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* 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!?

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* And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Matthew 24:31
* In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.1 Corinthians 15:52
* For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27
* For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17

The most important event we as Christians ought to look forward to on a daily basis is the The Last Trumpet Call!!

What is meant by the last trumpet call? The last trumpet call is the imminent return of our King and Savior Jesus Christ at the least conceivable time to gather His Church in mid air. The dead in Christ will rise and the faithful living will be transformed to be caught up with Him. This is also widely refered to by the term 'pre tribulation rapture'.

When will the last trumpet call be? No one knows the exact date/time/hour of the last trumpet call - which makes it all the more difficult to be ready for it.

What does it take to be ready? Knowing Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour and having our name written in the Book of Life is all it takes to be rapture ready. When Apostle Paul was in prison, a jailer asked him, "What must I do to be saved?" Paul's answer was: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts: 16: 30-31) If we believe in the Lord, we will be ready.

Are you ready?

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"Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." Luke 12:1

What is hypocrisy? It is "the practice of professing standards, beliefs, etc., contrary to one's real character or actual behaviour, esp the pretence of virtue and piety".

Hypocrisy or duplicity is the opposite of integrity. It could be unintentional at times but hypocrisy is something that will never go unnoticed in the sight of God who knows the depths of our hearts.

In today's Scripture hypocrisy is compared to yeast. Why so? Barnes's Notes on the Bible has a very good explanation which I would like to share with you:

1. Hypocrisy may exist without being immediately detected. Leaven mixed in flour is not known until it produces its effects.

2. Hypocrisy is insinuating. Leaven will soon pervade the whole mass. So hypocrisy will, if undetected and unremoved, soon pervade all our exercises and feelings.

3. It is swelling. It puffs us up, and fills us with pride and vanity. No man is more proud than the hypocrite, and none is more odious to God.

Barnes goes on to explain, "When Jesus cautions us to beware of 'the leaven of the Pharisees', He means that we should be cautious about imbibing their spirit and becoming like them."

Today let us take a moment to analyze our thoughts and actions and see if we have any "leaven" or "yeast" in us. If we do, let us work to get rid off it lest it fully leavens us...

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Let's go to the potter's house for our coffee with Jesus this morning!

Today's reading is from Jeremiah 18:1-10:

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.

And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it."

As we read, if in His anger He ever spoke anything against us and we repent and plead for mercy, He immediately relents. On the other hand any blessings we have been promised could be reverted based on our evilness.

Often times we take the Scripture so lightly that we do not realize it is the very Word of God Almighty. Let us give the Word the reverence it so deserves.

King David lifts up a beautiful prayer in Psalm 119:33-40, which can serve as an example for us as to how to develop reverence for the Word of God:

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall observe it to the end.

Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law
And keep it with all my heart.

Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.

Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to dishonest gain.

Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,
And revive me in Your ways.

Establish Your word to Your servant,
As that which produces reverence for You.

Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your ordinances are good.

Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me through Your righteousness.

Amen!

Look at the key points that I have highlighted here, which covers from all different angles of distraction one may encounter during the walk of faith. It takes a concious effort to refocus our attention to the reverence of the Lord's commandments. Let this be our lessons learnt this morning.

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"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

Job shares a beautiful testimony here, of how God saved him from the "jaws of trouble" and led him into an wide open area where he is blessed with abundance.
Though I am not a huge fan of many different translations of Bible - for this verse I liked the God's Word Translation. 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

King David has shared a similar testimony too. He exclaims, "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." (Psalm 18:19)

The reason for his merriment is obvious in verse 6 of the same chapter; he sings: "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 anything that entangles us such as sin, fear, terror, guilt, addictions, temptations, doubts or whatever else that has had a hold on us over the past. Trust that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has lured us away from the jaws of such, and has set a rich table for us in the wide open! Amen! By His blood we have overcome! Amen!

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Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  Luke 11:9-10

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:3

What is it we are asking Him this morning? What is the motive behind our plea? Do we intend on spending whatever we are asking for - for our pleasure or for His glory?

