17 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd, barbecues, because they fainted, billion dollar questions, bounden duty, But when he saw the multitudes, circumspection, commandment, compassion, craziness, crucifixion, deceitful, deity, detriment, dierctionless sons of man, encourage, energy, enthusiasm, fellowship, flees, Friday chant, friends, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, Gentiles, get a foothold in our souls, get too carried away, going astray, Guide, He was moved with compassion, hired hand, hireling, I am the good shepherd, I lay down my life, I lay down my life for the sheep, Jesus Christ, joy, laughing all the way to the bank, lost, LOVE, moderation, my neck of the woods, obedient to the Father's will, on the agenda, one fold, one shepherd, outside activities, personal danger, pleasure, pompous, power, privilege, proper guidance, proud, purpose, relaxation, rest, resurrection, revenous, sacrificed, scatters the sheep, shepherd, sinful world, stumblingblock, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the enemy, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the right perspective, the weekend's up to bat, warm weekend, weary, weekend
Matthew 9:36. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Ah Friends, it’s Friday, and it’s supposed to be another glorious day in my neck of the woods, so you can imagine the craziness that’s going to take place this weekend if the weather stays fairly warm. All the barbecues and everything that smacks of summer will be out in full swing.
You can already hear the working populace crying out with joy. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday yes, and the weekend’s up to bat! The ribs will be a braising and the beer a flowing! The talk will be plentiful and the laughter hearty and loud! Thank God at last for a warm weekend yes!’
Ah mih breddren, those of you down south, who have warm weather and plentiful sunshine all year round, wouldn’t understand what a nice, warm weekend means to us northerners nuh. But most aspects of our lives are built around the weather. In winter we do certain things because it’s too cold outside. Then in spring and summer we do other things because it’s warm out side.
Anyway, I believe that this is the first truly warm weekend of the year, so for sure, a lot of outside activities will be on the agenda. But just to help us not get too carried away and keep the right perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant. And I surely don’t have to tell us with much enthusiasm and energy, because those will come naturally at this time of year. (smile)
So let’s chant: ‘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, a dash of moderation and circumspection are definitely needed as we get into this weekend. Otherwise we’re going to allow the enemy to get a foothold in our souls, for he is out there ravenous and deceitful as ever, looking for any way to cause us to fall.
And that is exactly what was happening in Jesus’ time, when our Bit was written. ‘But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.’
Yeh Friends, Jesus is still moved with compassion today because so many sheep are still going astray, being lost in this sinful world without any proper guidance. He wants to be, longs to be their guide and shepherd, that’s His bounden duty and purpose.
That’s why He declared during His earthly sojourn: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that’s exactly what He did later on Friends; He sacrificed His holy and sinless life for the lost and directionless sons of man. How wonderful!
Then Jesus went on to further explain: ‘But he that is a hireling (hired man), and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling (hired hand) fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.’ (John 10:12-13)
And that’s a proven fact my brethren, as the scholars remind us. ’10:12. A hireling (a servant for pay) will flee in time of personal danger, because he is working for money, and neither owns nor LOVES the sheep.’
But thankfully, Jesus is ever so different! And He proudly proclaims it: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” (John 10:14)
Oh Friends, the billion dollar questions here are (1) does Jesus know you as a sheep of His flock, and (2) do you know Him as your good shepherd? I certainly do hope so, for our very lives, both earthly and eternal depend very much on those distinctions.
And Jesus continues with His monologue on the shepherd and the sheep. ‘As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.
Therefore doth my Father LOVE me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.’ (John 10:15-18)
Oh Friends what a beautiful passage of scripture. It says so much in those few words. Jesus is about to lay down His life for the sheep of His flock, and He is so obedient to the Father’s will, that the Father has no choice but to LOVE Him. Plus He’s going to bring another flock, the Gentiles into the equation, and make it all ONE big flock, with ONE shepherd. How glorious a promise!
And as the scholars say: ‘10:17-18. Jesus does more than predict His crucifixion and resurrection, He also shows that He has the power to lay down His life and take it again, once more asserting His deity.’
