19 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ask in faith, christianity, destroy this temple, divine interpretation, doubleminded man, enthusiasm, fellowship, flea market, Friday chant, fun, glorious kingdom, Good Book, gouging, helpmeet, illicit trade, Jesus, jesus name, manly parts, modicum of circumspection, raise it in three days, relaxation, rest, rise to the occasion, secret chamber, seek wisdom, signs, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, true wisdom, tumultuous times, vim and vigour, whip of cords, whooping and hollering, window of rest, without doubting
1 Corinthians 1:22. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.
And then it was Friday… And the whooping and hollering began: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! The weekend’s here at last! Thank God! Thank God! Thank God!’ Yeh Friends, that’s the kind of enthusiasm and relief that a Friday brings to our world. It’s a joy untold at a small window of rest from the rigours of the daily commute and other incidental headaches involved in labouring for massa. But that doesn’t mean we have to go overboard with the celebrations. Certainly not! We still need to control our lives with a modicum of circumspection, to keep it in line with the edicts of Jesus, our guide and helpmeet. And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant. And I don’t have to tell us to do it with vim and vigour, because that comes ever so naturally on a Friday, with the weekend in sight. (smile) 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.’ And now that we have the right perspective on the use of the weekend, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.’ Yes Friends, it’s the same one as the last few days, because there’s still one incident regarding signs with Jesus that I want to highlight. And that comes after He cleansed the temple, made a whip of cords and ran the ole crooks and them out of His Father’s house, which they had turned into a raucous flea market, carrying on illicit trade and unashamedly gouging the people. Actually not much different to today’s merchandising behaviour. Now I like that incident because it shows that Jesus wasn’t no soft touch, no mama’s boy, He had manly parts, and when the situation called for it, He also wasn’t afraid to use them. He could rise to the occasion and be as physically tough as anybody else. And after He’s scolded them about making His Father’s house, a house of merchandise, (John 2:16) the Good Book declares: ‘Then answered the Jews and said unto him, what sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear (raise) it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.’ (John 2:18-22) Oh my brethren, we’re certainly lucky that we were not amongst the first Christians, who understandably were scared and confused, and had to wait until Jesus rose from the dead, and the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost, to really understand and have a fairly clear picture of what Jesus was all about. Thankfully we now have the Good Book and all the heart-rending tales of our faith down through the ages to peruse and understand at our leisure. But there again, too many of us are not making good use of the materials and of the wisdom that’s been handed down to us. Now our Bit declares that the Greeks sought after wisdom in olden times, and everybody should do that. But unfortunately the wisdom the Greeks sought was the wisdom of man. However, the proper wisdom to seek is that of divine interpretation. And there’s only one single, solitary place to find true wisdom, as James so wisely advises us: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8) Yes my fellow believers, it’s only from our great God that true wisdom can be gained by man. But then we have to ask for it in faith, without any doubts, sincerely believing that He who has promised is faithful to deliver it all. (Heb.10:23) And also, as the scholars maintain, verse 5 ‘is not a blanket promise of wisdom for any situation. In the context of life’s trials, it probably speaks of the believer being granted (1) wisdom as to the reason for his trials and (2) wisdom to endure them.’ In any case, we still have to go to God and ask for whatever we need. So Friends, please let’s get ourselves together today and faithfully approach our wonderful, generous, kind and LOVING God, asking Him for truth and wisdom to guide us on our earthly journey in these tumultuous times. Now that my brethren, is indeed the wisdom of the wise. Much LOVE!…only when God fills the secret chamber of our souls…can true wisdom be obtained…
06 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: appointed by God, avenger, chief cook and bottle washer, christianity, compliance, do good, earthly authority, God's will, God's Word, Jesus Christ, level of awareness, Lord, minister of God, obey the government, religion, righteous kingdom, saviour, taxes, the things of Caesar, the things of God, theology, wrath
Matthew 22:21. They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
Oh Friends, do you realize it’s already April 6? The month of March, like its name implies, has just marched on by. And remember we promised to check our response to our New Year’s resolution monthly, rather than waiting till year’s end, when no time’s left to do anything about it. This way we can more accurately gauge our compliance, or lack thereof. So how are we doing with that ONE resolution we agreed that was the most important eh? And for those of you who don’t remember, we vowed to raise our level of awareness in Jesus, to seek His righteous kingdom more than that of man, to mature in our Christian faith. So today, please, let’s all look at the progress we’ve made thus far. And if it’s fairly decent, then give the Lord thanks for all His help, cause we couldn’t have done it without Him, and keep pressing on with our part towards the goal. Now, if we’ve sort of fallen by the wayside, please don’t lose hope or give up, but instead go to Jesus and ask for His help in making us more diligent, in bringing us back to the path that He wants us to tread. Yuh see Friends, one way or the other, whether we’re doing good or poorly, we always have to come right back to Jesus, because He’s our Provider, Helper, Comforter, Advocate, our Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, our EVERYTHING! Yes my people, our entire life revolves around the Lord and Saviour of mankind. Now turning to our Bit. ‘They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.’ And that’s the way it ought to be, because that’s the way the Lord set it up. Yesterday we looked at how the situation described in our Bit came about. Today, let’s check out some examples in the scriptures relating to that principle. First of all, here’s the perfect example of Jesus practicing what He preaches, re the principle of tribute money or taxes, in Matthew 17, after His transfiguration. The Good Book says: ‘And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money (the temple tax) came to Peter and said, Doth not your master pay tribute (the temple tax)? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented (anticipated) him, saying, What thinkest thou Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute (taxes)? of their own children (people), or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children (their own people) free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money (the exact temple tax for two): that take, and give unto them for me and thee.’ (Matt.17:24-27) Yeh Friends, though Jesus, being God owned it all, He still paid taxes to the earthly powers because it was thus stipulated. Now here’s some info on that scripture from the scholars. ‘Jesus, the glorified Son of God, is greater than demons and also the temple itself. The two incidents following the Transfiguration (healing an epileptic child, when His disciples could not, and the miracle of the tribute money in the fish) clearly reassert His supremacy. Tribute money (lit. “two drachmae”) is a technical term for the tax of half a shekel which every Jew over 20 was expected to contribute to the upkeep of the temple. Of strangers: The subject races were taxed first and most heavily. The children, the kings own race, were free. Jesus Christ was the Lord and owner of the temple, and therefore it was not for Him to pay the tax. However, our Lord would not give offence by seeming to be a lawbreaker. A piece of money (Gr. stater), the silver tetra-drachma, was the equivalent to the shekel and therefore the exact amount of the tax for two persons.’ That should give us a better understanding of how it was back then. Now listen to Bruh Paul as he preaches on honouring authority in his missive to the Roman church. ‘Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers (governing authorities). For there is no power (authority) but of God: the powers (authorities) that be are ordained of (appointed by) God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power (authority), resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation (judgement). For the rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid (do you want to be unafraid) of the power (authority)? