03 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham Isaac and Jacob, adversity, atrocities, bad, beating pan, bites the dust, blood cancer, Cabinet Minister, campus politics, Caribbean, close to his chest, condolences, count on it, countenance, cursing, death, deceit, defeated, double heart, earthly body, enjoy life, escapades, eulogy, evil doers, evil tendencies, faithful promise, falsely, flattering lips, fraud, fun-loving, furnace, godless days, going out of style, good, hell, help, History, idly, inconsistent mind, indifferent, iniquity, innocent smile, Irvine Hall, Jamaica, judge, keep them preserve them, Lambretta scooter, lord god almighty, Lucifer, mastered the art, meet his Maker, mischief, Mona, mortality, neighbour, oppression, partying, Patrick Manning, Playboys Steel Band, played his cards, political administration, political ambitions, pride, Prime Mister, pure, purveyors, rest in peace, safety, save me, settle all debts, shy, silver, spiritual realm, the children of men, the faithful fail, the godly man ceases, the grave, the grim reaper, the needy, the poor, the words of the Lord, there is no god, this generation, tried in a furnace, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago, trouble, truth, unafraid, University of the West Indies, vanity, wickedness, wrongs
Psalm 12:2. They speak vanity (idly, falsely) every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak.
‘And another one bites the dust…!’
Yes friends, another of my university mates shed his earthly body yesterday and moved on to meet his Maker in the spiritual realm. We’re talking about the Rt. Hon. Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning, (1946-2016) ex-Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. The cause of death is reputedly acute myeloid leukemia (blood cancer). That now leaves only a few of us. (smile)
It’s strange though that when one of your classmates dies, how it gets you to thinking of your own mortality. But unfortunately there’s not much we can do about it, so we might as well enjoy life to the best of our ability, for when the Grim Reaper calls, we have no option but to go.
Well what can I say about Paddy Manning eh? I met him way back in 1966 when we were both freshmen on the University of the West Indies (U.W.I) campus in Mona Jamaica, where we lived in the same Hall of Residence, Irvine Hall. Paddy was always pleasant and friendly, full of jokes, emitting that shy, innocent smile on his round, boyish face that the ladies seemed to like.
Over the three years there we became decent friends and associates. We did have some fun times together; engaging in a couple of escapades, partying a fair amount, beating pan in the Irvine Hall Playboys Steel Band, and riding his Lambretta scooter around the campus and the surrounding Mona environs.
At that time nobody really knew that Paddy had political ambitions, for he always played his cards close to his chest and never got involved in campus politics as some other well-known political animals did. The one instance most people might remember is when he ran for Hall Chairman and lost.
But other than that, Paddy was just an ordinary fun-loving young man like most of us, so I was most surprised when I heard that he had gotten involved in politics.
Unfortunately, the last time I saw him was around 1983, he was just a regular Cabinet Minister then, and sadly, I didn’t visit T&T for some thirty years after that, so we never got a chance to hook up. In the last couple of years when I went down there I tried to see him, but he was either too sick to receive visitors or was off the island.
Obviously I can’t say anything about his political administration since I wasn’t living there during that time, but I did hear stories, good, bad and indifferent. I won’t judge him because that’s not my place.
I will end my little eulogy though with a rather appropriate statement from another school and band and roommate of his, William Lau. ‘Whatever one’s opinion, Patrick’s place in Trinidad and Caribbean history is set.’
And that no one can deny my friends. My sincere condolences go out to his family. Rest in peace, Paddy mih brother!
Now let’s turn to our Bit, from Psalm 12 –A plea from Bruh David against the wicked. But first let’s set the scene with the verse that comes before it. ‘Help, Lord (save me); for the godly man ceaseth: for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men.’ (Ps.12:2)
And if that isn’t the gospel truth in these abominable times, I don’t know what is! Yeh mih breddren, godly and faithful men and women are going out of style, or have already gone out of style in these evil, godless days.
And Bruh David continues: ‘They speak vanity (idly, falsely) every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak.’
More indisputable truth precious people! For lies and falsehood and fraud and double speak and flattery are what emanate from most mouths in this day and age. The evil tendencies of man are highlighted in these troublesome times.
But please note Bruh David’s sure statement as he writes on. ‘The Lord shall cut off (destroy) all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud (great) things. Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?’ (Ps.12:3-4)
Ah friends, what foolish and ignorant people are they? For they obviously don’t know that their lips are not their own; that there entire body and all their possessions belong to the Lord God Jehovah who made heaven and earth and all therein!
Now listen to the psalmist from Psalm 10, as he prays for the overthrow of the wicked. ‘The wicked through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts (he thinks; There is no God)… He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity (trouble). His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud (oppression): under his tongue is mischief (trouble) and vanity (iniquity).’ (Ps.10:4, 6-7)
Oh friends, it surely seems like the psalmists are writing about our current world and the atrocities that are taking place in it. If they thought that mankind was evil and wicked back then, those of today have mastered the art, and can certainly teach them a thing or two about evil and wickedness.
But what those followers of Lucifer don’t realize is that the Lord God Almighty, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is still on His throne in the high heavens, watching down on them only waiting for the right moment to pounce on them.
And Bruh David spells it out thus: ‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety (for which he yearns) from him that puffeth at him.’ (Ps.12:5)
Yes friends, the Lord will eventually settle all debts and wrongs that the poor and needy and righteous have suffered. How do we know that? Bruh David tells us. ‘The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.’ (Ps.12:6-7)
That’s a faithful promise and heavenly truth my brethren! We can count on it! So let’s faithfully go out to church this Sunday morning, unafraid of the evil-doers that lurk around us, and joyously praise and worship our Creator, for that’s what He expects, and also what he deserves. Much LOVE!
…Jesus Christ has already defeated hell, death and the grave…so there’s no need to be afraid of evil and its purveyors…
14 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversity, alleviate our concerns, among the people, assurance, at my right hand, awake my glory, awaken the dawn, awakens the believer, be assured, Be thou exalted, believe in Jesus, belittle, beloved children of God, blessing, by a roadway, confidently look to Jesus, demean, destiny, Don Moen, exalted, faith, faithful words, for each new day, glory hallelujah, God is always with us, God will be my guide, God will make a way, God works in ways we cannot see, gratitude, grief, harp, heaven and earth will fade, His word will remain, hold me closely to his side, hold up our heads and shoulders, I am the beloved of god, I have set the Lord, I shall not be moved, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, in the wilderness, lighten our spirits, look to the heavens, LOVE, lute, mercy, molehills, mountians, overcome the world, passion, praise, praise and worship, prayer for deliverance, preservation, promises, psaltery, put into action, put us down, rivers in the desert, Saul, sense of purpose, share His love, strength, thanksgiving, the friend of Jesus, thy mercy is great, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we need not fear, wings to fly, with love and strength
Psalm 57:8. Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery (lute) and harp: I myself will awake early (awaken the dawn).
