05 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Amen, awesome greatness, blessings, boring death, bounden duty, bountiful mercies, Christian faith, christianity, confidence, discouragement, don't waver, dr schuller, evil conscience, exciting life, failure, faithful God, fellowship, forgiveness, glorious morn, glory, God's promises, God's providence, good works, gospel truth, have hope, heart-moving prayer, high priest, hold fast to our faith, Holy Place of God, hope, inspiration, largesse, last trumpet, LOVE, loving kindness, mangnanimous God, mercy-filled lives, power, praise and thanksgiving, praise the Most High God Jehovah, reciprocal encouragement, shame, spendour, spiritual food, stir up LOVE, strength, success, thankful mood, the blood of Jesus, unbelievable opportunities, weakness, wonderful grace, worship and glorify God
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
And then it was Wednesday, my beautiful Friends in Christ Jesus! Meaning that another new and glorious morn is in the offing, bringing with it exciting and unbelievable opportunities to enjoy the everlasting and bountiful mercies, goodness, blessings, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness of our magnificent and magnanimous God!
And the hearts of God’s people were so touched by those sentiments that they erupted in unison, in one loud voice: ‘Oh praise and sanctify the Most High God Jehovah! He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who dwells in the high heavens, but unstintingly pours out His wonderful grace on His adoring people, the children of men, here on earth!
Yes mih people, that’s the kind of adoration our Creator, our Provider and most generous, LOVING and faithful God deserves, each and every day of our blessed, mercy-filled lives!
In truth, there are really no words in the human language to truly describe the awesome greatness, splendour, largesse and LOVE of our God, but we do have to try and make do with what we have, because it’s our bounden duty to worship and glorify Him and spread His glorious kingdom to all the ends of the earth, so that when the last trumpet sounds, not a single soul of His creation will be lost to mammon.
And all God’s children declared a loud and glorious shout of ‘Amen! And again we say, Amen!’
Ah mih breddren, the ole fella just seems to have gotten up in a real praising and thankful mood this morning. (smile) But that’s really the way we ought to be each and every day. So let’s endeavour to pick up our praise and thanksgiving, starting today nuh. We’ll undoubtedly enjoy much better, much happier lives if we do that.
Now here’s a prayer from Dr. Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional that will certainly help us to do that. It’s titled, ‘I Will Move.’
Pray with me: ‘Lord, I want your heart to be in my heart. For in you I come alive, moving ahead from boring death to exciting life! In your promises, I will move from discouragement to hope. In your pardon, I will move from shame to glory. In your power, I will move from weakness to strength. In your providence, I will move from failure to success! Thank you, Lord. Amen.’
Oh Friends, what a beautiful, heart-moving prayer! I sure hope that it gets all of us worked up for Christ this morning!
Now let’s look at how our Bit comes about; it stems from a plea to hold to the new faith. ‘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 our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
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. 10:19-26)
Now what does all of that mean eh? Let’s get some insight from the scholars. First off: ‘Jesus Christ is the new and living way by which believers have direct access into the very Holy Place of God (cf. 4:14; 6:20; 7:25; John 14:6)’
Then: ‘The word translated provoke (Gr. paraoxysmos) usually has a negative sense, as is witnessed by its only other New Testament usage (Acts 15:39). The positive connotation which the word has in the present text means to stir up. It is easy to stir up hatred and godless deeds; it takes much more to stir up another to LOVE and good works.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! We can very easily stir up ourselves and each other to anger and other unfruitful stuff, but doing it for the positive things takes much more work and time.
And finally: ‘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 form 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 and medicine.’
And to that Friends, I can only say ‘Amen!’ For it’s something I’ve been trying to instil in us all along; the necessity for fellowship and believer interaction at all levels, times and places in our lives, because it’s from that coming together, that physical and spiritual mixing, we’re supposed to draw strength, inspiration and faith to carry on.
So let’s come together nuh mih people, as Jesus would have us do, to exhort and inspire each other. That’s true wisdom and Christian faith at its everlasting best. Much LOVE!
…when Christians join together in true fellowship…all the hosts of heaven rejoice…
P.S. Oh my brethren, please remember to check out the scripture references given above, because they are for our benefit, further enlightening us as to the meaning(s) of the Word of God. And if you don’t read the scriptures for yourselves, you’ll NEVER truly understand them. And that’s gospel truth! Much LOVE!
04 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: can't find jobs, captains of industry, communion with Jesus, corrupt politicians, don't be afraid, double minded, eternal life, excellent qualifications, excuse, faith, global village, globalization, God's faithful, gospel truth, greed, grow in faith, hold fast, human-rights, hunger and thirst for righteousness, hungry hope, in God's good time, inept leaders, inhumane practices, keep life and limbs together, lackeys, lay offs, LOVE, maximize profits, peace, peace of mind, prosperous society, ruse, salvation, shortsightedness, sufferation, thankful for jobs, the confession of our faith, the wicked will eventually pay, union with Jesus, unity, waivering faith
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Oh Friends, it’s already Tuesday! Wow! That means Friday and Freedom soon come! (smile) Yeh mih people, I know that many of us are labouring under less than ideal conditions, in less than ideal jobs. But as we sang in our Battle Hymn yesterday, we’re still thankful for them because they at least keep life and limbs together.
Unfortunately though, there are so many many today, in this supposedly prosperous society, who don’t have jobs, in fact can’t find one, even though they have excellent qualifications, and sadly, many more are being laid off every day.
