22 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a more excellent way, a path of life, accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, apostles, attitude, behaviour, believers, better hands than All State, charity, Christians, coming up to scratch, communing, contentious striving, Corinth, Corinthians, covet, desire, disrupt the future, faith, gifts of healing, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God's working all things for good, god-like, governments, halfway home, hands fixed on the plough, helps, hodge-podge lives, hope, I am nothing, I'm not looking back, leave my mark, LOVE, loving, magnify, meaningful, members individually, miracles, move mountains, muddy up the present, my best days are still ahead, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, mysteries, ONE body in Christ, pagan worship, peace, priorities, priority, prophets, purposeful, quiet, sounding brass, spiritual gifts, summer, teachers, the best gifts, the body of Christ, the breath of life, the greatest of these three, the language of the gods, the Way of LOVE, those who love him, tinkling cymbal, tongues, tongues of men, vibrant, walking in LOVE, Wednesday Wail
1 Corinthians 12:27. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (individually).
Welcome, welcome one and all to this glorious summer’s day! Yes friends, it’s now officially summer in the northern climes, as of last Monday evening! Glory be!
The strange part though is that we’ve been experiencing some rather strong winds for the past couple of days, along with some reassuring summer temps. But who knows what our omnipotent and ever-wise God is up to and about eh? Nobody!
Anyway, we do know that He’s working all things out for our good, for those who LOVE Him and are called to participate in His wonderful world, and that’s enough for true believers like us. We’re in much, much better hands than All State! (smile)
And to prove that we sincerely believe that, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with great gusto and superior faith. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Ah mih people, how glorious that future with Jesus will be! And yuh know what, though life can be somewhat rough sometimes, I’m still grateful to be alive, because as far as I’m concerned my best days are still ahead of me. I haven’t done anything as yet to leave my mark on the world, which means that better days are still to come.
Consequently, I can’t afford to look to the past, else it will only muddy up the present and disrupt the great plans God has for me in the future.
Oh friends, we have to believe that God has great plans for our lives, otherwise life won’t be worth living! Christians won’t created to lead, mediocre, hodge-podge lives, but strong, vibrant, meaningful, god-like and purposeful ones!
But we won’t be able to do that until we sincerely accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour and genuinely work with Him to bring to pass His good plans for our earthly days.
And all God’s people declared a loud, proud and grateful; ‘Hallelujah! All praise and glory to Jesus, our ever-faithful and ever-LOVING Lord and King!’
And that brings us to our current Bit: ‘Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (individually).’
Yes my people, we are supposed to be one body in Christ, composed of different parts, as members, and that consequently means there is a certain kind of behaviour and attitude that’s expected of us. Unfortunately though, we are not coming up to scratch, which means that Christ’s organization is also not coming up to scratch, since we are its purveyors.
Now let’s hear what Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians a long time ago, because it also pertains to us in these trying and desperate times. ‘And God hath set some in the church (appointed these), first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities (varieties) of tongues.
Are all apostles? are all prophets? Are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?’ (1 Cor.12:28-30)
And the obvious answer to all of that my friends is a big NO!
So what? Bruh Paul provides the answer. ‘But covet (desire) earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.’ (1 Cor.12:31)
And here the scholars give us a lengthy explanation of what Bruh Paul means. ’12:31. But covet earnestly the best gifts: This expressions explains why the apostle has arranged the list in verse 28 in order of priority. He wants his readers to be clear in their own minds as to which gifts are the best.
Obviously, his intent is to steer them away from the more spectacular gifts such as tongues. Covet here is not to be construed negatively but means “earnestly desire.”
A more excellent way: The import of this statement is to be seen in Chapter 13. Paul will show that a better way is not through contentious striving but through LOVING.
Many feel that Paul is here showing how the gifts are to be administered, that is, in LOVE. However, the use of way (Gr. hodos) in the sense of “a path” instead of the way (Gr. tropos) in the sense of “manner,” and the statement of 14:1, indicates that Paul was pointing out a path of life superior to a life spent seeking and displaying spiritual gifts.
Paul’s interest here is not to instruct his readers in how they may best use their gifts, but how to have their priorities straight. They should strive for LOVE, not spiritual gifts.’
Ah friends, I hope we understand what the scholars are saying: that though spiritual gifts are important, our priority should not be striving to get and display them, but our priority should be walking in LOVE.
For as he says in the opening of Chapter 13 – The way of LOVE – ‘Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (LOVE), I am become as a sounding brass or a tinkling (clanging) cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity (LOVE), I am nothing.’ ( 1 Cor.13:1-2)
So you see friends, regardless of what spiritual gifts we have, if we don’t have the overwhelming gift and attitude of LOVE, we are nothing, of no importance!
And the scholars share some important and interesting info re verse 1. ’13:1. Tongues of men and of angels: Such was the association of tongues speaking in pagan worship at Corinth. When a priest or devotee spoke in tongues, it was considered that he spoke in the language of the gods.’
