10 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a live coal, a man of unclean lips, a people of unclean lips, absolution, Advocate, ask forgiveness, beloved of God, blessed life, born again, cleansed, confession, consecration, corrupt environment, Counsellor, court of appeal, Cross of Calvary, crumble to dust, destroyed, emotional discomfort, extenuating circumstances, for Jesus' sake, forgiven, friend of Jesus, God's presence, heinous sins, I am undone, inherited tendencies, intercession, kneel in your presence, legitimate excuse, life's twistings, loving-kindness, mine eyes have seen the king, My only defense, Old Testament, one day at a time, one solitary defense, One Year Book of Bible promises, prince of peace, reality, recommendations, references, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrifice of Jesus, sacrificial blood, seraphim, share His love, stripped of facade, stupidity, Thank you Jesus, the Lamb of God, the Lord of hosts, the sin of the world, tongs, touched thy lips, truth, Tuesday Mantra, weakness, woe is me, Yahweh
Isaiah 6:5. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone (destroyed); because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Okay friends, now that we’ve successfully overcome Monday, let’s turn our attention to Tuesday. Yes, just one day at a time, that’s all the Lord wants us to handle, consequently, He split our time period into days and nights. So let’s not jump ahead of ourselves nuh, and try to do too much all at once.
And on this Tuesday morning, in the cold spring of 2018 (smile) I have an interesting poem to share from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘My Only Defense.’
Please pray with me. ‘The powerful reality grips me, Lord That when I kneel in Your presence To ask Your forgiveness I am utterly stripped of façade. You accept no big-name references No high-caliber recommendations. Extenuating circumstances Crumble to dust In Your court of appeal… I am forgiven never Because of inherited tendencies Or emotional discomfort Or nagging weakness…
I can never plead Corrupt environment Or life’s strange twistings Or my own unbelievable stupidity… Ultimately I have one solitary defense. Only one – But always one: Forgive me God For Jesus’ sake. Like a song unending The words keep singing…I am totally forgiven I am totally cleansed Just for Jesus’ sake.’
What an awesome truth that is my brethren! Only by the spilled blood of Jesus on that cross of Calvary are we, or can we be forgiven for our heinous sins by our heavenly Father. Yes, only on the basis of that sacrificial blood are we even allowed into God’s Holy presence. And then all our worldly and personal excuses are worth absolutely nothing in God’s court of law.
Please, let’s remember that it’s only through and because of Jesus that we enjoy anything of the blessed life we now enjoy. So let’s stop putting Him down and blaspheming Him, as so many of us still do. Instead, let’s raise Him up, exalt Him, let’s acknowledge Him as the bright and shining Light that He is; our Lord, Saviour, Advocate, Counsellor, Advocate and Prince of Peace, amongst many other things.
Yeh friends, without Jesus, we are, and we would be nothing! And until we truly recognize and acknowledge that fact our lives will continue to be topsy-turvy and without peace.
And the Bible verse for that promise is also our Bit for today. ‘Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone (destroyed); because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’
That was Isaiah’s response to his vision when the Lord commissioned him to speak to Israel on His behalf. But then, much to his surprise: ‘Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged (atoned for).’ (Is.6:6-7)
Oh my people, we are ALL also of unclean lips, dwelling in a society of unclean lips. But luckily for us we don’t have to have a hot piece of coal touch our mouths to be forgiven of our sins. Thank the Lord we have the sacrifice of Jesus performing that rite of absolution!
We just need to be born again and come to acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour, and our sins are forgiven. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, for His LOVING-kindness to the children of men!
Now let’s look at some of the scholars explanations re Isaiah’s Confession and Consecration. ‘6:5. Isaiah’s confession: Having seen God in the full glory of His holiness, Isaiah pronounces the prophetic Woe upon himself. This was a legal charge meaning “ruined” or “dead.” His self-evaluation was I am undone (from Heb. ‘damah’, meaning “to be dumb” or “silent.”)
Thus, his response was a statement of total self-condemnation: “I am dead…I am speechless!” Recognizing that he has no legitimate excuse for himself, he further realizes that he is unclean, “defiled” or “polluted”).
This self-evaluation is made in light of the fact that he has seen the King, the Lord of hosts. The heavenly King is identified as Yahweh Himself, who is called “Lord of hosts” 62 times in Isaiah and 261 times throughout the Old Testament.’
‘6:6-7. Isaiah’s Consecration: Isaiah’s confession of his personal sin brought the response of God’s cleansing to equip him for service to the Lord. The altar was the place of blood sacrifice, called by later rabbinic writers the ‘paraclete’, or place of expiation or intercession. The coal has no redemptive ability of its own but is symbolic of the efficacy of the burnt offering consumed on the altar. Thus Isaiah’s sin was purged (cleansed).’
Oh my faithful brethren, isn’t it wonderful that we don’t have to go though all the blood sacrifice and stuff that the people of the Old Testament experienced. Jesus paid for all our sins once and for all on the cross of Calvary! And all Jesus’ followers cried out a loud and grateful ‘Thank You Jesus!’
Now let’s go home, as we do on a Tuesday declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. In sincere and strong 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!’
And the next move is to go out and action that declaration. Much LOVE!
