Pin It Now!

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. Proverbs 12:16

How many of us are wise based on the standard set forth here by today's Scripture? I feel ashamed to say I am not.

The fact of the matter is we can be gentle and polished outwardly - at work, in the church, with friends for example; but at home we could be way different, annoyed, irritated, frustrated, angry, whatever you want to call it.

Just realized this is foolish and sinful. What do we do then when situation calls for it - when the spouse is forever working, when the house is a total mess, when the chicken doesn't thaw on time?? The Scipture teaches us to overlook these insults to stay prudent.

Very hard I am sure. But we can all try. After all it's a new month and why not strive for something new - prudence?!

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Proverbs 29:11

Pin It Now!

* Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy Exodus 15:6
* The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has done mighty things! Psalm 118:16

I was wondering why the Scriptures specifically talks about God's right hand and came up with some thoughts I wanted to share with you.

The right hand is significantly "honorable" than the left, you might agree. We salute with the right hand, we place the right hand on our chest while taking an oath , we write/eat with the right hand, we shake hands with the right hand, in most customs we give/take things to/from elders with our right hand, we say good bye with our right hand, we bless someone with our right hand, etc.

For God to hold our right hand and still lead us, I imagine God is facing towards us holding our right hand pulling us out of a pit. In today's scriptures we see Moses and King David singing about the mighty right hand of God. It was only possible because they took no credit for themselves in any of their victory but gave all the credit to God's right hand which was holding them and leading them.

The very same right hand is holding and leading us today! Isn't that remarkable? Amen! Our God's right hand is majestic in power today; it will shatter our enemy! Our Lord's right hand is lifted high; it will do mighty things!

Pin It Now!

Of all the conversations mentioned in the Bible, the one I truly enjoy is that between Gideon and the angel of the Lord. Gideon at first does not know that it was an angel he was talking to and is quite candid about his faith. When the angel of the Lord greats him, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior", without skipping a beat Gideon asks, "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happend to us?" To understand Gideon's aloofness and frustrations we need to know little bit of his background.

In Judges 6th chapter we read, "Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it."

It is beyond our comprehension to even imagine how it would be to live in constant fear like that not for one or two days but for seven long years! Even as the angel is talking to him, Gideon is actually threshing wheat in a winepress. Wheat is normally threshed in the wheat field - right?, but to save it from the Midianites he was threshing it in a winepress. So you get a picture of his plight.

The Angel's response was, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel " Let's stop at that for today's coffee!

Putting your frustrations away, go in the strength you have, against your "Midianites"; the victory is yours...

(If you would like to read the whole conversation and what happens after, continue to read Book of Judges Chapter 6 & 7 )

Pin It Now!

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

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?

Pin It Now!

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

Is there an area in your life where you often experience shame, reproach, ridicule, are you taken for granted, made fun of or be a laughing stock?

The word today says instead of your shame, you will have a double portion and that you will enjoy everlasting joy.

Double portion here could be our physical blessings such as job, home, promotion, etc. But more importantly a double portion of spiritual blessings such as more joy, more peace, more love, more infilling of the Holy Ghost, more of faith, more of dependency on the Lord, more adoration for Him, more souls for His kingdom...etc. are definitely sources of everlasting joy.

When we have more of these spiritual blessings we will be "double grateful" for all the blessings we have been granted. When we are well satisfied with what we have, definitely it brings everlasting joy and instead of our disgrace we will rejoice in our inheritance. Amen!

Enjoy your weekend!

Pin It Now!

"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15

What is greed? I am sure all of us know what greed means; however I thought it will be a good idea to start with the definition. Greed means: 'An excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth'.

We sometimes tend to wrongly measure our happiness against what we have, which causes us to envy others and greed for more. Some may ask what is wrong with greed as it only motivates us to 'be better off'? Is it so?

Well, if you think about it, greed makes us selfish, workaholics, spendthrifts, debtors and in the long run we will tend to lose focus on our priorities and run after things of this world soon forgetting the importance of the Eternal Glory we ought to be bound for.

