20 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new creation, a time of renewal, accept Christ as Saviour, adrenalin flowing, aura of love, blessings, bounden duty, bowing down to idols, children of Lucifer, cleave unto him, commandments, confidence, disobedience, Easter Sunday, evil, faith, fear, fear him, fellowship, friends, glorious kingdom, glory to God, Hades, hard-headed, heavenly blessing, highways and by-ways, hold on for dear life, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, invincible, Israelites, Jesus arose from the grave, Jesus Christ, keep his commandments, laid out on a silver platter, lies, life changing proposition, living for Jesus, living obedient to God's dictates, LOVE, material things, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Moses, newness, nourishment, obey his voice, Oh Lord God Almighty, our duty to God, Praise the Lord, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., seek ye first the kingdom of God, spiritual armour, sprout up with new life, spting, steadfast faith, steady drizzle, stubborn, studying God's Word, the season for rain, these things will be added to you, true followers of God, truth, ungodly world, walking with Jesus, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, world of unbelief, ye shall serve him, ye shall walk after the Lord your God
Deuteronomy 13:4. Ye shall walk after (follow) the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto (hold fast to) him.
Oh Friends, the first day of this new workweek isn’t shaping up to be so wonderful in my area nuh. It’s been raining for quite a while now; not mighty downpours, but a steady drizzle. Who knows when it’s going to end, so be careful when you get out on the highways and bye-ways, even leave a little earlier if possible.
And though the rain complicates the driving, we know that this is spring; the season for rain. The ground and the plants need that nourishment that the heavenly blessing provides, so that they can sprout back up again with new life, just like Jesus arose from the grave at Easter Sunday with a brand new life.
Spring is definitely a time of renewal, of refurbishment, when all things old and dead become new again. Just like when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we become a new creation. What a life-changing proposition that is my people! Glory to God!
But yuh know what Friends? Like any new thing, after a while the newness wears off. The same thing goes for being a new creation in Christ. After you’ve been a new creation for some time, the newness wears off, so you have to keep on renewing it by continually walking with Jesus, studying the Word and living obedient to God’s dictates.
And the way our society is set up, it seems like every Monday morning we need a boost, a renewal so that we can get the necessary strength, faith and courage to go out and labour and bring lost souls to Christ. And that’s what our Monday Morning Hymn is all about. So let’s sing it with great gusto this wet spring morning!
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now Friends, that rendition wasn’t bad, but it lacked the cohesiveness, the oneness and harmony that last week’s had. That’s because we went back to our old bad habits, being unfocussed and not paying close attention to Jesus, our eminent choirmaster. But the important thing is that our motors are idling smoothly, and the adrenalin’s running now, so we have the wherewithal to go out fight the good fight in Jesus’ name.
And our Bit is an erstwhile reminder of all that we’ve been saying. ‘Ye shall walk after (follow) the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto (hold fast to) him.’
Ah mih breddren, those were the fateful words of Moses to the Israelites many eons ago, and though some may not like it, they still apply to us today. We can’t be true followers of God unless we have constant communion and fellowship with Him, which includes obeying His statutes, having a reverential awe of Him, and last but not least, holding on to Him for dear life, because if we let go of Him, we’ll be lost and most likely end up in Hades with the evil crook Lucifer. And that’s something we want to avoid at all costs.
So listen to Moses exhortation to the Israelites earlier on. ‘And now Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all thy ways, and to LOVE him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good (benefit or welfare).’ (Deut.10:12-13)
Oh Friends, the Israelites were a stubborn, hard headed group and Moses had to be continually reminding them of their bounden duty. But unfortunately, though we have everything, including Jesus laid out on a silver platter for us, we’re still hard-headed and stubborn to this day, and need to be constantly reminded of our duty to God.
And please note the last words of that scripture passage; ‘for thy good.’ Yes my people, it’s for our benefit and welfare, not for God’s! So if we don’t follow it, whom do you thing will suffer the dire consequences of disobedience? We sinful, backsliding believers of course!
That’s why I don’t understand how some of us behave as though we’re doing God a favour by serving and worshipping Him. That’s absolutely wrong. All that God has said and done, right from the beginning of time was for our benefit. Please remember that and stop the foolish disobedience and bowing down to the worthless idols of this evil and sinful world.
Remember too that Jesus said: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Yes Friends, our major goal should always be seeking and serving God! And if we do that faithfully, then He will give us all the material things that we need. That’s a faithful promise from an ever faithful God! And if we’re wise, we’ll do our best to follow His leading.
So my fellow believers, as we go out into the world of unbelief today, please let’s show them our wisdom in action nuh, by living for Jesus as best we can. That’s the only way to bring the unbelievers to Him, which is what He desires. Much LOVE!
…truly living for Jesus…is the greatest wisdom that exists…
16 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A genuine Christian loves himself, a heavenly nature, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd, because they fainted, brilliant sunshine, But when he saw the multitudes, carry them in his bosom, Christ alone eliminates your guilt, Christ alone fills the human heart with love, Christ alone forgives, Christ alone is the answer, Christ alone save, Christ alone understands, christ jesus, comfort, compassion, cyclists, Dr. Samuel Shoemaker, enemy, enter not by the door, faith, faith in christ Jesus, fateful words, fighting, flee from a stranger, frustration, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, glory hallelujah, he calleth his own sheep by name, He was moved with compassion, hot rod cars, Hour of Power Devotional, I am come that they might have life, I am the door of the sheep, Isaiah, joy, late mornings, late nights, light and joy of Jesus, like sheep gone astray, long and harsh winter, LOVE, LOVE for God, loving kindness, madness, might have it more abundantly, NHL Hockey Playoffs, oh what a joy, passion, peace, peeved, pent up winter frustration, Pharisees, prophecy, reinforce, reinvigorate, Religion can never be the answer, renew, reward, robber, runners, self-confidence, spring has finally sprung, stranger, strong hand, the sheep follow him, the sheep hear his voice, the shepherd of the sheep, the straight and narrow path, they know not the voice of strangers, they were weary, thief, to human problems, trust in the Lord, truth, understanding, upset, walkers, wisdom, wonder, work, worthiness
Matthew 9:36. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Oh Friends, please be advised that the NHL Hockey Playoffs began last night, with several games on every night. And since I am a fan of the game, it means there will be several late nights, like last night, in the offing. Unfortunately, those late nights will obviously lead to late mornings, like this one.