And for all you know, some of us still hold that belief today. However my people, please, please, let’s stop seeking the spiritual gifts to magnify ourselves, and instead, simply walk in the way Jesus did nuh – the way of LOVE! For that’s our priority as Christians! Much LOVE!
…and now abideth faith, hope and charity (LOVE)…these three…but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE)… (1 Cor,13:13)
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit. It was just one of those late mornings. I was outside on my porch at 3.am communing with my Creator, enjoying the peace and quiet, while listening to the rain fall softly on the earth. Sometimes we just have to do these things. (smile) Much LOVE!
21 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: actions, anger, attitude, backbiting, behaviour, character, Christendom, christianity, cooperation, Corinth, disharmony, disrupt harmony, diversity, division, earthly life, embrace Jesus, encourages, exciting, extraordinary, glory, good cheer, greed, harmonious spirit, harmony, hatred, human nature, hurry, hypocritical, I am the beloved of god, in Jesus' name, individually, inner presence, Jesus, let God be God, lifts us up, Love for Jesus, LOVE Jesus, members, mind-boggling, my friend Jesus, New Testament, peace, philosophy, planet earth, Praise the Lord, privately live, problems, publicly show, pull together, reflect Christ's character, religious teaching, reproach, resentment, running things, Scrip-Bit family, serve, share His love, sincerity, souls, spiritual organism, the body of Christ, the church, the Holy Spirit, the Light, the Lord's on His throne, throne, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unity, warms the cockles of my heart, what people say about me, wisdom, wonder, worry, worship
1 Corinthians 12:27. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (individually).
Aye mih friends and family – Scrip-Bit family included of course – welcome to another wonderful Tuesday on planet earth! The Lord’s on His heavenly throne running things, and Jesus is with us through the inner presence of the Holy Spirit! So what can be better than that eh? Absolutely nothing!
Ah mih people, Jesus is so beautiful, I don’t see how people can not LOVE Him, and want to serve and worship Him in all sincerity and truth!
Yeh friends, I truly don’t understand how people can dislike Jesus and abuse and blaspheme Him. He has the best religious teaching going, even the best philosophy for living this earthly life; one of peace and LOVE and good cheer! One couldn’t ask for more!
But such is the fallen and dark nature of our human souls that we refuse to see the light even when it’s shining all around us. But thankfully, we smart humans will embrace Jesus in all His glory and wonder and live to serve Him now and forever!
And all God’s children declared a loud and proud ‘Praise the Lord in Jesus’ name! Amen.’
And to support all of what we’ve just said, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with a strong sense of purpose and true belief. As one 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.’
Oh friends, oh friends, that li’l mantra so warms the cockles of my heart when I declare it, that…that I don’t know what to say afterwards! Hn!
To know that I am indeed a beloved child of God and a friend of Jesus…and can simply live this life and share His awesome LOVE with the world…well that is just so mind boggling and extraordinary!
I do hope that you, my fellow believers feel the same way, because if you don’t you are missing out on the most exciting and transformational part of your lives, since true LOVE for Jesus just lifts us up and encourages us so much!
And we’ll continue with our theme from yesterday; members of the body of Christ, of His church, because it is very important for each believer to know and understand His place and role in that most august organization.
Our Bit tells us quite plainly: ‘Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (individually).’
Yes my brethren, we are all a part of Christ’s great organization called the church, with all that’s needed to make it great, but it’s oh so necessary for the members of that organization to pull together to do that. Listen to the scholars’ input on that verse.
’12:27. In one succinct statement, the apostle expresses both the unity and the diversity of the body of Christ. The absence of the definite article in Greek (ho, “the”) before the expression ‘body of Christ’ emphasizes character: since they are Christ’s body, their actions and attitudes toward one another should reflect His character.’
Oh my fellow believers, that last line there says it all; since we belong to Christ’s organization, our attitude and character ought to reflect that of Jesus! But does it? That’s the million-dollar question.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe that it does, or at least not to the extent that it should. If we were truly reflecting the character and attitude of Jesus as an organization, there wouldn’t be so much division and disharmony within it, none of the greed, the backbiting, the resentment, and pure hatred that exists in some parts of it.
As we said earlier, Christ’s character is one of peace, LOVE and good cheer, and that in no way represents the present day church of Christ!
And before we go any further, listen to the scholars’ description re the Body of Christ. ‘12:27. The church in the New Testament is called the “body of Christ,” and reflects the spiritual organism of the whole church on earth. When the local church is called the body of Christ, the spiritual aspect is emphasized.
Illustration: As the church is considered to be the body, so individual members are seen as parts of the body. For any church to function properly, every member must do his or her part in a harmonious spirit of cooperation with the other members. Had the church at Corinth learned this lesson, many of their problems would have been solved.
Application: When Christians disrupt the harmony of a church, they bring reproach on the body of Christ. (First ref. Matt.16:18; Primary Ref. I Cor. 12:27).’
