03 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be exceeding glad, bedrock, bitter, Christ's body, Christ's sufferings, Christian living, Christians, church, church bells, coming together, common enemy, dinosaurs, divide and conquer, divisive, drifitng apart, everlasting life, faith, faithful, fellowship, fiery trial, forces of evil, foundation, fragmented, gifts, God's mysterious workings, godly decisions, going to church, growth, happy, heaven, help of Jesus, in sync, intelligence, Jesus Christ, joy, living church, living faith, living truth, logic, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, majestic glory, momentous times, negative experiences, omnipotence, patience, persecuted prophets, persecution, positive work, quarrelsome, rejoice, resentful, rewards, salvation, spiritual growth, spiritual maturity, spiritually dead, stand strong, suffer for Jesus, temptations, testing, the bells toll, Togetherness, trials, trials of life, victory, worship
Matthew 5:12. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Oh Friends, the church bells are tolling this beautiful Sunday morning! They’re tolling to invite us to fellowship and worship as the body of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ down here on earth! Wow! What a special benefit and honour to be numbered in that most august society!
Many of you may remember growing up with the church bells pealing every Sunday morning and evening, calling all the faithful to the house that Christ built. I remember them quite vividly, because I lived only a couple minutes walk away from St. Andrews Anglican in Scarborough, Tobago, and I’d use them as a time piece, listening for when the last bell begin to toll, then I’d hustle off to get there just in time.
There were either two or three tollings, I don’t remember, but back then, when the bells pealed, you knew that almost the whole community was getting ready to go to church, regardless of their denomination. Unfortunately though, church bells tolling as a means of inviting the faithful to worship is now a thing of the past, like prehistoric dinosaurs.
The youth of today don’t even know that church bells existed, for there are very few around now, and even fewer toll, and likewise, even fewer attend church regularly. But my brethren, going to church and fellowshipping with others of like faith, is exactly one of the things Jesus had in mind when He commanded us to ‘Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’
That’s because it’s much easier for believers to rejoice and be exceedingly happy, in spite of persecution, when they are gathered together worshipping and praising Almighty God, whether it be in a church, a house, a thatched hut, a cave or in the open air. Togetherness is the bedrock, the foundation of Christ’s body! No wonder we’re not making the progress we should, since that body is so fragmented, divisive, quarrelsome and resentful of each other.
But Friends, it’s virtually impossible for us to stand strong in the face of persecution when we’re not in sync with each other. That only gives the forces of evil an excellent opportunity to further divide and conquer us. For as logic declares, a group can usually stand stronger together against a common enemy, than a single individual.
And my people, coming together is one of the things we desperately need to concentrate on, if we’re to ever survive the challenges and persecution that the evil world powers are plotting against us. And even as a group, we can’t do it without the omnipotence of Jesus working in and amongst us. So please, let’s seriously concentrate on coming together, rather than drifting further apart nuh. That’s the only hope we have of strengthening and growing Jesus’ LOVE Revolution.
And I have the perfect quote for that from an article I read earlier on in the Anglican Newspaper, November 2013 edition. I copied it for use at some future time, but in God’s mysterious workings, (smile) that time seems to be now. It’s written by Bishop Patrick Yu, on the subject of inviting people to church.
He writes that ‘Growth is actually the sign of all living things, including a living faith and a living church!’ Now that’s gospel truth my people! If we’re not growing in faith and fellowship, then to all intents and purposes, we’re spiritually dead.
Anyway, enough sermonizing from me for today. (smile) Let’s get to the scriptures I faithfully promised you yesterday. And the first one deals with the first part of our Bit: ‘Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:’
Peter puts it this way: ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.’ (1 Pet.4:12-13)
Yeh Friends, it’s definitely not an easy concept to grasp and then hold on tightly to, but we do need to believe that when we suffer for Jesus’ sake, we’re part of His suffering. Therefore, when He comes back in all His majestic glory, then we too shall participate in the overwhelming joy during those momentous times!
And James say it thus: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials). Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith, worketh (produces) patience.’ (James 1:2-3)
Short and sweet eh Friends! (smile) What a way we doing a lotta smiling today mih breddren! But that’s just the way it ought to be, if we’re exceedingly glad.
Now here’s what the scholars have to say: ‘1:2-3. In this epistle on Christian living, James opens with a most crucial topic: the trials of life. These verses describe the various testings – whether from the world and Satan, or from God – into which godly Christians fall (Gr. peripipto). These “negative” experiences are to be accepted with great joy, not for the sake of the trial itself but because of the positive work God can accomplish through the testing.
The words in verses 2 and 3 (temptations and trying) are often regarded as virtually synonymous. If this were true, then the trials themselves would produce spiritual maturity. But they do not. Often, testings make Christians bitter instead of better, with no spiritual growth occurring. The Greek word for “trying” (dokimion) might be better translated as “approving.”
It is not merely one’s presence in such trials but one’s victory over them that brings spiritual growth and maturity. Those Christians whom God can use the most are those whom God has bruised the most.’
And all God’s people said a low, unenthusiastic ‘Amen,’ because they know that’s the living truth, and it’s hard for the flesh to handle!
But enough for today Friends, I don’t want to stretch your intelligence and busy lives by running on too long. (smile) So let’s ponder all that we’ve said and heard, then make some good and godly decisions, in as many areas as we can, obviously with the help of Jesus. Much LOVE!
…for whom the bells toll…for all mankind…why…so that they can come to Christ…to acknowledge Him as Lord and Saviour…and receive the free…but oh so wonderful gifts of salvation and everlasting life…
02 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of God, Abraham Isaac and Jacob, be exceedingly happy, Beatitudes, blessedness, chomping at the bit, complacent, constant communication with God, delving into God's Word, dispossess, eroded, eternal destiny, eternal glory, everlasting peace, evil powers, exult, faith, false accusation, fear, forces of evil, forefathers, free to worship, freedom, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, great is your reward in heaven, heathen, Holy Name, Jesus Christ, joy, living by faith not by sight, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, Lucifer, make a positive difference, mature faith in Christ, minions, New Year's resolution, one true God, peace, persecuted the prophets, persecution, prayer, pro-active, promises, rejoice, repercussions, reproach, resolutions, revile, rewards, Sermon on the Mount, slander, standing steadfast and strong, take freedom to worship for granted, the messenger, try and change the world, ungodly earth, vigilant, walking with Christ, writing the Word in our souls
Matthew 5:12. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Oh Friends, do you realize that in a mere 2 months we’ll be into the new year of 2014? This year of 2013 has really passed by quickly, and today I’m asking us to check on how we’ve done on the main New Year’s Resolution we made back in January; the promise to walk more closely and sincerely with Jesus than we did before. I’ve also been encouraging us to reflect on it every month rather than at the end of the year. That way we have time to catch up on and/or make amends to any aspect(s) on which we we’ve been lagging.
