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 What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. Isaiah 46:11

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

The LORD Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand. Isaiah 14:24

Here we are on the last day of 2013! Tomorrow it will be a brand new year!

God bless each one of you gathering here day after day to dine with the Lord Jesus. Coffee with Jesus has been a wonderful experience for me and I praise God for the many promises He has given us all through the year.

For some of us we are still waiting for some of the promises to come true. May I encourage you in the Lord according to the Scriptures shared today, the Lord will bring about what He has planned. Never doubt His promises.

Hold fast to your faith. In the end it will all be worth it.

Here's wishing you a blessed New Year 2014. Looking forward to a great year ahead "dining" with you and the Lord here at Coffee with Jesus. God bless you all.

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



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

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

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

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

Happy Feast of Ingathering!

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

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

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

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

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

In His Service,
~ NRIGirl

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Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran.

When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” Genesis 28:10-22

Blessed day all! The Scripture here describes the first ever encounter of God, Jacob had in his life. When he was running all alone, fearing retaliation of his brother Esau. The God whom he had heard a mention of by his father Isaac, his grandfather Abraham, now meets him face to face!

Jacob took it to heart, made a wow, and was blessed accordingly, just as he was promised.

The same promise is given us this morning, to all of us who have gathered here in His name!

"... I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

Whether we claim it as ours, what we do with it, is entirely up to us. In my case, I choose to believe! Amen!

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* LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. Psalm 16:5-6

* I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Lamentations 3:24


A portion or a share is a part of the whole, an allotment, if you will, mostly referred to as an inheritance. It could be a portion of the booty or plunder that one had the right to, or the portion of land that belonged to one in the division of an estate.

So, to say that the Lord is our portion means that we will trust in the Lord for our portion, for our inheritance, for our lot, for our part, for our rightful allotment.

It also means that whatever we enjoy at current times, all the little blessings, are given us by the Lord as our portion and secured lot! The joy in our heart, the peace of our mind, the confidence in our Lord are all part of His grace we enjoy.

Today is the last Friday of the year 2013! From the very beginning of this year to now His mercy has been sufficient for us.

Let us praise Him with a grateful heart for securing our lot and for being our portion. Amen!

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* "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. Isaiah 1:18
* "Present your case," says the LORD. "Set forth your arguments," says Jacob's King. Isaiah 41:21
* Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence. Isaiah 43:26

It appears that our Lord is in for a long haul this morning. He is calling us to go reason with Him - to present our case before Him - to argue the matter together - in other words to have a heart to heart conversation with Him!

If something is nagging in your mind and you are not sure what to make of it, this could be the time you get His guidance on! Or the things you have no control on and which are beyond your reach, just surrender those to Him. I am sure He can handle it well. Of course tell Him about the certain things that were quite disappointing lately, the health report, the pressure at work, the weight gain, tell Him all in all. He will listen; you will feel lighter.

Sure, tell Him why you did certain things certain way and why something someone said you do not approve of, what you are really sorry about, etc. Tell Him about everything that has been bothering you lately and the little things that made you smile. Remember the new red shoes you recently found on sale; well, don't forget to thank Him for that...

Remember, this is a two way conversation; He may also have something to say to you... Something you said or did that He doesn't approve of, or something you said and did that He is so proud of. He will assure you He loves you and has all your worries in control and will remind you the areas in which he expects you to improve. Overall it will be a great conversation to reflect on! So, let's get started now...

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Merry Christmas everyone! Here's a repost from a few years ago; 'The night before Christmas' in my own imagination...


Mary and Joseph had just arrived in Bethlehem. They stopped by a few places to see if they can get a room. Most had the sign out: "House Full!", "No Room!". None. Not even one. One man was kind enough to show them his manger saying, "May be you could use this?!" Joseph looked around the place with Mary and sure it wasn't their type. The walls and floors and roof, everything was wrong, but it has to do for now. It is already too late. Mary wanted off that donkey ride. She has had enough. They had traveled far and now they needed to rest!

Joseph gets her down the donkey and helps her in to the cow shed. Sits her down on some hay and quickly sets off to clean the place. The animals were just moved out and so the place was stinking. There is nothing much he can do about it and they have to adjust for the night somehow. May be tomorrow he would set off early to knock at a few more doors to find a better place. For tonight this has to do.

