Pin It Now! "Yes, he lured you away from the jaws of trouble into an open area where you were not restrained, and your table was covered with rich foods." Job 36:16

I am not a huge fan of many different translations of Bible - however for this verse I had to look up the God's Word Translation. Just so you know, here's the same verse in NIV and KJV. Pick your favorite!

"He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food." ~ NIV

Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait [into] a broad place, where [there is] no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table [should be] full of fatness. ~ KJV

I love the upbeat personality of King David who exclaims, "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." (Psalm 18:19) We see the reason for his merriment in the same chapter verse 6: "In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."

Here are few more references on the same topic:

* We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. Psalm 66:12
* In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. Psalm 118:5

So, let us not be restrained by the sin, fear, terror, guilt, addictions, temptations, doubts or whatever else that had a hold on us over the past year(s); Our Loving Savior has lured us away from the jaws of such, and has set a rich table for us in the open area for the new year!

Table is all set; come let's go eat!

Pin It Now! You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62:3

A while ago we had seen how we are the signet ring of our Lord. Here we read that we are the crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem or wreath in the hand of our God. To me the reference as a signet ring or a crown or royal diadem held at hand kind of all mean the same thing - precious!

Of course crown is different from a signet ring in its purpose. The crown glorifies the king, signet ring attests the authority of its bearer.

Normally a crown is worn in the head not held at hand - except when the King is about to wear it, of course. Let us not waste our focus on why it says "crown in the Lord's hand and not head". The point here is that we are very precious to our Lord.

Geneva Study Bible explains it crisp and clear:

He will value you as dear and precious as a king does his crown.

Would a king forget or give up his crown? Not our King!

Pin It Now! Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." Genesis 32:26

This is one of my favorite passage from the Bible - where Jacob wrestles with God Himself and does not let go of Him until he was blessed.

I would say we are at a "daybreak" too - current year is setting & new year is dawning. In matter of hours it will be a new year!

Let us not let go of God without blessing us at this daybreak. Let us hold on to Him saying, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." just like Jacob did. Sure we can enjoy such liberty with our Father; can't we?

On a side note, if you have any special prayer needs please share in our Prayer Requests Page. All requests are prayed over earnestly and faithfully. In His Service, ~ NRIGirl

Pin It Now! Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field. Exodus 23:16

This is the same as the Feast of Tabernacles, but here called the Feast of Ingathering, because at this time of the year all the fruits of the earth were gathered in. Feast of tabernacles, signifies that the Israelites lived for 40 years in the tents or the tabernacles in the wilderness.

In 2 Corinthians Chapter 5, Apostle Paul associates our body as "tent" or "temporary dwelling". Now that the end of the year is nearing let us celebrate the feast of the tabernacle remembering that we have lived for ____ (fill in the blanks with your age) years in our "tents". 

It is also the Feast of Ingathering when we take a tally of all our "crops" or in other words count our blessings in the year that is slipping by... our monthly bills were paid of somehow or other, we were protected in our journeys, we had meals every single day, we had friends and many happy occasions.... you can add more to the list I am sure.

Let us gather in all our "crops" and remain grateful to our God Almighty. Let us praise God for His provisions and trust God for the New Year and beyond. Happy Feast of Ingathering!

Pin It Now! He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.' So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor. Job 37:6

Once a poor Indian preacher shared this in one of his sermon. He assured that without any doubt one can believe God made man (Adam) from the dirt because, at the first drop of rain every man runs towards a shelter - lest the mud dissolves and he melts away in the running water. Though he said it jokingly I could see the innermost meaning in those words, and wondered at the God given wisdom to the poor preacher.

Here we see Job's perspective on snow and rain. He says, God sends snow and rain so that all men he has made may know His work, God stops every man from his labor. How true! Can man make snow or rain in such abundance? Can he modulate the snow fall or rain? Definitely not! It is for sure the works of His hands and God alone can control it.

In verse 23 of the same chapter he says, The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. Amen!

Pin It Now! I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1

This verse has very special meaning to me as I once had a vision of the Lord's robe filling in the tent where I was attending a revival meeting at age 13! The interesting part was that at that time I did not even know there was a Bible verse like that. My Grandma taught me the verse when I told her about my vision soon after the service was over.

Let us remember as we worship today the train of His robe fills the church/hall/tent/theatre/under the tree/ home - wherever we are gathered in His name.

Remember the lady who touched the hem of the Lord's garment and got healed instantly? Well, the Lord is the same today! Let us not forget to touch the hem of the train of His robe! Hallelujah!

Pin It Now! For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

We all have a new born to celebrate today! It's a Boy!

Have we made the birth announcements? Have we told our friends and neighbors and relatives far and near?! Are we spending enough time with this new born day and night to nourish Him and also cherish Him?

Let us celebrate our New Born! He is Wonderful!!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Pin It Now! Don't I have a right to complain? Don't wild donkeys bray when they find no grass, and oxen bellow when they have no food? Job 6:5

My most painful experiences have given me my greatest strength and fiber - what I most needed to mature. Through them I was forced to rely on the Lord, deal with reality for what it was, defer reward - in short, quit griping and grow up! The very things I hated have been the making of me. ~ Luci Swindoll

What kind of complaints do you most often hear? Does complaining serve any purpose or it do any good?
Have you ever felt the way Job did? In Job 10:1 "I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul."

There are lots of ways to describe us when discontentment boils over: whiners, grumps, moaners, mopers. We get snappish, crabby, and edgy. You know the type - sort of like Eeyore, the gloomy donkey of Winnie the Pooh fame. No matter what cheerful circumstance he and his friends are in, his melancholy mindset makes his ears and tail droop ever lower. We can always find something to complain about if we try.

Come, let us cultivate some contentment going forward...

(Credit: Women of Faith Study Guide)

Pin It Now! “But you, O Israel, my servant,

Pin It Now! "I'll restore your health and heal your wounds," declares the LORD Jeremiah: 30:17

Some of us have been hurt in 2010; financially, physically or even spiritually we have been wounded - which has affected our health, joy and peace of mind. In Jeremiah 3:22 we read, He will cure us of backsliding - which means that backsliding is also a wound.