And what about the resolution we made last week eh; the one to try and change the world a little bit everyday? Have we been doing anything about that? I surely hope so. And if you have, then you’re also working on the first one, because making a positive difference in this crazy, troubled world everyday, is indeed walking closer with Christ, since that’s exactly what He did, and also desires of us.
Anyway, your reactions and answers to those questions above are between you and our heavenly Father. I am just the messenger, so please don’t shoot me. (smile)
And today we’ve come to the last part of the Sermon on the Mount that deals particularly with the Beatitudes. Today’s Bit: ‘Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you,’ follows from yesterday’s.
That Beatitude informed us: ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.’ (Matt.5:11) And we saw how many believers are being persecuted, even unto death, for just believing in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
Now none of that is easy my people, but Jesus is telling us that we should rejoice and be exceedingly happy when we’re persecuted for following Him. Why? Because our reward for standing steadfast and strong in faith down here on earth, will be great in heaven; also that’s how the heathen and false believers persecuted the prophets that came before us.
Now that last part is certainly true as the Good Book records all the persecution the early prophets endured, including Jesus, and the general church after that. But Friends, standing strong in the face of persecution, especially if and when it’s unfair, is definitely not that easy. And the promised rewards way up in heaven at some later date, doesn’t make it any easier for most of us, because we’re still living by sight and not by faith as we ought to.
It’s only when we have a real strong, steadfast and mature faith in Christ, will we be able to truly consider those rewards in heaven, against the persecution here on earth. And that can only come with time, constant communication with Almighty God, delving deeply into His Word, writing it indelibly in our souls, then trying to live by it.
And Friends, we’re so lucky out here in the Western world to be able to freely worship the ONE TRUE GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob without any fear of serious repercussions, but many others in distant lands are not so fortunate. And please, please, I sincerely implore us not to get too lost in that freedom which we now take for granted, because if you haven’t noticed, it’s being slowly eroded by the evil powers that be.
At this juncture in our evolution, the LOVE Revolution, we need to stand up even firmer and stronger against the forces of evil, so that we don’t lose what our forefathers gave their very lives for; the right to worship in freedom and peace. And that’s no joke Friends, because more and more everyday, prayer and God are being removed from schools and public places.
Therefore it’s imperative that we stop being as complacent as we are about it, and instead be very vigilant and pro-active if we don’t want to lose those rights. For remember, whatever freedom that’s been won, can always be taken away, and the evil minions of Lucifer are just chomping at the bit to take away our freedom to worship.
Now listen to the scholars’ interesting take on our Bit. ‘5:12. Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase, ‘Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad’ means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focuses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is as real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’
And that’s gospel truth my brethren! But as we’ve said above, it won’t just happen automatically, we have to work seriously and consciously on it.
Now I have some scriptures to share, but they’ll make the Bit too long, so we’ll address them tomorrow, our great God in favour. In the meanwhile, please let’s concentrate on truly following Jesus, doing the things we know we ought to do, so that we can gain all those rewards laid up in heaven for us.
And may the Lord bless and keep us, cause His wonderful countenance to shine upon us, and give us His everlasting peace and divine wisdom, so that we can greatly glorify His Holy Name and further His glorious kingdom down here on this wicked, ungodly earth. Much LOVE!
…to successfully handle persecution…we must focus steadfastly on what Jesus has done for us…and on the heavenly rewards He’s promised…
31 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Beatitudes, blessed, brainwashed, candies, children, christ jesus, Christian calendar, common sense, costumes, daily prayer, dangerous stuff, divine wisdom, don't be afraid, easy money, encouraging words, enduring suffering, evil, evil doing, evil machinations, faith, for Christ's sake, for righteousness sake, friends, glory hallelujah, goblins, God's goodness, good cheer, Halloween, heartfelt prayers, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, just, killjoy, kingdom of heaven, lead and guide, liable to err, live godly in Christ, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving kindness, money making day, most powerful tool, needles, nitty gritty, overcome the world, pagan rites, peace, persecuted, persecution, petty things, pick sense from nonsense, prayer, pumpkins, reward, righteousness sake, sins, spread the word, standing steadfast and strong for Jesus, stigma, sufferation, suffering, talk the talk, testimony, trials, tribulation, troubled world, true believers, unjust, walk the walk, well doing, wisdom, wishy-washy, witches
Matthew 5:10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Oh Friends, it’s the last day of October, can you imagine… But that also makes it Halloween Day. Steups! Just look at how the pagan rites have been inculcated into our Christian calendar nuh!
And it’s only been used as another money-making day by the merchants; candies, costumes and pumpkins. And the uglier and more evil looking your costume, the better dressed you’re considered!
Yes Friends, it’s Halloween; time for goblins, witches, et all! Ah Lord eh!
We start our children from small with the nonsense. And just to show how evil our world has become, nowadays you can no longer send your children trick or treating by themselves, even in your own neighbourhood, since recently so many evil things have been happening to them.
Sadly, it doesn’t even have to be Halloween for our children to go missing, as I received an e-mail last night that a sixteen year old young lady who lives on my street has been missing since last Friday.
And with this Halloween stuff you have to be very careful with the stuff your children collect, because evil people have been putting needles and other dangerous stuff in them. Chuh blast!
Oh Friends, I seriously believe it’s time we do away with this Halloween day and all the evil that it’s come to represent. I know that most likely I’m in the minority on that subject, and some of you might see me as a killjoy, but that’s okay, I can live with that stigma, people have been saying stuff about me since I began showing in mother’s womb. (smile)
But I guess we won’t get rid of Halloween anytime soon because the parents have been brainwashed into it, and the merchants won’t quietly give up such an opportunity to make easy money.
And from all that rambling, I guess it’s easy to figure out that I won’t be participating in the nonsense. Yuh know, on one hand we tell the children that too much candy and sugar is bad for them, but in the next breath we take them out in their evil looking costumes to collect as much candy as they can.
