The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save
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"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephania: 3:17

Today's reminder for us is "He is Mighty to Save". Whatever is your care and concern for the day, whatever you are worrying about, whatever was going through your mind all night long keeping you wide awake, however bad the situation is, please remember "He is Mighty to Save". Indeed He is.

How powerful these words are! What an assurance we as believers have! Let me repeat the verse once again: "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Now let us all say it together: "The LORD my God is with me, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in me, he will quiet my with his love, he will rejoice over me with singing."

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

Tomorrow is a new month. Let's stay tuned for something new. God be with you!

 
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I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord"
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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!
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He lured you away from the jaws of trouble into an open area
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"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

Job shares a beautiful testimony here, of how God saved him from the "jaws of trouble" and led him into an wide open area where he is blessed with abundance.

Though I am not a huge fan of many different translations of Bible - for this verse I liked the God's Word Translation. 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
King David has shared a similar testimony too. He exclaims, "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." (Psalm 18:19)

The reason for his merriment is obvious in verse 6 of the same chapter; he sings: "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 anything that entangles us such as sin, fear, terror, guilt, addictions, temptations, doubts or whatever else that has had a hold on us over the past.

Trust that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has lured us away from the jaws of such, and has set a rich table for us in the wide open! Amen! By His blood we have overcome! Amen!
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Enlarge the place of your tent
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Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. Isaiah 54:2

Isaiah 54th chapter is titled 'The fertility of Zion' and is full of blessings for Zion which is the Church; or in other words you and me who make up the church! If you have some time this morning you may click here to read the entire chapter.

I can't help but relate to the Prayer of Jabez as I read these Scriptures, the words of which are posted here: Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.1 Chronicles 4:10

* Jabez cried to the Lord to enlarge his territory; Zion is being asked to enlarge her territory.
* Jabez prayed for expansion; Zion has received the blessing already and therefore has to expand. 

I believe for those of us here at the coffee table, the same message as that was given to Zion by Prophet Isaiah holds true this morning: Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.

Let us free our hearts from hurt, ill feeling, envy, pride and the likes to make room for joy, peace, love, humility and the likes. Let us not hold grudges on things of past, completely overlooking the here and now. Let us not turn back to look at our Sodom or Egypt when God has already led us out of it to our Promised Land.

Let us open up, share, invite in and be prepared to spread out and expand to be able to hold in our blessings!

Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.

Happy weekend everybody. Coffee with Jesus will be brewing over the weekend too, so please join us if you could.
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He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.
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He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. Song of Solomon 2:4

Let us visualize a banquet hall. A feast has been prepared to celebrate a bride by her groom. All nobles who were invited are seated. There is merriment among the young and the old there. All are rejoicing over the wedding that has just taken place or soon to be taking place, it doesn't really matter. It is a joyous occasion for sure.

Now the groom presents a banner over the bride. I sometimes imagine it like a sash worn by beauty pageants with the words "MY LOVE" written across. Or it could be a flag like banner of fine ruby red linen with golden words "MY BELOVED" embroidered on it in big bold letters that hangs just above the throne where the bride is seated! It is indeed a beautiful sight.

Now imagine, it is all for you - the bride! Isn't that special? Does it not make our hearts swell for Him who has redeemed us from a miry pit and elevated us to such a honorable state known as His bride?!

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

Surely He will prepare a table for you and me in the presence of our enemies and will anoint our heads with oil and fill our cups to the rim and will fly His banner over us, which reads: "My Beloved"! Let us never ever doubt that. Amen! God bless you all.

Happy Thursday! Hang in there; it will be Friday soon...
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In a little while you will see me
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 Jesus went on to say, "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me." John 16:16

I find it interesting that John chapter 16 starts with these very words, as spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ: "All this I have told you so that you will not fall away..."; yet these Scriptures seem a little vague and require further explanation. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will help us understand this Scripture clearly this morning.

To set the context: Jesus is preparing His disciples of the "loss" they are soon to experience, in terms of Jesus being taken away for crucifixion. Also, He forewarns them about the impending trials and dangers that is ahead of them for the sake of Jesus Christ. He promises them of the Holy Spirit - the Comforter whom will be sent to abide with them, during the time Jesus will be physically taken away from them.

