07 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of righteousness, a glorious future with Jesus, a positive difference, afraid, alive and kicking, all those who love his appearing, all who ask in faith, anchor themselves, another day another dollar, anxious, as soon as possible, basic premise, believe in God, believing what Jesus promised, blessings, death, death is at hand, devoid of, direction, doubt, dwellings, endurance, energy, energy for weariness, enjoy, faith, faith in doubt, fellowship, fight a good fight, finished my course, fought a good fight, gives liberally, glory hallelujah, guidance, halfway home, help, hope, I go to prepare a place, I will come again, I'm not looking back, important as life, In my Father's house, Jesus Christ, judgement day, kept the faith, laid up for me, LOVE, many mansions, meditating on god's word, mish-mash world, money, mortal coil, my hands are on the plough, obituaries, our heavenly Father, our Lord and Saviour, prayer, ready to be offered, receive you unto myself, run a strong race, shy away, strength, strength in weakness, surer than taxes, talk of death, the breath of life, the day of reckoning, the great divide, the righteous judge, there's always hope, time of departure, Timothy, weakness, weariness, Wednesday Wail, when life will end, while there is life, winning races
2 Timothy 4:7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.
Ah friends, another day, another dollar! But Ho! Some of you say that a dollar isn’t a dollar anymore, it’s more like fifty cents, or even less, and that’s possibly true.
But yuh know what my brethren, the money isn’t as important as the fact that we’re alive. Our pictures and eulogies aren’t in the obituaries, and that’s much more important than the money we might make today.
We’re alive and have the ability to do lots of good stuff in God’s name. And if by chance we aren’t kicking as strongly as we like, then we can always turn to our heavenly Father for help.
And here’s a good prayer that reflects our problem. I got it from one of the Daily Bread Devotionals. It simply says: ‘Father, at this moment, I turn to You for strength in my weakness, energy for my weariness, and faith in my doubt.’
Simple and straight to the point my people. And if you are sincere, the Lord, who gives liberally to all who ask in faith, will shower you with His blessings until you are kicking mightily. (smile)
Now, without further ado, let’s turn to our Bit, taken from what’s called Bruh Paul’s last testament, in his second letter to his protégé Timothy. And to keep everything in context, we’ll just do it all at once.
‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim.4:6-8)
Oh my fellow believers, there is so much stuff in those verses that still pertain to us. Let’s check them out. First of all, we all will die someday. And a lot of us shy away from talk of death, but it’s the only sure thing in this crazy world, even surer than taxes. (smile)
And blessedly, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we have a great time to look forward to. But when that time comes, will be ready to meet our Heavenly Father on the other side of the great divide with strong faith and trust; eagerly expectant for what’s over there, gladly shuffling off this rough and difficult mortal coil?
Or will be afraid and anxious, devoid of or with little faith, not knowing, or rather believing what Jesus promised. ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3)
Ah friends, that’s the basic premise of our faith; belief in Jesus Christ! And if we aren’t ready when the time comes to depart, then obviously we won’t be able to say as proudly and confidently as Bruh Paul says in our Bit: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’
And we desperately and definitely need to be able to say that at the day of reckoning! You can’t fight a good fight in Jesus’ name if you don’t truly believe all He’s said, because that belief and faith is what makes you strong, keeps you ticking, has you eager to do His will.
Consequently, there might not be a crown of righteousness laid up for you on that judgement day. That’s why we all need strong faith, and that only comes by diligently reading and meditating on God’s Word, through regular fellowship and constant prayer.
So if we are neglecting any of those things, our faith will definitely not grow to the point that we can fight a good fight, and run a strong race, and thus attain that crown of righteousness which is laid up in heaven for all those who surely and steadfastly anchor themselves in the Word and work of God.
Now please don’t get discouraged if your personal situation doesn’t line up with what we’ve said, because it can always be changed, preferably right now, by going to the Father and asking for strength, guidance and direction to run a good race in His name.
Remember while there is life, there’s ALWAYS hope. But we’re never sure when life will end, so we have to do what we need to do as soon as possible. Now let’s go home with joy and passion, proudly and boldly declaring our Wednesday Wail.
All together now, in strong voice and perfect harmony: ‘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!’
Yes friends, tomorrow we might see our name in the obits, (smile) but we have God’s gift of today, so please let’s enjoy it and go out and do our best to make a positive difference in this mish mash world we live in. For that’s what is expected of us, true believers. Much LOVE!
…winning races…needs strong faith and endurance…which can only be acquired through Almighty God…
29 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, artesian well, assurance, Beelzebub, belief, believe, blessed, bounden duty, bread, bread from heaven, bread of life, challenge, comes down from heaven, confidence, crapaud smoke we pipe, dissatisfaction, doubt, empty days, encourage, eternal, evil minions, flowers, fortify, freed me, glad to be alive, glorious kingdom, gloriously rich, glory hallelujah, God of glory, halfway home, hearts unfold, heaven, honest surrender, hunger, I'm not looking back, ignorance, immortal gladness, impoverished heart, Irreversible, Jesus Christ, joy, joyful joyful, life, life-changing thoughts, Lord and Saviour, Lord of love, LOVE, manna, melt the clouds, Moses, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, never hunger, never thirst, One Year Book of Bible promises, opening to the sun above, personal lives, positive vibes, praise and worship, Ruth Harms Calkin, sadness, seeking signs, sheer joy, signs, sin, spiritual, surrender, thanks and praise, the breath of life, the dark of doubt, the lake of fire, the light of day, the true bread, they that have not seen, thirst, thoughts, unmoved, uplift one's soul, vibes, vim and vigour, we adore you, Wednesday Wail, well, wisdom, wonders
John 6:48. I am that bread of life.
Awright friends, let’s begun the show with a li’l praise and worship nuh, like we ought to. Let’s sing the first two verses of the beautiful hymn, ‘Joyful, joyful…’
In full voice now: ‘Joyful, joyful, we adore You, God of glory, Lord of LOVE, Hearts unfold like flowers before You, Opening to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day Hallelujah we adore You! Hallelujah! Amen! Amen! Amen!’
Oh my people, that was indeed a rousing rendition! Nothing like giving thanks and praise to uplift one’s soul! Now let’s keep up the positive vibes by getting into this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings By Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s titled ‘Irreversible Yes.’
