12 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ath the right hand, aura of love, better than sacrifice, Christians, concrete jungles, confidence, despising the shame, endured the cross, enthusiasm, equal with God, eternal life, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, evil, for the joy, forgiveness, form of a servant, friends, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, holy spirit, humble servants, humbled himself, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, King od Kings, lies, looking unto Jesus, Lord of Lords, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no reputation, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, scandal. sacrificial lamb, shame, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the author and finisher of our faith, the Lamb of God, the Messiah's glory, the road to Emmaus, the Son of God, the throne of God, to obey, trust, ungodly world, wisdom
Hebrews 12:2. Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Awright friends, the trumpet has sounded Monday’s battle cry! That means it’s time for us to be up and at ‘em, for Jesus is waiting at the front lines to lead us into battle. We can’t keep our leader waiting because with each passing moment the enemy is advancing closer and closer and gaining the advantage. So without further ado, let’s put on our spiritual armour and hasten to the battle lines.
And to help raise our awareness and courage, let’s belt out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn like there was no tomorrow. And for many of us there might just be no earthly tomorrow.
So in full voice, 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!’
That was good friends! It put a smile on Jesus’ face. Now let’s follow Him into battle, as we hit the highways and byways en route to the concrete jungles and brave the frantic attacks of the evil enemy, who doesn’t know that He’s already lost the battle, because Jesus died, was buried and rose from the grave, signifying the death knell of hell, death and the grave.
Our Bit tells the story in one sentence. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’
Yes my precious people of God, our Lord and Saviour bravely endured the necessary shame and scandal to pay for our sins, by the shedding of His blood, by being the sacrificial Lamb of God on the cross of Calvary. Wow! What a selfless champion we have as our leader!
And where is He now? Sitting at the right hand of God’s throne interceding for us, His adopted family and faithful followers. Now how can anything be better than that eh? No way Jose!
Just imagine it nuh mih breddren: The Son of God, giving His life for us, for which He was then given the awesome title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords and raised to second in command of the universe, like Joseph was with Pharaoh, and is now sitting beside his Father pleading for us to be granted mercy, grace and forgiveness, not for anything we have done or can do, but because of the work He has already done!
And all God’s children joyfully shouted: ‘Glory to Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain for us! May He reign forever and ever!’
And He will friends, there’s no doubt about that, because the ole fool Lucifer is no match for our Saviour. Yuh don’t see what Lucifer does, walk to and fro about the earth, while Jesus sits in regal splendour at His Father’s side in the high heavens. So who is better off eh?
Now let’s look at a few scriptures which corroborate our Bit: ‘who for the joy that was set before him…’ Now what reward could He have been promised to make Him do what He did eh?
Hear Jesus rebuke the two followers He met on the road to Emmaus. ‘O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?’ (Luke 24:25-26) Then He proceeded to explain all that the prophets had said concerning Him down through the ages.
And the scholars explain. 24:26. Ought (Gr. dei) bespeaks a divine necessity; what the prophets had foretold (see Is.53; Ps.16:22) must and did come to pass. The disciples had been ready to see in Jesus a glorious deliverer, But Jesus’ rebuke (v.25) relates to their unwillingness to take seriously the many Old Testament texts that speak not only of the Messiah’s glory, but also of His suffering.’
So friends, for the glory promised by the Father and just from the great desire to do the Father’s will, Jesus ‘endured the cross, despising the shame…’
And Bruh Paul tells us in the Good Book, that Jesus: ‘Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’(Phil.2:6-8)
Oh friends, there’s nothing our God cherishes as much as obedience to His will. And look at how He rewarded Jesus for His obedience. ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:9-11)
Yes precious people of God, that is how generous and magnanimous our heavenly Father can be when we obey His will. So let’s seriously ponder today in what way(s) we are not being obedient. Maybe that’s why our cups are not overflowing. Much LOVE!
…to obey is better than to sacrifice…
05 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, aura of love, belief in Jesus, brimstone, by the sweat of thy brow, call his name Jesus, complaining, confess, confidence, conquerors, dilly-dallying, enthusiasm, evil, fire, friends, God sent not His Son, grief, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the Son of God, jobs, joy, labour, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, magnanimous god, manner of spirit, material possessions, meet the enemy, mission, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, on the outside looking in, pain, paying homage, prince of this world, reap the sweat of labour, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, salvation, Samaria, save our sinful souls, sick, soft spot, sorrow, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the world through him might be saved, thou shalt eat bread, time to toil, tired, to condemn the world, trust, ungodly world, wealth, weary souls, wiles, wisdom, worth it
John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Arise oh friends and greet the new day! It’s Monday, which means it’s time to toil, to go out and labour, so that we can eventually reap the sweat of that labour. What does the Good Book say? Something like by the sweat of thy brow thou shall eat bread.
