16 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Jesus Christ, a perfect world, a state of crisis, be thou envious, boundaries, burdens, Christians, disasters, drink, eat, evil, evildoers, exalt thee, fellowship, fight for power, final resting place, Fret not thyself over evildoers, Friday chant, fun, glorious kingdom, God's greatest creation, greed, heartwarming, heavenly Father, homelessness, hurt's one's heart, immense role, in Jesus' name, in time of trouble, inherit the land, iniquity, Jesus Christ, job losses, joblessness, joyfully declare, looking over yuh shoulder, measly pennies, our Lord and Saviour, outsourcing, party, peace, personal aggrandisement, poverty, refreshing reaction, relaxation, rest, righteous, salvation of the righteous, shake we bodyline, sickness, slave labour, slave master, strength, strife, technology, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thanks and praise, the blameless man, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the rich getting richer, the upright, the weekend, the wicked destroyed, the workers of iniquity, the workingman, transgressors, trust in God, unfeeling way of life, wait on the Lord, warmongering, wars
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Ah mih people, it’s Friday and the ole fella doesn’t know what to write… Imagine that nuh! (smile) But I have no doubt that the Lord will lead me where He wants me to go eventually.
Our world is in such a state of crisis that it doesn’t even make sense to talk about the wars and strife that are rife all over, neither the disasters, natural and man made that also abound.
Steups! It does hurt one’s heart when one sees all the unnecessary nonsense that’s going on; the greed, the fight for power and personal aggrandizement, and the evil methods being used to accomplish those evil ends, especially when we can’t take any of it with us to our final resting place.
Oh, I know we cannot, or will never live in a perfect world, but it certainly doesn’t have to be as warmongering and evil as it currently is.
Such a beautiful world that God made for us to enjoy is going to waste as we rush headlong instead to foolishly destroy it …and in the aftermath, God’s greatest creation – mankind. Though sometimes I seriously wonder about that designation.
So sometimes it’s heartwarming to hear the ordinary workingman not pay too much attention to the numerous ills of our world and simply and joyfully declare: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday…and the weekend is here at last. No more slave labour for a few measly pennies, and no evil slave master continually looking over yuh shoulder.
Is we time now! Time to do exactly as we please… to party hearty, eat, drink and shake we bodyline to endless music! Thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
Yes friends, that goes to the extreme, and we as Christians need to have boundaries, but it’s such a simple, refreshing reaction to our unfeeling way of life, where there is so much poverty, sickness, homelessness and joblessness.
In fact, almost every week in this supposed enlightened, sophisticated and brilliant age, fewer and fewer people are able to sing the workingman’s song, because of constant job losses to technology or outsourcing to cheaper production locations.
But everyday, we read about the rich getting richer. Oh, I know it’s in the Bible. But does it have to be so extreme, where one percent of the world controls ninety something percent of its wealth? Definitely not!
Blessedly though, we Christians have the wonderful God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to turn to at all times, be they times of crisis or times of joy and prosperity!
And on Fridays we declare our Friday Chant, loud and proud: ‘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.’
It’s short and simple too my brethren, but it does recognize the immense role that our heavenly Father plays in our lives, gives Him the thanks and praise that He so rightfully deserves.
And isn’t it interesting and amusing that from not knowing what to write about at the beginning, I’ve written so much! Hn, hn! But that’s the way our great God moves; in rather mysterious ways sometimes.
And finally we come to our Bit, which reassures and gives us confidence to keep keeping on in the way of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, regardless of how the world goes. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.’
Words to live by my brethren, although they are not always easy to put into effect. But listen to how Bruh David ends the psalm. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off (destroyed), thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay (native green) tree.
Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps.37:34-40)
That says it all friends! If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then those words of faithful promise ought to lighten your worldly cares and have you singing for, and with joy, each and everyday of your life! Much LOVE!
…when we sincerely trust in Jesus…the burdens on our souls are truly lightened…
13 Mar 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a decent lifestyle, aura of love, bright and early, calm, carnal, chutzpah, confidence, conquerors, Creator of the universe, distresses, do business, dreaded day, eat, enthusiasm, Ethan the Ezrahite, friends, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, God's mighty wings, God's wonderful works, He maketh the storm a calm, hit the road, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, improved result, inroads, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, licentious, lies, like a drunken man, lord god almighty, LOVE, lustful, mercy, mistake, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, perky, Praise the Lord, protection, rage, raucous, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, safety, sailor, salvation, spiritual armour, stagger, steadfast faith, storm, storms of life, taunts, the children of men, the helm, the infidel, the only God there is, the stormy wind, the waves are still, the workingman, trials, tribulations, trust, truth, ungodly world, verve, weekend, wiles, wisdom, wit's end, work
Psalm 107:29. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
And then it was Monday; that dreaded day of the workingman! But as we keep saying friends, if you want to eat, then you have to work. And if you want to work without too many problems, then you have to live a decent lifestyle.
You can’t expect to be carnal and licentious and lustful all weekend, then get up bright and early and perky on Monday morning and head out. But many of us still do it, somehow expecting to make the same mistake and see an improved result. Sorry friends, it just doesn’t happen that way.
But we have some help for you; it’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. It wakes you up, rejuvenates you, and gets you ready to hit the road, refreshed and energetic. So let’s sing it now nuh, with plenty enthusiasm and verve and chutzpah and all those other good things which enhance a song.
In strong voice and perfect harmony: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that was good friends; a li’l bit raucous and rough, but certainly not lacking in enthusiasm! And most importantly, it brought a chuckle to Jesus, our choirmaster’s spirit. He appreciated the energy we put into it. So now we’re ready to go out and do battle with the infidel in Jesus’ name, because it’s only in His name are we ever going to be victorious!
And today my brethren, we have a very interesting, truthful and awesome Bit, but before we get to it, let’s hear it in context. It comes from Psalm 107 – God’s wonderful works to the children of men.
