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"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2
Prophet Micah lived around the same time as Prophet Isaiah - about 700 years before Christ. Micah had foretold about the exact location of the birth place of the Messiah Jesus Christ as Bethlehem.
Some argue that since Jesus did not establish His kingdom on earth during His first coming, He is not the messiah foretold here. They miss out on the dual role of the Messiah - one as a suffering servant who bears the sins of His people (which was fulfilled by Jesus during His first coming), and next as a triumphant ruler who will exercise authority over the nations (which will be fulfilled by Jesus at His second coming).
What about the statement that His origins are from of old and is from ancient of times? It only means there is no beginning for Jesus Christ we can fathom in our mind - He is from eternal past - He was with God from the ancient of times!
In the Gospel of John he writes about the same which explains it better. John writes in John 1:1-5,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."
So true! He shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it. In Him is life! Have we found Him?
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The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is one of the fundamental truth of Christianity yet many stumble by reasoning it.
Why is it hard for many to accept the virgin birth of Jesus Christ?
Mainly because they do not read the word (Bible) themselves but look around for hearsay or copy/paste information. They do not seek to find the truth but look for ways to justify their version of the "truth". They take the Scriptures out of context and argue over it. They wish to continue their sinful ways, dismissing God's words as a fairy tale or myth or error in translation. They are blindfolded by the father of lies who is careful about keeping them in the dark.
The prophecy foretold here by Isaiah some 700 years before Christ did come true! As is! Word by word! Not missing out on any detail!
For anyone who doubts I suggest you
read through the Bible with an intention to find the answers yourself with an unbiased mind. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free! (John 8:32)
Don't be afraid; give it a try! Where to start? That's upto you. Here's a link to the
online Bible.
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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
The biggest challenge to our "contentment" comes at this time of the year - when the stores are sparkling with sales and overflowing with merchandise. There is always the bigger and better screaming at us from across the aisle "bye me! bye me!"
Soon we fall prey to complaining about what we have and we might even justify it like Job did. In Job 10:1 he says,
"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.
Christian author Luci Swindoll quotes:
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.
Isn't it time we cultivate some contentment in us and grow up too?! It is; for me!
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"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
A very familiar Scripture of course. Most of us know it byheart; but do we actually get the depth of the message? Here's something to help us in those lines... May be next time around we will pause a little to acknowledge our Father's love for us.
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"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given..." Isaiah 9:6
At the last lapse of November 2011 we all sense a renewed kind of energy all around us - Christmas trees going up, photo studios overflowing, businesses thriving, it is hard to miss the general sense of joy and merriment everywhere.
Here at Coffee with Jesus too we will have Christmas meditations for the next few weeks counting down to Christmas. Isn't that a good idea? Thought so! :)
For to us a child is born! To us a son is given!
What do we do with Him? Now that's the question.
How are we going to celebrate this Child that was born; this Son who was given us? Is He in the center stage of our celebrations this season or only a side kick? Are our plans in alignment with what He desires in us? Have we announced His birth among our friends, relatives, co workers & neighbors? What are we waiting for? Let's get started!
Let us not lose the focus that He is the reason for this season! Merry Christmas everyone!
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When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God. Ecclesiastes 5:19
Interestingly the Scripture here points out it is not the wealth or possessions that are considered the gift of God, but the heart that accepts our lot and remain happy in our work - that is a gift of God.
In his letter to Timothy Apostle Paul writes about
Love of Money and says "Godliness with contentment is great gain". I Timothy 6:6. Indeed it is!
King Solomon was the richest king ever. He writes in
Proverbs 28:25, "A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper." - which shows that his prosperity came from trusting in the Lord and not from greed.
How many of us are content this morning?! Praise God for all those hands that are going up! Let us continue to accept our lot! This is our gift from the Lord!
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Happy Thanksgiving to those of you joining the coffee table from the States. Others too can join us in giving thanks to the Lord as we celebrate the feast of our harvest termed aptly as Thanksgiving for our daily providence all through the year.
Amidst the overwhelming responsibilities associated with the feast such as hosting, cooking and cleaning I hope we can all take a moment to sit around the table with our loved ones and go over a complete list of all the reasons we are thankful to our Lord for. It is okay if it is going to take few extra minutes, let us not forget the significance of the celebrations in all other hustle bustles.
Here's sharing King David's Thanksgiving list. As you see he recalls even things from way past, things from much before his times and gives thanks. He was surely blessed for his grateful heart.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.
to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
to him who led his people through the desert,
His love endures forever.
who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Israel;
His love endures forever.
to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.
and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
It sure feels good giving thanks; does it not?!