Good morning my fellow believers! It’s a wonderful day, a great day to be alive, so let’s begin with a little praise and worship to show our gratitude. Please sing with me this beautiful song by Don Moen, titled ‘God Will Make A Way.’
‘God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me
He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way Oh, God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me
He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way
By a roadway in the wilderness, He’ll lead me And rivers in the desert will I see Heaven and Earth will fade but His Word will still remain And He will do something new today
Oh, God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way.’
And that is the God-awesome truth my people! Oh my breddren, with unfailing LOVE and almighty strength our great God will make a way for us through any and every situation we face! Please remember that!
And as proof of that, this song was apparently written when Don Moen was going through a period of grief for a sudden and unexpected death in his family. The Lord put those faithful words in his heart as a reminder that He is always with us regardless of what we are going through.
So today friends, as we go out to face the crazy world out there, let’s remember and be assured that our God is always with us, and will make a way to alleviate our concerns, so we need not fear what may come against us.
And to be even more assured, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with a strong sense of purpose and passionate belief.
All together 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.’
More gospel truth my people! Our destiny is all wrapped up in being beloved children of God and friends of Jesus! Glory Hallelujah!
So the world can say whatever they want about us, but that’s what defines us! And friends that’s something we need to desperately remember and put into action, because the world is always trying to demean and belittle us just because we believe in Jesus.
We simply cannot afford to let them put us down. We need to hold our heads and shoulders up proud, look to the heavens and know that our Lord and Saviour has already overcome the world, and will help us to overcome it too.
And all of that assurance brings us to our most fitting Bit: ‘Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery (lute) and harp: I myself will awake early (awaken the dawn).’
Yeh friends, we believers ought to be in praise mode early in our day, so that our spirits can be light and confidently looking to Jesus as we make our journey through this evil and ungodly world!
Hear how Bruh David continues this prayer for deliverance when he fled from Saul in the cave. ‘I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations (Gentiles). For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.’ (Ps.57:9-11)
Yuh see what’s happening here my brethren? Though Bruh David is running for his life from the wicked Saul, he is so immersed in and assured of the might and mercy of the God of his fathers, that instead of moaning and groaning and pleading for help, he declares praise and exalts Him!
Now that’s not always easy to do when adversity comes against us, but I can assure us, that offering praise and thanksgiving in those unfortunate times, lightens the load in our souls. It might not change the circumstance or the situation, but we will indeed feel more peaceful, and be better able to handle the situation.
Now let’s end with some more glorious words from Bruh David, this time from Psalm 16, where he’s again seeking preservation and blessing. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope (dwell securely).’ (Ps.16:8-9).
Yes friends, that’s how we ought to be as true believers! So today, please let’s feel that strong sense of purpose and raise up our passion for Christ as we embrace His promises and His truth and go about exalting Him, and turning mountains into molehills in His glorious name! Much LOVE!
…faith and trust in Jesus awakens the believer…and lends him wings to fly…
P.S. It’s late, but it’s good! (smile) Just another early morning to bed. Much LOVE!
05 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great King, a psalm of praise, acknowledge, adversity, aggressiveness, Andrew Murray, angrily, another beautiful day, anxiously, behave as God's child, bestow, blessings, bow down, by His will, Caleb, circumstances, clothes wore out, contrite, draw us closer to Him, dry land, dwell on the past, encouragement, evil, fellowship, formula, friends, glory, glory hallelujah, God brought me here, God's appointment, God's great earth, God's Word, great is our God above all gods, guidance, heaven cannot contain God, humble, hurt and pain, In His good time, in time of trouble, Jesus Christ, Joshua, keep me in His love. grace, keeping, kneel, LOVE, majesty, make a joyful noise, mercies, obedient to God's will, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, Our Daily Bread, people of his pasture, petulantly, sanctuaries, shout joyfully, teaching me lessons, thanks and praise, thanksgiving, the earth, the greatness of God, the Lord our Maker, the sanctuary, the sea, the sheep of his hand, this strait place, thy way O God, trail, training, truth, turns over a new page, who is so great a God, why me Lord, wisdom, wise counsel, wonders, worship
Psalm 77:13. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?
Ah mih people, welcome to another beautiful and bountiful day on God’s great earth!
And all God’s children declared a loud and proud ‘Glory Hallelujah! All thanks and praise to our great God who lavishes us with new blessings and mercies each and every day!’
Now that’s a truth from which we cannot escape friends; every day, the Lord turns over a new page in our lives, and asks that we do the same; not forget the past, but not to dwell on it, as so many of us tend to do.
And today I want to share with us, I guess we’ll call it… a formula, for lack of a better word, although I don’t like to talk about formulas when dealing with God’s Word because it makes it sound so contrived.
Anyway, this is a process that was shared in yesterday’s Our Daily Bread Devotional, so those of you who read it, will know what I’m talking about. But for those who don’t, the story goes that way back in 1895, a South African pastor, Andrew Murray, was visiting England when he was felled by excruciating pain from an old back injury.
However, during his time of recuperation, his hostess mentioned a lady who was also experiencing a time of great trouble, and wanted to know if the pastor had any words of advice, of wise counsel to help her. It’s reputed that the pastor told his hostess: ‘Give her this paper which I have been writing for my own (encouragement). It may be that she will find it helpful.
And this is what the pastor wrote. ‘In time of trouble say: First – God brought me here. It is by His will I am in this strait place. In that I will rest. Next – He will keep me in His LOVE and give me grace in this trial to behave as His child.
Then – He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He intends to bestow. Last – In His good time He can bring me out again – how and when He knows. I am here – by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time.’
Oh friends, what wonderful words of wisdom! For we are all subject to God’s plan for our lives. There’s no getting away from His mandate; we might run for a spell, but we can never hide.
The best way to handle our adversity is to assume that everything has come from God, even though it might not have originated with Him, there is a reason He has allowed it to upset our lives; for testing, training, learning or to draw us closer to Him.
The right thing is to come to Him in sincerity and ask for His guidance, what to do under the prevailing circumstances. Don’t go anxiously, angrily and petulantly asking, ‘Why Lord, why me, why this calamity at this time eh? You know I’m trying my best to serve you, but still these adversities happening to me. Why Lord, why eh?’
For our questions as to why, we very seldom get an answer, although later on we usually are able to determine the why. It’s best just to go before Him with a humble and contrite heart and pour out all our hurt and pain without any aggressiveness.
