13 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a basic principle, a compassionate heart, a positive note, a positive outlook on life, abundance, backbone, balck and white, be wise, belief, blessed are they, broken, Christian fighters, clear direction for my life, courage, creativity, curse, daily delight, daily devotions, divine protection, drew a circle, end times, enthusiasm, established the clouds, eternal damnation, expecting good things, faith, favour, from everlasting, fulfillment, Glory be, godly wisdom, good health, hear instruction, I love them that love me, in the name of Jesus, Jehovah, Jesus Christ strengthens us, Joyce Meyer, jump starts our day, keep my ways, lift our head and shoulders, like eagles, Lucifer, negative word, obtain favour, on the right foot, promotion, pros and cons, prosper, psyche, ray of hope, refuse it not, rejoicing always, self-control, self-discipline, set a compass, soar, something good is going to happen, soul, strong will, subconscious, succeed, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, talent, the habitable part of earth, the posts of my doors, the sons of men, those that seek me early will find me, Thursday Blessings, true believers, vibes, wisdom, works of old
Proverbs 8:17. I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.
Oh friends, let’s begin today’s message by declaring this acclamation. ‘Today, something good is going TO happen to me! Today, something good is going to happen THROUGH me!’
Glory be my people! That’s an acclamation that Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) claims she uses in her own daily devotions.
And it does make sense, because it starts us out on the right foot, on a positive note, expecting good things to happen in our lives, as well in other people’s through us.
An early ray of hope and faith jump-starts our day. And do we ever need those positives as early as possible in these trying end times.
Now let’s build on that by declaring our Thursday Blessings over ourselves, raising our level of hope, faith and trust in Almighty God, even higher. Remember, a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone.
So with lots of enthusiasm, kingdom faith and belief, feeling it deep down in our souls, let’s declare those blessings, as only true believers can. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Oh, precious people, what beautiful and positive vibes have been released into our souls, our psyche, our subconscious by that declaration!
Our backbone’s been strengthened, so let’s lift our heads and shoulders up, and go out and face the world like the Christian fighters we ought to be, and are, because Jesus Christ strengthens us to do all things!
Wow, mih breddren, wow! That’s all I can say. (smile) And we’re not done yet! We’re going to soar even higher, like the eagles God created us to be!
And I guess you’re wondering how that is possible? Simple, our Bit makes it possible. ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’
Yeh friends, we are going to rise even higher by sincerely and diligently seeking wisdom and our great God, Jehovah!
And to show just how important wisdom is – God’s wisdom, not man’s – let’s delve into Cousin Sol’s account of it, from where we left off yesterday. ‘The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth. While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields (outer places), nor the highest part of the dust (beginning of the dust) of the world.
When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass (drew a circle) upon the face of the depth (deep): When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: when he gave to the sea his decree (its limit), that the waters should not pass (transgress) his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
Then I was by him, as one brought up with him (a master craftsman): and I was daily his delight; rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.’ (Prov.8:22-31)
Yes friends, wisdom was with God from the very beginning! And notice too, that last line, wisdom, with all its delightful attributes, was imbued in the sons of men. That’s us, my brethren! We were made, born to seek wisdom, wisdom that would lead us to Almighty God, not to Lucifer.
Now listen to Cousin Sol’s conclusion, re the pros and cons of seeking godly wisdom. ‘Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not (do not disdain it).
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me LOVE death.’ (Prov.8:32-36)
Oh my people, it’s right there in black and white: if you seek godly wisdom, you’ll find favour with God; if not, you’re lining yourself up for eternal damnation! That brings us full circle to the importance of godly wisdom in this life.
And what’s the long and short of it all? I’ll let the scholars enlighten us: ‘…the major emphasis of the context is on God’s own use of wisdom in creating the universe… Thus, the point is that in setting out to create the universe, God utilized wisdom as a basic principle of procedure.’
Now friends, if the God we claim to believe in used wisdom as His blueprint to create the universe and all therein, including us, how can we not use the same wisdom to conduct our lives here on earth eh? Much LOVE!
…to be truly wise in this fallen world…man needs God’s wisdom…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but I had a late night, or early morning …hockey season has begun. (smile)
10 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Jesus Christ, aura of love, Beres Hammond, bitch, blessings, bounden duty, call upon his name, children of Jacob, Christians, come out to remind me, complain, confidence, conquerors, cut out the nonsense, enthusiasm, face the music, faith, fighting for Jesus, for all I've got, for the life in me, friends, get with the programme, giving thanks, glory in his holy name, grateful for a job, Happy Thanksgiving Canada, harmonious voices, harmony, holy spirit, hope builds faith, humble servants, I'm giving thanks, I'm not in a hurry, I've got my health, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, judgements, lies, LOVE, make his deeds known, make known his deeds, melody, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, morning sun rising behind me, no need to fear, O Give thanks unto the Lord, out of work, perpetual thanksgiving, pleased as punch, pockets broken, rejoice, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, seed of Abraham, seek his face, sing psalms, spiritual armour, stars at nights, steadfast faith, strong and steadfast in Jesus, surrender, talk of his wondrous works, talk the talk, taunts, Thanksgiving Day, the breath of life, to give thanks for all I have, trust, truth, ungodly world, uplift ourselves, waiting for that break, while there is life there is hope, wiles, wisdom
Psalm 105:1. O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!
Oh friends, oh friends, it’s Thanksgiving morn in beautiful Canada! Wow!
And the words of the old song ‘Giving Thanks’ by Beres Hammond comes to mind: ‘Right here now, I’m taking it easy. Check my steps, I’m not in a hurry.
Soon I’ll have the things that I needed so bad. Morning sun rising behind me, Stars at nights come out to remind me, To give thanks for all of the things that I have.
