* Love one another. As I have loved you. John 13:34
* Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other Ephesians 4:32
* Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Colossians 3:13
* Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Romans 12:10
* Encourage one another and build each other up. I Thessalonians 5:11
* Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21

The Scripture calls for it repeatedly (as we see in the above verses) to be right in our relationships with one another. Doing so however is really tough. Relationships are complicated; no denying that.

May be when we were children it was possible for us to love all unconditionally. But over the years as we get older, day by day there is a subtle change in us; keeping us away from friends/family members/in-laws/neighbors/church members/strangers who are not in tune with us.

We make every effort to stay clear of further bonding. We drift aloof and indifferent from their company, which of course we can justify from every possible angle. But the question is: Are we okay in our relationship with God then?

We would like to answer a beaming "YES!" But won't we be fooling ourselves if we did?! In the coming days over the coffee table let us wait to hear from the Lord to lead us in the paths of righteousness.

Let us look forward to rebuilding our relationships with one another, in Christ. Stay tuned. God bless you all!

* "Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs" (Psalm 100:2)
* "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28)
* "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." (Jeremiah 31:25)

A quick reminder as we get ready to go worship the Lord today! Let's do it with gladness; and let's come before Him with joyful songs.

Some of us may not be in a mood for joyful songs. Always remember when the burden gets heavy there is only one solace, the foot of the cross.

The weary and burdened find rest at His presence as He refreshes the weary and satisfies the faint.

Wishing everyone a refreshing worship!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Nowhere else we see such a direct call to go and lay down our burdens. I don't think no one else ever opened up such an invitation. Even we our self would not call out in a similar fashion to our family, friends or neighbors, for fear of adding to our burdens.

As humans we are limited in our capacity to ease out other's weight. May be we will add to it like Job's friends did when he was suffering. Of course they thought they were helping him out but did they. Hardly.

That's one reason why this invitation stands out in the crowd in a special way.

Let us take heed and go to Him this morning with all our burdens and take the rest He offers in return!

The rest comes naturally from knowing that He handles our cares. Isn't that awesome!

Have a good weekend!

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:8

The interesting thing about a fruit bearing plant is that the plant does not 'think' about producing fruits. It just comes naturally. Same way, in our lives, we do not 'have to work' to produce fruits. It will come naturally, if we remain in the True Vine.

The sap within the branches that keeps the branch connected to the vine, can be compared to the Holy Spirit, who enables us to connect with Jesus one on one, on a continuous basis. When the sap runs dry, the branch starts to wither, and soon dies. Same way, when there is a decline in our experience of the Holy Spirit, when we don't thirst as much for the new infilling of the Holy Spirit on a continuous basis, our connection with Jesus will soon suffer.

Remain in the Lord Jesus Christ.Do not let anything or anyone hinder your joy of salvation.Do not let any offshoots of false doctrine, take your focus away from the True Vine.

Here's a complete list of the fruits that is expected of us, which we have discussed several times in our study.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

When we bear fruits, much fruits, it is ultimately for the Father's glory! Bearing fruits is the only way we believers can clearly distinguish ourselves from the rest of the world. Praise the Lord!

And with that we end this series. Thank you for joining me every day for Coffee with Jesus. Have a blessed weekend!

If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:6-7

I know it gets repetitive after a few days, but the discussion goes on...

Yesterday we saw the importance of remaining in Him. Today's Scripture comes as a warning for those who do not remain in Him. Clearly it is a serious affair. But when we look around we can see many who do not heed to the warning. We can not do much about it, however we can all take a look within ourselves and see what we lack in terms of remaining in Him and correct ourselves.

How strong we are in the Scriptures? How much of it do we understand? When was the last time we sat down with the Bible with an expectation of hearing from the Lord? Do we only hear Scriptures spoken from a pulpit or have we experienced the Scripture in works within us? Does the Word of God convict our inmost beings, bringing things to light, leading us to repent, and further more to shun from sin?

If so, clearly you are in the right direction. Praise the Lord!

If not, it is time to allow His words to work in us, thus enabling us to remain in Him. Praise the Lord!

God bless you all. Happy Thursday!

Hang in there; the series is almost over and so is the week.

