01 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: alienation, balanced lives, belief in Jesus, blasphemed, blessed, bring God into the mix, Christ's Second Coming, Christian, company, dangerous, desolate, divisions, divisiveness, ease the pressure, ever-faithful God, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, evil, evil cohorts, exalted, falsely, for Christ's sake, Friday chant, gather together as one, generous help, glorified, glorious kingdom, God's mysterious ways, God's promises, good weather, Halloween celebrations, harbinger, hate, heathen lands, heavy load, herald, interesting, Jesus Christ, Jesus is Lord, jesus name, Lord and Saviour, loving kindness, Lucifer, mental and emotional persecution, merciful and healing God, monotonous, need to belong, no problems, obedience, persecute, persecution, personal testimony, physical persecution, pipe dream, prayer, prisoners of hope and faith, reality, relaxation, reproach, rest, revile, right perspective, separate, showers of blessing, slander, slaving for massa, Son of man, spirit of glory, stand steadfast, steady diet, stewards of God's grace, suffering, sufficient fun, take it in stride, tedious, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the church's history, the greatest tool in the universe, the weekend, trials and tribulations, unfortunate brethren
Matthew 5:11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Oh Friends, what a glorious day this Friday 1st of November 2013 will be…! Albeit possibly in other areas of the world, just not in my neck of the woods, because we’ve had rain since early yesterday morning. It’s not like we’ve been inundated with heavenly showers of blessings, but more like a steady diet of drizzle and wind, with the occasional heavy downpour.
That certainly put a damper on the Halloween celebrations yesterday! Now was that our God moving in one of His mysterious ways? Hn! Who knows? It makes me wonder though. (smile)
But yuh know what, I’m still going to join those shouting, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday,’ because Friday is the herald, the harbinger of those two momentous days known as the weekend, those days of no slaving for massa.
And you never know, what can happen, my area can be flooded later with sunshine and 15 degrees weather, if the weather people are right. And because we’re such strong prisoners of hope and faith, we will believe for good weather later on. (smile)
For now though, let’s celebrate Friday, by graciously chanting our Friday Chant, which gives us the right perspective on how to handle the weekend.
As one 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 mih people, on the weekend we need to get our lives in balance, in sync with both our worldly and godly obligations, so that we can be fully prepared to go back out on Monday and began the cycle all over again. I know it’s tedious and monotonous, but when we cheerfully bring God into the mix, we are able to handle it with NO PROBLEMS. (smile)
And I sincerely hope that we’ll still be smiling after reading today’s Bit: ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.’
Yeh mih breddren, just because we’re believers in Jesus Christ, we will be reviled, persecuted and have all manner of evil done to and against us!
The scholars explain it thus: ‘5:11. Again, Jesus warns that men shall revile you, and persecute you. This became true during His own ministry, in the lives of the apostles, and throughout the history of the church. The persecution spoken of here is twofold. First, it involves a physical pursuing of the persecuted, and second, a personal attack of slander against them.’
Oh Friends, being a Christian is often a rather heavy load, as we can see from all the persecution that fellow believers are suffering in other lands. Now we will suffer some here for calling Jesus our Lord and Saviour, but nothing like the ‘sufferation’ of those in the heathen lands.
So please let’s make it a daily matter to pray for those rather unfortunate brethren, pray that our merciful and healing God will both ease their suffering and give them the strength to stand steadfast and true in their belief in Jesus. As we said yesterday, that’s the least we can do for them.
And remember again that prayer is the greatest tool in God’s universe. So let’s not stop until all God’s children are free to serve and worship Him as they please, in their own lands.
And on a point of interest, here’s how Luke records that Beatitude. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach (revile) you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.’ (Luke 6:22)
Yuh see Friends, it’s not only physical persecution that believers must suffer for Christ’s sake, but also things like alienation, and separation from other men’s company. And sometimes the mental and emotional persecution are worse than the physical kind.
But since we were all made by God with this great need to belong, Jesus has provided His holy church as a refuge for all those who believe in Him, to gather together as ONE, so that we can fellowship together and thus ease some of the pressure from our earthly trials and tribulations.
And though right now, that oneness is more like a pipe dream than a reality, taking into account all the divisions and divisiveness currently reigning in Christ’s church, we still have places where we can meet and talk, pray and worship and celebrate the goodness and LOVING-kindness of our great God.
So my people, I’m imploring us to hang in there when things get rough, as they oftimes do and certainly will. Please hold on tightly to all the wonderful promises that our ever-faithful God has given us. Remember too, that He is faithful, even when we are not.
Now here are some encouraging words from Peter, as he talks about us being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ (1 Pet.3:14)
And all God’s children gave a mighty shout of: ‘Let the name of our great God be praised and glorified!’
Yes my fellow believers, when we are persecuted for Christ’s sake, we need to take it in stride, for He’s suffered so much for our sake. And because He was obedient to the Father, He was lifted up, exalted above all else in the universe.
So ‘That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:10-11)
Likewise my believing brethren, when we stand strong in the face of all that Lucifer and his evil cohorts throw at us, the Lord God Almighty will also exalt us.
Please believe it today, and let’s write it deep in our hearts, minds and souls, let it strengthen our faith, for the days they are becoming more dangerous and desolate, as the Second Coming of Jesus approaches. Much LOVE!
…knowing Jesus…and living for Him…doesn’t necessarily make life easy or hard…but it surely makes it interesting…that’s my personal testimony…
31 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Beatitudes, blessed, brainwashed, candies, children, christ jesus, Christian calendar, common sense, costumes, daily prayer, dangerous stuff, divine wisdom, don't be afraid, easy money, encouraging words, enduring suffering, evil, evil doing, evil machinations, faith, for Christ's sake, for righteousness sake, friends, glory hallelujah, goblins, God's goodness, good cheer, Halloween, heartfelt prayers, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, just, killjoy, kingdom of heaven, lead and guide, liable to err, live godly in Christ, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving kindness, money making day, most powerful tool, needles, nitty gritty, overcome the world, pagan rites, peace, persecuted, persecution, petty things, pick sense from nonsense, prayer, pumpkins, reward, righteousness sake, sins, spread the word, standing steadfast and strong for Jesus, stigma, sufferation, suffering, talk the talk, testimony, trials, tribulation, troubled world, true believers, unjust, walk the walk, well doing, wisdom, wishy-washy, witches
Matthew 5:10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Oh Friends, it’s the last day of October, can you imagine… But that also makes it Halloween Day. Steups! Just look at how the pagan rites have been inculcated into our Christian calendar nuh!