Mary is in no mood to look around her boarding. She is glad the ride is over. It will be a quick night she tells herself; soon it will be day. She was not worried about the baby too. After all if what the angel had told her about this child she was carrying was true, that He was the Savior of the world, then no way she was going to deliver him tonight. Not here, not tonight, not in this dirty muddy manger. The Savior has to be born in a better surrounding in more comfort where she would have maids to attend on her and atleast some warm water and clean clothes at her disposal. So she was least worried about the rest of the night.

Elsewhere in Bethlehem the shepherds had called it a day. They were locals. They had stayed put in their father's homes in their native town which made it convenient as they didn't have to travel like most others did to register their names for the ongoing census.They had gathered their flocks from the mountain sides, plains and valleys, counted them all and were satisfied with the numbers. One of them grew a fire. It was bright and warm against the dark and cold night. Few were resting their heads while the others had a conversation going. Mostly it was about the travelers they talked.

Suddenly an angel appeared before them lighting up the night sky announcing the good news that their Savior has been born! Hosts of more angels joined him singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Just like how they appeared out of nowhere they disappeared suddenly leaving the shepherds in awe of wonder and the sky still illuminated with the trail of their glow.

Mary had been wrong. The Savior was indeed born! That very night! In the manger! She had to do with some rags she could find here and there. She was in tears looking at the child - the God child - God Himself in human form - smiling back at her! She was blaming herself for not being prepared to receive Him. Joseph was speechless. He felt bad too that inspite of the angel's advance notification about the nature of this Child, how was it that He didn't make arrangements for a better place? It was God Himself in human form, the child he was holding. He couldn't believe his eyes.

If only He had been born at his home, he wouldn't have had to deal with Him first hand. Maids would have cleaned the child up, helped Mary up and he would have made sure the needs of the Mother and Child were met. Here he is all alone with the new born. What was he to do? How was he to care? Could he quickly set out to buy something for Mary? Could she manage while he was gone? Is the Child too cold in the rags? Is the hay too prickly for His back? Is Mary okay? So many thoughts rush through his mind and he is not sure what to do and in which order.

If only he had some company... Sooner than he finished his thoughts loads of shepherds show up at the stall, to salute the King Child. They have brought with them milk, honey and curd and other eatables. They are helping around the place. They know what is best to keep warm for the night. Someone grows a fire. Someone shares his extra blanket with Joseph. Someone warms up some water and roasts some grains for Mary. The Child is lovely. He is their Savior! Sure He is!

This very Child who later gave up His life to redeem the lost world, more importantly me... My Savior whose flesh was torn, whose body was pierced, whose hands were nailed down, whose words were ridiculed, who was mocked at, yelled at, spit at, who was abandoned by all, to the point of death! However, He endured it all and conqured them all! All for me!

Merry Christmas everyone! The Savior is born!

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Remove sorrow from thy heart - Ecclesiastes 11:10

Just as holidays can make us merry, holidays can make some sad, very sad. Remembering loved ones long gone, missing fun old days and more importantly whatever you are facing at the current times may make it impossible to enjoy like the rest of the clan. If that's you, this message is for you! Read on...

It takes an active commitment in our part to remove sorrow from our heart. Just as "Be happy" is a command, "Remove sorrow" is a command to us. It starts with you!

Let's say you are feeling alone, why not invite a friend over? You may be ministering to her/him. What about sharing about your loved ones whom you are grieving about, over the dinner table with your family? Sure it will ease some grief and will allow them to share their recollection too.

Above all, how about taking it to God's feet? Let us sit down at His presence, be it in the car, or your closet, or kitchen table, find a few minutes to be alone with God. Pour out all your grieving thoughts, whatever is bothering you this very moment. Cry it out. Ask Him to remove sorrow from your heart and He will!

I truly believe God is talking to each one of us through this blog post. Remain happy in the Lord! That is our strength. God bless you!

Merry Christmas!

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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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You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. Psalm 65:9

Living Water is yet another name for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is no wonder there are so many scripture verses referring to this refreshing Living Water. The water that flows from Him does nourish our body, mind and soul.

He cares for the land (us) and waters (provides) for it. When He blesses it is not by human measures; He enriches us abundantly! I would like to insist blessing is not always in material form. Blessing is the joy, the salvation, the peace, the faith, the walk, the leading, the slow still voice, the daily providence, even our very breath, the fact that our systems work the way it should, etc. Don't we have these things in abundance? Are we not enriched by countless blessings already?! Amen!

