When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4

The portion of Scripture we read above describes exactly what happened on that first day of Pentecost.

What is Pentecost? Pentecost is the fourth festival following Passover. Passover, Unleavened Bread & First Fruits are the three festivals celebrated before Pentecost. The first three are celebrated in the same week however Pentecost is celebrated 50 days later, following the festival of First Fruits.

What is the significance of the day of Pentecost? It is not a coincidence that Jesus was killed as our Passover Lamb, broken as our unleavened bread, rose again on the third day as the First Fruit! Forty days later our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven promising that He will soon send a comforter. Ten days later, that is fifty days after His resurrection, Holy Spirit - the promised comforter descended on His disciples on the day of Pentecost!

How does Pentecost apply to us?
The very same Comforter is available for us to experience the very same infilling of the Holy Spirit in us, even today! Some argue Holy Spirit lives in us since the time of our birth; some argue the Holy Spirit dwells in us when we get saved or born again; each of these arguments are true. However, the human spirit in us or the sin nature would overtake the evidence of Holy Spirit if there is no fanning of the fire if you will.

Why do we need to experience Pentecost?
Pentecost or the baptism of Holy Spirit is the third most important experience ( after being born-again and baptized in water) we as believers should strive for. It was not an experience for just the first generation followers of Christ. Holy Spirit is alive and well even today. He can reignite the fire in us, helping us to become an image of God. The more infilling of Holy Spirit we receive the more we will repel our sin nature.

What 's next?
What stops you from desiring the Holy Spirit?  How can you overcome your inhibitions of the infilling of Holy Spirit? How do we ask and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? We will discuss each in detail in the coming days... May the Lord Himself make things clear to us from His Scriptures. Please come expecting His touch. God bless you!

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. Isaiah 44:3

Some among us are spiritually barren. We are so overwhelmed by the worldly affairs of life that there hasn't been much fruits in us. Our love has gone cold. Our hearts have gone dry.

Just like when the land is dry it gets parched and broken and non-pliable our hearts become hard and non-flexible, insensitive. It takes Divine intervention to heal the dry land. The rains come down and the water softens the land.

As rain starts pouring season after season, the land starts to come alive with plants and trees and birds and flowers and fruits and what not! The land becomes much desired. It is now a fertile land that people flock to. It yields its fruit in season making it profitable. The air is fresh, water is plenty and there is an abundance of healing and blessing around it.

Same way, we need a Divine intervention in our Spiritual barrenness! We need rain. We need the pouring out of the Holy Spirit! Only the continual infilling of the Holy Spirit can make us thrive with joy and health and life! The Spirit empowers us to be refreshed in His love thus making us refreshing to others. The Spirit dwells in us teaching us, guiding us, showing us the way to go.

It takes the Holy Spirit to enable us to become an image of God. Our hearts become sensitive to His touch. Our lives become fruitful for the Lord! We will be barren no more but fertile!

How many of us wish to become such a fertile land this morning? Are we thirsty for His Spirit this morning? Let us ponder over these thoughts and get thirsty for the Lord.

Please stay tuned for more discussion on Holy Spirit in the coming days. If you have any questions on the topic bring it on to discuss at the coffee table. God bless you!

If you are not feeling up to going to church today, here's a reminder for you:

“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

Lord

and if you honor it by not going your own way

and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

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

It doesn't matter which day of the week we choose to gather to worship the Lord; whichever day it is, let us do it willingly. Then we will find our joy in the Lord and all of the other blessings promised above will be ours!

Let's enjoy the 'Son'day!

Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Sons are a heritage from the Lord,
children a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one’s youth.

Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Let us always look to God's providence. In all the affairs and business of a family we must depend upon his blessing. If God be not acknowledged, we have no reason to expect his blessing; and the best-laid plans fail, unless he crowns them with success. Our care must be to keep ourselves in the love of God; then we may be easy, whether we have little or much of this world.

Children are God's gifts, a heritage, and a reward; and are to be accounted blessings, and not burdens: he who sends mouths, will send meat, if we trust in him. They are a great support and defence to a family. Children who are young, may be directed aright to the mark, God's glory, and the service of their generation; but when they are gone into the world, they are arrows out of the hand, it is too late to direct them then.

But these arrows in the hand too often prove arrows in the heart, a grief to godly parents. Yet, if trained according to God's word, they generally prove the best defence in declining years, remembering their obligations to their parents, and taking care of them in old age.

All earthly comforts are uncertain, but the Lord will assuredly comfort and bless those who serve him.

Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

"One running to secure the prize would not stop to look behind him to see how much ground he had run over, or who of his competitors had fallen or lingered in the way. He would keep his eye steadily on the prize, and strain every nerve that he might obtain it. If his attention was diverted for a moment from that, it would hinder his flight, and might be the means of his losing the crown", explains Barne's Notes on the Bible.

