Hebrews 10:24. And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up, encourage) unto LOVE and to good works.
31 Dec 2014 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: almighty god, an outward indication of an inner condition, Anne Daily Goodwin, as ye see the day approaching, attitudes, believers need to change, Christ-like, church meetings, circumstances, come up higher, comforting conclusions, congregations, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, encourage, encouragement, entire worship of christ, exhorting one another, faithfulness, faithfulness to God will grow, father in heaven, fellowship, foundations of our Christian faith, friends and neighbours, God doesn't change, God's faithfulness, godless deeds, good deeds, good works, gospel truth, Granny's warning, grow, grow closer to Jesus, Happy New Year, hatred, He is faithful that promised, hearts of hope, hold fast the profession of our faith, Jesus Christ, last day of 2014, let us consider one another, LOVE, make Jesus our number one priority, mature, mindsets, New Year's Eve, New Year's resolution, number one promise for 2015, peace, peace floats like music, peace shimmers like water, positive connotation, promote, relationship, room for improvement, spiritual food, stand strong and steadfast, start off on the right foot, stir up, strengthening, succour, sustenance, the assembling of ourselves together, the church is an interacting body, the nature and character of Jesus Christ, to provoke unto love and to good works, warm and welcoming homes, wavering, we thank you for your faithfulness, Wednesday, weighted on one side, win-win relationship, wisdom at its zenith, wishy-washy, worship
Hebrews 10:24. And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up, encourage) unto LOVE and to good works.
29 Dec 2014 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: 2015, a sense of peace, aura of love, blessings, Bruh Paul, burdens, Christmas. New Year's resolution, confidence, easy yoke, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, friends, glorious kingdom, grab the world by the tail, hath appeared to all men, holy spirit, humble servants, iniquity, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer, jobs, joy, light burden, LOVE, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, problems, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, the Christian life, the grace of God, the great invitation, Titus, ungodly world, wisdom, zealous of good works
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.
Well Friends, the party is over for this week! It’s Monday, so labouring is here again. And I hear the loud groans and complaints as that reality sinks in. (smile) But please don’t worry and don’t lose the Christmas spirit, for the season’s still on, and in another three days, we’ll have the big celebration of New Year’s Eve!
Wow! As though anything changes from Wednesday to Thursday, just because we deem it to be a new year. Bah humbug! (smile)
Oh my people, circumstances might not change from one day to the next, but our attitudes and mindsets can change for the better. And that’s best accomplished by bringing Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour into a higher priority position in our lives, by developing a stronger relationship with Him, which is what we aspired to do in our last New Year’s resolution, and will again commit to doing in 2015.
Remember He is the One who sacrificed His sinless life so that we could once again have communion with our heavenly Father. And Jesus is also the One who extends that great invitation to come to Him, lay our heavy burdens on His strong shoulders, and in return, accept His light burden and easy yoke, a wonderful situation evoking a welcome sense of peace, joy, rest and unconditional LOVE! (Matt.11:28-30)
So in these waning days of 2014, let’s not forget that Jesus is the answer to our EVERY problem!
And having said that, this Monday morning after a hectic Christmas celebration, when we have to go back out to work, and we’re not really enthused about it, let’s turn to our wonderful problem solver to give us the energy and wherewithal to go out and grab the world by the tail. (smile) Let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with all we have. We ought to still have some left in the tank despite all the recent celebrations.
So as one great voice: ‘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!’
Oh Friends, that wasn’t bad at all, but I know that come Wednesday night, you’ll be all singing a louder and more enthusiastic Old Lang Syne and Happy New Year! (smile)
Anyway, it’s time to turn to our Bit; Bruh Paul’s advice on the Christian Life to Titus, one of his young protégés. ‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (age).
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us all from iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar (his own special) people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.’ (Titus 2:11-15)
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, that is all indisputable truth! For it certainly is through God’s amazing and generous grace that we can even have hope of better days to come! Without that plethora of grace, goodwill and LOVING-kindness, we’d all be headed for death and eternal damnation!
Now here are some explanations from the scholars on those verses. ‘2:11-15. The salvation that appeared to all men is based on God’s grace that has provided salvation universally for all mankind through the unlimited atonement of Christ. That blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ refers to His second coming.
