10 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant life, actions speak louder than words, aura of love, be exceeding glad, blessedness, blessings, cast not away your confidence, confidence, contagious passion, disposses the child of God, endurance, enthusiasm, enthusiasm for Jesus, eternal destiny, eternal life, everything is right with our world, evil, examples speak more forcibly than precepts, exult, faith, friends, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, glory to God, great is your reward in heaven, great recompense of reward, heaven, heaven's on our side, Hebrews, hold fast the profession of our faith, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, invincible, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Love Revolution, Jesus sacrificed His life for us, joyful spirit, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, magnificent and magnanimous God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, passion, patience, peace, persecution, perseverance, pilgrim's journey, rejoice, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rise and shine, stay confident in the faith, steadfast faith, tears of joy, truth, ungodly world, wisdom
Hebrews 10:35. Cast not therefore away your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s Monday! Yes, Monday, the first day of this new workweek! Glory Hallelujah! So let’s rise and shine and greet it with a grateful and joyful spirit nuh! It’s our Christian heritage you know. Remember Jesus sacrificed His sinless life in part so that we could have a vibrant and abundant one ourselves. And there’s no knowing what wonderful things and situations our magnificent and magnanimous God has in store for us today.
Wow! Let’s get excited nuh my people! Oh I know that Job wisely said that we can’t have good without bad, (Job 2:10) but today, and everyday hence, we must be positive and believe that the good, whatever it may be, will certainly outweigh the bad. Glory to God!
And with all that passion and enthusiasm for Jesus bubbling up in us, let’s give the earth…and the heavens too, a rousing and most awesome rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh mih breddren, mih breddren, that was beautiful; magnifico, tres magnifique! – couldn’t get in the accents (smile). We were so into it, so sincere and true that tears of joy were flowing down Jesus, our choir director’s cheeks, as our passion was contagious, and He in turn wielded a tantalizing baton to direct us.
Oh Friends, the angels… in fact all of heaven was eventually singing along with us, including the Father. And they all stood up afterwards and clapped for an encore! What a wonderful way to begin our day my brethren! Heaven’s on our side, and thus everything is right with our world!
Now if we could only package that enthusiasm and emotion for Jesus and distribute it all over the earth, then there would certainly be great improvement all around. Jesus’ LOVE Revolution then would be in full swing. But unfortunately, the reality is that we cannot simply package it and send it off. Somewhere along the line we also have to live it, and let others see the passion in our souls.
For remember that actions usually speak louder than words, and people are most likely to do as we do, rather than as we say. If I remember correctly, ‘examples speak more forcibly than precepts (words),’ is how the author of the novel Joseph Andrews puts it. That brings us to the intriguing and encouraging words of our Bit. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.’
Yes Friends, in this earthly life, this pilgrim’s journey, one of the most important things we have to do is to stay confident in the faith, the belief and promises of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It’s not always easy, especially with the enemy and his evil minions constantly breathing down our necks and whispering foolish lies and deceits in our ears.
But as the author of Hebrews continues after our Bit: ‘For ye have need of patience (perseverance, endurance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb. 10:36) Yes my people, our faithful God will not fail to reward us for the sincere work we’ve done in His name.
The author of Hebrews also addressed that problem earlier on in the chapter. ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised :)’ (Heb.10:23) Those are certainly words to live by my fellow believers. It’s even better than money in the bank! (smile)
Jesus even spelled it out for us in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt.5:11-12)
And the scholars have a great explanation of that verse. ‘5:12. Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase, ‘Rejoice, and be exceeding glad means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focuses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is as real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’
Wow! What powerful words! And we all know that there are no ifs and buts, doubts and questions about Jesus, heaven, salvation and eternal life. They are for real. So people, let’s do the wise thing nuh and Rejoice… be exceedingly glad, exult, for that is the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…true believers in Jesus…should be the most exultant lot on God’s planet earth…because of the reality and blessedness…of salvation and eternal life…
05 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a stronghold in the day of trouble, abundant life, aches and pains, adversity, all that glitters is not gold, allergies, arthritis, at thy right hand, awesome power, baubles and bangles, bright lights, broad is the way that leads to destruction, child-like desire, Christ is the gate and the way, contrasts, dangerous, death, defeating hell, deliverance, encouragement, enter in at the strait gate, eternal life, eternity, evil, facades, faith, false conclusions, false fronts, few there be that find it, fleshly pleasures, gang up on me, glorify our heavenly Father, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God will never leave nor forsake us, golden curtain, grin and bear it, harbinger of rain, hell, humble apologies, in thy presence is fullness of joy, jehovah god, Jesus, joy, live righteously, living for Christ, LOVE, loving kindness, Lucifer, material things, merciful God, method of teaching, Most High God, my fortress, my god, my high tower, My Redeemer lives, my strength, O Lord my strength, One Year Book of Bible promises, personal experience, pleasures, pleasures for evermore, prisoners of hope, promises, promises of God, rain, reinforce, Ruth Harms Calkin, saved from mine enemies, sensible way, separation from God, Sermon on the Mount, sinful nature, surrender, the grave, the horn of my salvation, The Lord is my rock, the Promise of Abundant Life, the spirit is well, the things of the world, thou wilt show me the path of life, trials, truth, trying times, two man-rat can't live in the same hole, waiting arms, walking away from God, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wide is the gate, wisdom, wisdom in a nutshell, wise, worthy to be praised
Psalm 16:11. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Aye Friends, my most humble apologies for the Bit being this late. But it was just one of those mornings: I couldn’t roll out of bed as early as I wanted, and when I did roll out, all the aches and pains seemed to gang up on me, so I was moving around like a real old man for a while. Hn, Hn!