The word of God today assures us that He will restore our health and heal our wounds. Yet another scripture goes like this: I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. (Jeremiah 33:6)

Just as Jeremiah said, "Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." (Jeremiah 17:14), let us also completely submit our self to His healing touch today...

Pin It Now! Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23

A little prayer today as we get closer to the New Year: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting..."

Barne's note on the Bible reads,

The prayer denotes great sincerity on the part of the psalmist. It indicates also self-distrust. It is an expression of what all must feel who have any just views of themselves - that the heart is very corrupt; that we are liable to deceive ourselves; and that the most thorough search should be made that we be not deceived and lost.

Let us make it our sincere plea today, opening up our hearts for the "search". If there is any offensive way in us, may the Lord lead us in the everlasting way. Amen!

Pin It Now! Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God,and cry out to the Lord. Joel 1:14

As we are closing up on year 2010, let us set our self a holy fast - to go over each blessing in the past year and thank the Lord; also to pray for the needs in the New Year 2011.

It is up to you how many days you want to fast or how many meals you wish to skip. However, here's the guidelines for fasting that is acceptable to God Almighty, as listed in Isaiah 58:

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

The focus of the fast should be to humble our self and bring praises and honor to God Almighty. If any of you are willing to share your testimony please post it in the comments section below.

Pin It Now! There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty Deuteronomy 33:26

Surely there is no god like our God - who rides on the heavens to help us and on the clouds in His majesty!

In the following verses we read, "Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places..."

Which explains there is no one like us - the people saved by the Lord. Isn't that amazing!

Indeed there is no one like our God and there is no one like us! Amen! Let us live and love according to these verses. Happy 'Son'day!

Pin It Now! Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior. Deuteronomy 32:15

New Living Translation helps us understand it better: Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed! Then they abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation.

We read in the verses before that how God nourished Jeshuran. It says, "He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. He nourished him with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag, with curds and milk from herd and flock and with fattened lambs and goats, with choice rams of Bashan and the finest kernels of wheat.You drank the foaming blood of the grape..."

Yet, they abandoned the Lord... how sad is that...

Sadly we too do just the same - from time to time. When blessed by the Lord we tend to forget the one who blessed us and go after the "blessings". With much prayer we start a job or business and soon it takes the upper hand on us - we give into the demands neglecting the closeness with our God who blessed us with the flourishing business in the first place. When health is suffering we cling to His feet and when we feel better we get too busy doing everything else other than sitting at His feet.

It is important to claim God's promises for ourselves and receive His blessings and nourishment for our physical & spiritual needs; but it is even more important to hold on to our Rock & Salvation when we are fat and merry! A grateful heart is all we can offer and that is all what is expected of us! Is it hard?!

Pin It Now! Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me; Yet thy commandments are my delight. Psalm 119:143

With all that pressure at work, home & church it is difficult not to feel stressed or anguished this time of the year. As we read in the scripture here, King David did too from time to time. In a different translation we read, As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Looks like he had found the perfect stress reliever too - the commandments of the Lord!

In the same chapter verse 24 he says, "Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors." Are we heading to the word of God for counseling? Can we say that we take joy in the commandments of the Lord?

Kolanda - our fellow reader at the blog - had shared with us that when she meditates the word of God at the end of the day she was less stressed and felt relaxed. I can also honestly say that I have been reassured many times through the scriptures that God was in control of whatever stressful situation I was in at that time, bringing me complete peace and a good nights rest.

So, next time you feel stressed out, you know what to do - Take joy in His commandments!

Pin It Now! Some tough questions in front of us this morning - asked by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself:

* If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners do that.
* If you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
* If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. (Luke 6:27-36)

Knowing that we are speechless, He also gives us the answers: (our immediate response within parenthesis)

* Love your enemies (mmm will try...)
* Do good to your enemies (now that is getting harder...)
* Lend to them without expecting to get anything back. (what?!)

The reward:  We will be sons (daughters) of the Most High (wow! that's something! who wouldn't want that?!)

Take away: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Can we at least try?

Pin It Now! "If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." Matthew 5:23,24

Since we all can relate to gifts this time of the year, thought we will do another "gift" scripture.... how's that?! Today's scripture is very clear as is and and I don't think we need any explanations.

The question today is, does your brother/sister, mother/father, son/daughter, aunt/uncle, friend/coworker/neighbor have something against you? Let's sit back and think it over. The question is not who is right. I am positive you are right, but if someone got offended, let's quickly go and reconcile first before offering our gifts this season.

Hey, how about sending them a nice letter with a family portrait? Or how about go knock at their door a Sunday afternoon? I did just that. It seems a little awkward I am sure, but trust me you will be glad you did it! You will feel lighter and merrier and better yet your gift offering will be more pleasing to God.

Pin It Now! "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11

Isn't it true that when it comes to buying gifts for our children we only want the best, even if it is a little over our budget? We go above and beyond to get our kids the special something they have been asking for - right?! Well as you know we are all sinners; and yet we care nothing but the best for our children.

Think now of the contrasting nature of God from us humans - He is Holy, sinless, full of grace and mercy, loves us unconditionally. Would it be beyond His means to treat us to the best, when we ask for it? Definitely not!

Though it is in context with spiritual gifts this verse is about, I believe we can hang on to it for our regular needs too. Let's go ask!

Pin It Now! May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

After singing about many aspects of his walk with the Lord such as the law of the Lord, the precepts of the Lord, the fear of the Lord etc, King David ends his song with a little prayer, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight..."

