09 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doddering old man, aches and pains, affirm, attribute of God, batting my gums, blessings, Bruh Paul, bubbling broth of love, comfort zone, communicative, communion, compassion, confession, confidence, Corinthians, count for something, deceitful enemy, faithful, faithful is He that calls you, faithfulness, fellowship, for he is faithful that promised, forgiveness, friends, God is faithful, God's Word, grace, heartrending, help of the Holy Spirit, hobbling, holy spirit, hope, it's found, Jesus Christ, jesus christ our lord, keep you from evil, kindness, leading and guiding, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, LOVE, love is like wildflowers, loving kindness, mercy, on the lookout for love, on the winning end, our sins forgiven, P.S. I Love You, patient waiting for Christ, promised to redeem us, shaking it rough, souls washed clean, Spread God's Word, temptation, that's life, the cross at Calvary, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord is faithful, the LOVE of God, the most unlikely places, trials and tribulations, troubled world, understanding, ungrateful sinners, union with Christ, what's cooking, winter years, wisdom, without wavering
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Aye Friends, what’s cooking on this terrific though cloudy looking Thursday morning eh? I do hope that it’s a bubbling broth of LOVE, grace, mercy, blessings, kindness, compassion and forgiveness, because that is exactly what our topsy-turvy, troubled world needs right now.
Unfortunately though, the ole fella’s shaking it a bit on the rough side this morning, walking around like a doddering old man, (smile) with all the aches and pains choosing to act up at the same time. I don’t know nuh, but I went to bed early last night, planning to get a decent night’s rest…
Hn! That was only in my imagination. I got up several times during the night unable to find a comfort zone, and then when it was really time to get up, I fell asleep, then got up hobbling. Hn, Hn! But that’s life folks, especially in the winter years.
But yuh know what my brethren? The aches and pains are not holding back the ole fella, that’s for sure! They might slow me down some, but they are definitely not going to stop me from doing the work that’s been laid out for me by the Almighty! And I’d like all you old geezers out there, who are similarly wracked by aches and pains to affirm the same thing.
All together now: ‘Aches and pains are not going to stop us from doing the work Jesus desires of us in this life!’
What a way to go mih people! Remember we can overcome anything that comes our way with the help of the Holy Spirit which indwells us. We might not be as quick and physically supple as in our youth, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with our minds.
So let’s not give in to the temptation thrown at us by the deceitful and wily enemy, we can still be very useful and productive members of society.
And I have to laugh here Friends, because I don’t know where all of that is coming from. I surely hope it’s the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit.
Now here is a li’l something from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ poster. Some of you long time readers might remember it. And it reminds us that ‘LOVE is like wildflowers. It’s often found in the most unlikely places.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth Friends? We often find LOVE in places that we never dreamed of finding it. That means that wherever we are, we should always be on the lookout for LOVE since it can appear anywhere, at any time, under any circumstance! It’s the attribute of God, so wherever God is, LOVE ought to be there too.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is a terrific piece of scripture, filled with godly assurance and encouragement. ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’
And for those of you paying attention, you’ll notice that I have the dates right on both headings today. That is what comes from laziness, but it also lessens the pain of having to transcribe the same Bit everyday.
Anyway Friends, it is a proven fact that the Holy One of Israel, whom we worship and adore, is undeniably, unconditionally and extremely faithful! We’ve seen it in the lives of His servants, as well as the most heartrending act of sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary, so that our sins could be forgiven and our souls washed clean.
He promised to redeem us way back when, and ever so faithfully, He did it through Jesus. Now I don’t know what else He has to do to prove His faithfulness. I doubt that any of us would give up our only son to be sacrificed for a bunch of ungrateful sinners. But the Lord God Jehovah did! And that ought to count for something – in fact count for a lot.
But enough of me batting my gums, (smile) let’s look at some scripture that enhances my contention. And we’ll begin with Bruh Paul stating it blatantly to the Corinthians in the introduction to the first epistle. ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor.1:9)
And the scholars offer this explanation of that verse. ‘1:9. Unto the fellowship of his son: The term ‘fellowship’ includes both union and communion. The Corinthian believers had been brought into union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly this great truth implies that they had been brought into communion with one another. Here in a nutshell is the theme of this epistle.’
And Friends, that still holds true, even to this day. We believers have been brought into union with Jesus Christ as well as communion with each other. That means we ought to be more into Jesus than we currently are, as well as being more understanding and communicative with each other.
Then in 1 Thessalonians, Bruh Paul again states the faithfulness of God without any doubt or concern. ‘Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.’ (1 Thess.5:24) And who should know about God’s faithfulness better than Bruh Paul eh? All the trials and tribulations he went through to spread God’s Word, but he always came out on the winning end.
And we’ll wrap up this morning with another word from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians, this one from his second epistle to them. ‘But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish (establish) you, and keep you from evil (the evil one).
And we have confidence in the Lord touching (concerning) you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the LOVE of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ (patience of Christ).’ (2 Thes.3:3-5)
Oh my people, I wish the exact sentiments on all of us today; that the Lord will direct our hearts into His wonderful and unconditional LOVE, and give us the patience of Christ, to wait patiently and work diligently until His return. That my brethren is wisdom of the highest level! Much LOVE!
…thy mercy (LOVING-kindness) oh Lord…is in the heavens…and thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds… (Ps.36:5)
07 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all our sins and griefs to bear, almighty god, Amen, assurance, barrier breaker, bear good fruit, blessed assurance, blessings, break free from a limited mindset, can't have faith without hope, cast not away your confidence, comfort, confession, confidence, cumbered with a load of care, done the will of god, encouragement, endless worship, endurance, enlarge my vision, everything to God in prayer, expectant faith, faith, faith is the substance of things hoped for, faithful friends, faithfulness, favour, followers of Jesus christ, for he is faithful that promised, forgiveness, from everlasting to everlasting, glory to God, good and fertile soil, gospel truth, grace, great recompense of reward, heavenly wisdom, heavy laden, hope, hungry hope, Jesus Christ, Joel Osteen, joy, let it all hang out, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, LOVE, new mercies, oh what peace we often forfeit, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, patience, peace, physical sight, potential, praise, promises, rapture, refuge, seeds of greatness, So let it be, solace, sorrows, spiritual vision, stand strong and steadfast, surrender, sweet portion, talent, the breath of life, the Creator of the universe, the evidence of things not seen, this is the day the Lord has made, Today is my day, trials and temptations, trouble, trust, unconditional LOVE, uncontainable, walking with Jesus, we will rejoice and be glad in it, weak, what a friend we have in Jesus, what a privelege to carry, without wavering
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Well a warm and wonderful welcome to all you loyal and faithful Friends and believers out there in Scrip-Bit Land!
