21 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a warrior king, atonement of Christ, believe in God, believing God's promises, blessed hope, Christ my king, deity of christ, divine power, doubt, eternal damnation, eternity, exalt God's name, exhort, faithfulness, fear, give thanks, glorious appearing, glory in the highest, God's Word, godly, good works, grace, heavy burden, howling storms, human creation, humility, I shall prevail, infallible truth, iniquity, let not your heart be troubled, live soberly, living for Jesus, logic, love touting, love's strong cord, many mansions, mercy, Messiah, my Father's house, overcoming, peaceful, praise, prayer, prepare a place for you, rebuke, redeem, reverence, righteously, Roman rule, sacrifice of praise, salvation, saviour, servitude, sincere hearts, sinful souls, speak, specail people, special time, Standing on the promises of God, strenght, Sunday, the grace of God, the living word of God, the Lord's sanctuary, the Spirit's call, the Spirit's sword, to all men, ungodliness, wisdom, worldly lusts, worship
Titus 2:11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.
Sunday, oh Sunday! It’s Sunday my brethren! That means all roads lead to the Lord‘s sanctuary for some special time of prayer and praise, worship and fellowship! What a glorious morning it will be as we gather to give thanks and get strength and mercy in return! The Lord will be just bubbling over with joy this morning as we come to exalt His holy name, show humility and reverence to His majestic Being and renew our faithfulness by believing His promises.
And there is no more appropriate hymn to open our worship session than the old faithful, ‘Standing on the Promises of God.’ It’s a wonder how these old hymns just seem to last forever, but that’s because they are based on the infallible truth of God’s word. So without further ado, let’s offer up the sacrifice of praise with our lips, strong lungs and sincere hearts.
All together now: ‘Standing on the promises of Christ my king, through eternal ages let his praises ring; glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, standing on the promises of God. (Refrain: Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior; standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God.) Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, by the living Word of God I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, bound to him eternally by LOVE’S strong cord, overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword, standing on the promises of God. [Refrain] Standing on the promises I cannot fall, listening every moment to the Spirit’s call, resting in my Savior as my all in all, standing on the promises of God. [Refrain: Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior; standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God.]’
And isn’t that the best place to stand my fellow believers? Yes sir, right there on the faithful and everlasting promises of God, for there is none as faithful as Him! He never makes promises unless He intends to keep them. So any promise you see written in His word, will most definitely be kept. Yuh see how He promised to send the Jewish people a Messiah, a Saviour, and He did!
They just misunderstood the circumstances. They were looking for a warrior king, to lift the heavy burden of servitude from their shoulders under harsh Roman rule. However, the Lord had a peaceful, LOVE touting rabbi in mind; one to save their sinful souls from eternal damnation.
And today we’re going to listen to Bruh Paul’s words to his protégé Titus on the subject of Christian living, how we can prevent the loss of our souls to Lucifer, through accepting the faithful promise of Christ. It starts out with our Bit: ‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.’
Yes friends, God LOVED His human creation so much that He could not exclude any from His plan for salvation. And Bruh Paul continues: ‘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 from all 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 2:12-15)
Absolutely nothing has changed down through the ages friends. It is still the way we ought to live if we consider ourselves believers in, and followers of Christ. Hear the scholars’ explanations on that passage. ‘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.’
Ah mih people, I guess the scholars’ are referring to the Greek text in that last sentence. But we don’t need any evidence or reassurance that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was deity. It’s evident from all that He did while He was here on earth. Only someone with divine power could have done His miracles, and endured the ‘sufferation’ He did on our behalf without going out of His mind.
But all of that aside, let’s listen to Jesus’ promise to come back for us. ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3)
So my friends, if we sang about standing on the promises of God earlier on, and then declared that Christ was deity, then simple logic would conclude that we should believe and stand on the promises Christ made in those verses. (smile) So let’s stand strong on them nuh, for He is coming back again, sometime soon, this time in all His glory and splendour, the warrior King that the Israelites first dreamed of.
And He is going to take us home to heaven to dwell there with Him until eternity, if we believe in Him, obey His words and live the lifestyle He desires. So what’s it to be eh friends? Let’s hope we all vote for Jesus, for that’s wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing as beautiful…as living for Jesus…
20 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a muscle, a sound mind, adding value, admonition, Anselm, astound ourselves, average results, be not afraid, be not dismayed, be strong, buckled down, business people, busyness, capable of, celebrity culture, conquered, conquering fear, deliverance, earn a living, Egyptians, exercise, faith, fear, fear thou not, fearful spirit, fearlessness, fears, first-world economy, forgiveness, formal education, foundation, friend, get a job, give you the kingdom, good pleasure, gospel truth, grace, grateful, greedy desire, help thee, hold your peace, I am thy God, I am with thee, I will strengthen thee, insane world, Joshua, little flock, LOVE, make a living, make you a fortune, mercy, minimum wage, Moses, not challenged, of a good courage, Ontario, our full capability, our welfare, power, profit margins, quality of work, right hand, righteousness, run ragged, secreted in our hearts, self-education, separate us from God, set our minds, slept in, stand still the salvation of the Lord, standard of education, strive, succes, thankful, the enemy, the Red Sea, the spirit of fear, threatening retribution, Timothy, Tin Horton's, up in arms, uphold thee, value, walk arm in arm with God, \
2 Timothy 1:7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.
And then it was Saturday…somewhat late in the day though, and many of you won’t notice, because like the ole fella you also slept in some. (smile) But what’s life eh, if once in a while you can’t sleep in and not be run ragged by the busyness of this insane world? The Lord’s LOVE, mercy, grace and forgiveness will still be there when we get up.
