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I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. John 10:11

For "you were like sheep going astray," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25

For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. 'He will lead them to springs of living water,' and 'God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'" Revelation 7:17

Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. Psalm 34:9

Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10

If you are skeptical about today's scriptures, there is only one way to test it out if these scriptures are true. That is to submit to our Good Shepherd. :)

Hard to believe we wrap up another month and half an year with that! Praise the Lord. 

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 The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

for the sake of His name.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.

Psalm 23

Pin It Now! Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty — he is the King of glory. Psalm 24:7-10

There appears to be 2 main points in Psalm 24:7 -10 

1. Lift up your heads, O you gates/doors 

2. Who is this King of glory? He is the Lord Almighty 

This passage is one of exuberance, excitement and great commotion. It is not just the normal mundane boring stuff of life. The passage gives the impression that there is something going on. Not just normal boring day -to -day stuff. 

But something HUGE is going on. Something exciting is happening! Something is happening that should attract our attention! Something is happening that should make us all “lift up our heads”! So what is happening? The answer is simple. We are preparing for the “King of glory” to come in! God almighty is coming in! 

Many times the presence of God is undervalued. Did you know that God Almighty comes every time we meet for life group? Did you know that God Almighty shows up for every church service? Did you know that God Almighty is amongst us when simply 2 or 3 believers gather in His name? 

Yet many times it seems that we are just attending church/life group as if I am attending “just another gathering”. And perhaps we think a little too much about who will be attending the meeting?, who will be sharing at the meeting? Or who will be leading worship? Does the meeting fit my schedule? 

Well the truth is this. It’s not just another meeting. It’s not just another service. Its not just another quiet time. It’s a big deal! Because somebody is coming - The KING OF GLORY, THE LORD STRONG AND MIGHTY. He is going to be there. So “lift up your heads, that the King of Glory may come in” . 

As we pray today, lets remember. We have Almighty God in our midst!

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I lift up my eyes to the hills. 

From where does my help come?

2My help comes from the LORD, 

the Maker of heaven and earth.

3He will not allow your foot to slip; 

your Protector will not slumber.

4Behold, the Protector of Israel 

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5The LORD is your keeper; 

the LORD is the shade on your right hand.

6The sun will not strike you by day, 

nor the moon by night.

7The LORD will guard you from all evil; 

He will preserve your soul.

8The LORD will watch over your coming and going, 

both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121

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I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works; and that my soul knows right well. Psalm 139:4

Happy Friday everyone!

For the last couple of days we have been discussing the same scripture, as to the expressive declaration: "I am fearfully & wonderfully made", as explained by Thomas Lord.

For today's coffee let's focus in on: A BECOMING RESOLUTION. "I will praise Thee." 

Let us not forget that we have much to praise God for. He is our Maker, He has blessed us with existence, and it will not be His fault if that blessing be turned into a curse.

He it is that has so long held our souls in life. He has rightly framed us. He has endowed us with reason, He has favored us with health, He has provided for our comfort, and supplied our ever-recurring necessities. We should praise Him for His marvelous wisdom, skill, power, and benevolence in thus building our "house of clay"; and endowing us with such mental powers, and for putting us into such social relations with each other, and in blessing us with such astounding spiritual possibilities for time and eternity; fully meeting and providing for the wants of our fallen spiritual natures as He has done also for the physical. 

We should praise Him for opening up to us through Jesus Christ His Son all the stores of Divine wisdom and knowledge, and giving us through Him free and constant access, "the fulness of the Godhead," "the unsearchable riches," the riches of His grace, the treasures of His love, and the immensity and eternity of His love.

(Thomas Lord.)

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  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

Morally, man is "fearfully and wonderfully made." These natures of ours are distinguished by a moral sense, as well as by a mental power and a social influence. 

 We are gifted with a sense of right and wrong, of which we can never be divested to all eternity. We can understand the difference; can choose the evil and reject the good; or we are at liberty to choose the good and repudiate the evil. 

The choice is our own act; the praise, the blame our own. We may be driven to choose between conflicting duties; never obliged to choose between criminal acts, or to act criminally at all. 

We may be virtuous or vicious; range ourselves on the side of heaven or hell; walk with the wise, or choose to be the companions of fools. 

Do we regard aright this fearful responsibility? 

Do we live as if thus distinguished from the rest of the terrene creation?

Enough questions to ponder I guess. Shall we praise the Lord who fearfully and wonderfully made us moral beings - allowing us to choose between the good and evil?  

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 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

The language of the text also applies to the soul. Man is not only an animal, but also a spirit. That spirit is in the body, but not of it. So different from it, it yet influences it, and is influenced by it.

 It is lodged in it for "an appointed time," and then to leave it, to be again reunited indissolubly to it, and there to abide for ever. This is the most wonderful part of man; it is mind, spirit, soul; the breath of God "breathed into his nostrils, and man become a living soul." 

The first man, Adam, was made a living soul. Mentally, he is fearfully and wonderfully made. As a spirit he possesses the power to think, to learn, to know; he is capable of intermeddling with all wisdom, of receiving continuous supplies of wisdom and knowledge. 

What a power is this! It allies us to angels, to Deity! Do we value sufficiently our mental endowment? Are we careful to improve our power of reflection? 

Do we act as thinking beings — as creatures who must go wrong unless we exercise our minds in relation to the past, the present, and the future?

Shall we say a thank you to God for making us (our mental beings) fearfully and wonderfully too? 

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I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

When was the last time we took the time to praise the Lord because we are fearfully and wonderfully made? How do we even begin to comprehend the "fearful & wonderful" part of our beings?

