Glad you could join us for some coffee with Jesus. I hope and pray that today's "coffee" is a blessing to you. May the good Lord provide you with the much needed grace for the day. Amen!
Verse of the day: "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." 28:13
This verse explains the fundamental of salvation. Anyone who is not convicted of their sins and when convicted does not repent and when repented does not discontinue that sin is not truly saved.
Anyone who has been convicted of their sins, has repented for their sins and has discontinued from their sins is truly saved!
This is not just a one time process but a regular practice. As we mature more in Christ more of our sins will be revealed which we might have overlooked in the past. Then we repent for those sins and receive forgiveness all over again. There is no shame in repenting as many times it takes and getting forgiven as many times needed.
For some of us, when the Pastor calls for an alter call following a convicting sermon, though convicted we are reluctant to go upfront and own it publicly. This need not be. Let's forget the whole world around us and get new infilling of the joy of salvation as often as we can.
God bless you all! Praise the Lord! We made it thru' April 2015!!
"What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD" Jonah 2:9
In chapter 2 of the Book of Jonah, we read Jonah's prayer to God from within the belly of a fish. From there he says: "What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD". Let's stop there for today's lesson.
Most of us have gone through similar situation though not exactly the same. In our anguish we have cried out to the Lord and have made vows to Him: Lord, if you give me this job, I will be regular with my tithe. If only you save me now, I will follow you the rest of my life... etc. But have we fulfilled these vows when the situations improved and we were delivered out of our distress? Not always would be the honest answer.
It comes easy to make a vow, but fulfilling it requires commitment and conscious efforts. With overwhelming demands of life we might even forget our vows. This can't be!
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:4, When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
In Deuteronomy we read: If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. (23:21)
Take away for today is: Let us fulfill our vows to our Lord!
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19
For some of us gathered here this morning, things of past is where our heart is at. Like the Israelites we keep referring to our Egypt. Like Lot we keep turning back at our Sodom. This is sure a distraction in our spiritual walk. We can not enjoy the freedom and full benefits of God's leading as long as we cling on to things of past.
Alright, childhood was carefree. Younger days were more fun. Old was gold. But we have to move on! We can't appreciate what is in store for us if we are not looking forward to the life ahead.
I am reminded of a beautiful childhood chorus we sang at Sunday School which goes:
Move on brothers!
Move on sisters!
This is a moving day.
Move a little forward
Take your stand with Jesus
Move on brother move on...
So, let us move on today; forgetting the former things and not dwelling on the past. God is doing a new thing in us,among us. He is making a way in our wilderness and streams in our wastelands. Let us be expectant of that. Praise the Lord!
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
Of course, we all want to be part of the kingdom of heaven. As per today's scripture the poor in spirit inherit it.
It leads us to a basic question: What does it mean to be poor in spirit?
I believe it is a crushed spirit, it is a spirit that is too low to stand on it's own, a spirit that is in need and want of God. It takes a crushed spirit to repent for sins. It takes a low or poor or a spirit in need to want God's forgiveness. It is almost a humble heart; but not quite.
A poor spirit is the key to the kingdom of God because that's what brings about the quest for salvation. Our search for God or the seeking starts with a low spirit.
A poor spirit despairs, regrets, repents. A poor spirit seeks and finds the one true Living God! A poor spirit cares after godly affairs. A poor spirit acknowledges the lack or void within and understands it can only be filled with the love of God.
Now the question is, do we have the poor spirit that qualifies us for the Kingdom of God? Do we depend on God Almighty day in and day out for our fill of happiness? If the answer is yes, well and good. If not, seek Him now.
These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word. Isaiah 66:2
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Hebrews: 3:7-8
What is meant by hardening of our heart?
Gill's exposition of the entire Bible has a beautiful explanation for it, which I wish to share: (sorry it is one very long sentence, but if you pause and read it you will get it.)
There is a natural hardness of the heart; the heart of man is like a stone, destitute of spiritual life, motion, and activity; it is senseless, stupid, impenitent, stubborn, and inflexible, on which no impressions can be made, but by powerful grace: and there is an acquired, habitual, and voluntary hardness of heart, to which men arrive by various steps; as entertaining pleasing thoughts of sin; an actual commission of it, with frequency, till it becomes customary, and so habitual; an extenuation or justification of it, and so they become hardened against all reproofs and sermons, and to all afflictions and judgments; are insensible and past feeling, and openly declare for sin, and glory in it: and there is a hardness which God's people are liable to, and should guard against; and which is brought on by a neglect of private and public worship, and by keeping bad company, and through the ill examples of others, and by giving way to lesser sins; for all sin is of an hardening nature...