Following is an extract from Barnes Notes on the Bible commentary which helps us understand it better:

Let the words of my mouth - The words that I speak; all the words that I speak. And the meditation of my heart - The thoughts of my heart. Be acceptable in thy sight - Be such as thou wilt approve; or, be such as will be pleasing to thee; such as will give thee delight or satisfaction; such as will be agreeable to thee. This supposes:

(a) that God has such control over our thoughts and words, that he can cause us to order them aright;
(b) that it is proper to pray to him to exert such an influence on our minds that our words and thoughts may be right and pure;
(c) that it is one of the sincere desires and wishes of true piety that the thoughts and words may be acceptable or pleasing to God.

Though a simple prayer, it has such deep meaning in it. It would be a great idea to add it to our prayers everyday too; what do you say?

Pin It Now! * Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalms 100:2
* Rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters... Deuteronomy 12:12

It is a beautiful new day, a brand new week - is it not?! As we get ready to go worship the Lord in the congregation of fellow believers, let us remember these verses and the emphasis today is on gladness.

In Isaiah 35:10 we read, "...the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."

Aren't we the "ransomed of the Lord"? Are we glad this morning? In spite of everything going on in our lives, we are still breathing - which alone is enough to be singing joyful songs at His presence.

For the rest of the day let us cast away our cares and go before him with joyful singing... shall we?

Pin It Now! We have some new prayer requests lately. Let's take some time today to go over them:

* Raji asks to pray for her son who has epilepsy and other related problems. Also pray for Raji as she is trying for a suitable job.

* Bikramjit requests prayers for his job and wishes to be able to fulfill the desires his late dad had for him.

* Reena asks to pray for her family and traveling mercies to/from India.

* Christopher wants to spend more time with God, nowadays he is getting addicted to computer games.

* Stranger is going through a difficult time physically and would like to seek God's help to let her get over this phase and get calmness to her mind.

"Dear Heavenly Father! Thank you for your grace all through the week - for your protection - for all providence. Thank you for the opportunity to sit at your feet Lord. We have all these prayer requests in front of us which we are bringing up to you Lord. We as believers pray for each others needs in your name Lord. Please grant the answers to each one of them Lord. Bless each one of them Lord. Provide for each one of the Lord. Be with them Lord; Guide them Lord; Heal them Lord; Fill them with your love and joy Lord. There is no magic in our hands or in our words Lord. It is you and only you we trust Lord. You alone can help. You alone be praised, worshipped and glorified Lord. Bless the weekend for each one of us Lord. We completely surrender us all under your wings Father. Thank you Lord. In Jesus' most precious name we pray, Amen!"

Pin It Now! Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed. Isaiah 55:13

About a year ago I was saddened when my contract was cut short for my previous job - which I had hoped would become permanent. One of those days God comforted me by this verse: "Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow". Indeed the situation was such - sure a thornbush - the internal politics.

I held on to the promise and kept telling myself that God will bless me with a better job - a more permanent one. Well it took me five long months before I got "my pine tree"; all the while I never doubted that His promise will fulfill. I praise God for fulfilling His promise in my life!

The same promise is extended to you today. If you are going through tough times now, I encourage you to hold on to this verse as your promise and keep believing in it. Surely God will bring it to pass. You will soon see your pine tree in place of the current thornbush! Amen!

Pin It Now! * When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. Deuteronomy 24:19
* Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:10
* When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. Deuteronomy 24:20
* He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. Proverbs 19:17

So, how is our harvest going? Are we reaping to the very edges or leaving some leftovers for the poor among us? Are we spending everything we earn on us and ours, completely forgetting the poor and the needy, the widow and the orphans among us? Have any of them made it to our shopping list for Christmas?!

* Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6
* Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Luke 6:38)
* He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. Proverbs 14:31
* Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Ecclesiastes 11:1

I urge you to please not forget the poor among you this holiday season...

Pin It Now! * My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. Psalm 119:148
* On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Psalm 63:6
* I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways Psalm 119:15

Do we stay late any night just to meditate on His promises? May be if you are a Pastor you would. But for others it might be the least priority in a day's schedule. In one of our posts - Healthy Start, we saw King David rose up early every morning to praise & worship the Lord. (Psalm 5:3, Psalm 59:16, Psalm 119:147).

Here we see that he also stayed awake late in the night to meditate on the promises. He was a king, he had a big family, he was running for his life from time to time, yet he found time to sit at His feet both early mornings and late nights. Clearly his first priority was the Lord. No wonder he was a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:13) or in other words a friend of God.

My sincere desire is to be a friend of God; you too wish the same? Well, now we know what works...

Pin It Now! * Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem - Isaiah 52:1
* Provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:3

In those days, people tore their garments, wore sackcloth and sat down in the dust when they were mourning over someone / something. The verses here are direct calls to Zion (Israel) to awake from its mourning and put on her strength and her beautiful garments.

The Lord is our strength (Exodus 15:7, Psalm 28:7); the beautiful garment is the salvation through Jesus Christ (Isaiah 61:10). When we put on the Lord as our strength and wear the garment of righteousness then we will have a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

 Oh! Love your lovely garment this morning...! I see you have put on your Strength too. Have a blessed day!

Pin It Now! * The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit Proverbs 18:21
* For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned Mathew 12:37
* When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19
* The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  James 3:6
* This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deuteronomy 30:19

When we are frustrated with certain situation how do we handle it? Do we tame our tongue and turn to God who is able to solve the issues or turn to offensive slang taking matters in our own hands?

When a friend talks to us ill of his/her boss, spouse or co worker, what is our response? Are we nodding in agreement, adding fuel to the fire, thus not taming our tongue or are we setting an example by responding wisely offering to pray over the situation thus ending such conversation?

Do we back bite; do we rather praise men than God; do our words hurt or heal someone; what is the fruit of your tongue? Is it life or death?

I am choosing life today... are you?

Pin It Now! Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty--he is the King of glory. Psalm 24:10

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:16

Weeks ago we had discussed getting ready for Our King's banquet, which sets the scene for today's discussion. As we stand before His throne today in our prayer & worship, how do we visualize our self? What is our expectation? Are we seeking His presence as the King's mere citizens forgetting that we are His own children?

A while back I happened to read C.H. Spurgeon's sermon The Throne of Grace and loved a passage from it which perfectly fits our discussion today.

