Manna Still Falls from Heaven
One can debate theology endlessly and never get anywhere with it. But there is a testimony that trumps all theological debate and that is the mighty miracle working power of God Himself on behalf of His people. Twice Jesus said to the people that even if they did not believe in Him on the basis of His words, they should at least believe on Him on the basis of the works He was doing, works such as raising the dead, casting out demons, healing the sick, multiplying loaves and fishes, calming the storms, etc. (John 10:38, 14:11). And this is a testimony that is still very much with us today.
God works mighty miracles on behalf of Christians all around the world. The same God who rained manna down from heaven for the Children of Israel still sends manna from heaven to his needy children. The same God who multiplied the loaves and the fishes is still in the multiplication business today. The same God who floated an iron ax head in the days of Elisha still floats metal today. The same God who opened the mouth Balaam’s donkey still does the same today. By these works God Himself has put His stamp of approval upon Christianity and on His Church and on His people.
Therefore, putting all theological debate aside, stand still and BEHOLD “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” (Ephesians 1:19).
This story of God’s mighty power on behalf of Christians comes from Angola, Africa.
It is March of 1939 and as the result of a severe and prolonged drought in the area the 52 people at the Namba Mission station located in central Angola in Africa, as well as some 400 members of the Seles tribe were on the verge of starvation. The crops had died and even the grasshoppers that the natives had been eating were gone. The mission was far removed from any settlements, and there was little money to buy food even if any had been available.
On this particular day the mission director Pastor Carlos Carpenter was away visiting some of the area schools. His wife, W H Carpenter, because there was no more food to be had at the mission called the mission personal in for a prayer meeting. “We have run out of food,” she said. “We must remember God’s promises and ask him to ‘give us this day our daily bread.’” Then after reading to them passages from the Bible recounting how God had given manna to his people in the time of Moses, they prayed.
As they were engaged in prayer, Mrs. Carpenter’s five year old daughter wandered outside. A short time later the praying company looked up as she came back in. They were surprised to see her munching on handfuls of some kind of small white morsels.
“What are you eating?” her mother asked.
“Manna, the ground is covered with it.” Then she described some men dressed all in white who said to her, “God has answered your prayers and has sent you food, just as in the days of Mosses. It is manna. Take it and eat it.”
Hurrying outside to see for themselves, they discovered the ground l literally covered with small, irregularly shaped white lumps. The famished people, after satisfying their hunger, gathered up as much of the manna as they could. For three day the manna came, but only on the 40 acres of cleared land belonging to the mission. For these three days they gathered the manna into every available container until they had no more room to store it. This manna was enough to sustain the people, not just those at the mission station but also the people of the local Seles tribe, until the drought passed, and crops could be harvested once more. Samples of this miraculous food was sent to a number of people. It tasted like honey and those who ate it sensed that it was a whole food in itself.