And then we wonder why the children are the way they are! Steups! Let’s just hope the Lord blesses them with the wisdom and common sense – which their parents seem to lack – to go easy on the stuff.
Anyway, I want to apologize for a typo in Yesterday’s Bit, where instead of saying before we ‘can’ enjoy God’s goodness and LOVING-kindness, I said ‘can’t.’ But I know that all you true believers knew what I meant, because you all are wise enough to pick sense from nonsense. (smile)
Just like I said sometime last week about putting our money where ‘out’ mouth is, instead of ‘our’ mouth. That just shows though that the ole fella is very human, and thus liable to err, but hopefully not too often. But enough of this preamble rambling, we have a Bit to deal with.
A Bit which says: ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’
Yeh Friends, we now getting down to the nitty gritty of the Beatitudes! It’s no longer just about being nice and godly, but actually about enduring suffering; physical, mental and emotional, all for Christ’s sake! How do we like them beans now eh?
Most of us won’t like them too much because we just like to have everything nice and easy, no ‘sufferation’ whatsoever. But my people, we need to remember these most memorable and encouraging words of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
That means we WILL suffer trials and tribulations, in this predominantly evil and troubled world. But we’ve got to bear up under them with a good attitude because Jesus has already overcome the world and all its evil machinations.
That brings us to the scholar’s take on the subject: ‘5:10. As Jesus develops His message, He clearly teaches that such a life cause His people to be in direct contrast to the world in which they live. Therefore He reminds us, ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake.’
The plural use of “ye” in verse 11 indicates that He foresaw this persecution as touching ALL His followers. Notice 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Oh Friends, it’s rough, but true! The kingdom of heaven is not for wishy washy or ‘fraidy, fraidy’ people. And many of us out here in the free Western world are just that. Meanwhile, other Christians in more restrictive parts of the world, are being persecuted left, right and centre for simply believing in Jesus and wanting to serve and worship Him.
Many of us would cave in if we ever felt that kind of pressure. We’re doing it now without any pressure at all. But millions of believers around the globe are still standing steadfast and strong for Jesus, despite the serious persecution they’re facing! Glory Hallelujah!
And it sure makes me feel bad to see that we out here, who have it so good, are complaining and whining about so many petty and unimportant things, merely talking the talk without walking the attendant walk.
Oh my people, it’s imperative that we at least send up some real heartfelt prayers for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being so terribly persecuted. So today I’m asking us all, during our time of daily prayer, or at any time at all, to pray for our persecuted brethren all around the world.
Remember. prayer is the most powerful tool in God’s great universe!
And we’ll close with an encouraging word from Peter, re the subject of suffering and reward. ‘And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy (blessed) are ye:
And be not afraid of their terror (threats), neither be troubled… For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened (made alive) by the Spirit.’ (1 Pet.3:13-14, 17-18)
Oh my fellow believers, I know it’s difficult to live a good life for Jesus, but He did it for us, and as the scholars say: ‘In the will of God we are sometimes called to suffer for well-doing as a testimony to others.’
And we can certainly do it if we hold close to Jesus and let His Spirit lead and guide us, while raising up all the things we need to truly serve Him, from our spirit, where it’s ALL been already planted.
We only need the power of the Holy Spirit now to bring them to the fore. And that my Friends, is a true mark of divine wisdom. Much LOVE!
…our earthly duty is to…LOVE our God…LIVE our Faith…and SPREAD His Word…let’s start doing that in all seriousness nuh…
P.S. Oh Friends, it’s long, but worthwhile. As Jesus said, we can’t always have it short and easy. (smile) Much LOVE!
23 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pleasant hello, a smile, Abraham, Abrahamic Covenant, abundance of peace, afraid, alleviate tragedies, almighty god, anger, balance, Beatitudes, blessed, blessed are the meek, blessedness of heaven, boast, church at Rome, delight, dictates of our Bit, diligently, divine wisdom, embrace Jesus, every day, faith, from the bottom of my heart, God's wisdom, greet with a smile, heartfelt feeling, heir of the world, humble, humility, inherit the earth, inner confidence, inner strength, Jesus, Jesus sojourn on earth, Johnny Reid, kingdom of god, live by faith, live by sight, LOVE, meek, meekness, memorable words, Mosaic Law, one day at a time, opened up my eyes, physical, ponder, positive difference, promise, promise of the kingdom, resolution, righteousness of faith, say hello to my neighbour, Sermon on the Mount, shake a stranger's hand, show off, simple things, sincerity, sit and talk awhile, solid truth, spiritual, steadfast faith, strong, surrender, tell someone I love them, the last trump, the law, the only way, the strength of our faith, tragedies, trust, truth, try and change the world, weak, wonderful project
Matthew 5:5. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (land).
Oh Friends, this is what I had planned for yesterday, until I read about the disastrous school shooting incident in Nevada. And in God’s everlasting wisdom, this project can, and will, definitely alleviate those kinds of tragedies, if we sincerely and seriously put our hands to the plough and furrow straight ahead without looking back.
Now it’s not a new project, but a very old one that we’re guilty of not doing properly. However, we’re starting over TODAY, in a more serious and sincere manner. So listen to the basic nature of the project, as Johnny Reid, in his drawling baritone, tells it to us in song.
‘Today I’m going to try and change the world. Gonna take it one day at a time. I’ve made my resolution, opened up my eyes. Today I’m going to try and change the world.’
That’s just the chorus people, but even that’s very eye opening and inspirational!
Now listen to the verse. ‘I’m gonna say hello to my neighbour. Going to greet him with a smile. And shake the hand of a stranger, sit and talk to him for a while. I’m gonna tell someone I LOVE them from the bottom of my heart. Today I’m going to try and change the world… Chorus’
Oh my brethren, isn’t that a wonderful project? It sure is! And the beauty is that we’ll just take it one day at a time, no rush, doing the simple things that Jesus did in his sojourn down here on earth, and now wants us to carry on in His name.
And the whole thing is very easy; greet our neighbours with a smile and a pleasant hello; shake a strangers hand, then spend a li’l time chatting with them; tell someone we LOVE them, with a sincere and heartfelt feeling of truth.
Oh my people, my people, that’s the only way we can ever change this world!
But to do it sincerely and successfully, we have to live according to the dictates of our Bit. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (land).’