For once we let pride make us haughty and aggressive, He will just tune us out. So please let’s take all those points into account, because it will make our lives much easier in times of adversity.
And now to our Bit. ‘Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?’
Yes friends it’s the same one, because there is so much scripture to relate, scripture which teaches us about the greatness of our God!
And as I said yesterday, we’ll never be able to truly surrender our lives to Him and truly appreciate His wonderful nature until we fully realize How magnificent, magnanimous and merciful He is.
And we’ll just mention some instances of His great power, beginning with the fact that for all the forty years He allowed His chosen people to wander in the wilderness, until all those who came out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb died, neither their clothes nor shoes or sandals ever wore out.
Just think about that nuh mih people; forty years with no need for new clothes or shoes. Some of you women would die! (smile) Only a rather powerful Deity could do that.
Now listen to Cousin Sol after he had built the temple. ‘And the house which I build is (will be) great: for great is our God above all Gods. But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? Who am I then, that I should build him a house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?’ (2 Chr.2:5-6)
Yeh friends, who will build our great God a house when the universe cannot contain Him? It’s just like our sanctuaries today. They are merely for our gathering to give Him thanks and praise, a place where we believe He can be more readily found. But in truth, our great God is everywhere, all the time. That’s why we call Him omniscient, omnipotent and omni-present!
Now hear these words of the psalmist from Psalm 95 – A psalm of praise to the great God. ‘Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand (possession) are the deep places of the earth: the strength (heights) of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker’ (Ps.95:2-6)
Yes my fellow believers, there’s nothing better for us to do than to bow down and worship our great God, for He is our Maker, and He made us to have fellowship with Him and be obedient to His will.
So today let’s ponder and consider all that we have said nuh, plus all the times when the Lord has worked His wonders in our individual lives, for He certainly has done wonders in all of our lives. Then let’s acknowledge His glory and majesty, and give Him the praise and thanks that He so fittingly deserves. Now that’s true wisdom! Much LOVE!
…For He is our God…and we are the people of His pasture…and the sheep of His hand (under His care)… (Ps.95:7a)
17 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a relationship with Jesus, adversity, apostate, assurance, atonement, Babylon, breath of God, calamity, courage, crying, dark night of sin, day of life, doomed to destruction, downfall, enemy, evil, exile, expectations, Ezra, fades, faith, Feast of Trumpets, final destination, for the joy of the Lord is your strenght, friends, glorious sunshine of Jesus, glory hallelujah, God shall wipe away all tears, God's plan for our lives, going to hell in a hand-basket, happiness, happy, heaven, holy spirit, hope, Hours of Power Devotional, I am halfway home, I'm not looking back, I'm not turning back, indisputable fact, inner peace, Israelites, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the Truth, joy, joyful, joyfulness, kind, LOVE, merciful, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, no more death, paganism, pain, peace, planet earth, pleasure, ponder, robert h schuller, self-esteem, sorrow, steadfastly, superstition, thanks and praise, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the clouds will clear, the former things are passed away, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the law of Moses, the Life, the Light, the promise of heaven, the sun will shine again, the Way, they have not known nor understood, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, understanding, vim and vigour, walking faithfully, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, world of darkness
Nehemiah 8:10c. For the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Oh welcome my brethren to another interesting and satisfying day of life on God’s great planet Earth!
And as we keep saying, there must be a reason for us to have awakened this morning. So, after giving God some thanks and praise for bringing us through the dark night of sin into the glorious sunshine of Jesus, let’s get with His plan for our lives right away nuh.
And since today is Wednesday, it means declaring our Wednesday Wail with much vim and vigour. (smile) As one wailer 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!’
Yes friends, life is all about looking forward to a glorious future with Jesus! As they say; our best days are still ahead. And I do believe that. And how can we not be ever-thankful for the beautiful breath of God’s Spirit that’s flowing through us to give us what we call life eh!
Now today I want to share something from Gramps Schuller’s (Robert H. Schuller) Hours of Power Devotional. Don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but if I have, it’s certainly worthy of another go round in this dark and dismal world.
He asks the question ‘Are You Happy?’ But I want to change it to ‘Are you Joyful?’ because happiness conveys a sense of now for now pleasure that soon fades, pleasure as the world sees it, not the long lasting joy that comes from a true relationship with Jesus. So in this passage, wherever we see ‘Happiness,’ let’s read it as ‘Joyfulness.’
So here goes: ‘Happiness – that deep inner strength that is made up of courage, faith, hope, and peace. Mix them together and you have happiness! Happiness – the courage to hang on in the face of severe adversity! Happiness – the faith that God will have the last word, and it will be good! Happiness – the hope that, even though you can only see the shadow, someday the clouds will clear away and the sun will shine again!
Happiness – the quiet sense of self-esteem that comes when you know you have done your best. Happiness – the assurance that you have been merciful and kind to enemy and friend alike. Happiness – the quiet assurance that God will be merciful and kind to you, too. Happiness – the beautiful belief that this life, no matter how difficult it may be, is not your final destination.’
Oh what beautiful, words, thoughts and emotions my people! Especially knowing that our final destination is heaven, to live with Jesus forever! ‘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.’ (Rev.21:4)
And all God’s people loudly and proudly declared: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Thank the Lord for the promise of heaven!’
And that’s all fine and dandy my friends, but the truth, the reality is that we can’t have all those things, all that happiness, all that joyfulness here on earth, unless we are walking faithfully and steadfastly with Almighty God!
And you ask why? Simply because, as our Bit says: ‘For the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
And that my people is an indisputable fact! We cannot be truly happy or joyful for any length of time, unless the Lord’s joy is running through us. The Lord’s joy comes from a sense of inner peace, of expectations edged with faith in God’s promises, and the practical LOVE He showed to us by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for the atonement of our sins!
No other faith can boast of those things! That’s why Jesus is the Truth, the Life, the Way and the Light that lights up this world of darkness!
Now some of us might not know where our Bit comes from, or how it is tied in to the scriptures, so let’s go back in time. The Israelites had recently returned from exile in Babylon, and having settled themselves in their homeland again, in the seventh month they came together to celebrate and thank the Lord.
‘And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street (plaza) that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the scribe brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding upon the first day of the seventh month.’ (Neh.8:1-2)
Now friends, I think it’s very important that we listen to the scholars’ explanation here. ‘8:2. The time was the Feast of Trumpets (Lev.23:24) and was about September 27, 444 B.C. This was the most sacred of the new moons, and commenced the final month of the religious festivals (Lev.23:23-25; Num.29:1-6). The concept of understanding was important as Proverbs 1:2 indicates (cf. Ex.12:26-27; Deut.4:6; 6:6-9; 31:12-13).
