"Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground." Joshua 3:15-17

If you haven't already read this passage that narrates the crossing over of the river of Jordan, I strongly recommend you take a few minutes to read it today. Click here to read online.

You will certainly be amazed at the wonderful hand of God as He prepared the way for the Israelites to cross over. You will notice that it was against all odds God stopped the river that day. Let's pay close attention as we read this passage once again. Few things that stand out are:

* Jordan was actually flooding that day (as it was harvest time)
* As soon as the priests' feet touched the water's edge, the upstream water stopped flowing. It was instantaneous, almost magical!
* It piled up in a heap at a great distance away, nowhere close to the people lest they be afraid
* The second half that flows into the sea was completely cut off - as if there was no river at all!
* The priests stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan
* The whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground

There have been similar 'flooding Jordan' situations we have passed through in our lives. If we look back now we will realize how the 'upstream water' had stopped flowing and the 'downstream river' was completely cut off and how we had passed through 'dry land' as if there was no trace of a 'flooding river'.

I can testify for it in my life and I am sure each one of you can too. Let us give praises to God Almighty every time we think of His wonders. From what we know of our past deliverance we can fully trust Him for our future too. Amen!

Hard to believe but October 2019 is over folks! 

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. Proverbs 12:16

How many of us are wise based on the standard set forth here by today's Scripture? I feel ashamed to say I am not.

The fact of the matter is we can be gentle and polished outwardly - at work, in the church, with friends for example; but at home we could be way different, annoyed, irritated, frustrated, angry, whatever you want to call it.

Just realized this is foolish and sinful. What do we do then when situation calls for it - when the spouse is forever working, when the house is a total mess, when the chicken doesn't thaw on time?? The Scipture teaches us to overlook these insults to stay prudent.

Very hard I am sure. But we can all try. After all it's a new month and why not strive for something new - prudence?!

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Proverbs 29:11

Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads... Nehemiah 4:4

Nehemiah the slave cup bearer of King Artaxerxes has this urge to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He gets permission from the king to go and build it himself. He also requests for needed wood, metal and letters of support for other rulers so that he can do the work.

As he starts to rebuild, the locals Sanballat and Tobiah give him a hard time - ridiculing him, falsely complaining of his intent to the king, making fun of him constantly, sending letters of opposition to leaders of the land, etc. In one instance they even insulted his work so far, saying it is no good, it won't withstand even a fox running over it.

How Nehemiah responded to these nuisance is what sets him apart. He did not argue with them. He brought it up to God in prayer. In Nehemiah 4:4 we read how he prayed: "Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads... "

His prayers were answered and he was able to successfully complete the work he had started, putting to shame the very people who ridiculed his work.

Matthew Henry has expressed the exact thought I wanted to share; here's to quote from his Concise Commentary:

Many a good work has been looked upon with contempt by proud and haughty scorners. Those who disagree in almost every thing, will unite in persecution. Nehemiah did not answer these fools according to their folly, but looked up to God by prayer.

God's people have often been a despised people, but he hears all the slights that are put upon them, and it is their comfort that he does so.

Nehemiah had reason to think that the hearts of those sinners were desperately hardened, else he would not have prayed that their sins might never be blotted out. Good work goes on well, when people have a mind to it. The reproaches of enemies should quicken us to our duty, not drive us from it.

So, our take away today is, do not react to insults from others, take it to God and lift it up in prayers. He will handle it all for you! Amen!

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

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!

Today's reading: Proverbs 26 Click here to read online (NIV)

Verse of the day: "As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.." Proverbs 26:21

Just yesterday we learnt how not to be a quarrelsome woman; today interestingly we are going to discuss how not to be a quarrelsome man.

As in the verse above, a quarrelsome man is like fuel to the fire, always finding faults and starting a strife. I would imagine it would be extremely difficult to live with someone who is a ticking time bomb! People would normally try to find excuses such as an abused childhood, or something similar to justify their action. But bottom line is lack of godliness is what is going on.