Ah Lord eh! What a mess of things these foolish, misguided, inept, corrupt politicians whom we call leaders, have made of this world!
That’s because they aren’t true leaders, but just the lackeys of the greedy, short-sighted, inhumane captains of industry, who are only concerned about the almighty bottom line and the abnormal profits they can make. They don’t give a damn about those they condemn to ‘sufferation’ through their inhumane practices!
And all this talk about globalization and a global village is just that, a ruse, an excuse for them to move their money, means of production and power anywhere around the world so that they can maximize their profits on the backs of the struggling poor of the new country, without an iota of concern for those unfortunates they’ve left high and dry behind in their last location.
But Friends, as the Good Book says so many times over, the wicked, the greedy and the proud will eventually pay for their evil deeds. Yes, my brethren, all will be made right in God’s good time. There’s absolutely no doubt about that, because we know that our God has promised it, and He’s eternally faithful, as the end of our Bit declares.
Therefore ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’
Yes my people, since our great God promised us eventual peace, LOVE, salvation and eternal life, and since He never reneges on a promise, then it is absolutely essential, totally necessary for us to keep hold of the hope and expectation that’s to be found in our faith.
And I like how somebody termed it, a hungry hope. Yes my brethren, we must exhibit a hunger and thirst for righteousness as our faith demands. For without a palpable hunger gnawing at our souls, our faith is very liable to waiver, and then we’ll become insecure, double minded and very wobbly, with no peace of mind about the issues of our faith.
And that is definitely not a welcome trait in a believer, for as James so wisely points out: ‘A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:8) And that’s a proven fact Friends!
In any case, even if we have nothing else, a believer ought to have peace of mind, because that’s one of the reasons Christ sacrificed His sinless life for us on that ghastly cross.
Listen to His assuring words on the subject. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
So my fellow believers, having received that unsurpassable peace of Jesus, let’s look at some scripture that then assures us of God’s faithfulness, starting in 1 Corinthians.
Right from the very beginning, in his introduction and greeting, Bruh Paul confidently assures them that, ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor.1:9)
Now hear this useful explanation from the scholars. ‘Unto the fellowship of his Son: The term ‘fellowship’ includes both union and communion. The Corinthian believers have been brought into union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly, this great truth implies that they had been brought into communion with one another. Here in a nutshell is the theme of this epistle.’
And so have we also my brethren, been brought into union and communion with Christ and each other. Unfortunately though we don’t seem to regard those two things as highly as we should, otherwise our lives would not be as lacking as they are in true LOVE and unity, both with Christ and with each other.
But that’s a topic for another day. And anyway, if there’s real truth in our hearts, we all know that we’re not being as Christ-like and righteous as we ought to and can be.
Now let’s end with this scripture from 1 Thessalonians, where Bruh Paul exhorts them to stand strong in the faith, and do what is right, because ‘Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.’ (1 Thess.5:24)
And that’s the gospel, gospel truth my Friends!
Once the Lord calls us to Him, or to do anything for Him, He will faithfully see us through it. Please have no doubts about that, cause I can testify to it from personal experience.
However, it is still very necessary that each and every believer should experience that faithfulness for themselves, because it’s only as each of us personally experiences God’s goodness, mercy, LOVE and faithfulness that we’ll individually grow in faith.
So please hang in there, even if times are rough, and do whatever God calls you to do. You’ll see that He won’t ever let you down, and your faith will grow as a consequence of it all. Much LOVE!
…if God had not planned on being faithful to us…He’d never have sent Jesus to die for us…
03 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: appearance as a man, aura of love, back to work, example in Jesus, forgiveness, glorious kingdom, gracious majesty, hands to heaven, holy spirit, humble servants, humility, I must be dreaming, jobs, justice, lies, loving kindness, make a l'il bread, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, obedience, obedient unto death, real reality, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, salvation, spiritual armour, spirituality, spread a l'il LOVE, steadfast faith, sweet chanting, TGIM, Thank God is Monday., to the point of death, true test, weary souls, wicked taunts, wildest dreams, wiles, wings of the wind
Philippians 2:8. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Oh Friends, I’m sorry to say, but it’s Monday once again…. And as I utter those words, an unbelievable sound reaches my ears and stops me dead in my tracks.
Borne on the wings of the wind, the chanting of this mantra completely engages me: ‘TGIM! Thank God is Monday! Time to go back to work. Time to make a l’il bread. Time to spread a l’il LOVE!’
And as I stand up there, hearing this sweet chanting, I tell myself I must be dreaming, my ears must be deceiving me, because normally mankind wouldn’t be caught dead singing something like that on a Monday morning.
But as I listen closer, it echoes back to me again: ‘TGIM! Thank God is Monday! Time to go back to work! Time to make a l’il bread! Time to spread a l’il LOVE!’
Oh my brethren, can you ever imagine, even in your wildest dreams, that something like that would happen in real reality? No way José!
But when I heard it the third time, I couldn’t doubt my ears any longer. I had to believe that what they were hearing was really true. All I could do was sigh in true wonderment, then lift up my head, my eyes, my heart and my hands to heaven, and simply say in an amazed voice:
‘Thank You Lord! You certainly move in mysterious ways, your wonders to perform. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t heard it with my own two ears. No wonder we bow to You in all admiration, truly worshipping your gracious majesty, your justice, your LOVING-kindness, your mercy and forgiveness.
We LOVE You Lord, we praise your Holy Name, and pray that You’ll continue to bless us, your faithful children, who only desire to please You, to do your will, and thus walk worthy of You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.’