So please don’t be too peeved and upset with me if the Bits are somewhat late in the next few weeks. (smile) It’s just a fact of life. There isn’t much I watch on the tube, but hockey is one of those things.
And a much better bit of news is that it looks like spring has finally truly sprung. Yesterday was warm, not hot, and beautiful, with loads of brilliant sunshine, and today is forecasted to be more of the same.
The temps are getting up to the mid to high teens, and that’s bringing out the pent-up winter frustration, so the hot rod cars with their loud engines and mufflers are now out on the road, the walkers, runners, cyclists and the ‘motorbikers’ are getting into gear too. So look out for the madness, especially after such a long and harsh winter.
And Friends, on this Thursday morning in mid –April, I want to remind us of some rather important facts as they pertain to our faith. It comes from Gramps Schuller’s (Robert H Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, but they are the words of the prominent American churchman, Dr. Samuel Shoemaker.
And he reputedly said that: ‘Religion can never be the answer to human problems. All of the religions of the world are inadequate. Christ alone is the Answer. Christ alone understands. Christ alone forgives. Christ alone eliminates your guilt.
Christ alone saves and then assures you that you are God’s child and the most wonderful person possible! Christ alone fills the human heart with LOVE –joy- peace- self-confidence. No wonder a genuine Christian really LOVES himself.’
Oh my people, my people, what wonderful words of utmost truth and wisdom! There is nothing in that passage that can be disputed! So please, please, this morning let’s allow those fateful words of truth to sink into our hearts, minds and spirits, so that they can reinforce, renew and reinvigorate our passion and joy in our faith and in Christ Jesus!
We need that sort of renewal regularly, because in these last days the enemy is fighting mightily, to keep us from believing and acknowledging the wonder and worthiness of our faith.
And I like that last part of Dr. Shoemaker’s statements: ‘No wonder a genuine Christian really LOVES himself.’
Why, you ask? Because if all of the previous statements are true, which they are, we ought to have such LOVE for our God, ourselves and our neighbours, that nothing whatsoever can diminish the light and joy of Jesus in our souls and lives.
That brings us to our Bit. ‘But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.’
Oh Friends, can you imagine the sorrow that filled Jesus’ heart when He saw His people so lost and scattered, without any proper guidance, just going astray any which way? Remember Isaiah’s prophecy, re comfort through trust in the Lord?
He said: ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is.40:10-11)
And that is exactly what Jesus came to do my people! He was the fulfillment of that prophecy. Read John 10 and you can hear Him expound on the theory of the sheep and the shepherd, as pertains to Himself.
First, He tells them a parable. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter (doorkeeper) openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.’ (John 10:1-5)
Ah my brethren, all of that is oh so true! Now listen to some useful explanations by the scholars. ‘10:1. Door is the one who stood in the opening of the (stone) fold. (the pen where the sheep were kept at night). The thieves and robbers were the Pharisees. See also verse 8.’
’10:3. Sheep know only their shepherd’s voice. In the Near East several flocks belonging to different shepherds may be in one fold (a fenced in area). But only a shepherd’s own sheep will follow him out of the fold. Cattle can be driven, but sheep must be led.’
Obviously the people listening to Jesus didn’t understand what He was talking about. ‘Then Jesus saith unto them again, verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:7-10)
And at the remembrance of that wonderful news, all God’s people gave a mighty and glorious shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise and thanks be to the awesome shepherd of our flock; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly!’
So my people, in ending, let me remind us, that if we are the sheep of Jesus’ flock, then it is of the utmost importance that we listen to His voice, and follow Him and Him alone. If not, then we’ll be marked for certain death, as all else are merely thieves and robbers, come to kill, steal and destroy.
So let’s open our ears and quite clearly hear our Master’s voice and follow Him down the straight and narrow, but safe path where He will inevitably lead us. That my brethren, is certainly wisdom and understanding of a heavenly nature! Much LOVE!
…all we like sheep have gone astray…but Jesus in His LOVING-kindness…has found us and brought us safely back to His fold…oh what a joy…
13 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call to arms, a shout of praise, almighty god, aura of love, Christian walk, confidence, enthusiasm, eternal life, eternity, faith, fear, fellowship, forefront of battle, friends, furtherance of our faith, glorious kingdom, glory, glory hallelujah, glory to God, Greater than Great, Higher than High, holy spirit, honour, hope, humble servants, I have not refrained my lips, I have preached righteousness, in the great congregation, invincible, Jesus Christ, John Hagee, King of Kings, lamb of god, lies, Lord of Lords, LOVE, loving kindness, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Praise the Lord, proclaimed the good news of righteousness, rejuvenation of spirit, righteousness., selfless sacrifice, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, thanks, the army of Jesus, the one and only superstar, the sacrificial Lamb, the Word of god, truth, ungodly world, wisdom, worthy is the lamb that was slain
Psalm 40:9. I have preached righteousness (proclaimed the good news of righteousness) in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained (restrained) my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.
Spanah na na na nah! Spanah na na na nah! Hear the early morning bugle blowing mih Friends! Sorta late now though. (smile) It’s a time of call to arms for the mighty army of Jesus, one more Monday morning.
And the great thing with this army Friends, is that our wonderful Leader, our Supreme Commander, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords; He is ALWAYS in the forefront of the battle! No other supposed deity does that. They are always safe from harm, cloistered in their big and fancy palaces. Steups!
But out Saviour, our Lord and leader, Jesus Christ is ALWAYS in the trenches with us, His obedient and ever faithful foot soldiers! Glory to God! Oh give our Lord and God a shout of praise my people!
And all God’s people uttered a loud, proud and heaven directed shout of: ‘Oh Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, we LOVE and honour You and give You all the glory! For worthy is the Lamb that was slain on our behalf!
Thank You for saving us. Life would truly be unbearable without Your selfless sacrifice. Please help us to praise and glorify You all our days! This we pray in Your name. Amen!’
Oh Friends, it hurts me deeply when I consider the horrendous time and things Jesus went through for our ungrateful sakes. But I also LOVE and adore Him for doing it – without complaining too. Hn! Only wish we, His earthly followers nowadays could be so obedient and non-complaining too.
But that selfless sacrifice means that we can now look forward to spending eternity with Him in the many mansions of the Father, which he has gone to prepare for us. And that my fellow believers, we all know is the not only the BEST, but also the BESTEST thing that has ever happened in this whole wide world! Glory Hallelujah!