Then He goes on to tell, "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me." To the puzzled disciples He explains, in verse 28, "I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

The chapter ends with Jesus's words, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

So you say, "Alright, we get it! We get the context, we get the text, but what does it have to do with us?" Good question. My simple answer is that we are getting ever closer to the fulfillment of the second phase of the promise, "... then after a little while you will see me." The wait is almost over! Isn't that awesome!

Unlike the disciples, we haven't lived through the "loss" but have gained it all by believing in the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ! The disciples were foretold of the Comforter. We have already received the Comforter.

Their lives, the Gospel they have shared/spread/written/lived/preached gives us a firm basis for our faith, so that we too can share/spread/live/preach & profess the same Gospel - the Good News that Jesus came, died for our sins, resurrected, lives forever, and will return to take us home! Hallelujah!

The Scriptures - God's own Words - guide us and prepare us as we get closer to seeing Jesus face to face - in a little while. Amen! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. Revelation 22:20-21.
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The LORD's right hand is lifted high & has done mighty things!
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The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has done mighty things! Psalm 118:16

Your right hand, LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, LORD, shattered the enemy. Exodus 15:6

There is an interesting incident of Moses's arms lifted high mentioned in in Exodus chapter 17; an excerpt below:
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” 

So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 

So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Exodus 17:8-13

Today Jesus's hand is lifted high for us! Praise the Lord! The same hands that were nailed to the cross, the same hands that healed the blind, the same hands that blessed the food, the same hands that raised the dead, the same hands that wipes our tears, the same hands that provides for us, the same hands that fight our fights, the same hands that prepares a place, the same hands that knocks at the door, the same hands that is lifted high, the same hand doing mighty things - for you and for me!

Amen! Let us worship the Lord lifting up our arms this morning! Let us enjoy His beautiful presence all day. God bless you!
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Let us lift up our eyes to the Mountain
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I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
~ Psalm 121

This is one of my favorite Psalms. It assures the Lord's protection on our household. Anytime I read it, it brings about such a peace of mind over all my situations.I hope and pray you too experience that assurance this morning.

Let us read it all over again and let the words sink in.  Surely, our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. The Lord is our Mountain - the Rock of Salvation. Amen!
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Worship the LORD with gladness
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* Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalms 100:2
* Rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters... Deuteronomy 12:12

It is a beautiful new day, a brand new week - is it not?! As we get ready to go worship the Lord in the congregation of fellow believers, let us remember these verses and the emphasis today is on gladness.

In Isaiah 35:10 we read, "...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."

Aren't we the "ransomed of the Lord"? Are we glad this morning? In spite of everything going on in our lives, we are still breathing - which alone is enough to be singing joyful songs at His presence.

For the rest of the day let us cast away our cares and go before him with joyful singing... shall we?
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The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears hers down.
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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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"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD
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* "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. Isaiah 1:18
* "Present your case," says the LORD. "Set forth your arguments," says Jacob's King. Isaiah 41:21
* Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence. Isaiah 43:26

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

If something is nagging in your mind and you are not sure what to make of it, this could be the time you get His guidance on! Or the things you have no control on and which are beyond your reach, just surrender those to Him. I am sure He can handle it well.

Of course tell Him about the certain things that were quite disappointing lately, the health report, the pressure at work, the weight gain, tell Him all in all. He will listen; you will feel lighter.

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

Remember, this is a two way conversation; He may also have something to say to you... Something you said or did that He doesn't approve of, or something you said and did that He is so proud of.

He will assure you He loves you and has all your worries in control and will remind you the areas in which he expects you to improve.

Overall it will be a great conversation to reflect on! So, let's get started now...
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Remember your Creator in the days of your youth
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Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
 ~ Ecclesiastes 12:1-7

Have a blessed Thursday! And for those in the northern hemisphere, Happy Spring!
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I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
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 Beloved: "I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys." Song of Solomon 2:1
Lover:  "Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens." Song of Solomon 2:2

Today's verse though we've heard often makes us wonder a few things such as: Where is Sharon? What is so special about the rose of Sharon?

Sharon is a fruitful pasture land, a place where even David's cattle were fed (1 Chronicles 27:29). Isaiah 35:2 mentions about the splendor of Carmel & Sharon which gives a better picture of Sharon. Barnes's notes on the Bible says: "Sharon" is usually the proper name of the celebrated plain from Joppa to Caesarea, between the hill-country and the sea, and travelers have remarked the abundance of flowers with which this plain is still carpeted in spring.

