29 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a glorious deliverer, a marathon race, a positive outlook on life, a strong will, abide by Jesus' word, abundance, agonizing, blessings, broken in the name of Jesus, come to pass, courage, creativity, crucified, curse, dangers, dead in our sins, despising the shame, direction, disbelief, divine necessity, divine protection, endured the cross, eternity, family, favour, finisher, fools, foretold, forgiven, friends, fulfillment, future, glory, glory hallelujah, God's LOVE, good and faithful servant, Hades, health, heaven, History, identity, impediments, in innocence, iniquity, Jesus, joy, leader, look to Jesus, looking unto Jesus, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, Lucifer, Messiah, mindbending, Moses, negative word, New Testament, obedience, of our faith, Old Testament, open the eyes, originator, our heavenly Father, passe, perfector, promotion, prophets, prosper, radiance, reconciled to the Father, Resurrection day, scriptures, self-control, self-discipline, selfless sacrifice, set down at God's right hand, shame, significance of Jesus, sins of the world, slow of heart, succeed, success, successful living, suffering, supernatural strength, talent, thanks and praise, the author, the Father's will, the road to Emmaus, the SON, the true path, Thursday Blessings, trailblazer, transgressions, ungrateful people, welcome
Hebrews 12:2. Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.
Well friends, it’s a cloudy morning in my area. The sun is not shining, but thankfully the Son is holding forth as usual in all His wonderful radiance and brilliant glory!
All thanks and praise be to our heavenly Father for giving us Jesus as our Messiah, Leader, Lord and Saviour! Without Him, we’d be certainly dead in our sins, heading for a rough and troubled eternity with Lucifer in Hades.
But thanks to God’s great LOVE and Jesus’ selfless sacrifice, we have been reconciled to the Father and as His beloved children, can now look forward to spending eternity with Him in heaven. Glory Hallelujah!
And on that glorious note, let’s declare out Thursday Blessings, as we remember that a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone. With true belief, sincerity and enthusiasm now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life!
I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Glory to God my people! We shall be blessed when we go out and come in, when we sit or lie down… in fact in all aspects of our lives our God will cause us to prosper. Wow! Isn’t that something else? It surely is!
That’s why we have to pay serious attention to our Bit. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’
Yes friends, Jesus was the original trailblazer of our faith. He first ran the race and set all the standards for it. Now we need to adhere to those standards so that we can run the race successfully too. It’s not an easy race to run, for it’s a marathon across hill and dale, rivers and streams, one fraught with all sorts of dangers and impediments.
But thankfully Jesus has blazed the trail, shown us the way, lit the path, and if we sincerely abide by His word, then we too will have success, and one day hear the Father declare: ‘Welcome, thou good and faithful servant!’
Oh what a joyful day that will be my people! But first we have to get serious about looking to Jesus and following in His famous footsteps, otherwise we’re just wasting our time and His.
Now let’s look at a couple of interesting parts of our Bit, the first being, ‘who for the joy that was set before him…’
Now I really don’t see the joy in what Jesus was asked to do by the Father nuh – take the sins of the world on His shoulders, be crucified in innocence to pay for the iniquity and transgressions of ungrateful people.
It was joyful for us, because through His actions our sins were forgiven, but it must surely have been mind-bending and agonizing for Him. However, despite the affliction, His obedience to the Father’s will was perfect.
That brings us to Jesus’ words to the two disciples He met on Resurrection Day along the road to Emmaus. He chided them for their disbelief.
‘Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.’ (Luke 24:25-27)
Oh friends, the Lord didn’t send the prophets because He had nothing better to do, but to open the eyes of the people unto the coming of Jesus and what His purpose was going to be.
Hear the scholars. ’24:26. Ought (Gr. dei) bespeaks a divine necessity; what the prophets had foretold (see Is.53; Ps.16; 22) must and did come to pass. The disciples had been ready to see in Jesus a glorious deliverer, but Jesus’ rebuke (v.25) relates to their unwillingness to take seriously the many Old Testament texts that speak not only of the Messiah’s glory, but also of His suffering.’
And unfortunately, today a lot of us are also refusing to understand the importance of the Old Testament in the formation of the New Testament. But the scholars kindly inform us: ‘24:27. The entire Old Testament is indispensable for a grounded grasp of the identity and significance of Jesus.’
That is friends, if we don’t understand Jesus’ role and significance in the Old Testament; His appearances, His status, His doings and the prophesies about Him, we won’t be fully able to comprehend His form and function in the New Testament.
Therefore, please, let’s stop considering the Old Testament as passé, because it isn’t. It’s just as important as the New Testament in that it expounds the nature of our faith; it’s beginnings, its ups and downs, its promises, and above all the great message about our Messiah.
So today, as Almighty God blesses us, and as we bless others, let’s remember where we came from – the Old Testament – because if we don’t know our history and recognize it as being important, we surely won’t know our future; where we’re going, the direction in which we’re headed and how to handle it. Much LOVE!
…only as we look to Jesus…will we see the true path to successful living…
21 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian's life, admonishing, alive and kicking, begin to bless, begin to do, beneficial influence, blessed children, blessings, boring, bow down, celebrity status, celebrity worship, Christ's Church, Christian virtues, Commonplace Days, Creator of the universe, daily drain, day-by-day drudgery, DETERMINATION, direction, dissension, disunity, divine inspiration, drudgery, dwell together, enthusiasm, exciting, false impression, family in Jesus, fertile soil, fixed securely, foolish waiting for, forbearing, forgive me, friends, giving thanks to god, glamourless duties, glamourous, glory to God, God's people, godly ambassadors, good morning, grace, halfway home, hymns, in the name of the Lord Jesus, in vogue, in word or deed, indwelling word of Christ, Jehovah, lift up the wualities, living for Jesus, loving, money, mundane, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, One Year Book of Bible promises, peace, peaceful, power, privilege, psalms, purpose, pushing on, quiet me, Ruth Harms Calkin, same old, sense of purpose, spiritual songs, spoon feed, strife, tasks, teaching, thank God, the breath of life, the Most High God, the way life is, the word of Christ, to a glorious future with Jesus, trite, true believers, unique fashion, unity, virtues, Wednesday Wail, whimper, whine, wisdom, work hard, worship
Colossians 3:17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
And a most enthusiastic ‘Good morning’ to you my friends and family in Jesus Christ!
