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But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear, hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Jude 1:20-23


It is interesting how the disciples of Jesus Christ, who were once common fishermen, developed such wisdom and insight about all things supernatural and eternal. It is the wisdom that comes from knowing the Lord. It is the insight from being led by the Holy Spirit.

Here Apostle Jude calls us to persevere in our faith, staying focused on eternal life. It is as though he knew the current times. He warns us about the scoffers & false preachers in earlier verses and insists us to safeguard our faith amidst it all.

It is important to hold on to our faith first. Then we could help out those who are in doubt and those on the verge of eternal fire. In doing so, we will stand before God without fault and with great joy! Hallelujah!

Let us heed to the call this morning: by building ourselves up in our faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves in God’s love as we wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring us to eternal life. Amen!
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For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

We see two characteristics of God's very nature here - former as a Judge who cannot tolerate sin and the latter as the Father who cannot and will not tolerate the punishment upon us; rather would bear it upon Himself!

This description of God's slowness to anger, and readiness to save, is given by King David - someone who is deeply acquainted with God.

The Lord spoke through Prophet Isaiah:

"For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer. Isaiah 54:7-8

Be encouraged He is angry no more! Praise the Lord! Joy comes in the morning! Amen!

Have a blessed day!
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For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

Don't know about you but I can blindly believe this verse without asking for any proof. I love the concept of our God holding our right hand. Clearly it shows how protective He is of us.

Let us repeat the verse, slightly altered: For you are the Lord, my God, who takes hold of my right hand and say to me not to fear and that you will help me. Amen!

As if to reiterate the statement, in the very next verse He says: Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 41:14

To sum it all up: Do not fear about anything. Just as He has promised He will help you! He Himself will help you!! Remember He is holding your right hand... Praise the Lord!

Have a blessed Monday!
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Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

This morning let us refocus our attention to getting closer to God Almighty. Let us recommit ourselves to do His will. Let us pray for restoring the joy of our salvation.

Let us repeat after King David's prayer for forgiveness and restoration and make it ours today:

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51:7-12
Amen!
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You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. Deuteronomy 7:6

He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised. Deuteronomy 26:19

Amen! What a special anointing we can sense this morning! To be known as the Lord's chosen people, His royal priesthood, God's treasured possession, is truly special.

These are not mere words, but God really means it. If not for that, He wouldn't have ransomed His only Son on the cross to redeem us.

From time to time we experience a certain dullness in our Spirit. We begin to doubt God's words. We reason. We look up the context of the scripture promises like these and say it was spoken some time in history for certain group of people. We do not believe it is meant for us.

Today's message is to awaken our Spirits. To strengthen us once again that we are indeed the chosen people of God Almighty. He has redeemed us. He has bought us with a price. We are His. His treasured possessions. Amen!

Let us keep that in mind the rest of the day. Let us declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light. Amen!
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God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 1 Thessalonians 4:7

In order to understand what this Scripture actually means let us read the complete passage:

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.

The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did  not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. I Thessalonians 4:3-8

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. I Corinthians 6:18

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Ephesians 5:3

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires... Colossians 3:5

An interesting thing about sin - any sin - is that we do know it is sin; no one has to point it out to us. If any of us struggle with any impurities let us bring it to the Lord's presence this morning,confess and be washed by His blood all over again.
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I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. Leviticus 11:45

In order to follow this commandment we need to clearly understand what holiness means.

What does it mean that the Lord our God is Holy? Holiness is the absence of even a trace of sin. Holiness is the devoid of even a glimpse of darkness. Holiness is the perfection of all things good - perfect love, perfect mercy, perfect forgiveness, perfect deliverance, perfect healing - that our God alone can offer.

The Lord God Almighty - the Maker of heaven and earth is pure and holy and just in all His dealings. He sets the best example of being holy for us believers to follow. He insists we too can live our lives in a holy fashion. He demands we be set apart from the rest of the crowd - be known as His chosen generation, His royal priesthood, His holy nation. Praise the Lord!

Is it even possible to be holy just as He is holy? Indeed it is! If it were not so, the Scriptures wouldn't have instructed us so. It gets easier in fact much easier with the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Rest of the day, let us ponder over the commandment, "Be holy as I am holy" and ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us through.

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14



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“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1-3

Life is full of disappointments and broken promises which makes our hearts troubled. In today's Scriptures we are reminded of our great hope an assured promise that our Lord Jesus will return to take us home with Him.

Now the question is, how do we get ready? There is only one answer: Be Holy!