Oh how wonderful is the God we serve and worship my brethren! He is always thinking about our welfare, so we need to be very thankful and grateful as we walk arm in arm with Him. And remember too, that NO ONE can separate us from Him, but us. And such a move on our part would be rather foolish. Nuff said.
Let’s see what our friend Anselm has to say on this bleak and gloomy Saturday morning. First off, he tells us that ‘Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.’
I have serious doubts about that yes, because in this society there are oodles of people right now with lots of formal education, who can’t even get a job, much less earn a living. And if and when they do get one, the wage is definitely not in line with their standard of education. It’s surprising that in this supposed first-world economy, the number of university grads who are making minimum wage.
And in my province of Ontario, at the beginning of the year, the government raised the minimum wage from eleven something to fourteen something, and as expected all the business people are up in arms, threatening all sorts of retribution.
Some Tim Horton’s franchises have already cut back paid breaks, tips and stuff, taking away what little the employees already had, in their greedy desire to keep their profit margins high. So who knows, self-education might just be the answer.
And I like this next quote. ‘If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.’ That’s oh so true my fellow believers. I’m sure most of us have had that experience at some time(s) in our lives.
Times when we actually buckled down and did stuff we had to do, and was surprised at the quality and quantity of work we accomplished because we had set our minds to it. Many of us never reach our full capability, because we’re either not challenged to, or we just settle for average results.
That leads us to this quote. ‘Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.’ And there’s much truth in that advice, especially in these modern times, where a lot of supposed successful people add li’l or no value to the society. Check out the celebrity culture that currently rules the world.
How many of them add anything worthwhile to the society eh? Not many. That’s a big reason why the world is in such a mess. So friends, in our lives, please let’s concentrate on adding value to our lives and our society. Value usually means success in the real world, but not necessarily the other way around.
And finally Anselm tells us that ‘Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it, the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.’ There is indeed substance to that remark, because the more we practice not being afraid, the more we will learn to conquer fear.
But the basic foundation for conquering fear comes from our association with Jesus Christ. That’s who gives us the strength and wisdom to conquer fear. Oh friends, throughout the Good Book there are numerous warnings about fear. And one of the most powerful is that found in our Bit; Bruh Paul’s admonition to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’
And that’s gospel truth friends! Our wonderful God has not given us a fearful spirit, we allow the enemy to put fear into our hearts. And all I want to do today is highlight a few scriptures where God warned us not to be afraid. And one of my favourites is the one He commanded Joshua, when He made him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death.
‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:9) Ah mih people, the Lord could not have been more explicit.
Then in Isaiah, re the final restoration of Israel, He warns His people the same way. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be thou not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is.41:10)
Now hear one of the first ‘fear not’ instructions; that from Moses when the Israelites were preparing to leave Egypt. ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace (be quiet).’ (Ex.14:13-14)
And so said, so was it done. The Lord drowned the Egyptians in the closing of the Red sea. And we’ll end with these words of Jesus as He talked about care and anxiety and seeking God’s kingdom above all else. ‘Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’ (Luke 12:32)
And it is indeed the Lord’s desire to give us the kingdom, if we seek Him above all else. So friends, there is no need to fear man nor beast once we are walking hand in hand with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Please, let’s therefore rid ourselves of all the unwanted and unnecessary fear that is secreted in our hearts, by giving it to God. That’s wisdom of untold proportions! Much LOVE!
…fear can only be conquered by faith…
19 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: admire, allow life to run you, Aloha, ancient times, be different, beat down, brethren in christ, bully boy, by the scruff of the neck, carnal desires, carry his armour, chickens, Christians, compel forced service, compel thee, dive through it, do time with Christ, double duty, dragging, drunk and disorderly, each step, earthly journey, enjoy, enjoy the good life, enthusiasm, eyes and ears open, faithful followers, faithfully serving Jesus, Friday chant, from eternal damnation, furthering God's glorious kingdom, gave his sinless life, generous help, glorifies our heavenly Father, glory to God, go the extra mile, go with him twain, gossip, government agents, heads cut off, heavenly advocate, high priest, in concert with Jesus, in Jesus' name, Jewish native, Kyle Crichton, lap around you, lead and guide, life, life of ease, live with Him for ever, meeting all their needs, misguided, modicum of circumspection, more than is asked, normal duties, on the cross, one life to live, one mile, plunge into it, pretty precious, prince of peace, recipe, renew our minds, responsibility, right with Jesus, Roman soldier, run around aimlessly, safe from harm, safely, saved, service of our Lord and Saviour, shepherd, single duty, slave labour, slave master, sloth, spending eternity with Jesus, subjugated peoples, surrender, take advantage, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, time is short, to go a mile, to the last drop, too tired, truth, week of work, weekends, wisdom, wonderful thing, workingman
Matthew 5:41. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain (two).
Aloha my beautiful brethren in Christ Jesus! Welcome to another day in the awesome service of our Lord and Saviour! The One who gave His sinless life on the cross so that we could be saved from eternal damnation! How good it is to do time with Him; to have Him lead and guide us on this confusing earthly journey.
Remember, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, so He must know more than us re handling life’s problems. (smile) And for those of us who wisely surrender our lives to Him, He tends us like a kind and LOVING shepherd does his sheep; meeting all their needs, keeping them safe from harm, then taking them home to live with Him for ever.
Oh glory to God my people for the Prince of Peace, our High Priest and heavenly Advocate, Jesus Christ!
And since we’re talking about life, let me share a quote on the subject, attributed to one Kyle Crichton. There are several Kyle Crichton’s around, but I believe this came from the one who lived between 1896 and 1960, a playwright, author and screenwriter in the U.S.