Here are some scriptures that talk about anger:

* James 1:19 "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" 
* Ecclesiastes 7:9 "Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools."
* "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger..." Ephesians 4:31
* "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 her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." Isaiah 53:7

You know yourself better than anybody. If you believe you are always angry raise your hands as we pray over you today. If you know of someone else be it your father, husband, mother, brother or anyone who struggles with anger, let us bring them also in our prayers:

Dear Father in Heaven! Thank you for the beautiful day and for this wonderful opportunity to gather at your presence Lord. For the last two days you have been convicting us that anger is sin Lord. Please help us get rid of anger from our hearts in any shape, size or form Lord. Please help us get rid off even the very trace of anger from our hearts Lord. We can not do it all by ourselves Lord. We need your help Lord. You have already set an example where you were like a lamb that was silent Lord. We too humble our hearts Lord. Please erase all our past sins Lord.

Please help us live a quarrel free life Lord.  Fill us with your love and peace Lord. Guide us Lord. We love you so much Lord. Please bless each and every one of us gathered here in your name Lord. There is no other reason than your Holy name which connects us together Lord. We remember our loved ones who struggle with anger in their life Lord. Please Lord open their eyes so that they can see, open their ears so that they can hear, open their hearts so that they can heal Lord. We continue to praise your Holy name Lord. In Jesus's most precious name we pray, Amen!

Today's reading: Proverbs 25 Click here to read online (NIV)

Verse of the day: "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife." Proverbs 25:24

This may be one of the verses that is hardly discussed in Bible studies or sermons or elsewhere for fear of retaliation from the ladies. But we are going to discuss it today anyway as it has great truth in it for us to learn from.

How many of us are guilty of being a quarrelsome woman from time to time? How does it affect our husband & children when we behave thus? I am sure they too can relate to King Solomon here as he shares exactly how it feels like living with a quarrelsome woman.

Now the question is, how to avoid being a quarrelsome woman? Here is a list of tips that worked for me; I am sure we can definitely trace these back to the scriptures:

* By accepting the differences and learning to love unconditionally
* By learning to be still and know that He is Lord who holds everything under control.
* By understanding that no one is perfect, just like we are not perfect.
* By learning to retreat to prayer and petition anytime anguish tries to engulf us.
* By being contended with what/whom we have.
* By not dwelling in the past - neither his nor ours

Let's try these tips cautiously for a week, two weeks, a month, 6 months and before we know it, we will stop being a quarrelsome woman and will start making our home a happier place for our husband and children. Also, be assured you will be a whole happy you too!

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

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

"So true!" we exclaim; but don't we all do just the same? We offend our spouses, children, neighbors and walk around as if we have done nothing wrong, or we ask a mere sorry or such namesake gesture one day and think we have made up for it, don't we?

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

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

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

Here's a beautiful psalm to memorize. Even if you can't memorize the whole psalm try and memorize your favorite ten verses from this psalm.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
Day after day they pour forth speech;
They have no speech, they use no words;

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.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! Psalm 14:7

Amen! I praise God for these wonderful promises this morning!

It does not say, "If the Lord restores.." but says with assurance "When the Lord restores...". So there is absolutely no room for doubt here. If any of you experience even the slightest trace of doubt, you must rebuke it in the name of the Lord.

His promises are yes and amen! 2 Corinthians 1:20

Why then it is hard for us to still trust in Him completely? Why are we holding on to our heavy burden? Why not cast it all at His feet and walk free?! Why does our faith fluctuate so much?

"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." Matthew 8:25

He commands the winds and water and they obey Him! Is it hard for Him to solve our needs? Is it difficult for Him to restore our fortunes? Is it beyond His abilities to make us rejoice and be glad?

Repeat this verse after me and claim it as your own this morning: Oh, my salvation would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores my fortunes, I will rejoice and be glad! Amen!

Go in peace! Love you in Christ!

Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7

Amen! Our King is coming soon! Here's a beautiful song about it... The lyrics are given below the video so that you too can sing along. :)


These are the days of Elijah,
Declaring the word of the Lord:
And these are the days of Your servant Moses,
Righteousness being restored.
And though these are days of great trial,
Of famine and darkness and sword,
Still, we are the voice in the desert crying
'Prepare ye the way of the Lord!'

Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee,
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.

These are the days of Ezekiel,
The dry bones becoming as flesh;
And these are the days of Your servant David,
Rebuilding a temple of praise.
These are the days of the harvest,
The fields are as white in Your world,
And we are the labourers in Your vineyard,
Declaring the word of the Lord!

There's no God like Jehovah.
There's no God like Jehovah!

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:

* haughty eyes,
* a lying tongue,
* hands that shed innocent blood,
* a heart that devises wicked schemes,
* feet that are quick to rush into evil,
* a false witness who pours out lies, and
* a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19

I am sure we are familiar with this list of things that are detestable (odious - abhorrent - loathsome - abominable - hateful) to the Lord.

If we think deeper most of us are guilty of at least one of these!

It is a shocking realization for us "grown" Christians that we could even be part of the "rest of them" out there.

We have never arrived until our last breath or until the Lord returns whichever occurs first. Till then it takes a constant effort to walk in faith, staying clear of the things that are detestable to the Lord.

With God's help, we can! Amen! 

The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. Zechariah 8:12

May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness--an abundance of grain and new wine. Genesis 27:8

Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. Isaiah 61:7

The land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. Psalm 67:6

That is so beautiful, receiving such showers of blessing today; is it not?

May God bless you all as we wrap up yet another week. Have a blessed new week ahead!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a blessed Thursday!

"Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before." Joel 2:23

Joel 2nd chapter is a beautiful chapter and filled with beautiful promises. Please read it if you have a minute today.

I want to leave you with just the verse today:

"Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before." 

Have a blessed day!

"You are all together beautiful,my love;there is no flaw in you." - Song of Solomon 4:7

This is one of my favorite verses from the Bible. It amazes me at all times. I take the verse personally for me and encourage all of you to take it personally for yourself too! It is for every one of us indeed, where God says, "You are all together beautiful, my love;there is no flaw in you."

I am sure it makes us pause & analyze our self, to see if it truly fits us; you would agree it always fails. If we were to take an inventory of our flaws it would go miles long... No matter how hard we try, we would still be full of flaws, but the unfailing, unconditional love of God sees us beyond our flaws and lovingly calls us "Beautiful" and "Flawless". I sometime wonder if these are the exact words Jesus uses as He pleads our case with the Father, "... there is no flaw in him/her"

I turn to this verse anytime I need an assurance of the Divine Love which brings instant joy to my heart & sings music to my soul.. Hope it does to you too.

Happy Tuesday folks!

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. Psalm 65:9

Living Water is yet another name for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is no wonder there are so many scripture verses referring to this refreshing Living Water. The water that flows from Him does nourish our body, mind and soul.

He cares for the land (us) and waters (provides) for it. When He blesses it is not by human measures; He enriches us abundantly! Praise the Lord!

I would like to insist here that blessing is not always in material form.

Blessing is the joy in our hearts, the salvation we have received, the peace of our minds, the faith we hold on to, the walk we do with Him, His leading, His slow still voice, our daily providence and even our very breath.

Don't we have these things in abundance? Are we not enriched by countless blessings already?! Amen!

And of course, blessing is not only in spiritual form.

There are these material blessings too such as the house, the job, the children, the vacation, the bonus, the new tires in the car, the flowers your special someone brought, the robins that visit your window sill, and the rest in those lines. Amen!

Remember, the streams of God are filled with water to provide you and yours, with grain.

As long as our focus is on the One who blesses us and not on the blessings in itself, we will continue to be blessed.

Stay blessed today!

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. I Chronicles 16:29

Giving glory to God means adoring, praising and worshiping the Lord God Almighty from the bottom of our heart and proclaiming by our mouth.

Giving glory also indicates we bring an offering to the Lord when we come before Him. Remember - it is not the lame and the blind but the best kind of offering is what is expected of us.

Not only that; giving glory to God should be part our daily activities too.

In I Corinthians 10:31 Paul says, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

As we celebrate the presence of our Lord today, let us put aside all distractions and focus our attentions on Him alone and give our all to Him, thus bringing Him glory.

