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Be careful that you do not forget the LORD Deuteronomy 6:12

Have we ever forgotten the Lord? In order to answer this question, we need to understand the accurate meaning of the word 'forget'.

Online dictionary defines forget as below:

1. To be unable to remember (something).
2. To treat with thoughtless inattention; neglect.
3. To leave behind unintentionally.
4. To fail to mention.
5. To banish from one's thoughts.
6. To disregard on purpose.
7. To cease remembering
8. To fail or neglect to become aware at the proper or specified moment.

Now that we know what it actually means to 'forget', let us repeat the question to ourselves: Have we ever forgotten the Lord?

I am afraid we are all guilty of doing just that based on the specifics above. Unable to remember, cease remembering, neglect, fail to mention... does any of these sound familiar? Yes, unfortunately.

That is why King David kept reminding his soul. In Psalm 103:2 he sings: "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

Just as today's verse insists let us be careful not to forget the Lord.

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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. Eccelesiastes 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!

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What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:4
"What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention? Job 7:17
O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him? Psalm 144:3

God loved Job so much that He even certified about Job; we read in Job 1:8: "There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." We know of the relationship David had with God, that he was even considered a friend of God.

Both of them have wondered at different times why God even cared for them. Their question comes more in awe than in reasoning. They were so overwhelmed by His love that they couldn't help but wonder why.

In order to understand the context from a different angle, let's consider a species we like, say butterflies. Do I love butterflies? Yes! Do I love all sorts of butterflies? Not really. Do I love butterflies so much that they will ever wonder why I love them so much? No! Do I really truly care for butterflies that I try to communion with them? Not in my wildest dreams. Do I love butterflies so much that I willingly lay my life for them? Never!

So, you see it is not the same as the love we have for a species. In God's eyes, we - the human species - is truly special and one of it's kind! His love for us is beyond measure, which is overwhelming. To begin with, He made us in His image, gave His life to redeem us, and has promised to take us home to be with Him! How awesome is that! Makes us wonder too - does it not?!

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"Be still and know that I am Lord" Psalm 46:10

A well known verse from the Bible, yet at many times we all tend to forget to be still. We take matters in our own hands, trying to figure out a solution. When all else fails we come running back to God crying for help. All the while He was saying, "Be Still". Only when we are still we can know that He is Lord

For example when a child gets hurt with a thorn of some kind, we can see the thorn poking out but if the child is not staying in one place we as an adult can not help her. We ask her to be still before we can quickly remove the thing that is causing the child much fear and pain.

In the same way, our Father Lord asks us to be still; so that He can intervene and take care of our pain and suffering.

Let us pray, "Dear Lord, Please teach us to be still so that we can see your glory. In Jesus' name - Amen"

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"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. (Matthew 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! It is mine to avenge; I will repay. Deuteronomy 32:35

Tit for tat is how we like it sometimes. If someone doesn't invite us for some get together, we remember to "forget" them when we play host. When someone doesn't pick up our calls, we don't either. Agree, this is in the simplest form, but what I mean to say is, avenging or repaying is in our blood, even if in it's minuscule form. One might argue it is only natural.

But let us ask ourselves: Is it not the "natural sin" the blood of Jesus Christ has delivered us from? If we behave the same way like everyone else, what difference we make as believers?

We are done wrong, I do not deny that. But let's move past that not letting anyone or anything take up space in our minds making us dwell on thoughts of how to avenge or repay them back.

The Scriptures promise us time and time again that it is the Lord's to avenge. But sometimes it may seem to take forever for Him to do anything on our behalf. That's when King David cried out in Psalm 94:1, "O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth."

Sometimes it may appear we are given an easy opportunity to pay back in vengeance. Let us be careful not to fall into that tempting trap. Remember King Saul was right there for King David to avenge, but he had clearly made up his mind against that. He said in 1 Samuel 26:10-11 "...the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD's anointed..."

Here are few more verses to remind us in those lines:

* Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath. Romans 12:19
* Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18

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"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

If you can spare some time to read the whole chapter, here's the link: Numbers 11

We are all familiar with the incident when the Israelites were complaining to Moses that they were too tired of eating Manna every day and not only that, they went on to say Egypt was far better because they got fish for free and lot of vegetables to eat.

