The Manna November 2011 by Maranatha, Inc.

M Thankfulness

the Manna | November 2011

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the Manna | November 2011

Columns

15 | Work in Progress

09 | Signals 11 | On the Air

16 | Chocolate for Thanksgiving

Grind away God.

Are we forced into being thankful?

Features

18 | The Risk of Treasure

10 | No Thank You

20 | Whatever is Lovely

Gratitude and sorrow arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mutually exclusive.

Stay in Touch

Light was made to shine.

What goes in is what comes out.

12 | A Year in Review Taking an inventory of what God has done.

wolc.org | readthemanna.org | November 2011

the Manna | A Publication of Maranatha, Inc. Editor-In-Chief: Debbie Byrd Creative Director: Joe Willey Contributing Writers: Josh Millwood, Brittney Switala, Brent Timmons, Karen Tull Media Client Liaisons: Janet Beckett, Randall Stapleton

Frequently Asked Questions Who We Are The Manna is published by Maranatha, Inc., a Christcentered ministry called to proclaim the Good News of faith and life in Jesus Christ through various forms of media, as God directs, until He returns. “Maranatha” (mer-a-nath´-a) is an Aramaic word found in I Corinthians 16:22. It is translated, “Our Lord, come!” Joy! 102.5 WOLC is also part of Maranatha, Inc. Its call letters stand for “Watch, Our Lord Cometh.” Maranatha!

Disclaimer Non-ministry advertisers are not required to subscribe to the “Statement of Faith” printed at right; nor are their businesses and products necessarily endorsed by the Manna, Joy! 102.5 WOLC, or Maranatha, Inc., whose viewpoints are not necessarily represented by the opinions or statements of persons interviewed in this magazine; nor are the viewpoints of its advertisers.

Statement of Faith We Believe… that the Holy Bible is the inspired, infallible and authoritative source of Christian doctrine and precept; that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that the only hope for man is to believe in Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God, who died to take upon Himself the punishment for the sin of mankind, and who rose from the dead so that by receiving Him as Savior and Lord, man is redeemed by His blood; that Jesus Christ in person will return to Earth in power and glory; that the Holy Spirit indwells those who have received Christ, for the purpose of enabling them to live righteous and godly lives; and that the Church is the Body of Christ and is comprised of all those who, through belief in Christ, have been spiritually regenerated by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The twin mission of the Church is worldwide evangelization, and nurture and discipline of Christians.

Manna and Joy! 102.5 WOLC P. O. Box 130, Princess Anne, MD 21853 Voice: 410-543-9652 Fax: 410-651-9652 Manna e-mail: manna@wolc.org Joy! 102.5 e-mail: wolc@wolc.org ©2011 Maranatha, Inc. May not be reproduced without written consent of Maranatha, Inc. Photos: iStockphoto and Big Stock Photo

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Signals Simple Thanks Sometimes meal time prayers make me uncomfortable. It can seem superstitious, rote, “Oh God, bless the food so I don’t get sick”. But then I have this one friend who simply bows his head and says, “God, thank you. Amen.” It’s said with such sincerity that any additional words thrown in for good measure would do nothing but cheapen it. In the solemn tone of those few spoken words lies the depth of appreciation that speaks to the attitude of appreciation, of sheer gratitude by the one that spoke – on behalf of each of us at the table. The tone sets forth the thankfulness for all that God has provided, well beyond the food on the table. It is a tone that reflects a heart that fully comprehends that everything any of us are, anything any of us has, anything any of us long to be has been made possible only because of Christ’s great gift to us on the cross. It is a tone of reverence that bows to the total sovereignty of God and understands that Christ made a decision, in his total and unconditional love for mankind, to leave the comforts of the heavenlies, comforts we cannot even imagine, and condescend to earth in the form of a mere baby that He experience the human experience and, ultimately, die an excruciating and very human death on the cross for the purpose of buying back for each of us our relationship with God and eternal life with Him.

