Holy Spirit. She faithfully gave tithes and offerings. She was also zealous about missionary work and she led a number of souls to Christ. She even dedicated her son for the ministry.

One day she was very sick and dying. Then in a vision she saw the city of Jerusalem, glorious and shining. She was very happy and she told the Lord, "Lord, I want to come there right now. I leave all my children in Your care." The Lord replied, "You are not coming to heaven; you are going to hell. The city of New Jerusalem I showed you is the place I prepared for you, but you became unfit and now you are going to hell." Grace was shocked. "But Lord, I'm Your child. How can I go to hell. You hate your elder sister and for a long time you have not spoken to her. Yes, you are on the way to hell." Grace was convicted of her hatred for her sister who was still a Hindu. She pleaded with the Lord, "Lord, please don't take me now. I realize my sin. I will forgive my sister and will get reconciled. Please give me a chance."

Thank God. Grace did not die then. She sent for her sister and embraced her, and cried and asked for forgiveness. The Lord completely healed Grace. her love and forgiveness touched her elder sister and she accepted the Lord as her Saviour.

Like Grace, you may have a hatred for your wife, husband, children, father, mother, or in-laws, and still think that, being a born-again Christian or a Pentecostal believer, you are going to heaven. Don't deceive yourself. If you cannot love your brother, sister, husband, or wife whom you see, how can you love God Whom you cannot see? Make sure your heart is transparent and you do not hate anyone - even someone who is dead and gone.

- TPM Morning Manna

A BROKEN HEART NEEDED...!

"The Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground." (Gen 2:5,6).

God was pleased to water the face of the ground with a mist that went up from the earth. The mist that went up from the earth can be compared to saints who live a lofty life and keep themselves above all earthly attachments. God is pleased to use such saints to remove the dry experiences in others, and be a source of blessing to them.

Tilling the ground was not necessary till the day man committed sin. In other words, since the heart of man was soft, perfect and sinless there was no need for it to be broken. But when man committed sin, God cursed the ground and it brought forth thorns and thistles. Thorns and thistles can be compared to the evil natures which grew in man after his fall. We have to labour for a broken heart to remove these evil natures.

Tilling the ground was necessary, to grow fruits and flowers and other useful trees. So also, breaking our hardened heart is essential if we are to get a sweet-smelling life (flowers) and divine characters (fruits).

Let us labour for a broken heart and take out all the evil natures in us and develop a fragrant and divine character, so that we may become a source of blessing to everyone.

- TPM Morning Manna

SPECTACULAR MEANS OF DELIVERANCE..:

"And the Lord said unto Moses... go forward... And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went before their face, and stood behind them" (Exo 14:15,19).

Is it not an astonishing paradox that after the Lord commanded Moses and His people to go forward, the angel of His presence and the pillar of cloud went behind! Thank God, our God is a God of harmony and there is no contradiction in Him or in His Word.

When we meditate on this wonderful text we marvel at the matchless providence and protection of God for His people. Of all the troubles and problems that the Israelites had to face, this was the most crucial. And of all the means employed by God to deliver His people, this was the most spectacular.

Pharaoh and his hosts were following hard after the children of Israel but God had ordained that they should no more be a terror to His people. Their end was to be a watery grave, while those same waters were a wall of protection to His people on either side. The angel of God and the pillar of cloud that had previously gone before them, now went behind them, not because God had forsaken them (as they may well have feared), but because God loved them, and wanted to prevent the Egyptians from overtaking them. The same pillar of cloud which brought darkness upon the enemy, brought light to God's people throughout the night.

Similarly, dear reader, the very things which appear to be troublesome are indeed a blessing to God's people! All things may not appear good to us, but 'all things work together for good to them that love God.'

"His eyes foresee our greatest good
While we at best are weak
And thus in wisdom He withholds
The boon that we often seek.
And yet His all-sufficient grace
He bids me freely share;
And in a way we little know
The Lord will answer prayer."

- TPM Morning Manna

OUT OF WEAKNESS... MADE STRONG...!

"Who through faith... out of weakness were made strong" (Heb 11:33,34).

Hebrews chapter 11 speaks of the heroes of faith; almost all the heroes of faith in the Bible are listed in this chapter. One may think these men and women were born with extraordinary strength, talents or abilities. However, the above text enlightens us to the fact that they were all by nature weak persons - and that their strength or ability to do extraordinary things for God's glory came from the Lord.

Gideon was so timid that he was threshing wheat by the winepress for fear of the Midianites. David appeared to be such an insignificant boy that even his father didn't feel the need to call him when Samuel came home, although all the other children were called. The very name 'Jacob' means 'deceiver' - he deceived his brother, his father and his father-in-law and, in one sense he deceived himself. However, God was pleased to call Himself the God of Jacob. Our God is still the God of Jacob.

