19 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham, advice, aura of love, blessings, body of Christ, British Commonwealth, Bruh David, cease from anger, christ jesus, Christian, Christian behaviour, comfort, confidence, Creator of the universe, do no evil, done the will of god, empathizing, encouragement, endurance, enthusiasm, evildoers shall be destroyed, faith, faithful God, favour, fiery darts, footsteps of Jesus, forsake wrath, fret not thyself, further God's glorious kingdom, glorify God, harmonious voice, hold on to our faith, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, keeping lives and families together, lies, mature Christians, maturity, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Oh Lord God Almighty, patience, patiently endured, perseverance, praise Your Holy Name, prayer, Queen Victoria, receive the promise, recompense, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, Rest in the Lord, reward, serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sterner stuff, sure conquerors, surrender our all, the God of patience and comfort, the Good Book, they shall inherit the earth, to the glory of God, unfortunate brethren, ungodly world, unity in Christ, walk of faith, wicked schemes, worthwhile inroads
Luke 21:19. In your patience, possess ye your souls.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday… And some of us unashamedly laugh and cackle because we don’t have to go to work today. Thanks to good ole Queen Vic (Victoria), it’s a holiday in Canada and some other parts of the British Commonwealth of Nations!
But my cackling Friends, that’s not very Christian behaviour. You ought to be empathizing with your unfortunate brethren, who have to go out and labour today in an unfriendly world. Anyway, please repent of your petty behaviour and then sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with those unfortunates in loud, harmonious voice.
As one prayerful and grateful body of Christ now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih people, that was a good rendition, no doubt bolstered by the enthusiastic voices of those who don’t have to go to work! But whatever, Jesus was pleased. Now let’s see if we can please Him when we go out to labour and the fiery darts of the enemy begin to flash at us.
Let’s see if we can stand up strong, display that tenacity, that backbone and belly for which Christians have been famous for from the early days, and fulfill the words of Jesus in our Bit: ‘In your patience possess ye your souls.’
Yes my brethren, in our faith, patience, perseverance and endurance are everything! If we don’t major in those qualities, then we’ll never become mature Christians. For it’s in our standing steadfast and strong during times of adversity that we improve, mature in our walk of faith. And today, all I want to do is to share some seminal scriptures on the subject of patience, perseverance and endurance.
Hear Bruh Paul talking to the Romans about unity in Christ. ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime (beforehand) were written for our learning, that we through patience (perseverance) and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Now the God of patience and consolation (comfort) grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus. That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Rom.15:4-6)
Yeh Friends, to be like Jesus and the Father, we need to have patience, because they have that in abundance, and likewise all those who laboured for them, as written in the scriptures for our encouragement.
Now listen to the author of Hebrews, as he enjoins us with a plea to hold on to our faith. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance), that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb.10:35-36)
And we have a wonderful example of that in our father Abraham. ‘For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.’ (Heb.6:13-15)
Yes Friends, our God is a faithful God, but by necessity He needs to try and test us to see if we’re made of sterner stuff, able to follow in the footsteps of His Son.
And we’ll close with a word on the subject from Bruh David. ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:7-9)
Oh my fellow believers, we couldn’t ask for better advice than that, for Bruh David not only spoke it, but he also lived it. And we see in the God Book, how the Lord favoured him abundantly as he stood strong under his many trials. Now let us go out today and see if we can do the same nuh – all to the glory of our wonderful God! Much LOVE!
…but if we hope for that we see not…then do we with patience (perseverance)…(eagerly) wait for it… (Rom.8:25)
09 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day of simply doing good, a wide variety of things and actions, ablutions, admonish, admonishment, anointed Jesus, before the cocks crowed, business driven world, Christians, church service, communication with Jesus, communing with God, day of calamity is at hand, definitive command of God, doing good, easier to do good than evil, enthusiasm, evil, fellowship, foundational scripture, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, gather's His thoughts, generous help, God anointed Jesus with the Holy spirit, God was with Jesus, good heart, good soul, head start on a Friday, healing all that were oppressed by the devil, heavenly Father, hits the streets, holy spirit, How Jesus lived His earthly life, in a nutshell, in due time, Jesus Christ, Jesus went about doing good, Jesus' love, junk yard dogs, lazy, LOVE, love of Christ, Lucifer, Lucifer's evil nature, lusts of the world, man's sinful and wicked nature, party down the place, pastor, petty frame of mind, quiet place to pray, recompense, rejuvenation process, relaxation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest, righteous friend, righteousness., seeking vengeance, something for everyone, soulful chanting, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, Thank the Lord for the weekend, the Good Book, the LOVE of Jesus, their foot shall slide, vengeance is mine, vile and evil people, weekend, wicked, wisdom, wisdom of all wisdom, wrongly directed enthusiasm
Acts 10:38. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil; for God was with him.
Ah mih people, the ole fella’s a tad tired this Friday morning…
And totally ignoring my incapacity, the crowd raucously declared: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes, and we done work for a couple of days! Thank the Lord for the weekend, so that we can party down the place!’
Thanks very much Friends… Now I know who my true Friends are not! (smile)
But such is the importance of Fridays in our crazy, business driven, modern world, that many people would disregard important stuff just to get a leg up, a head-start on a Friday. But my fellow believers, we know that’s not the right way to handle the weekend, because that attitude will get us in even more trouble come Monday morning, when it’s time to resume work.