It is indeed a good morning, meaning that we are alive and kicking, and regardless of our feelings and circumstances, we don’t have to let them control us because we are the blessed children of the Most High God Jehovah, the Creator of the universe and all therein, and He looks after each one of us in His own unique fashion. Glory to God!
And I just had to share this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin because it is so appropriate for most of us. It’s titled ‘Commonplace Days.’
Read with me. ‘Lord of my commonplace days Forgive me for foolishly waiting for “divine inspiration” Before moving in on the tasks Personally assigned to me. Hopefully I am learning To face with greater determination The day-by-day drudgery The trite, mundane tasks The pushing-pulling glamourless duties.
Lord, even when I think I’m getting no place Keep me pushing on and on With purpose and direction. Grab my heart and quiet me When I begin to whine and whimper. Despite the daily drain I think I see it more clearly now: It is only when I begin to do That you begin to bless.’
Ah mih people, it’s all so true! It certainly reflects the lives of most of us; the daily drudgery and same old, same old glamourless tasks by which we make our living. But please don’t allow it get us down, because it’s simply the way life is. Everyday can’t be exciting and glamorous, for too much of that will eventually get boring and mundane too.
So please don’t be fooled by the celebrity worship that’s currently in vogue, because even the true celebrities, not the hangers’ on, have to bow down and work hard at sometime or other if they want to keep their celebrity status intact.
Remember friends, they are people just like us, only with a little more money, power and privilege. And besides, what passes for glamour today is only an outward show, often used to give a false impression.
Now today is Wednesday, so let’s turn to our Wednesday Wail and wail it with sincerity, enthusiasm and a strong sense of purpose.
Wailing: ‘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!’
Ah mih people, every Wednesday that declaration truly wakes me up! It has me being sincerely thankful for the breath of life that’s flowing through my body, and reminds me of what is truly important; keeping my hands to the plough and looking forward to the wonderful future that Jesus has planned for His followers.
And I sure hope you all feel the same way too, otherwise you’d be missing out on the most wonderful times in your lives which come from living for and with Jesus.
All glory be to our wonderful Lord and Saviour who sacrificed His sinless lives for us! And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
That brings us to our Bit, which is also the Bible Promise for our poem above. ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’
Oh friends, that’s the summation of Bruh Paul’s advice to the Colossians as he talked to them about Christian virtues. And believe me, we couldn’t get any better advice than that for living this earthly life.
And the scholars tell us: ‘3:17. The beneficial influence produced by the indwelling word of Christ is not only to affect public and private worship (v.16), but it is also to control all areas of a Christian’s life.’
Yeh friends, what’s the purpose of God’s word and Spirit indwelling us, if they don’t control our lives eh? None whatsoever!
And I’m going to spoon feed you all today (smile). Here is verse 16, as mentioned above. ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.’ (Col.3:16)
Ah mih breddren, I only wish that we could truly do that on a much wider scale than is currently been done, for then our world would definitely be a much better place.
And the scholars have this to say about that verse. ‘3:16. When believers are forbearing (v.13), and LOVING (v.14) toward one another, when peace reigns among God’s people (v.15), then the church is fertile soil for the blessings produced by the word of Christ.’
But sadly, the church in its current state is not very fertile soil because we are not as forbearing, LOVING, and as peaceful with each other as we ought to be. There’s just way too much disunity, dissension and strife in the church.
That’s why I’m imploring us today to improve, to lift up the qualities that are needed in us, and consequently Christ’s church, so that we can be the true believers, the godly ambassadors that we’re supposed to be, for that is the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…only when Christians dwell together in true unity…is Christ’s church truly blessed…
30 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook, a prayer away, a strong will, abundance, advantage, almighty god, backbone, believe in what you cannot see, belly, blessed, boost our spirits, brethren, broken, Calvary's cross, challenge, Christian, circumstances, cleansed, comforting, confidence, confronted, courage, creativity, curse, death, direction, divine protection, embrace, endless, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, family, favour, fear, fears, friend, friends, fulfillment, give thanks, Glory be, glory hallelujah, grow, guiding light, health, holy spirit, hurt, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, life, Long may He reign, Lord and Saviour, Lord of Lords, mystery, negative experiences, negative word, overtake me, overwhelming, pain, panic, peace, penalyt for sin, pity, play it twice, power, prince of peace, problems, promotion, prosper, reconciliation, Redeemer, rejuvenating, resolved, Robert Nathan, run away, sacrificed, self-control, self-discipline, selfless sacrifice, set free, sins, sorrow, spoken over me, strength, succeed, success, talent, teaches, the bread of life, the Lamb that was slain, the Life, the Light, the Son is shining, the straight and narrow path, the sun is shining, the Truth, the veil, the Way, Thursday Blessings, unbelievers, ungodly world, we face nothing alone, weather, welcome, when it's nice, wine roses and song, wisdom
John 6:48. I am that bread of life.
Well a hearty welcome to you this Thursday morning mih lovelies! The sun is shining in my neck of the woods, and I do hope it’s shining in yours too. But just in case it isn’t, please remember that the Son is ALWAYS shining even in the worst of physical weather and circumstances!
That’s the wonderful advantage we have over the unbelievers; we know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is there for us ALL the time! He is just a prayer away…
And all God’s children heartily and sincerely exclaimed: ‘Glory be to the Lamb that was slain, that was sacrificed on Calvary’s cross for our sins! Long may He reign in our hearts and souls! Amen!’
Yeh friends, there’s none other like our wonderful Redeemer Jesus Christ! Couldn’t be, for the world only has room for ONE Prince of Peace, ONE Lord of Lords and ONE King of Kings… and that’s our Jesus, our friend and guiding light! Glory Hallelujah!
Now I want to share an interesting and very relevant quote from my One More Day Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness. I believe I’ve shared it before, but as we say, when it’s nice, you can play it twice, or even thrice! (smile)
The quote is attributed to one Robert Nathan, but there are so many people out there with that name that I wasn’t able to identify the exact one.
