FRESH MANNA

1 Corinthians 15:4 AMPC That He was buried, that He arose on the third day as the Scriptures foretold, Checkmate! People all over the world play the chess game and others where moves are strategic and needful. The winner will proclaim “checkmate.” This is a Persian word that means king, while mate means helpless. This is the position in which a player's king is directly attacked by an opponent's piece or pawn and has no possible move to escape the check. The attacking player thus wins the game. Checkmate! In chess, the king is never actually captured—the player loses as soon as the player's king is checkmated.  Sounds a lot like our spiritual lives, doesn’t it? Our enemy is constantly looking for ways to defeat us while God knows and sees all his moves and checkmates him on our behalf always. Sometimes, it may look like there are no more moves in our favour, but God the Father, as the King, always has one more move, even when it doesn’t look like it. Lucifer always looks fo...

Genesis 3:1-6 NASB Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”  [2] The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;  [3] but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”  [4] The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! [5] For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.”  [6] When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. The shortest span of events in history happened at the very beginning of history. As soon as God c...

Luke 11:28 AMPC But He said, Blessed (happy and to be envied) rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey and practice it! Trust and obey are interwoven and closely connected. When we trust something or someone, it’s easier to obey them. The Bible was inspired by God or God-breathed, according to 2 Timothy 3:16, as God used the personalities of human writers by guiding their minds so that their words were His words too. We must treat the Holy Word as Jesus did: as authoritative and trustworthy. Jesus built His life and earthly ministry on God’s word, commands, and promises, obeying them all the way to the cross. Obeying the word of God without hesitation means we trust Him and His word. Trust requires courage. Trusting God involves heartfelt confidence. Trust involves leaning on someone or something, which has the sense of putting our whole weight on something, resting on and trusting in that person or thing. When we have an important decision to make, we sometimes feel that we ...

Luke 5:1-6 NASB Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret;  [2] and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.  [3] And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little distance from the land. And He sat down and continued teaching the crowds from the boat.  [4] Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”  [5] Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” [6] And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear; We all labour to attain profit, and Proverbs 14:23 says there is profit in all labour. If we work at anything, it will yield an increase of profit over time. 1 ...

Genesis 32:27-28 MSG The man said, “What’s your name?” He answered, “Jacob.” [28] The man said, “But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it’s Israel (God-Wrestler); you’ve wrestled with God and you’ve come through.” Transformation is a process by which one figure, expression, or function is converted into another one of similar value. It is the marked change in form, nature, or appearance. Divine transformation means the change or renewal from a life that no longer conforms to that of the world to one that pleases God, according to Romans 12:2. Divine transformation is accomplished by the renewing of the mind, an inward spiritual transformation that manifests itself outwardly. When divine transformation takes place, everything about a person changes. Sometimes, even a new name is taken to identify with the transformed person, just as God did with Jacob, changing his name to Israel. This transformation is an ongoing process, where the Holy Spirit works within us to conf...

Ephesians 1:17 AMPC [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, Wisdom is an active spirit, one that we can progressively understand as Proverbs 1:1 state. We can become conscious of wisdom through observation and by seeking the Lord, as James 1:5 encourages. The spirit of wisdom is a divine, God-cantered comprehension of life's practical matters. God recognizes our need for wisdom and offers it generously when we ask. The spirit of wisdom, infinite in attribute and instilling wisdom in believers as Isaiah 11:2 describes, is accessible to all believers. Proverbs 3:19-20 reveals that wisdom played a crucial role in the creation of the world. Wisdom's involvement in creation and providence makes it commendable to us, who may possess this invaluable attribute in proportion to our finite powers, and we are thu...

1 John 2:28 AMPC And now, little children, abide (live, remain permanently) in Him, so that when He is made visible, we may have and enjoy perfect confidence (boldness, assurance) and not be ashamed and shrink from Him at His coming. Abide is the close, intimate, and enduring relationship with God. In the Bible, the word "abide" is often used to describe a close, intimate, and enduring relationship with God. To abide in God is to remain connected to Him, to dwell in His presence, and to live according to His will. In John 15:4-5, Jesus says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." This emphasizes the importance of remaining connected to Jesus for spiritual growth and fruitfulness. With life as it is now—messy, unrecognizable, u...