Is our heart harden today? Have we become insensitive to the Holy Spirit? If we have the slightest doubt we need to work on it.
Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27
Whether
we like it or not, we all have a cross to bear. I have a cross, you
have a cross, every one of us have a cross. Believers and non believers
alike have their own cross; young and old, rich and poor, every one has a
cross. Sure it could vary in dimensions but for each of us our cross
seem heavy at times.
I would like to imagine that this
cross was laid on us when Adam and Eve were sent out of Eden to toil
hard and make a living. Since then I don't think anyone had it easy; one
way or another everyone had to/has to/will have to carry their cross.
The
question is, are we ready to follow the Lord inspite of our cross? What
would that mean? Are we ready to serve the Lord through thick and also
through thin? Do we sing praises only when everything goes well or even
otherwise? Does our love for the Lord remain constant no matter what
happens around us? Do we continue to trust our Source even when our
resources run out?
Carrying the cross and following the
Lord means just that we do not turn away from God when our cross gets
heavy; but we cling closer to God and take joy in His promises...
The
secret is when we take one step towards Him He comes running to receive
us and to carry our cross rest of the way... He assures, His yoke is
easy and His burden is light.
* My lover is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies. Song of Solomon 2:16 * I am my lover's and my lover is mine; he browses among the lilies. Song of Solomon 6:3 * I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me. Song of Solomon 7:10
No doubt the couple depicted in Song of Solomon is head over heals in love with one another; repeatedly they reassure their love for each other.
Hopefully it is the same with our love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When was the last time we told Him we are His and He is ours? When was the last time we heard Him speak in His slow still voice? Are we sure of our love? Then why aren't we spending time with Him whenever possible?
His love remains constant; it is us who waver from time to time. Let us see what we can do to rekindle our love for our Lord today. At least once tell Him how much you love Him today; it won't be long before you hear Him say the same and more to you.
Let's enjoy His loving presence rest of the day. Never doubt God's love for you.
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
We all have heard the verse many times but may not have paused longer to think what it really means. Here's a beautiful skit that explains the whole "Christian thing" in a meaningful way. Please sit back, relax and enjoy!
Don't you love that you are the Masterpiece?! I do.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5
What we read in these Scriptures is the exact opposite of what we see and hear around us. The world defines self confidence as confidence in oneself or one's own abilities. But for us - the believers - the Lord must be our confidence!
Paul has set a very good example for us in his statements. Great King Solomon - the wisest ever lived has said: The Lord Is My Confidence. Proverbs 3:26. My favorite King David has sang, It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118:8
The Lord has spoken through Prophet Isaiah: "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
Can we too confirm the Lord indeed is our confidence?!
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Isaiah 55:1-2
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35
This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6:50-51
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8
Okay we get the point - whoever hungers and thirsts for righteousness will be filled.
When was the last time we hungered and thirsted for God?
Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”
The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Isaiah 29: 13
As we get ready to worship the Lord today, let us take a closer look at our kind of worship. Is our worship made up of only rules taught by men? OR Is our worship streaming from sincere desire of our heart?
Do we only go to Him with our mouth and honor Him with our lips, OR do we truly love Him heart of heart?
If knowingly or unknowingly we have been trapped in to "rules taught by men" as opposed to true form of worship, let us seek to free our selves today. Let us be careful not to blindly follow any form of "worship" or teachings that are not in sync with the Word of God.
Let us worship our Lord with sincere hearts. Enjoy the "Son"day! God bless you all!
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Psalm 24: 3-5
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14
Amen! We are reminded this morning over and over again of the importance of seeking a pure heart. A pure heart is in essence clean and void of any debris if you will. A heart that has forgiven others. A heart that loves the Lord with all might. A heart that loves unconditionally. A heart that is constantly connected with the Maker.
It would be a precious thing to possess - a clean heart. Just imagine, a heart that is not burdened with the past, a heart that knows not to carry vengeance, a heart that is full of joy - joy of salvation, a heart that always praises... Indeed precious.
Let us seek the Lord to create a clean heart in us today so that we can see the Lord one day - face to face! Amen!
Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem. Isaiah 52:1
In order to understand the urgency in this verse, we need to read the last verse of the previous chapter: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over. Isaiah 51:23
Jerusalem or Zion was in captive and depicted as a woman in mourning, most likely wearing sack clothes and sitting in the dust and dozed off with crying.
A message is sent for her to awake from her sleep from the dust and to put on her strength and go change into beautiful garments. Which means her period of mourning is over and singing and dancing has returned for her.
If any of us feel like we are in the dust mourning, be assured this message is for you: Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem.
In Habakkuk 3:19 we read, "The Lord is our Strength" and in Isaiah 61:10 we read, "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
When adored in the Lord who is our strength and in the garments of salvation there is no doubt our singing and dancing would return. Amen!
The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Proverbs 13:4
Reading through the Book of Proverbs you would notice how often a sluggard is reprimanded. Almost in all those Scriptures immediately following the mention of the sluggard and his curse, is the mention of the diligent and the blessings associated with him. Here's to list a few:
* The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions. Proverbs 12:27 * Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4 * Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor. Proverbs 12:24 * Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. Proverbs 22:29 * The plans of the diligent lead to profit. Proverbs 21:5
Now coming back to today's Scripture, if we are diligent our desires will be fully satisfied.
What does it take to be diligent? Diligence means "making every effort to excel in what we do". Marked by persevering, painstaking effort or in plain and simple words, diligence is striving for perfection.
Being diligence does not mean running after the world; it means being diligent for the Lord, for spreading the Gospel, for living a holy life, for winning souls for Christ!
When we are diligent in godly affairs He will bless us with our desires for everything else.Things will fall in place. With less effort on our part we will reap great benefits.
For the Scripture insists:Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Luke 12:31
"I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you" Haggai 2:23
What is a signet ring? It is a finger ring bearing an engraved signet - an emblem or seal. Who has a signet ring? The King or a Noble What is a signet ring used for? It is used to attest the authority of its bearer.
What does the verse above signify for us?
The Lord will make us like His signet ring, or in other words, He will grant us His authority.
What kind of authority? * authority over the nations Rev 2:26 * authority over evil spirits Mark 6:7 * authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction Mathew 10:1 * authority over all the power of the enemy Luke 10:19
You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. Psalm 45:7
"Rejoice!" is an often mentioned command throughout the Scriptures. Yet, that is one area we Christians fail from time to time. All it takes is one criticism or one sickness or one crisis, or <you name it>, to offset us from our joy of salvation.
"Rejoice!" by it self implies that it is something within our capacity to do, not necessarily something others can do for us. If it were so, the command would have been something like "Make him/her rejoice".
One may wonder how we can rejoice irrespective of the circumstances. Or is it even possible to rejoice always? Yes, when God anoints us with the oil of joy we can rejoice in all situations! What it takes to be anointed with oil of joy? According to today's Scripture, when we love righteousness and hate wickedness God will anoint us with the oil of joy.
To add, anytime we feel that the joy within us is lost, we need to repent and cry out to the Lord for restoring our joy. We are familiar with Psalm 51 where King David cries out "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
Let this be our prayer too today: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Amen!
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
It is amazing how for a second time in a row we are reminded of the same Scriptures. Isn't that something? It reinforces that we need not fear anything because our Father has the best in store for us. Amen!
The Lord is our Shepherd! A Good Shepherd! We are His sheep - a little flock.
Though we are few in numbers against the world we need not fear. Because it is the Shepherd's good pleasure to give us the kingdom - the green pastures, the joy of salvation, the peace in His presence, the assurance of His providence - it is all in His will for us! Amen!
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:14-15
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. Psalm 23:1
If the Lord is our Shepherd and has led us thus far, why wouldn't we trust Him for the rest of the way? If it is His will to give us the kingdom, would He not provide for all our daily needs?
Is anything too hard for the LORD?
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32
Interesting how this little promise finds it's way in the same passage in which Jesus tells us not to worry about what to eat or drink or wear but to seek His kingdom, considering the birds and the lilies that are taken care of without much toil on their part. When we do that He assures everything else will be given also.
Immediately following is this promise: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." It is as though He could sense us getting more anxious over His instructions.
He then teases us saying, "if you were to test me on this then - Sell your possessions, and give to the needy."