Welcome, welcome, welcome! It is ever so good to be in the land of the living with the awesome breath of Almighty God flowing through out frail and fragile human bodies! Wow! There is nothing else in the world that compares to that, for it is indeed the breath of life, the single, solitary thread that keeps us all going.
And it is all the more important when, as students, believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we are patiently and thankfully waiting for the new mercies, blessings, grace and forgiveness specially made for today, to be unleashed from heaven unto us saints down here on Mother Earth. Glory to God!
That’s why we should all raise our voices in praise and thanks and steadfastly proclaim; ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’
Yes Friends, this Tuesday morning in early July is a blessed day, so please let’s treat it as such. And luckily, in my neck of the woods it just might be the second day of what now passes for summer weather with highs in the mid-twenties, though somewhat cloudy with a chance of rain. But we will take it any day over the cold white stuff. (smile)
And today I have an affirmation from Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) from a little while back to share with us once again. It simply declares: ‘TODAY IS MY DAY!’ And that’s gospel truth my people, so please affirm 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.’ Mama Mia!
And all God’s children declared a loud and proud: ‘Amen! So let it be!’
Yes my brethren, let’s allow it all to hang out today! Let’s break down those barriers of bondage that are holding us back from God’s best! Let’s release the seeds of greatness planted in our souls by our Creator and plant them in good and fertile soil, so that they can bear much good fruit, for that’s why they were planted in us in the first place.
Let’s enlarge our vision and our mindset because our God is a great and powerful Deity who doesn’t deal in small, petty and trifling stuff. And if we want to enjoy His best, then we have to improve and enlarge our minds and visions.
And today I was sent a heavenly zeppo to preach… sorry, to teach (smile) on the twin attitudes of hope and faith. Remember, without hope, there can be no faith, for hope is the place where it all begins.
And as the Good Book so wisely tells us; ‘Now faith is the substance (the realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (the conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb.11:1)
That means through hope, we are assured of the things that we can’t see with our physical sight, but surely can see them with our spiritual vision. In other words, we see them through the eyes of faith! It’s a blessed assurance that we have in the promises and faithfulness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
That brings us to our Bit: ‘let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’
Yes indeed my brethren our great and wonderful and magnanimous God is indeed faithful to keep each and every one of His promises! He has not reneged on a single one down through all the ages, and He never will! Wow! What a great friend and Saviour we have in Jesus!
And there is no better way to express that than through the wonderful age-old hymn that so many of us grew up to. So please sing it with me, in hungry hope and expectant faith.
‘What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.’
Yes my believing brethren, what an awesome assurance we can have in Jesus Christ if we allow Him to come into our hearts, souls, bodies and minds and work His good works in us! There is nothing or no one else under the sun that can promise and then faithfully deliver on those promises!
All we need is sincere hope and trust and faith and surrender to His unconditional LOVE and care which runs from everlasting to everlasting! He made us Friends, and has a plan for every one of our lives, but we have to bow to His sovereignty and righteousness if we are to be enlightened as to His wonderful plans for us. Not knowing, and thus not living out the beautiful plan earmarked for us is possibly the greatest disappointment we can ever know down here on earth.
And we’ll end with a massive scripture of assurance and encouragement from Hebrews, one which we all know, but don’t seriously accept and live by. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb.10:35-36)
Yes my people, we need some patience, sometimes plenty of it, but fear not, God’s promise will be fulfilled, just in His own time. So please stand strong and steadfast in faith, if you want to see the mercies and blessings of God in your life. That is indeed heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…walking with Jesus might lead us along some rough and unpaved roads…but the rewards of His promise…oh Friends…they are indeed most wonderful and incomparable…trust me…I’m talking from personal experience…
P.S. Oh Friends, I just LOVE writing these Bits that come straight from the heart, without any forward planning, like this one today. And I do hope that it triggers your hope, faith, patience and LOVE, and help them rise to a higher level, so that you can find true solace, comfort and joy in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as He desires you to have.
Oh mih breddren, I can’t even stop the words from flowing, that’s how much the adrenalin is running. (smile) Much LOVE!
04 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a free gift of God, a very present help in trouble, abominations, Absalom, as America goes, bask in the sunshine of God's grace, Be still and know that I am God, behold the works of the Lord, blessings, Bruh David, confidence in Almighty God, confidence in God, eternal life, God is our refuge and strength, God makes wars to cease, God's holy hill, God-fearing countries, godliness, godly character, Great Britain, guiding light. founding fathers, Happy 4th of July, I cried unto the Lord, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will not be afraid, idol worship, Indepdence, Jesus Love Revolution, Lucifer, mercy, my glory, never too late to repent, Pheonix, Quakers, raise the level of godliness, rebellion, rejuvenationof godliness, religious persecution, repentance, return to God's fold, rise from the ashes, salvation is of the Lord, Selah, Sin capital of the world, sons of Korah, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the god of jacob is our refuge, the Holy Word of God, the lifter up of mine head, the Lord God Jehovah, the Lord is a shield, the Lord of hosts, the Lord sustained me, the One and Only True God, the prince of darkness, the tide has turned, trust, truth, turned away from God, U.S.A, walk the talk, Yahweh
Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY U.S. OF A!
Happy Birthday U.S of A! Yes Friends, the greatest nation the world has ever seen is 239 years old today!
Unfortunately, those United States of America are no longer the powerhouse they used to be. Why, you ask? Simply because they have turned away from the God of their fathers, and have now embraced idol worship. When the thirteen States of the Union declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, the guiding light of their founding fathers was the Lord God Jehovah.
