04 Jun 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good man, a light of the Gentiles, Antioch, apathy, Barnabas, be of good cheer, blaspheming, blessings, bold, Bruh Paul, Christians, cleave unto God, contradicting, encouraged, envy, eternal life, exhorted, exhorting them to continue in the faith, faith, fear, filled with joy, full of the HolyGhost, Gentiles, glorified the word of the Lord, glorious destination, God in favour, God of our fathers, heaven, Holy Ghost, i have overcome the world, jealousy, Jesus Christ, Jews, keep on keeping on, life is a bed of roses, mercy, Morning Neighbuh, not caring enough, opposition, persecution, perseverance, Praise the Lord, proselytes, proselytize the whole world, purpose of heart, rainy day, reject the Word of God, Sabbath, safe from harm, salvation, shook the dust off their feet, stand strong, Stephen, stoned to death, strengthening the souls of the disciples, surrender, synagogue, the Good Book, the good news of the gospel, the grace of God, the Great Commission, the greatest power on earth, the hand of the Lord, the nature of the human animal, the Word contains power, thorns, through tribulation we enter into the kingdom of God, Timothy, top of the ladder, trust, unworthy of everlasting life, weather forecaster, windy day, wisdom, with God's help
Acts 14:22. Confirming (strengthening) the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
‘Morning Neighbuh, morning! May the great and wonderful God of our fathers be with you this new day, showering you with His ever-flowing mercy and abundant blessings, while keeping you and yours safe from harm.’
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful ‘Praise the Lord! Amen.’
Oh Friends, I guess I’ll never be a good weather forecaster, because I said that yesterday was going to be a rainy day Tuesday. Hn! But which rain fell eh? None! For by the time the sun rose the rain abated, and it turned out to be a hot, windy day Tuesday instead. I even had to turn on the A/C. Note, just to see if it was working after the long, harsh winter it endured. (smile)
What a life eh! A couple weeks ago we badly wanted heat, but now that we’re getting some of the natural stuff, we’re already crying out for cooler weather. Chuh! I guess though that that’s the nature of the human animal – when we have one thing we want something else, and vice versa.
But my people, I’m here to tell us that this earthly life is not a bed of roses… or rather, it is a bed of roses! That’s because one of the most beautiful of all God’s creation, the rose, grows at the end of a long, thorn riddled stalk, and to get to one, you have to carefully navigate the thorns on its stem.
Life is just like that my brethren. To get to the top of the ladder, or to the most beautiful parts of life, you have to carefully navigate through thorny paths, covered with brambles and all sorts of other obstruction. There is no clear, unobstructed path to our glorious destination of heaven and eternal life with Jesus Christ.
As our Bit tells it, in the immortal words of Bruh Paul to his protégé Timothy: ‘Confirming (strengthening) the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.’
And that’s no lie Friends, for all sorts of obstacles and stumbling blocks will crop up in a believer’s life, and it’s only with God’s help are we able to successfully navigate them. And we’re going to end this series of messages with a couple of scriptures pertaining to both the first and last parts of our Bit.
As to the first part; ‘Confirming (strengthening) the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith,’ let’s look at Acts 11, regarding the church in Antioch, where believers were first referred to as Christians.
After Stephen was stoned to death in Jerusalem, the disciples were scattered all over, teaching the gospel, but to Jews only. However, some of them, when they came to Antioch, began preaching the Lord Jesus also to the Gentiles.
The Good Book tells us: ‘And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings (news) of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.
Who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted (encouraged) them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto (continue with) the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.’ (Acts 11:21-24)
Yeh Friends, we all need help and encouragement to keep on keeping on in our walk of faith, because it is not an easy row to hoe. And that fact is borne out later on when Barnabas brings Bruh Paul back to Antioch, where envious Jews did not want the gospel taught to the Gentiles.
‘And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought (begged) that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism) followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.’ (Acts 13:42-42)
But the opposition never ceased. ‘And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against (opposed) those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed (grew) bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you (reject it), and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable (prominent) women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts (region). But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.’(Acts 13:44-52)
Glory be! Ah mih people, what a beautiful example of when opposition comes against us, that we nonetheless stand strong in preaching the Word, and we will be strengthened and filled with the joy of the Lord and His Holy Spirit! That’s because the Word contains power, the greatest power on earth!
But jealousy and envy can move us to do evil, if we’re not very careful. The Jews at first didn’t want to hear about Jesus, and then they didn’t want the Gentiles to hear about Him either, so they stirred up false info to the powers that be, and had them run Barnabas and Bruh Paul out of town.
And unfortunately many Christians are behaving the same way, though not through jealousy, but through apathy, fear and simply not caring enough to share the good news of the gospel with others. Remember though my people, that that’s our Great Commission; to spread the good news of Jesus all over the globe. (Matt.28:19-20)
But it wasn’t easy back in those first days, and it certainly isn’t easy either in these last days. But with perseverance, strong faith, trust and surrender to our helpful and ever-LOVING God, we CAN, and we WILL proselytize the ENTIRE WORLD, just as Jesus commanded.
Oh Friends, I got so caught up in the first part of our Bit, (smile) that I went on longer than I expected. So like we’ll just have to leave the other stuff till tomorrow, God in favour.
Till then, please stand strong in the faith, and fearlessly and unashamedly spread the good news of Jesus to all and sundry, because that is indeed wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…in the world ye shall have tribulation…but be of good cheer…I have overcome the world… (John 16:33)
03 Jun 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: about the Lord's business, answering the bell, apostasy, awesome wisdom, be of good cheer, blasphemers, bleary eyed, boastful, brighter tomorrow, Bruh Paul, brutal, closer to the Father, corrupt minds, covetous, death, defeat, destined to undergo trials, disobedient, divers lusts, early rains, esoteric quest for truth, ever learning, everlasting glory, exhorting them to continue in the faith, false teachers, fires of this earthly life, followers of Jesus, forgiving, Glory Halleujah, God's Word, godliness, haughty, high-minded, horrific testing of Jesus, i have overcome the world, inherit everlasting life, invite Jesus into our eharts, irreconcilable, Jambres, Jannes, joy, kind, last days, lovers of pleasure, magnanimous, merciful, money lovers, more than lovers of God, Moses, muggy, overcome our trials, perilous times, proud, rain, rainy day Tuesday, reckless, redeeming grace, regneration, religion without power, reprobate, respite from heat, rewards, shall receive a hundredfold, silly women, slanderers, Son of man, sorrow, strengthening the souls of the disciples, success, tales of joy and sorrow, testimony, testing, the church age, the first shall be last, the kingdom of God, the knowledge of truth, the last shall be first, the will prevailed, throne of his glory, through tribulation we enter into the kingdom of God, Timothy, traitors, tribulations, triumph, troubled times, truth, Tuesday, twelve tribes of Israel, uncomfortable, unconsciousness, undeniable truth, understanding, undisputed wisdom, unholy, unthankful, wisdom, with God all things are possible, with the Lord's help, without self control, wonderful ideal
Acts 14:22. Confirming (strengthening) the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Oh Tuesday, oh glorious Tuesday! What tales of joy or sorrow, success or defeat will you bring? Let’s hope that there are many more tales of joy and success than sorrow and defeat.