…behold…the Lamb of God…which taketh away the sin of the world… (John 1:29b)
09 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a marathon, a note of caution, a tree, aura of love, blessed, blessings, change in attitude, Christians, confidence, conquerors, delight, depend on God, destruction, dog eat dog world, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, foolish, friends, glorious kingdom, heaven, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, in the law of the Lord, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy in our hearts, lies, living truth, LOVE, meditate, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative circumstances, not in the counsel of the ungodly, pain, planted by the rivers, ponder, pressure, race is not for the swift, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, sits in the seat of the scornful, spiritual armour, stands in the way of sinners, steadfast faith, stress, surrender, the bright lights of heaven, the broad way, the man that walks, the narrow path, the path of the wicked, the peace of Jesus, the sure of foot, the way of evil men, the way of the righteous, trust, truth, ungodly world, weary souls, wisdom, wise, worry, worry free
Psalm 1:1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Awright mih people, one more time around the track, remember is a marathon we running here, and the race is not for the swift, but for the sure of foot…and the wise ones who depend on Almighty God!
Yeh, I guess we all realize it’s Monday, and the work merry- go-round begins again. But wisdom dictates that we look at it this way; we at least get a two day break every five days, so there is something to look forward to in the short run, and eventually heaven and eternal life with Jesus in the long run.
Mama Yo! Now just that promise alone, ought to keep us motoring along each day with no thoughts of worry or pressure or pain since we’re only focused on the bright lights of heaven. (smile) Well we all know it looks good on paper, but it’s not that easy to do in reality, that’s why we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to lively us up, so that we can go out to labour with a good attitude, the peace of Jesus in our souls and His joy in our hearts.
So let’s sing up a storm this morning nuh. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now hopefully that kicked in the adrenaline and we’re feeling the feeling; the feeling of Jesus working a substantial change in our attitude toward the work day. Remember, if we don’t work, we won’t get pay, and then we can’t maintain our families and ourselves in the standard to which we’ve become accustomed.
That alone should strike a note of caution in our hearts, especially with decent jobs so hard to find nowadays, and the economy lurching unsteadily back and forth, like a drunken man. So although we may not like our jobs, we ought not to trivialize them, we have to take them seriously, because they are what cause us to survive in this dog eat dog world.
And the best way to accomplish all that is by living the kind of life put forth in our Bit. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.’
It’s obvious friends, that if we take the broad way to wherever we’re going, we’ll end up in destruction, because the broad way is the foolish way and only leads to negative circumstances. So what’s the alternative, you ask?
But that should also be obvious: living for Jesus, following the straight and narrow path, not usually the easiest way. This is how the psalmist describes it. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder, think on) day and night.’ (Ps.1:2)
Now that isn’t always easy to do either, but if we are true and sincere believers, we will wisely go to the Lord for help. And He will help us, since He NEVER turns away anyone who comes with a sincere heart seeking His assistance.
And the awesome result of pondering on God’s word and trying to live it, is this: ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:3)
Yes friends, remember we serve the Creator of this universe, and He is not only omnipotent, but also magnanimous. Thus when we live for His glory our lives will become prosperous. And that’s not so much in terms of money alone, but also in family, friend and work relationships.
Our lives will be basically stress and worry free, and though we will encounter problems, we’ll be able to handle them in an efficient manner, again with God’s ever-present attention and help.
So what think you this Monday morning eh? Are we seriously going to live for Jesus; pondering His word and following His most excellent example? I do hope so, for all of our sakes, otherwise we will definitely pay a serious price for our disobedience.
As the psalmist ends: ‘For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:6) And that’s the living truth my people! So please, let’s be wise, rather than foolish nuh, and follow God’s law. Much LOVE!
…enter not into the path of the wicked…and go not in the way of evil men… (Prov.4:14)
08 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a present help, a refuge, close in death, common sense, defense, diligence, Easter, excellence, faith, fellowship, fleeting breath, for the oppressed, forgiveness, from thy wounded side, golden oldie, has not forsakne them, helpless, I was glad, in time of trouble, in times of trouble, let me hide myself in thee, let us go into the house of the Lord, logic, look to thee for grace, my salvation, my soul waits on God, no respite, nooks and crannies, omnipotent god, pour out your heart, praise, preserve me from trouble, raise our voices, reading God's Word, renewal of our souls, rock of ages, safety, security, seeking refuge in God, Selah, soften up our hearts, songs of deliverance, strong tower, thanks, the double cure, The Lord will be a stronghold, the water and the blood, to thy cross I cling, true courage, trust, trustworthy sentiments, truth, truthful mouthful, ungodly society, walk this evil world, wisdom, zeal
Psalm 9:7. The Lord also will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
‘I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.’ (Ps.122:1) Oh my fellow believers, what better way is there to begin this first Sunday after Easter than with the encouraging words of Bruh David eh? None really!
And I do hope that we all will be glad to go to the Lord’s sanctuary today to give Him thanks and praise and receive His awesome renewal of our souls and spirits through the reading of His word and our fellowship with other believers, so that we can continue to do His work with exceeding diligence and excellence in this evil and ungodly society. What a mouthful! (smile) But a truthful mouthful.
And as always, we’ll begin with some praise and worship to soften up our hearts, so that the Lord’s word can quietly and easily seep into all its nooks and crannies and revive us. Glory to God my brethren, for there is none like Him! Therefore let’s raise our voices to high heaven in sacrificial praise as we sing the golden oldie hymn, ‘Rock of Ages.’ It’s a hymn based on the theme of refuge, and today we’re seeking refuge in our great God.
All together now people: ‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labor of my hands Can fulfill Thy law’s demands; Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow, All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling; Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace; Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, When my eyes shall close in death, When I rise to worlds unknown, And behold Thee on Thy throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.’