We all know how it turned out but our focus today is the conversation between Moses and the Lord. When Moses tells the Lord about the people's complaint, the Lord assures him there will be meat for them the very next day and not for one or two days or weeks but for a whole month!

Now, Moses is in shock! Naturally! If you think about it, they are in a desert land, no shore nearby even for some fish, and it is only the grace of God that they even have Manna every day, but now meat? He immediately does a rough calculation in his mind on what they have available - their livestock - and comes to the conclusion even if they were to slaughter those animals it is not possible to feed over 600,000 people! For a whole month?! Now forget about it!! That was Moses’ reaction and he asks the Lord for clarification.

That's when the Lord answers: "Is the LORD's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you." We will pause right there!

Some of us are always in doubt of how God can work out things on our behalf. We look at our resources, our ability, our experience and say "Nah! you can't really do that!"

To us the Lord asks the same question today: "Is the LORD's arm too short?" What do you say to that? The Lord continues: "You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."

Whether we choose to believe Him or not, it will come true. But when we choose to believe before seeing it, we are better off!

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"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone..." Luke 11:42

Who are Pharisees? Looking the term up in the dictionary gives:

1. A member of an ancient Jewish sect, distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law, and commonly held to have pretensions to superior sanctity
2. A self-righteous person; a hypocrite

There are many references in the Gospels where there are accounts of Jesus condemning the Pharisees to the extent that it appears that He even makes the sinners look better compared to them. I was curious to know why and my search lead me to www.rbc.org which gives us the explanation below:

Jesus condemned the Pharisees' self-righteous hypocrisy because it blinded them from seeing their need for repentance and a Savior.

Many Pharisees prided themselves in their strict avoidance of obvious, outward sin. But they refused to look inside themselves and acknowledge the presence of inner sin that didn't fall within the boundaries of their man-made rules. Jesus knew that in spite of their obsession with outward perfection, they willfully resisted consciousness of their inner corruption and need for grace.

Jesus didn't associate with "known sinners" like tax collectors because He minimized their sin ( Luke 19:1-10 ). He freely associated with them because He knew that they were more open to repentance.

We are all sinners, both inwardly and outwardly. Although we may not be notorious "public sinners," we all share a fallen nature and are often controlled by the "flesh" -- the "sin principle" -- within us (Romans 8). Jesus' stern warnings to the hypocritical Pharisees make it clear that sin we ignore and deny is no less serious in its effects than the sin of the public sinner.

Now, the question to us is, are we like the Pharisees - self righteous and stubborn? Or Are we the sinners who acknowledge our sins and repent to be forgiven?

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The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. 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 11:10-12

If you recall, this was the promise verse we meditated on few days before entering into the new year 2011. I am so glad we are reminded of the same verse again by the Holy Ghost today, exactly around the midddle of the year so that we do not lose focus. So, how is it going so far? I hope and pray all is well.

Let us look at this passage closely. We see a contrast of "what it was before" and "what it is going to be"

Before when the Israelites were in Egypt, their produce was earned by hard labor. But in the future in their promised land God is promising them abundance with ease.

In plain and simple words if we were to apply it to us: Before we toiled for our living, hereafter it is going to be a breeze. Do you believe that? I do! Honestly. Why? Because the Word of God says so; as simple as that!

Verse 15 says: 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.

So, if the eyes of the Lord our God is continually on us from the beginning to the year 2011 to it's end, it clearly indicates his eyes are on us in the middle of the year as well, which is the present times. Is it not?!

Let us continue to hold on to His promises and praise His Holy Name!

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"Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink" Daniel 1:12

We are all familar with Daniel's training in Babylon, where the king prepares some young men for his service. When the king orders choice meat and wine for the trainees, Daniel and his three friends request for a vegetarian diet as Daniel had resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. Please click here to read Daniel Chapter 1 to understand the full context.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible has this introduction:

Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days - A period which would indicate the probable result of the entire experiment. If during that period there were no indications of diminished health, beauty, or vigour, it would not be unfair to presume that the experiment in behalf of temperance would be successful, and it would not be improper then to ask that it might be continued longer...

The Scripture tells us in verse 15, At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.