And it’s only been used as another money-making day by the merchants; candies, costumes and pumpkins. And the uglier and more evil looking your costume, the better dressed you’re considered!
Yes Friends, it’s Halloween; time for goblins, witches, et all! Ah Lord eh!
We start our children from small with the nonsense. And just to show how evil our world has become, nowadays you can no longer send your children trick or treating by themselves, even in your own neighbourhood, since recently so many evil things have been happening to them.
Sadly, it doesn’t even have to be Halloween for our children to go missing, as I received an e-mail last night that a sixteen year old young lady who lives on my street has been missing since last Friday.
And with this Halloween stuff you have to be very careful with the stuff your children collect, because evil people have been putting needles and other dangerous stuff in them. Chuh blast!
Oh Friends, I seriously believe it’s time we do away with this Halloween day and all the evil that it’s come to represent. I know that most likely I’m in the minority on that subject, and some of you might see me as a killjoy, but that’s okay, I can live with that stigma, people have been saying stuff about me since I began showing in mother’s womb. (smile)
But I guess we won’t get rid of Halloween anytime soon because the parents have been brainwashed into it, and the merchants won’t quietly give up such an opportunity to make easy money.
And from all that rambling, I guess it’s easy to figure out that I won’t be participating in the nonsense. Yuh know, on one hand we tell the children that too much candy and sugar is bad for them, but in the next breath we take them out in their evil looking costumes to collect as much candy as they can.
And then we wonder why the children are the way they are! Steups! Let’s just hope the Lord blesses them with the wisdom and common sense – which their parents seem to lack – to go easy on the stuff.
Anyway, I want to apologize for a typo in Yesterday’s Bit, where instead of saying before we ‘can’ enjoy God’s goodness and LOVING-kindness, I said ‘can’t.’ But I know that all you true believers knew what I meant, because you all are wise enough to pick sense from nonsense. (smile)
Just like I said sometime last week about putting our money where ‘out’ mouth is, instead of ‘our’ mouth. That just shows though that the ole fella is very human, and thus liable to err, but hopefully not too often. But enough of this preamble rambling, we have a Bit to deal with.
A Bit which says: ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’
Yeh Friends, we now getting down to the nitty gritty of the Beatitudes! It’s no longer just about being nice and godly, but actually about enduring suffering; physical, mental and emotional, all for Christ’s sake! How do we like them beans now eh?
Most of us won’t like them too much because we just like to have everything nice and easy, no ‘sufferation’ whatsoever. But my people, we need to remember these most memorable and encouraging words of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
That means we WILL suffer trials and tribulations, in this predominantly evil and troubled world. But we’ve got to bear up under them with a good attitude because Jesus has already overcome the world and all its evil machinations.
That brings us to the scholar’s take on the subject: ‘5:10. As Jesus develops His message, He clearly teaches that such a life cause His people to be in direct contrast to the world in which they live. Therefore He reminds us, ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake.’
The plural use of “ye” in verse 11 indicates that He foresaw this persecution as touching ALL His followers. Notice 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Oh Friends, it’s rough, but true! The kingdom of heaven is not for wishy washy or ‘fraidy, fraidy’ people. And many of us out here in the free Western world are just that. Meanwhile, other Christians in more restrictive parts of the world, are being persecuted left, right and centre for simply believing in Jesus and wanting to serve and worship Him.
Many of us would cave in if we ever felt that kind of pressure. We’re doing it now without any pressure at all. But millions of believers around the globe are still standing steadfast and strong for Jesus, despite the serious persecution they’re facing! Glory Hallelujah!
And it sure makes me feel bad to see that we out here, who have it so good, are complaining and whining about so many petty and unimportant things, merely talking the talk without walking the attendant walk.
Oh my people, it’s imperative that we at least send up some real heartfelt prayers for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being so terribly persecuted. So today I’m asking us all, during our time of daily prayer, or at any time at all, to pray for our persecuted brethren all around the world.
Remember. prayer is the most powerful tool in God’s great universe!
And we’ll close with an encouraging word from Peter, re the subject of suffering and reward. ‘And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy (blessed) are ye:
And be not afraid of their terror (threats), neither be troubled… For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened (made alive) by the Spirit.’ (1 Pet.3:13-14, 17-18)
Oh my fellow believers, I know it’s difficult to live a good life for Jesus, but He did it for us, and as the scholars say: ‘In the will of God we are sometimes called to suffer for well-doing as a testimony to others.’
And we can certainly do it if we hold close to Jesus and let His Spirit lead and guide us, while raising up all the things we need to truly serve Him, from our spirit, where it’s ALL been already planted.
We only need the power of the Holy Spirit now to bring them to the fore. And that my Friends, is a true mark of divine wisdom. Much LOVE!
…our earthly duty is to…LOVE our God…LIVE our Faith…and SPREAD His Word…let’s start doing that in all seriousness nuh…
P.S. Oh Friends, it’s long, but worthwhile. As Jesus said, we can’t always have it short and easy. (smile) Much LOVE!
21 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every name, alive, aura of love, author of salvation, bang for your buck, Beatitudes, blessed, call to repentance, confidence, death, death of the cross, divine wisdom, down to earth, enthusiasm, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, evil, exalted, fellowship, G;ory Hallelujah, glory days, Glory of the Father, God's will, good of the land, haughty, high priest, holy spirit, hope, humble, humble servants, inroads, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus' philosophy, Jeus Christ is Lord, jobs, kingdom of heaven, lies, LOVE, Monday, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mouth of the Lord, nothing's impossible, obedience, obedient, pagan world, poor in spirit, proud, rebel, Red Letter Day, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, rock heaven and earth, rock-star status, saviour, self-control, Sermon on the Mount, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, truth, ungodly, ungodly world, unwise habit, useful purpose, weary souls, weekend, wicked taunts, wiles, willing, wisdom, wisest decision
Matthew 5:3. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Ah Friends, it’s Monday once more! I hope we’re all up bright and early and rearing to go after a weekend of rest and fellowship. (smile) Oh I know that plenty of us are still mired in the weekend party-going scene and are thus suffering the Monday morning blues and the miserable side effects that unwise action entails.