And now that we’re finished laughing Friends, let’s get to the real reality and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. That little bit of fantasy ought to have lightened our mood somewhat. So in great voice, let’s sing:
‘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 wasn’t bad at all mih people, but now comes the true test, for us to go out there and do as Jesus did in our Bit: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’
No, we’re not expected to suffer death on the cross, but we are expected to humble ourselves and be obedient, even to the point of death, if necessary.
Now don’t go getting yourselves all in a bother, because very few of us will ever face death because of our faith. But if that does happen, hopefully we’ll be strong enough to face it with sufficient aplomb to make Jesus proud.
However, our basic problem is not facing death, but just being obedient and humble in our everyday lives, especially since humility and obedience are not words favourably looked upon in our current society. But Friends, as followers of Jesus they are two attitudes, two characteristics that MUST be engrained in our souls.
And we have the perfect example to follow in Jesus. Listen to Him on the night before He was crucified. In the gathering gloom of Gethsemane He says to the inner circle of His disciples: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye (wait, stay) here, and watch with me.
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt.26:38-39)
Yes Friends, Jesus indeed felt the human emotions of sorrow and anxiety as the time of His crucifixion drew near, but He remained steadfast in obedience to His Father’s wish, knowing the great purpose that hinged on it; our salvation.
And we’ll end with this scripture that encapsulates it all. ‘Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. Called of God as high priest after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb.5:8-10)
Yes my brethren, obedience and humility are indeed two traits necessary to serve God. Jesus had them, and they didn’t happen overnight, He worked on them all through His life. Likewise, we won’t develop them all at once, but we have to constantly work on them if we want to have a positive and prosperous relationship with our wonderful God, and receive rewards like Jesus did.
So let’s go out there today and fight a good fight, with humble passion and eager obedience in our hearts. For that my people, is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…only in true humility and abiding obedience…can we ever hope to please God…
02 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awesome price Jesus paid, birds chirping, blessing in disguise, broken image of Jesus, christianity, confidence in man, eccentric, eternal death and damnation, evening praise, fear and shame, fuller realization, gruesome sight, harbour of safe shelter, he humbled himself, honour and glory, innovative, interest rates, isaac watts, Jesus, joyful countenances, led like a lamb to the slaughter, little by little, living for Jesus, mysterious, obedient unto death, passionate about faith, pour contempt on all my pride, selfless sacrifice, songs of praise, soul searching words, super ingrates, the Prince of Glory, trust in the Lord, twilight, unique, up the ante, vain things, when I survey the wondrous cross, woefully inadequate
Philippians 2:8. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, recently the bruised, battered and broken image of Jesus being led like an innocent lamb to the slaughter, has been appearing rather frequently on my mental screen. I don’t know why, but guess that I’m finally coming to a somewhat fuller realization of the awesome price He paid to save my sinful soul from eternal death and damnation.
And everyday I have to chuckle at the mysterious, innovative, unique and eccentric ways that God operates in my life. This last image appearance happened about four days ago, as I was sitting on the deck at the back of my house around twilight, sipping some caffeine, just enjoying the cooler evening weather, for the day had turned out beautifully, hot and sunny, at definite odds to the earlier forecast of rain.
Anyway, as I sat there listening to some birds chirp their evening praise, the words of one of my old favourite hymns suddenly drifted in to my mind. I’m talking about: ‘When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory Died.’
Unfortunately I didn’t remember all the words, so I had to look them up, and then was guided to share them here with you. It was written by Isaac Watts in 1707, and is based on Gal.6:14.
‘When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood. See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and LOVE flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; LOVE so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.’
Oh my fellow believers, what powerful, soul-searching words!
And then the true picture came into focus. You know when we see pictures of Jesus hanging on the cross, it’s always a frontal view – and that’s really a blessing in disguise, for can you imagine what a bloody mess His back must have been, from all the flogging etc. Many of us would most likely faint at the gruesome sight.
All of that just led me to think what a bunch of super ingrates we are. We talk a whole lot about Jesus, talk up a storm, but when the time comes for us to brave that storm, to walk through it, hn… we shudder with a sad mixture of fear and shame and step back into a harbour of safe shelter.
Oh my brethren, the returns we’re paying Jesus on His selfless sacrifice are woefully inadequate. Granted, we can never repay Him in full, but what we’re currently paying, through the less than stellar lives we’re living, is totally insufficient.
In terms of interest rates, since we can’t ever pay the principal, we’re paying even less than what the crooked, criminal banks are paying, and they have now been at their lowest point for quite some time.
Come on my people, We can surely raise our interest rates, do a better job of living for Jesus, of LOVING Him, of LIVING our Faith in true Christian fashion, not as hypocritically as we’re currently doing, and SPREADING His Word with much more confidence and passion and much less fear and shame.
Please note the sad but stoic tenor of our Bit: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’
Ah mih people, after all that Jesus suffered on our behalf, we can most assuredly up the ante, little by little, until we come to a decent rate. Now that’s my admonition for today! And I pray that we’ll all take it seriously and try our best to improve our standing with Jesus.
And if we’re truthful with ourselves, we’ll all admit that we can do a better job of living for Him. For remember my brethren, that He is the ONLY ONE who can truly help us in this mish-mash life, in these rough, hard, scary and troubled times.