Yes Friends, we cannot do those things, or anything that Jesus requires of us, unless we’re meek, unless we’re humble. Now please remember that meek and humble don’t mean weak and afraid, like many people think, but rather strong, with an inner confidence in God, that you don’t have to huff and puff, get angry, or show off and boast.
Meekness and humility simple means we have a quiet, inner strength, steadfast faith, not afraid of the world or whatever it brings our way.
And this is the scholars’ take on our Bit. ‘5:5. The meek…shall inherit the earth refers again to those who have been humbled before God and will not only inherit the blessedness of heaven, but also will ultimately share in the kingdom of God on earth.
Here, in the opening statements of the Sermon on the Mount, is the balance between the physical and spiritual promise of the kingdom. The kingdom of which Jesus preached is both “in you” and is yet “to come.”
Solid truth that mih breddren!
And even before Jesus spoke those memorable words of our Bit in the Beatitudes, Bruh David solemnly declared in Psalm 37, The true state of the wicked: ‘For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider (look diligently for) his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps.37:10-11)
And as per inheriting the earth, Bruh Paul wrote this to the church at Rome. ‘For the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.’ (Rom.4:13)
And the scholars’ explain that thus: ‘4:13. The promise: Many Jews thought that the privileges they enjoyed came from their adherence to the Mosaic Law. This is false. The promises were given to Abraham 430 years before the law was given, hence the law does not annul the Abrahamic covenant. It was merely added alongside until Christ should come to fulfill it. (cf. Gal.3:17-19)’
So we see Friends, it’s all based on faith, trust, and surrender to Almighty God; from the day Abraham received the promise, till the day the last trump sounds. Therefore let’s try and stop living by sight nuh, and instead live by faith, as we ought to, since it’s the ONLY WAY we can truly embrace Jesus and all that He stands for.
That means we continually need to ponder the strength of our faith and find ways to make it stronger. Now that’s where divine wisdom comes in. Much LOVE!
…if each believer tries to make a positive difference…each and every day…then we’ll soon change the world…as Jesus… so long ago, asked us to…
17 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things are possible with God, almighty god, alterations, Americans out of work, beasts of the earth, begin where you are, binds up, Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, change of circumstances, chastens, Christ's followers, comforting scripture, confidence, correction, Cousin Sol, descendants, desire of the wicked, desolation, dicouragement, diligently seek god, don't give up, don't let life discourage you, economic pressure, Eliphaz, ever-faithful God, evil tidings, exalted with honour, faith, famine, fear, full age, glorious kingdom, gnashing of teeth, God's promises, gospel truth, hard and scary times, heart is steadfast in the Lord, heavenly government, in league with, inspirational messages, Job, keep on keeping on, live by faith, make whole, makes sore, Mormon Tabernacle Radio, most powerful force in the universe, offspring, peace, perish, petty. selfish ideology, please God, positive transformation, power of the sword, prosperous, rebuke, redeem from death, remembrance, righteous, righteous servants, righteousness., scourge of the tongue, shock of corn, sin, stay tuned to god, strength, terror, the first step is the hardest, the grass of the earth, the longest journey begins with the first step, The Lord's your confidence, the tough get going, the vicissitudes of life, travesty of justice, trouble, U.S House of Representatives, war, when the going gets tough, worthwhile ambassadors of Jesus
Proverbs 3:25-26. Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation (trouble) of the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).
Oh Friends, at long last the nonsense in the U.S. House of Representatives seems to be over! Ah Lord eh! And would you believe some of them are still griping, figuring that the country should have been allowed to go even further to the dogs than it has already gone, simply because of their petty, selfish ideology! Steups!
And I’m sure most of those who are still whining can afford to put up with some economic pressure, so they were quite content to put millions of poor and needy Americans out of work for two weeks. And in any case, they, the Reps, were still getting paid. What does that say about them eh? What a travesty of justice!
However my people, as they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. And that’s gospel truth where Christ’s followers are concerned!
Now I want to share an interesting quote attributed to Richard L. Evans (1906-1971) a writer and Mormon scholar, who apparently delivered many inspirational messages over Mormon Tabernacle Radio. He solemnly and wisely advises: ‘Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was.’
That’s more gospel truth, my fellow believers! For to get from one place to the next, you have to begin wherever you are. As the old Chinese proverb asserts: the longest journey begins with the first step. And that first step is usually the hardest.
So this morning I want to encourage us, not to let changes in life discourage us, for we can always start again if necessary. And remember, when you’re working in league with, in close alliance with the most potent and powerful force in the universe, Almighty God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
So please don’t give up, or give in to the vicissitudes of life, for they are simply what life is all about; alterations to the way we live and changes of circumstances. And though our lives can be drastically altered, and our circumstances seriously changed, we have to keep hanging in, stay tuned to God, and eventually we’ll see positive transformation, because that’s what our ever-faithful God has promised.
And please remember it’s by faith we live, not by sight, and we cannot please God if we don’t believe and behave like He is whom He says He is; One who rewards those who diligently seek Him. (Heb.11:6)
Now let’s check out our Bit, where Cousin Sol confidently proclaims: ‘Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation (trouble) of the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’
Oh my brethren, what encouraging and comforting scripture! Who else is like unto our God eh? NOBODY! That’s why we have to keep keeping on in faith during those hard and scary times.
And it’s now time to look at some other scriptures which corroborate the advice of our Bit. First up is scripture from the Book of Job, where Eliphaz, Job’s buddy is rebuking him.
‘Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: for he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power (hand) of the sword.
Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. For thou shalt be in league (have a covenant) with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle (your tent) shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin (find nothing amiss). Thou shalt know also that thy seed (descendants) shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth (plentiful).
Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season. Lo, this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.’ (Job 5:17-17)
Oh Friends, I never intended to use all that scripture, but after reading it, I realized that we needed it all, for it shows just how good and great is our God to us.
And we’ll end with one more passage of scripture, that from Psalm 112, superscripted, Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. And the psalmist unhesitatingly declares: ‘Surely he shall not be moved (shaken) for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed (steadfast) in the Lord.
His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed (distributed abroad), he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn (strength) shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish.’ (Ps.112:6-10)
Oh my people, there’s no more to say, for it’s all been said right there! The righteous shall be prosperous and the wicked shall be extinguished.
So please, today, let us all go out into this evil, unfriendly world and do our best to be righteous servants and followers of Jesus Christ, so that we can be good representatives – unlike those in the U.S. House of Reps. -worthwhile ambassadors of His heavenly government, thus furthering His glorious kingdom. Much LOVE!