So after all that build up, (smile) let’s now sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty feeling, with plenty verve and gumption, as we get ready to go out into the evil world and fight the heathen with the sword of LOVE; the LOVE of Jesus Christ.
Now let’s sing a real good rendition here mih breddren, As one big, sweet, harmonious and heavenly choir, let’s light up God’s universe.
‘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 mih people, mih people, that was wonderful, marvellous, the mostest! Wow! I don’t think we’ve ever sung any louder, sweeter and in greater harmony!
And yuh know why that is? It’s simply because this is the first time that we’ve ever truly followed the leading and direction of our most awesome and revered Choirmaster, the ONE and ONLY Superstar, Jesus Christ! Mama Mia!
And as Uncle John (John Hagee) would say: ‘Give the Lord a shout of praise in the house of God!’
And all God’s people responded with a loud and vibrant cheer of ‘Praise the Lord! Give Him thanks, honor and glory, because he is most deserving of them! All praise to the sacrificial Lamb, who is Higher than High, and Greater than Great!’
And now Friends, having sung the praises of our great God so much, it is essential, of the utmost importance that we go out and follow the words of our Bit. Words that Bruh David proclaimed eons ago, but which today are still applicable, appropriate and relevant to the continuation and furtherance of our wonderful faith.
‘I have preached righteousness (proclaimed the good news of righteousness) in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained (restrained) my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.’
Yes my people, we need to go out and let the heathen and the heretic hear the Word of God! That’s our Great Commission! (Matt.28:19-20) It’s also the only way they will hear the Word. Remember too that faith is born, can only come by hearing the Word of God. (Rom.10:17)
Oh yes my people, we not only have to say like Bruh David says in Psalm 22 – A cry of anguish and song of praise – but also do it. ‘I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.’ (Ps.22:22)
We can’t afford to be afraid, and/or bashful and shy about proclaiming the Lord’s Word, for that’s our bounden duty, what’s totally expected of us!
Oh Friends, I had some other stuff to add, but we’ll leave that for tomorrow, the Lord willing, because I don’t want to stretch our short attention span too much (smile)
But let’s get real nuh, it’s high time we not only talk, but also truly walk the Christian walk, for it’s only by us doing so, will the Word of God flourish and last till time everlasting. Much LOVE!
…for the children’s sake…let’s shout the Word of God…from every rooftop…to every living creature…
12 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a travesty of justice, afraid, also to the Greek, and of the Holy Spirit, awe, believers in Jesus Christ, blessens, bonds in christ, bounden duty, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, Christians, comfort, dynamite, dynamo, edify, encourage, enthusiasm, eternal life, ever-faithful God, faith, faith comes by hearing, fellowship, filter into your hearts, forgiveness, gather to worship, go to church, God's gracious provision, hearing by the word of God, hidden under a bushel, I have not refrained my lips, I have preached righteousness, in sincerity, in the great congregation, in the name of the Father, Jesus Christ, listen more than we talk, make disciples of all nations, mercy, no man is an island, number one priority, of the Son, oral communication, personal relationship with Jesus, pilgrim's journey, powerful word of God, praise and worship God, preach Christ, reconciliation, righteousness., sacrifical death, salvation, saving faith, secret, the body of Christ, the good news, the gopsel is the power of God unto salvation, the Great Commission, the most powerful force in the universe, the word of Christ, to the Jew first, truth, zeal, zenith of wisdom
Psalm 40:9. I have preached righteousness (proclaimed the good news of righteousness) in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained (restrained) my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.
Well hello there you beautiful believers in Jesus Christ! How goes it this Sunday morning in mid-April eh? I hope that it meets you all safe and sound, and also up and about, preparing to go to church and praise and worship our wonderful God with other believers. For you know that’s the number one priority of a Christian on a Sunday morning.
Our God both desires and expects it of us, because He is always there ready to shower down blessings, mercy and forgiveness on us, whenever we gather to worship Him in sincerity and truth. That means that though you may have a personal relationship with Christ, that is not sufficient, you still need to meet with other believers in fellowship, to strengthen your bonds in Christ and to encourage, comfort and edify each other.
That’s why Jesus and Bruh Paul talk about His body, the church. It resembles the human body because it is made up of different parts, but all come together to form one body. No one part can’t do it all by itself. Just like no man is an island, likewise, no Christian is capable of doing it all himself.
And if by chance you’re physically unable to get to a sanctuary, then turn on your radio or your TV, find a church program and let the powerful and ever-faithful Word of God filter into your heart through your ears. That’s why He gave us two ears and only one mouth; so that we can listen more than we talk. (smile)
Remember too the fateful words of Bruh Paul to the Romans: ‘So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom.10:17)
And the scholars offer this important explanation. ’10:17. The word of God: Better, “the word of Christ.” The reference here is to the oral communication of the gospel. Note that it is not faith in what is heard, but faith that comes about by what is heard. This is what Paul meant in 1:16 when he said the gospel “is the power of God unto salvation.”
Saving faith is not man doing his part in response to God’s having done His part (synergism). Saving faith can come about only through the gospel. Salvation is God’s work alone (monergism). This also shows that there is no other way to be saved but by the explicit gospel of Christ.’
Yes Friends, faith is born, and then grows in us when we hear the word communicated orally. And I guess I’ll have to spoon feed you all here because very few, if any of you will condescend to check out Romans 1:16, so you can better understand the scripture. So here it is. ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Rom.1:16)
Please remember my people that the Word of God is the most powerful force in the universe! For as the scholars tell us: ‘1:16. The power of God: The English words dynamite and dynamo are derived from the word “power.” If Paul were writing today he would probably speak of atomic power. The gospel is so powerful that it takes people all the way into heaven.
Every one that believeth: The basis of salvation is God’s gracious provision. (Rom.3:23-26) But the only means by which the sinner can appropriate this gift is faith (10:9-17) The gospel is the essential content of that faith. This is why Paul is so burdened to preach Christ to the world.’
Ah mih people, the power of the gospel of Christ is truly marvellous and miraculous! Without it, our faith would not exist; neither would we enjoy salvation, reconciliation and eternal life! Please keep that front and centre in our lives, as we make our pilgrim’s journey here on earth.
That bring us to our Bit, where Bruh David declares: ‘I have preached righteousness (proclaimed the good news of righteousness) in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained (restrained) my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.’
