16 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Aaron, almighty god, anointest my head with oil, assurance, aura of love, battle, big-wigs, comfort, confidence, daily bread, divisive actions, Donald Trump, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, fighting tooth and nail, friends, fun, goodness, holy spirit, humble servants, I shall not want, in the presence of mine enemies, injustice, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, kingly cheques, labour in love, lack, lies, loving kindness, Martin Luther King Jr., mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Old Testament, peace, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, shepherd, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord's prayer, the name of Jesus, trust, U.S. holiday, ungodly world, we will not fear, weary souls, wisdom, wonder of wonders
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).
Ah friends, it’s another Monday, but not another working Monday for many of our friends in the U.S. of A, as they are celebrating the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
It’s nice to have a holiday named after him, but what difference it’s going to make is another subject, especially with the seemingly divisive actions being pursued by the incoming President-elect, Donald Trump. But we won’t get into that, because by the weekend we’ll have a much better grasp on the situation when he’s inaugurated.
Meanwhile, plenty of us have to go out and labour so that the big-wigs can cash their kingly cheques, so let’s get ourselves together and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn that helps us to labour in LOVE and peace.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
That was good friends and Jesus was pleased. But obviously the U.S. family was singing the loudest and heartiest as they relaxed in the comfort of their homes. (smile) Let us not envy them their day of relaxation though, as we have to carry the load today, working righteously for Jesus.
And we are certainly encouraged in that endeavour by our Bit, one of the most popular verses in all Scripture: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).’
Yes my people, those are some of the most encouraging words one can ever read. Simply because they mean that our wonderful God is continually acting like a shepherd in our lives; guarding us from harm and providing us with whatever we need.
As the Lord’s Prayer says: ‘Give us this day, our daily bread.’ And that’s exactly what our heavenly Father does, each and every day of our earthly lives.
Now let’s continue looking at the remaining verses of that awesome psalm. Yesterday we stopped at the promise that even when we’re in the dire depths of death and evil, we will not be afraid, because our God, again shepherd-like, will be right there with us, fighting tooth and nail on our behalf.
And if you think all of that was too good to be true, listen to these remarkable words of Bruh David as he continues his story. ‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’ (Ps.23:5)
Wow! How bold and daring and confident is our God, to prepare a table of good things for us in the midst of our enemies! And to further His good office, He also anoints us with oil. That’s a sacred blessing that only a few people received in the Old Testament days, but it meant a lot, like when Aaron was anointed as the high priest. (Ps.133:2)
And the last verse confidently declares: ‘Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23:6)
Oh friends, oh friends, what a glorious ending to following the Lord God Jehovah eh! His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell with Him forever.
Oh my, oh my, I can’t withhold the excitement and assurance those words provoke in my soul! So again friends, I’m asking us to sit down and ponder the wonderful benefits that can emanate from following the Lord Jesus Christ! If you don’t, you’ll be doing yourself a very serious injustice. Much LOVE!
…wonder of wonders…the name of Jesus proclaims…in every area of our lives…
09 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 2017, a commercial message, anger, aura of love, born again, carnality, cast out, christianity, Christians, comforting, confidence, consoling, enthusiasm, evil, flavouring, friends, glorious kingdom, good cheer, good for nothing, guiding, hard-hearted, heals wounds, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, light of the world, lost its savour, LOVE, LOVE Walk, melts coldness, misnomer, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, peace, preservative, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, resolution, rest, salt, salt of the earth, shining stars, spiritual armour, strife, the Beatitudes, the birth of Jesus, trodden underfoot, trust, ungodly world, walk closely with Jesus, wisdom, witness
Matthew 5:13-14. Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world…
Ah mih people, the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations finally over! Is back to serious work this Monday morning. No more three and four day weekends for a while again. Hn, Hn!
But please, please, I’m pleading with us, let’s not go back to the savage sort of life we were living before the Holiday season began nuh. Let’s keep at least some of the LOVE and good cheer we’ve been meeting out in that blessed period, otherwise the birth of Jesus would be no more than a commercial message.
Friends, it’s up to us Christian folks to make that a reality. The world with its rampant carnality doesn’t care about that sort of thing, and remember, we have resolved in our ONE resolution, to walk ever more closely with Jesus this provocative year of 2017.
So let’s stop disappointing Him with our hitherto frail and feeble LOVE walk nuh, and let’s open the year instead bright and beautiful, like the shining stars He desires us to be. Nuff said!
And with that burst of glory (smile) let’s belt out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as though we truly mean it.
In unison 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!’
Ah friends, that was good, and Jesus was pleased but He‘d much rather we keep up a constant battle as per our Bit. ‘Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world…’
That’s what Christians are supposed to represent in this evil world; salt and light. I’ll let Jesus tell us. ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt.5:13)
Unfortunately, a lot, too many of us fit that description; good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden underfoot! And the scholars supply this explanation: ‘5:13. The Beatitudes are followed by a summary statement of the basic character of the Christian’s life as salt and light.
