05 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive decision, Abednego, abundantly pardon, angry God, awesome power of God, backed up the Jordan River, be in my heart, beloved of God, blue in the face, boring death, bow down, brand new day, call upon him, Colorado, come up higher, dire need, discouragement, doing miracles, dr robert h schuller, exciting life, failure, fiery furnace, friend of Jesus, from shame to glory, God is still on the throne, grace, grateful, Guatemala, Hawaii, hell on earth, hope, Hour of Power Devotional, I will be with thee, I will move, in full control, in you I come alive, Jesus, let the wicked forsake his way, LOVE, loving-kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, Maker, Meshsach, natural disasters, new mercies, New Mexico, no need to panic, noised abroad, parted the Red Sea, pass through the waters, promises, providence, seek ye the Lord, sent His only Son, shadrach, shall not be burned, shall not overflow thee, share His love, sinners, smelling of smoke, strength, success, talk, thanks, the flame scorch thee, the Lord's help, through the rivers, to die for us, Tuesday Mantra, unmerciful, unrighteous man, volcano, walk through the fire, weakness, while he is near, wildfires, wisdom, wise
Isaiah 43:2. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee.
Well it’s a brand new day and brand new mercies are being noised abroad by our wonderful God! Give Him plenty, plenty thanks nuh people, for the grace and unadulterated LOVING-kindness He shows to us when we absolutely don’t deserve it. But that’s the kind of God He’s always been and will always be!
Look at how while we were still sinners He sent His only Son Jesus to die for us… Does that tell of an unmerciful and angry God? No way Jose! So let’s be wise and grateful and give Him thanks for ALL that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us in the future.
In the meanwhile let’s pray for those unfortunate people undergoing the volcano situation in Hawaii, and also in Guatemala where the Fuego volcano exploded a couple of days ago, causing much loss of life and many injuries. I tell you friends, a volcanic explosion is the closest thing we can come to hell here on earth. And remember too the people in Colorado and New Mexico where the first wild fires of the season are blazing away.
Brother! The natural disasters are beginning to pile up already. But friends, there is no need to panic, because our great and mighty God is still on the throne in full control of things!
And to help us handle whatever comes against us, here are these encouraging words from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional, titled, ‘I Will Move…’ I’ve shared them before, but I think we need to share them again.
So please 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 my people, is there any other way we can come up higher than through the Lord’s help? Absolutely not! So I implore us this morning to turn to Him for help in whatever situation or circumstance that we’re going through. Now he might not change or ease up the situation, but He will certainly give you the strength, wisdom and whatever you need to come through it successfully. That’s the magnanimous and magnificent God we serve!
Yuh see what he says in our Bit, through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah? ‘When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee.’
Oh friends and fellow believers, what marvellous promises! And did the Lord keep them? Of course He did! Just look at how He parted the Red Sea for His people to cross over on dry land, while drowning Pharaoh and His Egyptian army behind them! Then check out how He backed up the Jordan River for them to cross over into the Promised Land!
And if you say that’s only water, He can’t handle fire, then think again and see how the Hebrew lads, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, when they refused to bow down to a golden image, survived the fiery furnace that was heated seven times hotter than normal, and came out not even smelling of smoke!
Mama Yo! That’s the amazing and awesome power of our God my brethren! And He is still in the business of doing miracles and such amazing things for His people, if we turn to Him and sincerely and humbly seek Him. As He said again through Isaiah: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.’ (Is.55:6) Are we doing that my brethren? For all our sakes, I sincerely hope so.
But just in case we aren’t, listen to the following verse, which expands on the first. ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is.55:7)
Oh friends, I don’t know why it’s so difficult for us to follow the Lord’s guidelines nuh, since He spells them out so plainly and simply! Especially when we’re in dire need of mercy and pardon! But we can only talk; talk till we’re blue in the face (smile), everyone still has to come to their own decision; to accept, or not accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour in their individual lives.
Let’s hope we ALL will make a positive decision, sooner, rather than later, for a time will come when it will be too late. Now for those of us who have already made it, let’s go home positively declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know in no uncertain terms, who and whose we are.
Altogether 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!’
Now let’s go out and share all of that with other unfortunate folks, as Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…if you don’t need your Maker…then who else do you need eh…Lucifer…hn, hn!…what a joke…
04 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, adventurous, antidote, attributes of deaity, aura of love, better is the poor, Christians, confidence, dalliances, deceitful, disciples, distrust, doubt, effort, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, friends, fulfilling, glory to God, holy spirit, I am the way, image of Christ, inescapable, Jesus Christ, joy, led people astray, lies, light, LOVE, LOVE to hate, Monday blues, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mysterious, no work no eat, peace, perverse, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rich, salt, salvation, same wavelength, seen the Father, show us the Father, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, take my word, talk, taunts, the enemy's ranks, the Life, the message, the New testament, the Trinity, the Truth, time, Triune God, trust, truth, try it, unbelievers, unfaithful, ungodly world, untrustworthy, uprightness, walk, walks in integrity, wiles, wisdom, wishy-washy, working for Jesus
Proverbs 28:6. Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse (deceitful, unfaithful) in his ways, though he be rich.
And then it was Monday – the day that we all LOVE so much! Hn, hn! I guess though that the reality is more like LOVE to hate because it breaks up our nice, comfortable weekend dalliances. But look at it this way friends; if there was no Monday and no work, then there would be no weekend dalliances.