Mindless superstition was the mark of paganism (“They have not known nor understood.” Is.44:18-20), and had been the downfall of apostate Israel (Hos.4:6: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”). Notice the stress on understanding in verses 2-3, 7-8,13.’
Oh friends, that is exactly what’s happening to our world today! We are suffering from a lack of knowledge and understanding of God, just like Israel was back then. Paganism is rearing its ugly head more and more, no wonder our world is going to hell in a hand-basket like happened to the apostate Israel!
What do you think happens when a society, a nation, a world turns away from Almighty God eh? Obvious calamity!
Oh my people, look at the number of places, cities and societies cited in the Bible who were destroyed because they had turned from worshipping and serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, including His chosen Israel several times.
What makes us thing that our turning away from Him now will end any differently eh? And I’ll leave us to ponder that question today. Much LOVE!
…apart from Almighty God…mankind is doomed to destruction…
07 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adultery, adversity, Bathsheba, believers in Jesus Christ, bitter fruit, blaspheme, blessings, closer to God, confessing sins, consequences, curse, declare in faith, deterrent to sin, disrepute, do not let me quit, Dr. Robert H. Schuler, eternal life, ever-generous God, evil, find a pass through, give me the patience to stay, Give me the strength. to keep on striving, grieved, I acknowledged my sin, I have sinned against the Lord, I will confess my transgressions, idle promises, learn from the mistakes of others, lightens our load, Lord when I face a mountain, LOVE, mercies, mine iniquity have I not hid, Mountain Mover's Prayer, Nathan, negative consequences, perception, possibilities, repented, reverence, sin, sinful people, sugar-coat, Thank You Lord, the enemies of the Lord, the gift of God, the mercy of God, the name of God, the sword shall never depart from thine house, the wages of sin is death, this is the day the Lord has made, thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin, transgression, tunnel underneath, turning my mountain into a gold mine, until I climb over, Uriah, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom, with your help
Psalm 32:5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Well hello there my beautiful fellow believers in Jesus Christ! As usual, it’s a brand new day with brand new mercies and blessings flowing down from heaven on high! Oh glory to our great and ever-generous God!
So let’s be wise and accept them in the spirit in which they are being offered nuh, say a grateful thank you Lord, and acknowledge with sincere reverence His holy presence.
At the same time, let’s all declare this biblical truth: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ Yes my people, that’s the only option that makes any sense as true and faithful believers.
Now today I want to shake us up a little, raise our faith level some, get us coming up over our problems, by reciting the Mountain Mover’s Prayer, penned by Gramps Schuler (Dr. Robert H. Schuler).
Please declare in faith with me: ‘Lord when I face a mountain, do not let me quit! Give me the strength to keep on striving until I climb over; Find a pass through, or tunnel underneath. And if my best efforts fail, give me the patience to stay, And the perception to see the possibilities Of turning my mountain into a gold mine with your help. Amen.’
Ah Friends, that is exactly the patience, the perseverance, the stick-to-it kind of faith we need to succeed in this dark and dangerous world! And there’s no better time to incorporate that into our souls and minds than at the beginning of this new year.
So with that strong foundation laid down in our spirits, let’s now turn to our Bit: ‘I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.’
Yes my brethren, confessing our sins to Almighty God is one of the best moves we can ever make in this earthly life! It just lightens our load and brings us closer to our heavenly Father. And there’s nothing He desires more than that, because He is a holy God and cannot tolerate or associate with sin, or sinful people.
So when we clear our consciences in the name of Jesus, on the basis of the work that our Lord and Saviour has done, then it clears the way for the Father to work with us and on our behalf.
Enough of my moralizing though, (smile) let’s turn to the scriptures for enlightenment and encouragement on the subject. And we’ll start with one of the best and well known examples of confession of sin; that after Bruh David had taken up with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed in battle.
When the prophet Nathan confronted him with the secret sin, Bruh David confessed his transgression and threw himself upon the mercy of the Lord.
‘And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.’ (2.Sam.12:13-14)
And we all know how the child of Bathsheba became sick and Bruh David fasted and prayed for the child’s life to be saved, but it wasn’t. (2 Sam.12:15-23)
But please note too friends, that because Bruh David’s sin had been so disgusting, and though the Lord forgave him, He put a curse on him that he would have problems within his own house. ‘Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil (adversity) against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ (2 Sam.12:10-12)
Ah mih people, sin is indeed a grievous thing, with serious consequences, even though we repent of it.
And the scholars tell us: ’12:10-11. These judgements came to pass literally in the sins of his (David’s) own household (ch.13), the rebellion by his own son Absalom (ch.15), and the civil war that followed (chs.16-20) David was never fully to know rest again.’
Oh Friends, our God does not make idle promises, please remember that. Anything He says He will do, He will do it!
And we have some more scholarly explanations. ’12:13. David genuinely grieved and repented (cf. Ps.32:5 – our Bit; 51:3-4). However the seed of sin was immediately to bear bitter fruit, for the child born of the adultery became grievously ill and died (vv.15-18).’
And I think we should all pay particular attention to this next scholar’s note. ’12:14. David’s sin had brought the name of God into disrepute. Such knowledge ought to serve as a deterrent to willful sin on the part of believers (cf. 1 Tim.5:14; 6:1).’
Yes my fellow believers, as they say, one of the best ways to learn is from the mistakes of others, therefore please, please, let us learn from Bruh David’s serious mistake, for the Lord will not put up with continual sin in our lives.
Please remember too: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23)
Now let’s ponder on that today, for it is indeed wisdom of everlasting proportions! Much LOVE!
…we can sugar-coat sin…but in the long run…sin always has negative consequences…
20 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a police state, adversity, an errand boy, an historic day, Be not thou far from me O Lord, belly and backbone, Bobby Schuller, change in government, confident boldness, corruption, Could you hurry a little, cries of anguish, cry boldly, deepens dependence on God, deliver my soul from the sword, draconian laws, everlasting wisdom, Federal Sections, glory to God, God is not our errand boy, God's timing, haste to help me, hedged in on every side, humble servants, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I will praise thee, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, in the midst of the congrgation, Justin Trudeau, left me to my own devices, live obediently to god's will, Lord it's time for you to act, mea culpa, nonchalance, O my strength, obtain answers, One Year Book of Bible promises, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, prayer, promise, Psalmist David, save me, share His love with the world, songs of praise, stand steadfast, Stephen Harper, strengthens faith, the affairs of this world, the annals of Canadian history, the Conservatives, the Creed of the Beloved, the Liberals, the rich and famous, the winds of change, times of trouble, Tuesday Mantra, waiting develops endurance, walking papers, we are the children of God, wisdom
Psalm 22:19. But be not thou far from me O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
Oh Friends, it’s a mea culpa kind of morning! I went to bed real late this morning, and got up much later than I expected or wanted to. I guess the good Lord in His everlasting wisdom decided I just needed the rest, or He simply left me to my own devices, and we see how that panned out. (smile)
Anyway today is an historic day in the annals of Canadian history! Yes mih people, the winds of change have blown across this country in a most remarkable way. We now have a new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau and a new governing party, the Liberals, after yesterday’s Federal Elections.