Don’t know if that’s the harbinger of rain or what, as some people seem to think, though we could certainly use some and it’s a tad cloudy outside. But that’s just the way it goes sometimes in the later days of one’s life, especially when you’re beset by the wonderful disease called arthritis.
And my lovely allergies have also decided to act up this morning. Chuh Steups! But realistically you’ve just got to grin and bear the adversity and trials, because you can’t do anything much about them.
However Friends, the important thing in all of that is that I know that my Redeemer lives! Glory to God! He died, was buried, then rose again from the grave, in the process defeating hell, Lucifer, death and the grave. Glory Hallelujah!
So though the body is aching and getting on in years, the spirit is well, it’s beautiful, and remains ever- young, and I can comfortably abide in all the great promises of Jehovah God, for I know from personal experience that He will faithfully keep them and never leave nor forsake me.
Wow mih breddren! As I keep saying, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! There’s none other like Him in the universe. And how could there ever be eh? No two beings could have such awesome power and exist together. As the old people would say, ‘two man-rat can’t live in the same hole!’
Hn, hn! Haven’t heard that one in some time, but it’s the absolute truth! And just to show what I’m talking about, check out this scene for May, from the One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.
It’s titled ‘The Promise of Abundant Life.’ And it says: ‘Lord, you always bring ultimate good to those who LOVE you. May I never surrender to the false conclusion that you have no more for me than what I already have.’
Oh Friends, it’s ever so important that we keep our hopes up, be prisoners of hope always and forever, and never give up on the awesome potential and LOVING-kindness of our great and most merciful God!
For as the promise on which that poem is based, which is also our Bit, taken from a contemplation of Bruh David, where he wisely proclaims: ‘Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’
Mama Mia! Now why would I want to walk away from such a Deity eh? One who shows me the way to live righteously, in whose presence I find everlasting joy, and who has innumerable pleasures for me to enjoy from now until eternity?
Steups! I would be real foolish my brethren to walk away from such a wonderful God, especially when I know that He always keeps His promises.
But sadly, a lot of mankind are doing just that; walking away from Jehovah God right into the waiting arms of an evil and dangerous Lucifer. That’s a fool’s wisdom, my people. For what can Lucifer do for us that the Most High God can’t do eh? NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
Nothing but fool us with some material things that don’t last and a few earthly and fleshly pleasures that will only have us end up in hell, and thus endure everlasting separation from Almighty God. Steups! And that’s the WORST thing that can ever happen to a human soul.
So why do we still insist on fooling around with the things of the world, of the prince of darkness eh my people? I really don’t know nuh. I guess it’s partly because of our innate sinful nature and our child-like desire for bright lights and flashy baubles and bangles, none of which really have any substance, but are simply false fronts, facades to hide the evil and non- substantive stuff that lies behind the bright golden curtain.
Remember Friends, all that glitters is not truly gold!
Now let’s check out some scriptures that reinforce the wisdom of our Bit. And we don’t have to go far, just a couple Psalms over to 18, where Bruh David is giving thanks for deliverance from his enemies. Listen to these wonderful words of faith and encouragement my brethren!
‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. 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). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps.18:1-3)
Oh Friends, that’s the only wise way to live this earthly life! And if you don’t believe Bruh David, then listen to Jesus, as He delivers His teachings in the Sermon on the Mount.
‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt.7:13-14)
Oh my people, what more can I say eh? Not much, except to give us some thoughts on the subject from the scholars. ‘7:13-14. The closing section of the Sermon on the Mount presents two choices to the listener. These are presented in a series of contrasts: two ways (vs.13-14); two trees (vs.15-20); two professions (vs.21-23); and two foundations (vs.24-29). This was a common method of teaching in both Jewish and Greco-Roman thought.
Enter ye in at the strait gate (narrow) means that one must come through the narrow gate in order to reach the path that leads to eternal life. Though many are on the broad…way, that leadeth to destruction (eternal separation from God), the gate that leads to life is so narrow that few there be that find it. Christ Himself is both the gate and the way (cf. John 14:6), and God enables men to find that gate (John 6:44).’
Oh Friends, that’s heavenly wisdom in a nutshell! Please, pretty please, let’s go out and practice it nuh, let’s put it into action in this ungodly world, so that we can glorify our heavenly Father, and ensure that we won’t be separated from Him eternally. Much LOVE!
…sincerely living for Christ in these trying times…is the only wise and sensible way to go…
24 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, abundant life, adventurous, all should come to salvation, all thanks and praise to god, amazement, and have it more abundantly, as I have loved you, Bless His Holy Name, blessings, bondage of sin, Bruh Paul, busy society, came together to break bread, celebrate the life death and resurrection of Jesus, collective family, cut-throat, do whatsoever I command you, enjoy each other's company, eternal optimist, everybody's doing their own thing, exciting life, faith, family life, family togetherness, favour, fellow believers, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, forgiveness, friends, get together, God's greatest desire, God's promised to work things out for our good, grace, greater love hath no man, greedy, hope, hurts my heart, I am come that they might have life, in exile, influence of Jesus, interesting, Jeus reigns supreme, joy, laughter, lay down his life for his friends, LOVE, love and togetherness, LOVE one another, mercy, merriment, obedient to God's will, opportunity, our Creator and sure Provider, overflowing grace, personal experience, physical treasure and pleasures, pick sense from nonsense, sacrificed Jesus, selfish, sins, some of the best days of my life, Son Jesus, soulful, spiritual enlightenment, such a blast, sufferation, tenderness, the first day of the week, the Good Lord, the greatest of these is love, the thief comes to steal, there am I in the midst of them, to go to be late is to be up early, undying LOVE, unending wisdom, ungrateful, unworthy, wisdom, wonder
John 10:10. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Oh Friends, it’s been a Willie Shakespeare kind of night, in the sense of when he says in one of his plays – don’t remember which one – to go to bed late is to be up early. Hn, Hn! Well I was up very early because I went to bed very late, around 3:30 a.m. (smile)
Anyway mih people, what I want to say is that the last couple of days can be numbered amongst some of the best of my life. That’s because it’s the first time my brother and I have spent so much time continually together.