So although we don’t like going out to work on Monday, it’s just the way things are, and we might as well get used to it and plan for it in our weekly schedule. ‘Sunday – church – fellowship- renew Spirit: Monday – Work – will not get upset, since if I don’t work I won’t eat.’
But thankfully, we have an antidote for those Monday Blues and non-work feelings. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and when we sing it out, it just resonates in every pore of our body and gets the adrenaline flowing like a mighty rushing river. (smile) So let’s belt it out now nuh with as much enthusiasm as we can muster.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih breddren, can you feel that mighty rushing river of adrenaline flowing through you now? Yes! I know you can! Now let’s get ourselves together and get out there and do God’s work; spread His gospel like He wants us to, and live lives of salt and light so that others might see and want to become like us.
Remember, it’s not so much the message, but even more so the image of Christ that we portray which brings people to Him. We can’t talk one thing then do something completely contrary to our talk. Both our talk and walk have to be on the same wavelength. And that’s one of the major reasons why unbelievers are turned off of Christians. Who can blame them eh?
That’s why Cousin Sol warns us in our Bit: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse (deceitful, unfaithful) in his ways, though he be rich.’ And if we are true believers, we know that to be the awesome truth!
Integrity is ever so important in the life of a believer, because that’s what Jesus’ entire ministry is based on. He never led people astray, or told them one thing when it was another, and that’s what so badly needed in our Christian society today. One must be able to take whatever is said or done and be able to have faith and trust in it, otherwise all we’ll have is a wishy-washy, untrustworthy ministry like the world system.
And to show how easy it is for doubt and distrust to creep into our belief system, even for the disciples, who spent lots of time with Jesus personally. Hear their response to His telling them about going back to heaven to prepare a place for them
‘And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth (will satisfy) us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself (on my own authority): but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.’ (John 14:4-10)
Yeh friends, it’s not easy for many to accept, but once we’ve experienced Jesus, we have indeed experienced the Father. And the scholars have this interesting explanation of verse 9.
‘14:9. Seen me…seen the Father: There are no attributes of deity that the Son does not possess. This statement is most powerful. Everything that is true of God the Father is also true of the Son. The doctrine of the Trinity in the New Testament may be inscrutable (mysterious, hard to understand), but it is also inescapable.’
That means if you want to be a believer, you must deal with and eventually believe the doctrine of the Triune God, because it is just a basic foundation of the faith.
Ah friends, living and working for Jesus is not easy on any level, but when we put in the time and effort it takes, it can be such a wonderful, adventurous and fulfilling life. Don’t take my word for it, try it nuh. Much LOVE!
…once we have Jesus…we don’t need anything or anyone else…Glory to God…
03 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better frame of mind, a brutish man, a fool, a rough morning, bear the negative stuff, beauty of fellowship, best laid plans, boost your spirit, bring forth fruit, clothed in majesty, comings, courts of God, crying out for mercy, doddered our way, don't understand, encouraging words, fellowship, finite minds, flourish, give thanks unto the Lord, Glory be, God laughs, goings, grace, grow strong, handshakes, hell death the grave, how great is our God, Hugs, in old age, intimate gathering, it is a good thing, justice, kisses, lamb, like the palm tree, lion, loved on me, man plans, mercy, might, more than conquerors, mortal words, my heart will sing, my rock, mysterious movements of God, no unrighteousness in God, O most High, old bones and joints, on our behalf, plans of mice and men, power, refresher testimony, sacrifice, sing praises, splendour of a king, the believer's life, the cedar of Lebanon, the Godhead, the importance of fellowship, the Lord God Jehovah, the Lord is upright, the name above all names, Three in one, to church, to thy name, Tomlin, truth, undeserving children of men, very deep, wisest decision, worthy of our praise
Psalm 92:1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High:
Sorry friends, but it has just been a rough morning. I even went to bed at a decent hour, feeling all right too, intending to get up early and write the Bit before going to church.
Hn! But as they say, ‘the best laid plans of mice and men oftimes go astray,’ as well as, ‘Man plans, but God laughs.’ Hn! And was He ever chuckling this morning because he had a different plan in mind for me.
In the first place I did not get up as early as intended, and then all the old bones and joints were crying out for mercy. Brother! It boggles the imagination to wake up feeling worse than when you went to bed.
Nevertheless, my ailing and aching chariot and I doddered our way to church. And was it ever the wisest decision, for in the small, intimate gathering that characterizes the early service, everybody LOVED on me! Wow! Glory be my people!
That’s the beauty of fellowship! That’s why fellowship is so important in the believer’s life. You get hugs and kisses, handshakes and physical contact which we all need, as well as encouraging words to boost your spirit.
And though the LOVE I received didn’t take away or ease my aches and pains, it certainly lifted my spirit and helped me to bear the negative stuff in a better frame of mind.
And I guess that was God’s plan: He thought I needed a personal refresher testimony to the importance of fellowship that I keep preaching about. Ah Lord eh! The mysterious movements of our God! Who knows His comings or goings? None but Him! (smile)
So in honour of His name and great glory, let’s do as our Bit declares: ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High:’ Yes, let’s sing praises for the Lord’s goodness.
And today we’ll sing some new, contemporary music written by Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash and Jesse Reaves, titled ‘How great is our God!’ You can check out You Tube for Chris Tomlin’s version.