I Peter 1:13-23 titled "Be Holy" instructs us to:

1. Prepare your minds for action
2, Be self-controlled
3. Set your hope fully on the grace
4. Do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
5. Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do
6. Live your lives as strangers here (in this world)
7. Know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
8. Have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

With that being said, the rest of the week we will devote to learn more about holiness. Please stay tuned...


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* 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6
* It is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves... I Samuel 17:47
* The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11


Do we need anymore assurance than what we have in these Scriptures that our victory belongs to the Lord? Our might or power can not compare to the Spirit of the Lord. No sword or spear against us can stand before the Lord. There is no guarantee that the swift will win a race or the strong the battle. Can't take it as a fact that if we are wise we will be fed and wealthy or favored if we have education.

To sum up, nothing in us is worth anything when it comes to providing for our needs. It is all by grace we survive. It is a little too hard to accept; as we mostly believe we make our living. But that is not true. There are so many things beyond our control that need to work together for us to live our life. No amount of money can ever buy love, joy or good health. It is all His grace and only GRACE!

Let us say in unison, "Not by my might nor by my power, but by His Spirit".

Amen! God bless you and have a wonderful day!
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The Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.” Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Sing about it, about the well that the princes dug, that the nobles of the people sank - the nobles with scepters and staffs.” Numbers 21:16-18

Interestingly this scripture from the Old Testament has a striking resemblance to the New Testament where Jesus offers Living Water to the thirsty (John 4:13)! Also John reminds us: "Whoever believes in Him, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:38)

The Lord talks through Prophet Jeremiah, "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." Jeremiah 2:13

The question today is, is this our story? Have we forsaken our Spring of Living Water? Have we dug our own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water?

In other words, have we forsaken Him and served other "gods" that never satisfy us such as - our forms of entertainment, ways of recreation, kinds of socializing, you name it - anything and everything that is our top priority in terms of our time, finances and energy? Hope not!

OR can we gladly say, "With joy I will draw water from the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3) Then we can sing like the Israelites sang: “Spring up, O well!"

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If you are not feeling up to going to church today, here's a reminder for you:
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
The mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 58:13-14

It doesn't matter which day of the week we choose to gather to worship the Lord; whichever day it is, let us do it willingly. Then we will find our joy in the Lord and all of the other blessings promised above will be ours!

Let's enjoy the 'Son'day!
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Be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." Psalm 126:2

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Throughout generations, the plea remains constant - Fear the Lord and serve Him with all your heart!

Do we?
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Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction. Deuteronomy 7:26

What are these detestable things mentioned here? Verse 25 reads: The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God.

I recall an incident that my brother shared with me once. While shopping for furniture in India he was given a gold coin (yes 24 karat gold) for purchasing items over a certain amount. He accepted the coin but later when he took a closer look at it, it had an engraved image of a hindu idol on it's face. He immediately took it back to the store, keeping it in his shoes - he didn't even want to keep it in his shirt pocket or wallet. The store owners were very surprised someone would actually return a gold coin for any reason let alone for it bearing the image of an idol.

As a child I used to collect comic series from Newspaper not knowing those were about hindu gods. When I fell very sick once my Aunt realized it was those books that caused me sickness and when we removed it I was quickly recovered.

It hurts me to see some Christian friends who keep idols in their homes not knowing those are idols, they believe these are cultural ornaments from Asia or elsewhere but in fact these are graven images people in those culture worship as god. Then they wonder why there is no peace in their home.

Be very careful not to bring in any detestable inside your home. As today's verse says, utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

Enjoy the Friday.
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Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Show me, LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. Psalm 39:4

My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. Job 9:25

My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end without hope. Job 7:6

We don't need much proof that our days run faster than ever.We see signs of it everywhere. The mirror gives it away every time we see our reflection in it.

Didn't we just begin the year? Already we are midway through the 2nd month and before we know it, it will be year end. Even this past weekend went by in a blink. The days and weeks and months and years seem to roll one into another seamlessly.

Job and King David felt the same from time to time. We see them mentioning it repeatedly in Scriptures. It is interesting how they both focus their attention back to the Lord amidst their panic.

Let us too do the same. As we become more cautious of our fleeting days let us become more appreciative of the Lord's providence and more aware of His favor on us.

His favor would be a full fountain of our future joys. It would be a sufficient balance to our former griefs. Instead of wasting our precious, fleeting days in pursuing fancies, let us seek the forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance in heaven. Let us pray that the work of the Holy Spirit may appear in converting our hearts, and that the beauty of holiness may be seen in our conduct. (Ref: Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary)

God bless you! Have a blessed Thursday

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* 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 these verses 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?