And sadly my people, that has been a major stumbling block for mankind, right from Jesus’ first days on earth, up to the present time. Men have doubted His deity from day one, and continue to do so, sadly to their own detriment. But the smart few, like us, who have embraced Him in all the splendour and power of His deity are laughing all the way to the bank; figuratively of course. (smile)
On second thought, heaven might have been a better comparison. (smile) Anyway Friends, let’s not be proud and pompous at being a chosen member of Jesus’ flock, for that has never been His intention.
Let’s do like Him, have compassion for those who are still lost, and try our very best to encourage them to come to Him, to become members of His flock too, for that’s what He desires of us. Much LOVE!
…oh what a joy, pleasure and privilege it is…to be a member Jesus’ one, worldwide flock…nothing else can compare to it…
29 Jul 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of God, a righteous man, access by faith, accptance, advice, Advocate, ashamed, assurance, at all times dare to be the best, attempt to, awesome word, be prepared to believe, bless your Holy Name, Bruh Paul, certainty, challenge, character, Christ died for the ungodly, comfort zone, commandment, courage, courageous, DARE, dare to be the best, daring, daring believers, defy, disappoint, echoing Jesus' words, enmity, even dare to die, evil, experience, fear, feel sure that, followers of Jesus christ, for a good man, friends, get up off of our fat fannies, glory in tribulation, God rested on the seventh day, God's business, God's deliverance, God's great love, grace, heavenly wisdom, Holy Ghost, hope, I can do attitude, impudence, in Jesus' name, ingeniously reasons, iniquities, justification, justified by faith, kindness, lay down his life, lord jesus christ, LOVE, LOVE one another, mea culpa, mercy, not being afraid, pain, patience, peace with God, perseverance, plaintive plea, poured out in our hearts, praise and adore, presence of god, reconciled, Redeemer, rejoice in hope, rest, rest is an integral part of our lives, rise up and meet challenges, run amuck, sacrificing, servants, stand up strong and steadfast, Steve Marshall, stress, take the risk, Thank you Jesus, the glory of God, the LOVE of God, ungodly state, venture to
Romans 5:7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die.
Ah Friends and neighbours, it was one of those days where at getting up time, the old body plaintively cried out; ‘More rest! In the name of God, more rest please!’
And being a child of God, a reflection of His mercy, LOVE and kindness, how could I refuse such a plaintive plea eh? (smile) To tell the truth, the ole bod could still use some more rest, but sometimes we just can’t let it have it’s own way and must say enough is enough, else it will simply take over and run amuck on us.
So Friends, when your bodies seriously cry out for rest, don’t constantly ignore it, because it often knows better than us, what it needs. And remember too that rest was a big part of God’s concern when He created the universe.
For as the Good Book says: ‘And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.’ (Gen.2:3)
So Friends, if God needed rest from His labours, or rather saw fit to rest, then why shouldn’t we also. Please be aware that rest is an integral part of our earthly lives, though the world, in its evil, ungodly state, strives to keep us continually busy, but that only causes us considerable and unnecessary stress and pain.
And now that I’ve formally made my excuses, my mea culpas, (smile) let’s see what good word our almanac has for us today. And though it’s a small in stature word, it is big, bold, beautiful and mighty in its impact. Believe me, it’s an awesome word that ALL God’s children ought to heed.
And that powerful word is ‘DARE!’
Now I’m not sure which Steve Marshall the following quote can be attributed to, because there are so many. But whichever one it is, he is supposed to have said these simple but powerful words of advice: ‘Dare to be the best you can – at all times, dare to be the best!’
What wonderful words of advice my brethren, especially for followers of the Lord Jesus Christ! Why is that you ask? Because daring allows us to move out of our comfort zone, to get up off of our fat fannies and do the things Jesus desires of us.
The dictionary generally defines ‘DARE’ as ‘venture to, have the courage or impudence to, feel sure that, attempt to, take the risk of, defy, challenge, be prepared to believe.’
So you can see Friends, that daring involves getting up and doing, meeting challenges full on, not being afraid of and running from stuff.
