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"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten--the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm--my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Joel 2:25-26
It is such an encouragement to know that the Lord will repay us for the years the locusts have eaten. What are these "locusts" we read about?
It could be our joblessness, our ill health, our failures, our disappointments, our broken relationships - but the Lord promises us that He is going to look into it that we are rewarded for our losses.
Our health will be restored, our bills will be taken care of, our joy will be full, our relationships will be stronger, we will be singing and dancing and praising the name of our Lord who led us so wondrously! Hallelujah! And we will never be ashamed!
Wesley's Notes on Bible explains: Wondrously - In one year giving as much as the locusts wasted in the years foregoing. Ashamed - Neither disappointed of your hopes, nor necessitated to seek relief among the heathen.
That's right! We will be neither disappointed of our hopes, nor necessitated to seek relief among the heathen. For now let us praise the Lord!
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When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the Lord.
“Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord, who made you holy and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.” Leviticus 22:29-33
Today we celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States of America. The ultimate concept behind the festivities is to give thanks to the Lord for yielding the harvest of the year.
When the last crops are done with, just before the start of winter, families of early English settlers in the 'New World' came together to thank the Lord, which then became an American tradition to be followed for centuries. What a beautiful idea!
Today as we remember our pilgrimage to this beautiful country, let us also remember our onward journey - the walk of faith - as we traverse this temporary world into God's eternity.
Keep praising the Lord along the way. Give thanks for each new day. Let us sacrifice our lives as accepted offering for the Lord Almighty.
I agree it is a buy day. But amidst it all remember to thank the Lord!
Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
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How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. Psalm 31:19
King David here exclaims on the goodness of God. He does not tell us how great was God's goodness, for he could not;
there are no measures which can set forth the immeasurable goodness of God!
Notes of exclamation suit us when words of explanation are of no avail.
If we cannot measure we can marvel; and though we may not calculate with
accuracy, we can adore with fervency.
Overwhelming are the proofs of the Lord's favor to believers, history
teems with amazing instances, and our own lives are full of prodigies of
grace. We serve a good Master. Faith receives a large reward even now,
but looks for the full inheritance in the future. ~ The Treasury of David
Everyone who is in agreement with today's Scripture and the explanation above, praise the Lord with me. Indeed, abundant are the good things that our Lord has stored up for us who fear Him.
Let us therefore press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)
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Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran.
When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” Genesis 28:10-22
Blessed day all! The Scripture here describes the first ever encounter of God, Jacob had in his life. When he was running all alone, fearing retaliation of his brother Esau. The God whom he had heard a mention of by his father Isaac, his grandfather Abraham, now meets him face to face!
Jacob took it to heart, made a wow, and was blessed accordingly, just as he was promised.
The same promise is given us this morning, to all of us who have gathered here in His name!
"... I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Whether we claim it as ours, what we do with it, is entirely up to us. In my case, I choose to believe! Amen!
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He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Psalm 147:4
He who... calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land--the LORD is his name. Amos:9:6
I believe there is nothing as magnificent as a starry night sky or as mesmerizing as an endless ocean. These clearly display the wisdom beyond measure of Lord God Almighty - the maker of heaven and the earth.
To top it all, He calls each star and waters by name! Truly amazing!
The same Lord also called you & me - by name - even before our birth -which is beyond our imagination. There are countless scriptures we can read that He has called us by name.
I encourage each one of us to claim these as our personal promises and live to fulfill our calling:
The LORD called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name. Isaiah 49:1
I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah:43:1
I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me. Isaiah 45:4
"... The one who calls you is faithful ..." 1 Thessalonians 5: 24
Have a blessed week and happy Monday!
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A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. Proverbs 12:16
How many of us are wise based on the standard set forth here by today's Scripture? I feel ashamed to say I am not.
The fact of the matter is we can be gentle and polished outwardly - at work, in the church, with friends for example; but at home we could be way different, annoyed, irritated, frustrated, angry, over the simplest of insults.
Just realized this is foolish and sinful. What do we do then when situation calls for it - when the spouse is forever working, when the house is a total mess, when the chicken doesn't thaw on time??
Don't we show our annoyance at once? We thus make fools of our selves according to today's Scripture. We need to learn to overlook insults and not get annoyed by it. Then we will be considered prudent.
Very hard I am sure. But with His grace we can do it. Knowing these Scriptures help us mold our character.
A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Proverbs 29:11
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On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
~ John 2:1-8
A familiar passage indeed! The focus this morning however is on the highlighted text above.