Spurgeon says, "We do not come, as it were, in prayer, only to God's almonry where he dispenses his favours to the poor, nor do we come to the back-door of the house of mercy to receive the broken scraps, though that were more than we deserve; to eat the crumbs that fall from the Master's table is more than we could claim; but, when we pray, we are standing in the palace, on the glittering floor of the great King's own reception room, and thus we are placed upon a vantage ground.

In prayer we stand where angels bow with veiled faces; there, even there, the cherubim and seraphim adore, before that selfsame throne to which our prayers ascend. And shall we come there with stunted requests, and narrow and contracted faith? Nay, it becomes not a King to be giving away pence and groats, he distributes pieces of broad gold; he scatters not as poor men must, scraps of bread and broken meat, but he makes a feast of fat things, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined."

In Hebrews 4:16 we read, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Shall we?

Pin It Now! Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Psalm 2:11

Happy weekend everyone! Hope you had a good week and all is well with you and yours. I must say I truly enjoy your company for Coffee with Jesus. Thank you!

Just realized it has been a while since we had our last open discussion - Dear Ephraim and thought may be today being Saturday, we can go for another round.

So, what comes to your mind when you read the verse, "Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling." What do you think it means to "serve with fear" & "rejoice with trembling"?!

Please share your thoughts by clicking on the comment link below. Bring it on! Let's enjoy the goodies.

Pin It Now! * "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. Malachi 1:6

* "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46

* If you love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

Often times we take the Lord and His grace for granted. We don't always forgive, we don't always love, we don't always confess, we sometimes have selfish ambitions, and yet we justify our actions and believe we are better than most.This is termed "Cheap Grace".

In his book The Cost of Discipleship, German Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, "cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."

Is this our story too? I hope not. If not, Where is the honor due to our Father? Where is the respect due to our Master? If you love Him, keep His commandments...

Pin It Now! The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Deuteronomy 28:13

Have you noticed that every promise in the Bible comes with a condition? It is only fair, I believe.

In the scripture quoted we read, if we keep the commands of the Lord and carefully follow them, He will make us the head, not the tail; we will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Our focus today is the underlined text.

It is not just the ten commandments we are talking here, it would be all the commands and commandments of God that we read throughout the scriptures. Feel free to check out this link where someone has painstakingly compiled a list of commandments he/she calls a Complete List.

As you see it is a very long list. I am sure you would agree it is not a one time effort to keep His commandments; it is a lifelong process ... but trust me while you are at it, during the process itself, the promise will be fulfilled. He will make us the head and not the tail; we will be at the top and not at the bottom!

Pin It Now! Stepping into December 2010, we may worry about many things, from the spiking heating bills to depleting credit card balance to "fill in your worries".

For some it is a question of what is after December - how is year 2011 going to be, will the economy turn around, will I find a job, will this, will that, mostly it is the fear of the unknown...

Probably we can all relate to Israelites at the banks of river Jordan. Imagine what all would have gone through their minds - fear of uncertainty, fear of their safety as they go into unknown territory, of course fear of the "crossing over" of the roaring Jordan. I am sure their knees were weak and hearts trembling in fear.

Sensing that our Lord assures,

* Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you,... But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. Deuteronomy 9:3

* But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. 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 11:11-12

Let's take these promises for us today as we stand in the rim of year 2010! Let's be assured that the Lord our God is the one who goes across ahead of us into 2011! Also, the eyes of the Lord our God are continually on the year 2011 from the beginning of the year to its end! Amen!!

Pin It Now! Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

The hard thing about this verse is, often times we do not recognize the devil. On the contrary to our imaginations he doesn't come with baring teeth and twisted horns... he is so subtle and cunning that at times it is hard to even recognize it as the devil. We might mistake him for self pity, temptation, depression, tiredness, sickness, sadness, etc.

Remember this: Anything that spoils our joy of salvation is the devil - or from the devil. So right away resist him and he will flee from you.

That brings us to a very important question: How to resist the devil?

* In the same verse we read, "Submit yourselves, then, to God"
* I Peter 5:8 says, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour"
* In I Peter 5:9 we read, "Resist him, standing firm in the faith..."

And when you do recognize him say, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to stay away from me satan... I take victory in the blood of Jesus Christ!" Sure, he will take off!

Pin It Now!
We all want this blessing in our lives - that we want to prosper in whatever we do. The conditions behind the blessing seem to be quite simple:

* Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked

Pin It Now! Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Pin It Now! * You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Joel 2:26
* Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood Isaiah 54:4

Dignity is an important motivation. When we think our dignity is lost or when we fear disgrace we lose all hope in life. However if our pride is in our Lord, we will not be put to shame.

It may seem like disgrace temporarily but in the long run we can look back and see that it was not really a disgrace and that His grace was sufficient for us. Amen!

Have a blessed weekend!

Pin It Now! Return, return, O Shulammite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. Song of Solomon 6:13

Came across this very interesting verse as I was reading the Bible today. After searching long and hard for an understanding of it, decided to share my own thoughts...

This seems like a conversation between Shulammite and her friends. In the earlier verses of the same chapter we see how beautiful Shulammite is and how much she is loved. I guess that is the reason why her friends are suddenly interested in seeing her again! They want to look upon her to see what it is about her that attracted her Lord.

Let's just pause there for today... Does our Lord find us (our hearts) impressively beautiful? Does His love for us make our friends want to look at us once more - up close?!

Now, if you would like to share in your thoughts please feel free to do so in the comments section below. Thank you!

Pin It Now! Remove sorrow from thy heart - Ecclesiastes 11:10

I was feeling a little low this morning. Guess I was home sick; I was also missing my Grandma who passed away nearly 15 years ago!

I must admit I was a little taken aback to read this verse on my daily calendar "Remove sorrow from thy heart" Can Holy Spirit be more direct than this?!

I decided to share it with you today as I have a feeling some of you are not very cheerful this holiday season. You might be missing home or a loved one or simply the days long gone by...