Ye are the salt of the earth: Again the phrase “ye are” indicates that only the genuinely born-again person is salt and can help meet the needs of the world. Salt adds flavouring, acts as a preservative, melts coldness, and heals wounds. Thus it is a very appropriate description of the believer in his relationship to the world in which he lives.’
Oh my fellow believers, as we look at our Christian walk in action, can we truly say that we are salt? Do we add a rich and spicy flavour to our surroundings and those therein? Are we being preservative; keeping people strong, alive and vibrant with whatever we bring to the table?
And do we melt coldness? Oh friends, that’s possibly one of the most important of our duties, because there are so many cold and hard-hearted hearts and souls out there in this modern world, and it is our job to soften, to warm them up with the wonder of Jesus.
And last, but by no means least, do we heal wounds? Are we comforting and consoling and guiding and bringing peace and LOVE to situations rather than anger and strife? I surely hope so my brethren, otherwise our witness if of no use, and calling ourselves Christians is a clearly a misnomer!
Well that’s enough tough talk for today. (smile) But please, let’s be serious and check out our lives along those paths nuh, and see where we are lacking and ask the Good Lord to help us improve our LOVE walk in His name. Much LOVE!
…it’s time the world sees what true Christians are like…in fact…it’s long overdue…
02 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: 24/7 society, adrenaline, aura of love, blood, bloodshed, confidence, Creator of the universe, dangerous, David, delight in burnt offerings, difficult, disobedience, dracula lady, enthusiasm, evil, faith, further your glorious kingdom, give the Lord thanks and praise, hypocritical, incense, lies, like clockwork, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, obedience, obey the Lord's command, peace, rejuvenation of spirit, religion, renewed vitality, sacrifices, Saul, serve a useful purpose, short of breath, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, test, the Holy Spirit, the long weekend, the Lord weighs the hearts, to obey is better than to sacrifice, truth, unfair, ungodly world, vegetating, wiles, work
1 Samuel 15:22. And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Well mih people, the ole fella is writing from his hospital room once again on this Monday morning, the first of the new year of 2017, looking out over the roof of the first floor and a small parking lot in front of it. Wow! What beautiful scenery!
Oh, before I go any further let me apologize for that typo at the end of yesterday’s Bit, where I wrote 2107 instead of 2017. I guess I must expect to be around till then. (smile)
Anyhow, I can’t tell you much of anything because nothing’s happened. I’m still short of breath, waiting to go for some tests, but I figure the long weekend is holding them up, as all the appropriate staff are not yet back to work. We’ll see what happens today.
In the meantime, I’m just here vegetating, trying to keep my peace and giving the Lord the thanks and praise He so rightfully deserves, hoping that sometime soon I’ll find out the problem, get it fixed and leave the hospital. And by the way, the Dracula lady just came for her draught of blood. (smile) They are here like clockwork early every morning.
But enough about me. I’m where I’m supposed to be, but others must go out and labour this holiday Monday, because of our 24/7 society. So let’s join them in singing a rousing rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and send them off with the adrenaline flowing powerfully through their bodies to do a good job on Jesus’ behalf.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that was pretty good, but as usual led by the loud voices of those who don’t have to go to work. So let’s turn to our Bit, the same as yesterday:
‘And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.’
Ah friends, obedience is so important in the Lord’s realm that Saul lost his kingdom and his children’s inheritance because he refused to obey the Lord’s command. And I guess the same thing happens with us in these modern times, though on a smaller scale, when we are disobedient to God’s word.
I’m sure many of us can look back now at certain circumstances and see where certain things happened because we did not do what the Lord wanted, at the time He designated. Now don’t think that you’re being obedient when you do what the Lord wants today instead of yesterday as He asked. You’re not. The timing is also important, and being outside of God’s timing, counts as disobedience.
And the scriptures call now. Hear Bruh David from Psalm 40 – Praise for answered prayer. ‘Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. It Then said I, Lo, I come in the volume of the book (scroll) it is written of me. I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.’ (Ps.40:6-8)
Oh friends, like Bruh David, do we delight to do the Lord’s will, is His law within our hearts? I certainly hope so, otherwise we’ll be lost in disobedience and pay the price.
Now hear Cousin Sol. ‘Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth (weighs) the hearts. To do justice and judgement (righteousness and justice) is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.’ (Prov.21:2-3)
And Isaiah in his call to repentance, solemnly declared: ‘To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread (trample) my courts?
Bring me no more vain (futile sacrifices) oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with (endure it); it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting… And when you spread forth your hands (pray), I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood (bloodshed).
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil. Learn to do well; seek judgement (justice) relieve the oppressed, judge (vindicate, defend) the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ (Is.1:11-13,15-17)
Ah friends, the olden Israelites were so hypocritical in their religion, that he condemned them before the Lord. The sacrificial system that the Lord had set up was fine, but the people were merely going through the motions with no real heart for God.
Sadly, a lot of that still exists today, and until we begin to truly LOVE, worship and obey the Lord, our lives won’t be as rich and smooth as they can be. Much LOVE!
…obedience is the number one rule in God’s book.