And it says: ‘God, You have done A beautiful thing for me. You have freed me from the dissatisfaction Of so many empty days and months. Into my impoverished heart You have poured life-changing thoughts of You Making each new day gloriously rich.
You have struck a deep artesian well in my soul As sheer joy springs forth. All because in an act of honest surrender When life had lost its challenge I said an irreversible YES to You!’
Oh friends, that’s the joy and beauty that springs forth when we say an irreversible ‘YES’ to God! Glory Hallelujah!
Those who refuse to say yes to Him, surely don’t know what they’re missing nuh, but it’s our bounden duty to point it out to them through our words and the godly actions of our lives. So please let’s do that sincerely and diligently nuh, so that we can glorify our heavenly Father and spur on His glorious kingdom as we ought to!
And we not done yet mih people; more positive vibes to come as we declare our Wednesday Wail with plenty vim and vigour, showing that we truly believe and mean it. (smile)
Wailing now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my fellow believers, am I ever glad to be alive, having Almighty God’s awesome breath of life flowing through me this Wednesday morning at then end of June 2016! I surely hope you are too. For what good is being alive if you’re not enjoying it eh? None whatsoever!
And if we’re happy to be alive, then we need to do the things that keep the joy surging forth in our spirits, meaning keeping our hands firmly to the plough and focusing on the future, that glorious future that Jesus has planned for us.
And all God’s people declared a loud and thankful ‘Hallelujah! Amen!’
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is also the promise upon which the ‘Irreversible Yes’ poem was based. And it’s such a simple but awesomely powerful statement made by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. ‘I am that bread of life.’
What confidence and assurance our Saviour displays! Earlier on, He’s been trying to teach His listeners about what truly matters. They were seeking signs of Him that would encourage and fortify their belief. Then they taunted Him by saying: ‘Our father’s did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ (John 6:31)
I guess Jesus spirit must have been moved, and He sadly shook His head at their ignorance. ‘Then said Jesus unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.’ (John 6:32-34)
No doubt the hungry crowd was thinking in terms of physical bread, but Jesus was talking about spiritual stuff. ‘And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:35)
What a powerful statement friends! The problem though, is do we believe it, or are we like those who heard it spoken from Christ’s lips, but remained unmoved? I certainly hope that we do believe it with all our souls, bodies, hearts and minds, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe!
Why do I say that? Listen to this explanation from the scholars. ‘6:35. I am the bread of life means the bread that gives life. The life of which He speaks is spiritual and eternal.’
Oh my people, that means if we don’t believe we won’t have eternal life! And that’s the worst thing that can happen to a human being! Just imagine being eventually cast into the lake of fire with Beelzebub and all his evil minions nuh? Think what it would be like to endure such tribulation?
Yuh think our earthly trials and tribulations are bad? Well that will take the cake! And all because we did not believe the simple words of our Lord and Saviour. It boggles my mind to think that so many of them saw the signs and wonders He did here on earth and yet still refused to believe.
Oh friends, we didn’t see those personally, but thankfully we do believe, and our belief is strong and irrepressible because in these modern times, He’s also wrought signs and wonders in our personal lives.
Let’s keep on believing friends, and keep on doing what He desires of us, for that is undoubtedly the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…blessed are they that have not seen…and yet have believed… (John 20:29b)
26 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a godly life, a positive outlook on life, abundance, anxiety, believers, belly and backbone, belt, bounden duty, broken, challenge, Christian foundation, courage, creativity, curse, direction for my life, divine protection, doubt, eagerness, family friends, favour, fulfillment, generously gifted, girded, girt about, God's protective armour, godly armour, good, health, hoighty toighty, holy character, I am blessed, in the name of Jesus, indispensability of prayer, Jesus Christ, knowledge, loins, LOVE, moral conduct, negative word, obedience, opportunity, peace, perseverance, prayer, praying, promises, promotion, prosper, put on the whole armour of God, quench, ridicule, righteousness, saints, Satan, schemes., Scrip-Bit family, self-control, self-discipline, serve our Lord and Saviour, shod, sinful world, sitting ducks, soldier, spiritual belt, stand, strong will, succeed, success, supernatural strength, supplication, talent, the breastplate of righteousness, the devil, the fiery darts, the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the preparation of the gospel, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the wicked one, the wiles of the devil, the Word of god, Thursday Blessings, trust, truth, waist, watching, willingness, wisdom, ye may be able to stand
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.
Greetings and salutations my wonderful Scrip-Bit family on this glorious Thursday morning! It’s another most worthwhile opportunity for us to serve our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in this evil and ungodly world.
In fact, it’s not a choice, but our bounden duty as believers, and we only heap ridicule on Jesus’ holy name if we don’t pursue that challenge as we ought to.
And there’s no time to lose, so let’s get busy and declare our Thursday Blessings that will feed our faith, uplift us, and give us the wherewithal to go out and face the enemy with much needed belly and backbone.
Altogether 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!’
Oh glory to our wonderful God my precious people, for He has generously gifted us with all that we need to succeed in this sinful world! Now let’s go out and succeed…
But first we need to do this absolutely necessary thing as directed by our Bit: ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.’
Yes friends, without God’s protective armour, we’re just like innocent, naïve, sitting ducks for the enemy. He’d be all over us in no time at all. That’s why Bruh Paul seriously warned us about wearing God’s armour at all times.
And I’m going to repeat the verses of yesterday about what the spiritual armour of God consists of, because I want to share some very useful info from the scholars on the subject. And don’t get hoighty toighty with me now because you think we’re wasting time by repeating those verses. (smile)
Friends, we can never hear those verses enough since they are a major part of our basic Christian foundation and the deeper we write them into our souls, the better off we will be.
Now hear Bruh Paul pontificate. ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked (one).
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:14-18)
Listen to the scholars now: ‘6:14-17. The whole armour of God consists of six pieces. (1) Truth (v.14a) is a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word (cf.4:21). The ancient soldiers loins (waist) were girt about with a leather belt which held most of the other pieces of his armour in place.
Similarly, the other pieces of the Christian’s armour depend on, and are held in place by his spiritual “belt” or his knowledge of the “truth” of Scripture.
(2) The breastplate of righteousness (v.14b) may be read “the breastplate which is righteousness.” It represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (righteousness).
(3) Preparation of the gospel of peace (v15) means “eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called caligae on his feet, enabling him to advance against his enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of “eagerness” or “willingness” to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him.
Such “eagerness” to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent.
