21 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every name, alive, aura of love, author of salvation, bang for your buck, Beatitudes, blessed, call to repentance, confidence, death, death of the cross, divine wisdom, down to earth, enthusiasm, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, evil, exalted, fellowship, G;ory Hallelujah, glory days, Glory of the Father, God's will, good of the land, haughty, high priest, holy spirit, hope, humble, humble servants, inroads, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus' philosophy, Jeus Christ is Lord, jobs, kingdom of heaven, lies, LOVE, Monday, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mouth of the Lord, nothing's impossible, obedience, obedient, pagan world, poor in spirit, proud, rebel, Red Letter Day, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, rock heaven and earth, rock-star status, saviour, self-control, Sermon on the Mount, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, truth, ungodly, ungodly world, unwise habit, useful purpose, weary souls, weekend, wicked taunts, wiles, willing, wisdom, wisest decision
Matthew 5:3. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Ah Friends, it’s Monday once more! I hope we’re all up bright and early and rearing to go after a weekend of rest and fellowship. (smile) Oh I know that plenty of us are still mired in the weekend party-going scene and are thus suffering the Monday morning blues and the miserable side effects that unwise action entails.
But I’m alive, therefore I have hope, that eventually we’ll all kick that unwise habit and get ourselves back to the glory days, when Monday was a day we all looked forward to with excitement rather than dread.
However, in what ever state you are this Monday morning, this is the perfect opportunity for us to all join together and rock heaven and earth with a splendiferous rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. (smile)
So Friends, with one, loud, sweet, tuneful, harmonious voice, let’s rock! ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih breddren, that was indeed a rocking rendition of our Battle Hymn! Even Jesus was rocking along with us! Now let’s get out into the evil ungodly world that surrounds us, and instead of carrying that rock-star status with us, let’s follow the divine wisdom of Jesus and be like what our Bit says: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’
And that’s the exact attitude that Jesus expects ALL His followers to genuinely have and sincerely display to all and sundry!
Now some of you might not recognize our Bit, but it’s the first of the Beatitudes, part of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, where He first sat down and taught His disciples and the people gathered round Him, His basic philosophy and expectations of those who desired to follow Him. Others of you might also be wondering what exactly does the Bit mean.
Well the scholars give us a very good explanation, so we’ll run with it. ‘5:3. Blessed means “happy.” This is a basic description of the believers’ inner condition as a result of the work of God. These Beatitudes, like Psalm 1, [please read] do not show a man how to be saved, but rather describe the characteristics of one who has been saved.
The poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud or haughty in spirit. They have been humbled by the grace of God and have acknowledged their sin and therefore their dependence on God to save them. They will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Kingdom of heaven is a general designation of the dwelling place of the saved.’
Consequently my people, even though we attain to such heights as being the most powerful person in the world, or the richest, or the wisest, or the strongest, or the most celebrated, if you desire to follow Jesus, He still expects you to have a humble, down to earth attitude, with total surrender to, and complete trust in His heavenly Father, relying on Him for all guidance and direction.
Oh Friends, it’s a simple philosophy; one of obedience and self-control, but nonetheless a difficult one to embrace and successfully cultivate, especially when you have the pagan world which surrounds us, pushing all sorts of wicked, ungodly things at you. But as we keep saying, if you’re serious about doing something that’s within God’s will, and you engage Him to work with you, then NOTHING’S IMPOSSIBLE.
And we’ll close with some scriptures that drive home the point. First off, listen to Isaiah as he calls Israel to repentance. ‘If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is.1:19-20) That’s very simple and straightforward Friends.
Now hear the author of Hebrews: ‘Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of salvation unto all them that obey him. Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb.5:8-10)
And lastly, listen to Bruh Paul talk about Jesus to the Philippians. ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.’ (Phil.2:8-11)
Yuh see Friends, Jesus was highly rewarded and exalted for His obedience to the Father’s will, and if we follow Jesus, we also shall be divinely reward. ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
So my fellow believers, let’s make today a Red Letter Day nuh; by seriously considering, and pondering all that we’ve said, and then deciding to work not only closely with Jesus, but also solely for Him. It’s the wisest decision any human can ever make on this earth, because that’s the only way to get into the kingdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…unfortunately fools don’t realize it…but working for, and with Jesus…gives you the biggest bang for your buck…
20 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: believers getting together, Belshazzar, breath of life, breath of the Almighty, Darius the Mede, deliverance of Jerusalem, devotions, every living thing, exalted, foundation of the earth, fowls of the air, friends, glorify God, glory, God of Abraham, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, God's Spirit, gods of silver and gold, hallucinating, heavenly wisdom, humble heart, ignorantly worship, Isaiah, Israel, Israel's Redeemer, loving kindness, Mars Hill, men's hands, mercy, Nebuchadnezzar, omnipotent god, oracle, poignant scriptures, Praise the Lord, pride, prophecy, prophet Zechariah, singing songs of praise, songs of thanksgiving, speak to the earth, Spirit of God, Sunday, temples, the breath of all mankind, the dew of heaven, the hand of the Lord, the Lord of heaven and earth, the only true God, the spirit of man, the unknown God, time flies when you're having fun, time waits for no one, uprightness of heart, utter knowledge, worshipping
Isaiah 42:5. Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.
Oh Friends, I must be hallucinating yes, because it couldn’t be Sunday already. (smile) It was just Sunday a few days ago. True. But I guess that’s what they mean by time flies when you’re having fun, and also time waits for no one.
However, regardless of what day it is, we’re grateful to be alive and kicking due to the mercy and LOVING-kindness of our omnipotent God! And under any circumstances whatsoever, that calls for a mighty shout of ‘Praise the Lord!’
And what better way to praise Him than by getting together with other believers and worshipping Him; singing songs of praise and thanksgiving this Sunday morning to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD in this entire universe, who created it and all therein.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to our Bit: ‘Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.’