I know for one thing, Tuesday’s brought rain, some of the early rains that we’ve so far been lacking. The rain began late yesterday evening and fell on and off during the night. So it looks like it will be a rainy day Tuesday.
But the rain didn’t seem to be the refreshing type that brings respite from the day’s heat, and yesterday was hot in my neck of the woods. The rain just caused the night to be muggy and uncomfortable, which made sleeping, even with all my windows open, a somewhat rough experience.
So much so that when the Lord called this morning, I had a hard time answering the bell. The old body just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, feverish though it was. However Friends, I’m glad and proud to say that on this occasion the will prevailed, the will triumphed… Glory Hallelujah!
And here I am about the Lord’s business, though still somewhat bleary eyed. (smile) But as I always say, I have no doubt that our great, wonderful, forgiving, merciful and kind, magnanimous and understanding God and Creator will eventually bring me unto myself and unto Him, so that I can write something sensible in His Holy Name.
And that’s my testimony for this Tuesday morning, my people! (smile)
Yes Friends, the ole fella’s shaking it a bit rough this morning. But as we like to say, nothing but unconsciousness or death must stop the Bit from going out. Oh, it’s indeed a wonderful ideal, and so far, obviously with the Lord’s superior help, I’ve been able to live up to it.
Now that leads us nicely into our Bit. ‘Confirming (strengthening) the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.’
Unfortunately my brethren, followers of Jesus, just like our Leader, have been destined to undergo some trials and tribulation, some testing in the fires of this earthly life. Obviously most of us won’t be tested as hard and as horrifically as Jesus was, but some testing is indeed our lot.
And just like it brought Jesus closer to the Father, because He had to depend on Him for the wherewithal to do His bidding, even so our trials and tribulation ought to draw us closer to our Maker. For it is only through His redeeming grace and power that we can ever hope to successfully overcome our trials.
Now listen to these words of awesome wisdom and undeniable truth, re the coming apostasy (abandonment of religious faith), written by Bruh Paul to Timothy so long ago, but which are currently being fulfilled in these troubled times in which we live.
‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), lovers of pleasure, more than (rather than) LOVERS of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate (disapproved) concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs was also.’ (2 Tim.3:1-9)
Ah mih people, like Bruh Paul’s living today and writing about us! It’s definitely not a pretty picture of our world, but it is indeed a very truthful one.
And to help us understand those verses, here is some info from the scholars. ‘3:1-4. The last days began with the birth of Christ and will culminate in Christ’s return to the earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicates that apostasy will characterize the final days of the church age.
3:5-9. A form of godliness is mere religion without power or spiritual life. Paul commands Timothy to turn away from these false teachers who prey upon silly women laden with sins, who are especially susceptible to false teachers.
Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth condemns not intense study but some esoteric quest for truth apart from God’s Word. Jannes and Jambres, according to Jewish tradition, were the two magicians in Pharaoh’s court who attempted to duplicate Moses’ miracles (cf. Ex.7:11; 9:11).’
Oh Friends, I know that all we’ve been hearing about so far are trials and tribulations, but listen now to the rewards of living for Christ, as explained by our Saviour Himself.
He had just finished telling the disciples about it being ‘easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or fathers, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. (Matt.19:24-30)
Now Friends, neighbours and fellow believers, I ask you, are those rewards worth the testing and trials of this earthly life? I humbly submit that they certainly are!
But the Lord’s left it up to each individual to make that life changing decision to follow His Son or not. Please, I implore us to make the right one today, and invite Jesus into our hearts and souls right now, so that we can enjoy a much brighter tomorrow with Him in everlasting glory!
Why? Because that’s the undisputed wisdom of this earthly life! Much LOVE!
…in the world ye shall have tribulation…but be of good cheer…I have overcome the world…
02 Jun 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a faithful saying, a roof over your head, abuse, aura of love, be of good cheer, bonds, bread on the table, Bruh Paul, chains, chosen ones, christ jesus, confidence, deleted expletives, endure, enthusiasm, eternal life, every knee should bow, every tongue should confess, evildoer, exhorting them to continue in the faith, faint of heart, faith, faithful, faithful words, faithless, fellowship, for my name's sake, freedom of worship, glorious kingdom, good examples, good soldier in Christ, gospel, groans, hit the ground running, humble servants, i have overcome the world, inner strength, invincible, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ is Lord, jobs, LOVE, moans, Monday, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, new blessings, new mercies, not giving up, persecuted, preached the gospel, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, salvation, spiritual armour, standing strong, strengthening the souls of the disciples, suffer, surrender, the name of Jesus, through tribulation we enter into the kingdom of God, timid of mind, to the glory of God the Father, tribulation, trouble, true follower of Jesus, trust, understanding, ungodly world, wisdom
Acts 14:22. Confirming (strengthening) the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Well hello there you wonderful Friends and faithful believers and followers of Jesus Christ! It’s a new day; a beautiful one, filled with new blessings and mercies, and it’s called Monday…
And I immediately hear the moans and groans and deleted expletives and comments like: ‘Chuh! Yuh really mean is Monday already! Steups! I really have to get up and go to this stupid job!’
Yes Friends, provided you want to earn a living, keep a roof over your family’s head, and bread on the table for your LOVED ones. And I am somewhat disappointed in us my brethren, because it was just last week we woke up with a better perspective, LOVING Mondays and all that it entailed.
Oh, so that’s what it was eh; just a dream, as someone in the penny section cried out. (smile) However Friends, the reality is that it’s Monday, and if you’re a true follower of Jesus, you have to get up and go and labour, whether you want to or not. End of story!