Several States had been founded because their occupants, like the Quakers, had been running away from religious persecution in Britain. And why do you think the U.S became such a powerful nation? Because the basis, the foundation for living was based on the Holy Word of God! And we all know that the Word of the Lord is immensely powerful, even to the moving of mountains, and those who sincerely follow it will become powerful too.
Sadly though, in the last few generations the tide has turned, and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob no longer holds near as much sway in the U.S. as it once did. And as the godly character disappeared, so did the prosperity.
God has been removed from the public schools and government offices, churches are no longer as sacred and important as they used to be. Consequently God is not being taught in the homes either, with the overall result being that God is now severely mocked in the U.S. and instead of being one of the most God-fearing countries in the world; it is now the world’s SIN capital.
Ah Lord eh! When I hear of some of the sinful abominations that now occur in the U.S, I just have to shake my head in disgust. Even Lucifer, the prince of darkness, who now controls the country, must shake his head in wonder.
Anyway, we’re not here to condemn, but the pertinent facts must be stated without being glossed over. We are here rather to try and raise the level of godliness again, so that the once mighty nation can restore some of its lost glory, and bask once more in the sunshine of God’s grace and mercy. It is never too late to repent and return to God.
The ancient Jewish people knew that and were wise enough to repent when they had fallen by the wayside. And America right now needs a massive inflow, a great upheaval of repentance and rejuvenation of godliness, so that Jesus’ LOVE Revolution can prevail, and the nation rise once again, like the phoenix from its ashes.
And not only for them, but for the whole world, because although they are not as mighty as they once were, unfortunately, still as they go, so does the rest of the world. So please pray sincerely, seriously and often for America to return to God’s fold, for we will all be blessed by that most significant occurrence.
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.’
Oh Friends, right there is such a statement of absolute and indisputable truth, that if we would only sincerely embrace it, our lives and our world would be so much better!
And the confident declaration of Bruh David, when he fled from the rebellion of his son Absalom as stated in Psalm 3 – a prayer of confidence in God, certainly corroborates our Bit. ‘Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) mine head.’ (Ps.3:2-3)
Oh my brethren, more absolute and indisputable truth! Bruh David wasn’t just making this up, writing beautiful poetry for poetry’s sake, but he was living the tough and terrible times. And his confidence in the God of his fathers was so great, that he continues thus. ‘I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3: 4-6)
What total confidence and trust in Almighty God! How many of us nowadays can say that with as much confidence and trust eh? Not too many. But Bruh David lived it Friends, and if we live for God too, then eventually we will be able to speak with such boldness and sincerity. And here is how he ends the Psalm. ‘Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’ (Ps.3:8)
Yes Friends, salvation is of God. It is His free gift through Jesus Christ, and His blessings are always upon those who LOVE, worship and adore Him!
Oh how I wish the once godly societies could repent and go back to serving and worshipping the One and ONLY TRUE GOD, Yahweh, then life here on earth would be so much better.
But not to worry, we’re working on it, slowly but surely, and one day, in the not too distant future, victory will be ours! God has promised it, and we all know that He faithfully keeps His promises, we just have to do our part, which is simply to live for Him and spread His Word.
Now let’s go home with the closing words of Psalm 46, from which our Bit is taken. The sons of Korah unabashedly declare: ‘The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.’ (Ps.46:7-11)
And all God’s people declared a loud and proud shout of ‘Praise be to the mighty God of Jacob! He is indeed our refuge and our strength, our salvation and our help in time of trouble!’
Yes Friends, now let’s go out and live it nuh, let’s go out and walk the talk. Much LOVE!
…oh let the Lord be exalted in all the earth…so that the heathen can come to Him…in sincere repentance… and receive the wonderful gifts of salvation and eternal life…
25 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ability, be glad and rejoice, be strong and of a good courage, become proud, blessings, Bruh David, common sense, courage, dedication, depart from evil and do good, DETERMINATION, earthly life, faith, fount of blessings, give it all they've got, give thanks, glory to God, his seed begging bread, hope, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, intelligence, Israel, Jesus, Joshua, Lucifer, magnanimous god, material things of the world, meditiate on God's word, opportunty, pillars of our faith, prolong his days, prosperous, righteousness., seek ye first the kingdom of God, Sermon on the Mount, stand in awe of God, strength, success, take no thought for your life, testimony, the breath of life, the Good Book, the Great Provider, the Holy One of Israel, the living God, the only true God, the wisdom of the age, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, thou shalt have good success, wolf in sheep's clothing
Joshua 1:8b. …for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Oh Friends, it’s Thursday! Wow! Another terrific day in the history of civilization is on the way! Glory to God!
So please, let’s give thanks, be glad and rejoice in this day, because it is the wisdom of the age. It just had to be since the Holy One of Israel has a specially prepared fount of blessings on tap for us today. We just have to be obedient to His will and He will shower us with bountiful blessings, show us an awesome time.
And all God’s children declared a loud, proud and grateful ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise and thanks and honour to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who sits upon His throne in the high heavens running things according to His wise and holy will!’
Yes my people, our God is indeed a great and magnanimous God! In fact, He is the ONLY TRUE God! And He’s also a LIVING God, which none of the other supposed gods are! It is His wonderful breath of life that courses through our bodies. That’s something we ought always to remember because it’s one of the foundation pillars of our faith.
Now here is an interesting quote on expecting success from Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993), the famous American minister, author and champion of the ‘Power of Positive Thinking.’
‘Hope is the great power that can move you to success. Why? Because when a man expects to win, he does not hold anything back, but gives his project all that he’s got. Most people fail not because they lack ability, intelligence or opportunity, but they fail because they don’t give it all they’ve got.’
And isn’t that the absolute truth! For when we expect success we put all that we have into it; time, energy and money. It’s the very dedication to our project and the determination to succeed that leads us to success!
So for all of us who have projects on the go, and that includes the living of this earthly life, let’s be dedicated and determined to succeed nuh, obviously with the help of Jesus. And how do we enlist the aid of Jesus? Simply by turning to Him, putting all out trust and faith in Him.