A rose of Sharon therefore is a common scene, it is not extraordinary. Same way lilly of the valleys is quite common. It is like the bride saying, "I am just a commoner; not quite fit to marry you". But the Lover reassures her that she is very special; in the very next verse He says: "Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens."

Of all the "flowers" of the pasture, our Christ has found us to be special, worthy of His love! Isn't that awesome! We are commoners, ordinary folks, fishermen if you will, but our Lord has chosen us to be His bride; His flawless bride is what He is making of us.

To conclude, it is not Sharon that is special neither it's roses, it is the love of the Lord that makes us special. Let us cherish His love for the rest of the day...
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Have you eaten from the tree?
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"Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” Genesis 3:11

We all know how Adam and Eve both disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit. We are not going to discuss Adam & Eve here but see how we can apply the situation to our self.

Are we eating any forbidden fruits? How do we react to temptations, false preaching and the lures of the world? Are we bold enough to stand up in our faith or so weak that we are stumbling at every small obstacle? Or worse yet, are we taking the grace of our Lord for granted thinking we can sin once and later ask for forgiveness?! This is how some of us have diluted His shed blood for us, taking it too light.

In the Lord's prayer we pray, "Lead us not into temptations..." Let us make this our daily prayer and stay away from temptations, false preaching and the lures of this world. Let us NOT eat from the "tree" our Lord has commanded us not to eat from.

If you have some time today, please read Matthew 5:21-48 where Jesus explains the commandments in His terms to understand what some of these "forbidden fruits" are.
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He who conceals his sins does not prosper
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Today's reading: Proverbs 28 Click here to read online (NIV)

Verse of the day: "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." 28:13

This verse explains the fundamental of salvation. Anyone who is not convicted of their sins and when convicted does not repent and when repented does not discontinue that sin is not truly saved.

Anyone who has been convicted of their sins, have repented for their sins and have discontinued from their sins is truly saved!

This is not just a one time process. This should be a regular practice. As we mature more in Christ more of our sins will be revealed which we might have overlooked in the past. Then we repent for those sins and receive forgiveness all over again. There is no shame in repenting as many times it takes and getting forgiven as many times needed.

For some of us, when the Pastor calls for an alter call following a convicting sermon, though convicted we are reluctant to go upfront and own it publicly. Let's forget the whole world around us and get new infilling of the joy of salvation as often as we can.

God bless you all!
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Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
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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!", "Forget not His benefits,O my soul", "Bless the Lord, O my soul". Then there are times his despair is quite evident such as: "Why are you downcast, O my soul?", "Be at rest once more, O my soul", "my soul is troubled exceedingly...", 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!"
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Blessed are you
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Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“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 5:1-12

A very familiar passage indeed, also known as The Beatitudes. Thought we can look at each of these up close in the coming days.

In the meantime, if you would like to share which is your favorite of these, please post it in the comments section below explaining 'why'; it can make our discussions more interesting. Thank you!
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Open your hands and extend your hands
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She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:20

He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. Proverbs 19:17

The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously. Psalm 37:21

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. Matthew 10:42

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

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

If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Deuteronomy 15:7

Rather, be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Deuteronomy 15:8

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. Proverbs 22:9

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. Proverbs 28:27

Need I say more? Do something. Start today!
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Again I say Rejoice!
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"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

As you see, this verse comes across as a command. We should be filled with the love and joy of the Lord at all times. We should reflect upon the real love and joy of Christ who lives within us. No matter what the circumstances be, let us be reminded of this verse to keep us true to our calling.

Why is it so important to rejoice? Because many things start to go wrong when we lose the joy of life. Our physical, mental and spiritual health too will take a toll. We won't feel like singing, worshipping, reading the Bible, talking to Jesus, eating - so the overall system collapses when the divine joy within us is lost. That's exactly what satan is after. Let us consciously make an effort to be filled over and over with the divine love and peace which brings true JOY.

