09 Mar 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: antidote, attitudes, aura of love, Caleb, choose life, confidence, dangerous, difficult, disinherit, enthusiasm, fear ye not, floweth with milk and honey, furthering Christ's kingdom, giants, grasshoppers, hard experience, holy spirit, humble servants, humility, invincible, jobs, left God out, let us go up at once, lies, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Monday Morning Blues, pestilence, possess it, prisoner of hope, rearing to go, rebel not ye against the Lortd, slavery in egypt, souls, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stilled the people before Moses, supernatural power, sure conquerors, surrender, taunts, the Lord is with us, unfair, wandered 40 years, we are well able to overcome it, wiles, within God's will
Numbers 13:30. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it (take possession of it); for we are well able to overcome it.
Come Monday morning we’ll all be up bright and early, dressed and rearing to get out into the evil world and do good work for Jesus! Wow! Now that doesn’t have to be a pipe dream, but can become reality if we are really interested in furthering Christ’s kingdom. But unfortunately, though I am a prisoner of hope, I also am practical and know from hard experience that many of us supposed believers will never reach that high state of being ready and rearing to go on a Monday morning.
But I am believing that the numbers will lessen as we move forward. Consequently, I can safely say that we will always need our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to act as an antidote for our Monday morning blues. So let’s get on with it nuh. In strong and sincere voice, with humility and confidence that our prayer will be answered because it is within God’s will.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour.
We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And like magic, (smile) through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, the heavenly worker bee, our souls and spirits and attitudes begin changing right away! A sudden burst of energy shoots through our bodies, while our souls and spirits react with a hitherto unknown enthusiasm and confidence and we’re finally ready to go out and fight who or whatever the world pits against us, all in the name and strength of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! We no longer see ourselves as grasshoppers in the eyes of the world’s evil giants, unable to defeat them, like the ten spies who went out with Joshua and Caleb to espy the Promised Land. (Num. 13:33)
But we’re now like Caleb, who ‘stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it (take possession of it); for we are well able to overcome it.’ And unfortunately, like the ten fearful and negative spies, such is the state of too many Christians in this day and age. The Caleb’s and Joshua’s are rather few and far between. Thus the people of Israel, listening to the gutless spies, rebelled against the Lord, calling for a captain to lead them back into slavery in Egypt.(Num. 14:1-4) What gutless wonders my brethren! That’s why they wandered 40 years in the wilderness till all those who had come out of Egypt had died, except Joshua and Caleb.
And while the Israelites were looking to go back to Egypt, the Good Book tells us: ‘Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces (prostrated themselves) before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent (tore) their clothes. (a gesture of deep distress). And they spake unto all the company children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us (food for our consumption): their defense (protection) is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.’ (Num. 14:5-9)
What a moving speech by Joshua and Caleb. And the reaction from the people? The Good Book relates it thus: ‘But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of before all the children of Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke (despise) me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the (miraculous) signs which I have showed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.’ (Num.14:10-12)
What a sad state of affairs friends, and Moses had to intercede for them with the Lord. (Num. 14:13-19) But we can’t be too judgemental of the Israelites, because we’re behaving just like them today. And why do I say so? Because of two explanations by the scholars. The first: ‘13:27-29. The report of the spies was factual: the land was fruitful, the people were strong, the cities were walled and very great, and the giants dwelled in the land. But they had left God out. Only Joshua and Caleb had faith (Heb.3:19).’ And the second: ‘14:11. The purpose of the signs performed in Egypt was to encourage the people to trust in God and follow Him (Ex. 4:5)
Yes friends, just like the Israelites we have left God completely out of our current situation, and neither do we have the trust and faith in Him that all His many miracles wrought on our behalf ought to have raised to great levels. Thus so many of us are walking around in this evil and ungodly wilderness called the world, lost and forlorn, but still rebellious, even in the face of God’s truth.
But friends, as the old people would say; however you make up your bed, that is how you have to lie on it. And there are only two ways to make up our beds; faithful and strong with Jesus, or weak and evil with Beelzebub! The choice is yours. But I implore us to choose the former because it’s the wisest and best choice, the one with all the good and lasting benefits! Much LOVE!
…this day…I put before you life and death…choose life…and live forever…
25 Nov 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sincere follower of Christ, and glorify your father, aura of love, be sober, betrayal, communicating tool, confidence, dangerous, fervent charity, fight valiantly for Jesus, frustrated, God's grace, good stewards, hospitality, humble servants, humility, in all things God may be glorified, inroads, jobs, let your light, lies, LOVE, love it or leave it, miserable, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Peter, prayer, serve a useful purpose, so shine before men, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, that they may see, the enemy's ranks, the last days, the Last Supper, watch unto prayer, which is in heaven, wiles, your good works
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, so that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
‘Monday…LOVE it or LEAVE it!’ That’s the advice from a recent panel of the comic strip ‘Mutts.’ And I would say that it’s very good advice, because what other sensible choices do we have eh? None that I can think of. I definitely won’t call the choice that too many of us make, being miserable and frustrated and tired on a Monday as being sensible, especially if you’re a true believer in, and a sincere follower of Christ Jesus, because He definitely gives us the parts, the wherewithal to LOVE Monday when we go to church on Sunday and praise and worship and glorify Him!