Yes Friends, our wonderful and mighty God is responsible for creating the heavens and the earth; for giving life and spirit to all who walk thereon. Now let’s look at some scripture that heartily agrees with our Bit. Listen first to the prophet Zechariah, as he prophetically ruminates (smile) on the future deliverance of Jerusalem.
‘The burden (oracle or prophecy) of the word of the Lord for (against) Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.’ (Zech.12:1)
Now hear Isaiah as he talks about the Redeemer of Israel. ‘Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth (out) the heavens (all) alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.’ (Is.44:24)
Please note people, how the Lord makes sure and specifies that He does all that stuff ‘alone, by myself.’ He does it all in His own omnipotence! He needs no help whatsoever to run His universe. So anyone who tries to lay claim to any part of His work is a total liar.
And as per the Lord’s claim to the breath of life and spirit given to mankind, hear these most beautiful and poignant scriptures.
Job in acknowledging God’s omnipotence, wisely declares: ‘But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul (life) of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind (flesh of man).’ (Job 12:7-10)
Yes Friends, everything that has life, owes that life to the Most High God Jehovah, our Creator, Controller and Provider!
Meanwhile, later on, when Elihu, Job’s friend, reasons with him, he too proclaims: ‘My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly (purely). The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.’ (Job 33:3-4)
There’s nothing to dispute there my people, since it’s the ultimate in truth! Then ever-faithful Daniel, in interpreting a dream for the Babylonian king Belshazzar, first tells him about his forefather, Nebuchadnezzar’s problems.
‘But when his heart was lifted up (made proud), and his mind (spirit) hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses (donkeys): they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew (recognized) that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointed over it whomsoever he will.
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up (exalted) thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought thee the vessels of his house (the temple) before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass (bronze), iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.’ (Dan.5:20-23)
Yes my brethren, all that we are and have depend entirely on the Lord God Almighty, and when we don’t acknowledge Him, we pay a serious price. Yuh see what happened to Nebuchadnezzar; he ended up crazy and living like a wild animal until he recognised Almighty God. And then Belshazzar, the same night that Daniel scolded him and interpreted his dream, he was killed and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom. (Dan.5:30-31)
And last, but by no means least, hear Bruh Paul as he stood on Mars Hill and declared to the people of Athens: ‘For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions (objects of worship) I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship (worship without knowing), him declare I unto you.
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.’ (Acts.17:23-25)
Ah Friends, yuh see even if we don’t actually know God, like the Athenians, there’s a part of us that subconsciously knows of Him, and has us naturally gravitating towards Him. Therefore Friends, please let’s all join together and worship the ONLY TRUE GOD in existence nuh. It’s the only thing that makes sense, that smacks of true heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…every fibre of our being has been made by…and is controlled by God…so why are we all foolishly acting like…trying to be God eh…
19 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham, adultery, Ark of the Covenant, basis of faith, Bathsheba, Bible, breath of life, busy lives, Christians, conspiracies, covenant, creation, critical spirit, darkness, darkness of eternity, disobedient, dysfunction, encouraging, enervating, eternal life, eternal truth, fallen angel, family disunity, former things, Genesis, glory, God's glory, God's wisdom, God's Word, graven images, Hagar, imbibing wine, insensitivity, Jews, light of the Gentiles, Living Deity, loving kindness, Lucifer, meditation, Messiah, negative spirit, praise, prison house, prisoners, prophetic word of God, rebellious, reconciliation, Revelation, righteousness., rock and roll, rumours of war, salvation, Saul, sin, sinful, solemn promise, special attention, spies, spirit, spiritual shallowness, strong grasp, thrillers, treachery, wars, wisdom
Isaiah 42:5. Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.
Oh Friends, I want to start off this morning by reminding us of two very significant pieces of wisdom, or of wise information. Now we should already know them, but such is the busyness of our lives that we either don’t remember them, or if we do, we don’t pay the special attention to them that we should.
And the first piece of wise info is that the Bible is God’s Word to us, still very fresh though it’s passed through many ages. And if we read it, we will most definitely find God’s wisdom on its pages! Everlasting, eternal truth, my people!
And the second bit of wise info is that ONE TRUTH from the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man! And that’s definitely truth for all the ages my people! So please let’s pay more attention to our Bibles nuh; read them more frequently and in more depth, because there’s no supposed thriller ever concocted by man that can match the Good Book for thrills.
From Genesis right through to Revelation the Bible is just chocked full of stuff we look for in man-made thrillers, and the great difference is that it’s ALL FACT, not a lot of fiction. We find wars, rumours of war, murder, adultery, conspiracies, spies, conflict in both high and low places, treachery, family disunity and dysfunction, and in its own way, sex, drugs and rock and roll, which should make us want to devour it.
Now don’t go flying off the handle, because it’s true. What do you call Abraham’s liaison with his maid Hagar eh? And what about Bruh David’s tryst with Bathsheba? And don’t forget how the ladies played their instruments, sang and danced when Bruh David came home from battle, re his killing of ten thousands to Saul’s mere thousands. (1 Sam.18:6-8)
And remember too how Bruh David danced before the Lord with all the instruments pounding away when they brought up the Ark of the Covenant. (2 Sam. 6) And what other book tells you about so much imbibing of wine eh? And yuh see how Bruh David’s wife, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked at him askance for his dancing, (2 Sam.6:16) figuring that it was conduct unbefitting a king.
All of that was early rock and roll. (smile) It’s the same way that parents looked at their children in modern rock and roll. And as the scholars say of Michal’s behaviour: ‘A negative and critical spirit born of spiritual shallowness and insensitivity is a dangerous thing! And that’s no lie, as we see it happening in great numbers even today.
Anyway Friends, that’s just to remind us of what a thrilling book we have as the basis of our faith, and that we ought to pay MUCH MORE ATTENTION to it, and not as much to some of the nonsense that mankind is writing today.
