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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So why worry? Only praise!

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For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. Psalm 33:9

I just love this verse so much that I use it in almost all my prayers, be it for me or someone else. The power of His word is so powerful.

If you recall the incident when a centurion comes to Jesus requesting healing for his servant, he said: "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed." Matthew 8:8

In Genesis 1:3 we read, And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. The rest of the creation was also created simply by His spoken words.

Elsewhere in the Scriptures we read: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

Little Samuel was taught by Eli to respond by saying "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."

Jesus rebuked satan by saying, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

In Mark 4:39 we read: He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Romans 8:34 says, "Christ Jesus, ... is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

If we sit down to look for more Scriptures that emphasis the power of His Spoken Words, I am sure we can find many many more. Don't you want Him to speak for you today? I do.

Let's hold on to these verses and pray to our Lord thus: "You spoke, and it came to be; You commanded, and it stood firm. Please speak to me Lord. Please speak for me Lord!" Amen!

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The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. James 3:6-10

I am sure most of us made a conscious effort to make our words be few, yesterday. Once again we are reminded of taming our tongue this morning. This time rather than speaking little, it is speaking the right words that is being insisted upon.

Is our tongue starting fires or quenching fires? Is it full of venom against past, people, self, spouse or is it filled with love and praise for what/whom we have? Do we bless or curse mostly?

Let us give heed to the Scriptures that show us the way. Let us tame our tongue with God's help.

May our words be kind.

Kind words are like honey--sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Proverbs 16:24

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Let your words be few Ecclesiastes 5:2

The prudent hold their tongues. Proverbs 10:19

Fools multiply words. No one knows what is coming - who can tell someone else what will happen after them? Ecclesiastes 10:14

A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards. Proverbs 29:11

All of us have opinions of things good and bad. We have a point to make, good & bad. We often share our thoughts without the filtering process, which is the Word of God that gives us the divine wisdom. 

We might think we are being straight forward, but the Bible tells us we are fools if we don't control our tongue. I am guilty of it myself.   

Today's message challenges us to speak less, hold our tongue, nod, listen, cook, clean, do something but don't talk. Enough of entertaining our guests and neighbors and friends and collegues with our constant blabbering. We have shared our opinions time and time again. Now is the time to hold. Pause. Heal. Be.

Let our words be few. Today. Tomorrow. This week. Next week. For a month. For 6  weeks. Until it becomes our very nature. Then we will be prudent.

With God's help we can. Amen!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy 'Son'day!

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Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. Psalms 126:5

Psalm 126 is a song of an exile returning to his home country. We don't see any specifics on the author of this psalm but just from the omission of it we can conclude it was written by King David. It was in fact a  prophetic song imagining the return of an exile. Exile who? Of course, the Israelites and also us - yes, you and me!!

We too are exiles aren't we? We were in bondage of sin and our Savior Jesus Christ paid off the price for our sins and redeemed us from our bondage. We are returning home! Is our mouth filled with laughter and our hearts with cheer? Are we singing and dancing and praising the Lord in our onward bound journey? Or are we oblivious to His grace and just treading along aimlessly, looking back often to our bonded ways?

The journey could be a toil at times with the "sowing" of our faith; but just as the Scripture promises us, we will return with sheaves of yield, winning many souls for Christ! What a great gift that would be to take with us to our Father God who is waiting eagerly to receive us! Amen!

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

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

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

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

Others like me, who have the slightest doubt about our compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness or patience, let us work towards improving in that area. Doesn't mean we are loved any less. We are still His chosen people, holy and dearly loved. Remember He first loved us even while we were sinners? So let us work to fit in to His perception of us.

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

God bless you all. Enjoy your weekend.

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But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5

What we read in these Scriptures is the exact opposite of what we see and hear around us. The world defines self confidence as confidence in oneself or one's own abilities. But for us - the believers - the Lord must be our confidence!

Paul has set a very good example for us in his statements. Great King Solomon - the wisest ever lived has said: The Lord Is My Confidence. Proverbs 3:26. My favorite King David has sang, It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118:8

The Lord has spoken through Prophet Isaiah: "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Can we too confirm the Lord indeed is our confidence?!

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"Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

Grieving makes one weak; rejoicing gives strength.

True, there have been circumstances that made it seem impossible to rejoice at times. But His grace had been sufficient; has it not? If not for that we would have succumbed to our grief and weakness. That is all the more reason to rejoice in the Lord!

We are also asked to share our blessings with the less fortunate amongst us - giving them a reason to rejoice in the Lord. Let us not forget that.

I'll repeat the Scripture again to let it sink in...

"Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Finally, 

Let us not be just hearers of the Word; but doers as well. (James1:22)

For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Romans 2:13

We made it thru' Wednesday, let us rejoice...

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Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us." 
1 Samuel 7:12

Throughout the Scriptures we read of several people designating stones as monuments for remembering the deliverence or encountering of God in that place.

If you recall Jacob had set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him and called it Bethel (Genesis 35:14,15) and Joshua had set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. (Joshua 4:9). King David confessed several times that the Lord was his rock of salvation (Psalm 18:2).

Here Prophet Samuel sets up a monument to remember the return of the Ark of the Lord and names it Ebenezer which means "Thus far the Lord has helped us".

Now the question is, do you have such a monument that reminds you constantly of God's deliverance from certain situation? If you think about it there are easy reminders in our lives such as birthdays, anniversaries, years of experience, number of children, we can go on and on and on.

If these are not enough reminders and/or if we would somehow forget what the Lord has done thus far, we might as well put up some monument as reminders. If we remember already, let us praise the Lord for helping us thus far!

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

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

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

Barne's notes on the Bible explains:

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

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

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

Amen! It will!

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

Have we ever forgotten the Lord? In order to answer this question, we need to understand the accurate meaning of the word 'forget'.

Online dictionary defines forget as follows:

1. To be unable to remember (something).
2. To treat with thoughtless inattention; neglect.
3. To leave behind unintentionally.
4. To fail to mention.
5. To banish from one's thoughts.
6. To disregard on purpose.
7. To cease remembering
8. To fail or neglect to become aware at the proper or specified moment.

Now that we know what it actually means to 'forget', let us repeat the question to ourselves: Have we ever forgotten the Lord?

I am afraid we are all guilty of doing just that based on the definitions above. Unable to remember, cease remembering, neglect, fail to mention... does any of these sound familiar? Yes, unfortunately.

That is why King David kept reminding his soul: "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2

Let it be our reminder too.

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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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When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:41

There are two babies we read about in Luke Chapter 1, baby John and baby Jesus. Both babies were special. Both were foretold decades ago. One to set the path straight and make the way for the Other. One to set the path straight and make the way for the rest of the world!

No wonder baby John leaped upon sensing the presence of baby Jesus! Both were anointed by the Holy Spirit, even from their conception.

You must read John Chapter 1 to fully understand how John testifies Jesus time and time again. He says in verse 15 “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” in verse 20: John confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.”

When the priest's people insisted John to tell who he really was, he said:  “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.” John 1:23

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


When John saw Jesus, right away he knew He was the Lamb of God who is to be slain to take away the sins of the world.

John baptised Jesus with water in the river Jordan. The Holy Spirit in the form of Dove rested on Jesus which was the confirmation message for John that Jesus was indeed the Lamb of God!

John lived and died preaching about repentence, making the way straight for the Lord. Jesus on the other hand died and lives and continues to make our paths straight. Amen!

If there is anyone here who has not found this Light, not washed by the Blood of this Lamb, I pray that you experience His Love and be redeemed!

And those of us who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, let us testify of Him making the way straight for salvation of the rest of the world! Amen!

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* So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Zachariah 4:6
* All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." I Samuel 17:47
* Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them--not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God." Hosea 1:7

Sometimes we tend to depend on our might or power, our skills or education, our strength or confidence. We actually think a little too much of our self as if we can take care of our situations.

Then there are times we trust fellow men, "if only he put in a word for me...", "she will understand my situation","mom will take care of the matter", "dad will loan me the money", etc. once again leaning on other support systems for our needs.

We tend to forget that our battle can not be won with our merits. We try hard with all our might and influences and only when all else fail we succumb to the Lord.

The Scripture clearly tells us, it is not who you know or who knows you, that matters, it will be given/done/healed/received/bought/paid for/taken care of, because He says so! Praise the Lord! Amen!

It is therefore very important to learn the word of God on a regular basis so that we know the solution as soon as we smell the problem. We will right away come to the Lord crying, "Not by my might Lord, not by my power too, only by you this can be done Lord; My horses won't save, nor my horsemen, please take charge of the situation Lord and bring victory to your name ..."

You will all agree this is a time saver with guaranteed results. Why not try it then!?

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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. Let's guard it with all diligence!

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For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

We see two characteristics of God's very nature here - former as a Judge who cannot tolerate sin and the latter as the Father who cannot and will not tolerate the punishment upon us; rather would bear it upon Himself!

This description of God's slowness to anger, and readiness to save, is given by King David - someone who is deeply acquainted with God.