We were always Friends, but never hung out much together, and the thirty years I spent away from Tobago, in exile in the North Country, obviously reduced those opportunities.
However mih breddren, the Good Lord, our Creator and sure Provider, in His usual mysterious way, in His unending wisdom and overflowing grace, thirty odd years later has provided a surprise get together. Mama Mia! All thanks and praise to Him!
One day, a couple weeks ago, right out of the blue, I received an e-mail from my niece saying that her parents were coming to Canada. And they’ve been here with us the last two days, and oh my people, it’s been such a blast!
There hasn’t been that much laughter, merriment and family togetherness in the house for a while, because in this busy society everybody is usually off doing their own thing. But yuh know what Friends?
These last couple of days have shown me what Jesus truly means when He says in our Bit: ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’
It’s family life Friends, family togetherness He was talking about. That’s basically it. When family and friends and fellow believers get together and enjoy each other’s company under the overwhelming influence of Jesus, then life truly is graced and gifted with abundance.
I don’t believe Jesus was referring so much to the abundance of physical treasure and pleasures, but more to the abundance of soulful and spiritual enlightenment. And again we see Jesus emphasizing togetherness, when He says: ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20)
And what we often forget, especially in this current selfish, cut-throat, greedy society, is that God’s greatest desire is that ALL should come to salvation; that we should live as ONE, in LOVE, joy and tenderness towards each other, as a part of His one, big, collective family. Otherwise He wouldn’t have sacrificed His One Son Jesus, to pay the price for our abominable sins.
And believe me people, Jesus did pay and enormous, a terribly high price to free us from the bondage of sin. Every time I consider what He went through to save us unworthy, ungrateful wretches, the very thought of His immense ‘sufferation’ hurts my heart.
But then, on the other side of the equation, I’m oh so thankful and grateful that He paid that exacting price, because it shows that the Father and Him truly LOVED, and still LOVES me!
This brings to mind Jesus’ directive: ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 12-14)
Then He went out and did exactly that – sacrificed Himself on the cross for us. Bless His Holy Name!
But please remember that one proviso: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ So if we’re not obedient to the will of Jesus, then we’re not His friends.
And sadly, that means a great proportion of mankind are not friends of Jesus, since we have so rudely and foolishly removed Him from all areas of our lives; at home, at work, at school and at play.
But Friends, Jesus is the eternal optimist. He believed in the saying that if you build it, they will come. So He died to give us the wonderful opportunity to come to Him in LOVE and togetherness.
And staying with that theme of togetherness and abundant life, let’s look at a scripture that appropriately describes it. It deals with Bruh Paul at Troas. ‘And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached (spoke) unto them, ready to depart on the morrow (the next day); and continued his speech (message) until midnight.’ (Acts 20:7)
Again, it was a coming together of the disciples to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Oh my fellow believers, there can be no greater joy than when Jesus is amongst, reigns supreme in the lives of a group of people! That’s when the abundant life truly kicks in, and why we need to take togetherness more seriously than we currently do, both as family and fellow believers.
Oh my people, being obedient to Jesus so that you can be numbered amongst His friends, is not always easy. In fact it can be very rough at times, when the Lord chooses to test us. But remember that He’s promised to ALWAYS work things out for our good.
And I can tell you from personal experience, that if you sincerely try to live obedient to God, then you WILL certainly lead an interesting, adventurous and exciting life, filled with wonder and amazement!
And how can we not eh, when our lives are constantly connected to: God’s Faith, God’s Grace, God’s Favour, God’s Blessings, God’s Mercy, God’s Forgiveness, and God’s undying LOVE!
So please my brethren, let’s get our acts together, and COME TOGETHER IN LOVE AND OBEDIENCE TO JESUS! That’s the wisdom of all the ages! Much LOVE!
…and now abideth…faith…hope…LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these is…LOVE…
P.S. Oh Friends, I surely hope that this Bit makes sense yes, stands together as a structural whole. But even if it doesn’t, I know that you all are smart enough to pick sense from nonsense. (smile) Much LOVE!
16 Jul 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a divine necessity, a positive idea in the mind of a believer, abundant life, Adam and Eve, all things are possible, Amen, be not afraid only believe, belief, Botanical Gardens, clutches of sin, confession, decry, demon spirit, disparage, dr robert h schuller, earthly things, Eureka moment, faith, faltering faith, fear not, forbidden fruit, Garden of Eden, glorious deliverer, glory, glory hallelujah, god-given idea, heavenly things, help my unbelief, honesty, Hour of Power Devotional, if you can believe, impossible to fool God, inner turmoil, insincerity, Jairus, jehovah god, Jesus, Jesus' desires, Jesus' glory, Jesus' resurrection, Julie, julie mango, life is too short not to enjoy it, Lordship, LOVE, Lucifer, majesty, memorable words of Jesus, Messiah, Moses, most powerful force, mouth watering flesh, My walk, Nicodemus, Old Testament, only believe, peril of understanding, repentance, road to Emmaus, salvation, significance of Jesus, slow of heart to believe, stupidity, suffering, testify, tittilate the senses, Tobago, true and faithful believer, trust, truthful words of Jesus, understanding, walk of faith, walking in God's will, witness, words of jesus
Mark 5:36b. Be not afraid, only believe.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella experienced a Eureka moment yesterday afternoon! Glory Hallelujah! I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this info before, but in the last little while I’ve developed this theory, and yesterday afternoon, while out on my deck eating a Julie (July) mango, the last few threads fell into place.
