10 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: above and not beneath, above ye are able, acclamations, Amen, bless and keep us, by the stripes of Jesus, Christ-like, comforting wings, common to man, compassionate heart, curse, eternal life, faith, favour, fear not, fim, forgiveness, glory to God, God of all grace, grace, healed, home to heaven, I will be with thee, justified, keeps all of His promises, leaves us in the lurch, long-winded, LOVE, loving-kindness, make a way, make me strong, mercy, more than a conqueror, more than we can handle, negative experience, negative word, overcomer through Christ, pass through the waters, place of retirement, prosper, reconciled, renovation, restore, resurrected, sacrificial death, salvation, sanctified, self-control, self-discipline, shall not overflow thee, share those blessings, spilling of holy blood, steadfast, succeed, success, suffered a while, temptation, thanks and praise, the BIBLE, the enemy, the flame scorch thee, the Holy One of Israel, the only redeemer, thou shalt not be burned, through Christ who loves me, through the rivers, Thursday Blessings, trying times, walk through the fire
Isaiah 43:2. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee.
Welcome to a brand new day friends! Oh I know that some of you have begun your day long ago, and those of you over the pond are closer to finishing it, but the ole fella, with the Lord’s help, is just beginning his, somewhat late yes, but at least I’m around to begin! (smile) And that’s something we ought to give our wonderful God much thanks and praise for, so please join me in a short prayer.
‘Oh God of our fathers, we thank you for allowing us to see this bright and splendid day! Our aches and pains, our worries and problems have not gone away, and we’re still living in a sinful world, but we joyfully remember Your promise that by the stripes of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we will be healed, and by the spilling of His holy blood, reconciled, justified, sanctified, and resurrected to salvation and eternal life.
And we know that You are a Deity who keeps ALL of His promises, so we’re not worried. Consequently we give You much thanks and praise for all the mercy, grace, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness that you’ve bestowed on us in these trying times, and we ask that you continue to bless and keep us under Your safe, caring and comforting wings, till whenever You think it necessary to call us home to heaven, your wonderful place of retreat and retirement. All this we pray in Jesus’ name!’ And all God’s children declared a loud, proud and grateful, ‘AMEN!’
Ah friends, I know that both you and the Lord are chuckling because I promised a short prayer, but you all know that the ole fella is a long-winded soul, so you just have to be godly and forgive me. (smile) Now let’s reinforce that short prayer with a couple of powerful scriptural acclamations.
Here we go: ‘I am an overcomer through Christ!’ ‘I am above and not beneath! The head and not the tail! (Deut.28:13) ‘I am more than a conqueror, through Christ who LOVES me.’ (Rom.8:37) And this last one is one that I need to believe ever so much in my current state of renovation. (smile) ‘And the God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ, after I have suffered a little while, will himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast.’ (1 Pet. 5:10)
And all I can say to that friends, is ‘Glory to our great God!’ That’s because He never leaves us in the lurch, never carries, or allows us to be carried where we can’t be reached by His strong, outstretched arm; never gives us more than we can bear, and even when it seems that way, He will eventually make a way for us to handle our circumstances.
As Bruh Paul told the Corinthians: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor.10:13)
Now friends, that doesn’t mean we will escape all temptation, or all rough and trying circumstances, but that the Lord will bring us through them safely, for meeting and experiencing temptations and trials is an essential part of our Christian growth, we can only become more Christ-like and grow more godly when we experience some sort of negative experience. And that brings us to this wonderful passage and promise of scripture, uttered through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, as he talks about ‘The Lord, the ONLY Redeemer.’
Listen up carefully: ‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable (honoured), and I have LOVED thee: therefore I will give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather them from the west.’ (Is.43:1-5)
Oh my people, my people, what more can our God promise us eh, so that we’ll stop worrying and place our total trust in Him eh? And throughout His Holy Word, the Bible, you’ve seen numerous instances of where He has kept His promise, especially in redeeming us through the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus Christ! So let’s rise up to the heights of wisdom in these last time nuh, let’s sincerely accept Him with thankful hearts, minds, bodies and souls, as He so greatly desires.
Now let’s go home declaring (Chuh…wrong again!) the wonderful Thursday Blessings that He’s so wonderfully bestowed on us sincere believers. All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And the next step is to share those blessings with others, for that’s a large part of the reason they were granted to us. Much LOVE!
