24 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a saint of God, almighty god, antidote, aura of love, buckler, common task, confidence, courage, daily grind, deleted expletives, delivers, diligently heed, divine protection, enthusiasm, fear, friends, generous help, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, grin and bear it, groaning, hate evil, he preserves the souls of his saints, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus, jobs, joy, judgement, justice, knowledge, lies, LOVE, moaning, Monday blues, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, moving and grooving, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, reverential awe, rewards, salvation, scintillating words, shield, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strengthen your heart, taunts, the hand of the wicked, the proud doer, treasures, trust, truth, understanding, ungodly world, vim and vigour, wiles, wisdom, ye that love the Lord
Psalm 97:10. Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
Ah mih friends, once more it’s back to the common task and daily grind…and no short workweek either, but a full five days of labouring! And I hear some moaning and groaning and expletives I must delete, as we realize that it’s our favourite day, Monday.
Hn, hn! But my working brethren, it is what it is, and we can’t do much about it, for even the very rich need to labour some to keep their wealth. So we just need to grin and bear it and thank the Lord that we’re alive and kicking on another glorious day on planet earth. And once we get up and get moving, we’ll forget all the puny and pitiful details of waking up on a Monday morning to go to work, cause by then we’ll be full of vim and vigour.
And I hear some of you sourly declare: ‘Don’t bet on that nuh!’ But I’m betting on it, because I know the awesome power of our antidote for the Monday Blues, our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So let’s belt it out now nuh, like there was no tomorrow.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Good going friends, good going! Jesus was pleased, as the affirmative nod of His head and bright smile attest to. And I know you are now feeling the strong ripple of adrenaline just moving and grooving through your system, and with your spiritual battle armour on, you can’t wait to get out on the battlefield called work to do serious battle in Jesus’ name. See, I told you about the power of our antidote! (smile)
And all of that finally brings us to our Bit; those immortal words of wisdom from the psalmist: ‘Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.’
And some of you are muttering: ‘But we just did that a couple of days ago?’ Yes, we did. But I wasn’t quite finished with it, because there are three parts to it, and yesterday’s Bit was just more suited to the Sabbath Day. (smile)
Now we’ve already covered the first part in our earlier messages, ‘Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil:’, so let’s turn to some scriptures that deal with the second aspect: ‘he preserveth the souls of his saints;’ Listen up to these scintillating words of advice and wisdom and indisputable truth from Bruh David out of Psalm 145 – The Lord is gracious.
‘The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all them that LOVE him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.’ (Ps.145:17-21)
And if that doesn’t touch your very heart and soul, then hear Cousin Sol from Proverbs, as he talks about seeking wisdom. ‘If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up (stores up) sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler (shield) to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgement (guards the paths of justice) and preserveth the way of his saints.’ (Prov.2:4-8)
So friends, if you are one of the Lord’s saints, then you know that true wisdom is yours for the asking, and divine protection is guaranteed!
And we’ll close with some more powerful and wise advice from Bruh David out of Psalm 31 – In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. ‘O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps.31:23-24)
Words of gospel truth my brethren, and if we’re wise we’ll diligently heed them. Much LOVE!
…one can’t be a saint of God…and not be securely tuned in to Him and His Word…
17 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abused the weekend, aura of love, bring forth fruit, Christians, confidence, correction, Creator of the universe, deleted expletives, delight in the law, discipline, enthusiasm, every work, faith, friends, gifts, glorious kingdom, godliness, greet the new day, grin and bear it, he did that which was right, he prospered, he who doesn't hear shall feel, Hezekiah, holy spirit, humble servants, idolatry, in due season, in the commandments, in the law, in the sight of the Lord, inroads, invincible, Jesus Christ, Judah, leaf shall not wither, levites, LOVE, meditate, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pagan, planted by the rivers, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, same old, scornful, seek the Lord, shoot the messenger, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strangers, the counsel of the ungodly, the Good Book, the house of God, the Passover, the right track, the righteous, the seat of the scornful, the straight and narrow path, the ungodly shall perish, the way of sinners, this is the day the Lord has made, time to rise and shine, tithes, trust, truth, ungodly world, we will rejoice and be glad in it, what you sow you shall reap, widows and orphans, wisdom, with all his heart
2 Chronicles 31:21. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
It’s Monday, it’s Monday, friends, it’s Monday, time to rise and shine and greet the new day with enthusiasm and energy, and joyfully declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!’ But instead, what I hear is much steupsing and a shower of deleted expletives. (smile)
Oh friends, why shoot the messenger eh? I’m just trying to do my job. I know it’s difficult to get up on a Monday morning, to do the same old, same old, especially if we’ve abused the weekend. But that’s just a part of life, the way our society is set up, so we just have to grin and bear it.
