Lay open thy works to the Lord: and thy thoughts shall be directed. Proverbs 16:3
Open your ears to my words, O LORD. Consider my innermost thoughts. Psalm 5:1
May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. Psalm 104:34
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

In the last few days we have prayed for opening our eyes, opening our ears, opening our mouth, opening our hearts and learnt about opening our hands.

All this is only possible when we open our thoughts to Jesus; when we surrender it at His feet. Taking a toll of our thought process every now and then surely helps. When we are in tune with the Holy Spirit He guides us in the paths of righteouseness by correcting our thoughts right then and there.

This is exactly what we as believers should aim for - to be in tune with the Holy Spirit. Ask and it will be given. Invite Him in; He will come in, fill you and take you to a whole new experience in your faith journey.

Let us for a moment forget all the different denominations, practices, policies, beliefs of our church background and concentrate on seeking the Holy Spirit. Let us invite Him in to make our thoughts straight. Seek and you shall find.

So, how are you all doing? Enjoy the weekend!

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:20

He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. Proverbs 19:17

The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously. Psalm 37:21

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. Matthew 10:42

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. Luke 6:38

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
2 Corinthians 9:6

If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Deuteronomy 15:7

Rather, be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Deuteronomy 15:8

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. Proverbs 22:9

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. Proverbs 28:27

Need I say more? Do something. Start today!

One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. Acts 16:14

He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. Luke 24:35

Listen! My lover is knocking: "Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night." Songs 5:2

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

Let us pray:

Our Heavenly Father: Thank you once again for the opportunity to gather in your name Lord. It is such a joy rejoicing in your presence with fellow believers Lord. We praise you Lord. We glorify your name Lord. Today we seek you to open our hearts Lord.

Please open our hearts Lord. Thank you that most of us have open our hearts and accepted you into our hearts Lord. If there is anyone among us who is unsure of it, right now we pray that the Holy Spirit gently prompt them once again Lord. They may not have all the answers they are looking for at this very moment; but let them take a leap of faith to trust in you Lord. You will then open their hearts to understand your Scriptures more Lord. We pray that many will come to know of you Lord.

Please open our hearts so that we too can respond to your prompting Lord, the slow still voice that we keep hearing to do your will Lord. Let us be sensitive to your speaking Lord.

Please open our hearts so that we can be a source of love, joy and peace to others Lord. Open our hearts so that we too can forgive others Lord.

Thank you Father. Thank you Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Savior. Thank you for your grace Lord. Thank you for your forgiveness Lord. Thank you for your love Lord. Thank you for the joy of salvation Lord.

We praise your Holy name and your name alone Lord. In Jesus' wonderful name we pray, amen.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. Psalm 51:15
I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. Exodus 4:15

May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. Psalm 119:71

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.... Ephesians 6:19

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Proverbs 31:8

Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proberbs 31:9

Let us pray:

 Dear Father! Thank you Lord for this new day. Thank you for giving us a good night's rest Lord. Thank you for your grace for today Lord.

Please open our mouths today Lord. Rebuke every bondage of our mouth Lord. Rebuke the spirit of anger, pride, depression and vengeance Lord. Wash us Lord. Cleanse us Lord. Fill our mouths with your praise Lord.Fill our mouths with joyful singing Lord. Fill our mouths with words of confidence, encouragement and compliments Lord.

Please open our mouths so that we can speak up for the destitute among us Lord. Open our mouth so that we can defend the poor Lord. Open our mouths to build relationships Lord. Open our mouths to share our testimonies Lord. Open our mouths so that we can proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ Lord.

Fill us once again Lord, with your joy,peace, love and compassion Lord. Refill us Lord. Use us for your glory Jesus.

In Jesus Christ's most precious name we pray, amen.

He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Mark 7:34-35

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 19:5

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Let us pray:

Dear Father in heaven! Thank you once again for the opportunity to gather in your name Lord. Thank you for this beautiful morning Lord. Thank you that your grace will be sufficient for us all through the day Lord. Thank you for your presence here amidst us joining hearts in one accord from all parts of the world Lord. We come together praising your holy name Lord.

Please open our ears today Lord. Open our ears to hear your word Lord. Open our ears to pay attention to your instruction Lord. Open our ears so that we can increase in our faith Lord. Open our ears so that we can obey your commandments Lord. Please open our ears so that we can listen to your voice and follow you Lord.

Thank you Lord for listening to our prayers. Thank you Lord for keeping your ears open to our plea. Thank you Lord for hearing our cry.