Ah friends, there is no place of greater safety and refuge than under the mighty wings of our omnipotent God, as our Bit and the verse following it testify. ‘The Lord also will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps.90-10)
Oh precious people of God, that’s gospel truth and wisdom to the nth level! And Bruh David is talking about us there; the ones who wisely put their trust in Almighty God! Glory be my people! Now that theme of refuge and stronghold being found in God is a constant in Bruh David’s writings. Let’s look at some of them.
In Psalm 32 – The blessedness of forgiveness, he powerfully proclaims: ‘Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about (surround me) with songs of deliverance. Selah.’ (Ps.32:7)
Meanwhile in Psalm 46 – God is our refuge and strength – Bruh David opens with this bold declaration: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present (an abundantly available) help in time of trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (the heart) of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps.46:1-3)
Wow! What powerful and trustworthy sentiments my fellow believers! I do hope that all of us gathered here today can express them as sincerely and powerfully, for it is only when we have that kind of faith, trust and security in our heavenly Father, that we can walk this evil and cruel earth with true courage.
And lastly, in Psalm 62 – God only is my rock and my salvation – Bruh David declares in no uncertain terms: ‘Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense (strong tower); I shall not be greatly moved (shaken)…In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.’ (Ps.62:1-3, 7).
Yes mih breddren, Bruh David was very sure of the One in whom he placed his trust; the Creator and Controller of the universe. And likewise, so should we. But just in case we don’t, or we’re not sure, let’s take this wise and very timely advice from Bruh David. ‘Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:8) And that’s the indisputable truth!
So let’s go home this morning refreshed and lifted up my fellow believers, with God joyfully filling every inch of our hearts, bodies and souls, as our heavenly Father desires. Much LOVE!
…wisdom, common sense and logic…all dictate that we put our trust…in the One who created the universe and all therein…
07 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, actions, Anselm's quotes, around the house, before men, born again, bounden duty, Christian way of life, christianity, communicate, couch potato, get serious, get with the programme, give light to others, gives light, glorify your father in heaven, glory to God, glow yourself, God rested, good for nothing, happiness, help, hindrance, knocking down the door, laze around, lead weary travellers, let your light so shine, lift our spirits, light a candle, light of the world, lighthouses, look for rainbows, look for stars, Lord and Saviour, natural beauty, naysayers, one fell swoop, oodles of things, pull up our socks, ready made, reaping the rewards, receive Jesus, reflecting, renew the saltiness, replenish the soul, salt of the earth, see your good works, sentinels, share, surround yourself, the extra mile, the help of God, the kingdom of heaven, the light and love of Jesus, the light that's Jesus, through thick and thin, traitors, trod under foot, turning away, under a bushel, willing to go
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Well a good morning to all my couch potato Scrip-Bit friends! (smile) Oh I know many of us cannot afford that luxury because there are oodles of things to be done around the house; stuff that we couldn’t or can’t do during the workweek.
But please find some time to just laze around and do absolutely nothing but laze around, it does help to replenish the soul. We cannot be busy every second of every day. For even God rested after every day when He was creating the world. He could have done it all in one fell swoop, but He chose to take His time and do it right, and so should we.
And since it’s Saturday, we ought also to consider some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And here is the first one: ‘When it rains, look for rainbows. When it’s dark, look for stars.’
I guess that makes sense since oftimes rainbows and stars are used by God to communicate with us, and even if there is no serious communication involved, they still lift our spirits by their natural beauty.
And then there is: ‘Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.’ And that’s basically true, because regardless of how good or bad your situation or circumstances are, ONLY you can make yourself happy. If you don’t want to be happy, no one can do so, and likewise, if you truly want to be happy, no one or nothing can stop you.
Now hear this next quote: ‘Surround yourself with people who get you.’ And I take it that he means people who understand you and what you plan to do. Yes friends, it’s of the utmost importance that we surround ourselves with people who think like us and are willing to go the extra mile to help us get where we want to be.
We can’t afford traitors or naysayers, else our projects won’t flourish. And please, don’t forget when you are reaping the rewards to share them with those who’ve stood by you through thick and thin. A lot of us tend to take all the glory for ourselves and forget those who helped us get to the top.
And the last quote says: ‘If you want to give light to others, you have to glow yourself.’ And that’s gospel truth my brethren! You can’t give away something that you don’t have. So if you want to show someone the way, you must have a light yourself to lead them, otherwise it will be just the blind leading the blind.
That brings us to our Bit; the awesome proclamation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’
Oh glory to God my people! That is what we were created to do; glorify God, and we can only do that by being true to our Christian way of life. And Jesus based that on two basic tenets, namely: being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And what does He mean by that?
Well, salt is possibly the most useful item in all of our society. It gives food flavour, acts as a preservative, melts coldness and heals wounds. Thus it is a good description of a Christian’s relationship to the world around him. And when you are born again, receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, all those elements are expected to play a major part in your life.
However as Jesus says earlier on: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt.5:13)
Yeh friends, if we are supposedly born again and are not behaving like salt, then we are of no use to the kingdom of heaven; more of a hindrance than a help. And sadly, that’s how a lot of us believers are looking and living today; salt less. That’s why so many others are turning away from Christianity. Our brand of Christianity has lost its flavour and purpose.
The same goes for being the light of the world. Jesus proudly declared of His believers and followers: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket, but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt.5:7)
Ah my fellow believers, sadly, today our faith seems to have lost it’s light, or we are hiding it under a bushel, because too many people are holding, viewing Christianity in a rather hypocritical manner. Our lives are not reflecting the light and LOVE of Jesus as they should. Our heavenly Father is certainly not being glorified the way He ought to be.