(4) The shield of (which is) faith (v.16) means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan.
(5) The helmet of salvation (v.17a): Since the readers are already Christians (2:8), they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8 describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is, the certainty (assurance) of salvation.
(6) The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (v.17b): The Greek term rendered “word” is not logos, referring to the whole Word of God, but rhema, referring to certain portions or selected verses of Scripture.’
And that takes care of the basic armour of God. But we’re not done yet my people. Listen to these other explanations from the scholars.
‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks.
In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’
And thus ends this refresher course on the armour of God! (smile) Oh friends, I know that some of the explanations might be somewhat confusing, but if you take your time and concentrate on what you read, you will understand what’s been said.
And above all, please note the indispensability of prayer! Without it, the armour of God is ineffective. Now may the Lord bless and keep us as we go forth clothed in His protective armour, totally backed up by sincere prayer! Much LOVE!
…no Christian soldier goes out to battle without his godly armour…and prayer…
09 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A journey of love, a man after God's heart, a man of God, a second cahnce, an integral part of our lives, anger, basking in the Father's presence, be of good courage, blessed be the Lord, Christian's desire, climate change, cold, compromise, courage, disobedience, doubt, fear, hate, he shall strengthen your heart, how great is thy goodness, I will give thee rest, Jonah, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, Moses, my presence shall go with thee, negativity, Nineveh, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, pray, prayer, prophet, provider, rainy, repenting, reproach, responsibilities, rewards the proud doer, Saint of the Little Flower, secret of thy presence, seek God's face, shame, snowy, spring, St. Therese, strife, the Alpha and Omega, the Creator, the First and the Last, the irony of it all, the Lord preserves the faithful, the Lord's presence, trials, tribulations, troubled times, trust, vocation, walk in your steps, wet, winter, wisdom
Exodus 33:14. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
And then it was Saturday, and the next couple days in my area are supposed to be cold and snowy and wet and rainy. Steups! Whatever happened to that thing called spring eh? In winter we didn’t get any snow, and now in what’s supposed to be spring, it’s too often cold and snowy! Chuh! And yet they insist that climate change is not real.
But anyway, whether it is real or not, we believers in Jesus Christ don’t have to let it worry us. Oh yes, the weather will become irascible like many of us, (smile) but we can’t afford to allow that to dictate our lives, that ought to be done by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
So to help us handle all the unwanted stuff we have to handle, let’s pray this prayer taken from a Devotional titled ‘A Journey of LOVE. Walking with St. Therese of Liseux’ – The Saint of the Little Flower. I’ve shared it before, but in these troubled times, times of hate and anger and doubt and all the negative stuff that’s predominant in our world, we need something to counteract that negativity.
And the only thing able to do that is LOVE, and we have been assigned the vocation of LOVE. So let’s pray for help in our vocation. Please pray with me: ‘Jesus, I desire above all else to centre my life in you. Only you can give me the courage to face up to my responsibilities, to be compassionate and forgiving, to let go of what is not important and to embrace what is important.
I am called to accept and to cherish your LOVE for me and to allow your LOVE to go out from me to all your people, Help me to walk in your steps without compromise and to be open to your presence in all of the people I meet. I make my prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.’
Yes friends, the irony of it all is that we cannot do God’s work without God’s help! And the most effective way to receive that help is through prayer. The Lord has promised that when we diligently and sincerely seek Him, He will be found by us. That’s why prayer is so important in a believer’s life.
That’s also why Bruh Paul told the Ephesians to pray ALWAYS; (Eph.6:18) the Thessalonians to pray WITHOUT CEASING; (1 Thess.5:17) and his young protégé Timothy to pray EVERYWHERE. (1 Tim:2:8) So to all intents and purposes, prayer MUST BE an integral part of a believer’s life, because in doing so we will always be in the presence of God, which is ever so important for our earthly journey.
Moses, one of God’s greatest prophets was adamant about not continuing the journey through the wilderness if the Lord’s presence was not going to be with him. That is even after God promised in our Bit: ‘And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’
Ah mih people, without God’s wonderful presence in our lives, innumerable trials and tribulations will come our way, from which we’ll have little or no leeway to escape. However, when we are basking in the Father’s presence, we are assured of His help to get through the difficulties, though not necessarily complete escape.
That’s because He has promised to work everything out for the good of those who LOVE Him and are called according to His purpose. (Rom.8:28) And if there’s one thing we can rest comfortably on, is that our ever-faithful God NEVER reneges on His promises.
Now let’s look at some scripture that exalts the glory and wisdom of being in God’s presence. And we can’t talk about that without including words from Bruh David’s heartfelt declarations. This comes from Psalm 31 – In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust.
‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (secret place) from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord: for he hath showed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.
For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart.’ (Ps.31:19-24)
And we can’t argue with Bruh David because in spite of his mistakes, he was still considered a man after God’s own heart, so intense was His longing for Him.
Meanwhile, in Jeremiah, when the Lord is dealing with the false prophets, He promises: ‘Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence. And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’(Jer.23:39-40)
Yes friends, that’s the kind of thing that happens when we are cast out of God’s presence. Please pray that it never happens to us. And we’ll end with this great example from the prophet Jonah.
The Lord had said to Jonah: ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry (out) against it: for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.’ (Jon.1:2-3)
Now how foolish was that eh my brethren? As a prophet, a man of God, Jonah should have known better than that. And we all know the story of the terrible storm that arose, due to Jonah’s disobedience, and how he was thrown overboard and spent three days and nights in the belly of a great fish, before coming to his senses and repenting. And the Lord in His great mercy and LOVING-kindness forgave him and gave him a second chance.
Oh my fellow believers, fleeing from the Lord is not easy if He doesn’t want us to flee. But why should we want to flee from Him anyhow eh, when He is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Creator and Provider of all? That’s certainly not wisdom. So please, let’s be wise today and seek the Lord’s presence rather than try to flee from it. Much LOVE!
