Daily Manna from Heaven

“Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.”  Psalm 71:17-18

In the book Medical Ethics cardiologist Dr. Jay Hollman writes, “Currently there are two predominating world views in the Western World. ‘The secular world view refers to the view that leaves human beings as the final judge of all things and Biblical revelation as largely irrelevant. A serious Biblical view of ethics regards the Bible as a revelation from God and an important component of every ethical decision.” As a cardiologist Dr. Hollman constantly faces the issue of “How far should we go in sustaining life?” If life is sacred, then our goal should be to preserve it, but if life is not sacred, then why should individuals who are genetically deformed, those born with brain injuries and who can never live outside an institution, receive care and support?

Frankly, that’s what Adolph Hitler had in mind. He sought to terminate the lives of those who were less than normal, thus producing the master race. But Hitler was not alone in moving in that direction. In the United States by the year 1930, twenty-four states had laws requiring the sterilization of “feeble minded” individuals. Yes, those laws have been repealed, but the issue confronts us. When should life be sustained? And how far should we go in keeping individuals alive?

David, some 3000 years ago, contended that life was not a matter of random chance or happenstance. He was convinced that even before someone was born, God had a plan for his life that included his birth, the duration of his life, and even his death. These thoughts were embodied in Psalm 139, which is well worth your time to study. In verse 13 he wrote, “your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Paul, living a thousand years later, agreed. He wrote the Philippians and said that he wanted to “lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold” of him (See Philippians 3:12, NKJV).

Luke, the physician who wrote more of the New Testament than even Paul, also agreed. He spoke of David, saying, “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep” (Acts 13:36).

OK, here’s the question. Does God’s purpose end for you when you have to retire, or when your health begins to decline, or when the cartilage in your knees wears out, or your heart gets tired and weary? If life is not sacred, then euthanasia becomes a plausible, if not acceptable, solution to the problem of sustaining the elderly. This, of course, would make a hero out of the suicide doctor, Jack Kevorkian, and a fool out of every doctor and every nurse who sweats bullets saving and sustaining the lives of our elderly.

Science today has enabled us to sustain the lives of people almost indefinitely, and my plea is not to sustain the suffering of people who have heard God’s call to come home and they can’t because we have them on a ventilator, or a lung machine that keeps them alive—at least, clinically. There is a time to be born and a time to die, says the book of Ecclesiastes, and wise is the family who lets go when God calls.

That’s not the issue. Then what is? Today, we are facing a secularization which denies that you were made in the image of God, that sees life as void of spiritual ramifications and denies that there is moral accountability to God or anyone else, and when that happens the whole structure of society breaks down. We are seeing that collapse right now all around us, and a moral laryngitis seems to stifle the courage of those who are afraid to say, “Enough is enough!” and to stand where the courageous have stood for centuries.

*Permission to reprint the above article is hereby granted by Guidelines, Inc.*

by Dr. Harold Sala

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” -2 Corinthians 9:7

“I’ve always had a heart for missions and the needy,” writes a Guidelines’ friend, “and our church does not support Christian missions. Sometimes I don’t approve the decisions of the church and how the money is used. A bit extravagant at times…. What is right in God’s eyes?”

Like a barber who doesn’t quite like the haircut and keeps snipping away until the customer wishes he could glue some hair back on, this issue of giving never quite goes away. Yes, we agree that what we have belongs to the Lord, and we want to demonstrate that we are committed to that truth by giving at least a tenth, as much as Old Testament saints. But to whom do we give it?

If you haven’t noticed, friend, there are more outstretched hands than at any time in history. You can’t support everybody, so who should get your money?

The first question that has to be settled is simply, “To whom does my tithe belong?” And Leviticus 27:30 settled that clearly. It says that a tithe–or a tenth of my income–”belongs to the Lord.” O.K., who is God’s representative to collect it for Him? My local church? Missionaries? Groups such as Guidelines, Campus Crusade, or Navigators, a Christian radio station, or the lady ringing the bell for the Salvation Army?

Second question: “Are these various groups also an integral part of the church, ones specializing in outreach to different segments of a hurting, broken world?” If so, do they also deserve my support, and if so, how much?

The New Testament clearly says that the local church is to be supported. I Corinthians 15 is clear in this regard. But there are other areas of ministry today–vitally part of the church too–which can and also must be supported.