And it’s all our fault. God has given us all the tools to do the job, but we, for whatever reason, simply aren’t doing it properly. There’s no rush of people flocking to Jesus, while many are walking away. We’ve got to stop that out flow and begin having the unbelievers knocking down the door of Jesus to get in close to Him, just dying to have what we have.
And that can only be done if we believers pull up our socks, get serious about our faith, renew the saltiness of our spirits and remove the basket that’s hiding our wonderful light, the light of Jesus from the world. And with the help of Almighty God, we can certainly do it.
So today, I’m imploring us to get with the programme, and get on the good foot, so that we can do our bounden duty; glorify our great God. Much LOVE!
…true believers ought to be like lighthouses…standing sentinel in the dark…to lead weary travellers to the light that’s Jesus…
06 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rough week, an evil man, blessings, boundaries, centre of the personality, characteristics of Christians, Christians, circumspection, come up strong, conscious life, controlling device, defile the man, Easter partying, eat with unwashed hands, eliminated in the draught, emotions, evil treasure, fellowship, figuratively, flagrant worldly behaviour, fool ourselves, fountainhead, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, goes into the belly, heart, in a nasty mood, in Jesus name, keep thy heart, licentious, LOVE, lustful ways, magnificent and magnanimous God, misguided, mission, moral consciousness, paid time off, party hearty, party spirit, ponder, proceed out of the mouth, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, rise to the forefront, seat of intellect, spiritual life, Testaments, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the abundance of the heart, the issues of life, the law of God, the weekend, the windows of heaven, treasure of the heart, untold proportions, walk in god's will, what enters at the mouth, white-wash, will, wisdom, with all diligence, workingman
Proverbs 4:23. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
May untold blessings befall you and your families this Friday morning my Scrip-Bit friends! May the Lord open the windows of heaven, as He has promised, and shower down his awesome blessings on us all as we walk in His wise and wonderful will for our lives!
What a magnificent and magnanimous God we serve my brethren! Please don’t ever forget that. Even the workingman in his own way acknowledges that as he proclaims in his song.
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! This week was a rough week, what with all the Easter partying and carryings ons! We really had to come up strong, because massa was in a nasty mood…too much paid time off and all that nuh.
But now that the weekend reach, we can feel the party spirit rise to the forefront once again. And believe you me, we going to party as hearty as we can for the next two days. Thank God for Fridays and weekends, because it was meant for partying!’
Ah friends, the workingman’s heart is in the right place, but he’s somewhat misguided; the weekend wasn’t just meant for licentiousness and flagrant worldly behaviour, but more so for rest and relaxation and renewing of our spirits, hence our Friday Chant.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my people, it’s all about building, about furthering God’s kingdom here on earth; that’s our mission, and we can’t do it properly if we’re too taken up with the lustful ways of our flesh and the world.
So though, deep down we might want to party hearty like the workingman, we realize that that is not permissible in Jesus’ economy, we must have some boundaries to keep the enemy out of our lives, live them always with an ounce of circumspection.
That’s why Cousin Sol warns us in our Bit today: ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’ Words of awesome truth my people! And why is that you ask?
Hear the scholars’ explanation. ‘4:23. The Old Testament word ‘heart’ often refers to the physical organ of the circulatory system. Both Testaments also see the heart figuratively as the centre of the personality or spiritual life.
The heart is the seat of the intellect, emotions, will, and moral consciousness. It is the personality which has that extraordinary ability to perceive itself. The heart is presented as the seat of conscious life and the fountainhead of life.
Illustration: Jesus taught that sin came out of the heart of people, thus defining them (Mark 7:21-23). Yet after conversion, one of the characteristics of Christians is that they have the law of God written in their hearts. (Heb.8:8-12).
Application: Christians should LOVE the Lord with all their hearts (Matt.22:37). (First Ref. Gen.6:5; Primary Ref. Prov.4:23; cf. Rom.2:15).’
Yeh friends, our hearts are figuratively the controlling device of our souls. Listen to Jesus on the subject. ‘O generations (brood, or offspring) of vipers, how can ye being evil, speak good things?
For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 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 for evil things.’ (Matt.12:34-35)
Ah my fellow believers, it’s what inside of us that colours us, not what’s on the outside. It’s like whatever you put in a clear plastic bag, the colour of the contents will manifest itself though the plastic.
Likewise, we can look all clean and rosy on the outside but are truly dirty and evil on the inside, and it’s that dirty and evil stuff that will eventually come out into the open. You can only hide it for so long.
Now hear Jesus as He admonishes the disciples, when they asked for an explanation of His remarks about the blind leading the blind. ‘Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out (eliminated) into the draught?
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.’ (Matt.15:17-20)
Oh friends, let’s seriously ponder those fateful words of our Lord and Saviour this Friday nuh, and truly see what’s in our hearts. Let’s look deeply and sincerely, and not fool ourselves, and then bring our problems to God for His awesome and always available help. That is indeed wisdom of untold proportions. Much LOVE!
…white-washing the outside…doesn’t mean the inside is clean…if it was dirty before…it’s still dirty afterwards…
05 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a prophetess, abundance, believe in your dreams, benefits, best by date, blessings, brokenhearted, calamity, call out to wisdom, calls aloud in the street, Christians, complacency, consequences, counsel, courage, creativity, curse, delight in scorning, despairing thoughts, despised, destroying, disobedience, do great things, do productive stuff, dr robert h schuller, encouragement, faith, faithful brethren, favour, fear, fools hate knowledge, godly lives, greetings, hopes, Hour of Power Devotional, hurts, in God's name, in the name of Jesus, laugh at your calamity, loud and proud, LOVE, make known my words, naive, naivete, negative word, ole fogies, openings of the gates, peace, peace of mind, pour out my Spirit, rejecting wisdom, reproof, scoffers, scorners, sensible option, set your compass, she raise her voice, simple ones, slain, talent, terror, the elderly, the humble, the poor, the presence of God, the valley of the shadow, the winter of our days, Thursday Blessings, trust, turn you, ways of Jesus, waywardness, wisdom, wisdom cries out, wisdom of God, worldly ways, young uns
Proverbs 1:20. Wisdom crieth without (calls aloud in the street); she uttereth (raises) her voice in the streets (plazas).