The Conservative Government under Stephen Harper, which has mismanaged the country for almost a decade, got their most deserving walking papers. Glory to God!
Let’s hope now that the micro-management, the secrecy, the draconian laws which have brought us to the reality of a police state, the widespread corruption and the nonchalance towards the ordinary working man, in favour of the rich and famous will now stop, or at least be substantially reduced.
And would you believe that yesterday a wicked windstorm blew across my area all day, possibly heralding the significant change in government. Let’s hope too that the big knock against Trudeau, his youth, merely thirty something, doesn’t affect his governing. At least he doesn’t seem to be as arrogant as His father, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, who ran the country from 1968-1979, and 1980-84.
Notwithstanding that though, Pierre Elliot was possibly the most popular Prime Minster in our history. Let’s hope though that Justin does have the wisdom, the belly and backbone that his father had, and a true penchant for improving the entire country, not just the rich and famous.
Anyway, enough politics for today. I’m not a political animal, but I do take some interest in the goings ons around me. (smile) And since today is Tuesday, a wet and cloudy day in my area, we need to declare our Tuesday mantra. Or as the person who wrote it, Bobby Schuller, Gramps Schuller’s grandson, likes to call it, the Creed of the Beloved.
So all together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And that’s exactly how we have to view this life my brethren! The most important aspect of our lives is that we are the children of the Most High God Jehovah! That’s what defines us, nothing else!
And I just could not pass up this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Caulkin, as it is very reflective of our behaviour. It’s titled: ‘Could You Hurry a Little.’
And it says: ‘Lord, I know there are countless times When I must wait patiently for You. Waiting develops endurance. It strengthens my faith And deepens my dependence on You. I know You are a Sovereign God – Not an errand boy Responding to the snap of my finger. I know Your timing is neatly wrapped In Your incomparable wisdom.
But, Lord You have appointed prayer To obtain answers! Even David the Psalmist cried With confident boldness: “It is time, O Lord, for you to act.” God, on this silent sunless morning When I am hedged in on every side I too cry boldly. You are my Father, and I am Your child. So, Lord, could You hurry a little?’
Oh my fellow believers, I’m sure that many of us have prayed that kind of prayer many a time! And nothing’s really wrong with it, except that too many of us tend to treat the Lord our Mighty God as an errand boy.
Yes Friends, we often don’t remember Him until there is a problem in our life, then we cry out to Him and expect Him to run and fix it. But that’s a totally false image and manner of dealing with Almighty God.
Please remember that He is the Master and we are His humble servants. We are here to do His bidding, not the other way around. And though we are entitled to cry out to Him for help, we also are required to wait patiently on His timing, which is NEVER wrong or late.
And the promise on which that poem was based, is also our Bit for today. ‘But be not thou far from me O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.’
Yes Friends, that was Bruh David crying out for the Lord’s help in one of his many times of trouble. And as I said before, we are also entitled to cry out to our heavenly Father for help. We just need to live obediently to His will during the remainder of the time, if we truly expect Him to help us when adversity rears its ugly head.
We simply cannot live the way we want to, enmeshed in the affairs of this wicked and godless world, then when times get tough, run to Him and expect immediate succour.
And we’ll end today with the remainder of Bruh David’s cry for help. ‘Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling (precious life) from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns (and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered me).
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him: all ye the seed (descendants) of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him (hold him in awesome reverence), all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.’ (Ps.22:20-24)
Yes my people, that’s the awesome promise of our ever-LOVING God: when we consistently live for and praise Him in our daily lives, then we are entitled to cry out to Him for help in times of trouble. And as Bruh David so rightly says, He never turns away from the afflicted, but hears him. Now that’s a promise we can stand steadfast on! Much LOVE!
…for a true believer…cries of anguish…should always be interspersed with songs of praise…
13 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grateful heart, A Prayer for Deliverance, a psalm of victory, adversity, an attitude of appreciation, and share His love with the world, Awake up my glory, awaken the dawn, backslide, blessings, Bruh David, Christ's atoning death, Christ's love Revolution, compassion, confidence, faithfulness, feel the joy, for vain is the help of man, give thanks and praise, give us help from trouble, give us rest and peace, God's LOVING-kindness, grace, grow in christ-likeness, he shall tread down our enemies, hear the birds singing, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I will awake early, I will sing and give praise, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, it is a gift of God, lament, level of faith, LOVE, maturity in Christ Jesus, mercies, my heart is fixed, our heavenly Father, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our thanks meter, peace, persecutor, petition, productive labour, repent, rest, Saul, sincerity, steadfast, steadfastness, succour, take everything to God in prayer, thanksgiving, the breath of life, the LOVE of God, through God we shall do valiantly, thy mercy is great unto the heavens, thy truth unto the clouds, trials and tribulations, truth, Tuesday Mantra, victory, wisdom
Psalm 57:7. My heart is fixed (steadfast), O God, my heart is fixed (steadfast): I will sing and give praise.
Well Friends, the Thanksgiving partying is over and done with now! Time to get back to some productive labour. But that doesn’t mean we have to stop giving thanks and praise to Almighty God as individuals.Yesterday was just a day set aside to give thanks as a nation.
But really, every time we open our eyes to greet a new day, we ought to give thanks to our Creator, for the breath of life that He has imbued in us, because it is a gift of such immense proportions, which ONLY He can give.
And when we hear the birds singing, and feel the joy their trilling brings, our thanks meter ought to rise up even higher. Then when we enjoy the wonderful mercies and blessings of our heavenly Father throughout the day, and contemplate upon the salvation and eternal life He has provided through His awesome grace and the atoning death of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…
Oh brother, then our thanks ought to ramp up so high that it breaks the measuring equipment! That just shows we are so grateful for His LOVING-kindness and compassion to us, undeserving though we are.
So let’s never forget my people, that thanks and praise is an every day, all day attitude of appreciation to the Most High God Jehovah, our wonderful Creator and ever-generous Provider!