We praise you Lord.We glorify your name Lord. We love you Jesus. We surrender all of us at your feet Lord. Bless this day for us Lord. Use us for your glory Lord.

In our Savior Jesus Christ's name we pray, amen!

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." Mark 10:51

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18

Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17

Let us pray:

Our Father in Heaven! Thank you for this beautiful morning, for uniting us together in your presence Lord. Thank you that your grace was sufficient for us for the first two months of this year Lord. Thank you for the new month and the new week and this new day Lord.

We have come before you Lord in unison with a single prayer - with a simple request - to open our eyes today Lord. There are times we have been totally blinded Lord. There are times when our eyes are open but we don't see Lord. Many a times we have missed out on the answers to our prayers because of this Lord.

Today we request you to open our eyes Lord. Open our eyes so that we can see. Open our eyes that we may see the wonder of your law. Open our eyes so that we can see the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around - the army you have set before us to fight our adversaries Lord. The angels surrounding us this very minute fighting the evil that is against us Lord.

Thank you for your love Lord. Please help us see you are our deliverer Lord. Please help us know you are in control Lord.

Please help us see clearly Lord. We give you all glory, honor and praise.

In Jesus's most powerful name we pray, amen.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25

The past few days we discussed about the enemies of the heart. Now what? That is the question.

As today's Scripture says we should not merely listen to the Word of God which will be decieving ourselves. Let us follow what we have learned. Then we will be blessed in what we do.

So, here's a reiteration of what we learned over the days.

* Let us cure our guilt by confession
* Let us get rid of our anger by forgiveness
* Let us overcome our greed by generosity
* Let us be free of our jealousy by celebration

Hope you enjoyed the series as much as I did. Love you all in Christ Jesus our Lord! God bless.Have a blessed weekend!

Note: This study is an excerpt from my Sunday School notes which was based on Andy Stanley's  book Enemies of the Heart. If you would like to read it in detail, here's a link to the Amazon page for your convenience: Enemies of the Heart: Breaking Free from the Four Emotions That Control You

Jealousy is an emotion and typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety over an anticipated loss of something that the person values, particularly in reference to a human connection. Jealousy often consists of a combination of presenting emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness and disgust. It is not to be confused with envy. [Wikipedia]

The attitude behind jealousy: God owes me!

We read in the Scriptures that God is jealous (Exodus 34:14); but His is the right kind. In Deuteronomy 32:21 we read, they made me jealous by what is not god and angered me with their worthless idols.

There is a difference between ambition, determination, motivation and being jealous.

Cure for jealousy: Celebration. Acknowledging what we have is much more than what we deserve.

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:1-3

Let us celebrate what we have! Let us praise His Holy name with a grateful heart. Let us keep jealousy far from us. Are we not blessed much more than we deserve?!

Have a blessed Thursday! God bless you!

Next in our enemies of the heart series is guilt.

Guilt is defined as feelings of culpability especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy : morbid self-reproach often manifest in marked preoccupation with the moral correctness of one's behavior.

Attitude behind guilt: I owe you.

Guilt can be a killer when we are really at fault. It is a result of our unconfessed sin.

Cure for guilt: Confession

We need to confess our sins to God obvisousely but we also need to confess it to one another - whoever we offended.

King David writes:  I decided to confess them to you, O LORD. ... I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32:5

James writes: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16

Confession will set you free!

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:34-36

Amen!  Instead of carrying the burden of our guilt, let us confess it to the ones we offended and also to God and accept the deliverance only He can give. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 5:10

“What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’” Mark 7:20-23

Greed is an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth.

Attitude of the greedy is - I owe me!

A greedy person can become dishonest, deceitful because he/she is always looking out for more.

Luke 12 talks about a rich fool. He was called a fool because he failed to realize where his increase came from. He had forgotten who blessed him with the harvest in the first place. He claimed it all as his.

Greed is not a financial issue; it is a heart issue. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

Cure for greed - Generosity. Acknowledging that God has blessed us and what we have belongs to Him and being willing to share our blessings with others less fortunate.

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6

King David prayed, Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Psalm 119:36.

Can we make this our prayer too?

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

Next few days we will discuss certain enemies of the heart, a series which we have discussed couple of years ago. The first enemy of the heart we will focus on is anger.

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, judgemental, 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?

Let us choose what the Scripture tells us - Forgive! Shall we?

As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. 

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.   2 Samuel 6:16

A familiar portion from the Scriptures. For those who are not sure, here's the cotext: King David was bringing the ark of the Lord into the city of David and he is so full of joy and merriment that he danced on the street, in front of the cart that was carrying the ark of the Lord. Seeing this from the palace window, his wife who was Saul's daughter despised him.