Greetings and salutations this glorious Thursday morning in the springtime of our lives my faithful brethren! (smile) Awright, so some of us might have already passed our best by date, but that doesn’t mean we have to be thrown away. In fact we are the kind of people the Lord finds much use for when the world is no longer interested in us. He uses the poor, the elderly, the broken hearted, the humble to do great things in His name.
So though we are actually in the winter of our days, we ought not to give up hope and stop trying to do productive stuff. And saying that, here is some encouragement from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from His Hour of Power Devotional as he talks about being in the valley of the shadow.
He says: ‘Peace comes to the person who feels the presence of God…. Don’t trust the clouds – trust the sunshine. Don’t set your compass by the flash of lightning – set it by the stars. Trust the sun – don’t trust the shadow. Believe in your dreams – don’t believe in your despairing thoughts. Have faith in your faith – and doubt your doubts. Trust in your hopes – never trust in your hurts.’ Amen friends, Amen!
And I believe that’s useful not only for the ole fogies, but also for the young uns. The sooner they learn that kind of stuff, the more productive and godly lives they will live. But ALL of us need to pay serious attention to that woman of all women; WISDOM, for without her we are completely lost.
As Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘Wisdom crieth without (calls aloud in the street); she uttereth (raises) her voice in the streets (plazas). She crieth in the chief place of concourse (concourses), in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple (naïve) ones, will ye LOVE naiveté? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?’ (Prov.1:20-22)
Ah mih people, those words are ever so true in these tumultuous times, as real wisdom, that of God, is being trampled down by the falsehood that the world purveys as wisdom. And too many of us, Christians included, are foolishly following that supposed wisdom the world perpetrates. However we need to desperately understand that TRUE wisdom comes ONLY from God; from His word, His statues and His commandments.
As Gramps Schuller says in the passage above: ‘have faith in your faith.’ Otherwise, what’s the purpose of having a faith, if you don’t have faith in it eh? None whatsoever!
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘1:20-33. Wisdom is personified here as a prophetess calling in public places to everyone to come to her and learn. Three groups are especially singled out in the appeal: ‘the simple ones, or untaught; the scorners or scoffers; and the fools, or morally dull (v.22). The consequences of rejecting wisdom are immense (vs.26-28).’
And sadly my brethren, in this supposedly wise society, there seems to be way more of those three groups who are not interested in true wisdom, than those of us who are. But true and godly wisdom keeps crying out: ‘Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.’ (Prov.1:23)
Yes friends, the wisdom of God is crying out for us to turn back from our sinful, worldly ways and embrace His LOVING-kindness, for that’s the only wise and sensible option open to us. But we don’t seem to be paying any serious attention to His call.
Thus wisdom continues: ‘Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought (disdained) all my counsel, and would (have) none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear (terror) cometh.
When your fear (terror) cometh as desolation (a storm), and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early (diligently), but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.
They would (have) none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away (waywardness) of the simple shall slay them, and prosperity (complacency) of fools shall destroy them.’ (Prov.1:24-32)
Ah mih people, yuh see the serious consequences involved in rejecting the wisdom of God! And that’s exactly what’s happening in our society today; we are being slain by our waywardness and disobedience, and our complacency is destroying us.
But it’s not too late to call out to wisdom friends. Please, let’s be wise and do so nuh, that our children and us can benefit from it. ‘But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet (secure, or at ease) from fear of evil.’ (Prov.1:33)
And accompanying that peace of mind will be numerous benefits, like those enshrined in our Thursday Blessings. Let’s declare them out now, loud and proud, so that the unbelievers can see what to expect when they wholly embrace the wisdom and ways of Jesus.
‘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!’
Now let’s go out and share some of those many blessings as Jesus intends for us to do. Much LOVE!
…blessings only come with obedience…which is a by-product of wisdom…
04 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a peaceable life, a ransom for all, all in authority, all men saved, blessed God's great earth, bodies, breath of life, christ jesus, come unto the knowledge, desires to have, do your will, don't deserve it, exhortation, eyes fixed straight ahead, forgiveness, Gentiles, giving of thanks, God's number one desire, godliness, good and acceptable, gospel truth, grace, halfway home, hands on the plough, hearts, heavenly Father, honesty, in the name of Jesus, in the sight of God, intercessions, jehovah god, John Hagee, knowledge, lead and guide us, like Jesus, LOVE, loving-kindness, mercy, not looking back, nothing has meaning, one God, one mediator, ordained a preacher, praise and thanks, prayer, preeminent place, promises, provision, put it into action, receive us in glory, redemption, reverence, salvation of men, selfless sacrifice, souls, supplications, surrender, teacher, the cross at Calvary, the Most Hig, the names that's above every other, the root purpose, truth, until we live it, wasting their time, Wednesday Wail, you are faithful
1 Timothy 2:4. Who will (desires to) have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
One more day, you beautiful people of Jehovah God! Yes, we’ve been blessed with another day on God’s great earth, to enjoy His awesome LOVE, mercy, grace and forgiveness! How can you beat that eh? You just can’t! So let’s begin by giving the Most High some praise and thanks for all that He’s done, doing, and will do for us, even though we don’t deserve it.