Hn! I like that sentence. It sounds Bruh Paulian. (smile) Why yuh think He says to come to His house every first day of the week eh? It’s because He wants to rejuvenate and refresh us, so that we can go out and brazenly and confidently do His will starting bright and early on Monday, the second day! Ah, but since He created us, nobody knows better than Him how frail and weak we really are. That’s why He gave us the powerful communicating tool called prayer, so we can cry out to Him for help in times of need. And I know that many of us need help this Monday morning to get up and get out to labour.
So let’s use that most useful and powerful tool named prayer, to inform the Lord of our desperate need for His help this morning nuh. Therefore, with one fervent and sincere voice, let’s float our Monday Morning Battle Hymn up to heaven in confident humility.
‘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 always, before we’re even finished crying out for help, the Holy Spirit begins moving in our bodies and souls, strengthening and encouraging us, so that we can go out and fight valiantly for Jesus. And that all hinges on these motivating words of Jesus to His disciples. ‘Let your light so shine before men, so that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ Yes friends, it’s all about LOVING Jesus and doing works in His name so that our heavenly Father can be glorified.
That was also Jesus’ purpose here on earth. Having foretold His betrayal at the Last Supper, and seen Judas go out to do his evil deed, Jesus declared to the other disciples: ‘Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.’ (John 13:31). He was referring there to His death, burial and resurrection, the plan the Father had sent Him to earth to accomplish. But let’s check out some advice from one of those who was there with Christ when He uttered those faithful words nuh. We talking about the stubborn and recalcitrant, hard to handle Peter, who later became such a tower of strength in the early church.
Listen as he talks about living as servants of God. ‘Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation (conduct) honest (honourable) among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.’ (1 Pet. 2:11-12) Oh friends, are the Gentiles seeing our good works in Jesus’ name and thus glorifying God? Not as much as they ought to. But let’s see if we can’t be encouraged to do better by listening to Peter again.
Hear him talk about being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘ But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling). As every man hath received the gift; even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in ALL THINGS may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 4:7-11)
Oh my people, the last days are truly upon us, and our world is still in a terrible mess, so let’s use those wise words to galvanize us to victory in Jesus today nuh! Much LOVE!
…God created the universe…for the express purpose …of His glory…
12 Nov 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affection, anarchy, be of good courage, benevolence, bless the name, blessed, chaos, compassion, dangerous, deceitful, decency, disquieted, do their own thing, empathy, endangered list, friend of Jesus, hope, hope springs eternal, hope thou in God, horse of a different colour, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, Lamentations, Lord and Saviour, mercy, Mutts, my salvation, not what I do, not what I have, our stronghold, prince of darkness, prisoners of hope, share His love, strengthen your heart, sympathy, that was slain for us, the health of my countenance, the Lamb, the Lord is my portion, the Lord's goodness, the man, trusts in the Lord, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly world, wait quiet;y for the Lord, whose hope the Lord is, why art thou cast down, worry
Jeremiah 17:7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
Well the promised snow did not come during the early morning commute yesterday as promised, but by mid morning it was certainly flying, and continued to do so for most of the day. So yesterday afternoon’s commute was, and this morning’s will be indeed a horse of a different colour! (smile) But please be careful, the white stuff sure looks beautiful when lying quiet and undisturbed, but when tangled with, it’s just as dangerous and deceitful as the prince of darkness himself. Looks like we might even have had a record amount of snow for this time in November, and the month might even be colder and snowier than usual.
Ah, but not to worry, for we have Jesus, and when we walk closely with Him, He makes everything right! And all His followers gave a loud, proud and grateful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! Bless the name of the Lamb that was slain for us! Bless his holy name indeed!’ Oh friends, there never was, and never will be anybody like our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And are we ever blessed to have Him as our guide and leader, especially in the evil and ungodly world in which we now live, where everybody wants to do their own thing, and right and wrong are whatever you figure them to be.
That brings me to this sad, but ever so true commentary. It comes from a recent episode of the comic strip ‘Mutts,’ but is it ever so reminiscent of our current society. One of the characters, a cat, says to two dogs: “I’ve started and endangered list.” “What’s on it?” the dogs ask. The cat simply replies: “Empathy, compassion, kindness, sympathy, decency, sensitivity, integrity, altruism, affection, benevolence, heart, tenderness, LOVE, humanity, charity, grace, courtesy, tolerance, mercy, intelligence, leniency, understanding, common sense, goodwill, patience, wisdom…”
Yes friends, you don’t have to be a believer, only a half-decent observer, to notice that all those good qualities above are being practiced less and less in this …I don’t know what to call it society! It’s the essence of everything that’s wrong with our current lifestyle! When those things are absent in any group of people, that group is certainly on the downswing towards chaos and anarchy! Why is that you ask? The answer is real simple: It’s those things that create a strong, well-functioning organization, a real and true society.
The dictionary defines ‘society’ as ‘an organization of a civilized nation.’ And it’s impossible to be civilized without those positive and godly things playing a large part in any group that wants to succeed and grow. So what does that say about our society now eh, when all those things are fading away, and as the cat truthfully says, becoming endangered? Sadly, not a whole lot. But yuh know what? I just discovered that they’d left out one important factor from that endangered list…HOPE! ‘Glory be! And we all know friends that once there’s hope, there is indeed life! So if hope isn’t amongst the endangered habits, then there is still a chance for us to turn this thing around!