But I’m alive, therefore I have hope, that eventually we’ll all kick that unwise habit and get ourselves back to the glory days, when Monday was a day we all looked forward to with excitement rather than dread.
However, in what ever state you are this Monday morning, this is the perfect opportunity for us to all join together and rock heaven and earth with a splendiferous rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. (smile)
So Friends, with one, loud, sweet, tuneful, harmonious voice, let’s rock! ‘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 breddren, that was indeed a rocking rendition of our Battle Hymn! Even Jesus was rocking along with us! Now let’s get out into the evil ungodly world that surrounds us, and instead of carrying that rock-star status with us, let’s follow the divine wisdom of Jesus and be like what our Bit says: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’
And that’s the exact attitude that Jesus expects ALL His followers to genuinely have and sincerely display to all and sundry!
Now some of you might not recognize our Bit, but it’s the first of the Beatitudes, part of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, where He first sat down and taught His disciples and the people gathered round Him, His basic philosophy and expectations of those who desired to follow Him. Others of you might also be wondering what exactly does the Bit mean.
Well the scholars give us a very good explanation, so we’ll run with it. ‘5:3. Blessed means “happy.” This is a basic description of the believers’ inner condition as a result of the work of God. These Beatitudes, like Psalm 1, [please read] do not show a man how to be saved, but rather describe the characteristics of one who has been saved.
The poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud or haughty in spirit. They have been humbled by the grace of God and have acknowledged their sin and therefore their dependence on God to save them. They will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Kingdom of heaven is a general designation of the dwelling place of the saved.’
Consequently my people, even though we attain to such heights as being the most powerful person in the world, or the richest, or the wisest, or the strongest, or the most celebrated, if you desire to follow Jesus, He still expects you to have a humble, down to earth attitude, with total surrender to, and complete trust in His heavenly Father, relying on Him for all guidance and direction.
Oh Friends, it’s a simple philosophy; one of obedience and self-control, but nonetheless a difficult one to embrace and successfully cultivate, especially when you have the pagan world which surrounds us, pushing all sorts of wicked, ungodly things at you. But as we keep saying, if you’re serious about doing something that’s within God’s will, and you engage Him to work with you, then NOTHING’S IMPOSSIBLE.
And we’ll close with some scriptures that drive home the point. First off, listen to Isaiah as he calls Israel to repentance. ‘If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is.1:19-20) That’s very simple and straightforward Friends.
Now hear the author of Hebrews: ‘Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of salvation unto all them that obey him. Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb.5:8-10)
And lastly, listen to Bruh Paul talk about Jesus to the Philippians. ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.’ (Phil.2:8-11)
Yuh see Friends, Jesus was highly rewarded and exalted for His obedience to the Father’s will, and if we follow Jesus, we also shall be divinely reward. ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
So my fellow believers, let’s make today a Red Letter Day nuh; by seriously considering, and pondering all that we’ve said, and then deciding to work not only closely with Jesus, but also solely for Him. It’s the wisest decision any human can ever make on this earth, because that’s the only way to get into the kingdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…unfortunately fools don’t realize it…but working for, and with Jesus…gives you the biggest bang for your buck…
08 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: actions, autumn morn, Bathsheba, be acceptable in God's sight, believe in Jesus Christ, blessings, bounden duty, bow, broken spirit, burnt offering, Calvary, catalyst, children, contrite heart, crucifixion, desires of our hearts, encouraging words, endeavours, eternal thanks, eternity, everloving, evil, fat of rams, forgiveness, Friends in Christ, fruitful, God's bright and shining light, God's omnipotence, God's supernatural presence, God's unconditional LOVE, godly thoughts, good, gracious, grateful, holy spirit, honour and glory, important aspects of life, innocent blood, innocent Son, inspiring, Jesus Christ, LOVE, manna, mature in faith, meditation, meditation of my heart, mercies, merciful, my redeemer, my rock, no need to fear, obedience, old rugged cross, praise God's holy name, prisoners of hope, propserity, purgatory, reconciled, redemption, repentance, righteousness., sacifices of God, sacrifice, salvation, sincerity, sins, steadfast believers, thankful, thanks to God, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, time immemorial, times of need, to listen, truth, unsavoury relationship, Uriah, walk of faith, wealth, Word of God, words, words of my mouth
Psalm 19:14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (my rock), and my redeemer.
Oh my beautiful Friends in Christ, I’m here to remind us that this glorious, but somewhat chilly Tuesday autumn morn in early October, is being brought to us courtesy the Almighty God Jehovah; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And furthermore, He’s also the God who causes His bright and shining light to surround us; His unconditional and everlasting LOVE to enfold us; His omnipotent power to protect us and His supernatural presence to keep careful watch over us.
So with all those important aspects of life being taken care of, there’s absolutely no need to fear what the evil Lucifer and his evil cohorts can do to us, for our great God is ALWAYS with us, and that means, all is well.
And all God’s grateful children shouted: ‘Thank You Lord! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
And remember too my people, that it’s the Lord God Jehovah who also gives us new mercies, blessings, forgiveness and manna every single day! He’s also the ONE who cause us to be prosperous, to get wealth, to beget children; children who will be strong in the land, children that will stand at one’s gate and rebuke and resist the enemy!
And above and beyond all that Friends, the Lord God Almighty is the ONE who created us, and also redeemed us from purgatory, where our abject sins had us headed, by sending His most holy and innocent Son, Jesus, to be sacrificed on that old, rugged cross at Calvary.
He selflessly and LOVINGLY did it all, so that we could be reconciled to Him, to be considered holy in his sight, worthy to come before Him, not of our own accord, or of our works, but because of the innocent blood of Jesus, shed at His crucifixion!
And all God’s people, all true believers in Jesus Christ, rose up, and boldly declared with a mighty shout of joy: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, we praise and worship You in sincerity and truth! We bless Your Holy Name, and give you eternal thanks for the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus Christ, to whom we bow in all honour and glory! Amen!’
Oh my fellow believers, it seems that this morning the Holy Spirit is intent on awakening us to all that our great and wonderful God and Creator has done for us since time immemorial, is still doing, and will continue to do throughout eternity.
