Fresh Manna | Daily Bread |

Luke 11:3 “Give us each day our daily bread.”

Thought for the Day: “More than a million people had been led straight into the desert. It was clearly a deliverance, but to what? There was no food. But God had a solution. He always does. Manna, a mysterious bread from heaven, would fall to them daily. They could gather only enough for one day, no more (except on the day before Sabbath). If they gathered more, it would rot. It could not be hoarded. They would just have to trust, at the end of each day, that the manna would come again on the next day. They would just have to believe God for tomorrow. “In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions, “God said (Exodus 16:4). Saving up was not an option. Saving up is not an option for us, either. Yes, we can buy a week’s worth of groceries at a time, but that’s not what Jesus is talking about.

True bread, heavenly bread, is given on a day-by-day basis. We cannot pray or worship enough for the whole week on Sunday. The directions we got yesterday won’t apply today. We cannot tithe the first portion of our paychecks and think that our sacrifice is done for the month. The daily bread principle is unalterable. You can’t store up the things you need from God. You have to keep coming back for them, keep trusting Him for them, day after day after day. Why is this so? Because God insists – absolutely insists – that we have a relationship with Him. Relationships must be maintained. He knows well that if He gives us our supplies for a week or a month we will only seek Him once a week or once a month. The temptation is great to gather in all that we can today – physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. But the daily bread principle is always at work, in all areas. There is not loving trust when there’s a full storeroom. Just as our loved ones are not content with one “I love you” for the year, God is not content with a periodic appearance before Him. Manna doesn’t work that way, and neither do relationships. Ask for daily bread in every area of life. And come back again tomorrow. (Chris Tiegreen)

Illustrators of the 1728 Figures de la Bible, Gerard Hoet (1648–1733) and others, published by P. de Hondt in The Hague in 1728

Fresh Manna | Hearts To Be Softened |

All this year, Maddie has been begging not to ride the bus. Her bus driver makes them have assigned seats and sit quietly because of a few behavioral problems. Maddie has been very upset that she is punished even when she is not one of the kids causing problems. (The punishments are enforced for the whole bus.) Because of this, Maddie thinks the bus driver has been mean. I've not let Maddie stop riding the bus because she's got to learn how to deal with things that are uncomfortable.

Fast forward to today: The girls come home with suckers and pretzel packs that they received from the bus driver. So I ask Maddie, "You mean to tell me, you've gotten treats from the bus driver who you say is mean?" Maddie said, "I prayed for her heart to be softened and that's why she's being nice now. The next day after saying that prayer, I got on the bus and she was smiling and happy. Now she's giving us treats if we are good instead of punishing the whole bus."

OH MY!!! Does this mean Maddie's getting it!?!?!?! I'm so proud, happy, and excited all at the same time. I love to see the prayers of little children answered.

Fresh Manna | ...and where thieves break in and steal |

I woke up to a voicemail from 1:30 am. My neighbor had called to tell us the car alarm was going off in our driveway. When I heard the message, I told Owen someone's tried to break into the cars. We went out and the window farthest from the house had been busted out. They broke the little window so that they could reach in to unlock the car and that window would make the least amount of noise when broken.

They broke in trying to get the tools we've been using to renovate the Lincoln Village house but the car alarm scared them off before they got them out. Luckily, we have all the tools! Unfortunately, we've got a lovely broken window. It was humbling to see shattered glass on the bible in the backseat of the car and made me think of this scripture...

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." Matthew 6:19


It also made me thankful that my family slept safe and sound while God protected us. In fact, I'm not even worried about moving to The Bridge. My car can get broken into in our safe, little, South Parkway neighborhood. It reminded me that I need God's provisions no matter where I live.

Fresh Manna . . . | Family |

Be prepared....this one's going to hurt.

Forgotten God Excerpt (pg 152 - 153)

"A while back a former gang member came to our church. He was heavily tattooed and rough around the edges, but he was curious to see what church was like. He had a relationship with Jesus and seemed to get fairly involved with the church.

After a few months, I found out the guy was no longer coming to the church. When asked why he didn't come anymore, he gave the following explanation: "I had the wrong idea of what church was going to be like. When I joined the church, I thought it was going to be like joining a gang. You see, in the gangs we weren't just nice to each other once a week - we were a family." That killed me because I knew that what he expected is what the church is intended to be. It saddened me to think that a gang could paint a better picture of commitment, loyalty, and family than the local church body.