As the Lord told Joshua several times when He anointed him to lead Israel after the death of Moses. ‘Be strong and of a good courage… Only be thou strong and very courageous… Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1: 6, 7, 9)
So in the space of four verses, God warns Joshua three times to be strong and courageous and not afraid. Oh Friends, it’s the same thing that our great unchangeable God is saying to us today; ‘Be strong and of a good courage, and be not afraid.’ For we can’t do His bidding if we’re weak and fearful.
However my brethren, the clincher in the whole story is this verse, verse 8, from which our Bit comes. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh.1:8)
Yeh Friends, you see the true and real way to be prosperous and have success: be strong and courageous, but even more importantly, meditate on the Lord’s Word day and night. It calls for manly strength and courage, as well as a strong and courageous faith centered in the Word of God. That is the ONLY way to have lasting prosperity and success!
Moses had already warned the Israelites re the choice of a king, and what His most important role was: ‘And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear (stand in awe of) the Lord his God; to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them.
That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren (become proud), and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days (continue long) in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.’ (Deut.17:18-20)
One simply cannot rule or live justly without the guidance of the Good Book!
And Jesus reiterated that command in the Sermon on the Mount when He told us in no uncertain terms. ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body more than raiment (clothes)? … But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:25, 33)
Oh my people, how many times must we be reminded that the ultimate in wisdom and common sense decrees that we place our trust in our heavenly Father if we want to be successful in this world eh?
But in spite of it all, we still listen to Lucifer, the ole deceitful wolf in sheep’s clothing and believe, or act on the premise that you have to concentrate on the things of the world and the way the world thinks and acts, to make it. That’s a total lie my brethren!
The necessary material things will be provided for us by God, the Great Provider, if we concentrate on seeking and doing His will. And we won’t have to be fearful and anxious about our needs because the Father knows we need those things to survive, and He has promised that HE WILL provide them if we are true and faithful to His Word.
And what better way to end than with this powerful testimony from Bruh David from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever merciful (merciful all the day), and lendeth, and his seed (descendants) is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.’ (Ps.37:25-27)
Oh Friends, all I can do now is to implore us to follow the wonderful advice we have received from several ever-faithful and reliable sources, if we truly desire to be prosperous and successful in this world. Much LOVE!
…true strength and power and prosperity…in other words earthly success…comes only from Almighty God…through obedience to His Word and Will…
16 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a miracle is happening, almighty god, bare witness, blessings, blessings of grace, christ jesus, Christian advancement, come short of God's glory, compassion, die on the cross, faith in his blood, for all have sinned, for by grace you have been saved, friends, friends and neighbours, glory to God, God meets all our needs, God's grace, God-filled life, grace, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, grace for grace, Gramps Schuller, gratitude, he that cometh after me, heartfelt prayer, heartwarming, Hour of Power Devotional, I thank and praise you, I want to improve, I'm not perfecct, it is the gift of God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, justified, LOVE, maturity, mercy seat, miracle, motives of our hearts, not of yourselves, obedient to God's will, of his fullness, preferred before me, propitiation, ransom, redemption, remission of sins, righteous life, righteousness., salvation, serve you faithfully, sinners, Thank You Lord, the brilliant light, the forbearance of God, the Holy Spirit, the law was given by Moses, the SON, through faith, truth, understanding, unmerited favour, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wisdom
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Morning Friends and neighbours! Welcome to a rainy Tuesday morning in my area, although the weather office says it’s supposed to be 25 and sunny.
Hn! Hopefully that will happen later in the day, but in the meanwhile let’s enjoy the brilliant light and blessings provided by the Son, Jesus Christ, for we know that regardless of the weather His Son is always shining. Glory to God!
And this morning we are going to start the proceedings with a simple but heartfelt prayer from the Hour of Power Devotional. This one Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) calls ‘I Want to Improve,’ something that I know we all want to do, since it’s an essential part of our ongoing Christian advancement and maturity.
Please pray with me. ‘O God, how thankful I am that you have come into my life through the Holy Spirit. I’m willing to say: “I’m not perfect, Lord! I want to improve. Show me where I can.” So, Father, I sense that a miracle is happening in my life right now. You are doing something beautiful in my heart this very moment. I thank and praise you! Amen.’
And if you sincerely prayed that prayer my people, I’m sure that the Lord is doing exactly that; making the moves necessary, setting the scene that you can improve.
I can’t resist saying it Friends: ‘What a wonderful God we serve and worship!’ If we are obedient to His will, He meets all our needs. How much more than that can we ask eh? Nothing really.
Now let’s turn to our ever intriguing and most heartwarming Bit. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:’
And there is no more gospel truth that that Friends, for it is only through God’s LOVING-kindness are we able to avoid eternal separation from Him, and death and damnation with Lucifer.
And all God’s children cried out in sincere gratitude: ‘Oh thank You Lord for sending Jesus to die on the cross for us! Thank You for Your grace and mercy which we don’t deserve, but which You nonetheless bless us with! We praise and glorify Your Holy Name this morning, and pledge to serve You faithfully all the days of our lives! Amen.’
And we had better take all those prayers we’re praying this morning very seriously my brethren, for remember that God doesn’t only listen to the words of our mouth, but even more importantly, checks out the motives of our hearts. So please don’t be found wanting when He checks our motives.
Now let’s hear some scriptures that deal with grace. Oh Friends, there are so many that we can only share a few, and I believe that we might have at least one more day with this Bit. Let’s begin with this declaration of John’s.
‘John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me (ranks higher than I): for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.’ (John 1:15-17)
Words of immortal and everlasting truth my brethren!
And here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘1:15. After me: Jesus came into this world about six months after John (for human chronology, see Luke 1:56-57). He was before me: Jesus existed in eternity, so had precedence over John in authority.’
‘1:16-17. Fullness. (cf. Col.1:19): Here the fullness looks back to verse 14, “full of grace and truth.” Grace for grace means “grace heaped on grace.” Grace is evident in the Old Testament (cf. Gen.6:8; Ex.34:6) but not in the fullness now experienced in Jesus Christ. Grace is God’s unmerited favour toward sinners for their salvation (cf. Eph.2:8-9).’
Oh Friends, can you imagine the sad and sorry state we’d be in if Almighty God, our Creator and Provider had not seen fit to bestow us with His blessings of grace. Mama Mia!
