What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. Isaiah 46:11

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19

The LORD Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand. Isaiah 14:24

Here we are on the last day of 2015! Tomorrow it will be a brand new year!

God bless each one of you gathering here day after day to dine with the Lord Jesus. Coffee with Jesus has been a wonderful experience for me and I praise God for the many promises He has given us all through the year.

For some of us we are still waiting for some of the promises to come true. May I encourage you in the Lord according to the Scriptures shared today, the Lord will bring about what He has planned. Never doubt His promises.

Hold fast to your faith. In the end it will all be worth it.

Here's wishing you a blessed New Year 2016. Looking forward to a great year ahead "dining" with you and the Lord here at Coffee with Jesus. God bless you all.

Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits. Song of Solomon 4:16

Here we see the desperation of Shulamite to prepare her garden for her Lover. Are we preparing our gardens for our Christ? Do we have the fruits and fragrance that are desired by our Lord?

It is time we take inventory of our stocks and see if we have what it takes to be prepared for the coming of our Lord. If we bear fruits well and good; if not let us call in the winds from the North and the South to come blow on us so that we become fruit bearers.

The wind we need to desire is the Holy Spirit, who enables us to bear fruits. There is not much time left for Christ our Lover to return. We are in the End of Times. The coming of our Lord is at hand.

Not to threaten anyone but to awaken our hearts, let me use the same words John the Baptist used as he prepared the way for Christ:

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matthew 3:10-12

Amen! The ax is already at the roots! Our King's return is imminent! Let us get baptized in water and in Holy Spirit to bear much fruits for Him.

Have a blessed Wednesday!

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting.

Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

~Matthew 6:16-18

But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:21

Happy Day 2 of fasting!

Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God,and cry out to the Lord. Joel 1:14

As we are closing up on year 2015, let us set our self a holy fast - to go over each blessing in the past year and thank the Lord; also to pray for the needs in the New Year 2016.

It is up to you how many days you want to fast or how many meals you wish to skip. However, here's the guidelines for fasting that is acceptable to God Almighty, as listed in Isaiah 58:

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

The focus of the fast should be to humble our self and bring praises and honor to God Almighty. If any of you are willing to share your testimony please post it in the comments section below.

Happy fasting!

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses.

And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not near here: put off your shoes from off your feet, for the place where on you stand is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look on God.

And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good land and a large, to a land flowing with milk and honey...

Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with you; and this shall be a token to you, that I have sent you: When you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain. Exodus 3:1 ~ 12

Today's Scripture portion describes the first encounter of God that Moses experienced.

Once again the same God who had been so far known as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, now reveals Himself as the God of Moses!

The very same message He shared with Moses on that day, is the same message He shares with us this morning. Whatever be your "Egypt", our Lord, in other words, your Lord, is capable of delivering you out of it. He shall be with you certainly. You will see the victory and serve Him gratefully! Amen!

Once again, it is your call whether you trust and obey or go your way. I would love to obey!

Enjoy the last Sunday of the year.

The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

Good news sure makes one rejoice. Everyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior can vouch that indeed He was/is the good news of greatest joy in their lives.

Jesus Christ - the Savior of mankind has been born. He was later killed for our transgressions and soon resurrected thus overcoming death. Through Him there is salvation. In Him there is forgiveness. Which is the cause of great joy.

If there is anyone among the readers here that hasn't experienced this great joy, please do not be afraid. The Savior is born. Accept Him as your personal savior. He will set you free.

Praise the Lord! Merry Christmas 2015!

* I  am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Revelation 3:11
* Only hold on to what you have until I come. Revelation 2:25

The message for today is: Hold on to what you have!

Hold on to what we have? What do we have? Let's see what the Scripture tells us:

* Hold on to the good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
* Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
*Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.  1 Timothy 6:12
* She (wisdom) is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. Proverbs 3:18
* Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Hebrews 4:14
* Stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you. 2 Thessalonians 2:15
* Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Proverbs 4:13

As born again believers we must therefore hold on to the good, our hope, eternal life, wisdom, our faith, what the Scripture teaches us and the instructions given in the Bible till He comes. That's all is expected of us.

Hold on tight! Don't loosen the grip!

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?