Some say, “Once you have given your money to the Lord, you are no longer responsible for what happens to it.” Don’t believe that for a moment. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25, stresses your individual, personal responsibility in seeing that what you give is used wisely and for the purpose for which it was given. When money that you give is squandered, or the lifestyle of the pastor or a Christian leader is extravagant, I’d invest God’s money where humility and commitment are evident. God expects that. It is His money that you bear responsibility for, and in that sense you need to invest wisely!

The account of Abraham who paid a tithe or a tenth to Melchizedek suggests that we ought to give where we are blessed. True, you don’t go to your favorite local restaurant for a meal and then send your money to your cousin who runs a hamburger joint in another town. Right? If a ministry meets a need in your life, and you are blessed by that ministry, and you believe that those in charge are good stewards of God’s money, then that ministry is worthy of your support.

Today, no legitimate ministry can do less than commit to full and complete disclosure. “…Provide things honest in the sight of all men,” wrote Paul in Romans 12:17, (King James version). Whether it is a church or an organization, accountability and full disclosure are reasonable responses; for they, too, are stewards of God’s money.

A closing thought to this entire series: Your motive in giving is so important. Remember what Paul wrote to the Corinthians? “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8). How improve on that?

**Permission to reprint the above article is hereby granted by Guidelines, Inc.**

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by Dr. Harol Sala

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise the fruit of lips that confess his name.” Hebrews 13:15

Have you ever had the urge to just break out in song? It may have been inspired by a beautiful morning, or the check that arrived in the mail, or the phone call from a best friend. You felt like shouting something that Handel would have written, something that would praise God from the depths of your being.

You didn’t, of course, because you didn’t want folks to think that you were a fanatic, or crazy or on drugs, and besides, it isn’t natural to sing like that, right? Right! It isn’t natural; it is supernatural.
When Paul and Silas sat in a Roman prison at Philippi, their feet in stocks, their back stinging from the cut of lashes, they began to sing with joy. Let’s face it to sing in the face of tough circumstances just isn’t the natural thing to do; it’s supernatural, or above the natural trend of circumstances. When you are in trouble like Paul was in, you want to cry, not sing; yet in this incident which took place long ago in a Roman prison, there is a great lesson, a guideline for living for us today.

You can read about Paul’s situation in Acts 16. Whether lifting his voice in song was a spontaneous outburst or a reasoned commitment, an act of worship, I leave to your discretion. I, for one, believe that Paul didn’t much feel like singing, yet as a conscious act of the will, he made a decision to lift his voice in a sacrifice of praise; and when anyone makes that sacrifice, his spirits are lifted and the joy of the Lord floods his heart.

The writer of Hebrews focused on this very act of thanksgiving and praise when he said, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Heb. 13:15).

When you face difficult circumstances, you come to a fork in the road. One option is the natural one complain, grumble, and let everyone know that you are displeased with the way you have been treated. The second option is to realize that no matter how difficult the situation, God can bring joy and gladness out of it.

One of our listeners learned this lesson through bitter trials. She told how her husband walked out on her, leaving behind five children. Within a year her oldest son, then 17, had become an alcoholic. A second turned to drugs, and she turned to the Lord. She writes, “As I had no one to lean on then, I fell back on God, praying, hoping. I kept reminding myself this is just a night, stormy though it seems. This too shall pass and the day will dawn eventually. Now five years after, the dawn has gloriously arrived! My son is healed, and the other never became dependent, and the other children are now happy and well adjusted. With the help of God, all of us as a family have triumphed, and in the process God has met our needs, materially, financially, emotionally.”

Did the husband come back? No. Did God answer her prayers? Yes, but in a different way from what she expected. He didn’t deliver her from all of her problems, but He met her in them; and that, friend, is what produces joy.

Why is it that the writer of Hebrews referred to praise as a sacrifice? Because, at times, it is just that. Take time to make a study of the life of David, and you will quickly identify with the difficulties which he faced; yet he learned that through praise and worship, we rise above those difficulties. Make a note of Psalm 71 where David talks about his afflictions and yet says, “But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” The sacrifice of praise is amply rewarded.

