Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 18:13:03 -0600
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (Feb. 9); BP: II Cor. 5:11-16; RBTTY: Mt. 7; Gen.
February 9 &n bsp; “Living For Jesus”
“For the love of Christ constrains us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead—and that He died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him Who died for them and rose again.”
II Corinthians 5:14-15
It’s our singular purpose and magnificent obsession.
If we’re like most folks, the older we get, the more funerals of family and friends we attend. Soon we’ll find ourselves first looking at the obituary section in the paper to see if there’s anyone we know who’s passed on since the last edition. And, again, the older we get the more often we’ll see the names of those we’ve known who are younger than we are.
That’s why today’s Manna should help us stay focused—for one of these days the obituary will list our name, the date of our departure and those loved ones who were left behind. However, such a sober realization shouldn’t cause us to live futile, frantic or frustrated lives; instead, it should motivate us to “redeem the time” (Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5) and to “number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).
And, what better way to do this, dear Pilgrim, than incarnating today’s Manna into our lives? Glory! Truly, it is “the love of Christ that motivates us to warn others of the coming day of Judgment” (v.11). And, in warning them we also woo them that this same One Who “died once and for all”—both in number of deaths and for the number of those who are dying—wants to come into their hearts and “make them a new creation” (v.17). Hallelujah!!
Furthermore, it is this knowledge that should remind us of our insufficiency and His sufficiency (II Cor. 3:4-5). We realize it is “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) that prompted Watchman Nee to declare that “Christ is the Sum of all spiritual things.” And, it was this marvelous Truth that led Mother Theresa to say, “We’ll never know Jesus is all we need until Jesus is all we have.”
So true, so true.
Because of this, our life’s theme song should be the old Gospel song, which said “Living for Jesus a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do. Yielding allegiance glad-hearted and free, This is the pathway of blessings for me. O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give my life to Thee, For Thou in Thine Atonement didst give Thyself for me. I own no other Master, My heart shall be Thy Throne. My life, my all, I give to Thee, O Christ of Calvary.”
In reality, Jesus’ words in Mt. 6:33—“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you”—are the basis of Paul’s admonition in today’s Manna. No longer can we be satisfied with a self-centered, self-seeking lifestyle; instead, we want to “please Him Who has chosen us to be a soldier of the Cross” (II Tim. 2:4; cf. Jn. 8:29).
Therefore, spend some time alone with the Holy Spirit today, Pilgrim, and ask Him to show you any area in your life that’s still not under His control. Then, give Him the key to every room in your heart and begin singing, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord, Have Thine Own Way.”
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