Pin It Now!

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

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

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

Happy "Son"day all! It is one day where we can all come together and rejoice in His presence. It is such a privilege.

In countries like China where churches are prohibited, people worship in underground churches. Where there are no buildings, people gather under trees and thatched roof to worship the Lord in Srilanka, India and possibly more countries.

In Saudi Arabia people gather in homes to worship the Lord. My friend tells me they always have a birthday cake with them in case the police knock at their door they would say they were celebrating a birthday.

One thing is common across the world - the believers are glad when they are told, "Let us go into the house of the Lord"

Let us go too!

Pin It Now!

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!

Today's giveaway!

Dunkin Donuts gift card for $20!

Pin It Now!

"A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” Luke 13:6-9

We have a parable for discussion this morning: The parable of a fig tree. It doesn't take an expert to understand these parables. Parables are simple stories which any common man could relate to. Also, these parables were preached by Jesus Himself which make it even more interesting.

Here we see, a fig tree master getting disappointed with no yield from his tree and in his anger wants it cut down. But the gardener pleads for the tree and buys some more time.

Do you think the gardener then just left the tree to itself? No; he took special care to prune it, trim it, feed it and water it more often. He toiled hard to make it live. Let's pause right there.

Don't you see a similarity of Christ our Savior pleading our case to the Father God here? Yes, that is correct. Every time we anger Holy God who cannot look at sin, and whenever He is ready to punish us according to our sins, Jesus Christ comes in between asking God to give us another chance.

Then He takes special care of us, giving us more and more opportunities to improve. Do we appreciate His efforts and try to make it or do we dismiss it and remain the same without much fruits in our lives?

Let's ponder over these thoughts as we kick off the weekend...

We have yet another give away as part of the Coffee with Jesus second year anniversary:

Names of Jesus Journal


Only Pastors are eligible for this giveaway. If you are a Pastor or in full time ministry please share a comment below. The winner will be picked by random number method on Oct 1st! If you are not a Pastor, you can share the announcement with your Pastors, Youth Pastors, etc.

Pin It Now!

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land:

Pin It Now!

* On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Psalm 63:6
* But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2
* I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. Psalm 16:7
* In the night I remember your name, O LORD, and I will keep your law. Psalm 119:55
* My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. Psalm 119:148

Yesterday we saw the importance of praying in the morning; today's focus is on praying at night. King David has set us a great example as a prayer warrior. He was constantly connected with God, day in and day out.

Prophet Isaiah too insists on praying in the night; he writes: My soul yearns for you in the night Isaiah 26:9

Prophet Jeremiah reminds us in Lamentations 2:19, Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ also prayed at night. In Luke 6:12 we read, One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

We may reason we do not have time to pray; but it is high time we make time to pray. If we don't pray for our children who else would?  If kings and prophets and our Lord Himself chose to pray, what makes us think we can survive without it?

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6

Today's giveaway as part of the Coffee with Jesus anniversary celebrations is:

The Hurt & the Healer--CD and Free T-Shirt

This giveaway is open for the prayer warriors among us. Please share your prayer time experience for the benefit of the fellow believers in Christ, in the comments section below.The winner will be announced on Oct 1st by random number method.

Pin It Now!

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

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

Same is true for our Spiritual Manna - the Word of God. We need to gather it every morning before the sun rises as when the day progresses we may altogether skip it.

We all know the Lord's prayer, "Give us each day our daily bread" Let us take an effort to eat it every day, possibly as breakfast for a healthy start.

Trust me, it is such a refreshing experience sitting at His feet first thing in the morning. His presence will overwhelm your thoughts and your heart will be filled up to the rim and overflowing with His love and mercies.

Is there any better way to start our day?

Before you go away please check out today's giveaway as part of the Coffee with Jesus second year anniversary celebration:

Share your salvation testimony in the comments section below to be considered for the giveaway. Winner will be chosen by random pick method on October 1st 2012.

Pin It Now!
Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20

September 28th marks the second year anniversary of Coffee with Jesus! In the last two years we have had about 35,000 people gather in His name here at the Coffee with Jesus website from across the globe! The map above provides the statistics.

No doubt Jesus was/is in our midst - day after day, guiding, counselling, consoling, comforting, reaching out, washing, cleaning, cleansing, touching, molding, making, strengthening every one of us - gathered in His name!

Let us lift up our hearts in unison with gratitude for this fellowship we have in His name from across the oceans, mountains, plains and deserts of far and near.

Let us all extend our hands, touch the map above, tracing our fingers through the red dots, and pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ joining us from these various continents and countries and islands.