Fortunately though, we do have an antidote for whatever ails you on a Monday, it’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. It sets the tempo for your day, brightens you up, and gets you going on the right track, the straight and narrow one that leads to Jesus. So let’s sing it as though we mean it nuh, with strong voice and perfect harmony, so that we don’t anger our choirmaster Jesus.
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 wasn’t so hard eh mih people? We just got to put some effort into it. Jesus wasn’t overjoyed, but He was satisfied with today’s rendition.
And talking about effort, our Bit today epitomizes the actions possible through giving all we’ve got in God’s undertakings. ‘And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.’
Yeh friends, the Good Book is talking about King Hezekiah of olden times in Judah. He began his reign at 25, and reigned for 29 years; pretty long for kings of those times. But as the Good Book also says of him: ‘And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his (fore) father hath done.’ (2 Chr.29:2) That’s why he was commended in our Bit.
Hezekiah brought about a revival of godliness in Judah. He repaired the temple, threw out all the pagan stuff that was in there from the reign of Ahaz, restored the godly stuff and rededicated it to the Lord. He removed idolatry from all over the land, reinstituted the Passover and appointed priests and Levites to do temple duty, as had been ordered by Moses.
He also made the people bring their gifts and tithes to the Lord’s house, so that the priests and Levites who had no land, as well as widows and orphans and strangers could be fed. And they brought so much that they had to build storerooms for the leftovers. (2 Chr.29, 30, 31)
Ah friends, that’s what happens when we follow the Lord’s commands. How I wish something like that could happen today. But sadly most churches have fallen on hard times and can hardly make ends meet. Some are even being forced to close. We all want to have strong churches, but we don’t want to provide the wherewithal for them to do so.
Uzziah was another Judean king who did as Hezekiah: ‘And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that His father Amaziah did. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions (fear) of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.’ (2 Chr. 26:4-5)
Please note those last words my fellow believers: ‘as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.’ Those were very important words back then, and they are even more important today in the selfish, greedy, strife-filled, ungodly, evil society in which we dwell. If we don’t seek the Lord our God, we won’t prosper.
And this is clearly stated in Psalm 1 – Blessed are the righteous. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in due season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. (Ps.1:1-3)
Oh friends, it couldn’t be stated any clearer than that! And the sad fact is that we all know the principle by which God runs His universe – whatever you sow, that is what you shall reap – but for some unfathomable reason we choose to sow ungodly stuff. No wonder we are reaping so much ungodly stuff in our society these days.
Please remember the last verse of that Psalm my precious people. ‘For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:6) And that’s gospel truth! Much LOVE!
…he who doesn’t hear… shall surely feel…the rod of God’s discipline and correction…
03 Nov 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, basked in god's love and peace, battle the infidel, be gracious to me, be sober, blessed be God, blessings, Bruh David, confidence, deleted expletives, earthly arsenal, enthusiasm, eternal life, exalts, extols, fear God, fellowshipped, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, gave thanks and praise, give us His peace which passes all understanding, God is so wonderful, God will forgive us, godly wisdom, going from bad to worse, gospel truth, have mercy upon me, hear me when I call, hear my prayer, I cried unto him with my mouth, invincible, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, may the Lord bless and keep us, Monday, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, most mighty weapon, most valuable commodity, O God of my righteousness, our flesh is weak, our spirits are willing, peace, peaceful communication, pilgrim's journey, pour out any invective, power of prayer, prayer, prayer power, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., so-so, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the efficacy of prayer, the end of all things is at hand, the Good Book, the great works of God, the most powerful force in the universe, the need for prayer, the result of prayer is life, the voice of my prayer, thou relieved me when I was in distress, till we meet again, ungodly world, watch unto prayer, wiles, wisdom, worshipped, worthwhile inroads, write it indelibly in our hearts
Psalm 4:1. Hear me when I call , O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me), and hear my prayer.
Awright Friends, here’s today’s good news: that day which we all tend to dislike, despise and shout out all sorts of deleted expletives at….well it has rolled around again.
Yes, my people, it’s Monday once again; a big, bright, bold, beautiful, juicy, edible Monday! (smile) So please don’t pour out any invective at it, just nibble quietly on its tantalizing parts, as we do whatever is necessary to get ourselves to go out and labour.