Well then, if we want to eat bread, let’s get a move on. Enough of the dilly-dallying and complaining about we sick and/ or tired. We weren’t too sick or tired to join in the partying though. So come on, let’s be up and at ‘em! And to help us do that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto and heartfelt belief.
In harmony 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!’
Good singing friends, good singing! Our harmony wasn’t perfect, but our choirmaster, Jesus, knew that our heart was in it and He was pleased. Now let’s keep that adrenaline flowing as we get out into the evil, disaster filled world to help the needy and less fortunate, and try to right whatever wrongs we can in Jesus’ name.
That’s our mission. Jesus states it quite plainly in our Bit. ‘ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’
Yes friends, if it was Jesus’ mission, then it’s also ours, seeing that we are His followers, His disciples, and ought to do what He does, or commands us to do. And you know my brethren that we never deserved that LOVING-kindness, but our God has such a soft spot in His heart for us that He just couldn’t help Himself, He just had to save us, regardless of how much pain and sorrow it caused Him. And it did cause Him much grief, but He knew that the result would be absolutely worth it.
Give Him much thanks and praise my fellow believers for providing us with an option to save our sinful souls. And if you don’t believe me, or Jesus, then listen to some corroborative scripture. Hear what the angel said to Joseph, re his betrothed Mary. ‘And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his Names JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matt.1:21)
And the scholars explain. ‘1:21. Call his name JESUS: The name of the child Jesus (Heb. Yehoshua) means “Jehovah Saves.” This points to the very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world – to save sinners. Placed early in the New Testament, this statement becomes the foundational concept of the gospel. Jesus, by His very name and nature is the Saviour.’
And if you still doubt, then listen to Jesus after a village in Samaria refused to accept Him, because they knew he was going to Jerusalem, and James and John wanted to call down fire and brimstone on the village. ‘But he turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.’ (Luke 9:55-56)
Ah friends, I keep reminding us about the wonderful, the magnificent and magnanimous God we serve, but a lot of us don’t pay attention, we’re too busy paying homage to the evil prince of this world, seeking his frivolous and fraudulent material possessions and earthly wealth. But please, please believe me, there will come a time when the material wealth and possessions will be of absolutely no use to you, and the only saving option for you will be Jesus.
And if you don’t sincerely have Him in your heart, then you’ll be left forlornly, on the outside looking in. And I can guarantee that that will not be a very nice place to be. So let’s close with these warning words from John.
‘And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.’ (1 John 4:14-15)
Yes friends, trust in Jesus Christ is the only wise and sensible option in this life. Wisdom dictates that you accept Him before it’s too late. Much LOVE!
…what separates hell from heaven…belief in Jesus…
29 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afflictions, as a roaring lion, aura of love, be sober, be vigilant, confidence, conquerors, dominion, enthusiasm, evil, faith, finite being, friends, glorious kingdom, glory, God is faithful, gospel truth, grace, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, LOVE, Memorial Day, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, omnipresent, patriots, Praise the Lord, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, resist the devil, Satan, seeking whom he may devour, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, temptation, trust, truth, ungodly world, walks about, war heroes, wiles, wisdom, your adversary the devil
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Awright mih breddren, it’s Monday morning, so let’s be up and at ‘em nuh!
‘Not today,’ claim our U.S. breddren. ‘Today is our Memorial Day Holiday, where we celebrate our fallen war heroes, so no work for us today. Praise the Lord!’
Yes friends, the shoe is on the other foot this week; last week we in Canada had Monday off for our Victoria Day Holiday, this week the U.S honours their patriots. But since it’s still a day of labour for most of us, we still need to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get us going. So with as much verve and enthusiasm as we can muster, 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 as expected, the loudest and most off key voices were those who did not have to go to work today, and were already into the celebrations. But just remember, please listen to Granny’s advice. ‘Drunk or sober mind yuh business.’ We don’t want to go giving the evil one any foothold in our souls, for he is always lurking around, always on the prowl to find someone he can invade and cultivate.
That’s why Peter, after telling us to humble ourselves before God, and to cast our care on him, because He cares for us, so strenuously warns in our Bit. ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’
And that’s the gospel truth friends! Remember when Satan came before God in Job? ‘And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.’ (Job 1:7)
And the scholars offer this explanation: ‘1:7. From going to and from in the earth refers to Satan’s activity. Though he does not admit it here, Satan’s character clearly shows that his many travels are for evil purposes. In 1 Peter 5:8. Satan is described as “your adversary the devil…seeking whom he may devour.”
The activity of Satan indicates that he only has limited access to God. This account in Job emphasizes that God is sovereign over Satan. It also teaches that Satan is a finite being and therefore not omnipresent (can’t be everywhere at the same time). Nor can he touch God’s servants without God’s permission.’
