I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done. Psalm 118:17

Psalm 118 is a testimony of King David about the Lord. He starts with singing: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever..." and continues to share from the past, how on different times  the Lord came to his rescue.

All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off. They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off.  I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

Enjoy the last day of October 2014! Happy Friday too!

When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. Deuteronomy 24:19

When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. Deuteronomy 24:20

When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. Deuteronomy 24:21

How thoughtful and complete the Word of God is! There is no aspect of life it leaves behind!

Here we read of some specific instructions on harvests. True we worked hard for it. We toiled day and night. We lost sleep over it. We put our savings on it. Yet, it was God who gave us the yield! Let us not forget that.

Let us leave some behind for the poor, the needy, the widows and orphans among us - just as the Word of God instructs us. Let us not argue or reason their needy state. Let us just be willing to share our yield and obey the Word of God.

May God bless you many folds - to be a blessing for many more. Take care. Happy Thursday!

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Jude 1:17-25

It is interesting how the disciples of Jesus Christ, who were once common fishermen, developed such wisdom and insight about all things supernatural and eternal. It is the wisdom that comes from knowing the Lord. It is the insight from being led by the Holy Spirit.

Here Apostle Jude calls us to persevere. It is as though he knew the current times. He warns us about the false preachers and insists us to safeguard our faith amidst it all.

It is important to hold on to our faith first. Then we could help out those who are in doubt and those on the verge of eternal fire. In doing so, we will stand before God without fault and with great joy! Hallelujah!

Let us heed to the call this morning: by building ourselves up in our faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves in God’s love as we wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring us to eternal life. Amen!

"You are all together beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you." - Song of Solomon 4:7

This is one of my favorite verses from the Bible. It amazes me at all times. I take the verse personally for me and encourage all of you to take it personally for yourself too! It is for every one of us indeed, where God says, "You are all together beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you."

I am sure it makes us pause & analyze our self, to see if it truly fits us; you would agree it always fails. If we were to take an inventory of our flaws it would go miles long... No matter how hard we try, we would still be full of flaws, but the unfailing, unconditional love of God sees beyond our flaws and lovingly calls us "Beautiful" and "Flawless".

I sometime wonder if these are the exact words Jesus uses to plead our case with the Father, "... there is no flaw in him/her"

I turn to this verse anytime I need an assurance of the Divine Love which brings instant joy to my heart & music to my soul.. Hope it does to you too.

Have a blessed Monday!

"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

Life can get weary sometime. The routine toil day after day could easily overwhelm us. Where will we go then? What will we do? How will we find solace? Only by taking it all to God Almighty and hear Him say these very words: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, I will give you rest".

Interestingly the invitation is forever open, it is us finding time to attend to it that prevents us from enjoying it's benefits.

In Matthew 6:33 we read: "Seek ye first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Often times our burden gets heavier because we have not sought after God first. Let us set aside a regular prayer time and list all our needs at His feet and see if His invitation stands true in our case.

I am 100% positive it is! Tested & true! Would you like to try it yourself?

Even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. Zechariah 9:12

Amen! What a beautiful promise from the Lord for us this morning! I am so glad for all of you who didn't miss it over the weekend. May this very promise come true in each one of our lives.

In Isaiah we read, "Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs." Isaiah 61:7

Amen! Such powerful promises we have heard this morning over the coffee table. Let us pause, take a moment to let it sink in! Let us proclaim the promise by our mouth; please repeat this after me:

"Instead of my shame I will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace I will rejoice in my inheritance; and so I will inherit a double portion in my land, and everlasting joy will be mine."

One more time:

"Instead of my shame I will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace I will rejoice in my inheritance; and so I will inherit a double portion in my land, and everlasting joy will be mine."

Amen! It will be so!

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

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. (KJV)

Just the fact that it says 'all men' means we need to make peace with ourselves too. How long will you carry the guilt? How long will you mourn a loss? How long will you regret your past? It is time we make peace. With God, with men and with ourselves.