…those who enjoy God’s blessings…will NEVER pay attention to the enemy again…
09 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acclamations, aching, Christian faith, contradiction, depend upon you, desperately need God, do right, eyes fixed ahead, faith, give up sleep, glorious future with christ, glory to God, grouchy, halfway home, hand on the plough, have dominion over me, His Part, honour, I can do all things, in thy word, joy, keep thy precepts, let not any iniquity, living for God, LOVE, love your every wish, loving god, make the first move, make thy face to shine, make your word my guide, men keep not thy law, My Part, not turning back, obey you, One Year Book of Bible promises, order my steps, our benefit, pained in body and soul, paint ourselves, pity party, promises, reassure me, redeem me, refresh, renew, revere, revive me, right out of the picture, rivers of waters, rule over me, run down my face, Ruth Harms Calkin, Satan, secret, sin, steadfast, teach me thy statutes, the breath of life, the heathen, the oppression of man, this is the day the Lord has made, through Christ who strengthens me, times of stress and strain, trust, unassailable position, unmoved by any circumstance, wanting any plan but yours, we will be glad and rejoice in it, Wednesday Wail, words can't truly express
Psalm 119:133. Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any (no) iniquity (sin) have dominion (rule) over me.
Ah friends, can someone explain this contradiction for me please: Why do I go to bed feeling fairly agile and healthy, but wake up a few hours later feeling lousy; tired, aching, grouchy, miserable and pained in both body and soul eh? Isn’t rest and sleep supposed to renew and refresh you, make you feel better and not worse? Between both of us, I’m simply tired of it yes…and I might just give up sleep and rest completely! (smile)
And I know that some of you, my readers, also have that age old and aging problem, and you’d like nothing better than for us to have a pity party this cloudy Wednesday morning…But sorry, it’s not going to happen! (smile) Instead we’re going to put our trust and faith in the Lord God Almighty, surrender our all to Him, like He wants us to, and joyfully and loudly and sincerely and without doubting, declare these two acclamations:
‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (P.118:24) And, ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil.4:13) Glory to our great God my brethren, for it is He who gives us breath and life and health and wealth…in fact He is the ONE who gives us EVERYTHING we have and/or need in this crazy, and rather evil world! So in times of stress and strain, He is the most logical ONE to take our cares and problems to!
Now here is a good description of our relationship with our God, taken from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s aptly and simply titled ‘His Part – My Part.’ Please pray with me: ‘Lord You want me to trust You so totally That I am unmoved by any circumstance; Then work in me that steadfast trust. You want me to choose to do right; Then turn me from wanting any plan but Yours. You want me to revere and honour You; Then refresh and revive me.
You want me to obey You uninterruptedly; Then make Your Word my guide. You want me to depend upon You increasingly; Then reassure me that Your promises are mine. You want Your will to be my will; Then help me to LOVE Your every wish. I expect Your help dear Lord For You’ve NEVER broken a single promise And You’re not going to start with me.’
No friends, He’ll NOT start breaking promises with any of us! But please remember we also have a big part to play in this covenant, this partnership with the Lord God of Hosts. We just can’t sit on our fat fannies and expect Him to make everything good come to pass in our lives. We have to offer our trust, our faith and belief in His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, then seek His Will from His Word and obediently follow it.
The big difference between our Christian faith and others, is that our God knows we are not perfect, because He didn’t make us so, but He still LOVES us unconditionally and will help us whenever and wherever we come to Him for help, in whatever sad and sorry state we’re in! Praise His holy name, my people! But we need to make the first move! There must be some effort on our part, otherwise it will just be a one-sided relationship, and that’s definitely not what He wants with us.
And don’t forget, ALL that He’s doing is for OUR BENEFIT, not for His. He doesn’t really need us, but we DESPERATELY NEED HIM! We often mistakenly believe that He needs us, or take Him for granted, or think we can do without Him. But friends, here’s a li’l secret, or as my young daughter would say when she was just learning to talk, a li’l ‘secrat’: NONE of those things are true! And if we keep living by them, we’ll just paint ourselves right out of His picture and all the wonderful things He has in store for each and every one of us.
Now here’s our Bit for the day, the same scripture verse as the promise for the above poem. ‘Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any (no) iniquity (sin) have dominion (rule) over me.’ Yes my people, though we need to come close to God, and stay close to Him, it’s only with His help can we do that successfully.