You may be a very weak person by nature. Even after receiving many spiritual experiences, you may be feeling the same - weak, timid, sensitive, touchy, moody, etc. Notwithstanding, "through faith... out of weakness" you can be strong.

Doctors say that if a bone in the human body is broken and healed, the joined part becomes the strongest part of the bone so much that, that part is the last place to get broken again. The God Who created the human body is the One Who builds our spiritual life. GOD WANTS TO MAKE OUR WEAKEST POINT THE STRONGEST POINT IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE. Praise be to God!

- TPM Morning Manna

FAITHFUL LIGHT-GIVERS..:

"Let there be lights in the firmament to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years" (Gen 1:14).

On the first day God brought light into the world. This is the light of the gospel of His grace. On the fourth day, the lights were positioned in proper places and their movement fixed. To become useful to the earth, we must remain in the high skies. Let us live a heavenly life.

The 'lights' (light-givers' - Heb.) had to keep to their orbits. In case the sun, the moon and the stars moved freely without any regulations, the objects in space could collide, resulting in a universal disaster. God has similarly kept us as 'light-givers' in our respective places - to serve faithfully where He has kept us.

Some of us could be like the sun, some like the moon and others like stars. Even the brightest sun has times when it is completely hidden to one part of the earth. Similarly, though you may be a great saint and most bright and brilliant, there are times and seasons when you have to remain hidden; your light or usefulness may not appear to all the people all the time. However, let us be in the place ordained for us. Just as the lights that God has ordained serve our God faithfully, May our usefulness be hidden in the seasons fixed by God.

If we are where the Lord has kept us, we shall serve His purpose - to differentiate between the holy and the unholy, just as one differentiates the day from the night (lk 21:25)

"I'll stay where you've put me; I will dear Lord;
I'll bear the day's burden and heat,
I'll till the dry soil while i wait for the rain,
I'll work, and I'll rest at Thy feet."

- TPM Morning Manna

A BLESSING IN DISGUISE..:

"When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled" (Matt 14:26).

It was gracious of the Lord to go to the troubled disciples to help them in their despair, though they did not expect it. In our spiritual life also the Lord comes to our help when we least expect it.

The disciples should have been delighted to see Jesus approaching them. However, they thought trouble was approaching and cried out in fear. Even today many children of God are in this state. When help approaches them in their fiery trials, they cry out in terror from lack of discernment.

Dear child of God, if your eyes were enlightened you would be able to appreciate, to your great comfort, that the many things you think are responsible for your problems and troubles, are in fact blessings in disguise; instead of crying out in fear, you would be able to shout in cheer. May the Lord open our spiritual eyes to see everything through the faith of the Son of God.

"Faith looks beyond the shadow
Of dread and doubt and fear
And finds the Saviour waiting
And always standing near."

- TPM Morning Manna

EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE...!

It was very appropriate and appreciable for David to pray this beautiful prayer: "Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem" (Psa 51:18). God is well pleased when the walls of Jerusalem are built - "Then shalt Thou be pleased" (vs 19).

A crystal clear Christian life is only possible when an extremely thick wall of jasper is built all around our mind; then we will be able to say along with St Paul - "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (II Cor 10:4,5).

St Paul, who once said that he was the chiefest of sinners, could bring into captivity every thought (not just some thoughts) to the obedience of Christ by the grace of God. "We have the mind of Christ," he declares (I Cor 2:16). It gives us an encouragement to know that by the sovereign mercy of God we can bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, so that we may have the mind of Christ.

Let us ask the Lord to build the wall of Jerusalem around our mind. Nehemiah was not deterred by the efforts of the enemies to hinder the work of building the walls. "We made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night," he says (Neh 4:9). Let us show such a strong determination to keep our minds crystal clear.

- TPM Morning Manna

WONDERFUL WORK OF GRACE..:

All the disciples forsook Jesus when He was captured. But Peter did much more than that. He denied the Lord - as if he had never heard of Him. Finally he began to curse and to swear, saying, "I know not the man." Then Peter went out and wept bitterly (Matt 26:70-75). But what was the use? Within a few days he was planning to go back to his old profession (Jn 21:3). Perhaps you are like Peter. After repenting for a particular sin, you may repeat it. Do not be discouraged; there is still hope for you in Jesus.

Such a cursing, swearing backslider as Peter, was restored and finally he lay down his life for the Master. According to his desire, he was crucified upside down, as he felt that he was not worthy to be crucified as was his Master. He wanted his posture (in crucifixion) to be such as his lips could kiss the feet of his Lord. What a wonderful work of grace!