Now let’s raise our voices in praise: ‘The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty Let all the earth rejoice All the earth rejoice He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide And trembles at His voice Trembles at His voice (Chorus: How great is our God, sing with me How great is our God, and all will see How great, how great is our God)
Age to age He stands And time is in His hands Beginning and the end Beginning and the end The Godhead Three in One Father Spirit Son The Lion and the Lamb The Lion and the Lamb (Chorus) Name above all names Worthy of our praise My heart will sing How great is our God.
Name above all names Worthy of our praise My heart will sing How great is our God. (Chorus: How great is our God, sing with me How great is our God, and all will see How great, how great is our God (2).’
And that’s the gospel, indisputable truth my brethren! Our God is indeed great and worthy to be praised! The song does Him full justice, as full as our mortal words and thoughts can do Him justice.
And the psalmist proclaims later on: ‘O Lord, how great are thy works! And thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.’ (Ps.92:5-6) But thankfully my people, we’re neither brutish nor fools, so we understand the might and power of the Lord God Jehovah, as much as our finite minds can understand it!
And furthermore, the psalmist declares: ‘The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow (strong and tall) like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat (plump) and flourishing (green); To show that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.’ (Ps.92:12-15)
Oh friends, oh friends, yuh see what happens when we accept the Lord and hold on to His righteous right hand? We grow strong and tall and even flourish and prosper and bear good fruit in our old age! Glory to the Most High for His grace and mercy to the undeserving children of men!
So why are we foolishly looking to other avenues for righteousness and prosperity eh, when only the Lord in His high heaven can do it with any certainty? We’re just letting the enemy lead us astray. And it’s high time we stop doing that. Remember friends, Lucifer only has power over us when we allow him to, for Jesus has already conquered, hell, death and the grave and nothing can stop us.
As the Good Book says: we’re more than conquerors; like Jesus we’ve conquered life and the enemy through His victory. So let’s live like it’s true nuh, otherwise Jesus just wasted His time and life in sacrifice on our behalf. Much LOVE!
…great is our Lord…and of great power…His understanding is infinite…so sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving…sing praise upon the harp to our God… (Ps.147:5,7)
02 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a big posse, a difficult journey, a roof to sleep under, a single best friend, adventuresome, all kinds of evil, Anselm, aspires, basic amenities, be contented, be happy with what you have, betrayal, blessed, comfort zone, complain, contentment, desire to be rich, destruction, divine means, dog and pony track, drown men, eternal life, exit the world, faith, follow Christ's advice, food to eat, for your benefit, friends, fruitful, godliness, good things happen, gospel truth, great gain, greediness, greedy, Guide, hangers ons, higher the number, in time of need, inspires, interesting, internet connection, leader, lesser, life's basic necessities, LOVE, many sorrows, material wealth, meekness, misconception, missing out, more fun, negative things, patience, peace, perdition, pierced themselves, righteousness, ruin, seek first the kingdom of God, seeking for more, selfish, serve God and mammon, strayed from the faith, the Christian's life, the LOVE of money, the natrue of our society, think positive, Timothy, walking hand in hand with Jesus, we brought nothing, we can carry out nothing, wisdom, you can count on
1 Timothy 6:6. But godliness with contentment is great gain.
All right friends and family, here we go again; one more time around the dog and pony track called Life. (smile) And though it’s oftimes a difficult journey, it certainly is an interesting and adventuresome one, made even more interesting and fruitful if you’re walking hand in hand with Jesus, the great Saviour of the world!
Wow! What an awesome guide and leader He is! And if you’re not walking with Him, then unfortunately you’re missing out on the best part of this earthly life, and consequently the eternal life too. So please check Him out nuh. You’ll be surprised at what He has to offer…and it’s all for your benefit.
And with it being Saturday, let’s turn to some quotes of this past week from our friend Anselm, who genuinely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And we’ll begin with the shortest one: ‘When you think positive good things happen.’
And that’s generally true. It doesn’t mean that you won’t have any negative things happen, but they will be mostly positive, since what the mind focuses on, is what generally comes to pass.
And like Anselm was in a friend seeking mood this week (smile) as he offers these two quotes on the subject. ‘There is a misconception among people that the higher the number of friends you have, the more fun you’ll have. The fact is the lesser friends you have, the lesser you have to deal with.
Trust me; it doesn’t matter how many friends you have, all that matters is how many friends you can count upon when you are in need.’ And ‘Having a single best friend is better than having ten random friends who aren’t going to be with you for long.’
Oh my people, how many of us have suffered betrayal and rejection by those we thought were friends eh? We all have, because it’s a human frailty. The wisdom lies in having a few staunch and genuine friends you can call on in times of need. A big posse is not a set of friends, but a group of hangers’ ons. And remember the corollary to the above; to have genuine friends, you must also be a genuine friend.
Then there is this last one: ‘You are living in your comfort zone, having an active Internet connection, food to eat, TV to watch and a roof to sleep under. Do remember that even if you have only these four basic amenities, you are richer than 75% of the world’s population. Be happy for what you have, but don’t settle for it.’
I would say that you are better off than more than 90 percent of the world, and you shouldn’t just be happy, but be darm happy and contented and feel extremely blessed, because there are so many others in the world struggling and suffering with much less than you have.
But unfortunately the nature of our society is that the more we have, the more we complain about the few things we don’t have. We never seem to value sufficiently the things we do have, always seeking for more, when we don’t even have the time or the resources to handle it. And it just results in a greedy and selfish society, of which we are the cream of the crop.
But Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy in our Bit should be the norm in our society. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren? It surely is! When we have God first place in our lives we’re not selfish or greedy, because He induces a peace and contentment in our souls regardless of our particular situations.