So with all those things forthcoming from a gracious, merciful and ever-LOVING God, how can we, mere mortals that we are, not be overwhelmingly thankful and grateful eh? It’s impossible, if we truly believe in Jesus Christ!
And to show our true belief and gratefulness, let’s look at our Bit, which acts as a heavenly catalyst for our earthly endeavours. ‘Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (my rock), and my redeemer.’
Ah Friends, what positive, inspiring and encouraging words!
Remember we recently did some messages on meditation and found it extremely helpful, if not absolutely necessary, in our walk of faith and LOVE with Jesus? For it’s when we truly sow the Word of God in our hearts, and can bring it to mind in times of need, that we become real powerful, steadfast and true believers.
As we meditate on God’s Word, doing more time as prisoners of hope, we grow and mature in faith. And therefore, our words, which contain much power, either for good or evil, are wholly suitable for a believer to utter.
And throughout all of Bruh David’s writings, you’ll find him either alluding to, or asking God to enable him to have godly thoughts, and thus speak appropriate words. And as followers of Christ, we ought to do the same my brethren.
Now listen to this passage of scripture from Psalm 51, a prayer for cleansing, after the prophet Nathan nailed and chastised Bruh David for the murder of Uriah the Hittite, and then his unsavoury relationship with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba.
He pleads with heartfelt repentance: ‘Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.’ (Ps.51:14-15)
Yes Friends, we must ask the Lord to cleanse us of all unrighteousness, so that we can truly sing forth His praise, and with accompanying right actions, cause the unbeliever to come to Him.
For as Bruh David continues in Psalm 51: ‘For thou desirest not sacrifice; else I would give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.’ (Ps.51:16-17)
Oh my people, that’s the God-awesome truth! Our God doesn’t desire or delight in burnt offerings and other material sacrifices! What He needs from us is a truly repentant spirit and sorry heart! And once He sees that, He’ll be only too happy and willing to grant us the desires of our hearts.
We can’t find a better example of God’s largesse and forgiveness than with Bruh David. So today, please, let’s all open our hearts to Almighty God in prayerful and sincere contrition, so that our hearts, minds and spirits will be in agreement with His Word, and consequently the words that we speak, and the actions we do, will bring Him great glory, glory that He so rightfully deserves.
Yes my fellow believers, let us all go out today and be fruitful in God’s name, as is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!
…to obey is better than sacrifice…and to hearken than the fat of rams… (1 Sam.15:22b)
07 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable sins, acceptable, adrenalin, aura of love, battle, bear hug, beautiful day, believers in Christ, bombarded, close attention, complain, confidence, conquerors, control our thoughts, credibility, deceitful fool, defiles, disappointed, enthusiasm, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, evil, faithfulness, families, followers, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, grateful, gratitude, guarantee, hearts and minds, hell or high water, high-five, holy spirit, humble servants, influence our paths, innocent, invincible, Jesus, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, King of Kings, lies, life of faith, Lord of Lords, LOVE, Lucifer, make or break, master of our lives, meditation, mighty wings, Monday Monday, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not afraid, only superstar, peace, pedestal, planet earth, platitudes, power, protection, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, represent Jesus, roof of heaven, saviour, shoot the messenger, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, Thank You Lord, the greatest, unconditional LOVE, useful purpose, utmost faith, utmost importance, weary souls, whine
Psalm 19:14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (rock) and my redeemer.
And the crowd sang lustily: ‘Monday, oh Monday; just can’t wait for you to come…!’
Now, for the good news Friends; Monday is here! Glory Hallelujah! Nothing like the bearer of good tidings eh! And please don’t shoot or curse the messenger, or whine and complain about being tired and otherwise, for that’s not the proper response for followers of Jesus. Simply get up and gratefully say: ‘Thank You Lord for allowing me to see another beautiful day on your beautiful planet Earth.’ Then get yourself together to go out and labour.
And as always, our Monday Morning Battle Hymn is here to get our sluggish engines started, get the adrenalin flowing so that we can go out and represent Jesus in the best manner possible. Now let’s raise the roof of heaven this Monday morning, with a most excellent vocalization. (smile)
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!’
Yes mih people, that was indeed most excellent!
Meanwhile, up in heaven, the Father cannot contain Himself, and high-fives Jesus, saying: ‘Yes mih boy! Your people are certainly in good voice this morning. But let’s see how they’ll do when it comes time to join the battle with that deceitful fool Lucifer.’
Without missing a beat, a smiling and confident Jesus just raises His right hand in a clenched fist salute and replies: ‘Don’t worry Father, they’ll do just fine! I have the utmost faith in them.’
The Father LOVINGLY pats Him on the back and says: ‘I’m glad to hear that Son. Wouldn’t want You to be disappointed in the people You’ve chosen.’
But Jesus calmly rejoins: ‘Don’t concern Yourself Father. I’ve personally vetted every one of them, and they ALL have what it takes to be true, loyal and faithful followers.’
The Father then embraces Jesus in a tight and warm bear hug, and says: ‘Thank You Son. I know the feeling, for I also had the utmost faith in You when I sent You down there to redeem them from their abominable sins.’
Oh mih breddren, mih breddren, all yuh hear that conversation that just went on up there in heaven! Jesus put His actual life on the line once for us already, now He’s putting His credibility before the Father, His ability to pick good followers, guaranteeing our faithfulness! That means that come hell or high water, (smile) we just cannot let Him down, we can’t afford to disappoint Him, especially after all He’s innocently suffered on our behalf.
And after the Father done boast about Him and place Him on that high pedestal, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that HE’S THE GREATEST, the ONLY real SUPERSTAR!
No sir! We definitely can’t let Jesus down. So please, today, RIGHT NOW, let’s get truly serious about being His followers nuh, and get ourselves out into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, requesting His help, like Bruh David did in the memorable words of our Bit: ‘Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (rock) and my redeemer.’
Yes Friends, all of us know those words, but too many of us just mouth them as simple platitudes, without taking them seriously. Today though, I want ALL of us to begin paying very close attention to them because they are of the utmost importance in our life of faith. Our hearts and minds control our thoughts, emotions and beliefs, and thus greatly influence the paths we choose, while our words declare what’s in our hearts and minds.
Remember too that words contain unimaginable power. So much so, that God used them to create the universe and all therein, as described in Genesis chapters 1 and 2.