In the Gospel of Mark chapter 10 we read of an interesting conversation between James/John and Jesus:

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said.

Do we know what we are asking this morning? Let us get right with our motives before we ask for anything. Then it will be given to us.

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* "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 Jesus Christ was slain for our sins the description of Him as a slain Lamb aptly fits Him. Let us focus our attention today 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 ourself ready!

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'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 at hotmail dot com I will gladly publish it for a Tuesday or Thursday post... Thank you!

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* Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm 27:14
* Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land. Psalm 37:24
* I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

Very familiar verses I am sure; but not quite a familiar habit. We are not wired for 'waiting'. We get impatient and decide to run our show our way - whether God shows up or not... that's really sad.

Waiting on the Lord is way too important than we can imagine as our quick fixes could permanently damage our peace of mind. Sometimes answers to our prayers seem not quick enough but that doesn't mean we should hurry making decisions for ourselves. If God promised you something He will bring it to pass even if it takes time.

Here's a beautiful verse I want to bring to your attention: 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

Knowing these verses will encourage us to wait on the Lord.

Let us continue to wait!

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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

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 does 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."

Some people complain for everything. They complain when it rains, they complain when it shines, they complain if they are late, they complain if they get early, they complain if they have plenty, they complain when they don't, they complain about the neighbors, co workers, spouses, kids, you can go on adding to the list.

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.

But this is not a godly attitude. Being grateful in all circumstances is what the Bible teaches the believers to do. The idea is to be content. Shall we strive for it?

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My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Today we will take the time to pray for our outstanding debts, yes the financial kind I am talking here.

We read in Matthew 17:21, "This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" In the same chapter we read, "I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

Sure we can apply these Sripture to the problem of debt.

For those with a pressing need I recommend you fast a meal and pray. I will join you too. We will fast and pray for three days with the main focus of our prayer being forgiveness of our debt and financial breakthrough.

Debt sure seems like a huge mountain and it is contrary to the blessings promised for us believers. In other words, debt is a curse. If it is true Jesus Christ paid off all our curses on the cross, why then we are still suffering from the curse of debt?

Some of us might have valid reasons for ending up in huge debts but for most of us we are the culprit. It is all our fault, let us realize that in the first place. Our greed took a better hand of us in most cases. We camouflaged our sinful nature by overspending. We tried to fit in, showed off, lived big, beyond our ability, which is ungodly or in plain and simple words, sinful.

Now that we have identified the problem area let us repent and ask for forgiveness, plead for mercy from the throne of God. Only He can help us. How He will help is not ours to worry about. The Lord is more than capable of standing by His promises. If He says so, it will be so. Amen!

Let us pray:

Our Father in heaven! Thank you for this beautiful Spring morning Lord. Thank you that your grace is new every morning Lord. Right now we gather at your feet for your mercy Lord. We have sinned Lord. We have failed miserably Lord. We are sorry Lord. Please forgive us Lord. Please deliver us from this huge mountain of debt Lord. Remove greed from our hearts Lord. Let us learn to be content with what we have Lord.

You have promised us you will meet all our needs Lord. You died on the cross to atone for our curses Lord. Please take this curse away from us Lord. Please Lord. We ask you with faith that you will move this huge mountain Lord. There is nothing impossible for you Lord. We believe that soon we are going to share praise reports of how you cancelled all our debts Lord. We look forward to hearing testimonies Lord.

We praise and glorify your name Lord. In Jesus's most precious name we pray, Amen!

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The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Proverbs 13:4

Reading through the Book of Proverbs you would notice how often a sluggard is reprimanded. Almost in all those Scriptures immediately following the mention of the sluggard and his curse, is the mention of the diligent and the blessings associated with him. Here's to list a few:

* The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions. Proverbs 12:27
* Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4
* Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor. Proverbs 12:24
* Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall  not stand before mean men. Proverbs 22:29
* The plans of the diligent lead to profit. Proverbs 21:5

Now coming back to today's Scripture, if we are diligent our desires will be fully satisfied.