And that stand up strong and steadfast, courageous, believing I can attitude is necessary in ALL believers if we seriously intend to do God’s work here in this evil, ungodly world, because the enemy will not allow us to just go about God’s business without any challenges and evil input.
Yes my people, believers are called to be daring, so daring that we would follow our Bit. ‘For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die.’
Wow! It surely is a hefty dare, but one that we should not shy away from if necessary. Oh my brethren, I know that ALL of us are praying that it won’t be necessary in our own lives. (smile) But Bruh Paul was simply echoing Jesus’ words there in our Bit, when He told the disciples:
‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.’ (John 15:12-15)
Then He went out and died for His FRIENDS; laid down His life for us!
And all God’s children gave out a mighty and grateful shout of: ‘Oh thank you Jesus for sacrificing your holy and sinless life for us! We praise and adore You, and bless your holy name, now and forever more! Amen’
Yeh mih people, that’s what daring does! It causes us to rise up and meet challenges, even though we may be sorely afraid.
As Bruh Paul so ingeniously reasons before our Bit; ‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience (produces perseverance); And patience, experience (character); and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God is shed abroad (has been poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due (at the right) time Christ died for the ungodly.’ (Rom.5:1-6)
Oh Friends, what marvelous scripture! Scripture that assures and ensures us of God’s great LOVE!
And it’s only fitting that we end with some scholarly explanations of those verses. ‘5:1-4. Justified by faith (lit. “because we have been justified by faith”): It was God’s doing, not man’s.
Peace with God: This is not a feeling but a standing. God and the believer are no longer at enmity but have been reconciled (cf. 5:10-11; 2 Cor.5:18). This is a primary result of our justification.
Access: We can come directly into the presence of God. Jesus Christ is not only our Redeemer, but He is also our Advocate. By Him we gain entrance and acceptance before the Father (cf. 1 John 2:1)
Wherein we stand: This is the answer to the psalmist’s question: “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” (Ps.130:3) Rejoice (lit. “we boast”) in hope denotes the absolute certainty the believer has of God’s deliverance.
5:5. Holy Ghost…given: The believer has the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. This is not a “second blessing,” but is just as much a certitude as the believer’s justification (cf. 1 Cor.12:13).’
Oh my people, with all that assurance and certainty expressed in God’s Word, there’s no way we should fear to go out and ‘DARE!’
So starting today, right now, let’s put all that stuff deep in our souls nuh, bury God’s assurance deep in our hearts and thus allow it to make us not only believers, but even more importantly, daring believers. That’s heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…to dare…to dare…and yet to dare…in Jesus name…is what we’re called to do…
23 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accidents, adrenalin, ascension, aura of love, blues, circumstances, cold, commandment, confidence, crucifizion, damage, dangerous, deity, enthusiasm, evil ungodly world, faith, fallen trees, foot dragging, further your glorious kingdom, Gentiies, gospel, hazards, heavenly Father's business, heavens declare his righteousness, Holy Name, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, ice, invincible conquerors, Jesus Christ, jobs, judge, judge of the quick and the dead, keeping lives and families together, king, lawgiver, lead and guide, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, northern climes, ordained of God, our end all and be all, our Saviour, pain, Pentecost, Peter, power loss, ravages of storms, rejuvenation of spirit, remission of sins, renewed vitality, resurrection, sacrificed, sacrificially, Selah, sincere prayer, sinless life, sins, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strength, surrender our all, taunts, tiredness, truest truth, useful purpose, walk of faith, weary souls, weather, weight of ice, wiles, wintry
Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will save us.
Oh Friends, on this gloomy Monday morning, the eve of Christmas Eve, my area is still suffering from the ravages of the rain, freezing rain and ice storm. The storms themselves have abated, but the damage is there to be cleaned up now.
We’re talking about the emotional and physical pain of the populace, the numerous accidents, vehicular and human, the many trees that have fallen or lost sizeable portions of their limbs from the weight of the ice, the neighbourhoods that are still without power, the lanes and minor roads that are still ice covered or are slushy, making it very hazardous and unpredictable.