…the faithful promises of Almighty God…keep His followers faithful…
13 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leap of faith, anger, assurance, backsliders, bless, bring others to Christ, Bruh David, contrition, covenant, dive in heart first, encouragement, encouraging, faith, fasting, friends, God is full of compassion, God is gracious, God's glorious majesty, God's glory, God's kingdom, God's power, heavenly wisdom, iniquities, Israel, long-suffering, loving kindness, merciful, mercy, obedience, obeisance, pardon, patient teacher, personal relationship with Christ, personal testimony, project our faith, redemption, rend your heart, repentance, reverence, saints, seek the Lord, shout of praise, sins, slow to anger, step up to the plate, takes two to tango, terrible mess, testify, the Good Book, The Lord's the greatest., trust, truth, unbelievers, undeniable truth, unrighteous man, wicked man, wisdom, word to the wise
Psalm 145:8. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Oh Friends, our God is definitely the greatest yes! And I’m saying that for the umpteenth time because yesterday, after writing that I had nothing to say, was bereft of words, He kindly informed me that believers ALWAYS have something to say. And when I didn’t understand, like a patient teacher, He gently explained that whenever our mental apparatus shuts down, we can always testify.
Obviously I chuckled at hearing that information, but people, there is logic to it. We might not be able to come up with any new, fanciful stuff to enthral our listeners, but our personal testimony, what the Lord has already done in our lives, and is currently doing, doesn’t change or ever grow stale.
And in fact, personal testimony is the best way to project our faith, to bring others to Christ. We can know the Good Book from cover to cover, but that information is useless to all and sundry unless some aspect or aspects of it are occurring in our lives. That’s why it’s called a personal relationship with Christ.
The tough part though is that you cannot find out what Jesus is all about until you get personally involved with Him. That’s where faith and trust come in – plenty of both. And that’s why they call getting involved with Jesus a leap of faith! You don’t know what’s going to happen, because He has different plans for each of us, but you’re nonetheless willing to dive in heart first.
As they say, you can’t learn to swim in shallow water, it must be deep enough for you to manoeuvre properly. So anyway, we now know that when our word source dries up, we can testify. (smile)
That brings us to our warm, wonderful and most encouraging Bit. ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of great mercy.’ And all God’s people gave Him a big shout of praise!
But that’s not all Friends, for Bruh David continues: ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ (Ps.145:9) Even more assurance there Friends!
But here’s where our endeavours come in. ‘All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power, To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.’ (Ps.145:10-12)
Now that’s where we have to step back and view the reality of the current situation my brethren. Are we, God’s saints, speaking of His majesty and power, of His glorious kingdom, and also letting men know about His mighty acts down through the ages?
I strongly believe that we’re not doing it to the best of our ability, otherwise there wouldn’t be as many backsliders and unbelievers, and consequently our world wouldn’t be in the terrible mess that it’s in.
Now let’s turn to some scripture that confirms our Bit. The psalmist in Psalm 130 – My soul waiteth for the Lord – says with much wisdom and truth. ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps.130:7-8)
What glorious words of encouragement, my brethren! There’s certainly no doubting them!
Meanwhile, Isaiah, in chapter 55, God’s free offer of mercy to all, he also reassuringly declares: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is.55:6-7)
Then, in one of the many instances when Israel was backsliding, the Lord commanded Jeremiah: ‘Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger (remain angry) for ever.
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers (favours to foreign deities) under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.3:12-13)
Please note Friends, that it’s all well and good to come back to God, but we must acknowledge our transgressions with sincere repentance, and He will know it by searching our hearts.
And here are two verses from Psalm 86, where Bruh David is entreating the Lord to teach him to pray. ‘For thou Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee… But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.’ (Ps.86: 5,15) Bruh David certainly knew what he was talking about from personal experience.
Now listen to Joel, with a call to fasting and more repentance. ‘Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. And rend (tear) your heart, and not your garments, and turn (return) unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness (LOVING-kindness), and repenteth him of the evil (relents from doing harm.’ (Joel 2:12-13)
Ah mih people, NO OTHER GOD shows such grace and mercy towards repentant sinners!
Now here’s a note from the scholars I think we should share. ‘2:12-13. The customary way a Jew showed his grief was to tear his outer garment. This external sign could be meaningless. The tearing of the outer garment is useless, unless the heart is broken in repentance and contrition.’
And that’s the undeniable truth Friends! So though our God is wonderful, with all those glowing attributes, we still need to show Him true reverence, obeisance and obedience. For as the old people would say; it takes two to tango. We can’t expect to reap all of God’s goodness without doing our part. But sadly that’s the way a lot of us, supposed believers behave.
We must remember Friends that we’re in a covenant relationship with Almighty God, our Creator, Controller and Provider, and right now we need to step up to the plate and become better keepers of that covenant, for we are definitely backsliding. And as we’ve seen in all our scriptures, the Lord is only too willing to forgive and forget, if we turn back to Him in sincere repentance and heartfelt contrition. That’s heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…
12 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all or nothing at all, anxieties, Caleb, compassion, condemned, damned, death, disobedience, doomed, doubts, earthly life, faith, faithful, faithfulness, fears, forgiveness, foundation of faith, Glory Halleujah, God's attributes, God's strength, Good Book, goodness, gospel truth, grace, guidance, hell, holding you hostage, iniquity, insecurity, intercession, Israelites, Jesus, Joshua, long-suffering, LOVE, Loving Deity, mercy, Mt. Sinai, negative emotions, omnipotent god, pardon, personal experience, praise, promises, rebellious attitude, reverence, sacrificial death, shed blood, sins, straight from the horse's mouth, surrender, Ten Commandments, testify, thanks, the Most High God, the Promised Land, the Rock, time of famine, transgression, true believer, trust, truth, truthful, unconditional LOVE, wisdom
Psalm 145:8. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s in a time of famine this Saturday autumn morn! Would you believe he has no words to utter? (smile) And I know some of you are in disbelief, a simple breeze could knock you over now. Yes, it’s strange but true! And please keep quiet in the background children, no smart aleck remarks from the penny section.