And now, here’s our Bit, the prophetic words of our God, spoken by His servant Isaiah, re God’s servant coming to glorify His Holy Name. ‘Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.’
Yes Friends, it’s certainly the Most High God Jehovah who formed the heavens and the earth and gave us the breath of life. The first few chapters of Genesis describe it in detail. But my people, even more important than the creation, is the reconciliation, after man sinned and fell short of God’s glory!
That’s what our Bit introduces. ‘I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of (to) the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.’ (Is.42:6-9)
Oh my people, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! I’m amazed at His extraordinary LOVING-KINDNESS every day! Those verses are a solemn promise to His creation, both the Jews and Gentiles to provide a way of reconciliation in His own time. Wow! How awesome!
The scholars describe it thus: ’42:5-16. God the Lord is pictured as the Creator who created the heavens, and stretched them out and spread forth the earth. He also gives both breath and spirit to His people. The ministry of the Messiah is described in verse 6 as a covenant to the Jews and a light to the Gentiles. It foreshadows the twofold purpose of Christ’s ministry to both the Jews and Gentiles.’
Oh my brethren, what can be more encouraging and enervating than a Living Deity who contrives a plan to bring salvation and eternal life to His lost, sinful, rebellious and disobedient creation eh? Nothing really nuh!
That’s why we have to take hold with alacrity and a strong grasp, all that God has done for us, is still doing and promises to do in the future. Otherwise we’ll be lost in the darkness of eternity forever, with the foolish fallen angel Lucifer.
Now that’s not a very good way to spend eternity, is it? Certainly not! There’s no wisdom to that move at all! Therefore, please hear the Words of our great God and be wise. That’s our meditation for today! Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we will follow the Lord…that should be the irrevocable cry of ALL CHRISTIANS…
18 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adder, adult believer's life, Amen, angels, answer, assurance, blessed, body, confidence, conquer evil thoughts, cycles of earthly life, darkness, defence, deliverance, desolation, destruction, duty, dwelling place, enemy, essentials, ever-LOVING God, evil world, excitement, faithful God, fear, fellow believers, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, fun, generous help, get on with God's tasks, glorious kingdom, God is our refuge and fortress, God will never leave nor forsake us, godly stuff, happy, hearts, honour, humility, indisputable truth, jesus name, lays waste, lion, long life, Lucifer, meaningful scripture, meekness, mind, omnipotent god, personal experience, pestilence, plague, Psalm 91, reason of the hope, relaxation, responsibility, rest, reverential awe, reward, righteousness sake, salvation, sanctify, serpent, soul, spiritual exhaustion, stand faithful, succumb, sudden fear, suffering, terror, Thank God is Friday, the Most High, the reward of the wicked, the wicked, threats, trample underfeet, troubled, trust, truth, ultimate truth, ungodly world, week of work, weekend lives
Proverbs 3:25-26. Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).
The young, female teacher turned to her class and asked: ‘Does anybody know what day today is?’
And much to her amazement, the dozen ‘kindergarters’ all joyfully shouted: ‘Today is Friday! Thank God, cause that means no school tomorrow, or the next day. Yeah! Thank God is Friday!’
Ah Friends, even the young and uninitiated know and look forward to the cycles of this earthly life. However, unlike the children, we adults have a responsibility to do godly stuff even on our days off. We might not like it, but it’s a sure duty in an adult believer’s life.
So with Lucifer knocking loudly on the doors of our hearts, minds and souls, telling us we don’t have to do anything of the sort, let’s chant our Friday Chant, so that we can conquer the evil thoughts of the enemy and get on with God’s tasks.
As one chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my fellow believers, somehow or the other we’ve got to get in those essentials of rest, relaxation and fellowship in our busy weekend lives, or else we’ll eventually succumb to mental, physical and spiritual exhaustion, which will only delight the deceitful Lucifer.
However, to successfully do those necessary things, while thwarting and disgusting the enemy, we have to stand faithful and trust our faithful and ever-LOVING God.
We have to live as our Bit so assuredly declares. ‘Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’
Oh Friends, those are words of indisputable truth, as many of you know from personal experience, because you have adopted them and consciously live by them. Our God will NEVER leave nor forsake us!
The problem though is for us to truly believe it and then live by it. Obviously it’s not easy in this ungodly, evil world, but with the help of our omnipotent God, we can do anything we put our hearts, minds and souls to.
Now listen to some scriptures which support our Bit, beginning with Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and a fortress. And isn’t that the ultimate truth, my brethren!
The psalmist declares with supreme confidence: ‘Thou shalt not be afraid for (of) the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth (lays waste) at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder (cobra): the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him:
I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps.91:5-16)
Oh Friends, again, I never intended to use so much of the Psalm, but every verse just rang true to our Bit and raised the level of trust and excitement in my soul. Hope it does in yours too.
And we’ll close with this very meaningful scripture from Peter, re suffering and reward. ‘And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy (blessed) are ye: and be not afraid of their terror (threats), neither be troubled;
But sanctify (set apart) the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer (a defence) to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (reverential awe).’ (1 Pet.3:13-15)
Yes my people, as believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, we have to be strong and confident in the Lord, and also be ready to give good reason why we’re believers.
The scholars say this about that last verse. ‘3:15. An answer (Gr. apologian, “a defense of one’s beliefs:). The Christian faith is to be defended by a reasonable apologetic with meekness and fear.’
Oh how wonderful it would be if we could all answer the questions put to us with a quiet and confident strength and reverential awe!
So please let’s look to that today my Friends and fellow believers, for it’s what Jesus dearly desires of us. It’s essential that we know why we believe! Much LOVE!