Did you know, forgiveness brings about a great healing and peace? Forgive men, forgive yourself. Believe your sins are forgiven 100%. Those whom the Son sets free is free indeed. John 8:36. Indeed! Then why carry?

Pursue peace. Strive for holiness. Keep your mind and body holy. For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy. Leviticus 1:44

What is the difference between us and non-believers if we do what they do, talk what they talk and walk where they walk?! What difference it makes if we get offended for little things, be quick to confront, and adamant in taking revenge?

Let us make every effort to live in peace as today's Scripture teaches us. Let us make a difference from the rest of the crowd out there! Shall we?

Happy Friday! Have a blessed weekend!

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:3-11

Pure and simple Scriptures this morning for Coffee with Jesus. As we read above, let us make every effort to confirm our calling and election.

Have a blessed Thursday!

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

Today's reading: Proverbs 2 Click here to read online (NIV)

Here's some excerpt:

My son, if you accept my words

Verse of the day: "... He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless..."

My two cents: Nowhere else we see such a direct plea for us to get some wisdom than in Proverbs Chapter 2. Here's few highlights of how we should pursue wisdom:

* Accept His words
* Store up His commands
* Turn your ear to wisdom
* Apply your heart to understanding
* Call out for insight
* Cry aloud for understanding
* Look for it as for silver
* Search for it as for hidden treasure

.... then we will understand the fear of the Lord - which is the beginning of wisdom. Few add-ons that come along with wisdom are:

* He holds victory in store for the upright
* He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless...
* He guards the course of the just
* He protects the way of his faithful ones

 Now would you like some wisdom? I certainly do!

"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!

2 Chronicles 6:40 "Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place."

Yesterday we were reprimanded for not building the house of the Lord. Today we are reminded of the inauguration prayer King Solomon had offered at the completion of the Temple of God. Isn't that something?!

Today's Scripture is an extract from the Prayer of Solomon offered at the dedication of the temple. Please read the entire chapter if you have some time today.

It is great to be in company of prayer warriors so that we learn how to pray. Prayer connects us one-on-one with our maker! When we pray God listens. When we praise He accepts it. When we call He answers. When we ask He gives. When we knock He opens. When we cry He comforts. Amen.

As believers we are called to pray not only for our needs but for one another also. Even here at Coffee with Jesus we have an opportunity to share our prayer requests and pray for one another. Please make it your regular practice to check out the prayer requests and pray for the shared needs. Please encourage one another by comments and testimonies.

Today's Scripture is my sincere prayer for this blog. Please join me in unison and let us pray the same together: "Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place."

Amen!

Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison. Deuteronomy 29:18

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15

The first scripture here is an excerpt from Moses's address to the Israelites at the end of their journey; the second is from Paul's letters to Hebrews.

The idea is the same: Do not develop bitterness yourself; neither do let others induce it in you! Both will lead to falling short of the grace of God. Let us see how we can work on these.

How do we get rid of our bitterness? Ephesians 4:31-32 has the answer. It says, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

How do we safeguard against people who produce bitterness? For one, by praying the Lord's prayer "Lead us not into temptation  but deliver us from evil" (Luke 11:4).

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.”

* LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. Psalm 16:5-6

* I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Lamentations 3:24


A portion or a share is a part of the whole, an allotment, if you will, mostly referred to as an inheritance. It could be a portion of the booty or plunder that one had the right to, or the portion of land that belonged to one in the division of an estate.

So, to say that the Lord is our portion means that we will trust in the Lord for our portion, for our inheritance, for our lot, for our part, for our rightful allotment.

It also means that whatever we enjoy at current times, all the little blessings, are given us by the Lord as our portion and secured lot! The joy in our heart, the peace of our mind, the confidence in our Lord are all part of His grace we enjoy.

From the very beginning of this year to now His mercy has been sufficient for us.

Let us praise Him with a grateful heart for securing our lot and for being our portion. Amen!