Now, shall we try the same for the next ten days along with Scriptures on vegetables and fruits? It is going to be fun!

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"See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff..." Isaiah 41:15

Barnes' Notes on Bible has a beautiful explanation for this verse which I would like to share with you:

The object of the illustration in this verse and the following is, to show that God would clothe them with power, and that all difficulties in their way would vanish. To express this idea, the prophet uses an image derived from the mode of threshing in the East, where the heavy wain or sledge was made to pass over a large pile of sheaves, and to bruise out the grain, and separate the chaff, so that the wind would drive it away. The phrase, 'I will make thee,' means, 'I will constitute, or appoint thee,' that is, thou shalt be such a threshing instrument. It is not that God would make such a sledge or wain for them, but that they should be such themselves; they should beat down and remove the obstacles in the way as the threshing wain crushed the pile of grain.

And Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary has it this way:

The Lord will make Jacob to become a threshing instrument. God will make him fit for use, new, and having sharp spikes. This has fulfilment in the triumphs of the gospel of Christ, and of all faithful followers of Christ, over the power of darkness.

Isn't that something to be a new and sharp threshing sledge?!

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* 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?!

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This post was originally posted in October...

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Thank you for joining for some Coffee with Jesus this Saturday morning! I love Saturday mornings. I usually wake up before the family does, make myself a cup of coffee, sit in my favorite kitchen chair to watch the birds in the backyard - all the while praising God for His love, mercy, the colorful birds, the bluest skies, the beautiful chair and the cozy pajamas... what not!

But this Saturday morning I invite you for a Cleaning Spree. No, there is no heavy duty lifting or washing or moving involved. Just right where you are, lift up your holy hands and start praising the Lord. Just keep on praising the Lord, keep on, keep on praising the Lord.

Visualize your heart getting cleansed by the Lord, by His blood, by His grace, by His love, all the while praising the Lord. Imagine the hands of Jesus reaching out to the innermost corner, all around, under, over, everywhere, touching, healing and cleaning your heart. Just keep praising, keep praising, lift up your voice and keep on praising the Lord. If you feel like crying out loud, do that, want to clap your hands, go ahead. Just continue to praise His Holy Name. Hallelujah!

Wow! That's a wonderful experience, is it not? You have now received a brand new "sparkling clean" heart and a beautiful renewed spirit overflowing with such love and joy that you can not even fathom.

Go in peace! Enjoy your day & God bless you!

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Pin It Now! Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13

According to yesterday's message I am sure you all have prepared room for the Savior in your hearts. Today's meditation is on preparing room for our friends and relatives and strangers in our homes.

Have you had a chance to get together with your friends now that the weather is improving? Do you have plans for your neighbors to join you for a quick meal or tea? When was the last time you invited someone in without expecting anything in return? When you see a new family in your block or a new couple in your Church, do you try to get to know them more?

The Bible instructs us, "Do not forget to entertain strangers" Hebrews 13:2. In Luke 16:9 we read, "Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves..."

If we are true followers of Christ, let us put these little little things into practice. I agree our time is limited and there is so much we need to accomplish in so little time every single weekend and we hardly get time to sit and relax.

Inspite of all that if we truly try, we can still make it. We can be great hosts! Who knows, just that simple act of hospitality could lead someone to Christ! Won't you try?

Pin It Now! Across the Bible we find various references to preparing a room for something or someone. Paul writes to Philemon: "Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers." Philemon 1:22

Jesus gives specific instructions to His disciples on how and where to prepare for Passover (or the Last Supper as famously known). We read in Luke: “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there.” Luke 22:10-12

A rich Shunammite lady wanted to set up a nice room for the visiting Prophet Elisha. She shared with her husband: "Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” 2 Kings: 4:10

Jesus said, "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." John 14:2

Today, we are also going to prepare a room. Yes; a room in our hearts to host our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ!

Quite often there is hardly any room in our hearts for our Savior as too much of junk gets accumulated over there. Worries, anger, sadness, vengeance, self pity, enmity and the such occupy most of the space. Spouse, children, job and family take the rest of the space. Where then is the room for Christ in our lives?

Today I urge you to clean out a corner for our Lord, a spacious enough corner where He can live and reign; where He can help us clean the left over debris; where we can sing and dance in joy; where we can be completely in awe of His presence.