Listen to Bruh Paul explain it to the Roman church nuh: ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely (without any cost) by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a mercy seat) through faith in his blood, to declare (demonstrate) his righteousness for the remission (passing over) of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.’ (Rom.3:23-25)
Now listen to these important explanations from the scholars. ‘3:23. For all have sinned: The human need and the divine provision are alike applied universally. Come short of the glory of God: Man can exceed his own standards but never, left to himself, can he attain to God’s standard of righteousness.’
‘3:24. Being justified (Gr. dikaioumenoi) indicates being declared righteous. It signifies the believer’s judicial standing before God. Freely: There is no just cause in man to warrant justification. By his grace: Unmerited favour is bestowed through the redemption (release on payment of ransom). Christ’s death is the ransom. The sinner is released on the basis of the ransom having been paid.’
‘3:25. Through faith: Christ’s death satisfies the Father’s righteous demands. Its benefits are appropriated only through faith in His finished work. In his blood: The emphasis is not on the blood as it coursed through Christ’s veins, but as it was shed for our sins. This is how the propitiation was accomplished.’
Ah mih breddren, I do hope that those explanations of the scholars helped us achieve a better understanding of God’s grace and all that it stands for, because it is ever so necessary if we truly want to live a God-filled and righteous life.
And we’ll end there for today. I know there’s a lot of heavy stuff involved and I surely don’t want to burden us with too much stuff to read, mark and inwardly digest at once. (smile)
Now may the Lord go with us and grant us His peace, mercy, grace, compassion, wisdom and understanding, as we go out to do His work today. Much LOVE!
…who but our great and wonderful God…would heap grace and more grace…on undeserving sinners eh…
15 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abuse the weekend, almighty god, aura of love, blessings, Colossians, comfort your hearts, complaining, confidence, conquerors, corrupt communication, Creator of the universe, enthusiasm, eternal life, evangelism, everlasting consolation, evil, faith, fellowship, for by grace you have been saved, friends, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, glory in my infirmities, good hope, gospel truth, grace, His only begotten Son, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, invincible, it is the gift of God, Jesus Christ, lies, living God, lord god almighty, lord jesus christ, LOVE, magnificent and magnanimous God, minister grace, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Monday Morning, my grace is sufficent for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, negative, not of yourselves, Oh Lord God Almighty, opportunity, pep in our step, pity parties, redeeming the time, rejuvenation of spirit, rise to the occasion, sacrifice, saved through faith, seasoned with salt, self-serving, sins, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, that which is good, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the power of christ, the thorn in his flesh, to the use of edifying, ungodly world, unmerited favour, walk in wisdom, whining, wisdom, wise behaviour, witnessing
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Oh Friends, unfortunately the two big days off for the weekend are now over… And I hear a loud ‘Steups!’ in response. (smile)
That means today is Monday…yes Monday, and we need to get ourselves up and out to labour for another week, so that we can earn some money, often a pittance, to try and lead a half-decent life.
We all know it’s not the ideal scenario, but it’s what we have, so let’s just get over ourselves, stop the pity parties, the whining and complaining and rise to the occasion as Jesus desires of us. And remember that if you abuse the weekend, you won’t be fit for anything come Monday morning. So enough with the sermon, (smile) instead let’s belt our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with a whole lot of vim and vigour.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh chuh people! That was a rather hoarse, half-hearted and off-key rendition! Jesus wasn’t thrilled at all. You could see Him shaking His head all through it, while His face bore an unhappy, puzzled ‘what else can I do eh?’ expression.
Anyway Friends, it’s too late to worry about that now. Hopefully though, just singing it boosted our adrenalin output and put a li’l pep in our step, enabling us to go out and do a good job in Jesus’ name.
We also need to remember quite clearly from whence all our blessings flow; from Almighty God. And one of the biggest blessings, if not the biggest, ever to befall mankind is enshrined in our Bit. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:’
Mama Mia! I can’t help but say it Friends – what a magnificent and magnanimous God we serve and worship! And there should be NO DOUBT whatsoever about that, just judging from the fact that He gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for our disgusting sins. Has any of the other supposed gods ever done anything like that? Obviously not, because they are all dead, inanimate, ephemeral objects. But the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the ONE AND ONLY TRUE LIVING GOD!
And all God’s people shouted a loud and lusty: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Yes Friends, our God is a true living and breathing Being, who sees and knows all that goes on in our world.
Now let’s turn to some provocative scriptures that deal with grace. And one of the most famous ones occurs when Bruh Paul asks the Lord three times to take away ‘the thorn in his flesh.’ But the Lord’s response is certainly interesting. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’ (2 Cor.12:9)
Yes my people, in our weaknesses God’s power is demonstrated, for when we are unable to bear up in our own strength, God’s grace pulls us through. Please remember that in times of weakness and frailty. He doesn’t always solve our problems, but He ALWAYS gives us the wherewithal, the grace to handle them in our weakness.
Now hear what Bruh Paul says later on to the Ephesians, re the new life in Christ. ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.’ (Eph.4:29)
Ah mih people, are we following those wise words of advice? I certainly hope so, because it is imperative that our words lift up, benefit those who hear them. We can’t expect others to come to Jesus if our words are negative and self-serving.
Then to the Colossians, he says: ‘Walk in wisdom toward them that are without (outside), redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.’ (Col.4:5-6)
And the scholars offer these explanations on those verses. ‘4:5. Paul turns from his responsibilities for evangelism (v.3-4) to the Colossians’ evangelistic duties (v.5-6). They are to walk in wisdom or “live wisely” in their relations toward them that are without, that is, unbelievers. Redeeming the time is to make the most of every opportunity. They are to seize every opportunity to display wise behaviour toward the unsaved and to use it as a chance for witnessing.’
And yuh know what Friends? Those same sentiments apply to us in these worrisome and difficult times.
‘4:6. An example of wise conduct (v.5) is daily speech that is gracious (with grace) in nature. Such speech is to be seasoned with salt, that is, characterized by the wisdom of verse 5. Gracious, wise conversation will enable the Colossians to know how to answer every man when speaking to him about the gospel.’
That also applies to us today my brethren!