The use of the definite article “the” with the first noun “God” and the connecting “and” indicates that the first and second “Saviour” (nouns) are one and the same person. Our “great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” is thus one and the same person, clearly proving the deity of Christ.’
Oh Friends, as I keep saying, it’s truly mind boggling to consider the wonderful God we serve and worship! He’s so awesome that we can’t help but stand in wonder and reverence at Him. So let’s go out today and do what He desires of us nuh, for if we are truly His followers, then we need to do what He desires of us. Keep the faith! Much LOVE!
…ye are my friends…if ye do whatsoever I command… (John 15:14)
28 Dec 2014 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: almighty god, an understanding heart, and all these things shall be added unto you, blessings, Bruh Paul, Christmas, common sense, Cousin Sol, darken the church doors, discern between good and bad, doing God a favour by going to church, Easter, encouragement, evil and ungodly world, faith is the substance of things hoped for, godliness, gospel truth, idolatry, judgement, justice, keep my statutes and commandments, live in the present, LOVE, material things, persecution, physical exercise, pledged allegiance to the King, praise and worship God, promises of God, remember the Sabbath day, riches and honour, righteousness., seek ye first the kingdom of God, Sermon on the Mount, six days shalt thou labour, sound wisdom, spiritual exercise, spiritual things, stand strong, step up to the plate, sufficent unto the day is the evil thereof, Sunday, the blessed day of the Lord, the body of Christ, the evidence of things not seen, the lusts of the world, the Sabbath Day, the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God, through the eyes of faith, Timothy, understanding, unfairness, uplifting of our faith, walk in my ways, where God guides He provides, wisdom, work is not a panacea for our ills
Matthew 6:33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Aye mih breddren, it’s the blessed day of the Lord; Sunday, the Sabbath Day! The day on which our great God rested, took a break from His labour of creating the universe and all therein. And in His Word, He specifically advises us to do the same.
‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ (Ex.20:8-11)
Now that ought to wake some of us up, because we feel that we should be working all the time, everyday of the week. That’s obviously wrong, for work is not the panacea for our ills; Almighty God is! So today let’s put that idolatry behind us and get some rest, as well as darken the church doors, especially for those of you who seldom darken them. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear or read about those folks who only go to church at high times like Easter and Christmas.
Steups! Hope if any of you are reading this, that you went to church and fellowshipped with other believers this Christmas season. And from here on in, you will go to church regularly.
Remember Friends, we’re not doing God a favour by going to church, but ourselves, because church is where we’re supposed to come together as one in the body of Christ, to praise and worship Him and receive encouragement and uplifting of our faith, so that we can stand strong and face the persecution and unfairness of the evil and ungodly world in which we currently live.
That brings us to our Bit: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ And as with most things that have to do with faith and God, my people, we have to step up to the plate first, before the promises of God are fulfilled.
We have to first see the promises through the eyes of faith, believe that they will come, before they come. Otherwise faith would not be necessary for ‘faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb.11:1) So if we see something, then there’s no need to hope for it, as Bruh Paul told the Roman church. (Rom.8:24-25)
Now hear are some timely and important explanations from the scholars, re our Bit. ‘6:33-34. This portion of the Sermon on the Mount is summarized by the statement seek ye first the kingdom of God. The disciples who have pledged their allegiance to the King must continue seeking the kingdom and its righteousness. The present imperative form of the verb (Gr. zeto) indicates a continual or constant seeking.
The contrast between the spiritual and material is again emphasized. The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom and then all these things (material things) shall be added to him. When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides.
We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof (v.34) This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’
Yes Friends, glimpses into the past and the future are indeed necessary at times, but generally speaking we need to live in the present, seeking the righteousness that is found in the kingdom of God, and if we do so, the Lord will fulfill all our material needs. That’s a promise of Jesus, and we all know that Jesus doesn’t lie, cannot lie, therefore doing as He advises is common sense and sound wisdom.
And we have one of the best examples of the promise being fulfilled when upon ascension to his father, Bruh David’s throne, the Lord asked Cousin Sol what he desired. And Cousin Sol, instead of asking for wealth and power, wisely asked for wisdom and understanding. ‘Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgement (justice); Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour: so that there shall not be any (anyone) among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.’ (1 Kin.3:9-14)
Oh Friends, yuh see how our God keeps His word! And He even goes overboard too, giving Cousin Sol the wealth and power that he had not asked for. He will act in the same manner towards us, if we sincerely seek the things of His kingdom and His righteousness.