But Friends, I’m sure that situation won’t last for very long, because the Lord God Jehovah in His abundant grace and mercy will soon fill the void and guide me to what He wants me to write, since it’s His Word that I’m writing about. And mih Friends, when you talk about faithfulness…
Chuh! There’s NO ONE like our God in that department! As I keep saying, He’ll never give you a task to do without giving you the necessary tools and parts to perform it to His satisfaction. And I can attest to that from personal experience! How do you think I’ve been able to write the Bit everyday for almost seven years eh?
Even if I was exceedingly brilliant, and I’m certainly not that brilliant, it would have been impossible without the Lord’s help; His strength, guidance, wisdom, inspiration and faithfulness every single day! That’s what enables me to do a decent job in His glorious name!
‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise our great and wonderful God!’ Yes my brethren, that definitely called for some thanks and praise.
So my people, if today you’re suffering from doubts, anxieties, fear, insecurity, any negative emotions at all, just turn to the Lord in sincere faith, and He will most assuredly help you to overcome whatever negative thing(s) that’s holding you hostage. You have to come to Him sincerely though, with trust, reverence and total surrender. You can’t hold back any part of your being, for with the Lord it’s all or nothing at all!
And we have the memorable words of Bruh David from our Bit to prove my point. ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.’
Oh my people, every true believer in Jesus ought to be able to testify to that statement, because it’s the backbone, the sure foundation of our faith! Without God’s grace, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and LOVE, where would we be eh? Confused and falling all over each other in the extreme darkness of evil Lucifer’s hell, damned, doomed and condemned to ‘sufferation’ and death.
But through God’s unconditional LOVE and all His other positive and winning attributes, He’s provided a way for us to escape Lucifer’s evil claws; to be saved through the sacrificial death of His one and only son Jesus, whose shed blood paid for all our abominable sins. And as believers we know all about that, but today I want us to look at some scriptures that corroborate Bruh David’s words in our Bit.
And the first passage comes, as we would say, straight from the horse’s mouth. Here God is talking to Moses, the second time he went up Mt. Sinai to renew the tablets with the Ten Commandments.
The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him (Moses) there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.’ (Ex.34:5-7)
Oh my fellow believers, yuh see all of that comes straight from the Most High God Himself, and not from man! And since we know now that He’s truthful and faithful to fulfill ALL His promises, we can rest assured that whatever He says and/or does, it’s the gospel truth!
Now hear Moses, when the Israelites rebelled against the Lord in the wilderness, and He was tempted to just obliterate them. But through Moses’ timely intercession, He stayed His hand.
‘And now, I beseech thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children of the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.’ (Num.14:17-19)
Ah mih Friends, Moses was smart, using God’s own declaration of His mercy, compassion, forgiveness and slow-burning fuse. And the Lord, true to His word, relented, but not before declaring that the old timers who had seen and experienced all the wonders that He did for them out of Egypt and in their travels through the wilderness, NONE of them would ever set foot in the Promised Land, excepting Caleb and Joshua. (Num.14:20-24)
And yuh better believe Friends, that’s exactly what happened, all because of their disobedience and rebellious attitude! Only Joshua and Caleb, of the multitude that came out of Egypt ever crossed the Jordan. That’s partly why they wandered in the wilderness for forty years too.
So my brethren, let us not be afraid to face our fears, doubts, anxieties and life in general, head on, because we serve and worship an omnipotent, kind, and LOVING Deity, who’s promised to ALWAYS be with, and help us throughout this difficult earthly life, right on to eternity. We can’t ask for more than that. Much LOVE!
…when you build your house on the Rock…the sturdy foundation that’s Jesus…it will never fall…in fact, it will last forever…
P.S. Yuh see Friends, I told you that in due time, the Lord would give me something to say. (smile) Oh thank Him for His faithfulness! Much LOVE!
09 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, appreciation, Babylon, be acceptable in God's sight, Beelzebub, believe in Jesus, boundary, Calvary, Chaldeans, champion, Charles Spurgeon, chosen people, Christian vocabulary, commit my spirit, confidence, crucifixion, deeds, deliverance, diminish God's mercy, eternal life, faith, faithfulness of God, fatherless, fear, fly right, followers of Christ, fortified wall, fugitives, gifts, glory, Glory Halleujah, God of truth, God's promises, goodness, grateful heart, hand of the wicked, hell, Holy One of Israel, honour, Isaiah, Israel, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, Jesus-the answer to all problems, Judah, lift up heads hands hearts, Lord God Jehovah, lord of hosts, LOVE, made right from wrong, mankind, meditation of our hearts, mercy, modus operandi, my redeemer, my rock, never-ending wellspring, Old Testament, oppressed, plead their case, prayer, prophecy, ransom, ravages of sin, reassurance, recalcitrant children, rejection, right action, sacrifice, salvation, straighten up, suffering, the property of the needy, tribulation, trust, truth, under the weather, usurp, words of our mouths, worthless sinners
Psalm 19:14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (my rock), and my redeemer.
Well a good Wednesday morning to all you beautiful followers of Jesus Christ! I do hope that this message finds you all in good shape. And even though you’re somewhat under the weather, for whatever reason, I encourage you to straighten up and fly right with Jesus, for He’s the answer to ALL our problems.
Lift up your heads, hands, hearts and eyes to heaven and call on Him for relief, for mercy. Then believe you receive it. For as the famous preacher, Charles Spurgeon reputedly said: ‘God’s mercy is so great that you may sooner drain the sea of its water or deprive the sun of its light or make space too narrow, than diminish the great mercy of God.’
And all God’s people declared a loud and joyful, ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise the Name of our great God!’
Yes Friends, we can never diminish, dilute or use up the mercy of our wonderful God, because it comes from a never-ending wellspring!
Now let’s turn to our memorable and all-encompassing Bit. ‘Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (my rock), and my redeemer.’
What a simple but glorious prayer my people! Today, the last day for it, I want to focus on the last half. ‘O Lord, my strength (my rock), and my redeemer.’
That word ‘redeemer’ is a very important one in the Christian vocabulary because it envisions a right action, something being bought back, being made right from wrong. And in the believer’s case, it means that the Lord God Jehovah has bought us back from the ravages of sin, where we were once totally lost in the darkness of Beelzebub’s hell, through the atonement made by Jesus’ crucifixion.
But before that happened, the Lord continually told His people Israel, about Him being their redeemer. And today I want to share some scripture from the Old Testament on that, just to show the faithfulness of our great God.