Let us remove sorrow from our hearts this morning and be refreshed in the divine love from above that stays constant through thick and thin!

Happy Thanksgiving one and all! Love you much my precious friends! I honestly have a huge burden for each one of you. I truly believe God is talking to each one of us through this blog post.

Shall we all together say a BIG THANK YOU to our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ for this opportunity to come together?!

Pin It Now! "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

Why? Because he has chosen us

What do we do next? Be a Signet Ring!

Pin It Now! For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3

Sometimes we get a revelation from the Lord through a word or song or a message. But it may not immediately come true.

If that is your case, the Bible says, "Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

We'd recently discussed, "Does He promises and not fulfill" Please click here to read it. It stresses the message more in the similar lines...

Hang in there; His promises are Yeah and Amen!

Pin It Now! Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:17-18

What a beautiful testimony! What does it take to share such a testimony?!

I believe, as long as we follow Christ only for worldly blessings we can not share a similar testimony. When things do not work out, we will easily get unhappy. But when we train our self to trust that this world in only temporary and that we follow Christ for the Spiritual blessings, our testimony will be very similar to that of Prophet Habakkuk.

Whether we have a job or not, whether stock market goes up or down, whether it is too hot or too cold, we will say, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord" Amen!

Pin It Now! * And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
* So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God 1 Corinthians 10:31
* Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephesians 5:20

In a few days we are going to celebrate Thanksgiving - a national holiday here in the US, kept aside for giving thanks to God Almighty. Or is it?!

How many of us have "Giving Thanks" in our mind when it comes to Thanksgiving? Are we overwhelmed with the preparations, travel plans, family get together, purchases, completely forgetting the main reason for the holiday?

Let us close our eyes, open our hearts; go through all that happened in our lives since January 1st 2010 to make a list of what we can thank Him for, it could get very long. Even if we were to say one thank you per item on the list, it could be hours before we are done with the list! He is not really asking for a list like that - a sincere thanking heart is all He is looking for.

Let us prepare our hearts first, for once putting away other distractions of the holiday in our back burners... I know it is five days away and a little too early to wish for the holiday. But the preparations can start ahead of time. Let us start early - Happy Thanksgiving!

Pin It Now! These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Revelation 3:8

Just yesterday we learnt how our King who breaks open the way will go up before us ... Today again as a reiteration of the same message, what the Holy Spirit shares with us is that the door He opens no one can shut.

I am sure it is for strengthening us in the Lord, that we are reminded of the same message a second time! Amen!

Whatever doors are shut before you, God is going to open it for you. He knows you have little faith, yet you have kept His word and have not denied His name. God knows it all - even if it looks like no one else cared.

Let us continue to hold on to His words and not deny His name. The doors are going to be open - very soon... and no one can shut it!

Pin It Now! One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head. Micah 2:13

Let us read the verse once again slightly differently - emphasizing the words in bold, "One who breaks open the way will go up before me; I will break through the gate and go out. My king will pass through before me, the Lord at my head.

Let's keep praying this verse against all the "closed doors" in our lives. When our King takes the lead before us, He will break open the way for us. Amen!

If you believed, you would see the glory of God! If only we believed...

Pin It Now! * The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1
* The heavens proclaim his righteousness Psalm 50:6
* The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness too Psalm 89:5
* When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3,4

I am a sky gazer. I love looking at the skies. Looks like King David did too. He has beautiful reflections on God Almighty looking at the skies.

If you don't normally care for the skies, please take a moment to gaze it next time you are out. You too will be able to reflect on the Creator.

We will become so insignificant in the vast expanse of the skies. The more insignificant we get, the more significant He gets! It is an awesome experience folks; care to try?!

Pin It Now! * So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Zachariah 4:6
* All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." I Samuel 17:47
* Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them--not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God." Hosea 1:7

Sometimes we tend to depend on our might or power, our skills or education, our strength or confidence. We actually think a little too much of our self as if we can take care of situations. We tend to forget that our battle can not be won with our merits. We try hard with all our might and only when all else fail we succumb to the Lord.

It is very important to learn the word of God on a regular basis so that we know the solution as soon as we smell the problem. We will right away come to the Lord crying, "Not by my might Lord, not by my power too, only by you this can be done Lord; My horses won't save, nor my horsemen, please take charge of the situation Lord and bring victory to your name ..."

You will all agree this is a time saver with guaranteed results. Why not try it then!?

Pin It Now! Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” Mark 8:27-29

What will be our answer if we are posed with the same question? Who do you (we) say He is? Do we say John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets or aptly that He is the Christ? Do we just say we are Christians or do we know for a fact that Christ is our Savior?

Do we sing just for namesake or do we mean it? Do we just rush through a chapter from the Bible or do we sit down to meditate and understand what it has to say?

Do we go to the church because it is Sunday and that's what we have been taught to do, or do we go to worship the Lord and share in the fellowship of believers? Do we praise and pray from the bottom of our hearts or is it just superficial?

Who do you say He is?

Pin It Now! * Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Isaiah 59:1
* The LORD answered Moses, "Is the LORD's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you." Numbers 11:23
* Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? Isaiah 50:2
* You were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm Deuteronomy 5:15
* The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! Psalm 118: 16

Sometimes when our help delays, we wonder if the Lord's arm is too short to save us. We start doubting on the rescue power of the Lord. Knowing these verses will help us through such troubling thoughts, reassuring us that His arms are not too short to save us, nor His ears dull to hear us.

Our Lord does not lack the strength to rescue us, after all it is He who brought the Israelites out of Egypt by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm! Let us be reminded that the strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph against all our adversaries and that the strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! Amen!

Pin It Now! * "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Revelation 5:12
* "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29
* "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" Revelation 5:13
* "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready" Revelation 19:7

As you see the Lamb and Christ are used interchangeably in these scriptures. Since Christ was slain for our sins the description aptly fits Him. Let us focus our attention on the verse: "... his bride has made herself ready".