Oh glory to God my people! That means Satan has no direct say over us, he can only invade our souls and spirits if God gives him permission, or of we foolishly allow him to enter therein. That’s why Peter continues after our Bit. ‘Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet.5:9)
Oh friends, I know it’s no great consolation to know that our brethren are experiencing the same temptation as us, but it just goes to show that we are not alone in being tempted, as Bruh Paul tells the Corinthians. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor.10:13)
Now friends, we have to be careful and understand that God will not always make us escape the temptation, but will often allow us to go through it, to build our faith, but will eventually bring us out safely on the other side. Remember too, that even Jesus was tempted by Lucifer during His earthly sojourn, but He successfully rebuked Him, and we ought to try and do likewise.
James also warns us. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God: Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ (James 4:7) Yes my fellow believers, if we keep resisting Lucifer, he will eventually flee from us; not that he won’t come back and try to tempt us later on, (smile) because he can be very persistent.
However, we’ll end with these reassuring words of Peter. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be the glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet.5:10-11)
What a blessed and faithful assurance my people. So let’s go out today strengthened in the Word of God, so that we can do His will. Much LOVE!
…the stronger our faith in Jesus…the more we are able to resist temptation…
28 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a haughty spirit, a proud look, abominations to God, alternative facts, and all these things shall be added unto you, be not dismayed, belief in Jesus, boldness, Casting all your care, christianity, come boldly to the throne of grace, confidence, dangers, days of toil, fellowship, find grace, friends, gives grace to the lowly, God resists the proud, God scorns the scorners, God will take care of you, God's will, harmonious voices, he cares for you, his ways are higher than ours, Holy God, humble yourselves, in time of need, lean upon his breast, loving-kindness, pride, promises of God, reassuring gospel truth, rested on the seventh, Sabbath, sacrifice of praise, seek ye first the kingdom of God, sinful men, the heart of the matter, the living truth, upon Him, weary one, what a wise God we serve
1 Peter 5:7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
And then it was Sunday; that wonderful day of Sabbath and rest! And who says our great God doesn’t know how to organize life eh? Chuh! They obviously don’t know what they’re talking about, for look how He made the world in six days, then rested on the seventh and asks us to follow in His most knowledgeable footsteps. Glory to His great name!
And on that seventh day, we also need to come together in fellowship, to sing and praise Him and receive His LOVING-kindness and confidence to handle the upcoming six days. Wow! What a wise God we serve my brethren! That’s why He says His ways and thoughts are greater than ours. (Is.55:8-9) And that’s the living truth, for if they weren’t, He wouldn’t be God, and we would have no need for Him!
Now enough of all the rambling, (smile) let’s get to the heart of the matter, some praise and worship to glorify His holy name. And this morning our song is appropriately titled, ‘God will take of you;’ a sweet song of comfort and heavenly assurance. So with truthful and passionate hearts and loud, harmonious voices, let’s offer up our sacrifice of praise without further ado.
‘Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you; Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you. (Refrain: God will take care of you, Through every day, o’er all the way; He will take care of you, God will take care of you.) Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you; When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you. (Refrain:)
All you may need He will provide, God will take care of you; Nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you. (Refrain:) No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you; Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you. (Refrain:) God will take care of you, Through every day, o’er all the way; He will take care of you, God will take care of you.’
And He certainly will my faithful friends and neighbours! Of that we can be sure. Once we are operating in accordance with His will, He will look after all our needs. How did Jesus say it so long ago? ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) And we know one thing for sure, that Jesus doesn’t lie, so if He says it’s so, then it is so!
And the hymn, written by Civilla D Martin, was apparently based on our Bit. ‘Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ It couldn’t be anymore reassuring than that my people! Peter is making a statement of definite fact, of gospel truth, not alternative facts. (smile)
But before we can cast our care upon our ever-merciful God, Peter tells us we first need to: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. ‘ (1 Pet.5:6) Yeh friends, we definitely can’t go to God with a proud and haughty spirit, for that’s one of the things He especially despises, since it means you have no need for Him.
That’s why James, in talking about worldliness and pride says: ‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.’ (James 4:6) And Cousin Sol also tells us: ‘Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly (humble). (Prov.3:34) And if you still don’t believe it, then listen to Cousin Sol again. ‘These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look (haughty eyes…)’ (Prov.6:16-17)
Ah mih breddren, the first thing Cousin Sol lists is pride, arrogance, haughtiness. Our God rejects those who deal in those things. And once we appreciate the Lord’s awesome position, have a reverential fear for him, then the author of Hebrews strongly advises: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:16) Now that’s wisdom of an everlasting nature!
And the scholars tell us: ‘4:16. Only Christianity provides such boldness for sinful men before a holy God, and that boldness is possible only because of our High Priest (Jesus Christ). The figure of a throne suggests a place of authority and provision. It is the place to obtain God’s grace when it is especially needed.’