…the Christian’s desire ought to be…to continually seek God’s face…and to continually bask in His presence…
15 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a piece of cake, Barak, be anxious, best hands possible, better late than never, blessed, breath of life, chastening, compassion, Creator of the universe, daily tasks, Deborah, distill as the dew, doctrine, doubt, drop as the rain, exalted, faithfully, fear, first hand, give ear, gladness, God is the king, God's beloved children, godless, gospel truth, grace, hear, hearsay, heart's desire, heavenly Father, hrard-hearted, I am the beloved of god, I can do all things through Christ, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, in the shadow of thy wings, joy, joy in thy strength, judge of Israel, LOVE, loving kindness, meditate on thee, Moses' song, my help, obedient, praise and glory, Praise ye the Lord, protection of Jesus Christ, rejoice, request of his lips, self-confidence, share His love with the world, showers upon the grass, sing and praise, sing praise, steadfastly, stubborn, subservient, the Lord God of Israel, the sons of Korah, the words of my mouth, Tuesday Mantra, understanding, wisdom, wonderful god
Judges 5:3. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
So friends, it’s Tuesday! No big deal. You handled Monday with great aplomb, great self-confidence, so no reason why you can’t do it again today. In fact, Tuesday should be a piece of cake! (smile)
Yes my people, with Jesus, before, behind and by our side, we can handle ANY and EVERY thing that comes against us. As Bruh Paul so steadfastly and faithfully declared – no it’s stronger than a declaration – as he confidently proclaimed: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil.4:13)
And that my people is gospel truth! So let’s not forget it, but have it prime us as we go out to meet each new today. And since today is Tuesday, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra. I didn’t forget it this week though. (smile)
All together now: ‘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.’
Oh my fellow believers in Christ that is oh so true! We are definitely not defined by what the world says or thinks about us, but by our wonderful position as children of, and thus the beloved of Almighty God, Jesus’ friend and brother! Now what can be greater than that eh? Absolutely nothing!
When we are inextricably linked, tied up with the awesome Creator of the universe and all therein, we are in the best hands possible!
So let’s not fear, doubt, or be anxious as we go about our daily tasks, let’s walk with a spring in our step, a smile both in our hearts and on our faces, remembering that we are completely surrounded by the incomparable and indestructible protection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
And all God’s beloved children gratefully declared: ‘Thank You heavenly Father for LOVING and caring and looking after us as well as You do! We know we don’t deserve much of it, but that’s just the kind of wonderful God and Father You are.
Today, we give You the praise and glory that You so rightfully deserve, and will continue to do so while Your awesome breath of life remains in our frail and fragile bodies. This we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
Oh precious people, since we’ve been talking up the wonders of our God so much, I decided that we should just make it a day of praise; thus our Bit.
‘Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel (when leaders lead in Israel), when the people willingly offered themselves (volunteered). Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.’
That comes from the song of Deborah and Barak, after the Lord had helped them to defeat their Canaanite enemies, while Deborah was the judge of Israel. Yuh see friends, women have been leaders, and strong ones too from time everlasting!
Now here are a few verses of praise that I randomly chose, because there are so many. Listen to Moses’ song. ‘Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine (teaching) shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon a tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
Because I will publish (proclaim) the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut.32:1-4)
Yes friends, that’s our God that Moses is talking about. And who knew God’s greatness, saw and did His awesome work more than Moses eh? Possibly only Jesus. So Moses definitely knows whereof he speaks.
Now here are some excerpts from Psalm 21 – Praise for victory. Bruh David opens the psalm with this proclamation: ‘The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden (withheld) the request of his lips. Selah….
For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad (joyful with gladness) with thy countenance (presence)…. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.’ (Ps.21:1-2,6,13)
Again friends, Bruh David experienced God’s great power, LOVE and compassion, as well as His chastening, so he too knows what he is talking about first hand, not through mere hearsay.
And listen to these words of truth and glory from Psalm 47 – God is the King of all the earth. The sons of Korah unhesitatingly tell us: ‘O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth…
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King: sing praises. For God is the king of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.’ (Ps.47:1-2,6-7)
Ah mih people, how much better off we would be eh if we just sang and gave more praises and attributed more glory to our great God! But sadly, in this past generation we’ve become such a hard-hearted, stubborn and godless society that God no longer looks down on us with the joy and grace that He once did, when we were truly subservient and obedient to His will.
And we’ll close with these immortal words from Bruh David from Psalm 65 – God satisfies the thirsting soul. ‘Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus I will bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.’ (Ps.63:3-7)
Oh friends, there is absolutely no better way to live than giving praise and thanks and glory to Almighty God for all that He has done for us in His awesome power and might and His overflowing LOVING-kindness!
Please, please, let’s get back to that way of living nuh, for it is indeed the path of heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…be thou exalted, O God above the heavens…let thy glory be above all the earth… (Ps.57:5)
P.S. Sorry that the Bit is somewhat late, but I’m back to my old habits…late going to bed. (smile) But as they say, better late than never. Much LOVE!
21 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian's lot, a great day to be alive, a hard row to hoe, a sound mind, Abraham, against hope believed in hope, anxiety, at the end it shall speak, Baruch Spinoza, being not weak in faith, blessings, doubt, eternal life, for the help of his countenance, God has not given us a spirit of fear, God's promises are faithful and true, he will save us, he will swallow up death in victory, hope, hope thou in God, I shall yet praise him, in the Lord's time, it will not tarry, let Israel hope in the Lord, LOVE, loving kindness, mercies, power, Praise the Lord, reconciled to God, redemption, righteousness., salvation, song of praise, strong in faith, the breath of life, the Lord God will wipe away tears, the redeemed, the vision is yet for an appointed time, there is no fear unmingled with hope, there is no hope unmingled with fear, this is our god, to hope and yet to hope, truth, unbelief, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, with the Lord there is mercy
Psalm 42:5. Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).
And then it was Saturday Friends! Wow! Another great day to be alive, because we don’t know what wonderful blessings and mercies the Lord has planned for us today. But be sure of this one thing; He does have stuff planned for us, otherwise His fabulous breath of life would not be flowing through our physical bodies right now.
And all God’s people declared a loud and hearty ‘Praise the Lord for His LOVING-kindness to the undeserving children of men!’ We surely are thankful my people.
And since we’re continuing our series of messages on HOPE, I thought this quote from Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) a Jewish Dutch philosopher of some renown, would fit right into our plans. Baruch is reputed to have said that ‘There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope.’
Yes Friends, we all feel some sort of fear, anxiety and/or doubt, when we’re in a hoping frame of mind. And even when we’re truly fearful, there is always a smattering of hope lurking somewhere in the background, telling us that everything will be all right. So it’s just a normal human reaction to have a touch of fear in hope and hope in fear.