*Permission to reprint the above article is hereby granted by Guidelines, Inc.*

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By Dr. David Jeremiah – Turning Point Ministries

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. -Romans 8:16

When Princes William and Harry of Wales were born to England’s Prince Charles and his then wife, Lady Diana, the cheeky British press lovingly referred to them as “the heir and a spare”—William being “the heir” and Harry being “the spare.”

In other words, Prince William, being the firstborn son of Prince Charles, stands directly in the line of succession to the British crown. And should he be unable to become king, Prince Harry would step in. When one is born to royalty, one’s identity and destiny are fixed simply by being born.

The same is true of Christians. The moment we are born again by God’s Spirit, we become children of God and “heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). Our future and our destiny is set—we know who we are and where we are going. Our purpose in life is to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29), and our destiny is to live for eternity in the presence of Jesus Christ our Lord (Revelation 21:3-4). Everything else in life is a subtext to that story.

If you are a Christian, you should never be confused about who you are, why you are here, and where you are going. That was settled when you were born again.

God made us to be worshippers. That was the purpose of God in bringing us into the world.-A. W. Tozer

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by James Parmis

It’s been 4 years now since my dad was missing last 27th of September 2005. Until now, my family still do not know whether he’s dead or alive. My last conversation with my dad over the phone happened last 4 years ago. He just disappeared without any traced at all.

Today, 27th of September 2009 is the fourth year anniversary of my missing dad. I am hoping that my family will be able to know whether he’s still alive or dead already.

I can still recall the happiest moment together with my dad. When I was a kid around 3 to 6 years old, my dad would always brought me to any place where he conducted his business all over the Philippines. My mom called me, “Dad’s Pet.”

My dad was a businessman. He was trained to do business with a generous filipino-chinese family in Cebu during his teenage years. He only finished grade three. He didn’t even finished his elementary school days. But I am very proud of him because he was able to send me and my siblings to a very prestigious school in St. Peter’s College of Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines.

My dad was a generous giver. He helped a lot of people in my hometown. He was a good provider to his children and a loving husband to my mom. Oh by the way, my dad’s name is JAIME RICARTE PARMIS. His friends called him Jimmy, Jim or Jaime.

Dad, I want you to know, that we love you. We missed you so much. We will always remember you. Someday, we will see each other again in heaven. May God bless us always.

P.S. - If any of you happen to know the whereabouts of my dad, please email me at jamesparmis [at] yahoo [dot] com

P.S. - I want you to love your loved ones while they are still alive. Tell them, “I love you” always! Life is short.

Article Originally Published At Source

by Dr. Harold Sala

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.” -Job 19:25

Have you ever wondered what it was that kept men and women alive during the horrors of confinement in the concentration camps of World War 2? One of the most worthy of the attempts to answer the question is a book entitled, Man’s Search for Meaning written by a Jewish psychiatrist who saw the horrors of life as well as the redeeming acts of love and kindness from the inside.

Dr. Viktor E. Frankl observed, first hand, the men and women who came through the devastating ordeal of confinement in the concentration camps—the suffering, the intense hunger, the privation, the disease, and the torture. These went beyond the level of survival and gained significance in unsurpassedly difficult times.

Yes, he saw some individuals reduced to the level of animals, devoid of any tenderness or compassion, but he also saw heroic acts of kindness and unsurpasseddeeds of personal sacrifice for others. He witnessed the ultimate triumph of the human spirit over the hellish spirit of the guards and camp personnel.

He said that those who survived the ordeal were the ones who looked for a higher goal in life than mere survival. People who lacked this deteriorated in body, mind, and spirit, but he observed that individuals with a sense of purpose in life learned to look upon each new day as a new experience.

Quote: “…most men in a concentration camp believed that the real opportunities of life had passed. Yet, in reality, there was an opportunity and a challenge. One could make a victory of those experiences, turning life into an inner triumph, or one could ignore the challenges and simply vegetate, as did a majority of the prisoners.”

Dr. Frankl’s challenging work bears out the truth of the old adage; “A man who knows ‘why’ of his existence, can bear any ‘how’ of it.” The horrors of past concentration camps are rapidly fading from our memories. And a long generation removed, that is to be expected.