That's the very reason why Jesus warns us to be on our guard against all kinds of greed. He also reminds us that the measure of our life is not in terms of our possession.

Here is another verse to set us on our track rest of the way.In I John 2:15 we read, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

King David shares in similar lines in one of his Psalms. In Psalm 62:12 he writes, "...though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them."

What do you think, is it hard to heed to these instructions?

Pin It Now!

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

What is hypocrisy? A quick look up in the dictionary explains hypocrisy as "the practice of professing standards, beliefs, etc., contrary to one's real character or actual behaviour, esp the pretence of virtue and piety".

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

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

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

2. Hypocrisy is insinuating. Leaven will soon pervade the whole mass. So hypocrisy will, if undetected and not removed, soon pervade all our exercises and feelings.

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

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

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

Pin It Now!

* Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22
* Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. I Peter 5:7
* I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. Hosea 14:8
* And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you Matthew: 6:30
* You saw how the LORD your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Deuteronomy 1:31

Today's message is specially for those who constantly worry about this or that. The verses here make it crystal clear that our Lord will sustain us through our tough times as long as we cast our cares on Him. What does it mean to cast our cares on the Lord?

It simply means bringing our burdens to His feet, praying it over from the depth of our hearts, crying it over (if we feel like) at His feet (not to anyone else), and then no longer be burdened by it but rejoice in His love. You might ask how is it even possible not to be burdened by it?

The answer is if you truly believe God will answer your prayers and handle it for you, you will know better to refrain from worrying further. Or in other words if you continue to worry it only means you have not trusted Him to lead you through.

I am casting all my worries right away; hope you will join me too!

Pin It Now!

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

Our heart is the precious of all organs - vital for our survival. No wonder the scripture says we need to guard it with all diligence. While looking up this verse I came across a sermon by Rev. Adrian Dieleman. Thought of sharing the highlights with you for today's coffee.
What does the Bible say what heart is:
* Heart is a physical organ and food & drink strengthens it
* The heart is the focus of intellectual life. The heart is connected with thinking
* Acts of the will are considered to arise in the heart
* Heart is closely connected to the feelings and affections of a person: joy, fear, discouragement, sorrow, hate, love.
* The heart is spoken of as the conscience.
* The heart represents a person's true nature or character.
* The heart is the place where God does His work in the individual.
* The heart is the dwelling place of God.

Who can attack our heart?:
* Sin & Satan - God lives in our heart. But so does sin and Satan. The two cannot coexist. This means our heart is a battleground between God and Satan. Both lay claim to our heart. Both want to be master of our heart. Both want the allegiance of our heart.
* World - The world hates Jesus along with His followers.
* The acts of our sinful nature
The devil is our opponent who attacks us from the outside. The world is the hostile environment in which we live. And our own "flesh" is the enemy within us.

How do we guard our heart?:
* To "guard our heart" our heart needs to belong to God.
* We need to listen to the Word of God if we want to guard our heart
* Be part of a church in the fellowship of believers
* Steer clear of sin.
Our heart is precious. Our heart is under attack. So, let's guard our heart!

Pin It Now!

Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. Psalm 119:116

Delayed hope wears us down. Every one can relate to it. Let us see some examples from the  Scriptures of godly men on how they handled the stress associated with delayed hope.

King David reverts to prayer and supplication. There are numerous accounts of him praying and pleading thru' his psalms. He was certain his help would come from the Lord.

He sings: Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Psalm 54:4

Prophet Jeremiah learnt to wait for the Lord. He writes in Lamentations 3:21-24:

My soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

So, when delayed hope wears us down we should revert to:

* Prayer & supplication; be sure the Lord alone can help
* Waiting for the Lord

Is that hard?

Pin It Now!

Glad you could stop by for some time with Jesus this morning. I guess some of you stayed up late to get the first glimpse of today's coffee and some of you woke up early to accommodate it in your schedule; appreciate it much. It is fun to have company for coffee with Jesus!