But my precious people, let’s never forget those memorable words of encouragement that Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7)
So though it’s only natural for a little fear to sometimes creep into our lives, that is not our basic human nature, it is of the enemy. We have been empowered, filled with LOVE and a sound mind by Almighty God to pursue His purposes!
That brings us to our Bit. ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’
Oh my fellow believers, in this dangerous and difficult world it is normal for us to sometimes feel less than strong and powerful, and thus have our spirits sink to a fraction of their natural buoyancy. But the important thing to remember when those times befall us is that we must turn to our great God for help. He is the only one who can provide the necessary comfort we seek.
As the psalmist says in Psalm 130 – My soul waiteth for the Lord: ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps.130:7-8) Words of indisputable truth my people!
Now listen to how Isaiah puts it in chapter 25 – The song of praise by the redeemed. ‘He will swallow up death (forever) in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.26:9)
Oh Friends, now why wouldn’t we hope for that eh? It’s such a wonderful promise! And we know that all of our God’s promises are faithful and true, though they make take a while longer to come than we would like. But as Habakkuk so wisely advises: ‘For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ (Hab.2:3)
Yes Friends, ALL of God’s promises will eventually come true, but in HIS OWN TIME. That means we have to hope and pray and wait. What better example can we find that our father Abraham eh?
Here’s what Bruh Paul wrote to the Roman church about him. ‘Who against (contrary to) hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations. According to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
He staggered (wavered) not 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.4:18-21)
My people are we as convinced that our God can perform His promises? I certainly hope so, otherwise we’re fighting a losing battle and we’re not true Christians. How many of us would have packed up all our belongings and moved far away from our families, not having a clue as to where we were going, just because some obscure and so-called God told us to do it? Not many.
And how many of us would have believed that a woman could bear children at almost a hundred years old? Not many! And how many of us would have believed that we would become the father of many nations when the Lord told us to sacrifice our one and only son, from whom all the mighty lineage was supposed to flow? Again, not many! But Abraham did. That’s why it was ascribed to him as righteousness.
Ah mih people, sometimes it’s a hard row we have to hoe, but with God’s help we can certainly do it. So please, regardless of the difficult circumstances we might now be undergoing, please don’t ever give up on our God. Abraham did not have to sacrifice his only son, but our heavenly Father did it so that we could be saved, be reconciled to Him, have salvation and eternal life.
And remember He did not have to do it, but He did it for our sakes. Now if that isn’t LOVE, I don’t know what is. So just hang in there my people and all will be well in the Lord’s time. Much LOVE!
…to hope…to hope…and yet to hope…that is a Christian’s lot…
06 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life for his friends, a righteous man, Christ died for the ungodly, come to God for succour, comfort, condemn the world, Creator, Daily Meditations, dilly-dally, do whatsoever I command you, doubt, emotional humans, faith, fellow believers, foolish pride, for God so loved the world, for His great love, fragile, friends, give thanks and praise, God who is rich in mercy, greater love hath no man, have everlasting life, Havelock Ellis, he gave his only begotten son, heavenly Father, human sexuality, LOVE, lukewarm, mercy, No faith is our own that we hare not arduously won, our Higher Power is constant, provider, regeneration of our spirit, renewal of faith, sacrifice, save the world, self-pity, shout joyfully, sinners, spirituality, struggle alone, substitutionary sacrifice, succour, surrender, the cross at Calvary, the Lord's Sabbath, the rock of ages, the same yesterday today and forever, trust, vicarious death, wherewith He loved us, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whoever believeth in him should not perish, without strength
Ephesians 2:4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us.
Aye mih Christian breddren, it’s that most wonderful day we call Sunday, when most of us celebrate the Lord’s Sabbath! It’s supposed to be a day of peace and rest and preparation for the upcoming week. But it also means that we ought to be heading out to the Lord’s sanctuary to meet and greet fellow believers and sing and dance and shout joyfully, and give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father, our Creator and generous Provider!
It’s called regeneration of our spirit! So let’s not dilly dally and come up with all sorts of feeble excuses not to go eh. Let’s get ourselves off to church!
And to buoy that directive, we have a rather pertinent quote from (Henry) Havelock Ellis, (1859-1939), an English physician, writer, progressive intellectual, social reformer and student of human sexuality. Hn! Havelock was really into life sir! (smile) Anyhow, he is reputed to have said that ‘No faith is our own that we have not arduously won.’
And that my people has a whole lot of truth in it, because as my One More Day Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness points out: ‘Everything that touches our lives influences our level of trust and spirituality.’
We are all fragile and emotional humans, so there will obviously be times when our faith rises and falls due to the circumstances that surround us. We all have rough times when doubts tend to creep in, especially when we lose things or people that we always expected to be around.
But, as my One More Day Daily Meditations further reminds us: ‘We can begin to regain that faith by remembering that our Higher Power is constant, even when our faith is not. We humans fluctuate between doubt and trust, but that doesn’t diminish the care that is always available to us. We need only surrender to that truth, and we find comfort.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth Friends! Our God is totally constant; the same yesterday, today and forever! Like the rock of ages, He’s always there ready to help and comfort us! But we have to come to Him to get that peace and comfort and renewal of faith. And that’s where so many of us fall down, because of foolish pride, self-pity or whatever, we refuse to come to God for succour.
But here again, the Daily Meditations reminds us that: ‘My faith – in myself and in my Higher Power – is built upon my awareness that I don’t have to struggle alone. I am strengthened when I admit to my spiritual needs.’
More indisputable truth Friends! There is absolutely no need for us to struggle alone when we have our heavenly Father always there to comfort and care for us.
Oh Friends, by refusing to go to God in faith and trust, we are only making our lives much more difficult than is really necessary. When we have a Bit like ours, we’re supposed to be running to God, not away from Him. ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us.’
Yuh hear that mih people, our God is rich in mercy and has such a great LOVE for us! We should be embracing that fact with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls; just wallowing in His mercy and LOVE, instead of ignoring it, or just being lukewarm towards it. Remember how Jesus promised to spew out the Laodicean church because they were only lukewarm? (Rev.3:14-16) Well it’s the same thing He’s liable to do with us, if we’re not enthused about Him and all that He stands for.
Now today I want to look at some scriptures that corroborate our Bit. And we’ll begin with these immortal words of Jesus that every believer ought to know. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Tell me people, after hearing those words from Jesus, and then seeing Him fulfill the act of saving us by sacrificing Himself on the cross of Calvary, how could we not believe the Father’s great LOVE eh? I just can’t understand it.