And he said: ‘Life’s a pretty precious and wonderful thing. You can’t sit down and let it lap around you…you have to plunge into it, you have to dive through it.’ And that’s the awesome truth friends! We only have one life to live, and wisdom dictates that we enjoy it, even though it might be difficult.
One thing is for sure, you can’t allow life to run you, otherwise it will take serious advantage of you. You have to run life, in concert with Jesus Christ of course! Life is a bully boy, and you know how bully boys behave if you allow them to control you.
That’s why you have to admire the ordinary workingman when he declares his Friday song. ‘TGIF Thank God is Friday oui! Another week of slave labour done! And now the weekend is mine to do exactly as I please; behave drunk and disorderly or not, give way to my carnal desires or not.
But it all depends on me, not on any chupid slave master. Granted the time short, but Glory to God, my time is mih own! Thank Him everlasting for the li’l weekends and them yes! Otherwise I don’t know how I’d manage nuh. The weekend’s here people, enjoy it to the last drop!’
There is definitely enthusiasm for life in the workingman’s song! Although he is somewhat misguided, he doesn’t allow life to beat him down, he rises up against it, takes it by the scruff of the neck and uses it for his own purposes. That’s what we Christians are also called to do, but within certain boundaries laid down by our leader, Jesus Christ.
So let’s sing our rebuttal song nuh, our Friday Chant, with much feeling and true sincerity. ‘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!’
Yeh friends, we are also to enjoy our weekend, but with a modicum of circumspection, renew our minds, bodies and souls, not give in to even more carnal living, so that come Monday, we’re just dragging and are too tired to perform our normal duties. For if we are too tired to do what we’re supposed to do, then how can we fulfill Jesus’ desire in our Bit eh? ‘And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain (two).’
Ah mih people, that’s just like our Jesus; always giving or doing more than is asked. And that’s how He wants us, His faithful followers to also behave.
And the scholars explain thus: ‘5:41. In ancient times government agents were in a position to compel forced service upon a subjugated people. A Roman soldier, for example, could compel a Jewish native to carry his armour or materials for one mile. Jesus now states that if someone compels you to walk a mile, go with him twain.
The believer is to be willing to “go the extra mile.” Doing double our duty not only proves our loyalty to human authority, but likewise proves the spiritual intention of our heart.’
Ah mih breddren, I have to laugh yes! Do double duty in our society? Hn! We don’t even want to do single duty, much less double. This is an age where the word ‘responsibility’ has apparently been removed from our vocabulary. No one wants to do anything much, except enjoy the good life; a life of ease and sloth and gossip and run around aimlessly, like chickens with our heads cut off.
But as Christians, we are supposed to be different my fellow believers. We have to take our responsibility seriously, which doesn’t mean not enjoying our everyday lives, but simply keeping our eyes and ears open and doing what needs to be done in Jesus’ name.
When we do that, it makes us right with Him, and glorifies our heavenly Father. That’s the ultimate in wisdom and common sense my brethren! Much LOVE!
…faithfully serving Jesus in this life…is the wonderful recipe for spending eternity with Him…
18 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, all things are possible, baptized, believe, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, believing in God, blessings, Christians, compassionate heart, compelling narative, complex, courage, creativity, curse, faith, family, favour, fear, follower of Christ, friends, God is with us, greetings, guidance, health, heartaches, heavenly Father, hope, insights, jailer, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, key to everything, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, mercies, miracle, Most High God, negative word, pain, privilege of calling on God, promotion, prosper, put your faith in God, ready to receive Christ, reconciled, rejoiced, respond positively, rocket science, run roughshod, sacrifice, salutations, set our sights, simple, sinners, stripes, succeed, success, take the fear out of living, talent, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Good Book, the living God, the state of our hearts, the word of the Lord, there is hope, Thursday Blessings, too good to be true, walk sincerely, while there is life, wisdom, with God, withstand adversity
Acts 16:31, And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (household).
Greetings and salutations friends, this Thursday morning from our heavenly father, the Most High God, Jehovah! He sends His great LOVE and new mercies so that we can handle this day successfully, if we walk sincerely with Him. That is the key to everything; walking sincerely in His will.
And I want to let us know that God is with us, the same way He was with Jesus Christ when He was here on earth, so we have the wonderful privilege of calling on Him as Jesus did. Glory be my people! And it doesn’t make sense having the privilege if we don’t use it.
So let’s set our sights to call on God, at anytime, anywhere, and for everything, because that’s what He expects of us. He wants to be involved in each and every aspect of our lives, so please don’t keep Him out of anything, even the simplest aspect of our daily living, otherwise we could be in danger of losing wonderful insights, guidance and blessings.
That’s why the Daily Bread devotional thought tells us: ‘To take the fear out of living, put your faith in the living God.’ Truth of enormous proportions my brethren! For it’s only faith that conquers fear! The world expects us to be fearful, but our God desires us to be faithful! Which are we going to chose eh?
Fear is easy, you just kowtow, give in to it and let it run roughshod over your life. Faith however calls for us to be strong, to withstand adversity, even when times look extremely bad. It calls for pain and sacrifice, even when we don’t seem to have any more breath left in our bodies. Faith says, while there is hope there is life, and with God ALL things are possible!
And that’s what we are called to as Christians; being strong and steadfast in our belief and living for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who sacrificed His only Son Jesus Christ, so that we abominable sinners could be reconciled to Him. No other faith has such a simple but moving and compelling narrative. That’s why some people think it is too good to be true. But true it is my brethren! And there’s no rocket science involved.