So to help us in mitigating some of that wrongly directed enthusiasm, let’s chant our Friday Chant. With some soulful chanting now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my brethren, that’s more like how we should handle the blessed two days off work that we’ve been so graciously granted – more like a rejuvenation process than one that makes us even more tired and miserable.
And that segues quite nicely into our Bit: ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil; for God was with him.’
And do I ever LOVE that particular bit of scripture! That’s because it tells us in a nutshell, how Jesus lived His earthly life, and how we are to be, if we want to live ours as He did His.
In my mind’s eye, I imagine Jesus getting up early in the morning, before the cocks even began crowing, making His ablutions, then going out to some quiet place to pray. Then after sincerely communing with His heavenly Father, He comes back home, has breakfast, gather’s His thoughts, contemplating what the day might hold, then hits the streets for a day of simply doing good!
I also like that phrase ‘doing good,’ because it encompasses such a wide variety of things and actions, something for everyone. And something must be wrong with me yes people, but I find it so much easier to do good than to do evil.
In fact, all faithful believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, in other words, ALL CHRISTIANS, ought to find it much easier to good rather than evil. It’s just supposed to be who we are!
Unfortunately though, such is the sinful and wicked nature of man, especially when grafted with the world’s driving lusts, that many supposed Christians are numbered amongst some of the most vile and evil people on planet earth!
The worst part of that situation though Friends, is that it turns others off of Jesus when they see His supposed followers behaving like junk yard dogs, with Lucifer’s evil nature flowing up out of their hearts and minds.
Ah mih people, my heart gets rather heavy when I think of all the wrong doing and evil deeds that are committed by us Christians, many of them for no good reason. Ofttimes we’re either too lazy to do otherwise, or we’re in a petty frame of mind, possibly seeking vengeance, instead of leaving it up to the Lord, as He has so often instructed us to do.
And just to give us a gentle reminder of that scripture, (smile), here is where it originates. ‘To me belongeth vengeance and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.’ (Deut.32:35)
Yes Friends, that’s the definitive command of our mighty God! And for paraphrases on it, you can check out Ps. 94:1; Rom.12:19; and Heb. 10:30.
And I’m chuckling here, because I never intended to admonish us today, but rather to share some foundational scripture on the matter. I guess though, that the Holy Spirit saw the need for admonishment and guided me there.
Anyway Friends, the long and short of the story is that CHRISTIANS ARE EXPECTED TO DO GOOD IN ALL ASPECTS AND WALKS OF THEIR LIVES! However, we can’t accomplish that without a heart, mind and soul truly filled with the LOVE OF JESUS.
Therefore, I’m pleading with us, that today, and everyday hence, we get to the nearest outlet that serves up JESUS’ LOVE, and fill up our hearts, souls and minds with it. It could be from a number of sources; through the Good Book, a church service, a pastor, a righteous friend, or even our own serious and sincere communication with Jesus.
But we definitely need to refill our souls and recharge our batteries with the LOVE OF CHRIST EVERYDAY, if we want to do His will. That’s the wisdom of all wisdom! Much LOVE!
…just like a tree can only bear one type of fruit…likewise…good things and actions…can only come from a good heart and a good soul…
05 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, awesome power of prayer, blessings, breadwinner, Bruh David, call on the Lord, Christian, Christian bloom, chronic illness, confidence, confidence in God, Creator of the universe, distress, do our best for Jesus, effectiveness of prayer, efficacy, Elise Maclay, enthusiasm, excellence, fervent prayer, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, Gath, gospel truth, heavenly Father, holy spirit, if God is for us who can be against us, indisputable truth, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, keeping lives and families together, knock your socks off, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my enemies shall turn back, Oh Lord God Almighty, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, people of faith, Philistines, pray for one another, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, righteous man, righteousness., salvation, Saul, serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, thanksgiving, the Word of god, trust, trust in God, truth, ungodly world, weary souls, when I cry unto the Lord, wicked taunts, wisdom, worthwhile inroads
Psalm 56:9. When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
Oh Friends, it’s a brand new day – Monday! And much to my surprise, there wasn’t as much hissing and sour invective thrown my way. And I gratefully thanked God that His people were finally getting the idea that Monday was a day to be celebrated, not cursed. (smile)
And Friends, do I ever have a good quote for us today – one that’s so appropriate that it will knock your proverbial socks off! When I read it, I couldn’t help but chuckle, and immediately knew that I had to share it.
It comes from my old Devotional for People with Chronic Illness, and is attributed to one Elise Maclay. From the info available, I believe the Elise Maclay we’re talking about was an author of successful books like ‘Green Winter, and the Art of Bev Doolittle’ published in the 1970’s.
Anyway, she reputedly said, ‘…I was the breadwinner. Only I didn’t WIN the bread, I worked hard and earned it.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! We don’t win the bread, we get up off our rear ends and work hard for it! And that’s exactly what this first Monday morning in May 2014 is calling for! So let’s get up and get a move on nuh, let’s get out into the evil and ungodly world that awaits us and do our damndest, our best for Jesus! Remember Jesus desires and expects excellence from His followers!
And to help us do that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty moxie. As one great choir now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Aw shucks Friends, that rendition was the greatest nuh, it only raised polite clapping from the heavenly hosts! Anyway, I’ll chalk it up to our still being somewhat sleepy, and assume that by the time we get ready to hit the road, the Holy Spirit will have caused us to be in full Christian bloom. (smile)
Now let’s look at our Bit for this beautiful spring morning. ‘When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.’