Yes my brethren, the same way Bruh Paul was enthused to preach the gospel of Christ, that’s exactly how Bruh David felt about God’s Word, and proclaimed it loudly to all and sundry! That job has now fallen to us Friends, but are we expressing it with the great awe, zeal and enthusiasm like we ought to? I doubt it very much. A lot of us are ashamed of Christ, are afraid to talk about Him openly, even to our friends and neighbours, but yet consider ourselves Christians, His followers.
But that’s not good enough my people. Hear how Bruh David continues after our Bit. ‘I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy LOVING-kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.’ (Ps.40:10)
Now that is what all believers ought to be able to say, and until we each can say that truthfully, then we’re not doing God’s will as we ought! Many of us instead of broadcasting the gospel and salvation boldly and diligently, we selfishly hide it in our hearts. But Friends, that good news was not meant to be kept a secret; it was meant to be broadcast to all the world.
Remember Jesus Great Commission to the disciples: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always(s), even to the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20).
Yes my brethren, that is what all faithful believers in Christ ought to be doing; telling others about His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary; which paid for our sins from now until eternity, plus the free gift of salvation offered to us through God’s grace, and the wonderful promise of eternal life!
Wow! Oh my people, if you believe that you have all of that, how can you keep it to yourselves eh? It’s a travesty of justice! So please, starting today, right now, let’s up the ante nuh, let’s get more interested and zealous about the cause of Christ, and go out and gladly broadcast it to all the world, for that’s our bounden duty, as well as the zenith of wisdom! Much LOVE!
…the good news of Jesus’ gospel …should not be hidden under a bushel…but brightly exposed for all to see and hear…
07 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all is well, all year round, an abomination to the Lord, an attitude of prayer, angry tensions, as in heaven, as we forgive our debtors, be not afraid to pray, buoy us up, but deliver us from evil, but even pray, ceaselessly, celebrations, Christian, chronic illness, controlling the universe, Cousin Sol, die for our sins, disputes, earthly pilgrimage, Easter Monday, Easter Season, erroneous idea, eternal wisdom, faith, forgive us our sins, give us our daily bread, god is still on his throne, God's desire for us, God's Word, godly advice, good and bad, gratitude, hallowed be thy name, Hartley Coolidge, hope, in the face of adversity, keep prayer uppermost in our hearts, keep us strong and faithful, lead us not into temptation, life's forces, lifeline to our Creator, lifting up holy hands, live according to God's will, Lord teach us to pray, LOVE, make it a habit to pray, malfunction, men pray everywhere, Our Father which art in heaven, our loving God, our sins forgiven, our souls washed white as snow, personal satisfaction, pray if thou canst with hope, pray without ceasing, prayer is a creative expression, prayer is our lifeblood, raise our spirits, reconciled to God, right and wrong, rise triumphantly from the grave, Sacrifical Lamb, sacrifice of the wicked, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, spiritual needs, the evil one, the prayer of the upright is God's delight, the substance of faith, the wonders God works, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, to pray is right, total obedience, umbrage, unbelieivng hordes, unconditional love. the heathen, warms the cockles of God's heart, wisdom, without wrath and doubting, work dilgently
1 Thessalonians 5:17. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!
Ah Friends, it seems like the ole fella’s Easter Monday celebrations were a bit much for him, because he could not get up at a reasonable time this morning. Hn, hn! But the sad part is that the celebrations weren’t anything big, just a simple gathering of immediate family.
Now can that mean the ole fella is getting too old for even the simple celebrations? Definitely not! And I take great umbrage at anyone who endorses that erroneous idea! (smile)
For here are some great truths; the caffeine is hot and sweet and strong, and our great and LOVING God is still on His throne controlling His universe, which means all is well!
Now why wouldn’t things be okay eh, especially since the Father sent His only Son to be a sacrificial Lamb, to die for our sins, and then rise triumphantly from the grave a couple of days ago, so that our sins could be forgiven, our souls washed as white as snow, and we could be reconciled to Him?
That testimony Friends, I now put to us, should be the uppermost thought in our lives, not only at this Easter season, but all year round! We ought to let it buoy us up, keep us strong and faithful.
Just thinking about what Jesus did for us should raise our spirits to great levels and cause us to want to work diligently and ceaselessly to bring His Word and undying, unconditional LOVE to the heathen, to the unbelieving hordes.
And you know that’s all He really asks of us; to live according to His will and let others see the wonders He works in the lives of those who display total obedience to Him.
And I have a most appropriate and beautiful quote from my One More Day Devotional, Meditations for People with Chronic Illness. Someone in their innate wisdom gave me that devotional long before I even had any chronic illness. (smile) But this quote is attributed to one Hartley Coolidge, for whom I couldn’t find any proper info, although it seems he might have been the son of the famous British poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Anyway, Hartley is reputed to have made this statement which I’ve shared with you some time before, but it is so noteworthy that it needs to be shared again and again: ‘Be not afraid to pray, to pray is right. Pray if thou canst with hope, but even pray.’
Oh my people what wisdom and godly advice! Prayer should indeed be our number one response to our every problem and our every need. And further to that, here is how the devotional describes prayer. ‘Prayer is a creative expression of my spiritual needs. It offers me a deep sense of personal satisfaction and continuously reminds me of all life’s forces.’
And is that ever so true my people! Prayer is our lifeblood, our lifeline to our Creator, and it should never be broken! We can’t afford to have it malfunction in any way whatsoever, otherwise our lives will lose all semblance of hope, of right and wrong, of faith, of good and bad, of God and the evil one. That means, as our Bit so rightly informs us, we should ‘Pray without ceasing.’
Now it doesn’t mean we should always be audibly praying, but we should constantly have an attitude of prayer about us, which will help us ‘maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’
That means Friends that prayer is ever so important in the life of a Christian. Even to the extent that Bruh Paul tells Timothy: ‘I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim.2:8)
So whatever your geographical position or location, you ought to pray, espousing a pure and truthful life, without disputes and angry tensions.
Meanwhile Cousin Sol tells us in Proverbs that ‘The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.’ (Prov.15:8)
Yes my people, our God delights in the prayers of His people. Nothing warms the cockles of His heart like when His people come to Him in sincere prayer. Remember that is our most important line of communication with Him. Prayer is so important that even Jesus, though being of the Godhead, resorted to it each and every day, in every situation.
Mark informs us: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
Jesus made it a habit to pray, to get with God before He began His day, so the Spirit of God would be there to guide and lead Him on a right and true path, give Him the wisdom to make proper decisions.
Oh Friends, so do we also need to come to God in prayer, as early as possible on each day of our lives, so that we can receive the wisdom, strength and guidance to handle our day in a way that pleases God.