Who is this "bride"? In Ephesians 5:15-16 we read, "...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless"

Clearly we - the Church is "the bride"! Let's sing: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"  Our wedding with the Lamb is near; as His bride let's make our self ready!

Pin It Now! Let's have an open discussion today at our Coffee with Jesus! What do you make of the following verse?

Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him," declares the LORD. Jeremiah:31:20

Please share in your thoughts so that we can all benefit from the different view point.

God bless and have a blessed day!

Pin It Now! * When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight. Jeremiah 15:16
* I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. Job 23:12
* How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103
* Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright? Micah 2:7

Few days ago we discussed the importance of Manna for breakfast. Once again we are reminded of "eating" the word of God - as often as possible.

Just from these verses here we see the different aspects of the word of God. It is like treasure, bread, honey, sweet, joy, heart's delight & good.

Sounds like an all-in-one meal at an unbeatable price - FREE!

Might as well try some.  Have a blessed weekend!

Pin It Now! "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again" Exodus 14:13

When we were first married both of us were without jobs & without insurance for 8 months. After eight months when my husband got a job, we were very afraid of losing it as it was a temporary job. We had a child on the way and were not sure how we would manage it all.

One of those days, during our family meditation time God spoke to us very clearly through this verse "The Egyptians you see today you will never see again". We took it as our promise and prayed over all our fears one by one - fear of joblessness, fear of not having enough to support a family, fear of not having insurance, fear that we might have to go back to our home country empty handed, fear of losing our rented place, fear of sickness, fear of many things...

All these fears were wiped out clean when we began to hold on to His promise, repeating it in our daily prayers and coming to fully trust it was given by the Lord. I must add God kept His promise and we have never seen "those Egyptians" ever again in our lives.

I share this testimony to encourage you who might be in a similar situation now - fearing "your Egyptians". This is what the Lord says, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again"

His promises are Yea and Amen!

Pin It Now! * Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. Exodus 16:21
* In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3
* In the morning I will sing of your love Psalm 59:16
* His compassions never fail. They are new every morning Lamentations 3:22,23
* I rise before dawn and cry for help Psalm 119:147

Scriptures show the importance of sitting at His feet in the morning and yet that is one area we neglect. When Israelites were fed by Manna, every morning they had to gather as much as they needed. As the sun grew hot, it melted away.

Same is true for our Spiritual Manna - the word of God. We need to gather it every morning as when the day progresses we may altogether skip it. We all know the Lord's prayer, "Give us each day our daily bread" Let us take an effort to eat it every day, possibly as breakfast for a healthy start.

Manna for breakfast anyone?!

Pin It Now! Recently we were praying for my Aunt's visa to America and we were assured day after day with great promises from the scriptures. However she didn't get through the interview today. As I was contemplating what could have possibly gone wrong with the assurances & promises, I happened to come across this verse in a very unlikely of places - in my closet - where I was looking for some important documents this morning.

This is how it goes: "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" Numbers 23:19

I was stunned!! It was a straight forward answer to what was going through in my mind. I immediately asked for forgiveness and looked at things from a different perspective. Sometimes things may not work out the way we are expecting it, but it definitely does not mean His promises have failed. In course of time it will all come clear for our understanding. For now let us accept the limitations and move forward.

One thing to remember is: "All things happen for good for those who love the Lord." Amen!

Pin It Now! Are you a "bush in the wastelands" or a "tree planted by the water"?
It all depends on who your trust is in...


“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

Pin It Now! * "Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs" (Psalm 100:2)
* "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28)
* "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." (Jeremiah 31:25)

A quick reminder as we get ready to go worship the Lord today! Let's do it with gladness; and let's come before Him with joyful songs.

Some of us may not be in a mood for joyful songs. May be you need to check out the Cast Away invitation from yesterday. When the burden gets heavy there is only one solace, the foot of the cross.

The weary and burdened find rest at His presence as He refreshes the weary and satisfies the faint.

Wishing everyone a refreshing worship!

Pin It Now! * Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22
* Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. I Peter 5:7
* I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. Hosea 14:8
* And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you Matthew: 6:30
* You saw how the LORD your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child Deutronomy 1:31

I invite you all to go to Cast Away with me today. Let us not bother to carry your cares; let's cast them all away.

Pin It Now! Prayer requests / praise report for the week:

* Trina asks to pray for her friend's son who is recovering from bone marrow transplant
* Cowboyswife requests for our prayers to help her overcome jealousy and selfishness. Let's also pray for the Love of God to bind them together in their marriage.
* Let's praise that Leslie's doctor's appointment went well
* Let's praise that Hephzibah was able to meet her project deadline on time

If any of you have unspoken prayer requests, please bring it all together as we unite in His presence to pray for all the needs.

"Dear Lord, thank you for helping us through this long, hard and cold week Lord! Thank you that your grace was sufficient for us each day Lord. We have now gathered together in your name to pray for our needs Lord. We praise and thank you that you are already healing Trina's friend Lord. And also we pray for Cowboyswife who has realized her problem Lord. The scripture says if we confess our sins, you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness Lord. She has confessed it Lord, you have already forgiven her Lord; thank you that you are keeping her marriage bond stronger Lord. We also bring all our unspoken prayer requests to you Lord. You are mighty to save us Lord. Thank you for your abundant love, mercy and grace on each one of us Lord. We ask these in Jesus's name. Amen!"

Enjoy your weekend!

Pin It Now! "How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord." Psalm 116:12,13

"LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure." (Psalm: 16:5)

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."

King David asks a very interesting question that often crosses our mind - how will he ever repay the Lord - and he also has an interesting answer - that he will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I visualize it as King David giving a toast (with his drink/cup) in honor of the Lord.

"Cup" could very well mean our hearts here or it could be the different roles we play. He fills it with His grace to the point it overflows... So, let's get back to the question which is the focus of our discussion for today: How can we repay the Lord for all his goodness to us? Ready to toast?