Thus the psalmist continues after our Bit: ‘Deliver (redeem) me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they (men) keep not thy law.’ (Ps.119:134-136)
Ah mih breddren, what strong words of prayer! And do we sincerely mean them, if and when we pray them? And do we truly weep and moan when our fellow man breaks God’s laws? We ought to. But only God and each individual know for sure, as he checks the motives of our hearts and doesn’t simply rely on our outward behaviour. End of sermon! Hope it makes a good and fruitful impact! (smile)
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the heathen and His leader, Satan, know our unassailable position in Christ. In unison and strong, sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if you believe it, then you’ll know that that future will be even more glorious than we can even ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…LOVING God…and LIVING for Him…oh…they’re such a beautiful way of life…that no words can truly express the joy they bring…
08 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a living hope, abundant mercy, action those words, Alexandre Dumas, all human wisdom, any man should boast, believe in Him, believing, Blessed is the man who trusts in God, by grace ye are saved, Christ's promises, depresses, dwell securely, eternal life, face each day, faith, filled with joy, friend of Jesus, gifts, gospel truth, hope, hope and wait, I shall not be moved, Jeremiah, Lamentations, maketh the heart sick, my hope is in thee, not works, now Lord, obedience, on our own strength, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, perseverance, pick sense from nonsense, queitly wait, rest in hope, rich in mercy, rise from the dead, salvation, saved by hope, share it, sound of the trump, summed up in two words, the beloved of God, the best possible attitude, the gift of God, the last day, the Lord is at my right hand, the resurrection of Christ, through faith, trust his love, Tuesday Mantra, what I do, what wait I for, wise, with patience wait for it
Psalm 39:7. And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.
Well it’s a wet and bright morning in my neighbourhood – bright possibly because I got up later than usual, – also went to bed later than usual. (smile) But anyway, I’d like to welcome us all back to the daily grind and common task, the banal, often boring existence we call everyday life! (smile) Yeh friends, no more celebrations until Valentine’s Day down in February. It’s mostly home and work and pay the bills until then.
But some of us manage that quite well, possibly because we have the Hope of Jesus in our lives. And in the words of the renowned French writer of works like the Count of Monte Cristo, Twenty Years After, Ten Years Later and The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) – real name Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie; ‘All human wisdom is summed up in two words: wait and hope.’
And that is the gospel truth my believing brethren! What else is there in this life eh, but to hope for what we want and then to wait patiently for it? Without either hope or patience we’re like a duck out of water. (smile) As Bruh Paul wrote to the Roman church so long ago: ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) wait for it.’ (Rom.8:24-25)
And that’s simple logic; why hope for something when you already have or see it eh? But friends, nobody personifies those qualities of hoping and patiently waiting more than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, because He promises the best and greatest gifts of all time; salvation and eternal life, which He sacrificially and selflessly died to provide for us! And freely too, because it’s through the grace of God, we’re saved.
As Bruh Paul points out to the Ephesians: ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved…For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph.2:4-5, 8-9).
Ah mih people, Bruh Paul makes it abundantly clear that salvation and eternal life are not ours to attain on our own strength, but through hope and faith and patience and perseverance and obedience in Christ and His will and His wonderful promises. As He says, all we have to do is believe in Him! But some of us find that too simple and easy, and anything that comes to us too easily is no good; if we don’t struggle for something, then it’s not worthwhile.
But with Jesus, my friends, it’s different. The first part, believing is the easy part, for after we believe then comes the oftimes hard part of being obedient. (smile) Anyway, all I really wanted to do this morning was to talk some about hope, and help us build it in Jesus this new year of 2019. But somewhere along the line I got lost and confused, (smile) so let’s get to some scriptures that encourage us and build our hope in Christ.
And where better to start than with these most reassuring words of Bruh David: ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’ (Ps.16:8-9)
Oh my people, when our hope is sincerely placed in the great living God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, then we’re not afraid of life, or whatever it brings against us, and we can rejoice and be safe and secure in His LOVING care! And Bruh David states it plain and simple and assured in this verse, our Bit for today: ‘And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.’ That’s exactly how we ought to also put it my people!
And Cousin Sol has an interesting verse in Proverbs: ‘Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’ (Prov.13:12) And the scholars explain that thus: ‘13:12. Hope deferred depresses, but its fulfillment revitalizes.’ Yeh mih breddren, when we hope for stuff, we often feel depressed having to wait for it, but when we get what we’ve hoped for…Brother! Are we ever filled with joy!