And we’ll end with this eye-opening situation, where Jesus teaches His disciples about prayer. The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And it came to pass, that, as he (Jesus) was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
And he said unto them, when ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil (the evil one).’ (Luke 11:1-4)
There we have it Friends, the basic foundation of our foundational prayer! So as we go about our earthly pilgrimage in this wild, woolly and wicked world, please let us never forget to keep prayer uppermost in our hearts and lives, for that is God’s desire for us, as well as eternal wisdom on our part. Much LOVE!
…to pray…to pray… and yet to pray…that is the substance of faith…
06 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great King above all Gods, almighty god, atone for our sins, aura of love, blessings, Christ's Resurrection, compassionate, confidence, day of temptation, Easter Monday, eternal life, evil powers, faith, fellowship, For he is our god, forgiveness, friends, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, gospel truth, Hades, harden not your heart, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, joyful noise, kneel beofre the Lord our maker, let us make a joyful noise, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, O come let us sing unto the lord, o come let us worship and bow down, provocation, rebellion in the wilderness, reconcile, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, shout joyfully, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the Lord is a great God, the sheep of his hand, to the rock of our salvation, today if ye will hear his voice, trust, ungodly world, we are the people of his pasture
Psalm 95:1. O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation.
And then it was Monday Friends – Easter Monday with the joyful celebrations of Christ’s resurrection and victory over the dark and evil powers of Hades and the world still in full cry! Glory Hallelujah!
That’s only for some of us blessed ones though, unfortunately the remainder have to go back out to work today and won’t be able to participate in the Easter Monday frivolities. Oh don’t you feel so sorry for them? For sure we do, but that’s just the luck of the draw, whether where you work recognizes Easter Monday as a holiday or not.
However to show our solidarity with them, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much zeal and fervour. As one marvellous choir now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh Friends, that was pretty good, though there were a few hoarse and out of tune voices, obviously from the hard and heavy partiers. (smile) Jesus just chuckled and shook His head knowingly when He heard them.
Now that ought to get us revved up and just rearing to get out into the world and show the unbelieving hordes exactly what true Christians are like, and have them panting with longing to come to Jesus and get what we have, salvation and eternal life. That’s why my people, Psalm 95 – A psalm of praise to the great God – is so appropriate at this Easter time.
And our Bit leads it off: ‘O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto Him with psalms (songs) (Ps.95:1-2)
And that is very meet and right my people, since the Lord went to such great trouble to have His Son sacrifice Himself to atone for our sins. It’s a no-brainer that we should be everlastingly grateful for that wonderful action on His part. He didn’t have to do it, but He LOVED us so much that He just couldn’t live with Himself and see us simply go down to the pits and dungeons of hell with the evil Lucifer without giving us a fighting chance to do better.
And as the psalmist continues: ‘For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.’ (Ps.95:3) And isn’t that the indisputable truth my brethren? It certainly is! Who else, other than a great and compassionate God and King would have put Himself to so much trouble and heartache to give us an opportunity to atone for our sins and reconcile us to Himself eh? Definitely not some small time god and/or king, who was only interested in their own welfare.
The palmist then reminds us that: ‘In his hand (In his possession) are the deep places of the earth: the strength (heights) of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.’ (Ps.95:4-5) More gospel truth my brethren, since the Lord made the universe and all therein and still controls it with His mighty right hand!
Therefore the psalmist next words are quite in order. ‘O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation (rebellion), and as in the day of temptation (trial or testing) in the wilderness: When your fathers proved me, and saw my work. (Ps.95:6-9)
Oh Friends, that would be so foolish on our part, especially since we now know about Jesus and all the wonderful things He has to offer.
Now listen to what happened to those foolish forefathers of ours. ‘Forty years long was I grieved (was I disgusted) with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err (go astray) in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter my rest.’ (Ps.95:10-11)
And my people, our God wasn’t joking nuh, for none of those who left Egypt ever entered the Promised Land besides Joshua and Caleb. Even the great messenger of God, Moses, only saw the Promised Land in the distance from a hill top.
So my people, please don’t be taken in by the false and deceitful promises of the evil world, for our God might be very LOVING and generous and magnanimous, but He values obedience to His will above everything else, and His wrath is not something we ever want to feel.
And also, if you should hear Him knocking on the door of your heart today, be wise, please open it with a big, glorious and welcoming smile, for He is the only One who can give us all that we need, both down here on earth, and in heaven above. Much LOVE!
…when you open your heart to Jesus…all heaven shouts for joy…for one more is added to the godly flock…
01 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Father who cares, a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night, alive and kicking, almighty god, ambassadors for Christ, And the Lord he goes before thee, April Fool, as I was with Moses, bondage, christ is alive, comfort, crumbling state of mind, discontent, doomed to death, Easter, encouraging, eternal life, eternal separation, eternity, evil minions, faith, fear, fear not neither be dismayed, freedom from sin, friends, gladness, glory to God, go astray, God's grace, gospel truth, grace, greatest gift ever offered to man, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, heartache, heartbreak, holy spirit, Holy Week, Jesus Christ, Jesus is for real, Joshua, lie down in green pastures, LOVE, merciful and gracious God, mercy, Moses, negative emotions, on the cross at Calvary, paths of righteousness, physical action, power, precautions, promises, reconciliation to God, reignite God's image in our hearts, rekindle God's fire in our souls, righteousness., sacrifical death, salvation, solace, stand on His ever-faithful promises, strife, the Lord's work, the most important person in the universe, the worst fate, transforming peace, truth, turn to God, unconditional LOVE, ungodly world, uplifting words, Wednesday, wisdom
Deuteronomy 31:8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Well Friends, it’s a beautiful Wednesday morning in Holy Week! The sun’s shining, the birds are a singing, but sadly, all’s not right with our world. It is filled with too many negative emotions and the strife and discontent that they bring. But it’s important to realize that our great God is still on His throne watching over things, in full control of it all.
We might not understand why He’s allowing all the negativity to continue, but rest assured that He, with His higher wisdom and understanding, knows what He’s doing. That’s the only way we can endure the evil and ungodliness that’s currently festering the soul of our world.
I guess the ole fella’s a bit tardy this morning too. But there’s good reason for my tardiness. I was about the Lord’s work, at a meeting in the church last night, which finished later than I expected, and by the time I got home and did my own thing, it was minutes to two in the morning.