…to bring others to Christ…both our speech and actions…must resound with confidence, humility and truth…
17 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things are possible with God, almighty god, alterations, Americans out of work, beasts of the earth, begin where you are, binds up, Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, change of circumstances, chastens, Christ's followers, comforting scripture, confidence, correction, Cousin Sol, descendants, desire of the wicked, desolation, dicouragement, diligently seek god, don't give up, don't let life discourage you, economic pressure, Eliphaz, ever-faithful God, evil tidings, exalted with honour, faith, famine, fear, full age, glorious kingdom, gnashing of teeth, God's promises, gospel truth, hard and scary times, heart is steadfast in the Lord, heavenly government, in league with, inspirational messages, Job, keep on keeping on, live by faith, make whole, makes sore, Mormon Tabernacle Radio, most powerful force in the universe, offspring, peace, perish, petty. selfish ideology, please God, positive transformation, power of the sword, prosperous, rebuke, redeem from death, remembrance, righteous, righteous servants, righteousness., scourge of the tongue, shock of corn, sin, stay tuned to god, strength, terror, the first step is the hardest, the grass of the earth, the longest journey begins with the first step, The Lord's your confidence, the tough get going, the vicissitudes of life, travesty of justice, trouble, U.S House of Representatives, war, when the going gets tough, worthwhile ambassadors of Jesus
Proverbs 3:25-26. Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation (trouble) of the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).
Oh Friends, at long last the nonsense in the U.S. House of Representatives seems to be over! Ah Lord eh! And would you believe some of them are still griping, figuring that the country should have been allowed to go even further to the dogs than it has already gone, simply because of their petty, selfish ideology! Steups!
And I’m sure most of those who are still whining can afford to put up with some economic pressure, so they were quite content to put millions of poor and needy Americans out of work for two weeks. And in any case, they, the Reps, were still getting paid. What does that say about them eh? What a travesty of justice!
However my people, as they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. And that’s gospel truth where Christ’s followers are concerned!
Now I want to share an interesting quote attributed to Richard L. Evans (1906-1971) a writer and Mormon scholar, who apparently delivered many inspirational messages over Mormon Tabernacle Radio. He solemnly and wisely advises: ‘Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was.’
That’s more gospel truth, my fellow believers! For to get from one place to the next, you have to begin wherever you are. As the old Chinese proverb asserts: the longest journey begins with the first step. And that first step is usually the hardest.
So this morning I want to encourage us, not to let changes in life discourage us, for we can always start again if necessary. And remember, when you’re working in league with, in close alliance with the most potent and powerful force in the universe, Almighty God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
So please don’t give up, or give in to the vicissitudes of life, for they are simply what life is all about; alterations to the way we live and changes of circumstances. And though our lives can be drastically altered, and our circumstances seriously changed, we have to keep hanging in, stay tuned to God, and eventually we’ll see positive transformation, because that’s what our ever-faithful God has promised.
And please remember it’s by faith we live, not by sight, and we cannot please God if we don’t believe and behave like He is whom He says He is; One who rewards those who diligently seek Him. (Heb.11:6)
Now let’s check out our Bit, where Cousin Sol confidently proclaims: ‘Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation (trouble) of the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’
Oh my brethren, what encouraging and comforting scripture! Who else is like unto our God eh? NOBODY! That’s why we have to keep keeping on in faith during those hard and scary times.
And it’s now time to look at some other scriptures which corroborate the advice of our Bit. First up is scripture from the Book of Job, where Eliphaz, Job’s buddy is rebuking him.
‘Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: for he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power (hand) of the sword.
Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. For thou shalt be in league (have a covenant) with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle (your tent) shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin (find nothing amiss). Thou shalt know also that thy seed (descendants) shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth (plentiful).
Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season. Lo, this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.’ (Job 5:17-17)
Oh Friends, I never intended to use all that scripture, but after reading it, I realized that we needed it all, for it shows just how good and great is our God to us.
And we’ll end with one more passage of scripture, that from Psalm 112, superscripted, Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. And the psalmist unhesitatingly declares: ‘Surely he shall not be moved (shaken) for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed (steadfast) in the Lord.
His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed (distributed abroad), he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn (strength) shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish.’ (Ps.112:6-10)
Oh my people, there’s no more to say, for it’s all been said right there! The righteous shall be prosperous and the wicked shall be extinguished.
So please, today, let us all go out into this evil, unfriendly world and do our best to be righteous servants and followers of Jesus Christ, so that we can be good representatives – unlike those in the U.S. House of Reps. -worthwhile ambassadors of His heavenly government, thus furthering His glorious kingdom. Much LOVE!
…the faithful promises of Almighty God…keep His followers faithful…
16 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: achieve victory, anxiety, armour of god, assurance, avenue for help, bless and praise, blessings, breastplate of righteousness, Christian's armour, conniving merchants, crying shame, daily manna, damnation, divine aid, down and out people, eagerness, eternal life, eternal separation from God, evil day, exception, faithfully provides, fiery darts, fight with god's help, food banks, food kitchens, food shortage, formidable foe, gird your waist with truth, God's ever-loving heart, God's Holy Name, godly life, gospel of peace, grab you by the heart, greedy, grow in Christ, guidance, Halloween, heavenly Father, helmet of salvation, holy character, hope, hunker down, indispensable, inwardly digest, knowledge of the truth of God's Word, leather belt, mature in Christ, maturity level, measly wages, mental and spiritual needs, mercy, moral conduct, obedience, our goal, perseverance, physical needs, powerful opponent, prayer, praying, read, rewews our spirit, rhema, rough and tough life, saints, salvation, sandals of peace, selfish, shield of faith, sincere faith, spiritual armour, spiritual belt, spiritual combat, stand, stand strong against the enemy, straight and narrow path, study, supplication, sword of the Spirit, Thank You Lord, the rule, the wicked one, the Word of god, times of war, two jobs, understanding, ungodly world, vigilant, willingness to contend with Satan, wonderful perspective, Word of God
Ephesians 6:13. Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Oh Friends, can you believe it’s already Wednesday, the middle of the week? And even more surprisingly, that we’re already in the middle of October, which just began the other day? (smile) It’ll soon be Halloween, then U.S. Thanksgiving, then Christmas and New Years.