Oh friends, that’s the problem of today’s church right there! The spirit of harmonious cooperation is sadly lacking in many of the local churches and also in the entire body of Christendom!
No wonder we’re bringing such reproach on Christ and His body, and people are leaving His organization as well as crying it down and calling it totally hypocritical!
And there is a lot of truth there, since the heathen doesn’t see or perceive us as good and kindly and LOVING people from the attitude, behaviour and character we publicly display. We behave just as badly, and sometimes even worse than them! That obviously gives Jesus a bad name and turns off the unbelievers, thus making of no effect our trying to bring them to Him.
Ah mih people, there’s a simple solution to all of that yes, all the confusion and disharmony, the resentment, anger and hatred, backbiting and hypocrisy can be avoided if we’d just implement the words of the song: ‘Let God be God! Let God be God in your life!’
Yes friends, if we’d just allow the Lord to work in our lives as He desires, most of our problems would vanish, and we’d become much more like the harmonious body of Christ that we’re meant to be.
So, starting today, right now, let’s let go and allow God to truly work in us nuh, for that is indeed the highest level of wisdom! Much LOVE!
…for Christianity to be successful…Christians must privately live…and publicly show…the true character and attitude of Jesus Christ…
18 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a smooth ride through life, a way to escape, able to bear it, all things work together for good, appreciation, attitude, basic goal, be of good cheer, belief, blessed, boost our faith, called according to His purpose, calling, Christ-like, Christians, circumstances, common to man, deceitful, disservice, doting parents, dross, earthly goals, endure, evil times, faith, fires of refinement, followers of Christ, God is faithful, godless, gospel truth, he that endureth to the end, I shall come forth as gold, Job, LOVE, overcome the world, patience, perseverance, promise of victory, puts us through our paces, refining fires, righteous, sappy, sin, soft, spiritually strong, storms of life, struggle, struggling, suffering, temptation, test, the divine perspective, the human perspective, though he saly me, to them that love God, trials, tribulations, unquenchable, victory, yet will I trust him
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
Well a blessed day to all you my Scrip-Bit family and friends! And I know that some of us will be quick to say what’s so blessed about it eh? Just look at my circumstances, look at how I’m suffering and struggling. I certainly wouldn’t call that blessed.
I understand that friends, but it’s all in our attitude toward those circumstances and struggles. Too many Christians expect to just have a nice smooth ride through life without any problems simply because they are followers of Christ. But it doesn’t work like that. Unfortunately, the greater our calling from God, ofttimes the greater the struggle in our lives.
Look at all the great prophets, Bruh Joseph, Moses, Bruh David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Bruh Paul, and finally Jesus Christ Himself; they all went through many trials and much tribulation to accomplish their earthly goals. Jesus even warned us: ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33b)
And furthermore, the Lord uses these trials and struggles to test us, to build and grow our faith; to see if we truly believe and are willing to rely on Him and His promises. As Job, another righteous man who suffered great tribulation declared during his time of trial. ‘But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.’ (Job 23:10)
And the scholars have an interesting take on that verse. ’23:10. I shall come forth as gold: His friends maintained that Job was full of dross, but Job is confident that no dross, or sin, would be revealed in the fires of refinement.’
Yes friends, the Lord puts us through our paces like we put metals through fire to purify them. And believe me, when you go through some of those refining fires, you will come out as bright and beautiful and strong and faithful as gold!
And we don’t even have to go to the Good Book to learn about struggles; listen to these quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. He says first: ‘Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.’ And the corollary to that is; ‘Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.’
Gospel truth all of that my fellow believers! That’s why so many of this young generation are so soft and sappy and whiny, because they have had most everything given to them by us doting parents. They never had to struggle or work hard for something, so therefore there is no real appreciation of anything they have or get.
In their minds the world owes them a living. And that’s a big disservice we’ve done to them. No wonder most of them have no belly or backbone, and are quick to throw in the towel as soon as hard times show up.
Oh my people, everybody goes through struggles and hard times, whether you’re rich, poor, black, white, Muslim, Jew, or whatever, but where we believers win out over the others is that we have the rich and faithful promises of our God to depend on.
We know for instance that as Bruh Paul told the Corinthians in his first letter: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able to bear, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor.10:13)
Yes my struggling and suffering fellow believers, our God promises never to give or allow us to bear more than we can handle and will either make a way out for us, or give us the wherewithal to endure it. He doesn’t always make us escape it, but more often than not He brings us safely through it. Another way to boost our faith and make us spiritually strong, more Christ-like, which is the basic goal for all believers.
That brings us to our Bit, another crucial promise from our ever-faithful God. In the momentous words of Bruh Paul: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’
Oh my brethren, what a wonderful promise! Only we Christians are assured that our omnipotent, ever-LOVING God will work out everything in our favour eventually, according to His timetable! It’s all a matter of faith, of belief, of patience and perseverance my people!