However, the quote says: ‘Give thanks for sorrow that teaches you pity; for pain that teaches you courage – and give exceeding thanks for the mystery which remains a mystery still – the veil that hides you from the infinite, which makes it possible for you to believe in what you cannot see.’
Yes friends, that’s what we call FAITH! And although we don’t like or want to have those negative experiences that cause us hurt and pain, we ought to embrace them because it’s only through experiencing them that we grow in courage and strength, and yes FAITH!
If everyday was strictly wine, roses and song, we’d have no belly and backbone – we already have precious little of that.
As the text says: ‘We cannot run away from problems. Tremendous problems must be confronted and resolved. Fears can be overwhelming. Tasks seem endless, and the challenge seems too great. It is comforting to realize we face nothing alone.’
And is that ever so true my Christian brethren! We’re never alone! The Holy Spirit of Christ, which indwells EVERY believer, is ALWAYS there to lead and guide us, to strengthen and comfort us in our every need!
So Christians ought always to be positive people since we have the greatest power in the universe dwelling within us. Unfortunately that’s not the case with a lot of us. Too many believers are scared and fearful to face the days, the troubles and problems that seem to be always confronting them.
But listen to the energizer at the end of the devotion. ‘I will not allow fear and panic to overtake me today. Courage will open the door to wisdom and peace.’
Yes my precious people, we need to believe that as we step out into the crazy, dangerous and ungodly world that currently surrounds us. And to help boost our spirits, and keep us on the straight and narrow path that leads to Almighty God, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings with premium confidence and glorious enthusiasm.
All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Well said my people, well said! Now let’s act it out in real life nuh. And that shouldn’t be a problem, because as our Bit so confidently states, we follow the person, Jesus Christ, who so truthfully declared two thousand years ago: ‘I am that bread of life.’
And indeed He is friends! He gave His physical life for us, so that we could have eternal life, rejuvenating reconciliation with the Father. That’s what He came down from heaven to do.
Without His selfless sacrifice, we’d have no opportunity for life, because the scripture plainly states that the penalty for sin is death, and we were certainly embroiled in sin until His death cleansed us and set us free.
Furthermore, NOBODY can get to the Father but through Him! And a lot of people refuse to belief that. But my faithful brethren, Jesus is truly the LIGHT, the LIFE, the TRUTH, and the WAY!
Let’s never forget that, and keep embracing Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, for that is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…there is power…absolute power…in the holy name of Jesus…
23 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook, a strong will, abundance, adoration, affliction, appreciation, belief, blessed, blessed be God, blessings, breath of life, broken, celebrate, character, characteristics, characterized, christianity, Christians, comfort, comforted of God, courage, created in God's image, creativity, cry in the desert, curse, direction, divine protection, enjoy, enthusiasm, ever-Loving, faith, family, favour, forgive, friends, glory, Glory be, grace, graciously given, have nothing, health, holy spirit, honour, Hour of Power, I cry unto thee daily, I lift up my soul, in affliction I call, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, life, light, LOVE, magnanimous, magnificent, mercies, mete and right, my comfort by day, my Saviour, My song in the night, my soul's delight, negative word, New Testament, not walk with thee, O Jesus, omnipotent, planet earth, plenteous in mercy, praise, praise and worship, promotion, prosper, ready to forgive, rejoice, Satan, saving grace, self-control, self-discipline, sin, sincerity, sonship, spoon feeding, spunk, succeed, success, supernatural strength, talent, tender love, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the soul of thy servant, the source, this is the day the Lord has made, Thursday 's Blessings, thy face to see, tribulation, wander, we are nothing, we will be glad and rejoice in it, wisdom
2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.
Oh my people, our wonderful God has seen fit to bless us with another marvellous day on planet earth! Glory be!
So let’s reciprocate nuh, first by joyfully declaring, as the psalmist did: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24)
Yes friends, it’s only mete and right that we celebrate and enjoy what our God has graciously given to us!
And to further show our appreciation, let’s sing this li’l soulful ditty I heard on the Hour of Power the other night. There was another song I had planned to use, but after hearing the sweet, soulfulness of this one, which I didn’t know, I had no choice but to change my mind. (smile)
It’s simply titled ‘My Song in the Night.’ Please sing with me. ‘O Jesus my saviour, my song in the night. Come to us with thy tender LOVE, My soul’s delight. Unto thee, O Lord, in affliction I call, My comfort by day, And my song in the night.
O why should I wander, and not walk with thee, Or cry in the desert, thy face to see? My comfort and joy, my soul’s delight. O Jesus my saviour, my song in the night. My comfort and joy, my soul’s delight. O Jesus my saviour, my song in the night…in the night…in the night…in the nightttttt…’
Ah mih breddren, how wonderful it is to praise and worship our omnipotent, magnificent and magnanimous God! For without Him, we are nothing, and have nothing!
He is the undoubted source of all that we are and have! We are wonderfully made in His image, and also bear within us His awesome breath of life and Holy Spirit! If you take away those things you are left with absolutely nothing!
So it is essential for us to praise and glorify Him in all that we do, if we want to keep on enjoying His godly mercy and saving grace so generously given to all who sincerely seek it.
And it all segues in so nicely with our Bit: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.’
And you know, during that same Hour of Power programme, I heard the interviewed guest mention how important that passage of scripture was to him in his men’s ministry. And friends, it’s also very important in ours. Why?
Listen to the verse that follows it. ‘Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor.1:4)
What a wonderful method our God has set up friends: first He comforts us, so that we can comfort others with the comfort that we have received from Him! Praise His holy name!
No other supposed deity does anything like that. ONLY our great and ever-LOVING God! So why wouldn’t we give Him praise and thanks, and honour and glory eh! No reason whatsoever!
And the scholars have this to say about our verses. ‘1:3-4. Blessed (Gr. eulogetos, “well spoken of”) is used in the New Testament of God, (e.g., (Eph. 1:3). It is a term of adoration and praise.
The Father of mercies: The mercies in view here include everything from deliverance from the world, sin, and Satan, to participation in sonship, light, and life. But the force is even more than this. The stress is that the Father is characterized by mercy. (c.f. Ps. 86:5; Dan.9:9; Mic.7:18).’