And where does that wonderful thing called HOPE come from? From the Lord our God! Hear Jeremiah declare it: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.’ Wow! And in his Lamentations, he reiterates that sentiment, recalls the Lord’s goodness in his time of great sorrow and need: ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 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 wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:21-26)
Please notice my people, that it’s because of two things on the endangered list why we’re still around; the Lord’s compassion and mercy! That means we ought to show the same sentiments to our fellow humans. Now let’s look at some scriptures that encourage and fill us with hope in the Lord. Hear Bruh David from Psalm 31: ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps.31:24) And the sons of Korah declare: ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (my salvation), and my God.’ (Ps.42:11)
And we all know these awesome words of Bruh Paul to the Roman church. ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom. 8:24-25) Yes friends, hope is not what we see, for if we see it, why do we hope for it? Hope is the essence of our very being, our spiritual connection with Almighty God! That’s why this verse from Zechariah, when he’s talking about Zion’s future king, is one of my favourites on hope. ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ (Zech. 9:12)
Oh my people, the Lord God Almighty is indeed our stronghold, our rock, our fortress, and I’m pleading with us to be ‘prisoners of hope, because that’s our only positive solution to turning around our embattled and embittered society! Now let’s go home showing that we’re true prisoners of hope, by declaring (steups!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ Now let’s action those words nuh! Much LOVE!
…when you’re a true believer…hope springs eternal…
15 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bondage of sin, broke their chains, conquerors, Creator of the universe, dangerous, enthusiasm, evil, fills the hungry soul, for his goodness, God is faithful, goodness, grace, Guide, holy spirit, humble servants, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, impractical, incredible aura, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lead, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, meet the enemy in battle, men would praise the Lord, mercy, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, not afraid, one true God, our Lord and Saviour, rebellious nature, rebellon, satisfies, show thanks, sin, sincere hearts, spiritual armour, talk thanks, taunts, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the longing soul, the Most High, the word og God, to the children of men, unfair, ungodly world, useful purpose, vitality, weary souls, week of work, wiles, wonderful works
Psalm 107:8. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Monday, O Monday! We LOVE you dearly, but please go away and come again some other day nuh! Now that would indeed be nice, but it’s just a tad impractical, for whatever you call the first day of the work week, we will have problems with it. It’s just the nature of the beast. I’m talking about us, not the day. (smile)
But thankfully, as believers in Jesus Christ, we have something that can cure whatever first day of the working week blues we have. It’s called prayer, the most powerful force on God’s great earth! Through prayer, we communicate with our Maker and Provider and He satisfies our needs. And today’s prayer is most appropriately titled, our ‘Monday Morning Battle Hymn!’ So let’s get to it without any further dilly dallying nuh.
All together now in strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘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 friends, I can feel the Holy Spirit of God moving in me now, raising the level of my enthusiasm and conviction…and I’m sure you can feel it too! That’s the omnipotence, the amazing power of our awesome God to transcend reality, and have His Spirit move in our lives. And with that increase in power, and faith, we can now go out and transcend the world by doing wonderful stuff in Jesus’ name!
Oh glory to our great God my brethren! Give him much thanks and praise for His amazing goodness, grace and mercy to the undeserving children of rebellious and disobedient man! That’s why the psalmist so adamantly proclaimed: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron (prisoners); Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the Most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces). Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps.107:8-15)
Yes friends, we can’t ask for a more wonderful Deity than the One we already have! Which other supposed god gives us second, third, fourth…and such numerous chances to change our rebellious nature and thus come out of the bondage of sin that that rebellion imparts on us eh? None other than the One True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
He’s so wonderful, that regardless of how long we’ve been in rebellion towards His holy counsel, when we do call on Him with sincere hearts, even in our darkest times, times when we’re under the shadow of death, He responds with LOVING-kindness? And furthermore, even though we rebel against Him, He’s faithfully promised: ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Heb.13:5)
What more can we ask for eh friends? Not much, for that’s the ultimate in promises! And we know that if nothing else, our God is faithful to keep His promises, for they are not given idly, like the promises of men! And the psalmist felt our Bit so keenly that he introduces it four times in the psalm. (vs.8,15, 21, 31).
Now hear how Bruh David adds his two cents worth to the equation nuh, (smile) from Psalm 108 – Israel looks to God for help. ‘O God, my heart is fixed (steadfast); I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, psaltery (lute or lyre) and harp: I myself will awake early (awaken the dawn). I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.
For thy mercy (LOVING-kindness) is great above the heavens (skies): and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.’ (Ps.108:1-5)
And that’s exactly how our great God should be praised and exalted my fellow believers! Unfortunately though, in these very evil and ungodly times we’re not even coming close to the standard of praise and exaltation truly needed.
So please friends, I’m imploring us to truly sit up and take notice of how good God treats us, especially with the free gift of salvation and eternal life through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ! Let’s be truly thankful nuh, because we have so much to be thankful for! Much LOVE!
