06 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a life lived in purity, a righteous daily life, according to His will, adopt a better attitude, assure our hearts, aura of love, backsliders, carnal minded, confidence in God, effective prayer, feeble attempts, frivolous stuff, further your glorious kingdom, he heareth us, holy spirit, human animal, humble servants, if we ask anything, inroads, Jesus Christ, keep his commandments, knowing his truth, misguided, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, our heart condem us, pleasing in his sight, praise Your Holy Name, regular fellowship, rest programmes, right living, spiritual armour, standard of Christian living, steadfast faith, sucessful praying, that wicked one, this is the confidence, thwarted, to honour God, we have in him, we're not afraid
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:
So it’s the first Monday of the new year, how are we going to greet it eh? How are we going to operate on this opening day of the first full work week of 2020? Are we going to be sour and miserable and tired like we’ve been for a lot of the year just past? I do hope that since most of us have resolved to walk closer with Jesus this year, that most of us will also adopt a better attitude, through regular fellowship and better rest programmes, so that we can bear plenty good fruit for Him.
And yes, I know that we’ll have some backsliders every week, because that’s just the nature of the human animal. (smile) But we’ll always have a backup plan to lend strong support, namely our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. And I suspect that plenty of us will need it today since we’re still recuperating from the season’s celebrations. (smile)
So as one strong and confident voice, let’s float our prayer up to heaven. ‘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 almost immediately, we feel the Holy Spirit moving within us to give us what we asked for. Wow! What an awesome God we serve and worship my people! And why are we so confident in our prayers eh? John explains it thus in his first epistle. ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 5:14-15)
Mama Mia! What other faith has such a built in confidence builder eh? None. As the scholars explain: ‘5:14-15. Assurance of salvation (v.13) leads to confidence in petition. Effectual prayer is according to his will.’ Now that’s the fly in the ointment my faithful brethren: we have to ask for stuff that fall’s within God’s will. So we can’t afford to be too frivolous and ask for stuff that’s carnal minded.
And John furthermore states in an earlier chapter, as he discusses LOVING one another, not merely in talk, but in deed and in truth. ‘And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure (persuade) our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.’ (1 John 3:19-22)
And what does all of that mean? We’ll let the scholars explain it: ‘3:19. Cain (v. 12) was “of that wicked one”, believers are of the truth. And hereby: John seems to be saying that assurance of salvation comes in part as one reaches out actively in caring for others (preceding verses).’ Yes friends, believers ought to be involved in the truth, in faith as well as deeds.
‘3:20. In light of John’s strict teaching above, he may have felt that some readers might begin to despair. He assures them that, although our feeble attempts to honour God may leave us feeling defeated inside, God is greater than our self-awareness (cf. 1 Cor. 4:4) and can justify us even when we would condemn ourselves. He sees not only our actions, which at times are thwarted or misguided, but also the motives and intentions behind them.’ And the intentions and motives of our hearts are ever so important in our faith walk my people, because that’s what God judges us by, not simply our outward actions.
‘3:21-22. If our heart condemn us not: We have confidence toward God if our lives are in line with the standard of Christian living set forth above. John is not saying that whether a person is right or wrong is simply a matter of how he subjectively feels about himself. That is why John has given so many indicators and commands for Christians to take note of and assess themselves by. And one of the great results of a life lived in purity before God is a life where there is effective prayer. Right living is an important part of successful praying.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth my fellow believers! A successful prayer life cannot be had without a righteous daily life. And I think that’s a fitting note to end on today. So please, let’s sincerely ponder our prayer lives based on the above facts nuh, and try to come up higher this year of 2020, with the Lord’s help of course! Much LOVE!
…confidence in God…comes from knowing His truth…and living according to His will…
06 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good soldier of Christ, a mighty army, against the foe, all one body, attributes, battle cry, charity, Christ the king, Christians, commitment, confidence in God, courage, crown of righteousness, devoted followers of Christ, doctrine, encourage Christians, endurance, endure afflictions, endure hardness, entangles himself, faith, forces of evil, good conscience, happy throng, hardship, Hell's foundations, holding faith, honour, hope, in their imagination, laud, Love his appearing, LOVE Revolution, marching as to war, not divided, on the outside looking in, on to victory, only in Christ, Onward Christian soldiers, perseverance, quiver, race of life, righteous judge, Satan's host doth flee, soldiers for Christ, suffered shipwreck, temptations, the affairs of this world, the church of God, the cross of Jesus, the gospel, the heathen, the royal Master, the shout of praise, the work of an evangelist
2 Timothy 2:3. Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ!
And then it was the first Sunday of the New Year! Glory Be! And all the devoted followers of Christ flocked to His sanctuary to hear His Word, to give Him the praise and worship He so obviously deserves, as well as to mix and mingle and to encourage and edify and uplift their fellow believers. And for this first Sunday in 2019, we have an awesome and most appropriate song of worship to open the proceedings.
It’s an old 19th century British hymn whose lyrics were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865 as a processional hymn for children walking from Horbury Bridge to Horbury St Peter’s Church near Wakefield, Yorkshire, at Whitsuntide in 1865. It was originally entitled, “Hymn for Procession with Cross and Banners.”
Then Arthur Sullivan composed the accompanying music in 1871. They say that Sullivan first named the tune “St. Gertrude,” after the wife of his friend Ernest Clay Ker Seymer, at whose home he composed it. But eventually the Salvation Army adopted it as one of their favourite processional hymns …and the rest is history!
Oh friends, let’s belt out that well known and greatly LOVED tune that calls us to be strong and steadfast soldiers in Christ’s Name. As one great army now, marching into battle, letting the enemy know that we’re coming…and coming for only one thing; victory!
‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! (Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!)
At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise! [Refrain]
Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod; We are not divided; all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. [Refrain]
Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honour, unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages men and angels sing. [Refrain] Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!)’