That’s why when Paul and Silas prayed and the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and the prison keeper went to kill himself, thinking that all the prisoners had escaped, Bruh Paul warned him. ‘Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang (ran) in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas.
And brought them out, and said, sirs. What must I do to be saved? ‘And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (household).’ (Acts 16:28-31)
Yeh friends, that’s how simple it is. Believe, only believe in Christ and you shall be saved! It couldn’t get any simpler than that. But us complex humans think that anything so simple is of no use. Sometimes that might be right, but in this case it is definitely wrong.
And the Good Book continues after our Bit. ‘And they spoke unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat (food) before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.’ (Acts 16:31:34)
Yuh see how it easy it is to be saved friends. But it all depends on the state of our hearts; whether we’re ready to receive Christ as our Lord and Saviour or not. Obviously the jailer and his family were ready, especially after seeing the miracle that God had wrought; the jail doors being suddenly opened, and yet no one escaping. But in general, we should not look for miracles before we believe.
When the Lord calls us we should respond positively, don’t try to fight it. And I can tell you from personal experience, that when you try to fight God, or ignore Him, your life just gets harder and more miserable. I did that when He first suggested the writing of the Bit. But when He wants you, He doesn’t give up. So it’s to your advantage, when He first calls to answer, ‘Yes Lord. Right away!’ You’ll save your self some heartaches.
And yuh know what? When we truly believe, we are inordinately blessed. Let’s now declare our Thursday Blessings, enthusiastically letting the world know how wonderful it is to be a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. As one now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Yeh mih breddren, that’s what you have to look forward to when you put your trust and faith in Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…put not your trust in humans…but in the One who first created the world…then saved it…
17 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, all the days of my life, beauty, blessings, Christ is beautiful, Christ is invited, complain abut the weather, constant attention, delightfulness, do His will, do our best, dr robert h schuller, dwell in the house of the Lord, earthly fathers, filling the world with beauty, forgiveness, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, grace, halfway home, hands on the plough, heartfelt desire, Hour of Power Devotional, I desired of the Lord, I had fainted, I will seek after, imbued with Christ, in Jesus' name, inquire in his temple, intimacy with god, LOVE, loving-kindness, my life beautiful, not looking back, of children, of christ, old people, one thing, righteous believers, righteous fellowship, sinners, stay on their good side, surrendered, take time to know God, Thank you Father, the beauty of love, the breath of life, the clay, the goodness of the Lord, the Holy Spirit, the land of the living, the potter, the righteousness of Christ, tme is of the essence, to behold the beauty of the Lord, Tobago, transforms us, trusted the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Psalm 27:4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
Ah mih people, a friend who reads the Bit told me yesterday that everyday I complain about the weather. Well, today, I’m just going to say that it’s sunny and cold. (smile) And oh… that it’s better in Tobago. It certainly is!
Now let’s move on to something more worthwhile than the weather. It’s a poem titled ‘Beauty’ by Gramps Schuler (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from His hour of Power Devotional. I’m sure I’ve shared it before, but as they say, when it’s nice you’ve got to share it at least thrice. (smile)
Please pray with me. ‘Thank you, Father, for filling the world with beauty. I thank you for the beauty of life, the beauty of LOVE, the beauty of children, and the beauty of old people. I thank you for the beauty of Christ and for the beauty of any life where Christ is invited through the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Father, that you have made my life beautiful too. Amen.’
Isn’t that special friends? It surely is! And you young people will notice that there’s also beauty in old people. (smile) When we’re imbued with Christ and the Holy Spirit, we can see beauty in almost any and everything! That’s because Christ Himself is beautiful and He opens our eyes to the beauty of the things around us.
If we don’t have Christ in us, then our eyes are clouded and nothing looks beautiful. And how does this all happen eh? The Daily Bread tells us that ‘The Holy Spirit transforms us through His LOVE and by His grace.’ What powerful tools my people; LOVE and grace, through which despicable sinners like you and me can be transformed into righteous believers, to be called the righteousness of Christ!
And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You heavenly Father for filling us with your grace and LOVE and bringing us into righteous fellowship with You, through Your Son Jesus Christ. We LOVE and adore You and will continue to do our best to live the way You want us to. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!’
That brings us to the heartfelt desire of Bruh David in our Bit. ‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.’
Oh friends, when we take time to really know our God, we’ll find that He is truly delightful. But we can only discover that wonderful aspect of His character by taking time to spend with Him and getting to know Him intimately. Many of us claim we know God, but as soon as something negative happens and He doesn’t fix it immediately, we turn on Him.
But we have to remember that God is the potter and we are the clay, and we have to abide by His decisions, be they convenient and/or comfortable for us. And when we abide by His decisions, without a whole lot of complaining, however they may affect us, that’s when we come into true intimacy with Him and He shows us His true delightful self by blessing us with His LOVE and mercy.
It’s just like being with our earthly fathers. Unless we spend sufficient time with them, (pay attention children) we won’t know their true ways. But when we do, and learn their likes and dislikes, and generally stay on their good side, we see the delightfulness of our fathers and are usually showered with LOVE and blessings. Our God is no different; He wants our constant attention and expects us to do His will.
What did Bruh David say in our Bit? ‘…that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life…’ Oh my brethren, do we feel that way; like we want to dwell with the Lord for our entire lives? If we’ve truly surrendered our lives to Him, then we ought to.
And if we haven’t surrendered our lives to Him, then we ought to right now, today, because time is of the essence; Jesus is coming back soon, and once He returns there will be no more chance for surrender.
And we all know that although Bruh David wasn’t perfect, made mistakes for which he paid dearly, he faithfully trusted the Lord in all aspects of his life, and was quick to ask for forgiveness, thus the Lord’s LOVING-kindness towards him. We can have the same kind of life friends, if we do our best to walk in step with God.