The church is intended to be a beautiful place of community. A place where wealth is shared and when one suffers, everyone suffers. A place where when one rejoices, everyone rejoices. A place where everyone experiences real love and acceptance in the midst of great honesty about our brokenness. Yet most of the time this is not even close to how we would describe our churches.

Without the Spirit of God in our midst, working in us, guiding us, and living and loving through us, we will never be the kind of people who make up this kind of community. There is no such thing as a real believer who doesn't have the Holy Spirit, or a real church without the Spirit. It's just not possible. But what is possible is we would individually and corporately quench and hinder the Spirit's activity in and through our lives.

You Are Everything....Awesome Song

The "Something to Say Special Edition" version of You are Everything is the best but YouTube doesn't have that one.

Fresh Manna . . . | God's Will |

This is an excerpt from Forgotton God (Chapter 6). I didn't know if this hit home for me just because of my situation but my hope is it will resonate with others too....

I think a lot of us need to forget about God's will for my life. God cares more about our response to His Spirit's leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today's decisions.

It is easy to use the phrase "God's will for my life" as an excuse for inaction or even disobedience. It's much less demanding to think about God's will for your future than it is to ask Him what He wants you to do to in the next ten minutes. It's safer to commit to following him someday instead of this day.

People who have, in a sense, asked Him to join them on their life journey, to follow them wherever they feel they should go, rather than following Him as we are commanded. The God of the universe is not something we can just add to our lives and keep on as we did before. The Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is not someone we can just call on when we want a little extra power in our lives. Jesus Christ did not die in order to follow us. He died and rose again so that we could forget everything else and follow Him to the cross, to true Life.

When Jesus calls us to take up the cross, He is doing much more than calling us to endure the daily, circumstantial troubles of life. Jesus is calling us to be willing to suffer anything and forsake everything for the sake of the gospel. His call is to consider everything a loss for His sake. He is call is for total surrender. He calls us to give up all that we have, to give even to the point of offering up our lives as living sacrifices. His call means realizing that His power is made perfect in our weakness, that when we are weak we are also strong. (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

So far, this has been my favorite chapter in the entire book. I could type for hours on this chapter alone. Go out and get a copy today.

Fresh Manna . . . | The Despised |

Two nights ago, Maddie was talking about a boy that she felt compassion for but he did not take care of his physical appearance. He acted out, he didn't brush his teeth, etc. but she wanted to understand why he was this way. So, I had her get my Bible and I read Isaiah 53...

"There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care. ...and I continued reading all of Isaiah 53."

I told her the boy could be what Jesus looked like and what heartache would that bring us to overlook him. You never know when we have a chance of meeting Jesus but we if we are consumed with appearances and others thoughts, we might ignore Him too.

Isaiah 53
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Matthew 25:34-40
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

I encourage you to read Isaiah 53 in a new light, then see who around you is "nothing beautiful, full of sorrow, and even despised and rejected by others." I personally was blown away.

Fresh Manna . . . | Caterpillars |

I'm reading a book called Forgotten God by Francis Chan. If you don't know about this book, it's focus is understanding more about the Holy Spirit. Owen, loves this book and is now repeating it for the 3rd time. (That's a big deal when you know that he doesn't care for reading.) Well, here's my fresh manna for the day...

(excerpt from pages 36 & 37)
Years ago, when a random thought came into my head, I decided to share it with my wife. "Have you ever wondered what caterpillars think about?" I asked. Not surprisingly, she said "No."

(image from www.scienceprojectlab.com)

I then proceeded to tell her about the confusion I imagined a caterpillar must experience. For all its caterpillar life, it crawls around a small patch of dirt and up and down a few plants. Then one day it takes a nap. A long nap. And then, what in the world must it go through its head when it wakes up to discover it can fly? What happened to its dirty, plump little worm body? What does it think when it sees its tiny new body and gorgeous wings?

(image from www.scienceprojectlab.com)

As believers, we ought to experience this same kind of astonishment when the Holy Spirit enters our bodies. We should be stunned in disbelief over becoming a "new creation" with the Spirit living in us. As the caterpillar finds its new ability to fly, we should be thrilled over our Spirit-empowered ability to live differently and faithfully. Isn't this what the Scripture speaks of? Isn't this what we've all been longing for?