Man can’t help us, seeing that he can’t even help himself. As the psalmist so wisely advises us: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.’ (Ps.118:8)
So Friends, I’m imploring us to not forget that Jesus died to help us, to bring us out of bondage to sin, that’s the ONLY reason He sacrificed His sinless life!
Therefore, with songs of praise and joyful countenances, let’s board the train that leads to wherever He is! Let’s get passionate about our faith, knowing that at some stage of the game, we’ll go home to be with Him forever!
But until then, let’s do our best to honour and glorify Him down here on earth, for He is truly worthy of much honour and glory! Much LOVE!
…Jesus, Jesus…oh how I LOVE that name…Jesus, Jesus…I’ll shout it out loud…without any shame…
01 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: arms of Almighty God, calming influence, Christ-like, christianity, compassion, Daily Bread Devotional, desires, eternal life, fears, foregivenss, fruits of the Spirit, goals, God exists, God of my rock, hypocrites, just my imagination, knowing God, lead me to the rock, LOVE, meditate on God's Word, mercy, my refuge, my Saviour, New Year's resolution, patience, perception, Pharisees, problems, psalm 61, shelter, Song of Deliverance, spirituality, strong tower, stronghold, talking to God, the righteous run to God, times of trouble, tribulations, trust in God, wisdom
Psalm 61:3. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
Ah Friends, May has quietly segued into June. Wow! I don’t know if it’s just my perception, but to me the months of this year are going by rather quickly. Anyway, even if it’s just my imagination, it’s time once again to check up on our sole New Year’s Resolution; drawing closer to Jesus.
Have we advanced any, daily becoming more like Him, showing greater LOVE, patience, mercy, forgiveness, wisdom, compassion, and all the other fruits of the Spirit that we’re supposed to bear and share? I sure hope so.
But as I reason, if we’re truly serious about becoming more Christ-like, then it’s much easier to check our progress every month and make the necessary corrections, than doing so on a yearly basis. So please, let’s take some quiet time, today or tomorrow, and review our progress. We’ll be amazed at what we’ll find.
Now I know that some of you read the Daily Bread Devotional, but I wonder how many read the last page of the May offering? Not that dated May 31, but the page after that. Well whether you did or not, I’d like to share some awesome wisdom that’s printed there, some that we should all thoroughly consider, accept and believe.
They claim that knowing whether God exists is important, but that actually knowing God is even more important. And I wholeheartedly agree. They quote a rather interesting passage by the theologian, J.I Packer.
‘What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we have in life? To know God. What is the eternal life that Jesus gives? To know God. What in man gives God most pleasure? Knowledge of Himself.’
Yes Friends, all that we are, have and were meant to be, begins and ends with knowing God; the One who created us and provides for us, both here on earth and in heaven. And our Bit today highlights the great importance of truly knowing God.
Psalm 61, from which it’s taken is sub-titled, ‘Lead me to a rock that is higher than I.’ And that’s exactly what our God is, my brethren; a rock that is much higher, more secure and much more powerful than us!
And Bruh David appropriately begins it: ‘Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.’ (Ps.61:1-2)
Yes Friends, in his time of trouble Bruh David runs to that powerful, secure and calming influence; the ever open and waiting arms of Almighty God! And I can testify that there’s no better place to run when the enemy approaches. Now why is that?
Bruh David gives us the reason in our Bit: ‘For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.’
There’s method to Bruh David’s madness Friends, and also to mine. (smile) From earlier experiences he knows that God will protect him in times of tribulation. In other words, he knows God. Their relationship is such that he can call on Him at any time, in regards to any matter, and He will hear and answer Him.
Consequently, he can unhesitatingly proclaim: ‘I will abide in thy tabernacle (tent) for ever: I will trust in the covert (shelter) of thy wings. Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.’ (Ps.61:4-5)
Oh my brethren, do we know God so well, that we can sincerely say those things? I surely hope so, because if we don’t, then crapaud smoke we pipe, things really bad with us. Remember, as we said earlier on, our whole existence is about knowing God. But that can only happen when we constantly seek Him, consistently read and meditate on His Word, and converse with Him in prayer.
And note, prayer is simply talking to God, opening our hearts to Him, telling Him our problems, our goals, desires and fears, and asking for His potent and wise help in becoming like His wonderful Son Jesus Christ. He doesn’t need all the ceremony; the bowing and scraping and prostrating ourselves, for outward show doesn’t matter to Him. What matters most to God is the state of our hearts, spirits and motives, whether we’re sincere or not.
So please let’s not behave like the hypocrite Pharisees and them, whom Jesus detested for their outward show and self-righteous acts. Our God wants us to come to Him humbly, but confidently, and lay all our cards on the table, not holding back anything, for it’s not a poker game, where we have to hide our true feelings.
And Cousin Sol backs that up admirably with this scripture from Proverbs 18. ‘The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe (set on high).’ (Prov.18:10)
Yes Friends, as the scholars explain: ‘The righteous find protection in the Lord.’ And that’s the gospel truth!
Now let’s end with some more powerful words from Bruh David on the subject. This comes from his Song of Deliverance, when the Lord finally gave him rest from all his enemies, including Saul. The Song is found in 2 Samuel 22, Psalm 18 is the edited version.
Listen closely: ‘And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock: in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn (strength) of my salvation, my high tower (stronghold), and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (2 Sam.22:2-4)
Oh my people, such is the confidence that our God builds in us when we consistently walk with Him! And anyone who doesn’t want that confidence in a rock and refuge that’s higher than them, then something’s seriously wrong.