And we’ll end with Bruh Paul’s words to the Thessalonians. ‘Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath LOVED us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish (establish) you in every good word and work.’ (2 Thess.2:16-17)
Oh Friends, I wish those exact sentiments upon us all today, as we go out into the crazy world to live and work for Jesus. Much LOVE!
…grace…the totally unmerited favour of God…given to totally undeserving men…a true and wonderful testimony…of God’s great LOVE for us…
10 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, adversity, attitude of prayer, be careful for nothing, benefits of following Jesus, blessed Trinity, blessings, christ jesus, Controller of the universe, earthly pilgrimage, evildoers, fellowship with God, fretting, give God all the glory, giving thanks, glorious future with Jesus, glory hallelujah, God in three persons, God is sovereign, godly advice, grateful, holy holy holy, in every thing give thanks, in everything by prayer and supplication, last days, let your requests be made known unto God, line of communication, lord god almighty, LOVE, make a joyful noise, merciful, mighty, our best interests at heart, our song shall rise to thee, peace, pray without ceasing, praying, promises, rejoice evermore, rejoicing, sinful nature, sing unto the Lord, stop worrying, thanksgiving, the Creator of the universe, the face of adversity, the good and bad times, the heathen, the Holy Spirit, the Lord is a great God, the rock of our salvation, the unbeliever, the voice of thanksgiving, the will of God, Thessalonians, thoughts of peace, to give you an expected end, wash mine hands in innocence, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wondrous works
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Oh Friends, please sing the Wednesday Wail with me to open today’s proceedings! (smile) I’m still not sure if it’s going to be a permanent part of our routine, but for now, let’s sing it for all we’re worth and start our day off on the right foot – with prayer.
In sweet harmony now, let’s sing: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of live is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And what a glorious future that promises to be my brethren, for remember what the Lord promises in Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer.29:11)
What a marvelous promise that is my people! Our God only has good thoughts towards us, and a wonderful future in store for those who LOVE Him and sincerely keep His commandments and do His will. So please, let’s stop worrying and fretting about the things of life which we can’t control, and just surrender them all to Jesus, who has our best interests at heart, and is in control of ALL THINGS. Glory to God!
Now Friends, let’s turn to our Bit, which is another piece of encouraging and comforting scripture. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’
Ah mih people, excellent words of godly advice and wisdom that! And it follows logically that if God is sovereign, supreme and in control, then who better for us to turn to, in whatever state we might be in, be it good, bad or indifferent? NOBODY my brethren!
The Creator of the universe and all therein wants us to come to Him with every problem, every woe, and also when things are right, just to fellowship with Him in peace and LOVE!
So just like we spend time with our earthly fathers, both in the good and bad times, likewise we ought to make it a habit to turn to our heavenly Father regardless of what’s happening in our lives. That’s a line of communication we must keep open at all times, if we are to truly enjoy the blessings and benefits of being a true believer.
But enough of me, (smile) let’s hear some scripture which validates our Bit. Listen to Bruh David from Psalm 26, where he invites the Lord to examine and prove him.
‘I have hated the congregation of evildoers; and will not sit with the wicked. I will wash mine hands in innocency (innocence): so will I compass (go about) thine altar, O Lord: That I may publish (proclaim) with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.’ (Ps.26:5-7)
Yes Friends, in these difficult and trying last days, we also need to get our lives together and proclaim the wondrous works that God has done in our lives. For how will the heathen, the unbeliever hear about them otherwise eh? It’s all up to us and the Holy Spirit working together in tandem.
Now hear Bruh Paul’s simple but powerful advice to the Thessalonians. ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess.5:16-18)
What wonderful words of wisdom my people! Hn! What could be better than rejoicing, praying and giving thanks on a constant basis eh? NOTHING at all folks!
And the scholars give us this explanation. ‘5:18. In every event or circumstance (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event, even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17, will help the believer to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’
And that my brethren, giving thanks even in the face of adversity, though such an important part of our belief system, is much easier said than done. It’s no problem to be grateful when times are good, but being thankful when they are rough, goes against the very grain of our sinful nature.
But it is something that’s required of us, and like most other things in life, we can only get perfect at it by consciously practicing it. So let’s make a conscious choice to practice it nuh, until it becomes and automatic habit.
And then the psalmist, in Psalm 95 – A psalm of praise to the great God, joyfully proclaims: ‘O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. 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.’ (Ps.95:1-3)
Oh Friends, there’s no disputing those last statements, therefore it behooves us to approach our heavenly Father with the reverence and thanksgiving that He so rightfully deserves. And if you think all of that is a bit much, then please check out what is happening around God’s throne in heaven, as John the Revelator describes it.
‘And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest (cease) not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts (living creatures) give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (by your will they exist.)’ (Rev.4:8-11)
Oh mih people, can you imagine the celebration, the praise and thanksgiving that’s constantly going on in heaven! Mama Mia! Our earthly pilgrimage ought also to reflect that constant joy and praise for the Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein.
So please, let’s get serious about giving God ALL the glory for ALL that we do nuh, for that is certainly the wisdom of both heaven and earth! Much LOVE!
…Holy, holy, holy…Lord God Almighty…early in the morning…our song shall rise to thee…Holy, holy, holy…merciful and mighty…God in three persons…blessed Trinity…
23 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a friend of Jesus, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, a slave to Lucifer, Amos, and all these things shall be added unto you, Beelzebub, blessings, bondage of darkness, damnation, death, divine judgement, eternal life, eternally separated from God, follower of Jesus Christ, forgive their sin, forgiveness, freedom of light, friendship with Jesus, glory hallelujah, going to hell in a hand-basket, gospel truth, grace, guiding light, heal their land, hellfire, humility, hunger and thirst for Christ, joy, kowtowing, LOVE, lusts of our nature, meekness, mercy, minion of Lucifer, my people which are called by my name, my soul thirsteth for god, Orion, passion, peace, pray, promise, prosperity, provision, salvation, seek my face, seek ye first the kingdom of God, seek ye the Lord, sensible, shall humble themselves, the day of the Lord's anger, the Life, the Light, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Pleiades, the Prince of Peace, the Sermon on the Mount, the shadow of death, the things of the world, the Truth, the Way, then will I hear from heaven, to be or not to be, true believers, turn away from their wicked ways, understanding, wisdom, wise, without faith it is impossible to please God, worshipping Jesus, Zephaniah
2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Aye Friends, to be or not to be is the question? Whether it is better to be a follower of Jesus Christ, than to be a minion of Lucifer?
