Daily Manna from Heaven

By: Joel Osteen

It’s easy to be tempted to give up on a goal, prayer or desire when it seems as if the answer isn’t coming as quickly as you would like. Yet, at these times, dare to learn how to hope even more in God. Usually, our battles seem the darkest just before the dawn.

Just like a woman experiences birth pains right before the birth of her child, we too experience intense moments before breakthrough. Yet, we must not give up prematurely during these heated times. In Hebrews 10:35 it says, “Do not cast away your confidence for it will be richly rewarded.”

As faith-filled believers, we must keep hoping, keep believing and stay faithful. Many times, we are closer than we think to victory. God is faithful to His promises. When God says we will be richly rewarded for keeping our confidence in Him, that should give us a second wind, giving us fuel to keep up the faith.

Don’t give up today on your dreams and your hope in God. By developing the attitude, “I’ve come too far to stop now” and learning how to be full of hope, expecting God’s favor daily, you’ll see God begin to do amazing things even in the midst of trying times!

You are closer than you think to victory. Dare to hope in God and His promises. You will not be disappointed!

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The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

“Do I have to believe in Jesus to be a Christian?” asked a young man whose Russian Jewish background had never exposed him to the Gospel. Having been raised in a home in the former Soviet Union where God was seldom if ever discussed, he had heard about Jesus but didn’t really know how He would fit into Christianity. He wanted to know. How would you answer that question? There are millions of people whose backgrounds are nominally Christian who still don’t understand the relationship between Jesus Christ and Christianity.

“Are you a Christian?” I once asked a man. He thought for a moment and then replied, “Well, I suppose so since I’m not a Muslim or a Jew.” For millions of people around the world, the term broadly defines ethnic and, to a degree, religious roots. We think of countries such as the Philippines in Asia, the United States in the Americas and North Ireland in Europe as “Christian” nations. But painting nations with such a broad, sweeping brush is a generalization which allows a lot of space between the brush marks.

Let’s go back to the question of the young man who wanted to know, “What does Jesus Christ have to do with Christianity?” Would it be more valid to turn the question around and ask, “What does Christianity have to do with Jesus Christ?”

Do you happen to remember the first use of the term, “Christian” or “Christians?” In Jesus’ day, those who followed Him were never identified as Christians. Disciples? Yes, they would have acknowledged that. Peter, Andrew, James and John would have been quite proud to be identified as disciples of Jesus. All great leaders had followers who were known as disciples. But ethnically, they were Jews and proud of their heritage.

It was about 15 years after the church was established before disciples were called Christians, and when that happened, the term was one of derision and scorn. Luke tells us about it, saying that when Barnabas found Saul—later known as the Apostle Paul, “he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year,” writes Luke, “Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.” Then he adds, “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch” (Acts 11:26).

One of the major reasons why the term Christianity should never be used as a term defining a religion is that Christianity really involves a relationship, not simply a lifestyle or a system of beliefs. The creed of the early church stressed who Jesus was and what He did—not what people must say or believe to belong to a church.

One of the earliest statements of belief held by the infant church was Paul’s brief creed found in his first letter to the Corinthians. He put it like this: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

When the young man asked, “Do I have to believe in Jesus to be a Christian?” and he got the answer, “Yes. That’s what it is all about.” He responded, “I’m not yet ready,” but he got involved in a Bible study and began to read the New Testament, something he had never done seriously before.

A few weeks later, he was ready, and confessed Jesus Christ as His personal Savior. Today, he not only has joined a church which he attends regularly, but he sings in the choir and participates actively in sharing His faith with others.

The acid proof of disciples, taught Jesus, does not involve your belief system—though what you believe determines what you do. It first involves your relationship with Jesus Christ, then with others. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples,” said, Jesus, “if you love one another” (John 13:34). It’s still true today.