And we’ll begin with Bruh David’s declaration in Psalm 31, superscripted, ‘In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust.’ He confidently states: ‘Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.’ (Ps.31:5)
Have we, or are we able to say that with such confidence my brethren? We should, if we truly believe.
Now hear Cousin Sol: ‘Remove not the old landmark (boundary); and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: for their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with (against) thee.’ (Prov.23:10-11)
Please pay attention to that people. Don’t usurp the property of the needy, because the Lord, their champion will stand up for them.
Moving on to Isaiah. In chapter 43, titled, ‘The Lord, the only Redeemer,’ he boldly declares: ‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.’ (Is.43:1)
Yes my brethren, despite Israel’s rejection of their God and king, He still reassures them, as He continues to do with us, even today.
And in verse 14, Isaiah also declares: ‘Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans (have brought them all down as fugitives), whose cry is in the (who rejoice in their) ships.’ (Is.43:14)
Yes Friends, the Lord will judge Babylon, after using them to judge His recalcitrant children Israel.
Then in chapter 47, Judgement on Babylon, Isaiah proclaims: ‘As for our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.’ (Is.47:4) That tells us loud and clear, the name, the identity of our redeemer.
Now let’s move on to Jeremiah. In chapter 15, where the Lord is angry with Judah, and Jeremiah is despondent and desolate because of his lack of success and his tribulation with the people, He nonetheless assures Jeremiah that if he continues his prophetic work, He will save him.
‘And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen (fortified bronze) wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand (grip) of the terrible.’ (Jer.15:20-21)
Yuh see Friends, the Lord doesn’t leave His servants when they are suffering in His name. And that’s still His modus operandi.
Then in chapter 31, Restoration of Israel, Jeremiah warns: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles (coastlands) afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.’ (Jer.31:10-11)
And finally from chapter 50 – prophecy concerning Babylon – Jeremiah declares: ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name: he shall thoroughly plead their cause (case), that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.’ (Jer.50:33-34)
Oh my people, I do hope that these scripture passages strengthen our faith in the Most High God Jehovah, by showing His faithfulness in keeping His promises to deliver His chosen people Israel back then, and all those who currently believe in Jesus.
He certainly did as promised: redeemed us all by sacrificing His innocent Son on the cross of Calvary, so that we worthless sinners could have salvation and eternal life; the two greatest gifts ever bestowed on mankind.
So I’m asking us today to show our sincere appreciation by going out and living the kind of life that will honour Jesus and bring untold glory to Almighty God!
Let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts, be acceptable in the Lord’s sight! That’s the least we can do in return for His unconditional LOVE, unending mercy and eternal goodness. Much LOVE!
…a grateful heart will show its appreciation…in the words and deeds it proclaims…
26 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ask, assaulted teenagers, assess, authority figures, beautiful day, better and brighter days, brilliant sunshine, Christians, commandments, confidence, confidence in God, conversion to Christ, deceitfulness, edification, effective prayer, emotionally violated, encouragement, endurance, evil heart, exhort one another daily, exhortation, faith, faithful, glorifies, God's house, God's plans. purposes, God's promises, God's will, gospel truth, hallmark, harden your hearts, heart condemns, hip hip hurray, holy spirit, homosexual urges, influential positions, Israel did not believe, Jesus Christ, Jesus' church, keep the faith, life of purity, living God, LOVE, Moses, nuture the seed, partakers of Christ, patience, perseverance, physically violated, pleasing in God's sight, probation, promises, rape, reality of faith, receive, recompense, religion, reward, scripture, seeds, sin, standard of Christian living, steadfast unto the end, successful praying, take it to heart, take note of, teacher remiss, test, theology, today, true believer, trust, trustworthy positions, truth, turn them straight, unbelief, undeniable truth, warning, well-spring, wisdom, wrongdoing, youth pastor
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
Oh Friends, another beautiful day is about to dawn in my neighbourhood, and I hope in yours too! This past week has really been marvellous; brilliant sunshine and temps in the high teens and low twenties! And hopefully, the weatherman is right, when he forecasts that this wonderful weather will continue for the rest of the week.
But sadly though Friends, once more I have to ask, what’s our world coming to eh? I don’t know if this story I received in a newsletter is true, but if it is, then the Lord help us yes!
Apparently this youth pastor in Iowa, in the U.S. confessed to raping at least four teenagers, according to him, ‘to turn them straight.’ Hn! His actions were bad enough, but listen to this. The judge sentenced him to 17 years in prison, then turned around and suspended the sentence, instead giving him 5 years probation.
Ah Lord eh! And it seems that he assaulted more than four teenagers over the years, for at least four more young men have come forward with the same claim. And this wasn’t simply a one and done thing either, but some of the assaults seem to have gone on for more than four years. All ‘to help them with homosexual urges.’
Steups! How can these young men ever trust authority figures again eh? Some of them might even continue the wrongdoing. They trusted their pastor, one of the most influential and trustworthy positions in our society, only to be physically and emotionally violated by him. And then all he gets is probation….
Something about all of that just doesn’t sound right nuh people. But I’ll let the Lord be the judge, and stick to my task. So here’s our Bit: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’
It’s the last day Friends… And many voices sang: ‘Hip, hip, hurray! (smile) I know some of you don’t like to see the same Bit everyday, but my brethren, when there’s a lot of scripture to share on a topic, it would be very remiss of me to not share and or point them out. Isn’t that what a teacher is supposed to do?
And having confidence in God, His plans, purposes and promises is of the utmost importance for all believers, because it’s hope and faith we live by, things that are not readily seen by the naked eye, but have to come from a well-spring deep inside of us.
And we’re going to begin in Hebrews 3, moving on from yesterday, where we saw that Moses was faithful, but yet still only a servant in God’s house, while Jesus, the Son, built His own house, the church.
Today, the author of Hebrews is warning that under Moses, Israel failed to believe. But if we should now hear Christ’s voice calling out to us through the Holy Spirit, we should not harden our hearts. (Heb.3:7-11)
‘Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called TODAY; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made (have become) partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;’ (Heb.3:12-14)
What wisdom and truth my Friends!
And the scholars have this to say about the last verse. ‘3:14. One’s conversion to Christ, which occurred in days past (we are made partakers of Christ), is proved to have been genuine by perseverance in the days to come (if we hold…our confidence steadfast unto the end). This means that continuance in the faith is a test of the reality of one’s faith in Christ.’
And that’s certainly true my people! If we don’t keep the faith, then we’re not true believers!