Yes friends, mercy is one of the unalterable characteristics of our God, which means that it must also be one of our character traits too, if we’re to be true believers and followers of His.
Yuh see how effectively our God works in our lives. He gives us comfort and mercy so that we can then share it with others in need of them. How awesome is our God eh! Oh glory, glory!
And though I wasn’t planning to do it, I will indulge in a little spoon-feeding. (smile) Here is the scripture mentioned above from Psalm 86. ‘Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily (all day long). Rejoice (make glad) the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.’ (Ps.86:3-5) I just added verses 3-4, so we could get a better idea of what’s happening.
And no my people, I haven’t forgotten. I’m getting it right this week. (smile) It’s Thursday, so let’s go home appropriately declaring our Thursday Blessings. So with plenty sincerity, spunk, enthusiasm, faith and belief, let’s do it nuh!
‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Yes my fellow believers in Jesus Christ, let’s go out today, clothed in all those blessings and show the world the true nature of Christianity, as Jesus desires of us! Much LOVE!
…we Christians are so blessed…that we don’t know what to do with all the blessings…
13 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool is counted wise, a fool's voice, a legacy of shame, a man of understanding, advice, bad luck, black magic, blessings, direction, do it all over again, Ecclesiastes, falsehood, fears, fellowship, focus on the weekend, foolish behaviour, foolish things, fools despise wisdom, fools die for for want of wisdom, Friday 13th, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, glory, God's honour, gospel truth, he holdeth his peace, in Jesus' name, let us rejoice and be glad, LOVE, love vanity, loving kindness, old wives tales, our heavenly Father, P.S. I Love You, pearls of wisdom, plastic surgsery, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, reverential awe, seek after leasing, shame, shame shall be the legacy of fools, sons of men, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the beginning of wisdom, the fear of the Lord, the fool shall be servant to the wise, the kind of person we become, the multitude of words, the nature of the beast, the wise shall inherit glory, total control, trust in God, turn my glory into shame, worthlessness
Proverbs 3:35. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (the legacy) of fools.
Well Friends, it’s Friday; Friday the 13th to boot… So what? Who believes in those old wives tales and witches manipulations anymore eh? I hope nobody, for a day is a day. It is made by the great God Jehovah and runs like any other day.
So whether Friday falls on the thirteenth or the fourteenth or fifteenth, they are all made so that we can rejoice and be glad in them.
So please lets forget about all the foolishness the enemy tries to put in our heads, about bad luck and otherwise on a day like today, and just enjoy the LOVING-kindness and blessings of our heavenly Father, as we normally do nuh.
It’s amazing though that many who usually shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, the weekend, and it’s time to party down the place,’ are quiet today.
Come on my people, let’s focus on the weekend and what we’re going to do on our two days off rather than some nebulous, unsubstantiated black magic in the offing. And to overcome any dormant fears, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much gusto and confidence.
As one chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, that’s the template for the next few days! Put it to work and we’ll all be fine. And to go along with that, here is an appropriate quote from my ‘P.S. I LOVE You ‘ Poster. It says: ‘We can’t do much about our appearance, but we have total control over the kind of person we become.’
And generally speaking that’s true, because with all the plastic surgery and otherwise available today, we can change our appearance a fair amount. But, as for who we become on the inside, that’s totally up to us.
People can give us all sorts of advice and direction, but in the long run it’s totally up to us decide what advice we’re going to take, what direction we’ll go in, and consequently what kind of person we will become.
And hopefully, as believers in Jesus Christ, we will take His wise advice and go in the good and prosperous direction that He points us toward. That brings us to our Bit for today: ‘The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (the legacy) of fools.’
And that’s no lie Friends, for we can see it writ large in our society, and even in our own small area of influence. Shame is cast upon those who insist on doing foolish things. It’s sad, and oftimes wrong, but we can do a million wise and good things, but are remembered for, and tormented by the one mistake or foolish thing we’ve done. But I guess that’s just the nature of the beast.
Anyway, what I want to do today is simply highlight some scripture passages that deal with supposedly foolish behaviour, mainly from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. But we’ll begin with this one from Psalm 4 – An evening prayer of trust in God.
Bruh David asks the burning question back then. ‘O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity (worthlessness), and seek after leasing (falsehood)? Selah.’ (Ps.4:2)
Oh Friends, unfortunately that is still a burning question today, for mankind still refuses to give God His appropriate honour and glory, possibly even more so now than back then, because unashamedly we are going a whoring after all sorts of other gods and idols. And that my brethren will undoubted bring us a legacy of shame and nothing else.
Now listen to Cousin Sol. Right at the beginning of Proverbs he proffers this serious warning. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov.1:7) Yes Friends, wisdom begins by acknowledging Almighty God and all that He is!
Now hear him in Chapter 10, where he begins contrasting the wise and the foolish ‘The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want (lack) of wisdom.’ (Prov.10:21)
Then in Chapter 11, Cousin Sol declares: ‘He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be the servant to the wise of heart.’ (Prov.11:29) No doubt about that Friends! We see it in our society all the time, where the wise lord it over the unwise.
Now here are a couple of verses from Chapter 12, where Cousin Sol continues his contrasting between the wise and the foolish. ‘The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto (listens to) counsel is wise. A fool’s wrath is presently known (known at once): but a prudent man covereth shame.’ (Prov.12:15-16) Gospel truth that my brethren!
Turning to Ecclesiastes, listen to these pearls of wisdom. ‘For a dream cometh through the multitude of business (effort or activity); and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.’ (Eccl.5:3)
That brings us back to Proverbs, where Cousin Sol declares: ‘Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace (keeps silent), is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.’ (Prov.17:28) No disputing that my people, as we do it all the time!
And we’ll end there for today. Don’t want to give us too much material to consider (smile), but I do hope that these sayings will have an impact on our behaviour, as we read and ponder them in regards to our own life, for I am sure that we all have room for improvement along those lines. Much LOVE!