Words of indisputable truth my brethren! Faithfully proven after they were sent heavenward, by Bruh David’s eventual escape from the Philistines at Gath and his mortal enemy, Saul!
That’s why Friends, it both amazes and disappoints me that Christians don’t use prayer more often, despite claiming to be so in touch and in tune with God. If we look at the lives of all the great people of faith, one common thread stands out above all else; their great dependence on and use of prayer.
Even Jesus, God incarnate, didn’t make a move without talking to His heavenly Father. So why are we so ashamed, afraid, and reluctant to pray eh? Is it that we don’t truly believe in the efficacy and effectiveness of prayer?
James spells it out in spades for us: ‘Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:16)
Oh my people, it’s time for us to wake up to the true and very awesome power of prayer! When we cry out to God in sincere prayer, He hears us and answers. Listen to how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 118; Thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation.
‘I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. (Per the scholars, that’s the middle verse of the Bible) It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps.118:5-9)
More words of indisputable truth Friends! And we know it. So why don’t we adhere to them eh? Ah Lord eh! I guess only the Lord in His high heaven really knows why we are the stubborn and unwise way we are yes!
And we’ll go home with some immortal words of advice, of heavenly wisdom from Bruh Paul to the Roman Church, words which we all know, but don’t follow as closely or rely on as we should.
‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:31-32)
Yes Friends, if the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God, Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein is in our corner, then who can successfully challenge us eh? NOBODY!
So please let’s not only plant that true, wonderful seed deep in our souls, but let’s also act on it today, by stepping up our prayer lives and calling out to our heavenly father, at ALL times, and for ALL things! That’s what he sincerely desires, and it’s also the epitome of wisdom, my people! Much LOVE!
…it’s foolish, unwise, and a downright lie…to claim to be a Christian…and not be thoroughly immersed in the Word of God and sincere prayer…
28 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: advocates, aura of love, be holy, blessed, bounden duty, Christ's Resurrection, confidence, Easter celebration, enthusiasm, evil, fellowship, glorious kingdom, glory, glory hallelujah, godly love, heavenly Father, holiness, holy spirit, honour, human frailties, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, keeping lives and families together, living standards, lord god almighty, LOVE, loving kindness, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, negative side, Oh Lord God Almighty, our calling, perfect harmony, positive spin, praise, pure, purity, reach out to others, recociliation, reconciled to God, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, righteousness., sacrificially, selflessly, separation, separation from sin, serve a useful purpose, sin, steadfast faith, thanks, the Lord your God is holy, trials, tribulations, true colours, truth, ungodly world, weaknesses, weary souls, Ye shall be holy
Leviticus 19:1-2. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.
Oh Friends, that wonderful day called Monday has rolled around once again!
And all God’s people declared a loud, hearty and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Wow! Are we changing or what! (smile)
But unlike last Monday, when many of us had the day off to celebrate Easter Monday, today we all have to go to work, so that we can earn money to buy bread to keep our physical bodies going.
And as I said sometime aback, we don’t have much choice, provided we want to eat and have a roof over our heads, so we might as well put a positive spin on it, rather than the negative, I’m tired, etc. etc. attitude that is so common today.
Ah mih people, most of the world’s population would kill to have the blessed life that many of us live in this Western Society. So please, let’s stop complaining about the few things which we don’t have, many of which are not essential, and enjoy and celebrate the many things we do have that give us the best living standard in the entire world.
And the best way to do all of that is by giving our wonderful God a whole lot of glory, praise, thanks and honour. So this Monday morning when we’re still celebrating Christ’s amazing and life-changing Resurrection, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto, remembering what Christ so selflessly and sacrificially accomplished for us two thousand years ago.
So mih breddren, let’s sing, loud and in 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!’
Yes mih people! That was wonderful! Jesus was pleased. It made Him feel that His sacrifice was worthwhile after all. Now we’ve got to go out and show the world our true colours in Jesus. And there’s no better way to do that than to personify the words of our Bit: ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.’
Matter finish and done with Friends! Your God is holy, so if you want to truly worship Him, then you need to be holy too. No ifs, ands and buts about it!
And before we go any further, let’s hear what the scholars have to say about the Holiness of God. ’19:2. The Hebrew word translated “holiness” comes from a root meaning “to separate or cut off.”
The primary meaning of holiness implies God’s positive quality of self-affirming purity; the secondary meaning implies separation, particularly separation from sin. The holiness of God means He is absolutely pure and absolutely separate from (and above) all His creatures, and also separate from sin and evil.
Illustration: Because God is holy, all sin is offensive to Him. For this reason he had to break fellowship with His own Son when Jesus became our sin bearer (cf. Matt. 27:46) Only through the identification of Christ with our sin as our sacrifice can we be reconciled to God.
Application: When the Scriptures mention the holiness of God, they also stress the personal holiness of His people. (First Ref. Gen.1:4; Primary Ref. Lev.19:2; cf. John 14:6).’
What more can I add to that eh Friends? Not a whole lot; except to say that if we want to be God’s people, then like Jesus said in our Bit yesterday, we need to be perfect, complete, abounding in godly Love, and as today’s warns, we also need to be holy, like our heavenly Father.
Now please don’t go away with the idea that the Father needs us to be perfect, because He knows that we can never be, since He didn’t make us that way. But in spite of our human frailties and weaknesses, He does expect us to try and be excellent advocates and examples of His LOVE and Holiness, personified through Jesus.
And if we are sincere about wanting to follow Jesus, then He will help us to do so. Therefore, with all of that in mind, please, let’s get really serious about Jesus nuh!