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. Psalm 103:1-6

Let us too talk to our soul like King David did, reminding it to:

Praise the Lord
Praise His Holy Name
Praise the Lord who forgives our sins
Praise the Lord who heals our diseases
Praise the Lord who redeems our life from the pit
Praise the Lord who crowns us with love and compassion
Praise the Lord who satisfies our desires with good things
Praise the Lord who renews our youth like the eagle's.
Praise the Lord who works righteousness and justice for the oppressed.

Amen! Praise the Lord!

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. I Peter 5:8

The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." Job 1:7

Festive times are not all that fun for most people. Seemingly on the outside the lights and glitter may give an illusion of joy and happiness however deep inside many feel a sense of loss.

Memories of the bygone years of Christmas-es past might come back to haunt some. Genuine needs and the lack of resources to meet them might sadden others. Feeling of loneliness or the possibility of having to spend the season on their own without company might heavily burden some.

If we do not pay careful attention we will completely miss out on the fact that these are all nothing but the "roars" of the prowling lion in disguise. Fear, anger, enemity, depression & death are different ways he could attack us. We could fall prey to his cunning tactics so easily if we are not self-controlled and alert against him.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

It is my prayer that the love of Jesus Christ fill your hearts once more - erradicating the fear, anger, enemity, depression and/or thoughts of death anyone reading this might be experiencing this morning.

Resist the devil. Be self-controlled and alert! Submit yourself to God. Jesus loves you! I too love you!

Wishing you a truly Merry Christmas!

Some tough questions in front of us this morning - asked by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself:

* If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners do that.
* If you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
* If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. (Luke 6:27-36)

Knowing that we are speechless, He also gives us the answers:

* Love your enemies 
* Do good to your enemies 
* Lend to them without expecting to get anything back.

The reward:  We will be sons (daughters) of the Most High (wow! that's something! who wouldn't want that?!)

Take away: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 

Can we at least try?

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:11-20

The Scripture clearly explains ultimately what it is that we must do to obey the Lord.

There is no long list like you would imagine. It all boils down to a single command we must follow and a single thing we must avoid at all cost.

We must:  Love the Lord our God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws. Period.

We must not: Be drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them. Period.

As simple as that. Is it hard to follow?

As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you! Isaiah 62:5 

God's love has been personified in many roles such as father, mother, master, friend and also lover and here the groom. What that implies is that He perfects each role in its fullest. No one can love us as much as He does in any role. He is the ultimate Mother, Father, Lover, Master, Friend and Groom.

The fondness between a bride and groom is a very special kind of love. To know God rejoices over us like a groom would rejoice over his bride is very exciting, is it not? It implies that the bride (us) ought to love Him (God) like a bride would rejoice over her groom, does it not? Are we?

Do we love Him the best? Are we constantly indulged in thoughts of Him? Are we looking forward to spending time with Him as much as possible? Do we long to see Him?

As we start a new day today, let us start with a new kind of fondness, a new perspective, a new infilling of love and a special bonding to fall in love with Him all over again. Let's go celebrate with our Groom!

* My lover is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies. Song of Solomon 2:16
* I am my lover's and my lover is mine; he browses among the lilies. Song of Solomon 6:3
* I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me. Song of Solomon 7:10

No doubt the couple depicted in Song of Solomon is head over heals in love with one another; repeatedly they reassure their love for each other.

Hopefully it is the same with our love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When was the last time we told Him we are His and He is ours? When was the last time we heard Him speak in His slow still voice? Are we sure of our love? Then why aren't we spending time with Him whenever possible?

His love remains constant; it is us who waver from time to time. Let us see what we can do to rekindle our love for our Lord today. At least once tell Him how much you love Him today; it won't be long before you hear Him say the same and more to you.

Let's enjoy His loving presence rest of the day. Never doubt God's love for you.

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

Did you notice one thing? It is not we who are holding His right hand, but the Lord holds our right hand. That clearly shows how protective He is of us. It is like we care for our children when they are little. We always hold their hands not trusting that they will hold our hands.

We know that they could be easily distracted by things around and get lost if we do not hold them. We know that they could fall and get hurt if we do not hold them. Same way, our Lord doesn't expect we will hold on to Him as strongly as He is holding on to us. Isn't it comforting to know our Lord holds our right hand?

