Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33

Isn't it awesome God has given us instructions about every aspect of life - even to the detail of how we must treat our spouses. To make matters even simpler there is actually only one condition to the husband and to the wife.

Husbands must love their wives. Wives must respect their husbands. That's all!

Behavioral experts will tell you, a man's primary need in a relationship is respect while the woman's primary need is love.

As long as the husband feels respected he loves his wife. When respect is compromised he acts out. Same way, the wives are happy as long as they feel loved by their husbands and can't remain happy when love is compromised in their marriage.

So you see this causes a vicious cycle - as she can't respect a husband who does not love her; and he can't love a wife who does not respect him. The only way this trend is developing is downhill and before long the marriage union will suffer.

So, what is the solution? Today's Scripture has the answer! Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Now we ask, who should do what first? Good question; but wrong motive! Of course it will be convenient if our spouse stops this vicious cycle explained above; but as long as we have an equal part why not we apply the breaks?

When the need arises to snap back next time, keep calm, hum a song, praise God, and at any cost avoid further damage to your marriage! No, you haven't lost anything; but will gain his/her heart over time! Isn't that worth the try?!

The wise woman/(man) builds her/(his) house, but with her/(his) own hands the foolish one tears hers/(his) down. Proverbs 14:1

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full.

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:27-36

Today's Scripture portion is Jesus's own words to the multitude. If so, how much more direct it is for His children - you and me?!

If this is His instructions for handling our enemies, how much more important it is to treat our family and friends according to these instructions?

What do you say? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I believe there is nothing as magnificent as a starry night sky or an endless ocean - as these clearly show the magnificence of God Almighty - the maker of heaven and the earth. To know that our Lord calls each star by name, and that He calls the waters of the sea, it is simply amazing!

The same Lord also called you & me by name - even before our birth -which is beyond our imagination. There is absolutely no doubt about it; 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.

Remember, the one who has called us is faithful and will help us through! Amen!

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

Filthy words proceed from corruption in the speaker, and they corrupt the minds and manners of those who hear them: Christians should beware of all such discourse. It is the duty of Christians to seek, by the blessing of God, to bring persons to think seriously, and to encourage and warn believers by their conversation. Be ye kind one to another. This sets forth the principle of love in the heart, and the outward expression of it, in a humble, courteous behavior.

Today's scripture is in plain and simple words so that we can understand it as is, without much explanation. Let us not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths. Let us not use fillers to fit in or feel good in a gathering.

Let our words be helpful for building others up spiritually;  let our conversations be beneficial for those who listen and in addition let our words be few!

God bless you all! Enjoy your day!

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Who doesn't wish for the desires of their heart to be granted! We all wish our desires or dreams would come true, don't we? Well, the Bible assures us of a sure fire way of getting our wishes granted; which is to delight ourselves in the Lord!

Let us discuss How to delight in the Lord? To delight in the Lord means to delight in the things of the Lord. We will look at Scripture examples of things that we can delight in that are of the Lord.:

* If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 58:13-14

* I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight. Psalm 119:174

* Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2

* He will delight in the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:3

* Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.Psalm 112:1

* I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness... Isaiah 61:10

* My soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation. Psalm 35:9

Enough said I believe. The Scripture clearly tells us how all we can delight in the Lord. When we do as it says, all the desires of our heart will be granted!

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

Why not give it a try?!

Blessed is the man who does not sit in the seat of mockers. Psalm 1:1

Different translations use different words for mockers such as, scoffers, scornful, pestilence, scorners, etc. We have an idea who a mocker is however, it doesn't hurt to start with the dictionary; does it?

Who is a mocker?

Webster's online dictionary defines a mocker as, a person who causes repeated emotional pain, distress, or annoyance to another.

Another gives this detailed explanation for the term 'mock':

* To treat with ridicule or contempt; deride.

* Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked. Psalm 1:1
* The counsel of the wicked is far from me. Job 21:16
* Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked. Psalm 64:2
* A city is exalted by the blessing provided from the upright, but it is destroyed by the counsel of the wicked. Proverbs 11:11
* One who acts wickedly pays attention to evil counsel; a liar listens to a malicious tongue. Proverbs 17:4
* For the LORD detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence. Proverbs 3:32

So, the first condition for the blessings we discussed yesterday, is not to walk in the counsel of the wicked.

The trouble we have, is recognizing the wicked!

What do wicked look like? How do we identify a counsel of the wicked?  Once we identify, how can we keep safe from them?

Interestingly, wicked look no different from us. They talk and walk very similar to us, which makes it all the more harder to recognize them.However, we have a great tool given in our hands, the Holy Bible, the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit that can help us decipher the wickedness behind their smooth talking.

A wicked person is an ungodly person. They could be explicitly ungodly or disguised as "godly". They have no godly counsel to give you. They are wise in their own eyes and consider us who trust in the Lord, a little foolish. They don't hesitate to say us so.

He/she has no regard for the Lord, no consideration for fellow beings, no fear for authority, no regret for their wickedness. They have hardened their hearts to do evil. They seek their own good.

We are not to be so. We are not to walk with such. Because the Scripture tells us:

... 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

Amen! We are different. We are special. We are called out of darkness into His marvelous light. 

Any counsel or advice or suggestion that is not in line with God's Word is wicked counsel of a wicked person. Period.  The only way we can be sure of this, is by knowing the Word of God ourselves and getting the understanding on it from God (Holy Spirit) Himself.  

We are called to be righteous, which is step one for becoming a 'tree planted by the streams of water'. 

Amen!

We all want this blessing in our lives - that we want to prosper in whatever we do. The conditions behind the blessing seem to be quite simple:

* Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked

"Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” Genesis 3:11

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

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

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

If you have some time today, please read Matthew 5:21-48 where Jesus explains the commandments in His terms to understand what some of these "forbidden fruits" are.

Let us say no to forbidden fruits in our lives.

 

Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Proverbs 4:25

Many non believers have a disregard for Christ by seeing the activities of some so called "Christians". This is sad. Some Christians too always find fault at the pastors, evangelists, fellow believers and other servants of God and stop following Christ. This is even sadder.

Many do not realize that following Christ is not a one time commitment but a continuous one. Every day, every hour, every minute one has to commit to follow Christ. Looking at a flawed man one can not determine what Jesus is like. Only by looking at Him directly one can experience Him.

Let us not get distracted looking hear and there and losing focus on the Lord. Let us not get trapped into false preachings that are not in accordance with the Bible. Let us not come to our own conclusions on Spiritual matters based on our own reasoning. Let us be determined to look straight ahead always going back to the Scriptures for our answers on things unclear.

In his letter to the Philippians Apostle Paul insists on Pressing towards the goal. He writes: "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Amen! That's exactly what we ought to do - pressing on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus!

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

What is a pure heart? In simple terms a heart that is not impure or dirty is what we mean by a pure heart.

How do we know if our heart is pure or dirty? If our heart is filled with good stuff it is a pure heart; if filled with bad stuff it is a dirty heart.

What are some of the good stuff we can fill our hearts with? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, humility, honesty, integrity, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Chronicles 29:17)

What are some of the dirty stuff one should get rid of from their heart? Evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. (Mark 7:21)

How good is your heart?

Now that the facts have been laid out, if your answer is that you have a pure heart, very well; keep it pure.

In case you answered 'impure' please get it cleaned by the Blood of Jesus Christ! Repeat a sincere prayer after King David as in today's Scripture: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Few more Scriptures for you to ponder over...
"Be holy, because I(Jesus) am holy." 1 Peter 1:16

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

* 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

* Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalms 100:2
* Rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters... Deuteronomy 12:12

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

In Isaiah 35:10 we read, "...the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."

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

For the rest of the day let us cast away our cares and go before him with joyful singing... shall we?

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all you lands.

You may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:4

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. Psalm 23:1

Those who fear him lack nothing Psalm 34:9

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing. Proverbs 28:27

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10

Happy Friday everyone!