And don’t forget either these wise and truthful words of Jesus: ‘Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ (Matt.15:11) Therefore let’s pay close attention to our words, for they can either make or break us.
More on this Bit tomorrow, God willing. Till then, may the Lord bless and keep us safely ensconced under the LOVING protection of His mighty wings, give us His wonderful peace and fill our hearts with His unconditional, eternal LOVE! Much much LOVE to all you, my fellow believers in Christ!
…oh what joy and gratitude enriches our souls…when Jesus is the Master of our lives…
06 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversaries, affirmative, angry, anguish, bless them that curse you, blessings, consciousness, enjoy, evil, faithfulness, forgiveness, godly wisdom, good, goodwill, grow, hatred, heed, hidden recesses, Jeremiah, LOVE, Love your enemies, loving kindness, manna, mature, mercies, motives, negative emotions, New Year's resolution, omnipotent god, opposition, peace, persecution, philosophy, physical hurt, powerful words, pray for them which despise you, recompensed, rejoice, rejoice and be glad, relationship with Jesus, resentful, revive our spirits, sincerity, souls, steadfast followers of Christ, the day the Lord's made, tolerant, truth, unbelievers, understanding, vengeance
Psalm 109:5. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my LOVE.
Oh Friends, as the psalmist so wisely and rightly proclaimed eons ago: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24) Please, let’s all do that today nuh, this first Sunday in October 2013.
And all God’s people joyfully declared: ‘We shall, yes we will rejoice in this day our great God has made for us to enjoy! A new day of new mercies, blessings, manna and forgiveness to revive our spirits! It is mete and right for us to enjoy the Lord’s LOVING-kindness and glorify His Holy Name!’
And since we’re so into God this morning Friends, (smile) what better time than now to check out that New Year’s promise we made, some nine months ago, to walk closer and more faithfully with Jesus, and to add our two bits worth to His glorious LOVE Revolution.
Now have we improved the strength of our relationship with our Lord and Saviour, and consequently with our fellow believers? And what about the unbelievers, the unwashed, the angry and resentful? Have we been more understanding and tolerant?
Oh my people, I surely do hope that ALL our answers to the foregoing questions are in the affirmative! And if by chance they’re not, then I’m strongly urging us to go to God today, and ask for His help in making them so. That’s provided we’re seriously interested in becoming true, strong and steadfast followers of Christ. For you know He will NEVER refuse our requests, if we come to Him in sincerity and truth.
Remember, we can always fool ourselves and our fellow man, but we can’t fool Jehovah God, because He sees right down into the deepest, darkest, hidden recesses of our souls, and unearths our true motives.
And with all that godly wisdom laid out before us, (smile) let’s turn to our Bit. ‘And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my LOVE.’
Now Friends, all we’ve said above greatly impacts the way we handle situations like that encountered by Bruh David in our Bit. Do we return evil for evil, and hatred for hatred? We certainly ought not to, for Jesus doesn’t subscribe to, or embrace that philosophy.
Listen to His pronouncement on the subject. ‘But I say unto you which hear, LOVE your enemies, do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you.’ (Luke 6:27-28)
Ah mih breddren, we all know that’s not an easy philosophy to adopt and then put into practice. And we’ll never be perfect at it, but we must try our best to execute it, if we truly want to grow and mature in our LOVE for, and faithfulness to Jesus.
Now let’s turn to a scripture where the prophet Jeremiah encountered that rendering of evil for good. He’s telling God: ‘Then said they, Come and let us devise devices (plans) against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us smite (attack) him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
Give heed to me, O Lord, and hearken (listen) to the voice of them that contend with me. Shall evil be recompensed (repaid) for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul (life). Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for (concerning) them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.’ (Jer.19:18-20)
Yes Friends, Jeremiah suffered intense persecution for his efforts on God’s behalf. But like Bruh David, though he too cited what he’d like to see happen to his enemies, (Jer. 19:21-23) he left the actual revenge up to God. And so too should we, because vengeance doesn’t belong to us, but to Almighty God. (Deut. 32:35)
And I like how Bruh David puts it in this verse from Psalm 38, the prayer of a penitent heart. ‘They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.’ (Ps.38:20)
Yes my brethren, once we try to do what is right in the sight of the Lord, we’ll always encounter opposition, sometimes even physical hurt. But we can’t allow that to stop us. Please look at all that Jesus innocently suffered on our behalf. The least we can do is put up with a little anguish to help Him build His wonderful kingdom. (smile)
And we’ll close with these few, simple, but oh so powerful and productive words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom.12:21)
Oh Friends, those truly are exceptional words, undoubtedly words of godly wisdom! So let’s take them to heart, bury them deep in our consciousness, and go out and put them into practice today nuh. It’s what Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…the negative emotions of evil, anger and hatred…can NEVER be more powerful and productive…than those of peace, LOVE and goodwill…because they come from the Most High and omnipotent God…
05 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversity, anger, Anger versus Love, anguished soul, animosity, arms to hug, between a rock and a hard place, blame, criticize, cry to God, destruction, difficult situations, distinction, encourage, encouragement, Enjoying Everyday Life Magazine, evil, false witness, fasting, feasts, fists to strike out, foolish pride, forgive, generous, glare, gnashed, good, good news, gospel truth, grief, hatred, heartfelt emotion, heaven, heavenly Father, help, human frailties, indisputable truth, jehovah god, joyful soul, LOVE, LOVE one another, mature in Christ, mighty man of God, mockers, mourning, needy, one iota of time, pain, personal experiences, petty stuff, poor, prayer, Psalm 35, rejoice, rescue from enemies, revenge, righteous, sackcloth, salvation, selfishness, silver platter, sincere repentance, smile, social media, social networks, sorrow of soul, take everything to God in prayer, tribulations, troubles, ungodly world, victorious, wicked, wisdom, withhold, wrongdoing
Psalm 109:5. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my LOVE.
Well Friends, once again we’ve been blessed to see another wonderful day on God’s great earth! Thank You Lord! And I have another piece of good news (smile) for those with an I-phone. I was talking to a reader earlier on, and he says he has his phone read the Bit to him. He just finds it in his e-mail, highlights it, clicks speak, and a friendly female voice reads it to him, while he’s driving, or even lying in bed.