Now listen to Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due (at the right) time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrates) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom.5:6-8)
Oh Friends, how can we even think about doubting God’s great LOVE for us after all of that eh? Chuh!
And the scholars’ words on that last verse might bring home the situation to us more forcefully. ‘5:8. Christ died for us: His death was vicarious. That is, He did not die merely for our benefit but in our place. His was a substitutionary sacrifice.’
Yeh mih people, we should have been the ones dying, but Christ died in our place. Doesn’t that make you feel grateful and appreciative? It should, because the Good Book says that the wages of sin is death. (Rom.6:23a) That means, we, the abominable sinners, are the ones who should be dying, not Jesus. But in God’s great LOVE for us, He placed all our sins on Jesus and had Him pay our sin debt in full. Oh glory to God!
So my brethren, if we doubt anything at all, which we shouldn’t, please DON’T EVER DOUBT Jehovah God’s amazing LOVE for us, His most wonderful, but also most ungrateful creation!
And we’ll end with these powerful and true words of Jesus. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13). Then He went out and laid down His holy and sinless life for His friends.
What more can I say eh? Not a whole lot. I can only ask, are you Jesus’ Friend? Much LOVE!
…and Jesus’ definition of friends…ye are my friends…if ye do whatsoever I command you… (John 15:14)
17 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable sins, be filled with the Spirit, beloeved son, bounden duty, breathtaking knowledge, Calvary, calypso on the radio, Catholicism, Christ's Church, Christians, communing with Jesus, Cousin Sol, demonstrate undying love, dissipation, doubt, driving the snakes out of Ireland, drunk with wine, encourages, epitome of wisdom, eternal declarations, Ethan the Ezrahite, evil times. Beelzebub, faithfulness, fellow believers, followers of Jesus, foolish and fleshly lusts, forgiveness, giving thanks always, glorious green colours, God's sure promises to David, grace, grateful, gratitude, heavenly Father, hell-bent for destruction, hope, hymns, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord, inferiority complex, Ireland's patron saint, it's a good thing to give thanks, It's Good, it's good to be loved by you, Jesus Christ, joy, kaiso, lazy, Lent, lethargic attitudes, life-giving love, LOVE, majestic life symphony, make them known to our children, making melody in your heart to god, mercies, miserable, misery, mortal lives, nothing compares to god's love for us, One Year Book of Bible promises, playing both ends against the middle, praise, protective umbrella of Christ, psalms, pseudo followers, reconciliation, reverence, rings chimes in my tremulous heart, sacrificed on the cross, Saint Patrick, scripture, sentiments, shouting the Lord's goodness from the rooftops, sing about them, sing and make merry to God, sinners, sitting on the fence, sour, St.Patrick's Day, thankfulness, Thanks be to God, thanksgiving, the assembly of saints, the fear of God, the heavens shall praise thy wonders, the Lord's loving-kindness, the Love Revolution, the new generation, things that flow from God, this wicked world, triumph in the work of thy hands, true believers, trust, unconditional, understanding, unsettled questions, we're alive and kicking, wisdom, wishy-washy, with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness
Psalm 89:1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
Well Friends, Thanks be to God, we’re alive and kicking this Tuesday morning; especially on this 2015 St.Patrick’s Day! A Happy St. Paddy’s Day to all and sundry!
And remember to come out bedecked in your glorious green colours today, drink your green beer and other beverages, celebrating the life and death of Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick, the man credited with driving all the snakes out of Ireland. (smile)
And I always remember St. Patrick’s Day fondly, for growing up in T&T that was the only day that you heard a calypso on the radio during Lent. Such was the staunch Catholicism and the inferiority complex that our local music wasn’t good enough to be played during Lent.
That however has now come full circle, with kaiso been played everyday of the year, even some of those that should not be played at all. But that’s the new generation, and you either like it or leave it.
Now here is a little ditty from the One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that suitably acknowledges and gives thanks to our wonderful heavenly Father. It’s simply titled ‘It’s Good.’
Please say with me: ‘Oh God, it’s good to be LOVED by You! The breathtaking knowledge of Your life-giving LOVE rings chimes in my tremulous heart. It fashions eternal declarations Out of unsettled questions. It creates a majestic life symphony From a solitary note. God, it’s good to be LOVED BY You!’
And is it ever my fellow believers! There is NOTHING in this world that even comes close in comparison to the LOVE that our heavenly Father has for us! It’s unconditional, it’s pure and true…it’s everything we can ask!
But unfortunately too many of us don’t seem to recognize and/or appreciate it. Neither do we return that LOVE, opting instead to rush and grab for the foolish and fleshly lusts of this wicked world. That’s why there’s so much doubt and misery in our souls in these trying times.
Oh Friends, if we’d only consider the great LOVE that God has for us, and it’s not only talk, for He showed it by sending His only BELOVED Son, Jesus Christ to be sacrificed on the cross of Calvary for our abominable sins, so that we could find hope and reconciliation through Him.
And that while we were yet sinners, hell-bent for destruction. So if that doesn’t demonstrate His great and undying LOVE for us, then I don’t know what does!
And our Bit for today is the promise to which our poem is devoted. ‘I will sing of the mercies (the LOVE) of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’
Wow! What wonderful sentiments my brethren! They are the opening words of Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David – the contemplation by Ethan the Ezrahite; one of the wise men and great songwriters of Bruh David’s time.
He was even used as a comparison for Cousin Sol’s wisdom. ‘For he was wiser than all men; Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol:’ (1 Kin.4:31)
And yuh know what Friends? If we are indeed grateful for the unconditional LOVE, the mercies, forgiveness, grace and all the other good and wonderful things that flow from our great God, then we ought to sing about them constantly and make them known to our children and grandchildren!
But we obviously don’t do that as much as we ought. Is it because we don’t truly appreciate the Lord’s LOVING-kindness, or do we just take it for granted? Either way, we’re wrong. My fellow believers, we ought to be shouting out the Lord’s goodness from the rooftops, each and every day of our mortal lives!
Now let’s look at some scripture that encourages us to do just that. Ethan himself, later on in Psalm 89, wisely declares: ‘And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord?
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had (held) in reverence of all them that are about him.’ (Ps.89:5-7)
Yes Friends, there’s none as mighty and as faithful in this universe as our Lord and Creator! Therefore we ought to acknowledge Him with much praise and thanksgiving!