And I have to declare it again friends: ‘Oh what a wonderful God we serve and worship through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!’ ONLY Christianity offers such confidence to approach a holy God! That just goes to prove what we are talking about; God does care for us. If not, we wouldn’t have the provision to call upon Him for mercy, succour, comfort and all the other wonderful things He offers. And above all, He would not have sent His sinless Son, Jesus to die for our abominable sins.
That ought to seal the deal. So I simply can’t understand why more people aren’t rushing to take hold of Christianity, to embrace Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. I can only guess that it’s partly because the things of the world has such a strong hold on our society, as well as we supposed believers don’t give the unbelievers enough of a good picture, for them to want what we claim to have.
So with Jesus’ help, let’s try and turn it all around nuh mih people! We can, if we sincerely and diligently try. Much LOVE!
…belief in Jesus…breeds confidence in the promises of Almighty God…
24 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a true believer, assurance, belief, calm, Christ, confidence, courage, Creator of the universe, daily work, delivered my soul, dr robert h schuller, emotion, eternal life, faith, faithful brethren, favour, fear, fears, foolish to reject, forgiveness, give thanks and praise, glad to be alive, going going gone, guiding light, hell, Hour of Power Devotional, indisputable truth, invigorating, jehovah god, LOVE, marvellous blessing, mercy, miracle of courage, newfound power, of whom shall I be afraid, overpowering, overwhelming, passion, peace, quiet, reverential awe, salvation, sincerity, singleness of heart, special favour, spirit of courage, spiritual battle, the breath of life, the core of my soul, the Good Book, the heat of battle, the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and jacob, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the presence of God, the shield of courage, there is only one God, treading this earth, true relationship, trust, uplifting words, vistory, wake up alive, what a relief, whom shall I fear, working peace, works
Psalm 27:1. 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?
Oh people, oh people, we’re alive on this blessed Wednesday morning! Wow! Give thanks and praise to our wonderful God for that marvellous blessing!
And if you’re wondering why, just think about the many people who went to bed alive last night but did not wake up alive this morning!
Oh glory to God my faithful brethren! The Lord looked down on us with special favour because He has great plans for our lives today and everyday He keeps us treading this bountiful earth, therefore much praise and thanks ought to be going up to high heaven from us, His blessed people!
And in keeping with our theme of courage from yesterday, we’ll continue with the second part of Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) ‘Courage Is a Decision,’ talk from his Hour of Power Devotional.
And he emphatically declares in the second half: ‘I have it! My fears are going, going, gone! I feel a mysterious calm, quiet, tranquil assurance rising deep within my being. This remarkable spirit of courage is overpowering me.
It is the very presence of God working peace at the core of my invisible soul. Thank You Lord. All my fears are gone. What a relief! Amen.’
Glory Hallelujah my people! For that’s exactly how we feel when Almighty God works His miracle of courage and peace in our souls! It’s invigorating, overwhelming, surprising, but oh so real! And we rise up with a newfound power, anxious to do His daily work.
And remember, ONLY belief, trust, surrender and faith in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can bring that kind of feeling and emotion to our beings! So we’d be rather foolish to reject His awesome LOVE and thus deny ourselves the wonderful opportunity to enjoy His heavenly favour.
And ONLY if you are a true believer, can you proclaim with genuine passion and sincerity, the uplifting words of our Bit, like Bruh David so long ago. ‘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?’
Yes friends, ONLY when Jehovah God is our guiding light, can we utter such confident words. And we see this overwhelming confidence in God throughout the Good Book. Hear Bruh David expound from Psalm 86 – Teach me thy way, O Lord.
‘Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.’ (Ps.86:8-10)
Oh friends, what a marvellous declaration; one of indisputable truth, as the last four words remind us! ‘Thou art God alone!’ That is the basic foundation of our faith! There’s ONLY ONE God; the One we serve and worship!
And until we get that straight and clear in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, we’ll never be able to truly enjoy the peace, LOVE, forgiveness, mercy, salvation and eternal life that proceeds from His magnificent and magnanimous Being.
Bruh David was so assured of this, that he continues in Psalm 86: ‘Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart (give me singleness of heart) to fear (have reverential awe for) thy name.
I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest (depths of) hell.’ (Ps.86:11-13)
Mama Mia! Oh friends, that’s the kind of confidence we develop when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour! We know His awesome power and relinquish our all to it. Fear and all its negative associates cannot pierce the shield of courage and faith that we derive from a true relationship with the Creator of the universe and all therein.