Let us pray: "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for this beautiful day (though rainy...) Thank you for reminding us to rejoice always. Please help us Lord to rejoice - in all circumstances. Please help us to truly understand that all things happen for good for those who love you Lord - even when things don't seem to go as we desire Lord. Please help us to overcome any and all sadness and to rejoice in your Lord. Thank you again for your love and grace which is sufficient at all times Lord. In Jesus's mighty name we pray, Amen"
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He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm
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"He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm" Mathew 8:26 (KJV)

"He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm" Mark 4: 39 (NIV)

"He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm" Luke 8:24 (NIV)

Good morning and welcome to Coffee with Jesus. For some of us, there could be something more than a coffee brewing right now. We could be experiencing a great storm in our lives at this very moment. It may look like the storm may never end; the wind might seem to have the upper hand; that we are about to sink into the depth of our sorrows. I encourage you to please meditate on the verses above, where Jesus rebukes the storm and the wind and it was "completely calm" or "a great calm" or "all was calm" as the Gospel authors put it.

Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever! Amen! Is He not powerful enough to calm your storm? Does He not have the authority to rebuke your wind? Why are you afraid? Why do you doubt Him? Repeat these words, "Quiet! Be still!" against all your stormy situations.

Be it peace in the family, joblessness, financial difficulties, health conditions, disobedient children, abusive relationships or bondage to sin - whatever your storm may be, however strong your wind may appear, when you call unto Jesus He will say "Quiet! Be still!" Soon there will be a great calm. He will fill you with the peace from above. You will start rejoicing in the Spirit and before you know it, the storm will subside and the wind will die down! Hallelujah!!

Let us pray, Our Father in Heaven! We come to your presence in one accord, as one family Lord. You see some of us are struggling with huge storms Lord. Please command against our storms Lord so that there will be complete peace and a great calm Lord. Please help us rid of all our doubts Jesus! Please help us overcome our fears Jesus! We trust and believe you are still able to rebuke our storms Lord. Thank you for the complete deliverance you are granting us Lord. Thank you for the peace from above Lord, for the joy of salvation Lord. Thank you that we are soon going to praise your name seeing the calm you have ordered Lord. Bless this day for each one of us Lord. We completely surrender us at your feet Jesus. In Jesus mighty name we pray, Amen!

Remember to share your prayer requests and praise reports, over the coffee table.
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I have chosen you and have not rejected you
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"You, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
you descendants of Abraham my friend,
I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.

I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

“All who rage against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
will be as nothing and perish.

Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing at all.

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.

Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob,
little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

~ Isaiah 41:8-14

This is the Lord's promise for us this morning. For those who choose to believe it will be ye and amen!

Note: Sorry, not too many were excited about the vegetable diet; so the idea was dropped. We can pick it up at a later time...
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Vegetables to eat and water to drink
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"Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink" Daniel 1:12

We are all familar with Daniel's training in Babylon, where the king prepares some young men for his service. When the king orders choice meat and wine for the trainees, Daniel and his three friends request for a vegetarian diet as Daniel had resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. Please click here to read Daniel Chapter 1 to understand the full context.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible has this introduction:
Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days - A period which would indicate the probable result of the entire experiment. If during that period there were no indications of diminished health, beauty, or vigour, it would not be unfair to presume that the experiment in behalf of temperance would be successful, and it would not be improper then to ask that it might be continued longer...
The Scripture tells us in verse 15, At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.

Now, as much as possible shall we try the same for the next ten days along with Scriptures on vegetables and fruits? It is going to be fun!

What do you say?
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Shout for joy to the Lord
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Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100

Let's now go & shout joyfully to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! 
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If God is for us, who can be against us?
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 If God is for us, who can be against us? Roman 8:31

If God is for you, who can be against you? Repeat this after me: If God is for me, who can be against me?

Amen! When God is for us nobody can be against us. This also ties with yesterday's message: No weapon forged against you will prevail.

How can we be sure that God is for us? In verse 28 we read: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

So if we are called according to His purpose, we can be assured that in all things God works for the good of us who love Him or in other words God is for us.

When He is for us, who can be against us? The plain and simple answer is: Nobody; indeed nobody!
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No weapon forged against you will prevail
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 No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. Isaiah 54:17

I love promises; especially those that end with 'decalres the Lord' as it is like a 'certified promise' if you will.

Thus the promise above is a certified promise for the servants of the Lord. If we are the servants of the Lord then no weapon forged against us will prevail. Not only that, we will refute every tongue that accuses us.