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, and any mistakes, but the hospital people had me jumping through hoops once the day shift came on. (smile) Hopefully, I’ll know better next time. Much LOVE!
26 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: 24/7 machine, a feather in his cap, according to His purpose, all things work together for good, as a roaring lion, aura of love, Beelzebub, Casting all your care, catch us offside, Christians, christmas day, confidence, confirm, conquerors, contempt, devour, discourtesy, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, encouragement, enthusiasm, eternal glory, ever-faithful, evil, exalt you, face the music, faith, families, friends, frivolities of the world, glorious kingdom, glory and dominion, grace, Granny's advice, heartfelt compassion, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, humble yourselves, in due time, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, kind words, labour, leave nor forsake us, lies, lives, LOVE, loving kindness, Lucifer, make you perfect, mercy, nobody but Jesus, nobody know the trouble I see, out of key, raucous sound, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, resist, rest, righteousness., salvation, season, seeking whom he may devour, settle you, sober, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strengthen, suffered, surrender our all, taunts, the devil, the God of all grace, the mighty hand of God, the nature of the human animal, the straight and narrow path, them who are called, to them that love God, trust, truth, uncaring ways, ungodly, ungodly world, vigilant, walks about, wiles, wisdom, wishful thinking, work diligently for Jesus, your adversary
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Well friends and fellow believers, Christmas Day is over, but not the Christmas season. Let’s see if we can’t drag it out for as long as possible nuh – until next year this same time. (smile)
Yeh, I know that’s only wishful thinking because come the second, if not the first week of January 2017, we’ll be back to our ungodly, uncaring ways, treating each other with discourtesy and contempt, having forgotten the kind words, the generous giving and heartfelt compassion we had shared just a couple weeks before. But I guess that’s just the nature of the human animal, unable to stay on the straight and narrow path for any length of time, especially when the frivolities of the world call.
And although many of us are off today, many still have to go out and labour since our society has become a 24/7 machine that never stops. So let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with those unfortunate ones who have to go out and face the music today. Let’s lend them a helping voice so that they can be inspired and enthused to go out and work diligently on Jesus’ behalf.
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!’
Hn, hn! I have to laugh yes mih people, because it happens all the time. On the Mondays when only some of us are going to work, the raucous sound of those who are off are always louder and more enthusiastic, but also more out of key and harmony. Our Choirmaster, Jesus, could only chuckle and shake His head, because He was well aware of the earthly goings on. And He does appreciate us putting our hearts into it, though our voices weren’t that sweet.
And before we get to our Bit, it’s necessary to remind us of Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny Boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ Because if we don’t, Beelzebub will certainly mind it for us as He is out seriously prowling for any unfortunates he can find this Christmas season. I guess that’s why I’ve been led to this Bit for today. ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’
Ah mih people that’s ever so true! Lucifer is always on the watch for when we step out of line. And he’d be especially pleased to get his tenterhooks into us in this Christmas time when we’re celebrating the birth of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To catch us offside while we carrying on about Jesus…Wow! That would be a real feather in his cap. So that’s why we have to pay particular attention to Granny’s advice when we are celebrating, or for that matter doing anything at all.
And 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, that ought to give us some encouragement, knowing that others in the faith are also suffering some rough times, with the evil one right on their heels, just waiting for them to falter, to stumble and fall. Sometimes it will, and sometimes it won’t. For as we say, ’Nobody knows the trouble I see. Nobody but Jesus.’
We all feel that our afflictions and problems are different and more serious than those of other believers. But the truth is my brethren, we all suffer at different levels and different degrees, but ‘sufferation’ is ‘sufferation’ in any form or level that it comes.
That’s why Peter advised us before our Bit to: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet.5:6-7)
Yeh precious believers, our wonderful God cares a whole lot for us, but He can’t help us unless we surrender our all to Him. We just can’t keep some things for ourselves and give the rest to Him. He wants it all. That’s the only way He can properly control our circumstances. And believe me, He won’t ever leave us in the lurch, for He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us. And we all know that He’s ever-faithful about His promises.
And here are some encouraging words from Peter for us to go home with today. ‘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 glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet.5:10-11)
Yes friends, in due course, the Lord will bring us out of our troubles, much stronger than when we first encountered them. So let’s apply ourselves to wisdom nuh, if we want to be honoured, exalted and looked after by our heavenly Father. Much LOVE!
…all things work together for good…to them that LOVE God…to them who are the called…according to his purpose… (Rom.8:28)
22 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a performance, a trumpet player, abundance, action, adore, bits of news, blessed, blessed arth thou among women, blessed is she that believed, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, blessings, blocked toilet, born to proclaim, brethren, broken, Christ's mother, Christian fashion, christianity, clear direction, compassionate heart, confidence, courage, creativity, curse, discredit, divine protection, down to earth, Elisabeth, exuding Christian feeling, faith, favour, filled with the Holy Ghost, for brethren to dwell in unity, friendly manner, fulfillment, genuine, glory to God, good friends, great family, greeting, happy to serve, Healer, health, hill country, how good and pleasant, in the name of Jesus, in true action, influential people, John the Baptist, jumps for joy, leaped in her womb, light, LOVE, LOVE in action, Mary, negative word, pleasant, positive, positive outlook, praise, promotion, prosper, reluctant to discredit, renewed my confidence, running sinks, salt, salutation, she spake out with a loud voice, shoddy job, strength, succeed, success, talent, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Holy Ghost, the house of Zechariah, the mother of my Lord, Thursday's Blessings, told her of the Lord, travail, upbeat note, walk this earth, wisdom, with haste, worked wonders, workmanship, Zechariah
Luke 1:42. And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
Oh friends, oh friends, the ole fella has two good… no not two good, but two of the most wonderful and exciting bits of news to share!