Galatians 5:22-23 TLB But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws.  Life is full of things to be cultivated, such as knowledge, wealth, health, and much more. But how many of us set out to cultivate our God-given spiritual potential? Regarding Christian service, everyone has a different potential. Our potential in service will vary with the gifts that God has given us and with the opportunities that come to us. But in Christian character, each of us has the same potential—the potential to be Christlike. We have the potential to produce a full harvest of the "fruit of the Spirit." As we consider each of these qualities in detail—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith, temperance—you may think, "Such is beyond me." Not so! That is your spiritual potential...

Psalm 119:97 AMPC Oh, how love I Your law! It is my meditation all the day. In a biblical context, passion often refers to a deep, intense love and devotion to God and His teachings. It encompasses a fervent desire to live according to God’s will and to spread His message. This kind of passion is characterized by: Zeal for God: A strong enthusiasm and dedication to worshiping God and following His commandments. Love for Others: Demonstrating God’s love through acts of kindness, compassion, and service to others. Commitment to Faith: Maintaining faith even in the face of challenges and adversity. Biblical passion is about aligning one’s heart and actions with God’s purposes and seeking to glorify Him in all aspects of life. It involves a heartfelt devotion that goes beyond mere duty, reflecting a deep, personal relationship with God. Passion is often seen as a powerful force that drives individuals to pursue their calling and serve God with intense devotion and commitment. The key to pe...

Psalm 51:1-19 NLT Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.  [2] Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.  [3] For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.  [4] Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.  [5] For I was born a sinner- yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.  [6] But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.  [7] Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. [8] Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me- now let me rejoice.  [9] Don't keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.  [10] Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.  [11] Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit...

Hebrews 12:1-2 AMPC Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,  [2] Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Weight! Bulk! Mass! Don’t we all struggle with it? Either we want to gain some or lose some. For some people, it’s a fluctuating issue. The loss and gain of weight is a big thing and has cre...

 Job 1:21 CSB saying: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. When is humanity going to learn that everything in life has an expiration date? Everything that has a beginning must have an ending. As Ecclesiastes 3 says, there’s a time for everything. Ecclesiastes 5:15 puts it beautifully: “As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands.” Whenever we lose a loved one, the first thing we think is, where have they headed, at least I do. But nowhere during the mourning do we think of whatever of their earthly things should be buried with them because they need them where they are going. According to Solomon, they are the futility of wealth. Solomon, in all his splendor, makes us understand, as he did in Ecclesiastes 2:23b, that all the trappings of wealth are vanity that we rat race to acquire, o...

Psalm 83:1-5 (BBE)  1   O God, do not keep quiet: let your lips be open and take no rest, O God.  2  For see! those who make war on you are out of control; your haters are lifting up their heads.  3  They have made wise designs against your people, talking together against those whom you keep in a secret place.  4  They have said, Come, let us put an end to them as a nation; so that the name of Israel may go out of man's memory.  5  For they have all come to an agreement; they are all joined together against you: The verb "counsel" means to plot, plan, or advise. Crafty counsel is to plot, plan, or give advice that is not to the benefit of the recipient. The Bible addresses the concept of crafty counsel in several passages, often highlighting its negative connotations and the consequences of deceitful schemes. Our text scripture starts with a plea for God to not keep silent in the face of people’s suffering. People seem to think tha...

Esther 6:6-14 NASB Haman then came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?”  [7] Therefore Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor,  [8] have them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal turban has been placed;  [9] then order them to hand the robe and the horse over to one of the king’s noble officials, and have them dress the man whom the king desires to honor, and lead him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘So it shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor.’”  [10] Then the king said to Haman, “Quickly, take the robe and the horse just as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fail to do anything of all that you have said.”  [11] So Haman ...

Deuteronomy 30:15 (BBE)  See, I have put before you today, life and good, and death and evil;  We make so many choices daily. What time to get out of bed, what to wear, what to eat for breakfast. Which way to take to work, how, what, when, and plenty of other ways we make choices daily. Hundreds? Thousands? We all make choices daily in little and big things, important and less important things: cereal or porridge, stay in or go out, cook dinner or take out, and many more. Some choices are a matter of life or death, e.g., a band-aid on a paper cut or call 911 at the signs of a heart attack! Every choice we make is centred on life and how to get the best out of it. God’s Word to us comes from some of the last words that God gave Moses to write just before his death, recorded for us in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, encouraging us to choose life so that we and our children may live. The people of Israel had a choice to make just as we do. To love and live for God or not. God gave them goo...