That tone is a simple and heartfelt acknowledgement that God is awesome and, though He is God of Everything, He cares about each one of us in each of our individual moments – our victories and our pain – and longs for us to be reconciled to Him. That tone says, “You are my Father – and words cannot express how humbled I am to be Your child.” That tone says, “Forgive me Father” and “I love you Father” all in the same few words. That tone says, “I love you, Lord” and “Help me, Lord” all at the same time. That tone says, “I am thankful” and “You are enough.” Debbie Byrd is General Manager of Maranatha, Inc., a ministry that includes Joy! 102.5 and the Manna.

wolc.org | readthemanna.org | November 2011

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On the Air Mysterious God Christian recording artist Phil Wickham recently released a new song that you’ll hear this month on Joy! 102.5. The song is called “At Your Name (Yahweh, Yahweh).” Recently, we had a chance to catch up with Phil Wickham and ask him about his new song. In “At Your Name (Yahweh, Yahweh),” you reference a sacred and holy ancient Hebrew name for God. How is the name Yahweh relevant to Christians today? “It was actually written YHWH. So, we just guess now that it sounds like ‘Yahweh.’ But, it’s representative of this mysterious God, the same One who delivered the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt, and parted the Red Sea, and who allowed David to slay Goliath, and delivered Daniel from the lion’s den, and kept Shadrach, Meshach, and Adednego from being burned by the flame.” “What we really wanted to do in the

bridge of the song,” he continues, “was to say this same mysterious, massive Old Testament God was revealed to us in Jesus. It’s an amazing thing to look at the God of the Old Testament and then look at Jesus and see that the God with all the power to create the universe would humble Himself and walk amongst us, and say, ‘I love you’ by giving Himself up for us. It’s just an amazing thing! The bridge makes that connection between Yahweh and Jesus. It’s been really fun to sing it with people.” Listen this month for Phil’s new song along with chances to win a copy of his new CD Response on Joy! 102.5 and online at wolc.org. Rodney Baylous is Program Director of Joy! 102.5. Visit www.wolc.org.

Listen Now! Check out our Program Guide at wolc.org

wolc.org | readthemanna.org | November 2011

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No Thank You By Josh Millwood

eing thankful seems like our default setting when everything is going well. Sometimes we act like being thankful goes hand in hand with happy times. Perhaps that attitude is bleed-over from the American holiday season. There is absolutely nothing wrong with loving the holidays. In fact, if you find yourself smiling more, singing more, and being more joyful toward the end of the calendar year, I’d say you are absolutely blessed! But for many, good cheer seems light years away, especially when others around us are saturated with the veneer of happiness. Being thankful can be very challenging when our insides are broken and happiness is just a memory. We have all faked it. Sometimes it is a lot easier to just pretend everything is great than to be honest with one another. We don’t want to drag others down with us, so we will suffer quietly while smiling on the outside. Self-pity and despair can simmer just below the surface, but we keep on acting like nothing is wrong. The problem with this socially-conscious choice is that it is a lie. Lying is a sin. Sin destroys us from the insideout and poisons our relationships with God and one another. But that doesn’t mean we should shuffle into our staff meeting looking sour. When someone asks us in passing how we are doing, we probably shouldn’t answer, “Terrible. The world is a meaningless pit of despair.” Twitter and Facebook have become launching points for many pity parties, published for the whole world to see. Part of the Church’s responsibility is to care for one another when we are down. Galatians 6:2 says, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” If we don’t have relationships with other believers to help carry the load, we miss out on what God has for us in our local church. God knows of our nature to wallow alone, to cut off the very ones who can help us through despair. But even with brothers and sisters to help us through the hard times, we might still hurt— and not suddenly get better after a moving worship service. It can be especially hard to be thankful to God when we feel like He is far away, ignoring our problems. Even so, we have a duty (and privilege) to thank God. The hard truth is that God is God. We are not. The word “god” has lost much of its meaning in our society. We’ve downgraded the term to something or someone who is cosmic and powerful, but understand-

able if not imaginary. But God is more than we know. When we think of God, we bring Him down to our understanding of Him. He is incredible in such ways we cannot fathom. He deserves our thanks, even when we don’t feel like it. That truth has made me angry from time to time. I’ve thought, “Really?! I’m supposed to thank You for this?!” Yup. “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Doesn’t that just make you want to scream out in frustration sometimes? “... When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2-3). Those are really hard passages of Scripture to swallow. Thank God the Bible doesn’t say, “Whistle obliviously and grin like an idiot when life is hard.” The truth is, at times, life will be incredibly hard. It’s a promise from Jesus that if you follow Him, the world is out to get you (Matthew 10:22). Sometimes sorrow will last through the night (Psalm 30:5). And sometimes the night is long. Really, really long. But can we be thankful and sorrowful at the same time? Yes. The Psalmist is constantly lamenting his sorrows and fears and then following up his desperation with lines like this: “But I will keep on hoping for Your help; I will praise You more and more” (Psalm 71:14). When we are pained or fearful, it is okay to cry out to God, “Why?!” Have you ever asked the Father just what exactly He wants from you? Thankfully, the Bible clarifies what God wants from us in Luke 10:27, which is to love Him and love others as we love ourselves. Jesus said that. Love and honor God with your entire being and then love others as yourself. That implies that you should also love yourself. I’ve overlooked that quite a few times. Love really is the answer. When you are focused on love, being thankful comes naturally. A thankful heart requires an attitude adjustment. The maturity to do so comes from experiences that are often unpleasant. Eventually, those trials have the ability to shape us into the people God designed us to be. Then, even in the worst of times, being thankful can be our default setting.