All I know is that I’m going to seek Him and His kingdom first and foremost, put all my eggs in His safe basket, because I am sure of His LOVE, STRENGTH, MERCY, FORGIVENESS AND PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE!
And I encourage you to do the same, because it is truly wisdom at its highest level. Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we’ll follow Jesus…even to the ends of the universe…no doubt about it…
31 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a genuine Christian, absolute confidence, cancer, Comforter, death where is thy sting, eternal death, eternal life, fellowship, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, good and faithful servant, grave where is thy victory, harbingers of bad news, loving kindness, man's inhumanity to man, much work to be done, oppressions increase vanity, positive outlook, positive outlook on life, praised the dead, refreshed in soul, rejoice exceedingly, relaxation, rest, rest in peace, right perspective, sad voice, scourge of mankind, second sense, sense of logic, the bitter in soul, the way of the grave, the weary be at rest, welcome home
Ecclesiastes 4:2. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday… But a somewhat subdued one, because when I got up earlier on, I saw the message light on the phone blinking, and I wondered if it was really a message or just the phone malfunctioning as it sometimes does.
You can imagine my concern, since I’d gone to bed late and there had been no calls up to that time, and calls late at night are usually harbingers of bad news.
And I had a second sense when I checked the message and heard this small, sad voice with its lilting British accent asking us to call when we received it. There was only one conclusion to be drawn from that; my wife’s Aunt, Aunt Ivey, had finally gone home to be with the Lord from over the pond in England.
That supposition unfortunately turned out to be true. I believe we can change that last sentence though, and say fortunately, since she had been suffering for sometime with mankind’s dreaded scourge, cancer.
I spoke to her several times on the phone, but only met her once, however from the little I saw, and what I heard from others, she was one of the sweetest, dearest persons you could ever find; a genuine Christian, thoughtful and kind, raising several children, none of which belonged to her.
She reminds me of my mother, Molly, and my mother-in-law, Enid, women who all had tough lives, but never allowed the dirtiness and evil of the world to affect their pleasant, positive outlook on life.
Aunt Ivey, you’ll certainly be missed a whole lot by all those whom your life touched. Your LOVING-kindness won’t ever be forgotten. And I know that right now you are talking with the Saviour, and He’s embracing you and saying, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant! Welcome home!’ May you rest in peace with Him forever.
Ah mih people, though we know that we all must go the way of the grave at some time, it still brings sadness to our souls. But those of us left behind cannot afford to grieve too long or too intensely, because there is still much work left behind for us to do, by those saints who’ve gone on before us.
So on this Friday, the last day in May 2013, let’s chant our Friday Chant to put the right perspective in our souls for this weekend. ‘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 please pay serious attention to what we just chanted Friends, because in the long run it can be the deciding factor in our fate, between eternal life and eternal death.
And no, I didn’t go looking for a Bit on death, that’s where I was guided. But before we get to it, let’s look at what brought Cousin Sol to that unusual conclusion.
He opens the chapter, oppressions increase vanity, by saying: ‘So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side (at the hand) of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.’ (Eccl.4:1)
Oh my brethren, Cousin Sol saw so much oppression in the world that he began to believe that the oppressed would truly be better off dead. Thus he declares in our Bit: ‘Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.’
It’s a challenging statement, but it does have some sense of logic to it. Why stay here on this evil, ungodly earth, oppressed, dispossessed and with no comforter, when you could be living a much better life in heaven with the Lord, your comforter and Saviour?
Bruh Paul struggled with the same question. He felt like he would much prefer to be with Christ in heaven, but he had work to do down here.
And Cousin Sol continues in the same vein: ‘Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.’ (Eccl.4:3)
And sadly my people, we can still voice the same opinion today, thousands of years later, because the oppression of mankind is at an all time high. I don’t know if man’s inhumanity to his fellow man has ever been this gross, especially when we’re supposed to be living in the most enlightened times ever.
And if the oppressed choose death over life, we can’t really fault them because many of us in their positions would probably feel and do likewise.
And we’ll conclude with some appropriate scripture from Job, where he bewails the day of his birth. ‘There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.
Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?’ (Job 3:17-22)
Oh Friends, none of us really know the answers to those questions posed by Job, but of one thing we’re very sure; when this earthly life is over, we shall all be in a better place, with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which means we can handle anything meted out to us here on earth with absolute confidence, for He has faithfully promised to look after us down here, then LOVINGLY receive us to Himself when we shuffle off this mortal coil.
There can be no better promise, no better ending than that! Much LOVE!
…O death…where is thy sting…O grave…where is thy victory… (1 Cor.15:55)
30 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive and kicking, almighty god, asaph, be glad and rejoice, circumcision, ever-LOVING Creator, forget God, glorifying God, God is the judge, God's anger, God's promise, God's warning, God-given day, hypocrite's hope, idolatry, Jesus' atonement, living our faith, LOVING Creator, loving kindness, mercy, new creation, none to deliver, obedience, peace, pride, psalm 50, salvation of God, serious business, spreading God's Word, sweetest sacrifice, tear you in pieces, thanks and praise, the cross of Jesus, the One and Only True God, Top o' the morn, wonderful blessing
Psalm 50:22. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
Top o’ the morn, mih people! Another God-given day is in the offing, and are we ever blessed to be alive and kicking! Wow!
So let’s give our ever-LOVING Creator some thanks and praise for that wonderful blessing, then go out and enjoy the day, be glad and rejoice in it, spreading His Word, and joyously living our faith as He desires us to.