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“The preceding material was written by Dr. Harold J. Sala, and is copyrighted. Reproduction for sale or financial profit is prohibited. Permission to reproduce this article was granted by Guidelines, Inc.”
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“I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” -2 Corinthians 7:9-10

“To deny sin is bad news, indeed,” writes John Alexander. Continuing, he says, “The only good news is sin itself. Sin is the best news there is, the best news that there could be in our predicament. Because with sin, there’s a way out. There’s the possibility of repentance. You can’t repent of confusion or psychological flaws inflicted by your parents—you’re stuck with them. But you can repent of sin. Sin and repentance are the only grounds for hope and joy, the grounds for reconciled, joyful relationships.”

Did you notice the phrase, “There’s the possibility of repentance”? “Just a minute,” you may be thinking, “what does repentance have to do with forgiveness? I thought that when God forgave me, He just wiped the slate clean and that was all there was to this business.” Scores of people consider forgiveness to be a kind of “I’m OK; you’re OK, too” sort of business with God, whereby we acknowledge our failure and God forgives us. Is that an oversimplification?

First, let’s define our terms. The Greek word for repentance means “a change of mind,” and the word is used throughout the Bible in relationship to the transaction of genuine forgiveness and restoration. For example, John the Baptist preached a simple Gospel. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near,” he cried. And Jesus proclaimed the same theme. Following the 40 days of temptation, Jesus began His public ministry. “From that time on,” says Matthew, one of his biographers, “Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near’” (Matthew 4:17). The disciples of Jesus proclaimed the same thing, “They went out and preached that people should repent,” says Mark 6:12.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood and boldly cried, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).  Throughout the letters of Paul, the same theme continues. In fact, when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he stressed there are two kinds of sorrow over wrongdoing: that kind that comes because you get caught, an embarrassment which causes you to lose face, and authentic repentance which is a deep sorrow for wrongdoing which leads to change.

OK, we acknowledge that this element of repentance seems to be missing from our thinking today. It’s been replaced with a kind of forgiveness which makes us feel good about ourselves, the kind that makes us acknowledge wrongdoing but with no real sorrow attached to it. But here’s my question. Is this kind of forgiveness genuine? Or put another way, can there be real forgiveness without repentance?

Not if you believe what the Bible says.  Biblical repentance, contended John Woodbridge, includes five concepts:
1. A change of mind or thinking.
2. A deep sorrow for wrongdoing, the kind that David had following his affair with Bathsheba.
3. The confession of sin.
4. A forsaking of wrongdoing which involves a clean break with what you know to be wrong, and
5. A turning to God, who alone offers pardon and strength to do right.

A wayward son wanting to come back home wrote his father and said, “Dad, if you and Mom can forgive me, please tie a small white flag to the fence out front of the house, and I’ll know it’s OK to come back. But if there is no white flag, I’ll not come in.” To his surprise the lad saw not a white flag, but a white bed sheet flying in the breeze.

Of one thing you can be certain. God is far more willing to extend forgiveness for your wrongdoing than you are to turn from your sin and to embrace it. Think about it.

(Authored By Dr. Harold Sala. Permission to reprint this article was granted by Guidelines.com)

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“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” -2 Corinthians 5:21

“If our greatest need had been information,” read a Christmas card I received, “God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was for forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.”

When an angel appeared to Joseph, who was then engaged to be married to Mary, the message was, “And she [Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Today, though, it is the link between our sin and a Savior which has grown hazy and obscure.

Focusing on our greatest need, though, is the problem, because this forces us to admit that there is a need, and we would generally rather crawl on our hands and knees to Calcutta or roll in a bed of ground glass than to admit our human failure or wrong doing—yes, to admit our personal sin.

When Paul wrote to the Romans, he categorically said, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). His word all is completely inclusive. None is excluded. Today, however, you don’t hear much of that three letter word, sin. The attitude of the world is nobody’s perfect. So don’t worry. Be happy!”