Happy Wedneday everyone! Let us rejoice in His presence rest of the week!
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It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end. Deuteronomy 11:12


The 'land' here can very well represent us, our household, our territory. It is true God cared for us and His eyes are continually on us from from Monday through Sunday - from the beginning of the year to today - from the beginning of our birth to today! Praise the Lord!

The stress is on the word 'continually'. We were not even seeking His presence continually. Yet, His eyes are on us continually. But why?

Because, the devil roams the earth continually also - back and forth looking to devour. (The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." Job 1:7. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. I Peter 5:8)

As we start this new day, let us acknowledge His continual care in our lives. Let us be grateful for His protection and His providence. Let us earn to seek Him continually as well.



God bless you all. Happy Tuesday!
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Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.  Psalm 37:3-8

Today's Scripture portion is loaded with instructions, for many aspects of life. Each verse is crisp and clear delivering direct message from the Lord!

Have a blessed Monday! God bless you!
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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 hearts?

Do we only go to Him with our mouth and honor Him with our lips, OR do we truly love Him heart of hearts?

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!
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"Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. " Proverbs: 4:24

Okay, before we go on to discuss this verse, we need to know what is 'perversity'. A quick look up in the Thesaurus lists the following synonyms: wicked, bad, mean, vicious, stubborn, obstinate, headstrong...

We all can immediately relate these words to some people we might know. But that is only secondary. First, let us look at our selves. Do we identify any of these characteristics as part of our talk?

Perverse talk comes from perverse tongue and the Bible says, "A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble." Proverbs 17:20 and in Proverbs 10:31 we read, "...a perverse tongue will be cut out"

It is a serious matter - the perverse mouth which results from a perverse heart - and has to be handled at once. Let's put away perversity from our mouth & keep corrupt talk far from our lips...

Shall we?
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Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Proverbs 4:25

Many non believers have a disregard for Christ by seeing the activities of some so called "Christians". This is sad. Some Christians too always find fault at the pastors, evangelists, fellow believers and other servants of God and stop following Christ. This is even sadder.

Many do not realize that following Christ is not a one time commitment but a continuous one. Every day, every hour, every minute one has to commit to follow Christ. Looking at a flawed man one can not determine what Jesus is like. Only by looking at Him directly one can experience Him.

Let us not get distracted looking hear and there and losing focus on the Lord. Let us not get trapped into false preachings that are not in accordance with the Bible. Let us not come to our own conclusions on Spiritual matters based on our own reasoning. Let us be determined to look straight ahead always going back to the Scriptures for our answers on things unclear.

In his letter to the Philippians Apostle Paul insists on Pressing towards the goal. He writes: "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Amen! That's exactly what we ought to do - pressing on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus! Shall we?

Happy Friday folks.
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Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Psalm 37:5-6

Amen! What a great promise for us this morning. In fact, I believe this is a direct message for me as much as for the rest of you around the coffee table.

The world around us is tough. It speaks foul language. It hates the godly. It ridicules the righteous and deny justice to their cause. On the other hand, it supports the ungodly, goes hand in hand with the foul mouthed and loves their ways. It is difficult to survive such a world on a daily basis - almost impossible on our own!

That's when promises like these encourage our spirits and speaks directly to our souls. It is an assurance that the Lord supports our righteous cause; and brings us justice like the bight sun. Just as bright and powerful the sun is at noon, everyone will see us shine through!

However, it all starts with a commitment on our side - to commit to His ways and trust in Him. Which then brings us to our today's discussion: How to commit our ways to the Lord?

When Moses summoned all Israelites and gave them the ten commandments from the Lord, he had given an important instruction which holds true for us even to this day:

Be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Deuteronomy 5:32

King Solomon shares a wise word: Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3.

He repeats in Proverbs 3:6, In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Yet again He says, in Proverbs 4:27, Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

The Bible is full of instructions on how we can continually commit our ways to the Lord. We only need to read it and apply it in our lives - with a conscious effort.

Then the Lord will bring forth our justice as bright as the noonday sun and our righteousness will shine like the dawn!.

May God bless each one you. Love you all in Christ. Thank you for joining me for coffee this morning. 
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Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! Psalm 14:7

Amen! I praise God for these wonderful promises this morning!

It does not say, "If the Lord restores.." but says with assurance "When the Lord restores...". So there is absolutely no room for doubt here. If any of you experience even the slightest trace of doubt, you must rebuke it in the name of the Lord.

His promises are yes and amen! Apostle Paul writes about the same in his letters to the Corinthians:

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22

So, believing that this promise will come true in your lives, repeat this verse after me and claim it as your own this morning:

Oh, my salvation would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores my fortunes, I will rejoice and be glad.