And all God’s people declared a loud and heartfelt, ‘All praise to the honour and glory of our great God! For He’s the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD! The Creator and Controller of this amazing universe.’
Yes Friends, it’s ever so right and good to begin our day with some glorification of Almighty God! Even the lesser animals instinctively do it, so why can’t we ‘brainiacs’ eh? And I guess that’s the problem right there; we have too much brains, which makes us think too much, and also too much of ourselves.
Sometimes the best reaction is the instinctive one, not the well laid and thought out plan. Anyway, the important thing is that we’re alive and kicking and glorifying God. And all God’s children said a hearty ‘Amen!’
Now let’s turn to our Bit, a rather interesting one. ‘Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.’
Oh what a warning my Friends! That psalm of Asaph is aptly titled ‘God is the judge.’ And so He very well is, my brethren! Please don’t ever forget that! A judge that we should be very wary of, and careful to do His bidding.
Asaph lists the sins and disobediences of Israel, then that terrible warning to those who forget Jehovah God comes down from on high. It’s no child’s play my Friends. That godly promise of ‘lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver’ – that’s serious business people.
And for those of you who don’t know, haven’t clued in or yet realized it, our God is a very serious God, especially when it comes to things like obedience, pride and idolatry. He’s the most LOVING and generous Being there is, but if you constantly disobey Him and try to shunt Him aside, His anger can be very great indeed.
Listen to Job’s supposed buddy, Bildad, affirm God’s justice. ‘Can the rush (papyrus) grow up without mire (marsh)? Can the flag (reeds) grow without water? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish:’ (Job 8:11-13)
That requires no explanation, my brethren. Now hear Bruh David on the subject, from Psalm 9, ‘Praise for God’s justice.’
‘The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion (meditation or song). Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.’ (Ps.9:16-18)
Yes Friends, our God is a just God, and He executes justice and judgement on the wicked, while having mercy for the poor and oppressed.
Now let’s open our ears, hearts, minds and souls and listen to God’s promise to those who are obedient and godly. ‘Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation (conduct) aright will I show the salvation of God.’ (Ps.50:23)
Oh my people, that’s the greatness of our God right there! Once you praise and glorify Him and conduct yourself in a manner suited to a believer, He will show you the wonders of His salvation. Now isn’t that much better than the ugliness and sinfulness that Lucifer has to offer? Of course!
And we’ll end with some appropriate words from Bruh Paul to the Galatians. ‘But God forbid that I should glory, save (except) in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world (or by which the cross) is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature (creation). And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.’ (Gal.6:14-16)
And we’ll have a word from the scholars here. ‘Unlike the Judaizers, who brag about their religious accomplishments Paul takes pleasure only in Jesus’ atonement and all the spiritual blessings it brings. The world is the world system. Paul has renounced his old life and all its ways, along with its values and religious accomplishments in which he used to boast.’
And so should we my brethren, because the fleshly religious stuff like circumcision no longer pertains. It’s all about the new creation of man in the Spirit of Christ, and whether you’re a Gentile or Jew, once you walk in and adhere to that principle, God’s mercy will be forever upon you.
Oh what a wonderful God we serve and worship, my Friends! Please, let’s continue doing so with all that we have, so that His blessings will continually be upon us. Now that’s indeed wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!
…to live for God…is the sweetest sacrifice a man can make…
P.S. Ah mih people, our God is so amazing and amusing, would you believe that as I wrote that last word in my rough draft, the lights went out for a split second, putting a godly period to the writing. (smile)
I guess a flash of lightning must have occurred in my area, and caused a loss of power to all the electrical appliances. It’s a good thing I didn’t have anything written on the computer as yet, else I might have lost it all. And you know how annoying that can be. But the Lord in His mercy and LOVING-kindness did not allow that to happen. Praise His Holy Name! Much LOVE!
29 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Amen, burnt offerings, Calvary's cross, christianity, common sense, destruction, disobedience, dissensions, divisions, do what is right, first and great commandment, foolish existence, hate, havoc, hypocrites, idolatry, iniquity, Jesus Christ, let's get together, live in peace and LOVE, Love God, LOVE Revolution, LOVE your neighbour, Mammon, mayhem, murder, Praise the Lord, prosperity, sacrifices, saviour jesus christ, showers of blessing, sinless life, sorrowful waste, stop all the foolish wars, stubbornness, the blood of Jesus, the great commandment, things of Mammon, time for Christians to rise up, troubled times, true believer, truth, understanding, unnecessary suffering, violence, wake up and smell the roses, water from heaven, wisdom, witchcraft, wonderful Lord and Saviour
Matthew 22:36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Oh Friends, it looks like today will be another rainy one in my area. In fact there hasn’t been much relief from the showers of blessing since they began yesterday morning. But if that’s our biggest problem, then we surely can handle it.
However some water from heaven is the least of our problems right now. And I’m saying that because yesterday morning I got a zeppo, a message that says it’s time for Christians to rise up, rise up in the LOVE REVOLUTION! It’s time for Christianity to take over, to rule the world!
Yes Friends that’s the very serious intention and purpose of our great and wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And He’s saying, loud and clear, it’s time for us to get a move on.
But unfortunately, we His followers can only successfully do His bidding if we unite and live in peace and LOVE with each other and our God. All the divisions, dissensions and foolish fighting amongst ourselves is hurting the Saviour’s cause.
Remember what Jesus said when the hypocritical Pharisee asked Him our Bit. ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law?’