And that’s no April Fool’s joke, it’s the gospel truth. (smile) And the ole bod refused to get up until it was well rested and refreshed, able to take on the rigours of writing the Bit. So what can I say eh? (smile)
But Friends, can you imagine that’s it’s already April? The year of 2015 is surely winging its merry way along without any thought to whom or what it leaves behind. Therefore, I beseech us to take the necessary precautions not to be caught up in that situation.
We have to be aware of what’s going on around us and play our part, which is an ambassadorial role for Jesus Christ. We have to get out there and let the world know that He’s alive; alive and kicking, kicking very hard too.
And especially at this most important time in our Christian Calendar, Easter, we’ve got to shout it out, let the world know that Jesus is still the most important person in the universe, and without Him in our lives, we are doomed to death and eternal separation from God Almighty!
And as I keep reminding us, that’s the worst fate that can ever befall a human being. So please, let’s get a move on in our personal lives nuh, let’s rise to the glorious occasion and show the unbelieving world that Jesus is for real, that what He stands for is of much more benefit than what the ungodly world and its evil minions have to offer.
Jesus‘ free gift of salvation through His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary, engendered by God’s grace and unconditional LOVE, beats anything that this sinful world has to offer. It’s the greatest gift ever offered to man; freedom from sin, reconciliation to God, and eternal life with Him.
What could be sweeter and more fulfilling than that eh mih people? NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
So let’s not forget that and allow the world to fool us into thinking that its earthly benefits are better than the heavenly ones. Our salvation and where we spend eternity depends on it.
Enough with the preaching though, (smile) let’s hear this most appropriate plaintive cry from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘At Such Times,’ and says: ‘God, there are times In the midst of heartache and heartbreak When there is no comfort, no solace Anywhere at all.
There are times When in my crumbling state of mind I feel I can no longer endure – Not for a day, not even an hour. It is at such times, O God That I draw heavily Upon your unfathomable LOVE. At such times I explore Your transforming peace.
At such times I live By the power and promises Of a Father who cares infinitely more Than I can begin to grasp or comprehend. Today, dear God, is a “such time.”
Oh my fellow believers, isn’t that beautiful? It shows us exactly where we need to turn and what we have to do when times get rough, as they so often are in our present age. Turn to God and stand on His ever-faithful promise! It has worked for numerous believers for eons, and will continue to work until time everlasting!
And the promise for that poem is our Bit for today: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’
Oh my brethren, what encouraging and uplifting words! Only a powerful Deity, One who is confident and comfortable in His own figurative skin, can make such a bold and forthright promise! And it sets the tone for all our endeavours even up to this day, centuries after it was made.
And our God not only talks, but takes firm action on behalf of His people, as He did with the Israelites when he brought them out of bondage in Egypt, by putting the words of our Bit into physical action.
Hear these words from the Good Book. ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.’ (Ex.13:21-22)
What a merciful and gracious God we worship my Friends! And the good thing about all that is that He is till leading us today, not necessarily by pillars of clouds and fire, but in so many different ways, individually and collectively. The problem though is that we are often too busy or lazy to hear and see His leadership in our lives.
But Friends, I want to tell us that that is an integral part of our earthly lives, and until, and unless we embrace His grace and mercy and listen to His direction and plan for our lives, we will most definitely go astray and not live the life that He had planned for us.
Now let’s end with another scripture verse of enormous proportions, of wonderful encouragement and promise. This is when the Lord promoted Joshua to the Israelite leadership after the death of Moses. The Lord told him, man to man: ‘There shall not be any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh.1: 5)
Oh my people, my people, what a glorious promise, one that the Lord fulfilled in spades. Once Joshua stayed faithful and followed His lead, all things worked together for his good. The same still goes for us today, my brethren.
Once we walk faithfully with the Lord, He will be faithful to us and lead us in the paths of righteousness, making us to lie down in green pastures, beside restful waters, and restore our souls, all for His name’s sake. Glory to God my brethren!
So please, let’s take firm hold of the promise in our Bit today and go out and be the best we can be for Jesus. I pray this in His holy name. Amen! Much LOVE!
…Oh Lord…please reignite your image in our hearts…rekindle your fire in our souls…so that we can LOVE You as we ought to…and do Your bidding without fear…but with gladness and joy…
29 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abuse of power, all the people were moved, and when he was come into Jerusalem, be crucified, belief, bethpage, celebration, christianity, Christians, daughter of Zion, destruction, devastaion, faith, fears, fellowship, fickle, foibles, foolish, frail, fulfilled, gift of gab, glorified Jesus, greedy purposes, Holy Week, Hosanna, Hosanna to the son of David, humble, incensed, Jerusalem, King of Kings, led astray, Lord of Lords, lowly, Messiah, might and majesty, misuse, multitude, Old Testament, Palm Sunday, peace, power of the mouth, preview of things to come, prophecy, rejection, rejoice, riding upon an ass, righteous and godly rulers, salvation, Septuagint, snow white charger, surrendering to Jesus, the foal of an ass, the Mount of Olives, the only way, thy king cometh, ticket to eternal life, tomorrow might be too late, triumphal entry of jesus, wealth, who is this, world supremacy, worship, Zechariah, zenith of wisdom
Matthew 21:10. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
PALM SUNDAY!
Well Friends, today is Palm Sunday, the first day of one of the most important weeks in Christianity – Holy Week. It’s the day that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ made His triumphal entry into the holy city of Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. And thus it is a very important day for Christians to go to church to worship Christ and fellowship with each other.
It’s a preview of things to come. The first time, He humbly enters Jerusalem on a lowly donkey, but the next time…the next time… Oh my people, Jesus will be coming in might and majesty, as Lord of Lords and King of Kings, sitting astride a snow white charger, that’s snorting and impatiently stamping its feet, anxious to join the fray, the impending battle for world supremacy.
Ah mih breddren, this day also shows how frail and fickle and foolish humans can be, and are so easily led astray by those with the power of the mouth; the gift of the gab. Why do I say that? Because on that first Palm Sunday, the populace of Jerusalem worshipped and glorified Jesus, but a week later they were crying out to crucify Him, all because their leaders incensed them to do so, for the leader’s private purposes.
Sadly Friends, the same thing is happening in our world today; a large amount of people are being led astray on numerous fronts by their leaders, not for the benefit of the people, but for the selfish and greedy purposes of those in power. Is this misuse and abuse of power ever going to end?