First of all I was told that our bubba Scotty was back at church last Sunday…Glory to God! And he was looking good too…Give the Lord even more glory!
He still is not a hundred percent, but He is much better than he was. So let’s keep on praying that the wonderful healer, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, will soon restore him to full health. Isn’t our God great? He surely is!
And the second excellent piece of news is that I finally saw Christianity in true action. Wow!
The story goes like this: A few days ago, a plumber, a tall white guy, possibly in his forties, came to check out a couple of slow running sinks and a blocked toilet in my house. He fixed the sinks without a problem, but could not unblock the toilet. Finally he called a different department and got them to send someone else the following day.
This guy had to take down the toilet, and after much travail, (smile) finally removed the object that was blocking it. However, to the duchess and I, he did a somewhat shoddy job of putting the toilet back together. So she called and they sent the first plumber back yesterday.
On viewing what we thought was shoddy workmanship, he declared that the fella had actually done his job, but not as well as he could have. And you could see that in good Christian fashion, he was reluctant to discredit the other plumber.
Now, from his first visit, we had established that he was a Christian, also a trumpet player, and we had spoken some about our faith, but not to a great extent. And much to our surprise, he then began to work on improving the job.
Now he didn’t have to do it, and even though he was still on call and getting paid, a lot of others would have just left it and walked away. His manner was also pleasant and friendly and you could feel the Christian feeling exuding from him.
It was actually LOVE in action, not just talk. And I was really moved by his attitude. I saw the proverbial salt and light in his genuine, happy to serve, down to earth behaviour. And it sort of renewed my confidence in our faith.
Ah mih people, I don’t know if I described it properly, but a genuine caring for his job, and the way he did it enthusiastically, worked wonders on the duchess and I. Oh how good it would be to see more of that kind of attitude amongst our Christian brethren!
Anyway, here’s our Bit for today, don’t know if we have space for all I want to say now. (smile) ‘And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.’
Now that was Elisabeth, John the Baptist’s mother talking as Mary, her relative, Christ’s mother came to visit her.
The Good Book describes the scene thus: ‘And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; and entered into the house of Zechariah, and saluted (greeted) Elisabeth.
And it came to pass, that when Elisabeth heard the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.’ (Luke 1:39-41)
That’s when she declared our Bit. And isn’t it amusing, amazing, and mysterious, just like our God, to engineer such a meeting. Mary greets Elisabeth, and John the Baptist jumps for joy in his mother’s womb. He is having his first encounter with the mother of His Lord, whom he will be born to proclaim.
And Elisabeth continues after our Bit. ‘And whence (why) is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.’ (Luke 1:43-44)
Yeh mih people, the Holy Ghost obviously filled in Elisabeth with the enormous task that would befall Mary, and she ends with these powerful and most significant words. ‘And blessed is she that (who) believed: for there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:45)
Elisabeth could only have known those things through the power of the Holy Ghost. What a way our wonderful God, the greatest scriptwriter of all time, tied together the cousins who would bear two of the most important and influential people ever to walk this earth!
How could we not adore, praise and give Him all the glory He deserves eh!
Now let’s go home on a further positive and upbeat note by declaring our Thursday Blessings. Remember, a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been proclaimed over someone.
All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Yes mih people, blessings and more blessings! Now let’s go out and bless others and be salt and light in the world as Jesus expects us to be. Much LOVE!
…behold…how good and pleasant it is…for brethren to dwell together in unity… (Ps.133:1)
19 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a feast for our eyes, a man hath joy, a word fitly spoken, actions, adrenaline, apples of gold, aura of love, benefit, by the answer of his mouth, character, Christians, commute, condemned, confidence, degrading, delights, doh bite de hand dat feed yuh, encouraging, enthusiasm, evil, friends, give account, habits, humble servants, invincible, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, justified, largesse, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, make Jesus our focus, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nasty driving conditions, negatively affected, pictures of silver, Praise the Lord, precipitation, Proverbs, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, speak a word in season, spiritual armour, spoken at the right time, steadfast faith, taunts, tears of joy, the day of judgement, the meditation of my heart, the tongues of the learned, the words of my mouth, thoughts, Tobago, Trini Quote, trust, truth, ungodly funk, ungodly world, ungrateful, uplifting, wiles, wisdom, words
Proverbs 25:11. A word fitly spoken (spoken at the right time) is like apples of gold in pictures (in settings) of silver.