And if we worshipped and fellowshipped and gave thanks and praise to Almighty God yesterday, and wisely basked in His LOVE and peace, then getting ourselves together shouldn’t be too hard to do, because our spirits would already have been prepared to go out and battle the infidel this morning.
But regardless of what action we took yesterday, useful or harmful, let’s ratchet up our desire for Jesus this morning by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with all the oomph and Christ-like enthusiasm we can muster.
So in strong, harmonious and melodic voice, let’s sing. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Steupssss! What was that eh mh people? That was only a so-so rendition. Too many hoarse, out of tune, off key voices! What with all the rehearsals and the reminders to practice on your own, we should be doing much better by now.
But as the old people would say, like we going from bad to worse! And that’s no lie! But it is certainly unacceptable. Even Jesus had to shake His head in concern for our poor performance.
But yuh know what Friends, our God is so wonderful, that He will forgive us, because He knows that we are sincerely trying, that our spirits are willing but our flesh is weak. So please, let’s not get down on ourselves. Instead, let’s cry out to Him in the words of our Bit, like Bruh David did in his time of need and anguish.
‘Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me), and hear my prayer.’
Ah my people, the power of prayer is the most valuable commodity, as well as the mightiest weapon in our earthly arsenal! That’s because it connects us to the most powerful force in the universe; Jehovah God, its Creator and Controller!
Now here’s another instance from the Good Book, where our Poster Boy, Jesus Christ, our supreme example of the need for, and the efficacy and effectiveness of prayer, shrugs off everything else and gets quiet with the Father.
After He heals a leper and His fame is so noised abroad that multitudes begin coming to Him for healing, what does He do? ‘And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.’ (Luke 5:16)
Yes my brethren, even Jesus had to renew His spirit through peaceful communication with His heavenly Father. And that only highlights our desperate need for the same, especially since we’re of such sinful nature.
Now listen to these verses on prayer from Psalm 66, which extols the great works of God. The psalmist wisely cries out in testimony: ‘Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled (praised, exalted) with my tongue.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.’ (Ps.66:16-20)
Ah Friends, what godly wisdom is ensconced therein! Please let’s show our own wisdom and accept it; write it indelibly in our hearts, souls and minds, so that we can, and will have prayer power always at hand!
And here’s a most appropriate ending from Peter. ‘But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.’ (1 Pet.4:7) That’s gospel truth Friends!
So till we meet again, may the Lord bless and keep us safe on our pilgrim’s journey; may He shine His radiant countenance upon us and give us His peace which passes all mortal understanding, and the wisdom to come to Him in prayer at ALL times, be they good or bad. Much LOVE!
…the result of prayer is life… (St. Francis of Assisi)
P.S. Chuh! I was less than perfect yesterday when I gave the reading for the poem ‘Enormous Rewards’ as being Ephesians 5:20. It should have been 3:20: ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.’
Now that’s a much more appropriate scripture. I never felt right about it yesterday, but figured if that’s what the author said, who was I to question it? Then today I was drawn to the poem and discovered my error. Please accept my humble apology. The ole fella is only human…and getting on in age too, so he’s not as mentally nimble as he once was, or his eyesight as good. (smile) Much LOVE!
02 Jun 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a faithful saying, a roof over your head, abuse, aura of love, be of good cheer, bonds, bread on the table, Bruh Paul, chains, chosen ones, christ jesus, confidence, deleted expletives, endure, enthusiasm, eternal life, every knee should bow, every tongue should confess, evildoer, exhorting them to continue in the faith, faint of heart, faith, faithful, faithful words, faithless, fellowship, for my name's sake, freedom of worship, glorious kingdom, good examples, good soldier in Christ, gospel, groans, hit the ground running, humble servants, i have overcome the world, inner strength, invincible, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ is Lord, jobs, LOVE, moans, Monday, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, new blessings, new mercies, not giving up, persecuted, preached the gospel, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, salvation, spiritual armour, standing strong, strengthening the souls of the disciples, suffer, surrender, the name of Jesus, through tribulation we enter into the kingdom of God, timid of mind, to the glory of God the Father, tribulation, trouble, true follower of Jesus, trust, understanding, ungodly world, wisdom
Acts 14:22. Confirming (strengthening) the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Well hello there you wonderful Friends and faithful believers and followers of Jesus Christ! It’s a new day; a beautiful one, filled with new blessings and mercies, and it’s called Monday…
And I immediately hear the moans and groans and deleted expletives and comments like: ‘Chuh! Yuh really mean is Monday already! Steups! I really have to get up and go to this stupid job!’