The psalmist writes: They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in the great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then they are glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired heaven.’ (Ps.107:23-30)
Oh friends, what an omnipotent but merciful and magnanimous God we serve and worship! He has power to cause storms both on the seas and also in our lives, but He also has the awesome power to still, to calm those same raging storms!
The important thing to note is that when the storms rage around us, and we stagger and reel like drunks, we need to call out to Him for help and mercy. And you’ll notice that’s exactly what we’ve done in our opening this morning.
We’re faced by a storm of not wanting to get up to go to work, but we know we have to, so we cried out to Him in our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and He mercifully gave us the grace and strength to go out and do His will. How awesome is that eh my people?
There’s NO OTHER GOD LIKE OURS! In fact our GOD, IS THE ONLY GOD THERE IS! Matter fix! (smile)
So please, let’s not allow the storms, the trials and tribulations of life to get us down, or rather keep us down, for we have the most powerful Being in the universe as our God to turn to, and He has faithfully promised never to leave nor forsake us, once we stay under the protection and safety of His mighty wings.
And if you don’t believe me, listen to Ethan the Ezrahite, as he talks about God’s sure promises to David from Psalm 89. ‘O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.’ (Ps.89:8-9)
Yes my brethren, the universe is the Lord’s and all therein! Let us never forget that and like true and wise believers, act accordingly during the storms of life that we all must face. Much LOVE!
…when storms rage…let Jesus take the helm…for He is the best sailor there is…
27 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ., abundance, an everlasting covenant, bask, bless and keep you, blessed, broken in Jesus name, but, call upon him, Christians, cluttered chamber, come ye to the waters, compassionate heart, consuming conviction, courage, creativity, curse, depth of need, divine protection, do our best, eat, enthusiasm, eternal glow, faith, fatness, favour, for he satisfieth the longing soul, freely, Gentiles, Glorious enough, goodness, grow, hath no money, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, health, hidden pretense, hunger, hunger and thirst after righteousness, I love you, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, labour, lavishly, let your soul delight, longing for christ, longing heart, mature, milk, negative word, not enough, One Year Book of Bible promises, our Lord and Saviour, positive outlook, possessors of the earth, priceless question, promise, promotion, rejoice, reneges, righteousness, rightful heirs, Ruth Harms Calkin, Scrip-Bit Friends, seek ye the Lord, self-control, shallow substitute, shining through the gloom, siritual food, spend money, spiritual poverty, strength, the light of Christ, the sure mercies of David, they shall be filled, thirst, Thursday Blessings, vacant hollow, wine, wisdom, without price
Matthew 5:6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Well a blessed Thursday to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and family! May the Lord indeed bless you and keep you safe today as you go about doing His work.
And let me ensure you that though it’s wet and dark and dreary in my little corner of the universe, I can still see the bright and brilliant light of the Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ shining through the gloom.
Likewise, whatever the physical characteristics of the day may be in your area, please be assured that the light of Christ is also shining through to you. You just have to accept it and bask in its eternal glow.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that spoke to me and asked to be shared. (smile) It’s called ‘My Glorious Enough.’
Please read with me. ‘Oh, how I LOVE You, my Lord – But not enough. How I hunger and thirst for You – But not enough. How I rejoice in your inimitable goodness – But not enough.
Pour Yourself lavishly, dear God Into every vacant hollow Into every cluttered chamber Of my longing heart. Free me from every shallow substitute From every hidden pretense Until I shall know With deep, consuming conviction That You are my Glorious Enough.’
Isn’t that a beautiful prayer? It surely is! It just has us clamouring for God ‘s righteousness, because we know that in Him we have more than enough of everything.
And the promise for that poem, as well as our Bit for today is the wonderful Beatitude from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’
Now that’s definitely an awesome promise, and we know that Christ never reneges on any of His promises, but are we truly hungering and thirsting after the Lord and His righteousness?
Now that’s the priceless question? I do hope so, because it’s essential if we are to grow and mature as true Christians.
And the scholars explain. ‘5:6. These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is proof of their spiritual rebirth.
Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled (Gr. chortazo) refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps.107:9).’
Yes friends, if we hunger and thirst after the things of the Lord, He will fill us with them. Even before Jesus came along, we had this promise from the Father. Hear Isaiah declare it.
‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat: yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance).
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.’ (Is.55:1-3)
What an invitation my people! Let’s hope we are wise enough to accept it. For as the scholars tell us: ’55:1-7. God’s free gift of salvation is offered to all who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come and eat and drink without money (or freely).
He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to all men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call ye upon him.’
Oh friends, what a wonderful God we serve, it never ceases to amaze me! Where else can we go and get spiritual food and drink for free eh? Absolutely nowhere else!
Who else is prepared to make a covenant with us Gentiles eh? None but the amazing God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob!
And He did it through the heartbreaking sacrifices of His Son Jesus Christ! Now what more do we need to believe that He is truly sincere in His deep and abiding care, compassion and LOVE for us eh?
Anyway, my people, it’s imperative that we stay as close as possible to Christ as we can, if we want to enjoy all the benefits and blessings that He has to offer.
And speaking of blessings, today is Thursday, so let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings over ourselves, for remember that a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone.
Now with much enthusiasm and strong faith let’s do it: ‘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!’
Yea mih breddren! And now that we’ve been gloriously blessed, let’s go out and win back the world for Christ! Much LOVE!
…the deep longing for Christ in our hearts…should make us always want to do our best on His behalf…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness, it was just one of those late hockey filled nights. (smile) Much LOVE!
