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No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 

Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come.

It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch. 

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. 

Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch!”

Mark 13:32-37

Are we ready?

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But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare. 

For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth. 

So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Luke 21:34-36

Are we ready?

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Then Jesus told them a parable: 

“Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 

So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 

Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. 

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

Luke 21:29-33

Are we ready?

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There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. 

Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 

At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 

When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” 

Luke 21:25-28

Are we ready?

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Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight. Psalm 119:143But as for me, afflicted and in pain-- may your salvation, God, protect me. Psalm 69:29

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. Psalm 20:1

I am poor and needy; hurry to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. Psalm 70:5

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This is what the Lord says:“In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, 

to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.

He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water. I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up.

See, they will come from afar— some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan.”

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.”

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Isaiah 49:8-16

 Precious words from the Lord this morning. Hope this comes as a comfort to you all - to know that we are not forsaken but loved; not forgotten but remembered.Praise the Lord!

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Psalm 37:3

This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.…Jeremiah 9:23-24

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 “ ‘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 6:9-13

This I believe is the most important prayer, as it was the very words taught by our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you said this prayer this morning? If not, let's say it together now. 

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  Let all the faithful pray to you

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Blessed is the one

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 “Two things I ask of you, Lord;

do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you

and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’

Or I may become poor and steal,

and so dishonor the name of my God. 

~Proverbs 30:7-9

Shall we say Amen? Can we make it our prayer this morning?

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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

How many of you pray to God? How many of you have the assurance that God is listening to your prayers? Further how many of you can feel the very presence of God when you pray to Him?

Let me dare ask you just one more question. How many of you believe the Word of God speaks the truth and only the truth?

If so, we all should be praying to God. We all should be assured God listens to our prayers. We all should feel the very presence of God when we pray, as He is near. We can believe this because the Word of God says so.

Now if that is not convincing enough, here are few more scriptures that stress the same point. 

The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth. Psalm 145:18

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit. Psalm 34:18

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

Now you believe - right? Stay blessed!

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The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

~ Psalm 19

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Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God. James 4:4

John 3:16 states that God Himself loved the world. We believers - as God's children are mostly taught to love others (both godly and ungodly I suppose) but here in today's scriptures we are warned against loving the world. This is definitely not a contradiction of the concept. The same word 'love' is used in two different contexts here.

In the context of today's scripture 'loving' or 'friending' means to conform to the world and worldly (or ungodly) ways. We are warned not to conform to the world lest we become an enemy of God, ruled by the worldly affairs. Yes folks. This is key. We need to stay afloat in the current of life, by not being pulled back by the tangling weeds of the world.

Apostle Paul helps us understand the same concept better:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

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 Keep me safe, my God,

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"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24

The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth. Psalm 145:18

As we get ready to worship the Lord this morning, let us remember these scriptures so we know how to really worship Him. 

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 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

Interestingly these verses were part of a conversation between the Lord Jesus and Peter, where Matthew records the Lord Jesus Christ as saying these words to Peter.

The whole thing stemmed from Jesus's question to His disciples: 

"Who do people say the Son of Man is?”" They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

In verse 15, Jesus closes in further:

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Ver. 16. Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

ver 17. Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be  loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Peter had clearly known who Jesus was. He knew Jesus was not just another prophet like John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah or any of the prophets in the Old Testament, but that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God! Praise the Lord.

Since Peter had the fundamentals clear Jesus knew he was the best to build His church on. To be given authority to bind and loose. Amen!

Do we know who Jesus is? If so, then the very authority is given to us - His disciples, so we can bind and loose as well. Amen!

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“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

Amen! An interesting scripture promise today. As I am contemplating it’s explanation I thought it could very well be a direct message for someone specific. 

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To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One 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, which no one can shut. For you have only a little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name. Revelation 3:7,8

What a beautiful promise given us this morning! Praise the Lord. 

Even with our little strength, if we keep God's word and do not deny God's name, then God will open a door for us that no one can shut. Amen!

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 1My son, if you will receive my words

            And treasure my commandments within you,

      2Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
            Incline your heart to understanding;

      3For if you cry for discernment,
            Lift your voice for understanding;

      4If you seek her as silver
            And search for her as for hidden treasures;

      5Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
            And discover the knowledge of God.

      6For the LORD gives wisdom;
            From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

      7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
            He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

      8Guarding the paths of justice,
            And He preserves the way of His godly ones.

Proverbs 2:1-8

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Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2

With one accord they all continued in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. Acts 1:14

Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18

Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come. Mark 13:33

These days none of us can say we do not have time to pray. We all always find time for many things that we wish to do. But for prayer? Well...

Sorry to say but this has to change, as per today's scriptures. Being watchful in prayer, being thankful in prayer, devoting to prayer, praying in one accord, pray in the Spirit at all times, etc. We have enough scriptures that stress on the importance of prayer.

Why are we not heading? What is our excuse?

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 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us." 1 Samuel 7:12

The character of Christian gratitude, etc. "Hitherto the Lord hath helped us."

1. Christian gratitude is retrospective.

2. Christian gratitude is devout. It connects the thought of God with the travelled past. There may have been second causes: gracious interpositions and friendly agencies; but above and beyond all, the good man recognizes the hand of God, and in real devotion says, "Hitherto the Lord hath helped me."

3. Christian gratitude is joyful. Every event in the providence of God has a message of mercy in it to the good man. Day unto day is saying to him, "Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and shout aloud for joy, all ye that are upright in heart."

4. Christian gratitude is ever trustful. It speaks thankfully of the past, and looks forward hopefully to the future; hitherto sounds the keynote of hereafter.

(W. G. Barrett.)

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 1Praise the Lord, my soul;

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 O LORD, our Lord, 

how majestic is Your name in all the earth! 

You have set Your glory 

above the heavens.

2From the mouths of children and infants 

You have ordained praiseb

on account of Your adversaries, 

to silence the enemy and avenger.

3When I behold Your heavens, 

the work of Your fingers, 

the moon and the stars, 

which You have set in place—

4what is man that You are mindful of him, 

or the son of man that You care for him?

5You made him a little lower than the angels;c

You crowned him with glory and honor.

6You made him ruler of the works of Your hands; 

You have placed everything under his feet:d

7all sheep and oxen, 

and even the beasts of the field,

8the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, 

all that swim the paths of the seas.

9O LORD, our Lord, 

how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

- Psalm 8

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The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands. For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.

For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.

So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.. Psalm 18:20-24May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. 1 Samuel 26:23

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to falsehood, who does not swear deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation.…Psalm 24: 3-5

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1Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 2Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.

- Deuteronomy 8:1-5

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