Yesterday morning I salted my drive way, and half an hour later when I came out to go to church, it seemed as though I’d never put down any salt at all, because it was covered with a clear sheet of ice. And later, on my way from church, I stopped to buy some more salt, and would you believe I couldn’t put them in the trunk of my car, because the ice wouldn’t allow the trunk to stay opened.
Mama Mia! You really can’t imagine the damage an ice storm can do, until you experience it. But believe me, it possibly does more damage, or is potentially more dangerous than just the normal snow. I remember one in Montreal some years ago, and couldn’t believe the serious damage it did. But now I believe! (smile)
A big, beautiful tree in my neighbour’s backyard is now a shadow of its former self, having lost about two thirds of its limbs, while a big one in my front yard has lost several branches, and has another sizeable branch dangerously hanging over the road. I will most likely have to find and pay someone to cut it down.
And the sad part is that we’re not quite sure what kind of weather to expect in the next few days, except that it will be cold and wintry. But nuh must! It’s winter in the northern climes! (smile) Anyway Friends, regardless of our circumstances this Monday morning, be they good, bad or indifferent, we need to get up and be about our heavenly Father’s business.
And to help us do that, to alleviate the blues, the tiredness and the foot dragging, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with grateful hearts, thankful that we’re still alive and full of the joy of our wonderful God.
In close harmony now, let’s sing: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And we can all feel the adrenalin flowing now my brethren! Our hope, faith and strength are on the increase, because our God is a most excellent Deity, He answers sincere prayer. Remember Friends, that our God is our EVERYTHING; OUR END ALL AND BE ALL!
As our Bit puts it: ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will save us.’ And that my fellow believers is possibly the truest of all truths that exist in this universe.
Now let’s corroborate our Bit with pertinent scriptures, taking each aspect of God’s majesty separately. Don’t know how much we’ll accomplish today because there’s lots of scripture to share, but let’s begin with the Lord being our JUDGE. In Acts 10, we find Peter preaching to the Gentiles, after the apostles had received the gift and power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
And having told them about Jesus; His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension (Acts 10:34-41), he then informs them of Jesus’ command. ‘And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of (the) quick and (the) dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission (forgiveness) of sins.’ (Acts 10: 42-43)
Oh Friends, we obviously can’t argue with Peter, because he walked with Jesus, was one of His inner circle of disciples, and saw and heard all that happened. Therefore we need to take what he says very seriously, and adjust our lives so that we can meet the Judge without too much anxiety.
And I like the scholars’ comment on that passage. ’10:36-43. Peter’s preaching presents in clear fashion the gospel: how Christ lived and died, was raised from the dead, and how He did this sacrificially and vicariously for our sins.’
And right there we have the answer my brethren! Because Jesus sacrificed His sinless life for our sins, the Father made Him JUDGE over all His creation, both living and dead. Please let that sink deep into our consciousness my people, because it’s ever so important in our earthly walk of faith. Much LOVE!
…and the heavens shall declare his righteousness…for God is judge himself… Selah (Ps.50:6)
14 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awe of God, Babylon, backsliding, become prosperous, bondage, Book of the Law, calamitous repercussions, charles stanley, clarifies our direction, commandment, confirms our counsel, consider, constantly talk about, crux, disastrous times, disobedience, encouraging, enlarges our view of God, enlightening, faith, God's promises, God's Word, Good Book, good success, gospel truth, guides us to success, have success, ill repute, increases our faith, israelite nation, Israelites, Joshua, keeps us aware of God's preence and power, left hand, levites, man's rebellious nature, meditate, mortal souls, Mosaic Law, Moses, old wives tales, ponder, purifies our heart, quietens our spirit, religion, right hand, scriptures, sharpens our perception, stubborn nature, the Lord's Law, theology, tip of our tongues, true wisdom, trust, turning away from God, vengeance, while there's life there's hope
Joshua 1:8. This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Oh Friends, Friday the 13th is past, and nothing of any ill-repute has besieged us! So why do we yet hang on to these old wives tales bathed in evil eh? That’s surely not wisdom, especially when we have the Good Book and all the wonderful things and promises it contains. That’s why on this Saturday morn, we’re going to get into the scriptures with a vengeance, to arrest our recent backsliding and renew and refresh our troubled mortal souls. (smile)
And we’re getting into our Bit very early in the proceedings because it totally reflects God’s promises and either births our faith, or puts it on more solid ground. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’
Oh my people, those were the words of our God to Joshua after he became the official leader of the Israelites! Now let’s break down the Lord’s commands. First off, He told Joshua that he should be constantly talking of, about and from the book of Mosaic Law written by Moses. And a note from the scholars declares that ‘This verse indicates both the existence of the law by the time of Joshua and its Mosaic authorship. (cf. 8:31-35)’
Then secondly, Joshua was strongly advised to meditate on the word of the law. That’s read, study, contemplate, ponder and inwardly digest its inner workings. Why? Because by so doing, Joshua and the Israelite nation would become prosperous and successful in their endeavours.