And then there was no precipitation of any ilk in the last 24 hours… Praise be to God! The roads were fairly clean and dry yesterday evening, and since nothing has happened so far (smile) to change it, then the Monday morning commute should not be too bad, be negatively affected by nasty driving conditions. We have enough terrible drivers on the road already, we don’t need foul weather to make it worse.
And one friend recently wrote me and drove the nail in further, re our bad weather, telling me that he was already in Tobago enjoying its paradisiac delights. It’s okay Anthony, my day will come – hopefully, sooner rather than later. (smile)
But be that as it may, it’s time to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn so that we can get the adrenaline running in our veins and make Jesus the focus of our hearts and minds.
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!’
Now that was a good rendition friends, but not good enough to bring a blazing smile to our choirmaster Jesus’s face or cause tears of joy to run from His eyes. Nonetheless, he was pleased with our effort. And before we turn to our Bit, here is De Trini Quote of the Day from my Trini friend.
It says: ‘Doh bite de hand dat feed yuh.’ And it’s often said to someone who is ungrateful. Like a lot of us Christians, who enjoy the Lord’s largesse but fail to give Him thanks and praise for His mercy and LOVING-kindness. Unlike believers like Bruh David, who knew on which side his bread was buttered and never moved away from his heavenly Father.
And my Trini friend ends by saying: ‘Have a GREAT day, every DAY!!!! Watch your thoughts They become words Watch your words: They become actions Watch your actions: They become habits Watch your habits: They become character.’
And that’s all indisputable truth my brethren, so please let’s pay close attention to our thoughts, for they eventually bring words and actions that become habits, which further testify to our character.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is filled with more words of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘A word fitly spoken (spoken at the right time) is like apples of gold in pictures (in settings) of silver.’ And is that ever so true my people! Certain words spoken at certain times just lift us up.
And how like Cousin Sol to paint such a brilliant word picture. Just imagine pictures of golden apples on a background of silver nuh. A virtual feast for the eyes! There is something about beauty that simply transcends our negative emotions. The same goes for a right word at the right time.
And the scholars declare: 25:11. A timely and fitting word is precious and pleasing.’ And so it is my brethren. That’s why we have to watch our words very carefully, because they can either be pleasing and raise our spirits, or degrading and put us into an ungodly funk. (smile)
Listen to Isaiah on the subject. ‘The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.’ (Is.50:4)
Yeh friends, it’s so wonderful to be able to speak uplifting and encouraging words to our fellow man. Let’s ask the Lord to treat us like Isaiah nuh; every day help us to speak words of encouragement and exhortation to those around us.
Meanwhile, earlier on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol makes the same statement in a different way, ‘A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!’ (Prov.15:23) It is very good my brethren!
Now listen to Jesus on the subject of our words. ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt.12:36-37)
Oh precious people of God, please take special notice of those words of Jesus, for our words are powerful, they have the power of life and death, and we will have to answer for every idle, every negative word we’ve ever spoken!
And we’ll end in a fitting manner with these wise, immortal words of Bruh David from Psalm 19 – The creation and covenants of God. ‘Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (rock), and my redeemer.’ (Ps.19:14)
Oh my beloved brethren, it’s ever so important that what we think, feel and speak are pleasing and acceptable in God’s sight! In light of all we’ve said above, it could only be of enormous benefit to us. Much LOVE!
…the world was spoken into existence by words…and Jesus was the Word made flesh…therefore words are of extreme importance…
18 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a goodly heritage, Aaron, adore Him, altar service, asaph, believers, Bethlehem, blessing, born this happy morning, celebrating the Sabbath Day, celebration, Christ the Lord, Christian life, Christmas, confidence, crawl, draw near to God, enthusiasm, faithful voices, fellowship, firstfruits, gifts, go a whoring from thee, God is the strenght of my heart, help, I am thy part, I hope in him, I would keep thy words, ice, in flesh appearing, inheritance, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ's birth, joyful, Lamentations, Levi, LOVE, my flesh and my heart faileth, my portion for ever, O come all ye faithful, O come let us adore Him, passion, payment, perfect harmony, portion, praise, preaching of the word, preservation, prosperous, put my trust in the Lord God, rain, refreshed, rejuvenated, Rock, Sabbath Day, sacrifices, snow, spiritual awareness, thanks, the children of Israel, the Lord God Jehovah, The Lord is good, the Lord is my portion, the Lord's sanctuary, the priests, the salvation of the Lord, the service of the tabernacle, the tenth in Israel, thou art my portion, tithe, tithing, to them that wait on him, triumphant, unfaithful, wait, walk, wickedness, wisdom, word of the Father, worship
Psalm 119:57. Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.
And then it was rain, mixing up with the snow, and with the lower night time temps, more likely than not turning to ice. Yes friends, that’s what we’re looking forward to this Sunday before Christmas 2016; an icy world.
But yuh know what? That’s not going to stop us from going to the Lord’s sanctuary and celebrating His Sabbath Day. We going to get there, even if we have to walk and/or crawl. (smile)
And when we get there we’re going to have glorious fellowship, with plenty thanks and praise and worship and preaching of the Word, so that we can leave feeling rejuvenated and refreshed, strong and full of confidence to go out and live a good and true Christian life in the upcoming week.