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4

If we were to come across a watch on a beach our first assumption is someone owned it at sometime. If we go on indulging in further thoughts, we would assume someone bought it, someone sold it and ultimately someone made it at some time.

In the case of a watch the watchmaker made it and then let it away independent of the maker. However in the case of us humans, our Maker, God the Father, not only made us but made us dependent on Him. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Every breath we breath is because of His grace. Many live as though they are 'watches let loose by their maker'.

The root cause of all sin is the constant desire by us humans to become independent of God. We want to live our life our way.

This can't be. We are mere branches. We need to be connected to the vine to be able to bear fruits. "Remain in me", says the Lord, "just as I remain in you".

Do you notice the fairness of His command here? He is not asking us to do something He Himself does not do. Both parties remain in each other so that together they can bring forth fruits - much fruits. Praise the Lord! The fact of the matter is He always remains, we often waver.

This morning let us refocus our attention to remaining in the Lord. For the rest of the day let our prayer be, "Help me to remain in you Lord, just as you remain in us, so that I can bear much fruit".

God bless you. Enjoy the Wednesday!

My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:1-2

What does a gardener do? Of course he tends to the garden. He waters the plants. He enriches the soil with needed minerals. He fertilizes the ground. He removes the weeds among the plants.

Gardener gets strict with the branches that do bear fruits. He prunes them so that they can bear much fruits. Whereas any branch that is no good for fruits, he cuts off only to be thrown away in the fire.
Pruning involves removing any and all offshoots from the plants. Offshoots are little branches that drain the nutrients off the plant but produce no fruit.

Pruning is painful yet not fatal. Cutting off on the other hand is beyond repair.  He does that only when there is no sign of ever finding any fruits in them even after much toil. He cuts off the unfruitful branches with a heavy heart.

The plight of the gardener is well explained in Jesus's own parable in Luke 13:6-9, “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

Knowing how much our Gardener - Father God cares to see us fruitful, are we willing to let Him prune our offshoots? Our distractions? Are we willing to surrender to His care completely? Are we ready to acknowledge His supremacy over us?

Those who are willing, say amen! Amen!

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:1-8

Indeed our Lord Jesus Christ is the True Vine! Here's a beautiful allegory or a symbolic representation that Jesus Himself shared to explain the need for our dependency on God.

Jesus is the vine; we are the branches; Father God is the gardener and not to forget the Holy Spirit - the sap inside the branches that helps it being connected to the branch. Praise the Lord!

We will be meditating on the same passage for the next couple of days. Be sure to join the conversation.

For today just remember - Jesus is the true vine.

May God bless you and have a wonderful Monday!

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

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

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

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

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

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

It may seem like no one is watching our giving or that only we are giving all the time. But remember nothing is hidden from the Lord's eyes and He will repay you for what you have given. Let us earn to be givers and not so much of receivers! Because that's the true blessing!

Come, let us give praises to God Almighty today - lots and lots of them!

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

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

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

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

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

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

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

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

What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Past few days we have been discussing the same verse Micah 6:8. Today's focus is on 'Walking humbly with our God'.

We would think it is something to boast about - right? Walking with the Lord? Apparently not! As the verse suggests walking humbly is what is required of us; humbly is the key here.

So, how do we walk humbly with the Lord? I guess this comes with maturity. As we grow more and more in Christ we become less and less significant in our sight.

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

When the Pharaoh called in Joseph to solve his dream he responded: "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." Genesis 41:16

Young David when confronting Goliath said, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied..." I Samuel 17:45

Looks like these people knew a thing or two about walking humbly with the Lord. We can learn from their example, can't we?

Happy weekend ahead! Coffee with Jesus will be served on the weekend too; so join us if you can. God bless you!

What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

What does it mean to love mercy? Better yet, what is mercy?
Looking up the word in the dictionary reveals mercy means pardoning some one's punishment or being compassionate to our offenders. It is also an act of kindness, compassion or favor.

Mercy is one of the strongest qualities of our Lord. Lamentations 3:22 says, "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." Other translations have it as "His mercies never cease". In Psalm 103:10 we read, "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities."