All is well, I’ve got my health and in such good shape. Pockets broken, I’ve got nothing, Waiting for that break. So I’m giving thanks, for all I’ve got. I’m giving thanks, whether or not. I’m giving thanks for the life in me. I’m giving thanks now…’
Yeh mih people, the ole fella is giving thanks for all I’ve got – and believe me, I’ve got a lot. But whether or not you’ve got a lot, you can still be thankful, even if it’s just for the breath of life that’s still flowing through your body. For remember that while there is life there is always hope in God’s great universe!
Yes my fellow believers, and hope builds faith, and faith keeps us strong and steadfast in Jesus. So I do hope that we all, wherever we are in this great country of Canada, as well as all round the world, are in a state of thanksgiving this Monday morning.
The fact is that we should be in a state of perpetual thanksgiving regardless of our circumstances, because there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for.
I know that many of us are shaking it somewhat rough today because we have to get up and go to work, but that is something to be oh so thankful and grateful for.
Yuh know how many millions of people are out of work and would be everlastingly grateful to have a job, any job? But yet we still bitch and complain because we have to get up and go out and face the music on a Monday. Steups!
Look friends, let’s cut out the nonsense eh and get with the programme, if you say you’re a believer in Jesus Christ! Too many supposed Christians today are full of the talk but none of the walk.
Anyway, enough of the talk, (smile) let’s begin the walk by declaring our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto and excitement. Let’s prove to Jesus, our choirmaster, that we are truly His. So, with loud, proud and harmonious voices, 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!’
Oh my people, that wasn’t bad at all nuh! Jesus was pleased as punch! (smile) Even though, as is usually the case, the ones who aren’t going to work today, were the loudest. But overall, the harmony and melody were excellent. And most important of all, it put a smile on Jesus’ face.
Now let’s go out and continue the work He has called us to do, in good spirits and with pure motives, remembering as our Bit declares: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.’
Yes my brethren, to spread the word of God all over the world and make known His mighty deeds throughout the ages is our bounden duty! So let’s get serious and do what we know we ought to do nuh.
Oh there are always times when things will come against us and cause us to be concerned, but there is never any need for fear, because Jesus told us oodles of times, not to fear, since He has already conquered the world.
And I know it’s not always easy, but listen to the psalmist as he encourages us in the things we can, and ought to do to uplift ourselves in Jesus.
‘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 evermore.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth; O ye seed of Abraham, his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God: his judgements are in all the earth.’ (Ps.105:2-7)
Yuh see friends, as children of the Most High God, how many things we have to give thanks for, and the numerous ways we can do so!
So please, please, let’s get truly serious about our walk with Jesus and come out fighting with and for Him this Monday morning nuh, for that is indeed wisdom at it’s highest. Much LOVE!
…giving thanks should be an all day…every day occurrence…
06 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook, abundance, all things must pass, almighty god, anger, at nights, blessings, breathless, broken, cast our care, clear direction, conviction, courage, creativity, curse, deliverance from death, divine protection, eclipses, endure for a night, enthusiasm, exhaustion, faith, favour, fear, fiery trial, fulfillment, give thanks, God's goodness, good friends, good health, great family, healed me, His anger endures but a moment, hold on to God's promises, hope, I cried unto thee, I will extol thee, in His own time, in Jesus' name, in the daytime, in the morning, intimate details, joy comes in the morning, kept me alive, lay our burdens down, life, lifted me up, loving kindness, my foes, my soul, neck of the woods, negative word, one truth from the Bible, One Year Book of Bible promises, positive action, prayer, promotion, prosper, resolute assurance, Ruth Harms Calkin, saints, self-control, self-discipline, Sheol, sincerity, sing unto the Lord, spoken, stomping pain, strong will, struggle, succeed, success, supernatual wisdom, supernatural strength, talent, thanksgiving, the grave, the last vestiges of hope, the precursor to Friday, the remembrance of His holiness, Thursday Blessings, to rejoice, tomorrow, tough times, triumphantly, trust, twisting pain, unalterably true, utterly spent, weeping, wisdom, work out for our good, worth more than all man's wisdom
Psalm 30:5. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) cometh in the morning.
Thursday, oh Thursday! How beautiful you are in your own right! But sadly, you are simply considered the day before, the precursor to Friday, and thus your importance and natural beauty is denied. But don’t worry, because some of us do appreciate you for what you are – Thursday, and not merely the day before Friday.
Ah friends, it’s a beautiful Thursday morning in my neck of the woods, and we do appreciate Thursday for what it is. Now please check out this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is simply titled, ‘In the Morning.’
And it says: ‘Today, Lord I have an unshakeable conviction A positive resolute assurance That what You have spoken is unalterably true. But today, Lord My sick body feels stronger And the stomping pain quietly subsides.
Tomorrow… And then tomorrow If I must struggle again With aching exhaustion With twisting pain Until I am breathless Until I am utterly spent Until fear eclipses the last vestige of hope
Then, Lord Then grant me the enabling grace To believe without feeling To know without seeing To clasp Your invisible hand And wait with invincible trust For the morning.’
Ah mih people, how often do we prayer that kind of prayer eh, especially at nights, when fear seems to overtake us much more easily than in the daytime? We’re sick or troubled, and everything just seems so difficult from one day to the next.
But at least, as believers we know exactly where to go and lay our burdens down, where to cast our care, whom we can trust with the most intimate details of our lives – Almighty God, the One who made us and still cares for us. In tough times our faith must lead us to Him and nobody else.
And quite appropriately, the Bible verse for that poem is also our Bit, which comes from Psalm 30 – Bruh David’s thanksgiving for deliverance from death.
But before we get into our Bit, I think it’s important to hear the verses before it, how Bruh David began this wonderful psalm. He begins it obviously with thanksgiving, remembering God’s goodness.
‘I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave (Sheol – the place of the dead): thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit (grave).
Sing unto the Lord, O Ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness (holy name).For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) cometh in the morning.’ (Ps.30:1-5)
Yes my brethren, life does seem to hold much more sorrow in the nighttime, when it feels that our God has forsaken us. But as Bruh David says, the Lord’s anger doesn’t last very long, He always eschews life instead of death, and thus when the morning comes everything seems brighter.