Now Friends, isn’t that very simple and straightforward? It sure is! And when the Israelites practiced it, they were prosperous and successful. However, when they didn’t, their success and prosperity went downhill, often including attacks by their numerous enemies, even to the point of being taken away in bondage, like happened with Babylon. So why didn’t they learn their lesson eh? Only God Almighty knows!
But my brethren, since our everlasting God and His law don’t change, that means those prophetic words and awesome promise of God, still apply to us today. But sadly, just like the Israelites of old, this generation has refused to embrace the Lord’s law. No wonder our societies and our world are going through such trying, troubled and disastrous times.
Anyway, let’s get to the crux of today’s Bit. I decided to write on the meditation theme today because while going through some notes, I found something I had written down from one of Uncle Charles’ (Charles Stanley) sermons a few weeks ago. And to have it come up at a time when I wasn’t thinking of anything else in particular to write about, I took it as a sign that today was the day to share Uncle Charles’ thoughts on Meditating On God’s Word. (smile) Some of you might have heard and/or seen that sermon, but hearing these encouraging and enlightening thoughts again will only help us.
Here are the things Uncle Charles says that meditation on the Word does for us. ‘Quietens our spirit, Purifies our heart, Sharpens our perception, Clarifies our direction, Confirms or cautions our counsel, Increases our faith, Enlarges our view of God, Keeps us aware of God’s presence and power, and last but not least, Guides us to success.’
And my fellow believers, if we seriously consider those conditions, we’ll discover that they’re all gospel truth! So why don’t we constantly meditate and ponder on God’s Word eh? I really don’t know. I guess it’s just man’s natural rebellious and stubborn nature, always wanting to do it his way, despite proven evidence of the disaster that follows from it.
Now let’s hear from Moses, who first instructed the Israelites on meditating on the Word, and this while telling them what to do when they entered the Promised Land and decided they wanted a king like the other nations around them. And we all know that day eventually came. (1 Samuel 8-10) Now that was just another nail the Israelites drove into their own coffin, and it broke God’s heart, for He considered Himself their king.
Anyway, this is what Moses commanded. ‘And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests and Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear (stand in awe of) the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them.
That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren (become proud), and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel.’ (Deut.17:18-20)
Oh my people, more simple, explicit and clear as day instructions! But all to no avail, for the Israelites, just like us, when they got prosperous and successful, in their own minds, simply forgot about God and went their own way. And they did indeed endure calamitous repercussions for their disobedience. Likewise calamity is befalling us today for our turning away from God.
Oh Friends, true wisdom still entails meditating on God’s word, storing it deep in our souls, and then putting it into practice. Please let future generations say about us: ‘They constantly meditated on the Word, always had it at the tip of their tongues, and were thus successful!’
Don’t laugh, this is serious business my fellow believers. And it’s not too late to start, for remember, while there’s life, there’s always hope. Much LOVE!