Today for a change we are going to open our mouth and praise the Lord. You would all agree mostly our prayers are made from the heart - true. But to open our mouths wide and  praise is a liberating experience. In Psalms 81:10 we read,  "Open wide your mouth and I will fill it, says the Lord"

Hosea 14:2 specifically says, "Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips."

As important it is to pray from the bottom of our heart, is to pray with the words from our mouth too. Not sure how your comfort level is with that, but give it a try, you will feel the difference. As it is promised our Lord will fill it - with praise, with scriptures, with Holy Spirit, with tongues, with His words, prophecy and more praise.

For the next few moments, let us forget everything around us, everyone near us and just open our mouths wide and praise the Lord, praise His holy name, offering the calves of our lips to receive the fill for the day! Amen!

Pin It Now!

Glad you could stop by for some Coffee with Jesus this morning. 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 weekend folks! Remember: His Mercy endureth for ever...

Pin It Now!

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

Pin It Now!

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

Let us pray:

Our Father in heaven, thank you for this time together at your presence Lord. Thank you for every one of us gathered here in your name Lord. We are here to seek for a new heart and new spirit you have promised us Lord.

Some of us come with a heavy heart this morning Lord. Some of us have hardened heart Lord. Some of us are fearful Lord. Some of us are shameful Lord. Some of us are feeble at heart Lord. Some of us have heart disease Lord. We submit all of us at your feet Lord.

Your Word promises us that you will give us a new heart Lord. Please grant us one Lord. To each one of us Lord.

Give us a heart of flesh, sensitive to your touch, completely healed, forgiven, loved and filled up to the rim and overflowing with your love and grace Lord. Please mold us Lord. Please make us Lord. And use us for your glory Lord.

Please heal those among us who have been diagnosed with physical heart conditions Lord. Please touch them and heal them this very minute Lord. Let them feel your arms embracing them this very minute Lord. Let them sense your presence fill their rooms this very minute Lord. Let them experience the power of your hands reaching out to them this very minute Lord. Please heal them Lord. Please touch them Lord. Remove all the pain Lord. Completely heal them Lord.

Thank you Jesus. Thank you Savior. Thank you Holy Spirit. We love you and praise you and glorify your name Lord. In Jesus Christ's most powerful name we pray, Amen!

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

Pin It Now!

He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5

Birth is the beginning of life; to be born again, is to begin to live anew - redeemed, reformed &  regenerated. A second chance at life. A life with Christ. A life born in Christ. A life filled with Christ. A clean slate. A baby you! Brand new. Just born. Now growing in Christ, cherishing His bread (Word of God), drinking from the streams of living water (Holy Spirit), and ever evolving to reflect Christ. Amen!

What it is to be born again? Good question. Nicodemus the Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council had the very question one night.

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
 
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. II Corinthians 5:17

Pin It Now!

Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. Revelation 21:1

Clearly this new heaven and new earth the Lord is preparing for us is in vast contrast from the current earth we live in.

We read in Genesis 1:9, And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” 

So, in the current earth, we have the seas. In the new earth there is no sea!

Sea represents the deepest depths on this earth. Sea brings to our minds storms, tsunamis, turbulence, darkness, fear and death. The fact that there is no sea in the new earth clearly explains the void of any of these calamities that can be associated with the seas, which clearly indicates the opposite is true of hell - referred as the deepest pit of gloom (2 Peter 2:4).

It is an awesome place the new earth God is preparing for us. We can see the certainty of the promises of God continuing through the rest of the passage:

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘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.”
I trust that none of the readers here at Coffee with Jesus are among the blacklisted categories mentioned above. Let us praise God we are homeward bound! Amen!

Pin It Now!

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3

When do we need a new song? Only when the old songs aren't enough to praise Him. Which means that the latest deliverance or blessing we received from Him is so good that we don't find anything appropriate to sing and worship Him with. Our heart just opens up bubbling with a new song of praise.

It is a wonderful experience when you don't have anything but only gratitude for the Lord. When you come to His presence without the long to-do list but only with praise and worship from a very grateful heart.