Something about the daylight raises our faith to a higher level than at nights. I guess in the darkness it’s much harder to see, and thus more difficult to grasp the hand of God. But friends, we need to remember that all things must pass.
They might not pass as quickly or as smoothly as we desire, but if we hold on to that unbreakable faith and trust in our omnipotent God, then at some stage of the game, He will work it all out for our good.
Oh, I know that waiting on God’s timing under such difficult and painful circumstances is not easy, but what else are we going to do eh? No other supposed God has a better plan for our lives, so in wisdom, please, let’s hold on to the promises of our Creator, knowing that at the right time He will indeed come through for us.
Now let’s look at a couple of scripture verses from Isaiah, which reinforces the words of Bruh David. They deal with the Lord’s everlasting LOVE for Israel.
‘For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting (LOVING) kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.’ (Is.54:7-8)
Oh friends, though our God may occasionally get angry with us, His anger will not last forever, because He is basically a God of mercy and LOVING-kindness.
So please don’t be upset and give up, if it seems that He’s taking too long to come to your rescue. Just believe that He is walking by your side through the fiery trial, and in His own time, He will bring you safely through it. That’s what faith is all about.
Now let’s go home triumphantly declaring our Thursday Blessings…And who says Thursday is not important eh? It’s full of blessings. (smile)
And remember too that a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over some one. So as one now, with plenty enthusiasm and sincerity, faith and trust in Almighty God, let’s bless ourselves.
‘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!’
Now let’s go and put all those blessings into positive action, as Jesus desires of us, displaying heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…one truth from the Bible…is worth more than all the wisdom of man…
05 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a name higher than any other, alive and kicking, all the earth, appreciation, blessings, call Him Lord, come unto me, comforted me, communion, dr robert h schuller, encouraged, essential, every knee shall bow, exile in Babylon, faith, feast of Tabernacles, forgave me, glorified forever, glory, gospel truth, gracious, halfway home, heavy laden, His sinless, honour, Hour of Power Devotional, I am meek, I will give you rest, intimate friend, Israel's deliverance, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, joyous feast, labour, learn from me, life, lifted me, lonely, LOVE, loving kindness, lowly in heart, mercies, merciful Deity, millenial reign of Jesus, my burden is light, my hands are on the plough, my yoke is easy, not looking back, obedient to the Father, our Lord and Saviour, pilgrimage, pledge loyalty, praise, reconciled to God, rejoiced with me, reneges, renewed me, Selah, selflessly sacrificed, showered down on us, sing to thy name, sing unto thee, sinking, sinning, striving, struggling, succeeding, supported me, take my yoke, thanks and praise, the breath of life, the glory of God, the great invitation, the great trumpet, the holy mount of Jerusalem, trust, Wednesday Wail, What a Friend, worship, worship the Lord, worthy is the Lamb, Zechariah
Psalm 66:4. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
And then it was Wednesday… another glorious day to be alive and kicking! All thanks and praise be to our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who selflessly sacrificed His sinless life so that we could be reconciled to the Father, and thus enjoy sincere communion with Him once again!
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful ‘Praise be to Jesus the Son for being obedient to the Father’s wishes! May He be glorified forever and ever. Amen!’
And the Father did just that by making His name higher than every other name, and having every knee bow to Him and call Him Lord, to the glory of God. (Phil.2:10-11)
But you know what my fellow believers, Jesus is more than just our Lord and Saviour, He is also our best friend. Listen to this poem from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, titled ‘What a Friend!’ I’m sure I’ve shared it before, but as we say, once it’s nice, we can share it twice, and even thrice. (smile)
Please read with me: ‘You have never failed, Lord, to be my one, essential, intimate friend. When I was: Lonely in striving – you encouraged me. Lonely in struggling – you lifted me. Lonely in serving – you supported me. Lonely in suffering – you comforted me. Lonely in sinning – you forgave me. Lonely in sinking – you renewed me. Lonely in succeeding – you rejoiced with me. What a friend I have in Jesus! Thank you, Lord. Amen.’
And all of that is gospel truth my people! There is no better friend in the entire universe than Jesus! Please remember that so you can take ALL your concerns to Him and be received with comfort and LOVING-kindness. He will NEVER turn you away, regardless of the evil you’ve done.
Remember His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Oh friends, what a marvellous invitation! Please don’t let it go to waste! Now let’s wail our Wednesday Wail, confirming our great appreciation, LOVE, trust and faith in Jesus.
Wailing: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my fellow believers, we need to be ever thankful for the wonderful breath of life that God has blessed us with! We must also stop allowing the past to control us, but instead stay strong and steadfast in our duties and look to the beautiful future Jesus has promised us. Remember He NEVER reneges on a promise.
Consequently, with all wonderful mercies and blessings and grace that God has undeservedly showered down on us, we ought to honour Him by acclaiming our Bit. ‘All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.’
Yes friends, the Lord our God certainly deserves all the honour, praise and glory that we can give, for He is a most awesome, gracious and merciful Deity! Now hear what the prophet Zechariah has to say, re the glorious time when Zion shall reign supreme, with Jesus as the Judge.
‘And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of the tabernacles.’ (Zech.14:16) Oh mih breddren, everybody will be trekking to Jerusalem to worship King Jesus! What a pilgrimage!
And the scholars offer this explanation. ’14:16-21. The feast of tabernacles is the joyous feast of ingathering, rest, and thanksgiving. Israel celebrated it when they returned from the Exile (in Babylon). (Neh.8:14-18). The millennial reign of the Messiah is the realization of the Feast of Tabernacles. No other feast will be observed because the realities they foreshadowed will have been realized.’