Whatever it is you are facing today - may be an interview, may be a corporate decision, may be a test result, may be about a transfer order, whatever it is, remember He holds your right hand.

King David sings in Psalm 16:8, "I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." True! Because He is at our right hand we will not be shaken! Praise God!

Let us repeat the verse, slightly altered: For you are the Lord, my God, who takes hold of my right hand and says to me not to fear and that you will help me. Amen!

Do not imitate what is evil but what is good 3 John: 1:11

Here John writes to Gaius his dear friend, about Diotrephes - a bad example. We do come across several such bad examples in our lives. It is very important to take special care not to "become" a bad example ourselves.

Let's see what Diotrephes did that made him a bad example:

* First of all, he loved to be first (the me, me, me syndrome - sounds familiar?)
* He Gossiped maliciously (talking ill of Pastors and other ministers doing the work of God)
* He refused to welcome the brothers (not having to do anything with people from different denominations)
* He also stopped those who wanted to welcome the brothers (discouraging friends who do...)
* He put those who welcomed the brothers out of the church (worst, barring such friends from "our type" of gatherings)

Sadly we can immediately associate these characteristics of Diotrephes with some people we know... Let us analyze ourselves too to see if we fall through the crack somewhere...

Let us strive to be good examples.

When a man or woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord, that person is guilty and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged. Numbers 5:6,7

I once read this story of a reporter who wrote ill of a politician on his newspaper. Soon one day he happened to bump into the politician quite unexpectedly in an elevator or restroom, somewhere confined. The reporter felt very bad and was quick to apologize to the politician about his article, to which he simply replied, "I'd have rather had you criticize me in private and apologized in public."

"So true!" we exclaim; but don't we all do just the same? We offend our spouses, children, neighbors and walk around as if we have done no wrong, or do a name sake gesture one day to think we have made up for it, don't we?

Believe it or not, this is against the Scriptures! If we have wronged someone in any way, and by doing so we are unfaithful to the Lord, we are guilty. Period. No sugar coating it. No reasoning it out. No justifying it.

The remediation the Word of God suggests is to confess (first to God and next to the offended) our wrong doing and pay back more than what we owe - in fact as much as five folds more. So, if we lacked respect, we owe it five times more, if we lacked courtesy we owe it that much more, same for love, peace, joy, a smile, you name it.

I am sorry if this post itself offends you; it's not me but the Holy Spirit sharing... Hope you are listening...

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Romans: 13:12-14

Don't we always think about how to gratify ourselves? I mean don't we always look to satisfy the desires of our heart? Looks like that is bad. Certain sins are so subtle that we may not even consider it a sin. We may term it as 'habit' or 'that's just me' or whatever, but not sin. This is where learning and meditating the Word of God can help us improve.

I would like to share an extract from Barnes notes on the Bible on this:

It is a Christian duty, to labor to make provision for all the real needs of life. But the real wants are few; and with a heart disposed to be pure and temperate, the necessary wants of life are easily satisfied; and the mind may be devoted to higher and purer purposes. 

Many apostles have written about why we should not gratify the desires of our sinful nature; here's to quote a few:

* Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. I Peter 2:11
* For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. I John 2:16
* So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Galatians 5:16

Thank you all for staying with me through the discussion of Romans: 13:12-14. Hope you found it useful as much as I did. God bless.

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Romans: 13:12-14

So, what does it mean to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ?

Interestingly, it does not say clothe ourselves like Jesus - which would mean to wear clothes similar to His. But to clothe ourselves with Jesus which implies we should wear Him!

How can we wear a person? Clarke's commentary on the Bible states, "To be clothed with a person is a Greek phrase, signifying to assume the interests of another - to enter into his views, to imitate him, and be wholly on his side."

Scripture tells us when we are baptized we wear Christ (Galatians 3:27). When we wear Christ we start to live for Him, imitating Him, becoming more like Him everyday.

Apostle Paul expands on this matter more in Colossians 3:1-17:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

As you see, it takes conscious efforts to clothe Him on a daily basis. But let's give it a try; shall we?

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Romans: 13:12-14

Dissension is defined as disagreement that leads to discord or quarrel. For some it is a regular habit to argue over anything and everything. You talk for something they will argue against it and you talk against something they will argue for it; such is their trend. If we argue for argument sake let's not do it; there is much to be achieved for the Lord instead of the time taken to argue over Biblical truth. Just by arguing we are not going to gain any insight.