When we sing such new song of praise, as King David suggests many will see and fear and put their trust too in the Lord. What an awesome way to share our testimony - by being a living proof!

As we start a new week today, let us for once forget our list of requests and only praise and worship the Lord with a grateful heart and a new song of praise. Then many will see and fear and put their trust too in the Lord.

God bless you all and have a great Monday!

Pin It Now!

Teach me to do your will... Psalm 143:10

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

Here in Psalm 143, he prays, "Teach me to do your will". In Psalm 25:4 he sings, "Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths". Again in Psalm 119:12 he says, "teach me your decrees". In Psalm 139:24 he asks, "See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting".

As a King he couldn't just say words he did not mean. He was indeed making strong statements here. He was constantly seeking God's will in His life. Sure enough God led his path, even when his foot slipped, he was forgiven and set on solid rock!

Many of us wonder from time to time, "How do we know the will of God?" When we constantly seek the will of God like King David did, God reveals Himself to us - in ways we can not imagine - sometimes very subtle - as if it is a secret between you and Him! But sure you will know it when He speaks to you.

Just be keen to listen Him speak!

God bless you as you gladly join the fellow believers this morning!

Pin It Now!

With a noise like that of chariots they(the army of locusts) leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle. Joel 2:5

In the book of Joel we read of many end time prophesies and here in Chapter 2 a detailed description of an army of locusts. If you have some time today I encourage you to read the full chapter to get a glimpse of the impending danger by an invasion of locusts. It is dreadful to realize that such destruction could be caused by swarms of locusts. It is absolutely horrifying even to read.

The chapter does not end with just the warning; but goes on to explain how we can escape the ordeal. This clearly shows the love of the Lord to protect us from these calamities. In verses 12-13 we read:

“Even now,” declares the Lord,

“return to me with all your heart,

with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

Rend your heart

and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:12-13

You may ask, what does rending our hearts or repenting have to do with escaping the army of locusts. The answer is in verse 32: And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Joel 2:32 Amen!

If we are intune with the Lord, we will be caught up in the sky when Christ returns to gather His Church before such calamities strike the earth. Praise the Lord!

We have been warned. Let us heed to it. It is time to return to the Lord with all our heart! Yes, today!

Pin It Now!

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Psalm 147:4

He who... calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land--the LORD is his name. Amos:9:6

I believe there is nothing as magnificent as a starry night sky or as mesmerizing as an endless ocean. These clearly display the wisdom beyond measure of Lord God Almighty - the maker of heaven and the earth.

To top it all, He calls each star and waters by name! Truly amazing!

The same Lord also called you & me - by name - even before our birth -which is beyond our imagination. There are countless scriptures we can read that He has called us by name.

I encourage each one of us to claim these as our personal promises and live to fulfill our calling:

The LORD called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name. Isaiah 49:1

I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah:43:1

I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me. Isaiah 45:4

"... The one who calls you is faithful ..." 1 Thessalonians 5: 24

God bless you; Enjoy your weekend. Coffee will be brewing here, so please stop by if you can...

Pin It Now!

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture." John 10:9

What does it really mean that Jesus is the way, truth & life?

In Genesis 3rd chapter where we read of the fall of man, it ends with this Scripture: After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:24

The Lord Jesus's sacrifice on the cross has once again opened this way to the tree of life! Amen!

Entering through this way (salvation) we now have access to the tree of life, which in turn gives us eternal life and we will once again rejoice in the presence of our Father God! Amen!

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

Pin It Now!

I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. Leviticus 11:45

In order to follow this commandment we need to clearly understand what holiness means.

What does it mean that the Lord our God is Holy? Holiness is the absence of even a trace of sin. Holiness is the devoid of even a glimpse of darkness. Holiness is the perfection of all things good - perfect love, perfect mercy, perfect forgiveness, perfect deliverance, perfect healing - that our God alone can offer.