‘Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt.22:37-40)
Yes my people, it’s so simple. There are only two laws we have to worry about; LOVING God and our neighbour, which includes LOVING ourselves, since we can’t truly LOVE anyone else until we have some decent regard for ourselves. And from those two simple commands flow all the other good stuff. It’s the way a true believer ought to live!
So please my Friends, neighbours, enemies, whoever you are, all mankind, please for the LOVE of God, let’s get together and stop all the foolish wars of jealousy and greed, stop the senseless hate and violence that only deteriorates to and breeds murder and mayhem, with NO LOVE, NO JOY, NO PEACE.
Oh my people, is that the way we truly want to live? Is that the dream our God, our Creator, the great and LOVING Artist put in our hearts? And the answer is a resounding NO!
So please let’s do what is right nuh, it’s so simple and easy. When we LOVE and obey God, we prosper. When we don’t, then we suffer the severe consequences, like we’re doing right now. Is simple common sense mih breddren. Oh sorry… I forgot that common sense is no longer in style, it’s not the current vogue of mankind.
Nowadays we’re only interested in the foolish and senseless things of Mammon. But remember what happens to those who revere Mammon and his sinful ways. The Good Book says they will surely suffer, pay an exceedingly high price for their disobedience.
And I won’t even bother to quote any scripture to that nuh, since on almost every page of the Good Book, and sometimes several times on one page, it reminds us to be obedient, because disobedience only causes havoc, destruction and unnecessary suffering. The world will give us enough suffering. We don’t need to create anymore for ourselves.
I’ll quote one scripture here though, and it’s a big one, one that we all know, but few of us really follow. And we’re talking about when Samuel accosted Saul, after he disobeyed God’s directive to totally destroy the Amelakites. (1 Sam.15:1-21)
‘And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (divination), and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.’ (1 Sam.15:23)
Yes Friends, Saul lost everything because he had not obeyed. And that’s exactly what is happening to us today, we’re losing everything; our joy, peace and prosperity because we haven’t obeyed the dictates of Almighty God. And we’re committing an even greater sin by trying to remove, to totally eradicate Him from our society. Ah Lord eh!
Oh mih people, there are so many examples of great societies that floundered and eventually fell because of their disobedience, why do we think ours will fare differently eh? Not very likely!
So let’s wake up and smell the roses nuh! Let’s reignite our passion for God, unite and live in PEACE, LOVE, UNDERSTANDING, TRUTH and JUSTICE, for once in our long and foolish existence nuh, for that’s wisdom at it’s finest!
Oh Friends, I sincerely pray this in Jesus’ Name; in the blood that flowed from His bruised and battered body on that fateful day on Calvary’s Cross, when He selflessly gave His holy and sinless life in exchange for our unholy, sinful souls.
And for that, we thank Him more than words can ever say. But when He reads our hearts, He’ll surely see and know how much we truly LOVE Him.
And all God’s people declared a long, loud and glorious, ‘Praise the Lord! Amen! And again we say, Amen! Praise the Lord!’
Much, much LOVE, my beautiful fellow believers!
…to not truly live for and obey God…especially in these troubled times….only makes us look real foolish…and Jesus’ sacrificial death…a sad and sorrowful waste…
28 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominations, adversity, Amen, black and white, blessed, blessings, burn the candle at both ends, city gates, commandments, defiles, disobedience, doing right, dr schuller, empty pitcher, fruit of the righteous, glory and honour, god, God's amazing faithfulness, growing flower, holy spirit, Hour of Power, I come O God, Jesus is the only answer, Lamb's book of life, lies, long and arduous night, LOVE, LOVE one another, mountain spring, my soul, New Jerusalem, no night, on the outside looking in, paradise of God, poem of prayer, positive note, Praise the Lord, rewards, right decision, satisfying sun, straight from the horse's mouth, thank you, the end times, thirsty deer, time of prayer, tree of life, tribulation, truth, vim and vigour, warning, wisdom
Revelation 22:14. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of the city.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s been a long and arduous night…of sleep! Hn, hn! My body had its way with me. That’s what happens when you try to burn the candle at both ends simultaneously. (smile) But hopefully, now that the ole bod has had its fill of sleep, it will be able to do the Lord’s work properly, with much vim and vigour.
Anyway, let’s get rolling with a poem of prayer from Dr. Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional. And it’s truly amazing, that though I’ve been reading the Devotional for several years now, most of the stuff I share from it seems entirely new to me. This poem titled ‘Fill Me!’ falls into that category.
Please read and pray with me. ‘O Lord, like the thirsty deer which goes to drink from the mountain spring; like the growing flower which turns hungrily to the satisfying sun; like the empty pitcher which is carried to the fountain to be filled; so I come, O God, knowing that in this time of prayer my soul will be filled with your LOVE and truth. Thank you! Amen.’
And I certainly hope that all our souls will be filled with God’s LOVE and TRUTH, as we go out this rainy Tuesday morning to do His awesome bidding, securely backed up by His amazing faithfulness.
And all God’s people declared a mighty, ‘Praise the Lord!’
Yes Friends, let’s keep on praising His glorious Name, for He is indeed most worthy of all that praise, and infinitely more than we can ever come up with or imagine.
Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of the city.’
Ah mih people, that’s a warning we should all take very seriously and heed immediately! For as we saw yesterday, the adversity and unfixable tribulation of the opposite action, disobedience, is certainly not to be desired. Being on the outside looking in, is definitely not where you want to be at the end times.