Wow! 2013 has indeed flown by rather quickly! And as usual, the conniving merchants have found a way that every few weeks there’s some big occasion for us to spend money on, money that most of us don’t have, because we’re either not working, or because of the measly wages those same merchants are paying.
Steups! The shame of the whole matter though is that people who are working, sometimes even two jobs, still aren’t making enough money to look after their families and have to go to food banks for assistance. Ah Lord! What a crying shame in these rich countries!
Forty years ago, when I first came to Canada, I can’t remember ever hearing anything about food banks. If they existed, they were the exception. Today however, they are the rule; they’re all over the place. You also have food kitchens, where the down and out can go and get hot meals. The problem though is that there are too many who are down and out, many through no fault of their own.
And my understanding re food banks and kitchens, was that those things only existed during times of war, when there’s usually a shortage of food. Hn! But I guess we’re at war right now. Steups!
Anyhow, the good thing about being a believer in Christ is that we also have another avenue for help, beside man, in this selfish, greedy, ungodly world. We have a heavenly Father who renews our spirit during sleep, then wakes us up with a wonderful perspective every morning, where He faithfully provides, daily manna, mercy and blessings to all who come to Him in sincere faith.
And all the God’s children gratefully declared: ‘Oh thank You, thank You Lord, for looking after us everyday! Thank you for Your mercy, blessings and guidance that keeps us on the straight and narrow path that leads straight to Your ever-LOVING heart! We bless and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Yeh Friends, though life might be rough and tough, those are the times when believers hunker down and fight it, with God’s help. And please note that He doesn’t only look after our physical needs, but also our mental and spiritual, as our Bit boldly proclaims: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’
And how I LOVE that last part; ‘and having done all, to STAND.’ Oh my people, that’s exactly what all believers need to do in these wicked and ungodly times; put on God’s armour and STAND STRONG AGAINST THE ENEMY!
Anyway, let’s get to what I couldn’t share yesterday, because of time and space commitments. Friends, for those of you who don’t have a Bible handy when you read the Bit, or are just too lazy to open it (smile) – I refuse to believe that any follower of Jesus doesn’t have a Bible at all – I’ll just share the scripture that pertains to the different pieces of spiritual armour.
Please listen closely, because this could mean the difference between salvation and eternal life, or damnation and eternal separation from the Most High God Jehovah.
Bruh Paul tells the Ephesians after our Bit: ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one).
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph,6:14-18)
Oh Friends, doesn’t that just grab you by the heart and transport you to a much better place? It surely does!
Now hear the scholars’ take on all that: ‘6:14-17. The whole armour of God consists of six pieces. (1) Truth (v.14a) is a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word (cf. 4:21). The ancient soldier’s loins (waist) were girt about with a leather belt which held most of the other pieces of his armour in place. Similarly, the other pieces of the Christian’s armour depend on, are held in place by his spiritual “belt” or his knowledge of the truth of scripture.
(2) The breastplate of righteousness (v.14b) may be read “the breastplate which is righteousness.” It represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (righteousness).
(3) Preparation of the gospel of peace (v.15) means “eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called ‘caligae’ on his feet, enabling him to advance against his enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of ‘eagerness’ or willingness to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him. Such ‘eagerness’ to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent.
(4) The shield of (which is) faith (v.16) means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from the doubts induced by Satan.
(5) The helmet of salvation (v.17a): Since the readers are already Christians (2:8), they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8 describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is, the certainty (assurance) of salvation.
(6) The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (v.17b): The Greek term rendered “word” is not ‘logos,’ referring to the whole Word of God, but ‘rhema,’ referring to certain portions or selected verses of Scripture.
6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer, God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made.
Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’
Oh my brethren, I know that it’s long and heavy, but it’s all in a day’s understanding of the scriptures. We can’t always look for the short, easy stuff, else we won’t grow in Christ.
So please let’s take our time to read, study and inwardly digest all that we’ve said today. For if we sincerely do that, there’s no doubt whatsoever that our maturity level in Christ will rise. And that’s our goal; to mature some in Christ everyday. Much LOVE!
…oh what peace our souls derive…when we have the Word of God planted deep inside…
15 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accoutrements of battle, almighty god, armour of god, battle gear, Beelzebub, belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, bumper harvest, Canadian Thanksgiving, Christian witness, conviction, courage, deceitful one, demonic onslaughts, destroy, doing God's work, earthly life, encouraging statement, enemy, Ephesians 6, evil day, fellow believers, fertile soil, fiery arrows, fight to the death, formidable foe, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, God's name, God's provision, God-awesome truth, gung ho, health, helmet of salvation, jesus name, joyful, learn by heart, LOVE, Lucifer, meditate, miraculous movement, necessary resources, no power on earth, peace, perseverance, planting good seeds, ponder, Praise the Lord, protective armour, read and digest, ready for battle, reaping, repentance, resist Satan, riled my soul, Satanic assaults, shield of faith, spiritual armour, spiritual food, stand, strength, supreme confidence, sword of the Spirit, time of need, tranquility, wealth, wise warrior, withstand, zeal
Ephesians 6:13. Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Awright Friends, the Canadian Thanksgiving Party done now! It’s time to go back out and labour; to start clearing the land and planting more good seeds, so that, with God’s grace and mercy, we can reap another bumper harvest next year.
And all God’s people joyfully shouted: ‘Thank You Lord for this year’s bountiful harvest! Please give us the health, strength, perseverance and wisdom to sow good seeds on fertile soil, so that we can reap an even more bountiful harvest next year and further glorify Your glorious kingdom! This we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen!’
Oh Friends, this morning my spirit is somewhat riled. Lucifer’s been getting to me through my printer. I put in a new ink cartridge, but it’s still telling me that the ink is low, and is printing stuff I can’t even make out. However, since the time for writing the Bit was imminent, I decided to leave the printer for later, when I had more time to fool with it. Please note that mih young D. (smile)
And our God is so wonderful, that while going through some pieces of paper on which I have written possible stuff to share, I happened to come across this rather encouraging statement. I don’t know whether I’ve shared it before, or where I got it from, or who even said it – might even have been me (smile) – but it sure ‘deriled’ or ‘unriled’ my soul.