Thoughts to ponder:
Have we ran out of wine during our festivities? Is that because of the empty jars in our lives? When was the last time we got filled? Did we care to offer some to the Master of the banquet?
For the choice wine to return in our lives, let us do so whatever He tells us to do this morning!
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How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
~ Psalm 13
A perfect example of how King David was like every one of us. Again, a perfect example of how King David was unlike most of us.
He was like us with his despair; yet he was unlike us in his ability to rejoice in his despair.
He starts this psalm in agony but ends it with such joy.
His questions seem like he is doubting God; but the answers come right back with such assurance of his salvation.
He was hurting, on the verge of giving up, yet not quite. He had mastered the art of quieting his soul time and time again when situations called for an uproar.
King David is indeed a great example to learn many things from.
Let us pray for such a heart - a heart like King David's. A heart that trusts in God's unfailing love, even though the human nature of despair overtakes us. A heart that praises more and complains less. A heart that always seeks the Lord. A heart that is forever connected and in tune with the Maker. A heart that claims to be a friend of God. Precious.
God bless you folks! It is Wednesday! Just two more days until weekend. We can make it, no doubt!
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The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. Isaiah 35:10
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4
What powerful promises this morning! Praise the Lord!
Though it is widely applicable for all of us believers here at Coffee with Jesus, I can sense that it comes as a direct consolation message to someone in particular going through crying and sorrow this very minute - with no one around to care.
Don't ever think you are alone; you have a great Redeemer - who wipes away your tears, eases your pain, embraces you fully and loves you unconditionally. Amen!
May God bless you and fill you with the promised joy this very day! Repeat the promises to yourself and claim it as your own:
Everlasting joy will crown your head. Gladness and joy will overtake you. Sorrow and sighing will flee away! The Lord will wipe every tear from your eyes!
Can you say amen?
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Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land. Jeremiah 50:34
We are going to claim this verse as our promise today. Let's read it again custom fit for our needs: My Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is His name. He will vigorously defend my cause so that He may bring rest to my land.
Who is a Redeemer?
* A close relative who is capable of freeing us from debt;
* A saviour
How Jesus redeemed us?
* By paying the price of our sin upon the cross Himself
* By freeing us from the penalty of death that was the wages of our sin, but gave us eternal life instead.
* Saved us from God's wrath by His blood.
What more our Redeemer is capable of doing today?
* He can free us from our financial burden
* He can pay off our debts
* He can free us from worries and depression and the like
* He can heal us from sorrow
* He will defend our cause vigorously
* He will bring rest to our land.
Job during his severe affliction reminded himself, "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27
We all know how Job was redeemed and his health, wealth and fortune were restored.
King David sings in Psalm 25:3, "No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame." Amen!
This was true in the life of Job, King David and many other saints from the old and new testament. Why, is it not true in our case too?! Those who are sure praise the Lord; those who are not, claim Him now.
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Sara Grove's song
"How is it between us" is one of my favorites. Sure, go ahead
click here to
turn it on!
Every now and then things get too busy in our lives that we take a little too long to catch up with the Lord. Hours, days, weeks could slip by so fast without a moment of pause.
When was the last time you had a conversation with the Lord? I am not talking about a quick customary "hi and bye" kind of conversation. I mean a true heart-felt conversation; a one-on-one, where you put down your guard and pretense and come to His presence - just the two of you - you and Him?!
How is it between you and the Lord? How is it between you both? How is it? When did you talk to Him last, and what has happened since?
Did you thank him for the autumn leaves? Did you tell Him about your youngest child? Did you laugh out with Him about the comment she made? How about the birds you see, the coffee you smell, the clothes you tried, the new perfume you got, does He know what you feel about it all? Did you complain about the long commute it took only to realize it could have been worse? Did you inquire about the new pimple you spot? Did you share your fears about your aging Dad? Did you plead your case to lose some weight?! Does He know you love the clouds?
You know these catching up could also be counted towards prayer as you are communicating with the Lord?! He is at the table, waiting for you to join; would you? could you? Hope you do...
Happy Sonday folks! Don't miss out on the worship; be there on time! Love you all in Christ Jesus!
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"... these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." ...the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Mark 16:14-20
"... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:4
Listed here are few Scriptures that talk about the external manifestation of the indwelling or the infilling of the Holy Spirit within us. I do not think further explanation is needed as these Scriptures are self explanatory.
Yet, I would like to discuss one subject 'Speaking in tongues' here which is constantly argued about among believers - mostly between believers who have received the gift of speaking in tongues and believers who have not received the gift. Some go to the extent to say one cannot go to heaven if they don't speak in tongues and some go to the other extreme that people talking in tongues are evil possessed.