What does it take to be diligent? Diligence means "making ever effort to excel in what we do". Marked by persevering, painstaking effort or in plain and simple words, diligence is striving for perfection.

Being diligence does not mean running after the world; it means being diligent for the Lord, for spreading the Gospel, for living a holy life, for winning souls for Christ! When we are diligent in godly affairs He will bless us with our desires for everything else.

In his letter to the Philippians Apostle Paul writes: "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

Let us do the same. Let us not cling on to whatever happened in the past, that pulls us down making us less diligent; but put in all our efforts to strive towards the mark for the prize of our calling.

Jesus's teachings as recorded in Matthew chapter 6 goes:

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

Shall we strive to build His kingdom? Shall we say Amen?!

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He turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water. Psalm 114:7-8

Remember the incident in Exodus when the Israelites were very thirsty God gave them water to drink out of the rock? Well, that's the exact scene King David is referring to here in today's scripture from Psalm.

Isn't this true in our case too? There have been times when we were so pressed for a need and out of nowhere God provided help at the eleventh hour. When we thought there were no possibilities of how a certain need could be met, God made a way for us somewhere somehow... I can recall many many many such incidents.

Without insurance huge medical needs for my in-laws were met miraculously. When there was no hope of finding a solution at work for an issue, I fasted and prayed for three days and you won't believe the third day just minutes before our management was going to announce to our clients that we can not provide them the solution, God gave me the solution through a simple change in my code! When we were almost giving up on hopes of selling our home which was in the market for nearly a year, an offer came through the very same night! When there was no more hopes of finding a full time job for me, God blessed me with the finest job I could ever imagine, I could add more and more to the list.

I am sure, all of us are living testimonies of how God can indeed turn the rock into a pool and the hard rock into springs of water. Let us share our testimonies today to edify the glory of the Lord. God bless you all and have a great week ahead!

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* These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. Exodus 25:3-7

* Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you. Exodus 25:9

* "Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lamp stand." Exodus 25:33

It makes me go 'wow!' every time I read the detailed instructions God gave Moses about the Tabernacle, the lamp stand, the table and its accessories. How very specific including the measurements, color of the thread to use, from where to where, what design, then what metal to cover it with etc etc. I love it! I absolutely adore the decorative sense of God Almighty. The interest He takes on every single detail... isn't that amazing?!

You may ask what does it have to do with me?

Well, Apostle Paul asks in his letter to the Corinthians, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Again in 2 Corinthians 6:16 we read, "For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

It is also true that God created our inmost being; He knit us together in our mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13) Every little detail of our body was designed and made by our God! As we get ready to worship the Lord this morning, let us give a thought to how wonderfully He has made us. Enjoy the "Son"day!

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Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

Our heart is the precious of all organs - vital for our survival. No wonder the scripture says we need to guard it with all diligence. While looking up this verse I came across a sermon by Rev. Adrian Dieleman. Here's to share the highlights with you for today's coffee.

What does the Bible say about the heart?
* Heart is a physical organ; food & drink strengthens it.
* The heart is the focus of intellectual life. The heart is connected with thinking.
* Acts of the will are considered to arise in the heart.
* Heart is closely connected to the feelings and affections of a person: joy, fear, discouragement, sorrow, hate, love.
* The heart is spoken of as the conscience.
* The heart represents a person's true nature or character.
* The heart is the place where God does His work in the individual.
* The heart is the dwelling place of God.

Who can attack our heart?
* Sin & Satan - God lives in our heart. But so does sin and Satan. The two cannot coexist. This means our heart is a battleground between God and Satan. Both lay claim to our heart. Both want to be master of our heart. Both want the allegiance of our heart.
* World - The world hates Jesus along with His followers.
* The acts of our sinful nature.

The devil is our opponent who attacks us from the outside. The world is the hostile environment in which we live. And our own "flesh" is the enemy within us.

How do we guard our heart?
* To "guard our heart" our heart needs to belong to God.
* We need to listen to the Word of God if we want to guard our heart
* Be part of a church in the fellowship of believers
* Steer clear of sin.

Our heart is precious. Our heart is under attack. Let's guard it with all diligence!