22 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, a sound mind, abundance, all to the glory of God, be sober, boldfaced, charity, Christian faith, clear direction for my life, comforting light, comforts, Corinth, courage, creativity, curse, deity, disobedience, divide and conquer, divine protection, do all in the name of Jesus, dominion, drink, eat, faith, family, favour, fear and worry, foolish, friends, fulfillment, Gentiles, giving thanks to god, glory to God, God's grace, God's supernatural wisdom, grudging, grumbling, guidance, health, hospitality, in all things, in the name of Jesus, in word or deed, indisputable truth, individual's choice, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Jews, lackadaisical behaviour, LOVE, lusts of the flesh, manifold grace of God, mature, minister, Most High God, multitude of sins, negative word, obedience, offense, oracles of god, our Lord and Saviour, please all men, power, praise Your Holy Name, profit, promotion, prosper, raise our spirits, reassurance, received the gift, self-control, self-discipline, self-loathing, sinful times, stewards, strong will, success, supernatural strength, talent, Thank You Lord, the church of God, the Good Book, the Holy Trinity, the SON, the Son is always shining brightly, the spirit of fear, Thursday Blessings, two cents worth, uplifts, watch unto prayer, whatsoever ye do, wisdom
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.
Well friends, another apparently beautiful day has dawned in my neighbourhood, and for it we give much thanks! However, if the weather in your area isn’t so wonderful, then please don’t be overly concerned because the Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is ALWAYS shining His brilliant and comforting light on and in us… Glory to God!
That means less fear and worry in our lives as we experience each new day, remembering the reassurance of the Good Book. ‘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) And that’s indisputable truth my believing brethren!
Now, let’s further raise our spirits and our faith by declaring our Thursday Blessings in a strong voice, filled with enthusiasm and conviction, for remember that a blessing is not a blessing until it is spoken over someone.
All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Ah mih people, what a wonderful Deity we serve and worship! No other faith uplifts and comforts its believers like the Christian faith!
And all God’s children gratefully declared a loud and sincere, ‘Thank You Lord! We truly LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Now to turn those words into reality, we need to follow the wise and most worthy advice of Bruh Paul to the Colossians, found in our Bit. ‘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.’
Yes friends, the only way we can truly show our faithfulness to the Most High God Jehovah is by letting our words and actions reflect the character of Jesus with sincere thankfulness. And Bruh Paul wrote basically the same thing to the church at Corinth.
‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.’ (1 Cor.10:31-33).
Ah mih people, the basic reason behind ALL that we say and do, ought to be to glorify God in some form and fashion! Remember, that’s why He created us. And Peter adds his two cents worth (smile) as he talks about being good stewards of God’s grace.
‘But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling). As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen’ (1 Pet.4:7-11)
Oh how I wish that more of us supposed Christians would follow that sound advice. But as you see, it means giving up our pleasure and profit for others, and that’s still a rather difficult thing for many Christians to do, especially in these very ungodly and sinful times.
And unfortunately the only way for us, and consequently Christ’s church to grow and mature, is by us steadfastly following the advice given above by both apostles. If we keep on allowing the enemy to divide and conquer us, to fill us with fear, self-loathing, or simply uninterested, lackadaisical behaviour, then we’ll always be at their mercy, and Christ’s church will continue to be weighed down with dissension and disunity, as it currently is.
Obviously that’s not pleasing to the Holy Trinity, our Godhead. And if we’re not pleasing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, then we’re not doing what we were created to do – as simple as that. Then we cannot expect to be blessed with all the good things and times that have been placed in store for us.
That, however, doesn’t stop some of the more boldfaced and foolish of us from still expecting heavenly blessings, although they are living in the lusts of the flesh and not in the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit. (smile)
Anyway friends, the long and short of the story is that as true believers we need to make sure that our words and actions glorify God, by falling into line with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. That’s what is known as heavenly wisdom, wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…obedience brings blessings…disobedience brings curses…it’s the individual’s choice…
11 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a marvellous God, abundance, alive and kicking, an easy row to hoe, appreciation, awesome God, blessings, buy, buy wine, call upon him, come ye to the waters, comfort, communicate through prayer, confidence, covenant, deceit, desire to do God's will, disappointments, eat, eternal life, excited, faith, faithfulness, fatness, followers of Jesus, free offer of mercy, Glory be, glory hallelujah, goodness, he that hath no money, hear, heartfelt call, heavenly downpour, help, honour, I am halfway home, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, Isaiah, leading and guiding, let your sould delight itself, lies, LOVE, mercies, milk, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, opportunity, prayer, problems, read God's word, salvation, seek ye the Lord, spend money, spiritually hungry, steadfast, thank God, the breath of life, the enemy, the Gentiles, the good shepherd, the obits, to live and work for Christ, trust, undying LOVE, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, without money, without price, worship, your soul shall live
Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.
Yo mih Scrip-Bit breddren! What’s up with us this glorious Wednesday morning on God’s great earth eh? I do hope that we are all excited about the day that’s going to be filled with an awesome downpour of heavenly blessings and mercies from our awesome God!
Isn’t he something else my people? He surely is! Wonderful is His name! Providing such good stuff for us each and every day, walking with us along our way, leading and guiding us safely with comfort and undying LOVE, like the Good Shepherd that He is…
Oh it just makes me want to cry out with joy, and shout ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ every time I think about His unfailing goodness and mercy towards me! And I know you all feel the same way too, otherwise you wouldn’t be the true and ardent followers of Jesus Christ that you are!
Glory be, mih people! We have such a marvellous God, please, let’s do our very best to worship and honour Him with all our hearts, souls, mind and bodies nuh, for that is what He so rightly deserves. And to help us do that, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with great gusto, enthusiasm and sincerity of heart.
As one wailer 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 friends, oh friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but I for one am exceedingly glad to be alive and kicking today! I haven’t seen my name in the obits, so it just means that I’ve been granted another glorious opportunity to live and work for Christ!
And I know you’ll agree that there’s nothing better than that in this earthly life my brethren! He’s been so good to us that the least we can do to show our sincere appreciation is to live our lives on His behalf, spread the good news of His gospel, His great LOVE and faithfulness to all and sundry, His heartfelt call to each and everyone to come to Him and receive salvation and eternal life!