Let us lift up their needs before His alter. Let us bless one another from the bottom of our hearts! Let us rejoice in His love, forgetting our cultural differeneces. Let us pray for His continued working amongst us. Let us vow to build His Kingdom together!

His name alone be glorified! Amen!

P.S:

We will have special prayers and giveaways this week to mark the occassion. Please invite your friends and families to come celebrate with us.  If you are a regular reader and would love to share a word or two of encouragement/testimonies please email us at nrigirl@hotmail.com.

Coffee with Jesus mugs are available at no cost to you; send us a note to grab yours!

Pin It Now!

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

Yesterday we learnt how our King who breaks open the way will go up before us ... Today's message is a reiteration of the same.

The Holy Spirit reminds us that the door He opens no one can shut. Amen!

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

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

Enjoy the "Son"day!

Pin It Now!

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

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

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

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

Pin It Now!

When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty. Jeremiah 15:16

When was the last time we feasted on the Word of God? Can we relate to the verse above where Prophet Jeremiah says he ate His words which were his joy and his heart's delight.

It is not just Jeremiah who enjoyed the words of the Lord; King David sings: How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

Job too loved them, he said: I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. Job 23:12

It is a true joy 'eat'ing the Word of God. Why not have some today? Here's some for starters... Psalm 19

Have a blessed day and a great weekend! God bless you!

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Psalm 34:8

Pin It Now!

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. Proverbs 11:24

He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. Proverbs 19:7

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

Generosity is a virtue every believer must exhibit; however it is sadly on the decline. The economic downfall in the recent years has only made it convenient to justify our withdrawal.

As today's Scriptures remind us, we need to develop a generous heart. We can do that only when we fully  understand His generous grace on us.

When we believe that the Lord is our everlasting Source and not our jobs or savings or name or fame or anything else we are a step closer to realizing generosity in us. Trusting that He holds our future and desiring to be a blessing to others will land us on opportunities that will enable us to reach out.

Not just money; our time, our talents, our abilities, our fortune can all be used to glorify the Lord. Afterall we are homeward bound; let us act like one!

Freely you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:8

Pin It Now!

* Remember me with favor, O my God. Nehemiah 13:31
* O LORD; remember me and care for me Jeremiah 15:15
* Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me..." Judges 16:28
* According to your love remember me. Psalm 25:7
* Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people. Psalm 106:4
* "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Luke 23:42
* If only you would set me a time and then remember me... Job 14:13

Several people from the Scriptures such as Nehemiah, Jeremiah, King David, Job, one of the thieves in the cross, had one prayer in common: "Remember me".Some of their agony is clear from their crying out: "Will you forget me forever?" or "Why do you hide your face from me?"

Taking a closer look at the list we can understand that they were among prophets, kings, nobles and also criminals, which means that the feeling of abandonment occurs to people from all walks of life, including you and me!

How do we tackle this feeling; now that is the question. King David sings, "My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you " Psalm 42:6 which has the answer for us.

So, whenever we feel downcast, rejected or abandoned, let us remember our Lord!

Makes sense right?

Pin It Now!


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

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

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

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

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

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

Pin It Now!

"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." Zephania: 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: "The LORD my God is with me, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in me, he will quiet my with his love, he will rejoice over me with singing."

Let us say it all through the day - loud and clear: "He is Mighty to Save!" Amen! Have a blessed day and a blessed week ahead! God be with you!

Pin It Now!

Glad you could stop by for some Coffee with Jesus. Let's read Psalm 136 together and have some fun doing it. I will read each verse and you say: "For His mercy endureth for ever" Shall we?! Here we go...

Me: O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: O give thanks unto the God of gods:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: O give thanks to the Lord of lords:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: To him who alone doeth great wonders:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: To him that by wisdom made the heavens:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: To him that stretched out the earth above the waters:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: To him that made great lights:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: The sun to rule by day:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: The moon and stars to rule by night:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: And brought out Israel from among them:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: To him which divided the Red sea into parts:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: And made Israel to pass through the midst of it:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: To him which led his people through the wilderness:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: To him which smote great kings:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: And slew famous kings:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: Sihon king of the Amorites:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: And Og the king of Bashan:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: And gave their land for an heritage:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: Even an heritage unto Israel his servant:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: Who remembered us in our low estate:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever:

Me: And hath redeemed us from our enemies:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Me: Who giveth food to all flesh:
You: For his mercy endureth for ever.

(Let's read the last verse together...)
Us: O give thanks unto the God of heaven:
Us: For his mercy endureth for ever.

Great! We did it!! It was fun doing it together; was it not? Have a great "Son"day folks! Remember: His Mercy endureth for ever...

Pin It Now!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pin It Now!

"Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more." Isaiah 54:4

Praise God for this wonderful Scripture this morning!

Fear, shame, humiliation and disgrace are sure dreadful. All of us can recall incidents when we have suffered such situations. For some it leaves a permanent scar, making them fearful of further shame or disgrace.

Today's message is for those of us who are constantly conscious (in fear) of humiliation. It means we are not confident, we feel intimidated, we do not speak up for our rights/faith/belief, etc. We are afraid that we will be picked on, called upon, shunned at. Before long the fear turns to anger and we shy away from friends and family withdrawing from social circles. Many fall prey to depression...

This is surely one of satan's cunning tricks as he knows that with as little as casting a shadow of doubt he can lure some of us to death, away from the life we have found in Christ. He doesn't have to work hard at it if we are unaware of what the Word of God promises us.

Knowing the Scriptures will enable us to stand firm and rebuke him in the Name of Jesus!

So, it is important we read the Scriptures and by heart a few for our every day use. It will help us eradicate every single doubt that ever so lightly crosses our minds.

Let us repeat today's verse together:

"Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more." Isaiah 54:4

Now let us say it again customized for us:

I will not fear, for I will not be put to shame; I will not feel humiliated, for I will not be disgraced; But I will forget the shame of my youth, And the reproach of my widowhood I will remember no more. My Lord has said so!

Go ahead! Claim it as your own! It is the Holy Spirit who is sharing! Amen!

Pin It Now!

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

Just the fact that the Holy Spirit is reminding us the same message both yesterday and today means that it is important we get it! So, let us look at it further analyzing ourselves from a different angle...

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 follows:

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 definitions 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: "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2

Let it be our reminder too.

Pin It Now!

Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. Jeremiah 2:32

You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Isaiah 17:10

Israel has forgotten his Maker... Hosea 8:14

I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Revelation 2:4

 It is no accident you are here this morning hearing what the Holy Spirit has to share with us  - loud and clear.

Just as how unnatural it is for a girl/lady to forget her jewels/fine clothes it is unnatural for us to forget God and cherish not the fond memories of our past affection. Yet some of us have gone astray. We have forsaken our first love.

Hope this is not entirely true in our case. But if we are not conciousely making every effort to stay in love, we will be easily carried away by worldly affairs making us remember the Lord less and less. If we are not watchful very soon we will be far from the Lord heading into darkness.

Definitely it is not something that will go unnoticed by God. He would sense the slightest withdrawal from us. We will be crucifying Him all over again when we do that.

What is it that we lack in Him that we forget Him from time to time? That we do not make time for Him? That we go days on end without hearing from Him or talking to Him?

Don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. James 4:4

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

Pin It Now!

"If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer." Exodus 15:26

We are often worried and troubled by the news of sickness among our friends, family, church members, colleagues, community etc. Our hearts melt in fear when we have to wait for certain test results at the doctor's office. But these are unnecessary worries. If we worry the same way as a non-believers what difference does our faith make in us?

Instead of worrying over things beyond our control let us praise God for what we have - the joy of salvation, the hope of eternal life,  that we still have breath, that we are able to move around and for everything that works fine in us that we often take for granted.

Even when we are diagnosed with some sickness, however life threatening it is, it does not help to worry. I am sorry if that sounds insensitive. But that is what the Scripture tells us.

Jesus said in Luke 12:25,26: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"

Only as long as we have the breath in our nostrils we can praise the Lord; so like King David let us make the most of our life praising the Lord: In Psalm 115:17,18 he says,"The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor do any who go down into silence; But as for us, we will bless the LORD  From this time forth and forever. Praise the LORD!

He is our Healer! Whether He heals us for life or decides to take us home, no denying that He is our Healer. He paid the price for our sickness too on the cross along with our sins. Let us rebuke all fear, doubt, worry and sickness away from our dear ones and get protection under His wings. Let us not take things for granted but remember to praise Him for the countless blessings in our lives.

If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Romans 14:8

So why worry? Only praise!

Pin It Now!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Wonderful Counselor - What does that mean? Counselor is one who counsels; or advices; or instructs. Having God as our Counselor would imply depending on His guidance or advice. In fact Holy Spirit is our constant Counselor. Just as Jesus was getting ready for His ascension He had promised to send us the Counselor - Holy Spirit - the Spirit of truth, who would live with us and be in us!

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— he Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:16

One of the prime expertise of  Holy Spirit - our Counselor - is  explained in John 14:26

The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

Even as we pray for our children let us pray over these blessings on them that they are led by the Lord so that their peace shall be great.