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. Matthew 5:10-11

I admit it is a difficult subject rationalizing the persecution for Christ's sake. In our limited mind we reason why would God allow His faithful to suffer for their faith in Him. Couldn't He just show up and eradicate the persecutors instead of allowing them an upper hand over the feeble faithful? Hard to fathom is it not?!

Clearly the Bible says there is no morsel of darkness in Him. God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. I John 1:15, which means that our reasoning on God's allowance of persecution has no good stand. Though we do not understand why God allows certain things at certain times, we have to acknowledge all things work out together for good for those who love Him.

Since we are mostly worried about things of this world, we feel that leaving the world by death is a punishment. In fact it is only a temporary phase in our life and life eternal continues beyond what we can see or reason or fathom. It is the Promised Land on the other side and so we don't have to fear persecution! Amen!

It is easier said than done; you are right. But no use fretting when we know life doesn't just end here. The eternity is forever ahead of us - where God Himself is the Light and there will be no iota of darkness.

Praise the Lord! Wishing you all a blessed safe journey rest of the way.

With that we end the "Blessed are you" series. Tomorrow we will do something different.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9

Jesus has given us His peace as per the Scripture below:

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

Which means that peace can be given! We as children of God can impart peace to others.

How do we do that?

As per these verses,

Pray for peace in Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6
Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captive. Jeremiah 29:7

* we can pray for peace over a city, nation, household, situation.

* We can be patient in conflicts:

A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. Proverbs 15:18

* Avoid gossip or slander:

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. Proverbs 26:22
Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. Proverbs 26:20

Now, that will make us true children of God Almighty. Who doesn't want that!

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

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

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 make every effort to be holy so that we can see the Lord one day - face to face! Amen!

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7

Mercy is defined as: compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power.

That's exactly what we have received as part of our salvation. We were shown mercy instead of punishment; forgiveness in place of judgement.

Why then it is often hard for even good believers to show mercy, to extend compassion to someone fit for punishment?

It is so because we often forget the mercy we have so freely received.

Mercy is not optional. It is not recommended. It is a must-have. It is expected to be the very nature of us who call ourselves believers.

We are all familiar with the story of the unmerciful servant mentioned in Matthew 18, where a person who received his master's mercy did not extend even a portion of that mercy to his subordinate. This angered the master who then withdrew his mercy and punished him.

Whatever question the master asked the unmerciful servant is aimed at us this morning:

Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? Matthew 18:33

What do we answer?

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Isaiah 55:1-2

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6:50-51

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8

Okay we get the point - whoever hungers and thirsts for righteousness will be filled.

When was the last time we hungered and thirsted for God?

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.Matthew 5:5

The meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. Psalm 37:11

What is meek? 

It is an adjective used to describe a person ": having or showing a quiet and gentle nature : not wanting to fight or argue with other people".

Lowly, humble, modest, down-to-earth, unpretentious are some of the synonyms of meek while arrogant, egoistic, proud, high-and-mighty, haughty are few of the antonyms.

How is it that the meek inherit the land? 

Because the favor of God is upon the meek. The Scripture clearly tells us, God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. James 4:6

Further more we read:

Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. Psalm 138:6

Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.  Proverbs 29:23  

What we must do to find God's favor?

Humble ourselves. The more we uplift Christ in our lives the less significant we will become in our own eyes. We will become lowly just while we give the Lord the highest honor.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  James 4:10

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Our Lord Jesus Christ was known as a Man of sorrows. In Isaiah 53:3 we read: He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

So He can very well relate to those who mourn. In fact one of the primary missions of Lord Jesus Christ is to 'comfort those who mourn'.

We read of this in Isaiah 61: 1-3 The Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:1-3

So, whatever is your grief this morning, whoever you are mourning over, bring it all to Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ comforts you this very morning. The overwhelming presence of the Holy Spirit engulfs you this very minute as you surrender your sorrows at His feet. Hallelujah! He will crown you with beauty instead of ashes and oil of joy instead of your mourning. Praise the Lord!

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Revelation 7:17

Amen!

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

Of course, we all want to be part of the kingdom of heaven. As per today's scripture the poor in spirit inherit it.