Now listen to Moses as he counselled the Israelites on the law concerning war. ‘And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them,
Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ (Deut.30:2-4)
Yuh see friends, even in the heat of battle, our God is working on our behalf. Yes, He certainly is in the spiritual warfare that we’re currently fighting, so please don’t lose heart, don’t fear or be terrified, because the victory is ours, it has been guaranteed by our great God.
Consequently, we can afford to go home in peace, with courage, declaring these truths from our Wednesday Wail. All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Have a most blessed day my fellow believers in Christ! Much LOVE!
…ONLY when we know Christ…can we be strong and courageous in this evil world…
22 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rainy Sunday, aura of love, bounden duty, Canadians, clothed with majesty, clothed with strength, confidence, conquerors, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, end times, energy, enthusiasm, friends, girded himself, glorious kingdom, God is alive, guilty, hardy breed, harmonious choir, holy spirit, homage, humble servants, hungry hope, I am with you always, impeding God's work, in the name of the Father, inventive, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, Lucifer, make disciples of, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, moral support, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., shout it to high heaven, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, teach, the Gentiles, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Great Commission, the heathen, the Holy Ghost, the Lord reigns, the nature of the beast, the SON, the world is established, trust, truth, turning away from God, ungodly world, vacation time, Victoria Day, wiles, wisdom, wood ants, words of truth
Psalm 93:1. The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved (shaken).
And it was a rainy Sunday… Yes friends, the rain spoiled the outside celebrations yesterday for our Victoria Day long weekend. Chuh! But we Canadians are a hardy and inventive breed; no wonder our party season is in the winter and vacation time is the summer. And despite the rain, I’m sure that the celebrations, which had to be moved inside, were just as rocking and rollicking as if they had been outside. (smile)
And we still have one day to go, which should be sunny, so please, please, listen to Granny, and drunk or sober, please mind yuh business. Don’t give Lucifer even a small chance to become involved in it, because like wood ants, once he gets in, you won’t notice or see him, until the whole house is falling down around your head. (smile)
And fortunately for us in this great country called Canada, most of us don’t have to go out and labour today…Thank you Queen Vic! But others around the world do, so let’s sing along with them, give them some moral support, as they face the rough Monday morning going. As one big harmonious choir now, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, with plenty energy and hungry hope.
‘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!’
Ah friends, it had plenty energy, but it certainly wasn’t harmonious; more hoarse and croaky than anything. And as always, the loudest and croakiest voices belonged to those who did not have to go to work today. That’s just the nature of the beast. And our choirmaster, Jesus, just smiled like an indulgent father, appreciating our energetic though totally off-key output.
And that brings us to our Bit. ‘The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved (shaken).’
Glorious words of truth my people! As we said at the beginning of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, He is ‘the Creator of the universe and all therein!’ Therefore we ought to pay Him great homage, exalt His holy name throughout all the universe, as Jesus instructed His disciples: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always(s), even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
And that’s the Great Commission that has been handed down to us my brethren! But I don’t think we’re doing such a great job of it nuh. Let’s see, are we doing what the psalmist advocates?
‘Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth (proclaim the good news of) his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen (gentiles), his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Give (ascribe) unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him all the earth. Say among the heathen (gentiles) that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be (is firmly) established that it shall not be moved (shaken): he shall judge the people righteously.’ (Ps.96:2-10)
Oh my people are we doing those things in these end times? Obviously not to the best of our ability, otherwise so many people would not be turning away from God and gladly embracing the wicked and evil ways of the world.
Ah friends, it’s up to us to teach our children about the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so that His mighty wonders and LOVING-kindness can be passed down from generation to generation. Please, let’s not be guilty of impeding God’s work, of not passing on the vital formation that we’ve been commissioned to do, because we’ll have to answer for it one day. Much LOVE!
…if we sincerely believe that God is alive and great…then it’s our bounden duty to shout it to high heaven…
15 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a shelter, abundant in goodness and truth, antidote, appreciation, attributes, aura of love, condemn self, confidence, cup of java, earthly pilgrimage, enthusiasm, expectant faith, faith, fear, friends, glorious kingdom, goodness, gospel truth, grace, gracious, gratitude, hoarded, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, hungry hope, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, judging others, lies, long-suffering, LOVE, meet the enemy, merciful, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, Mother's Day, peace, plots of man, Praise the Lord, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, repentance, rest, righteousness., spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, taunts, the goodness of God, the land of the living, the Lord God, the Lord passed by, the state of our livers, the strife of tongues, the Ten Commandments, throughout the year, trust, truth, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, work
Exodus 34:6. And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
Well mih breddren, the Mother’s Day celebrations over now! Hope we celebrated our mothers in fine style, but that we’ll also show them a greater level of appreciation and gratitude all throughout the year, rather than on just this one day. I know they like the fuss and bother on their special day, but I’m sure they’ll prefer to have a li’l of that each and every day where possible.