Jealousy does not need any explanation; it is the aching pang we feel at heart, towards someone else's well being or our lack of it. In fact it is anger directed against God Himself for doing something good for someone else and not for us!

Quite honestly don't you see we are blessed much more than what we deserve? Then why do we feel jealous? It is unnecessary. When we develop godliness with contentment, it is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6.)

If we are not careful to nip off envy at the very bud, soon it will completely overwhelm us taking possession of our body, mind and even the soul. It is a parasite to be shunned at all cost.

Let us pray therefore to remove the "arguing spirit" and the "spirit of envy" from our hearts today. Let us praise God with a grateful heart for His many blessings in our lives this morning!

Have a blessed week everyone! Happy Monday!

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Romans: 13:12-14

We all know what 'day' is and that the opposite of day is night. To quote the Scriptures for further clarification, in Genesis 1:5 we read, God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."

Apostle Paul instructs us in 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8, "You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet."

As you can see, the suggested wear for the day is faith, love and the hope of our salvation. Do we have these on? Check. Have we put aside the deeds of darkness? Check. Then we are truly sons and daughters of the Light which is Day!

God bless you!

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Romans: 13:12-14

What does it mean to put on the armor of light?

In 1 John 1:5 we read, "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." John continues, "... if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:7

So, to put on the armor of light actually means to walk in the light as He is in the light so that we can have fellowship with one another, forgetting our differences, denominations, divisions and the like.

How many of us can truly say we have fellowship with one another? The too many divisions in the Church make it clear there is not the kind of fellowship among us as expected by our Lord Jesus Christ, which only means we are not walking in the light as He is in the light. How sad is that?

From now on let us owe to have fellowship with one another; let us commit our self to accept believers of different divisions of the Church, instead of condemning them. How wonderful it will be if the Brethren, the Baptist, the Lutheran, the Methodist, the Pentecost, the Protestants, the Catholics, the Orthodox and the numerous other type of believers can come together to worship the Lord?! Let us make friends with people who are not in our faith; let them see how we reflect our Lord in our ways.

And not to forget, stay away from the deeds of darkness we discussed yesterday as there is no trace of darkness in God. If we are to walk in light as He is in light there should be no trace of darkness in us too! Yes, it is possible! With God's help we can do it! Amen!

Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. Isaiah 2:5

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Romans: 13:12-14

For the next few days we are going to discuss the same text above, concentrating in each line item. Today's focus is on putting away the deeds of darkness. What really are these deeds of darkness mentioned here?

Apostle Paul explains it in such detail in Ephesians: 5:1-22 which reads,

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Now that we know we will put away the deeds of darkness, won't we?

The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. Romans 13:11-12

For some, their faith has gone cold as it seems forever for the return of the King. Some even disregard His grace completely. We don't have to look far to find evident of the fearlessness among the multitude, for God.

At times like this it may be difficult to stay focused in our walk. It's like we are running this race and just few yards from the finish line we give up. Today's message comes as a wake up call for us. It is time to be alert because our salvation is much closer than when we first started this journey. Amen!

So, How do we stay awake? Good question! The answer is right there in verses Romans 13:13-14, listed below:

* Let us put aside the deeds of darkness
* Put on the armor of light.
* Let us behave decently, as in the daytime,
* not in orgies and drunkenness,
* not in sexual immorality and debauchery,
* not in dissension and jealousy.
* Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,
* Do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

We have discussed this series in detail already. For those who missed it, I'll post them again for the coming days...

Stay blessed.

 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you." Isaiah 43:2

Today's scripture is a promise verse from God. We are familiar with the Israelites journey across the red sea and the river of Jordan. Just as how God was with them when they passed through these waters, He has promised to be with us also.

Here water represents turmoil or calamity or sudden danger or why not real water too! Whatever is the circumstances none of these waters can sweep over us. The waters may be too close, the rivers may seem too wild at times, the floods could overwhelm us, but remember these waters can never harm us. How can we say that for sure? Because that's exactly what our Lord has promised us.

King David sings in Psalms 29, "The LORD sits enthroned over the flood", which is true of any flood like situation too.