How? By sending back a stronger weapon? Or by fighting back with stronger words? No, not at all!

If we are true servants of the Lord, we will continue to serve the Lord and He will fight our battles and argue our cases for us.

This is our heritage; let's inherit it!

Happy Friday. Have a blessed weekend!
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Awake, awake; put on thy strength
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Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem. Isaiah 52:1

In order to understand the urgency in this verse, we need to read the last verse of the previous chapter: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over. Isaiah 51:23

Jerusalem or Zion was in captive and depicted as a woman in mourning, most likely wearing sack clothes and sitting in the dust and dozed off with crying.

A message is sent for her to awake from her sleep from the dust and to put on her strength and go change into beautiful garments. Which means her period of mourning is over and singing and dancing has returned for her.

If any of us feel like we are in the dust mourning, be assured this message is for you: Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem.

In Habakkuk 3:19 we read, "The Lord is our Strength" and 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."

When adored in the Lord who is our strength and in the garments of salvation there is no doubt our singing and dancing would return. Amen!
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A prayer taught by King David
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King David lifts up a beautiful prayer in Psalm 119:33-40, which can serve as an example for us, and teach us how to develop reverence for the Word of God:

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall observe it to the end.

Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law
And keep it with all my heart.

Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.

Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to dishonest gain.

Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,
And revive me in Your ways.

Establish Your word to Your servant,
As that which produces reverence for You.

Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your ordinances are good.

Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me through Your righteousness.

Amen!

Look at the key points that I have highlighted here, which covers all angles of distraction one may encounter during the walk of faith. It takes a conscious effort on our part too to give the due reverence to the Word of God. Shall we try?

Have a blessed Wednesday!
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At the potters house...
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Let's go to the potter's house for our coffee with Jesus this morning!

Today's reading is from Jeremiah 18:1-10:
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.

And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it."

As we read in the Scripture portion above, if in His anger He ever spoke anything against us and we repent and plead for mercy, He immediately relents. On the other hand any blessings we have been promised could be reverted based on our evilness.

Often times we take the Scripture so lightly that we do not realize it is the very Word of God Almighty. Let us give the Word the reverence it so deserves. Let us hear, heed and receive the blessings our Lord has  in store for us. Let us allow Him to make us and mold us to be a vessel worthy to hold His blessings. Amen!
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Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me
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 "Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" Psalm: 23

A staff is a strong wooden stick with a curved end and held at hand, a rod is a stump or a thick wooden stick, normally worn in the belt.

I often wonder how can a shepherd's rod and staff comfort the sheep. We can visualize it being used to punish a wayward sheep or goat that goes away from the flock; but how can these comfort?

Thinking a little deeper of how else a shepherd might use his rod and staff, we can come up with the list below:

* The shepherd uses his staff to pull a branch of a tree down so that his animals can feed on the leaves.
* The shepherd uses his rod or staff to kill snakes, chase away dogs or other intruders.
* The shepherd uses his rod to instruct discipline to the flock
*The shepherd uses his rod or staff to untangle the bush a goat/sheep may run into
* The shepherd uses his rod to clear the water of fallen leaves or debris, so the animals can drink from it.
* The shepherd uses his rod or staff to examine a sick animal or even carry very sick animal.
* The staff signifies the shepherd so that people know who is in charge of the flock

We see that the rod and staff comfort more than punish. As the Lord is our Shepherd, His rod and staff they comfort us. Of course He also needs to discipline us from time to time; agree?

In Proverbs we read, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." It is only natural for our Heavenly Father who loves us dearly, to carefully discipline us too. Shall we say Amen?!

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah: 40:11
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Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only
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* Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. Matthew 4:10
* Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2
* Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 96:9
* You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. Deuteronomy 12:31
* Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. Exodus 23:25

As we get ready to worship the Lord this morning let us remind ourselves of these Scriptures above. As you see, there are instructions on how to worship the Lord and how not to worship the Lord.

Since the verses are self explanatory I do not wish to elaborate on it. However, wanted to stress one point: Let us serve Him only.

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

Happy March 2014! Thank you for joining us here at the coffee table amidst your busy schedule for the day. Here's a quick reminder: Do not become weary in doing good!

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

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

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

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

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

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

God bless you all!
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