We are all recipients of God's mercy; no denying that. How are we doing with showing mercy to others? In Matthew 18:21 we read about the parable of the unmerciful servant. The question that lingers on is: Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? Matthew 18:33

The same question is directed towards us today. How merciful are we? Do we love mercy? Shouldn’t we have mercy on our fellow men just as our Lord Jesus has had on us?

It may look like we are taken for granted or that they don't deserve it. But that is the point. Being kind to others when they don't deserve it - that is mercy! Here is an encouraging word for you: Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7

And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Yesterday we discussed that one of the few things expected of us by our Lord is to act justly. Today we are going to discuss how to do just that - act justly.

First we need to understand what does 'just' mean. In Deuteronomy 32:4 we read: "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he."

In Leviticus 19:36 we read of an instruction from the Lord: "Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt."

From these verses we can understand that being just means to be faithful, honest and not doing wrong. Now getting back to our original question, how to act justly, let us read on.

1 John 3: 9 says: "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God."

So, ultimately we need to be born of God. What does it mean to be born of God?

It is to realize that we are sinners and to recognize that Christ died for our sins on the cross and that the blood of Jesus Christ washes our sins. Repenting and asking for forgiveness for our sins makes us a whole new person - born of Christ!

When we are born of Christ He enables us to walk justly!

With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:6-8

We at times forget what is ultimately required of us by the Lord. Is it how much we give? No! Is it our being regular to church? No! How about we fast and pray for three days? That will be good idea but not something required of us by the Lord. Well, then what is really expected of us?

Today's passage has the answer: To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God! How do we do that? To find out let's discuss each of these in detail in the coming days:

Act justly
Love mercy &
Walk humbly with the Lord!

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they replied.

“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

They answered, “Seven.”

He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Jesus's miracle of feeding the crowd of five thousand adults with five loaves of bread precedes today's Scripture. The fact that this conversation above is also mentioned in the same chapter explains how soon the disciples had forgotten the miracle and started to worry about "how to feed the crowd".

Aren't we like them too? We forget how God delivered us through certain incidents in the past and keep worrying about the future far and near. Why is it hard for us to trust that the Lord will see us through all the way? Why do we still depend on our abilities and merits and resources?

Why are we talking about having no bread? Do we still not see or understand? Are our hearts hardened? Do we have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t we remember?

Why o why?

I know it is a lot of questions to handle in one day... but let's take some time to analyze ourselves. Let us learn to look up to our Source(Jesus) which never dries out; instead of forever worrying about our low resources...

It is high time we fully trust beyond what is seen, don't you think?

Have a blessed week ahead. God be with you!

* The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1
* The heavens proclaim his righteousness Psalm 50:6
* The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness too Psalm 89:5
* When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3,4

I am a sky gazer. I love looking at the skies. Looks like King David did too. He has beautiful reflections on God Almighty looking at the skies.

If you don't normally care for the skies, please take a moment to gaze it next time you are out. You too will be able to reflect on the Creator.

We will become so insignificant in the vast expanse of the skies. The more insignificant we get, the more significant He gets! It is an awesome experience folks; care to try?!

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?

For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The message is very clear; this is especially true for marriage decisions. Those who are at the cross roads, take heed to the Word of God!

God bless you.

"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 us in front of our enemies in the past circumstances Lord. Thank you for always lifting up our heads and anointing us with the oil of joy Lord.

Thank you that you gave us in abundance that our cup ran over Lord. We 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. We praise you again for all your mercies Lord. Bless this day Lord. Bless each and every one of us gathered here to spend few minutes with you Lord. We Love you Jesus! In Jesus' mighty name we pray, Amen!

Enjoy the weekend!

... knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7

Asking we understand. Seeking we understand. But knocking? Knocking what?

I assume it is knocking when we shut ourselves out of the presence of the Lord. His heart is always open. He assures in Revelation 3:8 "I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut."

It is our hearts that shut down from time to time. That is why Jesus says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." Revelation 3:20

Then there are times we can sense all the doors are shut when an answer to our prayers is delayed. Those are the times we actually knock. We knock so that God reveals the open doors to us. We knock to enter back into His joyful presence. And, we open to Him who knocks at our shut hearts.