Glad you could join for some Coffee with Jesus this morning.

For all of you gathered here the Lord gives a promise this morning - that you will lack nothing. In other words you will lack no good thing. Praise the Lord!

Let us cherish this promise holding on to the above Scriptures shared over the coffee table this morning. His promises are yeah and amen.

May God bless you all! Enjoy the weekend! Have a blessed day!

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 atleast 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 things that are detestable to the Lord.

With God's help we can! Amen!

The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14

Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. "For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?" Exodus 33:15-16

God is omnipresent. He is present whether we recognize His presence or not. God's presence was manifested in the lives of several individuals we read of in the Scriptures. In today's Scripture God is promising Moses that His presence will go with him and the people of Israelites. Moses reaffirms that he would not break camp and advance if he is not promised the presence of the Lord.

When was the last time we felt the presence of the Lord? Were we anticipating the presence of the Lord in our last worship service? This morning, last night when was the last time you were sure of His presence as you prayed? Are we actively pursuing God's presence?

King David was filled with the joy of the presence of the Lord, hence he sings, "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11

He was always aware of the presence of the Lord and so ponders "Where can I flee from your presence?" Psalm 139:7

His main concern when he had sinned against God was that he might lose His presence so he repents Psalm: 51:11, "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me."

Can we declare we rejoice in His presence day and night? Are we aware of His constant presence? Do we have the slightest concern of losing the presence of the Lord when we are found guilty?

If our answer is not in the affirmative we are running far from His presence. Let us repent and return to Him so that we can rejoice in His presence.

Blessed Wednesday! God bless you all!

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30

Now, the question is How to develop this fear of the Lord? The answer is given in Proverbs 2:1-5:

* It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8
* Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. Psalm 146:3
* Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Isaiah 2:22
* Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man's hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Isaiah 36:6
* Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame.Isaiah 20:5
* This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. Jeremiah 17:5

I am sure you noticed how the verses got stronger and stronger as we read through the list above. It starts as a suggestion, becomes a command and ends in a warning.

This is a good reason to analyze our selves if we trust in any men. How about our bosses? Husbands? Neighbors? Parents? Or even your own hands? Are we clinging on to mere men or our ability as our "source" forgetting that the ultimate Source is the Lord God Almighty? This can't be.

Today's take away is from Isaiah 26:4 which once again re insists the importance of trusting in the Lord: Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

Happy Monday!

* The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit Proverbs 18:21
* For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned Mathew 12:37
* When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19
* The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  James 3:6
* 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. Deuteronomy 30:19

Enough said. Let our words be few...

How beautiful your sandaled feet... Song of Solomon 7:1

Interesting how the bride and groom alternate compliments on each other in the book of Song of Solomon. Further more interesting is the fact that we are the bride personified here while Jesus is the Groom. It makes it all the more important for us to pay close attention to these Scriptures so that we can compare to the described bride.

Here, the Lover admires how beautiful His bride's feet are. Not just the bare feet, but her 'sandaled feet'.

What kind of sandal it would be? In Ephesians chapter 6, where we read about getting ready in the full armor of God, in verse 15 it says: "... with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace".

So, it is not just any sandal we are talking about here; it is 'the readiness' that is implied. Readiness? Readiness for what? Clearly it mentions 'readiness that comes from the gospel of peace'.

In Isaiah 52:7 we read: 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!"

Let us check if we are fitted with the 'sandal' our Groom so admires. If not, let's get fitted with readiness by accepting the gospel of peace.

Have a blessed Friday.

"Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. " Proverbs: 4:24

Before we go on to discuss this verse, we need to know what is 'perversity'. A quick look up in the Thesaurus lists the following synonyms: wicked, bad, mean, vicious, stubborn, obstinate, headstrong...

We all can immediately relate these words to some people we might know. But that is only secondary. First, let us look at our selves. Do we identify any of these characteristics as part of our talk?