Anyway, it’s time to get back to the common grind and daily task, the humdrum aspects of a working life, so that we can enjoy the fruits of our labour. And I know that many of us are suffering from too much celebrating, and it’s difficult to get up and face the very idea of going to work, but get up and go, we must.
So to help us with the Monday morning wake up, we have this antidote, this prayer called the Monday Morning Battle Hymn that jolts us awake even better than a hot, strong cup of java. (smile) So let’s sing it now with lots of enthusiasm, expectant faith and hungry hope nuh.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
That was pretty good friends, considering the state of our livers! (smile) Jesus, our choirmaster smiled knowingly at some of the harshness, but He respected and acknowledged our enthusiastic effort. So with the adrenaline bubbling in our veins, let’s go out now and take the battle to the heathen, this Monday morning in Jesus’ name, for the glory of God the Father!
And all God’s people declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord! His goodness reigns forever!’
And that it surely does, as the Lord Himself proclaimed to Moses when he went up the mountain the second time for the tables of stone containing the Ten Commandments. ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’
Now that’s our great God Himself, extolling some of His many wonderful attributes, goodness being one of them. And since we know that he cannot lie, then we must accept His words as gospel truth. Now, let’s just look at a few scriptures, from the human perspective, which prove the point.
And one of the most well-known is that verse from Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation, where Bruh David ardently proclaims: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps.27:13)
So true friends, so true! What’s the purpose of having this good God eh, if we can’t experience some of His goodness in our earthly pilgrimage?
Now hear another mighty man of God, Bruh Paul, as he admonishes the Romans re judging others is to condemn self. ‘And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?’ (Rom.2:3-4)
Ah mih people, so wonderful is God’s goodness that it leads us to repentance! Praise his Holy Name!
And listen to Bruh David again, this time from Psalm 31 – In thee O Lord, do I put my trust. ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret (places) of thy presence from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues.’ (Ps.31:19-20)
Oh friends, we can’t ask any more than that from God! He’s got all those who believe in Him covered on all fronts. And what’s the purpose of all that goodness eh? So that we can go forth here on earth and proclaim it, as well as show it through the way we live our daily lives. The Lord’s goodness is meant to be shared my people, not merely hoarded for one’s own good!
Now let’s go out today and show it in spades nuh; let’s broadcast it to all and sundry: the Lord is GOOD! He is GOOD INDEED! Much LOVE!
…true goodness can only beget goodness…
12 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ., a fine time, another week of work, balance, be quiet, believers, blessed, borders boundaries, born again, complacency, confidence, consequences, death, decisions, desolation, despised reprooof, destruction, devices, discretion, dwell safely, eat of the fruit, extremes, facades, faithful promises of God, favour, fear, fellowship, fools, free and clear, Friday chant, from fear of evil, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, glory to God, go overboard, gospel truth, grace, hated knowledge, His will, in Jesus' name, keep our heads on sraight, knowledge, LOVE, Lucifer, maximizing, no brainer, not be afraid, plans, pleasures, praise his holy name, prosperity, refreshed, reject, relaxation, renewed, rest, safely through, schemes., slay, sleep sweet, stumble, substance, talk to God, terror, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the fear of the Lord, the promises of God, the simple, the Son shining brightly, the time spent with Jesus, the weekend, the wicked, to each his own, top priority, trouble, understanding, walk safely, waywardness, we will follow the Lord, whoso hearkeneth unto me, wisdom, wisdom of God, witness, work for Christ, workingman, worldly lusts
Proverbs 1:33. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet (secure, at ease) from fear of evil.
And once more friends, we’re truly blessed on this Friday morning with both the Sun and the SON shining brightly! Glory to our great God! Praise His Holy Name!
Remember though, that we’re seeing this day because He has important plans for us to perform, so we need to talk to Him and find out what’s up in His will today.
Mean while, the ordinary workingman is more concerned about the days off on the weekend, as he delightedly declares: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend’s here… We free and clear… and a fine time will be had by all…eating and drinking and partying! Wow! Thank God for Fridays and the weekends oui!’
Ah mih people, extremes are not good for us. We need some sense of sensible balance in our lives, otherwise we’re liable to go overboard one way or the other, like the ordinary workingman.
I believe that our Friday Chant provides that sensible balance, so let’s chant it now nuh, so that we can keep our heads on straight. (smile) In unison now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my fellow born-again believers, for us, maximizing the time we spend with Jesus and doing His work should be our top priority every day of our lives!
That means we need to set serious borders and boundaries in all that we do, and then ask Him to help us stay within those parameters, since stepping outside them will only sully our work and witness for Him. Amen!
And if you doubt me, then listen to these fateful words of Cousin Sol to those who reject the wisdom of God. ‘For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: They would (have) none of my counsel: they despised all of my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices (schemes).