Here's a promise of God for those who choose to believe it:

“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains ; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. Isaiah 45:1-3

May God bless you and make this promise come true in your life.  Praise the Lord!

Ask. Seek. Knock. Keep on asking, seeking & knocking.

Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. Psalm 105:4

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 2 Chronicles 15:2

You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. Psalm 27:8

Seek Him continually! That is the message for us this morning! Above Scriptures clearly explain the benefits of seeking His face.

What does it mean to seek someone/something?

* To try to locate or discover; search for
* To endeavor to obtain or reach
* To go to or toward
* To inquire for; request
* To try; endeavor.
* To make a search or investigation.

Seek God. Then you will find Him. Seek Him continually. Till you find Him! Amen!

Have a blessed Wednesday!

Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God.  Colossians 4:2

Prayer or asking God for something, especially for the infilling of the Holy Spirit is not a one time thing. We pray persistently. We keep on asking. 

Gospel of Luke records a parable Jesus shared of a persistent widow,which I would like to read with you:

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
 

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” John 15:7

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:8

Prayer is the appointed means for obtaining what we need. Pray; pray often; make a business of prayer, and be serious and earnest in it.

Ask, as a beggar asks alms. Ask, as a traveller asks the way. Seek, as for a thing of value that we have lost; or as the merchantman that seeks goodly pearls. Knock, as he that desires to enter into the house knocks at the door. Sin has shut and barred the door against us; by prayer we knock.

Whatever you pray for, according to the promise, shall be given you, if God see it fit for you, and what would you have more? This is made to apply to all that pray aright; every one that asketh receiveth, whether Jew or Gentile, young or old, rich or poor, high or low, master or servant, learned or unlearned, all are alike welcome to the throne of grace, if they come in faith.

It is explained by a comparison taken from earthly parents, and their readiness to give their children what they ask. Parents are often foolishly fond, but God is all-wise; he knows what we need, what we desire, and what is fit for us.

Let us never suppose our heavenly Father would bid us pray, and then refuse to hear, or give us what would be hurtful.

* 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
* And the Peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Shalom is a regular greeting among the Jews, very similar to our usage of 'Hello, how are you?'. These salutations and benedictions are generally matters of custom and polite ceremony, given without much thought to it.

However here the Prince of Peace is not talking mere empty words but brings the attention to the word PEACE as in consolation. When He says 'my peace' He means the kind of peace only He can impart. This promised peace is very different from the empty promises given by the world.

When we are at peace it gives us a tranquil spirit. We are not in a rush to find a solution for matters. We learn to unwind at His feet and be still. We completely surrender for His will. Have you sensed this peace lately?

If not, please join me over this little prayer:

"Our Heavenly Father! Thank you for this new day at your presence Lord! Thank you for the heavenly peace you have promised us Lord. Often times we are so overwhelmed by many things that we tend to overlook the peace you have promised us Lord.

Today we surrender all such matters at your feet  Lord. Please forgive us for running away from your presence trying to figure out our own solution Lord. Thank you that you are in control and you will take care of all matters Lord. The battle is yours Lord.

Please fill us once again with this promised peace Lord. May the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard our hearts and our minds Lord. We thank you and praise you for the peace you are giving us all this very moment Lord. All glory, honor and praise be to your holy name Lord. In our Prince of Peace's name we pray, Amen!"

Have a blessed weekend folks! The Lord's peace be with you!

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

For today's coffee I would like to share an illustration from John Bunyan's book The Pilgrim's Progress.

Christian - the lead character in the book, is on a journey - from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City.

Christian is weighed down by a great burden, the knowledge of his sin, which he believed came from his reading "the book in his hand", (the Bible). This burden, which would cause him to sink into Tophet (hell), is so unbearable that Christian must seek deliverance.

He meets Evangelist as he is walking out in the fields, who directs him to the "Wicket Gate" for deliverance.

After some waywardness Christian finally reaches the "place of deliverance" (allegorically, the cross of Calvary and the open sepulcher of Christ), where the "straps" that bound Christian's burden to him break, and it rolls away into the open sepulchre.