wolc.org | readthemanna.org | November 2011

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n the fall of 1621, when the Pilgrims celebrated what has since been named the First Thanksgiving, life in the New World up to that point had been hellish, to say the least. During those previous eleven months, half of them had died from either disease, starvation or the freezing cold, leaving widows and widowers behind to mourn. The threat of capture or death by the local Natives was an ever-present reality. And, an ocean separated them from any of the comforts they had previously known. It had been a harrowing year, and the future remained uncertain. Yet, in the midst of their circumstances, they could recognize God’s provision. He had seen them through their threemonth voyage on the Mayflower. He had preserved a remnant from their number, including several stalwart, spiritual men to serve as their leaders. He had enabled

friendly relations between the neighboring Pokanokets, who taught them farming techniques. And, at the time of their crop harvest came an influx of fish and migratory birds that would feed everyone for days. Above all, they finally had the freedom to worship Christ according to their own convictions. While their hardships had been many, and though they undoubtedly knew there were more to come, the Pilgrims still paused to rejoice and give God glory for all He had done. While their lives had dramatically changed, God had not. He was the same no matter where they were, and their trust was in Him. Reflecting back on their first moments in America, Plymouth Governor William Bradford wrote, “What could now sustain them but the spirit of God and His grace? May not and ought not the children of these

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fathers rightly say: ‘Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and He heard their voice and looked on their adversity.’” Perhaps you can recall a time that was your own personal wilderness. Maybe you’re in the middle of it right now. To say you’ve had a bad year could be a huge understatement. Perhaps your specific situations have caused the recent months to be filled with worry or sadness, and when you look ahead, all you see is a bleak landscape. Maybe this season has you feeling anything but thankful. Matthew Henry, a 19th-century minister and commentator, once wrote that “Thanksgiving is a proper answer to dark and disquieting thoughts, and may be an effectual means to silence them. Songs of praise are sovereign cordials to drooping

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Work in Progress By B.A. Timmons

ou would think that in this day and time one would be thankful for all the work he could get. A few years ago I agreed to do some on-going work for a customer. It proved to be profitable, but was also a nuisance at times. There are things I enjoy about it, but at other times, it becomes an all-consuming beast. I have debated about whether to continue the work since about the second month into it. I periodically check my running list of pros and cons to see if good logic may result in some enlightenment. The problem with that system is that the scales seem to be equally balanced. I can support both sides of the argument with different Biblical principles. Certainly my family has been thankful for this additional work since the beginning. But thankfulness alone has not produced the ability to always look at it in a positive light. When the work brings its trials, reminding myself to be thankful has not been much help. Perhaps part of the difficulty with the situation is the nature of the debate of whether to stick with it. It is not necessarily a choice between a “right” course and a “wrong” course. It is not a situation over which I have no control. Rather, it is simply a choice I could make. And which choice to make has been a burden.

The decision is one common to all of us. I can trust God to see me through in the difficulties, or I can remove myself from the circumstances, and trust God to see me through the circumstances which will follow. But there is a problem if my motivation for changing direction is to avoid difficulty, because what would lay ahead will likely have its own set of difficulties. The real decision I must make is “Do I trust the Lord to do the work He desires to do in my life, and am I willing to walk in that?” If the answer is yes, then one thing I can expect is difficult circumstances, because that is where the Lord teaches me to trust Him. But what I can also expect is that I will not always view this particular circumstance as a nuisance. That reaction is my flesh, which views all difficulty in a shortsighted manner. If I extricate myself from this particular situation, there will be another down the road. So instead, I can stay, and wait for Him to do a miracle in my heart. I fully expect to see that miracle. And it is the hope that He will do that transforming work for which I am thankful. That is a work much greater than any financial provision.