Hear how Bruh David ends Psalm 27. ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14)
Words of everlasting wisdom my people! Words that we ought to follow in our own lives, if we sincerely want to experience the goodness of God. Nuff said!
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know of our wonderful relationship with the Lord. In all sincerity and truth now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And we all know that it will be indeed a glorious future, so let’s do our best to encourage others to join us in looking forward to it nuh. Much LOVE!
…the more time we spend with God…the more intimate we’ll get with Him…
16 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a garden plot, a good man, accumulation of things, balmy winter, beloved of God, by thy words, check out your heart, common sense, concentrate on faith, condemned, corrupt, day of judgement, deep freeze, evil man, evil things, evil treasure, evil world, faith, faith is cultivated, faithful service, friend jesus, give account, Glory be, God's LOVE, God's wisdom, good things, good treasure of the heart, grow in Christ, grow in faith, gush, hold closest to out heart, hurry, idle word, indisputable truth, justified, LOVE, lures, meritorious benefits, monitor your heart daily, moth, Our Daily Bread Devotionals, pay cnstant attention, people, plenty talk, rewards, ruin, rust, safe, share jesus' love, spiritual growth, state of our hearts, talking through their hats, there will your heart be, thieves break through and steal, treasure, treasures in heaven, trust, Tuesday Mantra, unattended hearts, unsullied by man, wandering, warned, weeds, where your treasure is, wisdom, worldly stuff, worry
Matthew 6:21. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Ah friends, it’s obvious that the weather people who forecasted a mild and balmy winter were talking through their hats, (smile) as so far it has been anything but balmy. Except for the couple days last week, when the temps were above freezing, we’ve been in a deep freeze since before Christmas and the snow has been plentiful; more again yesterday afternoon and last night.
And it amuses me that every time I look outside and see the place covered in snow, I gush about how beautiful it is. Hn! Hn! Oh, it does look beautiful when it’s unsullied by man. But then, we all know that man sullies everything he touches!
And I have some wise words to share this morning from Our Daily Bread Devotionals. The first says: ‘Monitor your heart daily, to avoid wandering from God’s wisdom.’ And the second declares: ‘Spiritual growth occurs when faith is cultivated.’
Oh my people, what words of indisputable truth! Unless we pay constant attention to what’s happening with our hearts, it’s ever so easy to move away from God’s wisdom, especially with the many lures that the evil world has in place to do just that. It’s like a garden plot; if you don’t pay serious attention to it, the weeds will soon grow up and overrun it. The same thing is possible, no, inevitable with unattended hearts.
And it should be obvious that to grow in faith, we have to concentrate on faith. We won’t grow in Christ unless we specifically cultivate that growth, for whatever we concentrate on, that’s the direction in which we will go and grow. Yeh friends, we can easily be known by the state of our hearts. As Jesus so rightly states in our Bit: ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’
Ah mih people, our treasure is never far from our heart, neither is our heart far from our treasure, because our treasure is what we hold closest to our heart. And Jesus warns before our Bit. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.’ (Matt.6:19-20)
What everlasting wisdom friends! In this world our treasures can be ruined by worldly stuff and people, but in heaven that’s impossible. Therefore the common sense to store treasures in heaven rather than on earth. (smile)
And the scholars add:. ‘6:19-21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term ‘treasures’ implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either on earth or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’
Please note that significant difference my brethren! It’s not how much stuff we accumulate in heaven, like it is on earth, but it’s all about rewards for our faithful service here on earth. So it’s based on how much good we do here on earth. And, unlike money, and power and physical stuff, they can never be lost or destroyed. Hence again, the wisdom of storing up treasures in heaven, where they are everlastingly safe.
That brings us to another instance where Jesus links treasures with the heart. Here He is talking about good and corrupt fruit. ‘A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.’ (Matt.12:35)
There again friends, we see that what’s in our heart is what we treasure, and vice-versa, and it can be either good or bad, but we can only bring out what’s in there, be it good or bad.
Note though how Jesus continues: ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt.12:36-37)
Powerful stuff that, my fellow believers: powerful enough that we should pay special attention to it! Remember the world was created by the Lord speaking words, which means that words are indeed very powerful, and we shall be judged by the words that we speak on this earth.
So it behooves us to be very careful about not only what we do, but also about what we say. So don’t say we have not been warned. (smile) Please take it very seriously, because in these times of plenty talk, it’s very easy to say the wrong thing and thus make our judgement day even more difficult than it’s already going to be.
Now let’s go home this Tuesday morning declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are. All together in strong and sincere voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Glory be my people! How blessed we are! Now let’s go out and share Jesus’ LOVE and friendship with the rest of the world, as He so generously desires. Much LOVE!
check out your heart…what does it treasure most…worldly stuff…or God’s LOVE…
15 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brisk wind, a follower of Jesus, adrenaline, angels, any other creature, as One, aura of love, be of good cheer, believe in their cause, Bob Marley, bombarded, buffeted, build your faith, Christian, comforting words, confidence, conquerors, conviction, cruel world, dangerous, death, depth, difficult, distress, don't be no drag, doubt, earth shattering, enthusiasm, evil, faith, famine, for thy sake, from the love of Christ, further your glorious kingdom, get ahead, gospel truth, Guide, heavenly advocate, height, heights of service, high priest, humble servants, I can do all things through Christ, i have overcome the world, in me, in the world, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, labour, lead, lies, life, lively up yourself, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nakedness, no hesitation, no midle ground, northern climes, not afraid, peril, persecution, powers, principalities, put it into action, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, separate us, servants, sheep for the slaughter, sink into our consciousness, spiritual armour, spoken to you, surrender, survive, sword, tests, these things, things present, things to come, trials, tribulation, unfair, united, useful purpose, verve, weary souls, wicked taunts, wiles, willing to fight, workers of iniquity, ye might have peace
John 16:33. These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Here we go again friends, getting up to go and labour on a Monday morning; a rather chilly one in the northern climes, with a brisk wind blowing to liven it up. (smile) As Bruh Bob (Bob Marley) would say: ‘Lively up yourself and don’t be no drag…’
Yeh mih people, unfortunately we’ve got to get a move on if we want to survive, much less get ahead in this evil and cruel world. And to help inspire us, let’s sing out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with as much verve and enthusiasm as we can muster.