And the verse following our Bit highlights the ridiculousness of fighting and killing ourselves over the material wealth of the world. ‘For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.’ (1 Tim.6:7)
And the scholars offer this very interesting explanation of that verse. ‘6:7. And it is certain we can carry nothing out (or, “because we are unable to carry anything out”): Man enters the world at birth possessing nothing, in order to teach him that he will exit the world in the same manner – taking nothing with him. This is a divine means of showing man that since material wealth is relatively insignificant, he should pursue the important things mentioned in verse 11.’
And those things include ‘righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience and meekness.’ Now here is this very seminal verse as Bruh Paul continues: ‘And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content.’ (1 Tim.6:8)
The scholars explain: 6:8. This verse prevents the wrong understanding of verse 7, that material possessions have no place in the Christian’s life. By figure of speech food and raiment stand for all of life’s basic necessities. These are all the believer needs, and having these he can be content.’
However, contentment is not a mainstay of our current society. We are more apt to follow this agenda that Bruh Paul talks about. ‘But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim.6:9-10)
Ah mih people, the desperate seeking after money and the material possessions of this world only cause more problems than they solve. So please, let’s stop it nuh, and follow Christ’s wise advice: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:32) That’s all there is to it! Much LOVE!
…you cannot serve God and mammon (money)…at the same time… (Matt.6:24b)
01 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 24/7, atonement for sin, awesome benefits, better to be safe than sorry, bondage of sin, Caretaker, cleanses us from all sin, cleansing power, Cross of Calvary, eat drink and be merry, enthusiasm, evacuation mandated, excellent, fatness, fellowship, fleshly pleasure, foolish, free indeed, Friday chant, fullness, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, God is light, Hawaii volcano, holy, in Jesus name, Jesus Christ, light, loving-kindness, Maker, no darkness, nose breathing, one more night, prayers, precious, promises, put their trust, relaxation, rest, sin, sincerity, sinless, so fleeting, summer-like weather, superlatives, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the blood of Jesus Christ, the children of men, the enemy's movements, the fountain of life, the human animal, the light of the world, the river of thy pleasures, the slave master, the weekend, throw them away, time to enjoy we self, tomorrow, too bad for them, truth, under the shadow of thy wings, walk in darkness, walk in the light, who don't like it, whom the Son sets free, working for Jesus, workingman's song, you may die
Psalm 36:7. How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
‘One more night…thank You Lord for one more night of breathing through my nose…’
You can chuckle all you want yes friends and family, but I know whereof I am thankful. You won’t realize how important breathing through your nostrils is, until you can’t do it for an extended period. And I’m so comfortable now that I can’t even get up in the mornings. (smile)
And can you believe that today is already the first day of June, and summer is not officially due for another three weeks, but we’ve already been having serious summer like weather for the past two weeks. Hn! We’ll soon start complaining that it’s too hot. Can’t keep the human animal happy for long. (smile)
But seriously though, that volcano on the Big Island in Hawaii is still acting up and apparently causing more problems that evacuation has been mandated for the area around it. It’s been playing a teasing game for the past month and who knows when it’s going to blast off big time. Better to be safe than sorry. Please keep them in our prayers.
But it’s Friday and the workingman is happily singing his totally overboard song. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and no more work for a couple days! It’s the weekend! Time to enjoy we self like we couldn’t do all week! And who don’t like it, too bad for them.
Why yuh think the Lord give us a break from the slave master eh? Is to eat, drink and be merry today, cause tomorrow we might die. Look people, just lively up yuhselves and enjoy the fruit of your labour yes! Thank the Lord for Fridays and weekends oui!’
And there is truth to the workingman’s contentions, but as always, he tends to go too far out on the limb of licentiousness, a place that we believers are not supposed to go. And that’s why our Friday Chant is so much different to his song. Let’s chant it now with enthusiasm and sincerity.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes friends, we are also entitled to enjoyment and fun, but not to take it to the extreme limit that the workingman does. We always have to be cognizant of the enemy’s movements and nip them in the bud, as well as keep working for Jesus; a twenty four/seven, lifetime job that has awesome benefits, both now and in the hereafter. And we’d indeed be foolish to throw them away for a little fleshly pleasure in the here and now that’s ever so fleeting.
That’s why Bruh David could so assuredly declare in our Bit, from Psalm 36 – The steadfast LOVE of God: ‘How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.’
Ah my fellow believers, that’s the wisest and safest place to place our trust, for the Lord is both our Maker and Caretaker. And as Bruh David continues: ‘They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.’ (Ps.36:8-9)
Oh my brethren, what sincere and beautiful assurance of living and working for the Lord. And please note the superlatives of those promises: abundantly satisfied with all that He has to offer, and drink of the river of His pleasures. Wow! We’d be satiated with the Lord’s goodness!
And the next verse is ever so true: ‘with thee is the fountain of life.’ It truly is, because it’s the Lord who breathed His breath of life into our lifeless bodies so that we could worship and fellowship with Him. And if our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, then it’s only logical that we, His followers shall not only see light, but be light too.
And John puts it so nicely and simply in his first epistle. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not in (practice) the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.’ (1 John 1:5-7)
Yeh friends, God is light, holy and sinless, and if we want to walk with Him in the light, then we have to be free of the bondage of sin which keeps us in darkness. And the ONLY way to do that is to embrace Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, whose blood, shed on the cross of Calvary is the ONLY atonement for sin and the ONLY cleansing power from sin.