One word of caution; she does have some problems with the West Indian slang and patois, so you might have to read those parts for yourself. He also wasn’t sure if that operation was available on a Samsung phone, but it surely works on the Apple brand. So for all you too busy or too lazy readers, there’s another easy way out for you. (smile)
Now let’s move on to our Bit: ‘And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my LOVE.’ And in deference to it, I want to share a rather apt poem from the September/October 2013 edition of Enjoying Everyday Life Magazine, published by the Joyce Meyer Ministries.
It talks about ‘ANGER VS LOVE: ANGER is a powerful emotion, but LOVE is much stronger. In anger we might criticize, but in LOVE we encourage. In anger we might turn away, but in LOVE we reach out. In anger we might withhold, but in LOVE we are generous. In anger we might use out fists to strike out, but in LOVE we use our arms to hug. In anger we might glare, but in LOVE we smile. In anger we might blame, but in LOVE we forgive.’
And at the end it quotes the Good Book: ‘…Just as I have LOVED you, so too you should LOVE one another.’ (John 13:34)
And that’s all indisputable, gospel truth, my people! Also, as believers, we ought to be living the LOVE aspect of that poem! Granted, it’s much easier to say than to do, but we’d never grow or mature in Christ if everything was easy, or we were just handed everything on a silver platter.
Note that Jesus’ life here on earth wasn’t the least bit easy, but with the help and encouragement from His heavenly Father, He bore the trials and tribulations with great distinction and came out victorious. And so too can we, my brethren. If we just take everything to God in prayer, He will surely enable us to handle the unfortunate and difficult situations we all encounter in this wicked and ungodly world.
And if by chance you think that because Jesus was also God, it was much easier for Him, then let’s check out some scriptures from Bruh David’s personal experiences. Like us, he was a mortal man, so there can be no excuses with his suffering. In Psalm 35, a prayer for rescue from enemies, of which he had a lot, he cries out with great emotion to the God of his fathers.
‘For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit (hidden their net in a pit for me), which without cause they have digged for my soul (life). Let destruction come upon him at unawares (unexpectedly); and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall. And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth (plunders) him? False (fierce) witness did rise up; they laid to my charge (asked me) things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling (sorrow) of my soul.
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned unto my own bosom (heart). I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily (in mourning), as one that mourneth for his mother. But in mine adversity (stumbling) they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together; yea, the abjects (attackers) gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not: With hypocritical (ungodly) mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.’ (Ps.35:7-16)
Oh Friends, if one of the mightiest warrior kings, great poet, musician and righteous men who ever lived could cry to God with such heartfelt emotion, why can’t we eh? And I’m sure none of us have as many enemies as Bruh David had, or the animosity with which they sought to destroy him. That’s why he was so favoured of God. In spite of his human frailties and wrongdoing, he never failed to admit his sins when he realized them and wasn’t afraid either to cry out to God with an anguished soul, whenever he found himself between a rock and a hard place.
Oh my people, when evil comes against us, we need to cry out more to God, rather than our fellow man. And we’re not talking about simple whining and complaining about selfish, petty stuff – God won’t answer us anyway – but for truly serious stuff. If it was good enough for Bruh David, a mighty man of God, then it should also be good enough for us.
So please don’t allow things like foolish pride, anger and revenge, to keep us from being all that we can be, and achieving all that we can, by not seriously hooking up with Jehovah God, and staying constantly tuned in to Him, just like you all stay constantly tuned in to your friends through the social media. (smile)
You’d be surprised to see how much your life would improve if you gave God just one iota of the time you spend on the social networks. Now I’ll leave us to ponder our individual attachment to God today, expecting that with true and sincere repentance, we’ll call on Him to help us make the relationship right. That’s wisdom that only heaven can impart! Much LOVE!
…oh what senseless grief and pain we bear…when we refuse to take our troubles…ALL to God in prayer…
30 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ashes, aura of love, bombarded, buffeted, celebrity news, charge our batteries, confidence, conqueror, Creator of the universe, criticsm, disobedience, don't be afraid, enemy's ranks, enthusiasm, ever-LOVING God, evil, fear not, followers of Jesus, folly of idolatry, glorious kingdom, God's promise, graven image, holy spirit, humble servants, idol makers, idol worship, idolatry, idols of the heathen, if you can't beat them, inanimate objects, indisputable truth, inroads, interesting scripture, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, join them, lies, living God, merciful, mere men, moans and groans, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Most High God Jehovah, no nonsense God, other people's business, pagan idolatry, polytheistic, praise his holy name, precious things, prophet isaiah, raise the adrenalin, ready for battle, rearing to go, rebellious souls, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, resigned reaction, ridicule, scholarly thoughts, shame, silver and gold, spiritual armour, spread His Word, steadfast faith, surrender, taunting, truthful words, ungodly world, useful purpose, useless, vanity, weary souls, wicked taunts, wiles, witnesses
Psalm 135:15. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
Oh Friends, I’ll say it quietly. Today is Monday, another work week beckons. And surprise, surprise, the response I receive is fairly good! There’s no overt resentment or whining, with a smattering of enthusiasm, but the majority portray a kind of resigned reaction in the shrug of their shoulders. Like they’re thinking, I can’t beat them, so I might as well join them.
And though my people, it’s an improvement over our past reactions, it’s still not good enough for followers of Jesus. The true followers of Jesus ought to be well rested and rearing to go out and spread His Word and His Holy Name! (smile) Anyway, I know that reaction will come in time, for it’s all about growing, about maturing in Christ. So until that awesome time arrives, let’s keep on singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to raise the adrenalin and charge our batteries.
As one, loud and proud voice now, let’s sing: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour.
We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Okay Friends, our engines are revving and we’re ready for battle! So let’s get straight into our Bit, because I have plenty interesting scripture and scholarly thoughts to share this morning. (smile) And I hear the moans and groans in the background.
But yuh know, if it was celebrity news and other people’s business, there would be nary a groan, instead everybody would sit up and show interest. And then, when our God accuses us of idol worship, of not paying sufficient attention to Him and His Word, we get all upset and claim it’s not true.
Anyway, here’s our Bit: ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.’ Now that, we all know to be indisputable truth! However, though we might know it intellectually, our disobedient and rebellious souls refuse to accept it, as our actions prove each and every day.
But listen to this rich and powerful scripture, the words of our wonderful and ever-LOVING, but no-nonsense God, as spoken through His prophet Isaiah. As expected, it deals with the folly of idolatry and the Lord’s promise to have His Spirit continually watch over Israel.