Now let’s begin the praise and worship with this beautiful hymn, ‘O Come All ye Faithful.’ Yes my brethren, please let our faithful voices raise our praise and glory to high heaven in perfect harmony!
‘O Come All Ye Faithful Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels; O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
O Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation, Sing all that hear in heaven God’s holy word. Give to our Father glory in the Highest; O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning, O Jesus! For evermore be Thy name adored. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.’
Ah mih people, this is the season of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’s birth in the lowly stable in Bethlehem, and we ought to be celebrating it with lots of enthusiasm, passion and spiritual awareness. Remember, Christmas is the occasion that got the whole Christian thing; the ball of salvation, forgiveness of sins, reconciliation, justification and the promise of eternal life rolling.
And if we don’t fully appreciate it, we won’t be able to fully appreciate what it caused either. So please tone down the worldly activities, and instead raise the godly ones, for without Jesus there would be no Christmas, no gifts, no set of food, in fact no celebration at all at this time of year.
And now that I’ve said my piece, (smile) let’s turn to our Bit, a powerful acknowledgement of God’s place in the psalmist’s life. ‘Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.’ Yeh friends, the Lord ought to be our portion, and we ought to faithfully keep His words if we claim to be believers in His Son Jesus Christ.
Now today I want to look at some other scriptures that uphold, which corroborate the words of our Bit. Let’s begin with something from Numbers. ‘And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance (a possession), for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.’ (Num.18:20-21)
So Aaron and his descendants, the priests, would own no land in Israel. The scholars explain it thus: ‘18:8-20. In recognition of their altar service, the priests were to receive parts of the sacrifices, firstfruits of the harvest, and firstborn animals (cf. Lev.6:14-7:36; 27:26-33). The priests’ families could also eat from these offerings as long as they were “clean.” Their inheritance would be God Himself, who provided for their needs through His people’s gifts. (v.20)
‘18:21-24. Tithing was now provided for the tribe of Levi (Gen.14:20; 28:22: Lev.27:30-33). The tithe was a payment for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation (v.21; cf.31). It also compensated for their lack of an inheritance in land. Later they were given 48 villages which were scattered throughout the land (34:16-35:8).’
That means those in charge of running the tabernacle, had no other duties but looking after God’s house, and the Lord provided food for them from the gifts of the people. Now hear Bruh David from Psalm 16, where he seeks preservation and blessing.
‘The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest (upholds) my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places: yea, I have a goodly heritage (inheritance). I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel; my reins (heart) also instruct me in the night seasons.’ (Ps.16:5-7)
Meanwhile, Jeremiah in his Lamentations boldly declares: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul: therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:24-26) Wonderful advice my fellow believers!
And we’ll end with some more wonderful advice, this time from the psalmist Asaph, from Psalm 73 – The mystery of prosperous wickedness. ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (that are unfaithful). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps.73:26-28)
Oh friends, the Lord God Jehovah, Creator and Controller of the universe, ought to be a big part of our lives if we truly believe. Now let’s take some time today and consider how big a portion He is in our lives, and as always, ask Him to help us make it bigger. For that’s wisdom of enormous proportions! Much LOVE!
…the bigger the portion of God in us…the better…
12 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, aura of love, baubles and bangles, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, best foot forward, boast, brave, Christ's expense, Christians, confidence, courage, crapaud smoke we pipe, drive like fools, dry pavement, enthusiasm, eternal life, everlasting life, evil, faith, fearless, for God so loved the world, friends, fun, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God gave His only begotten son, God's generous grace, God's riches, grace, he who has ears to hear, heaven, heavenly places, hell, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, inclement weather, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, Joshua, joy, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, neither be thou dismayed, not of works, persecutor, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, serve God, should not perish, sit togther, snowstorm, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, that whosoever believes in him, the Damascus road, the gift of God, The Israelites, the Lord thy God is with thee, truth, umbrage, ungodly world, useful purpose, weary souls, wiles, wisdom, works
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Ah mih friends, the first big snowstorm of the season is upon this Monday morning! Steups!
It’s been going since yesterday and will certainly provide many problems as we go out to work, but please leave home a little earlier and take your time. Look out for the other driver, because in spite of the nasty weather, a lot of us still drive like fools, behaving as though we are on dry pavement.
And what amazes me about the snow storms, is that so many of them seem to occur on a Monday morning when we are not at our best – although we should be – and don’t need the hassle and danger of driving on snow and ice covered roads. However my faithful friends and believers this morning we certainly have to do like God commanded Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites.
‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:9)
Yes my people, let us be brave and fearless as we face the inclement weather and poor driving conditions this morning. And to further raise our courage and faith, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with strong conviction and perfect harmony.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih breddren, that rendition lacked something. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t thrill our choirmaster Jesus. And you know that’s always the aim of our singing. But Jesus is so wonderful, He didn’t take umbrage, (smile) because He knows our fears and weaknesses.