Yes Friends, provided you want to earn a living, keep a roof over your family’s head, and bread on the table for your LOVED ones. And I am somewhat disappointed in us my brethren, because it was just last week we woke up with a better perspective, LOVING Mondays and all that it entailed.
Oh, so that’s what it was eh; just a dream, as someone in the penny section cried out. (smile) However Friends, the reality is that it’s Monday, and if you’re a true follower of Jesus, you have to get up and go and labour, whether you want to or not. End of story!
And remember, as Jesus promised, He will always help us to do whatever He desires of us. And His first helping tool today is that we sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in full, sweet voice. So let’s raise our heads, hearts, eyes and hands heavenward and sing as though there’s no tomorrow.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Not bad mih people, not bad, though I did hear some hoarse, cackling voices. (smile) Now let’s get ourselves together and hit the ground running for Christ; living up to the words of our Bit! ‘Confirming (strengthening) the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.’
Yes Friends, that’s what all believers are called to do; strengthen the faith of others, encouraging them through faithful words and good examples, because walking in the big footsteps of Jesus is not an easy job, definitely not for the faint of heart or timid of mind.
The unfortunate fate of the believer is to pass through many trials and tribulations, like Jesus did, before we enter God’s heavenly kingdom. But as I keep saying, the rewards for enduring are fantastic, and totally worth it.
Look at what happened to Jesus eh, after He endured His heart-rending tribulation, the Father anointed and exalted Him; ‘and given Him a name to which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:9-11)
So if the Father did it for Jesus, why wouldn’t He do it for us eh? No reason whatsoever!
Our Bit comes from the section of Acts where Bruh Paul and Barnabas were on a missionary journey, including Lystra, where Bruh Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city and left for dead. (Acts 14:19)
But as the Good Book so famously declares: ‘Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many (made many disciples), they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch.’ (Acts 14:20-21)
Fortunately though my people, most of us won’t have to endure such tribulation. But just being a believer WILL bring us trials. As Jesus said, simply ‘For my name’s sake.’ (Luk2 21:12) But please remember Friends, that true faith, trust in and surrender to Jesus brings us an inner strength that nothing or no one can match or take away.
Just look at our still severely persecuted brethren all over the world. Despite disastrous persecution, they are still standing strong, not giving up. So why can’t we in this fairly free Western society do the same eh? I guess life’s just too easy for us, we take freedom of worship for granted and thus abuse it.
Enough batting of my gums though (smile), time to share this most appropriate scripture from Bruh Paul to Timothy, re being a good soldier in Christ.
‘Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto bonds (chains); but the word of God is not bound (chained).
Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s (chosen ones) sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not (are faithless), yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim.2:7-13)
Oh Friends, please let those words encourage us, let them sink deeply into our consciousness, so that we can develop into good and faithful soldiers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Why? Because that’s the ultimate wisdom of life! Much LOVE!
…in the world ye shall have tribulation…but be of good cheer…I have overcome the world….’
P.S. Yes Friends, it’s long, but it’s good. (smile) Much LOVE!
29 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham, anger, anguish, anxious, Black Friday, blessed be the Lord, body soul and mind, buying stuff, cast off, comes to his senses, concerned, confession, confident, contemplation, convinced, credit, credit cards, debts, deeper in the hole, deleted expletives, didn't waiver, dog trying to catch its tail, economic downfall, fellowship, followers of Jesus christ, food banks, foreign countries, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, global village, glory to God, God will never leave nor forsake us, going round in circles, good works, gospel truth, gracious, greedy, hallmarks of Jesus, He is faithful that promised, hold fast, hope, individual situations, inferior quality goods, infrimity, interest rates, Internet, Israel, Jesus Christ, keep keeping on, less jobs, less pay, live our faith, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, Love our God, meditate, mercy, minimum wage, money, Moses, no reason to doubt, not afraid, not failed one word, outsourced, peace, powerful, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, rich, Selah, shopping, spread His Word, strong faith, taken root in Canada, talk, tender mercies, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thanksgiving, the Lord's promised, the wherewithal to pull through, U.S., up to our necks, wonders of old, works of the Lord
1 Kings 8:56. Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest (peace) unto his people Israel, according to all that he hath promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
Ah Friends, it’s Friday once again… Unfortunately though, not a regular Friday, where the majority of workers are crying out ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ but what has now come to be known as Black Friday, the biggest shopping day in the U.S. Steups!