And the conclusion my people – wait for the drum rolls braising brass and clanging symbols – is that the nonsense about Eve giving Adam an apple to eat in the garden of Eden, that made mankind fall into the dire clutches of sin is just that –nonsense! The forbidden fruit that they disobediently ate was a Julie mango!
Oh mih breddren, the Julie I ate yesterday was pretty nice; so nice that when I was finished you could only see the white of the seed. Now that’s how a Julie should have you going; right down to the seed!
It just puts me in mind of those wonderful Julies we use to steal, or rather get unofficially (smile) from the Botanical Gardens back in Tobago when I was growing up. And this one, though nice, was no match for those. So you can imagine what the ones in the Garden of Eden were like. Mama Mia!
So from now on Friends, when you hear about the forbidden fruit in Paradise, just remember that it was a sweet, succulent, golden yellow Julie mango, with a beautiful aroma wafting from it that just titillated all the senses – sight, smell, touch and taste – and sound too, as you bite into the juicy, mouth watering flesh!
And all God’s people said a loud and joyful ‘Amen!’
Oh Friends, life is too short not to enjoy it. Remember that Jesus said He came that we might have abundant life. And in any case, who is there that has overwhelming facts to prove my theory wrong eh? Nobody!
And though Lucifer might not be too bright in trying to overthrow Almighty God, he was smart enough not to try and entice Eve with a simple apple, when there was that exotic Julie mango available; looking so good, and smelling so nice.
So now that we’ve had our daily fun, let’s turn to our walk of faith with Jehovah God. And today I want to share this inspiring poem from Dr. Robert H. Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional. It’s simply titled, ‘My Walk.’
‘O God, I’m inspired. For you have just impressed this truth into my mind: The most powerful force in the world is a positive idea in the mind of a believer who is walking in your will! I now reach forth my life and say, “God, put my life into the centre of your will.” Amen.’
Yes my people, there’s nothing more powerful than a God-given idea in the mind of a true and faithful believer! That’s why we have to look to God for direction in our lives, and why Jesus encouraged Jairus, the synagogue leader, and consequently us in our Bit: ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’
Yes my brethren, it all begins with belief, strong belief, aka faith! And today we’ll look at some other passages of scripture where Jesus enjoined the people of His day, and now of our day, to believe, to have faith.
Let’s start with the demon spirit in the child that the disciples could not drive out. What did Jesus say to the father who came seeking His compassion and His help? ‘Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’ (Mark 9:23) Strong, but very truthful words, my people!
‘And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.’ (Mark 9:24)
And the scholars have an interesting footnote to that last verse. ‘9:24. He had a certain faith; but it was confession of his undeniable inner turmoil and doubt that marked his faltering faith as truly authentic, if imperfect, trust. Before God honesty is a wise course.’
And isn’t that the obvious truth! Yet so many of us go to God with a less than honest approach. He sees all, and knows all, so why try to fool Him eh, when it’s simply IMPOSSIBLE to do that? It just shows up our stupidity, insincerity and lack of true faith and understanding.
Now in Luke’s gospel, re the instance of our Bit, where the people of Jairus’ household came and told him that his daughter was dead and so to stop bothering Jesus, it’s told like this. ‘But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.’ (Luke 8:50)
And then we come to the passage of scripture, where shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, He’s walking along the road to Emmaus with two believers who obviously don’t recognize Him, and they are recounting the confusion and disbelief back in the disciples camp in Jerusalem, as to whether Jesus was really risen or not.
‘Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.’ (Luke 24:25-27)
Now here is what the scholars have to say about those verses. ’24:26. Ought (Gr. dei) bespeaks a divine necessity; what the prophets had foretold (see Is:53, Ps.16; 22) must and did come to pass. The disciples had been ready to see in Jesus a glorious deliverer, but Jesus’ rebuke (vs.25) relates to their unwillingness to take seriously the many Old Testament texts that speak not only of the Messiah’s glory, but also of His suffering.’
’24:7. The entire Old Testament is indispensable for a grounded grasp of the identity and significance of Jesus.’
And right there Friends, is where a whole lot of believers fall down; wrongly thinking that the Old Testament is just that; old and out of date! But without understanding the Old Testament, we can NEVER fully understand the New, because they are both so closely intertwined.
The New is basically the Old brought to life, to fulfillment through Jesus. It’s like the saying; you can’t know where you’re going, if you don’t know where you came from. So Friends, please don’t decry, don’t disparage and cry down the Old Testament, because you do so at your own peril of understanding.
And we’ll close with these memorable words of Jesus to Nicodemus, the Jewish ruler who came by night to Jesus, looking for answers. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that (what) we do know, and testify that (what) we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?’ (John 3:11-12)
And unfortunately Friends, even to this day, we refuse to believe the truthful words of Jesus! How sad my people.
But fortunately, a few of us do believe, and that few will soldier on in faith, until we bring all the earth to repentance and salvation, as Jesus desires; to the recognition of His glory and majesty and Lordship! That’s our sincere belief and wish for all believers today! Much LOVE!