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger (an avenger) to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for (because of) wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute (taxes) also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render (pay) therefore to all their dues: tribute (tax) to whom tribute (tax) is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.’ (Rom.13:1-7) Ah mih breddren, you can certainly count on Bruh Paul to spell it all out for you in spades! And the scholars provide this info that I think will be beneficial to us all. ‘Let every soul be subject: Subjection to the government is the obligation of all mankind, not just Christians. It is not optional, but an absolute necessity. The higher powers are established by God. See Titus 3:1; Peter 2:13;. But see also Acts 5:29. Damnation (Gr. krima, “judgement”): This is not a reference to eternal judgement, but is still a judgement by God, because God has delegated authority to human government. The minister of God to thee for good: The purpose of human government is to uphold the good and punish the evil. Right and wrong is determined by the state. The Christian citizen is to fear and obey the government, as long as the government does not demand citizens to violate God’s Word. Government officials hold office by virtue of God’s appointment and are primarily servants of God in their offices. The political leader is to actively uphold the good. The sword is a symbol representing the authority given to government to protect its citizens by punishing those who do what it has determined is wrong. It is important for Christians to be actively involved in government so that the government’s values are consistent with the Word of God.’ Hallelujah my people! Please note that last line; believers are to get very involved in government so that their values remain based on God’s Word. Unfortunately though not enough of us are seriously doing that, that’s why the evil leaders we now have can get away with removing prayer and other godly stuff from our everyday lives and passing laws that violate God’s Word. Anyway Friends, I’m chuckling here as I just noticed the appropriateness of this message, seeing that it’s Tax Return time, when we’re all supposed to live up to our responsibilities tax-wise. So instead of having the worldly view of paying as little or no tax at all, let’s espouse the heavenly view of paying what we legally owe. For remember, if we don’t pay them, we’re going against God’s will, against Jesus’ command. More on this tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, let’s concentrate on truly LOVING our God, genuinely LIVING our Faith and faithfully SPREADING His word. Much LOVE!…there are only two unavoidable things in this life…death …and taxes…
03 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: christianity, controversial topic, correlation, Creator of the universe, defraud God, delightful land, disobedience, due portion, ears to hear, end of story, God doesn't change, God's right side, Good Book, grin and bear it, judgement day, logic, personal relationships, pour out a blessing, proper obedience, subjection to God, the Lord of hosts, the Lord will provide, theology, tithes, undeniable truth, unhappiness, windows of heaven, wisdom, worship Almighty God
Malachi 3:10. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Oh Friends, it’s Wednesday morning and I am very unhappy because I just opened my mailbox and found it had all been changed to the foolish, stupid looking and very inconvenient Outlook nonsense. I don’t know who designs these sites, but as far as I’m concerned they should be shot! It’s a very poor use of space and I can’t move anything the way I want to or am accustomed to doing. But I guess we’re at the mercy of the owners of the websites, unless we want to pay for it, so as I keep saying we just have to grin and bear it. I now have to develop a whole new way of working or move to a different provider, which will just be like starting over again. Okay, I’ve had my rant (smile) but I’m still not happy, and since I know the Lord will provide a way, where there seems to be no way, let’s forget them and move on to our Bit. ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ Oh Friends, yesterday we saw where tithes first came into being; from Abram, to Jacob and then the official law through Moses. Today we’ll look at some more scripture dealing with that very contentious and controversial topic of tithes. First, let’s see how it cropped up in our Bit. The prophet Malachi was talking to his people about the approach of the day of judgement, (Mal.3:1-5) re who would survive it, and what the people needed to do to get on God’s right side. ‘Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein (in what way) shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. (Mal.3:7b-9) Then our Bit comes in, and the Lord continues. ‘And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field (fail to bear fruit), saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome (delightful) land, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Mal.3:11-12) Now before we go any further, listen to the scholars on those verses (&-12). ‘These Israelites have done what no man should presume to attempt, namely, to defraud God in tithes and offerings. The payment of tithes and heave offerings was a recognition of their subjection to God and that He owned them and all that they had. To withhold the tithe is to renounce the sovereign authority of God and to be guilty of the same sin as Lucifer in the beginning. Pour you out a blessing: The blessings come not because God received His due portion, but because in giving the tithe the believers put themselves in the place of proper obedience and subjection to God. Tithing was clearly commanded in the Old Testament and served as the minimum standard for giving in the New Testament. See Matthew 6:1-4 in the Sermon on the Mount, where true spirituality exceeds the outward demands of the Law.’ Wow! What challenging words! Now here’s the billion dollar question my people. Having taken all that’s been said above, both by the scholars and the Good Book, can the fact that our land is not delightsome today be because of our robbing God, like the Israelites did way back then? Can it be because we’re not giving Him His rightful due, what’s lawfully His, that our countries and our world are plagued by such wide scale negativity and disasters, from economic to physical and spiritual? I want to strongly suggest that there is a direct correlation between our dealing with God and the sad state of our world. How can turning away from Him and desperately trying to eradicate Him from our society and our consciences not have a negative effect on us eh? As He says earlier: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them.’ (Mal.3:6-7a) And that’s the undeniable truth my brethren! So the logic here is really simple: If we want to have true prosperity, then we have to return to sincerely and diligently worshipping Almighty God, the Creator of the universe and all therein, paying whatever He requires of us from whatever He allows us to have. End of story Friends! If we continue with our current foolish attitude of ignoring God and trying to remove Him from our society, then we’re simply going to continue paying a serious and hefty price for that disobedience. Remember Friends, our God doesn’t change, neither do His laws. So basically all the stuff in the Good Book still pertains to us today, and we’ll be well advised to return to Him, rather than trying to get away from Him. That, my people, is wisdom at its very zenith. More on this tithing subject tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, please let’s all consider our situations, re our personal relationships with God and fellow believers, and try our best to work for a speedy return to worshipping and serving the Most High God Jehovah in truth and deed, per the LOVE Revolution, so that all may be well with our societies and our world, as true wisdom dictates. Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…else He will certainly feel…
31 Mar 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Christian faith, christianity, conqueror of death and the grave, crucifixion, cruel cross, don't fear, earthly lusts, Easter Sunday, empty tomb, eternal life, fateful day, first fruits, glory, gratefulness, Hades, Hallelujah, honour, Jesus' resurrection, joy, judgement, kingdom of god, LOVE Revolution, LOVING Creator, praise, sacrifice, salvation, saviour jesus christ, spiritual things, swallow up death, thanks, theology, true fellowship, wipe away tears, wonderful god
Mark 16:6. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
HAPPY EASTER!