And Friends, there’s no better time than right now to do so, in the midst of this Easter Season, when all the world’s eyes and minds are on Jesus and His great work of reconciliation. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to reach out to others and cause them to want to come to Him.
It’s also our calling and bounden duty as believers. So please let’s do as we ought nuh. Heavenly wisdom requires it. Much LOVE!
…to sincerely work for Jesus…we must be willing to sacrifice some…and to bear some trials and tribulations…like He did…
21 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a word to the wise is sufficent, ambassadors for Jesus, arrogance, aura of love, be wise, blessed, blessings, child-like faith, confidence, daily grind and common task, discretion, enduring riches, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, find knowledge, fly in the ointment, further God's glorious kingdom, gold, gospel truth, hate evil, hear instruction, holy spirit, I love them that love me, invincible, it's better to get wisdom than gold, Jesus Christ, jobs, lead and guide us, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, negative light, obtain the Lord's favour, pangs of jealousy and envy, peace, perverse mouth, positive light, pride, prudence, relaxation, renewed vitality, represent Jesus with dignity, reverence, righteousness., silver, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, surrender our all, taunts and lies, the evil way, understanding, understanding heart, understanding than silver, ungodly world, useful purpose, we're not afraid, who finds me finds life, wisdom, worthwhile inroads
Proverbs 16:16. How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
And then it was Monday…! Yes Friends, that old enigma, that proverbial fly in our ointment, the first day of the work week has shown its beautiful face again! (smile) Now there’s nothing we can do about it, so we might as well just make the most of it by looking at it in a positive rather than a negative light.
Fortunately though, some of us don’t have to go out and labour today because it’s a holiday in some places. But where it’s not, our unfortunate brethren have to get back to the daily grind and common task – or whichever way it is. However, to lessen those pangs of jealousy and envy which will naturally pop up between the two groups, let’s get into our Monday Morning Battle Hymn early in the proceedings. (smile)
Let’s sing as one group totally united in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who yesterday did the impossible, rising from the dead, thus making it possible for all of us to do likewise if we have a child-like faith in Him. So my brethren, let’s sing with unlimited gusto 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!’
Wow Friends! That surely was a good rendition! But I believe the greater exuberance came from the group not going to work. They could afford to sing exuberantly because they know they’ll be continuing their Easter celebrations without the evil massa looking over their shoulders. (smile)
But my fellow believers, whether we’re going out to labour, or staying home to celebrate, let’s make sure we represent our leader Jesus with dignity, LOVE and peace; be worthwhile ambassadors for His kingdom.
And this is what our Bit, which we bypassed for Easter Sunday, is basically trying to give us – namely the tools we need to walk worthy of Jesus. ‘How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!’
Oh my people, gold and silver are valuable and useful, but if you don’t have wisdom and understanding, you’ll not know how to use the silver and gold to their best advantage, and soon you’ll be a pauper. That’s like all those folks who either win or inherit large sums of money or other material wealth and have no inkling, no training, no wisdom in how to use their new found wealth. In short time, they’re right back to their original status.
That’s why wisdom and understanding are so important in any undertaking whatsoever! If you have those two mainstays, two foundation blocks of life, then you can handle any matter that arises in your earthly pilgrimage.
And we’ll just turn to Proverbs 8, where Cousin Sol delivers a treatise entitled: Wisdom is everlasting. Remember now that Cousin Sol is reputed to be the wisest and also the richest man who ever lived, so he ought to know a thing or two about wisdom, understanding and wealth.
He begins the chapter thus: ‘Doth not wisdom cry (cry out)? And understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places (takes her stand on high hills, by the way in the places of the paths (beside the way where the paths meet). She crieth (cries out) at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the (entrance of the) doors.
Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. O ye simple, understand wisdom (prudence): and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing forward (crooked) or perverse n them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions (and discretion). The fear (reverence) of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the forward (perverse) mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable (enduring) riches and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead (walk) in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgement (justice): That I may cause those that LOVE me to inherit substance (wealth); and I will fill their treasures…..’ ( Prov. 8:1-21)
Oh Friends, you couldn’t get a better lecture on the benefits of wisdom and understanding! And after that Cousin Sol goes on to talk about how the Lord used wisdom and understanding to create the world and set all its parameters in place. (Prov.8:22-31) This we’ll leave out, but it’s your homework for today to read it. (smile) I’m serious though, as it is very interesting.
And we’ll end with these last verses which give us further consequences of seeking or not seeking wisdom and understanding. ‘Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not (do not disdain it).
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: and they that hate me love death.’ (Prov.8:32-36)
Oh my people, the importance of wisdom and understanding couldn’t be stated any clearer than that! So I’m pleading with us to diligently seek them, so that we can find favour with God, rather than death for despising and disdaining them. Now that’s truly heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…
14 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversaries, aura of love, blessings, Bruh Paul, church, circumstances, confidence, end of all things, enemy, enthusiasm, evil, faith, faithful, fellowship, followers of Jesus, forgiveness, foundations stones, further God's glorious kingdom, glorifying God, God has heard me, God's glory, grateful hearts, gratitude, heavenly wisdom, Holy Name, holy spirit, Holy Week, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, live action, LOVE, loving kindness, man's honour, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, multitude of sins, persevere, Praise the Lord, prayer, preach the gospel, problems, real world, rejuvenation of spirit, religion, renewed vitality, revitalization, sins, steadfast in faith, thanksgiving, the gospel, trials, tribulations, twin peaks, ungodly world, week of work, wicked taunts, wickedness, wisdom, words of prayer, worthwhile inroads, zeal
Psalm 66:19. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Oh Friends, on this Monday morning, the first day of Holy Week, I have a rather interesting comment for you from the comics section of the newspaper. It’s from the Family Circus strip, depicting a family; husband, wife and four young children of varying ages coming out of church, when the young girl suddenly pipes up: ‘Grandma says this is where our religion begins – when we come out of church.’