Now listen to this scripture from 1 John 3, where he’s trying to nurture the seed that’s already been planted in the hearts of his readers; that they should LOVE one another.
‘BELOVED, if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. (1 John 3:21-22)
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘3:21-22. If our heart condemn us not: We have confidence toward God if our lives are in line with the standard of Christian living set forth above. John is not saying that whether a person is right or wrong is simply a matter of how he subjectively feels about himself.
That is why John has given so many indicators and commands for Christians to take note of and assess themselves by. And one of the great results of a life lived in purity before God is a life where there is effective prayer. Right living is an important part of successful praying.’
More undeniable truth Friends!
And I’ve left this well known scripture for last, because it truly gets to the heart of the matter. (smile) It comes from Hebrews 10 and says: ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance, perseverance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb.10:35-36)
Oh Friends, what magnificent scripture! It contains seeds of warning, wisdom, encouragement, edification, exhortation and promise! Wow! (smile)
Please let’s take it to heart today, and live our lives to suit, because it’s simply gospel truth! And if we do hope to see better and brighter days, then our lives must encompass all those things written in that scripture. Much LOVE!
…coming to believe in Christ…having the utmost trust and confidence in His power and promises…and living a life that glorifies Him…is the hallmark of a true believer…
25 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abide in Jesus, access, according to His will, almighty god, Amen, angels, assurance, believers, blessed assurance, boldness, born of God, children of God, christ jesus, christianity, Christians, confidence, counter, dark domain, don't lose heart, edification, Ephesians, eternal purpose, everlasting truth, evil counterparts, evil one, faith, faithful, fathom God's wisdom, freedom of speech, Gentiles, glory, God's actions, God's ear, God's will, God's wisdom, heavenly places, Holy Spirit of God, honour of God, hope, indisputable fact, listening ear, living for Jesus, LOVE, Loving for Jesus, message, Moses, motivation, mount an attack, mystery, not be ashamed, pales, Paul, powerful helper, powers, Praise the Lord, principalities, recognize the evil, rejoicing, religion, righteousness., run him out, scriptures, serve and worship, slowly creeps up, Son, Spirit of God, spiritual armour, spiritual rebirth, spirituality, stand firm in faith, stand strong, steadfast in faith, subconscious, suddenly, sufferings, testimony, Thank you Father, thanks and praise, the church, the end, the enemy, theology, tribulations, under the weather, ungodly world, unwanted intrusions, uplifts, watchful eye, wonderful god
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
Oh Friends, for some unknown reason, this Wednesday morning in late September, early fall, the ole fella’s a tad under the weather. The enemy has somehow managed to wangle his way into my subconscious. But the good news though is that it’s not for long.
In fact, I’ve just run Him out! (smile) With the awesome help of the Holy Spirit, Beelzebub was just kicked to the farthest part of his dark domain. Thank You Father! And I can now pay close attention to the Word and write the Bit without the enemy’s unwanted intrusions.
Oh my people, that’s why we have to be so careful in all our doings in this ungodly world, because the evil one and his evil counterparts are always seeking an opening in our spiritual armour to mount an attack against us, and oftimes we don’t know where or when he’ll appear.
Sometimes it’s all of a sudden, at other times he slowly creeps up on us. But if we stand strong and keep a watchful eye, we’ll usually recognize the evil that’s trying to come against us. Then we’ll surely be able to counter it with the assistance of the powerful and wonderful helper, the Holy Spirit of God, which dwells within us for that exact purpose.
Ah my Friends, as I have to remark almost every day: ‘What a wonderful God we serve and worship!’
And all God’s children said a loud and thankful: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
And we do need to give Him much thanks and praise. Just look at what our Bit says: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’
What blessed assurance that is; to know that whatever we ask God for, once it conforms to His will, He will lend a listening ear, give us a serious hearing.
Now let’s turn to some scriptures that have now been languishing for a few days, because there’s been so many others to bring to the fore, and we can’t do them all at once. And we’ll begin with Bruh Paul writing to the Ephesians, talking about his mission to the Gentiles.
‘To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold (many sided) wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of (in) him. Wherefore I desire (ask) that ye faint not (not lose heart) at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.’ (Eph.3:10-13)
Yeh Friends, God’s wisdom is so wide and wonderful, that none of us can ever fully fathom it!
Now hear the scholars on those verses. ‘3:10. Paul’s disclosure of this mystery teaches angels (principalities and powers in heavenly places) of God’s wisdom.
3:12. This verse affirms that Christians have boldness (freedom of speech before God) and access (the right of entering His presence) with confidence (assurance of being heard by God) by the faith of him (through relying upon Christ to gain God’s ear).
3:13. Which is your glory: God will use Paul’s tribulations and sufferings in the ministry to spiritually benefit his recipients. Such edification will then bring about glory on their part in that they praise and honour God.’
And that last statement is an indisputable fact Friends! When we truly recognize the plan and purpose of tribulations, both in our own lives and those of other believers, we come to an even greater understanding of God’s actions.
Then turning to Hebrews 3, which talks about Christ’s superiority over Moses, the author boldly and rightly declares: ‘For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after (afterward);
But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.’ (Heb.3:4-6)
Yes my brethren, Christ built the house to which we belong as believers. And we’ll continue belonging to it, as long as we stand firm in faith and rejoice unto the end in the hope that believing accords us.
And we’ll make space for one more scripture. (smile) This comes from the end of 1 John 2, where he’s expounding on the children of God and righteousness.
‘And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth (practices) righteousness is born of him.’ (1 John 2:28-29)
All of that is everlasting truth, my brethren!
And the scholars provide these footnotes. ‘2:28. Wishing to please the Lord, and not be ashamed before him at his coming, ought to motivate believers to stand firm, to abide in him.
2:29. The idea seems to be that he who practices what is right, being born of God (3:9), need not fear Christ’s coming (v.28). Spiritual rebirth is stressed in John. See 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18; also John 1:13; 3:3-8.’
And as always Friends, I encourage us to read the references that the scholars provide, because they do help us in further understanding the scriptures.
Now my people, as we hope and pray everyday, that the message uplifts us, and keeps us strong and steadfast in faith in Almighty God, and also causes us to come up a little higher in living and LOVING for Jesus! In His Holy Name we pray. Much, much LOVE, my Christian breddren!
…once you know Jesus…everything else pales in comparison…
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