wolc.org | readthemanna.org | November 2011

are on day five. The first taste of Thanksgiving dinner tastes better than the third piece of pumpkin pie (plus Pepto Bismol). Whatever it is, when there is a feeling it won’t end, it is easy to complain. Our family recently started a “Complaint Jar.” Twenty cents are added to the jar each day until we have enough to rent a DVD. For every complaint, a penny is removed. For every “thankful” statement, we add a penny. It is amazing to see how often one of the kids will quickly say something they are grateful for in order to redeem themselves, but how little spontaneous thankfulness comes out of our mouths. Sometimes, thankfulness is more like a regimented spiritual practice. Remember the A.C.T.S. prayer model? I have been in prayer circles doing the whole Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication thing and I couldn’t help but wonder if I was getting it right. Did I “adore” when I was supposed to “thank”? All I could remember was that they were things our group had to complete before we could move on to asking God for stuff. Thankfulness is a formality we teach our children. How

am thankful for chocolate. You see, I made a batch of chocolate haystacks (the ones with the flaked coconut and not-too-sweet, not-too-dark chocolate). I like to suck on a piece of the bark, kind of the way my husband slowly nurses a piece of beef jerky. (I don’t quite get guys and their meat fixation.) Anyway, I have become genuinely thankful for chocolate ever since I discovered I could still eat it when I was diagnosed with food allergies. Because my options have been medically limited, I appreciate each creamy bite even more. When I could eat anything I saw in front of me, I can’t say that I even thought to be thankful for that fact. Strangely, from what I’ve seen, when objects are in abundance, gratitude dwindles proportionally. Hours with a baby are less enjoyable than a few cuddly (and happy) minutes. One day at Disney finds the family in better spirits than they

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Chocolate for Thanksgiving By Brittney Switala

often do we hear, “Say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’”? They may be good manners, but often a child’s face shows the heart is uninvolved. I admit, as a parent, that I care whether they say those words at times simply because I want them to appear civilized! Thankfulness is a tradition. We are purposeful to share what we are thankful for around the Thanksgiving table. This may or may not be heartfelt, partially dependent on whether the roundthe-horn happens to occur directly before food is to be served. In my mind I know I’d better prepare for my turn in advance. It can’t be generic. I need a good, Kleenex-worthy story. (And it can’t be a ditto from what my husband just said!) Honestly, in many situations thankfulness is forced. I’ve found it is only normal and natural for me when I have experienced (or see a potential for) loss. I was thankful to move back into a home after experiencing tight quarters in seminary housing. I was thankful for my mother in a new way after watching my husband lose his. I felt thankful I could claim my children after seeing some wild kids acting up at the store. I am thankful I can still eat chocolate because I’ve had to say good-bye to

Thanksgiving stuffing and rolls. When I read something in the news about people struggling without things I enjoy (a good marriage, religious freedom, food on the table) I am thankful for what I have been given. Yet, it is also true that if there is ever an opportunity to compare in the opposite way, my thankfulness evaporates. Thankfulness is easily replaced by “If only…” If only I had that car, that house, that kind of vacation…If only my kids got those grades, my church had those programs, and my husband was that understanding…then I would be happy. But really, in my heart I know it’s not true. If I were to have any of those things I would simply inherit new problems and new complaints would ensue. I would not be happy, and neither would you. It’s really about contentment. Being content right here with my life the way it is and accepting the fact that I may not retire there, drive that, change him, make that money, have that figure, or hang with those people. I don’t deserve anything. Everything I have in this life is a gift given by God’s grace. The more I realize how undeserving I am, the more thankfulness becomes a natural response.

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The Risk of Treasure by Jill Carattini

f it were possible to put together a museum that would house all of the world’s stolen art, it would be among the greatest collections of all time. In it, we would find works by Cezanne, Renoir, and da Vinci, 174 Rembrandts, 43 Van Goghs, and over 500 Picassos. Whenever a painting is stolen - the brazen five painting heist from one of Paris’s most prestigious museums in 2010 was perhaps the most recent--conversations about art theft and museum security start up once again. Simultaneous with the news of the robbery, headlines question the ease with which museums in general seem to make smash and grab jobs possible. “No treasure is truly safe,” read the byline of one magazine. And the thieves tend to agree. “Thanks for the poor security,” read a postcard attached to the empty wall

where thieves had stolen an Edvard Munch painting in 1994. Treasures outside the comforts of vaults or a safety deposit box exist uncomfortably before a world of thieves and potential disasters. But this is what museums do; they exist to show the treasures of Munch and Picasso and Renoir to as many people as possible. To hide the most valuable paintings of the world behind protected vaults and darkened safes would itself be a different kind of theft. Jesus once noted, “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.” When a group of wiggly, grinning kids sings proudly of their “little lights” and their determination to “let them shine,” it lands in my mind somewhere