…you can’t just talk thanks…like LOVE…you’ve got to show it…
08 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great gulf, after death, and see, arise, ask for the old paths, aura of love, before men, dangerous, evil, evil nature, faith, find rest for your souls, foolish, glorify your father in heaven, Hades, humble servants, Jesus, jobs, Lazarus the beggar, let your light so shine, lies, long and short, make use of opportunity, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, narrow path, no second chance, run and bawl, see your good works, shine, sinful, stand ye in the ways, strength, taunts, the light of the world, the rich man, thy light has come, tormented in this flame, truth, unfair, unwise, walk therein, we will not walk therein, where is the good way, wiles, wisdom
Jeremiah 6:16. Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
‘Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee!’ (Is.60:1) Yes friends, the LIGHT of the world has come; Jesus is with us, so please, let’s rise and shine the way He wants us to nuh! Remember He said, ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:16) And that is exactly what we need to do as we go out into the world this Monday morning to face the enemy and all his evil, subservient minions.
And yes, sometimes it’s difficult, but we have the answer, the antidote that will get us going; our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, where we cry out to a merciful, LOVING, generous and forgiving God for health and strength and wisdom to face down the enemy and defeat him, all in Jesus’ name! So let’s get with it nuh. All together now in strong voice and sincere belief, because that’s the only way it works. (smile)
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, yuh feel it…yuh feel the rejuvenation that’s now taking place in your body, soul and spirit? That’s the working of the Lord’s Spirit in answer to our prayer! Oh what a wonderful God we serve and worship my people! Give him some thanks and praise nuh for all He does for us undeserving children of men!
And all God’s children declared (right ho!) a loud and proud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord for all that you’ve done for us, are doing right now, and have promised to do in the future! We praise and bless Your holy name and give You the LOVE you want and deserve through Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Oh what a powerful tool is prayer my people! It’s God’s way of communicating with His children, and there is no power on earth greater than it, because that’s the way God set it up. And yes, prayer is very important in our lives, but like we all cry out that we have rights, few of us also consider the fact that rights bring responsibilities! Likewise, the ability to have prayer, also brings the responsibility of obedience. Hn!
What’s that many of us ask eh? (smile) It’s simple: if you want to enjoy God’s goodness, then you have to be obedient to His ways and desires, and walk the straight and narrow path that He decrees. Note what Jeremiah said on His behalf, long before Jesus came and told us same thing. ‘Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.’
And yuh know what friends, the Lord’s saying the same thing to us in this turbulent, evil and ungodly time. And yuh know the sad part is that we are saying the same thing, behaving in the same foolish and unwise manner as the people of Judah did so long ago. We are refusing to walk the straight and narrow path that God decrees we must if we are to live life eternal with Him. How stupid is that eh? VERY!
Hear how the scholars explain that verse nuh. ‘6:16. The people’s stubborn refusal to walk in the traditional ways of true righteousness is often mentioned by Jeremiah (12:16; 18:15; 23:12;31:21). Moving in their own paths and following their own way could only lead to Judah’s destruction (cf. Prov. 14:12) The contrast of the way of righteousness and life with the way of the ungodly and death is often made in the Scriptures (e.g. Ps.1; Matt. 7:13-14).’
And if that was true then, why do we think it’s not true now eh? Because we stubborn and own way and rebellious and want to follow our naturally sinful and evil nature! As simple as that! We ought to know better, but the devil and the world have us so wrapped up in their clutches that we can’t see the forest for the trees. We just like li’l children when their parents tell them not to do something they still go ahead and do it, and when the consequences hit them they run and bawl for mammy and daddy!
But friends, if we don’t get with the programme before Jesus comes back, it won’t have no mammy and daddy for us to call out to nuh! Because once that last trumpet sound, is all over but the moaning and groaning and gnashing of teeth! Yuh hear what Cousin Sol said so long ago? ‘There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.’ (Prov.14:12) And if anybody should know is Cousin Sol, because he had the means and time to experiment and he went through it all.
And remember what happen to the rich man when he ended up in Hades? ‘And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus (the beggar who use to sit by his gate in the good times) that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ (Luke 16:24) But it couldn’t happen because there was a great gulf between heaven and Hades, plus the rich man when he had the opportunity did not make use of it.
And the long and short of the matter is that after death there is no second chance! Amen! So please, please, I implore us to be wise and make good use of the opportunities we have now! Much LOVE!
…in life…there are many chances…but come death…there are NONE…!
01 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ailments, antidote, aura of love, beneficial influence, bread was buttered, Christian nature, continue in prayer, Daily Bread Devotional, dangerous, do all in the name of Jesus, do in word or deed, don't be jealous, enthusiasm, faith, feed four thousand, five loaves, flourish, for all things, further your glorious kingdom, giving thanks, giving thanks always, god, grace, grateful praise, Guide, holy spirit, humble servants, humility, in Jesus' name, in the name of, indwelling word of Christ, inroads, jobs, keeping families together, lead, lies, listen to the sea, LOVE, mainstays, meet the enemy in battle, merry-go-round, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, our Lord Jesus Christ, pleases, pray without ceasing, prayer, raise our voices, rejoice, satisfies us, snow, songs of thanksgiving, spiritual armour, taunts, thanksgiving, the nature of the beast, the will of God, two fishes, unfair, unto God, watch in the same, wiles, work life, worship
Ephesians 5:20. Giving thanks ALWAYS for ALL things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And so we continue round the merry go round of our work life once again, as Monday has blazoned into our consciousness on this beautiful and sunny day in sweet Tobago! Glory to God! I’m truly sorry to hear that you all had snow in my area in the northern climes yesterday, but them’s the breaks, that’s what the northern climes are all about! (smile)
Hope you didn’t have to trudge and drive through any snow to get to work this morning while I blessedly sit here writing on the porch, listening to the birds chirp their sweet songs of thanksgiving, admire the beautiful flora and listen to the sea lap gently and playfully on the rocky shore line. No, don’t be jealous! Let your Christian nature take hold and be glad for me, seeing that I have not enjoyed such blessings in a number of years! (smile)
Oh don’t worry, I know it’s hard not to be envious when one of your associates is enjoying fair weather while you are experiencing the foul kind! But wherever we are in this fine universe of God’s, it’s Monday and we need to get out and labour to provide the necessities of life for our families and ourselves. And regardless of how hard we try, somehow we still always get fouled up by Monday’s. I guess it’s just the nature of the beast.