Please pray with me: ‘Oh heavenly Father, thank You for this day and all the amazing promises You’ve made! We know that You are faithful to keep them, therefore we surrender our hearts, souls and bodies to Your everlasting mercy and grace.
Please lead and guide us to do Your will, like Jesus did. Then receive us in glory, like You did with Him. We pray this in the holy name of Jesus, the name that’s above every other name, because of His selfless sacrifice on the cross of Calvary for us. Amen!’
Yeh friends, we can never give God enough thanks and praise for all that He’s done on our behalf. So please let’s not think more highly of ourselves than we should. It’s ONLY through His LOVING-kindness that we still exist.
Now here is a li’l something from Uncle John (John Hagee) to titivate our minds. (smile) ‘Nothing has meaning until we live it. Meaning: it’s not what you know, it’s how you apply what you know.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren!
All the knowledge in the world won’t help you until you put it into action. So all those people who just keep on going to school for going to school sake, and not doing anything useful with the knowledge they acquire, are simply wasting their time and their lives. I know that they say knowledge is power, but only if you use the knowledge.
And today we’ll contemplate what is the most important bit of knowledge a man can have, as we look at Bruh Paul’s exhortation to Timothy regarding prayer.
He opens the chapter thus: ‘I exhort therefore that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority (a prominent place); that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty (reverence). For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.’ (1 Tim.2:1-3).
And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘2:1. First of all (or, “most important of all”): Prayer is to hold the preeminent place in church meetings. Four different types of prayer are mentioned here: (1) supplications are precise requests for specific needs; (2) prayers is a general word embracing various kinds of prayer – confession, adoration, and so on; (3) intercessions denote prayer to God on behalf of others; (4) giving of thanks refers to prayers of praise.’
And per verses 2-3, the scholars say: ‘There are three reasons why the prayers of verse 1 are to be offered “for all men”: (1) that Christians may enjoy a tranquil life (v.2); (2) such praying is good and acceptable to God (v.3); (3) such prayers help bring about the salvation of men (v.4).’
So there we have it friends, prayer helps us live quiet, untroubled peaceful lives and helps with our salvation. But all of it is a waste of time unless we truly understand the root purpose for it all, that’s found in our Bit: ‘Who will (desires to) have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.’
Yes my people, that is our God’s greatest wish; that we all be saved and come to know the truth, which is: ‘For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (Jesus’ sacrifice is proof of God’s will for all to be converted). Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity (truth).’ (1 Tim. 2:5-7)
And per the scholars: ‘2:5-7. These verses provide a threefold evidence confirming the assertion in v.4 that God “will have all men to be saved”: (1) There being but one God implies that He must have the same desire toward all people, which is, namely their salvation.
One mediator suggests His having made the same provision for all people, namely redemption. (2) Jesusgave himself a ransom for all (v6). (3) Paul’s being divinely ordained…a teacher of the Gentiles (v.7) shows that if sinful pagans are instructed in faith and verity (truth), then surely God does indeed want all to be saved.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my brethren, otherwise He wouldn’t have made all the provision He’s made, especially through Christ’s sacrifice. So please, let’s keep that first place in our minds, and wisely try to live the kind of life it suggests; a godly, prayerful and righteous one. Now let’s end with our Wednesday Wail, where we tell the world about our wonderful journey with Jesus.
In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘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!’
Ah friends, everytime I consider that glorious future laid up for us, I just LOVE Jesus more! Much LOVE!
…salvation for all…God’s number ONE desire…
03 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a barrier breaker, a limited mindset, acclamation, battles are fought in the mind, beloved of God, break free, bring love, daring, doing good, doing the work of Jesus, drama in the synagogue, enlarge my vision, experience god's favour, fall in love with Jesus, filled with rage, friend of Jesus, God is fulfilling His purpose, god-forsaken world, greater honour, heal a man's withered hand, hungry to death, I will ask you one thing, is it lawful on the sabbath days, Jesus interpretations, Joel Osteen, oral tradition, percolating, Pharisiees, potential, power of words, righteousness, rise up, rooted in our subconscious, seeds of greatness, share jesus' love, stand forth, talent, taught the world to fall in love, the Creator of the universe, the LOVE of Jesus, then said Jesus, to destroy life, to do evil, to do good, to save life, Today is my day, true believers, trust Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unafraid, uncontainable, uplift my spirit
Luke 6:9. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
‘And today I taught the world to fall in LOVE again. Yes, today I taught the world to fall in LOVE with Jesus again…’
Oh how I wish those words were true my believing brethren. I don’t know why, but since I got up this morning those words kept percolating in my brain, and I’ve been singing them as a li’l ditty to uplift my spirit. And as believers, we could have no greater honour or work than to bring LOVE, especially the LOVE of Jesus to this God-forsaken world. So let’s see if we can’t work on that nuh.
And in the meanwhile, here is this acclamation which sits prominently on my desk, but which I don’t seem to see, or pay much attention to. However, I was drawn to it last night, and the Lord put it in my heart to share it today. Oh, I’m sure I’ve shared it before, but one more time won’t hurt. (smile) It’s an acclamation from Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) titled ‘Today Is My Day!’
Please declare it with me in strong voice and full belief. ‘God has destined me to be a barrier breaker! He created me to be uncontainable! I have talent and potential given to me by the Creator of the universe. There are seeds of greatness inside of me.