Not sure whether King David counted it against her or not, but looks like God did not approve of that as in the verses that follow we read, "And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death." 2 Samuel 6:23

How often do we despise our spouses - first in our hearts - and then by our words - and next by our actions?! First in private, then in public. First alone, then in front of others. I am guilty of this very action myself from time to time. May be we give it a different name such as, 'sharing our heart out', 'letting it all out', etc. but the Scripture calls it despising - without any sugar coating. Let us be aware that this is the reason for our lack of blessings.

You may ask, what then we ought to do when differences of opinion arise. The answer is to take it to God in prayer.He will give us a peace of mind and bring about a solution in the situation - not necessarily our way, but His way! Isn't that the best anyway?!

Let us sincerely respect our spouses. Let us use our words carefully while discussing with them about things we don't agree with. Every thought or word or action we do by despising our spouse is recorded against us - true for both guys and girls. I know it doesn't come naturally. The natural tendency is to act out, but the godly nature is to overcome this natural sin. This is something we need to consciously work on.With God's help we shall overcome.

Have a blessed Tuesday folks! God bless you all!

Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. Ecclesiastes 10:20

What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. Luke 12:13

It is not uncommon to come across people who are opinionated. They are full of complaints about everyone around them, from the President of the country to the local weather man, and disguise it under a broad umbrella called, "Freedom of speech".

May it be far from us believers - the children of God - to be like one of them. Let us be careful about our words about everyone around us. The more we abuse it the more insensitive we become to the effect of our words.

The Bible tells us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Which means that if our heart is full of love, grace, joy, wisdom, peace, contentment, fear of the Lord, etc. our mouth will reflect that. It will not complain much. It will build not destroy. It will heal not hurt. It will draw closer not chase far off.

Apostle James has dedicated almost an entire chapter to the topic of taming the tongue. 

In James chapter 3 verses 5-6 we read, "...the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

Every child of God must master the art of taming the tongue. This is one area we can clearly differ from the ungodly. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ was a perfect example of One who had mastered it all! We read in Isaiah 53:7, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth."

 Let us make this our desire too. Let us make this our regular prayer: "May the words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him," declares the LORD. Jeremiah:31:20

Who is this Ephraim? Ephraim is Joseph's second son. Ephraim and his brother Manasseh were born to Joseph in Egypt before his father Jacob and his brothers came to him during the draught.

When Jacob sees Ephraim and Manasseh, he adopts them both as his own. (Gen 48:5) however Ephraim is set apart and seems like Jacob has a soft corner for him. Probably he recalls his younger days of being a second son to his own father and sees himself in Ephraim.

Very important point is that Ephraim became a blessing or greeting in Israel. People would bless their children, "God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh".

Later in Joshua we read, when Ephraim got his inheritance they (the tribe) did not drive out the Canaanites that dwelt among them (Judges 1:29)

Interestingly in Jeremiah 31:9, we read the Lord saying, "Ephraim is my firstborn"! In fact he was the second son to his father Joseph and the youngest if counted as a "son" of Jacob, yet he was as special as a first born in God's eyes.

You might be excited to know - as I am - that Joshua is a descendant of Ephraim! Plenty of other references can be found on Ephraim.

Why did God speak against Ephraim? I understand his main sin was not chasing away the Canaanites from his inherited land. I am sure he endured issues due to that.

Does it sound familiar? We too hold on to some "Canaanites" in our lives. Let us not take God's compassion on us for granted. It is true we are very dear to Him, but there are times as we continue to rebel, God's anger is directed towards us, but when we repent, almost immediately His mercy is revealed...

So, to sum it all up, we are God's delight; His dear sons & daughters! Amen!

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. Isaiah 62:4

Anyone here whose name is Deserted, who lives in the land of Desolate? Well, this message is for you. The Lord will call you Hephzibah as He delights in you. Your land will be Married, no longer Desolate!

Praise the Lord.

The name Hephzibah equals us to the Bride of Christ, as the Bridegroom rejoices over His bride. Just imagine, the King of kings and Lord of lords calling you Hephzibah - my beloved! Isn't that absolutely overwhelming?! 

Indeed His love for us is overwhelming. And soon we will be married to Christ Himself. What a privilege!

Let us therefore get rid of our feelings of self pity, depression & doubts and celebrate knowing that His love for us is all the more stronger.