And goes on to explain, "Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Luke 12:33
Our Father has desired to give us the kingdom! Period. The question is are we seeking His kingdom?
What do we treasure this morning?! I hope it is His Kingdom and nothing but the Kingdom. Amen!
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Let's look closely at how to turn away from our wicked ways as part of our discussion on 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:14
Ask any behavioral experts, they will tell you that one can't really get rid of a bad habit, but only replace a bad habit with a good habit. That's exactly what we see in today's Scripture. Turn from evil and do good!
Every one of us, whether we are believers or non-believers, young or old, rich or poor, we all know for sure what is good vs. what is evil. That is the only way we humans differ from animals - the sense to know the good from the evil. Which ultimately means only one thing - we are solely responsible when we choose to live in wicked ways. No, it is not satan, nor the world; but the self in us is to be blamed.
This self dies when we are born again, resulting in a brand new sparkling fresh self! This is what we read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
So, the ultimate solution to turn from wicked ways is to give our hearts to Jesus Christ! He will guide us in the paths of righteousness. Then we will turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Amen!
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
As part of our ongoing discussion on 2 Chronicles 7:14, today we will see how to seek His face?
King David sings,As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy. Psalm 123:2
If a King could so humble himself and relate to a slave or maid while seeking His face, why is it hard for us to humble ourselves?
True, we are His royal priesthood, His own children, but when it comes to seeking His face, we need to humble ourselves like a servant or slave or maid. A slave or maid has one goal and one goal only - that is to please the master. Such should be our desire to serve our Maker!
When we come before His presence let us acknowledge how limited our abilities are compared to the awesomeness of His power. Let us develop a servant's heart to bless our Master.
He who looks at the heart will embrace us as children and will grant us our petition. Praise the Lord!
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Our focus for today is: how to pray?
The best passage on prayer in my opinion is from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 6, verses 5-14 especially because these words were spoken by Jesus Himself:
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
"This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
It is interesting to note that forgiving others is mentioned as part of the prayer. So even if we pray for hours together but have not forgiven our neighbors, our prayer is of no use. A clear conscious is key for effective prayer. Ready?
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor. Proverbs 29:23
Yesterday we discussed 2 Chronicles 7:14 and understood that one of the reasons our prayers have not been answered yet is that we may not have humbled ourselves. Today we will see how to humble ourselves.
Humble by definition means: "Having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance."
Right away some of us DO NOT want to humble ourselves. Mainly because the world teaches and expects one to be just the opposite - to think high of his/her own importance.
But the word of God clearly says that God opposes the pride but gives grace to the humble. Anytime pride shows up to steal the credit for an achievement, let us be careful to quickly shun it and give all glory to God Almighty who enabled us in the first place.
Let us repeatedly remind ourselves it is His grace that keeps us hale and healthy, happy and contend. It is His grace that enables us to work, to buy a home or any other material things we have. It is His grace that keeps our family bonding together filling our hearts with peace, love and joy! It is by His grace we are saved. It is by His grace we are not fallen. It is by His grace we have risen every time we fell.
As we remind ourselves with such thoughts, we will automatically develop a dependency on God and would stop thinking too high of ourselves. It will come naturally to us - being humble at heart. Soon our prayers will be answered.
Seeing our humble heart, God will lift us up! Amen!
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Some of us wonder why our prayers are not answered. Here is the direct message for us. The reason could be one or more of the following:
* We have not humbled ourselves enough
* We have not prayed
* We have not sought His face
* We have not turned from our wicked ways
There is no better time than now to humble, pray, seek and turn like the Scripture teaches us.That is, if you would like your requests heard, receive forgiveness and healing for the land.
If you don't know how to humble, pray, seek and turn, stay tuned for the next couple of days; we will discuss each one in detail.
On the other hand if you have been there, done that - humbling/praying/seeking & turning from wicked ways - then please go ahead and share your testimony so that others at the Coffee table can benefit from your experience.
Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
“But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
What I find interesting about this passage is that whoever asked the question, wouldn't have expected the answer Jesus gave him. He had asked to gratify his curiosity, wanted to know the statistics, but Jesus simply warns Him to stay on track - going through the narrow gate!
Statistics does not matter. Let us not get deviated from our focus. Let us concentrate on our walk of faith making every effort to enter through the narrow door. Amen!
Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:14
Amen! He is risen! Happy Resurrection Sunday to all who are joined here from all over the world. The only thing that brings us together is His Holy name.