Oh my fellow believers if that doesn’t stir up the LOVE for Christ in your hearts, then something’s seriously wrong with you! It’s exactly the kind of battle cry Christians need in these turbulent, decadent and evil times! And that’s why it was written; ‘to encourage Christians in their ongoing battles with temptations within themselves and the evil forces throughout the world.’
And there’s been no other time like now, when evil is running rampant all over and the heathen seems to be winning the battle! But friends, that’s only in their imagination, because we believers are coming out loud, proud and strong this year of 2019! We’re going to mightily embrace those rich and encouraging words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ!’
Wow mih people! What better words to frame our year than with those eh? We are in Christ’s army, and as good soldiers do, we WILL endure hardship for Him, and in His name! That’s our faithful promise! For as Bruh Paul continues to Timothy: ‘No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim.2:4)
Yeh friends, if we are soldiers for Christ, we can’t afford to get entangled in the affairs of this world. We have to keep our hands and hearts clean of the evil that surrounds us, so that we can please Christ who has called us, who has enlisted us in His LOVE Revolution, to fight the good fight in His name!
As Bruh Paul told Timothy earlier on: ‘This charge I commit unto (command) thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee (previously made concerning you), that thou by them mightest war a good warfare. Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away (rejected) concerning the faith have made (suffered) shipwreck.’ (1 Tim.1:18-19)
Oh my brethren, we need to be ever so faithful having personal confidence in God, as well as the word, the gospel that’s been handed down to us by the saints. For if we reject those things, then we’ll surely become shipwrecked, lost and left on the outside looking in; the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul!
And later on, Bruh Paul again gets on poor Timothy’s case. After warning him of the deterioration of the church in years to come, (2 Tim.4:2-4) he declares:
‘But watch thou in all things. Endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist (preach the gospel of Christ), make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim.4:5-8)
Yes my believing brethren, we ALL ought to be able to say that at end of our lives. But for that to happen, we have to begin being good, strong and steadfast soldiers of Christ, RIGHT NOW! So let’s get to it nuh! We have a crown of righteousness to win! Much LOVE!
…to win any race…especially the race of life…one needs to have commitment…courage…perseverance…endurance…and faith…and ONLY in Christ…can one find all those attributes…
P.S. Yes, it’s late, but church had to come first…and anyway I likes it…hope you do too! (smile) Much LOVE!
03 Dec 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sound mind, action, animal barn, assurance, birthplace, blackbird has spoken, boast, Cat Stevens, cathedral, Christians, Christmas, confidence in God, do it afraid, elation, fear not, fellowship, followers of Jesus, friendship, gladness in my heart, glory to God, God's recreation, good things, hope, hovel, I awaked, I will not be afraid, in Jesus' name, kill the body, kill the soul, laid me down and slept, lay me down in peace, Lord God Jehovah, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, lowly servant, makes me dwell in safety, manger, mine is the sunlight, morning has broken, power, praise, praise for the singing, redeemed, royal splendour, safety, sanctuary, sinful turmoil, sleep, smitten by fear, spend eternity, springing fresh from the world., stand together, station in life, steadfast, strong, Sunday, sunlit from heaven, surroundings, sweet the rain, sweetness, talk, ten thousands of people, the Lord sustained me, the Lord's Day, the new day, the Sabbath, the spirit of fear, the wet garden, thou Lord, trust in God, unconditional LOVE, what's in our hearts
Psalm 4:8. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
And after Saturday, comes Sunday… the first day of the week; the Lord’s Day, the Sabbath; the time we gather for great fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary, be it a majestic cathedral or a lowly hovel! The physical aspect of the place doesn’t matter that much, just the feeling of friendship and LOVE we bring to it. The Lord is more interested in what’s in our hearts than our surroundings.
Yuh see where He allowed His Son Jesus to be born at the upcoming Christmas time? In a smelly, rundown animal barn. Don’t you think, if He wanted to, or if He thought it that important, Jesus could have been born in a palace, or somewhere much better than the manger. For sure! But Jesus wasn’t coming to earth to live in royal splendor…at least not this first time… but as a lowly servant, so His birthplace did fit His station in life.
Anyway, let’s get to the matter at hand, opening our ceremony with some sacrifice of praise, with the old Cat Stevens tune, ‘Morning has broken.’ In full voice and beautiful harmony now, letting heaven know that we’re serious about our praise and worship. ‘Morning has broken like the first morning Blackbird has spoken like the first bird Praise for the singing Praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the world
Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven Like the first dewfall on the first grass Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden Sprung in completeness where his feet pass Mine is the sunlight Mine is the morning Born of the one light Eden saw play Praise with elation, praise ev’ry morning God’s recreation of the new day Morning has broken like the first morning Blackbird has spoken like the first bird Praise for the singing Praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the world.’
Yes friends, a brand new day has indeed dawned, just like the first one did eons ago, and will continue to do until the Lord decides otherwise! And I do hope that we are thankful for being allowed to see this new day, especially knowing that so many good things can and will happen to us, and through us to others. Glory to God!
What a wonderful Deity we serve and worship! There is NO other like Him! Give Him much deserved thanks and praise for all that He’s done for us, my brethren, especially when He didn’t have to! But the undying and unconditional LOVE in His heart wouldn’t allow Him to just let us be destroyed in sinful turmoil without giving us a chance to be redeemed and spend eternity with Him.
That’s why Bruh David could write the last two verses of Psalm 4 – An evening prayer of trust in God – with such boldness and authority. ‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ (Ps.4:7-8)
Wonderful words of assurance friends, which carry over even in to today’s tumultuous and evil world for each and every believer in Jesus Christ! Yes, if we are true followers of Jesus, then we can make the same boast on His glorious name!
And Bruh David wasn’t shy to declare his trust in God. Listen to him from Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God. ‘I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:5-6)
Ah mih people, are we brave and bold and faithful enough to make such declarations? We ought to be, if Christ is our Lord and Saviour. But I guess too many of us supposed believers are smitten by fear of what the world can do to us, but the Bible tells us oodles of times, ‘FEAR NOT!’ Somebody says it’s listed there 365 times, one time for each day of the year.