Now hear the lamenting prophet, Jeremiah: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.’ (Jer.17:7) And if Jerry could make such a statement, after all the hardship he went though on the Lord’s behalf, then there must be a whole lot of truth in it. Oh friends, there are so many wonderful scriptures on hope in the Good Book that I’m having a hard time to determine what to use.
Anyhow, hear these last two: the first from Jeremiah in his famous Lamentations, one we all know and LOVE to quote, but don’t action so well. ‘It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:26) And this verse from Peter is a most wonderful one to end with: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.’ (1 Pet.1:3)
Yes friends, because Jesus rose from the dead, we too have the hope that those who believe in Him will also rise at the sound of the trump on the last day! Glory be! Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday mantra, loud, bold and sincere, letting the world know who and whose we are!
In unison now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ And if we truly believe, then we’ll go out and graciously action those words. Much LOVE!
…HOPE renews me…and lets me face each day…with the best possible attitude… (From One More Day -Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness by Sefra Kobrin Pitzele)
P.S. It’s long and late, and I hope it all makes sense, but if it doesn’t, I know you all are wise enough to pick sense from nonsense! (smile) What a nice smiley day! Much LOVE!
07 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a remnant, aura of love, back to normal, bear fruit, Behold, bills, boasts, captures my heart, Christians, confidence, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, faithfulness, foolish souls, friends, glorious kingdom, God's promises, grace, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, I am the Lord, idle talk, in the dumps, invincible, is anything too hard for me, Jesus, jobs, joy, lies, LOVE, mercy, mince words, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, never leave nor forsake us, not afraid, omnipotence, pay the consequences, peace, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stellar attributes, take root, the God of all flesh, the Lord of hosts, trust, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, zeal of the Lord
Jeremiah 32:27. Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?
And then it was Monday – the last first day of this new year! Hn! And everything is back to normal now! No more holidays and exorbitant festivities. Now we have to go back to work five days a week and wait anxiously for all the Christmas and New Year’s bills to come in, wondering where we going to get the money from to pay them? And to make matters worse, we still tired from all that holiday activity!
Yes friends, it’s a hard life yes! (smile) But it’s either we live on what we make, or we pay the consequences later! However enough preaching; I know you want some consolation rather than me pushing you deeper in the dumps, so let’s go to our tried and true Monday Morning Battle Hymn and invoke the Lord’s grace and mercy on our poor, sinful and oftimes foolish souls.
Altogether now, like we believe it: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yes mih people, yes! That’s our great and wonderful God for you! I know your problems haven’t all just disappeared, but I’m sure that you now have the power and confidence to confidently handle them, because the Spirit of our Lord has risen up inside of you and given you the strength you so badly need! Bless His Holy Name friends, and exalt it to the ends of the earth! For He is the ONE who gives us life, and allows us to get health and wealth and all the other good things we enjoy!
So why should we not praise Him and give Him enormous thanks eh? No reason whatsoever my faithful brethren! Now let’s look at some scriptures which reinforce the great might, strength and power of our God; His omnipotence! And we’ll begin with some words from Jeremiah’s prayer after he bought the field. (Jer. 32:1-15)
‘Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase (deed) unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the Lord, saying, Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard (difficult) for thee.’ (Jer.32:16-17) And Jeremiah continued listing all of God’s great doings and attributes.
But what I like is how our God doesn’t mince words or is ashamed of His power. Here’s how He answered Jeremiah’s prayer: ‘Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?’ (Jer.32:26-27) Yes friends, our God does proudly acknowledge His might and power. And so should we, because we’ve seen it in operation all down through the ages.
Now here is another tidbit of scripture that captures my heart. Remember when Isaiah declared the prophecy of Jesus birth: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…The Prince of peace.’ (Is.9:6) Now at the end of the next verse this boast is made:’ The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is.9:7b)
And did He ever my people! He sent His only son Jesus to die for us and provide us a way out of total darkness into the light of His salvation and eternal life! Now why wouldn’t I put my trust and hope and faith in Him eh? Again, no reason whatsoever, since He’s shown that He is indeed capable of doing whatever He says! His boasts are not idle talk, but sure reality, stuff that we can confidently base our lives on!
And again, when Judah was about to be besieged by Sennacherib of the Assyrians, He sent Isaiah to him with this promise: ‘And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward: For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.’ (Is.37:31-32)
And it did happen; whenever Jerusalem was captured or destroyed, a remnant always rose up – to facilitate the coming of Jesus and the prophecy of the Lord’s word. Even today, there is a remnant in Israel!