The scars of devastation in Europe have all but faded. We go to sleep at night believing that what once happened could never be repeated. The stories told by dads and more likely grandfathers are fading, and a new generation which never knew the horrors of warfare or the devastation of a world conflict rub their eyes in unbelief at the reality of what took place.

The diary of Ann Frank, and the hiding place of Corrie ten Boom’s house in Haarlem just outside Amsterdam remind us that Holocaust was not contrived by Disney engineers or fiction writers. I shall never forget standing at Auschwitz watching the often tearful reactions of people—especially Polish young people along with buses of youth from a variety of countries including groups carrying the blue and white Israeli flag.

Almost every Polish family lost someone during World War 2, and I thought of the world in which my grandchildren are growing up, and I wondered. I still wonder if we have learned the supreme lesson: that unless God changes hatred to love and touches the hearts of men and women, until we seek the Prince of Peace and we no longer make war, the sad lesson of history may be unheeded.

Following the war The Great Generation, as Tom Brokaw called them, had a sense of purpose. They knew what they had fought and died for, but that seems to have faded with the passing of time.

A college student recently expressed the groping of many when he said, “I have found it very hard to find my place in the world…a cause that would give me a reason for being here.”

Victor Frankl is no longer with us but the challenge is greater than ever. May God help us to make the most of it.

*Permission to reprint this article is hereby granted by Guidelines, Inc.*

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by Dr. Harold Sala

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.” -Job 13:15, NKJV

Afflictions come to us in all sizes and shapes. I am thinking of two individuals in particular one of whom sustained brain damage in a sports injury and who is facing a life long physical impairment, and another who has grown bitter over the loss of a baby girl found dead in her crib.

Both of them talk of God’s love. The first speaks of it as a comfort and a strength; the other as an obstacle “How could God really love us and allow this to happen?” In one case the injury drove him to God; in the other, it drove her away from God.

Roy Zuck wrestled with the trauma of tragedy and the love of God when his daughter was injured in an automobile accident. After sixteen operations Zuck wrote, “Affliction comes in various forms. It may be disease, divorce, death or surgery.

Sometimes it means confinement to a wheelchair, prison cell, or nursing home. If you have faced any of these or other troubles, you may have cried, “God why me? How can a good God allow suffering to come to me—or to anyone, for that matter?”

What do you do when you begin really to question the goodness and love of God for you as an individual? Grow bitter? Withdraw from the scene or avoid the issue? Face schizophrenia of belief when you say certain things (you use the language) but inwardly doubt the goodness of God?

Based on the letters that have come to our office over a period of many years, I have noticed that three issues cause us to doubt the love of God.

1. Suffering which we feel God could stop if He loved us, or, He cannot love us if He could prevent suffering and does not.

2. Injustice in the world.

3. Prayers which are unanswered according to our specifications. What do you do when you wrestle with the issue?

Guideline #1: Realize that God loves you unconditionally regardless of your feelings or your emotions.

Though you may not feel it or believe it, the writers of Scripture state His love and goodness as a fact.

Guideline #2: Strive to understand the reason behind your argument with God’s goodness and love.

Three individuals have faced these issues and have come forth with books that have dealt with the question at length. Perhaps their names will ring a bell as you search for an answer for yourself. They are: C. S. Lewis, author of The Problem of Pain; Edith Schaeffer, who wrote Affliction; Phil Yancey, author of Where Is God When It Hurts? These, along with me and scores of others, have come to understand that there is profit in pain and that there is gain from grief.

When you are hurting, a theological or philosophical answer does not quite ring the bell. For me to tell you that suffering is the result of the Fall, when man turned his back on God, does not assuage the anguish or the pain that you are undergoing. It does not restore your confidence in a God who is good and who loves you.

Guideline #3: Trust God’s heart when you cannot see God’s hand.

In time you may come to view the issue which troubles you as did Dr. C.E.M. Joad of the University of London. It was the suffering of World War II that troubled Joad when it came to a loving, just God. As he viewed the suffering of the concentration camps, he reasoned that the suffering and injustice of the world only demonstrated that an opposite had to exist, and that opposite, he finally came to believe, was a loving and just God.

And when He came to know God, peace finally filled his heart, just as it can yours. Knowing Him takes away the need to know exactly why some things happened because you become assured He is in charge no matter what happens.

*Permission to reprint this article is hereby granted by Guidelines, Inc.*

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