Ah my faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, what a time of celebration that will be! Now let’s end with Isaiah’s take on the subject of Israel’s deliverance. ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt; and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount of Jerusalem.’ (Is.27:13)
Yes my fellow believers, ALL roads lead to Jerusalem, where Christ will sit on the throne of His forefather, Bruh David, and rule the world! And all God’s children gave a loud shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to enact justice in the world, now and forever more. Amen!’
So friends, yuh see what a wonderful life and time we have to look forward to when we sincerely hook up with Jesus and obediently do His bidding? Please, let’s not be foolish and pledge our loyalty to any other, for there is truly NONE like Jesus! Much LOVE!
…oh what a friend we have in Jesus…all our sins and hopes to bear…
04 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant life, all the earth, chew slowly, china, Christians, cloth napkins, comfort, Daily Menu, eat desert, economic prosperity, enjoy life, enthusiasm, everyday miracle, faith, fresh flowers, fresh herbs, give thanks, glorious, good manners, good news of Jesus, goodness, great conversation, have Jesus in our lives, heads hung down, in the last days, invite someone, Jerusalem, joy, judge, learn war no more, Leila's, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, living in LOVE, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving kindness, make a joyful noise unto God, make his praise glorious, make love not war, martyrs, morose existence, mysterious ways, negative sentiments, out of Zion, Papa Joe's, plowshares, prepare every meal with love, pruninghooks, roti, savour every morsel, Selah, set a table, share His love, shoulders drooped, shout joyfully, silverware, sincerity, sing forth, sing to thy name, sing unto thee, spears, swords, the beloved of God, the bright light of Jesus, the day of the Lord, the friend of Jesus, the god of Jacob, the happiest people in the world, the honour of his name, the house of God, the law, the millennial age, the word of the Lord, tools of peace, Tuesday Mantra, war, wash your hands, weapons of war, worship
Psalm 66:4. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
Welcome to a glorious Tuesday morning friends! Oh I know it’s still dark outside as I write this, but I’m also sure that the bright light of Jesus is shining through the darkness, both physical and spiritual, bringing light and comfort to our hearts, minds, bodies and souls! What a wonderful Lord and Saviour we have my people. And there’s truly NONE like Him!
Oh, and what mysterious and fabulous ways He operates! Check out this small, everyday miracle that happened to me yesterday. I was down the street going to get a roti from the recent hot roti shop, Leila’s. But when I got to the little plaza where it’s situated, I discovered that Leila’s was closed on Mondays.
However, just across the plaza I saw a place called Papa Joe’s, with roti also on its menu. So I decided to check it out. When I entered, Papa Joe was attending to another customer, so I walked around looking at the décor.
And lo and behold on the wall I saw this black, marble like plaque with white italic writing on it, surrounded by a fancy white border, with a place setting of a fork on the left side and a knife and spoon on the right.
Obviously it piqued my interest and I went over to read it. And though I had the Duchess take a picture of it with her phone, I still felt the need to write it down. But now I’ve discovered that my description won’t do it justice, so I’m going to try and send an attachment.
And this is what I read: ‘Daily MENU Give thanks Fill a vase with fresh flowers Set a beautiful table Use fresh simple ingredients Use your best china and silverware Prepare every meal with LOVE Use fresh herbs Invite someone Practice good manners Wash your hands Use cloth napkins Chew slowly. Savour every morsel Have great conversation Eat desert Wash your own dishes’
Oh friends, isn’t that just beautiful! I certainly find so. And I believe the Lord meant me to see it so that I could share it with you today. It’s just a nice, easy, but wonderful way to live our lives!
However, we can’t do that if we don’t have Jesus in our lives, for it is only through Him that we can rise to such simple, but glorious heights. I hope the attachment came out properly and you shared my enthusiasm for it. (smile)
Now let’s do what we do every Tuesday; declare our Tuesday Mantra with sincerity, faith and mucho enthusiasm.
All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Glory be, my people! NOTHING can beat being a beloved child of God and a trusted friend of Jesus! Wow!
Now with all of that goodness and LOVING-kindness, why aren’t’ we Christians the happiest people in the world eh? I certainly don’t know. But we ought to be.
Sadly though, too many of us walk around with our heads hung down, shoulders drooped, with guilt and whatever in our spirits, behaving like martyrs, believing that we should not be happy, enthusiastic and enjoy life.
But that’s totally wrong my brethren, for Jesus said that He came so that we could have life and have it in abundance! (John 10:10)
That means we don’t need to go around sad and miserable to be considered a true Christian. In fact, as true believers, we should be doing what our Bit says: ‘All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.’
Now that’s how real Christians should behave. And the psalmist was even more specific and enthusiastic before our Bit.
He begins the psalm thus: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto God, all ye lands. Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible (awesome) art thou in thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.’ (Ps.66:1-3)
Yeh friends, that ought to be the everyday behaviour of the true and devout believer, not a sad and morose existence. Now listen to how Isaiah characterizes the day of the Lord.
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say, come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks (pruning knives): nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.’ (Is.2:2-4)
What a blessed day that will be my people! And the scholars tell us: ‘The setting is the millennial age, when the nations of the world will come to the Holy City (Jerusalem) to learn the ways of God.
Christ Himself is pictured as the Judge who will direct the affairs of the nations during His millennial kingdom. Thus the weapons of war will be turned into tools of peace and economic productivity.’
Oh friends, how I look forward to that day; that day when war shall be no more! But why do we have to wait till then eh? We can start right now by pursuing peace, by spreading the good news of Jesus and living in LOVE with God and each other!
So I implore us today, to begin turning our weapons of war, our negative sentiments into tools of peace, LOVE, joy and economic prosperity, for that is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…the motto of the true believer…make LOVE…not war…
P.S. Sorry friends, but I could not put the attachment in the Blog, so you will just have to rely on my description. (smile) Much LOVE!