The only thing that binds us closer is His love! Isn't it anazing how we all can unite under His Holy presence from far off places and still feel so connected!
We have all the more reason to rejoice this morning as we celebrate the resurrected Christ! Our Savior! He is risen!
Not only that, we too will be risen oneday. If the Lord tarries and we pass on, at a twinkling of an eye when the trumpet calls we will rise and be caught up with the Lord in the skies. (I Corinthians 15:52) How awesome is that!
Let us sing Hosannah to our King all the more louder this morning and rejoice in His presence during the worship service. Let us not allow anything or anybody spoil the joy of our salvation this morning.
* Why are you downcast, O my
soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet
praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 43:5 * A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Proverbs 18:14
What
these verses tell us is that mighty kings too felt downcast and crushed
at times like the rest of us. Knowingly or unknowingly we get pulled
into a broken spirit from time to time; which is hard to avoid.
When
things don't work out, when the bills are mounting but resources have
dried up, when a loved one's health gets affected, it is only natural to
get low.
But what we do about it is what makes us different. Let's see how King David handled it:
* He puts his hope in God.
* He keeps praising the Lord.
* He acknowledges the Lord as his Savior.
* He sings praises for His Holy name
Let
us learn from his example. Let us put our hope in our Lord. He will
fill us all over again with His joy of salvation in no time. Amen!
He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
We
sometimes tend to forget the essence of the Gospel in our lives. We
become less sensitive to the ultimate sacrifice our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ bore for us. This week as we celebrate the resurrection of
the Lord, we will meditate on His sufferings for us.
Let us read the Scripture above as below:
My Lord Jesus Christ was pierced for my transgressions!
My Lord Jesus Christ was crushed for my iniquities!
My Lord Jesus Christ bore my punishments upon Himself!
My Lord Jesus Christ brought me peace!
My Lord Jesus Christ was wounded for me!
My Lord Jesus Christ healed me!
Gospel
is very personal folks! It is not as generic as we tend to think of at
times. True He died for the entire human race. But more importantly He
died for me! For you! On a personal level. One on one! It is like dying
that many times all over again!
Let us not make light
of His sufferings for us. Let us not let His blood go wasted. Let us be
rinsed all over again, engulfed by His supreme love. Let us be mindful
of the fact that He took our place on the cross! Amen!
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21
All believers have experienced this "voice" leading our way. This is the Holy Spirit or Counselor promised to be sent to us as Jesus was ascending to Heaven.
There are times we would prefer the voice to be a little louder or even audible to know for sure it is Him talking. We expect to hear thunder and lightning or some extravagant display of God at work.
In I Kings 19:11-12 we read about Elijah encountering this voice from the Lord. It says:
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
However often times we neglect this still small voice or the gentle whisper and continue on our journey as we please. We are quick to be angry, quick to argue, quick to defend ourselves, quick to blame others, quick to take credit, etc.
All the while the Holy Spirit gently directs: "This is the way; walk in it." Are we listening?
* The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 118:6 * In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 56:11 * In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? Psalm 56:4
I absolutely adore the total confidence in which King David sings about his trust in the Lord. No, these are not just words he wrote to fill up his page; he speaks from the abundance of his heart.
The scripture says in Luke 6:45: ...of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Very true of King David otherwise we will not find the consistency in his words across the different psalms.
He is not just sitting idle either. If we look at the above Scriptures closely we can see what more he did for his part:
1. The Lord is with him - Or in other words, he is with the Lord
2. In God he trusts - not on his own strength
3. He will not be afraid - of any man
4. In God, whose word he praises. - he reads the word of God and praises based on the word of God.
5. He trusts in the Lord - all over again
6. He will not fear of man - he is determined not to fear men.
7. He understands mortal man is no match for his Immortal Lord. - Amen!
If we follow in his foot steps, we too need not fear any man. We can boldly say:
* The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? * In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? * In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
Welcome!As you sit down to enjoy your steaming cup of coffee or tea or chocolate or whatever, let us also enjoy the communion with Jesus one-on-one. Imagine He has joined you across your kitchen table and having a little chit-chat with you...
Remember more than you, Jesus is looking forward to this time alone with you... My prayer is that each one of you find your moment enjoyable with the Lord.
It's not just coffee time; It's coffee with Jesus time! Enjoy and God bless!