Let us repeat the verse to ourselves and claim it as our own today: When I pass through the waters, God will be with me; and when I pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over me. Amen!

Our Father in Heaven!

Thank you for the 1st day of the last month of this year Lord!

Thank you that your grace was sufficient for us all through this year Lord. Thank you for being with us, guiding us, mending us, providing for us and protecting us Lord. Thank you for taking care of all our needs this year Lord. Thank you for paying all our bills Lord. Thank you for giving us food every single day of the year Lord. Thank you for clothing us every single day too Lord.

Thank you for your constant presence in our lives Lord. Thank you for your loving kindness in our lives Lord. Thank you for your mercy and grace Lord. Thank you for forgiving all our sins Lord. Thank you for making us whole again Lord.

We love you Lord. We praise you Lord. We glorify your name Lord.

Thank you for your continued grace Lord.

In Jesus Christ our Savior, your Son's name,
Amen!

Happy December folks. Peace be with you!

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. Psalm 103:1-6

Let us too talk to our soul like King David did, reminding it to:

Praise the Lord
Praise His Holy Name
Praise the Lord who forgives our sins
Praise the Lord who heals our diseases
Praise the Lord who redeems our life from the pit
Praise the Lord who crowns us with love and compassion
Praise the Lord who satisfies our desires with good things
Praise the Lord who renews our youth like the eagle's.
Praise the Lord who works righteousness justice for the oppressed.

Amen! Praise the Lord!

 

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!

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. Deuteronomy 7:6

He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised. Deuteronomy 26:19

Amen! What a special anointing we can sense this morning! To be known as the Lord's chosen people, His royal priesthood, God's treasured possession, is truly special.

These are not mere words, but He means it. If not for that, He wouldn't have ransomed His only Son on the cross to redeem us.

From time to time we experience a certain dullness in our Spirit. We begin to doubt His words. We reason. We look up the context of the Scripture Promises like these and say it was spoken some time in history for certain group of people. We do not believe it is meant for us.

Today's message is to awaken our Spirits. To strengthen us once again that we are indeed the chosen people of God Almighty. He has redeemed us. He has bought us with a price. We are His. His treasured possessions. Amen!

Let us keep that in mind the rest of the day. Let us declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Amen!

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:13 

In the book of Joel we read of many end time prophesies and here in Chapter 2 a detailed description of an army of locusts. If you have some time today I encourage you to read the full chapter to get a glimpse of the impending danger by an invasion of locusts. It is dreadful to realize that such destruction could be caused by swarms of locusts. It is absolutely horrifying even to read.

The chapter does not end with just the warning; but goes on to explain how we can escape the ordeal. This clearly shows the love of the Lord to protect us from these calamities. In verses 12-13 we read:

“Even now,” declares the Lord,

“return to me with all your heart,

with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

Rend your heart

and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:12-13

You may ask, what does rending our hearts or repenting have to do with escaping the army of locusts. The answer is in verse 32: And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Joel 2:32 Amen!

If we are in tune with the Lord, we will be caught up in the sky when Christ returns to gather His Church before such calamities strike the earth. Praise the Lord!

We have been warned. Let us heed to it. It is time to return to the Lord with all our heart! Yes, today!

"What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD" Jonah 2:9

In chapter 2 of the Book of Jonah, we read Jonah's prayer to God from within the belly of a fish. From there he says: "What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD". Let's stop there for today's lesson.

Most of us have gone through similar situation though not exactly the same. In our anguish we have cried out to the Lord and have made vows to Him: Lord, if you give me this job, I will be regular with my tithe. If only you save me now, I will follow you the rest of my life... etc. But have we fulfilled these vows when the situations improved and we were delivered out of our distress? Not always would be the honest answer.

It comes easy to make a vow, but fulfilling it requires commitment and conscious efforts. With overwhelming demands of life we might even forget our vows. This can't be!

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:4, When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

In Deuteronomy we read: If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. (23:21)

Take away for today is: Let us fulfill our vows to our Lord!

Happy Thanksgiving all!

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 then it is hard to accept we will be redeemed too?!

"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, because our Lord will restore our loss. Praise the Lord!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. Song of Solomon 2:4

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

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

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

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

Surely He will prepare a table for you and me in the presence of our enemies and will anoint our heads with oil and fill our cups to the rim and will fly His banner over us, which reads: "My Beloved"!