Apostle Paul says it was so with him. He looked onward to the prize - Jesus Christ. He fixed the eye intently on that. It was the single object in his view, and he did not allow his mind to be diverted from that by anything - not even by the contemplation of the past.

He did not stop to think of the difficulties which he had overcome, or the troubles which he had met, but he thought of what was yet to be accomplished."

It is easy to lose track of our goal with the overwhelming demands of the day to day life. It takes extra efforts on our part to refocus on the goal and continue the race. So...

Ready, set, go!

Go! Go!

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!

My beloved spoke and said to me, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.

The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” Songs 2:10-13

It is call of love we hear this morning, from our first love - the Lord Jesus Christ.

We can't keep on ignoring the call. All the excuses we normally give are all taken care of. Winter is gone. The climate is moderate. It is the season for singing, cooing and blossoming. He is intent on taking us away to be alone with Him.

Are you ready? Do you hear Him? Ever so lightly - yes, that is Him. Wake up. Go away with Him. Spend some time together before the rush of the day. Even if it is for a short few minutes, it is so worth it. His grace fills you. His love engulfs you. His words lead you.

"Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.”

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 11-19

A grateful heart is not common for all. But then we are not called to be a commoner. We are royalty - sons and daughters of the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Let us be grateful for everything God had provided for us this year so far. For all the resources, for good health, for the peaceful mind, for His constant presence, His abundant grace, let us be thankful.

When our heart is filled with gratitude we cannot keep quite about it. We will throw ourselves at His feet and thank Him. We will open our mouths and praise Him out loud. We will be ready and willing to share our testimonies with our friends, neighbors, co-workers, church members, and even complete strangers.

How many of us are grateful this morning? Do we represent the ungrateful majority in today's Scripture portion or the very grateful minority? If we are royals, let us not behave like commoners.

Happy Tuesday everyone! Have a blessed rest of the week! May the blessing of the Lord be with you.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and our staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

~Psalm 23

A beautiful psalm by King David. Let us too heed to make the Lord our shepherd; then we shall lack nothing.

Praise the Lord! Amen!

I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:6

I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. Psalm 27:6

I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Psalm 104:33

I will sing a new song to you, my God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you. Psalm 144:9

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 59:16

I will sing and make music with all my soul. Psalm 108:1

Can we sing too this morning - to our LORD - with all our soul?!

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

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

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

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

Jude 1:17-25

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

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

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

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

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Show me, LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. Psalm 39:4

My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. Job 9:25

My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end without hope. Job 7:6

We don't need much proof that our days run faster than ever. We see signs of it everywhere. The mirror gives it away every time we see our reflection in it.

Didn't we just begin the year? Already we are in mid July and before we know it, it will be year end. Even this past week went by in a blink. The days and weeks and months and years seem to roll one into another seamlessly.

Job and King David felt the same way from time to time. We see them mentioning it repeatedly in Scriptures. It is interesting how they both focus their attention back to the Lord amidst their panic.

Let us too do the same. As we become more cautious of our fleeting days let us become more appreciative of the Lord's providence and more aware of His favor on us.

His favor would be a full fountain of our future joys. It would be a sufficient balance to our former griefs. Instead of wasting our precious, fleeting days in pursuing fancies, let us seek the forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance in heaven. Let us pray that the work of the Holy Spirit may appear in converting our hearts, and that the beauty of holiness may be seen in our conduct. (Ref: Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary)

God bless you! Have a blessed weekend!

With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. Psalm 91:16

Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. Psalm 34:12

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Revelation 3:8

Just yesterday we learned how our King who breaks open the way will go up before us ... Today again as a reiteration of the same message, what the Holy Spirit shares with us is that the door He opens no one can shut.

I am sure it is for strengthening us in the Lord, that we are reminded of the same message a second time! Amen!

Whatever doors are shut before you, God is going to open it for you. He knows you have little faith, yet you have kept His word and have not denied His name. God knows it all - even if it looks like no one else cares.

Let us continue to hold on to His words and not deny His name. The doors are going to be open - very soon... and no one can shut it!

Amen! Praise the Lord!

One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head. Micah 2:13

If you recall this was the Scripture promise for us as we started this year. Here once again we are reminded of the same promise. Praise the Lord!

Let us read the verse once again slightly differently - emphasizing the words in bold, "One who breaks open the way will go up before me; I will break through the gate and go out. My king will pass through before me, the Lord at my head.

Let's keep praying this verse against all the "closed doors" in our lives this year. Let us allow our Lord Jesus Christ to take the lead in all areas of our lives. He is the King of all kings; the Lord of all lords; there is absolutely no super power over Him. Praise the Lord! Just let Him lead.

When our King takes the lead before us, He will break open the way for us. Amen!

If you believed, you would see the glory of God! If only we believed...

Have a blessed Tuesday! 

* His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. Psalm 112:8
* Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.
Hebrews 13:9

Different translations have different words for "secure" such as: confident, steady, upheld, established, resting safely, strengthend, maintained etc. So we get the point!