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Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. I Chronicles 16:8
Giving thanks - okay we can understand; but
what does it have to do with 'making it known among the nations'?
Words have the influence to claim someone for or against a matter. Marketing specialists, can assure you that "word of mouth" is one of the most effective way of marketing technique out there.
James chapter 3 goes on and on about the power of the tongue, associating our tongue to the rudder that can steer a huge ship.
In the Gospel of Luke we read of
the scene when Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem where people put down the palm branches and their cloak for His colt to walk on. The crowd was
singing and praising in loud voice of His many miracles and the disciples rebuked them. Jesus's response was, "if they keep quite, the stones will cry out."
That is true for us too. If we keep quite from proclaiming of His wonders, the stones will cry out - putting us to shame.
So, to answer our question, making known among the nations, means to make a bold statement that we acknowledge or support or affiliate with the brand called Jesus! We are not just stopping with a quick thank you, but we will announce, proclaim, make known of what He has done for us among the nations! You are with me on that - right?!
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Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:18
Easier said than done, you would agree- to give thanks in all circumstances. We all have
something to be thankful for; but honestly can we say we are thankful for
everything? Paul instructs us we should be!
There is an illustration I had read somewhere, where everyone was asked to bundle up their problems and throw it in a basket; and later each person was asked to take one bundle from the basket; interestingly most of them walked away with their original bundle. What this tells us is that what one might frown as "problem" is nothing compared to what someone else is going through.
Once I fell down in an airport elevator trying to handle two toddlers by myself. Got some scratches on my foot and felt terrible about the situation. What my little daughter - hardly four at that time - told me, made me to think. She said, "It's okay Mommy! It could have been worse!"
How true! Since then I have learnt to take things in the lighter sense which has helped me remain grateful in most circumstances - if not all, which I am striving for.
As we get ready for our annual feast of Thanksgiving let us learn to look at our problems from a different angle today, from an outsider's perspective; see if it is not something to be grateful for after all?!
Let me remind you once again: Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Amen!
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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...
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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!
As we continue to read the same chapter, 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..." Deuteronomy 33:29
Which explains there is no one like us either. We are 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!
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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
Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. Leviticus 26:5
The Scriptures are filled with blessings and promises like above. Yet, some of us have a problem with worry! Worry by definition means to give way to anxiety or unease; to allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles. Is it human? Yes. Is it biblical? No!
Let me ask you one thing, if your father has written down a Will to provide for your needs rest of your life, would you be at ease or continue to worry? I am sure you will be at ease knowing your needs have been taken care of. Why then it is difficult for us to trust the Will our Heavenly Father has written down for us in the Scriptures?!
Jesus preached the following which is recorded in the Gospels:
Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34
Here are God's promises for us for today:
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
Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. Leviticus 26:5
Worry or believe that is fully up to you! I choose to believe!
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Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." Psalm 126:2
Some of us take our faith a little too seriously that we even forget to smile at times let alone laugh. We walk around with a stern face, frowns and complaints that it is hard for people to notice even a trace of joy in us.
Joy of course is an internal virtue but will surely manifest externally. When our hearts are filled with JOY, our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues with songs of joy. People can immediately take note of our joy and will see that we don't panic like the rest of the crowd. They will wonder for sure if not already know that our Lord has done great things for us.
Now, let me ask you something. When was the last time you actually laughed? No, not the quick superficial one to keep company, but the hearty, cheerful kind? Has it been long since you last sang or danced in sheer joy? Without any reserve or caution, forgetting everything and just giving thanks to God - kind of Joy? Can it be said of us by onlookers that our Lord has done mighty things for us?
Let us take a stand today! Please repeat this after me: "The Lord has done mighty things for me; Therefore my mouth is filled with laughter and my tongue with songs of joy!"
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You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. Psalm 45:7
"Rejoice!" is an often mentioned command throughout the Scriptures. Yet, that is one area we Christians fail from time to time. All it takes is one criticism or one sickness or one crisis, or blank <you name it>, to offset us from our joy of salvation.
"Rejoice!" by it self implies that it is something
within our capacity to do, not necessarily something others can do for us. If it were so, the command would have been something like "Make him/her rejoice".
One may wonder how we can rejoice irrespective of the circumstances. Or is it even possible to rejoice always? Yes, when God anoints us with the oil of joy we can rejoice in all situations! What it takes to be anointed with oil of joy? According to today's Scripture, when we
love righteousness and
hate wickedness God will anoint us with the oil of joy.