And remember, as Jesus promised, He will always help us to do whatever He desires of us. And His first helping tool today is that we sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in full, sweet voice. So let’s raise our heads, hearts, eyes and hands heavenward and sing as though there’s no tomorrow.
‘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!’
Not bad mih people, not bad, though I did hear some hoarse, cackling voices. (smile) Now let’s get ourselves together and hit the ground running for Christ; living up to the words of our Bit! ‘Confirming (strengthening) the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.’
Yes Friends, that’s what all believers are called to do; strengthen the faith of others, encouraging them through faithful words and good examples, because walking in the big footsteps of Jesus is not an easy job, definitely not for the faint of heart or timid of mind.
The unfortunate fate of the believer is to pass through many trials and tribulations, like Jesus did, before we enter God’s heavenly kingdom. But as I keep saying, the rewards for enduring are fantastic, and totally worth it.
Look at what happened to Jesus eh, after He endured His heart-rending tribulation, the Father anointed and exalted Him; ‘and given Him a name to which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:9-11)
So if the Father did it for Jesus, why wouldn’t He do it for us eh? No reason whatsoever!
Our Bit comes from the section of Acts where Bruh Paul and Barnabas were on a missionary journey, including Lystra, where Bruh Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city and left for dead. (Acts 14:19)
But as the Good Book so famously declares: ‘Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many (made many disciples), they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch.’ (Acts 14:20-21)
Fortunately though my people, most of us won’t have to endure such tribulation. But just being a believer WILL bring us trials. As Jesus said, simply ‘For my name’s sake.’ (Luk2 21:12) But please remember Friends, that true faith, trust in and surrender to Jesus brings us an inner strength that nothing or no one can match or take away.
Just look at our still severely persecuted brethren all over the world. Despite disastrous persecution, they are still standing strong, not giving up. So why can’t we in this fairly free Western society do the same eh? I guess life’s just too easy for us, we take freedom of worship for granted and thus abuse it.
Enough batting of my gums though (smile), time to share this most appropriate scripture from Bruh Paul to Timothy, re being a good soldier in Christ.
‘Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto bonds (chains); but the word of God is not bound (chained).
Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s (chosen ones) sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not (are faithless), yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim.2:7-13)
Oh Friends, please let those words encourage us, let them sink deeply into our consciousness, so that we can develop into good and faithful soldiers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Why? Because that’s the ultimate wisdom of life! Much LOVE!
…in the world ye shall have tribulation…but be of good cheer…I have overcome the world….’
P.S. Yes Friends, it’s long, but it’s good. (smile) Much LOVE!
31 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abide in me, absolute truth, accolades, activism, all bets are off, appreciation, backbone, bear fruit, Beelzebub, belly, bigoted society, Bruh Paul, deceit, faith in Jesus, Godfather of Soul, gospel truth, grow up Black, heresy, I am the vine, I can do all things through Christ, I'm black and I'm proud, immortal words, interracial marriage, James brown, Jesus' Second Coming, jump on Jesus' bandwagon, jump on the glory train, lies, LOVE, lukewarm, Maya Angelou, Nelson Mandela, no one to blame but ourselves, on the outside looking in, oppression, ornery, persecution, perseverance, Philippians, put up with the hard knocks, racial problems, racism, refreshing and reassuring voice, repenrting, salvation, saving grace, stood her bounce, stubborn, suppression, the help of Jesus, thumbed her nose, truth, vindicated, white racist states of America, who stengthens me, wisdom, without me you can do nothing
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.
Oh Friends, another cultural icon has gone home to rest in Paradise after bearing the unholy pangs of this earthly life. I’m talking about Maya Angelou (1928-2014), the wonderful female American author, activist, educator, poet and actress, who died a couple days ago.
And believe me, hers was not an easy journey, definitely not an easy pilgrimage. But how could it ever be when you grow up Black in the racist white southern states of America in the early twentieth century eh?
And to make matters worse, you’re stubborn and ornery enough to marry a white Greek man, when interracial marriage was so strongly condemned, and even banned in some states. But such was the perseverance, the belly and backbone of Maya Angelou, that she stood her bounce and did her own thing, regardless of the racial problems.
Obviously she paid for thumbing her nose at society, white society at that. But just like Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison, so too Maya, in the long run was vindicated, thereby proving that it was indeed possible to live life the way you saw and wanted it, provided you were willing to put up with the hard knocks it brought.
Eventually, her writings and her activism earned her numerous rewards, accolades, the LOVE and appreciation of a grateful public. Somehow or other though, I never became a big fan of Maya. Don’t ask me why, because I can’t say. She was indeed a good and prolific writer, but her overall work never thrilled me. Some of her stuff I did like, but when everybody was raving over her, I was just lukewarm.
And I know that some of you might consider that heresy, (smile) but that’s just the way it is. I suspect too, that since some of her stuff that I read earlier on didn’t move me, I never had the inclination to delve deeply into her works. And it’s obvious that she didn’t suffer any lack for my not being her fan. (smile)
Anyway Friends, she was a refreshing and reassuring voice in the midst of a bigoted society. And she did stand up to all her detractors, like her forefathers did. And her life exemplified the saying that the Godfather of Soul, Papa James Brown made famous: ‘I’m Black and I’m proud!’
Unfortunately though, after some four hundred years, that is something a lot of Black people still have to put into practice. But then too, nobody can stand up to the rigours of racism, oppression and suppression without the help of Jesus!
As Bruh Paul so succinctly but wisely and truthfully says it in our Bit: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’
And please believe me Friends, that’s the gospel, gospel truth! I’m sure people like Maya and Mandela could not have suffered the persecution they did, yet stand up to it and succeed in their efforts without strong faith in our omnipotent God. And if they could do it, when it was so much harder and dangerous, then so can we, my people, in these less risky times.
But we have to put the utmost faith in Jesus, which sadly, too many of us are refusing to do. And you know, before even Bruh Paul wrote those immortal words to the Philippians, Jesus Himself said them, or rather intimated as much. Listen, as He teaches the disciples through the story of the vine and the branches.
‘I am the true (genuine) vine, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser). Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth (prunes) it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through (because of) the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:1-5)
Oh Friends, that last statement is so profound and undeniably true, that every time we read it, we ought to stop and ponder the absolute truth it represents! Without Jesus, we can truly do nothing! Yet still, we foolishly try to live this life in our own strength.