And since today is Tuesday, it’s only appropriate that we give some thanks and praise through our Tuesday Mantra.
Now as one harmonious body, let’s pray. ‘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 hurry. I don’t have to worry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
And all of that is ever so true Friends! Once we have the LOVE of God flowing through us, then there is no need to worry or be anxious about ANYTHING! For in wisely taking EVERYTHING to Him in prayer, and casting ALL our cares upon Him, He will unburden us and give us rest and peace like no one else can. And that is even more reason to be generous in our thanks and praise.
And to show how real our thanks and praise ought to be, just listen to our Bit, taken from Psalm 57 – A Prayer for Deliverance – written when Bruh David fled from his persecutor Saul to a cave in the wilderness. ‘My heart is fixed (steadfast), O God, my heart is fixed (steadfast): I will sing and give praise.’
So you see my brethren, even during some of Bruh David’s roughest times he still was wise, steadfast and faithful enough to keep on giving thanks and praise to the God of his fathers. Likewise Friends, our wisdom, steadfastness and faithfulness ought to have us giving thanks to God in ALL situations, be they good or bad, for that’s what Jesus advised.
The first part of Psalm 57 is filled with Bruh David’s lament and petition to God for succour, while the second half, starting at our Bit, portrays his trust and thanksgiving.
Listen to Bruh David pour out his heart in praise after our Bit. ‘Awake up, my glory; awake psaltery (lute) and harp: I myself will awake early (will awaken the dawn). I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people:
I will sing unto thee among the nations (gentiles). For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.’ (Ps.57:8-11)
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, can we give such acknowledgement to Almighty God during our times of adversity? Most of us cannot, but we ought to be able to, according to the level of our faith and maturity in Christ Jesus.
Sadly, some of us don’t even sing His praises and give Him thanks during our good times, much less in the rough ones. But we must keep seeking to grow in Christ-likeness, until we can give thanks and praise even in the midst of our trials and tribulations. Then and only then will we have attained a strong enough foundation to take us through our earthly problems and tests.
But please be careful though, that if and when we achieve such a state, we don’t stop and rest on our laurels, but keep on striving, striving with Jesus to win this race of life.
Oh my people, we can never afford to stop learning, to stop growing in Christ Jesus – not until the day He takes us home – or else we are liable to backslide, and backsliding is one of the worst things a believer can ever do.
And please note that the verses of Psalm 57, which we have just read, are also the beginning stanzas of Psalm 108 – Israel looks to God for help.
And the scholars inform us, re ‘Psalm 108. This Psalm is composed of fragments from two other psalms. The first section verses 1-5, is taken from 57:7-11; the second section, verses 6-13, is taken from 60:5-12, with little change in the wording of either fragment.
Though taken from psalms of individual lament (ch.57) and national lament (ch.60), the present psalm is composed of the most positive sections of confidence in both. The resulting work is a psalm of victory that only briefly alludes to the nation’s lament, namely, their ever-present enemies (vv.12-13).’
And we’ll end with last two verses of Psalm 60 – A prayer for help against the foe – and Psalm 108, verses which are ever so appropriate to our current world situation.
Please pray with me Friends. ‘Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.’ (Ps.108:12-13)
Yes my people, it is indeed the great God of Hosts who will trample down our enemies! But first we have to repent and come back to Him in all sincerity and truth. Let’s wisely begin doing that today nuh, because that’s our ONLY hope. Much LOVE!
…only through Christ’s LOVE Revolution…can the world be saved…
11 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversity, after one time is two, another inconvenience, antibiotics, bite, Bruh Paul, circulation problems, confidence, faith, father's of Israel, glory to God, hope in the Lord, hymn of praise, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have waited for thy salvation, I wait for the Lord, in his word do I hope, intravenous needle, Isaiah, Jacob, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, maturity in Christ, my soul doth wait, pilgrim's journey, Praise the Lord, redemptive death of Christ, righteousness., salvation, sting, stored deep down in our hearts, test, thanksgiving weekend, the Christian life, the desire of our soul, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the grace of God, the long and short of the story, the Lord doesn't give you more than you can bear, the Lord understands, the path of the just, the return of Jesus, the righteousness of God, the way of the just is uprightness, the word of the Lord, this too shall pass, time of adversity, Titus, to the remembrance of thee, ungodliness, uprightness, wait expectantly in faith, what ain't meet you ain't pass you, what hasn't met you hasn't passed you, wisdom, worldly lusts
Psalm 130:5. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
Ah mih people, our ancestors were surely right when they said that after one time was two, and what hadn’t passed you hadn’t met you, or vice versa. Steups! Just trying to put it in proper language, although it does lose some of the flavour when taken from the vernacular.
The long and short of the story though is that this big Thanksgiving Weekend the ole fella is holed up at home with an intravenous needle in his left forearm connected by some clear plastic tubing to a pump and some antibiotics in a bag that I’m carrying around my waist or my shoulder. Hn, Hn, Hn!
I just have to chuckle at the picture yes. I can’t even go to church because of the inconvenience of the situation, but the Lord understands. And I guess you all are wondering what brought on that situation.
Well about a week ago, the duchess noticed this small red spot on my left calf. It was in a position that I couldn’t even see it unless I turned my foot around. We tried doctoring it ourselves, but it only got bigger and redder, until yesterday morning I decided to take in front before in front took me and went to the Emergency Department in a nearby hospital.
Unfortunately I learned that I had an infection in my calf, caused by what, no one really knows. There are theories that it came from a bite or a sting, which I don’t remember receiving, or even some circulation problems. But the best way to remedy the situation was with antibiotics administered intravenously.
So here I am, waiting expectantly for a nurse to come everyday to change my dressing and the medication in the bag. Hn, hn!
But yuh know Friends, even in this time of adversity there is stuff to be thankful for, i.e., there’s no broken skin or any pain in the infected area. Praise the Lord! Our God is so wonderful that He knew the ole fella couldn’t bear any more pain along with his already full load from the arthritis, thus fulfilling the promise that He does not give you more than you can bear. Glory to God!
So that’s my story…and it won’t stop me from participating in the Thanksgiving programme planned by the family, I’ll just be traipsing along with my little bag and clear plastic tubing, trying not to get it hooked up into anything. (smile)
Ah Friends, it’s good that I’m at a stage of maturity in Christ where I can laugh at the situation, otherwise it would just drive me crazy. I have enough faith and confidence to know that this too shall pass, it’s just another inconvenience, another test along my pilgrim’s journey.
That’s why my people, it’s ever so important to have the Word of the Lord, especially His promises stored deep down in our hearts, so that we can raise up whatever is needed to help us in times of adversity.