So let’s be wise and walk in the light nuh mih breddren. We have so much to lose, and so much to gain! Much LOVE!
…for whom the Son sets free…is free indeed…
31 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a necklace, abundance, adornment, bind them about thy neck, challenge, compassionate heart, courage, creativity, curse, depart from evil, esteem, fear the Lord, filled with plenty, find favour, first fruits, forget not my law, forsake thee, give generously, glory to God, godly obedience, handle the issues of life, honour the Lord, if it's not one thing, intimate association, it's another, Jesus desires, keep my commandments, length of days, let thine heart, long life, loving-kindness, Malachi, mercy, my son, negative owrd, new wine, peace, possessions, prove me now, share, stewards, ten percent, the less fortunate, the mind, the table of thine heart, Thursday Blessings, Thursday's Blessings, tithes, truth, wisdom, wise in thine own eyes, with God and man
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.
At last friends, at long last, a breakthrough! Wow! I can now breathe fairly well through my nose again! Glory to God! You would not understand the difference it makes not having to wake up so often to moisten my dry mouth.
And I guess that’s why I slept in this morning; the body hasn’t had the luxury of sleeping for several hours undisturbed for a while now. (smile) Let’s hope we don’t regress again, because we were already at this stage last Saturday.
Yes, it’s time to move on to bigger and better things, like praying for those unfortunate people in Hawaii who are still struggling with the effects of the volcano lava spreading all over, and thanking the Lord that the tropical storm Alberto did not do as much damage to the Southern U.S. as expected, and has now been downgraded.
Ah Lord eh friends, as the old people would say; in this life, if it’s not one thing, then it’s another. And isn’t that indisputable truth, because we never seem to have a time when something negative is not happening in our lives. That’s why we’ve been admonished to godly obedience in our Bit, because it’s only through intimate association with Almighty God that we can successfully handle the issues of life.
‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.’ And some are brass-faced enough to ask why they should do that? Well here is why! ‘For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add unto thee.’ (Prov.3:2) And if you don’t want that, then I don’t know what to say to you, because I believe everyone wants those things.
And Cousin Sol continues with his exhortations to obedience. ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.’ (Prov.3:3) Wow! What wisdom friends!
But before we look at why doing those things are considered wise, let’s check out some explanations from the scholars on that verse. ‘3:3. About thy neck: The teachings should be made as much a part of one’s adornment as a necklace. The table of thine heart, that is, the mind.’
Yes my people, God’s laws should be so much a part of us, that they come like a necklace around our necks and should also be constantly on our minds. And what’s the benefit of all that? ‘So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov.3:4) I don’t know about you, but I surely want to find favour with God, and to some extent with man.
Then in his God-inspired wisdom, Cousin Sol pens these words of everlasting truth, which so many of us quote, but don’t really put into practice. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov.3:5-6) Oh mih breddren, what words of truth and wisdom!
And the scholars explain: ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning, “rely on, depend upon”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths before you smooth and/or straight.’
And normally people would stop there, but I’m not going to, because there’s much more wisdom that we desperately need to follow in the next few verses. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.’ (Prov.3:7) And you wonder why? ‘Because ‘It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov.3:8) Yuh see friends, following the Lord even brings bodily health and strength!
And we’ll close with this admonishment, that’s also so important, but which most of us don’t follow to our own demise. ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase:’ (Prov. 3:9) And again you foolishly ask why you should give to God so generously of your earthly possessions? ‘So shall thy barns shall be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:10)
Ah mih people, remember one of the first rules that God laid down for the Israelites was giving a tithe, ten percent of their income to the church, so that the church could support the priesthood and do His work. And when they followed His command, they prospered.
But now, we seem to think otherwise and it’s not taught in many churches. But friends, that’s why a lot of us individually, and churches as a whole, are suffering in these difficult times. We consider it difficult or unwise to give God ten percent of what He has given to us. Remember it’s all His, and we are just stewards of it.
Please note His challenge to the Israelites in Malachi: ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ (Mal.3:10)
Oh my people, let’s start back teaching it in our churches nuh. Let’s just try it and see, take up that challenge and see if we can prove the Lord wrong nuh. From personal experience, I guarantee that we won’t! End of sermon.
Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings that the Lord has so generously bestowed on us, although we don’t deserve many of them. In strong and sincere voice now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And if we’re truly sincere, then we’ll go out and share those blessings with the less fortunate as Jesus greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…give generously to God…and He will give back to you…much more than you gave…
30 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future, adventurous sailing, believe, best of the best, calm seas, cast all your care on god, come home, concern, contrite, dare to believe, delight, disobedience, draw me to yourself, emotional blockades, eventful seas of life, everlasting love, exalt you, faithfulness, fear, God cares for you, grasping, groping, halfway home, honour, humble spirit, humble yourselves, humbly, humility, I am your father, I cry to you, I dare to believe, illusive courage, in due time, inexhaustible, it is true, Jesus at the helm, life, looking towards, LOVE, loving-kindness, mercy, not looking back, obeisance, One Year Book of Bible promises, our everything, out of the depths, presence, presumption, rebuild broken dreams, reforming, remorse, reverence, revive the heart, riches, Ruth Harms Calkin, show appreciation, sighs, silence my cry, simply believe, sinfulness, sobs, storms, thanks and praise, the breath of life, the image of Christ, the mighty hand of God, the psalmist's cry, the throes of anguish, trusting, turmoil, unquenchable, walking with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, weeping child, what is good, you are home, you can't see
1 Peter 5:6-7. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care (anxiety) upon him; for he careth for you.
Another day of adventurous sailing friends on the ever-eventful seas of Life, with the Pilot of All Pilots, Jesus Christ at the helm! Mama Mia! That means there is no need to fear or worry, for Jesus is simply the BEST of the BEST!