And Jesus specifically said to the disciples: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:28) That’s the Lord God Jehovah my people! If we need to fear anyone, that’s whom we should be afraid of because He has the power to destroy us six ways from Sunday.
But then listen to Bruh Paul’s words as he encourages Timothy on the subject. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7) God has given us the ability to do whatever he wills, my brethren, so there is no need to let fear overcome us. And if we do become afraid, then just do whatever it is afraid. (smile) The Lord will see you through.
Oh people of Christ, our world is in a sad, cruel and evil mess, and only we Christians can clean it up. But to do so successfully, we have to stand together strong and steadfast in Jesus name, unafraid of what the world will do or say. Otherwise we’re just wasting our time and energy. So today I implore us to get together in our local communities and get a move on nuh, with establishing Jesus’ LOVE Revolution. It’s the only hope for our world! Much LOVE!
…enough talk now…time for more serious action from Christians…
20 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abednego, Absalom, burned, confidence in God, divisive, Donald Trump, Egypt, faith, fell, Friday chant, friends, fun, furnace, generous help, get down time, glorious kingdom, god is still in control, gospel truth, grace, honesty, I shall not want, I will be confident, I will fear no evil, inaguration, Jesus Christ, lack, LOVE, Meshach, messenger, mine enemies, my heart shall not fear, my oyster, Nebuchadnezzar, parted the Red Sea, party time, passest through the waters, perspective, pray for the U.S.A., productive, promises, pushing the envelope, ransom, reassuring scripture, rebellious son, redeemed, relaxation, rest, scorched, seven times hotter, shadrach, sincerity, smelling of smoke, strong, stumbled, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord sustained me, the river Jordan, the secret to life, the trap of sin, the valley of the shadow of death, the weekend, tho art mine, tho art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, trust, truth, unified, walkest through the fire, war rise against me
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).
Well friends, it’s Friday…and what a big Friday too! One that will eventually decide what our world will look like in the future. We’re talking about the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States of America!
Wow! As the man says, only in America! I don’t know if there has ever been a more divisive leader in the free world! But as a friend keeps telling me: ‘Don’t worry, Trump might be riding high now, but GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL!’
And that’s the gospel truth my people, our Creator is still in control, and always will be, and His plans are the ones that will eventually prevail.
But it’s also necessary that we pray fervently for the U.S. of A, because unfortunately, as they go, so does a majority of our world. That means we need for them to be strong and productive and unified, else our lives will also be affected in some negative way or another.
But yuh know what? Some people don’t care about all the hoopla surrounding Trump’s inauguration, they are still basically concerned about having the weekend off and being able to do whatever then want, when ever they want.
That’s because they know that come next week, they will still have to go back out and labour under the same strenuous and unfair circumstances.
So they are still singing: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes, and the whole weekend is my oyster! It’s party time! It’s get down time! It’s whatever I want, when ever time! So thank you Lord for Fridays and the weekend!’
But as always, that’s simply pushing the envelope too far. Our Friday Chant brings a much better perspective to the situation. So let’s declare it with sincerity and strong faith nuh. ‘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 fellow believers, that’s a much better way to characterize our weekend, so let’s move on now to our Bit. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).’
And tough t’s (smile) to those who don’t like our continued use of that awesome line of scripture! Don’t blame me, I’m just the messenger, doing what I’ve been led to do. It’s the Lord’s will, and as we said earlier on, it will ALWAYS prevail!
Now let’s look at verse 4 of that amazing Psalm, 23, which we all know and continually quote. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:4)
Mama Mia! What a most reassuring scripture! And in Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God – when running from his rebellious son, Absalom, Bruh David again declares his immense faith and trust in the God of his forefathers.
‘I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:5-6)
Oh my brothers and sisters in Christ, can we make such a declaration in all honesty and truth? I do hope so, for we need that stage of maturity to help us handle this evil world without fear.
Listen to Bruh David again from Psalm 27. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ (Ps. 17:1-3)
Oh friends, those are the kind of words we need to confidently declare in these cruel and tumultuous times, if we hope to win this world for Christ.
And we’ll end with this momentous promise of our omnipotent God from Isaiah, as he talks about ‘The Lord, the only redeemer.’
‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place).’ (Is.43:1-3)
All I can say to that amazing set of promises is that the Lord fulfilled them all in some form and fashion! He created us, then when we fell into the trap of sin, He redeemed us through Jesus Christ. He parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River for the Israelites to walk over on dry land.
Then remember the three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to bow to the golden image that the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar made, and were thrust into the furnace, heated to a temperature seven times hotter than normal.
And what happened? They cane out alive, not even smelling of smoke! Wow! And the Lord God of Israel will do the same for all those who sincerely believe and trust in Him! Please ponder seriously on all that today my brethren, for therein lies the secret to life. Much LOVE!
…if God doesn’t save…then who does eh…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but I did a lot of successful running around yesterday, obviously buoyed by the Lord’s help, and my penchant for late nights have simply not abated as yet. (smile) Much LOVE!
04 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a free gift of God, a very present help in trouble, abominations, Absalom, as America goes, bask in the sunshine of God's grace, Be still and know that I am God, behold the works of the Lord, blessings, Bruh David, confidence in Almighty God, confidence in God, eternal life, God is our refuge and strength, God makes wars to cease, God's holy hill, God-fearing countries, godliness, godly character, Great Britain, guiding light. founding fathers, Happy 4th of July, I cried unto the Lord, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will not be afraid, idol worship, Indepdence, Jesus Love Revolution, Lucifer, mercy, my glory, never too late to repent, Pheonix, Quakers, raise the level of godliness, rebellion, rejuvenationof godliness, religious persecution, repentance, return to God's fold, rise from the ashes, salvation is of the Lord, Selah, Sin capital of the world, sons of Korah, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the god of jacob is our refuge, the Holy Word of God, the lifter up of mine head, the Lord God Jehovah, the Lord is a shield, the Lord of hosts, the Lord sustained me, the One and Only True God, the prince of darkness, the tide has turned, trust, truth, turned away from God, U.S.A, walk the talk, Yahweh
Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY U.S. OF A!