And this is what the scholars have to say about that verse. ‘8:28. To them that LOVE God is the human perspective. God is working all things together for good, but those who LOVE God are best able to appreciate that fact because they LOVE Him no matter what (cf. Job 13:15) To them who are called is the divine perspective. Scripture often refers to believers as “the called” or “the elect.”
And for those of us who want to know what Job 13:15 says but are too lazy to look it up, let me spoon feed you. (smile) Job defends his integrity before his condescending and self-righteous friends by declaring of God: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine (defend my) own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him.’ (Job 13:15-16) Just thought I’d throw in verse 16 for good measure. (smile)
And the scholars say of ’13:15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him expresses the unquenchable faith of one who lives by faith, not by sight. Even when it appears that God Himself has turned against Job, he will still trust in God.’
Oh friends, oh friends, in these godless, deceitful and evil times, that is the kind of faith we believers need to have, an unquenchable kind, if we’re going to see it through to a victorious end!
And we’ll conclude with these fateful words of Jesus: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ (Matt.10:22) Much LOVE!
…Christians have to understand that struggles are a part of human life…but we have the certain promise of victory in the end…to see us through life’s storms in the middle…
08 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future, allergies, angelic beings, attitude, beguile, blessings, boasts, Christ's image, Christ-like fashion, courage, deception, defraud, devastation, doing wrong, false humility, fasting, fellowship, fir for the kingdom of God, glory hallelujah, god is still on his throne, gospel truth, humility, Jesus answered, keep pressing on, looking back, Lot, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, magnetizes his condition, mature, meditating, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, negative attitude, obits, optimistic, outlook, passion, paying homage, pillar of salt, positive, positive attitude, prayer, prevail, reading, revelations, rough shape, running things, see another day, self-reliant, sincerity, Sodom and Gomorrah, spiritual armour, spiritual blessings, stand strong, steadfast, strengthens us, take heed that no man deceive you, the assurance of success, the breath of life, the creative powers of the universe, the wherewithal to do His will, through Jesus we can do anything, visions, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wits, words of wisdom, worshipping angels
Matthew 24:4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Oh my people, the ole fella’s in somewhat rough shape this morning. Yesterday was pretty busy and then my allergies really acted up on me for the first time this year. Yes my young D, despite all my boasts to the contrary, they finally got to me. (smile)
However, our good God is still on His heavenly throne running things, so I don’t have to worry, He will bring me around eventually.
But in the meanwhile, listen to these words of wisdom from the wall of wisdom in my study. I have several quotes and poems etc. stuck to it, but the truth is I hardly ever notice them, though I pass them everyday.
Anyway, here’s one I shared a long time back, and now seems to be a good time to share it again. And it simply says: ‘A man who is self-reliant, positive, optimistic, and undertakes his work with the assurance of success, magnetizes his condition. He draws to himself the creative powers of the universe.’
And that my friends is gospel truth! Whatever attitude we adopt, or outlook we embrace, that is what is going to prevail in our lives. So if we adopt a negative, unsure, can’t do attitude, generally speaking that will be the prevailing condition in our lives.
However, when we embrace a strong, positive, optimistic outlook, then that is what usually prevails. And since we’re true believers in Christ, there’s only one outlook that’s possible for us; the positive, optimistic one, because that is what’s found, what prevails in Jesus.
And remember, through Him, we can do anything, because He is the one who strengthens us, gives us the courage, the wherewithal to do His will. (Phil.4:13)
Now let’s continue embracing that positive, optimistic outlook by declaring our Wednesday Wail with complete sincerity and plenty passion. All together 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!’
Ah mih breddren how good it is to wake and see another day; not see your name and/or picture in the obits! We need to be ever so thankful for God’s breath of life that keeps on flowing through us, day by day, because it means He still has important things for us to do down here on planet Earth.
But we need to keep our hands to the plough and look straight ahead to the wonderful future Jesus has in store for us. Remember Jesus’ words: ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:62)
Therefore my fellow believers, once we’ve put our hands to the plough in the service of Jesus, we cannot afford to look back. Remember when Lot and his people, while fleeing from the devastation of Sodom and Gomorrah were told not to look back, but his wife disobeyed and she was turned into a pillar of salt? (Gen.19:26) We definitely don’t want that kind of negative thing happening to us.
Now it’s time to turn to our Bit, the wise warning of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.’
Oh friends, unfortunately there is a lot of deception in our world today, and if we don’t constantly have our wits about us, we can be deceived very easily and very often. The amount of false hood and false teachers in our world today is truly amazing, but we believers, if we stand strong in Christ and together in fellowship as Christ’s body, the church, we will be able to defeat all falsehood that comes against us.
Listen to Bruh Paul’s other warning to the Colossians. ‘Let no man beguile (defraud) you of your reward in a voluntary humility (by delighting in false humility) and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.’ (Col.2:18)
Yeh friends, people come along everyday preaching all sorts of stuff, that’s why we need to be very careful in what or whom we allow into our lives. Hear some explanations from the scholars on that verse.