Amen!




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She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." Genesis 16:13

El-Roi! "I have seen Him!", was Hagar's excited statement when she encountered God while running away from Sarai, with her young son Ishmael whom she had born for Abram.

How many of us would love to encounter our Lord face to face like Hagar did?! I know I would! It has been my sincere prayer every night that I should see my Lord in a dream/vision - even a glimpse as I once had when I was a child.

King David was hopeful of seeing the goodness of the Lord in his life time; he has written in Psalm 27:13, "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."  We know for a fact he did see the goodness of the Lord just as he had hoped.

Job was looking forward to seeing the Lord in his life after; he assured: "I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" Job 19:27

Some of us like King David want to see Him now; the rest of us would be okay to wait till our life after. But the fact is, whether we are looking forward to seeing Him or not, every one (from past/ present/future - which includes you and me) is going to see Him face to face one day!

The Scripture says in Revelation 1:7, "Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen."

The question today is: Are you ready to meet El-Roi - the God who sees? Won't you love to say, "I have seen the One who sees me!"?
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Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.” Genesis 22:13-14

Abraham revealed God in a practical way. The Lord who provides! Abraham had thus professed to his son Isaac even as they were going up the mountain, even as he was getting ready for the sacrifice, even as the knife came down.

At the very last minute God provided! Indeed He provides!

God could have provided the ram earlier at the start of their journey, at the bottom of the hill. But He provided it at His appointed time.

Have we missed out on God's blessings because we didn't or couldn't wait for His timing?

God provided manna to the Israelites - every day - sufficient for that day. They even had instructions not to collect it for more than a day. But some did anyway. They wanted to sleep in, instead of going out in the cold to collect manna. So they gathered little extra to cover for the next day. But what they saw next day in place of the manna they had stored away was only worms. By doing so they had missed out on that day's fresh manna.

Do any of us have an issue depending on God everyday? Day after day? Do we wish for a lot of grace to cover the next couple of days so that we can be 'independent of God? Or, Are we awake early sitting at His feet, receiving new grace every morning?

Indeed the Lord provides, according to His timing and as per His conditions. 

Jehovah Jireh!
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Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. I Corinthians 16:13

This is our call of duty! To be on guard, to stand firm in the faith, to be men(women) of courage and to be strong! Let us look at each one up close.

What does it mean to be on guard? Why is it important?
It means to be alert or vigilant against the devil; and also it means to be ready for the imminent return of our Lord.

The Bible says in I Peter 5:8, Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

If we slack even a little he will devour us alive. No, don't be afraid of his prowling. Scripture teaches us to, Resist the devil, and he will flee from us. James 4:7.

Apostle Paul instructs us in Ephesians 4:27, "...do not give the devil a foothold." A foothold is all the devil is looking for, to get in and settle down squarely in our hearts, instantly ridding off our joy and taking reign over our thoughts and actions.

A little temptation, a little stumble, a little pride, little self pity is all it takes to derail us from our Spiritual journey. Therefore it is extremely important to watch out for his cunning schemes.

Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 6:11, "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." You can read more about the Full Armor of God by clicking here, which we will also discuss at large one of the days.

Finally it is also important to be on our guard or keep watch, because we do not know on what day our Lord will come. Matthew 24:42

Stay blessed!
NRIGirl
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I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from? 
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth. 
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber; 
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep. 
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night. 
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life; 
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore. ~ Psalm 121

This beautiful Psalm almost always calms my anxieties. I strongly advise you to by heart it if you haven't already. This way, we can recollect it from memory any number of times during any situation. Trust me, the help won't be too long!

Have a blessed day!

NRIGirl
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The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and our staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

(American King James version)

Amen!

Happy Friday folks!
NRIGirl
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I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4

Most parents would agree with me that life hasn't been the same since becoming parents. There is a constant nagging in the back of our minds of the well being of our children. This concern only gets stronger as the child grows into teenage years, a young adult and finally an adult.

All of us godly parents wish for our children to find Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, and be transformed by the Holy Spirit into mature followers of Jesus Christ.

This is true of Spiritual parents too, who lead a person into salvation, for the newly saved to safe guard the seed of faith and live a fruitful life.

Apostle Paul had similar concerns about the Galatians. He writes, "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you..." Galatians 4:19

Mere concern won't make a difference. But prayer will work wonders. Our prayers. For our children.

For my children below is the Scripture I keep referring to in my prayers, for their Spiritual well being: All your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace. Isaiah 54:13

I am sure you all do too. Indeed there is no greater joy than to hear our children are walking in the truth!

Happy February!