And a mighty shout of unanimous, universal approval rose up to high heaven: ‘It is far far better to be a follower of the Prince of Peace, the One who is the Way, the Truth, the Life and the Light than a to be a minion of the prince of darkness! Glory to God Almighty, who sent His Son Jesus to bring us out of the bondage of darkness into the freedom of the Light!’
Yes my people, it is indeed much better, from all points of view, to be a Friend of Jesus than a slave to the evil Lucifer! For Lucifer has nothing worthwhile to really offer us. All the things of the world and the fleshly lusts of our nature will eventually rot and be destroyed.
But when you have friendship with Jesus… Oh fellow followers, you have peace and LOVE, joy, wisdom and understanding, forgiveness, mercy and grace, and are assured of salvation, which leads to eternal life in heaven with Jesus as our guiding light. What can be better than that eh? NOTHING really my brethren! Being a slave to Beelzebub will only cause us to be separated from our Creator for eternity; the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul.
So having said all of that, can someone explain to me why so many of us are still minions and slaves to Lucifer? I guess we’re just bedazzled by the bright and gaudy wares that he has to offer and the lusts that he promotes. And that is exactly why our world is going to hell in a hand basket! Too many of us are kowtowing to Lucifer rather than worshipping Jesus.
But that’s a fool’s wisdom my brethren! For there’s nothing substantial or long lasting that Lucifer has to offer… except death, hellfire and damnation! And I don’t think any of us really want to experience that, so why not do the right and wise and sensible thing RIGHT NOW eh? Turn to Jesus while there is still time, for once He comes back in all His majestic glory, all bets will be over.
And it’s not like our wonderful God didn’t make provision for just such occasions. Our Bit spells it out loud and clear. ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’
Ah Friends, I don’t understand when we have such a glorious opportunity for all around improvement and prosperity, we choose to ignore it. I guess the problem is just too big for my small mind to comprehend. (smile)
Anyway, let’s continue looking at scriptures that involve ‘seek my face.’ But my people, there are so many, I don’t know where to begin. But as they say, when in doubt, begin with Jesus. So here goes.
Remember Jesus’ famous admonition in the Sermon on the Mount? ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) That’s the gospel truth Friends, but so far, not too many of us seem to be seriously interested in doing it. It’s the same idea as our Bit, just said in a different manner.
Meanwhile the prophet Zephaniah told the Israelites, re the scope of divine judgement: ‘Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgement (upheld his justice); seek righteousness, seek meekness (humility): it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.’ (Zeph.2:3) Again my people, it’s the same idea as our Bit.
And Amos, in his call to repentance, informed the children of Israel. ‘For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live… Seek him that maketh the seven stars (the Pleiades) and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with (as) night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name:’ (Amos 5:4; 8) More wisdom and gospel truth my brethren!
And no discourse on seeking God could ever be complete without the sentiments of Bruh David. Hear him proclaim from Psalm 27 – the Lord is my light and my salvation. ‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple…
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.’ (Ps.27:4, 7-8) Glory Hallelujah!
Now here is a favourite from Hebrews. ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him diligently.’ (Heb.11:6)
Oh Friends, I can personally vouch for that, because the Lord has rewarded me with untold blessings for having faith in Him and diligently seeking Him. And He will do the same for you if you seek him with all your heart, mind, body and soul! That’s His faithful promise.
And we’ll end with another gem from Bruh David; this one from Psalm 63 – God satisfies the thirsting soul – when he was in hiding from his enemies in the wilderness of Judah. ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry land, where no water is.’ (Ps.63:1)
Oh my people, do we feel that way; that hunger and thirst for our magnificent and magnanimous God? Well we ought to…that is if we’re true believers. So today, please let each of us seriously ponder our individual hunger and thirst for Christ , so that we might attain unto true righteousness. For that’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…to truly LOVE Christ…is to show a burning passion …for all things and people associated with him…
04 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that labour and are heavy laden, anxieties, aura of love, blessings, burdens, card carrying Christians, cares, cast thy burden upon the Lord, christianity, come unto me, confidence, Creator of the universe, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fear, fellowship, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, grace, guidance, harmonious choir, He is faithful that promised, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, he shall sustain thee, hostile world, humility, I cried unto the Lord, I will give you rest, injustice, Isaiah, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, make a living, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mount up with eagles wings, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, Oh Lord God Almighty, opportunity, passion, peace, promises, protection, rejuvenation of spirit, renew their strength, righteousness., run and not be weary, soul-lifting words, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, thanksgiving, the Lord fainteth not, the Lord sustained me, trust, truth, ungodly world, walk and not faint, wisdom, worldly lusts
Psalm 55:22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).
Awright Friends, most fortunately, Monday has rolled around once again! (smile) And hopefully, we have also rolled out of bed at a decent hour, so we don’t have to rush to get ready. And most importantly, we have also rolled out of bed with a prayer to Almighty God on our lips and in our hearts; a fervent prayer of thanksgiving for seeing another day, and one for wisdom, guidance and protection as we go out to work in a hostile world.
And yuh know mih people, since we don’t have much choice, we might as well enjoy it for what it is; an opportunity to make a living that will benefit us. So please put aside all the miserableness, the complaining and whining – which you shouldn’t be doing anyway, if you’re a follower of Jesus Christ – and just get on with the programme.
We do offer some help though, (smile) in the form of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so let’s blast it out with mucho passion. As one harmonious choir under the leadership of our awesome choirmaster Jesus, let’s sing:
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh mih breddren that was wonderful! Jesus was proud of us. Yuh see what can happen when we put our hearts and minds sincerely into something! Now let’s go out and show this ungodly world the power, the humility, the grace and LOVE that runs through our souls as sincere followers of Jesus.