Isaiah 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Isaiah 48:18

Lack of peace can surely be linked to not following the counsel of Holy Spirit. If that is our case today let us recommit our lives to heed to the instructions of our Wonderful Counselor.

Pin It Now!

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. Luke 2:21

Jesus! Say it with me, Jesus! You will agree it is the most popular name ever, of all ages and times. It is the name above all names! Jesus!

For those who still think Jesus was just human, here's something to think about. Only for about 3 1/2 years Jesus was publicly preaching, doing miracles and the like. There was no TV or Internet to broadcast His messages across the universe at that time. How do you suppose His name has stood the test over thousands of years?! Can you change a life by telling someone about any other person who have lived on this earth - past & present? good and bad? How is it that the name Jesus is still changing lives? Still working wonders?

Philippians 2:5-11 has the answer. It says, Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Amen! Jesus is the name above every name. We are so privileged to have such a personal relationship with Him. Not only that. He knows us by our name and loves us the best. Isn't that something?!

Pin It Now!

Pin It Now!

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

El-Roi! "I have seen Him!", was Hagar's excited statement when she encountered God as she was running away from Sarai while with child Ishmael for Abram.

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

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

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

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

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

The question today is: Are you ready to meet El-Roi - the God who sees?

Pin It Now!

Blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. Genesis 14:20

How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! Psalm 47:2

Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High Psalm 50:14

I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me Psalm 57:2

El-Elyon in the original Hebrew Scriptures is always interpreted as God Most High in the English translations. (If English is not your Mother tongue, I strongly recommend you read these exact Scriptures in your language to get a full idea of it's meaning.)

God Most High implies there is nothing/nobody in past/present/future who is higher than Him. There is no superior to Him. He is it! We have reached the highest in the authority chain - to whom we can compliment, complain, request, hang out with, make petitions to, stay in touch with, take pride to connect with, regarding the situations we are in. The one and only God Most High our El-Elyon!

Prophet Isaiah has prophesied about God Most High that gives us a glimpse of how majestic He is:

This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?

Pin It Now!

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. Genesis 17:1

Then God said, "I am El-Shaddai--'God Almighty.' Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! Genesis 35:11

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai--'God Almighty'--but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. Exodus 6:3

El-Shaddai - God Almighty! An often used phrase in our prayers and worship and sermon etc. But have we given much thought to it's meaning?

El-Shaddai according to some Bible translators stands for 'God Almighty' but not all agree. No doubt El means God; it is the Shaddai that causes controversies among Bible translators. Some say it means 'mountain' and some claim it means 'destroyer'. Putting these arguments aside, let us consider the almost universal meaning - God Almighty.

Dictionary defines the word 'Almighty' as as "having complete power or control"; with synonyms such as: absolute, all-powerful, invincible, mighty, omnipotent, supreme, unlimited, etc.

So when we pray to our El Shaddai - our God Almighty - we are in fact standing in the presence of Omnipotent, Supreme, All-Powerful, God. He is the very same God who created the whole earth and all that is in it by His mere words.

King David acknowledges Him by singing, "He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm." in Psalm 33:9

Knowing our Lord as God Almighty will give us a new perspective when we pray. There is nothing He cannot do. There is nothing impossible for Him. He is Almighty! Our El-Shaddai! Amen!

Pin It Now!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9

Finding someone's name is one of the very first things we do when we meet someone new. It is our first step to getting to know that person up close. As we get closer we get to know their nick names, other names, family names, childhood names and so on. Surely this helps with bonding and we get to know more of that person.

Same way, knowing Jesus Christ as Lord is great! But learning about various other names will help us know Him better. It will teach us many things we haven't known of Him already.

Today's Scripture has made is clear, there is no other name ever given to anybody in the past, present or the future that would be elevated as high as the name of Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ is the name above all names! In heaven, on earth and under the earth every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord - even those who haven't quite confessed it yet!

How about we learn more about Jesus Christ - our Savior - by learning more about His other names?! I am sure during this process we will come to know a lot more about Him we might have missed otherwise.

So, stay tuned as we start our new series: Name above all else. Share the link with your friends/family and invite them all to the coffee table; the more the merrier!

God bless you all!

Pin It Now!

"... these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." ...the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Mark 16:14-20

"... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:4

Listed here are few Scriptures that talk about the external manifestation of the indwelling or the infilling of the Holy Spirit within us. I do not think further explanation is needed as these Scriptures are self explanatory.

Yet, I would like to discuss one subject 'Speaking in tongues' here which is constantly argued about among believers - mostly between believers who have received the gift of speaking in tongues and believers who have not received the gift. Some go to the extent to say one cannot go to heaven if they don't speak in tongues and some go to the other extreme that people talking in tongues are evil possessed.