I always find it interesting how people of most other belief systems take pride in sharing stories of their "gods" who do mean things to one another, who lust the women, envy the brother, cheat the friend, lie, steal, kill, destroy,  the list goes on. Clearly these "gods" are not holy and hence they cannot impose such a commandment on their followers.

On the other hand the only true and living God - the Lord God Almighty - the Maker of heaven and earth is pure and just in all His dealings. He sets the best example being holy for us believers to follow. He insists we too can live our lives in holy fashion. He demands we be set apart from the rest of the crowd - be known as His chosen generation, His royal priesthood, His holy nation.

Rest of the day, let us ponder over the commandment, "Be holy as I am holy" and ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us through.

God bless you all. Have a blessed Wednesday!

Pin It Now!

"Yes, he lured you away from the jaws of trouble into an open area where you were not restrained, and your table was covered with rich foods." Job 36:16

I am not a huge fan of many different translations of Bible - however for this verse I had to look up the God's Word Translation. Just so you know, here's the same verse in NIV and KJV. Pick your favorite!

"He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food." ~ NIV

Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait [into] a broad place, where [there is] no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table [should be] full of fatness. ~ KJV

I love the upbeat personality of King David who exclaims, "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." (Psalm 18:19) We see the reason for his merriment in the same chapter verse 6: "In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."

Here are few more references on the same topic:

* We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. Psalm 66:12
* In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. Psalm 118:5

So, let us not be restrained by the sin, fear, terror, guilt, addictions, temptations, doubts or whatever else that had a hold on us over the past year(s); Our Loving Savior has lured us away from the jaws of such, and has set a rich table for us in the open area. Amen!

Table is all set; come let's go eat!

Pin It Now!

The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. Numbers 17:8

Numbers Chapter 17 speaks about the miracle of Budding of Aaron's rod by which the Lord separates the tribe of Levi for His ministry, to help along with Moses. You may read it by clicking here...

I was reading about it in the commentaries and absolutely loved what Clarke's commentary on the Bible says about it and decided to share the passage below:

Everything in this miracle is so far beyond the power of nature, that no doubt could remain on the minds of the people, or the envious chiefs, of the Divine appointment of Aaron, and of the especial interference of God in this case.

To see a piece of wood long cut off from the parent stock, without bark or moisture remaining, laid up in a dry place for a single night, with others in the same circumstances - to see such a piece of wood resume and evince the perfection of vegetative life, budding, blossoming, and bringing forth ripe fruit at the same time, must be such a demonstration of the peculiar interference of God, as to silence every doubt and satisfy every scruple.

It is worthy of remark that a scepter, or staff of office, resuming its vegetative life, was considered an absolute impossibility among the ancients; and as they were accustomed to swear by their sceptres, this circumstance was added to establish and confirm the oath.

Thought for the day: It is not difficult for our Lord to make our rod bud, blossom and yield over night, as long as we are willing to serve! The question is: Are we?

Also, anyone in the Lord's ministry are hand-picked by Him. We have no rights to criticize servants of God who are our Pastors, leaders and evangelists. Many - sadly even Christians - get carried away with accusing God's chosen servants. Let us not be counted one among such accusers. Let us leave it up to God to correct His servants.

Pin It Now!

"Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness... " Psalm 96:9

As we are getting ready to worship the Lord this morning, let's remember to worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness! In a different translation we read, "Worship the Lord in holy attire" which reminds me of the guest at a King's wedding banquet who did not have the wedding clothes on and was later thrown out into the darkness. (Matthew 22)

Attire or clothes can be related to our salvation or righteousness as in Isaiah 61:10 we read "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

Let's make sure to wear our garments of salvation and not to forget our robes of righteousness as we get ready for our King's banquet!

Are you ready?!

Pin It Now!

As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14

Didn't we just undergo a beauty treatment? Next we need a new wardrobe! Of course, filled with beautiful clothes for the beautiful YOU! Here's the Designer suggested list on things we need to accumulate on: Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience so that we can clothe ourselves with these.