Now listen to the words of the psalmist from Psalm 92 – Praises for the Lord’s goodness. ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: To show forth (declare) thy LOVING-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night.
Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute or lyre); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious or melodic) sound. For thou, Lord hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps.92:1-4)
Oh what a joy to be living under the protective umbrella of our most faithful God! And my people we need to make that known much more than we currently do. Most of the time we just sing and make merry to God when we go to church, but we ought to be doing it all the time, every day.
As Bruh Paul so wisely put it to the Ephesians, when talking about the ways of the believer. Hear him: ‘Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation), but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:18-21)
Yuh see Friends, if we consider ourselves a part of God’s flock, then we ought to be always singing and making merry in His name, not going about sour and miserable like so many of us supposed Christians do.
We have been granted a great and wonderful life through Jesus Christ, so let’s be thankful and show that thankfulness and gratitude nuh, so that the unbelievers can see the joy and faithfulness that communing with Jesus truly brings!
If we’re not joyful and thankful for the great mercies and blessings being daily bestowed on us by God, then we’re not true believers or sheep in His flock, just pseudo followers, sitting on the fence, trying to play both ends against the middle.
Ah Friends, at no time in the life of Christ’s church has the necessity for our sincere display of joy and trust in the Lord’s goodness been more important.
Sadly, in these evil times, Beelzebub’s power is on the rise and we desperately need to counteract it with the singing of songs of praise and thankfulness to Almighty God, if we ever hope to regain the running of our world and the success of Christ’s LOVE Revolution.
So please, my brethren, let’s wake up and smell whatever we need to, and do whatever we need to, so that we can rise above the lazy, wishy-washy and lethargic attitudes we currently display. That my people, is the epitome of wisdom! Much LOVE!
…if we’re truly glad to be followers of Jesus…then we need to show it outwardly…so that others will come to Him…and find the joy that we have…that’s our bounden duty…
12 Nov 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Prophet, a way with words, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, as for me and mine, but on whom this stone falls, calm, chief cornerstone, Christ died for us, come unto me, cornerstone, discouragement, don't give up, done deal, doubt, encourage, eternal life, eternal separation, faith, faithful promises, fallen world, follow in the footsteps of Jesus, full steam ahead, Gentiles, God demonstrates His love to us, God's Guide Book, God's love changes us, gospel truth, grind him to powder, halfway home, hang in there, heavenly wisdom, hypocrite Pharisees, I am meek (gentle) in heart, I will give you rest, is become the chief cornerstone, it is marvellous in our eyes, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the chief cornerstone, judgement, keep keeping on, learn from me, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, mercy, motivate, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, Old Testament, parable of the wicked husbandmen, Pentecost, persevere to the end, pilgrim's journey, powerful, purposeful, rejection, renew our fragile spirits, repentance, salvation, Sanhedrinists, solace, something to hold on to, take in front before in front takes you, take my yoke upon you, the BIBLE, the foundation of the church, the great invitation, the nations bringing forth the fruits, the race is not for the swift, the real cornerstone of God, the road is rough and rugged, the stone which the builders refused, the surest of feet, the true cornerstone, this is the Lord's doing, ultimate triumph, victory is assured, warning of judgement, we will follow Jesus, while we were yet sinners, who shall fall on this stone shall be broken, ye shall find rest unto your souls
Psalm 118:22. The stone which the builders refused (rejected) is become the headstone of the corner (chief cornerstone).
A hale and hearty Wednesday morning Friends! We’re halfway home, and victory is assured if we just hang in there, just keep on keeping on, following in the wonderful footsteps of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
It’s a done deal mih people…but only if we don’t give up, if we persevere to the end! So if we stumble, as we most likely will…don’t give up, because that’s expected since the road ahead is rough and rugged.
And even if we happen to fall, please, please, let’s just get ourselves back up, dust ourselves off and keep on going, full steam ahead, for the race is not for the swiftest, but for the surest of feet, those who persevere to the end.
And please remember that our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, has promised to meet us at the level of our faith. Let’s allow His Great Invitation to fill our hearts and minds this morning. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
That my Friends, is an invitation we’ll never regret accepting!
Now here’s an interesting poem from the One Year Book of Bible Promises. It’s simply called ‘Reversal’ and it says: ‘Lord For so long I thought Your LOVE Demanded that I change. At last I am beginning to understand That Your LOVE changes me.’
We cannot dispute that my brethren! It’s God who changes us!
And the Bible promise given to support that declaration is Romans 5:8: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’
That’s gospel truth Friends; pure, unadulterated gospel truth! So please, let’s allow that to resonate in our souls, hearts, bodies and minds today!
Ah my people, there’s nothing like scripture to encourage and motivate us along our pilgrim journey. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why God’s Guide Book, the Bible was drawn up; so that in times of doubt and discouragement, we‘d have something strong, powerful and purposeful to give us solace, for us to hold on to, something to calm and renew our fragile spirits.
Now here’s another piece of scripture to cogitate on (smile) and hold on to. That’s our Bit: ‘The stone which the builders refused (rejected) is become the headstone of the corner (chief cornerstone).’
And that again is indisputable, gospel truth my people! For Jesus Christ, whom the leaders of the Jews refused, despised and worked diligently to have Him eventually crucified, has indeed become the chief cornerstone of this world; bringing salvation and eternal life to the wise of this fallen world, those who would believe in His Deity and stand on His ever-faithful promises.
Wow! What a wonderful God we serve my brethren!
And in talking to the leaders of Jewish people, Jesus reveals the parable of the wicked husbandmen (tenant farmers) who refuse to pay their rental to the owner of their vineyards, and instead kill his representatives, who came to collect, even his son. (Matt.21:33-39)
Jesus then asks them, ‘When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked husbandmen, and will let out (lease) his vineyard unto other husbandmen (tenant farmers), which shall render him (pay back) the fruits in their seasons.’ (Matt.21:40-41)
Jesus tricks the hypocrite Pharisees into admitting that the owner of the vineyards ought to destroy the wicked husbandmen and replace them with others who would faithfully keep their agreements.
Then ‘Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner (chief cornerstone): This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to the nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived (knew, realized) that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for (held him to be) a prophet.’ (Matt.21:42-46)
What a way Jesus had with words, my people!