And is she ever so right! As Bruh David declared in Psalm 8, God’s glory and man’s honour. ‘Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings (infants) hast thou ordained (established) strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still (silence) the enemy and the avenger.’ (Ps.8:2)
And why is that first statement so right? Because it is indeed after we walk out the church doors that we need to put our religion into practice! While in church we are all of the same faith and belief, all enthusiastically glorifying God!
And that’s very easy to do because there are no adversaries in our faces in church, but once we leave the building, that’s where our adversaries pounce on us, and that’s also where we need to show our mettle, what we’re truly made of, if we can put all the stuff we just finished spouting in church into live action!
Ah mih people, it’s not inside the church that we show our faith to best advantage, but outside its doors, in the real world of trials and tribulations, anxieties and fears. Going to church just helps us to renew our faith as a group, thus enabling us to stand up strong to those problems and circumstances we face in the real world. And it’s on days like Mondays that we’re definitely called on to walk our talk of faith.
So on this Monday morning of Holy Week, the most important week in the calendar of our faith, because it’s when Jesus died for us, then was raised from the dead in glory, providing us with resurrection power and finally reconciliation with Almighty God. Therefore let’s go out to work with the right attitude and frame of mind, that we bring glory and not disgrace to God.
Let’s now sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with the appropriate gusto it so richly deserves. (smile) ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
That was most excellent my people! And we need to carry that enthusiasm and zeal and LOVE for Jesus with us into the ungodly world that awaits us.
Our Monday Morning Battle Hymn is also an excellent example of our Bit: ‘But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.’ Whenever we sing it, God hears and answers our requests with a revitalization of our spirits.
And yes, it was one of God’s mysterious workings that led me to leave today as the last day for our Bit. It’s rather appropriate since Holy Week is a week of intense prayer. So what better way to begin it than with sincere and faithful words of prayer eh? None really.
Now let’s get to our scriptural examples. The first comes from Bruh Paul in his missive to the Colossians, where in his opening remarks he advises them: ‘Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal (meanwhile) praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance (for the word), to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds. That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.’ (Col.4:2-4)
And this is how the scholars explain those scriptures: ‘4:2. Continue in prayer means “persevere in prayer.” Watch in the same means that the Colossians are to be mentally alert and spiritually sensitive to the needs for which they pray. With thanksgiving signifies that gratitude is the attitude in which prayer is offered. So the readers are to persevere in prayer with alert minds and grateful hearts.
4:3-4. The Colossians are asked to make two prayer requests for Paul and his associates: (1) that God would grant them opportunities both inside and outside of prison to preach the gospel (v.3); and that (2) the evangelists would make the truth manifest as they ought to speak, that is, to preach it with courage and clarity. Withal praying also for us means praying for Paul “together with” the prayer commanded in verse 2.’
Oh my fellow believers, those very things are also required of us today, possibly even more so than in Bruh Paul’s day since the world is much larger, in terms of number of people and settlements, and the evil and wickedness that abounds is surely greater and more perverse.
So with that observation, let’s end these messages on prayer with this most apropos scripture from Peter. ‘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.’ (1 Pet.4:7-8)
That, my Friends, is the best advice we can get this Monday morning, or on any morning at all. So let’s show our heavenly wisdom and graciously and gratefully accept it nuh! Much LOVE!
…without the twin peaks…the foundation stones of prayer and LOVE…we cannot truly claim to be followers of Jesus…
11 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a loving and magnanimous God, be anxious for nothing, Bruh Paul, christianity, conviction, deficiency in faith, efficacy of prayer, enthusiasm, epitome of wisdom, faith, faithful to prayer, fear, fellowship, fervent prayer, following Jesus isn't easy, Friday chant, fulsome prayer, glorious kingdom, God has heard my prayer, God will never give us more than we can handle, Herod, holy spirit, James, Jesus Christ, John Mark, keep our spirits high, LOVE, loving kindness, many were gathered praying, men plan but God's will prevails, omnipotent god, peace, persevered in prayer, Peter, Philippians, power of prayer, prayer, Rejoice in the Lord, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rewards in heaven, rewards on earth, righteousness., sea of anxiety and fear, supplication, sweat shop, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thank God, thanksgiving, the Lord answers prayer, the peace of God which passeth all understading, ungodly climate, ungodly world, walk of faith, wisdom
PSALM 66:19. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
And then it was Friday, and the people were in an uproar: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes mih brethren! I couldn’t hack another day in that sweat shop nuh! Thank God for these two blessed days off!’
Yes Friends, I know how bad it can be in some of the places some of us work, but sometimes we just have no choice, because that’s the only job we can get at this time, and it’s certainly better than no job at all. But all is not lost my people, we have a LOVING and magnanimous God who looks after us, and He will not allow us to bear more than we can handle.
As we keep saying, following Jesus is not easy, but it is always interesting, and will bear great rewards at a later date, either down here on earth or up in heaven. So please don’t give up, the trials and tribulations won’t last forever. And to help us handle the weekend the right way, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm to keep our spirits high.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help I made it through. Now please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Now let’s work out the day, with the joy of the Lord in our hearts, faithfully looking forward to a great weekend! That brings us to our Bit: ‘But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.’