Oh my brethren, when are we going to wake up and realize and acknowledge that fact eh, and then begin living for and through Jesus? Please remember that Jesus’ second coming is imminent; it could be today or tomorrow, and once He returns, all bets are off, there’ll be no longer any repenting and coming to salvation.
So if we’re smart, we’d jump on His bandwagon RIGHT NOW! We’d jump on the glory train that’s bound for heaven and getting closer with every powerful chug of its engine.
Oh my people, let’s stop being unwise nuh, stop listening to the lies and the deceit propagated by this evil and ungodly world, and grab hold of Jesus and all He stands for before it’s too late. Remember that the Father doesn’t even want to lose one single one of His greatest creation, mankind, to the master of darkness, Beelzebub.
And the Father has already done His part; provide Jesus as our saving grace. Now it’s up to us to receive that saving grace, believe in it, and put it into practice in our daily lives, because it’s wisdom from heaven above! Much LOVE!
…oh how it’s going to hurt the Father’s heart…when He looks out of heaven…and sees so many of His finest creation…woefully on the outside looking in…and there’ll be no one to blame but ourselves…
30 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a li'l jig, a walk of faith, Aloha, Aloha Friends and neighbours, awe inspiring god, awesome wisdom, backbone, balanced, belly, brought men to the end of themselves, Bruh Paul, condemn the sinner, contented, Corinthians, covenant, curb that negative attitude, danced off into the sunset, daunting tasks, everyday lives, externalism, faith, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, get a grip, God's Word, godly knowledge, good, holy, holy spirit, insight, internalism, just, living for Jesus, LOVE, magnanimous, ministers, missing out on god's goodness, Mosaic Law, Moses' law, omnipotent, our sufficiency is of God, patience, persecuted the church, perseverance, ponder, positive, power, power and authority of Jesus, put it into practice, put on blinders, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, rest, satisfied, setting a good example, skills, soul body and mind, spiritual blessings, sufficent of ourselves, Thank God it's Friday, the enabling of Christ, the grace of God, the law kills, the least of the apostles, the New testament, the Old Testament, the resurrection of Christ, the right way to live, the spirit, the spirit gives life, time to be about Christ's business, trust, was not in vain, week of work, weekend, what a shame, winning souls for Jesus, wisdom of heaven, with the Lord's help, worthy, your faith is worthless
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Aloha Friends and neighbours! It is Friday…
And all the people just began dancing a li’l jig and chanting: ‘Friday, oh Friday! Thank God it is Friday! The stupid work soon finish, then the fun shall begin! Friday, oh Friday! Thank God it is Friday!’
And then they danced off into the sunset, just chanting the chorus: ‘Friday, oh Friday! Thank God it is Friday! Friday oh Friday…’
Ah mih people, what a hold Fridays and the weekends have on us eh! Some of us just live for that time. Monday to Thursday isn’t important, simply doesn’t exist for some people. They put on their blinders on Monday morning then drift through the week, only taking them off on Friday.
But my Friends, that’s not the right way to live. We need to have some balance in our lives, not necessarily esteeming some days more important than the others, for good things as well as bad things can happen on any day whatsoever.
And remember too that during the work week we’re supposed to be out in the world living our lives for Christ, setting a good example, letting people see in us the wonderful benefits that can be derived from a walk of faith with Him.
We shouldn’t be just drifting through it, as though we don’t have a care in the world. It’s a serious time my brethren; a time to be about Christ’s business, winning souls for Him.
And so, to try and curb that negative attitude, (smile) let’s chant our real Friday Chant nuh. As one 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 doesn’t that sound a little more positive and balanced, as it should be? It surely does!
And don’t tell me you can’t adopt that more rational and balanced attitude, because then you’ll be negating the very power of our Bit; the affirmation of the awesome power, the omnipotence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me!’
That’s a blanket power and authority in Jesus my people! And if you don’t practice it, your faith is worthless!
Remember, as the scholars told us yesterday, it is God who ordered Bruh Paul’s various situations and gave him the strength to be satisfied and contented in all of them, regardless of how trying and perplexing they were. And our wonderful, omnipotent and magnanimous God also does the same for each and every believer today.
It is through Him that we get the power to do most things here on earth. So if you don’t believe and practice that tenet, then you’re missing out on a whole lot of God’s goodness. What a shame Friends!
Now let’s look at some scriptures that corroborate our Bit. In 1Corinthians where Bruh Paul is talking to them about the resurrection of Christ, he declares to them: ‘For I am the least of the apostles, that I am not meet (worthy) to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.’ (1 Cor.15:9-10)
So you see my brethren, although Bruh Paul wasn’t what mankind would consider worthy of being an apostle, because of his earlier brutality towards the church, God in His awesome wisdom, transformed him and used him to do His work.
And Bruh Paul also in his wisdom recognized that although he worked harder than the other apostles, it wasn’t his doing really, but the grace, the power, the enabling of Christ that gave him the necessary skills, patience, perseverance, backbone and belly to perform the daunting tasks he performed.
Oh Friends, I can’t help but say it: What a most awe inspiring and magnificent God we serve and worship!
Now hear Bruh Paul again, this time in his second missive to the Corinthians. Here he’s talking about ministers in the New Testament. ‘And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Who also made us able (sufficient as) ministers of the new testament (covenant); not of the letter, but of the spirit, for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.’ (2 Cor.3:4-6)
And the scholars explain that last verse: ‘3:6. The new testament (lit. “New Covenant”) is both new in time (not being inaugurated until Christ – Matt.26:28; Luke 22:7-23: 1 Cor.11:25; Heb.8:8) and new in quality (providing better spiritual blessings than did the old Mosaic covenant).
Letter, but of the spirit: This expression corresponds to the thought of verse 3 contrasting “ink” with the “Spirit.” The contrast is between the externalism inherent in the Old Covenant and the internalism inherent in the New Covenant.
The letter killeth: Since certain Jews in the assembly at Corinth were concerned with Paul’s defection from Moses’ law, Paul here explains his position. The best the law could do was to condemn the sinner. It is not here implied that the law of Moses was evil. On the contrary, it is holy, just, and good (Rom.7:12). This can be asserted because it brought men to the end of themselves, to Christ (Gal.3:24).’
Oh Friends, I hope that helps you to understand what Bruh Paul is talking about, and please check out those scripture references, for they will definitely give you greater insight into the subject. I know that many of us dislike, or rather are too lazy to check out the references, (smile) but believe me, they do help, and I try to check them before I write them down.