Have a blessed Sunday!

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 that 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! Praise the Lord.

"Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." Joshua 3:5

What a beautiful message we have this morning. Let us come together and consecrate ourselves. Let us get cleansed once again by the blood of Jesus Christ. Let us prepare ourselves for the 'amazing things' God has promised us for tomorrow.

Let us remove any dross or impurities from our hearts. Let us call out to the Lord to cleanse us as white as snow!

"Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 2 Chronicles 29:5

We are the temple of the Lord; let there be no detestable thing among us. Let us remove all defilement from our hearts.

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22

For the rest of the day let our hearts have one prayer and one prayer only which is: "Cleanse me Lord!" Amen!

Have a fun weekend!

Success is defined as the 'accomplishment of an aim or purpose'.

We all have a purpose we strive towards. We want to accomplish our purpose or aim in life so that we can be considered successful too.

While the world struggles to come up with a key to success, we as God's children have it all handed down to us in His words.

I like psalm 1 as it lists down the very basic things we must adhere to, to prosper in what whatever we do.

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper. 

~ Psalms 1:1-3

It is plain and simple that complying to God's principles here we are guaranteed of success!

Vice versa is also true! That is: not complying to the said principles here would lead to an unsuccessful toil of life. 

Now that we have found the key to success let us unlock our success. Praise the Lord.

And to man He said, "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding". Job 28:28

Wisdom is another thing the human race is in pursuit of, completely forgetting that the key is already provided for in the Scriptures.

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

It all starts with the fear of the Lord!

So, what then is the fear of the Lord?

Fear here does not mean being afraid of God.

Fear of the Lord, is the positive reverence for God. It is honoring God in all areas of our lives.

How is our spiritual life? Do we seek Him with all our heart? Do we spend quality time at His presence? Do we keep still to hear Him speak? Do we obey His commands? Do we acknowledge Him for our achievements? Do we consult Him for our decision making?

How is our personal life? What kind of entertainments we get drawn to? How is our dealings with friends, family, fellow believers, total strangers? Is there integrity in our lives that reflects our faith or do we play multiple facets? Do people notice we are different from the rest of the world? Can they tell we are heavenward bound?

See, fear of God is a way of life. It is a part and parcel of every day behavior. It is a commitment.

But what it offers is way more rewarding than what it calls for. It promises wisdom and understanding, which the scripture says is far more precious than rubies!

Shall we strive to achieve this wisdom at all cost? Let's then start fearing the Lord.

Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Psalm 146:5

The entire human race is in pursuit of happiness, not knowing where to start.

But we as believers are given the keys to happiness, without much toil on our part.

Now, as believers if you say you are not happy, clearly you have misplaced the key.

So, what is the key to happiness?

Having the God of Jacob for our help and putting our hope in the Lord, is the key to happiness.

King David who was a fugitive most of his life, says this confidently, "For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth." Psalm 71:5 

No wonder he often sang happy songs, praising the Lord.

Prophet Jeremiah writes: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that send out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit" Jeremiah 17:7-8

I am sure there are many references we can find of people putting their trust and hope in the Lord, thus enjoying ultimate happiness. Shall we also give it a try?

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

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. (KJV)

Just the fact that it says 'all men' means we need to make peace with ourselves too. How long will you carry the guilt? How long will you mourn a loss? How long will you regret your past? It is time we make peace. With God, with men and with ourselves.

Did you know, forgiveness brings about a great healing and peace? Forgive men, forgive yourself. Believe your sins are forgiven 100%. Those whom the Son sets free is free indeed. John 8:36. Indeed! Then why carry?

Pursue peace. Strive for holiness. Keep your mind and body holy. For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy. Leviticus 1:44

What is the difference between us and non-believers if we do what they do, talk what they talk and walk where they walk?! What difference it makes if we get offended for little things, be quick to confront, and adamant in taking revenge?

Let us make every effort to live in peace as today's Scripture teaches us. Let us make a difference from the rest of the crowd out there! Shall we?

Have a blessed week!