But thankfully we have an antidote for all of our Monday morning ailments, called the Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and it just chases away all those dark and cloudy Monday skies. So let’s raise our voices and declare it (chuh- wrong again!) in sincere faith, with as much enthusiasm as we can muster:
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!’
Ah friends, what a quick and pleasant change sincere prayer can make in our sad and miserable spirits eh! It’s simply the awesome power of God! The amazing solution that He has developed to right our spirits; those who believe in Him and His Son Jesus Christ! For if you don’t believe in them, then NONE of what we’re talking about will work!
As this quote from a Daily Bread Devotional so truly declares (right ho!) ‘Grateful praise satisfies us and pleases God!’ Yes my people, both parties are satisfied with words uttered in praise and thanksgiving; it corrects our spirits, and it pleases God, who made us most of all to be a source of vital communication, through praise and thanksgiving.
No wonder Bruh Paul informed the Ephesian church thus: ‘Giving thanks ALWAYS for ALL things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ And there are no truer words than those to be found in our faith my people! And Bruh Paul said the same basic thing to the Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him. (Col.3:17)
And the scholars have this to say about that verse: ‘3:17. The beneficial influence produced by the indwelling word of Christ is not only to affect public and private worship (vs.16), but it is also to control ALL areas of a Christian’s life.’ Yuh see that friends, thanks and praise and the Word of God are to be the mainstays in a believer’s life!
You can’t be running around crazily with and longing for the things of the world, ignoring Almighty God, your Creator and Provider and expect to flourish, either in this life or the one to come! And you’ll notice too that even Jesus, the Son of God gave thanks. Check out when He fed the four thousand with seven loaves of bread and a few fishes: ‘And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks…’ (Matt.15:36)
And He did the same thing when He fed the five thousand men with five loaves of bread and two fishes. ‘Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.’ (Luke 9:16) Yes friends, Jesus knew where His bread was buttered; in heaven, at the Father’s throne, and the only reason He could do those miracles is because He looked to the Father and also gave thanks!
And if Jesus needed to do that, then how much more we mere sinful mortals need to come to the throne of grace in humility and thanksgiving eh? Even when Jesus initiated the holy act of communion in His remembrance; ‘He took bread and blessed it…And He took the cup, and gave thanks…’ (Matt.26:26-27)
Not much more to say friends, except to add Bruh Paul’s directive to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess.5:16-18) Now as obedient children of God, let’s go out and do exactly that today nuh! Much LOVE!
…continue in prayer…and watch in the same…with thanksgiving…
25 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a high, a two step jig, antidote, anxiety, arouses brawling, aura of love, be filled with, be not drunk with wine, biteth, Christians, confidence, conquerors, controlled by alcohol, dangerous, difficult, dissipation, dulls the senses, enhance your faith, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fear, fellowship, free, friends, frustration, give the Lord thanks, giveth its colour, gospel truth, gratis, holy spirit, humble servants, indwelt by, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lead aright, lies, like a serpent, LOVE, meditating, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, moral intemperance, prayer, reading the Word, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, reuelling, salvation, seize control, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, tension, the best option, the Holy Spirit, truth, unfair, ungodly world, wherein is excess, wine is a mocker, wisdom, workweek dance
Ephesians 5:18. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.
It’s Monday friends, that means it’s time to get up and do the new workweek dance: Yeah! Throw off the covers, sit up straight on the bed, give the Lord thanks for bringing you safely through another night, then put one foot on the floor, then the other, then stand up, put your left hand on your hip and your right hand in the air above your head, then twirl and sing ‘Thank You Lord, thank You,’ while simultaneously doing a two step jig! (smile)
Oh I know that sounds foolish to many of you, especially the ones who get up irritable and miserable, but you’d be surprised how something like that could lighten your mood and set you up for a more relaxed and peace filled day. You know the best way to begin the day is by being in fine fettle.
Anyway, if you disagree with that tactic (smile) then let’s see if this one fits you better. Please join us in declaring (right ho) our Monday Morning Battle Hymn which relieves all the tension and frustration and fear and anguish from our souls on a Monday morning. As we like to call it, the antidote for whatever ails on Monday mornings!
So altogether now, in loud voice, with sincere hearts: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh me, oh my! What a wonderful high! Yeh friends, there’s no high like that the Holy Spirit of God offers! You can run on that for ages without having to refresh it. But thankfully we only have to run on it for today, because tomorrow the Lord will renew it free and gratis; no money, just sincere belief and heartfelt prayer.