Yes my people, He will never let anything untoward happen to us while He is guiding our ship, be it amongst storms and rocky coasts, or calm seas, with beautiful sandy beaches in the offing. So give Him some thanks and praise for His concern and faithfulness towards us nuh.
And the first thing Jesus wants us to consider as we set sail this morning is, ‘Dare to believe!’ Yes my brethren, He is daring us to believe in Him and His awesome powers and everlasting LOVE! And from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, comes this most appropriate prayer. ‘I Dare to Believe!’
So let’s make our declaration: “Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord.” On this day of remorse and turmoil The Psalmist’s cry is my cry. Trembling, crumbling, out of the depths I cry. And yet, in the throes of my anguish, O God I dare to believe. You see my groping and grasping. You hear my sighs and sobs. I dare to believe.
You can break through the emotional blockades You can rebuild my broken dreams. Though my words seem drenched with presumption To those who march with illusive courage I dare to believe. Your LOVE is unquenchable Your faithfulness is inexhaustible. I dare to believe.
You delight to draw me to Yourself You long to silence my desperate cry. I dare to believe. I will yet hear Your gentle words “I am your Father. Come home.” Weeping child It is true That I am your Father. Now dare to believe You are home.’
Oh friends, do we have the parts, the hope, the faith, the wherewithal to dare to believe, that the Lord God is our Father and we are at home with him, in His awesome presence and His undying LOVE? For all of our sakes, I sincerely hope so, else we’re certainly in bad shape.
And isn’t it strange that the most important thing that Jesus asks of us – to simply BELIEVE – is the thing we find the hardest to do. I guess that’s because believing entails trusting things and people you don’t know or can’t see. But that’s the whole beauty of walking with Jesus; you don’t need to see it to believe it, for He is our EVERYTHING! We live in Him and through Him and for Him. What can be better than that eh? Nothing really!
And the Bible Promise for that poem above is also our Bit for today. ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care (anxiety) upon him; for he careth for you.’
Oh my people, please believe – there we have that word ‘believe’ again – that despite all our disobedience and sinfulness and trying to root Him out of our lives and our societies, that Almighty God who created us, still LOVES us like the first day He made us! His LOVE is unconditional and undying…but you have to BELIEVE…
Ah friends, but once we believe, then we need to be humble, to come humbly and with reverence before our heavenly Father, for though He is our Father, He is also our God and deserves obeisance on that front. And as Micah tells us: ‘He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to LOVE mercy (LOVING-kindness), and to walk humbly with thy God.’ (Mic.6:9)
Yes friends, we need to remember that the Lord is the potter, the Creator, and we are the clay, the ones whom He formed, and is constantly reforming in the image of Christ, so we need to have and show some appreciation of His awesome might and power…if we are wise.
And Isaiah declares of the Lord: ‘For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’ (Is.57:15) And Cousin Sol adds: ‘By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.’ (Prov.22:4)
You simply can’t go wrong my brethren by believing, being humble and reverent towards the Lord God Jehovah, our Maker and Controller. It’s indeed wisdom of the highest order! Now for those of us who truly believe and are sincerely trying to put it into practice, let’s go home declaring our position in the Lord, through our Wednesday Wail.
Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we keep on keeping on and believing, the future will indeed be glorious…more glorious than we can ever imagine. Much LOVE!
…believe…only believe…it is the first…and also…the mightiest and most important step…
29 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: argue with God, be just with God, beyond comprehension, beyond our understanding, can't fight God, capacity for drink, carried to the fountain, commit my cause, day of adventure, doing my best, dr robert h schuller, Eliphaz, eternal destiny, faints not, Fill Me, filling station, good ship Life, gospel truth, great is the Lord, greatly to be praised, growing flower, Guide, hardened himself, heard it over and over, higher than your thoughts, higher than your ways, his greatness is unsearchable, his ways, Hour of Power Devotional, is never weary, Jesus, Job, LOVE, Master Pilot, mates, medical problems, mighty in strength, Mother Earth, mountain spring, my soul will be filled, my thoughts, my ways, of a truth, past finding out, prospered, relax, seek unto God, share His love, signs and wonders, sit back, suave informant, the beloved of God, the breath of our lives, the depth of the riches, the empty pitcher, the satisfying sun, the thirsty deer, the wisdom and knowledge of god, this time of prayer, trust my friend Jesus, trusting Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turns hungrily, unsound heart, wise in heart
Psalm 145:3. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding).
Ahoy there mates! Welcome to the good ship Life, as we set out on a new day of adventure on the broad expanse of territory called Mother Earth. And for your information and reassurance, we have the best pilot in the world aboard!
Yes friends, today, the Master Pilot, Jesus will be our guide and suave informant! Wow! There’s none better than Him! So just sit back and relax and let Jesus take us wherever He desires. I am sure He will show us signs and wonders we’ve never dreamed of.
And the first thing Jesus wants to do on today’s journey is fill us with whatever we need to come up to scratch and enjoy the day. And He speaks through Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) poem ‘Fill Me!’ from his Hour of Power Devotional. We’ve shared it before, but Jesus thought we should share it again, because we never truly learn something until we’ve heard it over and over.