In strong voice 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!’
Ah friends, when we’re dressed in the Lord’s spiritual armour, we are invincible. So with the adrenaline raised by the valiant proclamation of our Battle Hymn (smile) let’s get a move on nuh, get into the world and fight the good fight of faith in Jesus’ name, for that is what we were created to do. Being a Christian is not easy, because you have to undergo tests, trials and tribulation, to build your faith, so you can grow and be promoted in God’s kingdom. And the fact that a large proportion of the world will be against you for just being a follower of Jesus, makes it even more difficult.
But listen to these amazing, astounding, reassuring and comforting words of our Lord and Saviour, our fearless Leader, High Priest and heavenly Advocate; Jesus Christ, as He declares in our Bit. ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’
Wow friends! What an earth shattering statement! And there was no hesitation or doubt in Jesus’ voice when He said it. He was one hundred and ten percent sure of what He was saying. That means that we too can be one hundred and ten percent sure of all that He said. He opened His heart to the disciples and consequently to us, to give us His peace that’s like no other peace; the one that passes all human understanding. And though He knows that tribulation will be our lot in life, He assures us to be of good cheer.
And some of us will sneer at that statement, complaining that those two things are mutually exclusive. Not if you are a follower of Christ, because He has overcome the world and all the tribulation therein. Therefore, with His help, we can handle anything that comes against us. Please remember that my people. With God and us working in tandem, we are a majority, capable of defeating anything and anyone that dares to challenge us.
Remember that verse from Philippians? ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13) Well that’s the gospel truth friends! But you have to believe it, have the faith to put it into action. And though I’ve recently quoted these upcoming verses to you my brethren, I believe I have to quote them again because they are so relevant to our Bit, and the more often we hear them, the deeper they will sink into our consciousness. (smile)
Hear Bruh Paul elucidate and expound to the Roman church nuh. ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom.8:35-39)
Oh my fellow believers, until we all feel that way, espouse that same conviction, we won’t be able to reach the heights of service that the Lord has planned for us. The workers of iniquity sincerely believe in their cause, and are more than willing to fight for it. Christians also need to sincerely believe and be willing to fight for our righteous cause, if we want to defeat them.
Oh my brethren, the long and short of the story then is; if we want Christ’s LOVE Revolution to succeed, then we have to come together as ONE, and fight our battles as ONE, in Jesus name. There is no middle ground. Much LOVE!
…Christ died that His church should be united…not divided…
14 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 2018, all te day long, assembling, blessed assurance, blest, bodies washed, boldness, boosting our faith, Christ's body, coming or going, confidence, delight, dispensary, draw near, duty, echoes of mercy, encouragement, everlasting life, evil conscience, exhorting, faith, fellowship, foretaste, forgiveness, Frances Crosby, full assurance, glory divine, glory to God, godless deeds, good works, goodness, grace, happy, hatred, heartfelt plea, hearts aglow, hearts sprinkled, Hebrews, heir of salvation, high priest, holy of holies, hope, humility, Jesus is mine, lost in his love, LOVE, mercy, my song, my story, praise, praising my saviour, purchase of God, pure water, rain, rapture, sacrifice of our lips, salvation, Second Coming, share Christ, snow, spirits sincere, spiritual food, submission, Sunday, testify to, thanks, the blood of Jesus, the Lord's Day, true heart, truth, two or three are gathered, wavering, whispers of love, worship
Hebrews 10:22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
And the days of 2018 are passing by so quickly, with such topsy-turvy weather, we don’t know whether we are coming or going. We’ve already used up two weeks of the new year already, and gone from snow to rain and back again.
But it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the best day of the week, which means a time for fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary, or wherever two or three are gathered, to give Him praise and thanks, and receive His mercy, forgiveness, grace and confidence in return. In other words, boosting our faith to meet the upcoming week.
And as always, we’ll begin the proceedings with song; one of Frances Crosby’s old, but ever beautiful hymns, ‘Blessed Assurance.’ So with hearts aglow and spirits sincere, let’s raise our voices in song, offering up the sacrifice of our lips in humility and truth.
‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. (Refrain: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.’ Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels, descending, bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of LOVE.
(Refrain) Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His LOVE. (Refrain: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long).’
Oh friends, what great assurance there is in singing those beautiful words of that hymn! We really couldn’t ask for much more nuh. Just knowing that Jesus is ours, and we are His, makes this troublesome life all worthwhile. Glory to God! Just imagine nuh, which we’ve been purchased by God, through the sacrificial death of Christ! We’ve been washed in His blood and cleansed white as snow! Glory Hallelujah!
And to add the icing on the cake, we’ve been made heirs of salvation with Christ! Wow mih people! It just couldn’t get any better than that. That’s why we’re so honoured and grateful to sing praises to His name, while we wait, eagerly, patiently and faithfully for His return, ‘filled with His goodness, lost in His LOVE.’