1 Corinthians 14:40 (BBE)  Let all things be done in the right and ordered way. A schedule or timetable is a basic time management tool, consisting of a list of times at which tasks, events, or actions are intended to take place, or the chronological order in which they are intended to occur. Look at your schedule; it’s planned out for the month or year in advance, including everything from sleeping time to holidays. However, often the most important item is missing: the all-important time spent with the Lord. A well-ordered schedule reflects a disciplined life. By prioritizing time wisely, we align our actions with God’s purpose. Consistent routines build our character and resilience. Through structure, you find the freedom to grow and serve. Let all things be done decently, in their proper forms, according to their importance. Everything in life and our Christian Walk should be conducted with gravity and composure, suitable to the importance of the things, and the necessity of th...

Hebrews 11:3 TLB By faith-by believing God-we know that the world and the stars-in fact, all things-were made at God's command; and that they were all made from things that can't be seen. Reframing generally means to change the way we look at a situation, concept, or problem. It's about shifting our perspective to see things in a new light. This can involve altering our mindset, attitude, or approach to better understand or deal with the issue at hand. Reframing can help us find new solutions, reduce stress, and improve our overall outlook. Reframe your world if what you have is not aligned with the word of God. For example, if you're facing a challenging task, instead of seeing it as a burden, you might reframe it using the base of God’s word and His promise that His word always works. Reframe it! Whatever it may be in your case can be reframed with the word of God. God made everything in the universe with nothing but His word and sustains them by His word and power. T...

Isaiah 25:6-8 NLT In Jerusalem, the LORD of Heaven's Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat.  [7] There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth.  [8] He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken! A banquet is an elaborate and formal meal prepared for the high echelons of society. The great banquet is a proper and usual expression of joy in consequence of victory or any other great success. The Lord intends to host a banquet or feast that will be celebrated on Mount Zion for all His saints. Without distinction and exemption, everyone is invited, but only those who accept, respond, and reserve their place will be allowed into the banquet hall. This banquet is the celebration of the establishment of Christ’s ...

1 Kings 5:1-18 NASB Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend of David.  [2] Then Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying,  [3] “You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet.  [4] But now the Lord my God has secured me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune.  [5] So behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, just as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.’  [6] Now then, issue orders that they cut cedars from Lebanon for me, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants in accordance with all that you say, for you yourself know that t...

1 Peter 5:7 AMPC Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. Anxiety! The new normal of society, afflicting everyone—boys, girls, men, women, grown-ups, and the young, as well as the rich and poor. Everyone! No one seems exempt from anxiety nowadays. Jesus admonishes us in Matthew 6:34 not to be anxious, but it seems to be a tall order. Anxiety or worry is a form of pride. It takes concerns upon oneself instead of entrusting them to God, who cares for His people. But to worry is human, isn’t it? We are anxious about so many things, as Jesus pointed out to Martha in Luke 10:41. We are anxious about job security, finances, health, children, unexpected expenses, and life itself. We even worry about tomorrow, anxiously wondering what will happen when the day hasn’t come. Worrying a little is okay, healthy, and expected, but when it becomes consuming and...

 Job 14:7-9 (HCSB)  7 There is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its shoots will not die.  8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump starts to die in the soil,  9 the smell of water makes it thrive and produce twigs like a sapling. When a tree is cut down, it looks like it’s all over for that tree stump. What good could come of it now, right? Wrong. God can still revive it from just the scent of His living water. Water denotes a divine cleansing from sin as recorded in Ezekiel 36:25. Water is a consummate renewal of life; it symbolizes human wisdom as in Proverbs 18:4 and salvation as seen in Isaiah 12:3. In Jeremiah 2:13 and 17:13, God is described as the "fountain of living waters,” the eternal water whose source and power can revive, restore, and refill every other. Every plant needs water to grow and flourish. If not properly watered, it shrivels and dies. Even when it dies, yet through the scent of water, it will bud again. ...