Unfortunately too, it’s now spread to and taken root in Canada, where the merchants are trying to retaliate by also having sales on the Friday after the U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday, that hopefully will keep shoppers up here. But I think they’re fighting a losing battle, for even if the bargains down south aren’t much better, the idea of going to shop in the U.S. has taken hold of too many Canadian minds.
The nonsense has even morphed on to the Internet. I had to utter a few deleted expletives when I turned on my computer this morning and saw a whole slew of messages touting Black Friday sales. Chuh!
Ah Friends, when is the nonsense ever going to end eh? It’s fast becoming all about money and buying stuff, a lot of which we don’t need and even more importantly cannot afford. For sadly there are even less people working these days, and many of them for less pay than before.
So where are they expected to get funds to buy all the stuff that’s been forced upon them eh? I guess that CREDIT is the next word. But we’re already up to our necks in debts and credit, and it’s those two that caused the last economic downfall.
And tell me how and when are we going to pay it off, if all the good jobs are being outsourced to foreign countries, and the few, part-time jobs available in the service sector are paying a measly minimum wage that can’t even support a single adult, much less a family.
Oh Friends, we’re going round in circles, like the proverbial dog trying to catch its tail. We work several low paying jobs, but still can’t meet our expenses, so we end up at the food banks, and run up the credit card debts, bearing enormous interest, which puts us even deeper in the hole.
Meanwhile, prices for everything, including inferior quality outsourced goods, are rising all the time. No wonder our economy is in such a mess, and the powers that be, the supposedly smart ones can’t seem to fix it, or simply refuse to at the behest of the greedy rich and powerful. And then they sit back and wonder why people are up in arms all over this worldly global village. Ah Lord eh!
Please be careful my Friends, for there’s a small group that’s trying to dominate the world, having begun by trying to get God out of our lives, and sadly, they are succeeding bit by bit. However, as followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be concerned, but not be afraid and/or overly anxious about our individual situations, for the Lord has promised to look after all His people, regardless of colour, class, creed or race.
Oh Friends, please take note of the true and powerful words of our Bit, uttered by Cousin Sol when he dedicated the Lord’s temple. ‘Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest (peace) unto his people Israel, according to all that he hath promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.’
And the most important thing for us to remember there, is that even up to this day, many thousands of years later, ‘there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.’
Gospel truth mih breddren, gospel truth!
So although the psalmist Asaph cried out in anguish: ‘Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever (ceased completely)? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.’ (Ps.77:7-9)
Obviously not! And after some contemplation, Asaph comes to his senses in the next verse. ‘And I said, this my infirmity (anguish): but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.’ (Ps.77:10-12)
Yes my people, our great and wonderful God will never leave nor forsake us, as he’s promised! (Deut.4:31, Heb.13:5) So though life and times seem to be somewhat rough and troubled, we also need to remember the times when the Lord stood solidly in our corner and the things He’s brought us through. There’s no reason to doubt Him now.
True believers ought to have a strong faith in their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. For as Bruh Paul reminds us of Abraham: ‘He staggered not (didn’t waver) at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong (strengthened) in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.’ (Rom.4:20-21)
Likewise Friends, we should also be fully convinced that the Lord can do whatever He’s promised. And when we stand strong in faith, we will be able to do what needs to be done to keep on keeping on.
So as the author of Hebrews exhorts us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works.’ (Heb.10:23-24)
And since we all know that LOVE and good works are the hallmarks of Jesus, please my people, let’s stand strong and steadfast in the faith, and keep doing those things regardless of what comes against us, for the Lord WILL give us the wherewithal to pull through.
And now in closing, let’s chant our Friday Chant, so we can get the proper perspective on how to use the weekend. Hn! Thought I’d forgotten it nuh? Not a chance!
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Much LOVE my brethren in Christ Jesus!
…it’s time to renew our efforts…to truly LOVE our God…sincerely LIVE our FAITH…and diligently SPREAD His Word…
P.S. It’s a tad long and late (smile) but it’s all worthwhile! Much LOVE!