Anyway, I guess that’s enough for today. Don’t want to encroach too much on your weekend thoughts and plans. (smile) But please do ponder the stuff we’ve spoken about, and as much as possible, obviously with the Lord’s help, do get a grip on the aspects on which you are not up to scratch, for that is indeed the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…our godly knowledge and wisdom will not improve…until we spend more serious time in God’s Word…then put it into practice in our everyday lives…
29 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ability to be content, adversity, anything at all is possible with Christ, basic tenet of our faith, bated breath, be abased, believe, Bruh Paul, Christ our guide and leader, Christians, contentment, discipline oneself, eager patience, ever-changing circumstances, evil powers, expectant faith, faith, firmly entrenched, focus on Almighty God, God has new opportunities for me, God's plan for my life, God's provision, greater than I could imagine, grin and bear it, healing rays of the sun, help, holy spirit, humble apologies, hungry hope, I can do all things through Christ, I rejoiced in the Lord, I'm determined to be who God wants me to be, I'm not settling for where I am now, I'm pursuing what God's put in my heart, I'm stretching myself, in all circumstances, Jesus makes everything worthwhile, lazy crazy days of summer, lessons, life's hard lessons, live contentedly, live humbly, live skillfully, meditate, omnipotence, our faith is useless, our own strength, partner with christ, patiently waiting, pay lip service, ponder, practical life experiences, Praise the Lord, prosperity, pull out my hair, put into practice, reaffirm this pledge, regard of need, respect of want, scream to high heaven, spiritual superman, the Lord has decreed it, to abound, to be full, to be hungry, to go without, to know Jesus is to love Him, to suffer need, untenable situations, vagaries of the weather
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Oh Friends, I certainly wasn’t able to sit on my deck yesterday afternoon and enjoy the warm, healing rays of the sun, for it was a tad chilly, just like the weather people had said. And it looks like today will be just the same. Oh the annoying vagaries of the weather eh!
However, with bated breath, hungry hope and expectant faith, we are patiently waiting for those ‘lazy, crazy days of summer’ to arrive. (smile) For we know that they will eventually appear, because the Lord has decreed it, just not exactly when.
And so, as we wait with eager patience for all that God has in store for us, let’s make, or rather reaffirm this pledge, this declaration of intent, since we have invoked it before.
‘I can do all things through Christ. God has new opportunities for me. I am not settling for where I am now. I’m stretching myself, and pursuing what He (God) has put in my heart. God’s plan for my life is greater than I could imagine, and I am determined to be who He wants me to be. This is my declaration of what I can do through Christ.’
And all of God’s people proclaimed a loud and lusty: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
Yes Friends, please remember that when we partner with Christ, when we have Him and His Holy Spirit buried deep in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, when He’s our true guide and leader, anything at all is possible through His omnipotence!
And that’s something we Christians don’t take as seriously and believe as strongly as we ought to, for if we did, a lot of us wouldn’t be in some of the unfortunate and/or untenable situations that we’re currently in.
Unfortunately, too many of us simply pay lip service to our Bit. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’
Oh Friends, that’s a basic tenet of our faith! If we don’t truly believe that, and even more importantly put it into practice, then our faith is useless, since we can’t successfully fight the evil powers of this world in our own strength.
Now just before our Bit, Bruh Paul made two other famous statements to the Philippians. Speaking in appreciation of a gift they’d sent him (most likely money), he declares: ‘But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me (concern) hath flourished again (revived); wherein ye were also careful (though you surely did care), but ye lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in respect of want (regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I both know how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.’ (Phil.4:10-12)
Oh my fellow believers, what mighty words, and also lessons that each and every Christian ought to learn and apply!
Now here is some worthwhile info from the scholars on those verses and our Bit. ‘4:10. Wherein ye were also careful, or, “regarding your care for me, you really were concerned”: Paul acknowledges that they were concerned about his needs all along, but they lacked opportunity to minister to him.
4:11. Not that I speak in respect (because) of want: Paul’s ability to be content despite the circumstances assures the readers that his joy of verse 10 is not solely over his “need” being met at their expense. He implies that he could have done without their financial aid. For justifies this implication.
I have learned…to be content: The Greek here suggests that contentment is a lesson learned neither in a classroom nor overnight, but through many practical experiences in life.
4:12. By listing some specific examples, this verse elaborates upon the very general and broad “in whatsoever state I am” of verse 11. Be abased means literally to discipline oneself, that is, to tighten the belt in lean times. To abound means to live in prosperity.
Every where and in all things I am instructed (or, “in all circumstances I have learned the secret of how”) to be full, that is, “well-fed” To abound means to have plenty. To suffer need means to go without.
Paul has acquired the skill for successfully living with little and with much, the latter probably being harder: “For one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity.” (Thomas Carlyle).
4:13. The apostle’s ability of knowing how to live skillfully on little or in prosperity does not mean that he is a spiritual superman.
The reason he can live in such extremes is not owing to his own ability. Rather he can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth him, thus enabling him to adapt to his various, ever-changing circumstances.
God orders Paul’s various situations, and God gives him the strength to be content in them all, trying and perplexing though they may be.’
Oh yes my brethren, it’s God’s provision that enables us to be strong and content in any and every situation. But it’s not an easy thing to accomplish and can only be learned though life’s hard lessons.
That’s why it’s so awfully important to have the Holy Spirit of Jesus firmly entrenched in our being, so that we can have the necessary help to face all our situations, be they good or bad.
Steups! And it’s interesting that I had one of those situations a little while ago. In the middle of copying verse 10, above, the power suddenly went, and I lost a little of what I had written. But I didn’t pull out my hair and scream to high heaven, as I would have done previously.
Now I was unhappy and annoyed, but over the years I’ve learned to save stuff as I write, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, or has been in the past, when I had to start over from scratch.
So I had to reboot and all of that, and with my already waking up late, it just makes the Bit even later. I don’t like it when the Bit is late, but life happens, and I just have to grin and bear it. (smile)
Oh, one more thing, for those of you who happen to check out my Blog site, please accept my humble apologies for the different fonts and sizes that have been appearing on it lately. That’s not my fault. I post it properly, but somehow or the other when wordpress, my blogging site, converts it, these days it comes up that way.
I’m not thrilled with it all, and I’m trying to have it fixed. But until then please bear with me. Chuh!