Happy Birthday U.S of A! Yes Friends, the greatest nation the world has ever seen is 239 years old today!
Unfortunately, those United States of America are no longer the powerhouse they used to be. Why, you ask? Simply because they have turned away from the God of their fathers, and have now embraced idol worship. When the thirteen States of the Union declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, the guiding light of their founding fathers was the Lord God Jehovah.
Several States had been founded because their occupants, like the Quakers, had been running away from religious persecution in Britain. And why do you think the U.S became such a powerful nation? Because the basis, the foundation for living was based on the Holy Word of God! And we all know that the Word of the Lord is immensely powerful, even to the moving of mountains, and those who sincerely follow it will become powerful too.
Sadly though, in the last few generations the tide has turned, and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob no longer holds near as much sway in the U.S. as it once did. And as the godly character disappeared, so did the prosperity.
God has been removed from the public schools and government offices, churches are no longer as sacred and important as they used to be. Consequently God is not being taught in the homes either, with the overall result being that God is now severely mocked in the U.S. and instead of being one of the most God-fearing countries in the world; it is now the world’s SIN capital.
Ah Lord eh! When I hear of some of the sinful abominations that now occur in the U.S, I just have to shake my head in disgust. Even Lucifer, the prince of darkness, who now controls the country, must shake his head in wonder.
Anyway, we’re not here to condemn, but the pertinent facts must be stated without being glossed over. We are here rather to try and raise the level of godliness again, so that the once mighty nation can restore some of its lost glory, and bask once more in the sunshine of God’s grace and mercy. It is never too late to repent and return to God.
The ancient Jewish people knew that and were wise enough to repent when they had fallen by the wayside. And America right now needs a massive inflow, a great upheaval of repentance and rejuvenation of godliness, so that Jesus’ LOVE Revolution can prevail, and the nation rise once again, like the phoenix from its ashes.
And not only for them, but for the whole world, because although they are not as mighty as they once were, unfortunately, still as they go, so does the rest of the world. So please pray sincerely, seriously and often for America to return to God’s fold, for we will all be blessed by that most significant occurrence.
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.’
Oh Friends, right there is such a statement of absolute and indisputable truth, that if we would only sincerely embrace it, our lives and our world would be so much better!
And the confident declaration of Bruh David, when he fled from the rebellion of his son Absalom as stated in Psalm 3 – a prayer of confidence in God, certainly corroborates our Bit. ‘Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) mine head.’ (Ps.3:2-3)
Oh my brethren, more absolute and indisputable truth! Bruh David wasn’t just making this up, writing beautiful poetry for poetry’s sake, but he was living the tough and terrible times. And his confidence in the God of his fathers was so great, that he continues thus. ‘I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3: 4-6)
What total confidence and trust in Almighty God! How many of us nowadays can say that with as much confidence and trust eh? Not too many. But Bruh David lived it Friends, and if we live for God too, then eventually we will be able to speak with such boldness and sincerity. And here is how he ends the Psalm. ‘Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’ (Ps.3:8)
Yes Friends, salvation is of God. It is His free gift through Jesus Christ, and His blessings are always upon those who LOVE, worship and adore Him!
Oh how I wish the once godly societies could repent and go back to serving and worshipping the One and ONLY TRUE GOD, Yahweh, then life here on earth would be so much better.
But not to worry, we’re working on it, slowly but surely, and one day, in the not too distant future, victory will be ours! God has promised it, and we all know that He faithfully keeps His promises, we just have to do our part, which is simply to live for Him and spread His Word.
Now let’s go home with the closing words of Psalm 46, from which our Bit is taken. The sons of Korah unabashedly declare: ‘The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.’ (Ps.46:7-11)
And all God’s people declared a loud and proud shout of ‘Praise be to the mighty God of Jacob! He is indeed our refuge and our strength, our salvation and our help in time of trouble!’
Yes Friends, now let’s go out and live it nuh, let’s go out and walk the talk. Much LOVE!
…oh let the Lord be exalted in all the earth…so that the heathen can come to Him…in sincere repentance… and receive the wonderful gifts of salvation and eternal life…
26 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a career opportunity, a medical situation, a stronger marriage, belief, blessing, breath of life, caused me to trust, children to come back to the Lord, Christ's body, confidence in God, confident expectation of good, desires, faith in God, faith is the substance of things hoped for, fellowship, financial breakthrough, first day of the week, followers of Jesus, fountainhead, friends, fullness of joy, future glory, glorify the Father, gospel truth, harmony, he that took me out of the womb, hope, hope is lost, hypocrite, I have set the Lord always before me, I shall not be moved, Jesus, Job, Joyce Meyer, king of the hill, lifeline of hope, living hope, longings, LOVE, master of our destiny, my glory rejoiceth, my heart is glad, my salvation, pick sense from nonsense, praise and worship, Praise the Lord, preservation, rest, Sister Joyce, something good is going to happen, Sunday, swifter than a weaver's shuttle, the author and finisher of our faith, the bedrock, the believer's motto, the evidence of things not seen, the instincts of God, the Lord is at my right hand, the Lord's sanctuary, the path of life, thou didst make me hope, Though he slay me, tidal wave of words, tribulation, trust in God, unity, when I was upon my mother's breast, yet will I trust him
Psalm 22:9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.
Oh Friends, it’s that big first day of the week, Sunday! It’s the day on which many Christians choose to rest and also go to the Lord’s sanctuary to praise and worship Him with other believers. Now that’s absolutely necessary to keep harmony and unity and fellowship amongst Christ’s body of people here on earth. So please try and get in those two important aspects of our faith today, because we’ll surely need them come tomorrow.