And of course, blessings are not always spiritual form. There are these material blessings too such as the house, the job, the children, the vacation, the bonus, the new tires in the car, the flowers your special someone brought, the robins that visit your window sill, and the rest in those lines. Remember, the streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain.

As long as our focus is on the One who blesses us and not the blessings in itself, we will continue to be blessed. Stay blessed today!

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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

Thank you for joining us here at the coffee table amidst your busy schedule for the day. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, with our friends and family, here's a quick reminder:
Do not become weary in doing good!

Our efforts of good will though seem unnoticed and under appreciated by people around, it is well registered in the sight of the Lord and will be duely rewarded.

Jesus himself has explained it in His own words in the Scripture portion below:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’  Matthew 25:34-40


It is important to do good so that we can be part of this blessed group of flock mentioned above. The gentle reminder from the Holy Spirit this morning is to not grow weary of doing good. In other words, let us continue doing good!

God bless you all!

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

Interesting how a second day in a row we are reminded about "asking our Father". Sure it is to teach us something. How to ask and receive. How to depend on God for our every need.

Isn't it true that when it comes to buying gifts for our children we only want the best, even if it is a little over our budget? We go above and beyond to get our kids the special something they have been asking for - right?!

We are human, sinful, limited in our capacity to love unconditionally. Yet we care nothing but the best for our children. Now think of the contrasting nature of God who is Holy, sinless, full of grace and mercy and loves us unconditionally. Would it be beyond His means to treat us to the best, when we ask for it? Definitely not!

Though it is in context with spiritual gifts this Scripture is about, I believe we can hang on to it for our regular needs too. It will be given; we only need to ask!

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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. Amen!

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You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Joel 2:26

Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. Leviticus 26:5

The Scriptures are filled with blessings and promises like above. Yet, some of us have a problem with worry! Worry by definition means to give way to anxiety or unease; to allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles. Is it human? Yes. Is it biblical? No!

Let us say your own father has written down a Will to provide for your needs rest of your life.Would you be at ease or continue to worry? I am sure you will be at ease knowing your needs have been taken care of. Why then it is difficult for us to trust the Will our Heavenly Father has written down for us in the Scriptures?!

Jesus preached the following which is recorded in the Gospels:

Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34

Here are God's promises for us for today:
You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Joel 2:26

Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. Leviticus 26:5

So, what have you decided on? Would you continue to worry or choose to believe in the promises of God? I choose to believe!

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Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Today's Scripture is the chief commandment in the Law of the Lord. How many of us can assure that we follow it just as it says.

Do we love the Lord? With all our heart? With all our soul? With all our strength? With a superlative love, above everyone else, with the whole of our hearts, with a fervency of our spirits, with such sincerity of our souls, with every little strength we have? Well then! You rock!

But for those who are not so sure, let us take a pause.

If God is not your first love, who else is? If it is not possible for you to devote your heart, mind and soul to God, who/what has hold of your being? What prevents you from getting closer to God?

Is there anything you can do about it this year? This month? Today?

Is there some way you can show Him that you do love Him above all else?

Can we help in anyway we can? Please share...

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Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Psalm 2:12

Kissing is a token of expressing affection. We don't just kiss anybody, but people related to us. So, if we are to kiss the Son, we should have established a personal relationship with Him.

Who is the Son? How do we develop a personal relationship with Him? In I John 4:15 we read, "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God."

Romans 10:9 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

I John 5:5 we read: "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

So, to answer our question: Jesus is the Son of God and by believing in Him we can develop a personal relationship with Him.

Then we can kiss the Son, lest he be angry and we be destroyed in our way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are we who take refuge in him. Amen!

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* My lover is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies. Song of Solomon 2:16
* I am my lover's and my lover is mine; he browses among the lilies. Song of Solomon 6:3
* I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me. Song of Solomon 7:10

No doubt the couple depicted in Song of Solomon is head over heals in love with one another; repeatedly they reassure their love for each other.

Hopefully it is the same with our love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When was the last time we told Him we are His and He is ours? When was the last time we heard Him speak in His slow still voice? Are we sure of our love? Then why aren't we spending time with Him whenever possible?

His love remains constant; it is us who waver from time to time. Let us see what we can do to rekindle our love for our Lord today. At least once tell Him how much you love Him today; it won't be long before you hear Him say the same and more to you.

Let's enjoy His loving presence rest of the day. Never doubt God's love for you.