It leads us to a basic question: What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

I believe it is a crushed spirit, it is a spirit that is too low to stand on it's own, a spirit that is in need and want of God. It takes a crushed spirit to repent for sins. It takes a low or poor or a spirit in need to want God's forgiveness. It is almost a humble heart; but not quite.

A poor spirit is the key to the kingdom of God because that's what brings about the quest for salvation. Our search for God or the seeking starts with a low spirit.

A Poor spirit despairs, regrets, repents. A poor spirit seeks and finds the one true Living God! A poor spirit cares after godly affairs. A poor spirit acknowledges the lack or void within and understands it can only be filled with the love of God.

Now the question is, do we have the poor spirit that qualifies us for the Kingdom of God? Do we depend on God Almighty day in and day out for our fill of happiness? If the answer is yes, well and good. If not, seek Him now.

These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word. Isaiah 66:2

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!

"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done." Revelation 22:12

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Revelation 3:11

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20

Jesus is coming soon! It is what we as believers look forward to, or do we?

I remember as a child and as a young adult, I have expected His return every day. Going to bed my prayer would be, "Lord, if you return tonight please count me in"; waking up my prayer would be, "Lord if you return today, keep me holy and take me along".

However, I admit over the years, His tarrying has made me lose the expectancy of His return, to a point where for days together I have gone without much thought about it.I am sure, all of you believers can relate to this one way or another.

Today's message comes as a reminder that indeed He is coming soon. We must stay focused, not giving yield to the distractions life throws our way. A child like faith, that fully trusts the Word of God, without any reservation or bias, is what is expected of us.

Being always ready for the imminent return of the Lord, should be our constant state of mind. The assurance of forgiveness of our sins and the joy of salvation is what it takes to make us ready for His return.

If anyone here does not have that assurance, please seek Him today. I guarantee you, you will find Him. Amen!

Jesus is coming soon. Until then, happy waiting!

Now, Happy Sunday!

When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God. Ecclesiastes 5:19

Interestingly the Scripture here points out it is not the wealth or possessions that are considered the gift of God, but the heart that accepts our lot and remain happy in our work - that is a gift of God.

In his letter to Timothy Apostle Paul writes about Love of Money and says "Godliness with contentment is great gain". I Timothy 6:6. Indeed it is!

King Solomon was the richest king ever. He writes in Proverbs 28:25, "A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper." - which shows that his prosperity came from trusting in the Lord and not from greed.

How many of us are content this morning?! Praise God for all those hands that are going up!

Let us continue to accept our lot! This is our gift from the Lord!

* 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 is it even possible not to be burdened by worries. Yes; if you truly believe! In other words if you continue to worry it only means you have not yet believed!

Glancing back at our past, every one of us here can testify how God led us through our valleys as much as the peaks. Why then we doubt Him right now?

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

* Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Isaiah 59:1
* The LORD answered Moses, "Is the LORD's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you." Numbers 11:23
* Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? Isaiah 50:2
* You were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm Deuteronomy 5:15
* The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! Psalm 118: 16

Sometimes when our help delays, we wonder if the Lord's arm is too short to save us. We start doubting on the rescue power of the Lord. Knowing these verses will help us through such troubling thoughts, reassuring us that His arms are not too short to save us, nor His ears dull to hear us.

Our Lord does not lack the strength to rescue us, after all it is He who brought the Israelites out of Egypt by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm! Let us be reminded that the strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph against all our adversaries and that the strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! Amen!

I find it interesting how two days in a row we are reminded of the arm of the Lord...

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

What remarkable promises for us today - the first day of the month!

Amen! Our God's right hand is majestic in power today; it will shatter our enemy!

Our Lord's right hand is lifted high; it will do mighty things!

Whatever "enemies" you face this month or whatever "mighty things" are ahead of you, the Lord's right hand will deliver you! Praise the Lord!

Happy October 2014!

We have completed 4 years of Coffee with Jesus. It has been a beautiful journey. Praising God for His mercies.