Testimony Tuesday!

It's Testimony Tuesday. I still like the idea of people coming together to share their stories of how God has blessed them. The sole purpose is not to gloat or floss your prosperity, but to encourage and motivate other people to hold on and keep their faith. If God can show up and show out for me, he can definitely do the same for you too! I do hope for a great response to the post this time! You know you got something to say about the goodness of the Lawd!

We are overcomers by our testimony! Revelation 12:11

What say ye?

I'm gonna put mine out there first, I mean I must set off by example! This isn't a testimony about how God will provide, nor about how God is able. This is one that shows God as a comforter. It shows that God is still right there watching. I'm writing this because there are so many times when I doubted God was there for me. I would see different signs here and there. I would experience different things, but nothing that specifically told me that God was there. On not two occasions, but three, God showed himself to me. I was sleeping in the bed one day and I just didn't have any strength to get out of bed. I was tired and I was weak; exhausted if you will. I laid there and heard in the clearest of voices, "Daniel" I sat up and looked around. I felt an energy like I never felt before. I sat back and looked that day I was going to sit there and miss work was the last day in that pay period I would work. That check payed my rent and put food in the fridge! There is a guy that has been feeding my soul, reaffirming that God is there and more than able. Twice now I have gotten an encouraging word from him, sowing encouragement into my life. God is very real for me and I know him to be great. That's my Testimony - Brotha Real

It's a total package!

I've been wanting to do a piece on how to have faith. I also have been wanting to do a piece on how to pray effectively. The more I thought on the two, the more I realized that they are related. There was a missing component to the two. In order to have strong faith, in order to have a powerful prayer, you need to have a relationship with God! As the cliche goes, first things first.

At the risk of sounding traditional, you gotta repent of your sins. This shows that you know you've done something that you had no cotton pickin' business doing! It take humbleness to admit your wrong doing and even more to ask for forgiveness! When you do this you are asking God to create in you a clean heart. You are loosing yourself of your iniquities and the things that made you dirty. It's like walking up to the President of the United States of America, you can't just go to him, or maybe her someday, any old way. You gotta clean up, present yourself in a way that the President will see you. Don't get me wrong, God sees all! He is also looking at your effort in how you come to him. He is God you know, he deserves honor and respect!

From the moment you repent of your sins, your relationship with God begins. What strengthens your relationship is meditation, adoration, praise and worship, and studying the Word that God has given us. When your relationship grows with God, you will see your faith start to increase. As you walk along the path called life, you'll see certain things, things that God will do for other people which will strengthen your faith. You'll see things that happen to others and dangers and hard times that God moves out your way which will give you a reason to be thankful. While looking back on those things you know what God can do, which in turn will strengthen your faith. With your increase in faith comes confidence and power from God. If you are certain and established in your faith you have that power!

There is so much that I can fit into this post, regarding all the topics mentioned, but I want you to get the full experience of what I'm speaking of. Look forward in the near future for these posts. Don't forget about Testimony Tuesday tomorrow either!

Shoo! Go on head and be blessed now...

How To Contact Me

There are going to be many different posts, situations and events which you may want to contact me. Whether it be for an encouraging word, to email a testimony, questions, private comments or concerns. I do love to dive into the word and seek out revelation. Give me topics and I'll talk about them. I'm just putting myself out here to be contacted.

Send an email to MorninManna@gmail.com

I am available on google chat as well. For any further contact info, ask and pray you will receive! :-)

Be Blessed...

Testimony Tuesday!

I really would like to re-institute Testimony Tuesday. I still like the idea of people coming together to share their stories of how God has blessed them. The sole purpose is not to gloat or floss your prosperity but to encourage and motivate other people to hold on and keep their faith. Ig God can show up and show out for me, he can definitely do the same for you too! I do hope for a great response to the post this time! You know you got something to say about the goodness of the Lawd!

We are overcomers by our testimony! Revelation 12:11

Greatness

Mornin Manna Tuesday Sept 22, 2009

You can't be great without getting a lil hate. The Bible says we'll be persecuted, but I encourage you to hold onto your faith.

The scripture text came from: 2nd Timothy 3:10-15

Seems like there's always that 1 jerk; that 1 ignorant person that doesn't know how to keep their mouth shut. When you're doing good, there's always someone to try to bring you down. It's unfortunate, I know, but it's evident also! Momma used to say, "As long as you're doing good, expect something bad to happen." I never understood this, but as the older folks say, you'll understand it better by and by, I began to understand. I came up with this quote, "You can't be great without getting a lil bit of hate!" I like it because it's real.