03 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a true Christian, adrenaline, aligning oneself, all the earth, antidote, aura of love, confidence, Creator of the universe, do good work for Jesus, endureth for ever, energizes, enthusiasm, enthusiastic, evil, evil hordes, exalth themselves, faith, fellowship, foolish, friends, fun, Gentiles, glory hallelujah, halfhearted, hit the road, holy spirit, homage, humble servants, hymn of praise, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, make like jack, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, play favourites, Praise ye the Lord, rebellious, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rewards, salvation, Selah, sing to thy name, sing unto thee, sometime thing, sovereignty, spiritual armour, spreading the good news of Jesus, steadfast faith, the Great Commission, the truth of the Lord, the weekend, the works of God, trust, ungodly world, unwise, wisdom, work time, worship
Psalm 66:4. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
Ah friends, the second big day of the week is here, and our journey through it will depend on how we handled the first big day of the week. (smile) Yeh mih people, it’s work time once again, and if we’ve used the weekend properly, we’d be all set and ready, enthusiastic and can’t wait to get out into the world and show the godless and the heathen how a true believer in Jesus, a true Christian behaves.
But since many of us have compromised ourselves on the weekend, consequently, we are not ready and able, or willing to face the evil hordes that abound in the working world. But there’s no reason to be anxious or afraid, for we have the right antidote for your problem. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and it energizes us, gets our adrenaline running so that we can go out and do good work for Jesus.
So without further ado, let’s raise our voices heavenward in harmony and praise. ‘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!’
Oh friends, that wasn’t too hot nuh; out of tune and not very enthusiastic, and our choirmaster, Jesus, definitely wasn’t pleased. You could see that by the serious look on His comely face and His unsmiling eyes. Nevertheless, most of us now have our motors idling smoothly, so let’s make like jack nuh, hit the road and do Jesus’ bidding, as per the Great Commission. (Matt.28:19-20)
That brings us to our Bit: ‘All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.’
Oh my brethren, that is ever so true! In due course of time, everyone on planet earth will be singing the praises of our wonderful God! Why? Because He is just such a magnificent, magnanimous, omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present, ever-LOVING, ever-caring, ever-faithful, kind, forgiving and compassionate Deity! Wow!
He’s also the Creator of the universe and all therein! And there’s NO OTHER like Him! So why wouldn’t we worship and sing praises to Him eh? Not unless we’re foolish and unwise. And, unfortunately, there are way too many of that type in today’s world. They think that God is a joke, or He just doesn’t exist.
But that’s the furthest thing from the truth my fellow believers, and we know that because God is at work in us, doing all sorts of wonderful things in our lives, as we work for Him down here, spreading the good news of Jesus, while storing up eternal rewards in heaven. Glory Hallelujah!
Listen to how the psalmist continues after our Bit. ‘Come and see the works of God: he is terrible (awesome) in his doing toward the children of men, He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood (river) on foot: there did we rejoice in him. He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.’ (Ps.66:5-7)
Now that last statement is a very serious warning to the unbeliever; they ought not to think too highly of themselves, for with the same speed that they are exalted, the Lord will pull them back down for their false pride and egotistic disregard of His sovereignty. Not aligning oneself with the Creator and Controller of the universe and paying Him great homage is a fool’s wisdom my people.
Hear the psalmist from Psalm 117, the shortest chapter in the Bible. ‘O Praise the Lord, all ye nations (gentiles) praise (glorify) him, all ye people. For his merciful (LOVING) kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.117:1-2)
And the scholars offer up these explanations on the psalm. ‘Psalm 117. This little psalm contains a great message. Though some have denied it an independent existence, attaching it to Psalm 116, Psalm 117 has all three elements of the hymn of praise: a call to praise (v.1), a cause for praise (v.2a, b), and a conclusion, which in this case is a simple praise ye the Lord (v.2c).
The fact that the nations and people (lit. “peoples”) are addressed in verse 1 makes this psalm the only one in the Psalter addressed in its entirety to the Gentile world. Its evangelistic mood was still baffling to some of Paul’s readers. This is one of four passages that Paul quotes from the Old Testament, in Romans 15, to prove that God is interested in saving Gentiles.’
Yeh friends, that’s one of the reasons Almighty God is worthy of much praise; He’s interested in saving EVERYBODY, not just some. Our God doesn’t play favourites, He wants all of His creation to come to Him, and that’s a part of our job. So please let’s get out there today and do it to the best of our ability nuh, obviously with the help of God, through His Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Much LOVE!
…praising our God should be an automatic, joyful and continuous response from believers…not a halfhearted, sometime thing…
02 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man of sorrows, a sheep before shearers, afflicted, agony, anchor, by his stripes we a re healed, chastisement, Christian faith, day of praise and worship, face the raging seas, faith, faith cometh by hearing, faithful, fallen on my knees, fear, fellowship, glory to God, God proved his love, gospel of Christ, hearing by the word of God, iniquities, Jehovah, led as a lamb to the slaughter, LOVE, negative sentiments, opened not his mouth, oppressed, oral communication, raise up a storm, rejection, rocks of sin, sacrifices of praise, shame, sight unknown, stoicsm, stone cold hearts, storm, sufferation, tension, the anchor holds, the sails are torn, the ship's been battered, the storms of life, transgressions, wisdom
Isaiah 53:7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought (was led) as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Aye mih people, is Sunday, that special day of praise, worship and fellowship, where we raise our hearts and voices to high heaven and glorify our most wonderful God Jehovah!
And we’re going to start out the right way, with some praise and worship. That’s to soften us up, reduce the fear, tension, anger, resentment, whatever is negative in our stone cold hearts, and thus make us more receptive and amenable to receiving the Word. Remember, hearing of the word is very important in our Christian faith.
As Bruh Paul told the church at Rome. ‘How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? …So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom.10:14, 17)
Yes friends, the oral communication of the gospel of Christ is essential in a believer’s life, and there’s nothing I enjoy more than hearing the word preached.