And our Bit is a very good example of that situation. ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.’ Yes Friends, we surely do need to hope in the Lord, and then wait expectantly in faith with that hope.
Now let’s look at a few scripture passages that uphold our Bit. And we’ll go right to the beginning, when Jacob blessed and prophesied concerning his sons. At one point during his prophecy, he soulfully proclaimed: ‘I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.’ (Gen.49:18)
And we all know Jacob’s story. If he could be turned from an ole crook into one of the father’s of Israel, then there’s hope for all of us, if we sincerely put our trust and faith in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Meanwhile, Isaiah, in his hymn of praise boldly and confidently declares: ‘The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh (make level) the path of the just. Yea, in the way of thy judgements, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.’ (Is.26:7-9)
Oh Friends, how I long to see that day when we down here on this forlorn planet earth truly learn the righteousness of God!
And we’ll end today with these excellent words of advice from Bruh Paul to Titus, re the Christian life. ‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (age);
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar (his own special) people, zealous of good works.’ (Titus 2:11-14)
Yes my brethren, having received salvation through the redemptive death of Jesus, we must now wait with hope and faith, while living righteously amongst the heathen horde, looking expectantly unto the return of Jesus with all might and power to claim His rightful place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
And though that may seem difficult with the constant bombardment of the world and it’s unrighteousness, we can certainly accomplish it if we place all our fears and cares in the Lord God Jehovah, who has faithfully promised to help all those who turn to Him for succour. Now that is undisputed wisdom for each and every age! Much LOVE!
…I can do all things through Christ…who strengtheneth me… (Phil.4:13)
20 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of pain, a living sacrifice, a phase of the growing process, acceptable unto God, adversity, all things work together for good, an open door slammed in my face, arrogant, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed, biblical principles, blessings from heaven, blind, born again, bury the hatchet, calluses, cannot serve two masters at the same time, children of light, commune with nature, conduct of this world, conforming to the world, courage, darkness, dedication, dependence on god, direction, divine dividends, facing difficulties, fruitful difficulty, God's blessings, Gramps Schuller, guidance, hard muscles, heartbreak, Jesus, justifying the believer, lift heavy loads, live a righteous life, mature in Christ, new life, obedience, opportunities to expand our horizons, pain, poured into the mould, priceless times, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord, release the day's stress, ruptures, rut, sensible manner, setbacks, sin, stay in faith, suffocating ground, surrender, talk the talk, the image of Christ, the mercies of God, the renewing of your mind, the righteousness of God, the Word of god, too arrogant to believe, too blind to see, too stubborn to accept any other way, total committment, transformation, valuable lessons, value systems, walk the walk, will of God, windowless grave, with God by our side, you cannot serve God and mammon
Ephesians 5:10. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Well Friends, welcome to a wet and windy Thursday morning. Yes the blessings from heaven eventually fell last night. And it sure was a good shower, for it wet up most of my front porch so that when I went out to commune with nature and release the day’s stress, I wasn’t able to sit in my favourite chair by the steps, but had to sit in the one by the door.
And would you believe that habits are such strange things, that although the seats weren’t that far apart, it just never felt right. (smile) Oh I did sit and relax, but it just didn’t feel the same as in the other chair. We humans are such a piddling lot eh. (smile)
Anyway. Here’s an interesting prayer from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from the Hour of Power Devotional. It’s titled ‘TO FACE DIFFICULTIES.’
Please pray with me. ‘Truly, Father, all things work together for good to those who LOVE you. Thank you for the difficulties that produce divine dividends. I know that pain is only a phase of the growing process: that seed buried alive under suffocating ground in a windowless grave agonizes before it ruptures into new life.
I know that I build hard muscles in heart, mind, and body only when I lift heavy loads. I thank you for tough times that produce calluses that could save my spirit from softness that would be weakness. There have been times, O Lord, when only through great difficulty have I learned the valuable lessons.
I was too blind to see, too arrogant to believe, or too stubborn to accept any other way than by a bed of pain. I praise you for the times an open door slammed in my face and forced me out of an old rut that I never would have had the courage to leave, and led me down the road to a beautiful new life.
I thank you for heartbreak which causes me to bury the hatchet and speak again to someone with whom I had for far too long been out of touch. Thank you, Father, for life’s priceless times of fruitful difficulty. Amen.’
Ah my fellow believers, all of that is oh so true! Obviously we don’t like difficulties and pain, but it is in those times of adversity that we actually grow and mature in Christ. It’s the tough times that make us tough. But we have to be big enough and wise enough to realize it, then accept it and deal with it in a serious and sensible manner.
If you don’t believe me, then look back at some of the rough times in your lives and see how your spirit seemed stronger and more mature after them. Every time we go through adversity, we come out stronger and more faithful on the other side. So let’s not look at difficulties as setbacks, but rather as opportunities to expand our horizons, obviously with God by our side.
Now let’s look at our Bit. ‘Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.’
Yeh Friends, in all our doings we need to consider what is and what is not acceptable to our wonderful God. Once we’re born again, we become children of light, the bright and shining light that’s Jesus, so we cannot afford to be involved in anything that has to do with sin and darkness.
Listen to how Bruh Paul puts it to the Romans. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom.12:1-2)
Now here are some explanations by the scholars. ’12:1. By the mercies of God summarizes all that God has accomplished for the believer in Romans 1-11 in justifying the believer (chs.1-5), enabling the believer to live a righteous life (chs.6-8), and being faithful to Israel (chs.9-11).
That ye present refers to a definite act of presentation. The verb is used of offering a sacrifice that became “holy” under the Levitical system (cf. Ex.29:37). This shows that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation.
Your bodies: The body has been the instrument of sin (ch.6). Now it is to be presented to God as a channel through which the righteousness of God is manifested.’
’12:2. Be not conformed (lit. “stop conforming yourselves”). They are to resist being poured into the mould of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of this world. This term is used only here and in 1 Peter 1:14).’
Oh Friends, it all still pertains to us. But unfortunately, too many of us are still conforming to the world. Remember Jesus said ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’ (Matt.6:24) That means we cannot serve two masters at the same time; God and the riches or material possessions of this ungodly world.
Now here is some more pertinent info from the scholars re Dedication to the Will of God. ’12:1-2. God’s will refers to His purpose for the life of the believer. It implies His guidance or direction in all of life’s decisions. Dedication is an act of surrender or submission to His will for our lives whereby we become a “living sacrifice.” Daily dependence on God results in our transformation into the image of Christ.