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

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A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice. Isaiah 42:3

The reed here implies the weak and fragile among us who sway at the slightest wind. A bruised reed would therefore mean the person who has been greatly afflicted by the trials of life, yet not completely broken.

Same way, a smoldering wick has very little strength to stay alive. That's how severe the wind blows.

Today's message is for those who can relate to such a situation. One of my favorite Scripture verse, along those lines, is Isaiah 40:11

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.  Isaiah 40:11

Amen! He is not harsh. He doesn't rush us. He is gentle. He handles us with care.

Please be comforted that our Lord carefully tends to you with much love and care. In faithfulness He will bring your justice. So hang in there...

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"I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you" Haggai 2:23

What is a signet ring? It is a finger ring bearing an engraved signet - an emblem or seal.
Who has a signet ring? The King or a Noble
What is a signet ring used for? It is used to attest the authority of its bearer.

What does the verse above signify for us?
The Lord will make us like His signet ring, or in other words, He will grant us His authority.

What kind of authority?
* authority over the nations Rev 2:26
* authority over evil spirits Mark 6:7
* authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction Mathew 10:1
* authority over all the power of the enemy Luke 10:19

Why? Because he has chosen us

What do we do next? Be a Signet Ring!

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* 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6

* It is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves... I Samuel 17:47

* The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Eccelesiastes 9:11

Do we need anymore assurance than what we have in these Scriptures that our victory belongs to the Lord?

Our might or power can not compare to the Spirit of the Lord. No sword or spear can save us as much as our Lord.

There is no guarantee that the swift will win a race or the strong the battle. Can't take it for granted that the "wise"will be fed or  the "brilliant" will be wealthy or the educated will be "favored".

To sum up, nothing in us is worth anything when it comes to providing for our needs. It is all by His grace we survive. It is a little too hard to accept; as we mostly believe we make our living. But that is not true. There are so many things beyond our control that need to work together for us to live our life. No amount of money can ever buy love, joy or good health.

It is all His grace and only GRACE!

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Today's reading: Proverbs 11 Click here to read online (NIV)

Verse of the day: "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." 11:25 (KJV)

This verse reminds me of another verse from Luke 6:38: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

We can find numerous other verses in the similar lines. The bottom line is 'Being generous'.

My Mom always encourages us whenever we get discouraged of giving. She says, "It is a blessing being at the giving end rather than at the receiving end." How true!

Indeed, giving is better than receiving. Even when it comes to prayer, giving praises to God is far better than always asking for one thing or another.

It may seem like no one is watching our giving or that only we are giving all the time. But remember nothing is hidden from the Lord's eyes and He will repay you for what you have given.

Let us earn to be givers and not so much of receivers! Because that's the true blessing!

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"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done." Revelation 22:12

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Revelation 3:11

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20

Jesus is coming soon! It is what we as believers look forward to, or do we?

I remember as a child and as a young adult, I have expected His return every day. Going to bed my prayer would be, "Lord, if you return tonight please count me in"; waking up my prayer would be, "Lord if you return today, keep me holy and take me along".

However, I admit over the years, His tarrying has made me lose the expectancy of His return, to a point where for days together I have gone without much thought about it.I am sure, all of you believers can relate to this one way or another.

Today's message comes as a reminder that indeed He is coming soon. We must stay focused, not giving yield to the distractions life throws our way. A child like faith, that fully trusts the Word of God, without any reservation or bias, is what is expected of us.

Being always ready for the imminent return of the Lord, should be our constant state of mind. The assurance of forgiveness of our sins and the joy of salvation is what it takes to make us ready for His return.

If anyone here does not have that assurance, please seek Him today. I guarantee you, you will find Him. Amen!

Jesus is coming soon. Until then, happy waiting!

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* My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. Psalm 27:8
* I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
* Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4

King David sets us a good example of seeking the Lord continually, not just on Sundays's not just on mornings but continually - all the days of the week, every hour of each day, every second of each hour...

What does it mean to seek?

The following definintions are given in the dictionary:

1. Attempt to find (something)
2. Attempt or desire to obtain or achieve (something)
3. Ask for (something) from someone
4. Search for and find someone or something
5. Go to (a place)

Now, how do we seek the Lord?

Based on the definition of the word 'seek' we can say,

1. Find out more of the Lord
2. Desire more time with the Lord
3. Pray
4. Search the Scriptures more for hidden treasures.
5. Go to His feet more often.