Dear reader, perhaps you are perplexed and plagued with backsliding - like Peter. You may be repenting and afterwards repeating the mistake or doing something worse. Do you realize that God's grace through the power of the Holy Spirit is greater than all your failures and mistakes? Trust His grace. "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom 5:20).

If the grace of God can change Peter, it can change you too.

- TPM Morning Manna

DON'T JUDGE TOO SOON...!

Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and women servants. and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife" (Gen 20:14)

We don't read of God appearing to Abimelech as He did to Abraham, or of Abimelech performing mighty mircales as Elijah and Elisha did. Nevertheless, in many respects Abimelech was much greater than Abraham, Elijah and Elisha.

In the face of the mendacity of Abraham and Sarah, which could well have led him and his righteous nation into sin, Abimelech shows no sign of malice; only of benevolence. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour" (Rom 13:10). Abimelech could have ordered Abraham and Sarah to leave his country declaring, "We don't want any hypocrites troubling us in our land." Had he done so, it would have been justifiable. But instead, Abimelech just gave them gifts! Jesus taught that one ought to love one's enemies, but we find no one in the entire Bible practising it in such an outstanding way.

Abimelech is not known as a saint. His name doesn't appear in the table of heroes in the 11th chapter of Hebrews. Nevertheless, his character shines through all ages.

The people we think insignificant in saintliness often have more divine natures than the greatest of saints. Heaven is a place of surprises, it is said. How many unexpected people we are going to meet in heaven, we don't know. So dear child of God, do not despise anyone but rather love everyone and live peacefully with all.

- TPM Morning Manna

SEE GOD BY FAITH..:

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible" (Heb 11:27).

If we see God by faith we can suffer with Him, as in Him we find all grace.

The man who has seen the invisible God need not be afraid of any visible king. Moses knew that the King of kings , the Lord of lords, the God of gods had called him and sent him with a message, and that he therefore could not be touched by any visible king or his emissaries. Without any fear, Moses walked right into the palace of the king though there might have been soldiers with drawn spears at the gates and guards with drawn swords on either side of the king.

Elijah displayed a similar boldness when he confronted the king with the words, "As the Lord God liveth before Whom I stand..."

Child of God, if you do not have a clear vision of your invisible God, the problems and trials you encounter will easily move you; you will be easily troubled and maybe even driven to despair.

To see the invisible God every day, we should deal with every invisible sin as with a great sin. And, unless we forsake visible pleasures we cannot enjoy invisible and lasting pleasures.

- TPM Morning Manna

COVENANT BY SACRIFICE..:

"Gather My saints together unto Me: those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice" (Psa 50:5)

We have to make a covenant with our God by SACRIFICE. Every covenant we make involves making some sacrifice - a sacrifice of some comfort, pleasure or treasure. Those who do not make covenants with God, those who take life easy, cannot lay hold on greater things. They cannot go on with God.

"My saints... those who have made a covenant." Christian life begins with a covenant. At water baptism we first enter into a covenant with our God - by which the Lord becomes our God and we, His people. After that, at every stage of our spiritual life, we draw closer and closer to God by making various covenants. These we must faithfully keep till the Lord appears in His glory. Whether a man is a saint or not is proved by whether he is standing in his covenants with his God or not.

It is time for the Lord to appear. Soon we are going to hear Him announce, "Gather My saints unto Me!" Then those who have made a covenant with the Lord with sacrifice, those who have been true to it till the end, will be gathered unto His eternal Home. O child of God, will you be in that group?

- TPM Morning Manna

YOU NEED A MIGHTY ANOINTING...:

"Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and behold, a young lion roared against him" (Judg 14:5)

This was the beginning of the mighty deeds or ministry of miracles that God wrought through Samson. His confrontation with the young lion was totally unexpected. No one would have ever imagined that a lion would be hiding in the vineyards. Similarly, in our spiritual life too, trials may confront us suddenly from unexpected corners, and in the least expected way. However, "the spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid" (vs 6)

One reason for the Spirit of God to come MIGHTILY upon Samson was that he had nothing in his hand (vs 6). Often, the Spirit of grace does not come upon us at the crucial moment in our trial, all because there is something that is not consecrated in our hand. How blessed it is to empty ourselves in the presence of God and experience God as "a very present help in trouble"!

What we need when we face a great trial is, nothing more and nothing less than a MIGHTY ANOINTING. When the first century church faced GREAT persecution, "GREAT grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:33).

Though God chose Samson from his mother's womb, his ministry did not start until he received this mighty anointing from the Lord (as in the case of our Lord Himself) - which enabled him to face the young lion triumphantly. In the same way, though God may have called us with a great high calling, we need a mighty anointing to take the victory in our trials and be vessels unto honour, meet for the Master's use.