Oh Friends, it’s Easter morn! Arise and shout for joy because HE IS RISEN! Yes my people, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has been resurrected through the mighty power of His heavenly Father! He has forever conquered that evil Lucifer and his evil empire of darkness, destruction, death and the grave, thus guaranteeing salvation and perpetuating eternal life for all those who believe on His Holy Name! For as Bruh Paul boldly and truthfully declared to the Corinthians: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? Oh grave (Hades), where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor.15:54b-57) Oh my brethren, Beelzebub’s army has gone down to certain defeat, therefore let the heavens ring out with our joy, as we joyously sing: ‘Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu… Hallelu… Hallelujah!’ Oh my fellow believers, since that first day of creation, there’s never been a better or more important day in man’s turbulent, rebellious history than this one, Easter Sunday! So let’s all give enormous and sincere thanks and praise to a most wonderful God, a most LOVING Creator, who LOVED His sinful, fallen creation so much, that He made His ONLY Son sacrifice Himself on that cruel cross to save us from the worse fate possible, eternal separation from Him. And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘All praise, thanks, honour and glory be unto thee Almighty God, who wanted to reconcile us to Yourself so badly, that You broke Your own heart, burdening Your Son Jesus Christ with our disgusting sins, to make us clean and whole again.’ And what’s so amazing about the whole thing Friends, is how seamlessly and truthfully Jesus’ life came together from the prophecy of Isaiah in chapter 53, to His resurrection hundreds of years later as recorded in our Bit, where the women of Jesus’ company came to anoint Him that first Easter morning and found an angel sitting inside an empty tomb, dressed in a long white robe, which obviously scared them half to death: ‘And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted (afraid): Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.’ We all know the Resurrection Story, so I won’t get into it, please read it on your own and refresh your hearts and minds with it. Now listen to Isaiah’s prophecy earlier on in chapter 25, in his song of praise by the redeemed. ‘He will swallow up death in victory (forever); and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.25:8-9) Oh Friends, though that relates particularly to after the Great Tribulation, Christ’s resurrection was the first step on the road to salvation. Thus now is indeed the right time to rejoice in the salvation of our God, because He has done marvellous things for us, things we certainly don’t deserve, and couldn’t earn, even if we felt so inclined. As Bruh Paul assured the believers at Corinth. ‘But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept (have died). For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.’ (1 Cor.15:20-22) Wow! What a blessed day this Easter Sunday really is my people! It’s the strong, sure and certain foundation of our whole Christian faith, for without Jesus’ triumphant resurrection, come that fateful day of judgement, we would all have perished in Hades with the prince of darkness. But Jesus in His most LOVING-kindness and selflessness, through His sacrificial blood and victory over death, gave us the opportunity to move from darkness to light, from death to eternal life. Unfortunately though my brethren, today we’re joyous, celebrating this most important event, and full of Christian gung ho, but come tomorrow, or a few days hence, many of us will revert to walking in the lust of the flesh, craving, seeking and running down earthly things. As someone once said: ‘Oh, how soon we do forget!’ But please remember Friends, that the things of the world are fallible, deceitful and easily destroyed. However, the kingdom of God is infallible and indestructible, and will stand the test of time, long after this earth is no more. That’s why Jesus kept pounding the kingdom of God into our heads, hoping it would eventually percolate into our hearts and souls. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Oh Friends, it’s so plain and simple: when we seek the spiritual things of God, all the material things of earth that we need, will be given to us by the Father. It seems though that we have to be continually reminded of that fact, since the pull of worldly things keep drawing us back to them like a magnet, like the earth and gravity. However, my beautiful fellow believers and followers of Jesus Christ, please let’s make this Easter Sunday of the year 2013 a most remarkable and memorable one, by faithfully pledging to our God, each other and ourselves to rise up higher, like Jesus, and also to remain faithful and true, showing the proper gratefulness and thanks for His awesome sacrifice and LOVE, by focussing steadfastly on His kingdom and doing the things necessary to further it. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Oh Friends, let’s celebrate our wonderful faith and glorious Saviour, Jesus Christ today in song, dance and true fellowship, and show the world by our deeds of LOVING-kindness in action, that we are indeed the salt of the earth and the light of the world, worthwhile leaders of the ongoing LOVE Revolution. That’s definitely wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him…is certainly…to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…and after all He’s done for us…just to do His bidding…makes it all worthwhile…
29 Mar 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affliction, atonement, burial, christianity, crucifixion, death, dehumanize, Easter morn, eternal life, exaltation, Friday chant, Good Friday, hopeless sinners, iniquities, innocent death, isaiah 53, Jesus Christ, Messiah, moral evils, oppression, oxymoron, religion, resurrection, righteous servant, salvation, sin offering, sinless sacrifice, sins, son of god, suffering, suffering servant, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, theology, transgressions, wages of sin
Isaiah 53:10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY!