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I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

I can sense it in the Spirit that today's message comes directly to someone among us - whose heart has been hardened over many situations in life. Rest assured today is the day of  "heart transplant" for you, by the Lord Himself.

He promises to give you a new heart with a new spirit in you. He will remove from you the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh! Hallelujah!

Whoever has hurt you in the past, whatever has hardened your heart, however long it has been, however hard your heart has become, this very minute the Holy Spirit is reaching in, removing it, lifting it up and away! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! And here He is replacing it with a brand new heart! A heart full of joy! A heart full of praise! A heart that hurts no more. A heart that is soft and sensitive to His healing touch. Amen!

Lift your hands and praise the Lord! Raise your voice and praise the Lord! Pour out your heart and praise the Lord! It is okay to cry and praise the Lord. It is absolutely okay to jump and dance and clap and sing and snap and shout and praise the Lord!

Let us get completely renewed in Spirit this morning. It is not an ordinary Friday morning. It is a day of new start! It is a day of healing to your being! It is a day of freedom from our long lasting hurt. It is a day of a brand new heart. Amen!

Thank you Lord for this miracle this very minute that is happening around this "coffee table". Thank you for your presence among us here Lord. Thank you for the healing you are bringing in our hearts today Lord. Thank you Lord for removing our stone hearts and replacing it with a flesh heart this morning. Hallelujah! We praise you and we glorify your name Lord. Your name alone we glorify! Thank you Jesus for your presence. Thank you Holy Spirit for your healing. Thank you Father for your comfort. We love you and praise you from our new hearts Lord! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! In Jesus's wonderful name we thank you, Amen!

Amen! The old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17) Praise be to Jesus!

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* I  am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Revelation 3:11
* Only hold on to what you have until I come. Revelation 2:25

The message for today is: Hold on to what you have!

Hold on to what we have? What do we have? Let's see what the Scripture tells us:

* Hold on to the good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
* Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
*Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.  1 Timothy 6:12
* She (wisdom) is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. Proverbs 3:18
* Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Hebrews 4:14
* Stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you. 2 Thessalonians 2:15
* Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Proverbs 4:13

As born again believers we must therefore hold on to the good, our hope, eternal life, wisdom, our faith, what the Scripture teaches us and the instructions given in the Bible till He comes. That's all is expected of us.

Hold on tight! Don't loosen the grip!

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Then the Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. Jonah 4:6

The book of Jonah is a very interesting book and I hope you have all read through it. If not please take your time one of these days to breeze through the four easy chapters.

Here's the summary to set the context: Jonah was asked to preach in Nineveh about the impending destruction to the city God was planning. He refuses to do it, leaves for Tarshish, gets thrown out into the stormy ocean, a big fish swallows him, he survives inside the belly of the fish for three days and night before finally being spit out. Now he visits Nineveh as how God had told him to. People of Nineveh including the king and the cattle everyone wear sackcloth and fast and pray asking God to relent from His fierce anger. When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion on them and did not bring upon them the destructions he had warned them about through Jonah.

But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He was not hesitant to let God know how very disappointed he was that he even wanted to die right then and there. If you think about it he had all the reasons to be angry, right? Wrong! That's what God intends to prove by teasing him with a little shade one day and removing it the next.

Using that as an example God was able to explain to Jonah why he changed his mind about the hundred and twenty thousand people of Nineveh who could not tell their right hand from their left and the many cattle there. Though the chapter ends there I am sure Jonah was convinced of the reason and continued to serve the Lord, happily ever after...

Application: Like Jonah, we may think too high of ourselves at times and care more for our reputation than the will of God to be demonstrated in peoples lives.

To us God asks the very same question today: “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” Jonah 4:11

We were not punished according to our transgressions, why then do we expect others to be punished and not forgiven?! Freely we have received, let's freely give. (Matthew 10:8)

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Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land. Jeremiah 50:34

We are going to claim this verse as our promise today. Let's read it again custom fit for our needs: My Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is His name. He will vigorously defend my cause so that He may bring rest to my land.