…fear not…only believe…only believe…only believe…
01 Jun 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good hearty laugh is therapy for our minds and bodies, a time to dance, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to weep, abundant life, Arnold Glasow, Blessed are ye that weep now, bringing in the sheaves, cause for joy laughter and celebration, Christmas, crapaud smoke we pipe, crying, dancing, depressing economic times, faith walk, fixing our affairs with Jesus, follow Christ, friends, functions of a believer, God shall wipe away all tears, gospel truth, I am come that they might have life, I make all things new, indisputable truth, Isaiah, Israel, Jesus, laughing, laughter cause a feeling of well being and joy, laughter costs nothing, Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects, laughter loosens all the cares and woes of the day, laughter makes trouble easier to bear, living fountains of water, LOVE, mourning, New Year's, no more death, no more hunger or thirst, no more sorrow, not backsliding, pain, positive attitude, rebirth, reconciliation, sighing and sorrow shall flee away, songs and everlasting joy and gladness, the faithful are called to courage, the former things are passed away, the Lamb, the ransomed of the Lord, the tabernacle of god is with men, they that sow in tears shall reap in joy, true and faithful words, we shall come rejoicing, weeping
Ecclesiastes 3:4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
Oh Friends, can you believe it’s already the first of June? Wow! Half the year has already gone by, and it seems like it was just yesterday we celebrated Christmas and New Year’s, and it’s almost time to celebrate them again. Hn, Hn, Hn!
Yeh mih breddren, the days are quickly flying by, and thus we have no time to lose in getting our affairs with Jesus fixed right, since He can return at any time, and if we’re found wanting, then crapaud smoke we pipe. And we obviously don’t want that to happen, so please let’s get smart and get right with Him nuh mih people.
On a point of interest, not because I haven’t been on our case to see if and how we are adhering to our New Year’s resolution to follow Christ more completely, means that you shouldn’t review it yourself on a periodical basis. One of the functions of a believer is to police him or herself without outside pressure. Anyway, I’m going to take it for granted that we are indeed improving our faith walk. I refuse to believe that we could be backsliding! (smile)
And in light of all that, here’s a rather appropriate and interesting quote from Arnold Glasow (1905-1998), an American author and humorist. Arnold says that: ‘Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.’ And that’s quite true – except for the stitches in your side and the tears you shed when you laugh too much.
And to back up Arnold’s theory, here are some thoughts from my One More Day Daily Devotional for People with Chronic Illness. ‘Unlike medicine, laughter costs us nothing, and can be partaken of as often as we see fit… A good, hearty laugh is therapy for our minds and bodies. Mirthful laughter can cause a remarkable feeling of well-being and joy. Laughter loosens all the cares and woes of the day and makes them somehow easier to bear.’
And all of that Friends in indisputable truth! But unfortunately laughter has become less prevalent in our current society, than it was just a few years ago. Today we’re all so busy, concerned and anxious about our lives and livelihood, especially with the depressing economic times, that we find it difficult to laugh much and make laughter a treasured part of our lives.
But Friends, as the Preacher tells us in our Bit, there is ‘A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.’
However, it seems like we’re doing way too much weeping and mourning, when we should be instead laughing and dancing. Oh Friends, weeping and mourning very seldom help the situation. They don’t ease our troubles and woes. But laughter and dancing do. They might not solve our problems, but they surely do make us feel better, bring a more positive attitude to our perception, which in turn helps us to better solve those same problems.
And Jesus did tell us in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.’ (Luke 6:21b)
Likewise, Isaiah, in talking about Israel’s eventual return to Zion declared: ‘And the ransomed of the Lord shall return to Zion with songs and everlasting joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.’ (Is.35:10) Now Isaiah felt that verse so keenly that he reiterated it in chapter 51:11, when he talks about the faithful are called to courage.
And that’s another bit of gospel truth there Friends. To be truly faithful to serving and worshipping Jesus, we need to be very courageous, for walking with Him causes all sorts of stuff to come out of the woodwork at us.
But the psalmist greatly reassures us by steadfastly proclaiming: ‘They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth (to and fro) and weepeth, bearing precious seed (a bag of seed for sowing), shall doubtless come again with rejoicing (shouts of joy), bringing his sheaves with him.’ (Ps.126:5-6)
Oh my fellow believers, that brings to mind the joyful hymn that says: ‘Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves. We shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves!’
It’s obvious my people that Jesus wants us to have a good, pleasant and happy life overall. That’s why He came and died for us.’I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10b) And having abundant life certainly doesn’t mean more weeping and mourning and sorrow and tears, than dancing and laughing and joy.
And we’ll end with two very important scripture passages that uphold that theory. This deals with the numberless multitude when Jesus ascends His throne. ‘They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on (strike) them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed (shepherd) them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears (every tear) from their eyes.’ (Rev.7:16-17)
And if you didn’t believe those verses, (smile) then try these: ‘And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev.21:3-5)
Oh my people, my people, yuh see what a wonderful future we have to look forward to! So please, let’s stop with all the sorrow and mourning nuh, and get some more joy and laughter into us, for that’s why Jesus came to earth and sacrificed His sinless life: so that we could enjoy a rebirth, a reconciliation with the Father. Hn! And if that isn’t great cause for joy and laughter and celebration, then I don’t know what is! Much LOVE!
…laughing openly and spontaneously…will always make me feel better… (From One More Day Devotional for People with Chronic Illness).
17 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant life, aura of love, awesome, blessed, blessings, bombarded, brave, brilliant strategist, Bruh Paul, buffeted, Chirst's army, christ jesus, Christ's Church, compassionate, confidence, courageous, cross at Calvary, earthly purpose, enthusiasm, faithful saying, Family day, follow the leader, forgiving, frame of mind, God's mercies, gracious, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, keeping lives and families together, Leader Jesus, life everlasting, long-suffering, lost in sin, LOVE to hate, merciful, mighty force, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not afraid, Oh Lord God Almighty, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, one true God, personal relationship with Jesus, Pharisees, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, right mood, right perspective, road to Damascus, salvation, saw the light, sins, slave for Massa, soldiers, Son of man, soulful choir, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, thankfulness, the enemy's wiles and lies, to save the lost, to seek, ungodly world, useful purpose, wicked taunts, wisdom, worst sinner, zeal, zealous for Christ
Luke 19:10. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday – the day we all seem to LOVE to hate, but which we truly LOVE deep down inside! And I hear a lot of venom coming forth per that statement. (smile)
I guess we have a LOVE hate relationship with Mondays because on one hand, it means our free time is over, we have to get up and go out and labour. On the other hand though, it opens up interesting and unknown doors for us in the outside world. It offers us new and untold opportunities, gives us a different perspective on life, compared to if we just stayed cloistered up at home.