To add, anytime we feel that the joy within us is lost, we need to
repent and
cry out to the Lord for restoring our joy. We are familiar with Psalm 51 where King David cries out "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
Let this be our prayer too today: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
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Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12:3
The same incident has been recorded in the Gospel or
Matthew (26:7) &
Mark (14:3) with a mention of anointing of Jesus' head instead of his feet. Since neither account is wrong we can conclude both Jesus' head and feet were anointed. John says the woman was Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus. On the side note, Luke records a similar but different incident by a different woman
Luke (7:37).
The very act of pouring out the expensive perfume suggests that Mary didn't give it a second thought when it came to using it for the Lord. She didn't hold back on it, she didn't think what people might say, she didn't wait for permission from her brother or sister, she didn't consider it worth anything, she didn't even consider the poor deserved it better than the Lord Jesus Christ!
This goes hand in hand with what Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians; we read in chapter 3 verse 7 (NLT),
"I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him."
Our focus today is the after effect of these acts. We read Mary's house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume; Paul led an exemplary life for Christ.
Paul instructs us in Ephesians 5:1-2,
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Are we spending our best for the Lord? Do we consider all things worthless for the sake of Christ? Have we gained Christ discarding everything else - including our finest - as garbage? Can people sense fragrance filled in our house? Do we give ourselves up as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God?
It's a lot of questions this morning; hopefully it will help steer us in the right direction...
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Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of his fathers—even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 2 Chronicles 30:18-20
If you have some time today please read
2 Chronicles 30th chapter which talks about King Hezekiah's zeal for the Lord.
King Hezekiah was the son of King Ahaz. Unlike his father King Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 29:2). He cleaned out the temple of God, demolished all high places, removed all defilement from the sanctuary, appointed priests and Levites back on duty in the temple of God, set up a choir to sing praises to the Lord, consecrated the congregation and decided to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem which was not in practice over many years.
Hezekiah sent out couriers to all of Israel, Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh inviting them to Jerusalem for the Passover. We see that it turned out to be a huge success and there was a great crowd from all tribes of Israel celebrating the Lord together in Jerusalem.
However many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves before taking part in the Passover. Knowing that King Hezekiah lifts up this prayer:
“May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of his fathers—even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” and we see that the Lord answered his prayers.
Is this our prayer too about our friends and family members whose ways of seeking the Lord is slightly different from our point of view? Are we quick to condemn them or do we stand in the gap praying for them?
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For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
We all have heard the verse many times but may not have paused longer to think what it really means. Here's a beautiful skit that explains the whole "Christian thing" in a meaningful way. Please sit back, relax and enjoy!
Don't you love that you are the Masterpiece?! I do.
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This is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me..." Jeremiah 15:19
This past week we have been blessed with the same message in different forms, such as:
I will restore David's fallen tent
I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents
I will restore you to health and heal your wounds
I will restore judges as in days of old
I will restore you twice as much
and today in the same lines, "I will restore you that you may serve me"! You will notice that it is a conditional blessing. True, He will restore us to serve Him, but only on the condition that we repent.
The fact that He will restore us to serve Him implies that we
'used to' serve Him once but not anymore. Something came inbetween God and us downgrading us from the honor of serving Him. We see that all around us - don't we? People are on fire for the Lord one minute, and fall back cold the next. Why even us! Our stronghold on God is stronger only when things seem a little shaky for us; normal days we are normal self - neither cold nor warm - don't you agree?
It is our pride, doubt, fear, unbelief, diffidence, and impenitence that come between us and our Lord. God's promise is that the minute we realize our wrong doings and repent of it, He will restore us to serve Him. Amen! That is the highest honor one can enjoy here on earth - serving the Lord! So, let's not delay our repenting.
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Even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. Zechariah 9:12
Amen! What a beautiful promise from the Lord for us this morning! I am so glad for all of you who didn't miss it over the weekend. May this very promise come true in each one of our lives.
In Isaiah we read,
"Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs." Isaiah 61:7
Amen! Such powerful promises we have heard this morning over the coffee table. Let us pause, take a moment to let it sink in! Let us proclaim the promise by our mouth; please repeat this after me:
"Instead of
my shame
I will receive a
double portion, and instead of disgrace
I will rejoice in
my inheritance; and so
I will inherit a double portion in
my land, and everlasting joy will be
mine."
One more time:
"Instead of
my shame
I will receive a
double portion, and instead of disgrace
I will rejoice in
my inheritance; and so
I will inherit a double portion in
my land, and everlasting joy will be
mine."
Amen! It will be so!