So please 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.’
Ah mih people, there is no better filling station for renewing our empty souls than at Jesus’ station! Only thing is right now I’m not only hungering for soul refilling, but also bodily liquid refilling. (smile) Seems like I have an endless capacity for drink, but little for solid food, which doesn’t sit well with one of my other medical problems, namely my unsound heart. However, I’m just doing my best and trusting Jesus to do the rest.
That brings us to our Bit, which is the same as yesterday, because I don’t think I did it justice back then. ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding).’ Gospel truth indeed! And today I want to concentrate on the last part, that His greatness is beyond our understanding.
And we’ll begin with some words from Eliphaz, talking about God’s greatness, as he rebukes his supposed friend, Job. ‘(But as for me) I would seek unto God; and unto God would I commit my cause: which doeth great things and unsearchable (beyond comprehension); marvellous things without number.’ (Job 5:8-9) And he goes on to list a number of those great and incomprehensive things.
And later on Job himself acknowledges God’s greatness and justice. ‘Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God (how can a man be righteous with God)? If he will contend (argue) with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand (one time out of a thousand). He (God) is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?’ (Job 9:1-4)
Yeh friends, who can ask God a question He can’t answer eh? But we can’t even answer Him one in a thousand. And I just LOVE that last question; who has ever pitted themself against God and won eh? Not a single soul! But unfortunately there are many fools among us today who are still trying to do it. When will we ever learn eh mih breddren, that we can’t fight Almighty God and win?
Remember He is the ONE who created us and controls the very breath of our lives and our eternal destiny. The only thing that makes any sense is to run to His ever-wide open arms and partake of all the blessings that He’s set aside for those who wisely come to Him. Anything else is a complete waste of time, and we’re only setting ourselves up for disaster and eternal separation, the worst thing that can happen to a human being.
Now hear this scripture from Isaiah, which we all purport to know, but don’t seem to practice. ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.’ (Is.40:28)
And Bruh Paul adds his two cents worth in his letter to the Roman church. ‘O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out!’ (Rom.11:33) That says it all, plain and simple friends.
And if you still don’t believe any of your fellow human beings, then listen to the Lord Himself, through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah? ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:8-9)
There friends, the Lord has told us Himself in no uncertain terms, so please, let’s listen and do the wise thing nuh. Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, informing the world of who and whose we are.
In strong voice and sincere heart: ‘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 if we were truly sincere, let’s go out and do just that nuh! Much LOVE!
…how can the created…be ever greater than the Creator eh…
28 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a long wait, a smile on my face, Alberto, asks for money, aura of love, best part of the story, beyond our understanding, blood tests, brething through my mouth, change our circumstances, declare God's greatness, glorious kingdom, God's awesome acts, great is the Lord, greatly to be praised, hard luck stories, healing progress, high noon, his greatness is unsearchable, humble servants, I can do all things, Jesus Christ, joy, joy in my heart, lies, LOVE, Lucky, Memorial Day, mental problems, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, more than I can bear, parched mouth. Milk of Magnesia taste, prayed the Lord's Prayer, raised both arms and face to heaven, reciting affirmations, regressed, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, salvation, shaking it rough, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, storms of life, the Lord won't give me, through Christ who strengthens me, tottered through the parking lot, tropical storm, truth, ungodly world, unpredictable God, wisdom, you need prayer
Psalm 145:3. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding).
Sorry friends that the Bit’s this late, but the ole fella’s been shaking it rough. How so you ask? Well to start off, It seems like I’ve regressed some with my healing progress, because my nostrils are all blocked up again and I’m back to breathing through my mouth.
And believe me, that is not a very comfortable or inviting proposition, especially during the night when sleep is calling. That means I’m constantly up trying to unstick my dry and parched mouth so I can get some liquid in there to moisten it. Something preferably sweet, tasty and cold to cover up the chalky, Milk of Magnesia taste that currently envelops my mouth. Plain water moistens it, but it doesn’t mitigate the awful taste. Chuh blast!
Well having gone through that most undesirable task last night, I had to get up early to go and get some blood tests done for a couple of doctors. And one test in particular specified around 8.am. Now the lab is about five minutes from me, but it’s always busy, and if you don’t get there early, you’re in for a long wait.
And today was a good example of that. I got there at 7:10, and was already the thirteenth person waiting in line outside the building, which doesn’t open until 7.30. Now the lab opens at 7.45, so there was another set of waiting, or rather standing in line inside the building. And these days the ole fella doesn’t do standing very well, having already sat down on the curb while waiting outside. (smile)
So see me there, leaning against the wall, taking an occasional sip from my bottle of water to moisten my mouth, moving from foot to foot, from one side of the aisle to the other, reciting affirmations, like ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – The Lord will not give me more than I can bear.’ And faithfully, He did not. But I did not get out of there until ten to nine.
But our God is so wonderful and unpredictable and great, as Bruh David declares so proudly and truthfully in our Bit: ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.’ And if you don’t believe Bruh David or me, when we say that, (smile) here comes the best part of the story to prove it.
As I came out of the building into the bright sunshine, who could I see standing at the side but Lucky – I’ve forgotten his right name – a strong, thirty something black man with mental problems who wanders around the neighbourhood. Whenever I see him, he usually asks for money, and I usually give him.
