Memo From the Mann

We Are Free

We have freedom from this world’s clutches, from this world’s nagging, from this world’s value system... we have freedom in Jesus, and he’s not hiding from us... in fact he’s crying out for us to come to him, to embrace him, to be free!
Open your heart and allow him to free you from the entanglements of this world, from the trappings of this world... and join the heavenly chorus singing, “we are free!”
Pray on,
~ E.M.
Song: We Are Free (Unreleased)

The Pleasing Shepherd

What a beautiful thing it is to accomplish God’s intent for us. What a content feeling of joy it is to please God; to act in a way that would bring a smile upon his face, that would bring joy into his heart, and that would create a special parental bond between us.
Lord, how we long to be the pleasing shepherd. How we long to hear you say of us, ‘He/She is my shepherd and has accomplished all that I please.’
Pray on,
~ E.M.
Song: Your Will Be Done in Me (Album: Re:Prize)

Relentless Love

Psalm 106: 43-46
Many times He delivered them; but they rebelled in their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.” Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry; and for their sake He remembered His covenant...”
 
My journey in life has brought me into a few relationships that have challenged me. By challenged I mean when my patience, my compassion, and my love was put to the test.  I think it’s normal for all of us to run into these moments in the course of a full and active life. So it’s not the moments that are on my mind, but the historical review of how I’ve handled the moments.
 
I’ve never considered myself the best role model as I’ve failed from time to time to keep my tongue from wagging, to keep my responsive actions inline, or my thoughts from getting less than pure. But I’m guessing you’ve found your storyline cluttered with the same kinds of blemishes.
 
Upon this realization I’ve grown increasingly grateful for God’s relentless love. In Psalm 106:43-46 regarding the Israelites exodus we read, “Many times He delivered them; but they rebelled in their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.” Over and over the cycle was repeated. They sinned. God judged. They repented. God saved. They sinned... sound familiar? “Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry; and for their sake He remembered His covenant...” God’s plan to redeem us is relentless.
 
Lord, it’s with grateful hearts that we come to you recognizing just how much you love us. We ‘re forever indebted to your relentless attention. Helps us to find it in our own hearts, to return that love just as relentlessly to the world we live in.
 
Pray on...
Song: Relentless Love (Album: Turn Up the Divine)

At the Center

I’ve always connected well to Luke 12:34,” For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” It speaks plainly, and clearly,  to my personal heart. It leaves no loop holes to wiggle out of, or rhetoric to creatively spin. It simply asks where and or what is our treasure.
 
You see, as I’ve come to discern, we were created to be God-centered, and sin, makes us self-centered. Knowing our weaknesses as it does, darkness intoxicates us when our knees grow weak, it intrigues us when our minds grow weak, and it attacks us when our strength grows weak. Let’s be honest, the world offers some pretty cool eye catching, taste intriguing, and thought provoking treasures.
 
So we have to arm ourselves and remain vigilant to stay on the narrow path. I’ve come to find that worship alters our center. Daily scripture time almost always leads to a wanting inside to praise and worship God. Doing so moves our focus away from self and back to God.
 
Eugene Peterson writes, “Worship is the strategy by which we interrupt our preoccupation with ourselves and attend to the presence of God.
 
Sandy Adams says, “It’s not how long, or how well, I worship – it’s not quality or duration – but intensity.”
 
Father, help us to get centered on you, and to keep centered on you. Help us to be disciplined in our attention to scripture, and to grow in our intensity of worship. Help us to treasure you.
 
Pray on...
Song: At the Center (Album: Trio)

A Better Man/Woman

Being creative people, means we’re often searching for a better way to do things. A better way to save time, or a better way save money. The quest here is an honorable one ...after all our creative genes come from our Designer, who created us in his image.
 
In Psalm 101, we read where David wanted to bring the Ark of God up to Jerusalem. The Ark was God’s sacred seat - His throne on the earth. David wanted it to be center stage in the life of the nation. He was looking to better the situation. But David went about it the wrong way...
 
Instead of using the eyelets where poles could be inserted and then carried by men, he put it on a cart. His better way neglected to take advantage of God’s protective design.
 