…I was sometimes wise…but not seldom foolish…
01 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a parent, a wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, Ark of the Covenant, ask in faith, blessed, Bobby Schuller, brains, brawn, brute strength, California, casts down the strength of the confidence thereof., copying, Cousin Bobby, Diana Rampersad, didn't understand, direction, forgiveness, friends, generous nature, going to be with the Lord, Gramps Schuller, guidance, he that doubts is like the wave of the sea, heaven on earth, heavenly days, Hour of Power, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, Independence Day, Israelites, Jamaica's Independence Day, Jericho, laziness, LOVE, mea culpa, Mother Earth, my friend Jesus, my heart is right, not doubting, pasting, paying proper attention, rough times, scales the walls of the mighty, share the Love of Jesus, Shepherd's Grove, smile, sons and daughters of God, Trinidad and Tobago's Independence Day, trumpets of ram's horns, truth, wisdom, worry
Proverbs 21:22. A wise man scaleth (climbs over the walls of) the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence (trusted stronghold) thereof.
Oh Friends, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa!
Yes, on this first day of September, there are four things I want to apologize for. The first is not having the right date at the top of the Bit yesterday; instead of the 31st, I had the 30th. Although I don’t know how many of you noticed it. (smile) But that’s what comes from laziness and copying and pasting and not paying proper attention.
The second is for not mentioning Jamaica’s Independence Day on August 6, which celebrated 53 years of freedom from her colonial rulers. The third thing is not celebrating T&T’s Independence Day yesterday, the 31st, also marking 53 years of independence from Mother England.
I always write about Canada and the U.S Independence Day, but I forget or choose not to write about my two home countries…countries that nurtured me and made me who I am. Chuh! That’s definitely not good enough. And lastly, I forgot to celebrate the fourth anniversary of my beloved mother Molly going to be with Lord on August 31 2011.
Now that one I need some special forgiveness for. But yuh know what Friends? I have no doubt that that is forthcoming, for the ole girl knows that my heart is right, it’s just that my brain is getting a li’l old and foggy. (smile) And it’s not like I have completely forgotten about her, because I visited her just this past week, and we had a good chat, about what’s happening now and all the old times we spent together, both the good and the bad. And believe me, they were indeed some rough times that people don’t know about.
Yeh Mols baby, I myself didn’t understand some of those hard times back then, not until I became a parent myself, and I’m sincerely sorry for any problems I caused through my not understanding. And I know that because of your LOVING and generous nature, you’ll say that’s okay, you didn’t expect me to understand such things at such a young age.
Anyway, I know that you are now resting and enjoying your heavenly days with the Saviour, as you so richly deserve. I know that you and your grandmother Di (Diana Rampersad) are chatting away everyday. (smile) Although it was definitely a shock earlier on this year, to hear that Di had departed this earth so unexpectedly, and at such a young age too. But I guess that was the Lord’s decision, and who can argue with it eh? Nobody!
So you two, please enjoy yourselves and do whatever it is you do heaven (smile), while we slog it out down here on Mother Earth, until the Lord calls us to join you all.
Now for all of us still down here in heaven on earth, here’s a simple prayer that says so much. It’s being used by the congregation of Shepherd’s Grove, the church in Southern California from which the Hour Of Power broadcasts are done, now conducted by Cousin Bobby (Robert Schuller III) Gramps Schuller’s grandson.
Please pray with me. ‘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.’
Yes my brethren, we are indeed the beloved of God, Almighty God’s wonderful children, so we ought to have nothing to worry about, especially where our identification is concerned. We are not distinguished by what we do, where we live, or any other worldly determination. First and foremost we are the sons and daughters of the Creator! Matter fixed!
That brings us to our Bit; certainly an interesting statement from Cousin Sol. ‘A wise man scaleth (climbs over the walls of) the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence (trusted stronghold) thereof.’ And when we reason it out Friends, we see that it’s absolutely true.
The scholars declare it as: ‘21:22. Wisdom is mightier than brute strength.’
And isn’t that the God-awesome truth? It surely is! Brains are far more useful than brawn, as the old saying goes. Brawn can be uppermost for a while, but in the long run it’s the brain that scales the walls of the mighty. Just look at the brilliant example in how the Israelites captured the supposedly impregnable city of Jericho.
They simply marched around it once a day, in total silence, for six days, with seven priests bearing before the Ark of the Covenant seven trumpets of ram’s horns. And on the seventh day they marched around it seven times, with the priests blowing on their trumpets. And when they made a long blast the people shouted a loud shout, and eventually the walls of Jericho tumbled down and the Israelites simply went in and took it over. (Josh. 6:1-27)
Granted that was basically through God’s machinations, but the moral of the story is that brute force would not have brought down the walls of Jericho, but brains, wise council did. And even today my brethren, it is wisdom for us to come before God with every problem and ask for His wise guidance, before we do anything at all.
As Cousin Sol further tells us: ‘A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel. Thou shalt make thy war (wage your own war): and in the multitude of counselors there is safety.’ (Prov.24:5-6)
Yes Friends, wisdom, or rather in the pursuit of wisdom, lies the answer to a myriad of our problems. And where does this wonderful thing termed wisdom come from?
James tells us: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (without doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.’ (James 1:5-6)
So my fellow believers, today, please let’s turn to the Lord God Jehovah for guidance and direction in ALL that we do, but with a sincere faith and trust that He will acknowledge our requests. Much LOVE!
…blessed is he that has a combination of brains and brawn…but if only one is granted…brains will surely win the day…
27 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Prayer for Success, Absalom, as waters that pass away, be humble, be open, Bruh David, communicate with God, confidence, converse, correctable, creative imagination, direction, educable, failure is never final, faith, faith stimulates success, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's great earth, God-given powers, Gramps Schuller, guidance, hear God's voice, hope, hope sustains success, Hour of Power Devotional, I cried unto the Lord, I laid me down to sleep, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, I will not be afraid, inherit the earth, iniquity, Jesus Christ, Job, lift up thy face without spot, misery, none shalt make thee afraid, O Lord thou art a shield, obedience to god, obeying Almighty God, prayer of confidence in God, prepare thine heart, responsibility, rest in safety, robert h schuller, see God's plan, Selah, steadfast, stretch forth thine hand, success, success is never-ending, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the largesse of God, the Lord sustained me, the one who lifts up my head, the wisest thing, there is hope, thou hast put gladness in my heart, thou Lord only makes me dwell in safety, thou shalt be as the morning, thou shalt be secure, thou shalt shine forth, thy life shall be brighter than noonday, time waits on no one, trust, what I am is more important than what I do, wickedness, words of wisdom, work of nature, Zophar
Psalm 4:7-8. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Well Friends, it’s another glorious day on God’s great earth! Glory Hallelujah! And everyday that we wake up to behold His awesome work of nature, means that He still has something important planned for us to accomplish in His name. There is always good reason to what we consider God’s madness. (smile)
So it’s up to us to converse, to communicate with Him every morning that we arise, and find out what He desires of us on that particular day. It’s our responsibility to ask for guidance and direction, wisdom and blessings, so that we can bless others, because that’s basically what we’re about; spreading the largesse of our great and wonderful God.