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"... I will restore judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City" Isaiah 1:26
One personification of Christ our Lord is that He is our Judge - a righteous one at that! There are number of Scripture references on that. Let's look at a few:
Apostle Paul writes in his letter to Timothy,
"Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:8
King David sings in one of his Psalms,
"God is a righteous judge..." Psalm 7:11
We read about the final Judgement Day in
Revelation 20:11-15 where Christ Himself is enthroned in the throne judging the dead - great and small. In
Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus Christ Himself explains the judgement days ahead. There are Scriptures that explain how we believers will be judged and rewarded according to our deeds (
Matthew 16:27,
Revelation 22:12).
What these Scriptures teach us is that our Lord is the ultimate Judge! If that is the case, will He not take care of our cases here on earth? Often times there are situations where we are wronged and we react defensively OR we pry for a chance to prove ourselves right OR worse yet we take matters into our own hands to try and avenge.
Romans 12:19 says,
"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord."
So, coming back to our discussion this morning, God will restore our judges or in other words bring us justice (Amen!), provided we leave it up to Him.(Shall we?)
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'I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.' Jeremiah 30:17
Today's message is for the sick among us. Please be encouraged our Lord will restore your health and heal your wounds. As Prophet Isaiah foretold about Christ the Lord in his book,
"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
Amen! By His wounds we are healed. Praying over my children when they get sick, I often envision touching the blood that runs from the cross and applying it over them. When I pray for our household I envision sprinkling the shed blood of Jesus Christ in our door steps, in each room, in our foreheads, over our territory etc.
What good is the Christian faith if we only talk about healing but do not actually believe it for our selves? What benefit it is if we proclaim the blood of Jesus Christ heals our diseases but do not really apply it over us? If we know of a new ointment that could heal the skin condition would we not go buy it and start using it religiously? Then what is preventing us from giving the same seriousness if not more to the healing powers of Christ our Lord?
We are indeed healed! Let us proclaim health over us and our families and diligently apply His protection over us and ours. He will restore us to health and heal our wounds! Amen!
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This is what the LORD says: "I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings..." Jeremiah 30:18
Yesterday we learnt that our Lord will restore our fallen tents. Today's message is in the same lines, this time it is the 'fortunes of our tents' He promises to restore. Amen! Praise the Lord!
With the economic downturn we all experience the value of our houses dwindling down and it is a great cause for panic among many. But for those of us whose trust is in the Lord, there is no need to panic. Just as today's Scripture promises us, the Lord has compassion on our dwellings! Amen! He will restore the fortunes of our tents! Amen!
It is the Lord who is our supplier. He is our Source which never runs out. In Psalm 104:28 King David sings, "When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things." Amen!
If you are still not convinced here's a suggested reading for you to stop worrying:
Matthew 6:25-34. My favorite line says: ... your heavenly Father knows that you need them (verse 32).
Peter instructs, "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." I Peter 5: 7
At the very least let us pray over these verses and ask the Lord to restore our faith and also the fortunes of our homes today. Shall we?
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"I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be. Amos 9:11
Lot of families these days are breaking up under pressure and christian families are no exception. Financial stress, pressure at work, sinful ways, addictions, selfishness are satan's schemes to slowly creep in and ruin the harmony and peace of a family union. He aims at destroying the family nucleus which only makes it easier to further drift the members away from the Lord.
Our Lord on the other hand restores broken families and reestablishes our fallen tents. What a contrast! In Isaiah 58:12 we read,
"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."
Let us pray over our families based on these verses. Surely He will restore our fallen tents. He will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be! Praise and glory and honor to God Almighty! God bless you all!
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"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me(Jesus)." Matthew 25:40
Believe it or not Christmas is just around the corner! One ministry opportunity we look forward to at this time of the year is Operation Christmas Child. The idea is to pack a little shoe box with fun stuff for a child in remote parts of the world - which might be the only Christmas gift the child receives. Here's a video that explains it:
There are number of
drop off locations across the country (United States) for your convenience. If you live outside of United States, this could give you an idea to get you started on local out reach.
Kindly read with me
Matthew 25:31-46 today. I believe Operation Christmas Child gives us an opportunity to be a sheep rather than a goat. Please find out how you could participate by clicking on the logo below. Remember, whatever you do for one of the least of these, you do for Him(Jesus). May God bless you!
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Let's take the time today to go over our
Praise Report over the coffee table.
Our Father in heaven! Thank you again for the wonderful opportunity to gather in your name once again this morning Lord. Thank you so much for your love and grace and mercy that have been sufficient for us all these days Lord. Thank you for blessing us with good health Lord. Thank you for filling our hearts with such joy Lord. Thank you for giving us the peace that passeth all understanding Lord. We love you Lord. We praise you Lord. We glorify your name Lord.