For the turning away (waywardness) of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity (complacency) of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet (secure, at ease) from fear of evil.’ (Prov.1:29-33)
What a magnificent promise that’s embedded in our Bit, my people! And what I just can’t understand is why we turn away, foolishly reject the wonderful promises of God, when we full well know that they are all sound and sincere, and that He never reneges on any of them.
But as they say; to each his own, and we have to lie down on our beds however we make them up. (smile) Long time I haven’t heard that one. My wise mother use to preach it to me all the time.
And it’s the gospel truth! I can tell you that from personal experience. For whatever decisions we make, we will have to live with the consequences arising from them. And you see what the Lord promises for those who refuse to accept His wisdom – death and destruction!
But hear the wonderful things He has in store for those who accept Him; His wisdom, knowledge and understanding. ‘My son, let them not depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace (favour) unto thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.’ {Unfortunately I had to wake up from one of those sweet sleeps this morning to come and write the Bit. (smile}
‘Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked, when it comes. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’ (Prov.3:21-26)
Oh my breddren, if I have those wonderful promises from the Creator of the universe, why would I hearken unto the lies and deceits of a fallen angel, a fool like Lucifer eh, who’s only true offers are death and destruction? No way Jose! That only shows that I don’t have true wisdom and understanding.
So please, I implore us, let’s give up all the nonsense, the worldly lusts and pleasures trumpeted by Lucifer, for they are only false facades, simple storefronts, with no substance to them, or behind them.
Instead, let’s seriously and sincerely, diligently and wisely accept the faithful promises of Jehovah God nuh, and thus live our lives the way He desires, so that He can bless us now and forever. Now that is true wisdom and understanding to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we will follow the Lord…that’s a no brainer…
08 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rod of iron, a useful purpose, adopted son, adrenaline, almighty god, anointed one, aura of love, be wise, break their bands, chutzpah, confidence, derision, enthusiasm, evil, evil minions, fear, fellowship, friends, fun, futile, heathen, holy spirit, humble servants, inheritance, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, kiss the son, laugh, lies, loser, LOVE, Lucifer, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, opposition, partying, pay homage, perish, rain, rejoice, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rhetorical question, snow, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, the Messiah, the people imagine a vain thing, trembling, trust, truth, ungodly world, why do the heathen rage, wiles, winner, wisdom, worthless, wrath, Zion
Psalm 2:1. Why do the heathen (gentiles) rage (throng tumultuously), and the people imagine (plot) a vain (futile, worthless) thing?
‘Monday, Monday! Oh how I hate that day…especially when there’s no rain or snow, because then I have no excuse to not go to work!
Yeh friends, many of us feel that way about Monday because we don’t handle the weekend right; too much partying and not enough rest and fellowship. But don’t worry, as usual we have the antidote for whatever ails you this Monday morning, and it’s fittingly called the Monday Morning Battle Hymn!
So let’s sing it out now nuh, with as much enthusiasm and chutzpah that we can muster, as Jesus, our choirmaster, guides and directs us. ‘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!’
Ah mih people, it was a tad out of sync, but the enthusiasm was right on, and I believe that satisfied our choirmaster, because he could see that we were trying. Now let’s go out and join Jesus on the battle field, taking with us that enthusiasm and the new-found adrenaline that our prayer stimulated, and just wow the heathen into His camp!
That brings us to our rather appropriate Bit. ‘Why do the heathen (gentiles) rage (throng tumultuously), and the people imagine (plot) a vain (futile, worthless) thing?’
Now that’s a very good question my believing brethren, in light of what the psalmist says afterward. ‘The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his Anointed (Christ the Messiah), saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex (distress) them with his sore (deep) displeasure. Yet have I set (installed) my King upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen (nations) for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ (Ps.2:2-9)
Ah friends, the earthly rulers have no idea of the fire which they are playing by taking Almighty God and His anointed Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ lightly. Now listen to some valuable explanations from the scholars.
‘Psalm 2: Psalm 2 is attributed to David in Acts 4:25 and is called the second psalm in Acts 13:33. The introductory rhetorical question, Why do the heathen rage? (v.1) is shown in the following verses to be a question of incredulity. Why do the nations attack God’s anointed king when their attack is doomed to failure? Historically, his Anointed (v.2) referred to David or to any of his descendants who were experiencing opposition (cf. 1 Sam.24:6); prophetically, it refers to the Messiah who, as Son of David, also experienced opposition (Acts 4:25-27).
The fact that God shall laugh (v.4) at the world’s opposition to the Anointed One presages their calamity because the Lord has installed His King upon…Zion (v.6) and adopted Him as His Son; therefore the nations may be taken as an inheritance at the Son’s request (v.8). Every Davidic ruler was an adopted son (2 Sam.7:14), but the real significance of the promise is fulfilled only in Christ, the eternal Son of God (Acts 13:33; Heb.1:5, 5:5). The wise alternative is to submit to this Son. (vs.10-12).’