And on this fantastic Thursday morning at the end of August 2015 … but can you believe that August is almost done already? It just began the other day with the Caribana Festivities. Now school’s going to be reconvened in another few days. Time truly is waiting on no one.
Anyway, as I was saying, on this fantastic Thursday morning in August, let’s check out this poem from Gramps Schuller’s (Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, which I believe I’ve shared before, but which is still relevant and necessary for us to partake of, especially in these rough and tough times. It’s aptly titled ‘A Prayer for Success.’
Please pray with me. ‘As I become a success with your help, Lord, let me never forget that what I am is more important than what I do. Faith stimulates success. Hope sustains success. So I cannot and I dare not succeed without your power, peace, and pressure in my life, Jesus Christ. Amen.’
Then Gramps adds a footnote. ‘Be open. Be humble. Correctable. Educable. Then you will hear God’s voice. You will see God’s plan. Grab on to it, give it all you’ve got, and you will inherit the earth.’
Remember too that ‘Success is never- ending and failure is never final to that person who knows how to revitalize and renew the God-given powers of creative imagination.’ Those are also words of wisdom from Gramps Schuller, and if we practice it all, we will surely succeed in whatever endeavours we undertake.
Yes my people, success is not easy, but it surely is attainable if we work with God, in bringing to pass the plans He has for our lives. Now let’s look at our Bit; wonderful promises which derive from our obedience to God
‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’
Oh Friends, obeying Almighty God is the wisest thing we can ever do on this earth!
Now listen to Job’s friend Zophar, as he continues to lecture him, believing that he is a sinner, but also reminding him that the Lord will forgive his sin, if he confesses and repents.
‘If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles (tents). For then thou shalt lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear: Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:
And thine age (life) shall be clearer (brighter) than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee (court your favour).’ (Job 11:13-19)
Oh what gospel truth my brethren! Though Zophar was falsely accusing his buddy Job, he was giving him excellent advice, advice that is still pertinent and relevant to our situations today. If we confess our sins to God, and repent of our wrong doing, He is merciful to forgive us and lift us up like we can’t imagine or fathom.
Now let’s end with some more pertinent and relevant words of wisdom from Bruh David, taken from Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God. This is when he fled from the rebellion of his son Absalom. ‘But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) mine head.
I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill (mountain). Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:3-6)
Oh my people, my people, what confidence flows from our trust and faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Bruh David was running for his life from his son, but he still slept in peace, and awakened safely because the God of his fathers, whom he adored and generally obeyed, kept him safe and gave him the confidence not to be fearful, regardless of how many enemies surrounded him.
Oh glory to God my brethren, for He will do the same for us today, if we place our utmost faith and trust in Him. So please, let’s be wise and do that nuh, for anything else is mere foolishness. Much LOVE!
…when we truly trust in our saviour Jesus Christ…a confidence so great rises up in us…that no amount of enemies surrounding us, can shake it…
20 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of pain, a living sacrifice, a phase of the growing process, acceptable unto God, adversity, all things work together for good, an open door slammed in my face, arrogant, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed, biblical principles, blessings from heaven, blind, born again, bury the hatchet, calluses, cannot serve two masters at the same time, children of light, commune with nature, conduct of this world, conforming to the world, courage, darkness, dedication, dependence on god, direction, divine dividends, facing difficulties, fruitful difficulty, God's blessings, Gramps Schuller, guidance, hard muscles, heartbreak, Jesus, justifying the believer, lift heavy loads, live a righteous life, mature in Christ, new life, obedience, opportunities to expand our horizons, pain, poured into the mould, priceless times, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord, release the day's stress, ruptures, rut, sensible manner, setbacks, sin, stay in faith, suffocating ground, surrender, talk the talk, the image of Christ, the mercies of God, the renewing of your mind, the righteousness of God, the Word of god, too arrogant to believe, too blind to see, too stubborn to accept any other way, total committment, transformation, valuable lessons, value systems, walk the walk, will of God, windowless grave, with God by our side, you cannot serve God and mammon
Ephesians 5:10. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Well Friends, welcome to a wet and windy Thursday morning. Yes the blessings from heaven eventually fell last night. And it sure was a good shower, for it wet up most of my front porch so that when I went out to commune with nature and release the day’s stress, I wasn’t able to sit in my favourite chair by the steps, but had to sit in the one by the door.
And would you believe that habits are such strange things, that although the seats weren’t that far apart, it just never felt right. (smile) Oh I did sit and relax, but it just didn’t feel the same as in the other chair. We humans are such a piddling lot eh. (smile)
Anyway. Here’s an interesting prayer from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from the Hour of Power Devotional. It’s titled ‘TO FACE DIFFICULTIES.’
Please pray with me. ‘Truly, Father, all things work together for good to those who LOVE you. Thank you for the difficulties that produce divine dividends. I know that pain is only a phase of the growing process: that seed buried alive under suffocating ground in a windowless grave agonizes before it ruptures into new life.
I know that I build hard muscles in heart, mind, and body only when I lift heavy loads. I thank you for tough times that produce calluses that could save my spirit from softness that would be weakness. There have been times, O Lord, when only through great difficulty have I learned the valuable lessons.
I was too blind to see, too arrogant to believe, or too stubborn to accept any other way than by a bed of pain. I praise you for the times an open door slammed in my face and forced me out of an old rut that I never would have had the courage to leave, and led me down the road to a beautiful new life.
I thank you for heartbreak which causes me to bury the hatchet and speak again to someone with whom I had for far too long been out of touch. Thank you, Father, for life’s priceless times of fruitful difficulty. Amen.’