Anyway, enough talk, we suppose to be offering up sacrifices of thanks and praise with our mouths. So let’s do that nuh, because there’s nothing nicer than getting into some good praise and worship before you hear the word.
So let’s raise up a storm in the Lord’s house, show Him that we are truly His beloved children, and we sincerely LOVE Him with all of our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. Please sing with me, this wonderful song of faith, ‘The anchor holds.’
As one heavenly choir now: ‘I have journeyed through the long dark night, Out on the open sea, by faith alone, Sight unknown; and yet his eyes were watching me. The anchor holds, Though the ship’s been battered. The anchor holds, Though the sails are torn. I have fallen on my knees as I face the raging seas. The anchor holds in spite of the storm.
I’ve had visions, I’ve had dreams; I’ve even held them in my hand. But I never knew they would slip right through, Like they were only grains of sand. The anchor holds, Though the ship’s been battered. The anchor holds, Though the sails are torn.
I have fallen on my knees as I face the raging seas. The anchor holds in spite of the storm. I have been young but I’m older now. And there has been beauty these eyes have seen. But it was in the night, through the storms of my life, Oh, that’s where God proved His LOVE for me.
The anchor holds, Though the ship’s been battered. The anchor holds, Though the sails are torn. I have fallen on my knees as I face the raging seas. The anchor holds in spite of the storm. I have fallen on my knees as I face the raging seas. The anchor holds in spite of the storm.’
Oh my people, my people, truer words have never been spoken! Our omnipotent God, our great anchor, holds us together and keeps us from floundering, from being thrown on the rocky shores, even in the most catastrophic of life’s storms!
And I like the line where the songwriter declares that it was in the night of the storms of life when God proved His LOVE for Him. And isn’t that the indisputable truth friends? It’s usually in our nights of misery, of fear, of loneliness and of despair, that our wonderful God shows how much He truly LOVES and cares for us, by standing faithful and strong alongside us and bringing us safely through!
Oh glory to God my people! And why wouldn’t He eh, after sending His beloved Son, Jesus Christ to die for us, suffering such agony, shame and rejection, but forever standing strong in His God-given task as expressed in our Bit. ‘He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought (was led) as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.’
What stoicism and strength of purpose my faithful brethren! Now let’s hear the word that precedes our Bit, from Isaiah’s great prophecy, re the suffering servant, Jesus Christ. Hope our hearts are soft enough to joyfully receive it.
‘Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm (power) of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no (stately) form nor comeliness (splendour); and when we shall see him, there is no beauty (elegance) that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected of (forsaken by) men; a man of sorrows (great pains), and acquainted with grief (sickness, injuries): and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs (sickness), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is;53:1-6)
Yes friends, that’s the scripture lesson for this Sunday morning, and I do hope that it struck a tender and most grateful note in our hearts, as we heard the of the ‘sufferation’ that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ went through for us, so that we could be reconciled to Almighty God and don’t end up in dreaded Hades forevermore with the evil one, Lucifer.
Please, let’s ponder the goodness of our magnificent and magnanimous God today, so that we can find the strength and wherewithal to handle the storms of life that we all experience, for that is the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…without the anchor that’s God in our lives…we will certainly be dashed to pieces… on the dreadful and unforgiving rocks of sin…
30 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every name, a rainy day, at the right hand of God's throne, be of good cheer, caring, Christian, compassionate, complaining, dark clouds, despising the shame, doing my own thing, endured the cross, every knee shal bow, every tongue confess, exalted, faith, fellowship, finisher, freedom, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, glorious days, Glory be, glory to God, good and faithful servant, humanity, humbled himself, in Jesus' name, in the form of God, in the likeness of men, ingrates, intercession, Jesus, Jesus christ is Lord, looking unto Jesus, loving kindness, lusts of pleasure, no reputation, obedience, obedience to God's will, originator, overcome the world, peace, perfector of our faith, Philippians, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, rewards, sacrificial end, servant, set before him, shame, sinless soul, stalwart resolve, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the author, the death of the cross, the joy, the SON, to the glory of God, trials, tribulations, way of life, we reap what we sow, welcome, when the trump is called
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Well my people, it was indeed a rainy day in my area yesterday, and today looks like it’s going to be more of the same. But as always, even when we can’t see the sun, we know it’s somewhere behind the dark clouds hovering overhead.
Likewise, even if we don’t see the Son, we know for sure that He’s around, bright and beautiful, dwelling in our hearts minds, bodies and souls! Glory to God!
Now it’s Friday, and despite the gloomy weather, I’m still hearing joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and two glorious days of freedom are on the horizon! Oh, the weekend is mine, to do what I want with it! Glory be! And even though the rain is falling, it’s not going to stop me from doing my own thing! Thank God for Fridays and the weekend yes!’
Ah friends, the lusts of pleasure are rearing their ugly heads, so let’s counteract them with our more sensible way of spending the weekend nuh, by chanting our Friday Chant. In one strong voice 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.’
And please people, let’s not just chant the chant, but let’s work it too, put it into action, so that we can have a great upcoming workweek, for remember whatever we sow on the weekend we’ll reap during the week. (smile)
And that segues quite nicely into our Bit. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’
Yes my fellow believers, to run this race of life successfully, we have to keep looking to Jesus every day, for He is the one who designed the Christian way of life, and faithfully lived it right through to its sacrificial end. We can do no better than emulating Him, for therein lies eternal wisdom.
Now yesterday we continued dissecting our Bit by looking at the statement ‘who for the joy that was set before him.’ And though there was no joy in the real sense of the word, Jesus ‘endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’
His obedience to the Father’s will was outstanding. The joy came much later; after He had sacrificed His sinless soul for a bunch of ingrates. And these words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians explains it all.
‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. 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 also 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 God the Father.’ (Phil.2:5-11)
Yuh see friends, Jesus came to earth as a man for the specific purpose of dying on the cross for our sins. Remember, He was God, but took on our humanity and humbled Himself as a man, without complaining, so that He could do the Father’s will.