Anyway my people, unlike yesterday, the ole fella has a lot to say today. Just hope that I can put it all together so that it makes sense. (smile) And the tidal wave of words was born from some literature I recently received from Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer).
She started it off by asking these questions. ‘Are you in need of financial breakthrough? Do you wish your marriage was stronger? Are you praying about a medical situation? Have you been waiting for a career opportunity? Do you long for your children to come back to the Lord?’ And I guess all of us will probably say yes to most of them, though to varying degrees.
But the point she wanted to make was that whatever our problems, our longings, our desires, there is HOPE, there is always HOPE when we surrender our lives to God, and make Him the true master of our destiny. And all of that just led me to want to put together a series of messages on that great emotion termed HOPE.
Now what is this HOPE we’re talking about eh? In her message Joyce defines it thus: ‘HOPE is the happy and confident expectation of good. It comes from a confidence that God is in control of your situation, no matter how things appear. HOPE is the belief that something good is about to happen at any moment!’
And that my people is the gospel truth! For if we are followers of Jesus, to whom nothing is impossible, then we ought always to feel positive about our situations, regardless of the circumstances surrounding them. Yes Friends, while there is the breath of life in our bodies, the lifeline of HOPE is always present too.
Now HOPE is where it all begins; it is the fountainhead of all our dreams and desires. Without HOPE, we can’t even have faith. For as the Good Book says: ‘Now faith is the substance (the realization) of things HOPED for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb.11:1) That means HOPE is indeed the basis for faith, the bedrock on which faith is built.
Unfortunately though my brethren, a lot of us don’t hold out much HOPE of anything in this life, and that’s wrong. In the Book of Job we find several instances where Job’s hope is lost. Listen to him as he remonstrates with God: ‘My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without HOPE. (Job 7:6)
Meanwhile in Chapter 17, when Job appeals to God, he mournfully declares: ‘And where now is my hope? As for my hope, who shall see it? They shall go down to the bars of the pit (hell), when our rest together is in the dust.’ (Job 17:15-16)
Ah Friends, we all know the sad fate Job suffered; from being king of the hill, to being the beggar at the bottom, all in one fell swoop. But please note, that though Job’s HOPE was at very low ebb, his faith had not withered at all, as he solemnly tells his friends who were tearing him apart.
‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways (defend my ways) before him. He shall also be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech and my declaration with your ears.’ (Job 13:15-17)
Oh Friends what powerful words of trust in God, from a man who had just lost everything! How many of us could have undergone such tribulation and still claim such strong faith in God eh?
Not too many, but that is the expectation of being a believer; though the walls are falling around us, we must still believe, still have hope, trust and faith in our omnipotent and ever-LOVING God, knowing deep down that He will never leave nor forsake us as He has so faithfully promised.
That’s not an easy row to hoe my people, but with our Saviour’s help we can do it. On the other hand, Bruh David was so sure of God’s deliverance that he declares in our Bit: ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me HOPE (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.’
Yes my people, from the time we exit our mother’s womb and begin nursing at her breasts, HOPE is being instilled in us. How do we know that there is food and nourishment in those breasts eh, when we’re just a little bundle of joy? It’s the instincts of God, that have us so feverishly clamouring for succour, and knowing where to find it, at such a tender age.
So Friends, with all that good stuff to ponder on, let’s end this message on an upbeat tempo. Listen to these uplifting and encouraging words from Bruh David, as he seeks preservation and blessing from the God of his fathers. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in HOPE.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the abode of the dead); neither wilt thou suffer (allow) thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures evermore.’ (Ps.16:8-11)
Yes my brethren, we have that great confidence in those words because Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, has already travelled down that path, paved it, and made it safe for us.
And all God’s people declared a most grateful ‘Praise the Lord! For He is indeed the living HOPE of our future glory!’
Now my fellow believers, let’s go out and put it all into action nuh, so that we can truly glorify our heavenly Father and make Jesus proud of us. Much LOVE!
…to HOPE…and yet to HOPE…never losing HOPE…while we are yet alive…that’s the believer’s motto…
P.S. Oh Friends, I do HOPE that it all makes sense. But then I know that you all have the godly ability to pick sense from nonsense. (smile) Much LOVE!
19 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a standing O, Absalom, ask not what your country can do for you, assured of salvation, aura of love, Bruh David, childish behaviour, confidence, confidence in God, enthusiasm, eternal life, faithful walk with God, first day of the workweek, further God's glorious kingdom, give their eye teeth, gospel truth, grumbling, help, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, joy, keep a roof over their heads, learn to be content, LOVE, moaning and groaning, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Monday Morning, Oh Lord God Almighty, peace in our souls, perseverance, petty, promises, prosperity, salvation, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, Selah, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, strength, succour, surrender, the desires of your heart, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Lord sustained me, the world owes us a living, thy blessing is upon thy people, ungodly world, week of work, wisdom
Psalm 3:8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Well my dear Friends, the news is sad but very true: the weekend is over, it is now Monday morning, time to begin another wonderful week of work! (smile)
And I know that some of you are chuckling, while many are not too thrilled at either it being Monday, or me reminding you of that fact. But as I keep saying, we will never be contented, have a reasonable amount of peace in our souls, until we learn to accept and welcome Monday for what it is – the first day of the work week, a day to go out and labour.
Yuh know how many people around the world right now, many of them right in our own neighbourhoods, would give their eye teeth to have a job this Monday morning, any kind of job at all, once it will pay a few dollars so that they can keep a roof over their heads and provide for their families! But we, the lucky ones with jobs, carry on with such petty, childish behaviour, grumbling, moaning and groaning, as though we are entitled, as though the world owes us a living.
Well for your information my Friends, the world owes us nothing whatsoever! We possibly owe the world something; the constructive and diligent effort to make it a better place. As President Kennedy said many years back, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ And being a productive worker is one of the things you can do to help your country.
