 |
Home | Mission Statement | Video Gallery | Audio Gallery | Photo Gallery | Daily Manna | Testimonies | | Links | Contact us |
 |
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you Isa 26:3 |
 |
| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Today's Passage : Today's Passage::Life’s Hardships BibleVerse:Hebrews 12:5-7,11-14 "You have forgotten the exhortation, addressed to you as God's children My child, do not regard the Lord's discipline lightly, or lose heart when you are punished; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.” Endure life’s trials for the sake of discipline. God treats you as his child; for what child does a loving father not discipline? It always seems painful rather than pleasant; but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore, lift your drooping hands, and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not become crippled, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." Message:
One thing that characterizes a responsible adult is the willingness and confidence to discipline others in his charge. Another is the ability to accept discipline. We see the opposite every day. A prominent case of refusing to accept discipline, in my lifetime, was Roman Polanski, who drugged and raped a 13-year old girl in 1977. He fled the country to escape a prison sentence. He thereafter lived (and at the time this is being written, was still living) in European countries that consistently refused to extradite him.
Judas Hanged (detail) | Psalter-Hours of Guiluys de Boisleux | after 1246
Judas hanging
An amazing number of journalists and people in the entertainment industry loudly protested attempts to extradite him. We don’t want to get too far into self-righteous judgmentalism (and it is tempting to demonize the juvenile self-indulgence of Hollywood). The point is that Polanski is just one, among countless thousands of less prominent cases, where people have used their celebrity, power, influence, etc., to evade responsibility for their actions.
We can include those of us who have escaped punishment by lying, legal manuevering, etc. But, to bring this back to today’s Scripture: In the controversy, nobody has mentioned the harm that was done to Polanski himself, including his relationship with God and the state of his immortal soul, by evading the proper discipline for his action.
We, by our nature, seem to have difficulty understanding or admitting when we have done something wrong; and it appears that Polanski never really realized the wrong of his actions. Discipline is an act of love; it is humiliating to be punished by another, and painful by definition, but still, often the only way to truly change the heart of someone gone astray.
“It is always painful rather than pleasant; but later, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” We are fortunate that God loves us enough to punish us for our sins while we are alive on earth. It is one of the ways by which He “delivers us from evil.” So let us endure the pain of life without complaint and without evading discipline; for what child does a loving Father not discipline?
Meditation : Prayer : God of love, Father of all, the darkness that covered the earth has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh. Make me and all who confess your holy name people of this light. Make me faithful to your Word that I may bring your life to the waiting world. Grant this through Christ our Lord.........Amen. |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