We have to be very cautious about making such statements because any such remarks are against the Word of God. The Scripture says, "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." Mark 3:29. So it is extremely important to refrain from doing so.
The Scripture says, "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever" Hebrews 13:8. Therefore the Scriptures on the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are also true yesterday, today and forever, not just for the first century as some claim.
Just because one hasn't manifested in Spirit certain way doesn't make him any less holy than the one who has manifested and vice versa one who speaks in tongues must not boast against the one who does not. Paul instructs us in I Corinthians 10:31, "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." and again in I Corinthians 14:40, "...everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way."
So, coming back to our original discussion on Speaking in tongues:
Is it true? Yes, absolutely.
How do I say it so confidently? Because I have experienced it myself.
How does it help? Helps me pray better especially during my personal prayer time and during worship.
What is the advantage? I can connect better with the Almighty, loving Him better with body, mind and soul. The Christian walk has been more rewarding as I can sense a constant companionship in the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. The whole concept of 'being holy like the One who called us is holy' is less challenging with the constant reminder from the Holy Spirit about things good vs. evil.
With that, we will end this series on Holy Spirit. However, if you have unanswered questions, bring it on! We will discuss it on the coffee table. God alone be glorified in and through us!
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* And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:5
* Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." Galatians 4:6
First and foremost the gift of the Holy Spirit pours out His love into our hearts - an abundant overflowing love, for Christ our Lord, for the neighbors, for fellow mankind, for the sinners and for all.
In addition to that we now have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us that calls out "Abba, Father" thus giving us a sense of closeness with God.
True, speaking in tongues, prophesying, evangelizing are all signs that accompany the infilling of the Holy Spirit. But if we lack the fundamental love the Scripture here talks about then these external signs are of no use or it is voided.
This is exactly what Paul writes in I Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
So, now you know if you have received the gift or not.
If you have the assurance you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, Congratulations! Continue to abide in His love!
If you are not sure, continue to pray for the gift.
May God be glorified in and through us!
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While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all. Acts 19:1-7
Our discussion on the Holy Spirit continues... Some might ask if these kinds of discussions are even necessary at the coffee table. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
And that is exactly what we are upto - to know the truth...
Many denominations within the Church argue Holy Spirit is received when a person believes Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior or when the believer takes baptism. True to some extent. When a person is born again he has accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and has an assurance his sins are forgiven. Definitely Holy Spirit dwells in him. However, this is different from the manifestation of Holy Spirit that we are discussing here.
In the above passage we see that the disciples were believers for a while; yet the manifestation of the Holy Spirit as mentioned in terms of speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. was a new experience for them. That is what we want - this renewing, regenerating gift which is the infilling of the Holy Spirit!
How and why receiving the anointing of Holy Spirit important?
To live a holy life would be the simple answer, as we discussed few days ago. To continue to abide in Him. To be used for His glory.
How do we receive the Holy Spirit?
By inviting Him into our hearts with a sincere desire for Him. Luke 11:9-10 says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
For those who are not sure, you don't have to take my word for it. Try a simple prayer with an earnest heart and God will reveal it to you.
"Our Father in heaven! We come at your presence this morning with an earnest heart to receive the Holy Spirit Lord. If it is true that there is an experience of infilling of the Holy Spirit, then reveal it to me Lord. Teach me according to the Scriptures Lord. You speak into my heart Lord. You guide me Lord. I too want the same experience of the infilling of the Holy Spirit, Lord. Anoint me Lord; Fill me Lord. Give me the gift of the Holy Spirit Lord! In Jesus's name I pray, amen!"
How do we know we have received the Holy Spirit?
We'll discuss that tomorrow...
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I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. Leviticus 11:45
In order to follow this commandment we need to clearly understand what holiness means.
What does it mean that the Lord our God is Holy? Holiness is the absence of even a trace of sin. Holiness is the devoid of even a glimpse of darkness. Holiness is the perfection of all things good - perfect love, perfect mercy, perfect forgiveness, perfect deliverance, perfect healing - that our God alone can offer.
I always find it interesting how people of most other belief systems take pride in sharing stories of their "gods" who do mean things to one another, who lust the women, envy their brother, cheat, lie, steal, kill, destroy, the list goes on. Clearly these "gods" are not holy and hence they cannot impose such a commandment on their followers.
On the other hand the only true and living God - the Lord God Almighty - the Maker of heaven and earth is pure and just in all His dealings. He sets the best example of being holy for us believers to follow. He insists we too can live our lives in a holy fashion. He demands we be set apart from the rest of the crowd - be known as His chosen generation, His royal priesthood, His holy nation. Praise the Lord!