Anyway Friends, Monday is like every other day the Lord has made, so if we’re smart, we’ll also be glad and enjoy it like we do the weekends. And luckily for some of us in good, ole Canada, we don’t have to go to work today because it’s a holiday! Bless the Lord, O my soul! In Ontario it’s called Family Day, ostensibly a day to spend with family. In other provinces it’s know by other names.
However, many of us around the world aren’t so blessed, we have to go out and slave for Massa. So let’s join with those unlucky ones and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to help us all get in the right mood and frame of mind. As one, vibrant, sweet sounding, soulful choir now, 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!’
Hopefully that put some pep in your step, got the adrenalin running. Please remember that we are all soldiers in Christ’s army, and for armies to win battles, their soldiers must be brave, courageous, positive and truly desirous of following their leader… And oh mih breddren, mih breddren, we have the BEST Leader in all the world!
He’s not only a brilliant strategist, but is also beautiful, LOVING, compassionate, thoughtful, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, merciful, forgiving, gracious and upstanding: He’s a God-man called Jesus Christ!
Wow! And He’s so wonderful, so selfless and giving, that two thousand years ago He left His comfortable abode in heaven and came to earth in human form so that we could have a better and more abundant life. Now which other supposed deity has even considered such a wonderful deed, much less to put it into practical operation eh?
None whatsoever! Because they are all false, dead gods. For there is ONLY ONE TRUE GOD; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the ONLY ONE who is alive and kicking, the ONE who sent His ONLY Son, Jesus Christ to earth to be sacrificed on the cross at Calvary to pay for our sins. As Jesus so simply and straightforwardly puts it in our Bit: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’
And all God’s people loudly and joyously declared: ‘Thank You Jesus, for saving us when we were lost in sin!’
Oh Friends, what an amazing and mighty force is our Leader Jesus! But you’ll never know that from His simplicity and humility. And it’s not until you develop a true and fast personal relationship with Him, that you’ll realize how truly awesome He is.
Now the last couple of days we’ve been looking at scriptures where He describes His earthly purpose, or where others commented on it. Today we’ll continue doing the same, but for brevity’s sake (smile) we’ll only look at Bruh Paul’s words to his young protégé Timothy, re his thankfulness for God’s many mercies.
‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am the chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.’ (1 Tim.1:16-17)
Yes my fellow believers, Bruh Paul considered himself the worst sinner in the world because of how he had tried to destroy Christ’s church in his more youthful days. But after Christ waylaid him on the road to Damascus, he saw the light, both literally and figuratively.
Through Christ’s mercy he was saved, to be used as an example to other sinners. If he had saved the worst one, then it would not be a problem to save the less sinful ones. And in all fairness, once Bruh Paul turned his life around, he used the same zeal in building Christ’s church as he had hitherto used to destroy it.
Oh Friends, are we being more zealous for Christ since we’ve been saved? I surely hope so. Anyway, that’s enough for us to ponder on today. I know you are all very busy people, so I don’t want to take up too much of your valuable time talking about God. I hope you detect the note of sarcasm there. (smile)
So until tomorrow, God in favour, please walk safely with Him, and let His Holy Spirit guide and keep you in all that you do. For that’s wisdom of the highest order. Much LOVE!
…unfortunately…those who don’t think they need saving…are the ones who need it the most…like the Pharisees…
24 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant life, abundantly, Beatitude, bless your Holy Name, blessed, Christians, consider, dearth, deep desire for righteousness, derogatory situation, destroy, disatrous mess, empty, everyday we draw breath, faithless, filled, fills the hungry soul, foolish, generosity, god-forsaken, goodness, gracious Lord, Guide, have life, humility, hunger and thirst, hunger of soul, hypocritical eyes, in Jesus' eyes, indisputable truth, Jesus, judging others, kill, less fortunate, LOVE, made my resolution, mainstay of society, mercy, one day at a time, one more day, opened up my eyes, planet earth, ponder, poor, possessors of the earth, put your money where your mouth is, ramp up the project, right from wrong, righteousness., rightful heirs, satisfaction, satisfies the longing soul, see myself through another's eyes, Sermon on the Mount, servant mentality, servant part, sincere resolution, spineless, spiritual depth, spiritual poverty, spiritual rebirth, steal, take them to god in prayer, thanks, try and change the world, turn my back on those in need, ungodly, we Love you Lord, wisdom, worthwhile changes
Matthew 5:6. Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Ah mih people, one more day has been added to our years on earth…!
And all God’s children loudly and gratefully declared: ‘Thank You most gracious Lord, for allowing us to see another beautiful day here on planet earth! Please guide and bless us, so that we can walk worthy of You. We LOVE You and praise your Holy Name! Amen!’
Well Friends, if we’re so thankful, then let’s put our money where our mouth is nuh, by ramping up that project we began yesterday, of trying to change the world. Remember we said we’d take it one day at a time, so that means we have to continue doing it today too, and every day that we draw breath in this world.
And just so that you’ll remember what we’re talking about, here’s Johnny Reid, in his Kenny Roger’s sounding voice, to remind us.