It says: ‘When a man or a woman has the conviction that he or she is doing the work God gave him or her to do, there’s a zeal and a courage in his or her soul that all the forces in this world cannot destroy.’
And that’s the God-awesome truth, my fellow believers, to which many of us can attest! For when we’re serious about doing God’s work, no power on this earth can stop us!
Right now I have to write God’s Bit, so I can’t allow Lucifer to mess with my mind, so to fight him off, I’ve put on all aspects of my spiritual armour, and now I’m ready for battle! Praise the Lord!
Ah Friends, I’m not joking. Most mornings before I begin writing the Bit, I ask the Lord to help me put on His spiritual armour, those fine accoutrements of spiritual battle… And He does. After that, I ‘m gung ho, and have the necessary resources to fight Lucifer to the death!
I’d strongly suggest that you all try it some time too. Go to Ephesians 6, and read from verses 10-20. But also write down the accoutrements of battle you need (vs.14-17) and keep it handy, so you can quickly refer to it in time of need. Better yet, learn it by heart!
And I think it’s much easier to learn if you start putting on your armour from the top. The helmet of salvation to guard your mind; the breastplate of righteousness to guard your inner man; the belt of truth so you can stay centred in the Word; the sandals of peace so you can go about in peace and tranquility; then take up that massive shield of faith to protect you from the fiery arrows of the enemy; and finally that magnificent sword of the Spirit, which brings man to his knees before Almighty God in conviction and repentance.
Wow Friends, what awesome battle gear! And would you believe that I don’t have a Bit as yet…
Ohhh! But I do now! Such is the mysterious and miraculous movement of our great God!
And out Bit so wisely and rightly says: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’
Now I believe we’ve used this scripture as a Bit before, but there’s nothing that says we can’t use it again, and as often as possible, especially when the time for it is ripe. And what I find most appealing about our Bit is the last portion: ‘and having done all, to stand.’
Yes my brethren, that’s what having on the spiritual armour of God allows us to do; to stand strong against the enemy.
Hear the scholars take on the Bit. ‘6:13. Wherefore means “because of this,” that is, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry.
The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Oh my fellow believers, that is one other thing that we can be sure of in this life, beside death and taxes. No matter how we parry and trust the enemy away, ole Beelzebub will keep attacking us right up to the very second that the Lord calls us home.
Right at that very moment, the lying, deceitful one will show up and try to tear us away from God, telling us that there’s no heaven, etc. etc. So even at the last moment of earthly life, we have to be very careful to have on that spiritual armour.
Oh Friends, there’s so much more I’d like to share with you, but time and space are running out, so we’ll leave that for tomorrow, God willing of course. In any case, we already have enough spiritual food on our plates to read and digest today.
Therefore my people, let’s ponder and meditate on it all, and plant it deep in our souls nuh, so that when the enemy attacks, we can face up to him with supreme confidence, and in God’s Great Name, boldly STAND! Much LOVE my brethren!
…no wise warrior goes into battle without good protective armour…
14 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenalin, appreciation, aura of love, Beelzebub, best big country, blessings, bountiful grace, British Columbia, Canada, celebration, circumstances, confidence, conquerors, Creator of the universe, Deuteronomy, enemy, enthusiasm, ever-LOVING God, first fruits, forgiveness, friends, giving thanks, glorious kingdom, good spirits, gospel truth, grateful heart, harvest, health, holy spirit, house of the Lord, humble servants, inebriated, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, Labrador, land of milk and honey, levites, lies, life, lord god almighty, LOVE, loving kindness, manna, mercy, Monday Battle Hymn, Newfoundland, not afraid, offerings, open mind, poor and needy, Prairies, refreshed, rejoice, Rejoice in the Lord always, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed, renewed vitality, rich and greedy, Rocky Mountains, saviour, sober, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender, thankful heart, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, the Lord thy God, Tobago, undisputable truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, wealth, weary souls, wicked taunts, wiles, win win, worship, worthwhile inroads
Deuteronomy 26:10. And now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shall set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY CANADA!
And then it was Monday…!
But Monday with a twist Friends, because today, Canada, the BEST big country in the world is celebrating our Thanksgiving Day! Yes fellow believers, from the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador in the East, right across this great and wonderful land, through the granary that’s the Prairies, over the towering Rocky Mountains, down to the teeming waters of British Columbia in the West, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving Day!
Doing it in style too! (smile) We’re giving our majestic, magnificent and ever-LOVING God, thanks and praise for all the blessings and good things He’s rained down on us this past year! And He has indeed flooded us with His bountiful grace, LOVE, mercy, manna, and forgiveness every single day!
And though there are still too many who are poor and needy, and also too many who are rich and greedy, overall, we’ve had a very good year. So let’s do, especially today, as Bruh Paul advised the Philippians: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice,’ (Phil.4:4)
Yes my brethren, regardless of our circumstances, we ought to always rejoice in the Lord our God, for it is Him who cause us to have life, health and wealth! Now that means many Canadians won’t be going out to labour today, but in support of those who have to go and mind our 24/7 industries, let’s sing a loud and most joyful Monday Morning Battle Hymn, to get their adrenalin going.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now it’s been a rainy Sunday in my area, so that might have caused any planned outdoor activities to be moved inside, but I very much doubt it dampened the proceedings in general. Let’s hope that today will be a perfect day, so that we can all celebrate in good spirits.
And I didn’t mean the liquid kind… (smile) well not too much of it anyway, for remember Granny’s warning; sober or inebriated, please mind your business, because it’s during times of celebration when it’s easiest for Beelzebub to get into our souls and lead us astray.
So let’s bring in our Bit: ‘And now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shall set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God.’