Anyway, we have lots to meditate and ponder on today, to learn to live contentedly in whatever situation we find ourselves, so let’s get to it nuh. (smile) And I know it’s long, but that makes up for yesterday’s short one. (smile)
And I hope that the Bit helps us all to keep our focus on Almighty God, as it’s designed to do. For that’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Him (Jesus)…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE HIM…for He makes everything worthwhile…
28 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Amen, ask to receive, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, Bruh Paul, carried to the fountain, dr robert h schuller, drink from the mountain spring, enjoy the heat of the sun, Ephesians, ever-changing weather patterns, Fill Me, filled with wisdom, filling our hearts with food and gladness, forgiveness, fruitful seasons, fullness of God, generous God, give us our daily bread, glory hallelujah, goodness, grounded in love, heavenly wisdom, Hour of Power Devotional, inner growth, Jesus, John the Baptist, just, kind, know the love of christ, lead us safely along life's treacherous paths, LOVE, Luke, mercies and blessings are new every morning, mercy, Moses, my soul will be filled with your love and truth, nature of the beast, peace, praise the Lord for His goodness, prophecy fulfilled, rain from heaven, Simeon, standing steadfast in faith, thank you, the Beatitudes, the child became strong in spirit, the empty pitcher, the glory of the Lord, the Good Book, the grace of God was upon Him, the growing flower, the knowledge of god, the Lord fills the hungry soul with goodness, the Lord satisfies the longing soul, the satisfying sun, the Spirit of God, the thirsty deer, they shall be filled, this time of prayer, till the day of his manifestation, understanding, walk in faith, wisdom, wise
Luke 2:40. And the child grew, and waxed (became) strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
Oh Friends, it’s such a joy to be able to sit on my front porch or back deck, in very little clothing, and just enjoy the heat of the sun pulsing through my arthritic body! Glory Hallelujah!
I’ve done that for the last two afternoons, and is it ever wonderful to actually feel the sun’s heat, not just see it shining brightly, while shivering from the cold that envelops us. It seems that at long last some truly summer weather might be upon us.
But please don’t get too excited and carried away Friends, for the weather people have forecasted lower temps until the weekend. I guess with the ever-changing weather patterns, that’s the new nature of the beast. Anyway, there’s not much we can do about the weather, but once we ‘re standing steadfast in faith, we will be able to deal with whatever comes our way.
Now here’s an interesting prayer from one of my favourite preachers, Gramps Schuller (Robert H. Schuller) from His Hour of Power Devotional. I think I might have shared it before, but that’s neither here nor there, because prayer is always fresh and timeless, regardless of age or how often we say and hear it.
And this prayer is titled ‘FILL ME!’ Wow! Even the title sounds good! (smile)
My people, let’s pray: ‘O Lord, like the thirsty deer which goes to drink from the mountain spring; like the growing flower which turns hungrily to the satisfying sun; like the empty pitcher which is carried to the fountain to be filled; so I come, O God, knowing that in this time of prayer my soul will be filled with your LOVE and your truth. Thank you! Amen.’
Yes my brethren, I surely hope that the Lord did fill you with His goodness, His mercy, forgiveness, peace, LOVE and whatever else you need to walk in faith with Him today. That’s why His mercies and blessings are new every morning; to give us our daily bread and lead us safely along life’s very treacherous paths.
And to show how our great and generous God fills us with what we need, let’s look at a couple scriptures, beginning with our Bit. ‘And the child grew, and waxed (became) strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.‘
Oh Friends, that’s Jesus, the Good Book’s talking about, after He was presented to the Lord at the temple and Simeon had His prophecy fulfilled. (Luke 2:21-40)
And before that, almost the same thing was said about John the Baptist. ‘And the child grew, and waxed (became) strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing (manifestation) unto Israel.’ (Luke 1:80)
The scholars note though: ‘2:40. Jesus’ progress may be compared with that of John (1:80). The former overshadows the latter from the very start.’
And that was how it should be! Our God doesn’t leave things to chance, but has a set plan for everything. We even have Jesus, in the Beatitudes talking about God filling us. ‘Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt.5:6)
And the psalmist proudly proclaims: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps.107:8-9)
Then we have Bruh Paul preaching at Lystra, before they stoned him and left him for dead. Hn, hn! What a man was our Bruh Paul my people!
‘(God) Who in times past (past generations) suffered (allowed) all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling out hearts with food and gladness.’ (Acts 14:16-17)
Then we have him praying for the inner growth of the Ephesians. ‘That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in LOVE, May be able to comprehend (understand) with all saints what is the breadth (width), and length, and depth, and height; And to know the LOVE of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph.3:17-19)
Now that was Bruh Paul’s general style; praying that his people would be filled, infused with the knowledge of God. And my brethren, there’s no doubt that our God fills us with whatever we need to walk holy and faithfully before Him.
And we’ll close with a scripture from the earliest of times, when the Lord was instructing Moses about the building of His tabernacle. This refers to the craftsmen. ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship… and in the hearts of all that are wisehearted (gifted artisans) I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee.’ (Ex.31:1-3,6b)
See mih Friends, right from the beginning, God gave us the tools to do whatever He asked of us, and it hasn’t changed up to this day, and never will. That’s because He’s just that kind of God; kind, just and wise, empowering us to do His bidding, because He knows, without it we’ll fail miserably most of the time.
Therefore don’t be afraid to ask Him to fill you with whatever you need to do His will. You’ve got to ask, if you want to receive. Jesus said it. That’s means it’s heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord…as the waters cover the sea… (Hab.2:14)
P.S. Please excuse the lateness, but I went to bed late, got into a good novel (smile), then some fool or crook called on the phone around two a.m, and thinking that it must be something important at that hour of the morning, I answered it, only to get an annoying beep for my troubles. Chuh! That certainly didn’t help my sleep any. But not to worry, it’s all good! Much LOVE!
15 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: amassing materail wealth, arms of the wicked shall be broken, better is a little with righteousness, blessed, Bruh Paul, Christ has no hands feet or tongues but ours, Christ is depending on us, clothing, contentment, destruction, dr robert h schuller, erred from the faith, faithful servants, fired employees, food, friends, God-given talents, godliness, godliness with contentment, gospel truth, great gain, great revenues without justice, greediness, harmful lusts, have-nots, heavenly bank account, Holy Tuesday, images, indisputable truth, injustice, LOVE, material riches, negative side, poor and suffering, positive side, positive working, power of the holy spirit, reconciliation, reflections of Almighty God, repentance, reverence of God, riches of the wicked, righteous man, righteousness., root of all evil, ruin, saints, share with others, shareholders, snare, snowflakes falling from heaven, social justice, sorrows, spiritual riches, stand strong, tell the world the good news, temptation, the Lord upholds the righteous, the LOVE of money, unfair practices, We can do all things through Christ, we can do nothing without christ, wisdom of the ages
Proverbs 16:8. Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right (justice).