So now that we’ve gotten our fix of the Holy Spirit, it’s time to get out into the world and join the fray, fighting wisely and valiantly in Jesus’ name! No wonder Bruh Paul wisely advised the Ephesians thus: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’
Yes friends, being drunk with wine dulls the senses and leads to moral intemperance. However when one is filled with the Holy Spirit it enables one to live in a godly manner, showing off His virtues and character.
Now we need to note here that once you become a believer, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you, but then you have to cultivate it, pay attention to it, help it to enhance your faith by reading the Word and meditating on it, as well as through prayer and fellowship with other believers.
So on one side it’s a one and done thing; the Holy Spirit coming to dwell in you, but on the other it’s a continual renewing, as the enemy constantly attempts to break down your barriers and you keep refuelling with the Holy Spirit to help you keep those barriers erect.
And the scholars give this interesting explanation. ‘5:18. The words ‘be filled’ here mean ‘be continually filled,’ emphasizing that the fullness of the Spirit is a repeated experience for believers. When a person is drunk with an alcoholic beverage, his walk, talk, and sight are controlled by alcohol.
God desires that the minds of Christians be controlled by the Holy Spirit so that they will walk in the Spirit, speak on behalf of God, and understand the things of God. Because people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at salvation, they do not need to get more of the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Spirit occurs when the Holy Spirit gets more of the believer.’
I like that: It’s not so much we getting the Spirit, but the Spirit getting us. That means friends, to be godly we desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit leading and guiding us, but He can only do that if we allow Him to do so. He just won’t jump into your life and seize control.
The Holy Spirit is a gentleman and waits to be invited to do His thing. The same way you can invite an alcoholic drink to enter you and take over, is the same way you can invite the Holy Spirit to take control! (smile)
But here’s the difference, in the words of Cousin Sol, the man about town: ‘Wine is a mocker, strong drink (intoxicating drink) is raging (arouses brawling); and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’ (Prov.20:1) And that’s the gospel truth! And the scholars add: ‘20:1. Wine is personified as a mocker because it deceives those who partake of it. It is contrary to wise living.’ You can’t argue with that friends.
And we’ll end with these further wise words from Cousin Sol. ‘Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour (sparkles) in the cup, when it moveth itself aright (goes smoothly). At the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder (serpent). Thine eyes shall behold strange women (strange things) and thine heart shall utter perverse things.’ (Prov.23:31-33)
And the sad fact of the matter is that many of us have experienced that very feeling, but yet we refuse to leave it alone and turn to the Holy Spirit instead. Ah friends, that certainly is not wisdom! So let’s ‘wisen’ up nuh and let the Holy Spirit rule our lives, so that we can have the abundant and joyful life that Jesus died for us to have! Much LOVE!
…if you want to be lead aright in this life…then the Holy Spirit is the best…no…the ONLY option…
23 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great while before day, admonition, anxious, ask or imagine, backbone, be careful for nothing, beating around the bush, believers, belly, breath of life, by faith, condemning society, dangerous, decisions, departed into a solitary place, endurance, evidence, face of adversity, give up, glad to be alive, go slow, God's way of communicating, halfway home, hands on the plough, hopes, if thou faint, in every thing, in the day of adversity, in the morning, Jesus, Jesus' playbook, judgemental, keep your hearts, know Jesus, leads the way, looking to a glorious future, lose heart, LOVE, made know unto God, men ought always to pray, men pray every where, middle of the workweek, most powerful element on earth, not by sight, not faint, not right now, not turning back, passeth all understanding, persistent widow, pray, prayer, pursue justice, pursue our dreams, push, received mercy, resolve to pray, riding shotgun, right to the point, rising up, sinful times, slippery, snow, sought the Father's wisdom, spake a parable, strong, supplication, tempted to give up, thanksgiving, the peace of God, there prayed, thy strength is small, to this end, true test of endurance, unjust judge, until something happens, we faint not, Wednesday Wail, wonderful example, your request
Luke 18:1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not faint (lose heart).
And then it was Wednesday, the middle of the work week…and we did get some of the promised snow, not in the afternoon though, but sometime during the early morning hours, and not as much as expected. However, if you have to venture out there, please be careful, because snow is snow; slippery and dangerous, be it plentiful or li’l bit. (smile) But as always, with Jesus riding shotgun with us, there’s not much to worry about! Praise His holy name!
And looking through the many bits of paper I have next to the computer for something to write about, I came upon this acronym; ‘PUSH!’ And what dies it mean? Simply, PRAY until something happens!’ Yeh friends, we ought to just keep on praying, until we see some results of our prayers, because God doesn’t always say, NO, but sometimes, GO SLOW, or NOT RIGHT NOW!
So it’s always best to keep on keeping on until you get a definitive answer…and believe me, when the Lord is ready, He will give you one. (smile) And unfortunately, for whatever reason, in these wicked and sinful times, even true and strong believers don’t pray as much as they ought.
But please remember Jesus’ admonition: ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not faint (lose heart).’ And that parable was about the persistent widow who refused to go unjustified by the wicked judge. So too should we pursue justice and pray with all our hearts, minds and souls!
As the scholars explain, re our Bit: ‘18:1. To faint means “to lose heart.” Precisely when tempted to give up, men ought to be strong in their resolve to pray.’ And sadly, in this mish mash, judgemental, condemning society, it’s oh so easy to lose heart. But we have to be strong friends, and just pursue our dreams and hopes through prayer.