Let us not be just filled with the Holy Spirit,
but filled to overflowing;
Anointed not just with the Holy Spirit,
but with a double portion of the Spirit;
For we are called not to be ordinary people,
but a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
a peculiar people."

- TPM Morning Manna

WHEN YOU DIE...:

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (Jn 10:10).

Many years ago, in East Surrey Hospital, London, a lady, Mrs.Burgess, lay dying. The bed next to her was occupied by another lady named Joan Plumridge who was also very sick. One night Joan saw a demon with two horns enter by the main gate of the hospital and come straight to Mrs.Burgess and, even as she looked on, she saw the demon carry her away. Mrs.Burgess screamed loudly and the next moment she was dead. That very moment, Joan Plumridge who was a drunkard, was convicted of her sins and she committed her life to Christ. Later on she became a wonderful servant of God and led hundreds of souls to Christ.

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." Yes, first the devil, the thief, steals peace, joy and grace out of our lives. Finally he steals our very soul. However, Jesus came to give us life and abundant life.

If you die today, where will you spend your eternity? Will Jesus and the angels come and carry you to heaven or will the devil carry you to hell-fire? Choose to follow Christ. He is our life and peace. Your decision will determine your destiny.

- TPM Morning Manna

THE BIG DIFFERENCE..:

"Every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground... and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark" (Gen 7:23)

The very waters which lifted up Noah who was in the ark, drowned the people who were outside the ark. Here we observe the vast difference between sinners and saints, between those who trust in the Lord and those who trust in man or in themselves, and between those who love the Lord and those who don't. While those who without Christ drown in the trials they face, those who cling to Christ and hide themselves in Him, are lifted up and drawn closer to God and heaven. "All things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom 8:28). It has been rightly said, "Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions."

So don't panic when faced with problems. Like David, say, "My soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast" (Psa 57:1). If you are in the 'Ark', no flood, no problem, no matter how big, can drown you.

"Seas of sorrow, seas of trial
Bitterest anguish, fiercest pain
Rolling rages of temptation
Sweeping over heart and brain -
They shall never overflow us!"

- TPM Morning Manna

WHEN NOT TO SPEAK...!

We are living in an age in which people are often weary of their life, their family, children, wife or husband, and everything around them. This is the age in which we should learn, as never before, how to speak to the weary - to bring them to Christ. Sometimes, even the sweetest words and the words we think would best befit the occasion may boomerang and worsen the situation. People everywhere tend to be tension-ridden, and indifferent and provocative, rather than receptive to any word.

How upset Peter must have been after denying the Lord thrice! Any word of rebuke or correction could have hardened or embittered him. But one look from Jesus did greater things than the greatest sermon ever preached by the most gifted preacher on the earth. "And the Lord turned, and LOOKED UPON PETER, And Peter remembered the word of the Lord... and Peter went out and wept bitterly." (Lk 22:61, 62).

One LOOK from the Lord, a look of compassion and love, a look of sympathy with the sweetness of sincerity - that did the work; it brought to remembrance the word of the Lord, it made him to go out of the bad company, and the best of all, it made him weep bitterly for his bitter sin against the sweet Saviour. We should discipline ourselves, not only to know how to speak, but also to be silent as the occasion calls for and as the Lord guides. There are times when silence proves golden, while sermon proves irksome and out of season.

"A caring heart, a listening ear,
A compassionate look, a gentle tear
Will help to lift the heavy load
Of weary souls along life's road."

- TPM Morning Manna

SPIRIT OF HOLINESS...!

"And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom 1:4)

Holiness is the greatest power one can have - to conquer the greatest enemy, the power of death. From the above text we see that Jesus was raised from the dead according to the spirit of holiness. Our spirit should get sanctified and become the spirit of holiness. In other words, our spirit should be free from defiling elements such as lust, pride, envy, jealousy, anger, etc.

When we die, we are going to entrust our spirit and not our body, into the hands of God. Jesus died saying, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit" (Lk 23:46). Stephen, the martyr who readily forgave his murderers, died with the prayer, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59). We can give only a holy spirit into the hands of a holy God.

So let us pray with the Psalmist - "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Psa 51:10). When we have a right spirit we will have a right spirit towards everyone, including the one who spits on our face!

- TPM Morning Manna

VANITY OF VANITIES...!

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun" (Eccl 2:11)

Solomon had vineyards, gardens and orchards. He had pools of water; he built many mansions; he had silver and gold, men singers and women singers. Although these may not be sinful pleasures they are indeed pleasures of the world.

Being the richest king of his time, Solomon could enjoy all the pleasures of the world, and this he did try. But the statement he makes at the end of his life is that all those pleasures, in the end, only brought trouble to his spirit (vexation of spirit), and that his inner man was restless. He confessed the emptiness (vanity) of his heart. He repeatedly says, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." The more he tried to enjoy the world, the more miserable and unhappy he became. Apart from the life that comes from God, everything is emptiness or vanity.