Oh what could be better than that eh folks? Nothing really! But just remember that living for Jesus is not an easy row to hoe; it’s fraught with disappointments and problems, but if we stick with Him, keep our hands steadfast on the plough, always looking forward, He WILL enable us to do what is necessary.
Our faith though, our desire to do His will must be real strong in order to overcome the lies and deceit the enemy will throw at us every living day. And that can only happen when we consistently read his Word, communicate with Him through prayer and be obedient to His will. That’s what strengthens our faith and trust.
And for those of us who are struggling with our faith, possibly filled with some doubt and anxiety, here’s some interesting advice from our friend Anselm, who is always aspiring to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And Anselm tells us that ‘ Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.’
And that’s gospel truth friends! We can never move forward unless we let go of something behind us, of whatever is holding us back. Remember Jesus and all the prophets kept reminding us not to fear, for we are in the BEST of hands.
And though we all know that that is easier said than done, it is possible if we confidently call on our great God for His awesome, never denied help. That’s why our Bit so wisely advises us to: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.’ And that is such an awesome piece of wisdom my people!
Now listen to how Isaiah begins that chapter of a free offer of mercy to all. ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.’ (Is.55:1-3)
Oh friends, where can we ever get a better offer than that eh? NOWHERE!
And we’ll end with this explanation from the scholars. ’55:1-7. God’s free gift of salvation is offered to all who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come to eat and drink without money (or freely). He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to all men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call ye upon him.’
Oh my people, my people, the Lord kept His promise and established a covenant wit us Gentiles through His wonderful Son Jesus Christ! Now it’s our turn to do our part in keeping that covenant.
Please, let’s allow wisdom to abound in our souls nuh, whereby we diligently and sincerely seek our wonderful God and call upon Him in confidence and trust, for that’s what He desires of us. Much LOVE!
…in all circumstances…whom shall we call first…Almighty God…
08 Jan 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abhorred, actions, benefits, body fuel, breathe, Bruh Paul, christ jesus, clean air, connected to God, consciousness, Corinthians, Creator, dead with him, delivered from wicked men, deny him, despised, DETERMINATION, diligently try, do, drink, eat, endure, enjoy life, excellent results, exorbitant promises, faith, faithful, faithful saying, faithfulness, faithless, falling standards, forgiven, garbage in- garbage out, godly thoughts, Good Book, good soldier of Christ, hardiness, health, Health Food Mantra, Holy One, indisputable truth, Israel, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, lion, live with him, LOVE, make a way to escape, mercy of Jesus Christ, Messiah, Patricia Bragg, personal lives, pilgrim's route, poor souls, pray, provider, Redeemer of Israel, sacrifice, saving grace, saviour, say, selling ourselves short, servant, serve and worship, sinner, technologically advanced, temptation, tempted, the Lord's faithfulness, think, true, truly believe, wealth, winter, words
Isaiah 49:7. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his (its) Holy One, to him whom man despiseth (the despised of soul), to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose (has chosen) thee.
And the cold spell continues in the North Country, my people. One improvement though, it’s supposed to be a little warmer… Sorry, warmer is the wrong word, for there will be no warmth, it will be simply less cold. (smile)
But the great thing about it all is that unless the weather is truly awful, nothing much shuts down, and everyone and everything is expected to go on as normal. It speaks volumes for the determination and hardiness of the people. Anyway, you still have to dress warm and be very careful if you’re venturing out today.
And you people now enjoying brilliant sunshine and warm temps, do enjoy it, but remember to pray for us poor souls up here in the cold, that we’ll successfully make it through this winter that’s wanting to prove what a ferocious lion it is. (smile)
Now here’s an interesting note I found among my papers today. I believe it comes from a lady called Patricia Bragg. It says that ‘Your health is your wealth.’ Now that’s certainly true, because without good health, we can’t enjoy life!
Then there is what’s called the Health Food Mantra. Some of you might have heard it before, but it proclaims that ‘You are what you eat, drink, breathe, think, say and do.’
I believe that what you eat and drink is considered the body’s fuel. So whatever food we put in will determine how it runs; like a purring engine or a clanking, stuttering one.
The same goes for what we breathe. If we breathe in clean, highly oxygenated air, then the body will function at an optimum level. However, these days that kind of air is very difficult to find, especially in the big, industrialized towns and cities.
Then what we think is likened to a computer, and the saying, garbage in, garbage out. So if we don’t think healthy, godly thoughts, then all that will be processed and then come out of our minds is the same garbage we’ve put in, and that will show up through the words we speak and the actions we take.
And with the standards in all those areas sadly falling, as we supposedly get more intelligent and technologically advanced, we have to pay even more attention than before to what we eat, drink, think, say and do.
And the best way to do that my Friends, is by being totally connected to our God, our Creator and our Provider! Wow! What a saving grace for us! For unlike the man-controlled companies, that make us a lot of exorbitant promises, then don’t live up to them, our God, unfailingly lives up to everyone He makes, which proves that He’s ever-faithful, ever-true!
And the biggest promise He’s ever made is forever recorded in our Bit. ‘Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his (its) Holy One, to him whom man despiseth (the despised of soul), to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose (has chosen) thee.’
Yes Friends, the Lord promised a Saviour, a Redeemer, a Messiah, and faithfully delivered on it through His Son Jesus Christ! So why are we still so sceptical and reluctant to fully embrace Him and live a life that honours Him eh?
It makes no sense my brethren. We’re just selling ourselves short on the wonderful benefits that accrue to those who truly believe and diligently try to serve and worship Him. And it’s not like we can’t read in the Good Book and see in many personal lives around us the excellent results that come from accepting His promises and His faithfulness.