The Scripture assures, those who seek Him will find Him... (Proverbs 8:17)

Hope you will start seeking from now on... Let's start with the worship service this morning!

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Even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. Zechariah 9:12

Amen! What a beautiful promise from the Lord for us this morning! I am so glad for all of you who didn't miss it over the weekend. May this very promise come true in each one of our lives.

In Isaiah we read, "Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs." Isaiah 61:7

Amen! Such powerful promises we have heard this morning over the coffee table. Let us pause, take a moment to let it sink in! Let us proclaim the promise by our mouth; please repeat this after me:

"Instead of my shame I will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace I will rejoice in my inheritance; and so I will inherit a double portion in my land, and everlasting joy will be mine."

One more time:

"Instead of my shame I will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace I will rejoice in my inheritance; and so I will inherit a double portion in my land, and everlasting joy will be mine."

Amen! It will be so!

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"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2

Prophet Micah lived around the same time as Prophet Isaiah - about 700 years before Christ. Micah had foretold about the exact location of the birth place of the Messiah Jesus Christ as Bethlehem.

Some argue that since Jesus did not establish His kingdom on earth during His first coming, He is not the messiah foretold here. They miss out on the dual role of the Messiah - one as a suffering servant who bears the sins of His people (which was fulfilled by Jesus during His first coming), and next as a triumphant ruler who will exercise authority over the nations (which will be fulfilled by Jesus at His second coming).

What about the statement that His origins are from of old and is from ancient of times? It only means there is no beginning for Jesus Christ we can fathom in our mind - He is from eternal past - He was with God from the ancient of times!

In the Gospel of John he writes about the same which explains it better. John writes in John 1:1-5, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

So true! He shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood Him.

In Him is life! Now, have you found Him?

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"Is the LORD's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you." Numbers 11:23

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

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

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Psalm 24: 3-5

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

Amen! We are reminded this morning over and over again of the importance of seeking a pure heart. A pure heart is in essence clean and void of any debris if you will. A heart that has forgiven others. A heart that loves the Lord with all might. A heart that loves unconditionally. A heart that is constantly connected with the Maker.

It would be a precious thing to possess - a clean heart. Just imagine, a heart that is not burdened with the past, a heart that knows not to carry vengeance, a heart that is full of joy - joy of salvation, a heart that always praises... Indeed precious.

Let us seek the Lord to create a clean heart in us today. Let us consciously pray for it. Let us make every effort to be holy so that we can see the Lord one day - face to face! Amen!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

Apparently 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!

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The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. Isaiah 35:1-2

Praise God for this beautiful verse this morning! May it be Yeah and Amen to those who believe. Your wilderness and my wilderness will rejoice and blossom. It will burst into bloom! Hallelujah!

Since this is a very beautiful passage, I decided to post the rest of the chapter too as part of today's Coffee with Jesus. Slowly read the verses; let it sink in! The passage header says in NIV: Joy of the Redeemed. Since we are the redeemed in fact it is talking about us!

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,

the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;

they will see the glory of the Lord,

the splendor of our God.

Strengthen the feeble hands,

steady the knees that give way;

say to those with fearful hearts,

“Be strong, do not fear;

your God will come,

he will come with vengeance;

with divine retribution

he will come to save you.”

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened

and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Then will the lame leap like a deer,

and the mute tongue shout for joy.

Water will gush forth in the wilderness

and streams in the desert.

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.

And a highway will be there;

it will be called the Way of Holiness.

The unclean will not journey on it;

it will be for those who walk in that Way;

wicked fools will not go about on it.

No lion will be there,

nor will any ferocious beast get up on it;

they will not be found there.

But only the redeemed will walk there,

and the ransomed of the Lord will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;

everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Gladness and joy will indeed overtake us, and sorrow and sighing will flee away... Amen!

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Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited—about thirty in number. Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.”

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

Today we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the United States - a national holiday, kept aside for giving thanks to God Almighty.

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

Let us close our eyes, open our hearts; go through all that happened in our lives since January 1st 2013 to make a list of what we can thank Him for, it could get very long. Even if we were to say one thank you per item on the list, it could be hours before we are done with the list!

Our Lord is not really asking for a list like that - a sincere thanking heart is all He is looking for.

Let us prepare our hearts first, for once putting away other distractions of the holiday in our back burners... Give thanks! For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians5:18)

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. I Chronicles 16:8

Giving thanks - okay we can understand; but what does it have to do with 'making it known among the nations'?