And we’ll close with a word on the subject from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.’ (1 Tim.4:8)
And the scholars explain that thus: ‘4:8. That verse may be paraphrased, “For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness, the result of spiritual exercise, has unlimited values, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’And that’s the gospel truth my people! So please, let’s go out today and start seeking the righteousness of God and not the unrighteous things of the world. For that’s wisdom of the highest order. Much LOVE!
…true wisdom comes from sincerely seeking God…not from dallying in the lusts of the world…
26 Dec 2014 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a beautiful soul, a Saviour which is christ the Lord, a son is given, almighty god, angry world, believers in Jesus Christ, benevolent ruler, Boxing Day, British christmas, caring, ceremony, Christmas, Christmas tree, Counselor, crazy, eternal life, evergreen for ever, faithful, For unto us a child is born, foundational, Friday chant, glorious kingdom, Glory be, God incarnate, God's divine guidance, goodwill, greetings, hands that reach to touch hearts that hurt, hanging on a tree, His name shall be called Wonderful, holy spirit, hope, Immanuel, incarnate birth of Jesus christ, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, joy, judgement, justice, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, manger, Messiah, mighty god, misguided, peace, pomp, prince of peace, prophet isaiah, rejuvenation of spirit, rest, road-weary wayfarers, salutations, sincere hearts, steadfast faith, thanksgiving, the everlasting Father, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the reason for the season, the throne of David, the undeserving children of men, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, thoughts of God, to know Jesus is to love Him, trustworthy, twinkling Christmas tree, vagaries of the weather, white christmas, wonderful sentiments
Isaiah 9:6. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Greetings and salutations this Boxing Day morn, my fellow believers in Jesus Christ! The big day of Christmas is over, but definitely not the season; not by a long shot!
The Joy. Peace, LOVE, Thanksgiving and Goodwill to all men that were engendered yesterday, that characterized that momentous day, cannot be all used up in one 24 hours span of time, Absolutely not! So let’s keep that LOVING and joyous spirit of baby Jesus going for as long as possible Friends.
And I know that a lot of people in the North Country were disappointed because they did not receive their traditional white Christmas. Yes mih people, there wasn’t any snow, but it surely was a wet, windy and cloudy time. In fact, on Christmas Eve night we had a wicked windstorm that played havoc with everything.
So, I guess it was more like a British Christmas, than a truly Canadian one. (smile) But these days with the vagaries of the weather, we don’t know what to expect. A month before winter truly set in we had snow and pretty cold temps. But now, in the heart of winter, we’re having rain and temps above freezing.
Who knows what’s happening in our crazy, misguided, angry and resentful world these days eh? Only Almighty God!
Anyway, I sincerely hope that you and yours had a wonderful time yesterday, I didn’t do much; just wrote the Bit, went to church, then came home and had a quiet time with my family.
And I do hope that Jesus and His incarnate birth was a trending topic in all our conversations. For He IS the reason for the season, whether you say ‘Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, or Merry Christmas!’
And since it is still Christmas time, please pray this wonderful ‘Christmas Prayer’ with me. It comes from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, and as you’ll see, was definitely too beautiful for me not to share it with you.
Let’s pray: ‘You lead me, Jesus Christ, to thoughts of God. I see you in a manger carved from a tree. I see you as a young man with hands that reach to touch hearts that hurt. Your caring reaches out like the strong and kind branches of a gentle tree reach out to invite road-weary and travel-worn wayfarers to quiet rest.
I see you again hanging on a tree with outstretched arms taking in the whole world. From your cross, you show me that God will stop at nothing to save my soul. So, I celebrate God’s LOVE today as I celebrate your birth around a twinkling Christmas tree.
I pray my life, like yours, O Lord, may be tall and upright as a pine tree pointing, reaching, sharing, sparkling, life-giving; solid, sturdy, strong-rooted in God’s LOVE, a beautiful soul, evergreen for ever. Amen.’
Ah my brethren, what wonderful sentiments! They are sentiments that we can also acknowledge with sincere hearts, and thus make Jesus and the Father proud of us.