And furthermore, I’ll put it to us this way; if you don’t like your job, or don’t want to get up and go to it, then simply quit it. But please stop complaining about being tired and exploited and otherwise when a Monday morning rolls around. Just make up your mind, tell yourself that you don’t have a choice in the matter and like Bruh Paul, learn to be content in whatever state you are in. (Phil.4:11) That will save you oodles of heartaches, anxiety and worry.
But enough with the sermonizing now, (smile) instead, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with enthusiasm and sincerity. All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour.
We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Not bad, Friends, not bad at all! But not enough to make heaven rejoice and call out for a standing ‘O’, and that’s the standard we want to set. (smile)
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which comes from Bruh David’s prayer of confidence in God, written when he fled from Absalom his son, who rebelled against him. Read the unfortunate story in 2 Samuel 15. ‘Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’ And that’s a truth that’s not disputable my brethren!
And Bruh David was so confident of that fact that earlier on in the psalm he declares: ‘I laid me down and slept: I awaked: for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:5-6) Oh my people, Bruh David could only utter those words of confidence because he had supreme trust and faith in the God of his fathers!
The abiding question today though, is do we have that same trust and confidence in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so that we can make that same declaration? For our sake, I surely do hope so, because that is the only way we will ever find some lasting semblance of peace, joy, strength, wisdom, perseverance and prosperity on this evil and ungodly planet earth.
Bruh David could make those statements above, because of this next verse. ‘Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten (struck) all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.’ (Ps.3:7)
Yes my fellow believers, during Bruh David’s long and faithful walk with God, his enemies had consistently fallen by the wayside through God’s mighty hand, thus when his son Absalom revolted, he was confident that the Lord would also provide relief from the usurper, ungrateful child of his very own loins.
Oh Friends, it’s the same way that the Lord will bless us with help and succour if we walk obediently in His will, for we know that He faithfully keeps His promises. And if He has helped us previously, there’s no reason for Him not to continue doing so.
That is one of the many mistakes we make; in times of trial, we forget that the Lord has brought us through other serious and troubled times and we become anxious and worried. But that`s exactly when we need to remember the Lord`s previous help, and be assured that it will be forthcoming on other occasions.
And we`ll close with this bold proclamation of God, made through His servant Isaiah: `I, even I, am the Lord: and beside me, there is no saviour.` (Is.43:11) And that`s gospel truth my people!
So please, let`s remember that in these turbulent and distressing times, hope, faith, trust and surrender to Almighty God is the ONLY wise and sensible way to go. Therefore, let`s embrace the Most High with all our hearts, minds and souls, so that we can be strengthened and assured of our salvation. Much LOVE my fellow believers in Christ!
…trust in the Lord…wait patiently on Him…and He will give you the desires of your heart…
23 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a waste of words and valuable time, acclamation, according to His will, action, All State, almighty god, an unfaithful man is useless, bad tooth, believe on the name of the Son of God, blessed, break free from a limited mindset, breath of life, Bruh David, Bubba Joel, cast not away your confidence, chagrin, confidence in God, confidence in man, Cousin Sol, Creator of the universe, crooked society, dawning of another new day, day to day activities of life, declaration of faith, destined to be a barrier breaker, destiny, don't put confidence in princes, endurance, enlarge my vision, ever-loving ever-faithful God, everlasting arms, every area of my life, experience god's favour, extenuating circumstances, foot out of joint, fraudulent, fulfilling God's purpose, girded with power, God always works on our behalf, God hears us, God's people, Hebrews, hold your horses, it is better to trust in the Lord, jehovah god, Joel Osteen, joy, laughter, lord of hosts, LOVE, memories, memories for the future, misfortune, mortal man, omnipotent and loving god, patience, perseverance, potential, Praise the Lord, protective wings, receive the promise, recompense of reward, reminiscences, reward, righteousness., safe hands, seeds of greatness, smile, stills the noise of the seas, sweet Tobago, talent, than to trust in man, thanks and praise, the ends of the earth, the goodness of god's house, the Holy Spirit, the nitty gritty, time of trouble, to the glory of God's Holy Name, Today is my day, trust in Almighty God, tumult oof the people, uncontainable, unfaithful man, when you don't hear you feel, will of God, wisdom, wisdom of life, words without action
Psalm 118:8-9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Oh Friends, it’s the dawning of another new day in Paradise – a godly Tuesday morning Wow! So the day has already dawned, so big deal! (smile) And if you’re still alive, please give God some thanks and praise for instilling and keeping that breath of life in your mortal body.
And having done that, I want to remind us, as Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) says, that ‘TODAY IS MY DAY!’ Yes Friends, it’s my day, your day, our Day! God blessed us with it so that we could live it abundantly, all to the glory of His Holy Name. Now we’ve done this before, but I believe it’s time for us to do it again.
So let’s make this acclamation, this declaration of faith, per Bubba Joel. Please declare with me: ‘God has destined me to be a barrier breaker! He created me to be uncontainable. I have talent and potential given to me by the Creator of the universe. There are seeds of greatness inside of me.
Today, I choose to break free from a limited mindset and enlarge my vision. Today, God is taking me places that I’ve never even dreamed of before. Today, God is fulfilling His purpose and destiny in my life. Today, I will experience His favour like never before in every area of my life.’
And all God’s people said a loud and joyful, ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
Believe it my brethren, and then please, let’s put it into action, because words without action are simply a waste of both words and valuable time.
Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’
I think today is the last day for that particular scripture, but obviously I can’t promise it, since there are so many scripture passages that encourage and promote trust in Almighty God instead of man, that one never knows where the Holy Spirit will guide us. (smile)
So those of you who like to have a new Bit everyday, just hold on to your horses, and remember that your wonderful, ever-LOVING, ever-faithful God ALWAYS works on your behalf, for your good, regardless of the prevailing circumstances. And who knows, He might just be trying to teach you patience with the continuation of this particular Bit. (smile)
Now let’s delve into a few more scripture passages that ever so wisely and strongly advise us to put our all, our utmost trust, faith and confidence in Almighty God.