The cart hit a bump, a man reached out to brace the Ark (which could not be touched by unholy hands) ...and a man’s life was lost. It was an extreme lesson. And David took it to heart.
 
Sandy Adam’s shares - that David learned two truths from this tragedy.
First, God anoints men not machines. His presence is to be carried in the hearts of men not carted on the latest technology (or the better way). EM Bounds once said, “Man is looking for better methods. God is looking for better men.
And second, David learned a good deed can be done a wrong way. It is not enough to simply serve God - there is a way He wants to be served.
 
In our quest to find a better way, we need to consult with God before enacting our own cleverness. We need to allow the Spirit to be the guiding force behind those better ways.
 
Lord, we ask for your guidance in all matters. We pray for the discipline to come to your first before acting, and to listen patiently for your directions. Father, help us to become better men and women, in our quest to find better ways.
 
Pray on...
Song: Walk in His Ways (Album: Yes Indeed)

Called to Faithfulness

Malachi 2:4–6 (NIV): 4 And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. 5 “My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. 6 True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.
 
I count myself as being blessed when it comes to my parents. They were firm, but fare when it came to my upbringing ...and the two main things they instilled in me were a love for Jesus, and the character trait of always giving my best.
 
Coming up short was allowed if my best effort had been put forth ...and that brew a love for competition, because it allowed me to enjoy the flow and beauty of a game without the stress of having to win. Now don’t get me wrong, I want to win as bad as you do, but I was taught how to lose, and in life, the reality is, you’re gonna lose sometimes. I don’t ’t even like saying that, but it’s the truth. Yes, even Christian’s lose once in a while.
 
Here in Malachi we read where if the Levites would give themselves to serving God and forsake their own glory, God would give them life and peace. Their special responsibility was to teach God’s instructions.
 
The Levites had been called (to a covenant on Mt Sinai) to be the spiritual leaders,
and God reminds them of it in verse four of the second chapter. But a problem arises when they stray from their calling and break the covenant.
 
God’s word to us is grace, and his calling is faithfulness. ~ K.L.
 
We need to guard our Spirit, and take the message to heart ...think for a second, consider the covenants you’ve made. Does the life you live match up? Are you doing your best? Are you giving your best? Because God deserves it, there’s no way around that.
 
The Christian who honors his covenants, brings honor to the mighty name of Jesus ...and who doesn’t want life and peace.
 
Lord, help us to see our lives for what they are ...not allowing us to paint false portraits that blind us from the truth. Help us to honor our covenants with you... and let our true hearts boldly exclaim our love.
In Jesus name,
Amen
 
Pray on...
Song: Just How Good You Are to Me (Album: Endurance)

A Worthy Walk

6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.
“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ ~ Malachi 1:6 (NIV)
 
If I’m honest, there were a few moments growing up where I probably harvested some contempt for my earthly father. You can’t be a good father without guiding your child through their formative years ...and to do so requires some hard moments in the present, that’ll reap the results you want in the future.
 
Now as the child, you’re unable to embrace the future picture, and usually resent the lack of freedom you so desire ...but it’s done for your benefit ...and personally if I could have understood that, then the contempt would have not manifested itself, and I truly would have honored him for the caring love that he had shown to me.
 
So let’s get real in a current sense,  if you refer to God as Father or Lord, do you treat him that way?
 
When you sign the adoptive papers to allow God to be your dad,
you’re signing on for more than just playing catch and roasting s’mores,
when he says clean your room you get on it,
when he says you can’t date that girl, you obey,
you honor your Father. ~ K.L.
 
In our everyday actions, and in our everyday offerings, let’s strive to show him everyday honor, honor that he so graciously deserves. Let’s not just give him our leftover time, let’s give our heart to him, not our idols ...as Romans 12 says,  let’s offer our lives as  a living sacrifice to God.
 
Remember, as a follower of Jesus, we are the offering, our life is a gift to God.
So let’s walk worthy of his calling.
 
Pray on...
Song: Every Little Thing (Album: Worship)

Should I ...?

“Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?” ~ Zechariah 7:3
 
How many time have you caught yourself doing something that you weren’t aware of. Maybe your hands were idling themselves with unknown movements; or your leg were bouncing with anticipation, or maybe your feet were tapping out an annoying rhythm.
 
We are prone to doing some really curious stuff when we’re asked to perform repetitive actions. You know, the ones that require little to know thought ...we’ve done them a million times before and we navigate through them without so much as a thought.
 
In Zechariah 7:3 the people ask, “Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”
 
God asks, whom were you fasting for in the first place?
Was it really for me?
As it turned out, God had never asked them to fast.
In fact God’s yearly Israelite calendar was filled with feasting.
Except for Yom Kippur.
 
The key question to every religious practice is for whom is it for?
When you take a step back and look at your religious practices, ask yourself for whom are you doing them?
 
Religion usually means doing godly things for yourself,
relationship means doing selfless things for God.
Religion makes you look good to others,
relationship makes you love God no matter what other people think.
 
Father, help us to be focused on your wants and desires, and not on other people and world around us.
 
Pray on...
Song: I Rest in You (Album: Chapel Songs)

Is There Any Seed Left in the Barn?

Is there yet any seed left in the barn? ~ Haggai 2:19
 
As the days fly by on my calendar, I’m well aware of the passing of time. In fact these days, way too often, it seems as if life is rushing by ...and then with it comes these feelings of self deprecation.
 
Age has a way of creeping up on us when all of a sudden we’re doing second takes at the image in our mirror, but it’s the nature of our existence that we are one notch closer to the end when we wake each day.
 
Our world is so youth focused that it’s inevitable that we’re going to face some self doubting as we age, but lost in our aging doldrums is the realization that we’re not, depreciating in God’s eyes. His plans and purpose for us don’t slow down or end at the world’s stated retirement age.
 
In Haggai 2:19 we hear God ask, “Is there yet any seed left in the barn?” In this context he’s challenging some lazy folks who aren’t working hard to rebuild the temple, but the challenge is still there today in each of our lives. Is there any seed left in your barn?
 
As you age you may not be producing as much fruit as you used to do, but you’re still capable of being a vibrant contributor to this world ...and none of us want to fall short of God’s design for our lives.
 
So wherever you are in your journey, remember that God is in control, and that He has established that we are alive with value until He decides differently. Regardless of what the world says, be strong and work, and remember that God is with you.
 
Pray on...
Song: All That I Am (Album: Love Strands)

Kicking the call Down the Road

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’ ” ~ Haggai 1:2
 
My earthly father had a tough time with me when it came to getting my chores done, my jobs done around the house. I had a special way of putting them off. I don’t know why I say special, as they were anything but special in that I was always getting reprimanded for not getting them done in a timely matter.
 
My father was a patient man, but I really pushed his buttons when it came to this issue. Now I wasn’t a lazy kid, in fact I was on the go from sunrise to sundown. I played sports all day! Everyday! ...and I played hard!
 
The problem was that I put the thing of my father second. I put them second to my things, and in doing so, they often fell between the cracks of time; meaning they weren’t getting done on time.
 
In the prophet Haggai’s words, the Israelites were doing the same thing. They were working on their own homes and leaving the temple in ruins. They put their own worldly things first, and their Father’s second.
 
They weren’t saying that they wouldn’t build God’s house, just that it wouldn’t be today. As with myself, they weren’t lazy in general, just in doing the things of God.
 
What I found out as a kid, was that when I put my father’s work second I was always finding myself in trouble. and likewise, when you put God second, all the things you put first don’t go so well.
 
What the Israelites found out was that when they took God’s message to heart, God had one more message for them, “I am with you.” This affirmed God’s covenant with them, his personal presence, and his support.
 
Lord, help us to develop a keen sense of perspective when we are called to do you work. Help us to battle spiritual procrastination, and to speak, work and act in a way that pleases you ...in a way that’s reflects our gratefulness for your personal presence and support.
 
Pray on...
Song: My Alms (Album: Chapel Songs)