Pin It Now! He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Psalm 147:4

He who... calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land--the LORD is his name. Amos:9:6

The LORD called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name. Isaiah 49:1

I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah:43:1

I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me. Isaiah 45:4

"... The one who calls you is faithful ..." 1 Thessalonians 5: 24

I believe there is nothing as magnificent as a starry night sky or an endless ocean - as these clearly show the magnificence of God Almighty - the maker of heaven and the earth. To know that our Lord calls each star by name, and that He calls the waters of the sea, it is simply amazing!

The same Lord also called you & me by name - even before our birth -which is beyond our imagination. There is absolutely no doubt about it; there are countless scriptures we can read that He has called us by name.  I encourage each one of us to claim these as our personal promises and live to fulfill our calling.

Remember, the one who has called us is faithful and will help us through! Amen!

Pin It Now! 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:23

 I am sure we all hope to hear our Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!.... Come and share your master's happiness!" someday. The condition seems to be simple - to be faithful with a few things.

What would those few things be? I guess one would be how we spend our time, another would be how we use our resources, it could be our talents, our finances, our dealings, our attitudes, our conversations... simple things really...

In Luke 16:10 we read, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."

Let us assess each area in our lives and make a conscious effort to become faithful with the few things; then our Master will surely say, "Well done!"

On a different note, if any of you are interested in sharing your testimony with the rest of us, please contact me at nrigirl@hotmail.com I will gladly publish it for a Tuesday or Thursday post... Thank you!

Pin It Now! The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD Proverbs 21:31

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. Proverbs:16:33

What all these verses teach us is that, our victory comes from the Lord, not from the chariots or horses or lots as some people believe in. We trust in the name of the Lord our God and the victory belongs to the Lord.

This again ties to the verse, "Go in the strength you have" - which we discussed last week. I believe this reinforcement of the same topic again and again is only to teach us a thing or two about letting go of our limits, merrits and/or credits and trusting in the Lord 100%

Hard to believe we are closing up on the year 2010... If you haven't seen victory over anything this year so far, let go of your fear,doubt and self confidence. Let the Lord be your confidence. Learn to trust in the Lord, indeed victory belongs to the Lord for his people who trust in Him. Wishing you all a victorious November 2010!

Pin It Now! * I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm:122:1

* One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.Psalm 27:4

* Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.Psalm 100:4

I love Sundays! It is one day where we can all come together and rejoice in His presence. It is a privilege. In countries like China where churches are prohibited, people worship in underground churches. Where there are no buildings, people gather under trees and thatched roof to worship the Lord in Srilanka, India and possibly more countries. In Saudi Arabia people gather in homes to worship the Lord. They are glad when they are told, "Let us go into the house of the Lord"

Come, let's go too! By the way, bring some "thanksgiving" & "praise" with you... It's going to be fun!

Pin It Now! Glad you could stop by for some time with Jesus this morning. I guess some of you stayed up late to get the first glimpse of today's coffee and some of you woke up early to accommodate it in your schedule; appreciate it much. It is fun to have company for coffee with Jesus!

Today for a change we are going to open our mouth and praise the Lord. You would all agree mostly our prayers are made from the heart - true. But to open our mouths wide and  praise is a liberating experience. In Psalms 81:10 we read,  "Open wide your mouth and I will fill it, says the Lord"

Hosea 14:2 specifically says, "Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips."

As important it is to pray from the bottom of our heart, is to pray with the words from our mouth too. Not sure how your comfort level is with that, but give it a try, you will feel the difference. As it is promised our Lord will fill it - with praise, with scriptures, with Holy Spirit, with tongues, with His words, prophecy and more praise.

For the next few moments, let us forget everything around us, everyone near us and just open our mouths wide and praise the Lord, praise His holy name, offering the calves of our lips to receive the fill for the day! Amen!

Pin It Now! "Let the little children come to me; do not hinder them"
Matthew: 19:14

This is a very familiar verse and we also sing it as a childhood favorite song. The question is: Are we really letting our little children come to the Lord? How is our language around the house? What type of books we read & movies we watch? How do we spend our money, time & energy? Are we setting a Godly example to our little children?

As we ponder over this question, let me quickly bring up this week's prayer requests so that we can all pray for it together:

* Let us pray for Melissa's husband's salvation and also for Melissa as she holds sorrow in her heart for him.
* Jolee experiences family turmoil; let us pray that the Prince of Peace reign in their hearts and bring in great calm
* Leslie has a physical health doctor appointment on Monday. Let us pray that everything goes well.
* VanishingActs asks to pray for his/her grandpa who is in need of hip surgery
* Let us praise for Reena & Evelyn's praise report this week.

Let's hold hands, "Loving Father! Thank you Lord for helping us through yet another week! We are grateful for this virtual gathering here at your feet Lord. We have these prayer requests in front of us Lord. There is really nothing we can do to help these individuals Lord. Only you can help Lord; you alone can help. Please intervene in each of these situations Lord, and bring in victory to your name Jesus. Your name alone be glorified Lord. Thank you for the praises we are going to hear from these individuals Lord.

Also Lord, as we discussed today if any of our acts hinder our little children from coming to you, please help us identify it Lord and also help us get rid of anything unwanted or not pleasing in your sight Lord. We want to set a Godly example to our children Lord. We completely submit each one of us under your wings Lord. In Jesus' precious name we pray, Amen!"

Coffee will be served through the weekend also; please stop by if you can. Have a blessed weekend!

Pin It Now! When Israelites were being led out of their bondage, not all were happy all through the journey. They were unhappy, complaining and were going back to Egypt all the time - in their minds! As we read through Exodus we exclaim how they could have been so ungrateful while free, after all that they have been through in Egypt.

Often times we are no better off than them. We complain at the pressures of one job, God gives the next one, and then we start complaining about the commute. We ask for a home and when we are blessed with one, we rant it is not worth the price we paid... We wish to come to America and when we are here we wish to return home... When we are young we wish to grow up and when we are old we wish we were young...