(image from www.scienceprojectlab.com)

It really is an astounding truth that the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. He lives in me. I do not know what the Spirit will do or where He'll lead me each time I invite Him to guide me. But I am tired of living in a way that looks exactly like people who do not have the Holy Spirit of God living in them. I want to consistently live with an awareness of His strength. I want to be different today from what I was yesterday as the fruit of the Spirit becomes more manifest in me.

(image from www.scienceprojectlab.com)

I want to live so that I am truly submitted to the Spirit's leading on a daily basis. Christ said it is better for us that the Spirit came (John 14), and I want to live like I know that is true. I don't want to keep crawling when I have the ability to fly.

(image from www.scienceprojectlab.com)

|My Thoughts| Isn't it amazing to stop and think about how much God cares about a plump little worm and that He cares so much more for me! I also thought about how the transformation process probably isn't all that fun to go through. I'm sure the caterpillar didn't really see the point of the transformation before it began. For all he knows is life seems good "as is", it probably comes with discomfort, and this process seriously interrupts life as he knows it. However, if he didn't ever go through the discomfort of transformation, he would never get the chance to soar!

Fresh Manna | The Lord is Near |

At Outback we learned about seeking fresh manna each day. Fresh manna as your daily devotional and bible study which speaks to you personally, helps to teach you, helps you spiritually grow, and bring encouragement from God's heart to you. Here is my fresh manna from today and I hope you too are blessed by His revealing nature....

The Word says in Philippians 4:5-7 that “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. I love the way that this scripture starts off….”The Lord is near”. What a wonderful statement that should powerfully affect the way we live each and every day – He is near – think about that for just a moment and let it soak into your spirit. Whatever your week involves, in all its busyness and crazy pace, the creator of the heavens and the earth is near!! Take comfort and claim that promise today and let that simple statement change the way you live today. Join me and others this week as we invite the King of Kings to move and transform lives.

Fresh Manna | Expectant Faith |

Today's daily bread was found in 2 Kings 4. Elisha is doing his prophet duties and this position seems to include tons of travel. Since he continually visits the town of Shunem, a wealthy woman tells her husband that they need to make a guest room so that Elisha can be comfortable when he comes into town. (I think it's funny how much I can relate to this woman since I would let anyone and everyone live with me as one big happy family! Well, back to the story . . . ) Elisha is so grateful for her kindness he is willing to put in a good word with the King but she declines the offer. So, Gehazi (his apprentice) tells Elisha that she does not have a child and that if she had a child, that would bring her much joy. So Elisha tells the woman that she will have a baby by the next year and she begged Elisha not to joke with her about such a sensitive subject. But, true to his word, a baby arrived within the year.

Fast forward....this blessing baby soon grew into a boy and went out to the field to visit his daddy while he was working in the fields. When he was out in the fields the boy complained that his head was hurting so the daddy sent the boy back home to his mom. As the boy was held in his momma's arms he died. So this bold woman went and told Elisha that he needed to come with her and save her boy. Elisha did just that and the boy returned to his momma. Several years pass and Elisha warns this momma that she needed to get out of town because a famine was about to come upon the land so she takes her family and heads out. After seven years of being gone, the woman returns with her family to beg the King to give her back her home and her land. Just so happens that the King was talking with Gehazi about all the miracles that Elisha had preformed and was in the middle about telling the King about the boy, when who walks thought the door....the momma and the boy (who was now grown up). The King was so excited he gave the woman back everything that she had walked away from seven years earlier.

This story reminds me of what Lee & Leah's preacher said, "All things God works for the good of those who love him. (Romans 8:28) That doesn't mean that only good things happen but that God uses the good and the bad for his glory." I think of the boldness this woman had to tell her husband to scoot over cause they were making room for Elisha to come visit. I smile at the joy which resulted from her boldness of having a precious baby. Then I think of the pain she must have felt as she held her little boy in her arms as he suffered in pain and died in her arms. Then I think about how she was a woman on a mission to find Elisha to make him come to help her dead little boy. I think of the helplessness that she must have felt as she fell on the ground worn out from stress as Elisha was with the boy behind close doors. Then finally the indescribable joy that took over her body as she ran to hold the boy who was once dead and then was brought back to life. Had it not been for the ups and downs in her live, the King would not have been talking about her that day. In fact, she was a testimony to God's amazing power because she lived in expectant faith.