Yes my faithful brethren, there is omnipotence in our God; there’s nothing He can’t do, so let’s keep putting our hope, faith and trust in Him, for He has also promised never to leave or forsake us, and He keeps His word, even to the thousandth generation! Much LOVE!
…omnipotence and faithfulness…are only two of our God’s…many great and stellar attributes…
06 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good soldier of Christ, a mighty army, against the foe, all one body, attributes, battle cry, charity, Christ the king, Christians, commitment, confidence in God, courage, crown of righteousness, devoted followers of Christ, doctrine, encourage Christians, endurance, endure afflictions, endure hardness, entangles himself, faith, forces of evil, good conscience, happy throng, hardship, Hell's foundations, holding faith, honour, hope, in their imagination, laud, Love his appearing, LOVE Revolution, marching as to war, not divided, on the outside looking in, on to victory, only in Christ, Onward Christian soldiers, perseverance, quiver, race of life, righteous judge, Satan's host doth flee, soldiers for Christ, suffered shipwreck, temptations, the affairs of this world, the church of God, the cross of Jesus, the gospel, the heathen, the royal Master, the shout of praise, the work of an evangelist
2 Timothy 2:3. Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ!
And then it was the first Sunday of the New Year! Glory Be! And all the devoted followers of Christ flocked to His sanctuary to hear His Word, to give Him the praise and worship He so obviously deserves, as well as to mix and mingle and to encourage and edify and uplift their fellow believers. And for this first Sunday in 2019, we have an awesome and most appropriate song of worship to open the proceedings.
It’s an old 19th century British hymn whose lyrics were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865 as a processional hymn for children walking from Horbury Bridge to Horbury St Peter’s Church near Wakefield, Yorkshire, at Whitsuntide in 1865. It was originally entitled, “Hymn for Procession with Cross and Banners.”
Then Arthur Sullivan composed the accompanying music in 1871. They say that Sullivan first named the tune “St. Gertrude,” after the wife of his friend Ernest Clay Ker Seymer, at whose home he composed it. But eventually the Salvation Army adopted it as one of their favourite processional hymns …and the rest is history!
Oh friends, let’s belt out that well known and greatly LOVED tune that calls us to be strong and steadfast soldiers in Christ’s Name. As one great army now, marching into battle, letting the enemy know that we’re coming…and coming for only one thing; victory!
‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! (Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!)
At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise! [Refrain]
Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod; We are not divided; all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. [Refrain]
Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honour, unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages men and angels sing. [Refrain] Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!)’
Oh my fellow believers if that doesn’t stir up the LOVE for Christ in your hearts, then something’s seriously wrong with you! It’s exactly the kind of battle cry Christians need in these turbulent, decadent and evil times! And that’s why it was written; ‘to encourage Christians in their ongoing battles with temptations within themselves and the evil forces throughout the world.’
And there’s been no other time like now, when evil is running rampant all over and the heathen seems to be winning the battle! But friends, that’s only in their imagination, because we believers are coming out loud, proud and strong this year of 2019! We’re going to mightily embrace those rich and encouraging words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ!’
Wow mih people! What better words to frame our year than with those eh? We are in Christ’s army, and as good soldiers do, we WILL endure hardship for Him, and in His name! That’s our faithful promise! For as Bruh Paul continues to Timothy: ‘No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim.2:4)
Yeh friends, if we are soldiers for Christ, we can’t afford to get entangled in the affairs of this world. We have to keep our hands and hearts clean of the evil that surrounds us, so that we can please Christ who has called us, who has enlisted us in His LOVE Revolution, to fight the good fight in His name!
As Bruh Paul told Timothy earlier on: ‘This charge I commit unto (command) thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee (previously made concerning you), that thou by them mightest war a good warfare. Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away (rejected) concerning the faith have made (suffered) shipwreck.’ (1 Tim.1:18-19)
Oh my brethren, we need to be ever so faithful having personal confidence in God, as well as the word, the gospel that’s been handed down to us by the saints. For if we reject those things, then we’ll surely become shipwrecked, lost and left on the outside looking in; the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul!
And later on, Bruh Paul again gets on poor Timothy’s case. After warning him of the deterioration of the church in years to come, (2 Tim.4:2-4) he declares:
‘But watch thou in all things. Endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist (preach the gospel of Christ), make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim.4:5-8)
Yes my believing brethren, we ALL ought to be able to say that at end of our lives. But for that to happen, we have to begin being good, strong and steadfast soldiers of Christ, RIGHT NOW! So let’s get to it nuh! We have a crown of righteousness to win! Much LOVE!