This is the "wilderness syndrome" where we keep looking back at our Egypt(s) that we once left behind; in doing so we forget to appreciate what we have. Instead of praising God for his daily supply of abundant grace and mercy, we start worrying what's in store for tomorrow or how things would have worked out if he could have made different decisions... the list goes on.

Isaiah - Chapter 43, verses 18 & 19 says, "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 desert and streams in the wasteland."

Shall we?

Pin It Now! "Give thanks to Him... Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever" Psalm: 136:23

I am sure we all have experienced lows in our lives sometime or other. It could have been a health condition or unhappiness or joblessness or something else that we can all relate to.

Those were the days when help wasn't near; we were not sure whom to run to, what to do, how to manage. Faith was being tested to a great extent. Friends were rare and we were at the lowest of our lows.

But God remembered us! Our faith was restored & our joy renewed.

Now, let us go back in time to see how God remembered us in our low estate - just scanning it all in our minds - and thank Him for that. Let's share our testimonies of how God led us through certain hardship with our friends, family and especially our children. Let us also be kind to those who might be in dire situations like we once were and help the best way we can...

For some of us, may be these are the lowly days... Our Lord remembers you as we speak - He has not forgotten you!

Let us remember to thank the Lord who remember(ed) us in our low estate!

Pin It Now! "With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." Psalm 18:29

Mostly when I get ready for a job interview or something very critical this is the verse that comes to my mind. Almost always it calms my anxiety and gives me an immediate peace of mind.

Are you getting ready for an interview today? Are you waiting for a medical report this week? Are your resources running low that you are not sure how you will manage? Please be encouraged that with God's help you can advance against a troop; with our God you can scale a wall.

As I write this, I can sense that it is very similar to yesterday's message: "Go in the strength you have" I believe it only stresses the fact that His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Psalm 91 goes hand in hand with this verse as it helps us visualize exactly how God prepares us to run into the enemy's army.  Hope you can stay a little while longer to read the whole psalm posted below:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
       will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
 ² I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
       my God, in whom I trust."
 ³ Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
       and from the deadly pestilence.
 ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
       and under his wings you will find refuge;
       his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
 ⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
       nor the arrow that flies by day,
 ⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
       nor the plague that destroys at midday.
 ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
       ten thousand at your right hand,
       but it will not come near you.
 ⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
       and see the punishment of the wicked.
 ⁹ If you make the Most High your dwelling—
       even the LORD, who is my refuge-
 ¹⁰ then no harm will befall you,
       no disaster will come near your tent.
 ¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
       to guard you in all your ways;
 ¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
       so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
 ¹³ You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
       you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
       I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
 ¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
       I will be with him in trouble,
       I will deliver him and honor him.
 ¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him
       and show him my salvation."

By His grace we can do all things; can we not face an interview?! Go in peace; God be with you!

Pin It Now! Of all the conversations mentioned in the Bible, the one I truly enjoy is that between Gideon and the angel of the Lord. Gideon at first does not know that it was an angel he was talking to and is quite candid about his faith. When the angel of the Lord greats him, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior", without skipping a beat Gideon asks, "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happend to us?" To understand Gideon's aloofness and frustrations we need to know little bit of his background.

In Judges 6th chapter we read, "Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it."

It is beyond our comprehension to even imagine how it would be to live in constant fear like that not for one or two days but for seven long years! Even as the angel is talking to him, Gideon is actually  threshing wheat in a winepress. Wheat is normally threshed in the wheat field - right?, but to save it from the Midianites he was threshing it in a winepress. So you get a picture of his plight.

The Angel's response was, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel " Let's stop at that for today's coffee!

Go in the strength you have, against your "Midianites"; the victory is yours...

 (If you would like to read the whole conversation and what happens after, continue to read Book of Judges Chapter 6 & 7 )

Pin It Now! "Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness... " Psalm 96:9

As we are getting ready to worship the Lord this morning, let's remember to worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness! In a different translation we read, "Worship the Lord in holy attire" which reminds me of the guest at a King's wedding banquet who did not have the wedding clothes on and was later thrown out into the darkness. (Mathew 22)

Attire or clothes can be related to our salvation or righteousness as 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."

Let's make sure to wear our garments of salvation and not to forget our robes of righteousness as we get ready for our King's banquet!

Are you ready?!

Pin It Now! Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? Jeremiah 8:22

I have been thinking of the Balm of Gilead lately and wondering how it applies to our lives. This is open for discussion today. If you have any thoughts please share in the comments section below.

It's going to be a lovely day! Have a Godly weekend!

Pin It Now! Hard to believe it is Friday already! If we were to keep a race for all the days of the week, I believe Friday will come first!

Thought it will be a good idea to take some time to go over the prayer requests submitted so far. I believe it is an important aspect of the Christian journey to uphold one another in prayer. Though we may not know them in person, our Lord who is the God of far and near knows them all very well. Let us hold hands together (virtually) and bring each of these needs in front of His throne.

* Let's pray for Jacinth's parents to get the visa to visit USA
* Let's uphold Linda Hoon who was admitted in the ER and also her friend Darla Kidder in our prayers
* Let's pray for peace in Carla's daughter's family and that God binds the couple together in His love
* Let's remember DD in our prayers to find a good job soon and also for Joy who is praying for her.
* Please keep Leslie R in your prayers for good health
* Let's pray for Stephan to get into his desired college in Virginia and for Hity88 who shares the burden with him
* Let's keep Shooting Star Mag's Mom who is suffering from Kidney disease in our prayers and also we will keep Shooting Star Mag in our prayers for strength and wisdom.
* Please pray for AmandaSue who suffers from severe migraines.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for this time with you Lord. Thank you for the beautiful brothers and sisters who have gathered here to spend some time at your presence Lord. We bring these prayer requests to you Lord. If two or more are gathered in your name and ask for something, you will grant it Lord! Thank you that we are gathered in your name praying for these requests in unison Lord. We are sure you will hear our prayers and answer each one of these needs Lord. Thank you that soon we will be seeing the praise reports and worship your name Lord. Bless each one of us Lord. Thank you so much for everything you have been to us Lord. In your precious name we pray, Amen!