Yeh Friends this weekend was the time to bring our offerings to God, from the first fruits of our harvest, to show appreciation for all He’s done in making us prosperous.
It was God’s instructions to the children of Israel, to bring the first fruits of the harvest to the House of the Lord, to show their appreciation for His LOVING-kindness, for bringing them out of Egypt and installing them in the land of milk and honey, as well as to provide food for the priests and Levites who spent their time looking after the Lord’s affairs, and also to help feed the poor, the needy and the stranger. And it was to be done with a kind and grateful heart.
Then the Good Book instructs after our Bit: ‘And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.’ (Deut.26:11)
So Friends, Thanksgiving is meant to be both a time of grateful appreciation as well as celebration! You can read all about God’s instructions re the harvest in Deuteronomy 26. And I remember growing up in Tobago; Harvest Weekend was one of my favourite times. The church would be decorated with all the produce enabled by God’s divine mercy, then on Monday, all the stuff would be taken to the school to be sold.
Obviously there would be no classes, and a fine time would be had by all, checking out all the wonderful stuff. Oh, I was even lucky enough when I went to Tobago last year in late November, to be in time for the Harvest Sunday celebrations, and I enjoyed it tremendously.
Anyway Friends, I know you all are busy people, either have to go to work, or go out and celebrate, (smile) so I’ll close with one passage of scripture that encourages constant thanksgiving. It comes from Psalm 95; a psalm of praise to the great God.
Listen with an open mind and thankful heart, as the psalmist most wisely declares: ‘O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.’ (Ps.95:1-3)
Oh my brethren, those certainly are words of indisputable, gospel truth! And I hope all of us went to the House of the Lord this weekend and did exactly that, because it’s always a win, win situation: God is pleased, and we are refreshed and renewed. It doesn’t get any better than that my people. Much LOVE!
…we’re giving thanks…for all we’ve got…giving thanks…whether or not…giving thanks for the life in us…we’re giving thanks…yes, we’re giving thanks… (Based on the song ‘Giving Thanks’ by Beres Hammond)
13 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leap of faith, anger, assurance, backsliders, bless, bring others to Christ, Bruh David, contrition, covenant, dive in heart first, encouragement, encouraging, faith, fasting, friends, God is full of compassion, God is gracious, God's glorious majesty, God's glory, God's kingdom, God's power, heavenly wisdom, iniquities, Israel, long-suffering, loving kindness, merciful, mercy, obedience, obeisance, pardon, patient teacher, personal relationship with Christ, personal testimony, project our faith, redemption, rend your heart, repentance, reverence, saints, seek the Lord, shout of praise, sins, slow to anger, step up to the plate, takes two to tango, terrible mess, testify, the Good Book, The Lord's the greatest., trust, truth, unbelievers, undeniable truth, unrighteous man, wicked man, wisdom, word to the wise
Psalm 145:8. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Oh Friends, our God is definitely the greatest yes! And I’m saying that for the umpteenth time because yesterday, after writing that I had nothing to say, was bereft of words, He kindly informed me that believers ALWAYS have something to say. And when I didn’t understand, like a patient teacher, He gently explained that whenever our mental apparatus shuts down, we can always testify.
Obviously I chuckled at hearing that information, but people, there is logic to it. We might not be able to come up with any new, fanciful stuff to enthral our listeners, but our personal testimony, what the Lord has already done in our lives, and is currently doing, doesn’t change or ever grow stale.
And in fact, personal testimony is the best way to project our faith, to bring others to Christ. We can know the Good Book from cover to cover, but that information is useless to all and sundry unless some aspect or aspects of it are occurring in our lives. That’s why it’s called a personal relationship with Christ.
The tough part though is that you cannot find out what Jesus is all about until you get personally involved with Him. That’s where faith and trust come in – plenty of both. And that’s why they call getting involved with Jesus a leap of faith! You don’t know what’s going to happen, because He has different plans for each of us, but you’re nonetheless willing to dive in heart first.
As they say, you can’t learn to swim in shallow water, it must be deep enough for you to manoeuvre properly. So anyway, we now know that when our word source dries up, we can testify. (smile)
That brings us to our warm, wonderful and most encouraging Bit. ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of great mercy.’ And all God’s people gave Him a big shout of praise!
But that’s not all Friends, for Bruh David continues: ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ (Ps.145:9) Even more assurance there Friends!
But here’s where our endeavours come in. ‘All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power, To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.’ (Ps.145:10-12)
Now that’s where we have to step back and view the reality of the current situation my brethren. Are we, God’s saints, speaking of His majesty and power, of His glorious kingdom, and also letting men know about His mighty acts down through the ages?
I strongly believe that we’re not doing it to the best of our ability, otherwise there wouldn’t be as many backsliders and unbelievers, and consequently our world wouldn’t be in the terrible mess that it’s in.
Now let’s turn to some scripture that confirms our Bit. The psalmist in Psalm 130 – My soul waiteth for the Lord – says with much wisdom and truth. ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps.130:7-8)
What glorious words of encouragement, my brethren! There’s certainly no doubting them!
Meanwhile, Isaiah, in chapter 55, God’s free offer of mercy to all, he also reassuringly declares: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is.55:6-7)
Then, in one of the many instances when Israel was backsliding, the Lord commanded Jeremiah: ‘Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger (remain angry) for ever.
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers (favours to foreign deities) under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.3:12-13)
Please note Friends, that it’s all well and good to come back to God, but we must acknowledge our transgressions with sincere repentance, and He will know it by searching our hearts.
And here are two verses from Psalm 86, where Bruh David is entreating the Lord to teach him to pray. ‘For thou Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee… But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.’ (Ps.86: 5,15) Bruh David certainly knew what he was talking about from personal experience.
Now listen to Joel, with a call to fasting and more repentance. ‘Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. And rend (tear) your heart, and not your garments, and turn (return) unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness (LOVING-kindness), and repenteth him of the evil (relents from doing harm.’ (Joel 2:12-13)
Ah mih people, NO OTHER GOD shows such grace and mercy towards repentant sinners!