Today I choose to break free from a limited mindset and enlarge my vision. Today, God is taking me places that I’ve never even dreamed of before. Today, God is fulfilling His purpose in my life. Today, I will experience His favour like never before in every area of my life.’
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ Ah friends, if we’d only truly believe all of that eh! But the important thing is to keep saying stuff like that, because if we do, it will finally become rooted in our subconscious and we’ll eventually believe it and live it out in our daily lives. Such is the power of our words and our thoughts!
Remember, ALL the battles are fought in our minds and therefore we need to win them there, so that our bodies and souls will function in righteousness, as God desires of us.
And as I opened the Good Book just now to search for an appropriate bit, it opened at the gospel of Luke and these immortal words of Jesus immediately caught my eye. ‘Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?’
Those were Jesus’ questions to a group of overly religious, hypocrite Pharisees, who stood by one Sabbath Day in the synagogue to see if Jesus would heal a man’s withered hand. ‘But he (Jesus) knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.’ (Luke 6:8)
Then Jesus posed the questions in our Bit to them. And I like how the Good Book continues, re Jesus’ attitude and next move. ‘And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they (the Pharisees) were filled with madness (rage); and communed one with another (discussed) what they might do to Jesus.’ (Luke 6:10-11)
Oh friends, can you feel the drama in the synagogue that day as Jesus looks around at them daring them to stop Him? So too should we be in doing the work of Jesus, daring and not afraid. And that wasn’t the first time He had had words on what was lawful on the Sabbath with the religious leaders. On another Sabbath Day they had questioned him on the disciples going through a cornfield and plucking some to eat on the Sabbath Day.
According to them that was unlawful. But Jesus pointed out to them how Bruh David and his men, hungry to death, had gone into the Lord’s house on the Sabbath and eaten the showbread that was only lawful for the priests to eat. (1 Sam.21:1-6) And according to the scholars: ‘6:2. The disciples’ action was not in itself illegal (Deut. 23:25), but the oral tradition held that they were breaking the Sabbath.’
Yuh see how we can let tradition and the irrational laws of men turn us away from God’s law. And that time, ‘Jesus said unto them (the Pharisees), That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.’ (Luke 6:5) Obviously inciting words to the religious leaders.
And the scholars tell us re that verse. ‘6:5: Having already asserted His prerogative, like God Himself, to forgive sins (5:20), Jesus now assumes the right to interpret the Old Testament in a way far different from that of the religious leaders of His time.’ Obviously the Pharisees were not thrilled with any of Jesus’ interpretations.
And re our Bit, the scholars explain: ‘6:9. Jesus illustrates the principle lying behind 6:5. If it was in one’s power to do good to someone in such dire need, it would be wrong not to do so, whatever the day of the week. The Sabbath was not designed to make man suffer. The Pharisees seem to have lost sight of this.’
Consequently friends, we must not let ANYTHING or ANYONE stop us from doing good, regardless of time or place. And having taken in all of that, (smile) let’s go home now joyfully declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are.
‘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!’
So as true believers, let’s go out and do exactly that nuh! Much LOVE!
…doing good…at all times…is Jesus’ way…
02 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acted very corruptly, almighty god, aura of love, blessings, Christians, commanded Moses, confidence, consequences of disobedience, Controller, Creato, croaky voices, curses, death knell, disasters, disobedience, drunk or sober, Easter Monday, enthusiasm, evil, exhausted, friends, God's hands at work, God's poster society, God's wrath, godliness, Granny's warning, gusto, Hades, have not kept the commandments, he who doesn't hear will feel, he who has ears to hear, holding the short straw, holy spirit, human nature, humble servants, in a funk, into line with God's law, invincible, jealous, jobs, joy, judgements, let him hear, lies, LOVE, mind yuh business, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, obey the voice of God, omnipotent god, ordinances, pinishment, ponder our situation, provider, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, resurrection of Jesus, righteousness., salvation, spiritual armour, statutes, steadfast faith, taunts, thanks and praise, thy servant, too big for their britches, truth, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom
Nehemiah 1:7. We have dealt (acted) very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements (ordinances) which thou commandest thy servant Moses.
And then it was Monday once again; but a Monday with a difference; Easter Monday where a fair amount of us don’t have to go to work and we’re still celebrating the miraculous and momentous resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ from the depths of Hades through the awesome power of our omnipotent God!
What blessed people we are my fellow believers to have such a magnificent and magnanimous Deity as our Creator, Controller and Provider! Give Him some most fitting thanks and praise nuh!
We have one problem though, some of us have to go to work, so no doubt they will be in a funk, jealous that they have to go out and labour while the rest of us get to stay home and party. Others however, might just be flat out tired and exhausted from their Easter celebrations, so it’s also hard for them to get up and get going.
But as always, we have the antidote for the Monday morning whatever ails you, namely our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So let’s belt it out with as much gusto as we can manage nuh, to help our unfortunate brethren who have to go out and labour today.
All together 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!’
That was uproarious friends! As usual, you could hear the sore, croaky voices louder than the others, and know that they weren’t going to work, while the soon to be working were barely audible. But that’s just the nature of the human animal.
Oh, let me apologize for not reminding us of Granny’s serious warning this long, Easter weekend. Sorry, I guess I just got carried away by all the activities myself. But it’s not too late to issue the warning now: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’
And that applies to all believers as we celebrate one of the biggest occasions in our Christian faith. It’s a time when we’re liable to let our hair down too much and allow Lucifer and his evil minions to catch us offside. And we don’t want that at all now mih people. So please be careful; give plenty thanks and party hearty, but please mind your p’s and q’s. End of sermon. (smile)
And today’s Bit is an obscure verse of scripture from Nehemiah’s prayer for Israel when he learned of their sorrowful state back in the homeland. Israel had been punished by captivity in Babylon because of their disobedience to God’s laws. ‘We have dealt (acted) very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements (ordinances) which thou commandest thy servant Moses.’