Who is a Redeemer?
* A close relative who is capable of freeing us from debt;
* A saviour

How Jesus redeemed us?
* By paying the price of our sin upon the cross Himself
* By freeing us from the penalty of death that was the wages of our sin, but gave us eternal life instead.
* Saved us from God's wrath by His blood.

What more our Redeemer is capable of doing today?
* He can free us from our financial burden
* He can pay off our debts
* He can free us from worries and depression and the like
* He can heal us from sorrow
* He will defend our cause vigorously
* He will bring rest to our land.

Job during his severe affliction reminded himself, "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27

We all know how Job was redeemed and his health, wealth and fortune were restored.

King David sings in Psalm 25:3, "No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame." Amen!

This was true in the life of Job, King David and many other saints from the old and new testament. Why then it is hard to accept we will be redeemed too?!

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"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah: 3:17

Today's reminder for us is "He is Mighty to Save". Whatever is your care and concern for the day, whatever you are worrying about, whatever was going through your mind all night long keeping you wide awake, however bad the situation is, please remember "He is Mighty to Save". Indeed He is.

How powerful these words are! What an assurance we as believers have! Let me repeat the verse once again: "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Now let us all say it together, applying it to us: "The LORD my God is with me , he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in me, he will quiet me with his love, he will rejoice over me with singing."

Let us say this all through the day - loud and clear: "He is Mighty to Save!" Amen!

Indeed He is mighty to save us today, tomorrow, the whole week and the rest of our lives. All we have to do is acknowledge Him!

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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

Long 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?

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As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

We all like hearing things like we are loved, dearly loved, His own , His chosen people etc. Good! However sometimes we fail to realize what it really means to be His chosen people, His dearly beloved...

The Scripture is very clear on the roles a dearly beloved of the Lord ought to play. There is a dress code if you will for His chosen people. We are expected to wear compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Now, let's pause there and analyze ourselves.

How compassionate are we? When we came across someone in need did we walk past them or stopped to help? Are we kind to one another or rude always? Humble or proud? Gentle or harsh? Patient or hurried? Those who can say for sure you have mastered it all, you are obviously His chosen people, holy & dearly loved!

Others who have some doubt, let us work towards improving in that area. Doesn't mean we are loved any less. You are also His chosen people, holy and dearly loved. Remember He first loved us even while we were sinners? So let us work to fit in to His perception of us.

As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, let us clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Amen!

God bless you all. Enjoy your weekend.

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* The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. Isaiah 35:7

* He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; Psalm 107:35

* I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. Isaiah 41:18

* I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland Isaiah 43:20

Amen! Hallelujah! Those who rejoice over today's Scripture praise the Lord with me! Hallelujah!

The message is very clear: our situations might look like a dry wasteland without any yield or moisture. But our Lord assures us that He is able to turn it into pools and streams and rivers! Amen!

Let us claim these promises towards our "dry lands" such as stress, debts, sickness, worries, finances, lack of joy, you name it! Let us pray using these exact promises and ask God to take control and turn us into a flourishing source of blessing to many.

Now, let us not reason how? It is not ours to worry about the specifics. Leave it all up to God trusting fully in His promise and just praise the Lord! Remember, We live by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7

God bless you all!

P.S: If you are a regular reader at Coffee with Jesus and would like a Coffee with Jesus mug please write to nrigirl at hotmail dot com. I have a few mugs I would like to give away...

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Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5

King David often talks to his inner self, which I find quite interesting. Often he is upbeat and tells himself: "Praise the Lord,O my soul!" (Psalm 104:1), "Forget not His benefits,O my soul" (Psalm 103:2), "Bless the Lord, O my soul" (Psalm 104:1). Then there are times his despair is quite evident such as: "Why are you downcast, O my soul?" (Psalm 43:5), "Be at rest once more, O my soul" (Psalm 116:7), "my soul is troubled exceedingly..."(Psalm 6:3), etc.

Here, in Psalm 62: 5 King David reminds his soul to be calm about the prevailing situation and encourages that his help comes from the Lord. He is giving hope to a soul that is ready to give up waiting.