Mama Mia! What a fantastic individual is our Jesus! The only problem though is that the whole world doesn’t think of Jesus in such glowing terms. Even some of His own supposed believers don’t think that highly of Him, that’s why the author of Hebrews issued the plea to the early believers to hold to the new faith, and I am reissuing it to us in these modern times.
Listen to this heartfelt plea. ‘Having therefore, brethren, boldness (confidence) to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised); (Heb.10:19-23)
Yeh friends, by Jesus destroying the veil in the temple covering the Holy of Holies, with the sacrifice of His sinless life, where only the high priest could go at certain times of the year, we are now able to go to God personally with confidence that He will hear and answer us. That’s why we are encouraged to stand strong in the faith, be assured that all that Jesus said and did and promised are true.
As believers we can’t afford to waiver back and forth. We must keep hope alive and flourishing, because our God has promised us good things like salvation and everlasting life, and He is ever-faithful to His word. That I can personally testify to, because I couldn’t write this Bit everyday now for some eleven years without His faithful help. He proposed the idea, and He NEVER gives us projects to do without giving us the wherewithal to do them. So any time He calls you, just jump to it, for though it might seem difficult, even impossible, God will always help you.
And having stood strong in faith and confidence, the author of Hebrews continues. ‘And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb.10:24-25)
Oh friends, yuh see how important it is, especially as the Second Coming approaches, to fellowship, to gather, to assemble with each other so that we can stir up and encourage each other to spread LOVE and do good works. As the scholars say: ‘It is easy to stir up hatred and godless deeds; it takes much more to stir up another to LOVE and good works.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren.
And the scholars further explain: ’10:25. Not forsaking the assembling: This admonition involves far more than erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ and is an outward indication of an inner condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (cf. Col.3:12-16). It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor.12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary of spiritual food.’
So friends, that means we don’t just go to church at Easter and Christmas or once in a blue moon and believe we’ve done our duty. Our duty is to attend church regularly, so that we can encourage and strengthen each other. So let’s seriously consider our church attendance this year nuh mih breddren, and with God’s help try and do better. It will be a boon for all of us individually, and above all, Christ’s body, the church. Much LOVE!
…if Christians don’t assemble… don’t fellowship…how can they share Christ eh…
13 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a witness, accidents, admire others, Anselm, aspites, blessed, but my words shall not pass away, clothed in white, communication, dangerous, distracted by criticism, divine revelation, draws near, first-rate version of yourself, follow the blueprint, for your life, forearmed, forewarned, Friday drive home, friend, God's economy, God's programme, God's timing, he that hears, he that reads, hear the word of God, inspire, keep those things, nature of prophecy, naysayers, new truth, no man knows, obey it, of that day and hour, of the utmost importance, prepared, prophecy, pursuing your dream, quotes, rain, rapture, read the book, Revelation of Christ, right time, sarcasm, second-rate version, snow blizzard. the wind howled, take a bite out of you, taste of success, the coming of the Lord, the Father, the second coming of Christ, the time is at hand, timing, treacherous roads, tribulation, understand it, warned, window panes, written therein, wrong time
Revelation 1:3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
What a fine bit of weather we’re having in my area these days! Glory be! I hope you can detect the note of sarcasm there. (smile) And it’s not only annoying but also dangerous.
Yesterday afternoon I had a nap, and I could hear the rain falling against the window panes, then by the time I got up, about an hour later, the land was clothed in white. A snow blizzard had developed. And the wind howled all evening long. You can imagine the treacherous roads and many accidents on a Friday drive home that this kind of weather caused.
But what to do eh friends? Not much. If you don’t have to go out, then don’t go out. And if you have to go out then be very careful, because you don’t know what lies beneath the sprinkling of snow on the ground. Enough about the weather though. It’s Saturday, so let’s check out some quotes from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
Here is the first one: ‘Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember the only taste of success some people get is to take a bite out of you.’ Oh friends, that’s ever so important in our daily lives. Whenever we step out to do something, there will always be the naysayers, but you can’t let them distract you from pursuing your dream. Criticism can be useful, but that’s all some people know, so please don’t let them deter you.
And then there is this: ‘Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.’ More truth my brethren! The Lord has made us to be who we are, not someone else. So though you might admire other people and desire to be like them in some respects, it’s important that you follow the blueprint for your life and nobody else’s, because that’s where you will come up the highest.
And the last quote says: ‘There is never a right time, you have to create the right time.’ Now I don’t necessarily agree with that, because, especially in God’s economy, there is a right and wrong time for some things. I’m sure that many of us have tried to do stuff, believing that the time was right, but it just never worked out.
What I will say though, is that timing is of the utmost importance. But then again, if you’re a believer, you will be expected to wait on God’s timing in all that you do. And I can tell you from hard experience that His timing is very different to ours. (smile) So the long and short of the story is to learn to ignore useless criticism, be your best self, not try to be somebody else, and wait on God’s timing!
Chuh! What is it eh? So far, every time I’ve written ‘timing’ I’ve spelt it wrong; except this time. Glory be! And talking about time and timing, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.’ Yes friends, the Revelation is all about Christ, and it was shown to John so that he could reveal God’s programme to us.
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘1:1-3. Bare record: John was a witness of what he wrote. He saw the revelation and wrote what he saw. The blessing of verse 3 has a three fold condition: (1) read the book, (2) hear (understand) it, (3) keep (obey) it.
The essential nature of prophecy was the communication of new truth (divine revelation). God has given it to be obeyed, not simply to be discussed and debated. The time is at hand in the sense that nothing else now has to occur before the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.’