Friends, I believe that right now we’re also holding the short straw, because of the unbelievable sinful ways and attitudes predominant in our current society. And we all need to be seriously praying that the Lord might save us from our shortcomings, for who knows if some of the disasters we’ve been recently suffering are God’s hands at work.
But I can assure us of one thing, if we aren’t already feeling God’s wrath, then if we continue down the sinful and ungodly path we’re presently travelling, then it won’t be long before we do feel His wrath. For our God does not make promises lightly. What he says He means.
And here is what He said way back when to the Israelites under Moses, as the consequences of disobedience. ‘But it will come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto (obey) the voice of the Lord thy God, to (carefully) observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.’ (Deut.28:15)
And the curses run from verse 16 to 68, while the blessings of obedience only run from verse 1-13. That ought to tell us something friends; that the punishment for disobedience is harsh and long lasting and to avoid it, we need to improve our godliness and righteousness. We ought to read them for ourselves so that we can better understand the seriousness of our situation.
And it’s not like there aren’t many examples of societies who got too big for their britches and were eventually cast aside through God’s machinations. Why do we think ours will fare any differently eh? Especially, like Israel, when we were once upon a time God’s poster society for general obedience to His laws and He made us strong with His blessings.
So friends, this Easter Monday, while we’re celebrating Jesus’ victory, let’s take some time to also ponder our own situation nuh, and see how we can bring our society back into line with God’s law, because our death knell is ringing. Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…he who doesn’t listen…will surely feel…
01 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Romans 6:12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
HAPPY EASTER!
Welcome family, friends and neighbours to this the most joyful day and time in Christendom; Easter Sunday! Wow! What a dramatic splash Jesus made on that first Easter morning as He rose triumphantly from the grave, holding the keys to death, hell and the grave!
All thanks and Glory be to God my people, for that is the awesome fact that gives us the hope, sorry not the hope, but the faithful assurance of salvation and life everlasting with Him, forever and ever. Because He rose from the grave, we His followers will also rise from the darkness of hell to the wonderful light of heaven.
That’s why there is so much joy and such a tremendous outpouring of LOVE and compassion in our world today. Christians will be rejuvenated as we celebrate that miraculous and awe-inspiring action of our omnipotent and magnanimous God that took place some two thousand years ago!
And today, numerous believers will flock to the Lord’s sanctuary, including those who only go to church at Easter and Christmas, (smile) and both their voices and hearts will be raised to heaven, will soar like eagles on high, with sincere praise and thanks to Almighty God for the most wonderful gifts of salvation and eternal life, obtained through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, then His momentous resurrection on this Easter Sunday.
But enough talk, let us raise our voices too with those all around the world as we sing that awesome old hymn written by Charles Wesley; ‘Christ The Lord Is Risen Today!’
Now in strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia! LOVE’S redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia! Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia! Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia! Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia! Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia! Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia! Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia! Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia! Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia! King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia! Everlasting life is this, Alleluia! Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia! Thus to sing, and thus to LOVE, Alleluia!’
Oh friends, what a wonderful God we serve! Though Charles Wesley’s words were great, in reality, there are no words that can truly convey the awesome character and LOVE and compassion of our God; the ONE and ONLY TRUE LIVING GOD; He of Abraham Isaac and Jacob!
Which other supposed Deity would have LOVED us the way He did, to send His ONLY Son to die for us while we were still sinners, His veritable enemies eh? NO OTHER! And who would grant us chance after chance after chance to be reconciled to Him, showing us endless undeserved mercy eh? NO OTHER! And don’t forget that the soul saving and life giving gifts of salvation and eternal life are free; they only call for sincere belief in His Son Jesus.
Now if all of that doesn’t strike a major chord in all of our hearts, and help us to draw closer to Christ, then we’re surely made of stone. That’s why I’m not going to get into the traditional Easter story, but rather try to point out the most basic but truly significant aspect of Christ’s resurrection, as Bruh Paul denotes it: freedom from sin’s power.
Listen to some of his discourse. ‘Know ye not, that so many of us were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?’ (Rom. 6:3) When we received salvation, identified with Christ, through the outward show of baptism and the receiving of Holy Spirit we became tied up in all His affairs.
‘Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like (just) as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.’ (Rom.6:4) As the scholars explain: ‘We should live our everyday lives manifesting resurrection life, free from sin’s control.’
‘For if we have been planted (united) together in the likeness of his death, (certainly) we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed (rendered inoperative), that henceforth we should not serve (be slaves of) sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.’ (Rom.6:5-7)
Yes friends, we have been delivered from the guilt and penalty of sin and have been set free to serve Christ. That is what His resurrection should be working in us. Oh I know we have to celebrate and rejoice, and all that, but on the practical level we have to lift our lives out of the morass of sin that is enveloping our world. Jesu died so that we could have the ability to conquer, to rise up over sin, like He did.
‘Likewise reckon (consider) ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Neither yield (present) ye your members as instruments (weapons) of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield (present) yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments (weapons) of righteousness unto God.’ (Rom.6:12-13)
And on this Easter Sunday of 2018, I pray that all believers will become truly committed to stop sin from having mastery over their lives and stop giving into it. That’s eternal wisdom! Much LOVE!
…being truly involved with Jesus…is all about sincere COMMITMENT…
Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 