between captivated and cynical. Of course, they don’t fully understand what they are saying. The fog of life’s questions and uncertainties, the daggers often aimed at Christian beliefs and believers, are realities that have not yet threatened the shining of their little lights. And yet, the boldness with which they announce, “Hide it under a bushel; No!” is as convicting as it is hopeful. In the mouth of a child, we hear that simple logic of which Jesus spoke. Like the great works that hang in museums despite the dangers, light shines because it must. When treasures are under attack or danger is perceived, our tendency is to retreat to the safety of a lockbox. I have a beautiful quilt made by my great grandmother that sits locked away in a cedar chest because I am horrified by the thought of moths and stains. Its value seems to beg me to hide it, even though I am saddened by its hiddenness. There have been times when I have felt similarly about my faith, longing to retreat when questions feel threatening, or the fog of a fallen world is overwhelming. When moth, rust, and thieves seem to loom, I want the bowl and not the lamp stand. But today the thought of the imaginary museum of missing

paintings reminds me of the great chasm that exists between hidden treasure and treasure on display despite the risk. In the hands of a thief, a painting is calculated in dollars. But for the true lovers of art, for the artist himself, the longing is for art to be seen. The same assurance applies for lovers of the one who first called them out of darkness. Though I grow weary of holding light, though I falter in confidence or grow fatigued with questions, though sorrow leaves frustration, I can no sooner imagine Christ hiding from the world than a world without the sun and stars themselves. The light of the knowledge of the glory of Christ is a treasure he came to brazenly display. Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia The Risk of Treasure by Jill Carattini, A Slice of Infinity, No. 2571, orignally printed October 14, 2011 (www.rzim. org). Used by permission of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

Whatever is Lovely By Karen Tull

ovember always seems to be a breath of fresh air. The cooler temperatures are here to stay and colorful leaves are still on the trees. And, now that October is over, stores can purge their shelves of the ghoulish wares, leaving the fall décor to itself. No more motion-activated witches to cackle at us as we walk down an aisle or gruesome masks that prompt a double-take. Is it just me, or does Halloween “look” more sinister every year? Several weeks ago, a friend posted pictures to her blog of the Halloween display one of her neighbors had created on his property. This annual scene attracted more than a few gawkers. At first glance, it was easy to see why. Severed body parts dangled from tree limbs, human skulls lay in a pile, skeletons in black cloaks were propped on window sills, not to mention a cherub statue handcuffed in chains and crying tears of blood. Fake as it all was, the images were nonetheless twisted and disturbing. But those images were tame compared to what can be seen just flipping through the TV channels—whether it’s Halloween or not. A gory and perverse line-up of “entertainment” seems to be the order of the day. Shows, movies, and even some commercials are rife with violence, foul language, sexual content, and whatever else can be used to garner shock value (and ratings). But such are the ways of this fallen world, which seeks to glorify anything and everything that goes against what God says is good. For instance, consider the films heralded by critics these days. The themes are usually ungodly at best. Christian author and illustrator Richard Gunther makes this observation: “Take...Black Swan and The Kids Are All Right for example. None of these films even cracked the top 49, but

Hollywood decided people had to be exposed to the sick ideas regardless of whether there was a financial loss involved.” “On the other hand,” he continues, “Toy Story 3 made 21 times more money than The Kids Are Alright, which is about two lesbians trying to raise children. Toy Story 3 made $415,004,000. This was more than all four R-rated nominees for Best Picture combined. That’s a lot of money for a morally upright movie...[and] in the top 17 movies of 2010, not one was rated R. Obviously, if Hollywood was really interested in reversing its losses, it would make more movies with wholesome, family-friendly themes, but apparently Hollywood would rather lose money and pump filth than clean up its act and follow the higher road.” I have regrets about movies and shows I’ve permitted myself to watch. Images I took in as a kid are still with me, often replaying at the very times I wish they wouldn’t. A delete button would be nice, but some things the brain just doesn’t forget. This is why God tells us to dwell on that which is beneficial to our mental, emotional and spiritual health. Scripture says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8 NIV). Reading God’s Word. Listening to Christian radio. Watching Christ-honoring movies (Have you seen Courageous?). Enjoying family and friends. Reminiscing about good times. Counting blessings. We may live in a sin-saturated culture, but we do have options—and we can control the focus of our minds. So, what will you think about today?

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