After Christian is relieved of his burden, he is greeted by three shining ones, who give him the greeting of peace, new garments, and a scroll as a passport into the Celestial City — these are allegorical figures indicative of Christian Baptism and the journey continues all the way to the Celestial City. (Excerpts from Wikipedia)

The point of focus for our discussion is, when we lose our burden of sin and guilt at the cross, we pick up a lighter load and continue on the journey.

This lighter load indicates the teachings of the Scriptures, the areas in which we need to improve, loving, forgiving, etc to become more like Jesus every day.

Compared to our original bundle of sin, this yoke is very light and not a difficult task at hand. Might seem so at times but by His grace we can do it! Amen!

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalms 68:19

If you love me, keep my commands. John 14:15

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.I John 5:3

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:30

Praise the Lord! Happy Friday! As we wrap up the week we are also wrapping up our series on Grace & Peace.  

The 4th key to finding His grace and availing His peace is to obey His commands. Scriptures are full of His commands. Anywhere you turn, for whatever circumstances you are presently in, the Scripture has the answers. When we obey the commands of God He will shower His countless blessings on us, which very much includes the promised grace and peace that we are after.

In Leviticus 3rd chapter verses 3-13, God has promised us the benefits of following His commands, which I wish to share with you. Take your time to read  it and re read it, till the contents sink in.

‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:26

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. John 10:27-28

Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:38

Grace & Peace series continues... The 3rd key to finding grace and availing the peace He offers is to follow His lead.

What does it mean to 'follow' someone? Dictionary.com defines it as:

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3

They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

The 2nd key to finding grace & peace is to take the time.

Taking the time or waiting on the Lord does not come naturally to us.  We would rather take matters in our own hands than "sit around", we reason. From Abraham to Moses to Peter to even us, all have history of impatience and we have seen the consequences of that.

Waiting on the Lord means getting the confirmation on God's will, to surrender the matter at hand at His feet and wait for His leading. Taking the time to read and meditate the Word of God will enable us to hear when the Lord speaks. Our hearts will be in synch with the will of God. Naturally this will result in us finding the grace and peace that has been given to us.

Shall we set aside some time each day to wait on the Lord? Morning or evening or at noon, that is up to you. But take the time!

I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. Psalm 62:1

Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. Psalm 131:2

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5

Be still, and know that I am God.Psalm 46:10

Yesterday we started a new series Grace & Peace.Today we will see what is the #1 key to finding the grace and availing the peace God has intended for us, which is to Quiet your soul.

God did not design us human beings to run 24 X 7. We were made to rest systematically. Only to insist that God Himself rested on the 7th day of creation and set aside the Sabbath for us to rest. If it were not so important,it wouldn't have found it's place among the ten commandments.

So, when was the last time you rested completely - quieting your soul? Were all the distractions we were after, worth it? The non-stop text messages, the social networking way into wee hours, were it really truly worth anything? From my own experience I can tell all these distractions are far from quieting us. No wonder we feel edgy and cranky most of the time.

When we quiet our soul like how God had planned for us, we are renewed and refreshed - all body, mind and soul. Only when we quiet our soul, we can hear God speak, thus know the will of God in our lives, which leads to the complete peace - His peace - that has been made available for us.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. John 14:27

Happy June everyone! A new month is a new beginning - full of hope is it not? Let us start the month with renewed mind and a refreshed Spirit.

Today's Scriptures clearly explain there are two things God has already given to us. Grace & Peace. He has given. Means it is served. But have we availed it? Have we received what He has given?

If you ever feel pressured or in turmoil - without peace, clearly you haven't availed it. If you are calm and composed in all situation surely you have received it. So, what is your story? Which one do you relate to better?

Grace is composed of His love, His mercies, His kindness, His justice. (Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life.Genesis 19:19)

In Peace we find the rest He promised. (Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Matthew 11:28; My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14)

Even the lamenting Prophet Jeremiah writes: The LORD'S loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."… Lamentations 3:23-24

Let me challenge you this morning to avail His grace. To find His rest.

Here's keys to finding peace & availing His grace:

* Quiet your Soul
* Take the Time
* Follow His Lead
* Obey His commands

We will discuss each of these in detail for the next couple of days. Please stay tuned...

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter:1:2