Oh my people, what a good God we serve, who tells us what to expect in the future. But He doesn’t just tell us for tell sake, He expects us to read, understand and obey what He says. And as Jesus told the woman who declared: ‘Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked (breasts which nursed thee). But he said, Yea, rather (more than that), blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.’ (Luke 11:27-28)
Now are we doing that? Are we preparing for the time when things will change drastically? As James warns: ‘Be ye also patient; stablish (establish) your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (draws near).’ (James 5:8) And I know some of you will say that was said so long ago. But it only verifies the fact that with each passing day the Second Coming of Christ draws nearer and nearer.
And Bruh Paul also warns in Thessalonians: ‘For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.’ (1 Thess: 5:2) So fellow believers, it’s ever so important that we read, understand and obey the word of God, NOW, because Christ is coming back sometime, anytime.
Listen to His words. ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but the Father only.’ (Matt.24:35-36) Let’s consider ourselves dutifully warned friends! Much LOVE!
…to be forewarned…is to be forearmed…and thus prepared…
12 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a high priest, another week of work, any believing individual, ashes of a heifer, at the very heart, atoning sacrifice, blemish, blood, but by me, can't take it with me, carnal desires, cleanse, come again, come into the presence of God, conscience, dead works, destroying the temple veil, do it all over again, doubter, doubting Thomases, drink, earned the right, eat, enjoy the good life, enjoying my time off, enthusiasm, Equator, eternal Spirit, evil demon, faze, freezing temperature, Friday chant, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, get a toehold, good things, grin and bear it, hasn't been easy, heat, I am the way, ice, in Jesus' name, include Christ, lost, LOVE, massa, more dangerous than snow, moving out of the country, no holds barred, no man comes to the Father, not made with hands, one way to heaven, party, plummets, prepare a place, purge, redeeming, redemption, refreshed, remission of sins, renewed, revolves around Jesus, rising from the dead, sacrifice of animals, sanctifieth, serve the living God, sets apart, sincerity, sinless life, slave labour, sleet, slippery, snow, snow melted, sprinkling the unclean, temps dropped, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the blood of goats, the enemy, the forgiveness of sins, the good life, the Life, the ordinary workingman, the purifying of flesh, the rains came, the Truth, the weekend, Thomas, to celebrate, to the limit, unpleasant state of affairs, what a bam bam, without spot, work five days
John 14:6. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
And as the freezing temperature rose, the pervasive snow melted. But then the rains came, and the temps dropped somewhat again, causing the evil demon called ice to form.
Yeh friends, the last couple of days have been somewhat icy, causing numerous accidents, both on the roads and n the sidewalks. Ice is way more dangerous than snow, because it’s ever so slippery, and oftimes you can’t even see it.
Now today we are expected to get more snow, as the temperature plummets below freezing again. What a bam bam eh! But short of moving out of the country, to somewhere around the equator, there’s not much we can do but grin and bear it and handle it the best we can.
And what amazes me is that this unpleasant state of affairs doesn’t faze the ordinary workingman one bit. He is intent on enjoying his weekend despite any weather setbacks, as he so vociferously declares: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! And the weekend is here at last, especially since I had to work five, hard, long days this week.
But neither snow, nor ice, nor sleet, nor heat is going to keep me from fully enjoying mih time off from massa slave labour! I’ve earned the right to celebrate, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do! Eat, drink and party fuh so! No holds barred baby! What else am I living for eh? Can’t take it with me when I go! So let’s thank God for Fridays and weekends, as we enjoy the good life!’
And what’s the good life eh friends? Feeding our carnal desires to the limit, with no real or sincere thoughts of Christ? I don’t think so. The good life must include Christ, otherwise it’s not good! Nothing’s wrong with eating, drinking and partying, but within decent limits: limits that don’t allow the enemy to get a toehold in our lives.
That’s why our Friday Chant is a better gauge of what our weekends should be like. Let’s chant it now nuh, with sincerity and enthusiasm. ‘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.’
Now that takes Christ into account, in fact, places Him at the very heart of the matter. It all revolves around Him. And as true believers, that’s how our lives ought to be set up; around Jesus! And why is that you ask? It’s obvious, from the proclamation Jesus makes in our Bit. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’
Jesus had just told the disciples that He had to go away to prepare a place for them, and that He would come again to receive them unto Himself. ‘And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.’ (John 14: 4) But Thomas, ever the doubter declared: ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?’ (John 14:5) That’s when Jesus made the foundational proclamation in our Bit.
Oh friends, are we amongst the doubting Thomases in these modern times? I certainly hope not. For if we are, we are lost before we’ve even begun. And the scholars’ offer and interesting statement here on our Bit. ’14:6. Jesus does not tell them about the way, nor does He show them the way. He does not even guide them along the way. He says He IS the way!’
And He showed that in spades by destroying the veil in the temple when He died, then rising from the dead, thus allowing any believing individual to come into the presence of God at any time, not only the High Priest once a year. And by shedding His blood on the cross, Jesus consequently made the sacrifice of animals for the forgiveness of sins of no more necessity. His blood was now the ONE and ONLY redeeming and atoning sacrifice!
Oh glory to God my brethren! Listen to this scripture from Hebrews: ‘But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building (creation).
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered once into the holy place (Most Holy Place), having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth (sets apart, cleanses) to the purifying of the flesh.
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot (blemish) to God, purge (cleanse) your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?’ (Heb.9:11-14)
Yeh friends, Jesus offered His sinless life to the Father so that we could receive remission of sins, and the Father accepted His sacrifice. That’s why He is the ONLY way to the Father! Much LOVE!
…there’s only ONE way to get to heaven…through Jesus…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit. I was somewhat tardy myself this morning. (smile) Much LOVE!
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