The Psalmist says, "In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore" (Psa 16:11).

St.Paul emptied himself of everything in the world and towards the end of his life, although in prison and waiting to be executed, he was jubilant. Look at the triumphant words of this saint: "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous...Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice!" (Phil 3:1). "I have all and abound: I am full" (Phil 4:18)

Look at the contrast between St.Paul who counted all things as loss for Christ and Solomon who had all the pleasures of the world. The end of the man who counted all things as loss for Christ had a joy and triumph, particularly at the end of our life.

- TPM Morning Manna

REBEL NOT..! O SINNER..!

Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden" (Gen 4:16).

All of God's love and protection could not keep Cain in God's presence, as he had no repentance for his sin. Therefore we see him going out from the presence of God.

"Dwelt in the land of Nod" - 'Nod' means trembling and shaking. True, once a person commits sin and loses the presence of God, his sin makes him restless even on a bed of roses. "The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest...There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked" (Isa 57:20, 21).

Though the Lord had said he would be a vagabond and a fugitive, he obviously wanted to resist the punishment, for he built a city and dwelt there (vs 17). Every work that is not of God cannot stand; apparently, the city was completely destroyed by the flood.

You get nothing by going away from God. You only lose all your blessings and bring destruction upon yourself. So dear reader, if you have strayed from His presence, come back. If you will yield to His love and return with genuine repentance, you can once again enjoy the peace and joy and rest that you can get nowhere but in His presence.

"Come unto Me... and I will give you rest."

- TPM Morning Manna

TRUTH-SEEKING

"Behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he...sought to see Jesus Who He was" (Lk 19:2,3)

Zacchaeus' profession was looked down upon by society. 'Publicans and sinners' was a term used by people to denote their hatred for them. The work of a publican was to collect taxes for the Roman government. As there were no strict rules concerning tax collections, publicans used to take bribes.

Zacchaeus had heard of Jesus and wanted to know Who He was. As he was short, he climbed up a sycamore tree. The sight of the little rich man climbing a sycamore tree must have been amusing to the crowd; but shame or ridicule did nothing to diminish Zacchaeus' desire to see Jesus and know Him for himself. Does reproach and ridicule discourage you from seeking the truth?

It is amazing to note that Zacchaeus chose a sycamore tree to climb. There must have been many other tall trees in Jericho. What made Zacchaeus climb up this rather insignificant tree? The reason was that though this tree was not great in many respects, it was standing by the side of the very road along which Jesus was to pass, and was therefore the only tree which could enable him to see Jesus. The sycamore tree is a type of a true servant of God who lives 'in the way' of the Lord. "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen" (I Cor 1:27, 28)

- TPM Morning Manna

BOLDNESS THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh" (Heb 10:19,20).

In the Old Testament, the way to the holiest (most holy place) was blocked by the veil. Even the high priest entered it only once a year with the blood of the animal sacrificed, with great fear and trembling, as it could prove to be the way of death. But thank God, the blood of Jesus turned the way of death into the way of life, the living way.

We can boldly enter the holiest, we can live a most holy life, through His blood. Even in deep troubles, a blood-washed saint will have divine boldness. "The righteous are bold as a lion... which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any" (Prov 28:1 & 30:30). If you keep any sin hidden in your life, you will not have any boldness in the time of trouble; your heart will melt like wax - "if thou faint in the time of adversity, thy strength is small."

May the Lord help all of us to keep our hearts washed in the blood of Christ so that we can have boldness to enter into the holiest (New Jerusalem and Zion). The text doesn't say, "enter into the holiest place," but "enter into the holiest life by the blood of Jesus. What a great privilege!

- TPM Morning Manna

GREATER WORKS

Peter denied Lord Jesus and he was the first to go back to his fishing after Jesus' death. But after he received the Holy Spirit he was a changed man.

Perhaps the most surprising (and all-surpassing) grace that we see in the ministry of Peter is seen in Acts 5:14-16: "MULTITUDES...brought forth the sick unto the STREETS, and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the SHADOW OF PETER PASSING BY might overshadow some of them... AND THEY WERE HEALED EVERY ONE. "In fact, such a miracle has not taken place at any other time in the history of Christianity (and even in the Old Testament). Peter's shadow falling on bed-ridden sick people was enough to heal them. There were such crowds that no house or hall was large enough to hold them; the sick had to be laid on the streets - "AND THEY WERE HEALED EVERYONE." The Lord Jesus gave Peter a tremendous ministry which He Himself did not do. The hem of the Lord's garment healed many, but not His shadow. See what wonders the grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can do in a person!