‘2:18. Beguile you of your reward (or, “rob you of your prize”). The heretics, if their doctrine were accepted would rob the Colossians of their spiritual blessings. These false teachers displayed false humility and advocated a gospel of worshipping of angels, that is paying homage to angelic beings. Intruding into those things which he hath not seen: The heretics claimed to have witnessed numerous revelations and visions.’
Oh my people, contrary to what some of us might think, the enemy is very busy trying to break through our spiritual armour and lead us astray. But we need to be ever so strong and steadfast in Jesus in these very trying times, so that we don’t lose our spiritual blessings.
We need to continue building ourselves up in Christ-like fashion, becoming more mature in His image everyday, through prayer, fasting, reading and meditating on His Word and being in strong fellowship with other believers, while constantly wearing our spiritual armour.
Yes precious people, in these end times, as Jesus warned, the enemy is all around us, desperately trying to defraud and deceive us into doing wrong.
Please, let’s stand strong and steadfast in Jesus name and keep on building His LOVE Revolution, despite the enemy’s best efforts to lead us astray. That is indeed wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…believers need to keep pressing on in Jesus…using all the tools He’s provided…
06 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abuse God's name, asaph, atonement, attitude, Babylonian captivity, berate, birds chirping, blessed day, blessings, boldface, castigate, children of God, Christ-like path, comeuppance, Controller, Creator, deliver us, deliverance, desolation of Jerusalem, early mornings, evil, eyewitnesses, fools, forgiveness, Friday chant, friends, fun, futility, generous help, glorious kingdom, grace, heathen enemies, help, humiliation, intercession, Jesus Christ, laments, late nights, live it up, LOVE, make fun of god, materialistic behaviour, mercy, misery, no need to fear, O God of our salvation, offspring of Lucifer, petition to god, purge away our sins, recognized God's existence, redemption, refreshed, relaxation, remove god from our society, renewed, repenting, rest, retribution, revenge, revenging of the blood, safely through, salvation, shun, sinfulness, songs of praise, sufferation, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the destruction of Jerusalem, the error of your ways, the glory of thy name, the lusts of the flesh, the tender mercies of God, the weekend, to go to bed late is to be up early, turning to god, ungodly world, welcome you, where is their God, wisdom, with open arms
Psalm 79:9. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away (provide atonement for) our sins, for thy name’s sake.
Well friends, it was just one of those days; one of those interesting, divinely blessed days when everything just seems to go right! Glory to God! Oh, there were a few hiccups, a few bumps along the way, but none too serious to overcome or simply absorb. (smile)
Yes precious people, yesterday was indeed a good day in the ole fella’s life; busy, but not frustratingly so. And it’s strange that those sort of days simply morph into real late nights, or very early mornings. For as Willie Shakespeare was won’t to say; to go to bed late is to be up early.
And I had to chuckle when I heard the birds chirping their early morning songs of praise as I was going to bed this morning. Now that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it! (smile)
But I’m sure you all don’t really care because it’s Friday, and I can hear all the hoopla about ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend has finally come and we going to live it up as much as possible! Thank God for Fridays and the weekend yes!’
Ah mih breddren, that is the wrong attitude to have towards the weekend. It’s not just for play, as so many of us seem to believe, but for a combination of things, including rest and renewal for the following week.
And to help us better understand the purpose of the weekend, let’s chant our Friday Chant, which lays out a more positive, sensible and Christ-like path. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Now that sounds more like the right way to use the weekend, not simply for partying and satisfying the lusts of the flesh!
That brings us to our Bit, which is certainly an interesting verse of scripture. ‘Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away (provide atonement for) our sins, for thy name’s sake.’
Here, the psalmist Asaph, in his prayer for the destruction of heathen enemies, pleads for God’s intercession on the basis of glorifying His holy name. And he continues in the same vein. ‘Wherefore should the heathen (nations, gentiles) say, Where is their God? Let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging (avenging) of the blood of thy servants which is shed.’
And before we go any further, let’s check out the scholar’s take on Psalm 79. ‘Psalm 79. A companion poem to Psalm 74, this psalm laments the destruction of Jerusalem at the time of the Babylonian captivity. The psalm has two distinct parts: expression of the lament to God (vv.1-5) and petition to God for deliverance of His people and retribution on their enemies. (vv.6-13)
Three motives for God to act are cited: the misery God’s people are experiencing (vv.1-4) the tender mercies of God Himself (v.8), and the humiliation brought to his name (v.10) Unlike Psalm 137, which seems to have been written during the Captivity, this psalm was apparently written by eyewitnesses of the desolation of Jerusalem.’
How typical eh friends, that after the wanton sinfulness of Israel, in the time of their comeuppance, they cry out to God for mercy, redemption and revenge. And they boldface enough to use the non-glorification, the humiliation of God’s name as an excuse for His intervention.