When you have prepared the room, invite Him in; He will come and dine with you!

Pin It Now! The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." Haggai 2:9

Some of us are still looking back to our former house, our former jobs, our former positions, etc missing out on the current blessings God has in store for us. If I hadn't sold that house, if I hadn't left that job, if I had stayed in that town, if I had accepted that offer, etc etc.

Today's verse comes as a reminder that whatever God has blessed us with in the current times is definitely better than what we had before. Wherever we are at, our god will grant us peace. Let us be thankful for what we have right now rather than worrying over the past bad decisions and the such.

In Isaiah 43: 18-19 the Lord declares, “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..."

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we read, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Indeed the new has come! Let us cherish it with a grateful heart.

Pin It Now! Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:2

As we start a new week today, I want to put a challenge in front of us - to make our words few.

Through the week, anytime we feel the urge to talk more, to explain our cases, to judge someone, to argue, why not even in our prayers, let us remind our self about this very verse and make a conscious effort to make our words few.

The chances are, we will be tempted more. But with the grace of God we can handle it the way the Scripture teaches us and before long it could become our very nature!

Shall we try?

Pin It Now! * 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

King David had all the reasons to fear man, King Saul was after him, his own son was against him at one point in time, there were enemies all around. Yet, he was so confident in the Lord that he kept telling himself not to fear man. He sings: The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 118:6

Apostle Paul was in danger during his ministry period. He was in and out of prison many times. He was prosecuted for the sake of Christ. Yet, he boldly says in Hebrews 13:6, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

King Solomon who was the wisest of his time and never before him or never after him was/is anyone found to be as wise as him concludes in Proverbs 29:25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

Even as Jesus sends out the twelve disciples to preach the Gospel, he tells them: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

Why then are we afraid of mortal men some times?

Pin It Now! Teach me to do your will... Psalm 143:10

I am astonished by the connection King David had with the Lord. He was constantly praying, constantly worshipping, constantly praising, constantly learning, constantly improving, constantly repenting, constantly singing the name of the Lord! Our Lord! There are endless Scriptures pointing us to that, let's look at a few of them today.

Here in Psalm 143, he prays, "Teach me to do your will". In Psalm 25:4 he sings, "Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths". Again in Psalm 119:12 he says, "teach me your decrees". In Psalm 139:24 he asks, "See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting". He cannot just say something if he did not mean it and applied it in his life everyday.

The question to us is: Is this our prayer also?

Pin It Now! Many are invited, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14

No one can deny the fact that they have been invited for the wedding banquet of the Lamb. Message of salvation is spreading so fast that tons of invitations are sent out each day. The catch is, the exact date and time is not mentioned on the invitation. What does that mean? It only means that it could be anytime and the invited are expected to be available in a twinkling of an eye.

Ah! That's the problem. Many of us have accepted the invitation momentarily. But are we ready for the wedding? Have we washed our selves? Do we have our clothes ready? Have we picked the shoes? Do we follow the directions to the wedding hall? No, no let's not panic... We are given specific instructions as to how to be ready. As long as we follow that we are good.

Let's review the instructions real quick that Apostle Paul shares in Ephesians 6:11-18: I will break it down for easier list:

* Put on the full armor of God
* Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist
* With the breastplate of righteousness in place
* And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
* In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
* Take the helmet of salvation
* And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
* And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
* With this in mind, be alert
* And always keep on praying for all the saints.

With all these checked out, we are all set for the wedding!

Pin It Now! Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

We all love to receive gifts - don't we? Thankfully we have a generous Father who heaps us with abundance of gifts. Doesn't mean we will love all the gifts received. There may be times when things seem not up to our likes. We would have expected different turn outs than what is playing out. What do we do then? Murmur? Talk ill? No! Never!

Those are the times we remind ourselves of the related Scriptures to help overcome our anxiety.

In Romans 8:28 we read, "In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Matthew 7:11 says, "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!"

Let us accept everything God allows for us with a cheerful heart. Let us not let anything bog us down from our joy of salvation. Let us repeat to our self: "All things happen for good for those who love Him" and it will be so. Amen!