Is it even possible to be holy just as He is holy? Indeed it is! If it were not so, the Scriptures wouldn't have instructed us so. It gets easier in fact much easier with the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Rest of the day, let us ponder over the commandment, "Be holy as I am holy" and ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us through.
We will be learning more about the Holy Spirit in the coming days. Please stay tuned.
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14
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But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true--it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. I John 2:27
Today's Scripture continues in the same tone as yesterday's message. Indeed it is the work of the Holy Spirit! Praise God!
Above Scripture tells us that when we receive the Holy Spirit and He lives within us, He will teach us what is true. Here comes a touchy subject that is a cause for so many denominations in the Church today.
Who and What is this Holy Spirit? How do we receive Him? Is it necessary for the Christian walk? so many questions rush to our minds. Let us go to the Scriptures to get our answers as there is no place better than the Word of God for answers to our questions.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Holy Spirit is the third face of God's Trinity. Just like how God the Father is real and how God our Lord Jesus Christ is real, God the Holy Spirit is also real. Now, you may ask how we can even understand that?
It can overwhelm us if we try to dig deeper and understand every details of it; but I believe it can be explained much simpler. We as humans have a trinity - body, mind and soul. Just like that God has a Trinity - Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
In John 14:26 Jesus is preparing his disciples for His ascension to heaven saying: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
Now to get back to our original discussion today, if we have that Counselor living within us, He will teach us the truth and help us live a holy life just as He is holy.
Now that we have too many unanswered questions, let us discuss it in detail in the coming days - we will learn more about Holy Spirit and how we can receive Him to live within us...
If you have any specific questions, please share in the comments section below...
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Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.
This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
1 John 4:1-6
The Word of God is very clear that any doctrine that denies the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ is false and is of antichrist. The fundamental truth of our faith as explained in the Word of God is that Jesus came in human form and died for our sins; whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
Please do not entertain any thought otherwise, which is not in accordance with the Word of God.
I am alarmed to see even good believers argue on things that is of no value in eternal life, such as church politics, wars, economy, ruling parties, opposite parties etc. Furthermore some go to the extent of questioning the very Word of God for arguments sake. Let us not be carried away by such arguments. We stand for the truth and the truth is all written in the Word of God. Anything other than that is false, lies, tactics of the devil himself.
I am not sure why such strong words over coffee table this morning. May be someone had to hear. May be we needed to be reminded. Let us be sensitive to the speaking of the Holy Spirit among us.
Have a blessed Monday! Have a great week ahead!
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Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, you his servants;
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord.
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Ship your grain across the sea;
after many days you may receive a return.
Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain on the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.
~ Ecclesiastes 11:1-6
Praise the Lord! Happy Saturday morning!
Today's Scripture comes as an answer to all those at the cross roads thinking if it is okay to start a new venture. Yes! It is absolutely okay! For the Word of God says so. Go ahead! Just remember to give Him praise at all times.
God bless you! Enjoy the weekend.
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* So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Zachariah 4:6
* All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." I Samuel 17:47
* Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them--not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God." Hosea 1:7
Sometimes we tend to depend on our might or power, our skills or education, our strength or confidence. We actually think a little too much of our self as if we can take care of situations. We tend to forget that our battle can not be won with our merits. We try hard with all our might and only when all else fail we succumb to the Lord.
It is very important to learn the word of God on a regular basis so that we know the solution as soon as we smell the problem. We will right away come to the Lord crying, "Not by my might Lord, not by my power too, only by you this can be done Lord; My horses won't save, nor my horsemen, please take charge of the situation Lord and bring victory to your name ..."
You will all agree this is a time saver with guaranteed results. Why not try it then!?
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Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say. Exodus 4:12
We would think Moses, having been raised by the Princess of Egypt in the Palace of the Pharaoh himself, would be well with words. He might have learned a thing or two that improves his presentation and communication skills, wouldn't he?
On the contrary, we read in Exodus chapter 4, of Moses trying to evade God's call to lead the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt, blaming it all on his poor communication skills. Turns out he had a stutter or stammer, a speech disorder.
That's when God assures him, "Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
But Moses begs and pleads all the more to be excused from this great commission. Upon his insistence God gives him a helper Aaron. In addition the Lord also promises in verse 15, " I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do."
I find it interesting how even Aaron needed God's instruction on what to speak. Be it Moses with his speech disorder or Aaron who has good communication skills, ultimately it is the Lord who instructs them what to speak.