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:8
The interesting thing about a fruit bearing plant is that the plant does not 'think' about producing fruits. It just comes naturally. Same way, in our lives, we do not 'have to work' to produce fruits. It will come naturally, if we remain in the True Vine.

The sap within the branches that keeps the branch connected to the vine, can be compared to the Holy Spirit, who enables us to connect with Jesus one on one, on a continuous basis. When the sap runs dry, the branch starts to wither, and soon dies. Same way, when there is a decline in our experience of the Holy Spirit, when we don't thirst as much for the new infilling of the Holy Spirit on a continuous basis, our connection with Jesus will soon suffer.

Remain in the Lord Jesus Christ.Do not let anything or anyone hinder your joy of salvation.Do not let any offshoots of false doctrine, take your focus away from the True Vine.

Here's a complete list of the fruits that is expected of us, which we have discussed several times in our study.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

When we bear fruits, much fruits, it is ultimately for the Father's glory! Bearing fruits is the only way we believers can clearly distinguish ourselves from the rest of the world. Praise the Lord!

And with that we end this series. Thank you for joining me every day for Coffee with Jesus. Have a blessed weekend!

If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:6-7

I know it gets repetitive after a few days, but the discussion goes on...

Yesterday we saw the importance of remaining in Him. Today's Scripture comes as a warning for those who do not remain in Him. Clearly it is a serious affair. But when we look around we can see many who do not heed to the warning. We can not do much about it, however we can all take a look within ourselves and see what we lack in terms of remaining in Him and correct ourselves.

How strong we are in the Scriptures? How much of it do we understand? When was the last time we sat down with the Bible with an expectation of hearing from the Lord? Do we only hear Scriptures spoken from a pulpit or have we experienced the Scripture in works within us? Does the Word of God convict our inmost beings, bringing things to light, leading us to repent, and further more to shun from sin?

If so, clearly you are in the right direction. Praise the Lord!

If not, it is time to allow His words to work in us, thus enabling us to remain in Him. Praise the Lord!

God bless you all. Happy Thursday!

Hang in there; the series is almost over and so is the week.

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4

If we were to come across a watch on a beach our first assumption is someone owned it at sometime. If we go on indulging in further thoughts, we would assume someone bought it, someone sold it and ultimately someone made it at some time.

In the case of a watch the watchmaker made it and then let it away independent of the maker. However in the case of us humans, our Maker, God the Father, not only made us but made us dependent on Him. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Every breath we breath is because of His grace. Many live as though they are 'watches let loose by their maker'.

The root cause of all sin is the constant desire by us humans to become independent of God. We want to live our life our way.

This can't be. We are mere branches. We need to be connected to the vine to be able to bear fruits. "Remain in me", says the Lord, "just as I remain in you".

Do you notice the fairness of His command here? He is not asking us to do something He Himself does not do. Both parties remain in each other so that together they can bring forth fruits - much fruits. Praise the Lord! The fact of the matter is He always remains, we often waver.

This morning let us refocus our attention to remaining in the Lord. For the rest of the day let our prayer be, "Help me to remain in you Lord, just as you remain in us, so that I can bear much fruit".

God bless you. Enjoy the Wednesday!

My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:1-2

What does a gardener do? Of course he tends to the garden. He waters the plants. He enriches the soil with needed minerals. He fertilizes the ground. He removes the weeds among the plants.

Gardener gets strict with the branches that do bear fruits. He prunes them so that they can bear much fruits. Whereas any branch that is no good for fruits, he cuts off only to be thrown away in the fire.
Pruning involves removing any and all offshoots from the plants. Offshoots are little branches that drain the nutrients off the plant but produce no fruit.

Pruning is painful yet not fatal. Cutting off on the other hand is beyond repair.  He does that only when there is no sign of ever finding any fruits in them even after much toil. He cuts off the unfruitful branches with a heavy heart.

The plight of the gardener is well explained in Jesus's own parable in Luke 13:6-9, “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

Knowing how much our Gardener - Father God cares to see us fruitful, are we willing to let Him prune our offshoots? Our distractions? Are we willing to surrender to His care completely? Are we ready to acknowledge His supremacy over us?

Those who are willing, say amen! Amen!Our