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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?

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Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

We discussed yesterday how our concern is for our kids' spiritual well being and how we ought to pray for our kids on a daily basis.

There is still few other things we must do. #1 train up the child in the way he should go.

We need to learn and understand the Word of God on a daily basis so that we will know how to train up our children. I am sure we can hide behind the Word of God when we need to confront their actions. That way, they will know it is not our values we force on them, but it is what is expected of us according to the Scripture.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Also, we must share our testimonies with them - how we got saved, how we got anointing of the Holy Spirit, when was the first time we got the assurance of being washed off our sins, how we pray, what paths God has led us through in the years past, how the Lord answered our prayers, how He was with us through our studies, what Scriptures have spoken to you, etc etc.

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Deuteronomy 4:9

Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 11:9

Above all, how is our walk? Do we walk our talk? Can they look up to us? How do we control our emotions? How do we treat our spouse? How devoted we are to personal prayer life? Do they see us reading the Bible? 

Remember, our kids watch us more keenly that we would like to admit. We make a lasting impression in their memories. They are trained by what they observe. So, ultimately once again the responsibility falls on us parents.

With God's help we can do it! Those who believe it, say amen. Amen!

God bless you all. Have a blessed weekend.

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

Most parents would agree with me that life hasn't been the same since becoming parents. There is a constant nagging in the back of our minds of the well being of our children. This concern only gets stronger as the child grows into teenage years, a young adult and finally an adult.

All of us godly parents wish for our children to find Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, and be transformed by the Holy Spirit into mature followers of Jesus Christ.

This is true of Spiritual parents too, who lead a person into salvation, for the newly saved to safe guard the seed of faith and live a fruitful life.

Apostle Paul had similar concerns about the Galatians. He writes, "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you..." Galatians 4:19

Mere concern won't make a difference. But prayer will work wonders. Our prayers. For our children.

For my children below is the Scripture I keep referring to in my prayers, for their Spiritual well being: All your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace. Isaiah 54:13

I am sure you all do too. Indeed there is no greater joy than to hear our children are walking in the truth!

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"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." Proverbs 14:1

Let's consider a puzzle board, what is easy to do, building up or tearing down? I am sure you will all agree tearing down is easy to do than building up as in tearing down we don't really care how each piece falls, if it piles up or lays flat,which piece goes where or any of the mess it creates. However when we build up something, more care is needed to put the pieces in certain way, in proper order.

We as women have greater responsibility in building up our homes, one heart at a time. It is a tedious process I agree. It gets difficult at times and we feel like tearing it all down... trust me it will be more hard to put things back together than fixing the single area that needs attention.

Keeping peace in the family should be every home maker's primary focus - of course peace in alignment with God's Word. Agree, men too have the same responsibility, but it falls on the mothers and wives more because we are called to build. Even amongst birds and animals it is the female of the species that builds the nest or finds a cave etc. A peaceful home is every mother's primary need.

Thrashing seems easy to do but always results in pain. Building results in joy though hard labor. If we set a role model as thrashers, it is hard to expect our children to be builders. Yes, sometimes it takes a selfless effort to build. It seems no one else cares but you. Keep building anyway.

So, to repeat the Scripture: The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Let's build and be blessed!

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Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. Ecclesiastes 10:20

What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. Luke 12:13

It is not uncommon to come across people who are opinionated. They are full of complaints about everyone around them, from the President of the country to the local weather man, and disguise it under a broad umbrella called, "Freedom of speech".

May it be far from us believers - the children of God - to be like one of them. Let us be careful about our words about everyone around us. The more we abuse it the more insensitive we become to the effect of our words.

The Bible tells us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Which means that if our heart is full of love, grace, joy, wisdom, peace, contentment, fear of the Lord, etc. our mouth will reflect that. It will not complain much. It will build not destroy. It will heal not hurt. It will draw closer not chase far off.

Apostle James has dedicated almost an entire chapter to the topic of taming the tongue. 

In James chapter 3 verses 5-6 we read, "...the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 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."

Every child of God must master the art of taming the tongue. This is one area we can clearly differ from the ungodly. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ was a perfect example of One who had mastered it all! 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 its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth."

 Let us make this our desire too. Let us make this our regular prayer: "May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

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

All believers have experienced this "voice" leading our way. This is the Holy Spirit or Counsellor promised to be sent to us as Jesus was ascending to Heaven.

There are times we would prefer the voice to be a little louder or even audible to know for sure it is Him talking. We expect to hear thunder and lightning or some extravagent display of God at work.

In I Kings 19:11-12 we read about Elijah encountering this voice from the Lord. It says:

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

However often times we neglect this still small voice or the gentle whisper and continue on our journey as we please. We are quick to be angry, quick to argue, quick to defend ourselves, quick to blame others, quick to take credit, etc.

All the while the Holy Spirit gently directs: "This is the way; walk in it." Are we listening?

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 If you are not feeling up to going to church today, here's a reminder for you:

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight

and the Lord’s holy day honorable,

and if you honor it by not going your own way

and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

then you will find your joy in the Lord,

and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land

and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”

The mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 58:13-14

It doesn't matter which day of the week we choose to gather to worship the Lord;  whichever day it is, let us do it willingly. Then we will find our joy in the Lord.

Let's go enjoy worshiping our Lord!

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* 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!

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Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! Psalm 14:7

Amen! I praise God for these wonderful promises this morning!The first day of the month of November 2013!

It does not say, "If the Lord restores.." but says with assurance "When the Lord restores...". So there is absolutely no room for doubt here. If any of you experience even the slightest trace of doubt, you must rebuke it in the name of the Lord. His promises are yes and amen!

In his letters to the Corinthians Apostle Paul writes about the same:

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22

"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." Matthew 8:25

He commands the winds and water and they obey Him! Is it hard for Him to solve our needs? Is it difficult for Him to restore our fortunes? Is it beyond His abilities to make us rejoice and be glad?

Why then it is hard for us to still trust in Him completely? Why are we holding on to our heavy burden? Why not cast it all at His feet and walk free?!

Repeat this verse after me and claim it as your own this morning: Oh, my salvation would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores my fortunes, I will rejoice and be glad! Amen!

Go in peace! Love you in Christ!