Barne's notes on the Bible explains:

The idea here is, that all that he expected or hoped for must come from God. He did not rely on his fellow men; he did not rely on himself. God alone could deliver him, and he confidently believed that God would do it.

Often are we in such circumstances that we feel that our only "expectation" - our only hope - is in God. All our strength fails; all our resources are exhausted; our fellow-men cannot or will not aid us; our own efforts seem to be vain; our plans are frustrated, and we are shut up to the conclusion that God alone can help us.

So we get the message. We need not panic or despair; but train our souls to be calm. Let us repeat King David's statement to ourselves: "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him!"

Amen! It will!

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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!

Putting your frustrations away, 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 )

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Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Daniel 4:12
King Nebuchadnezzar was a great and mighty king who suffered from mental illness because of his pride. In The Book of Daniel chapter 4, he gives his testimony to the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world, of how his health was restored by God Almighty. Today's verse is a reference from this chapter. I strongly encourage you to read the entire chapter to get a complete picture.

As you can imagine it was a very humbling experience for king Nebuchadnezzar to go through this illness. However when he realized it was his pride which got him there in the first place and when he started giving glory to God Almighty he was freed from his sickness and was restored to his throne and became greater than even before. That's when he shares this testimony with his nation and peoples of the whole world and ends it with a sincere statement: "...those who walk in pride He is able to humble."

Let us look at few more scripture verses from the Bible:

* The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Proverbs 16:5
* He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 3:34
* Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. Psalm 138:6

If you look at the Scriptures closely great men of God like Moses, Aaron, King David, King Solomon, Daniel and the like, never failed to give glory to God Almighty which itself is a sign that they were humble at heart. Let us learn from their good examples and also from the tough lessons learned by King Nebuchadnezzar and clear off any pride from our hearts.

It is very easy to fall prey to pride as it can trigger from as simple as a well intended compliment or an ill meant flattery. Let us therefore keep watch to stay away from pride. May all glory, honor and praise be to only God Almighty! Always!

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* "'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:16
* A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue. Proverbs 17:4
* A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much. Proverbs 20:19
* A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. Proverbs 11:13

What is gossip? (noun)

A person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others.
A person who chatters or repeats idle talk and rumors, esp. about the private affairs of others.

The Bible instructs us to stay away from gossip. How do we stay away from gossip? The simple straight forward answer would be to put an end to a gossip then and there. I mostly tell people, "Let's not talk about it". It comes out awkward I am sure, but I would rather end it there than listening to the other person go on and on and on.

In my honest opinion listening to a gossip is equally bad as spreading the gossip. Also, remember a person who gossips about someone to you would definitely go around gossipping about you to others.

As believers we should not get trapped by the habit of gossipping. If someone shares a prayer request with you, don't feel the urge to go and share it with someone else. Keep it confident and pray over it. No act can justify a gossip.

Some people say, "I would like a good gossip or two". There is nothing "good" about any gossip. It is a waste of time and will surely come back to bite us. At any cost, let's avoid gossip!

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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!

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In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit. Isaiah 27:6

This is a prophetic verse about Israel which has already come true since the late 1900s. Israel which was barren for many years has been reestablished and the agriculture industry is in full bloom, flourishing with exports to all over the world. Also, Jesus Christ - the seed that was sown in Israel has been yielding fruits in all corners of the world! That is in the literal and spiritual sense of the verse.

But what is in there for you and me? Well, is it not a great promise? Then let's claim it! Let's also work on our Fruits of the Spirit so that our fruits can fill all the world around us...

Few months ago we had discussed each fruit of the Spirit in detail. For ease of use here's the links to our discussions on each fruit to refresh your memories.

* Love
* Joy
* Peace
* Patience
* Kindness
* Goodness
* Faithfulness
* Gentleness
* Self-control

Have a great weekend!

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The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

A very familiar psalm indeed! But for once, let us take the time to actually let these words sink in! Word by word, sentence by sentence, how beautifully Shepherd David has written about Our Good Shephered - the Lord!

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