Now here are some explanations from the scholars. ’21:40-43. Verse 40 represents the condemning question of the judicial parable, What will he do unto those husbandmen? Their reply again unwittingly condemns their own attitude of rejection toward Jesus.
The other husbandmen are the Gentiles (v.43). Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22-23 exactly from the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament, relating to His present rejection to His ultimate triumph (cf. Acts 4:11; 1 Pet.2:6-7, where the stone which the builders rejected is also quoted in relation to Christ).
The Sanhedrinists represent the builders of Israel’s religion, who rejected the real cornerstone of God, Jesus, the true Cornerstone of the foundation of the church.’
And the scholars further explain: ‘21:44-46. The warning The kingdom of God shall be taken from you (v.43) was fulfilled at Pentecost when the kingdom was mediatorily transferred to the church. Yet, within this warning of judgement, Jesus offers mercy to those falling on this stone, meaning falling upon Him in repentance and faith. But His falling upon man in judgement will grind him to powder.’
Oh my Friends, how much more do we need to hear and experience eh, for us to truly believe in and put all our trust in Jesus Christ? I don’t know nuh! But as for me and mine, we have heard and experienced enough to obediently follow His lead.
Hopefully the same can be said of you and yours, because following Jesus, the cornerstone of the church, is heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…please take in front before in front takes you…fall on Christ, the cornerstone…and receive salvation and eternal life…before the cornerstone falls on you…and brings judgement and eternal separation…
20 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accomplishments, angels, anger, anoint Jesus' body, astonishment, be crucified, belief, Christ is risen, Christ's Resurrection, Christians, consternation, death, delivered into the hands of sinful men, did not understand, disbelief, disciples, doubt, drunk or sober mind your business, Easter Sunday, eternal life, fateful morning, fear, future resurrection of the believer, Galilee, glory hallelujah, Granny's advice, Hades, he believed, Jesus Christ, key to victory, let the world know, linen clothes, live in victory with christ, Lord and Saviour, Lord jesus, Mary Magdalene, most significant day in man's history, praise and thanks, Rabboni, rejoice, resurrection, scepticism, sepulchre, set us free, Simon Peter, Son of man, spiritual power, the third day rise again, they remembered Jesus' words, union with Christ, why seek the living among the dead
Luke 24:5b. Why seek ye the living among the dead?
Oh Friends, it’s Easter Sunday morning! What a day it’s going to be, for Christ is risen! Yes indeed, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is risen from the grave, from the depths of Hades! He’s broken the bonds of death and the grave and set us free to live eternally with Him in victory!
And all God’s people declared a loud and proud: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! What a wonderful Saviour! Give Him abundant praise and thanks this Easter Sunday morning!’
Ah mih people, Easter Sunday two thousand years ago was one of the most, if not the most significant day in man’s history. Just imagine the women going to the tomb early in the morning with spices to anoint Jesus’ body, wondering how they would move away the stone from the tomb’s door.
Then, lo and behold, when they got there, ‘…they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.’ (Luke 24:2-3)
Can you imagine their astonishment? First no stone in front of the tomb door, then no body of Jesus! Mama Mia! I’m sure they must have been real flustered, their simple minds thinking all sorts of crazy thoughts.
Then to make matters even worse, ‘…it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout (about this), behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:’ (Luke 24:4)
Wow! That must have really had them jumping out of their skins! ‘And as they were afraid, and bowed their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
It certainly was an eventful day for those poor women; not finding Jesus’ body, but instead two angels, who questioned them in the words of our Bit, then further went on to inform them. ‘He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
And they remembered his words. And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things to the apostles.’ (Luke 24:6-10)
Oh Friends, can you imagine the fear, consternation, doubt and scepticism that fateful morning! And what would have been your reaction to the women’s story eh? Fear, scepticism, anger, disbelief, belief?
Luke tells us thus: ‘And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.’ (Luke 24:11)
I guess that would have been the reaction of most of us under the then prevailing circumstances. However, John tells us that despite their doubt and disbelief, he and Peter ran towards the sepulchre.
‘So they ran both together: and the other disciple (whom Jesus LOVED) did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie. And the napkin (face cloth) that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped (folded) together in a place by itself.
Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and he believed. For as yet they knew not (understood) the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.’ (John 20:4-10)
As they say Friends- seeing is believing, but touching is the naked truth.’ Peter and John saw and believed.
Per the scholars: ‘His clothes lay in an orderly fashion. Had His body been stolen, the grave clothes would not have been left. They believed that Jesus was alive, not yet knowing the details of His resurrection.’
And John continues: ‘But Mary (Magdalene) stood without (outside) the sepulchre weeping: (her second visit) and as he wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back (around), and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence (carried him away), tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say Master (Teacher).
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not (do not cling to me): for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.’ (John 20:11-18)
Oh mih people, can you imagine Mary’s feelings when she realized that she was talking to Jesus, in living colour? And did the disciples truly believe after Mary told them that she had seen Jesus? Who knows my people?
There are many unanswered questions, but the most important fact has been ascertained: Jesus rose from the dead, and thus we have been set free from the bonds of sin and death! Glory Hallelujah!
And we’ll end by outlining some facts, per the scholars, on Christ’s Resurrection. ‘The resurrection of Christ included five accomplishments: (1) the physical renewing of His life; (2) the reunion of His body and His spirit; (3) the subjugation of death under Him; (4) the attainment of His new position; and (5) His receiving of a transfigured body.
Application: Because of the Resurrection, the Christian receives both eternal life (John 11:25) and spiritual power (Eph.1:19-20). Christ’s resurrection also provides for the future resurrection of the believer (1 Cor.15:20) and is the key to victory in the Christian life because of our union with Christ (Eph.2:6) (First Ref. Ps.16:10; Primary Ref. 1 Cor.15; cf. Acts 1:9).’
Oh Friends, we could not ask for a greater gift in this sinful life and world, so please let’s take it all seriously and try our best to live and LOVE the way Jesus desires of us. Let’s not make His sacrifices a waste of time and effort. It’s the best way to show our seriousness and faithfulness and LOVE!
Please have a joyful and glorious Easter Sunday… and don’t overdo the celebrations. Remember Granny’s advice – drunk or sober mind your business (smile) Much much LOVE my fellow believers on this glorious Easter Sunday!
…He is risen…Christ is risen…let the world know and rejoice…that Christ is risen…
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