But at least the Israelites recognized the existence and power of the heavenly Father, even though somewhat late. However, today, although we are in the same basic plight as the Israelites, undergoing much ‘sufferation,’ we won’t even acknowledge His existence – or rather we acknowledge it, by trying to remove Him from our society.
Foolishly, unlike the Israelites, we figure He is of no earthly use to us. Instead of repenting and crying out to Him for help, since He’s the Creator and Controller of the universe and everything therein, we shun, make fun of, abuse His holy name and relegate Him to the backwaters of our society.
That’s a fool’s wisdom, my brethren! And there certainly are a lot of fools walking around in this evil and ungodly world!
Hopefully, if you are reading this, you are not one of them. Or better yet, if you are one of those unwise people, you will see the error of your ways and repent and come back home to Jesus, where you rightfully belong.
And there’s no need to fear returning to His fold, for He will not berate or castigate you, but welcome you with open arms, showering you with LOVE and tenderness, just like Jesus talked about in the parable of the Prodigal Son.
Oh my people, it’s about time we see the lack of wisdom in our sinful, lustful, materialistic behaviour, the futility of trying to erase God from our lives, for He is the One who gives us the very breath of life.
Without Him, His LOVE, forgiveness, mercy, blessings and grace, we are nothing. Let us please remember that and start behaving like the children of God that we are, and not the offspring of the fool Lucifer, as our society is currently reflecting. For turning to God, is indeed the wisdom of all the ages. Much LOVE!
…even in our most sinful state…crying out to God for mercy and forgiveness…is undoubtedly…the wisest thing to do…
25 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of rejuvenation, alive and kicking, asaph, attitude, believers in Jesus Christ, blessed be the Lord our God, blessings, Christians, comeuppance, confidence, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, death and destruction, declaration of faith, desire, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith and trust increased, fellowship, give thanks, glorify our Creator, glory hallelujah, go a whoring from God, God is the strength of my heart, God's LOVING-kindness, guide me with thy council, I have put my trust in the Lord, it is good for me to draw near to God, jehovah god, mercies, mood, more than we can ask or imagine, my flesh and my heart faileth, my heart was grieved, my portion for ever, panacea, pours out His bounty, praise, provider, raise your hopes, receive me to glory, reconciled to God, renew your faith, sacrifice of praise, sacrificed His Son Jesus Christ, salvation, serve the Lord, shortchanging ourselves, sing, snare of the ungodly, so foolish was I, spirits are lifted, Sunday, surrender, tempo, the atoning Saviour, the Holy Spirit, the wicked prospering, the Word of god, they that are far from thee shall perish, trust, unfaithfulness, walk obedient in God's will, walking with Jesus, whom have I in heaven, wickedness, wisdom, worship
Psalm 73:26. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (the rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.
Sunday, Sunday! Oh how glad we are that it’s here at last! For it’s the day that most Christians, most believers in Jesus Christ gather together in the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with each other; to sing and praise, give thanks, worship and glorify our wonderful Creator and Provider. Glory Hallelujah!
It’s also a time of rejuvenation; a time when our spirits are lifted, our faith and trust increased, our confidence strengthened, as the immutable and holy Word of God flows through, percolates in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls!
And all God’s people shouted loudly and proudly: ‘Blessed be the Lord our God who sacrificed His Son Jesus Christ so that we could be reconciled to Him, and who now pours out His never-ending bounty on us, more than we can ask or even imagine! Thank You Lord. We offer up our sacrifice of praise and vow to walk obedient to your will. In Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, it is indeed a wonderful, a magnificent God we serve, and every day I open my eyes to greet a new day, I can’t help but give Him some serious thanks and praise for all that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do in my life. Glorify Him my people, for there’s none else like Him! No other supposed deity even comes close to Him, for they are all dead, but our Jehovah God is alive and kicking; kicking mightily too!
So this Sunday morning, let’s all make it a stated purpose to get to His sanctuary and enjoy much needed fellowship with other believers nuh, so that our souls can be primed and ready to meet and greet tomorrow, Monday, with a burst of enthusiasm and rich desire to get out into the working world and serve the Lord with all that we possess.
Remember, the tempo, the mood, the attitude towards the first day of the work week, and all those that follow, are set, are determined by how we spend the first day of the week, Sunday. So please get out and renew your faith, raise your hopes today. End of sermon! (smile)
Oh Friends, some of you might think that I’m joking, or just being overzealous, but the reality is that our God does faithfully reach out to those who trust in Him. Let’s take the case of the psalmist Asaph. Way back when, he saw the wicked prospering and couldn’t understand it.
Consequently, he almost fell into the snare of the ungodly, wanting to have their prosperity. Many of us fall for the same scam today. But through the goodness, the LOVING-kindness of God, he woke up in time and saw the foolishness of that mindset. Therefore, he could contritely admit in Psalm 73 – The mystery of prosperous wickedness.