Now such powerful conviction should be held by ALL believers, if we are faithful to prayer, for the Lord faithfully answers our sincere prayers! But Friends, so many of us are lost and lacking in serious prayer, and prayer is so important in the Christian walk of faith, that we are continuing this series of messages on prayer, highlighting scriptures that prove its efficacy.
Today we’ll highlight two more instances where prayer was masterful. The first comes from Acts 12, where Herod kills James and imprisons Peter, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. (Acts 12:1-4) However, our great and wonderful God had other ideas and plans. Remember, men plan, but it is God’s will that prevails!
‘Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.’ (Acts 12:5) And we all know the story of how on the night before Herod planned to bring Peter out, the angel of the Lord came to the prison and miraculously led him out to freedom. (Acts 12:6-11) And as the Lord would have it, he ended up at the house of John Mark’s mother Mary, ‘where many were gathered together praying.’ (Acts 12:12)
Yuh see the power of prayer my people! But just like it is with us in today’s ungodly climate, when Peter knocked on Mary’s door, his friends didn’t believe it was really him, saying it was his angel. They even called the servant girl who answered his knock and heard his voice crazy, though she was absolutely positive that it was Peter. (Acts 12:13-15)
‘But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.’ (Acts 12:16) Oh Friends, how marvellous are the works of our omnipotent God! And always in our best interest too!
The scholars though have an interesting take on that episode of scripture. ’12:12-16. Though the prayer of the church was fervent due to Peter’s situation (v 5), there was a deficiency in faith (vv 15-16). Evidently they did not believe God would answer in this miraculous way, or so soon.’
And doesn’t that sound very familiar? It sure does, because even today many of us still don’t believe in the efficacy of prayer although there are numerous examples to show that it works. But regardless of how strong the believers’ faith was, the important thing is that they persevered in prayer, and the Lord answered their prayers.
That brings us to the second scripture passage we’ll look at today. It’s Bruh Paul talking to the Philippians about rejoicing in the Lord. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil.4:6)
Oh my brethren, Bruh Paul could not be any simpler and straightforward than that! So why aren’t we following it eh? I really don’t know. But here is what he says will happen if we pray continually. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:7)
Oh mih people, mih people, isn’t peace what we’re all searching for? Well right there we’re told how to get it! And not the peace of the world, but the peace of God! So why aren’t we doing as the Good Book says eh, and continue to stubbornly cling to our own paltry efforts to find peace in an ungodly, wicked world?
Anyway my fellow believers, today, RIGHT NOW, please let’s allow those simple but momentous words to loudly reverberate in our souls, bodies and minds, so that we can be convinced of the power of prayer, and use it consistently each and every day of our lives, for it is indeed the epitome of wisdom! Much LOVE!
…without fulsome prayer…a believer is lost…adrift on an endless sea of anxiety and fear…
07 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, battle lines, blessings, calamity, confidence, enemy, enthusiasm, evil, faith, glorious kingdom, God has heard my prayer, God's judgement, gospel truth, have mercy on me, heavenly hosts, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, Jesus Christ, Jesus is waiting, jobs, joy, justice, justification, keeping lives and families together, lead and guide, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, marching as to war, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Onward Christian soldiers, Orion, peace, Pleiades, prayer is of the utmost importance, raise our voices in song, rejuvenation of spirit, repentance, righteousness., seek the Lord in prayer, serve a useful purpose, shadow of death, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, surrender, the cross of Jesus, the Lord is my light and salvation, the voice of my prayer, thoughts of peace, trust, truth, ungodly world, weary souls, weekend, well rested, wisdom, without faith it is impossible to please God
Psalm 66:19. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Awright mih people, the inevitable Monday has rolled around once more! So let’s get a move on nuh. You should be well rested and ready after the weekend.
There’s no time to dilly dally, for the battle lines have already been drawn and Jesus is there waiting for us, astride that magnificent white stallion, who is impatiently tossing his head, pawing the ground, snorting and exhaling big gusts of hot, smoky air.
So to get us ready for battle, let’s move right into our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one great choir now, let’s raise our heads, hands, hearts and voices heavenward, as we burst out in song this bright spring morning.
‘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!’
Marvellous, mih breddren! That was absolutely marvellous! Once again we had the heavenly hosts all standing and rocking – that includes Jesus and the Father. (smile) So with our engines all revved up, let’s get out into the wicked world that anxiously awaits our coming, and with our great leader Jesus Christ in the forefront, let’s battle the enemy to a standstill!
Wow! As the old hymn directs and encourages: ‘Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus, going on before!’
Ah Friends, the enthusiasm is catching! It’s certainly caught me, as I’m smiling and chucking, trying to suppress a cough that doesn’t want to be suppressed.
Now here is our Bit, which gives justification to our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. ‘But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.’
Yeh Friends, the Lord has certainly heard our prayer for strength and guidance this first day of the new work week. And please remember that prayer is of the utmost importance in a believer’s life, for it is our best and fastest method of communicating with our wonderful Creator!
And today we’ll check out a few scriptures where our Creator purposely advised us to seek Him out in prayer. So here goes. And we’ll begin with the words of Bruh David from Psalm 27; the Lord is my light and my salvation.
And no Friends, that is not a contrived situation. (smile) This time it has nothing to do with my favouritism of Bruh David. I’m putting the scriptures in sequence, and Bruh David just happens to come first.