Perverse talk comes from perverse tongue and the Bible says, "A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble." Proverbs 17:20 and in Proverbs 10:31 we read, "...a perverse tongue will be cut out"

It is a serious matter - the perverse mouth which results from a perverse heart - and has to be handled at once. Let's put away perversity from our mouth & keep corrupt talk far from our lips...

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture." John 10:9

What does it really mean that Jesus is the way, truth & life?

In Genesis 3rd chapter where we read of the fall of man, it ends with this Scripture: After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:24

The Lord Jesus's sacrifice on the cross has once again opened the way to the tree of life! Amen!

Entering through this way (salvation) we now have access to the tree of life, which in turn gives us eternal life and we will once again rejoice in the presence of our Father God! Amen!

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding. Proverbs 23:23

Truth here means Jesus Christ.  We read in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Salvation is the ultimate gift God has made available for all those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ! It is God's master plan to reunite with man since his fall at Eden. Yet, many don't want anything to do with it. That's because they are deceived by the father of all lies to believe in lies instead of the Truth.

In Matthew 13:44 we read, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary explains it further in very simple words:

Buy the truth, and sell it not; be willing to part with any thing for it. Do not part with it for pleasures, honours, riches, or any thing in this world.

Jesus Himself said these words, as Apostle John notes, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

So, those of us who have found the Truth, let us not sell it for anything or anybody; and those who have not, please buy it at all cost.  Whatever you lose in order to gain Him, you will receive it in many folds.

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10:32-33

Those who honor me I will honor. I Samuel 2:30

Constant mention of God's love somehow gives a wrong idea that we can take Him for granted. We forget where we came from and who God really is.

He is the King of kings; the Lord of lords; the Beginning and the End! We were in sin, wearing rags, decaying in our souls. Yet He chose to love us. He cleansed us by His blood, made us holy, clothed us with garments of righteousness, wrote His name on us... and now we have forgotten all that...

In Malachi 1:6 we read, A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.

He goes on to explain we have defiled His alter by offering the blind and lame animals; we have not given Him the best of what we have. We can't deny that, can we?

According to Proverbs 3:9 let us honor the LORD with our wealth, with the first fruits of all our crops. The keyword here is 'all' not just 'some' or 'any' or 'one' or 'none' but 'all'. In all areas of our lives (including our finances) let our first priority and our best service be to God and godly affairs.

Those who honor the Lord will be honored by Him. What a privilege that is!

Anger is an emotion related to one's psychological interpretation of having been offended, wronged or denied and a tendency to undo that by retaliation.

Attitude behind anger - You owe me!

God's anger is different from man's anger. God's anger is moral, holy and is about the righteousness of God. Man's anger is selfish, immoral and sinful - someone will have to pay.

Issues of anger - ill health, depression, paranoid, suspicious of others, judgmental, messes up our relationship with people and ultimately God Almighty.

Cure for anger: Forgiveness

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. Colossians 3:5-8

No one owes us anything - not even an apology. We owe it to ourselves to be anger-free. That's what the Scripture tells us. If we are calling ourselves children of God, believers, would you carry an offense rest of your life, or would you rather forgive it and go anger free?

Forgive! Shall we?

Psalm 86:15 - But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Ephesians 4:26-27 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1:20

do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

"Be still and know that I am Lord" Psalm 46:10

The question is How to be still?

A well known verse from the Bible, yet one we all struggle with. When situation calls for a panic we start running wild, trying to figure out a solution for the issue at hand, instead of submitting it at the Lord's feet and doing things in accordance with His divine guidance.

Only when all our "resolutions" fail we come to the Lord - as our last resort. All the while He was there saying, "Be Still"!

Only when we are still we can know that He is Lord

For example when a child gets hurt with a thorn of some kind, we as parent or even a doctor can't help much unless the child calms down and allows the adult to intervene. In the same way, our Father Lord asks us to be still; so that He can intervene and take care of our pain and suffering. Why is it hard for us to do?

Let us make it part of our prayer going forward: "Dear Lord, Please teach us to be still so that we can see your glory. In Jesus' name - Amen"

Happy October all!