Early Morning - the Optimum Time

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>For The Believers In The Body Of Christ</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For The Believers In The Body Of Christ"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id227.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Importance of having a Time With the Lor"><U>Importance of having a Time With the Lord</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id374.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Basic Understanding of a Time with the"><U>A Basic Understanding of a Time with the Lord</U></A><B>   |   </B><B>Early Morning - the Optimum Time</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id226.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Knowing the Lords Presence"><U>Knowing the Lord's Presence</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id628.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Take Five"><U>"Take Five"</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id659.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="You Are Special"><U>You Are Special</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spiritual Food"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Spiritual Food</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Psalms, Hymns Spiritual Songs"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gospel Outreach"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Gospel Outreach</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id159.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">"About Us"</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id186.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id187.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Related Links"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Related Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id639.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="JESUS IS LORD!"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">JESUS IS LORD!</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  </div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Early Morning - the Optimum Time</I></div> <div> 2 Corinthians 4:16 says, "<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Therefore we do not lose heart; but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day</B></FONT>."  The phrase, "being renewed day by day" should be a neon banner to the pursuing Christian.  The "key" to our Christian life is to spend time in the Lord's presence in order to be renewed DAY BY DAY.  This is our "MDR" as nutritional specialists tell us:  our minimum daily allowance or requirement.  Too many Christians have a "donut" spirituality:  they pick up a "quick Christ" on the way to the office.  Surely this does not provide substance and strength for a day of living Christ.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Every Morning </I></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >In order to follow the Lord faithfully we must spend time with Him to get the daily supply.  The famous "Lord's Prayer" includes, "Give us today our daily bread."  Although this speaks of the Lord's care of our physical needs, the spiritual principle is the same:  we need spiritual daily bread to survive adequately and healthily.  Lamentations 3:22-25 say, </FONT>"<B>[It is of] the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  23 [</B><B><U>They are] new every morning</U></B><B>: great [is] thy faithfulness.  24 The LORD [is] my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.  25 The LORD [is] good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeks him</B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >."  Notice the underlined phrase, "they are new EVERY MORNING."  Do you want the freshest mercy of the Lord?  Do you desire to have the newness of life?  Then, we need to seek the Lord in the morning because that is when we can receive the maximum sustenance or Christ for our day.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I>Every day is a complete cycle and every morning He must be my portion</I></div> <div> Nature teaches us that all things cycle.  Each twenty-four hour period begins with a new day.  The sun comes up fresh and new each morning.  No matter what happened yesterday, morning begins a new day.  Hallelujah for this!  The Lord designed nature to match His eternal plan that all things have a new beginning.  As created beings we were born of physical parents.  As new creation beings (2 Cor. 5:17) we are born anew of God (John 3:3, 5).  The Lord's resurrection was in the morning and this sets a precedent that God always loves newness which is seen in the morning.  Let's examine what the Bible says concerning coming to God in the morning.</div> <bR> <div> <B>O God, thou [art] my God; </B><B><U>early</U></B><B> will I seek thee</B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > (Psa. 63:1)</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>In the morning</U></B><B> ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD your God</B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > (Exo. 16:12)</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>And they gathered it (manna) </B><B><U>every morning</U></B><B>, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.</B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > (Exo. 16:21)</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>And when the dew fell upon the camp </B><B><U>in the night</U></B><B>, the manna fell upon it.</B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B> </B> (Numbers 11:9)</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>[There is] a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy [place] of the tabernacles of the most High.  5 God [is] in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her </B><B><U>at the dawn of the morning</U></B><B>. </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >(Psalms 46:4-5)</FONT></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>