And in Psalm 27, he solemnly declares: ‘Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.’ (Ps.27:7-8)
And that’s the proper response my people! But sadly, many of us say it, but don’t put it into action, and thus miss out, foolishly deprive ourselves of many of the blessings the Lord has stored up for us.
Then in Jeremiah, our awesome God, LOVINGLY promises: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer.29:11-13)
Yes Friends, prayer is necessary to find God! And most importantly, we need to do it diligently, sincerely, with all our heart, soul and mind.
Now listen to Amos, in his call to Israel for repentance. He uncompromisingly proclaims: ‘For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought (nothing).
Seek the Lord, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel. Ye who turn judgement (justice) to wormwood, and leave off (abandon) righteousness in the earth, seek him that maketh the seven stars (the Pleiades) and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with (as) night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name.’ (Amos 5:4-8)
Oh my fellow believers, the Lord’s message could not be any clearer and simpler than that! It is essential that we seek Him, especially through prayer!
Now here are a few comments from the scholars: ‘5:4-7: Three times the invitation, Seek ye me, and ye shall live, is given (vv.4,6,14). Though God’s judgement is imminent, it can be avoided, or at least postponed, by seeking the Lord. The only hope is to seek the Lord in true repentance and thus avoid the judgement of God.’
Oh my people, that speaks right to our current situation. We definitely need to seek the Lord God Jehovah in true repentance, if we want our society to improve in righteousness.
And please remember that prayer doesn’t always have to be a formal, bowing and scraping ceremony. It can be just a friendly chat with our Creator as we mosey on through our day.
So please don’t be afraid to engage the Lord in conversation, at any time and place, for He takes great delight when His children come to Him in any kind of prayer, once it is sincere. Much LOVE!
…But without faith…it is impossible to please God…for he that cometh to God…must believe that he is…and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him… (Heb.11:6)
P.S. My humble apologies Friends, but between Outlook’s messing with my writing and my unhealthy self, we’re way behind. But better late then never though. (smile) Much LOVE!
31 Mar 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Adam, advice, arrogant, aura of love, blessed, charles stanley, confidence, corrupt, death, destroying ourselves, earthly choir, encore, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil powers, faith, Father's bad books, fool, forgiveness, gone astray, guilty of sin, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, it is good, Jesus Christ, jesus christ our lord, jobs, keeping families together, lake of fire, lead and guide, leave all the consequences to Him, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, loving Jesus, loving kindness, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, monumental sins, most wonderful experience, not a just man on earth, obey God, Oh Lord God Almighty, physical death, prideful, problems, propitiation for sins, ps and qs, punish, put our problems in God's capapble hands, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rude, second death, sense of purpose, sinful by nature, sins not, spiritual armour, spiritual death, standing 'O', strength, surrender our all, thanks and praise, the foolishness of men, the gift of God, the wages of sin is death, there is no god, trust, ungodly world, useful purpose, weary souls, wisdom, wonder, worthwhile inroads
Ecclesiastes 7:20. For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Oh what a glorious Monday morn, mih people! Please rise and greet it with enthusiasm and wonder, the same way our great God did when He made it and us!
Remember what God said when He made the universe? ‘It is good!’ So why should we dispute His statement eh? Therefore, let us put all our problems behind us, or rather in God’s capable and powerful hands.
And as Uncle Charles, (Charles Stanley) is wont to say: ‘just obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’ Wonderful advice mih breddren!
And to do that, this Monday morning we have to get up with a good attitude, prepared to meet the new workweek head on with strength, faith and a sense of purpose. But since we know that’s not always easy, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with all the gusto we can muster, to jump start our spirit motors.
As one sweet, harmonious, earthly choir my brethren, let’s show the heavenly hosts that we can warble just as sweetly as them. (smile)
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ohhhh! That was most excellent my people! All heaven, including Jesus and the Father, gave us a standing O, and shouted for an encore! Mamma Mia!
That means we’re ready to go out into the ungodly world and battle the evil powers into submission, with Jesus going, both before and behind us.
Now that doesn’t mean we have to be rude, prideful and/or arrogant, but rather mind our p’s and q’s very carefully, because of our Bit. ‘For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.’
Yes Friends, we’re already sinful by nature, we cannot afford to further put ourselves in the Father’s bad books. Now yesterday we looked at some scriptures which supported our Bit, today we’ll look at some more.
And here’s how Bruh David puts it in both Psalm 14 and 53, titled the foolishness of men. And oh, that’s surely plentiful my fellow believers!
Excuse the pause there Friends, I was trying to see which Psalm to use. They do convey the same message, but with slightly different words in some parts. And after seeking the Lord’s guidance, I chose Psalm 14, because it’s simpler, and more straightforward. Psalm 53 has more flowery language. (smile)
‘The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside (astray), they are all together become filthy (corrupt): there is none that doeth good, no, not one.’ (Ps.14:1-3)
Yes my fellow believers, we’re all guilty of sin. But the sad part is that sin is no longer such a big deal, a big negative to do in our society! Ah Lord eh! How very foolish and unwise is that attitude, my people!
And why do you think our world is in such a bad and sorry shape eh? It’s because of our monumental sins! The Father doesn’t even have to do much to punish us, because in our very sinful state, we are continually destroying ourselves and all the good things and people around us.
As Cousin Sol so wisely asks in Proverbs: ‘Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?’ (Prov.20:9)
NOBODY! Not a single human being can truthfully say that my Friends!