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, Good Friday to boot! So here’s wishing us all a Happy Good Friday! And the usual response of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ are few and far between. Perhaps because it’s a holiday for most of us? Or more likely because this is the saddest day in the Christian calendar, when our Leader, our Messiah was horribly dehumanized, shamefully crucified on a wooden cross on that barren hill called Golgotha, or more nicely put, Calvary. And there are also those who wonder how could there ever be a happy Good Friday? To them it’s an oxymoron, composed of contradictory words. How could there be any happiness in the cruel, innocent death of a gentle, peaceful, LOVING man? The answer to that dear Friends, is that without that death, there would be no resurrection come Easter morn, no salvation, no eternal life with the heavenly Father for lost, hopeless sinners like you and I. That’s where the happiness lies my brethren. Like many things in life, especially seeds, we have to oftimes die, die to self, before we can sprout fully alive and victorious. And yes, today is indeed a very sad day; wherever death is, it’s usually sad. But this day of death is the saddest of them all! For in response to the one who came to help and save, look at the terrible treatment He was destined to face. Isaiah nails it in his prophecy of ‘The suffering Servant.’ ‘Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm (power) of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no (stately) form nor comeliness (splendour); and when we shall see him, there is no beauty (physical appearance) that we should desire him. He is despised (disdained, scorned) and rejected of (forsaken by) men; a man of sorrows (severe pains), and acquainted with grief (injuries): and (because of his severe personal suffering) we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs (spiritual sickness), and carried our sorrows: yet we (mankind) did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted. But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions (sins), he was bruised (utterly crushed) for our iniquities (moral evils): the chastisement of our peace was upon him (correction or discipline which procured our peace with God); and with his stripes (wounds) we (our spiritual condition) are healed (cured). All we like sheep have gone astray (desperately lost); we have turned everyone to his own way (totality of sinful humanity); and the Lord hath laid on (violently struck) him (with) the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought (was led) as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison (out of oppression) and from judgement (illegitimate trials): and who shall declare his generation (consider it among his generation, his potential life)? for he was cut off out of the land of the living (by a violent death) for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked (crucified between two thieves), and with the rich in his death (buried in the tomb of the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea); because he hath done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.’ (Is.53:1-9) Yes Friends, Jesus endured such inhumane ‘sufferation’ though he did no violence, nor any evil or deceit was ever found in Him. But as our Bit says: ‘Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise (crush) him; he hath put him to grief (pierced Him): when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin (guilt offering), he shall see his seed (future believers), he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.’ Oh my brethren, I know it sounds awfully cruel and unjust, especially when our God is supposed to be such a LOVING God. But the fact is that He’s first and foremost a just and righteous Deity. And without a sinless sacrifice, no reconciliation with the Almighty would be possible. For we had all fallen short of the glory of God in our sinful behaviour, and the wages of sin is ultimate death. And since Jesus was the only other sinless soul besides the Father, only His sacrifice would cleanse the slate. Anyway, the Good Book continues after our Bit: ‘He shall see of the travail (distress) of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil (plunder) with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered amongst the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’ (Is.53:11-12) Ah mih people, there’s certainly method to our God’s supposed madness! Let’s see how the scholars describe it. ‘In these verses we see the personal Messiah, the Son of God, who alone can atone for sin. His message is rejected (v.1); His person is refused (v.2); and His mission is misunderstood (v.3). Nevertheless, His vicarious suffering, (delegated, done for another) provides atonement for our sins (vv.4-6), and though He suffers (v.7) death (v.8) and burial (v.9), He will ultimately be exalted (vv.10-12) To miss the fact that Jesus Christ is the central figure in this passage is to stumble in unbelief over the cornerstone and foundation of all the gospel.’ Now per our Bit in particular, they say: ‘The phrase he shall prolong his days indicates that the Servant’s ministry will not end with His violent death, and certainly implies His resurrection. The pleasure of the Lord refers to God’s ultimate purposes which will be accomplished by the atoning death and resurrection of the Servant. The chapter ends with the glorification and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord. His intercession refers to His priestly ministry, by which He makes intercession on the basis of His own substitutionary death.’ So Friends, though it all seems complicated, cruel and unjust, it was the only way out for God to reconcile us back to Himself, which He desperately wanted to do because of His great and unconditional LOVE for us, His most accomplished though most ungrateful creation. And though our hearts are sad today my brethren, we’ll end on an upbeat note, for we know that as Bruh David so rightly says: ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ (Ps.30:5b) Now let’s go home chanting our Friday Chant, to give us the right perspective on the day and this fabulous weekend. In one loud voice: ‘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.’ Much LOVE!…before a plant can sprout…a seed must die…likewise…before a great work can be accomplished…suffering must be endured…