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know... WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US-WARD WHO BELIEVE, ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY POWER" (Eph 1: 18, 19).

- TPM Morning Manna

YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM GOD...:

"They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God" (Gen 3:18).

The very voice of the Lord which once brought joy to them, now brought fear and terror. It was not a change in God's way of walking or a change in His voice that brought terror, but the change in man's character. Now also, fear and worry are not brought about by our environment, but by the state of our inner life.

Adam could have rightly confessed, "I was afraid because I had sinned" rather than saying, "I was afraid because I was naked." Adam was not only hiding from God, but was also hiding the fact from God. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper" (Prov 28:13). Though man tried to cover himself with fig leaves, it wouldn't help. All our own righteousness is only filthy rags in God's sight (Isa 64:6).

Sin stripped man of his good conscience and he became naked in his own sight and in the sight of God. Now he runs for cover to refuges which are no refuges at all. God is our hiding place; where can a man hide from God? "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do" (Heb 4:13).

A time will come when all false refuges will disappear. "The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the waters shall overflow the hiding place" (Isa 28:17). Let us therefore give up all our false refuges. Instead of trying to cover up our faults, instead of trying to hide from God, let us, like David, cry, "Whither shall I flee from Thy presence? ... Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee... the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee'' (Psa 139: 7, 12).

- TPM Morning Manna

ARE YOU THAT DONKEY..?

Ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither...because the Lord hath need of him" (Lk 19:30,31).

There may have been horses or other gracious animals available, but Jesus wanted this wild, bound and untameable donkey. If you are thinking you are a great man in this world, Jesus doesn't want you.

The donkey was not thinking about Jesus. Jesus was thinking about the donkey. The donkey did not show any love to Jesus. It was Jesus Who loved the donkey.

The donkey was tied in a place where two ways met. Before every child of God, there are two ways kept - "My will" and "God's will". When Jesus saw that donkey, He sat on it. The Word of God says that nobody could sit on it before that. It was so wild. Nobody could control it. But Jesus sat on it, and from that moment, its direction, its ways, completely changed.

When Jesus sent His disciples to bring the colt, He did not tell them, "Train it and tame it." He said, "Bring it as it is." When Jesus sat on the colt, everything about it changed. "Behold I make all things new." If God has not changed you, the reason is that you have not realized that you are a wild donkey. If God is not able to bless you spiritually, one reason could be that you are not able to realize that without Him you are but a wild donkey. God wants people with the degree FWBDN (i.e. 'Foolish, Weak, Base, Despised, Not' - see I Cor 1:27, 28). Your pride is the greatest hindrance for God to work for you.

- TPM Morning Manna

SHED 'GODLY' TEARS...!

"Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God" (Psa 84:6,7).

'Valley of Baca' means valley of tears. 'Valley' shows humility. Only humble people can weep for godly things. Proud people cannot weep in the presence of God. Our tears show we have a broken and a contrite heart.

The first thing Jesus had to do after His resurrection (as the High Priest) was to go to the presence of the Father with His atonement blood. On the morning of the resurrection, Jesus was about to go to the Father. But before He could do that, another important thing came up. Somebody was weeping for Him. Mary Magdalene had come to the sepulchre early in the morning and all alone. She was weeping just in front of the sepulchre.

While Jesus was alive on earth, many might have wept and pleaded with Him for healing, deliverance, etc., but here Mary had not come to Jesus for a blessing. "I want to take Jesus with me," she says. All she needs is Jesus. Child of God, how much time have you spent in the past weeping before Jesus saying, "Lord, I want You." You might have prayed to get blessings; that is good. But in a deep sense, if you have Jesus you don't need to ask for any of the blessings of Jesus. "I want only Jesus!" - When we come to this state we will forget to pray for material things.

In the 16th century there was a saintly lady named Madam Guyon living in France. She told the Lord, "Lord, all that you want to give me on earth, give to my enemies, and all the blessings You want to give me in heaven, give to the saints, but give me Yourself."

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psa 30:5). This is a night-time for us, a weeping time; but after these days are over, when our tear bottles are full with godly tears, then joy will come in the morning. Your tears will become a pool of blessing. Whether it is your death or the Rapture, it will be a glorious bright morning.

- TPM Morning Manna

ARE YOU A LEPER..?

In hell he lift up his eyes, being in torment and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom" (Lk 16:23).

The rich man saw Abraham and Lazarus afar off. Where you will be in eternity, depends on how you lived in this world. Abraham was a type of God's presence. While on earth the rich man was far away from the presence of God, and now he finds himself far away from the presence of God after death.