The better you make yourself, the better you try to do for yourself, someone will be watching and someone will have something to say. It will not always be constructive. It's a shame to say that some of the very people that you interact with may be the same people that mean you that harm! Regardless of their agenda, it is our job as Christians to forgive them. Its our job as Christians to love them. Scripture says that we are to love and pray for those that despitefully use us. Kill them with your kindness; give them no room for satisfaction. It's not such an easy thing to do, and you'll mess up sometimes trying to do it, but you must try. The more you're tried, the better you'll be at resisting the enemy.

Don't be discouraged if you're that one that is playing by the rules and things fall apart. Keep at it. Keep doing that good. If the devil waste the energy to tempt and try you that must mean you're more valuable than you know! The devil doesn't waste his time with people who he has already claimed, he wants to mess with those that has a divine purpose. As the Mornin Manna said for today, I encourage you to hold on to your faith. Keep going on, and keep staying strong. We are to strive for greatness in Jesus, just watch out for the haters that come along to distract you and drag you off the path headed towards salvation.

Just a lil blessing

I've joined that made a way outta no way groups. I'm going to be brief, only because I'm at work and I don't have much more time to type. I was faced with a dilemma on trying to pay my rent. God made a way to aid me with paying my rent. I only pay about 38% of my rent. Then, I didn't have the funds to pay my last full months rent before the change took effect. God made a way for that rent to be paid in full. God has truly made a way out of no way for me and I didn't even see it coming. I didn't ask God what to do, I gave him my situation in faith that all would work out for my good! I know I love the Lord and he heard my cry and he came a rushing to my aid when I needed him. All it takes is just a little faith! I'm just taking this time out to tell God Thank You for all he's done and is doing for me. Let this be an instance that God can do! Yes, he will do! Lemme go, cause I feel my help coming...

And God Spoke

I've been in church all of my life. I call myself being a man of faith. I pray. I fast. I Study my bible. I seek the Lord. There was something that bothered me. Whenever I would be in a situation, and I wanted to hear from God, I never would hear anything. I would hear from different church goers and saved family members that "God said..." and I can't say the same. I've been led and things have been shown to me but I don't have one of those "God said..." moments to share until today.

I came home last night from work and was really tired. I started working both of my jobs again and my body is not liking the adjustment. I was physically tired and knew I had to be at work at a certain time. I said I couldn't do it. I rolled over and began to rest. In the midst of my slumber I heard a powerful voice call out my name and I immediately woke up. I gained my strength and became alert while I gathered my things and walked out the door.

On my way to work it was all I could think of. I heard my name! It was clear. It was something like I've never heard before. It stirred me so that I couldn't lay there any more. It may seem like nothing to some, but to me it means much to hear a word from the Lord. A song speaks of one Rhema word designed with God's expertise which is tailor made for me. God spoke and revealed himself to me. I am so thankful for that word, which was my name.

When God speaks there will be a response. He said let there be light, along with a host of other things, and it became so! The sun, wind, moon, stars, earth and everything else shall yield to God. There is power, more than we can imagine, behind every word that God speaks. More importantly, there is meaning to everything He has to say. So, my word of encouragement to you is to hearken unto the voice of the Lord. Listen and obey his words and commandments and you will find yourself among the kept and blessed. I know I wanna be blessed and for sure I wanna be kept! Be encouraged!

WARNING: Slippery!

I'm up and I can't sleep. I felt compelled to write about slipping. You know, walking around and losing grip and swaying and moving about in a fashion that you might not have complete control of. What I thought was cool about slipping is when you slip, as long as you can find something sturdy enough, you can prevent yourself from falling! Wondering if anyone is catching on...

Donnie McClurkin sang about falling and getting up again. In order to get up you must have a firm or somewhat stable ground to rest upon and stand. If you get back up and you're on shaky ground, there is always a risk that you can fall in the same spot once again. The idea is to get back up and move on, walking on solid ground. Thinking if someone might be putting this together...

Is there anything, or hmmm anybody, that can be stable and sturdy and keep us from falling and yet be there every time to help us when we've fallen? Every time I turn around, Jesus is right there with his hand outstretched for times of need. Every time I lose my balance I can call on Jesus and that same hand is there to keep me from falling. The lovely part is what happens when we don't acknowledge him in all of our ways. We go down the shaky path of destruction and fall. We might be down in the dirt for a lil while. When we come to our senses, and realize that Jesus is the way the truth and the light, that same hand is still waiting for us to pick us up and place us on a solid ground to stand! Oh how wonderful is Jesus!

Scripture tells us that the most righteous man can fall and make mistakes. God is faithful and just to forgive us, as long as we acknowledge our error and place Jesus at the head of our lives! Don't forget to confess Jesus with your mouth, believe him in your heart. You CAN know Jesus for yourself!

I hope I've helped someone...

Elevated Expectations!