25 Mar 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, battle hymn, christianity, comfort, confession, enthusiasm, fear, glorious kingdom, god of all comfort, good tidings, holy spirit, Holy Trinity, hope, human anguish, human imagination, humble servants, invincible, jobs, Lent, lies, loving kindness, mercy, Monday Morning, purpose of living, rejuvenation of spirit, religion, renewed vitality, resurrection of christ, salvation, spiritual armour, spirituality, sure conquerors, surrender, tribulation, undeniable fact, ungodly world, useful purpose, weary souls, well rewarded, wicked taunts
Isaiah 51:12. I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday…! And there’s a half-hearted cheer reeking with sarcasm for that unwelcome information. (smile) This is also the last Monday in Lent, where many of us gave up stuff to spiritually make a connection with Jesus fasting forty days in the wilderness before His death. But come next Monday, after the amazing resurrection of Christ on Sunday, I guarantee that there will be a much louder cheer when I announce it’s time for work. That’s because our souls will be a tad more joyous having regained the pleasures we gave up for Lent. And let me apologize here for not mentioning that yesterday was Palm Sunday. I don’t know what came over me, but I totally forgot about it, until I went to church and saw the palms there. I really don’t know how I could have forgotten such an important day in the annals of Christianity; the only day during Jesus’ earthly sojourn that He was actually recognized and publicly acknowledged as the worthy King, the Son of God, the Messiah He truly is. Anyway Friends, please forgive the ole fella, his mind obviously isn’t what it used to be. And I promise it won’t happen again, though I may forget something else. (smile) Now let’s move on to more immediate matters, like singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get us in the right frame of mind to go out and labour. Altogether now, with as much heartfelt enthusiasm as we can muster. ‘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 people, that was only so so. We didn’t get a standing ‘O’ in heaven today, just some sporadic applause. But I’m sure by the time we hit the road, the enthusiasm, the flame of passion that burns deep in our hearts and souls for Jesus will have been reignited and we’ll be just rearing to get to the front lines of the battle and engage the evil enemy. (smile) And I’m not being overly optimistic here. One must have hope, loads of it. For if there’s no hope, what’s the purpose of living then? That brings us to our Bit: ‘I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a (mortal) man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass.’ It’s the same one as yesterday, and we’ll attempt to do what I’d planned to do back then, which is dissect it, before I was guided to talk about LOVE instead. There are three parts to it; basically comfort, fear and longevity. Let’s look at the first part; comfort. Our God says in no uncertain terms: ‘I, even I, am he that comforteth you.’ And that’s an undeniable fact my brethren! Our God is the greatest comforter in existence! He prides Himself in comforting His people. Now let’s check out a few of the many scriptures on the amazing comfort our God provides. And we’ll start with Isaiah, who offers comfort to Israel in several readings. First off is: ‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.’ (Is.40:1) That has to do with a day of salvation after Judah’s captivity in Babylon. Then in chapter 49, he exultantly declares: ‘Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.’ (Is.49:13) That’s regarding the Servant coming out of Israel, Jesus, the Messiah. He says basically the same thing in 52:9, re the Lord delivering His people from captivity. Meanwhile in chapter 61, proclaiming tidings of salvation to Zion, he boldly announces: ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek (poor); he hath sent me to bind up (heal) the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.’ (Is.61:1-2) And we all know Bruh Paul’s famous words to the Corinthians: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor.1:3-4) Oh Friends, how could we ever doubt the healing and comforting nature of our wonderful God eh? Just like in all the other blessings He showers down on us, His comforting us is meant to be shared with others, not kept solely and selfishly for ourselves. That’s one of the reasons why our world is in such sad shape today; too many people not willing to share their abundance with the less fortunate. And we’ll end, as I like to when possible, with the words of Jesus. Listen to this pronouncement from the Sermon on the Mount, from the Beatitudes, which mirrors the end of Isaiah’s in 61:2. ‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.’ (Matt.5:4) What a promise my brethren! And we know it’s gospel truth if spoken by Jesus! And the scholars elaborate on that passage thus: ‘Those that mourn…shall be comforted. The depth of the promise of these statements is almost inexhaustible. Those who mourn for sin shall be comforted in confession. Those who mourn for the human anguish of the lost shall be comforted by the compassion of God.’ So Friends, in this crazy, confused, turbulent, evil, ungodly world, where we are constantly beset before and behind by problems and anxieties, let’s not lose hope, and consequently faith in our most awesome Holy Trinity, because we know of, and have personally experienced their comfort and LOVING-kindness. There’s NONE OTHER like them in existence. Hang tight with them and you’ll be well taken care of, rewarded far above and beyond your human imagination. Now isn’t that true wisdom? It sure is, my brethren! Much LOVE!…thy rod and thy staff…they comfort me… (Ps.23:4)
22 Mar 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anathema, christianity, confess Jesus Christ, confession, dumb idols, faith in Christ, fellowship, Friday chant, frolic, fun, God's glorious kingdom, God's Word, grace of God, human emotion, in the flesh, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, pagan worship, perfect harmony, real flesh and blood, relaxation, rest, righteousness., salvation, speaking in tongues, Spirit of God, spiritual gifts, spring, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, traffic jams, week of work, weekend, weekend gig