…when one sincerely ponders God’s Word…it automatically raises the level of one’s faith and trust…
29 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: admonition, aura of love, battle hymn, bless, bombarded, buffeted, christianity, commandment, compassion, confidence, conquerors, curse, do good, ehthusiasm, evil cohorts, forgiveness, Gentile ancestry, glorious kingdom, Good Samaritan, great conviction, hate, hate your enemy, historical background, holy spirit, human affection, humble servants, insult, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jews, jobs, kindness, law of Christ, law of LOVE, Levite, lies, LOVE, LOVE to hate, Love your enemies, LOVE your neighbour, Monday Monday, pray, priest, provocative, rejuvenation, religion, renewed vitality, reproach, rewards in heaven, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strength, sweet harmony, theology, ungodly world, useful purpose, weary souls, wiles, wisdom, wise teachings, worldly wisdom, worthwhile inroads
Luke 10:33. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.
‘Monday, Monday! Oh how we believers LOVE that day! No Friends, it’s not a typo. I know that many of us would rather say: ‘Oh how I LOVE to hate that day!’
But that’s not even worldly wisdom my brethren, much less wisdom of the godly type. For even worldly wisdom dictates that we do something constructive and productive with our time, so that we can get ahead in the material aspects of life, and godly wisdom adds the winning of souls for Jesus to the mix.
So, all in all, Monday is a very important day in the life, whether you’re a believer or not, since if you don’t work at a worldly job, you most likely won’t eat, and if you don’t work for Jesus, your rewards in heaven would be minimal or even non-existent.
And having said all of that, which hopefully won’t fall on deaf ears, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great conviction, to reassure Jesus that we’re up and about and ready to join the battle on His behalf against the evil Lucifer and his band of evil cohorts. So let those vocal chords loudly declare in sweet harmony, our convictions, re Jesus and His Holy and most worthwhile cause.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour.
We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And you can see that if we adhere to what we just sang, then we’d not be like the priest and the Levite, who both passed by on the other side, but be as Jesus desires of us, like the Samaritan in our Bit. ‘But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.’
Ah my brethren, that word compassion is a mighty word, and a defining one in the lexicon of the believer. But before we get into that, let’s get some historical background from the scholars on the basic situation. ‘Jews and Samaritans were bitter rivals (John 4:9). The Samaritans were despised for having at least partial Gentile ancestry (due to Assyria’s conquest of Samaria in 721 B.C) and for having a different worship centre (Mount Gerizim; John 4:20).
Thus Jesus’ parable was highly provocative. Samaritan was to Jesus’ hearers automatically a term of reproach. To portray a Samaritan as fulfilling the commandment (see v.27), but Jews as circumventing it, would be a supreme insult to the listening lawyer (v.25) and the rest of His audience.’
Now that gives us some insight into the true meaning and importance of the parable. It also reminds us of one of Jesus’ many other provocative and unorthodox but wise teachings; LOVE your enemies, of which He reassures us thus: ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors, sinners) the same? and if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt.5:43-48)
Oh my people, I never intended to use all of that scripture, but after reading it, I realized that I had to since one part was no good without the others. And now I’ve seen some interesting info from the scholars that brings greater understanding to it.
‘The law of LOVE, sometimes called “law of Christ,” summarizes the ethical principle of the Sermon on the Mount. “LOVE thy neighbour” summarizes the entire second table of the law (cf. Lev.19:18-34). But the unscriptural addition “hate thine enemy” was a popular concept in Jesus’ day.
The admonition LOVE your enemies is one of the greatest statements Jesus ever made. The LOVE enjoined in this passage is LOVE that originates from God Himself. Man is not commanded to attempt to LOVE his enemy on the basis of mere human affection but rather on the basis of a LOVE that comes from God.
The quality of LOVE commanded here is expressed by giving. Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute you. LOVING an enemy involves doing good toward that enemy in order to win him over to Christ.’
Oh Friends, there’s a lot for us to ponder on and meditate today, so let’s get to it nuh. Let’s consider the Good Samaritan and LOVING our enemy aspects of lives, and if we’re falling short in these areas, then let’s come to the Father and ask for His gracious forgiveness and His awesome strength to get with the program. For that my Friends, is heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…to reciprocate kindness is natural…but to truly serve Jesus…we must take it one step further…be kind to those who are not kind to us…
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