Words have the influence to claim someone for or against a matter. Marketing specialists, can assure you that "word of mouth" is one of the most effective way of marketing technique out there. James chapter 3 goes on and on about the power of the tongue, associating our tongue to the rudder that can steer a huge ship.

In the Gospel of Luke we read of the scene when Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem where people put down the palm branches and their cloak for His colt to walk on. The crowd was singing and praising in loud voice of His many miracles and the disciples rebuked them. Jesus's response was, "if they keep quite, the stones will cry out."

That is true for us too. If we keep quite from proclaiming of His wonders, the stones will cry out - putting us to shame.

So, to answer our question, making known among the nations, means to make a bold statement that we acknowledge or support or affiliate with the brand called Jesus! We are not just stopping with a quick thank you, but we will announce, proclaim, make known of what He has done for us among the nations! You are with me on that - right?!

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“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12

Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults. Isaiah 51:7

During our Christian walk, we have come across situations where the world is quick to insult us believers. They call our ways foolish. They say we don't know to have fun. They mock our humility. They quote Scriptures against us.

We have heard of incidents where believers have been falsely accused and persecuted because of their Christians faith. 

We read of Job in the Scriptures that even though God Himself testified of his merits, he was no exception to their friends' insults. In Job 22 we read, they falsely accused him of corruption, wickedness, greed, selfishness, where as only the opposites were true.

Even as our Lord  & Savior Jesus Christ was led for crucifixion, He addressed the wailing women and tells them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.... For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Luke 23:28~31

Compared to the sufferings the disciples, apostles and many more martyrs have gone thru' in this world, for the sake of the Gospel, no insult is too big to walk with a chip on our shoulder for the rest of our lives.

We read of the apostles in Acts 5:41,  "they went on their way..., rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name." And they continued to preach the Gospel.

Let us too count it a joy when we are insulted for His name sake. We are blessed and homeward bound. Let us continue to live out our faith. Amen!

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

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4

What powerful promises this morning! Praise the Lord!

Though it is widely applicable for all of us believers here at Coffee with Jesus, I can sense that it comes as a direct consolation message to someone in particular going through crying and sorrow this very minute - with no one around to care.

Don't ever think you are alone; you have a great Redeemer - who wipes away your tears, eases your pain, embraces you fully and loves you unconditionally. Amen!

May God bless you and fill you with the promised joy this very day! Repeat the promises to yourself and claim it as your own:

Everlasting joy will crown your head. Gladness and joy will overtake you. Sorrow and sighing will flee away! The Lord will wipe every tear from your eyes!

Can you say amen?

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* 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! Let us go to the house of the Lord!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 I Samuel 17:47

Amen!

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The LORD is near to all them that call on him, to all that call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18

The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? Deuteronomy 4:7

The Lord is near to those who call on Him, those that call on Him in truth. Which makes us believe there are people who call on him not in truth. We see it all around us. Sadly for many, the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, has become a curse word or a fashion statement or in other words, they use the name of the Lord in vain.

Let us be careful not to use the Lord's name in vain. Let us regard Him when we call upon His name. Then we will know He is near. He will hear our cry when we call Him in truth, that is when we mean it!

Keep calling the name of the Lord in truth, to keep Him near - how about that?! 

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

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8 

Be blessed everyone. Enjoy the Friday. Be good as always, over the weekend. Stop by for some coffee if you have a minute to spare...

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“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed." Joel 2:25-26

I am not sure if you noticed a very interesting Scripture among the promises the Lord gave us yesterday, here at Coffee with Jesus. That's the Scripture above,for our "coffee" today.

About 8 years ago, we were experiencing downtime. We had three houses in mortgage, we were trying to sell two, but it took forever to find a buyer. We had lost a fair amount in our 401K savings. And on top of that I was without a job for a few months. Naturally my spirit was low.

Then one day, I can vividly remember it; I was kneeling by the bed, reading the Bible and told myself I will not stop reading until I hear from the Lord. Not sure how long I was reading, but as I got to these verses, I knew for sure it was God speaking to me. Hallelujah! I was overjoyed at His direct message and intense promise for me! I took it to heart. I held fast to it. I was sad no more. I was telling everyone at home how God has promised to repay us for everything we had lost.