Ah my fellow believers, all of that is oh so true! Obviously we don’t like difficulties and pain, but it is in those times of adversity that we actually grow and mature in Christ. It’s the tough times that make us tough. But we have to be big enough and wise enough to realize it, then accept it and deal with it in a serious and sensible manner.
If you don’t believe me, then look back at some of the rough times in your lives and see how your spirit seemed stronger and more mature after them. Every time we go through adversity, we come out stronger and more faithful on the other side. So let’s not look at difficulties as setbacks, but rather as opportunities to expand our horizons, obviously with God by our side.
Now let’s look at our Bit. ‘Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.’
Yeh Friends, in all our doings we need to consider what is and what is not acceptable to our wonderful God. Once we’re born again, we become children of light, the bright and shining light that’s Jesus, so we cannot afford to be involved in anything that has to do with sin and darkness.
Listen to how Bruh Paul puts it to the Romans. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom.12:1-2)
Now here are some explanations by the scholars. ’12:1. By the mercies of God summarizes all that God has accomplished for the believer in Romans 1-11 in justifying the believer (chs.1-5), enabling the believer to live a righteous life (chs.6-8), and being faithful to Israel (chs.9-11).
That ye present refers to a definite act of presentation. The verb is used of offering a sacrifice that became “holy” under the Levitical system (cf. Ex.29:37). This shows that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation.
Your bodies: The body has been the instrument of sin (ch.6). Now it is to be presented to God as a channel through which the righteousness of God is manifested.’
’12:2. Be not conformed (lit. “stop conforming yourselves”). They are to resist being poured into the mould of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of this world. This term is used only here and in 1 Peter 1:14).’
Oh Friends, it all still pertains to us. But unfortunately, too many of us are still conforming to the world. Remember Jesus said ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’ (Matt.6:24) That means we cannot serve two masters at the same time; God and the riches or material possessions of this ungodly world.
Now here is some more pertinent info from the scholars re Dedication to the Will of God. ’12:1-2. God’s will refers to His purpose for the life of the believer. It implies His guidance or direction in all of life’s decisions. Dedication is an act of surrender or submission to His will for our lives whereby we become a “living sacrifice.” Daily dependence on God results in our transformation into the image of Christ.
Illustration: When we seek to discern the will of God we must also be committed to doing the will of God as it is revealed in the Word of God. (John 7:17)
Application: The believer should evaluate every decision on the basis of biblical principles, knowing that obedience brings God’s blessing. (First Ref. Gen.22:12; Primary Ref. Rom.12:1).’
There we have it Friends; lots of stuff to ponder on this Thursday morning. Hope it helps us stay in faith and obedience to Almighty God, the way we ought to. But it can’t unless we study it, then put it into practice. That’s where the real results, the true fruits show. Much LOVE!
…as true believers in Christ…we must not only talk the talk…but even more importantly…we must walk the walk…
01 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a living dog is better than a dead lion, a red flag, a source of happiness, a toehold, a two way street, And now Lord what wait I for, another iron in the fire, bad moods, Beelzebub, caused me to trust, Cervantes, compassion, constant companion, dance the maypole, depression, direction, Don Quixote, Ecclesiastes, evil thoughts, faith, faithful promise, forget our problems, forgiveness, Friday chant, friends, glorious kingdom, glory to God, grace, he that took me out of the womb, hearts minds and bodies, hope, humble servants, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, Jesus Christ, joy, keeps our mojo working, let me not be ashamed of my hope, LOVE, May Day, Maypole, mercy, Miguel Cervantes, my hope is in thee, observe thy statutes, one-way lane, our realtionship with God, peace, pilot light, psalm 119, renewed vitality, resonate, rest, reverberate, right perspective, righteousness., salvation, slaving for massa, steadfast faith, strength, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that keeps us tuned into God, the eternal channel, the Lord God Jehovah, the mainstay, there can be no evil, thou didst make me hope, to titillate our senses, trust, truth, uphold me according to thy word, weekend, when I was upon my mother's breast, where there is music, while there's life there's hope, wisdom
Psalm 22:9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me HOPE (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.
And then it was Friday – the first day of May – May Day, May Day!
And the working population readily chimes in with: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here! Thank God it’s Friday yes! This has been a brutal week, and we do need the rest from slaving for massa.’
Now that might be so, but here’s another iron in the fire. Do you remember those May Day High School dances, the first Saturday in May, where we’d dance the maypole? If you do, then you are a real old-timer, but one filled with lots of wisdom and experience.
Ah Friends, it’s another glorious morning to be alive, brimming with the joy, LOVE, peace, mercy, grace, compassion and forgiveness that’s only to be found in Jesus Christ! Glory be to God!
Now here’s an interesting quote from Cervantes (Miguel Cervantes 1547-1616) the famous Spanish writer, whose novel Don Quixote, was supposedly the first novel to gain international acclaim. Anyway, Cervantes reputedly said that ‘Where there is music, there can be no evil.’
And that’s very true to a large extent, for when sweet music is bubbling forth from our hearts how can we ever imagine evil thoughts eh? Plus music lifts us out of our bad moods, out of our depression, and helps us forget our problems for a while. It’s also a special source of happiness that we can take with us wherever we go.
And I can personally vouch for all of that Friends, for music has been the mainstay, the constant companion of my many years on this earth. When Friends and family forsake you, music NEVER will. And hopefully it will continue to be my companion for the rest of my days, and even afterwards in heaven, where music and singing seem to be a big thing.
And since we seem to be into music this morning, let’s chant our Friday Chant nuh, with all the passion it deserves. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my people, regardless of the day, the celebration or occasion, we need to have the right perspective on the weekend, if we’re going to be ready for Monday when it comes around. And that means being careful not to give Beelzebub even a toehold in our lives.
And one way to do that is through HOPE, the HOPE that is found in Jesus! For as Bruh David truthfully declares in our Bit: ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me HOPE (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.’