Well hello there mih people! A good Holy Tuesday morning to all you blessed saints out there in Christendom; true images and reflections of Almighty God!
Yes Friends, we are indeed all of that! So please let’s make full use of it and not waste the talents and whatever else the Lord has given us to share with others.
And to help guide us in that respect, here are some true and most useful words from the Hour of Power Devotional by Dr. Robert H. Schuller. I’m not sure if I’ve shared them before, but even so, they are still very relevant to these times.
Listen up as Dr. Schuller reminds us that: ‘Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today. He has no feet but our feet to lead us on the way. He has no tongues but our tongues to tell us how He died. He has no help but our help to bring us to His side.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my brethren! Christ is depending on us, His faithful saints and servants, to tell the world the good news of His story and bring it to repentance and reconciliation with Him.
What a blessed assignment, though not an easy one, for there will be lots of obstacles placed in our way. But if we’re serious about doing the job, then Christ will enable us through the power of His Holy Spirit to stand strong and do it.
Just remember that we cannot do it without Him, as He so shrewdly reminds us when talking to the disciples about the vine and the branches: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5b)
But by the same token, as Bruh Paul reminds un in Philippians 4: ‘I can do ALL THINGS through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13)
And with all that solid stuff now under our belts, let’s turn to our Bit, another morsel of everlasting truth. ‘Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right (justice).’
And there can be no doubting of that fact my Friends! Why? Because it percolates in every area and aspect of our lives and that of our society. We see it in homes where there’s great wealth but little true godliness. We also see it in businesses, where injustice is booming and very flagrant these days.
We lay of hundreds of ordinary workers to save some money, while flagrantly increasing the stipends of those at the top of the food chain by humongous amounts, without any thought for the welfare of those being put out of work.
The social justice that cries out for those fired employees is certainly not being taken into account. Instead it is all centred on the supposed bottom line, shareholders interest and the rest of the garbage and distorted truth that the captains of industry spout to support their unfair practices.
Oh Friends, I just went upstairs to see the duchess off to work and my heart almost stopped on me because I was greeted by snowflakes falling gently from heaven. And not simply wet snow but the kind that seems to last. Oh Lord eh!
Earlier on when I came down the streets were simply wet with rain. And we’ve been having such nice warm temps for the last little while! It’s supposed to have a high of just one degree today. Mama Mia!
But as we’ve said above, though it might be a tad inconvenient, we can handle it all with Christ’s help. So let’s not look at it from the negative but the positive side.
Now let’s check out some scripture which corroborate our Bit. Cousin Sol himself also stated it thus: ‘Better is little with the fear (reverence) of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith.’ (Prov.15:16)
And the scholars explain that as: ’15:16. Spiritual riches are better than material riches.’
Gospel truth Friends! But try telling that to the legions of poor and suffering around the world nuh!
Meanwhile Bruh David puts it this way in Psalm 37; the true state of the wicked. ‘A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.’ (Ps.37:16-17)
More gospel truth my people! But tell that to the wicked rich nuh, whose only aim seems to be amassing more and more wealth at the expense of the have-nots.
And we’ll end with a passage from 1 Timothy, where Bruh Paul warns: ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content.
But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (all kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have erred from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim.6:6-11)
Oh Friends, I can’t say it any better than that! I can just try and encourage us to take those words to heart and put them to positive working in our lives, for they indeed convey the wisdom of the ages. Much LOVE!
…why do we foolishly insist on amassing material wealth…when it causes all sorts of evil problems…and does nothing for our heavenly bank account…
14 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversaries, aura of love, blessings, Bruh Paul, church, circumstances, confidence, end of all things, enemy, enthusiasm, evil, faith, faithful, fellowship, followers of Jesus, forgiveness, foundations stones, further God's glorious kingdom, glorifying God, God has heard me, God's glory, grateful hearts, gratitude, heavenly wisdom, Holy Name, holy spirit, Holy Week, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, live action, LOVE, loving kindness, man's honour, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, multitude of sins, persevere, Praise the Lord, prayer, preach the gospel, problems, real world, rejuvenation of spirit, religion, renewed vitality, revitalization, sins, steadfast in faith, thanksgiving, the gospel, trials, tribulations, twin peaks, ungodly world, week of work, wicked taunts, wickedness, wisdom, words of prayer, worthwhile inroads, zeal
Psalm 66:19. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Oh Friends, on this Monday morning, the first day of Holy Week, I have a rather interesting comment for you from the comics section of the newspaper. It’s from the Family Circus strip, depicting a family; husband, wife and four young children of varying ages coming out of church, when the young girl suddenly pipes up: ‘Grandma says this is where our religion begins – when we come out of church.’
And is she ever so right! As Bruh David declared in Psalm 8, God’s glory and man’s honour. ‘Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings (infants) hast thou ordained (established) strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still (silence) the enemy and the avenger.’ (Ps.8:2)
And why is that first statement so right? Because it is indeed after we walk out the church doors that we need to put our religion into practice! While in church we are all of the same faith and belief, all enthusiastically glorifying God!
And that’s very easy to do because there are no adversaries in our faces in church, but once we leave the building, that’s where our adversaries pounce on us, and that’s also where we need to show our mettle, what we’re truly made of, if we can put all the stuff we just finished spouting in church into live action!
Ah mih people, it’s not inside the church that we show our faith to best advantage, but outside its doors, in the real world of trials and tribulations, anxieties and fears. Going to church just helps us to renew our faith as a group, thus enabling us to stand up strong to those problems and circumstances we face in the real world. And it’s on days like Mondays that we’re definitely called on to walk our talk of faith.
So on this Monday morning of Holy Week, the most important week in the calendar of our faith, because it’s when Jesus died for us, then was raised from the dead in glory, providing us with resurrection power and finally reconciliation with Almighty God. Therefore let’s go out to work with the right attitude and frame of mind, that we bring glory and not disgrace to God.
Let’s now sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with the appropriate gusto it so richly deserves. (smile) ‘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!’
That was most excellent my people! And we need to carry that enthusiasm and zeal and LOVE for Jesus with us into the ungodly world that awaits us.