In the next few months everything fell in place. The long pending houses got sold, we could readjust our current mortgage, I found a job, and things have been a blessing since then. The promise has been fulfilled! Amen!

Why do I share this? So that you all come to experience the joy of hearing from the Lord. Speaking to Him is one thing - in our prayers, in our thoughts, in our songs etc. But hearing from Him completes our communication. Mostly we hear from Him through His Scriptures.

Next time you read your Bibles, let your hearts be open to hear Him speak.

Also, claim these promises for your lives today. May the Lord repay you for everything you have lost over the years. May you have plenty to eat, until you are full, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again may you be shamed. Amen! 

God bless you all! Happy Thursday!

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I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil,

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You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. Psalm 45:7

"Rejoice!" is an often mentioned command throughout the Scriptures.  Yet, that is one area we Christians fail from time to time. All it takes is one criticism or one sickness or one crisis, or <you name it>, to offset us from our joy of salvation.

"Rejoice!" by it self implies that it is something within our capacity to do, not necessarily something others can do for us. If it were so, the command would have been something like "Make him/her rejoice".

One may wonder how we can rejoice irrespective of the circumstances. Or is it even possible to rejoice always? Yes, when God anoints us with the oil of joy we can rejoice in all situations! What it takes to be anointed with oil of joy? According to today's Scripture, when we love righteousness and hate wickedness God will anoint us with the oil of joy.

To add, anytime we feel that the joy within us is lost, we need to repent and cry out to the Lord for restoring our joy. We are familiar with Psalm 51 where King David cries out "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Let this be our prayer too today: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Amen!

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'I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD Jeremiah 30:17

Today's message is for the sick among us. Please be encouraged our Lord will restore your health and heal your wounds. As Prophet Isaiah foretold about Christ the Lord in his book, "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

Amen! By His wounds we are healed. Praying over my children when they get sick, I often envision touching the blood that runs from the cross and applying it over them. When I pray for our household I envision sprinkling the shed blood of Jesus Christ in our door steps, in each room, in our foreheads, over our territory etc.

What good is the Christian faith if we only talk about healing but do not actually believe it for our selves? What benefit it is if we proclaim the blood of Jesus Christ heals our diseases but do not really apply it over us? If we know of a new ointment that could heal the skin condition would we not go buy it and start using it religiously? Then what is preventing us from giving the same seriousness if not more to the healing powers of Christ our Lord?

We are indeed healed! Let us proclaim health over us and our families and diligently apply His protection over us and ours. He will restore us to health and heal our wounds! Amen!

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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

Months ago we had discussed about 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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"Let not your heart be troubled..." John 14:1-3

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

These are Jesus's parting words to His disciples. Soon after this conversation which happened during the Last Supper, He was to be crucified.

I would like to quote from Barnes notes on the Bible:

The disciples had been greatly distressed at what Jesus had said about leaving them. Perhaps they had indicated their distress to him in some manner by their countenance or their expressions, and he proceeds new to administer to them such consolations as their circumstances made proper.

The discourse in this chapter was delivered, doubtless, while they were sitting at the table partaking of the Lord's Supper;  were while they were on their way to the Mount of Olives.

There is nowhere to be found a discourse so beautiful, so tender, so full of weighty thoughts, and so adapted to produce comfort, as that which occurs in these chapters of John.

It is the consolatory part of our religion, where Christ brings to bear on the mind full of anxiety, and perplexity, and care, the tender and inimitably beautiful truths of his gospel - truths fitted to allay every fear, silence every complaint, and give every needed consolation to the soul.

In the case of the disciples there was much to trouble them. They were about to part with their beloved, tender friend. They were to be left alone to meet persecutions and trials. They were without wealth, without friends, without honors. And it is not improbable that they felt that his death would demolish all their schemes, for they had not yet fully learned the doctrine that the Messiah must suffer and die.

We are in a better position than what the disciples were at; don't you think?

We know for a fact our Savior has risen! We have experienced the Great Comforter the Holy Spirit. We have the Scripture that sheds light on fulfilled prophesies; we hear of testimonies of lives changed because of salvation. We have friends and family who are tolerant of our faith.

We are not threatened to be killed for the Gospel of Christ. Above all we have the comforting presence of the Lord Jesus Christ always with us.

Then why are we troubled often?  What bothers you?