But since that shot of adrenaline we got from singing is now coursing through our veins, let’s go out bravely and do our best for Jesus nuh, for that’s all He asks of us. And logically speaking, if we consider all that He’s done for us, we should have no problem in putting our best foot forward on His behalf.
Just listen to our Bit and see the magnanimous and selfless sacrifice both the Father and Son made on our behalf. And I hope it pricks our cold hearts into doing better. (smile)
‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
Now wasn’t that a most wonderful gesture? It certainly was! That’s why I can’t understand how we can just throw Jesus and the Father by the wayside in favour of the worthless baubles and bangles of this evil world! Chuh man people! That’s ungratefulness at its highest!
And I want to pile it on here, so please listen attentively to Bruh Paul’s discourse on the subject to the Ephesians. ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph.2:4-10)
Yuh see friends, it’s all about God’s sincere and unconditional LOVE for us! Our good works CANNOT give us salvation, but when we are spiritually born again, we ought to have such a LOVE for Jesus, that we naturally do good works. Now there are so many explanations that I would like to share, but we don’t have time nor space. But I’ll share this very important one though, re the Grace of God.
‘2:8. The grace of God is the expression of His goodness toward the undeserving. Grace means unmerited favour, and can be expressed by the acrostic “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” This grace is the basis of our salvation (1:7; 2:8)
Illustration: In salvation, men who deserve hell obtain heaven. This cannot be explained apart from God’s grace. Every conversion in Scripture is an example of God’s grace. When Paul (Saul) met the Lord on the Damascus Road, Paul was a persecutor of the church. Yet God made him one of the church’s chief preachers.
Application: We need to remember that we are saved, given the Holy Spirit, and allowed to serve God – by His grace. (First Ref. Gen.6:8; Primary Ref. Eph. 2:8; cf. Ps.139:1).’
Ah friends, all I can say now is, he who has ears to hear, let him hear, otherwise crapaud smoke ‘im pipe! Much LOVE!
…why foolishly accept hell eh…when one can easily get heaven…through God’s generous grace…
05 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pillar of fire, abominable, adrenaline, almighty god, anointed, antidote, aura of love, blessings, by day, by night, Calvary's cross, challenges, choirmaster, Christians, compassion, confidence, dancing around aimlessly, do God's will, don't be afraid, Egypt, energy, enthusiasm, evil, excited, faith, fear not, feeling up to scratch, fellowship, frailties, friends, glorious kingdom, God is faithful, good works, gospel truth, harmony, he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, hesitation, holy spirit, humble servants, in a pillar of cloud, indisputable, invincible, irrevocable, Israel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Joshua, joy, lies, LOVE, mighty power, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, negative aspects, neither be dismayed, neither forsake thee, new day of life, passion, praise, reconcile, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, sins, soaring with confidence, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, step out, strong right hand, strong voice, thanks, the angel of God, the enemy, the Lord goes before thee, truth, unconditional LOVE, ungodly world, weaknesses, wilderness, wisdom, without doubt, worship
Deuteronomy 31:8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Well friends, I hope that our fellowship yesterday, mixed with sincere praise, worship and thanks, has paved the way for us to get this work week off with a bang! That we’re soaring with confidence and energy and a passion to just get out there and do God’s will!
But just in case we did not fellowship yesterday, or for some other reason we’re not feeling up to scratch, not excited by this new day of life, with which we’ve been blessed, we have an instant antidote for you. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So let’s sing it all together now, in strong voice and bubbling harmony, and make our choirmaster, Jesus proud.
‘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!’
Now that rendition wasn’t bad at all my people, however it did not light up Jesus eyes and face like last week. But don’t feel badly because He understands our weaknesses and frailties even better than we do. He knows that we can’t put on a magnificent performance every week, but that doesn’t mean we can’t always give a creditable one.
So with the adrenaline that our Battle Hymn has raised in our blood, let’s stop dancing around aimlessly and get ourselves out into the serious fray that awaits us. And to help us do that, we have a most encouraging Bit; the words of Moses when he anointed Joshua, Israel’s leader.
‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’
Oh my fellow believers, we ought to know that those are words of indisputable, irrevocable, gospel truth! As the Lord was with the Israelites so long ago, He is still with us…even under better conditions now that we have Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour!
The Lord our God proved His awesome, unconditional LOVE for us by sending His ONE and ONLY Son to die on Calvary’s cross to redeem us from our abominable sins, so why would He now stop caring for us eh? It simply doesn’t make sense. He broke His own heart to reconcile us to Himself, so simple logic would deduce that His LOVE and compassion for each one of us is still just as strong as it was back then.
And no, it’s not easy to accept this wonderful reassurance when all the fearful negative aspects of the world appear to be coming full speed at us. But with time and the growth of our faith, enabled by the good works God continually does in our lives, we will eventually come to a point where we can accept the words of our Bit without doubt or hesitation.
And just to give us a practical and physical example of the Lord going before us, listen to this scintillating scripture from Exodus. ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.’ (Ex.13:21-22)
Yuh see that friends, our God is a FAITHFUL God! What more can we ask for eh? He led His people Israel, out of bondage in Egypt, through the wilderness by pillars of cloud and fire, thus assuring them of His continual presence, and also protection from the Egyptians who were following them.