Oh Friends, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was such a simple but very important, momentous and auspicious occasion, that two thousand years later we’re still gloriously celebrating it with much ceremony, pomp and joy! Glory be!
And it’s so foundational to our beliefs that the prophet Isaiah prophesied it in our Bit, hundreds of years before it actually happened. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is.9:6-7)
And as we all know, ‘the zeal of the Lord of hosts,’ did put this miracle into motion with the birth of Jesus Christ! As the angels told the shepherds on that first Christmas night: ‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’ (Luke 2:11)
Oh my people, what a magnificent, magnanimous, faithful and trustworthy God we serve and worship! Please give Him much well deserved thanks and praise for His LOVING-kindness to us, the undeserving children of men!
And the wonderful thing about Isaiah’s prophecy, according to the scholars, is that ‘he predicts the future with certainty, as though it had already come to pass.’ Now that could only have come from God’s divine guidance, imbuing Isaiah’s spirit with a potent and positive power of discernment.
Now here are some important and interesting explanations from the scholars. ‘9:6-7. The Gift-Child in this passage is the same divine Child as Immanuel. Again, using the prophetic perfect, the prophet sees Him as though He were already born. Wonderful, Counselor (pele’ yo’ets) is actually one term in Hebrew.
A wonder is indicative of a miracle. Counselor is often used in parallel with king (cf. Mic.4:9). Thus miraculous counsel is given by this God-like King. The mighty God (El Gibor) is the strongest of these titles.
In Isaiah, El is always used of God and never refers to man. Gibor means “Hero.” Together they describe One who is indeed God Himself. Everlasting Father (abi’ad) literally means Father of Eternity. He alone is the source of eternal life.
Prince of Peace (Sar-Shalom) indicates that the mighty God will be a benevolent ruler bringing eternal peace on earth through the establishment of His kingdom. Thus the obscure figure of Immanuel is now brought to clear light: He is Himself God incarnate!’
Ah Friends, with all that fulfilled prophecy, how could we ever doubt that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords eh? No way!
Now let’s keep the faith, stand strong and steadfast this Boxing Day, which happens to fall on a Friday, as we go home chanting our Friday Chant. I didn’t forget it.
Altogether 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.’
Oh Friends, we’ve had more than two days off with riotous celebrations, which means we need even more time for rest than usual. So please get it so that we can go out well rested and rejuvenated on Monday to continue God’s great work here on earth. Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Jesus…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…what more can I say…
P.S. The Bit’s long and late Friends, but it’s great! So that makes up for the length and lateness. (smile) Cut the ole fella some slack nuh. He needs to celebrate the birth of Jesus too yuh know, that means late to bed and late to rise. (smile) Much Much LOVE mih people!
24 Dec 2014 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: all choked up inside, almighty god, angel, attributes of Almighty God, be it unto me according to thy word, behold the handmaid of the Lord, blessed art thou among women, bound for hades, celebrations, christmas eve, conceive in thy womb, death, deity, devastated, Elisabeth, eternal life, eternal separation from God, eternity in heaven, faith, faith can move mountains, fate, fate of all mankind, favoured, fear not, fertility, forgiveness, friends, Galilee, getting pregnant, gifts, glory hallelujah, grace, greeting, Hades, heaven, House of David, human form, humanity, I know not a man, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Mother, Joeph, John the Baptist, laud and magnify God's holy name, light the way of darkness, Lucifer, magnificent and magnanimous God, Mary, mercy, miserable, molehills, momentous occasion, Nazareth, of his kingdom there shall be no end, only believe, our Immanuel, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, patriarchal societies, reason for the season, reconciled to the Father, reign over the house of Jacob, salutation, salvation, shame, shout of thanks and praise, sperm, surrender, the angel Gabriel, the Birth of Christ, the birth of God's Son, the Good Book, the Holy Ghost, the Lord is with thee, the power of the Highest., the Son of God, the Son of the Most High, thou hast found favour with God, thou shalt call his name Jesus, trust, unconditional LOVE, virgin, with God nothing is impossible, with the help of Jesus
Luke 1:38. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid, (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. and the angel departed from her.