‘Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have I not told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no (other) God (Rock); I know not any. They that make a graven image are all of them vanity (useless); and their delectable (precious) things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
Who hath formed a god, or molten (moulded) a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows (companions) shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of (mere) men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.’ (Is.44:8-11)
Ah mih people, strong and truthful words indeed! And the prophet goes on to ridicule the makers of idols in God’s name, up to verse 20. Please read it, so you can get the full discourse.
Now hear the scholars take on all that. ’44:9-20. This expose of idolatry is the most taunting in all of the Bible. The prophet Isaiah, serving as the spokesman of Yahweh, reveals the utter foolishness of polytheistic pagan idolatry. The graven image (carved idol) is called vanity (nothing). Delectable things refers to the adornment of idols with gold, silver and precious stones.
The prophet announces that the idols themselves are their own witnesses, (whereas man is God’s witness). They see not, nor know. Therefore these inanimate objects are profitable for nothing. Isaiah then berates the workmen (artisans) for designing and constructing their idols in the figure of a man. He exposes the basic fallacy of idolatry, a god made in the image of man. Thus the prophet’s criticism of one who would worship an idol carved from the same tree that he would use for firewood is that he feedeth on ashes.’
Oh Friends, please, please, let’s ensure today that we’re not feeding on ashes, or doing any of those things idolaters are supposed to do. And remember that the worshipping of idols doesn’t only include statues and graven images, but refers to ANY and EVERYTHING which we consider more important than God, and spend so much time on or in, with little or no regard to spending time with the Most High God Jehovah!
So please let the Word and the Holy Spirit be our guides today, as we go out to join the enemy in battle on Jesus’ behalf this Monday morning, the last day of September 2013. It’s the only way to disprove the contention that we’re idol worshippers. Much LOVE!
…what’s the purpose of worshipping inanimate, immobile man made objects…who can do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for us…especially when there’s already a powerful, merciful, forgiving, LIVING GOD in existence…
27 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, bless His name, bright and bountiful day, cars, cell phones, christianity, computers, contentment, dead idols, disobedience, dumb, dumber, evil, evil cohorts, Facebook, fallacy, fantasy, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, godly insight, gold, gospel truth, hail the power of jesus name, happiness, heathen, holy spirit, houses, idols, idols of the world, Jehovah, joy, living God, LOVE, Lucifer, money, pandering to idols, passion, political power, power of Jesus' name, Praise the Lord, relaxation, religion, renewed in body soul and mind, respite from work, rest, see the light, sham, silver, social media, social status, spirituality, television, Thank God it's Friday, thanks to God, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Most High, the work of men's hands, things of the world, time for God, too busy, true perspective, true wisdom, tweeting, twitter, unwise actions, wisdom of the foolish, worship idols, Yahweh
Psalm 135:15. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
All hail the power of Jesus’ Name this Friday morning Friends!
And all believers joyfully declared: ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name! Thank Him for allowing us to see another bright and bountiful day! Thank Him that it’s Friday and we’ll soon get a much needed respite from our labour! Yes, thank God, it’s Friday!’
And that’s the way it ought to be my people, because it’s Almighty God who enables us to do all that we do. He is most definitely the ONE who enables us to get jobs, wealth, prosperity, peace joy and LOVE in this ungodly world, in these very troubled times!
As you can see mih breddren, Friday has come around again, and as always, we need to chant our Friday Chant, so that we can choose and keep the right options presented or available to us, and thus gain true perspective. (smile)
So let’s chant in full and grateful voice nuh: ‘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.’
Great chanting mih people! Now let’s turn to our new Bit. ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.’
And yuh know what Friends, all that stuff that’s gone before fits our Bit to a ‘T’. And it wasn’t my brilliance either, but the leading of the Holy Spirit. It’s only after I decided on the Bit that I realized how pertinent it was to the weekend.
And you ask why? Because it’s usually on the weekend, when we have some spare time, time to ourselves, that we most often turn to the idols of the world, the man made stuff which takes up so much of our time, and leaves little, if any for God.
We can always make, or find time for the television, the 500 channels with so much nonsense on most of them, that only about a dozen, if so many, are truly worth watching. Don’t talk about the computers, the cell phones, the tweeting on Twitter, the posting of our private and personal business on Facebook and all the other social media.
Unwise actions that are only getting us in trouble and causing our young people to get even dumber than they already are, while the purveyors of all the nonsense clap their hands in evil contentment and laugh all the way to the bank.
And they’re numerous other worldly things that we pay unnecessary attention to, which then become idols; like cars, houses, money, political power and social status, hoping that they will bring us joy and happiness on this earth.
But Friends, I’m hear to tell you that it’s all a fallacy, a fantasy, a great sham, engineered and perpetrated by Lucifer and his evil cohorts, to turn us away from the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
If you ask a lot of supposed believers, when last they went to church or read their Bibles, too many would be at a loss to give you an answer. And when you ask them why, the answer is usually they’re too busy.
Too busy doing what eh? Too busy pandering to the idols and things of the world! But my brethren that’s the wisdom of the foolish! For if you’re too busy for God now, in your time of need, He will also be too busy for you.
Our God LOVES us unconditionally and with great passion, but just like we don’t, or rather are not supposed to put up with disobedience from our children, He doesn’t put up with disobedience from us.
And listen to the psalmist as he continues to tell us about the greatness of the Lord and the vanity, uselessness of idols. ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.’ (Ps.135:15-18)
And that’s the gospel truth my people! The idols of the world are pure foolishness! Some of them are indeed useful in our earthly lives, but to place as much attention on them as we do, to kill ourselves in acquiring them is certainly not wise.
How can you treat stuff made by man, as God eh? Especially when they have eyes but can’t see; ears that can’t hear, mouths without breath and can’t talk, and the men who made them have to carry them around.
Oh Friends, I’ll leave us to ponder those questions that we’ve raised today, sincerely hoping that many of us who worship these idols will see the light, will get some godly insight into our unwise actions.
May the Lord open our eyes and grant us true wisdom this Friday morning, for we badly need it. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Much LOVE!
…where’s the sense in worshipping dead idols eh…when there’s a vibrant and living Deity…known by names such as… Yahweh, Jehovah, The Most High, Almighty God…who’s created all…and still controls everything…
P.S. No complaining about the length of the Bit today please, because it’s pretty short. (smile) Much LOVE!