…to win any race…especially the race of life…one needs to have commitment…courage…perseverance…endurance…and faith…and ONLY in Christ…can one find all those attributes…
P.S. Yes, it’s late, but church had to come first…and anyway I likes it…hope you do too! (smile) Much LOVE!
31 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thousand generations, almighty god, among the people, an empty promises, animals of comfort, asaph, aura of love, blessings, burst yuh bubble, call upon his name, caring compassionate self, change our thinking, children of Jacob, chosen ones, cleanse our hearts and spirits, complacency, confidence, covenant, crotchety mood, doors open, enthusiasm, evil, excitement wears off, faith, fancy dan-dan, give thanks unto the Lord, glorious kingdom, grace, heaven, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Isaac and Jacob, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, make known his deeds, mercy, midnight kiss, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, New Year's Eve, Old Year's Day, one iota of difference, puckering up lips, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, resolutions, rest, righteousness, ring in the New year, salvation, same khaki pants, seed of Israel, seek first the kingdom of God, sing psalms, spiritual armour, the Lord God of Abraham, the Lord who causes us to get wealth, truth, ungodly world, waited for, walk closer with Jesus, wisdom, with baited breath
1 Chronicles 16:8. Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
Well mih people, it’s the day that so many of us have waited for with baited breath; New Year’s Eve, or as we use to call it down south Old Year’s Day! But as they say, a rose by any other name is still a rose, and whether we refer to it as an intro to the New Year or as a goodbye to the Old Year, it’s till the same khaki pants! (smile)
And I know that many of us are making excited preparations to ring out the old year and ring in the new one, getting out we fancy dan-dan to go out and party, and practicing puckering up we lips for that great midnight kiss, (smile) while making sumptuous plans and resolutions for the New Year.
And believe me, I don’t want to burst yuh bubble nuh, but here’s a li’l secret; it all won’t make one iota of difference unless we change the way we think, and cleanse our hearts and spirits by getting closer to Jesus! Once the newness and its excitement wears off, we’ll, like the animals of comfort and complacency we are, simply return to our old ways of life.
That’s why I keep saying the ONLY resolution we need to make is to sincerely promise ourselves to walk closer and more faithfully with Jesus this coming year of 2019! And friends, once we do that, everything else will fall into place; we’ll lose the necessary weight, drop the addictions, improve our financial picture, have a more caring and compassionate self and family, etc. etc.
For remember, it’s the Lord who helps us to get wealth and all the other good things in life! Like Jesus said, seek first His kingdom and righteousness, then all that you need will be added unto you. And believe me friends, that’s not an empty promise. But you won’t experience it, until you try it! End of sermon!
And since it’s Monday and many of us have to go to work and are in a crotchety mood, because work is interfering with our New Year’s Eve plans, let’s turn to our heavenly Father and declare our heartfelt plea, in our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, which has the awesome power to lift our spirits and faith in our awesome God. All together now, with as much enthusiasm as we can muster:
‘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 friends, let’s do whatever we have to do, as though we doing it for Jesus and we’ll find it all goes down so much easier!
That’s the secret of living this earthly life in good form and shape; truly believe we’re doing it for our wonderful Lord and Saviour, who LOVED us so much that He chose to selflessly sacrifice His sinless life, taking our sins on His burly shoulders, so that we could receive the free grace of salvation and eternal life! Wow!
And the Good Book opened this morning at a most appropriate place; at Bruh David’s psalm of thanksgiving after he successfully brought the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem. And having praised the Lord, offered the necessary sacrifices, given everyone meat and wine, and appointed singers and musicians to fill the air with thankful words and music, the Good Book declares:
‘Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth; O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the Lord our God; his judgements are in all the earth. Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.’ (1 Chr.16:7-15)
Ah friends, on this last day of this rather disastrous and controversial year of 2018, I implore us to read those words prayerfully, and let’s action them in 2019 nuh, because it’s all for our benefit. And I’m sure none of us wants to go through another tough and trying year like 2018. However, we can only be assured of that if we sincerely and diligently seek the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob like we’ve never done before! Much LOVE!