Illustration: When we seek to discern the will of God we must also be committed to doing the will of God as it is revealed in the Word of God. (John 7:17)
Application: The believer should evaluate every decision on the basis of biblical principles, knowing that obedience brings God’s blessing. (First Ref. Gen.22:12; Primary Ref. Rom.12:1).’
There we have it Friends; lots of stuff to ponder on this Thursday morning. Hope it helps us stay in faith and obedience to Almighty God, the way we ought to. But it can’t unless we study it, then put it into practice. That’s where the real results, the true fruits show. Much LOVE!
…as true believers in Christ…we must not only talk the talk…but even more importantly…we must walk the walk…
25 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brother is born for adversity, a friend is cleared than the light of heaven, a friend loveth at all times, a froward man soweth strife, a man sharpens the countenance of his friend, a man that hath friends must show himself friendly, a man with many friends comes to ruin, adversity, Antioch, be without friends, Bishop of Constantinople, celebrities, enhance each other's growth, faithful are the wounds of a friend, forever grateful, friends, Friendship is our greatest achievement and reward, gossip destroys friendships, hangers on, infinite wisdom, iron sharpens iron, Istanbul, loving kindness, offer help and hope, on the cross at Calvary, one more day, reconcile us to you, sacrifice of Jesus, serve and worship, share each other's pain, social standing, St. John Chrysostom, such a magnificent and magnanimous God, Thank You Lord, thanks for Jesus, the kisses of an enemy are deceitful, the sun were extinguished, there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, Turkey, unquenchable love, unworthy humans, we Love you Lord, we praise your Holy name
Proverbs 17:17. A friend LOVETH at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Ah Friends, one more day, one more day on God’s planet earth this Saturday morning! Praise the Lord! He allocates them one at a time, which means we have to enjoy each one as it comes along, because we don’t know if we will see another one tomorrow. In His infinite wisdom He might just decide that we have enjoyed enough of His breath of life down here, and it’s time to move on to higher matters and heights.
So please, let’s all give our Creator, Provider and heavenly Father a rousing shout of ‘Thank You Lord! Thank You for Jesus and all that You have done for us unworthy humans. We are Your creation and though we rebelled against You, Your LOVE for us was so great, You found a way through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross at Calvary to reconcile us to You. We can never repay Your LOVING-kindness, but we will be forever grateful! Thank You Lord! We LOVE You and Praise Your Holy Name!’
Yes my people, it’s ever so wonderful to serve and worship such a magnificent and magnanimous God!
Now here is a quote attributed to one of our early church fathers, St. John Chrysostom (349-407). He was born in Antioch and became the Bishop of Constantinople. Constantinople was founded by the Roman emperor Constantine on the already existing city of Byzantium, part of the Byzantine Empire. It is now known as Istanbul, part of modern day Turkey.
St. John was well known for his writings, public speaking and influence on church affairs, including his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders. Anyway, his quote says: ‘A friend is clearer than the light of heaven, for it would be better for us that the sun were extinguished than that we should be without friends.’
Ah mih breddren, I don’t know if I would go so far nuh, (smile) but Friends definitely are useful and necessary, especially in these very trying and deceitful times. And according to my One More Day Devotional for People with Chronic Illness: ‘Friendship is our greatest achievement and reward. Our friends are people to care about, celebrate with, and count on.
Within the closest friendships we find the best of each other at all times. Friendships enrich our lives… It is no accident that we become close and maintain our contact. We offer help and hope. We share each other’s pain and enhance each other’s growth. We appreciate our friend’s unique qualities.’
It’s all true my people, but it’s ever so hard to find one of those real friends nowadays, where distrust, deceit, fraud and all kinds of evil are rising to the forefront of our society, where trust is no longer the rule, but rather the exception.
All of that eventually brings us to our Bit. ‘A friend LOVETH at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.’ What awesome truth my people! And how lucky, or rather blessed we are, if we can find even one person to fit that bill in our earthly lives!
The scholars explain it thus: ‘17:17. A true friend has unquenchable LOVE that is not diminished by adversity.’
Ah Friends, do we have that kind of LOVE for anyone in our lives, or does anyone have that kind of LOVE for us? I certainly do hope so, otherwise we’re missing out on a most important part of life.
And what I want to do now is to quote some scripture from Proverbs, where Cousin Sol writes a lot about friends and friendships. Don’t know how many we’ll get in, because there quite a few. We’ll do it by chapters, beginning with 14. ‘The poor is hated even of (by) his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends (the LOVERS of the rich are many.’ (Prov.14:20) And that’s gospel truth!
The scholars put it this way. ‘14:20. Social standing is improved with riches, but the good neighbour will have concern for all, regardless of their status.’ That’s how it’s supposed to be, but there aren’t a whole lot of good neighbors around these days nuh.
In Chapter 16, Sol writes: ‘A froward (perverse) man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief (the best of) friends.’ (Prov.16:28)
And the scholars simply say of this: ‘16:28. Gossip destroys friendships.’
Now we all know that is an indisputable truth since we all have experienced it to some extent. And it hurts like the dickens!
And in chapter 17, early on, Sol says almost the same thing. ‘He that covereth a transgression seeketh LOVE; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very (the best of) friends.’ (Prov.17:9)
Now that’s the real difference between a true friend and an imposter! One will keep quiet about certain private matters, while the other will go and broadcast them to the world.
Meanwhile in chapter 18, Sol pens this highly interesting and oh so true proverb. ‘A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’ (Prov.18:24)
Now that doesn’t mean exactly what it says. Listen to the scholars. ‘18:24. A man that hath many friends must show himself friendly may also be translated, “A man of many friends comes to ruin.” In other words, a man must not spread himself too thin among many superficial relationships. Far better it is to have (a few) genuine friends who become like family and LOVE at all times (17:17).’
And isn’t that the unfortunate truth my brethren! We all know of people who have suffered irreparable damage by having too many hangers on in their lives. Celebrities are a very good example of that. Some of us might even have experienced it.
And these last two come from chapter 27. ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.’ (Prov.27:6)
Hear the scholars: ‘27:6. True criticism from a friend may hurt for a time but may be welcomed, for it issues from his LOVE, whereas the kisses of an enemy are an attempt to conceal his hatred.’
And last but definitely not least: ‘Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.’ (Prov.27:17)
And the scholars explain that thus. ‘27:17. As the proper tool shapes and sharpens iron for its desired use, so a man sharpens his friend morally and intellectually by their personal friendship.’
Now that is the kind of friends we need in these last desperate days! Oh my people, I do hope now that we have a better understanding of what true friendship is all about. So let’s put that understanding into practice nuh, but carefully, for easy does it. Much LOVE!
…I bring myself honestly to my friendships… (One More Day Devotional).
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