How can you make out you are far away from God? You may be in a service in church but you could be far away from God. You may be singing and praising God and worshipping God and may spend much time in prayer, but your heart could be far away from God. If you don't feel the presence of God it means you are far away from God. To the extent you feel God close to you now, you will be close to God in eternity.

In the Old Testament times, lepers had to be outside the camp. The parts of the body affected by leprosy do not have any sensation. You can take a big needle and pierce the part, but the leper won't feel any pain. The minister may be preaching and pouring out his life before you, but you don't feel anything. You are a leper in the sight of God. If you don't feel the presence of God, the grace of God can heal that leprosy. God can give you brand new flesh.

When Naaman, that proud, arrogant man dipped himself in the waters of Jordan, he got new flesh. You need to be dipped in the grace of God. You need to be dipped in the Word of His grace. You need to be dipped in the water of the Holy Spirit.

Come back to God today and say, "Lord, I don't want to be far away." If you keep a distance between you and God, the devil will take that place. So have a real intimacy with Jesus. After you leave this world, it will be too late to realize that you are far away from God.

- TPM Morning Manna

HOW SHOULD WE FIGHT..?

Who through faith... out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens" (Heb 11:33, 34).

When we accept the Word of God and believe that our weak points are made strong points, and praise God, we may not all at once experience all that we accepted and believed. Things may appear to be just the opposite.

Let's suppose our Christian life needs a thorough sanctification in thoughts, words, etc. and we sincerely believe His Word and stand on the above promise. We may at least for a short time, feel more unsanctified than ever! This should not discourage us - we are not ignorant of the devices of the devil. AGAINST EVERY CONSECRATION WE MAKE AND AGAINST EVERY PROMISE OF GOD WE CLAIM, DEMONS MAY BE SENT - TO BREAK IT AND FRUSTRATE US.

If, suppose, we decide to get up early the next day to pray or read the Bible, we may have to go to bed very late that night and not be able to get up early the next day, or we may wake up with a splitting headache! This is why the Word of God says, "waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." That is, we should not only take up the promise that all our weaknesses are turned to strength, but also fight valiantly ("I fought a good fight...I have kept the faith" -II Tim 4:7), and turn to flight the armies of the demons till we fully enjoy the promises of God. "Let the weak say, I am strong" (Joel 3:10). This is why God has chosen weak people - to be heroes of faith (I Cor 1:27).

Dear reader, are you weak in holiness, in your prayer life, in meditating on the Word of God, in your love for God, etc? Claim by faith that all those weak areas have become strong areas of your life. Do you often give in to discouragement, depression, anger, frustration, etc? Claim the victory. In the physical areas of our life also we can apply this promise of God by faith. Let the weakest part of our body become the strongest part. Let the weakest part of the Body of Christ (the weakest believer) become the strongest one.

- TPM Morning Manna

BRIDE-MAKING

The Lord God... took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman" (Gen 2:21, 22)

Before the bride was made, GOD CLOSED UP THE FLESH. Yes, before God forms the Bride out of the Church(garden), He closes the FLESH of man. In other words, if God is to prepare us for His Coming, our fleshly nature should go.

This is the first mention of FLESH in the Bible, and thank God, He closed it up. If God has closed up the flesh, why should man open it up?

If one single rib (rather a weak bone in the body) could be instrumental in making a bride, how much more God can make use of servants of God who are in His hands, to form the Bride.!

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt yoiu in due time" (I Pet 5:6)

In the Body, the ribs are close to the heart, protecting and covering the heart. So also, in the Body of Christ, some saints are close to the heart of God. God takes them, and by means of their life and prayer, does the wonderful work of forming the Bride of Christ.

Let us mortify the deeds of the flesh or 'close up the flesh' and draw close to the heart of God. God is looking for 'weak' and 'fleshless' saints who live close to the heart of God to use them for forming New Jerusalem.

- TPM Morning Manna

GET UP AND GET GOING

"Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan" (II Kgs 6:1,2)

When the disciples of Elisha realized their low state (spiritual), they felt the need to confess this to their master. Have we ever confessed to our Lord that our spiritual life is far short of what it should be?

"Let us go, unto Jordan." Once we realize our real spiritual state, we will not only confess it to the Lord, but will also be urged to do something to remedy the situation. We will be inspired to go to "Jordan". Jordan is the place of fulfilling God's will. There, Jesus fulfilled the will of the Father by taking water baptism (Matt 3:15). Just as the disciples of Elisha decided to go to Jordan, we should decide to fulfil the whole will of God. "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" should ever be a prayer of ours.

The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "I pray thee, go with thy servants" (v3). Many Christian lives are struggling - struggling to do God's will. Even with the best of motives and sincere dedication, we will not be able to do God's will unless we ask the Lord to go with us and help us. Elisha's immediate response to the request of the prophets was, "I will go"; so will the Lord go with us. If you find that the Lord is not going with you, not helping you to do His will in your life, it may be because you have not urged Him to come with you.