Fresh Manna | God Speaks |

One of the final moments with Jesus is captured in Matthew 28. The last words he spoke to us are found there . . . Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Owen and I have been on a spiritual journey for the past several months. God has revealed Himself in so many ways. Through this journey, we have been lead to move our family from the safety of what we know to the inner city in order to be a bright light shinning on a hill. Since I'm sharing my story with so many people, I've decided to write down every time we've seen God at work so that you don't miss a single step of the process. Each detail, one after the other, is being shared to reveal God's glory.

Our story first begins with the stirring of Mark Sterns . . .

Learn More about Lincoln Village Ministries

Note: If you've not already done so, I invite you to subscribe to this blog. Through this avenue, we will humbly share with you how God is actively speaking.

Fresh Manna | Faith Walk |

I guess you could say I've been on a "Faith Walk" this year, although it is probably better defined as a "Faith Journey". I am thankful to have a small group of us reading through the Bible chronologically and I am humbled to say that God's presence has been all around me as I've been in this study. I've seen things occur that could only have happen through God's timing.

With this study, I guess I've started to realize that my perception of God has been skewed. I assumed because I lived as a Christian that my life would be blessed and I could avoid the seasons of sorrow. The more I re-read through the bible, the more I realize that I can't find an example of a Jesus follower that did not experience major sorrow. Adam's son was killed, Abraham longed for a son, Jacob was sold as a slave, Moses didn't get to enter the promise land, David was chased by Saul, and the stories go on and on. Yet, these men were loved dearly by God. Then I read this scripture again that says "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;" Psalm 34:17-19

As I've wrestled with this concept, I was once again blown away with God's timing. This article written by Rich Searns, the President of World Vision arrived in my mailbox today and I just had to share it...

Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti, who of us has not asked the question, “Where was God?” The sudden deaths of so many innocent people and the staggering human suffering that persists seem to mock the very notion of a loving God. Where is God in Haiti?

There was another time that God was mocked in the face of suffering and evil. It happened on Calvary as Jesus Christ, God’s own son, was spat upon, beaten, and hanged on a cross. And people asked, where was God then? If he was God, why didn’t he save himself?

God had another way. On that cross, Jesus faced all the evil that ever was or ever would be. He took upon himself the sins of mankind, the evils of injustice, the pain of suffering and loss, the brokenness of the world. He felt every pain and took every punishment for every person who would ever live.

Where is God in Haiti? Christ is not distant from us in our times of suffering. He lies crushed under the weight of concrete walls. He lies wounded in the street with his legs broken. He walks homeless and hungry through the camps. He weeps uncontrollably over the child he has lost.

Where is God in Haiti? He hangs bloody on the cross: “A man of sorrows, and familiar with our suffering” (Isaiah 53:3).

“But where is hope?” we might ask. Here, alas, we need to see something not easily seen from human perspective. We, not God, are trapped in time. We, not God, see only in part and cannot yet see the whole. We, not God, must wait for that day when “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

We live in the not yet, but God sees the already. We see today and yesterday, not tomorrow - God sees all three at once. In Him, those who are crushed in Haiti are alive already. In Him, those who are orphaned in Haiti are reunited with family already. In Him, those broken in Haiti are healed already. In Him, those grieving in Haiti rejoice already. Jesus Christ is "before all things, and in Him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17)

He is no distant God who turns His back on us. He is the God who "so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). He is God, who shed His own blood for us.

What then must we do? Unlike God, we live in the time between the already and not yet, and we must wait until then. Until then, we are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. Until then, we are called to comfort the afflicted; give food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. Until then, we are to shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, and grieve with the grieving. Until then, we are to care for the widow, the orphan, the alien, and the stranger.

We are to let our light so shine before others that they might see our good deeds and give glory to our Father in heaven. Until then, as the apostle Paul wrote, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors … as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Until then, we must show forth God’s deep love for Haiti.

Grow & Stretch

My family has been very blessed to have a wonderful and truly hysterical minister, Brad Cox. He has helped us to grow and stretch both personally and as a family. I hope take time you listen to some of his lessons as a "devo of the day". One of my favorites is "Living with Margin." I hope this inspires you (as it did me) to lead by example! Sermon Audio

~ Casey Green