Listen to these scriptures that detail the Lord’s faithfulness. They all come from Bruh Paul’s writings. The first one is to the Corinthians.
‘There hath no temptation taken (befallen, overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is FAITHFUL, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor.10:13)
Now that doesn’t mean we’ll escape temptation, but more that He will find a way for us to endure it and come out safely on the other side.
Meanwhile, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, Bruh Paul writes: ‘And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. But the Lord is FAITHFUL, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil (the evil one).’ (2 Thess.3:2-3)
Yes Friends, we all know about the unfaithfulness of men, that’s why it’s so important to hold on to the faithfulness of Jehovah God.
Then in his first letter to Timothy, Bruh Paul declares: ‘And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with FAITH and LOVE which is in Christ Jesus. This is a FAITHFUL saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.’ (1 Tim.1:14-15)
Bruh Paul considers himself the biggest sinner, and well he might have been in his early days, when he diligently persecuted the church. But through the abundant grace and mercy of Jesus Christ he was forgiven.
Oh Friends, today the same thing is available and possible to anyone who trusts Jesus as their Lord and Saviour! So why don’t you take advantage of it eh, RIGHT NOW?
And we’ll end with some moving verses from Bruh Paul’s second letter to Timothy, re being a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
‘It is a FAITHFUL saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not (are faithless), yet he abideth FAITHFUL: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim.2:11-13)
Oh my people, those are words of fact, of indisputable truth! So please, let’s write them fast and deep in our consciousness nuh, and then faithfully abide by them as we journey along our pilgrim’s route on this troubled earth. That is the mark of true wisdom! Much LOVE!
…God has proven His faithfulness a million times over…but none as far reaching as sacrificing His only Son Jesus Christ…so that we could be reconciled to Him…what outstanding, all encompassing LOVE and FAITHFULNESS…
31 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 2013, 2014, Abraham, actions dispute claim, actions speak louder than words, all the law, anger, angry spirit, avast security system, Beelzebub, calamitous, christianity, cops, courageous, deceitful, disatrous, do as God commanded, do the right thing, don't turn aside, don't worry, drink, drunk drivers, drunk or sober mind your business, eat, evil, evil cohorts, faithfully believe in, fellow believers, focus on Almighty God, forgiveness, Gentiles, Granny's advice, great god, have success, headeaches, heavenly Father, hope, in the church, interceded with god, Internet Explorer, intimate walk with Jesus, jesus name, Joshua, kingdom of god, LOVE, Love god ourselves and neighbours, loving kindness, lying, mantle of leadership, mercy, Moses, needs, negative emotions, New Testament, New Year's Eve, New Year's resolution, Old Testament, our benefit, prosper, rampant, rant, reverence, righteous people, righteousness., ringing in the New Year, run around, save the world, second chances, seek, seek God, serve and worship, sincerity, Sodom, strong, tenderness, to the left, to the right, topsy-turvy, ungodliness, wear, wisdom, wise, wrong foot
Deuteronomy 5:32. Ye shall (carefully) observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
Oh Friends, sorry this is somewhat late. I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year’s Eve, but right now my spirit is somewhat angered. I’ve been using a free avast security system on my desktop computer for a while now, just simple net surfing stuff, and I never really had a problem with them. However, they’ve been bugging me to buy their advanced system, so since I’d been using their protection for free and it wasn’t bad, I decided to do the right thing and purchase their system.
Lo and behold this morning when I came down to write the Bit, I decided to finally download the new avast system. Hn! What a mistake! It seems to have downloaded the system properly, but then said it need to close so everything could take effect. So I agreed to do it then. But upon rebooting I could not get back into Internet Explorer, which I use. I tried several times, but with no luck.
Then I tried logging in with Firefox, and was successful. However I don’t like the other servers. That’s just me. (smile) Then when I tried to contact avast, I got the usual run around, with oodles of screens to fill out questions, to which I’ve had no reply, except acknowledgement of my query.
Then when I got on to my laptop, which I’m on now, I got on to Internet Explorer without a problem, so I decided to check the site showing on my desk top, only to find that the avast system was blocking Internet Explorer from opening up. So the long and short of the story is that I’m on the verge of cancelling the avast system.
Ah Lord eh! Yuh see why I don’t like computers and all the nonsense they entail! And they never seem to cause problems until you need them most. Steups! And that’s my rant for the day. (smile)
Now dear Lord, please free up the ole fella’s mind, take away the anger and all the negative emotions, so that I can write a Bit worthy of You. In Jesus’ name, I pray.
So what’s new and exciting in your lives this New Year’s Eve morning, my fellow believers? (smile) I surely hope it’s better than mine, for who needs the unnecessary headaches eh? Life is already filled with enough necessary ones. Many of you will no doubt be ringing in the new year at some party or other, but please remember Granny’s advice: ‘Sonny Boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.‘
And we all know that this is a time when Beelzebub is at his deceitful and lying best. So let’s not begin the new year off on the wrong foot, getting trapped by him and his evil cohorts.
As for me, I’m going to be doing my usual stay at home thing, spending it with my family. Going out in all the cold weather isn’t appealing anymore, and then you have to be careful with the cops and the drunk drivers on the road. Plus it’s supposed to snow in my area today. Who needs the headache eh, when I can enjoy it just as much at home?
Anyway, let’s finally get to our Bit. ‘Ye shall (carefully) observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.’
Ah mih people, we couldn’t have a better Bit to ring in 2014! Why, you ask? Because it brings, and hopefully keeps our focus on Almighty God, whom we claim to so faithfully believe in. Unfortunately though, too many of our actions dispute that claim. And remember that actions do speak louder than words.
Just look at our world, at the church, the body of Christ nuh. We certainly can’t say that we’re living up to our Bit, to God’s Word, to our promise to faithfully serve and worship Him? Evil and ungodliness are so rampant all over, even in the church, that it would be difficult, like when Abraham interceded with God to save Sodom, (Gen.18:22-32) to find enough righteous people to save our world.