The question is how to keep our heart secure or established or steady?: I believe the answer is given in the second verse above: Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.

When will we be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings? : Only when we do not know the fundamentals of our christian faith.

How to learn the fundamentals of our faith?: Of course, by learning the word of God.

How to learn the Word of God?: By reading, meditating, studying, listening and why not - by googling too! :)

Any teaching or doctrine or "vision" or "calling" that can not be traced back to B-I-B-L-E which is the Book for you and me; has to be dismissed as 'strange teachings'.

Then our heart will be secure, we will have no fear; in the end we will look in triumph on our foes! Amen.

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!

I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. Leviticus 11:45

In order to follow this commandment we need to clearly understand what holiness means.

What does it mean that the Lord our God is Holy? Holiness is the absence of even a trace of sin. Holiness is the devoid of even a glimpse of darkness. Holiness is the perfection of all things good - perfect love, perfect mercy, perfect forgiveness, perfect deliverance, perfect healing - that our God alone can offer.

The Lord God Almighty - the Maker of heaven and earth is pure, holy and just in all His dealings. He sets the best example of being holy for us believers to follow. He insists we too can live our lives in a holy fashion. He demands we be set apart from the rest of the crowd - be known as His chosen generation, His royal priesthood, His holy nation. Praise the Lord!

Is it even possible to be holy just as He is holy? Indeed it is! If it were not so, the scriptures wouldn't have instructed us so. It gets easier in fact much easier with the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Rest of the day, let us ponder over the commandment, "Be holy as I am holy" and ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us through.

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

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

Sometimes we get a revelation or promise from the Lord through a dream or vision or a word or song or a message. But it may not immediately come true.

If that is your case, the Bible says, "Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

"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

Sometimes things may not work out the way we are expecting it, but it definitely does not mean His promises have failed. In course of time it will all come clear for our understanding. For now let us accept the limitations and move forward.

One thing to remember is: "All things happen for good for those who love the Lord." Amen!

Hang in there. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay...

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Apostle Paul was zealous in all he did. As a persecutor, he had a zeal to eradicate the followers of Jesus Christ. When he met the Lord though, he became zealous for spreading the Gospel.

As Saul he was ready to kill; as Paul, he was ready and willing to die.

His strong passion for the Lord Jesus Christ is keenly evident in his statement above. He persuades the reader (in this case, the Church in Rome) that nothing can ever separate him from the love of God. He turned out to be the greatest evangelist ever.

In fact, Paul's earnest enthusiasm in spreading the gospel of Christ has made his name revered wherever the Christian religion is known.  His writings make up much of the New Testament of the Bible.

But none of the fame or suffering stood between him and the Lord. Paul held true to his statement through many persecutions he suffered, even to his very death.

He writes in Romans 8:18, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

The question remains: Are we zealous for the Lord? Can we make a similar statement about our love of God?

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Hebrews 13:4

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a wo/man with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her/him in his/her heart. Matthew 5:28

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Romans 6:12

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

Let us heed to the strong corrections the Holy Spirit is talking in and about our lives this morning.

Have a blessed day!

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. Psalm 32:1,2

We tend to relate blessing to the matters of this world forgetting that this life we live right now is only temporary - a make-shift phase in God's eternal plan. If someone has huge wealth, great fame and good fortune we call them blessed. But are they?

The Scripture here tells us if our transgressions are forgiven and our sins covered and there is no deceit in our spirit, then we are blessed!

Do you have the assurance your transgressions are forgiven? Yes! Do you believe your sins are covered? Amen! How about the third checking point - a spirit with no deceit? Well...

Barnes Notes on the Bible gives us a beautiful explanation as to how to develop a spirit with no deceit:

And in whose spirit there is no guile - Who are sincere and true. That is, who are not hypocrites; who are conscious of no desire to cover up or to conceal their offences; who make a frank and full confession to God, imploring pardon. The "guile" here refers to the matter under consideration. The idea is not who are "innocent," or "without guilt," but who are sincere, frank, and honest in making "confession" of their sins; who keep nothing back when they go before God. We cannot go before him and plead our innocence, but we may go before him with the feeling of conscious sincerity and honesty in making confession of our guilt.

Let us go before the Lord baring everything from the inner most parts of our heart - not trying to hide anything. Let us ask for sincere forgiveness and receive the assurance our sins are covered; that is what makes us blessed!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

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

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

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

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

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

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 day. 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. I Peter 2:9-10

For easy understanding let us read these verses in a different order as below: (verse 10 first and then verse 9)

Once we were not a people, but now we are the people of God; once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy. And now we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Isn't this true in our lives? Are we declaring the praises of Him as we ought to?

Have a blessed day. 

Be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." Psalm 126:2

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

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

Have a blessed day. And for those in the United States of America, wishing you all a Happy July 4th!

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
~Matthew 6:5-14

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.

Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.

Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;

they will sing before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his truth.