Who knows? But it will only end when we raise up righteous and godly rulers and hold them to account, instead of the parasites who now feed greedily on the fears, foibles and wealth of the people, and rob and steal with impunity.
But that’s a sermon for another day. (smile) Today we’re featuring Palm Sunday, so let’s focus on that. And please note Friends, that his day was prophesied hundreds of years before Jesus’ time by the prophet Zechariah, when he proclaimed to Israel: ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just (righteous), and having salvation; lowly (humble), and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.’ (Zech.9:9)
And the scholars offer this information. ‘9:9-10. The ass (donkey) was an animal of peace. The kings of the earth come to bring destruction and devastation; Israel’s King comes to bring peace. The prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt.21:4-7; Mark 11:7; Luke 19:38; John 12:14-15).’
Yes Friends, centuries later, Jesus appeared on the scene, and on this fateful day, set His sights on Jerusalem. So let’s see what happened nuh. The gospel of Matthew tells it thus: ‘And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethpage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, go into the village over against (opposite) you, and straightway ye shall find an ass (donkey) tied, and a colt with her: loose (untie) them, and bring them unto me.
And if any man say aught (anything) unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek (humble), and sitting upon an ass (donkey), and a colt, the foal of an ass.
And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. And brought the ass (donkey), and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from trees, and strewed (spread) them in the way (road).
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, this is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.’ (Matt.21:1-11)
Ah Friends, what a carnival-like day, an atmosphere of celebration that must have been eh, with everybody rejoicing to see their prophet, their Messiah being kingly paraded through their streets. But as we said earlier, the euphoria didn’t last very long, for some five days later they were crying out for His head, for Him to be crucified.
Now here is some info from the scholars, re those verses. ’21:1-9. This event is traditionally known as the triumphal entry, when Jesus officially offers Himself to the nation of Israel as her long-awaited Messiah. However, in many ways it was far from a triumph, for the day ended in Jesus’ public prediction of His rejection by His own people. (See Mark 1:1-10; Luke 19:29-39; John 12:12-15).
Bethpage was a village near Bethany, about a mile east of Jerusalem and apparently hidden from it by the summit of the Mount of Olives, which was the hill on the east of Jerusalem. The quotation in verse 5 is a combination of Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9, taken substantially from the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament.
Hosanna is the transliteration of a Hebrew term meaning “please save,” and occurs in 2 Samuel 14:4 and Psalm 118:25. From the following verse of this psalm the acclamation Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord is taken. Riding on the colt of an ass marked the official entry of Israel’s kings. Thus Jesus arrives in the full declaration of His kingship.’
There we have it my brethren; lots of info on the Palm Sunday scene, so please let’s ponder and study it and thus increase our knowledge of Jesus and His Word, and consequently also increase our faith and belief in Him, for He is truly the ONLY WAY through which salvation can be had.
So let’s be wise and embrace Him and all that He stands for RIGHT NOW, for tomorrow might just be too late. Much LOVE!
…the zenith of wisdom is… surrendering one’s self to Jesus Christ…accepting Him as your Lord and Saviour…your ticket to eternal life…
25 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 1 John, Adam and Eve, adulterous affair, agreed to disagree, almighty god, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, Bathsheba, belief in Jesus christ, best interests, blot out my transgressions, boss around, Bruh David, cancer, caring Deity, cleanse me from my sin, cleansing, come short of God's glory, confess sins, confession, confession of sins, conspirational tones, constant in our human nature, cover sins, Diana Chung Rampersad, draped him up, earthly suffering, eternal life, eternity, evil, faith, foolishness, for all have sinned, for mine own sake, forgiveness, forgiving nature, forsake sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, heavenly peace and joy, heinous sin, I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, if we confess our sins, iniquiry, Jesus Christ, joy, leave all the consequences to Him, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, mercy, Nathan, obey God, peace, power, prosper, provision, remember thy sins, reserve a spot with Jesus, reunion in heaven, roommate, scourge of this generation, see eye to eye, serve, shock, sin, sinful nature, sinfulness, strength, successful surgery, surprise, surrender, susceptible to sin, tender mercies, the answer to all our prayers, the cross at Calvary, the prayer of the righteous, the shed blood of Christ, the straight and narrow path, the truth is not in us, time of mourning, to stand strong, transgressions, Uncle Charles, unconfessed sin, unfortunate news, unrecognizable, Uriah, wash me, wasted away, we deceive ourselves, wisdom, wrath
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s heart is somewhat heavy this Wednesday morning after learning yesterday afternoon of the passing of my surrogate sister Diana Chung Rampersad in Trinidad.
You know it was one of those totally unexpected things. I saw the flashing red message light on the phone and idly wondered who was calling about what. Can you imagine my shock and surprise when I listened to the message bearing that most unfortunate news? She was younger than me. My condolences go out to her husband and two children and the rest of her family.
Ah Lord eh! And the sad part is that when I was in T&T last month I called her a couple times and left messages, but got no reply. I wondered why, but now I know that she was sick, on her death-bed with the scourge of this generation, cancer, in one of its many forms.
And it doesn’t seem as though the usual treatments made any difference to her condition. And I can imagine how wasted away she looked. For those of you who have had contact with the disease, you’ll know that it just eats you away, until sometimes you become unrecognizable. And she was always such a bright and perky person.
I first met Di many years ago when she became my mother’s roommate up here in Toronto. And though we didn’t always see eye to eye, we sort of agreed to disagree for my mother’s sake. I must say though that she cared a lot for my mother, even trying to keep that very independent lady on what she considered the straight and narrow path, which led my mother to refer to Di as her grandmother.
She was the only person who could boss around my mother and get away with it. Hn, hn! Sometimes though, Di would come to me and say in conspiratorial tones, ‘Randolph, your mother is something else yes!’ and then outline some unexpected doings of my mother.
My mother always considered Di to be the daughter she never had, and Di played that part very well and very faithfully, to the point of coming up here from T&T when my mother died and helping me with the funeral arrangements and cleaning up of her apartment.
Consequently, I can imagine their reunion in heaven must be a big one. They both have ended their earthly suffering and gone on to their heavenly peace and joy. There’s nothing better we can ask for.
This past week the Lord has also called home the fathers of two of my other friends, but they were somewhat older and been sick for a while, so it wasn’t so unexpected. I pray for all the families involved, that the Lord will give them the necessary strength and faith to stand strong in their time of mourning.