Our Monday Morning Battle Hymn is also an excellent example of our Bit: ‘But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.’ Whenever we sing it, God hears and answers our requests with a revitalization of our spirits.
And yes, it was one of God’s mysterious workings that led me to leave today as the last day for our Bit. It’s rather appropriate since Holy Week is a week of intense prayer. So what better way to begin it than with sincere and faithful words of prayer eh? None really.
Now let’s get to our scriptural examples. The first comes from Bruh Paul in his missive to the Colossians, where in his opening remarks he advises them: ‘Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal (meanwhile) praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance (for the word), to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds. That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.’ (Col.4:2-4)
And this is how the scholars explain those scriptures: ‘4:2. Continue in prayer means “persevere in prayer.” Watch in the same means that the Colossians are to be mentally alert and spiritually sensitive to the needs for which they pray. With thanksgiving signifies that gratitude is the attitude in which prayer is offered. So the readers are to persevere in prayer with alert minds and grateful hearts.
4:3-4. The Colossians are asked to make two prayer requests for Paul and his associates: (1) that God would grant them opportunities both inside and outside of prison to preach the gospel (v.3); and that (2) the evangelists would make the truth manifest as they ought to speak, that is, to preach it with courage and clarity. Withal praying also for us means praying for Paul “together with” the prayer commanded in verse 2.’
Oh my fellow believers, those very things are also required of us today, possibly even more so than in Bruh Paul’s day since the world is much larger, in terms of number of people and settlements, and the evil and wickedness that abounds is surely greater and more perverse.
So with that observation, let’s end these messages on prayer with this most apropos scripture from Peter. ‘But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet.4:7-8)
That, my Friends, is the best advice we can get this Monday morning, or on any morning at all. So let’s show our heavenly wisdom and graciously and gratefully accept it nuh! Much LOVE!
…without the twin peaks…the foundation stones of prayer and LOVE…we cannot truly claim to be followers of Jesus…
11 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a loving and magnanimous God, be anxious for nothing, Bruh Paul, christianity, conviction, deficiency in faith, efficacy of prayer, enthusiasm, epitome of wisdom, faith, faithful to prayer, fear, fellowship, fervent prayer, following Jesus isn't easy, Friday chant, fulsome prayer, glorious kingdom, God has heard my prayer, God will never give us more than we can handle, Herod, holy spirit, James, Jesus Christ, John Mark, keep our spirits high, LOVE, loving kindness, many were gathered praying, men plan but God's will prevails, omnipotent god, peace, persevered in prayer, Peter, Philippians, power of prayer, prayer, Rejoice in the Lord, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rewards in heaven, rewards on earth, righteousness., sea of anxiety and fear, supplication, sweat shop, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thank God, thanksgiving, the Lord answers prayer, the peace of God which passeth all understading, ungodly climate, ungodly world, walk of faith, wisdom
PSALM 66:19. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
And then it was Friday, and the people were in an uproar: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes mih brethren! I couldn’t hack another day in that sweat shop nuh! Thank God for these two blessed days off!’
Yes Friends, I know how bad it can be in some of the places some of us work, but sometimes we just have no choice, because that’s the only job we can get at this time, and it’s certainly better than no job at all. But all is not lost my people, we have a LOVING and magnanimous God who looks after us, and He will not allow us to bear more than we can handle.
As we keep saying, following Jesus is not easy, but it is always interesting, and will bear great rewards at a later date, either down here on earth or up in heaven. So please don’t give up, the trials and tribulations won’t last forever. And to help us handle the weekend the right way, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm to keep our spirits high.
Altogether 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 let’s work out the day, with the joy of the Lord in our hearts, faithfully looking forward to a great weekend! That brings us to our Bit: ‘But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.’
Now such powerful conviction should be held by ALL believers, if we are faithful to prayer, for the Lord faithfully answers our sincere prayers! But Friends, so many of us are lost and lacking in serious prayer, and prayer is so important in the Christian walk of faith, that we are continuing this series of messages on prayer, highlighting scriptures that prove its efficacy.
Today we’ll highlight two more instances where prayer was masterful. The first comes from Acts 12, where Herod kills James and imprisons Peter, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. (Acts 12:1-4) However, our great and wonderful God had other ideas and plans. Remember, men plan, but it is God’s will that prevails!
‘Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.’ (Acts 12:5) And we all know the story of how on the night before Herod planned to bring Peter out, the angel of the Lord came to the prison and miraculously led him out to freedom. (Acts 12:6-11) And as the Lord would have it, he ended up at the house of John Mark’s mother Mary, ‘where many were gathered together praying.’ (Acts 12:12)
Yuh see the power of prayer my people! But just like it is with us in today’s ungodly climate, when Peter knocked on Mary’s door, his friends didn’t believe it was really him, saying it was his angel. They even called the servant girl who answered his knock and heard his voice crazy, though she was absolutely positive that it was Peter. (Acts 12:13-15)
‘But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.’ (Acts 12:16) Oh Friends, how marvellous are the works of our omnipotent God! And always in our best interest too!
The scholars though have an interesting take on that episode of scripture. ’12:12-16. Though the prayer of the church was fervent due to Peter’s situation (v 5), there was a deficiency in faith (vv 15-16). Evidently they did not believe God would answer in this miraculous way, or so soon.’
And doesn’t that sound very familiar? It sure does, because even today many of us still don’t believe in the efficacy of prayer although there are numerous examples to show that it works. But regardless of how strong the believers’ faith was, the important thing is that they persevered in prayer, and the Lord answered their prayers.
That brings us to the second scripture passage we’ll look at today. It’s Bruh Paul talking to the Philippians about rejoicing in the Lord. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil.4:6)
Oh my brethren, Bruh Paul could not be any simpler and straightforward than that! So why aren’t we following it eh? I really don’t know. But here is what he says will happen if we pray continually. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:7)
Oh mih people, mih people, isn’t peace what we’re all searching for? Well right there we’re told how to get it! And not the peace of the world, but the peace of God! So why aren’t we doing as the Good Book says eh, and continue to stubbornly cling to our own paltry efforts to find peace in an ungodly, wicked world?
Anyway my fellow believers, today, RIGHT NOW, please let’s allow those simple but momentous words to loudly reverberate in our souls, bodies and minds, so that we can be convinced of the power of prayer, and use it consistently each and every day of our lives, for it is indeed the epitome of wisdom! Much LOVE!
…without fulsome prayer…a believer is lost…adrift on an endless sea of anxiety and fear…
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