Sin is the problem, and a Savior is the solution. Even those who refuse to call it what it is know what the problem is, but rather than accept the solution, they prefer to deny that the problem exists. Is this rational? It is about as rational as refusing to believe your doctor when he says you have cancer, or refusing to take you’re automobile into the shop when you have been notified by the manufacturer that it is defective, or ignoring the road signs which tell you the highway ahead is washed out and you must detour.

The worst kind of ignorance and rebellion is the refusal to recognize there is a solution to your problem and an answer to your need. Paul, the theologian of the New Testament, came to grips with this whole issue of man’s need and God’s solution. Almost all of his letters addressed this issue prominently. Writing to the Corinthians, he said, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). For a moment, ponder what Paul is saying: God—the creator of our universe, the one who breathed life into Adam—sent His Son into our world, and He paid the penalty for our sin that we might be accepted as righteous before God the Father.

A few years ago, I visited an inmate in prison who, in a fit of rage, had killed another man. Trying to explain how Christ, who knew no sin, paid the penalty of our sin so that we might have life, I just couldn’t get through. Finally, I put it like this: “Look, if I were willing to exchange clothes with you and take your place here in prison, and you put on my clothes and walked out the door as a free man, would you do it?” The light came on. A smile crossed his face as he said, “Sure, I would. A person would be a fool not to do that.” “Yes,” I responded, adding, “That is exactly what Christ did for you when He died.” But the consequences of ignoring what Jesus Christ did are even greater than refusing to let someone else take your place on death row. Think about it.

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“The preceding material was written by Dr. Harold J. Sala, and is copyrighted. Reproduction for sale or financial profit is prohibited. Permission to reproduce this article was granted by Guidelines, Inc.”
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“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” -(Romans 3:23)

There is a three-letter word that spells the difference between happiness and misery, between freedom and bondage, and between heaven and hell. A generation or two ago, this word was commonly used in our speech, especially by the clergy. We used this word to describe wrongdoing and human failure. Then, as some words are prone to do, it gradually began to be replaced by synonyms which were more gentle and kind. That old three-letter word is sin, and in spite of the fact that most people prefer not to think of themselves as being tainted by this word, sin is good news! “And how can that be?” you might be thinking. It’s simple: There is a solution to the problem of sin, an antidote which neutralizes its effect; and that is good news.

The existence of sin is demonstrated three ways: First, by history. Then by the human conscience, and certainly by Scripture. Historian Harold Lindsell wrote, “As long as man has been on earth, wars, tumults, disease, and death have been rampant. All creation bears unmistakably the marks of evil. The pages of history are blackened by its effects.” Some 5,000 years of history display a constant repetition of human failure.

But the effects of history go beyond what takes place on a national basis to what takes place on a personal basis. We are told today that there is a difference between public and private morality—something which no generation has ever believed before; nonetheless, the mentality which wants to believe this is but a reflection of the thinking that it is unfair to hold others accountable for what we, ourselves, are not willing to abide by.

Your conscience is only as good as its understanding of right and wrong. When a person doesn’t know what a straight line is, it is difficult for him to understand why a crooked line is different. But, nonetheless, the consciences of almost all men and women, at some time or another, nag at them, saying, “What you did is wrong” And when that wrongdoing violates others and God, it is sin—unvarnished and plain.

The Bible says that men and women are sinners by choice and by nature as well. “All have sinned” is the dictum of Paul to the Romans. We sin because of our human compulsion towards selfishness and wrongdoing as well as by our personal choices which, at times, we know are wrong—yet we prefer that to doing what we know to be right.

Suppose you went to your doctor because you had a lump on your thyroid and it just wouldn’t go away, and he ran some tests and then asked you to sit down as he said, “There’s nothing to worry about. Our tests show that you have a lymphoma, but this is perfectly natural. You have a beautiful smile and a wonderful personality. Think positively of yourself and realize you are much better off than most people.” If you heard what I’ve just told you, you would be fuming with anger. You’d probably break your fingers punching the buttons on your phone as you called your attorney.