And there are so many scriptures that advise and encourage and admonish us to keep on praying, especially since it’s God’s way of communicating with us, and it’s the most powerful element on earth! So let’s look at a few of them nuh, and use them to help us strengthen our resolve to keep on praying.
And what better verse to begin with than one of my favourites, this one from Mark: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) Mama Mia!
Oh friends, that scripture is talking about Jesus’ rising early every day to go out and pray. What a wonderful example He is! He doesn’t just tell us to do things, but leads the way Himself. Before Jesus did anything, He always sought the Father’s wisdom through prayer. And as I keep saying, if the Son of God needed to pray while down here on earth, why should we miserable sinners be any different eh?
And then we have this wonderful statement from Bruh David: ‘For (in return for) my LOVE they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.’ (Psalm 109:4) Yeh friends, it’s often best to pray when our enemies come against us, and remember Jesus said we ought also to pray for them. Meanwhile Cousin Sol gets right to the point, no beating around the bush: ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’ (Prov.24:10)
No joking friends! As the scholars say: ‘24:10. Strength in the face of adversity is the true test of endurance.’ And one of the reasons why our world is in such sad shape is simply because we supposed believers don’t have enough belly and backbone to stand up to the evil forces of the world! It’s sad but true! We’re too scared of what others might say or do, therefore we just fade off into the sunset and let the wicked do as they please.
I’m sure it breaks Jesus’ heart every time one of His supposed followers behaves thus. And if we’re believers, then in the words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians: ‘Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not (lose heart).’ (2 Cor.4:1) Oh my people, we have received the same mercy that Bruh Paul did, therefore, we ought also not to faint, not to lose heart! Friends, the worst thing we can ever do as a believer is to give up, to faint, to lose heart! Why? Because that attitude doesn’t exist in Jesus’ playbook!
And as believers, it should not exist in ours either! And one of the ways we can keep it at bay is by listening and following this solid and oh so wise advice from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim.2:8) And though Bruh Paul was there speaking about males only, expecting females to pray silently, in these modern times, it is extremely necessary that both men and women pray, every where; be it loudly or silently!
And this last scripture is one we all know and quote, but don’t put it into proper action. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil.4:6) Please remember that my people; we don’t only go to God to ask and ask for what we want, but we must also give thanks for what we already have, and whatever we’re asking for, believing and receiving it by faith, and not by sight.
‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:7) What more can I say eh friends? I can only present the evidence, you have to make the individual decisions! (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (right ho) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
All together now, in loud voice, with sincere hearts and strong sense of purpose: ‘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!’
And if you truly believe, then you know that that future will be even brighter and more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…when one truly knows Jesus…you can’t help but LOVE Him…with all your heart, mind, body and soul…
18 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a roaring fire, a roaring lion, advanced in years, afflicted, be sober, be vigilant, cast your care, Christianity 101, cleanising of one's life, Cleanse your hands, comforting love, cuddle up, dangerous, deceptive, dominion, draw nigh to God, eternal glory, ever-hovering enemy, exuberant, fellowship, for ever and ever, freedom time, Friday chant, fun, fun-loving, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, glory, goodness of god, he will flee from you, humble yourselves, in front of, in Jesus name, in the faith, in the sight of the Lord, inner thoughts, lust, luxuriate, mercy, miserable life, mourn, outward deeds, personifies our enemy, pride, relaxation, resist the devil, rest, Satan, sip something, slippery like an eel, snow, spring chickens, stay out of the clutches, strong and warm, submit yourselves to God, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the devil, the God of all grace, the serpent, the weekend, the workingman's song, treacherous, true believers, weep, white and beautiful, wintry climes, wisdom, wonderful god, work for Jesus, your adversary
James 4:7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Beautiful…white and beautiful…but oh so dangerous…slippery like and eel…and treacherous and deceptive like the serpent who personifies our enemy Satan! That’s the snow covering our neighbourhood this Friday morning! (smile) And sadly, we in the northern climes are bracing ourselves for even more of the white stuff because we’ve been promised a major snowstorm this weekend.
Let’s hope the duchess and I just have to stay inside and look at it and admire its beauty, but don’t have to venture forth in it, cause remember we’re not as mobile and steady as we once were, we’re not spring chickens any longer…but contrary to popular opinion we’re NOT old, just advanced in years! (smile) So for all of you in the wintry climes, remember, as the man says, if you don’t HAVE to go out, then DON’T go out!
Now let’s hear what the workingman has to say for himself this winter’s morn. And I like how he’s ever so enthusiastic, regardless of the circumstances: ‘TGIF! Thank God for Friday yes! The weekend, the weekend is here, which means is time to party! And though they calling for plenty snow, yuh think a li’l thing like snow going to stop me from enjoying mih li’l two days off from the slave master work?
No way Jose! My time is my time, my time to enjoy whatever catches mih fancy! And if ah want to play in the snow, I’ll play in the snow. But if I just want to cuddle up in front of a roaring fire and sip something strong and warm, then that’s what I’ll do! It’s freedom time, come the weekend! Thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes in this ungodly capitalist society!’