The Lord spoke through Prophet Isaiah:

"For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer. Isaiah 54:7-8

Be encouraged He is angry no more! Praise the Lord! Joy comes in the morning! Amen!

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Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed. Isaiah 55:13

Few years ago I was saddened when my contract was cut short for my previous job - which I had hoped would become permanent. One of those days God comforted me by this verse: "Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow". Indeed the situation was such - sure a thornbush - the internal politics.

I held on to the promise and kept telling myself that God will bless me with a better job - a more permanent one. Well it took me five long months before I got "my pine tree"; all the while I never doubted that His promise will fulfill. I praise God for fulfilling His promise in my life!

The same promise is extended to you today. If you are going through tough times now, I encourage you to hold on to this verse as your promise and keep believing in it.

Surely God will bring it to pass. You will soon see your pine tree in place of the current thornbush! Amen!

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Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1

I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." Psalm 122:1
 
Happy 'Son'day everyone. Are we happy this morning? Are we rejoicing in the Lord this morning? Do we look forward to the fellowship of believers this morning?

When was the last time we had true fellowship of believers? Do we attend Church for namesake or do we make an effort to fellowship?

Today for a change, let us walk across the room, shake a few hands, hug a few souls, pat a few shoulders, say hello to a complete stranger. If we feel up to it, why not, go ahead and invite someone home.If nothing, at least invite someone to join us over Coffee with Jesus!

I can guarantee you, your joy will be greater. It only multiples in the fellowship of believers. Why so? Because God's word tells us that Jesus Himself will be in our midst when we are gathered together in His name. Not in a multitude but just two or three is all is takes! Praise the Lord!

If you don't take my words for it, just try it once and let me know if it works or not.

God bless you all! 

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20

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

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

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

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

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

Hold on tight! Don't loosen the grip!

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As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. Psalm 84:6

As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs... Who are they?

In the earlier verses (Psalms 84:4-5) we read in detail about them:

* They are blessed
* They dwell in the house of the Lord
* They are ever praising the Lord
* Their strength is in the Lord
* They have set their hearts on pilgrimage in other words, they have decided to follow the Lord.

So, for the promise above to be true in our lives we need to become them.

Then,

As we pass through the Valley of Baca, we  will make it a place of springs... How's that?

Coffee will be served over the weekend too. In case you can't make it, have a godly one.

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'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:23

 I am sure we all hope to hear our Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!.... Come and share your master's happiness!" someday. The condition seems to be simple - to be faithful with a few things.

What would those few things be? I guess one would be how we spend our time, another would be how we use our resources, it could be our talents, our finances, our dealings, our attitudes, our conversations... simple things really...

In Luke 16:10 we read, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."

Let us assess each area in our lives and make a conscious effort to become faithful with the few things; then our Master will surely say, "Well done!"

On a different note, if any of you are interested in sharing your testimony with the rest of us, please contact me at nrigirl@hotmail.com I will gladly publish it for a Tuesday or Thursday post... Thank you!

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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

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

I believe there is nothing as magnificent as a starry night sky or an endless ocean - as these clearly show the magnificence of God Almighty - the maker of heaven and the earth. To know that our Lord calls each star by name, and that He calls the waters of the sea, it is simply amazing!

The same Lord also called you & me by name - even before our birth -which is beyond our imagination. There is absolutely no doubt about it; 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.

Remember, the one who has called us is faithful and will help us through! Amen!

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No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. Isaiah 62:4

Anyone here whose name is Deserted, who lives in the land of Desolate? Well, this message is for you. The Lord will call you Hephzibah as He delights in you. Your land will be Married, no longer Desolate!

Praise the Lord.

The name Hephzibah equals us to the Bride of Christ, as the Bridegroom rejoices over His bride. Just imagine, the King of kings and Lord of lords calling you Hephzibah - my beloved! Isn't that absolutely overwhelming?! 

Indeed His love for us is overwhelming. And soon we will be married to Christ Himself. What a privilege!

Let us therefore get rid of our feelings of self pity, depression & doubts and celebrate knowing that His love for us is all the more stronger.

Have a blessed day Hephzibah! Let us remain in His love.

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"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." Psalm:23: 5

I would often think I had no enemies only to realize that not everyone I know of think of my well being all the time. There would be jealousy, hatred & grudges against us from very familiar people. They may not be genuinely happy when things go well for us and may secretly rejoice when things go bad for us, thus becoming an "enemy".  Also, not to forget our real enemy - the roaring lion prowling around looking to devour someone.