However Friends, we’re indeed fortunate to have a God who gives second chances, and while we’re alive it means that there’s still hope for us. But for that to happen my people, we have to have a serious return to the dictates of Christianity; faithfully LOVING our wonderful God, ourselves and our neighbours.
We desperately need to do as the Lord instructed Joshua when he took over the leadership mantle from Moses. ‘Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success) whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:7)
Oh my fellow believers, it doesn’t get any simpler or plainer than that! And if like some, you believe that’s Old Testament stuff, then listen to Jesus saying the same thing.
‘Therefore take no thought (don‘t worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.‘ (Matt.6:31-32)
There we have it Friends, the New Testament version, of doing what the Lord commands, then all your needs will be met! And isn’t our God a great God? I couldn’t have chosen a better ending for this last Bit of this topsy-turvy, often disastrous and calamitous year of 2013.
Please my people, please let’s make 2014 a much better year in seeking God and His righteousness that we did 2013 nuh. Remember it’s all for our benefit, especially our children. There’s nothing the Lord wants from us except our sincereLOVE and reverence, but we need oh so much from Him; His mercy, His tenderness, His forgiveness, His LOVING-kindness, etc.etc.
So let’s be wise this new year and return to Him with a new found sincerity. That’s truly wisdom at its highest. Much LOVE!
…there’s only one New Year’s resolution that’s necessary…to develop a closer and more intimate walk with Jesus…for then…as promised… everything else will be taken care of…
08 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable things, accomplishment, advice, anxious, appreciate, appreciation, awesome words of truth, beginning of time, belief, believers, bestowed on man, body, born to bear, buying gifts, cast thy burden, child of God, children, children of God, christ jesus, clothes, created in God's likeness, daily guidance, depended, depths of our being, desire, dire straits, discerning, distinction, don't worry about your life, drink, due time, eat, elevated status, essentials of Christianity, eternity, evil tentacles, exalt, fact, faith, fellowship, focused, food, gift of Love, God's will, great benefit, great promise, guard your hearts, hearsay, heartfelt, heavenly Father, heirs of God, hope, humble yourselves, ignore, important message, incarnate birth, Jesus Christ, life, little children, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, Lucifer, Maker, material things, material wants, meat, minds, moderation, Most High God Jehovah, moved, pay for sins, peace of god, personal experience, point of view, prayer, prince of peace, privilege, problem, prosper, Psalm 55, raiment, refuse to believe, rejoicing, request, responsibility, season for celebrating, seek God's kingdom, selflessly, shaken, shopping, son of god, special creation, spiritual agenda, spiritual needs, spiritual things, straight and narrow, supplication, supply, surrender, sustain, sustenance, talk to our hearts, talking to God, thanking God, thanskgiving, the Father's will, the greatest gift, the mighty hand of God, the righteous, the ways of the world, the world expects, things of God, token, totally dependent, trust, wear, wisdom, words of advice
Matthew 6:25. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body more than raiment (clothes)?
Well hello again, you beautiful children of God! What an enormous and exciting privilege to be called a child of God, eh mih people! But do most of us think of our selves in those terms, and if we do, do we truly appreciate that monumental fact?
I’m afraid that the answer to both questions is most likely NO! We neither seriously consider ourselves children of God, nor do we truly appreciate it, otherwise we wouldn’t continue doing some of the abominable things we do. But once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then we do become heirs of God, along with Jesus, and what better state can there be to live in eh, my fellow believers? NONE WHATSOEVER!
For being a child of the Most High God Jehovah means we’re right at the top of the totem pole, right at the heart of the matter, more privileged than those who refuse to believe. But by the same token my brethren, that elevated status also comes with great responsibility; namely to do the Father’s will and show plenty appreciation for such an undeserved distinction.
And this is the season for celebrating the greatest gift that was ever bestowed on mankind; the incarnate birth of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Prince of Peace, etc. etc, born to bear and pay for our sins, from the very beginning of time, right through eternity.
Again, do we really show our heartfelt appreciation? And I’m not talking about running around shopping, buying gifts, food and all the other stuff the world expects of us. But whether we thank our heavenly Father, from the very depths of our being, for that great gift of LOVE He so selflessly bestowed on us, simply because He LOVED us and didn’t want to see us end up in the evil tentacles of Lucifer for all eternity, especially since we are His own special creation, created in His likeness.
And that means talking to, and thanking Him personally, as well as in fellowship with other believers. And then doing what Jesus advises in our Bit, which I believe is on its last day, won’t guarantee it though. (smile)
‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body more than raiment (clothes)?
Oh my brethren, when we truly come to God, we need to be like little children, who are totally dependent on their parents, looking to Him for daily guidance and sustenance.
As Jesus says, seeking His kingdom FIRST, getting a spiritual agenda going, before considering the material things, because that’s the Father’s will. And why wouldn’t we, when Jesus so avidly declares that if we seek and follow the spiritual needs, then the Father will supply our material wants? That sounds absolutely great to me!
But unfortunately too many of God’s supposed children don’t seem to think so and instead foolishly follow the ways of the world, putting the material things way before the spiritual, sometimes even going so far as to completely ignore the things of God. And then we wonder why personally, and as a society, we’re in such dire straits.
Today Friends, we’re going to check out some scripture where other discerning and properly focused children of God share the great promise that Jesus makes in our Bit.
And we’ll begin with some wonderful words of advice from Bruh David, from Psalm 55, where he cries out against deceitful friends. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps.55:22)
And those are awesome words of truth my people, as so many of us who have followed them, have found out to our great benefit. The problem though is that not enough of us do it.
Then turning to Bruh Paul, who has a point of view on almost every subject. (smile) Here, he’s telling the Philippians about rejoicing in the Lord. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand (is near spiritually, and will be back to judge).
Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:4-7)
Yeh Friends, everything we do, ought to be passed FIRST before our great God! In that way, we’ll always be operating in His will, which is His greatest desire, and can be our greatest accomplishment.
And we’ll close with some more wise words, this time from Peter, words that we all know but don’t sufficiently follow. In the closing chapter of his first epistle, Peter exhorts us to: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet.5:6-7)
Oh Friends, no simpler words exist to convey that rather important message, so if we don’t get it, then it’s definitely our fault. And please note that all the advice we’ve heard from those men of God wasn’t hearsay, but derived from actual personal experience. All of them depended on our heavenly Father for their sustenance, so if they could do it and prosper, then why can’t we eh?
I’ll leave us to answer that question individually before our Maker, and trust that we’ll all let Him talk to our hearts, and thus lead us on the straight and narrow path which takes us directly to His door.
Oh mih Friends, that’s wisdom at its highest! So let’s try and do it nuh. Much LOVE!
…belief…surrender…trust…hope…faith…the 5 essentials of Christianity…
07 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: absentee father, absolute truth, acquire, anxiety, apartheid, apartheid South Africa, better future, challenges, characteristic priority, clothes, constant seeking, continual, Cousin Sol, Creator, daily needs, disciples, divine advice, divine help, don't worry, drink, eat, evil, father of freedom, fear, flowers, food, friends, gospel truth, guides, heavenly Father, history books of life, hope, hypothethical problems, idols, impatience, incarceration, Jesus Christ, kingdom, lack of faith, Leaders, life, little faith, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, magnanimous god, masthead, material things, meat, mortal fathers, mourn, need, Nelson Mandela, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, phoenix, pledged allegiance, ponder, poverty, pratfalls, problems, provides, racial injustice, racist, raiment, righteousness., safe, secure, seek, Sermon on the Mount, serve, set on high, snare, Son of Africa, South Africa, spiritual, statesman, straightforward talking, stress, struggle, Sunday best, the kingdom of God, things, things of the world, tomorrow, trap, trouble, troubles, true followers, trust, unsupportive, wear, wisdom, worship
Matthew 6:25. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink: nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body more than raiment (clothes)?
Oh Friends, at last Nelson Mandela, ‘the Son of Africa, father of freedom’ as the newspaper termed him, has gone home to be with his Maker. His early days on earth were filled with poverty and struggle in a racist, apartheid South Africa, then his middle years with lonely incarceration on a barren island, from which though he arose like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes to lead his nation to democracy.
And although his last days on earth were filled with sickness and family dissension, he will always be remembered as a giant of a man in personality and decency, whom the whole world gathered around to fight poverty and racial injustice.
Oh my people, if our troubled world only had a few more decent, upstanding leaders like him, then it would be a much better place to dwell. And though his country, South Africa is still riddled with problems, his name will always stand at its masthead as being the one who finally set it on the right path.
Nelson Mandela, you will always be remembered as a statesman extraordinaire. We mourn your passing, but it was time for you to rest from the problems of this world, to finally go home.
We LOVE you, and will always think fondly of you, as we write your name indelibly in the history books of life. And that’s as it should be Friends, because he gave people hope for a better future. Wish the same could be said of the leaders who remain.
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink: nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food) and the body more than raiment (clothes)?’
Gospel truth my brethren! As Jesus proved to us yesterday, showing how nature is taken care of by our wonderful Creator, with the flowers of the fields even better dressed than Cousin Sol in his Sunday best. And since we’re much more important than they are, why wouldn’t He look after us in an even better manner eh?
Jesus then ended by pointing out that our problem stemmed from a lack of, or only a small amount of faith in our heavenly Father. (Matt.6;26-30) And we know if Jesus said that, then it must be true.
Today we’ll continue with Jesus’ discourse on the subject, where He sincerely advises us: ‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.’ (Matt.6:31-32)
And Friends, if the God that we serve and worship is truly our Creator, then we shouldn’t need Jesus to tell us that. We claim that He’s omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, can do anything at all, and above all else, WE ARE His children. So what are we saying then when we don’t depend on Him, that He’s an absentee, unsupportive father, like so many of us mortal fathers?
It would seem so, by the way we try in our own strength, and that of our fellow man, to get the material things of life, idolizing them so much that we often suffer from debilitating stress and abnormal anxiety in our rush, our impatience, to acquire them. And though we know the pratfalls of running down material things, yet we still do it. That’s certainly not wisdom my people.
Now let’s hear the wise way as declared by Jesus. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Wow Friends! That’s more plain, simple and straightforward talking by our Lord and Saviour! Again, to be considered His true followers, we need to live by His dictates, which unfortunately too many of us aren’t doing, and thus we are experiencing all kinds of problems in our lives.
And now that we know why we’re experiencing so many problems, (smile) let’s smarten up and take His divine advice nuh. ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt.6:34)
More words of absolute truth from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! When are going to listen to Him eh, to take Him seriously? When it’s too late? Oh my fellow believers, please let’s stop running down the material things of the world, especially if we can’t truly afford them and have to almost literally kill ourselves to get them!
Now let’s end with some thoughts form the scholars on those last two verses, perhaps something they say will get through to us. (smile) ‘6:33-34. This portion of the Sermon on the Mount is summarized by the statement seek ye first the kingdom of God. The disciples who have pledged their allegiance to the King must continue seeking the kingdom and its righteousness.
The present imperative form of the verb (Gr. zeteo) indicates a continual or constant seeking. The contrast between the spiritual and the material is again emphasized. The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom and then all these things (material things) shall be added to him. When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides.
We need not worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof (v.34). This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.‘
So my people, having heard all the reasons for not worrying and truly depending on our magnanimous God to take care of our daily needs, let’s get serious and cut back on the worrying and running down the things of the world, for we can only use so much stuff at any one time, and even more exasperating is that we can’t take any of it with us.