Well Friends, it’s Wednesday, what’s usually the middle day of the workweek! But fortunately for many of us, it is the last day of this workweek… And all God’s people shouted a loud and grateful, ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes my brethren, that’s because it’s Christmas Eve, the day before the big one, the fateful day on which our most wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was born, some two thousand years ago. What a momentous occasion my people, one that changed the direction and fate of all humankind!
Oh Friends, the birth of God’s Son had to be a wonderful and auspicious moment! Why? Because it meant that our Immanuel, our God was with us in human form, thus adding humanity to His Deity.
And I know that many of us are still busy with the preparations for the Great Day tomorrow, but as we go through our motions, please let’s remember the real reason of the season, the real reason why we’re so busy making plans of and for celebration; the birth of Christ!
And consequently, let’s try to focus on that, rather than the worldly accoutrements we’re so busy with. Let’s consider what it would have been like if Jesus had not been born, so that we could eventually be reconciled to the Father and thus enjoy His blessed and free gifts of mercy, grace, forgiveness, unconditional LOVE, salvation and eternal life.
Oh Friends, whenever I remember or mention those wonderful gifts and attributes of Almighty God, our magnificent and magnanimous Creator, I get all choked up inside, and have to give the Lord a big shout of thanks and praise.
Because, just think what our situation would have been like if all that good stuff was not available to us eh, and free to boot. Hn! Our lives would have been totally miserable, and we would have been surely bound for Hades, death, and eternal separation from our heavenly Father!
That’s why I say; ‘Thank You Lord! Thank You ever so much for sending Jesus to light the way of darkness, so that we can now look forward to spending eternity in heaven with You, rather than in Hades with Lucifer! Thank You ever so much! We laud and magnify Your Holy Name! Amen!’
And today Friends, I just want to highlight the enormous faith of Mary, Jesus’ mother, because I don’t think she gets enough recognition for the great faith she possessed, even before it was such a popular thing.
I guess it was partly because she was a woman, living in a very patriarchal society, but without her supreme trust and complete surrender, none of what we’re currently celebrating would be possible.
The Good Book tells the story thus: ‘And in the sixth month (of Elisabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist) the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused (betrothed, engaged) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail (rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind (considered) what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
And behold thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:26-38)
Now just imagine that scene nuh Friends! You’re a female, Jewish teenager, living in a backwater town in Galilee, most likely without much formal education, engaged to be married, when this angel suddenly shows up with this outlandish proposal.
Wow! Would any of us have taken it so easily, so in stride and even accepted the proposition at all? I doubt it. The first thing was how could she get pregnant without lying with a man? Even in today’s advanced society, where there are all sorts of fertility methods, a man’s sperm is still essential for human reproduction.
But just supposing getting pregnant without actual intercourse was possible, we still need to remember Mary’s very sensitive position. If she were found pregnant before marriage, despite all her pleas of innocence, all hell would break loose in the small, steadfastly Jewish town.
Joseph, her fiancé would be thoroughly shamed, and become a laughingstock of the community. Mary’s family would be totally devastated, and she would possibly be an outcast for life.
But strangely enough my people, none of those possibilities fazed her. She did not even ask for time to consider the proposition. And in all of that, she only asked one question; how could she get pregnant without knowing a man?
And surprisingly, she seemed quite satisfied with the angel’s answer. She obviously felt the leading of the Holy Spirit deep down in her soul and responded accordingly.
And so my fellow believers, should we also respond with alacrity when we feel the Spirit of God moving in us, although the circumstances may seem rather difficult, and even impossible in the natural realm, because as Gabriel so rightly said to Mary: ‘FOR WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE!’