‘Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins (grieved in my mind). So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden (held) me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy council, and afterward receive me to glory.’ (Ps.73:21-24)
Oh my people, as I said just now, many of us today are still being wowed by the prosperity of the wicked, but please believe that is only a temporary situation. They will all eventually get their rightful comeuppance; death and destruction.
But those who sincerely follow the risen Lord, the atoning Saviour Jesus Christ, will be guided away from wickedness by His Holy Spirit which indwells each and every believer. Then, like Asaph says, at the end of our earthly days we will be received in glory to our heavenly home.
Now hear how Asaph continues: ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (the rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ (Ps.73:25-26)
My brethren, my brethren, do you hear that declaration of faith and trust which includes our Bit! Can we declare likewise, with the same confidence? I surely do hope so, because unless we can, we will be seriously shortchanging ourselves in the mercies and blessings of our awesome God.
And why is that? Listen to the next verse from Asaph. ‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee).’ (Ps.73:27)
Yes Friends, wickedness and unfaithfulness may pay for a time, and might look rather enticing, but believe me, it will not get you into heaven, will not bring you salvation and eternal life. Only trust and belief in Jesus Christ will do that.
And Asaph confidently and wisely ends the psalm thus. ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps.73:28)
Glory Hallelujah my people! Words of unadulterated wisdom! And if you haven’t declared those sentiments as yet, I’ll advise you to do so as soon as possible. And today, right now, will be a most appropriate time to do it. Because, remember when Jesus returns in all His majestic glory and splendour, which could happen at any time, if you are found wanting, then it will be too late, and as the old people would say, crapaud smoke yuh pipe!
So please, please, I implore us, let’s not be found wanting, let’s put our absolute trust in Jesus right now, let’s surrender our entire lives to Him, so that we will be received into glory at the end times. That’s wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…knowing, trusting, LOVING and walking with Jesus…is the ONLY panacea for our troubles…
13 Nov 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a feast of fat things, a feast of wines, Amen, attitude, be of good courage, be strong and of a good courage, bound in chains, bravado, Bruh Paul, conquer this evil world, courage, daily walk, divinely provided, do not worry about tomorrow, doomsayers, eliminate god from our society, endure our afflictions with patience, enlarge my vision, faithful promise, fear not, find joy in each new day, focus on the present, forefront of our hearts and minds, forgiveness, God created me to be uncontainable, God has destined me to be a barrier breaker, God is fulfilling His purpose and destiny in my life, God is taking me places I've never dreamed of, God will perfect establish strengthen and settle us, God will wipe away tears, harbinger, I have talent and potential, I will esperience god's favour, in faith, in god's own time, in Jesus' name, jehovah god, Joel Osteen, limited mindset, LOVE, mercy, naysayers, new blessings, new mercies, plan for tomorrow but live for today, potential, prisoner, promise, righteousness., Rome, seeds of greatness, So let it be, stand strong, sufficent unto the day is the evil thereof, swallow up death, take hold of God's grace, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, talent, thanked God, the Creator of the universe, the here and now, the Lord goes with thee, the Lord of hosts, the Lord will not fail nor forsake thee, the Lord will strengthen thine heart, the rebuke of his people, there are seeds of greatness inside of me, Thursday, Today is my day, tomorrow shall worry about itself, took courage, truer words were never spoken, turn to Jesus, victory, wait I say on the Lord, wait on the Lord, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation, we've all sinned and come short of God's glory, without growing weary, words of encouragement
Psalm 27:14. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage; and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’
‘Thursday, oh Thursday; harbinger of Friday!’ Yes Friends, I know that many of us are just dying to see Friday, so that we can get the two days off from work.
But that’s not the attitude we should have. We need to live and find joy in each new day as our Lord provides new mercies and blessings for each one. Let’s learn to focus on the present, the here and now, for some of us might not live to see tomorrow.
And as Jesus so wisely reminds us in these memorable words. ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt.6:34)
Yes my people, there will be enough trouble for us to handle today, and on each today thereafter, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s indeed do some planning for tomorrow, but let’s live in today.
Consequently, let’s renew this acclamation from Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) which boldly proclaims, ‘TODAY IS MY DAY!’ And of course it is!
Please acclaim with me: ‘God has destined me to be a barrier breaker! He created me to be uncontainable. I have talent and potential given to me by the Creator of the universe. There are seeds of greatness inside of me. Today, I choose to break free from a limited mindset and enlarge my vision.
Today, God is taking me places that I’ve never even dreamed of before. Today, God is fulfilling His purpose and destiny in my life. Today, I will experience His favour like never before in every area of my life.’
Now let’s just keep that at the forefront of our hearts and minds today my people, as we ‘seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,’ and as a direct result, are divinely provided with all we need for our daily walk. We can’t ask for a better promise than that my brethren!
And here’s another timely reminder that our task is to take hold of God’s grace, to endure our afflictions with patience, without growing weary, knowing that in His own time, God will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us. We must wait on the Lord and be of good courage.