I hadn’t seen him for some time and when I saw him this morning, my first thought was ‘On no!’ I was in no mood for one of Lucky’s hard luck stories. (smile) But as I said, our God is great and wonderfully unpredictable. So as I tottered through the parking lot to my car, Lucky came up and said ‘You look sick. You need prayer.’
And much to my surprise, right in the middle of the parking lot, he raised both arms and his face to heaven and the rising sun and prayed the Lord’s Prayer over me in his harsh cigarette and weed encrusted voice. Obviously I was speechless, and could only tell him thanks as we went our separate ways, me with a smile on my face and a renewed joy in my heart at our unpredictable God. And he didn’t ask me for any money.
Oh! But the lab did ask for ninety dollars for one of the tests! Steups! After such an eventful period of time, I simply had to rest when I got home. And that’s why I’m here now finally writing at high noon. And though most of you who have to work are already at work, it’s never too late to prayer our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, because it causes our minds to concentrate on God, and the adrenaline to flow whenever we pray it.
So altogether 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!’
And some of the loudest voices were those from the U.S. who are today celebrating Memorial Day, a public holiday, in honour of their veterans. Sadly though, in the South East they are bundling up to receive Alberto, the first tropical storm of the season, who is trundling along at a mere ten miles per hour less than hurricane force. Let’s hope that it doesn’t get worse and doesn’t do too much damage, as well as keep them in our prayers.
Ah friends, as you can see from my experience, though our God might not change our circumstances or ease up our situations, He does provide sustenance in the storms of life, and productive, though sometimes very unpredictable ways to help us handle them. That’s why He is God! Never forget that! Much LOVE!
…and men shall speak of thy terrible (awesome) acts…and I will declare thy greatness… (Ps.145:6)
27 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: assurance, audacity, be glad, blood, boldness, celebration, Christ the solid rock, Christian praise, cleanness of my hands, comfort, covenant, darkness veils, day of my calamity, delighted in me, delivered me, deliverer, do our part, edifice crumbles, fall in our laps, faultless stand before the throne, flood, fortress, fruitful results, guiding light, high tower, holiness, hope, horn of my salvation, I will trust, immortals words, indisputable truth, Jesus' blood, kept the ways of the Lord, lean on Jesus' name, LOVE, many waters, mine enemies, my anchor holds, my god, my hope, my stay, my strength, oath, partnership, reap what we sow, receptive to the Word, recompensed, right hearts, righteousness, Sabbath, saved, secure foundation, sincere spirits, sinking sand, stony hearts, stormy gale, stronghold, support me, the goodness of God, The Lord is my rock, the Lord's blessings, this is the day the Lord has made, took me out, trumpet sound, unchanging grace, we will rejoice, worthy to be praised
Psalm 18:2. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength; in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).
Ah mih people, it’s that day again, the Sabbath! That means it’s time for celebration as well as holiness. And we can begin by joyfully declaring, as the psalmist did so long ago: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
And while we do that, we can also be wending our way to the Lord’s house to fellowship with other believers, to offer up sincere prayers, worship and give thanks for all the many blessings He has bestowed upon us, as well as to hear His word and regenerate our confidence. Wow! What an awesome God we serve my brethren!
And as always, we’ll begin the proceedings with song, to loosen up our stony hearts and make them more receptive to the Word. Today’s song is an old but wonderful hymn titled ‘My hope is built on nothing less,’ written by Edward Mote back in the 19th century. And on a point of interest, have you ever noticed that many of our beloved hymns were written way back when.
Maybe it says something about the level and intensity of Christian praise and worship back then. Anyway, let’s sing, with raised voices and truthful hearts. ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; in ev’ry high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand. His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the ‘whelming flood; when all around my soul gives way He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand. When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found, dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.’
And isn’t that the indisputable truth my fellow believers! The only real safe and secure foundation on which to build is on Christ, our Rock and our Saviour. Anything else is merely sinking sand, and it’s only a matter of time before the whole edifice erected thereupon crumbles.
That’s why Bruh David could stand up and declare our Bit with utmost confidence, and so too can we many thousands of years later. ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength; in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’
Ah mih breddren, mih breddren what immortal words of comfort and assurance! And if we have Jesus as our guiding light, then we too ought to be able to declare them with audacity and boldness, for Jesus is indeed all those things to those who sincerely and truly believe in Him.
And if Jesus is so mighty then, Bruh David is indeed right to declare after our Bit. ‘I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps.18:3) And he did call upon the Lord, and the Lord saved him. (Ps.18:.4-16) Friends, yuh see how much time and trouble our Lord took to save Bruh David from his enemies? It’s the same way that He will save us if we call on Him with right hearts and sincere spirits.
Hear Bruh David again: ‘He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented (confronted) me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay (support).
He brought me forth also into a large (broad) place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.’ (Ps.18:16:21)
Oh my people, none of us have as many enemies or problems as Bruh David had back in his day, and if the Lord saved him out of them all, why would He refuse to do the same for us if we bow down and faithfully worship Him and keep His will eh? No reason whatsoever!
That means it’s all up to us. If we want to see the goodness of God, then we have to do the things that will produce it. We can’t just sit back and expect it to fall in our laps. So let’s get serious and do our part of the partnership nuh, if we want so see fruitful results.
Remember, we only reap what we sow. And if we don’t sow righteousness and LOVE, we won’t receive the Lord’s blessings. Much LOVE!
…For who is God…save (except) the Lord…or who is a rock…save (except) our God… (Ps.18:31)
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