Now hear this masterful plan of protection from our wise and powerful God. ‘And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all night.’(Ex.14:19-20)
So though the two camps were fairly close together, darkness completely shrouded the Israelites from the Egyptians. Who else could have devised such a simple but yet masterful plan eh my brethren? NONE but Almighty God!
So as we step out today to face the evil world and all its challenges, please don’t be afraid, for just like the Lord protected the Israelites back then, He still protects EVERY ONE of His children with His strong right hand and mighty power. That’s all we need to know and remember. Much LOVE!
…Fear not…was one of Jesus’ most used statements…believers should therefore take Him at His word…
28 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a li'l two step, acted presumptuously, alive and kicking, answered prayers, appreciation, attitude, aura of love, Black Friday, bondage, commandments, compassion, confidence, conquerors, Cyber Monday, dealt proudly, enthusiasm, extravagant shopping, fervent prayers, forgiveness, friends, full of compassion, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, good news, gracious, gratitude, heaven, higher than your thoughts, higher than your ways, holy spirit, humble servants, insolently, integral part of our family, invincible, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, Jesus' eyes, jobs, joy, lies, LOVE, mercies, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, Nehemiah, of great kindness, of great mercy, party animals, passion tears of joy, personal experience, praise, Praise the Lord, ready to pardon, rebelled against God, rebellion, refused to obey, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, rest, reverence, righteousness., sacrilege;i, salvation, sending up, sincerity, slow to anger, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stiff necked, stubborn, taunts, thanks, Thanksgiving celebrations, the Lord is gracious, to the Lord our God, trust, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, wiles, wisdom, worthwhile inroads
Daniel 9:9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.
Oh friends, oh friends, good news! We have good… no most excellent news this Monday morning! Our bubba Scotty is back home! Our prayers have been answered! Praise the Lord!
Scotty actually came out of the hospital on Thursday, but I didn’t know that until I went to church yesterday. All the tests came back negative, and I spoke to him on the phone in the evening. He is indeed alive, but not kicking too hard yet. (smile) However the next few weeks should see him get back to his normal bright and kicking self.
So let’s keep on praying, keep on sending up those fervent prayers to heaven, that the Lord returns him quickly to full health, because we need him, he is an integral part of our family. Hang in there Scotty mih friend!
And since we have such good news we should be in fine shape to begin this Monday morning… well except for those party animals down in the U.S. who must be suffering from the Thanksgiving celebrations and the hassles of Black Friday over the weekend.
Oh, I forgot, it’s Cyber Monday today, another day of extreme and extravagant shopping , this time though online. Steups! It’s a good thing I’m not involved in the nonsense nuh. Anyway, let’s belt out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with sincerity and strong passion. Let’s see if we can’t bring tears of joy to our choirmaster Jesus’ eyes. (smile)
In unison 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!’
Yes mih breddren, yes! We’ve done it: we’ve brought tears of joy to Jesus’ eyes! Wow! Even the Father had to get up from His throne and do a li’l two step, the music was so sweet! (smile)
Now with all of that excitement, passion and good news, we have no excuses for not getting a serious move on to the battlefield to fight diligently and passionately for Jesus’ cause. But let’s also keep our Bit of God’s wonderful attributes in mind, so that we don’t condemn ourselves if perchance we fall short of God’s Word. ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’
Ah friends, our God is so wonderful that there are no words to truly describe Him! Is there any other supposed god who is merciful and forgiving even when their subjects rebel against them? Obviously not! Our God created the universe and rules it as He sees fit.
As He so nicely tells us in Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:8-9) Now that’s telling us what is what and who is who! (smile) He’s just on a higher plane than us!
So let’s continue looking at some scriptures which corroborate the words of our Bit. And we’ll begin with the words of Bruh David from Psalm 145 – The Lord is gracious. Halfway through the psalm, Bruh David confidently declares: ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ (Ps.145:8-9)
And all followers of Jesus Christ know that to be the absolute truth, which we have learned from personal experience as well as those of other believers. That brings us to an interesting scripture from Nehemiah, re the confessions of the priests and Levites.
He confesses: ‘But they and our fathers dealt proudly (acted presumptuously or insolently), and hardened their necks (became stubborn), and hearkened not to (did not heed) thy commandments. And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them: but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.’ (Neh. 9:16-17)
Can you imagine that friends? Even when the Israelites made a molten calf of gold and worshipped it, especially after all the wonders that He had recently done for them, the Lord did not destroy them!
Hn! He is indeed a merciful and forgiving God! And we should be offering up much more reverence and praise and thanks to Him in appreciation and gratitude for all that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us in the future.
So today, let’s take a few minutes and ponder our personal response and attitude towards Almighty God nuh, and make sure it’s not anything like that of the old time Israelites. Much LOVE!
…when one experiences God’s mercy and forgiveness…it’s unthinkable …sure sacrilege…to turn away from Him thereafter…
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