Never ever doubt that you are loved. Indeed, much loved.

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Romans: 13:12-14

Don't we always think about how to gratify ourselves? I mean don't we always look to satisfy the desires of our heart? Looks like that is bad. Certain sins are so subtle that we may not even consider it a sin. We may term it as 'habit' or 'that's just me' or whatever, but not sin. This is where learning and meditating the Word of God can help us improve.

I would like to share an extract from Barnes notes on the Bible on this:

The gratification of the flesh was the main object among the Romans. Living in luxury and licentiousness, they made it their great object of study to multiply and prolong the means of licentious indulgence. In respect to this, Christians were to be a separate people, and to show that they were influenced by a higher and purer desire than this grovelling propensity to minister to sensual gratification. It is right, it is a Christian duty, to labor to make provision for all the real needs of life. But the real wants are few; and with a heart disposed to be pure and temperate, the necessary wants of life are easily satisfied; and the mind may be devoted to higher and purer purposes. 

Many apostles have written about why we should not gratify the desires of our sinful nature; here's to quote a few:

* Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. I Peter 2:11
* For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. I John 2:16
* So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Galatians 5:16

God bless. Enjoy the "Son"day!

* The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. Isaiah 35:7

* He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; Psalm 107:35

* I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. Isaiah 41:18

* I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland Isaiah 43:20

Amen! Hallelujah! Those who rejoice over today's Scripture praise the Lord with me! Hallelujah!

The message is very clear: our situations might look like a dry wasteland without any yield or moisture. But our Lord assures us that He is able to turn it into pools and streams and rivers! Amen!

Let us claim these promises towards our "dry lands" such as stress, debts, sickness, worries, finances, lack of joy, you name it! Let us pray using these exact promises and ask God to take control and turn us into a flourishing source of blessing to many.

Now, let us not reason how? It is not ours to worry about the specifics. Leave it all up to God trusting fully in His promise and just praise the Lord! Remember, We live by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7

God bless you all!

Be careful that you do not forget the LORD Deuteronomy 6:12

Have we ever forgotten the Lord? In order to answer this question, we need to understand the accurate meaning of the word 'forget'.

Online dictionary defines forget as follows:

1. To be unable to remember (something).
2. To treat with thoughtless inattention; neglect.
3. To leave behind unintentionally.
4. To fail to mention.
5. To banish from one's thoughts.
6. To disregard on purpose.
7. To cease remembering
8. To fail or neglect to become aware at the proper or specified moment.

Now that we know what it actually means to 'forget', let us repeat the question to ourselves: Have we ever forgotten the Lord?

I am afraid we are all guilty of doing just that based on the definitions above. Unable to remember, cease remembering, neglect, fail to mention... does any of these sound familiar? Yes, unfortunately.

That is why King David kept reminding his soul: "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2

Let it be our reminder too.

Happy Friday!

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

When we read about the account of creation in the book of Genesis, at the end of each day for each creation, it states that God saw that it was good. At the end of the 5th day, we read  in Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

However on the 6th day, when He made Adam the first human being, we read in Genesis 2:18, The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” and proceeds to make Eve! Let's pause there for a minute.

Is it just enough for Adam & Eve to be together alone to make it good? Do they even understand each others' emotions or thought process or any of those sorts? Don't they need an interpreter who can help them understand each other and bond better?

How strong is a two cord strand compared to a three cord strand?

The third person recommended for every marriage is the presence of God Almighty who bridges the gaps between the two and acts as the glue if you will, between the husband and wife. When misunderstanding arises the Holy Spirit will guide and comfort them separately mending their hearts, removing their hurts, bringing them together and making them whole again.

This is why it is extremely important to keep our marriage a three strand cord and never a two strand cord and of course not a single strand (or separation) which is considered not good.

Let's invite the Divine presence in our marriages today if we do not sense Him already. Above all let us submit to His leadership in our lives rather than arguing over who is the head; undoubtedly it is Him!

The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has done mighty things! Psalm 118:16

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

There is an interesting incident of Moses's arms lifted high mentioned in in Exodus chapter 17; an excerpt below:

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” 

So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but  whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 

When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 

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

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!

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.

When the Lord returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.