13 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to His purpose, all things work together for good, charles stanley, cloud over the earth, colours, computer mouse, computers, covenant, deleted expletives, destroy all flesh, don't worry, ever-faithful, ever-forgiving, ever-Loving, ever-merciful, everlasting covenant, every living creature, exiled, faithfulness, flood, friends, glory hallelujah, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, God's contemplating, heavens, holding my breath, inconvenience, land of my birth, less stressful life, Lord God Jehovah, Love God, navel string, Noah, promises of God, rainbow, series of messages, serve and worship, sign, sign of God's goodness, sincere plea, Spirit of the Lord, T&T, Thank You Lord, those who LOVE God, today's the day, typewriter, vacation, wipe out mankind, wonderful god, work through, you can never go home again
Genesis 9:6. I do set my bow (rainbow) in the cloud, and it shall be for a token (sign) of a covenant between me and the earth.
Ah Friends, what would we do without computers eh? Have a much less stressful life, that’s for certain! Have you ever noticed that they choose the absolute worst time to act up? I sure have. For instance this morning I came down here early to get an early start…
Chuh! I might as well have slept in, because after booting up satisfactorily, the stupid mouse refused to work. I unplugged it, then plugged it back in, banged it on the desk, clicked it numerous times, but nothing happened.
So finally in frustration I went upstairs to get the mouse from my laptop computer. By the time I came back though, I had some 39 entries for Internet Explorer on the go. Hn!
Then you think I could shut them down? No way! I eventually had to switch off the whole computer. Steups! Then by the time it booted back up, there was this message saying it was downloading updates, which slowed up all the stuff I tried to do.
Then to make matters even worse, it cut in and said that the computer needed restarting so that the updates could take effect. Ah Lord eh! By then I was ready to throw it through the window. (smile) But the Spirit of the Lord prevailed, and I simply used a few deleted expletives.
But that’s why I like my typewriter; just turn it on, slip in a piece of paper and go! No laughter from the penny section now my children. Anyway, if that’s the biggest inconvenience that the Lord has planned for me today, then I’ll definitely declare a big, ‘Thank You Lord!’
But I’m not holding my breath, because that might just be the smallest one for the day. However, I know that whatever He causes to come against me, He will help me to work through, once I come to Him with a sincere plea.
As Bruh Paul told the Romans and reminds us today: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are called according to His purpose. (Rom.8:28)
So if we LOVE God, and He’s called us to be one of His elect, then we don’t have to worry about anything, because God will work it out for our good, one way or the other.
Now Friends, today we’re starting a series of messages on the promises of our great and wonderful God. I got this idea from Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) some weeks ago, when he preached a sermon on it, but I obviously never got around to doing it until the Lord said today’s the day.
And we’ll begin with one of the first promises God made to man, our Bit. ‘I do set my bow (rainbow) in the cloud, and it shall be for a token (sign) of a covenant between me and the earth.’
Yeh Friends, after the Lord caused the flood to wipe out mankind and his evil from His beautiful earth, He covenanted with Noah and his sons, Ham, Shem and Japheth, to set a rainbow in the heavens.
‘And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow (rainbow) shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
And the bow (rainbow) shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.’ (Gen.9:14-16)
So mih people, whenever we see a beautiful rainbow arcing through the sky, let’s remember that God is contemplating His ‘everlasting’ promise to never destroy the earth with water again.
Please note my brethren, that it wasn’t just a promise for some short period of time, but an everlasting one; one that would last forever and ever. That’s how much our God valued His promise to Noah and His earthly creations. And please notice too, that our magnificent God didn’t use some little wishy-washy sign to remind Him, but a glorious arc of beautiful colours set in his blue heaven.
That reminds me of my trip to T&T last year. On the plane from Trinidad to Tobago I espied a beautiful rainbow outside my window, one that followed me all the way to landing, which I took as a good sign; a sign of God’s goodness and faithfulness.
And believe me Friends, the vacation in the land of my birth, or as the old people would say, where my navel string was buried (smile) from which I had been exiled for some thirty years, turned out to be most excellent. So I simply don’t believe the adage that you can never go home again.
In fact I’m hoping to go back again some time in the not too distant future, and eventually spend my last days there. ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
And on that glorious note we’ll close today Friends, because we don’t have enough time and space for another promise. But don’t worry, tomorrow, our God in favour, we’ll look at one or more great promises of our ever-faithful, ever-LOVING, ever-merciful and ever-forgiving God.
We simply cannot ask for a better Deity than the Lord God Jehovah, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Please remember that my people, and live accordingly. Much LOVE!
…to mankind…promises are made to be broken…but to God…promises are made…NEVER TO BE BROKEN…so that His children can always feel safe and secure…in whatever situation…what a wonderful God we serve and worship…
SCRIP-BITS 