And yuh see what happened afterwards? The Father exalted Him; made His name higher than every other, and caused every tongue to declare that Christ is Lord, and He’s now set down at the Father’s right hand, offering intercession for us.
Wow! That’s how the Lord rewards us when we stand in obedience to His word, despite the trials and tribulations involved in our circumstances. It’s not easy, Jesus proved that, and He also promised it. ‘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)
Yes mih breddren, though the world will be full of calamity, we can afford to be peaceful and of good cheer, because our Lord and Saviour has already overcome the sinful world. So let’s keep on looking to Jesus nuh, being humble and obedient, caring and compassionate, enduring our trials and troubles with a stalwart resolve, backed by Jesus’ promise never to leave nor forsake us.
Let’s keep on keeping on, with no thought whatsoever of giving up, until that day when we come to stand before the Father, and He invites us to live with Him forever, by uttering these wonderful words: ‘Welcome, thou good and faithful servant,’ and hugs us to His breast, the way a caring and compassionate father does his child.
Oh friends, we couldn’t ask for a better welcome than that! So please, let’s get ourselves together and do the things we ought to do nuh – we all know what they are – so that when the trump is called up yonder we’ll be there, getting a heavenly welcome. There’s no better reward than that! Much LOVE!
…true humility and obedience to God’s word on earth…will bring untold rewards and exceeding LOVING-kindness in heaven…
28 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cloud of witnesses, appointments, at the right hand of the throne of God, author, blazed the trail, blessings, broken resolves, champions, clothing, common sense, compassed about, consistent, control my impulses, despising the shame, discern motives, emotions, endurance, endured the cross, entangling sin, excessive body weight, excuses, failures, faith, faithful Christian, finished the course, firm, flimsy excuses, focusing on the glorious future of jesus, foolish blunders, gave thanks, glad to be alive, God's great earth, gratefulness, heroes of faith, hide from God, impediments, invincible power, is set down, joy, lay aside every weight, lift our voices in praise and thanks, living by faith, looking unto Jesus, magnificent and magnanimous God, martyrs, my hands are on the plough, never quit, new every morning, no leftovers, not looking back, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, One Year Book of Bible promises, originator, patience, penetrating gaze, perfecter, perseverance, race of faith, run the race, Ruth Harms Calkin, self-educated, shame, sin, steadfast, strengthen my will, surrounded, tender mercies, testify, the breath of life, unreached goals, valuable gems, wasted time, Wednesday Wail, wrong choices
Hebrews 12:2. Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Well my faithful brethren, we’ve been treated to yet another glorious day on God’s great earth! Wow! I sincerely hope that we gave much thanks when we awakened to this bright new day, for the Lord deserves our gratefulness for all the blessings He bestows on us, His beautiful children. (smile)
Remember His tender mercies are new every morning; we don’t get yesterday’s leftovers. So please, let’s not forget to lift our voices in praise and thanks every time we open our eyes to a new morn. It is very mete and right to do so.
Now listen to something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that is ever so appropriate to many of us believers. It’s simply called ‘EXCUSES.’
And it says: ‘O God I’ve become a self-educated master Of a thousand polished excuses. Hoping to avoid your penetrating gaze I clutch them to me like valuable gems. When I think I have myself thoroughly covered I’m caught short with the realization That You see right through me. My flimsy excuses are never really hidden.
I find an excuse for all my failures Wrong choices Late appointments Wasted time. I excuse my foolish blunders, my laziness My broken resolves, my unreached goals. I need Your help, Lord! To hide from You is as foolish As the Grand Canyon Attempting to hide from the sky.
O God, my only hope Lies in Your invincible power To make me what I am not yet But what You know I can become. Strengthen my will, Lord. Make me firm, steadfast, consistent. Control my impulses, my emotions. May I keep pursuing and never quit.’
Oh friends, unfortunately many of us believers try to hide or run from God with flimsy excuses, but common sense ought to tell us that we can never run or hide from a Deity that’s omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present, for He sees and hears all. His vision is so powerful that it can see right down into the very depths of our being and discern our motives, good or bad.
So please let’s wise up and stop trying to run and hide from our heavenly Father nuh. We might be able to do it with our earthly fathers, but definitely not with the One above. And to help us do that, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with enthusiasm, sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my people, it’s so good to be alive, to feel that glorious breath of God just flowing through my body, letting me know that I am alive; alive and LOVED! Consequently, I’m not looking back, but focusing on the wonderful future that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has planned for me!
Glory to our most magnificent and magnanimous God! What a wonderful God we serve and worship my people! It never ceases to amaze me.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is the scripture promise attached to the poem above. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’
Oh my brethren, what wonderful words of advice! As we said above, our eyes and hearts ought to be focused exclusively on Jesus! Why? Because He is indeed the originator and perfecter of our faith! He began it all, and He will end it all!
And the first verse of the chapter, that before our Bit, gives us the basic reason for looking unto Jesus. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about (surrounded by) with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside very weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb.12:1)
Yeh friends, the author of Hebrews, which I firmly believe is Bruh Paul, uses the metaphor of a race to describe our earthly pilgrimage. Now hear is how the scholars break down that verse.
’12:1. The present exhortation to run finds its basis in the examples of the champions mentioned in chapter 11. These heroes of the faith are like a cloud of witnesses. As “witnesses: (Gr. marturon) they are sometimes regarded as spectators (Gr. theatai) or as martyrs; yet this Greek word should be understood as referring simply to those who testify or witness. The emphasis is on the witness provided by their living by faith.
The race of faith is described by three modifying statements. First, it is to be run by laying aside every weight. This refers to the impediments that weigh one down, whether clothing or excessive body weight. These things are not inherently wrong, but for the diligent runner or the faithful Christian they must be removed.
Second, it is to be run by putting off the entangling sin. This seems to refer to the one sin above all others that defeats a Christian. This may be a different sin for each individual. Third, it is to be run with patience (Gr. hypomones).