Burst into songs of joy together,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.

Depart, depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing!
Come out from it and be pure,
you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house.

But you will not leave in haste
or go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

~ Isaiah 52:7-12

In The Book of Acts, Chapter 12 we read of an account of Peter's miraculous escpe from the prison.

Verses 12 through 16 talks about how Peter was received following his escape; it goes:

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

This passage actually reminds me of a familiar Scripture: 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 him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

Jesus is the answer to all our prayers! Jesus is the solution for all our problems! Yet, we ignore His knocking time and time again. It is difficult for many to be convinced that salvation is as simple as that, opening our hearts to Him.

He is still knocking. If you haven't answered His call yet, please do. He is a miracle waiting to happen in your life!

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Is it even possible to love someone - especially God Almighty with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind? - a lingering question for many. More so the next command, to love our neighbor as our self. Would we? Could we? Should we? I guess we should!

Don't be quick to write it off as "this is asking for too much" but pause and pray to refill us with this much love for others so that we can love them better than our selves and by doing so we will love our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind!

Let us pray:

Dear Father in Heaven! Thank you for this opportunity to gather in your presence from across the globe in one accord Lord! Thank you for being in our midst as you have promised you will surely be there where two or more people have gathered in your name Lord.

Lord, we are meditating these commands you have asked us to follow which comprise of almost every other command out there Lord. Please fill us with this overflowing love for you that enables us to love you just like you have taught us Lord - with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind Lord.

Also help us love our neighbors as ourselves Lord. This seems even harder Lord- especially when we know and see everyone being selfish around us Lord. But we do not want to be "every one" Lord. We want to be your sons and daughters Lord. Please help us Lord. Mold us into your likeness Lord.

What seems impossible for us will be possible in and through you Lord. Though it seems hard to love others more than we love our self, you can make it easy for us Lord. You can show us the area where we are failing and help us improve in those Lord.

Thank you for being our role model Lord. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior; Amen!

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Matthew 23:37

 King David's prayed crying out "... hide me in the shadow of your wings". Today's Scripture is the flip side to that, where Jesus is crying out to Jerusalem wanting to hide her under His wings but she is not willing!

Let us take a moment to see if we are willing - willing to be hidden under the wings of the Lord. It is one thing to pray for protection and another thing to abide in His protection.

Even in the Lord's prayer, we say "... lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil". 'Deliver is us from evil' is the prayer portion of it; not getting into temptation is the abiding part of the equation.

Let us therefore pray and abide!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Happy Friday all! May God bless you!

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

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!

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

By their fruit you will recognize them.

Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

* And they(angels) were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah 6:3
* Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.
I Peter 1:15
* For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
I Thessalonians 4:7
* 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

No denying that the One who called us is Holy! Now, we are required to follow suit, to measure up to His holiness. Is that even possible?

Prophet Isaiah spoke to God one on one, for himself, for the kings, for the nations; yet he writes: "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." (Isaiah 64:6

True! If we try only by ourselves, it is impossible to be holy like He is holy. But when we are rooted in Christ, the Holy Spirit will help us to be holy.

We read in John 15:5 as Jesus is saying: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

So, the key here is to remain in Him. To abide in Him. To be filled with His Holy Spirit that teaches us about all things. Then we too can be holy and blameless and pure like the one who has called us. Amen!

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

~Matthew 7:24-27

Where have you built your house? Hope it is built on the Rock of Salvation - our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed Monday!

* My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. Psalm 27:8
* I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
* Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4

King David sets us a good example of seeking the Lord continually, not just on Sunday's not just on mornings but continually - all the days of the week, every hour of each day, every second of each hour...

What does it mean to seek?

The following definitions are given in the dictionary:

1. Attempt to find (something)
2. Attempt or desire to obtain or achieve (something)
3. Ask for (something) from someone
4. Search for and find someone or something
5. Go to (a place)

Now, how do we seek the Lord?

Based on the definition of the word 'seek' we can say,

1. Find out more of the Lord
2. Desire more time with the Lord
3. Pray
4. Search the Scriptures more for hidden treasures.
5. Go to His feet more often.

The Scripture assures, those who seek Him will find Him... (Proverbs 8:17)

Hope you will start seeking from now on... Let's start this morning!

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!

Happy Friday!