I am sure all of you have faced such enemies one time or other in your life. But when you sit back and think about how God led you through those circumstances you can boldly say like King David said: "My God prepared a table for me in front of my enemies. He anointed my head with oil; my cup was full". Yes, I can say that & I am sure you can too. Let's pray:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you Lord for this beautiful day. Thank you for this wonderful time with you Lord. Thank you for always preparing a table for me in front of my enemies in the past circumstances Lord. Thank you for always lifting up my head and anointing me with oil Lord. Thank you that you gave me in abundance that my cup ran over Lord. I continue to trust that your glory will be revealed in the coming days too Lord. Thank you for your protection and for your anointing Lord. I praise you again for all your mercies Lord. Bless this day Lord. Bless each and every one of us who gather here to spend few minutes with you Lord. I Love you Jesus! In Jesus' mighty name I pray, Amen!

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For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

Don't know about you but I can blindly believe this verse without asking for any proof. I love the concept of our God holding our right hand. Clearly it shows how protective He is of us.

Let us repeat the verse, slightly altered: For you are the Lord, my God, who takes hold of my right hand and says to me not to fear and that you will help me. Amen!

As if to reiterate the statement, in the very next verse He says: Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 41:14

To sum it all up: Do not fear about anything. Just as He has promised He will help you! He Himself will help you!! Remember He is holding your right hand...

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For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61:11

But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:15

It is no news that a good soil is a must for a thriving garden. In other words, our hearts need to be ploughed and mended for us to yield good fruits.

Here's an illustration of Jesus' parable about the four kinds of soil. Let's make sure our heart is made of  good soil so that we can yield good fruits.



Have a great weekend! Coffee with Jesus is served on weekends also; don't forget to join us if at all you can...

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Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

Today's verse is actually a part of the prayer of repentance by King David. Click here to read the entire prayer.

As you can see, these are not empty words or words of guilt alone; these are sincere statements made by a repenting heart with a crushed spirit. He was not trying to elude from God's presence like Adam had once done. He came begging and crying back to God repenting for his sin. In verse 4 he says, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight". We can sense his agony here, his total surrender, his complete acceptance of what he had done was wrong.

As he was praying such he also asks to be cleaned by hyssop which is our discussion today.

What is hyssop?
Hyssop is a herb that was commonly used by the Israelites during their ceremonial cleansing and sprinkling. It is an emblem of purification process, purification from sin, purification from leprosy and the like.

Deep cleaning
David understood his heart needed a thorough cleaning with such importance as that of a ceremonial cleansing and so he requests thus. Let us pause right there. We too need such a cleansing. Many times we have taken things for granted and have valued ourselves a little too high. Let us open it all up today, let us come clean revealing the darkest deepest parts of our inmost being and make sure they are cleansed white as snow.

All we need to do is to ask. Happy cleansing to us all!

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Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say. Exodus 4:12

We would think Moses, having been raised by the Princess of Egypt in the Palace of the Pharaoh himself, would be well with words. He might have learned a thing or two that improves his presentation and communication skills, wouldn't he?

On the contrary, we read in Exodus chapter 4, of Moses trying to evade God's call, to lead the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt, blaming it all on his poor communication skills. Turns out he had a stutter or stammer, a speech disorder.

That's when God assures him,  "Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

But Moses begs and pleads all the more to be excused from this great commission. Upon his insistence  God gives him a helper Aaron. In addition the Lord also promises in verse 15, " I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do."

I find it interesting how even Aaron needed God's instruction on what to speak. Be it Moses with his speech disorder or Aaron who has good communication skills, ultimately it is the Lord who instructs them what to speak.

Let's pause there for today's coffee. How good or bad is our skills? Are you afraid of  opening your mouth, sharing your ideas, presenting your project, preaching His Gospel, making statements of Faith?

Remember, the Lord who taught Moses and Aaron to undertake the exodus is alive and well today. Take courage this morning, as He promises to teach us what to say.

Let us make it our prayer like King David, "Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25:5

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* It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8
* Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. Psalm 146:3
* Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Isaiah 2:22
* Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man's hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Isaiah 36:6
* Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame.Isaiah 20:5
* This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. Jeremiah 17:5

I am sure you noticed how the verses got stronger and stronger as we read through the list above. It starts as a suggestion, became a command and ends in a warning.

This is a good reason to analyze our selves if we trust in any men. How about our bosses? Husbands? Neighbors? Parents? Or even your own hands? Are we clinging on to mere men or our ability as our "source" forgetting that the ultimate Source is the Lord God Almighty? This can't be.

Today's take away is from Isaiah 26:4 which once again re insists the importance of trusting in the Lord: Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

Happy October!