Let’s begin with the wisdom of Cousin Sol from Proverbs 25. ‘Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken (bad) tooth, and a foot out of joint.’ (Prov.25:19)
Ah mih people, those words are ever so true! And I like how Cousin Sol brings it right down to the nitty gritty, down to the practical, day-to-day activities of life.
And the scholars’ add their two cents worth by saying: ’25:19. Faith is only as good as its object, and an unfaithful man is useless.’
All of us have had some bad experiences with that kind of thing, but yet we continue to place undue faith and trust in unfaithful and untrustworthy mankind, instead of Jehovah God, our Creator and Provider.
But as the old people would so rightfully say: when you don’t hear, yuh certainly going to feel. And that’s especially true in this current unreliable, fraudulent and crooked society in which we live.
And from 1 John, we learn: ‘These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
And this is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 1:13-15)
Oh my fellow believers how could it get any better than that eh? NO WAY JOSE! (smile)
Then Bruh David declares it thus in Psalm 65 – God is powerful in nature. ‘Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
By terrible (awesome) things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea. Which by his strength setteth fast (established) the mountains; being girded with power: which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.’ (Ps.65:4-7)
Now tell me Friends, why do we put overmuch trust and confidence in mortal man, when we have such an omnipotent and LOVING God eh? We shouldn’t, but unfortunately, for whatever reasons, we still do, much to our misfortune and personal chagrin.
And we’ll close, end this Bit (smile) with wise words from Hebrews, words we all know, but don’t follow as much as we should. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance, perseverance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb.10:35-36)
Yes my people, the Lord of hosts created us and provides for us, and is still the most powerful and caring force in the universe! So please let’s show our wisdom, faith, trust and confidence in Him nuh, by solidly leaning on His exceedingly strong, everlasting arms, and safely sheltering under His awesome protective wings. Now that is the true wisdom of life! Much LOVE!
…All State Insurance might claim to have safe hands…but until you check out Jehovah God…you’ll never know what truly safe hands are…
P.S. Oh Friends, it sure was a smiley kind of day today…and why shouldn’t it be eh, since my half-brother and his wife are visiting from sweet Tobago. That means there was plenty laughter and joy in the house yesterday, which obviously led to a late night, filled with reminiscences of the past and the making of new memories for the future.
And that joy and laughter will undoubtedly continue over the next few days of their visit. My sincerest apologies for the lateness of the Bit, but as you can very well see, there are extenuating circumstances for it. (smile) Much LOVE!
05 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, awesome power of prayer, blessings, breadwinner, Bruh David, call on the Lord, Christian, Christian bloom, chronic illness, confidence, confidence in God, Creator of the universe, distress, do our best for Jesus, effectiveness of prayer, efficacy, Elise Maclay, enthusiasm, excellence, fervent prayer, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, Gath, gospel truth, heavenly Father, holy spirit, if God is for us who can be against us, indisputable truth, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, keeping lives and families together, knock your socks off, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my enemies shall turn back, Oh Lord God Almighty, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, people of faith, Philistines, pray for one another, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, righteous man, righteousness., salvation, Saul, serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, thanksgiving, the Word of god, trust, trust in God, truth, ungodly world, weary souls, when I cry unto the Lord, wicked taunts, wisdom, worthwhile inroads
Psalm 56:9. When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
Oh Friends, it’s a brand new day – Monday! And much to my surprise, there wasn’t as much hissing and sour invective thrown my way. And I gratefully thanked God that His people were finally getting the idea that Monday was a day to be celebrated, not cursed. (smile)
And Friends, do I ever have a good quote for us today – one that’s so appropriate that it will knock your proverbial socks off! When I read it, I couldn’t help but chuckle, and immediately knew that I had to share it.
It comes from my old Devotional for People with Chronic Illness, and is attributed to one Elise Maclay. From the info available, I believe the Elise Maclay we’re talking about was an author of successful books like ‘Green Winter, and the Art of Bev Doolittle’ published in the 1970’s.
Anyway, she reputedly said, ‘…I was the breadwinner. Only I didn’t WIN the bread, I worked hard and earned it.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! We don’t win the bread, we get up off our rear ends and work hard for it! And that’s exactly what this first Monday morning in May 2014 is calling for! So let’s get up and get a move on nuh, let’s get out into the evil and ungodly world that awaits us and do our damndest, our best for Jesus! Remember Jesus desires and expects excellence from His followers!
And to help us do that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty moxie. As one great choir 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!’
Aw shucks Friends, that rendition was the greatest nuh, it only raised polite clapping from the heavenly hosts! Anyway, I’ll chalk it up to our still being somewhat sleepy, and assume that by the time we get ready to hit the road, the Holy Spirit will have caused us to be in full Christian bloom. (smile)
Now let’s look at our Bit for this beautiful spring morning. ‘When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.’
Words of indisputable truth my brethren! Faithfully proven after they were sent heavenward, by Bruh David’s eventual escape from the Philistines at Gath and his mortal enemy, Saul!
That’s why Friends, it both amazes and disappoints me that Christians don’t use prayer more often, despite claiming to be so in touch and in tune with God. If we look at the lives of all the great people of faith, one common thread stands out above all else; their great dependence on and use of prayer.
Even Jesus, God incarnate, didn’t make a move without talking to His heavenly Father. So why are we so ashamed, afraid, and reluctant to pray eh? Is it that we don’t truly believe in the efficacy and effectiveness of prayer?
James spells it out in spades for us: ‘Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:16)
Oh my people, it’s time for us to wake up to the true and very awesome power of prayer! When we cry out to God in sincere prayer, He hears us and answers. Listen to how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 118; Thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation.
‘I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. (Per the scholars, that’s the middle verse of the Bible) It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps.118:5-9)
More words of indisputable truth Friends! And we know it. So why don’t we adhere to them eh? Ah Lord eh! I guess only the Lord in His high heaven really knows why we are the stubborn and unwise way we are yes!