‘Today I’m gonna try and change the world. I’m gonna take it one day at a time. I’ve made my resolution, opened up my eyes. Today I’m gonna try and change the world.’
That’s just the chorus, now here’s the second verse… and it’s not the same as the first. (smile)
‘I’m gonna make sure my children know right from wrong. Never turn my back on those in need. Always gonna try to see myself through another’s eyes. Today I’m gonna try and change the world… Chorus.’
Yes my brethren, some more ways in which we can try changing the world every day that we’re alive!
And Friends, those things might seem simple, but they are ever so important, for they are the very things we need to deal with if we’re going to change this god-forsaken, ungodly world in which we live.
We’re talking about things like making sure our children know right from wrong… Steups! Many parents don’t even know that, so how are they going to teach it eh, even if they could find the time?
And then ordinary things like not turning our backs on those in need… Chuh! That’s now a mainstay of our society, for too many of us do it too often. That’s where the servant part, the servant mentality of Jesus comes in. But how many of us supposed Christians want to be servants eh?
Not a whole lot, for in spite of Jesus’ command to the contrary, we still prefer to be served rather than serve, because the name implies a derogatory situation, and being served makes us look important in the hypocritical eyes of the world. But Friends, in Jesus’ eyes, that makes us look real foolish, faithless and spineless.
And before critically and oftimes harshly judging others, many who are less fortunate than us, let’s first try and put ourselves in their place nuh, and see how we’d like others to see us, if the situations were reversed. We so get off on judging others these days, even though we don’t know them from Adam, or have a clue about their circumstances. That’s certainly a big part of why our world is in such a disastrous mess.
However my people, we can’t make any of those worthwhile changes unless we have the words of our Bit buried deep in our hearts, souls and minds. ‘Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’
Yeh Friends, it’s another Beatitude from Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. It seems like we’re dealing with Beatitudes this meeting, so though we’ve done this one already, some 17 months ago, it’s useful to do it again, because every so often we need reminders. (smile) And I’m sure there’ll be new and different stuff than the last time.
Now here’s what the scholars’ have to say about our Bit: ‘5:6. These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth.
Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled (Gr. chortazo) refers to a complete satisfaction. The Psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps.107:9)’
And that’s indisputable truth, as many of us can testify to! The problem though is to recognize the dearth, or lack of spiritual depth and then sincerely try to fill it. That means coming to God in humility and hunger of soul, so that He can generously and mercifully fill up that empty space that’s keeping us back from truly enjoying all He has to offer.
Remember Jesus’ promise: ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
That simply shows my people, that we can’t have abundant life, unless Jesus dwells in us abundantly. Let’s ponder on and consider all these things today, then take them all to God in prayer to help us fix whatever needs fixing. That’s wisdom from on high… therefore of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…oh to be meek and humble…hungry and thirsty for righteousness…so that our eyes can be opened…and cause us to make a sincere resolution…to try and change the world today…
24 Oct 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: abundant life, blessed Christians, confidence, encouragement, enjoy life, enthusiasm, everlasting life, faith, false doctrine, false liberty, false teachers, fight for our faith, flaunt God's will, God's faithfulness, God's Sovereignty, immorality, passion, run the race of glory, salvation, sinister purposes
Jude 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.
A most passionate and joyful ‘top o’ the morn’ to all you faithful Friends and believers out there in Scrip-Bit Land! Yuh know that we Christians are the luckiest people in the entire world? Of course! That’s because we have an all-powerful God, who LOVES and cares for us and enriches us with new blessings everyday! And all God’s people sent a rousing ‘Praise the Lord!’ up to heaven. However my people, all the mercy, LOVE, blessings, forgiveness, compassion etc. are of no use unless we enjoy the earthly life that’s set before us, the race we were put here to run. Remember Jesus said that He came that we might have an abundant life. (John 10:10) So what’s the purpose of having abundance if you’re not enjoying it eh? None whatsoever my brethren! And I want to share an appropriate quote from the renowned German Reformed Theologian, Jurgen Moltman (1926-) which declares: ‘The more passionately we LOVE life, the more intensely we experience the joy of life.’ And that’s an undeniable truth Friends! When we choose to live life on its own terms, rather than our short-sighted, selfish ones, we experience and enthusiasm and passion that’s incomparable. Then we can enjoy the highs and lows of life without too much worry or anxiety, knowing that both are essential parts of life, and that the lows are only temporary setbacks. And if you’re a practicing Christian, then you can appreciate that fact even more, because we have the promise of our omnipotent, faithful God that He will work everything out for our good, and never leave nor forsake us, if we stick close to Him. We certainly can’t ask for more encouragement and confidence than that! However Friends, too many of us believers are still going around sad, despondent and worried, like ‘poor me ones’ without home or a future. Oh my people, Christians ought to be enthusiastic and passionate about life! In fact the MOST enthusiastic and passionate people on the face of God’s great earth should be Christians, since we have Jesus, our Lord and Saviour providing salvation, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us as a help-meet here on earth, and the Father to whom we’ve been reconciled through Jesus’ precious blood, thus forgiven and looking forward to everlasting life with the Holy Triumvirate. Now if that doesn’t make us ecstatic, causing us to just jump and shout it out loud, I don’t know what will. Oh fellow believers, I am trying to encourage us to be more enthusiastic and passionate about life in general and our faith in particular. But unfortunately, I suspect that my words are falling on deaf ears, because deep down we still don’t truly believe what we should. We hear it, and think we believe it, but putting it into serious action is another story, because we’re still running scared of the big, bad world and all its evil. And when we turn to our Bit, we find Jude also encouraging us to stand up passionately and earnestly for our wonderful, exceptional FAITH in Christ Jesus. ‘Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once (for all time) delivered to the saints.’ Now yesterday we promised to find out why Jude wrote that missive to his friends and fellow believers. And he clearly spells it out in the verse after our Bit: ‘For there are certain men crept in unawares (unnoticed), who were before of old ordained to (long ago marked out for) this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (licentiousness), and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Jude 4) Ah mih people, that was a sad fact back then, and it’s an even bigger and sadder one today! But let’s hear the scholar’s opinion on that verse before we go any further. ‘Before of old ordained is probably not speaking of predestination in the sense of God deciding in advance that he would condemn these men and so seeing to it that they sinned. Rather Jude recognizes that Scripture often predicts the demise and judgement of any who flaunt God’s will. The men in question are wrongly assuming that grace means “no moral laws.” They thus effectively deny the sovereignty and eternal moral lordship of both the Father and the Son.’ And unfortunately Friends, today’s world is sadly beset with those false teachers and preachers, who unnoticed, are deceptively infiltrating Christ’s church and teaching stuff that’s not gospel truth. In this instance, they’re taking the liberty afforded us by the grace of God to cause His people to sin, to ignore His dictates, claiming or insinuating that it’s okay to go further than is really true. Yes my people, in this supposed modern and enlightened age, there are numerous people, groups, cults etc. who are going around spreading either completely false doctrine, or doctrine with a convenient spin on it to make it profitable for their own evil, sinister purposes. That’s why it’s so important for us to constantly talk, to communicate with each other about the TRUTH OF OUR FAITH. Without that constant communication, we’ll be left wide open for all sorts of false people and false info to invade our souls. And that’s definitely an unwelcome position. More on this tomorrow, if the Good Lord sees fit. Till then, please, let’s diligently LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD His Word. Much LOVE!…believers beware…for evil doesn’t only lurk in dark corners…but also in wide open, bright places…and comes in all sorts of guises…like wolves in sheep’s clothing…
22 May 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: abundant life, Christians, come forth as gold, happy, joy of the lord, joyful, known me, new mercies and blessings, psalm 139, searched me, sunny disposition, tried and tested, zest for life
Psalm 139:1. O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Oh Friends, another day has dawned bright and beautiful in the north country! Praise the Lord, for He is worthy to be praised! Are you feeling the excitement, the enthusiasm and the zest for life that a new day brings? I sure hope so, because otherwise you’ll be missing out on God’s goodness, the new mercies and blessings He’s planned for us every day. It’s a simple matter Friends; if we’re alive, then we might as well enjoy life, especially since that’s one of the reasons Jesus died: ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) That means Christians ought to be generally speaking, joyful, happy people, both internally and externally, starting right down here on earth, not waiting until we get to heaven! We should definitely not be the dragging, sad, poor me one, head down caricatures that so many of us are. Why would anybody want to come to Jesus if His followers demeanour and disposition is sad and sour eh? So please pluck up my people! Remember the joy of the Lord is our strength, (Neh.8:10) therefore let’s display a sunny disposition to all and sundry, so that they can wonder why we’re always so pleasant and gracious even in times of despair. That’s the attitude that draws others to Jesus! And we’re able to display that wonderful attitude because of the everlasting presence and power of God abiding in us. Thus Bruh David could truthfully declare in our Bit: ‘O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.’ That’s true of all practicing Christians! The Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. And as Bruh David continues: ‘Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandeth my thought afar off. Thou compasseth (comprehendeth) my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it all together.’ (Ps.139:2-4) Yeh Friends, the Lord made us and knows everything about us – from our very beginning to our very end! Now let’s hear some interesting commentary on Psalm 139 from the scholars. ‘Certainly one of the grandest psalms in all of the Psalter. It is also one of the richest theologically. It combines and exposition of the greatness of God’s character with the reality of human experience. From verses 19-22 we find that David wrote the psalm during a time of opposition. It therefore contains truths that were meaningful to him during these troublesome times. They may be summarized under four key thoughts as David addresses the Lord: You know me (vv. 1-6), You are with me (vv.7-12), You created me (vv.13-18), and Your cause is my cause (vv.19-24)’ And that’s the gospel truth Friends! The psalm is definitely rich in the ways of our God, His attributes and the wonderful way in which He interacts with His sinful children! But getting back to the core of our Bit; about searching and knowing the heart of each child, let’s hear some other scriptures describing God’s detailed involvement and interaction with us in every facet of our lives. And there’s no better place to start than with Job’s immortal statement of faith: ‘But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.’ (Job 23:10) Yes my friends, the Lord knows us inside out, and will test us through trials and tribulations to gauge the strength of our faith. It’s definitely one of the ways He uses to get our attention, and consequently to build our faith. I can attest to that from personal experience. It’s not always easy, but it’s certainly worthwhile! Meanwhile, Jeremiah in his complaint about the prosperity of the wicked and the happiness of the treacherous, also declares: ‘But thou, O Lord, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried (tested) my heart toward thee…’ (Jer.12:3) Ah mih people, walking with Jesus will bring constant tests and trials until the day we breathe our last breath and go over yonder to meet Him in glory! So please don’t despair when troubles come your way. It is merely our great God testing us, putting us through our paces to see how real, right and true our hearts are towards Him. And remember too, He never gives us more than we can bear, and always provides the tools we need to do what He asks. That’s why He’s such a wonderful Deity! And in recognition of His ‘wonderfulness’ (smile) all God’s people, with unspeakable joy and gratitude declared a mighty ‘Amen!’ More on this tomorrow Friends, if we wake to see another brilliant sunrise. Till then, let’s truly LOVE our God, with all of our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, and our neighbours as ourselves. Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…just to be with Him awhile…makes it all worthwhile…
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