Please, let’s ponder those words today, and ask God for His divine help. You know He will never say us nay. Much LOVE!
…the fear of man bringeth a snare (trap)…but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe …secure…set on high… (Prov.29:25)
05 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, anxious, behaviour, bread, bread of life, bright and bouncy, clothes, come to faith, Creator, daily appearence, daily bread, daily needs, daily provision, dangerous tendency, deceitful, deprive oneself, distracted, distrust God, don't worry, drink, eat, excessive manner, exuberant, faith, faithfully doing God's will, few possessions, food, frail and fallible man, friends, gracious, heavenly Father, indispensable, inner mental stability, insecurity, Israelites, joy of the lord, lack, little faith, look a gift horse in the mouth, look God-ward, loving, low in spirit, Lucifer, manna, material possessions, material things, not worthy of god, Old Testament, Praise the Lord, promises, purpose, raiment, serve one master, spiritual blessings, strength, the Lord's prayer, true bread from heaven, undeniable truth, wear, worry
Matthew 6:25. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)?
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s feeling a bit down this morning, and I can’t figure out why. There’s no good reason for it, cause I had a good sleep, so I’m feeling fresh, and I even did some other stuff that I’ve been putting off. But now that I’ve come to write the Bit, the spirit isn’t as bright and bouncy as it should be.
But don’t worry, for as I write, it’s getting there, I’m a-chuckling now, and by the time I find something to write about, the joy of the Lord, my strength, would surely have kicked that deceitful Lucifer out of my mind.
So let’s see what our wonderful God wants us to hear about His Word, this supposed fall morning, one which the forecasters claim will reach a high around 15 celsius in my area.
Mama Mia! That’s spring, not fall! But we’ll take it, remembering not to look a gift horse in the mouth. (smile) Anyway, soon come, going to find a Bit.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella’s back, some fifteen minutes later, exuberant, filled with joy and purpose! Praise the Lord! For it would seem that He wants us to continue looking at His gracious and LOVING promises. And today, in particular, the one where He’s promised to meet our daily needs.
That’s where Jesus, after talking about only being able to serve one master at a time (Matt.6:24) He declares in our Bit. ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)?’
And that’s the undeniable truth my brethren!
Now listen to the scholars’ take on that. ‘6:25. Jesus now deals with the equally dangerous tendency of those who have few possessions: worry. Take no thought (Gr. me merimnao) means “Do not be anxious.” This word means to be so disturbed about material needs that we distrust God and are distracted from faithfully doing His will. Anxious care is the direct opposite of faith.
Therefore, even the poor are not to worry needlessly about what they should eat, drink, or wear. The question Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment? indicates that inner mental stability must come from the spirit of a man and not from outward physical provisions. To set one’s heart on material possessions, or to worry about the lack of them is to live in perpetual insecurity and deprive oneself of the spiritual blessings of God.’
Amen, mih breddren! They just told us in no uncertain terms. Now no one’s saying not be concerned or pay attention to our daily wants and needs, but the excessive manner in which some of us believers go about it is not worthy of our God and His promises.
And it will do us well to remember how our great God provided meat and manna for the Israelites for the 40 years they wandered in the wilderness. (Ex.16:12-21) So why shouldn’t He be able to do the same for us eh?
And the scholars’ have an interesting note on manna that I’ll share. ’16:15. The manna literally means “What is it?” Not only was it remarkable for its size, shape, colour taste, and variety of uses (16:14, 23, 31; Num.11:7-8), but especially for its daily appearance at dawn, its tremendous abundance, its strange capacity for breeding worms at the end of each day, except the sixth, and its sudden and permanent disappearance as soon as the Israelites entered Canaan (Josh. 5:12).
It taught the people to look Godward for their daily bread, and it pointed toward the One who claimed to be the true bread from heaven, “even the bread of life” (John 6:32, 35).’
Oh my fellow believers, how I wish that there was some sure way to get us to look God-ward for our daily needs rather than towards frail and fallible man, as we so foolishly insist on doing!
We saw how the Lord provided the Israelites with more than enough food, but remember too that neither their clothes nor shoes ever wore out during their 40 year wandering in the wilderness. So meeting our daily needs is definitely not impossible for our omnipotent God!
As He asked Abraham so long ago, after promising to give him a son in his old age and Abraham and Sarah were somewhat sceptical. ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord?’ (Ex.18:14)
No my people. NOTHING is too hard for our Creator and heavenly Father!
And the sad part is that we think it and talk it all the time, but obviously we don’t believe it deep down in our hearts, otherwise we still wouldn’t be worrying about what we’ll eat, drink and wear, every day of our lives. And to make matters even worse, most of us spout it every day, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer as Jesus taught us. ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ (Matt.6:11)
And as the scholars rightly note: ‘6:11. The section of petitions begins with the request to give us this day our daily bread. Bread (Gr. artos) may be applied to the provision of food in general. The term daily (Gr. epiousios) denotes “indispensable.”
The concept of daily provision of bread fits perfectly with the Old Testament example of the daily provision of manna to the Israelites while they were wandering in the wilderness (Ex.16:14-15).’
Ah mih people, if the Deity we supposedly serve and worship could feed roughly 2 million people and tons of animals in the wilderness for numerous years, and not make their clothes wear out either, why can’t we believe that He’ll do the same for us eh?
And we also claim that He doesn’t change; the same today, yesterday and forever. So what’s the problem eh? It must lie with us. And as Sherlock Holmes would say to his sidekick: ‘Elementary my Dear Watson!’
My Friends, our reluctant behaviour just shows that our faith in Almighty God is simply not strong enough. That means we have to do something about it, improve it somehow or other, if we ever hope to truly come to faith in our Creator.
Let’s get to work on that right away nuh, preferably today, RIGHT NOW! Much LOVE!
…O ye of little faith…
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