Now there’s a wonderful idea for this snowy weekend; cuddle up in front of a roaring fire with a hot toddy and just commune with whoever you’re with and with God! Let the world go by however it wants to, since there’s nothing you can do about it. Just luxuriate in the warmth of your home and the comforting LOVE of your wonderful God!
And all of God’s children declared (right ho) a loud and proud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Praise Him and give Him much thanks for His undeserving goodness and mercy to us!’ Yeh friends, we must NEVER forget the goodness of God in our lives, for it’s the ONLY thing that keeps us from an even more miserable existence.
Now let’s respond to the workingman’s exuberance with our more controlled Friday Chant. Chanting in unison: ‘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 mih people, it’s not as exuberant and fun LOVING as the workingman’s song, but it suits our purposes very well, reminding us of our purpose down here on earth, to work for Jesus, and helping us to stay out of the clutches of the ever-hovering enemy. And as true believers, we like it! Glory be! Anything that keeps us out of Satan’s evil grasp is certainly welcome!
That’s why friends, we have to pay particular attention to James’ warning: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ Yes my brethren, there are two things we need to do to stay out of the enemy’s clutches. The first is submit ourselves to God; then actively resist Satan’s advances! And we know that in this world he’s always lurking around offering lust and pride and other immoral and ungodly ways of life.
But as James continues: ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:8-10)
And the scholars offer this explanation re the above verses: ‘4:7-10. Therefore: The exhortations that follow logically result from the conditions in verses 1-6 (worldliness and pride). Resist the devil: Do not submit to, fear, or flee from Satan, but stand against him (1 Pet.5:8-10). Satan cannot lead into sin against one’s will. Draw nigh: God will not be unmoved; His welcoming response is always near (cf. Deut. 4:7; Lam.3: 57; Luke 15:20). Hands and hearts: The cleansing of one’s life must involve both outward deeds and inner thoughts (cf. Ps.24:3-4).’
Oh friends, please check out those scriptures, for they all show God’s welcoming hand to all who turn to Him. And we’ll close with these inspiring, reassuring and warning words from Peter on the subject. (smile) ‘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. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. 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: 6-11)
Oh my people, we could not ask for more fervent and reassuring scripture this cold, snowy Friday January morning! So please let’s take it to heart and follow it nuh! That’s wisdom of enormous proportions! Much LOVE!
…Christianity 101…submitting to God…resisting Satan…
30 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer's arsenal, a righteous man, afflicted, armour of god, aura of love, called by my name, Confess your faults, Creator of the universe, dangerous, debtors, debts, difficult, doubting, enthusiasm, evil prevalent, faith, families, fervent prayer, forgive their sin, further your glorious kingdom, heal their land, humble servants, humble themselves, I will hear from heaven, jobs, lies, lifting up holy hnads, men pray every where, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my people, Our Father, pray, rejuvenation of spirit, repentance, save the sick, seek my face, sin, sing psalms, temptation, the power of prayer, the prayer of faith, turn from their wicked ways, unfair, vitlaity, weary souls, wiles, wisdom, without wrath
2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
And then it was Monday again…so I guess most of you readers are already at work, struggling after a partying weekend…but not my people, because we know better than that. (smile) Uncharacteristically though, I’ve been sleeping through most of the day. I guess the ole bod needs the rest. I’m not doing badly though, should be out of here tomorrow.
But let’s do what we have to do, let’s sing out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, because it’s prayer and is useful at any time of day or night. As one voice 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!’
Glory be my people! Prayer is such a wonderful thing! It not only connects us to our Triune God Head, but it also uplifts our souls and spirits at the same time. What could be better than that eh? That’s why it’s the most important weapon in a believer’s arsenal. And it’s possibly why I am still alive and kicking today; because of all the pleading prayers you all made on my behalf.
So please, let us never belittle or downplay the power of prayer, especially since it’s the method the Creator chose for us to communicate with Him. As He says in our Bit today: ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’
And the scholars tell us: ‘7:14-15. While this promise was originally given to Solomon regarding the people of Israel, it is certainly applicable to all who will call on the Lord in repentance and faith. These verses stand as a high expression of God’s LOVING readiness to hear the prayers of a repentant people (cf. 6:37-39; James 4:8-1).’
And in these modern times where sin and evil are so prevalent, do we ever need to pray for help to overcome our numerous problems. That’s why in the New Testament we’re told so often about prayer and praying. Like Bruh Paul told the Thessalonians: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) That doesn’t necessarily mean every minute of every day, but on a regular basis. Prayer should just be a thought away from our minds. And Bruh Paul told Timothy that ‘I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim.2:8)
Meanwhile James admonishes: ‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with the oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:13-16)
Yuh see friends, prayer is helpful in every situation of our daily walk with Christ! Be it in the church or out of it. And Bruh Paul reminds us in Ephesians, that even when we put on the life-saving armour of God, we still need prayer to help us along. ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:18)
And the scholars explain: ‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer, God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means ‘being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both and individual and corporate matter.’
Oh my people, I couldn’t have put it any better. And I believe the best way to end this refresher course on prayer is with the prayer that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ taught us. ‘After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen!’ (Matt.6:9-13)
Please friends and fellow believers, let’s remember to never belittle the power of prayer, instead, let’s wisely lift it up to the great heights that it is supposed to take in our lives nuh, because it’s all for our benefit. Much LOVE!
…to pray…and yet to pray…and to keep on praying…that is wisdom of the highest order…
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