12 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: advances, anger, ashamed of Christ, Beelzebub, believers in Jesus, bitterness, blessed day, blessings, bounden duty, christianity, cold and rainy, conquer the nations, darkness, death, demonic gates, destruction, doctrine of justification, enduring faith, entreaties, eternal life, evil, faith in the Lord, forgiveness, God's countenance, God's essential attribute, God's revelation, God-sent day, golden arches of heaven, gospel, Great Tribulation, Habakkuk's prophecy, Hades, hate, haughty, hot and sunny, injustice, justification by faith, kneel at Christ's footstool, life, life eternal, light, live our faith, lost souls, LOVE, Love God, loving god, Lucifer, mercy, moral sphere, New Testament, obey God's commandments, Old Testament, part of the problem, part of the solution, peace, plans of mice and men, proud, religion, revenge, righteous, salvation, scholarly explanations, separation from God, sin, Spread God's Word, stand strong, steadfast, suppress the truth, thanks and praise, the enemy, the Father, the guilt of mankind, the just shall live by faith, the power of God, the power of the gospel, the righteousness of God, the SON, theology, true repentance, ultimate gifts, ungodliness, ungodly world, union with God, unrighteousness, upright, victors, weather forecasts, wrath of God
Habakkuk 2:4. Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Oh Friends, another God-sent day is on the horizon. But whether it’s going to be hot and sunny, like the past two days, or cold and rainy, I can’t tell you, because I’ve seen two different forecasts in the last few hours. Around 10 p.m. last night, it said 31 degrees and rain, but at 2.30 this morning, it’s saying 24 and sunshine, and that’s after rain, thunder and lightning last night. So you go figure nuh!
The weather forecaster’s job right now is one of the most unpredictable in the world. But my brethren, regardless of what happens with the weather, believers in Jesus will stand strong, steadfast and upright because of their enduring faith, as our Bit so wisely declares: ‘Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.’
And I guess you’re wondering why there’s no wandering preamble? Well I have plenty stuff to share, and I want to get it all in today, while keeping the Bit at a reasonable length. So right away, let’s get to some scholarly explanations re our Bit.
‘2:4. Two classes of people are contrasted (1) the proud, haughty Chaldeans who will be the victors in the forthcoming conflict; and (2) the righteous ones of Judah who will appear to be defeated in the forthcoming conflict, but in reality will be the victors because of their faith in the Lord.
The just shall live by his faith is often quoted in the New Testament in support of the doctrine of justification by faith. (See Rom.1:17; Gal.3:11; Heb.10:38) Thus, this Old Testament prophecy anticipates the New Testament gospel which shall ultimately conquer the nations and bring them to Christ.’
And that’s exactly what the New testament Gospel has been doing Friends; conquering both individuals and nations and having them kneel at Christ’s footstool in true repentance to receive His ultimate gifts of salvation and eternal life! What can be more pleasing to our heavenly Father eh? Nothing, except for the whole, entire earth to believe and receive salvation, not losing a single soul to the enemy Beelzebub!
But just remember my fellow believers, that our most important job here on earth, our bounden duty, is to help bring those lost souls to Jesus. So if we don’t do right, that’s LOVE God, LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD His Word, then we’re part of the problem and not of the solution.
Oh, and by the way, I hope you all checked out the reference from yesterday, Daniel 5:30-31, where Habakkuk’s prophecy came through in the middle of the night. Belshazzar, the Chaldean king was slain and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom.
And today’s certainly your lucky day Friends, sorry blessed day (smile) because I’ve planned to quote all the scriptures the scholars referenced above, including this one from John.
‘The Father LOVETH the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ (John 3:35-36)
Yes my people, those who don’t believe in the light and life of the Son, darkness, death and destruction will continue to dog them forever. And as Bruh Paul said to the Roman church, when he talked about the power of the gospel and the guilt of mankind.
‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.’ (Rom.1:16-18)
Ah mih breddren, the gospel of Christ is so powerful that it can propel you from the very demonic gates of sin, death and Hades right to the golden arches of heaven, through salvation, so you can enjoy life eternal.
Wow! I say it every day: what a mighty and LOVING God we serve my people! Everyday we should just be falling all over ourselves to live for Him, to give Him the thanks and praise He so worthily deserves!
But instead we foolishly resist His entreaties and advances, push Him aside, and live with hate, bitterness, anger and revenge as the prominent emotions in our lives, rather than those of Peace, LOVE, Mercy and Forgiveness which flow from Him.
And then we wonder why life is so rough. Hn! The answer is so simple; we’ve turned away from Almighty God. We no longer obey His commandments, so how do we expect to receive His blessings and LOVING-kindness eh?
Oh Friends, I think I have to change my plans here yes, because I’ve just seen some explanations from the scholars re the last two verses above, which I believe will help us understand those scriptures better, so here goes.
‘1:17. Righteousness, God’s essential attribute is revealed. It is not man’s invention; it is God’s revelation. Left to himself, man would never have thought of it. From faith to faith: It’s source and end are the same. To those who possess God’s righteousness Paul pronounces, The just shall live by faith. What one believes does make a difference. If he believes the gospel he has life (union with God); otherwise he has death (separation from God).
1:18. The wrath is not the revelation of a future judgement of God or of the Great Tribulation, but a present revelation that parallels the present revelation of God’s righteousness (cf.1:17). This revelation comes from heaven.
Ungodliness is failure in the religious realm. Unrighteousness is failure in the moral sphere or injustice toward man. Who hold (lit. “hold down,” “suppress”) the truth in unrighteousness. They received the truth concerning the wrath of God but hindered it and prevented it from completing its work.’
Oh my fellow believers, I do hope that brings a clearer understanding of those scriptures. So we’ll end there, and if God’s willing, will continue this topic tomorrow, for we all know that the best laid plans of mice and men usually go astray, (smile) and it’s the Lord’s plan that carries the day.
Till we meet tomorrow then, may we walk in the sunshine of God’s countenance, may peace and LOVE guide our footsteps as we continue looking to Jesus for strength and faith to face this evil, ungodly world. Much LOVE!
…if you don’t believe in Jesus…then you’ll pay the price…just like Lucifer is doing…
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