1 John 4:2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.
Oh brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s Friday… And all around the world, joyous shouts rise up to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and labouring finish for another week yes!’ Well not quite mih breddren, because we still have to labour today Friday, but just the idea, the expectation of not having to face the evil, ungodly people we work with, the traffic jams and snowy, icy roads for a couple days raises the human emotion of joy to a higher level. And on that point, I looked outside just now and saw my driveway covered in snow. Hn! I thought this was supposed to be spring. But spring obviously hasn’t sprung as yet, because the banks of the roads are still snow covered, and instead of rain we’re getting flurries of the white stuff. In my area though we still need to be very thankful because we haven’t gotten as much snow as many other places. But back to our weekend gig. Just a reminder that it’s not all for fun and frolic. So let’s chant our Friday Chant that brings the whole situation into its proper perspective. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes my people, it’s all about resting up and fellowshipping so we can go back out next week and continue the battle in Jesus’ Name. Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.’ A most interesting Bit that my people! And we’ll continue from yesterday, where we saw that there are many false prophets and spirits trying to gain control of our lives, but there’s ONLY ONE, that’s truly worthwhile, that of Jesus Christ. And John told us that the easiest and best way to know whether there’s truth in a spirit or doctrine is if Christ is spoken of as being real flesh and blood, during His earthly sojourn. We also saw where Jesus declares that a lot of those claiming to be His followers will be turned away at the end time because they only had outward facades of Christianity, while their hearts were truly tuned into the frequency of Beelzebub. So Friends, a reminder that we have to be very particular of whom and what we let into our lives and our souls. Bruh Paul, in talking to the Corinthians about spiritual gifts, had this to say on the subject. ‘Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb (silent) idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed (anathema): and that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.’ (1 Cor.12:2-3) Yes my brethren, if the Spirit of God is truly in us, we can’t speak badly of Jesus, and the only way we can acknowledge Him as Lord and Saviour is through the Holy Spirit. Now here’s some info from the scholars re the ‘Dumb idols: The pagan worship at Corinth involved a pagan exercise of “tongues.” The practice of “ecstatic utterances” was common in the cults and in the worship of various Greek gods and goddesses.’ I guess this could have an impact or caused some confusion between the idol worship and the Christian speaking in tongues, with the possibility of the idolaters using it to influence early Christians. Anyway, turning to Bruh Paul and the Romans. In speaking of righteousness being obtained by faith in Christ, he declares: ‘But what saith it? The word is nigh (near) thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed (put to shame).’ (Rom.10:8-11) And here’s an important note from the scholars on the last two verses. ‘Confession is made unto salvation: One is not saved by his mouth’s confession, but rather, the mouth testifies readily of the grace of God in Christ, which has been received by faith.’ That means salvation is much more than just confessing Jesus with our mouths. Our hearts, faith and the grace of God, all joined in perfect harmony, are necessary to be saved. Now that’s enough info for us to process today Friends, so we’ll end on that note. Tomorrow we’ll pick up the topic again, the Lord in favour, for there’s more scripture to be highlighted on this most important subject of divining the true Spirit of Christ. Till tomorrow then, please walk safely in fellowship with Almighty God and man. And may the Lord bless us and give us His awesome peace which passes all human understanding. Much LOVE!…it’s time for all believers to step up and sincerely…LOVE Our God…LIVE Our Faith…and SPREAD His Word…
21 Mar 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Alpha, assurance, Christ came in the flesh, Christ crucified, Christ's truth, christianity, Christians being misled, commandments, doctrinal test, false prophets, fruit of our labour, Holy Spirit of Jesus, jehovah god, Jesus abiding in us, jesus is god, kept on our toes, kingdom of heaven, Let there be light, Omega, outward affiliation, particular time, power of words, prophesied, religion, residual effect, Spirit of God, spiritual warfare, theology, wisdom, wolves in sheep's clothing
1 John 4:2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.
Ah Friends, morning has broken, just like the first day when the Creator, Jehovah God, Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last solemnly declared: ”Let there be light: and there was light.’ (Gen.1:3) And light has been coming on a regular twenty-four hour basis ever since. Wow! Now isn’t that both a wonderful and most powerful happening Friends? It sure is! Jehovah spoke 4 simple words, a total of 15 letters, and such a marvellous, majestic and miraculous event occurred, and has been occurring with pinpoint regularity since then. So how can they say that our God isn’t great eh, or the spoken word doesn’t carry enormous power? It’s utterly ridiculous! But it’s the same way that many deny that Jesus is God, or that He came to earth in human form, encased in human flesh, and was castigated and sacrificed by humans in barbaric human fashion. And ever since His coming, the heathen has been trying to deny Him, or make various other suppositions which lessen His truth and the reality of His earthly accomplishments. No wonder in the first verse of 1 John 4, the apostle sagely warns us: ‘Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.’ (1 John 4:1) Yes Friends, there’s such a wealth of false prophets and spiritual warfare happening in our world today, much more than back in John’s time, that we have to be very very careful to thoroughly sift and winnow the many spirits that try to invade and inhabit our souls. But how are Christians to ensure that they’re not being misled? By focussing on the Holy Spirit of Jesus, which gives us the necessary assurance. ‘And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.’ (1 John 3:24) So once we have the Spirit of Jesus truly abiding in us, we can be sure that we’re on the right track. Now here’s a comment of the scholars that I think can help us to better understand John’s predicament and belief. ‘The Greek grammar here may indicate that John is calling for a halt to a belief in spirits that was already in progress. This could have been a residual effect of those who had already left (2:19).’ And I think it’s useful to quote that verse. ‘They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not at all (none of them were) of us.’ (1 John 2:19) Oh Friends, I believe the same thing’s happening today; people are leaving who never really belonged. As the scholars explain: ‘Some in the church, but now departed, were never really part of it. Here is a clear distinction between those who merely appear to be Christians, based on outward affiliation, and those who really are, whom the Lord knows and claims as His own (1 Cor.8:3; Gal.4:9; 2 Tim.2:19)’ Please read those scriptures to get a better understanding of that last point. And what they’re saying on the basic topic is the absolute truth my brethren! For many amongst us are only outward Christians, and don’t have true faith and trust in Jesus. They move around us like the proverbial wolves in sheep’s clothing. That brings us to our Bit: ‘Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.’ Yes my people, how can we ensure that the Spirit which dwells in us is really the Spirit of God? The first and major test is that the Spirit must believe that Jesus came to earth as God in the flesh of humans. If the Spirit doesn’t declare that in spades my brethren, then it’s surely a fake, because then it denies all that Jesus did here on earth! For the only way He could have done all those things, especially being sacrificed, crucified on the cross is by being in human form. And the scholars say this about our Bit. ‘John’s opponents may have claimed to follow Christ, but without accepting that the Son who came in flesh was also one with the Father. This position was held by many Gnostics. John says that the Spirit will enlighten true believers to confess that Christ did come in the flesh. This is a particular doctrinal test for a particular time. Jesus himself speaks of those who call Him “Lord” but are false followers. (Matt.7:21-23; Luke 6:46)’ Oh my fellow believers, I believe that this particular time is also one for that particular doctrinal test! What with all the numerous lies, slants and falsehood out there in our evil world, we cannot be too careful, but by the same token, we don’t have to be spooked by every unusual thing we come up against. If it’s not of God, our true Spirit will tell us. And I think it’s only fitting to end with that first reference of the scholars, where Jesus warns about false followers and their eventual fate, so that we don’t get too comfortable and take things for granted, but are kept on our toes, always on the lookout for the false spirits. ‘Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils (demons)? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (miracles).’ (Matt.7:21-23) Yes Friends, as Jesus said before that passage, it’s by our fruit, both our actions and our doctrine, that we shall be known and acknowledged by Him. Therefore, please let’s get serious about our faith and start and/or continue doing those things which Jesus commanded and truly show that we are His. That’s the wisdom for today! Much LOVE!…and why call ye me…Lord, Lord…and do not the things which I say… (Luke 6:46) P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but unfortunately the ole fella’s not as young as he used to be, where he could burn the candle at both ends for a long period of time. (smile) I did that a lot of that this week and it’s finally caught up to me. Much LOVE!