Let us take comfort in His love and accept the peace He offers.  Now.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you. Psalm 55:22

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Today, if you would hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness... Psalm 95:7-8

So, how exactly does God speak to us? For some God speaks to them in visions, dreams and even audibly. But for most part, God speaks to us through His Scriptures - the Holy Bible! The Holy Spirit residing in us, will make us conscious to specific Scriptures, as we read it. That's why it is vital to read the Word of God on a regular basis, with an expectation to hear from Him.

We would wish He was "louder" at times. But it is against His very nature to force an entry in our lives. He simply knocks. Gently provokes. Quietly talks. If our hearts are sensitive to His call and ears are attentive to His voice , we will open at once, obey immediately & listen patiently.

True, sometimes we will hear what we don't want to hear. That's when most of us suffer the "hardening of the heart" syndrome. We twist and turn and make things work out the way we had intended it to, in the first place. We come up with logical reasoning as to why we can't do what the Lord prompts us to do. We find excuses to downplay His voice - the gentle reminder from His Scriptures.

Once I was in a grocery store line and noticed our youth pastor and his wife were just behind me. I was prompted to pay their bill, but I felt so awkward suggesting it. I reasoned out, it would be embarrassing for them if I paid for their groceries in the public. I entertained thoughts that may be I was seeking my fame. But neither was true. What was true was that God prompted me gently and I did not obey. I could have been a source of blessing to our pastors that day.But I chose to walk away. To this day I have my regrets.

But today, if you heard His voice, please do not harden your hearts, as you have done several times in the past...

Today we will obey!

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Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory. Psalm 115:1

There appears to be a hurriedness about King David's words here; as if he had the slightest inclination to take some pride but immediately decided against it.

Or it could be that someone went on and on praising the king and he gives all that glory to God Himself. Either way we can understand that his focus was on giving glory to God.

Is that our focus too? When someone praises us for something, do we take it with a "thank you" or do we say, "it's all because of the Lord" thus giving glory to God's name?

When the slightest pride shows up on our accomplishment do we feed on it or rush to eliminate the pride and give glory to God alone?

How often do we say, "Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory..."?

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Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:18

Easier said than done, you would agree- to give thanks in all circumstances. We all have something to be thankful for; but honestly can we say we are thankful for everything? Paul instructs us we should be!

There is an illustration I had read somewhere, where everyone was asked to bundle up their problems and throw it in a basket; and later each person was asked to take one bundle from the basket; interestingly most of them walked away with their original bundle. What this tells us is that what one might frown as "problem" is nothing compared to what someone else is going through.

Once I fell down in an airport elevator trying to handle two toddlers by myself. Got some scratches on my foot and felt terrible about the situation. What my little daughter - hardly four at that time - told me, made me to think. She said, "It's okay Mommy! It could have been worse!"

How true! Since then I have learnt to take things in the lighter sense which has helped me remain grateful in most circumstances - if not all, which I am striving for.

As we get ready for our annual feast of Thanksgiving let us learn to look at our problems from a different angle today, from an outsider's perspective; see if it is not something to be grateful for after all?!

Let me remind you once again: Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Amen!

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"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!

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As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you! Isaiah 62:5

God's love has been personified in many roles such as father, mother, master, friend and also lover and here the groom. What that implies is that He perfects each role in its fullest. No one can love us as much as He does in any role. He is the ultimate Mother, Father, Lover, Master, Friend and Groom.

The fondness between a bride and groom is a very special kind of love. To know God rejoices over us like a groom would rejoice over his bride is very exciting, is it not? It implies that the bride (us) ought to love Him (God) like a bride would rejoice over her groom, does it not? Are we?

Do we love Him the best? Are we constantly indulged in thoughts of Him? Are we looking forward to spending time with Him as much as possible? Do we long to see Him?

As we go in to worship Him today, let us go with a new kind of fondness, a new perspective, a new infilling of love and a special bonding to fall in love with Him all over again. Let's go celebrate with our Groom!

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Continue to work out your salvation... Philippians 2:12

In order to understand this verse first we need to fully understand what is salvation. Thinkexist.com has a beautiful explanation which goes, "The redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, and the conferring on him of everlasting happiness.

We as believers have experienced this salvation - the assurance that all our sins have been washed by His blood and that we are forever His. How do we continue to work out our salvation? Now that's the question.

We have the answer given to us in the following verses: Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe... Philippians 2:14,15

Amen! Let us do everything without complaining or arguing. We need to take an effort to continue to work out the salvation which we have received so gracefully. Shall we?