…when sincere thanks and praise rise up to heaven…it’s doors open wide…and untold blessings pour down upon the earth…
20 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, accomplish for the Lord, add something to it, awaken to a new day, Bionic Man Generation, blessed, breathed his breath, curse, desires of the heart, divine protection, enjoy its fine fruits, eternally grateful, exalt His holy name, faith, favour, fervent, glory to God, heal me O lord, healing, her leaf shall be green, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, Joel Osteen, let all the earth, life-keeping job, living waters, many opportunities, medical disciples, mortal bodies, my best days are still ahead, negative word, Oh Happy Day, populate the earth, positive outlook, prayers, promotion, righteous please, save me O Lord, shall not be anxious, shall not fear, spread out her roots, success, supplications, the dust of the earth, the Lord that heals thee, the man that trusts in the Lord, the road to recovery, the year of drought, Thursday Blessings, to take me home, when heat comes, work
Exodus 15:26b. …for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
And then it was Thursday- Recovery Day! Glory be! Yes friends, the Big Day came and went without any major problems…Give thanks! And now I’m on the road to recovery, with a metal-based device implanted in my body to assist my somewhat less than sturdy and stable heart in doing its life-keeping job!
Give our heavenly Father much praise and thanks my brethren, for He answered all your fervent and righteous pleas, prayers and supplications, by bringing me safely through what seems like a successful surgical procedure. At long last I’ve become a dues paying member of the Bionic Man Generation! (smile) Glory to God!
What else can I say eh, but give Him much deserved thanks and praise; let all the earth exalt His Holy Name! That magnificent, magnanimous Deity who so LOVINGLY and tenderheartedly created us from the dust of the earth, then so generously breathed His breath of life into our mortal bodies!
Ah mih people, I guess what I’m really trying to say is that I’m awfully glad to be alive, with no serious complications, and the Good Lord, through His medical disciples, has possibly prolonged it somewhat. I hope it’s at least fifteen more years, like He gave King Hezekiah when he was supposedly on his deathbed. (smile)
But whatever it is friends, be it one day, I will be eternally grateful, because He’s had many opportunities to take me home and didn’t. That tells me I still have work down here to do on His behalf. In fact, every time we awaken to a new day means we still have work to accomplish for the Lord our God! We’re not just down here to populate the earth and enjoy its fine fruits, but also to add something to it.
Anyway, as Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) likes to say, ‘my best days are still ahead of me!’ And I truly believe that because the Lord has put so many desires in my heart and I haven’t even accomplished half of them yet. For as Jeremiah says: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by living waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer.17:7-8)
That brings us to our main concern today; healing. And what better way to acknowledge it than by accepting the Lord’s word promised through Moses at the bitter waters of Marah, when He brought the Israelites out of Egypt many moons ago. If they would heed His word and be obedient to His will, He would bring none of the diseases that He allowed to befall the Egyptians: ‘for I am the Lord that healeth thee.’ Words of absolute truth my brethren!
The Lord is our Creator, Controller, Provider and many other things, amongst them Healer! Thus His majestic Hebrew name: Jehovah Rapha – the Healer, the Restorer, the One that makes new! And there are so many instances of His healing prowess in the Good Book. Hear the beginning of His message to Hezekiah, through Isaiah, when He told Him that his time was up. After Hezekiah prayed sincerely to the Lord, reminding him that he had walked before Him in truth and righteousness, and he wept great tears.
The Lord stopped Isaiah before he had even left the palace compound, saying to him: ‘Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years: and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.’ (2 Kin 20:5-6)
Now I’m not in Hezekiah’s class, but I have tried my best to walk in truth and righteousness, prayed and wept, just like Hezekiah did, and it appears that the Lord is in the process of healing me. So who am I to question His word eh? Now let’s hear some more healing scripture.
In Bruh David’s words: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies.’ (Ps.103:2-5) And the psalmist declares: ‘He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds (sorrows). (Ps.147:3) Yuh see friends, our great God heals all sorts of illness, not just the physical kind.
And here is Jeremiah’s cry to God for healing: ‘Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.’ (Jer.17:14) Yeh friends, whenever the Lord God is our true praise, our wounds will be healed. I can vouch for that!
Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings in strong voice, with sincere hearts. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’ And the purpose of all those blessings is to share them with the less fortunate. Please remember that! Much LOVE!
…oh happy day…when Jesus healed…when He healed all my ailments…in His own way…
P.S. Yeh the Bit is late, since I didn’t get home until around 3 p.m. But let’s be thankful that we even have a Bit nuh! (smile) Much LOVE!
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