Yes friends, it’s all been arranged, so I don’t know why Lucifer and his evil minions are still trying to fight a losing battle nuh? As the scholars said, the only wise alternative is to submit to the Son.
‘Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear; and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son (pay homage to Him), lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Ps.2:10-12)
Oh my people, all I can do now is to advise us to take that immortal wisdom to heart, to act sincerely on it, by putting your entire trust in Jesus Christ, for He is God’s Anointed Son and will win the war eventually. Much LOVE!
…why join with the loser eh…when we already know the winner…it doesn’t make any sense at all…
07 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Jesus Christ, All Creatures of our God and King, Alleluia, assurance, christianity, church, come boldly, comfort, common sense, confession, confidence, confidently, deliverance, drary spell, earth, fellowship, forgiving others, fowlers, gather, grace, heaven, help, high priest, hold fast the confession of our faith, humbleness, in time of need, infirmities, Jesus the Son of God, lift up your voice, mercy, my help comes from the Lord, negative aspects, praise, rains, sacrifice of praise, sing, Sunday, sympathize, tender heart, the snare, the throne of grace, tips of our tongues, waters, wisdom, worship, wrath
Psalm 121:2. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Well friends, it’s Sunday, the day we gather to fellowship, praise and worship our wonderful God! Now the rains of the last two days have cast a dreary spell over our area, and they are still falling intermittently and sporadically, but that is no excuse for us not to attend church today. (smile)
Oh, I know the words, ‘it’s raining, so I can’t go to church this morning,’ are right on the tips of our tongues waiting to fall out. But let’s leave them there nuh, and go to church if we are otherwise able. I can guarantee that the blessings, comfort, courage and assurance you will get from fellowshipping in the Lord’s sanctuary will greatly outweigh the few negative aspects a li’l rain might cause. (smile)
So let’s open this morning’s praise and worship with this old but majestic hymn written by St. Francis of Assisi, who just happens to be the patron saint of my church. (smile) Let’s raise our voices to high heaven in a beautiful sacrifice of praise, as we sing: ‘All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing: alleluia, alleluia! O burning sun with golden beam, and shining moon with silver gleam, O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
O rushing wind so wild and strong, white clouds that sail in heaven along, alleluia, alleluia! New rising dawn in praise rejoice; you lights of evening find a voice: O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Cool flowing water, pure and clear, make music for your Lord to hear: alleluia, alleluia! Fierce fire, so masterful and bright, providing us with warmth and light. O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Earth ever fertile, day by day bring forth your blessings on our way; alleluia, alleluia! All flowers and fruits that you grow, let there his glory also show; O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! All you who are of tender heart, forgiving others, take your part; alleluia, alleluia! All you who pain and sorrow bear, praise God and on him cast your care; O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless, and worship him in humbleness, alleluia, alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, and praise the Spirit, Three in One: O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!’
Ah mih people, our great God is certainly deserving of all the praise and alleluias that that hymn declares! And I know that delicious sacrifice of praise just put you in the mood to listen now to God’s encouraging and reassuring words found in the Good Book. (smile) So let’s get on with our Bit. ‘My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.’
Wow friends! What a bold but totally true declaration! If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, then that’s where ALL your help will come from! Some of it may be siphoned through other people, places and things, but the source, the fountainhead, WILL ALWAYS be God Almighty, the Creator and Controller of both heaven and earth!
And why is that you ask? Because ALL things, both in heaven and on earth belong to Him, and NOTHING happens in either place without His allowing it. Now let’s hear some words of scripture that corroborate our contention. Listen to Bruh David from Psalm 124 – Praise for deliverance from enemies – as he eschews God’s goodness and greatness.
‘If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick (alive), when their wrath was kindled against us: Then the waters had (would have) overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over (swept over) our soul.
Then the proud waters had gone over (would have swept over) our soul. Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers (bird trappers): the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’ (Ps.124:1-8)
Oh friends, please let’s always remember that nuh; our help is in God! Now let’s close with these memorable words of assurance and comfort from the author of Hebrews. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith).
For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:14-16)
What powerful words of comfort and confidence my people! And the scholars tell us: ‘4:16. Only Christianity provides such boldness for sinful men before a holy God, and that boldness is possible only because of our High Priest. The figure of a throne suggests a place of authority and provision. It is the place to obtain God’s grace when it is especially needed.’
What more can I say to encourage us to embrace Jesus eh my brethren? It’s all up to you now. So please use wisdom and common sense to make the proper decision. Much LOVE!
…the wisdom of Christianity speaks for itself…since no other faith can offer what it does…
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