Pin It Now! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. Psalm 33:9

I just love this verse so much that I use it in almost all my prayers, be it for me or someone else. The power of His word is so powerful. If you recall the incident when a centurion comes to Jesus requesting healing for  his servant, he said: "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed." Matthew 8:8

In Genesis 1:3 we read, And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. The rest of the creation was also created simply by His spoken words.

Elsewhere in the Scriptures we read: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 Little Samuel was taught by Eli to respond by saying "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."

Jesus rebuked satan by saying, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Not too long ago we had discussed how Jesus commanded the wind and the sea. In  Mark 4:39 which goes: He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

In Romans 8:34 we read, "Christ Jesus, ... is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

If we sit down to look for more Scriptures that emphasis His Spoken Words, I am sure we can find many many more. Don't you want Him to speak for you today? I do. Let's hold on to these verses and pray to our Lord thus: "For You spoke, and it came to be; You commanded, and it stood firm."  Amen!

Pin It Now! "You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert" Isaiah 25:4

If you have time today please read Isaiah 25th chapter. It is a praise and worship song by prophet Isaiah, no wonder it sounds like a chapter from the Psalms. If your native tongue is different from English, I strongly encourage you to read and grasp the full meaning of today's verse in your language. You will appreciate the in depth meaning of the passage.

When the ruthless attack us with their storming words and heated arguments, it is the Lord who gives us shelter against them. He is the refuge for us in our distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.

On the other hand, intentionally or unintentionally when we become ruthless to the poor, using unkind words against the needy, showing fierce anger against the less fortunate, causing them distress, or "storm", then they will look upon the Lord who shelters them.

As much as we don't want to be treated by the ruthless, let us not become ruthless also. Even very "good" Christians get carried away by race, status, ethnicity and the such,  looking down upon people of different backgrounds. Let us remember always that when we mock a poor we mock his Maker who is God Almighty.

Let us examine our self if over the years we have become ruthless somehow. How do we treat our children? Can they see us as a role model that they can follow? If you have the slightest doubt now is the time to repent and be free.

Pin It Now! * It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8
* Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. Psalm 146:3
* Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Isaiah 2:22
* Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man's hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Isaiah 36:6
* Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame.Isaiah 20:5
* This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. Jeremiah 17:5

I am sure you noticed how the verses got stronger and stronger as we read through the list above. It starts as a suggestion, became a command and ends in a warning.

This is a good reason to analyze our selves if we trust in any men. How about our bosses? Husbands? Neighbors? Parents? Or even your own hands? Are we clinging on to mere men or our ability as our "source" forgetting that the ultimate Source is the Lord God Almighty? This can't be.

Today's take away is from Isaiah 26:4 which once again re insists the importance of trusting in the Lord: Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Shall we?

Pin It Now! * Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. Matthew 4:10
* Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2
* Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 96:9
* You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. Deuteronomy 12:31
* Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. Exodus 23:25

As we get ready to worship the Lord this morning let us remind ourselves of these Scriptures above. As you see, there are instructions on how to worship the Lord and how not to worship the Lord.

Since the verses are self explanatory I do not wish to elaborate on it. However, wanted to stress one point: Let us serve Him only.

Happy "Son"day everyone!

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! * You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you. 2 Chronicles 20:17

* The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes Deuteronomy 1:30

* The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still Exodus 14:14

* You yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you. Joshua 23:3

There are plenty of Scripture verses stressing the same point repeatedly that our Lord will fight our fights; so it has to be true!

Whatever be our circumstances, whatever be our battle, we can trust that our Lord will fight it for us. Let us by heart these verses and repeat it in our prayers, claiming victory over our battles.

Pin It Now! He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. Proverbs 10:5

Just as how important it is to sow, it is equally important to reap. Every farmer looks forward to the reaping or the harvest, as harvest is when they get their reward for all the hard work. If someone is lazy during harvest season and doesn't go in and reap, the yield will get wasted by the birds and passerby.

Same way, when we sow the seeds of faith in people's hearts, our responsibility is not over with that. We water it regularly (pray for their salvation)  to bring it to a saving knowledge of Christ. This is the "harvesting" most of us evangelical Christians forget about.

In Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus says, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Let's get working...

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By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. I Corinthians: 3:10-15