You know the Church of God in Christ has a reputation for having radical preachers. I have a cousin that tends, who is a National evangelist for COGIC, and when I go to hear him preach he tells me to listen and watch the audiences reactions. He likes to sneak realism under the radar and wants me to notice the congregation's reactions. One time he was speaking on be careful what you say. Then minutes later he shouted to say amen if you're a liar! Out of no where the church said amen! It was followed by silent chatter of people saying "did he just say that", lol! All of that to introduce what another preacher said this past Friday night at a yearly meeting. He was talking about being hurt and healed. Then he asked the church, "how many of you have ever been hurt in the church?" I kid you not in saying practically every hand was raised!

Why is it that the church, the house where the spirit of the Lord is supposed to dwell, is a place where people are being hurt. I had to sit back in my seat and remove myself from the service and ponder this. I began to think on certain accounts of people who have told me that church folk are nasty, they judge you, and that's why they don't go to church. Again, I asked myself, "Why?" Why is the church this way? I came to the conclusion which rests on the expectancy of people.

People have an image. They don't wish anyone to see the dirt in their yard, so they point out the dirt in someone else's yard to deter focus. Therefore, you keep your self appointed image. However, what has just occurred is you've just damaged somebody's character and discouraged someone from wanted to come back into the house of God. Its a very dangerous game and most church goers are playing it, and it's damaging the body of Christ. If we can remember that we all are human and are subject to making the same mistakes than we can focus on elevating ourselves to a higher level in Christ being the examples that we are meant to be instead of pretending!

What happens when you place someone on a pedestal, that's not God, and expect much from them, when they can't deliver, the world is over! Go tell Sista Soandso and Brotha Biznessminda. From an outside view, the church is no better than the streets, so why should the come to church? More damage to the body of Christ as well as a stunted growth! Worry about yourself and your relationship in God. Put your faith and trust in God, not in man! As man, we can fail. Not saying that we fail all the time but in Christ there is no failure! You cannot be disappointed in God! Psalm 146:3 says, "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help." Proverbs 3:5 tells us to "Trust in the Lord with all of thine heart..."

Stop placing so much weight on people. Worry about you and your salvation and everything else will work out just fine. Work on being filled with God's holy spirit, which comes with love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance which will bring one another together in unity because we all will have god's spirit living within us!

Perspective

Lately, I've been going through some things. I've been sick in my body, unfortunate in affairs of the heart, missing chances that could change my financial status. I've seen the emergency room on more than one occasion, and seeing the dollar amount in my bank account decrease without significant increase. If anyone knows, it's harder to recover physically when your mental and emotional wellness are wounded. Subconsciously, I was building the blocks of a structure called depression.

I called friends, sometimes their words offered relief but none led me through the tough time. Slowly, the structure grew larger. I woke one day to silence. There was no noise in the entire place. Sun was shining in the apartment at about 6am. I dressed and went for a walk nowhere. I saw joggers, commuters, cars and buses. Eventually, I ended up at a park. I walked a ways into the park and sat on a bench, doing nothing. I sat and stared. I got up and walked some more. I then ended up at a lil pond with some benches next to it. It had a fountain in it, which was relaxing to watch. I sat. I relaxed my mind. I began to place things into perspective.

I thought about my health. I may be sick, with however many things I have wrong with me, but my heart still beats. I have full function of my body with all of my limbs. I thought about my money. I have a job. No, it doesn't pay a lot. Yea, it can be a headache sometimes! Yea, I could get more hours, but I have both Sunday and Thursday off for church. The shift they give me allows me to work a second job in the morning. Most importantly, I'm not broke! I was placing things into perspective!

I'm 24 years old and can only account for one major relationship. I'm a guy and we get lonely too. We long for company just as females do. I believe guys don't make as big of an issue as females do! I've silently wondered why I seem to have a difficult time finding a companion! I said companion because I really am looking for that 1 person that I can spend the rest of my life with. I got annoyed with the whole process of looking. I was angered after dismissing prospect after prospect. I had to then realize that i would rather dismiss than to settle. If I take my time and have more patience with selecting, I will have less problems in the long run! I need to wait.

After placing things into perspective, I must say that I don't have it bad. So many others have it worse than I do! I complain a lot; it's true! I want things when I want them; no denying that! I called a few people and I shared these thoughts with them and they advised me to just be patient. "Good things come to those that wait, just keep waiting!" "I've been there before, I thought it would never turn around but it did, just hold out!" "You're just goin through growing pains, It'll be alright!"

The purpose of this post is to pass along a lil bit of encouragement to those that need a friendly word. Sometimes things may be rough and may get hard, but place some things into perspective. Trouble doesn't last always. Keep moving on! Blessings are coming your way, just keep your faith and focus on God! We must be reminded that its not going to be peaches and cream all the time, there's gonna be some gruel sometimes! Victory has already been promised to us. Just as Christ has overcome the world, we who live in Christ have overcome it also! John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.