Now let's add some 'forgiveness' to the look - please note, it is not just the cheap namesake 'forgiveness' we are talking here; go for the best quality - the name brand - the kind that forgives whatever grievances - the Jesus brand - yes, that's the best!

Oh! Don't forget to spray on some Love! This binds you together in perfect unity - with God, with yourself, with your family and the rest.

Wow what an amazing make over! You look stunning! Stay blessed! :)

Pin It Now!

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30

Hope you are with me on the beauty regimen we have been discussing the last couple of days. I am truly enjoying it and hopefully becoming more beautiful:) Today we will discuss how 'the fear of the Lord' adds to our beauty.

Interestingly the fear of the Lord goes hand in hand with 'the gentle and quiet spirit' we had discussed yesterday. Proverbs 22:4 in the Basic English translation goes: The reward of a gentle spirit and the fear of the Lord is wealth and honour and life. In Proverbs 15:33 we read, The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

Now, the question is How to develop this fear of the Lord? The answer is given in Proverbs 2:1-5:

Pin It Now!

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
I Peter 3:3-4

Unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit! Yes, that's our first check in our 'Beauty Regimen', a continuation of yesterday's post.

I am sorry to say this, but in this light most of us look 'ugly' as we hardly have any trace of this quality of 'a gentle and quite spirit' in us. We are defensive! We talk back! We fight! We argue! We kick and scream and what not?!

On the other hand, our Lord Jesus Christ is the best example of one with this unfading beauty. About Him we read in Isaiah 53:7, He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

The Gospel writers who have seen Jesus face to face write about this very nature. Matthew writes in verses 27:12, "When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer". Mark notes, "Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed" in chapter 15 verse 5.Luke 23:9 says, He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. Again in John 19:9 we read, "...but Jesus gave him no answer".

The opposite of Gentle Spirit is Pride. We read about that in Proverbs 23:9, Proverbs 16:19 and Ecclesiastes 7:8.

In his letter to the Philippians Apostle Paul insists, Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. Philippians 4:5

Gentle Spirit comes with it's own reward in addition to the unfading inner beauty. In Proverbs 22:4 we read, The reward of a gentle spirit and the fear of the Lord is wealth and honour and life.

Our Lord Jesus Christ in His own words said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

So, Gentle Spirit also gives us rest - the beauty rest! Why not desire it with our whole heart?! Those of us who seek to develop this 'beauty' in us will have to take the effort to practice it consciously. The next time the need arises for us to defend ourselves, let's remember this and save those words! We will turn out beautiful!

Pin It Now!

All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you. Song of Solomon 4:7

There are specific mention of women of beauty in the Bible, such as Sarah, Abigail, Rachel, Tamar, Queen Vashti, etc. To be beautiful is in fact every woman's desire. We take special care to look beautiful.

But are we really beautiful? What is the beauty that is expected of us by our Lord? Let's do a quick check based on the Scriptures:

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
I Peter 3:3-4

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30

How beautiful is our inner self? Do we have the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God's sight? Do we fear or in other words regard or respect the Lord?

If the answer is yes, then we are indeed beautiful! If the answer is no, then we better start on the "beauty regimen" the details of which we will discuss tomorrow...

Pin It Now!

No weapon forged against you will prevail Isaiah 54:17

Pin It Now!

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17

Last but not the least, armor of God includes the Sword of Spirit which is nothing but the Word of God.

Reading the Word of God on a daily basis is vital for our survival during our spiritual warfare. The spoken Word of God is rare these days however the Scripture is God's own Words written by the Holy Spirit through different authors.

Paul writes in Hebrews, For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

The more we read the Word of God and get familiar with the Promises of God the often we will be reminded of these during our day to day struggle with flesh and the world. If we don't know the Word however our communion with God is one-sided and incomplete as we don't "hear" His voice.

Word of God directs us. King David writes: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

Word of God nourishes us. Jesus said: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

Are we fastened with the Word of God today? If you haven't please take a moment to read a portion from the Bible during the day.

Happy July every one. Thank you for your company over Coffee with Jesus.