Now here’s a note from the scholars I think we should share. ‘2:12-13. The customary way a Jew showed his grief was to tear his outer garment. This external sign could be meaningless. The tearing of the outer garment is useless, unless the heart is broken in repentance and contrition.’
And that’s the undeniable truth Friends! So though our God is wonderful, with all those glowing attributes, we still need to show Him true reverence, obeisance and obedience. For as the old people would say; it takes two to tango. We can’t expect to reap all of God’s goodness without doing our part. But sadly that’s the way a lot of us, supposed believers behave.
We must remember Friends that we’re in a covenant relationship with Almighty God, our Creator, Controller and Provider, and right now we need to step up to the plate and become better keepers of that covenant, for we are definitely backsliding. And as we’ve seen in all our scriptures, the Lord is only too willing to forgive and forget, if we turn back to Him in sincere repentance and heartfelt contrition. That’s heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…
12 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all or nothing at all, anxieties, Caleb, compassion, condemned, damned, death, disobedience, doomed, doubts, earthly life, faith, faithful, faithfulness, fears, forgiveness, foundation of faith, Glory Halleujah, God's attributes, God's strength, Good Book, goodness, gospel truth, grace, guidance, hell, holding you hostage, iniquity, insecurity, intercession, Israelites, Jesus, Joshua, long-suffering, LOVE, Loving Deity, mercy, Mt. Sinai, negative emotions, omnipotent god, pardon, personal experience, praise, promises, rebellious attitude, reverence, sacrificial death, shed blood, sins, straight from the horse's mouth, surrender, Ten Commandments, testify, thanks, the Most High God, the Promised Land, the Rock, time of famine, transgression, true believer, trust, truth, truthful, unconditional LOVE, wisdom
Psalm 145:8. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s in a time of famine this Saturday autumn morn! Would you believe he has no words to utter? (smile) And I know some of you are in disbelief, a simple breeze could knock you over now. Yes, it’s strange but true! And please keep quiet in the background children, no smart aleck remarks from the penny section.
But Friends, I’m sure that situation won’t last for very long, because the Lord God Jehovah in His abundant grace and mercy will soon fill the void and guide me to what He wants me to write, since it’s His Word that I’m writing about. And mih Friends, when you talk about faithfulness…
Chuh! There’s NO ONE like our God in that department! As I keep saying, He’ll never give you a task to do without giving you the necessary tools and parts to perform it to His satisfaction. And I can attest to that from personal experience! How do you think I’ve been able to write the Bit everyday for almost seven years eh?
Even if I was exceedingly brilliant, and I’m certainly not that brilliant, it would have been impossible without the Lord’s help; His strength, guidance, wisdom, inspiration and faithfulness every single day! That’s what enables me to do a decent job in His glorious name!
‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise our great and wonderful God!’ Yes my brethren, that definitely called for some thanks and praise.
So my people, if today you’re suffering from doubts, anxieties, fear, insecurity, any negative emotions at all, just turn to the Lord in sincere faith, and He will most assuredly help you to overcome whatever negative thing(s) that’s holding you hostage. You have to come to Him sincerely though, with trust, reverence and total surrender. You can’t hold back any part of your being, for with the Lord it’s all or nothing at all!
And we have the memorable words of Bruh David from our Bit to prove my point. ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.’
Oh my people, every true believer in Jesus ought to be able to testify to that statement, because it’s the backbone, the sure foundation of our faith! Without God’s grace, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and LOVE, where would we be eh? Confused and falling all over each other in the extreme darkness of evil Lucifer’s hell, damned, doomed and condemned to ‘sufferation’ and death.
But through God’s unconditional LOVE and all His other positive and winning attributes, He’s provided a way for us to escape Lucifer’s evil claws; to be saved through the sacrificial death of His one and only son Jesus, whose shed blood paid for all our abominable sins. And as believers we know all about that, but today I want us to look at some scriptures that corroborate Bruh David’s words in our Bit.
And the first passage comes, as we would say, straight from the horse’s mouth. Here God is talking to Moses, the second time he went up Mt. Sinai to renew the tablets with the Ten Commandments.
The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him (Moses) there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.’ (Ex.34:5-7)
Oh my fellow believers, yuh see all of that comes straight from the Most High God Himself, and not from man! And since we know now that He’s truthful and faithful to fulfill ALL His promises, we can rest assured that whatever He says and/or does, it’s the gospel truth!
Now hear Moses, when the Israelites rebelled against the Lord in the wilderness, and He was tempted to just obliterate them. But through Moses’ timely intercession, He stayed His hand.
‘And now, I beseech thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children of the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.’ (Num.14:17-19)
Ah mih Friends, Moses was smart, using God’s own declaration of His mercy, compassion, forgiveness and slow-burning fuse. And the Lord, true to His word, relented, but not before declaring that the old timers who had seen and experienced all the wonders that He did for them out of Egypt and in their travels through the wilderness, NONE of them would ever set foot in the Promised Land, excepting Caleb and Joshua. (Num.14:20-24)
And yuh better believe Friends, that’s exactly what happened, all because of their disobedience and rebellious attitude! Only Joshua and Caleb, of the multitude that came out of Egypt ever crossed the Jordan. That’s partly why they wandered in the wilderness for forty years too.
So my brethren, let us not be afraid to face our fears, doubts, anxieties and life in general, head on, because we serve and worship an omnipotent, kind, and LOVING Deity, who’s promised to ALWAYS be with, and help us throughout this difficult earthly life, right on to eternity. We can’t ask for more than that. Much LOVE!
…when you build your house on the Rock…the sturdy foundation that’s Jesus…it will never fall…in fact, it will last forever…
P.S. Yuh see Friends, I told you that in due time, the Lord would give me something to say. (smile) Oh thank Him for His faithfulness! Much LOVE!
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