And we’ll certainly be able to do so if we follow the wise advice of our Bit. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’
What soul-lifting words of gospel truth my people! Our God has promised to be always with us, to never leave us, and we can definitely rely on His promises, for the Good Book says: ‘for he is faithful that promised.’ (Heb.10:23b)
Now let’s hear what a couple of great men of faith have to say about casting our burdens on the Lord. Listen to Bruh David declare his faith and trust in the God of his fathers in Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God. ‘I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill (mountain). I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.5:4-6)
What a bold proclamation of faith my Friends! Now how many of us can make such an unwavering statement of trust in the Most High God Jehovah eh? Not as many as should. But my brethren, until we get to that stage, we’ll be missing out on a lot of the Lord’s LOVING-kindness, for the greater our trust and faith, the more benefits and blessings we see.
And we’ll end with these powerful words from Isaiah; words that we know, but don’t allow to truly reverberate in our lives. Listen up: ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is.40:28-31)
Oh mih people, mih people, what beautiful words of hope and encouragement! But unfortunately most of Jesus’ supposed followers don’t seem to truly believe and appreciate them, else there wouldn’t be so much doubt, fear, distrust and anxiety amongst card carrying Christians.
And I’ll reiterate here, that until we put that faith and trust we claim to have into serious action; by truly surrendering our all to Christ, casting our every care on Him, and waiting patiently and expectantly for Him to lead and guide us, we’ll only be shortchanging ourselves, doing ourselves a great injustice. And that my Friends, is no kind of wisdom at all!
So this Monday morning in early May, please, let’s cast aside the foolish worldly lusts that seem to be driving us away from God, and instead drop all our burdens and cares and anxieties in His lap, for that is what He desires of us. Much LOVE!
…come unto me…all ye that labour…and are heavy laden…and I will give you rest…for my yoke is easy…and my burden is light…
03 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a no-brainer, blessings, cast thy burden upon the Lord, Christians, confident prayer for help, cursing, day of rest, dwell in your land safely, eat your bread to the full, encouragement, everlasting strength, face the heathen, faith, fellowship, friends, glorify God, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, he shall sustain thee, I will not fear what flesh can do to me, In god I have put my trust, in our best interest, in the love of Jesus, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, Most High God, One Body, outpouring of love, Peace i leave with you, peace in the land, pilgrim's journey, piqued our interest, praise and worship, promises, rain in due season, relaxation, remember the Sabbath day, reputation, rest, rock of ages, spiritual upliftment, stand strong and steadfast, Sunday, surrender, the church, The Israelites, the Lord's sanctuary, the LOVE of Jesus, the most important day of the week, the Promised Land, the Sabbath, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, trust in the Lord, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, What time I am afraid, whose mind is stayed on thee, wisdom
Psalm 55:22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).
So Friends, it’s Sunday, and I do hope that a significant part of our day has been allotted to going to the Lord’s sanctuary to praise and worship Him with other believers, for that’s what He expects of us on this first day of the week.
And some serious rest and relaxation should also be included, so that we can rise refreshed and renewed tomorrow to go out and face the heathen in the work world, strong and steadfast in the LOVE of Jesus.
Yes Friends, Sunday is possibly the most important day of the week in the lives of those Christians who celebrate the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day of rest on that day. In fact, on whichever day you celebrate the Sabbath, that should be the most important day of the week for you, for we have been commanded to ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work.’ (Ex.20:8-9)
And keeping it holy means getting together with the Father in a big way, spending most of the day resting and concentrating on Him and His wonderful promises and deeds on our behalf. And now that I’ve reminded us of all that, let’s hope that I’ve more than just piqued our interest in church and God this morning. (smile)
That means if you are physically able, you will get up and go out to church and praise and glorify God, and in return get godly encouragement, Christian fellowship and spiritual ‘upliftment’ from associating with other believers. Yeh mih breddren, associating with other believers is a very important part of our pilgrim’s journey, for Jesus wants us to be like one total, composite body, though we are individuals and all have our separate roles to play.
He’s staked His reputation on the one body, the church, made of all His followers from all parts and cultures of the earth. So please, let’s try and come together in His name nuh, rather than the serious separation we’re unfortunately witnessing these days.
And one way we can enable and ensure that that happens is by all of us seriously taking the advice of our Bit and putting it into sincere and positive action. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’
Oh Friends, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! No other supposed deity makes promises, faithful promises like that, and it is definitely in our best interest to take Him up on His word.
Now let’s look at some scriptures that support our contention. And to start, we’ll go all the way back to the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land. Many blessings would befall them, if they walked in obedience to God’s Word.
Listen to Moses tell it: ‘If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments and do (observe) them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts (eliminate wild beasts) out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.’ (Lev.26:3-6)
Yes Friends, that is what happens when we surrender our lives to God, and walk in obedience to His will. He blesses us and our land mightily. And you can read the rest of the blessings for yourself from Leviticus 26:7-13.
Now hear Bruh David from Psalm 56 – a confident prayer for help. ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do to me.’ (Ps.56:3-4)
Ah mih people, what powerful words of faith and encouragement! But we can only be so brave and bold when we have definitely cast all of our cares on God and are sincerely trying to do His will.
And Isaiah wisely tells us in his hymn of praise: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength (the Rock of Ages).’ (Is.26:3-4)
Yuh see my brethren, all these men of great faith had at least one thing in common; they believed in the Most High God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and displayed the utmost faith in His promises because they saw them being fulfilled.
Now why can’t you and I develop such awesome trust and faith eh? I don’t know nuh. But I do know that until we totally surrender to Jesus, cast all our cares upon Him, and be obedient to His commandments, we will not be blessed as abundantly as we can and should be.
It all depends on us now Friends; our lives will be blessed or cursed by our response and reaction to Jesus’ outpouring of LOVE. So we have no one to blame but ourselves, for the way our lives turn out in the long run.
And to solidify all of that advice and promise, I’ll leave us with another most wonderful promise and bit of encouragement from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’(John 14:27)
Oh Friends, oh Friends, how can we not be moved by such heartfelt words of heavenly wisdom eh! Now let’s go and put them into action, so that we can become the strong body of the church that Jesus desires and is depending on, to do His will here on earth. Much LOVE!
…surrendering our lives to Jesus…is a complete no brainer…for when we do…He faithfully grants us His wonderful blessings…
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