And we’ll go home with some immortal words of advice, of heavenly wisdom from Bruh Paul to the Roman Church, words which we all know, but don’t follow as closely or rely on as we should.
‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:31-32)
Yes Friends, if the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God, Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein is in our corner, then who can successfully challenge us eh? NOBODY!
So please let’s not only plant that true, wonderful seed deep in our souls, but let’s also act on it today, by stepping up our prayer lives and calling out to our heavenly father, at ALL times, and for ALL things! That’s what he sincerely desires, and it’s also the epitome of wisdom, my people! Much LOVE!
…it’s foolish, unwise, and a downright lie…to claim to be a Christian…and not be thoroughly immersed in the Word of God and sincere prayer…
12 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: above the heavens, acknowledgement of God's power, appreciate God's awesome power, arch-enemy, arrows, assistance, awesome wisdom, base purposes, be above all the earth, bewtween a rock and a hard place, biography of souls, Bruh David, calamities, cherish, cold weather, Comforter, confidence in God, contemplation, cry unto god, danger, Daniel in the lion's den, David Thomas, daytime temps, difficulties, exalted, feel the pain, forgive, furnace of blazing fire, glory, god, God's goodness and mercy, good things, gospel truth, hard times, Healer, hear my plea Lord, heartfelt words, hiding in a cave, hounds me, human frailties, inopportune times, Jesus, living example, maturity, merciful, mercy, nature of the beast, need a break, our end all and be all, personal well-being, prayer for deliverance, precipitation, predicament, promotion, propitiation for our sins, Psalm 57, radiant pages, refuge, remembering God's goodness, reprieve, reproach, sacrifice, Saul, save me, selfishly using God, shadow of thy wings, shallow, sharp sword, snaps at, snowfall, spears, strengthen our faith, suffer, the sons of men, tongue, trials, tribulations, trust, truth, unselfish and noble actions, wilderness, with Jesus' help
Psalm 57:5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
And the extremely cold weather rolls on my Friends! Thankfully though, without any further precipitation, for there’s nowhere left to pile it. It’s already piled high everywhere since the last snowfall.
But these constant daytime temps of minus double digits are a bit much. We can understand it at nights, but for heaven’s sake, in the daytime we need a break Lord! Hopefully the Lord will hear my plea and answer with some reprieve from this unusually cold weather.
Anyway Friends, I got up sort of early this morning, but just could not get out of bed, so the Bit will be a tad late, not as late as yesterday though. (smile) You all have to feel the ole fella’s pain and give him a bligh, a break.
As this quote, attributed to one of our many David Thomas’ so eloquently states: ‘Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.’
Oh yes my people, that is the gospel truth! It’s exactly what Jesus did when He unselfishly and very nobly gave His sinless life as a sacrifice, as propitiation for our disgusting sins. And that’s exactly how He wants all His followers to behave; noble and unselfish.
It’s not always easy to do, but with Jesus’ help we can certainly do more than we’re currently doing. And here’s and easy one to begin your day right; forgive the ole fella for his human frailties. (smile)
However, we also have a wonderful Bit – sorry, all of them are wonderful! ‘Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.’
Oh my brethren, those heartfelt words come from Bruh David’s Michtam (Contemplation) while hiding in a cave in the wilderness from his arch-enemy Saul. And I guess he had lots of time for contemplation.
Psalm 57 is a prayer for deliverance. And please note my fellow believers, as always, Bruh David begins his prayers with acknowledgement of God’s power, His goodness and mercy and his own trust and confidence in the Almighty.
‘Be merciful unto me O God, be merciful unto me; for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast (passed by). I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up (snaps at or hounds me). Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.’ (Ps.57:1-3)
Oh my people, is that the way we begin our prayers, by acknowledging the power and majesty of our heavenly Father, by remembering the good things He’s done for us in the past and letting them strengthen our faith and trust that He will continue to look after us in the future?
Well if we don’t, then we ought to. That shows God that we are truly trusting, we’re not shallow and only interested in our personal well-being, we know and appreciate His awesome power and capabilities.
And just as a living example, how would you feel if one of your children, or anybody you cherish continually came asking for help without some admission of your previous assistance and goodness to them eh?
Would you be pleased if they just jumped right in and said they wanted this and needed that? I doubt it. The same way our heavenly Father needs to see that we’re not just selfishly using him for our base purposes.
And although Bruh David is in serious danger, it’s only after he acknowledges the God of his forefathers, that he states his predicament in the verse before our Bit: ‘My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.’ (Ps.57:4)
Then he proclaims our Bit: ‘Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.’
Yuh see Friends, even though Bruh David’s life is on the line, he’s between a rock and a hard place, he still trusts and exalts the name of the God of his fathers.
Chuh! I was just further delayed for almost ten minutes by my security company wanting to update some stuff, then needing to shut down and restart the computer so that the updates could take effect. These things always seem to happen at such inopportune times, but that’s the nature of the beast.
Anyhow, like we trust our security companies to get it right with our computers, do we trust and exalt our great God when difficulties and hard times come against us, like Bruh David did?
We ought to, because He’s the ONLY ONE who can truly bring us out of our troubles, unscathed, the way we like to come out of them, like He did Daniel in the lion’s den, (Dan.6:14-28) and his buddies in the furnace of blazing fire. (Dan.3:8-30)
But we must remember that that’s not always possible, for some of these trials and tribulations are tests to see if we can hold up under the strain of life, if our maturity is such that we’re ready for another level of promotion.
But if we are bruised and battered, please remember that our God is also the greatest Comforter and Healer there is, ever was, and ever will be. And He WILL NEVER leave us to suffer unnecessarily.
And with those words of awesome wisdom, (smile) we’ll end today’s message. Much LOVE!
…the God of heaven and earth…our Creator and Provider…is our end all and be all…we need no one else but Him…
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