The wonders and mysteries of the human frame are little thought of, or understood, by the children of men; yet surely we may say, "The finger of God is here." Our body is a congeries of wonders from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot. The different parts are so finely, delicately, and exquisitely made that it seems as if the least thing must disjoint, disorder, or derange them. Our life is an affair of beauty, symmetry, utility, and of mystery.

The configuration and the construction, the composition and the articulation, the perforations, the compressions, the expansions, the attrition, the compensation, the exhaustion, the restoration, the secretion, and the excretions of the body all prove it to be "fearfully made." The mouth, the eye, the ear, the head, the brain, and the lungs, with the heart contracting four thousand times in an hour, and sending out with unerring accuracy at every contraction one ounce of blood, are all proof of the fact.

The varied apparatus for breathing, for nourishing the system, for moving the limbs, for the reception of aliment, and for the ejection el waste, all demonstrate the truth of the text. The varied secretions of the system, and the gastric juice, all of them being different in consistency, in colour, in taste, in smell, and in their uses in the animal economy; some of them thick, others transparent, some bitter and others sweet, all adapted either to cleanse, to lubricate, to defend, to digest, or to nourish, are so many confirmations of the statement that we are "fearfully made."

You are awe struck right?  Yes! That's exactly how we are made! Praise the Lord. 'So what', you may ask; which we will discuss for tomorrow... 

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 1Hallelujah!a

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, 

who greatly delights in His commandments.

2His descendants will be mighty in the land; 

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3Wealth and riches are in his house, 

and his righteousness endures forever.

4Light dawns in the darkness for the upright—

for the gracious, compassionate, and righteous.

5It is well with the man who is generous and lends freely, 

whose affairs are guided by justice.

6Surely he will never be shaken; 

the righteous man will be remembered forever.

7He does not fear bad news; 

his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

8His heart is assured; he does not fear, 

until he looks in triumph on his foes.

9He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; 

his righteousness endures forever;b

his horn will be lifted high in honor.

10The wicked man will see and be grieved; 

he will gnash his teeth and waste away; 

the desires of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 112

Pin It Now! So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.

But this is not the way you came to know Christ. Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus— to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another. “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger, and do not give the devil a foothold.

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4: 17-32

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Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

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My son, pay attention to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

Do not lose sight of them;

keep them within your heart.

For they are life to those who find them,

and health to the whole body.

Guard your heart with all diligence,

for from it flow springs of life.

Put away deception from your mouth;

keep your lips from perverse speech.

Let your eyes look forward;

fix your gaze straight ahead.

Make a level path for your feet,

and all your ways will be sure.

Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your feet away from evil.

Proverbs 4:20-17

So what do you think? Are these too much to ask?

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 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,

* Having clean hands

* Having a pure heart

* Not trusting in idols

* Not swearing on false gods

Clear right? Shall we then seek the Lord?

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My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. Psalm 27:8

When was the last time we actually sought our Lord's face for what we can give vs. seeking His hands for what we can get?

Let's say at the end of the day when we all get back home, what if you only sought your spouse's hands rather than look at him/her in the eyes to know what they feel?

Are we interested to know our Lord's heart? Then we will seek His face. Day in and day out we will seek His face. We will talk to Him one on one. We will wait to hear back from Him one on one.

King David is a perfect example of someone who always sought the Lord's face. He sings repeatedly of that:

I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. Psalm 105:4

I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8

So, you ask how do we seek the Lord? Stay tuned for tomorrow's post...

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To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. Titus 1:15

To the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd. 2 Samuel 22:7

Pin It Now! But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." 2 Samuel 12:23
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 

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The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:15

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

And the LORD answered, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" Judges 6:14

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That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4: 35-41

If there is a storm billowing in your lives today, take courage knowing that our Lord Jesus Christ - the One who calms the storms is with us and He will take over the matter.

Pin It Now! This is a song by Zachariah on seeing Baby John the Baptist, being grateful for the mercies of the Lord in His and Elizabeth's life.

Shall we too sing some songs of gratitude for the countless mercies we have received from our Lord, including but not limited to our own children?

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"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:55

Clearly death stings. There is this ache and pain and grief and helplessness we all feel when we lose a loved one. But today's scripture suggests there is still joy and peace and hope beyond death.

The joy of reuniting with them some day. The peace that they are sleeping in the Lord. The hope of life eternal.

So anytime the thought stings us with fresh tears let us be grateful for the beautiful life that we shared here and hopeful for the life eternal together with God.

God bless you dears. He alone can wipe away our tears.

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Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever; And rescued us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever; Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 136:23-26

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

Let us remember the Lord who remembered us in our lowly state - in our lean times. 

Let us not forget all the benefits we have received in our lives...

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No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13WHAT IS TEMPTATION?

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 My heart is steadfast, O God;

I will sing and make music with all my being.

Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations;

I will sing Your praises among the peoples.

For Your loving devotion extends beyond the heavens,

and Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

may Your glory cover all the earth.

Respond and save us with Your right hand,

that Your beloved may be delivered.

God has spoken from His sanctuary:

“I will triumph!

I will parcel out Shechem

and apportion the Valley of Succoth.

Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;

Ephraim is My helmet, Judah is My scepter.

Moab is My washbasin;

upon Edom I toss My sandal;

over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

Who will bring me to the fortified city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

Have You not rejected us, O God?

Will You no longer march out, O God, with our armies?

Give us aid against the enemy,

for the help of man is worthless.

With God we will perform with valor,

and He will trample our enemies.