And today, I want to look at some appropriate scriptures which corroborate our Bit. And we’re going to start out on a positive note, with the blessings administered for doing right.
John tells us in his first letter: ‘And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and LOVE one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.’ (1 John 3:23-24)
That’s plain and straightforward Friends!
And as per ‘the tree of life,’ Cousin Sol describes it thus in Proverbs 11: ‘The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed (rewarded) in the earth: much more than the wicked and the sinner.’ (Prov.11:30-31)
Now hear Jesus’ warning and promise on it. ‘He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.’ (Rev.2:7)
Straight from the horse’s mouth my brethren, so it has to be true!
Now as regards ‘the gates of the city,’ of the New Jerusalem, listen to John’s revelation: ‘And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh (causes an) abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.’ (Rev.21:24-27)
And all God’s people said a loud and thankful ‘Amen!’
So there we have it Friends, in black and white. If your name’s not written in the Lamb’s book of life, then you won’t be allowed into the New Jerusalem. And the ONLY way to get your name in that awesome book, is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, then obey His commandments in this earthly life.
So now the choice is ours. Let’s hope we make the right decision right now, for remember when the end times arrive, there’ll be no chance to change our minds. It’s certainly NOW or NEVER!
So please, please, my brethren, let’s be wise for once in our lives and choose Jesus nuh, for He is the ONLY answer to whatever ails us. Much LOVE!
…I choose Jesus…because He first chose me…and that says a whole lot…
27 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: admonition, aura of love, christian heritage, Creator of the universe, divine blessing, dogs, end times, enthusiasm, eternity, fat of rams, glorious kingdom, God's mysterious ways, God's righteous ways, good stead, hearken, heavenly citizenship, holy spirit, humble servants, idolaters, immortality, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy in heaven, last warning, liars, lord god almighty, Memorial Day, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, murderers, New Jerusalem, obedience, obey God, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rude response, sacrifice, sally forth with confidence, selfish attitudes, sinful nature, sorcerers, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, tree of life, U.S brethren, ungodly world, useful purpose, weary souls, whoremongers
Revelation 22:14. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday…. And I get a rather rude response from some of my U.S brethren. ‘Oh shut up about it being Monday nuh! We doh care because we don’t have to go to work today. Is Memorial Day, so we just going back to sleep now, then get up and party later.’
And sadly Friends, that’s the kind of selfish attitude which is so prevalent in our world today. Last Monday when we celebrated Victoria Day, we got up and helped to boost their Monday morning adrenalin, but now that the shoe is on the other foot, it’s a completely different story. But such is our Christian heritage and maturity that we’ll forgive them, for we know that they are only human and thus still liable to resort to a sinful nature.
So for all of us who have to get up and go out to labour, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with a whole lot of enthusiasm, even though we don’t feel it. But we’re working on the premise that if you fake it, eventually it will become real. (smile) With one harmonious voice now, let’s raise our voices to the heavens.
‘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 good Friends! There was joy in heaven. But I have to laugh at how the Lord shamed our U.S. brethren into finally singing along with us. Don’t ever doubt His mysterious and righteous ways!
And now, turning to our Bit: ‘Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.’
Oh my brethren, that’s a most significant piece of scripture, for it’s the last warning we get at the end of the Good Book! Only by keeping the Lord’s commandments will we be assured of a place in the New Jerusalem, a place with God until eternity.
Now listen to how the verse after our Bit characterizes those who are not welcome there. ‘For without (outside) are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers (sexually immoral), and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh (practices) a lie.’ (Rev.22:15)
And here’s the scholars’ explanation of all that: ‘They that do his commandments are believers (cf. 12:17; 14:12; Matt.7:13-21); 1 John 3:10). The tree of life indicates immortality and divine blessing (cf.2:7; 22:2). To be able to enter in through the gates into the city is to have heavenly citizenship in the eternal dwelling place of God and redeemed mankind.
All unbelievers are without (outside) the city (i.e., in the lake of fire -cf v.15; 21:8,27). The dogs are impure and malicious people (cf. Deut.23:17-18; Phil.3:2). Sorcerers are those who practice witchcraft (Gr. pharmakos). Whoremongers are those who practice all kinds of sexual immorality (Gr. pornos; cf. 1 Cor. 6:9-10). Lie: See 12:9; Proverbs 16-19; 12:22; John 8:44.’
Oh Friends, that last part doesn’t sound like a place we want to be found at the end times nuh! So then, the only other option available is to do as our Bit wisely advises, follow the Lord’s commands. And please read the references given above, because they are for your benefit, your edification, not just for the scholars to seem knowledgeable.
You can’t really learn the scriptures unless you read and study them for yourselves. But that is such a difficult task to get believers to do on a consistent basis, because we’re still guided and dominated by the now for now, quick fix of today’s busy world.
However my people, that will never cut it. You can listen or read whatever pastors and people like me tell you, but until you read the Word consistently for yourself, you’ll never truly understand it.
And with that admonition, I think we’ll close for today, because the rest of what I have to say will make the Bit too long for our short attention spans. (smile) And we do have enough stuff to ponder already. So until tomorrow, our great God in favour, please, let’s all try to walk the straight and narrow path and keep the Lord’s commandments as best we can. It will serve certainly serve us in good stead in the upcoming end times. Much LOVE!
…to obey is better than sacrifice…and to hearken than the fat of rams… (1 Sam.15:22b)
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