And my fellow believers, if there’s one thing we desperately need in this evil and troubled world, it is courage! Courage to stand strong and face the naysayers, the doomsayers, and all those who are desperately trying to eliminate Jehovah God from our society.
And in the words of our Bit, Bruh David says it so wisely: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage; and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ Truer words were never spoken my fellow believers!
And Moses, in his latter days, encouraged the Israelites with these words, which still hold true today. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut.31:6) Oh what marvellous words of encouragement my people!
And yuh better believe Friends, that even Bruh Paul, with all his faith and bravado, could not endure all that he did without encouragement from other believers. As he is on his way to Rome, as a prisoner, bound in chains, to plead his case before the emperor, the Good Book tells us:
‘And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appi Forum, and the three Taverns (Inns): whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.’ (Acts 28:15)
So my people, let’s not believe that we’re alone in needing courage, for we’ve all sinned and come short of God’s glory, which means we all need help on this earthly journey, which can best come from Almighty God.
And we’ll end with some appropriate verses from Isaiah 25 – The song of praise by the redeemed. ‘And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things (choice pieces), a feast of wines on the lees (wines matured on the sediment), of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
And he will destroy (swallow up) in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death (forever) in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.25:6-9)
Oh Friends, with all these encouraging scriptures percolating in our hearts, minds and bodies, let’s go forth today unafraid, full of vim and vigour, with righteousness exuding mercy and forgiveness, and valiantly conquer this evil world, in Jesus’ name!
And all God’s people declared a joyful and courageous: ‘Amen! So let it be!’
Much, much LOVE, my brethren!
…if you need strength…if you need courage…whatever you need…sincerely turn to Jesus…and He will provide it…that’s His faithful promise…
16 Apr 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: attitude, battle hymn, blessings, dangerous, difficult, enemy, excellence, grumbling, humble servants, lies, thanks, useful purpose, wiles
Psalm 107:1. O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Aye mih Friends, another lovely Monday morning has rolled around! And I hear all sorts of grumbling and grousing. In answer to which I say; No, I am not crazy, just realistic. (smile) So you have to get up and go to work? So what? We’re all alive and kicking, most of us have decent jobs in a somewhat free country, and most important of all, our magnificent God is constantly blessing us anew every day with mercy, LOVE, forgiveness, wisdom and understanding; just to name a few of His precious gifts. Now consider the alternative. Selah. And all God’s people declared a loud and glorious: ‘Thank you Lord for being so good to us, the undeserving children of men! We bless and praise your Holy Name!’ Now that’s more like it my people, that’s the response followers of Jesus ought to have! And to raise that attitude of excellence, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with even more enthusiasm and sincerity. 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!’ And now that we’re on a roll, I’ll like to give thanks for the showers of heavenly water that finally fell in my area yesterday. I don’t know if it was really sufficient to quench the thirst of the parched earth, but we’re certainly thankful for even the smallest of mercies. And that’s exactly what our Bit encourages us to do: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ Oh my people, that’s such an awesome truth, that when we truly believe it, it will revolutionize our lives for ever! And not believing it is also one reason why so many of us believers live less than peaceful, contented lives. Remember the most important part of Christianity is belief. Until we truly believe, then surrender our souls and our trust to God, nothing much will happen for us. The author of Psalm 106 corroborates our Bit in his opening verse: ‘Praise ye the Lord (Shout Hallelujah). O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps.106:1) Now that Psalm deals with Israel sinning against God’s LOVE, while our Bit talks about God’s wonderful works to the children of men, but they both acknowledge God’s goodness and mercy towards us till eternity. Now which other faith can boast such a promise eh? NONE, my Friends, NONE! Although the children of Israel did not cling to Him like they ought, and though He punished them for their disobedience, He did not utterly consume them, and made a way for them to return to His fold because of His faithful promise to their forefather Abraham. ‘Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.’ (Gen.12:1-2) Yes my people, the Lord kept His covenant, even with all the negative actions of His chosen people. And yuh know what? He’s still doing it today; still blessing us, still protecting us, in spite of our disobedience. And that same avenue for conviction and repentance is still open to all who sincerely seek it. Which other god – well really supposed god, for there’s ONLY ONE TRUE GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – is so generous, merciful and forgiving to His followers eh? Again my Friends, the answer is NONE! Now don’t think that we can live in constant disobedience and get away with it Scot free, for that’s not true. The Israelites were punished for turning against God and embracing Lucifer, and whether you want to believe it or not, we are now in the same boat, suffering all sorts of unusual stuff, for our wholesale embracing of the enemy. Now let’s end with some appropriate words of Bruh David from his psalm of thanksgiving when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory (triumph) in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord.’ (1 Chr.16:34-36) Yes my brethren, let’s promise ourselves to practice that praiseworthy attitude towards our great and merciful God nuh, for it’s on His side, not Lucifer’s, that our bread is buttered. Much LOVE!…every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…and cometh down from the Father of lights…with whom is no variableness (variation, change)…neither shadow of turning… (James 1:17)
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