Yes my people, our Creator wisely put that never give up emotion of HOPE in our hearts from the moment we were born! And we’d be very foolish to let it go out, disappear from our souls, for it’s our pilot light, the steady flame that keeps our mojo working at all times. (smile)
Now let’s see what great scriptures on the subject we can find in the Good Book to titillate our senses. And we’ll begin with an interesting verse from Ecclesiastes, where the Preacher informs us that: ‘For to him that is joined to all the living there is HOPE: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.’ (Eccl.9:4) I guess he is just saying what we believe, that while there is life there’s always HOPE.
Now listen to Jeremiah: ‘Truly in vain is salvation HOPED for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.’ (Jer.3:23) Yes my brethren, ONLY from the Lord God Jehovah can salvation be HOPED for and truly found!
And the author of Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, has this to say on the subject. ‘Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my HOPE. Hold thou me up (uphold me), and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes (observe thy statutes) continually.’ (Ps.119:116-117)
Oh my people our God will NEVER let us be ashamed of our HOPE in Him! That’s a forgone conclusion! All who HOPE in Him will be upheld with His powerful right hand! That’s His faithful promise!
But by the same token, we have our part to play in the relationship; to observe His statutes. And sadly that’s where the relationship usually breaks down. We want to have our HOPE upheld, but aren’t too keen on observing God’s commands. And that just can’t work Friends, for the relationship with God is a two way street, not just a one-way lane.
And we’ll end this series of messages on HOPE with a rather appropriate verse from Psalm 39, where Bruh David is praying for self-understanding. In the midst of his prayer, he loudly proclaims: ‘And now, Lord, what wait I for? My HOPE is in thee.’ (Ps.39:7)
Words of absolute truth and wisdom my fellow believers! Let’s keep that verse as a red flag always before us, so that we know why, and where our HOPE in this evil world comes from.
And I do HOPE that all we’ve said about HOPE in these past few days will continue to resonate and reverberate in our hearts, minds and bodies, so that we don’t lose our strength, faith and direction that’s to be found in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Much LOVE my fellow believers!
…HOPE…it is the eternal channel…that keeps us tuned into…our Creator…the Most High God Jehovah…
23 Feb 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, aura of love, baubles and bangles, be not conformed to this world, be transfromed by the renewing of your mind, Christians, confidence, decisions, devotion, direction, eternity, glorious kingdom, God's Word, gospel truth, guidance, Hades, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, invincible, Jesus, Jesus Christ, living sacrifice, lord god almighty, LOVE, loving kindness, loyalty, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, rejuvenation of spirit, serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, spirituality, St. Francis, steadfast faith, stop loving the world, sure conquerors, the will of God, trust, truth, ungodly world, wealth of this world, wisdom
Romans 12:2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
‘Monday, oh Monday, how beautiful you are to me! Monday, oh Monday, how I do LOVE thee!’
No Friends, I’m not under the influence of anything but life – life with Jesus, enjoying the beautiful sunshine and cool breezes blowing across Paradise, with the frothing waves rushing up to the shore as the tide comes in! (smile) The only sad part is that this is my last Monday on Paradise for a while. The cold North Country calleth.
But Friends, we have to like Mondays, because it means that we’re out and about for another week, intermingling with others; other believers, as well as unbelievers, who are ideal, fertile soil on which to sow good seeds for Jesus!
That’s how we ought to be looking at Mondays, or any other day for that matter, instead of being foolishly and selfishly caught up in our own problems, re getting up and making our way to work. Please remember too that in these trying and poor economic times, a whole lot of us don’t have jobs, and thus are suffering serious deprivation and want.
So those of us who have jobs, ought to be very thankful and grateful that we do, rather than indulge in the morbid self-pity that we tend to indulge in on Mondays. Again, I want to remind us that if we treat Sundays, the Lord’s Day, as it is supposed to be treated, then we won’t have any problems rising and shining on Mondays.
But enough with the preaching now, (smile) because many of us still aren’t listening, aren’t buying it, and are yet allowing the wicked ways of the world to hold sway over us. Let’s get to our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get our adrenaline running. In loud, harmonious voice now, like the congregation at St. Francis down here does it.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
That was good my people! The St. Francis congregation would be proud of us. (smile) Jesus was clapping and tapping too, looking at the Father and smiling, intimating with His look; ‘Yuh see how mih people bright and energetic this Monday morning?’ The Father answered with an indulgent smile, nodding His head in assent.
But He knew that as soon as we got out into the world, we’d allow the ways of the world to confound us. We won’t be following Bruh Paul’s advice in our Bit, as closely as we should. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’
Yes my people, it’s not all fun and games in this crazy, dangerous and evil world. But we, as believers in Jesus Christ, fortified by His strength, power and guidance can handle whatever comes against us. We just have to keep Jesus at the forefront of our lives.
Now hear this explanation from the Scholars, re ‘Dedication to the Will of God.’ ‘12:1-2. God’s will refers to His purpose for the life of the believer. It implies His guidance or direction in all of life’s decisions. Dedication is an act of surrender or submission to His will for our lives whereby we become a “living sacrifice.” Daily dependence on God results in our transformation into the image of Christ.
Illustration: When we seek to discern the will of God we must also be committed to doing the will of God as it is revealed in the Word of God (John 7:17). Application: The believer should evaluate EVERY decision on the basis of biblical principles, knowing that obedience brings God’s blessing. (First Reference, Gen. 22:12; Primary Reference, Rom. 12:1).’
Yes Friends, ALL the decisions we make should first be tested against God’s Word, regardless of whether they are very big or very small! Remember too that oft times it’s the small, seemingly unimportant decisions that start our trending away from God’s Word and His Will for our lives.
And we’ll end with these immortal words of gospel truth from John. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)
And here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘2:15. LOVE not the world is a command implying that action now in progress must cease: “Stop LOVING the world!” There is, of course, one sense in which Christians should LOVE the world, since God Himself did and does (John 3:16). But in the sense of pledging personal loyalty and devotion of one’s whole being and means, Christians are to “LOVE” God first and foremost (Deut. 6:5; Mark 12:30).’ ‘2:16. World for John signifies the evil desire and sin so much a part of human existence.’
What else can I add to all that eh mih bredddren? Nothing really. Except to tell us to pay serious attention to all that’s been said, if we truly want to dwell with Jesus in eternity. Much LOVE!
…the baubles and bangles, the wealth of this world…are of NO use even in Hades…much less in heaven…
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