And last, but definitely not least, I pray for successful surgery in the U.S on my brother’s legs, for some vein problems. He had one leg done yesterday, and will have the other done tomorrow. Please offer a pray for Him too, since there’s great power in the prayer of the righteous.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, the same as yesterday. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Oh Friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but I am ever so glad and grateful for that very forgiving nature of our God! It means that though we make mistakes, we don’t have to fear His awesome power, His wrath, because it is always clothed in LOVE and forgiveness.
And since we have a sinful nature by birth, it means that we will always be susceptible to sin. And as John wisely says in the verse before our Bit: ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.’ (1 John 1:8) And that’s a fact my people. ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom.3:23)
So sin is an unfortunate constant in our human nature since the fall of our forefathers Adam and Eve. But our God is such a wonderful and thoughtful and caring Deity, that He has made provision for our sinfulness, through the shed blood of Christ on the cross at Calvary and through our confession of those sins.
Listen to Cousin Sol from Proverbs 28. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ (Prov.28:13)
Oh my people, my people, what news can be better than that eh? Only eternal life through Jesus Christ! No other Deity operates like our great God! And yuh tell me I wouldn’t LOVE and serve and surrender my will to Him! Chuh! Pure foolishness my brethren, pure foolishness!
Right there is the answer to all our prayers: forgiveness of sins through confession, and eternal life through belief in Jesus Christ! That surely is the way, my people. There’s no other way on this fallen earth that makes any sense.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh David as he pleads for cleansing and forgiveness after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, and arranging to have her husband Uriah killed in battle. He thought that he had gotten away with it, but when the prophet Nathan draped him up about it, he realized that the Good Lord had seen and taken notice.
So he pleads in Psalm 51: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgression: and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (found just) when thou speakest, and be clear (blameless) when thou judgest.’ (Ps.51:1-4)
Yes Friends, though Bruh David had committed such a heinous sin, once he sincerely confessed it before Almighty God, he was granted mercy. The same thing goes for us even today. But we must confess the sins to be forgiven. ‘Unconfessed’ sin is definitely not in our best interests.
Now please don’t think that we won’t have to pay for our sins, because there are always consequences to them, but once confessed and forgiven they are thrown away, never to be remembered by God. Listen to this promise from Isaiah. ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’ (Is.43:25)
Oh my brethren, we can’t ask for anything better than what our magnificent and magnanimous God has offered and provided; forgiveness from sin and eternal life through Christ Jesus.
So please let’s stop playing the fool here on earth with all its bright and glittering sin and shame, and instead get serious about our heavenly lives, reserve a spot in eternity with Jesus, for that’s the ultimate wisdom. Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) would say…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…that’s the best way to live this earthly life…
23 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenalin, anger, atonement for our sins, aura of love, be kind to one another, beautiful truth, bitterness, bring people to Christ, Bruh Paul Ephesians, cliches, confidence, Cousin Sol, Creator of the universe, derogatory feelings, detriment, Each day is a gift from God, evil speaking, faith, fellowship, folk wisdom, forgiving one another, glorious kingdom, God for Christ's sake has forgiven you, God sent His only begotten Son, gossipmongers, hatred stirs up strife, he that covereth a transgression seeketh love, holy spirit, Holy Spirit of God, hope, humble servants, inappropriate information, into each life some rain must fall, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, lord god almighty, lots of gusto, LOVE, Love covers all sins, malice, manifested, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative, personal example, Praise the Lord, prayer, propitiation for our sins, Proverbs, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, social media, social platforms, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stepping stone, stumbling block, tenderhearted, Thank You Lord, thank-you prayer, the day of redemption, the greatest of these is love, the LOVE of God, the righteous, truth, ungodly world, untenable situation, weekend partying, wisdom, wrath
Proverbs 10:12. Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.
Aye Friends, today we’re going to open with some quotes from Grandma, taken from the Family Circus in the Weekend Funnies. And those of us who do read the funnies – incidentally the best part of the newspaper – will also realize that it often reflects truth and real life in a way that no other platform does.
Listen to some of Gran’s truths. ‘Whenever you find a stumbling block, use it for a stepping stone; Into each life some rain must fall; Each day is a gift from God, So it’s only polite to send Him a Thank-You prayer.’
Wow! What folk wisdom Friends; all bristling with truth. We call them clichés, to which we tend to have negative, derogatory feelings, but the fact is that they tend to be true, and I guess that’s what bugs us about them. However, in accordance with Gran’s wishes, since we’ve been gifted by God with today – a brand new day- let’s be polite and send Him a Thank-You prayer nuh. Let’s voice our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with lots of gusto.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah shucks mih people, that wasn’t so wonderful nuh! Too many hoarse and gravelly voices from the weekend partying. (smile) But our God is such a wonderful God, He will accept our efforts since they came straight from our hearts.
Now what we have to do, since we’re up and about and flowing over with adrenalin (smile) is to get out into the wicked world and show our true godly colours, so that others can see them and want what we have. That’s the best way to bring people to Christ; by personal example. And the Number One godly quality we need to display in our dealings with others my brethren, is that of LOVE!
As Cousin Sol so wisely reminds us in our Bit: ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’
And isn’t that a beautiful truth! It just shows the mighty power of LOVE! It’s an awesome quality that originates and emanates from the Creator of the universe Himself. And John, in describing God’s undying, everlasting LOVE, tells us in his first epistle.
‘In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ (1 John 4:9-10)
And all God’s redeemed children shouted a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord! Thank You for sending Jesus to be the atonement for our sins! We LOVE You and praise and glorify Your Holy Name!’
And Cousin Sol further tells us in Proverbs 17: ‘He that covereth a transgression seeketh LOVE: but he that repeateth a matter separateth very (the best of) friends.’ (Prov.17:9) And that is ever so true my people. Gossipmongers are amongst the worse people in our society; untrustworthy and just like to run their mouths.
And this explosion of social media is making that aspect of our lives even worse. People are posting all sorts of inappropriate information on these social platforms, whether true or not, to the detriment of others, even their close friends and families and themselves. And that certainly doesn’t fall under the umbrella of the godly, helpful and protective quality of LOVE!
And we’ll close with these appropriate words from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, which quite nicely address that untenable situation above. ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake (in Christ) hath forgiven you.’ (Eph.4:29-32)
And that my Friends, is how true followers of God ought to behave! So let’s go out today and behave thus nuh, so that we can be counted amongst the righteous, the true children of God. That’s what Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…and now abideth… faith, hope, LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these is…LOVE… (1 Cor.13:13)
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