20 Mar 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Agur, ants, blessings, book of proverbs, christianity, clever inventions, conies, discouraged, disheartened, dissensions, divisions, embrace Jesus, eternal death, eyes of faith, faithful children, first day of spring, four small but wise things, gospel truth, great expertise, heavenly Father, locusts, loving kindness, mercies, merry-go-round, most holy name, never give up, northern climes, potential enemies, praise, prepare for predictable circumstances, sage, self-starter, separation from Almighty God, sincere voice, sluggard, spiders, strength of purpose, thanks, united body, vision, weak and feeble, webs
Proverbs 30:24. There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise.
And the merry-go-round that’s life, has turned one more time my Friends, to this cold, dreary looking day called Wednesday. Now officially it’s supposed to be the first day of spring in the northern climes. Hn! But outside looks nor feels anything like spring, with the snow covered ground and the bone chilling temps, made worse by a whipping wind. But please remember my fellow believers that regardless of how the day physically appears or looks in your particular area, just see it through your eyes of faith as being beautiful, because it really is. It’s still filled with wonderful, brand new mercies and blessings as decreed by our heavenly Father. And all His faithful children acknowledged His LOVING-kindness by declaring in a loud, sincere voice: ‘Oh Father God, You are so wonderful and generous to us, the sinful, undeserving children of men. That’s why we worship and serve and LOVE You so much, and will continue to do so till eternity! We praise You, give You thanks, and bless Your Most Holy Name! Amen.’ Now Friends, we have a very interesting Bit today – not that we don’t have them every day – but something about this one just seems special. It’s taken from the contribution of the sage Agur to the Book of Proverbs. According to the scholars, ‘Nothing is known of Agur, but he was likely one of the international sages of Solomon’s day (cf. 1 Kin.4:30-31).’ Anyway, he does write some very interesting and truthful stuff, showing great insight into nature and man’s life here on earth. And in our Bit today, he solemnly declares: ‘There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise.’ And what he says is gospel truth my brethren! Now let’s look at the first of these small but wise things. ‘The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat (food) in the summer.’ (Prov.30:25) And we all know that’s very true, because we’ve all seen the ants working diligently, doing whatever they need to do to provide a good life for themselves. As Cousin Sol says in Proverbs chapter 6: ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide (leader), overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat (food) in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.’ (Prov.6:6-8) And that’s the absolute truth people! As children growing up in the West Indies, we’d often watch an army of ants, fascinated by their scurrying around, busily doing their own thing, wondering how they were so diligent and focussed. But that’s built into their very nature by the Creator. And as to how that fits in with human life, listen to the scholars: ‘The sluggard is the habitually lazy person. He is admonished to learn two important lessons from the ant. (1) The ant has no guide, overseer, or ruler (v7), meaning that the ant does not have a taskmaster standing over it to make it work; it is a self-starter. (2) The ant is wise enough to prepare for predictable circumstances.’ Oh Friends, those lessons are even more important and valuable to us today! What with the great proliferation of laziness and idleness, especially amongst our young. Now let’s turn to the second small thing which Agur finds exceedingly wise: ‘The conies (rock badger or hyrax) are but a feeble folk, yet make their houses in the rocks.’ (Prov.30:26) Oh my brethren, how many of us of feeble strength and intellect can build our spiritual houses in the rocks, away from evil marauders eh? Not too many. But these small animals find a way to live in hills and rocks, away from the prying eyes of potential enemies. We need to be able to do the same thing my people. But that can only happen when we sincerely and securely embrace Jesus and all the good things He has to offer. Until then, we’ll be weak and feeble, driven to and fro by any kind of dogma, like a rudderless ship on a stormy sea. And the third thing which Agur talks about is; ‘The Locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands (in ranks).’ (Prov.30:27) Now isn’t that very strange, but rather interesting? Insects that have no leader, but yet go forth by their millions in proper ranks and formation! And their strength as a united body is enormous, for they rape and pillage the land like nothing else can. After locusts pass over an area, it looks like a moonscape, barren and desolate. Now if we humans, especially those in Christ’s church could only come together in such large numbers, with such vision and strength of purpose, then we’d have a much better chance of defeating the evildoers than we are now with comparatively puny numbers and petty divisions and dissensions. And last but not least of these strong and wise things of nature is; ‘The Spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.’ (Prov.30:28) Now the spider is certainly a work of true skill, cunning and strength! It builds its web all over, from the poorest hovel to the most pristine palace. It’s no respecter of places. And it cunningly catches its prey, its food in the sticky membranes of the web. We tear down these webs, but they soon build them back again. That’s tenacity people. Do we have that attribute? Not as much as we ought to. Too many of us get disheartened and discouraged at the first sign of danger or problems and quickly consider giving us. But please remember that giving up does not exist in Jesus’ vocabulary or that of His followers. Christ never gave up though the going was exceedingly rough. And can you imagine if He had given up as soon as the going got rough? Where would we be now eh? Left out in the cold, on the outside looking in, or rather facing a hellish time in the depths of hell with Lucifer, facing eternal death and separation from Almighty God. But with the Father’s generous help, Jesus stuck it out, so that we could have a chance to dwell in heaven, rather than hell for all eternity. And there ends the lesson for today my brethren. There’s a lot for the supposed smart and thinking humans to learn from the small, lowly, but very instinctive parts of nature, if we’ll only take the time to study them. Yuh see how the ancients did it and ended up wiser. But today with all our clever inventions and great expertise, we think we’re too high and mighty to learn anything from the smaller, lowlier creations of God. How wrong we are! So please, today, let’s take a few moments to ponder the attributes of those four lowly creatures, insignificant in our sight, but very pesty and pesky in our lives, and see how our individual lives and actions line up with them. Then let’s consciously make the decision and effort to do better. That’s wisdom in spades! Much LOVE!…though we look down disparagingly on the lesser creatures of nature…they do have a lot to teach us…supposedly first class beings…
19 Mar 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afflictions, belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, broken heart, christianity, condemned, crushed spirit, ever-LOVING God, God's will, good over evil, gospel truth, helmet of salvation, Jesus, judgement day, LOVE, neck of the woods, new mercies, punishment, rainy morning, sandals of peace, shield of faith, shout of joy, showers of blessings, snowy night, solid protection, spiritual armour, strength of God, sword of the Spirit, temptation, The Lord our Redeemer, the Tribulation
