It has been called to my attention that some folks haven’t been receiving “Morning Manna”, our daily devotion, by email. Unless a person calls I have no way of knowing whether it is being received or not. Even then, I don’t always know what to do to fix the problem. Most of the time it is due to the person’s computer seeing it as spam. So, if you haven’t been getting it lately check your spam folder. I am writing this with the hopes that those who aren’t receiving it will read this article and realize that I have been sending it every day. If you haven’t been getting it please call me or send me an email or card. Hopefully we can get the problem resolved soon. Until then you can always read it here on the website. Thanks for all the kind words and letters of encouragement regarding Morning Manna. It’s my prayer that it will be a blessing. Yours In Christ, Bro. Stone
CHRIST CAN NEVER GROW STALE
How is it that we can have such a glorious Savior and be so sour? Seeing that He is Altogether Lovely how is it that we fail to focus on Him? Considering that His mercies are new every morning and that He never changes how can we be bored with life or fearful of death. He is certainly never His fault! This is what John Flavel was telling us many years ago when he wrote:
“A man would think that such a Christ should never be one whole hour together out of his people’s thoughts and affections: that wherever they go, they should carry him up and down with them, in their thoughts, desires, and delights, that they should lie down with Christ in their thoughts at night, and when they awake be still with him, that their very dreams in the night should be sweet visions of Christ, and all their words savour of Christ.
Though all other things do, yet Christ never can grow stale. He is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. When the saints shall have fed their eyes upon him in heaven, thousands and millions of years, he shall be as fresh and beautiful as at the beginning.
The longer you know Christ, and the nearer you come to him, still the more do you see of his glory. Every farther prospect of Christ entertains the mind with a fresh delight. He is as it were a new Christ every day — and yet the same Christ still.”
THE “HATE” CRIME NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT
As I checked the news this morning, on a Christian web-site, I noticed that another church building in east Texas was burned yesterday. This makes eleven churches in the state that have gone up in flames since New Year’s Day. Most have been Baptist churches. Clearly, someone hates churches!
Then, on the same web page I noticed another article headline that said–“Two Street Preachers Gunned Down in Florida Two Weeks Ago—Media Still Silent”. I took the time to read the entire sad story and was amazed that no national news organization has reported the vicious murder of these two young innocent preachers. I agree with what one man said,”If two Muslims, or two feminists, or two homosexuals were murdered, wouldn’t the media be all over it? These were two fine young black Christian men shot by another black man for their Christian faith, yet the media does not seem to care.”
Well, I decided that was enough bad news for one day, so I clicked to another site and, you guessed it, more bad news! Just yesterday a gunman opened fire in a California church, wounding two teenagers. The gunman and two other men, wearing hooded sweatshirts, walked up and down the aisles, when he starts shooting, wounding a 14-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man.
As a Christian I expect to be hated by the world–Jesus said it would happen, but it is amazing that so few people seem to care. It would be easy to get bitter, but that’s exactly what satan would want. Instead, we need to pray for perpetrators of these crimes and the victims. Every student of the Bible knows that things are going to get much worse. We need to prepare ourselves for it. But it would sure be nice if the liberal media at least acted as though they were concerned. The truth is that the whole scam regarding the “Hate crimes” law is nothing more that an effort to silence Christians and promote evil.THINK ABOUT IT!
A DISSATISFIED MESSIAH
Don’t let the title fool you, so as to think that there is some fault with Christ— there isn’t. Our Savior is perfect in every way. He is Altogether Lovely. He is “dissatisfied” only in the sense of His desire for His people. This is what Paul David Tripp had in mind when he wrote:
“The One on whom we wait is a dissatisfied Messiah. He will not relent, he will not quit, he will not rest until ever promise he has made been fully delivered. He will not turn from his work until every one of his children has been totally transformed. He will continue to fight until the last enemy is under his feet. He will reign until his kingdom has fully come. As long as sin exists, he will shower us with forgiving, empowering, and delivering grace.
He will defend us against attack and attack the enemy on our behalf. He will be faithful to convict, rebuke, encourage, and comfort. He will continue to open the warehouse of his wisdom and unfold for us the glorious mysteries of his truth. He will stand with us through the darkness and the light. He will guide us on a path we could never have discovered or would never have been wise enough to choose. He will supply for us every good thing that we need to be what he’s called us to be and to do what he’s called us to do in the place where he’s put us.
And he will not rest from his work until every last microbe of sin has been completely eradicated from every heart of each of his children! “
WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN
Attribute it to old age or whatever you want–I just can’t get excited over professional sports anymore. I really don’t care very much who wins the “Super Bowl”. What difference does it make? Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not being critical of those who do enjoy sports–as long as it doesn’t hinder them from serving God. I understand that recreation can be a good thing, when done in moderation.
My concern lies in the area of “What is your greatest concern?”. I’m afraid that we get too excited about things that are of no eternal value. We seem to have forgotten that even sinless things can become sinful (see 1 Cor. 8). In and of themself some things are fine, even helpful, unless taken to excess. Then we’ve got a problem. Sadly, some folks waste their time, money, and energy on the things of this world when they should be investing their lives in things that really matter.
As Christians we aren’t left to wonder what our purpose and mission is. If I have to explain that you’re not spending enough time in the Bible. Regardless of what I accomplish in life, if I fail to fulfill my purpose and complete my mission I’m a failure. The same is true of you.
Now, I’ll be honest–although I didn’t watch the game, I would have preferred that the Colts would have won–but they didn’t, and that’s fine. Again I say, “What difference does it make?”. I’m not trying to come across like I’m some super spiritual saint who is better than someone else. I’m just saying what I feel. I am much more excited about that day when the saints truly go marching in at the return of our Wonderful Savior. Now that will make a big difference! That’s why Paul wrote: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”(Titus 2:13-14).THINK ABOUT IT!
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