Let's pause there for today's coffee. How good or bad is our skills? Are you afraid of opening your mouth, sharing your ideas, presenting your project, preaching His Gospel, making statements of Faith?
Remember, the Lord who taught Moses and Aaron to undertake the exodus is alive and well today. Take courage this morning, as He promises to teach us what to say.
Let us make it our prayer like King David, "Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25:5
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"Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." I Kings 18:41
You must read Kings if you haven't read already, which is full of accounts of kings and prophets. The scripture here is a conversation as it happened between Prophet Elijah and King Ahab. Ahab was an evil king and he had married Jezebel who was a devote worshiper of Baal. Elijah had prophesied three years ago that there would be no rain on the land for three years until he prays for it again.
At the end of the three years, Elijah appears before Ahab and invites the prophets of Baal for a sacrifice of bulls. Baal's prophets were to sacrifice one bull and Elijah was to sacrifice another and whoever serves the true God their sacrifice would be accepted. We learn that Baal's prophets screamed and shouted and even hurt themselves but no answer to their prayers.
When it was Elijah's turn he prayed: "Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”
That's when Elijah tells Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain". It comes true shortly that there is a mighty downpour of rain after three long years of famine and drought.
What I wish to point out for today's take away is that we must also analyze ourselves and remove our Baals and any other idols such as fame, fortune or whatever else we are after. Then our years of drought will be exhausted by abundant rain, promised in today's Scripture.
Happy Wednesday all! His mercies are new every morning! Every week! Every Wednesday! Amen!
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For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. Psalm 33:9
I just love this verse so much that I use it in almost all my prayers, be it for me or someone else. The power of His word is so powerful.
If you recall the incident when a centurion comes to Jesus requesting healing for his servant, he said: "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed." Matthew 8:8
In Genesis 1:3 we read, And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. The rest of the creation was also created simply by His spoken words.
Elsewhere in the Scriptures we read: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
Little Samuel was taught by Eli to respond by saying "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."
Jesus rebuked satan by saying, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
In Mark 4:39 we read: He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
Romans 8:34 says, "Christ Jesus, ... is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."
If we sit down to look for more Scriptures that emphasis the power of His Spoken Words, I am sure we can find many many more. Don't you want Him to speak for you today? I do.
Let's hold on to these verses and pray to our Lord thus: "You spoke, and it came to be; You commanded, and it stood firm. Please speak to me Lord. Please speak for me Lord!" Amen!
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You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord. Psalm 128:2-4
In Genesis 3:16-19, we read of a somewhat contrasting scenario:
To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life...”
I find it amazing how even the curse God gave man, was in fact a blessing in disguise. I am sure you will agree with me that having a job, being profitable by the toil of our hands, having children are all in fact blessings; no denying that!
Let us pause a moment this morning to acknowledge and appreciate the blessings He has showered on us. Let our hearts earn to Him with sincere gratitude.
So, now cheer up! Chin up! Have a blessed Monday! :)
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There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:
* haughty eyes,
* a lying tongue,
* hands that shed innocent blood,
* a heart that devises wicked schemes,
* feet that are quick to rush into evil,
* a false witness who pours out lies, and
* a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19
I am sure we are familiar with this list of things that are detestable (odious - abhorrent - loathsome - abominable - hateful) to the Lord.
If we think deeper most of us are guilty of at least one of these!
It is a shocking realization for us "grown" Christians that we could even be part of the "rest of them" out there.
We have never arrived until our last breath or until the Lord returns whichever occurs first. Till then it takes a constant effort to walk in faith, staying clear of the things that are detestable to the Lord.
With God's help, we can! Amen! Come, let us go and worship the Lord now! Happy Sunday!
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Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! Psalm 14:7
Amen! I praise God for these wonderful promises this morning!The first day of the month of November 2014!
It does not say, "If the Lord restores.." but says with assurance "When the Lord restores...". So there is absolutely no room for doubt here. If any of you experience even the slightest trace of doubt, you must rebuke it in the name of the Lord.
His promises are yes and amen! 2 Corinthians 1:20
Why then it is hard for us to still trust in Him completely? Why are we holding on to our heavy burden? Why not cast it all at His feet and walk free?! Why does our faith fluctuate so much?
"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." Matthew 8:25
He commands the winds and water and they obey Him! Is it hard for Him to solve our needs? Is it difficult for Him to restore our fortunes? Is it beyond His abilities to make us rejoice and be glad?
Repeat this verse after me and claim it as your own this morning: Oh, my salvation would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores my fortunes, I will rejoice and be glad! Amen!
Go in peace! Love you in Christ!