Let’s remember that today Friends, as we go about making preparations to celebrate the incarnate, seemingly impossible birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! It is indeed worthy to ponder, because it generates wisdom and faith of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…faith can move mountains…by turning them into molehills…with the help of Jesus … we just have to believe…
22 Dec 2014 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a new vision, a standing O, adrenalin, almighty god, aura of love, awe, bestowed on, blot out our sins, Bruh Joseph, But as for you, but god intended it got good, care, christmas day, concern, confidence, death, doing good, eternal life, eternity in heaven, fallacy, fear not, forgiveness from sins, friends, gifts, glorification of God, glory hallelujah, God's justice, gospel truth, Hades, holy spirit, incarnate birth of Jesus christ, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, joy, languish forever, leading and guiding, loved, loving kindness, Lucifer, magnificent and magnanimous God, mind games, miracle birth of Christ, Monday, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, offered up Jesus as a sacrifice, persecution, plan, praise, reconciliation, rejoice, rejoice in the birth of christ, rejuvenation of spirit, relief, sacrifice, sacrificial lamb, save much people alive, slavery, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, thanskgiving, the cross at Calvary, the Godhead, the Holy Trinity, the shedding of blood, the Spirit of God, to know Jesus is to love Him, trust, uncoditional love, undeserving mankind, ungodly world, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wisdom, wonderment, worship, you intended evil against me
Genesis 50:20. But as for you, ye thought (intended) evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Oh mih people, mih people, is Monday! Yes Friends, it’s the Monday before Christmas Day! Only two more days and the world will erupt with joy and thanksgiving, praise and worship, with awe and wonderment at the miracle birth of Christ! Glory Hallelujah!
That means my brethren that today must also be a joyful day. All the days ought to be joyful, but this is one of those yearly occasions where the level of joy and glorification of Almighty God is raised to higher heights!
That’s because the incarnate birth of His Son is one of the greatest gifts that our magnificent and magnanimous God has ever bestowed on undeserving mankind!
We don’t deserve anything of the kind, but such is God’s care, concern and unconditional LOVE for us, that He inaugurated a mind-bending plan, to give us relief, forgiveness from our sins.
Unfortunately it was the only solution possible, taking into account God’s justice system, where sin must be paid for by death, by the shedding of blood. And the only unblemished, sinless soul beside Him was His Son Jesus Christ. But He readily gave Him up as a sacrificial Lamb, whose shed blood would blot out our sins for all time.
Ah mih people, that is what you call real and true LOVE! So please feel LOVED, LOVED by Jehovah God! Because if He didn’t bear that glorious emotion towards us in spades, He would never have offered up Jesus as a sacrifice for us.
So please stop thinking and saying that God doesn’t LOVE you, stop allowing the enemy to play mind games with you on that subject, for it is an enormous fallacy. God LOVES you more than anything else in all of His creation! I don’t know what else He could have done to prove that.
So this Christmas Monday morning let’s raise the roof of heaven with our powerful, harmonious and melodic rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. With everything we’ve got now Friends!
‘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!’
Yes Friends, that was a most fitting rendition for a Christmas week. Wow! The heavenly hosts were duly impressed and responded with a standing ‘O’ and a loud shout for an encore! (smile) By the way, that included Jesus and the Father too.
So we’ve begun this workweek on a good foot my people, please let’s keep it like that all day and all week. Let the adrenalin build up and the rising level of faith in the Holy Spirit make us amenable to His leading and guiding as we go about doing good today, just like Jesus did in His time.
That brings us to our Bit, another instance where God’s plans seemed very unjust, but through His higher level of knowledge and wisdom were actually meant for exceeding good. Listen to Bruh Joseph as he speaks to his evil brothers, who had sold him into slavery in Egypt.
‘And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought (intended) evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish (provide for) you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.’ (Gen 50:19-21)
Yes Friends, it was the very same intention God had, when, heart-broken, He put His plan for salvation and eternal life into place that first Christmas morning. His eventual goal was to also save much people alive
Only thing though, this was not a physical alive, like Bruh Joseph and his family, but a spiritual alive, to give all people a chance to come to Him in repentance for forgiveness, reconciliation and salvation.
This was to put a new vision in their hearts, whereby the Spirit of God would dwell in a believer’s body and guide and direct him or her into a fulfilling relationship with all members of our Godhead, the Holy Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit.
So this Christmas my people, let us truly rejoice in the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Please consider the very hurtful and hurting emotions that the Father went through to come to such a momentous, life and universe changing decision, to send His only Son amongst us, to undergo terrible and uncalled for persecution, then die that horrendous death on the cross at Calvary…but all for our good.
Let’s remember that and then sincerely believe that our God, our Creator, truly LOVES us, otherwise He would have allowed us to languish forever in Hades with Lucifer, as we deserved, instead of providing a way out for us to spend eternity in heaven with Him.
Oh what a wonderful God we serve and worship my brethren! Please believe it, because it is gospel truth, and then act accordingly, with wisdom! Much LOVE!
…all I can say is…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…