But if your doctor says, “You have a problem here, but there is a solution, which is surgery followed by radiation. The answer isn’t terribly pleasant, but we can assure you that you are going to be OK” –then you have hope. The Good News about sin is not that you have failed but that God has an answer, a solution to your wrongdoing, and that solution is in what Jesus Christ did in paying the price of your failure.

No, sin never makes us feel good about ourselves, but it should bring us into confrontation with the grace of God, which can make us right with God. And that’s good news.

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“The preceding material was written by Dr. Harold J. Sala, and is copyrighted. Reproduction for sale or financial profit is prohibited. Permission to reproduce this article was granted by Guidelines, Inc.”
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“The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.” -Proverbs 20:7

Can you raise G-rated kids in an X-rated world? You bet you can, but it isn’t easy. It’s the challenge of the century, and certainly the challenge of your life. The following are five guidelines which can help you accomplish your goal.

Guideline #1: Set the example.

Parenting is the raising of children by parents, not the raising of parents by their kids. God made you the mommy or daddy, so assume your responsibility. You gave birth to a child. Now instill in that child integrity and character, the kind that produces a g-rated kid in an X-rated world, a world filled with moral and spiritual pollution.

If you are an R- or an X-rated parent, don’t expect yours to be G-rated kids. You set the example. They learn from you. Never deceive yourself by telling you kids, “Don’t do as I do; do as I say.” Save your breath. What you do, they will do, but they will go one step beyond you—always.

Guideline #2: Help your child be his or her own person.

One of the greatest things a parent can do for a child is to help him throw off the “cookie cutter,” be-just-like- everyone-else, mentality which is so prevalent today. This requires your putting a certain amount of space between your kids and the world whose values are far from G-rated. It means you help your offspring to understand, “I don’t have to be just like everybody else. It’s OK to be me and to be different.” Sure, your kids are going to hear and see a lot of junk outside your home, but having a standard at home says clearly, “We don’t approve of that stuff, and we won’t allow it in our home. We love you too much to let you warp your character with junk.”

Guideline #3: Build character through the moral feeding and nurturing of your children.

I can tell you a thousand places where your children will not build character, including most movies, TV, and the lyrics of a lot of contemporary music, so you have got to concentrate on feeding the moral and spiritual nature of your child. This means Sunday School and Church, youth activities, events and activities that are family-centered. Sure, this inconveniences you as an adult. You’ve got to shut off the TV and pack the van and think about where you are going and what you are going to do.

It means you monitor what comes into your home and what goes into the minds of your kids. This includes not only what you put on the table but the music that goes into the iPod you teen listens to. A policeman? No, a parent who needs to remember a line which puts an end to the question, “Why not?” It’s, “I’m the mommy, that’s why!” or “I’m the daddy, that’s why!”

Guideline #4: Reinforce character with a positive peer group.

This means making it easy for your kids to be with others whose values are the same as yours, and difficult to be with other kids who are being raised in a permissive environment without convictions. When you fail to make some decisions, by default you lose your position to leverage your influence for good and God.

Guideline #5: Empower your child with validation.

The most important thing in the life of a youngster isn’t really, “What do my peers think of me?” in spite of the fact that we’ve bought into that mentality and touted it for a generation. The truth is that parental approval, hearing a dad say, “I’m really proud of you,” or a mom say, “Sweetheart, you really handled that situation well. I couldn’t have done better myself,” is the most meaningful validation in your kids’ lives.

You can raise G-rated kids in an X-rated world with God’s help and a lot of dogged persistence. It’s worth it. It’s the one thing that will count and make a difference in tomorrow’s world.

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“The preceding material was written by Dr. Harold J. Sala, and is copyrighted. Reproduction for sale or financial profit is prohibited. Permission to reproduce this article was granted by Guidelines, Inc.”
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