- TPM Morning Manna

ALL POWER IS YOURS

Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt 28:18,19)

When Jesus was raised from the dead all power in heaven and in earth was given to Him. "Go ye therefore" shows that the same power and authority is given to us - although we appear to be insignificant to the world.

A missionary lady in Africa had a small fellowship of African souls. One day, as they were worshipping the Lord, a witch doctor entered the church and challenged her power. "I'm going to perform a miracle," he said, "If your Jesus can perform a greater miracle, I promise to become a Christian." The missionary lady knew that Jesus had greater power and authority than all the demons put together. Her little congregation also encouraged her to take up the challenge and prove that Jesus had greater power and authority than the devil.

The witch doctor came up to the front and lay face down on the ground, and as he kept chanting something, his body started rising from the floor. The body rose almost up to the pulpit in the lying position. The missionary lady wondered what greater miracle she could do; in fact, she had never performed any miracle. But as she and the whole congregation were praying, the anointing of the Holy Spirit came upon her with power and authority. Stretching her hands towards the man she said, "In the Name of Jesus, get out, you demon!" Instantly, as if he had been shot, the witch doctor fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. He could not even move his limbs till he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear child of God, He that is in you is greater than he (the devil) that is in the world. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Our God will do great things for His glory.

- TPM Morning Manna

THE CLOSEST RELATIONSHIP..:

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psa 91:1).

"Dwelleth," in the Hebrew tongue, is 'YASHA' meaning 'marrying' or 'to marry'. It shows the relationship between Christ and the Bride. "I am married unto you," says the Lord (Jer 3:14).

The relationship between husband and wife is the most intimate of relationships. The next most intimate relationship is that of a mother and child. Both these relationships are mentioned in the 1st verse of Psalm 91. ['almighty' is 'El-shaddai' which, in Hebrew, is mother-like God'].

The Lord wants to have a very close relationship with us. All the promises mentioned in Psalm 91 are for those who have an intimate relationship with the Lord.

Those who live in the heart of God will have the closest relationship with God. But we must have this relationship with the Lord while on earth itself.

When we live in the heart of God, our heart will become like the heart of God. What does that mean? Our heart will be full of peace, joy, love, grace, purity, humility, forgiveness, etc. If you are in the heart of God, God's heartbeat will be your heartbeat. You will want to think only what God puts in your mind. You will desire only what God puts in your heart.

- TPM Morning Manna

FRUITS OF REST

"God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made." (Gen 2:3)

God blessed the seventh day because He completed all His work of creation and rested on that day. So, blessings follow when a person completes his work and enters into rest. Our life is full of battles; we must overcome every battle and enter into a rest. In this Grace Period, we have to get the spiritual experience of daily entering into God's rest.

The process of sanctification begins within us when we start leading an overcoming life. God commands His blessing upon us and completes the process of sanctification when we cease to strive and struggle, and rest in God. "For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His" (Heb 4:10)

God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. The blessing of God goes together with sanctification. Sanctified life is indeed a blessed life.

God sanctified the seventh day because He completed His work and rested on that day. It is only when we have a rest in us that God will be able to sanctify us. We should see that our rest is not disturbed in any way, as that will prevent us from getting sanctified.

- TPM Morning Manna

TREASURES OF DARKNESS

Often, darkness and night are closely linked with occasions of tremendous victory and blessings. Before Jesus raised the shout of victory , "It is finished,' on the cross, he had to face the blackest darkness for three whole hours. In the life of Jacob too, the most remarkable and blessed events took place during the night. First, in the desert of Bethel, in that night of flight from the father's home, he saw the heavens opened and the angels ascending and descending with the promises of God. Another time, while fleeing fro Laban's home, he wrestled with an angel of God during the night and was so greatly blessed that his very name (which indicates his character) was changed, and he became Israel, meaning, 'a prince with God.'

It has been said that the supply of attar of roses for the whole world is from the Balkan Mountains. An amazing thing is that roses that are picked between one and two after midnight have been scientifically proved to be the most fragrant. In our Christian life also, darkness and night are permitted by God to make our spiritual lives more fragrant.

Dear reader, God permits dark nights in our spiritual lives, not to destroy us, but to enable us to 'divide the spoil.' One of the blessings Jacob pronounced on Benjamin was 'AT NIGHT he shall divide the spoil' (Gen 49:27). Instead of getting discouraged in the darkness, let us learn to 'divide the spoil' or, enjoy the rich blessings of God. God's promise is, "I will give thee the treasures of darkness" (Isa 45:3). There are treasures in darkness; unless we go through darkness, we cannot receive them.

- TPM Morning Manna