We thank you from the depth of our heart Lord. Thank you for everything Lord. Even a million thank yous are not enough Lord. Thank you for Coffee with Jesus Lord. Thank you that you are among us every single day Lord. Thank you for speaking to us through your words Lord. We gather here to receive your words and your words only Lord. Please continue to speak to us Lord.
Thank you for every single believer and non-believer who come across this site Lord. Thank you that your grace has been sufficient for each one of them Lord. Some are accepting you here Lord, some get to know you more here Lord, some grow more Lord and yet some are still searching Lord. We praise and thank you that your words fill each of our needs Lord - according to our seeking Lord. Thank you for that Lord.
We thank you for the answered prayer requests among us Lord. Thank you so much for lessening our burdens Lord, for hearing our cry Lord, for rescuing us from miry pits Lord, for setting us free Lord! Thank you so much for the continued blessings of good health, joy and peace Lord. Thank you for providing homes for us Lord. Thank you for taking care of our bills Lord. Thank you for giving us food Lord. Thank you so much for every single blessings Lord.
Today as we worship you among the congregation of fellow believers our hearts are filled with your praises Lord. Our mouths are filled with your songs Lord. Our mind is filled with the peace you have given us Lord. Once again thank you for all of these things Lord.
We praise you, glorify you and honor you. We lift this prayer up in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!
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Today over the coffee table let us pray for the
prayer requests in our midst.
Our Father in heaven! Thank you for this day Lord. We are gathered here at your presence - from so far off, from many different parts of the world Lord. Thank you for this opportunity to come together in your name Lord.
Today we want to uplift the needs of our dear ones in Christ Lord. We pray for the sick among us Lord. We pray for those seeking jobs among us Lord. We pray for the afflicted among us Lord. We pray for the widows among us Lord. We pray for our children Lord. We pray for our elders Lord.
There are many among us experiencing hard times Lord. Please provide their needs Lord. Please send your timely help Lord. Some are sinking in deeper debts Lord. Please reach out and pull them out Lord. Bless their hands to repay their debts Lord.
Some among us are still in bondage Lord - even after tasting you Lord. Help them once for all rid off their sinful ways Lord. Let them not surrender to the devil Lord. Let them strong firm in faith and overcome his attack in their lives Lord. Fill their hearts, mouths and thoughts with your praise Lord.
We especially bring Sis. Chellamma who is in great pain Lord. Please give her a deliverance Lord. Remember all those ways she ministered to build your kingdom Lord. Now she is suffering Lord, and we are not able to help her Lord. You alone can help her Lord. Please help her Lord. We pray for Sis. Jemima too Lord. Please meet her financial needs to get the surgery done Lord. Please open the doors for her Lord.
Please bless each and every one of us gathered here at your feet Lord. Please provide all the needs of every one of us here Lord. Use us for your glory Lord. Bless this day for us Lord.
In the name of your dear Son, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ we pray, Amen!
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From time to time in our Christian walk we experience a kind of 'silence' from the Lord. We don't immediately realize it and for a day or two we can ignore it and then suddenly we start to panic.
Looking up the Scriptures we can see a few did relate to similar terms.
Asaph cries out in Psalm 83 verse 1:
O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.
King David cries out on several occasions:
O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. Psalm 35:22
O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent Psalm 109:1
O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer Psalm 22:2
To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Psalm 28:1
If you were to read each of these psalms you will note that this is when the psalmists pour out the contents of their heart about their enemies, what they did to them and how God can punish them etc etc. and almost always they find solace at the end of the psalms just from doing that. It works wonders like a therapy if you will.
We can try it too - speaking openly with God about the unfairness around us and asking Him to work wonders on our behalf. He does listen and lessen our burden in no time.
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Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.
“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:1-14
We will have a open discussion on this passage over the coffee table today. If anyone has questions on this passage bring it on or feel free to share your thoughts.
One question to keep in the back of our mind today is: Are we invited or chosen? Further, do we have the wedding garments?
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In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. Deuteronomy 1:3
Happy November 1st to you!
Interestingly according to the Scripture above, November 1st was when the Israelites got the message from the Lord to break camp and advance into the final lapse of their journey to the promised land!
As we
continue reading the same chapter Deuteronomy 1:6-8 it says, The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “
You have stayed long enough at this mountain.
Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. "See, I have given you this land.
Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them."
Amen! This is the message for us this morning! Let us not get comfortable where we are stationed right now. We have come a long way from our "Egypt" and it is only a short lapse now to claim our "promised land". Break camp and advance! Go in and take possession of the land!