Have a blessed day Hephzibah! God's delight! Remain in His love.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talentsg was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.h He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

* Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm 27:14
* Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land. Psalm 37:24
* I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

Very familiar verses I am sure; but not quite a familiar habit. We are not wired for 'waiting'. We get impatient and decide to run our show our way - whether God shows up or not... that's really sad.

Waiting on the Lord is way too important than we can imagine as our quick fixes could permanently damage our peace of mind. Sometimes answers to our prayers seem not quick enough but that doesn't mean we should hurry making decisions for ourselves. If God promised you something He will bring it to pass even if it takes time.

Here's a beautiful verse I want to bring to your attention: For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.Habakkuk 2:3

Knowing these verses gives us hope to wait on the Lord. Let us continue to wait!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5

Let's take a tally of our love for our Lord this morning. How is it going? If the answer is 'strong and steady' well and good. But if we are not too sure, it is time to refocus our attention on our Lord. God's love is always constant, you can't do anything better to increase it nor anything worse to decrease it. It remains the same. It is our love that wavers from time to time.

We are head over heels in love with Him one week, and down in the valley the next. Our focus shifts from God to job to men to things to self and before we know it, we are consumed by everything else other than God. As in any relationship, when we do not spend time together getting to know each other we will only grow apart.

If we love our Lord with all our heart, soul and strength, it is practically improssible to not spend time with Him. On the flip side, if we don't spend enough time with our Lord, it is practically impossible to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength. So, how is yours going & how are you showing?!

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

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


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

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

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

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

Amen!

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

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

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

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

How many of us are content this morning?! Praise God for all those hands that are going up! Let us continue to accept our lot! This is our gift from the Lord! Amen!

* Differing weights and differing measures--the LORD detests them both. Proverbs 20:10

The question before us this morning is: Do we use any differing weights or differing measures in our lives? To rephrase the question, Do we have any "Double Standards" in our dealings?

Do we have any pretense in us? Do we try hard to live certain lifestyle inspite of our finances so that people don't think anything low of us? Do we appear to be good believers outside while at home we do not set a good example? Are we just talkers or also doers? Do we often look at the grain of dust in our brother's eyes, failing to see the plank in ours?

Clearly the word of God says any such pretense to please men or self is detestable to Him. Let us analyze our hearts this morning to see if at all we have any kind of differing weights in us.

Let us honestly seek to get rid of any double standards we might have set over the years. In all our dealings, let us use only honest scales. Our Lord will delight in us when we do.

* 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!

For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. Psalm 33:9

I just love this verse so much that I use it in almost all my prayers, be it for me or someone else. The power of His word is so powerful.

If you recall the incident when a centurion comes to Jesus requesting healing for his servant, he said: "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed." Matthew 8:8

In Genesis 1:3 we read, And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. The rest of the creation was also created simply by His spoken words.

Elsewhere in the Scriptures we read: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

Little Samuel was taught by Eli to respond by saying "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."

Jesus rebuked satan by saying, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

In  Mark 4:39 we read: He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Romans 8:34 says, "Christ Jesus, ... is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

If we sit down to look for more Scriptures that emphasis the power of His Spoken Words, I am sure we can find many many more. Don't you want Him to speak for you today? I do.

Let's hold on to these verses and pray to our Lord thus: "You spoke, and it came to be; You commanded, and it stood firm. Please speak to me Lord. Please speak for me Lord!" Amen!

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”.He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. Luke 17:5-6

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.  Matthew 17:19-20

Indeed just the right question - same as the one we have. How to increase our faith. Jesus Himself responds, a very little faith can do mighty things.

Now, what really is this faith?

Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Why is faith important?

Because, "Without faith it is impossible to please God..." Hebrews 11:6

How much is too little?
Any amount of faith that is not in action is too little. It is of no use.

Is there any such thing as too much faith?
Again, any faith that is not in action is too much. It is of no use.

So, what is the right amount of faith?

A faith as the mustard seed. Neither too little, nor too much. It is the faith in action that is the right amount of faith.

What do you mean by 'faith as mustard seed'?
A mustard seed has life in it. Mustard seed is willing to die so that it can grow big and yield. In short, mustard seed exemplifies faith in action. It is complete or whole. Live and life giving. Has and acts.

Same way, our faith should be. It should be a complete faith. Perfect faith. 100% faith in God. 100% faith that whatever God allows in our lives is for our good. (In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28)

Perfect faith trusts every word of the Scripture that is given us. Perfect faith is ready and open for listening and acting upon God's words. True faith never tests God. True faith believes Him completely. True faith needs no proof on God's ability to save. True faith knows God will save. True faith believes without seeing.