2 Peter 2:8. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished.
Oh Friends, it’s a rainy morning after a snowy night in my neck of the woods, so please be careful out on the roads this morning. Now we’re a tad late because the old body and mind weren’t feeling right, that’s alive and kicking (smile) when I first got up, so I decided to go back to sleep. However, I slept longer than expected. Two hours later I got up with my mind clear, but my back aching. Ah Lord eh! When it’s not one thing is another yes! Anyway, today is still a new day, and it’s going to be filled with new mercies and blessings from our ever-LOVING God. It’s one of His faithfully kept promises. So please remember that regardless of how you feel, or where you are, once you’ve put your trust in Almighty God, surrendered your soul to Him, every new day will bring new showers of blessings, for which we ought to be most thankful. Oh, another reminder of utmost importance. Before you leave home, please make sure you’re securely ensconced, totally dressed in your spiritual armour so that you can safely engage the enemy in battle. We’re talking about your helmet of salvation, your breastplate of righteousness, your belt of truth, sandals of peace, that massive shield of faith, and the all conquering sword of the spirit. Wow! What solid protection my brethren! Please don’t ever leave home without it! In fact, even when you’re home, please be dressed in it, because the wily Lucifer and his evil cronies are no respecter of places or persons. Wherever and whenever they find an opening, they’re going to dart in there as quickly as possible. So basically, once we’re awake, we need to have on that spiritual armour, and be always on guard, even in the comfort of our homes. And I’m chuckling here Friends, because I never intended to write about spiritual armour, but I guess the Lord considered it a good tie in with our Bit on temptation. ‘The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished.’ Yes fellow believers, it’s the same Bit as yesterday, because we have more scriptural info to pass along on the subject of temptation. Now yesterday we saw how Bruh Paul warned the Corinthians about temptation, (1 Cor.10:11-13) letting them know that we’re not to play high and mighty in regards to it; as though we’ll never bow to the tempter’s evil, ungodly invitations. He also noted that we’re not alone in temptation, for we’re all tempted at some time or another, it’s just one of the casualties of being an earthling. However, and most importantly, we must know and believe that our wonderful God will not allow us to suffer more temptation than we can safely handle, and will also ensure that we come out safely on the other side of it. One note of caution though, that doesn’t mean we won’t be tempted, or constantly shielded from it, but that He’ll work it out for out good, just as He does with everything else that comes against us. (Rom.8:28) And just in case you don’t believe Bruh Paul, (smile) then please listen to Bruh David as he waxes eloquently about how the Lord hears the righteous in Psalm 34. ‘The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off (destroy) the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh (near) unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite (crushed in) spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate (condemned or held guilty). The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate (condemned).’ (Ps.34:15-22) And all of that is gospel truth my people! Bruh David experienced it personally, and so have many of us. Our God won’t molly cuddle us, and keep us away from all suffering and temptation, but He will most definitely acknowledge the cause and cry of the righteous, and basically keep them safe from harm, while moulding them in the shape of His perfect Son, Jesus. And if you happen to see the wicked prospering from their evil exploits now, please don’t worry, or lose faith, for the Lord will deal with them in His own time, as our Bit truthfully declares. As believers, we just need to worry about doing God’s will, trying to persevere, to stay strong and faithful, with right hearts and clean spirits, so that the Lord will look kindly on us and hear our cry with empathy. And we’ll end with a promise of Christ from His message in Revelation to the church at Philadelphia. ‘Because thou hast kept the word of my patience (my command to persevere), I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation (trial), which shall come upon all the world, to try (test) them that dwell upon the earth.’ (Rev.3:10) Wow Friends! What a promise! And all God’s people gratefully declared: ‘Thank You Jesus! We LOVE and adore You!’ And the scholars agree that this is a real awesome promise. ‘This verse presents a promise that Christ will rapture genuine believers out of the world before the Tribulation period begins. The hour of temptation is the period of worldwide testing (Gr. peirasmos) which has not yet occurred (cf. Dan.12:1; Matt.24:21,29). Christ promises to keep them from (Gr. ek, “out of”) the period of Tribulation. That is, they will not even enter into this period of history. The Tribulation is for the purpose of trying or judging them that dwell upon the earth, those who are connected to the earth and its system. Believers are not included in this term. (cf. Phil.3:18-20; 1 Pet.2:11; Rev.6:10; 11:10; 13:8,12,14; 17:8).’ Please read those scriptural references so we can get a better understanding of it all. Oh my people, I’m shaking my head and wondering how, knowing all that, why would any sane and sensible person decide to revoke Jesus and do evil eh? So please, in light of all we’ve said, let’s ponder that question today and wisely come to the brilliant conclusion that good will indeed win out over evil in the long run, because our God and Saviour, Jesus has promised it. Much LOVE!…in the world…ye shall have tribulation…but be of good cheer…I have overcome the world… (John 16:33b) P.S. And all God’s children, unable to contain their excitement and enthusiasm, gave a mighty shout of joy and most gratefully declared: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’ Much LOVE my fellow believers, please stay strong in the strength of the Lord our God!
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