We have to be very cautious about making such statements because any such remarks are against the Word of God. The Scripture says, "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." Mark 3:29. So it is extremely important to refrain from doing so.

The Scripture says, "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever" Hebrews 13:8. Therefore the Scriptures on the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are also true yesterday, today and forever, not just for the first century as some claim.

Just because one hasn't manifested in Spirit certain way doesn't make him any less holy than the one who has manifested and vice versa one who speaks in tongues must not boast against the one who does not. Paul instructs us in I Corinthians 10:31, "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." and again in I Corinthians 14:40, "...everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way."

So, coming back to our original discussion on Speaking in tongues:

Is it true? Yes, absolutely.
How do I say it so confidently? Because I have experienced it myself.
How does it help? Helps me pray better especially during my personal prayer time and during worship.
What is the advantage? I can connect better with the Almighty, loving Him better with body, mind and soul. The Christian walk has been more rewarding as I can sense a constant companionship in the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. The whole concept of 'being holy like the One who called us is holy' is less challenging with the constant reminder from the Holy Spirit about things good vs. evil.

With that, we will end this series on Holy Spirit. However, if you have unanswered questions, bring it on! We will discuss it on the coffee table. God alone be glorified in and through us!

Pin It Now!

* And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:5

* Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." Galatians 4:6

First and foremost the gift of the Holy Spirit pours out His love into our hearts - an abundant overflowing love, for Christ our Lord, for the neighbors, for fellow mankind, for the sinners and for all.

In addition to that we now have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us that calls out "Abba, Father" thus giving us a sense of closeness with God.

Clarke's Commentary on the Bible states:

This love is the spring of all our actions; it is the motive of our obedience; the principle through which we love God, we love him because he first loved us; and we love him with a love worthy of himself, because it springs from him: it is his own; and every flame that rises from this pure and vigorous fire must be pleasing in his sight: it consumes what is unholy; refines every passion and appetite; sublimes the whole, and assimilates all to itself. And we know that this is the love of God; it differs widely from all that is earthly and sensual.

The Holy Ghost comes with it; by his energy it is diffused and pervades every part; and by his light we discover what it is, and know the state of grace in which we stand. Thus we are furnished to every good word and work; have produced in us the mind that was in Christ; are enabled to obey the pure law of our God in its spiritual sense, by loving him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and our neighbor, any and every soul of man, as ourselves.

True, speaking in tongues and prophesying are other signs that accompany the infilling of the Holy Spirit. But if we lack the fundamental love the Scripture here talks about then these external signs are of no use or it is voided.

This is exactly what Paul writes in I Corinthians 13:1-3

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

So, now you know if you have received the gift or not. If you have the assurance you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, Congratulations! Continue to abide in His love! If you are not sure, continue to pray for the gift.

In the next couple of days we will see further manifestation of the Gift of the Holy Spirit such as speaking in tongues and prophesying. May God be glorified in and through us!

Pin It Now!

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all. Acts 19:1-7

Our discussion on the Holy Spirit continues... Some might ask if these kinds of discussions are even necessary at the coffee table. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

And that is exactly what we are upto - to know the truth...

Many denominations within the Church argue Holy Spirit is received when a person believes Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior or when the believer takes baptism. True to some extent. When a person is born again he has accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and has an assurance his sins are forgiven. Definitely Holy Spirit dwells in him. However, this is different from the manifestation of Holy Spirit that we are discussing here.

In the above passage we see that the desciples were believers for a while; yet the manifestation of the Holy Spirit as mentioned in terms of speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. was a new experience for them. That is what we want - this renewing, regenerating gift which is the infilling of the Holy Spirit!

How and why receiving the anointing of Holy Spirit important?
To live a holy life would be the simple answer, as we discussed few days ago. To continue to abide in Him. To be used for His glory.

How do we receive the Holy Spirit?
By inviting Him into our hearts with a sincere desire for Him. Luke 11:9-10 says, "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."

For those who are not sure, you don't have to take my word for it. Try a simple prayer with an earnest heart and God will reveal it to you.

"Our Father in heaven! We come at your presence this morning with an earnest heart to receive the Holy Spirit Lord. If it is true that there is an experience of infilling of the Holy Spirit, then reveal it to me Lord. Teach me according to the Scriptures Lord. You speak into my heart Lord. You guide me Lord. I too want the same experience of the infilling of the Holy Spirit, Lord. Anoint me Lord; Fill me Lord. Give me the gift of the Holy Spirit Lord! In Jesus's name I pray, amen!"

How do we know we have received the Holy Spirit?
We'll discuss that tomorrow...