True faith knows to live is for Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). This perfect faith dies daily - to sin, to self, to the world, and lives for Christ, as His testimony, yielding fruits for His glory. Amen!

So, what about moving the mountain or mulberry tree to the sea?

That is, if it really boils down to that that a mountain needs to be moved or a tree uprooted, believe 100% that God can move it and yes it will be moved! Yes, figuratively as well as literally! No question about that! Remember true faith never doubts?

Well, now that is the kind of faith we must strive for. When it comes to growing our faith, it is more of the quality than the quantity. Knowing His perfect will should be our business. Nothing less.

God bless you! Blessings for a happy Thursday!

The LORD is near to all them that call on him, to all that call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18

The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? Deuteronomy 4:7

The Lord is near to those who call on Him, those that call on Him in truth. Which makes us believe there are people who call on him not in truth. We see it all around us. Sadly for many, the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, has become a curse word, they use the name of the Lord in vain.

Let us be careful not to use the Lord's name in vain. Let us regard Him when we call upon His name. Then we will know He is near. He will hear our cry when we call Him in truth, that is when we mean it!

Keep calling the name of the Lord in truth, to keep Him near - how about that?! 

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.  Isaiah 55:6

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8 

Be blessed everyone. Enjoy the Wednesday!

O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.

See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.

With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.

“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”

With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you— ...

Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. (Amen!)

~ Psalm 83

This is a prayer of Asaph. We too pray in anguish these days hearing the news of persecution of believers around the world. There are questions and doubts that surface which get no answer. We feel helpless to help out as these things are beyond our control.

However we as believers have our Eternal Hope that we will see Him face to face someday and live forever and ever in His presence - where there will be no crying, no death, no darkness, no fear, no enemies against us - His treasured Bride - the Church! Praise the Lord!

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

We too shall overcome. Praise the Lord! Let us therefore fear not, take heart & praise the Lord!

Yesterday we saw if God is for us, nobody can be against us. Well and good! Today, let us look at the other side: If the Lord had not been on our side... It is pretty scary even to imagine as it would mean just the opposite - that everybody will be against us.

Interestingly, King David had thought of it in those lines in Psalm 124:

If the Lord had not been on our side—

let Israel say—

if the Lord had not been on our side

when men attacked us,

when their anger flared against us,

they would have swallowed us alive;

the flood would have engulfed us,

the torrent would have swept over us,

the raging waters

would have swept us away.

Praise be to the Lord,

who has not let us be torn by their teeth.

We have escaped like a bird

out of the fowler’s snare;

the snare has been broken,

and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

If God is for us, who can be against us? Roman 8:31

If God is for you, who can be against you? Repeat this after me: If God is for me, who can be against me?

Amen! When God is for us nobody can be against us. This also ties with yesterday's message: No weapon forged against you will prevail.

How can we be sure that God is for us? In verse 28 we read: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

So if we are called according to His purpose, we can be assured that in all things God works for the good of us who love Him or in other words God is for us.

When He is for us, who can be against us? The plain and simple answer is: Nobody; indeed nobody!

No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. Isaiah 54:17

I love promises; especially those that end with 'decalres the Lord' as it is like a 'certified promise' if you will.

Thus the promise above is a certified promise for the servants of the Lord. If we are the servants of the Lord then no weapon forged against us will prevail. Not only that, we will refute every tongue that accuses us.

How? By sending back a stronger weapon? Or by fighting back with stronger words? No, not at all!

If we are true servants of the Lord, we will continue to serve the Lord and He will fight our battles and argue our cases for us.

This is our heritage; let's inherit it!

Glad you could stop by for some time with Jesus this morning. I guess some of you stayed up late to get the first glimpse of today's coffee and some of you woke up early to accommodate it in your schedule; appreciate it much. It is fun to have company for coffee with Jesus!

Today for a change we are going to open our mouth and praise the Lord. You would all agree mostly our prayers are made from the heart - true. But to open our mouths wide and  praise is a liberating experience. In Psalms 81:10 we read,  "Open wide your mouth and I will fill it, says the Lord"

Hosea 14:2 specifically says, "Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips."

As important it is to pray from the bottom of our heart, is to pray with the words from our mouth too. Not sure how your comfort level is with that, but give it a try, you will feel the difference. As it is promised our Lord will fill it - with praise, with scriptures, with Holy Spirit, with tongues, with His words, prophecy and more praise.

For the next few moments, let us forget everything around us, everyone near us and just open our mouths wide and praise the Lord, praise His holy name, offering the calves of our lips to receive the fill for the day! Amen!

Happy September 2017!