Since patience is not an attribute commonly associated with running, this word would be better translated as endurance (as it is in the cognate verb forms of vv. 2 –3). Endurance and persistence have been on the author’s mind since the end of chapter 10 (cf. 10:32; 36-38; 11:13).’
Now hear some words from the scholars on our Bit. ’12:2. Just as verse 1 establishes some qualities for the entrance into and the actual running of life’s race, so verse 2 directs one’s eyes to the finish line. Jesus is the author and finisher in that He has already blazed the trail and finished the course.’
Oh my people, this earthly race is often difficult to run, and to do it successfully we need to keep our eyes trained on Jesus, because He is the One who first ran the race and successfully completed it. In other words, He laid a path for us to follow. So please, let’s be wise and follow it nuh. Much LOVE!
…only as we stick to the path laid down by Jesus…with endurance and perseverance…can we run life’s race successfully…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but I had a rather late night, which means a late morning too. (smile)
27 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bold, children, choose the best, Christians, commitment to excellence, confident, deliverance, disappointments, energy, enthusiasm, excellence, faith, faithful and true, fortress, foundation, friend of Jesus, give his angels charge over thee, gladness, God's ever-faithful promises, godly intentions, habitation, harm, heavenly intercessor, honour, I will say of the Lord, if God is for us who can be against us, in him will I trust, Jehovah, joy, kingdom living, long life, LOVE, mediocrity, misfortunes, Mover, never leave nor forsake ua, no evil befall thee, out of step, out of sync, pitfalls, plague, Praise the Lord, presumptuous, price tag, ramps up our faith, reassuring, refuge, rejoicing, salvation, Satan, security, set him on high, set his love upon me, Shaker, share His love, shrivelling up enthusiasm, shun mediocrity, source of energy, spoon feed, steadfast, strike they foot, strong, test me, the beloved of God, the goodness of God, the Most High God, the will of God, this is the day the Lord has made, trample under feet, tread upon the lion, trust, try me, Tuesday Mantra, unconditional LOVE, we will rejoice and be glad in it
Psalm 91:2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Ahoy there me ole shipmates! (smile) Monday’s in the books…Glory be! So let’s begin Tuesday on the right foot nuh by declaring our wise and godly intentions. ‘This is the day the Lord hath made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
Yes friends, that’s the only sensible way to greet this new day of life that we’ve been granted; in joy and gladness! All other ways are filled with numerous pitfalls and disappointments.
At least when we are rejoicing in the goodness of our God, we can be strong and steadfast in times of misfortunes, standing on His ever-faithful promise to never leave nor forsake us.
Now let’s bolster all of that by declaring our Tuesday Mantra with supreme belief and overwhelming faith and trust. As one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me.
I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ Ah mih people, what a beautiful and reassuring declaration!
Wow! Knowing that I am the beloved of God and a true friend pf Jesus is just the ‘mostest’! (smile) There isn’t even a real word to truly convey the importance and satisfaction of those situations.
And to be true followers of Jesus we must base our lives on what Jesus says about us, rather than how the world beholds us. That is ever so important to kingdom living my people!
And let’s not forget the last part of our Mantra: ‘share His LOVE with the world,’ for that’s one of our basic purposes on planet earth.
In Jesus’ world, we need to both believe and do, otherwise we’re out of sync, out of step with our Lord and Saviour. And that surely won’t do.
Now here’s a li’l something that ties in with our Leader’s expectations. I’m not sure where I got it from, or if I’ve ever shared it before, but it does hit the nail right on the head in today’s message.
It says: ‘Choose the best; shun mediocrity. Mediocrity has a way of shrivelling up enthusiasm. But commitment to excellence taps an incredible source of energy. Elect the best, no matter what the price tag!’
Oh friends, those are certainly words of truth for anyone to live by, but more so for Christians, because our heavenly intercessor, Jesus, expects us to live by a definite standard of excellence.
And though it’s not an easy motto to live by, we can successfully attempt it through our station as beloved children of the Most High God, Jehovah!
Especially when we have the faith to declare like the psalmist in our Bit. ‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’
What wonderful words for a believer to both hear and declare my brethren! It just ramps up our faith, encourages us to be bold and confident in all that we do, knowing that God is on our side. And as the scripture says: If God is for us, who can be against us eh? (Rom.8:31)
NOBODY my people, NOBODY! That’s because our God is the greatest Mover and Shaker in the entire universe!
And all God’s children gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name!’
And we have a great example of all that in the unique style of the psalm from which our Bit is taken. Yesterday we saw where the psalmist was declaring God’s wonderful attributes of strength and protection; today we’ll hear where God declares His side of the story.
Listen up: ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder (cobra): the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps.91:9-16)
Oh friends, what glorious promises from the Creator of the universe for those who sincerely believe in Him and surrender their lives to Him with absolute trust and faith!
Listen though, to these words of caution from the scholars. Psalm 91: An important caution is necessary here. The great promises of verses 3-13 should not be taken in an absolute sense. One may not be presumptuous in applying them – Satan has already suggested that (Matt.4:6-7).
Rather, the believer must recall that deliverance still has to do with the will of God and that even if harm should come, he can still be secure (cf. Luke 21:16 with 21:18 and Rom.8:28 with 8:35).’
All the scholars are saying friends is that we don’t take everything literally. Harm can still come to us, but even then, we can still be secure in the Lord our God.
Please read those scriptures (that’s your homework) to get a better understanding of what the scholars are talking about. I can’t spoon-feed you all here, (smile) because it’s just too much, and we don’t have the time or space to do it.
Now let’s go home with a feeling of joy and gladness, based on the strong and true foundation of God’s word, filled with promises of security and deliverance and unconditional LOVE, for that’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…try me…test me…says the Lord Jehovah to the unbeliever…and you’ll find me faithful and true…
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