So what are we going to do about it eh? Remember Bruh Paul’s famous statement to the Romans? ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23)
Oh mih fellow believers, what an awesome God we serve! For right in that one monumental statement, we have both the problem and its solution! And all God’s people gave a joyful shout of: ‘Glory be to our most wonderful heavenly Father!’
Yes mih people, JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY SOLUTION, THE PROPITIATION, THE ONE AND ONLY REMEDY FOR OUR SINS!
It’s of the utmost importance that we know, believe and remember that fact, because it is one of, if not the most crucial and critical facts on this planet earth, that’s why I put it in bold capitals. If we don’t take it to heart NOW, then we’ll find ourselves in a rather untenable and horrific position later on.
The scholars have wisely acknowledged this: ‘6:23. The penalty of sin is death, both spiritual and physical. The moment Adam sinned, he died spiritually, in that sense, everyone is born dead in sin (Eph.2:1). Physical death, described as the separation of the body and spirit (James 2:26), is the ultimate result of sin (cf. Gen 3).
People who die in their sin (in an unsaved state) will have to face a “second death” portrayed as a “lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15) Application: The only escape from this second death is to receive the gift of eternal life in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. (First Ref. Gen.3:14-24); Primary Ref. Rom.6; cf. Rom.8:3).’
And that, my people, is the greatest piece of wisdom any human being can ever attain unto! Much LOVE!
…LOVING Jesus…and being LOVED by Him…is the most wonderful experience man can ever aspire to…
24 Mar 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ailments, ashamed, aura of love, Babylon, Beelzebub, blessings, bow down, Bruh David, character, cheer in our hearts, Christ died for the ungodly, confidence, cry of anguish, cry out to God, deny, enemies, enthusiasm, experience, faith, faithfully, faithfulness, fear, fellow believers, fellowship, forgiveness, forsaking, glory, harmoniously, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, invincible, Israel, Jesus Christ, justification, living truth, LOVE of God, loving kindness, moaning and groaning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Oh Lord God Almighty, omnipotent god, patience, perseverance, promise, Psalm 22, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteous man, righteousness., sincere faith, sinners, slave for Massa, song of praise, spiritual armour, spring, steadfast faith, surrender our all, take refuge, take the bull by the horns, tribulations, trust, ungodly world, weary souls, worthwhile inroads
Psalm 31:1. In thee O Lord, do I put my trust (take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
Oh Friends, at long last spring has finally sprung in the northern climes! But sadly, that’s only on the calendar, not in reality. Last Thursday, March 20, was the first official day of spring and there were a couple of half-decent days where the weather was above freezing – but just barely though. Now it’s gone back to minus figures.
But what to do eh? Nothing but grin and bear it, especially on this Monday morning… Oh yes mih people, it is Monday! Sorry, I forgot to inform you of that most important situation. (smile) But I’m only human and cannot remember everything.
And you know if it’s Monday, then you have to get up and go out to slave for massa in this new Babylon, so you can earn a few pennies to keep life and limbs together. So let’s stop all the moaning and groaning and just get with the programme, since there’s nothing much we can do about it.
And as always, we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to give us strength, to raise our faith and get the adrenalin flowing. So let’s put a smile on our faces, some cheer in our hearts and sing loudly, proudly and harmoniously.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that wasn’t so hard was it? So let’s do our do, then get out into the evil world that surrounds us and give those followers of Beelzebub, heck; kill them with LOVING-kindness, as Jesus desires of us. (smile)
Oh Friends, on a serious note though, the days are indeed getting harder and rougher, and many of us are losing hope. But that is not a real option, for we have an omnipotent and most magnanimous God in whom we can put our utmost trust.
As Bruh David so faithfully declared in our Bit long ago, when he cried out in anguish to the God of our fathers: ‘In thee O Lord, do I put my trust (take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.’
And we saw yesterday, as we went through the psalm, how God faithfully delivered him from his enemies, his physical and emotional ailments. Now why wouldn’t He do the same for us if we call out to Him in sincere faith eh? No reason whatsoever? So please don’t be afraid to cry out to God at any time at all, just remember to do it in sincere faith.
And today, we’ll look at a few scriptures that enhance and corroborate our Bit, beginning with some more words from Bruh David from Psalm 22; a cry of anguish and song of praise. He wondered why the Lord was forsaking him, since he was crying out, both day and night without any answers, (vs.1-2)
Then he remembered and changed His speech: ‘But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel/ Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded (ashamed). (Ps.22:3-5)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s the living truth! Followers of God are never ashamed once they truly trust and believe in Him!
Now hear Isaiah as he promised that Israel would be restored to Zion. ‘And kings shall be thy nursing fathers (foster fathers), and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.’ (Is.49:23)
What a monumental promise my brethren! And the good news is that our great and wonderful God CAN, and DOES, keep ALL His promises!
And since I promised myself to keep this Bit as short as possible, (smile) we’ll end with one more scripture, one from Bruh Paul, one we all know, where he talks about the results of justification.
‘And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience (produces perseverance); And patience, experience (character); and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God is shed abroad (has been poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given for us.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time (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 own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom.5:3-8)
And that says it all my brethren! And it’s surely significant that that scripture was one of the readings at church yesterday morning! So let’s take the bull by the horns this Monday morning, BE NOT ASHAMED, and get out there and do faithful and strong battle in Jesus’ name, knowing that He has our back! Much LOVE!
…but whosoever shall deny me before men…him will I also deny…before my Father which is heaven… (Matt.10:33)
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