05 Mar 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Ash Wednesday, beat up ourselves, bewail our misery, by faith, come of age, compromise our godly beliefs, corroded silver and gold, deceitful, demons, displeasure, divine blessings, ears of the Lord of hosts, eat your flesh, Egypt, enjoying life, eschew pleasure, face the problem squarely, faith, fattened hearts, fire, for a season, forgiven, forgiveness, forgotten, foundational faith, fraud, generous, graceful aplomb, gratifying, grounding belief, haunt us all our lives, he that loves pleasure, he that loves wine and oil, hearsay, indulgence, indulgent, jehovah god, Jesus fasted, Lent, less than stellar perfomance, LOVETH, Lucifer, Lucifer tempted Jesus, luxurious living, man-made idol, merciful, Moses, moth-eaten garments, partying, passing pleasures, personal experience, physically alive, pleasure, pleasure centres, poor, pull up our breeches, pursuit of fleeting pleasure, reap displeasure, recompense, reproach of Christ, reward, rich, rotted riches, sanctity, satisfying, serve only Him, serve pleasure, sin, sincere repentance, sinful nature, sinful pleasures, sinful world, son of Pharaoh's daughter, spiritually dead, stand our bounce, suffer affliction, take responsibility, temptations, the last days, treasure, true reflection, truth, ultimate in wisdom, wanton, warning, well deserved break, witness, worship the Lord thy God, worth
Proverbs 21:17. He that LOVETH pleasure shall be a poor man: he that LOVETH wine and oil shall not be rich
ASH WEDNESDAY !
Well Friends, the partying done now! Yes, it’s Ash Wednesday morning, the first day of Lent, so I hope that you exercised and exorcised all your pleasure demons over the last few days of serious partying. (smile) That’s because now is a time to settle down, a time for serious reflection on our relationships, especially between God and us.
Lent is the time to look deep into our souls and examine what we truly believe, and consequently how we live our lives, based on our grounding belief, our foundational faith, for all of us have faith in something, hopefully Jehovah God, and not man or some man-made idol.
Anyway, this season of Lent is a serious time, and we ought to seriously consider how we live our lives, giving the pleasure centres of our bodies and souls a well-deserved break. Hn, hn!
Now that doesn’t mean we ought to stop enjoying life, or eschew all pleasure, but rather not let the pleasures of life be all that important. Instead, let’s contemplate on how Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness and how Lucifer tempted Him, tried his very best to get Him to go against God’s will.
And in light of that, let’s see what temptations have been coming against us, and how we’ve been handling them, hopefully with graceful aplomb like Jesus, telling the deceitful fool Lucifer: ‘Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.’ (Matt.4:10)
And we all know my brethren, that that’s truth of the highest order! But that doesn’t stop the ole scoundrel from continually snapping at our heels, especially in one soft and weak area of our sinful nature, that of pleasure.
That’s why Cousin Sol declared so profoundly unto us, the words of our Bit. ‘He that LOVETH pleasure shall be a poor man: he that LOVETH wine and oil shall not be rich.’
And unfortunately, I know that Lucifer has a wide grin on his evil, devilish face this Ash Wednesday morning, because over the last few days, he’s managed to get many of us to compromise our godly beliefs in the pursuit of fleeting worldly pleasure.
But please remember that ALL of it can be forgiven, though only some forgotten, and a lot of it will haunt us for the remainder of our lives. There will always be some reminder of our less than stellar performance during that period.
The important thing though is not to beat up ourselves and continually bewail our misery over it, since that portion of our lives cannot be relived, and our mistake(s) be undone. And this wisdom comes from personal experience, not hearsay. We need to come to God in sincere repentance, ask for His merciful and generous forgiveness, then face the problem squarely; stand our bounce.
That’s one thing I’ve always tried to drive into my children’s head from they were young, and try to practice it myself. If you’ve done something wrong, be man or woman enough to take the responsibility for it.
And after all that ‘sermonizing’, (smile) let’s look at some scriptures that uphold the truth of our Bit. And we’ll begin with some instructive words of Bruh Paul to Timothy, re widows. ‘But she that liveth in pleasure (indulgence) is dead while she liveth.’ (1 Tim.5:6)
And the scholars’ note says: ‘5:6. This may be paraphrased, “But the widow who indulges in luxurious living, though physically alive, is spiritually dead.”
And I just want to point out here my people, that that statement also applies to widowers, in fact to all and sundry, because once we’ve allowed earthly indulgences to control our lives, we do become spiritually dead.
Then in Hebrews 11, that great chapter on faith, in talking about Moses, the author proclaims: ‘By faith, Moses, when he was come to years (came of age), refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures (passing pleasures) of sin for a season;
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure in Egypt: for he had respect unto (looked at) the recompense of the reward.’ (Heb.11:24-26)
Yes my brethren, likewise, we are to shun the calling of the pleasures of sin, and esteem the reproach of Christ of greater sanctity and worth than that of the world.
And we’ll let James take us home with his very voluble and valuable warning to the rich. ‘Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted (have rotted), and your garments are moth-eaten.
Your gold and silver is cankered (corroded): and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for (in) the last days.
Behold, the hire (wages) of the labourers who have reaped (mowed) down your fields, which is of you (you kept back) by fraud, crieth (cry out): and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth (Hosts).
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton (indulgent); ye have nourished (fattened) your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.’ (James 5:1-6)
Yeh Friends, that’s the way it goes! All our riches, garnered on the backs of those unfairly treated will eventually rot and be of no use to us. We who have lived to serve pleasure, will in the end reap displeasure!
So please, as true believers, let’s wake up and see unrestrained pleasure for what it really is nuh – an unwise and foolish means of moving away from Jehovah God to the sinful camp of Beelzebub.
Now is that what we really and truly want to do? I sincerely doubt it. So please, let’s pull up our ‘britches’ (breeches) nuh, and stop allowing the sinful pleasures of our sinful world to control our lives. Now that’s the ultimate in wisdom! Much LOVE!
…Cousin Sol had it all…wisdom, wealth and time…but found no satisfying, gratifying, or long lasting pleasure…in the worldly pleasures his divine blessings afforded him…
04 Mar 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: after one time is two, apostasy, archives of our memory, awesome truth, bacchanalian festival, bear fruit for Jesus, blasphemers, blazing sunshine, blessings, boasters, Bruh Paul, cares and riches, Carnival, Christ's return, cold weather, conclusion, corrupt minds, Cousin Sol, covetous, crescendo, deathly cold morning, disobedient, divers lusts, down south, faith, false teachers, fleeting pleasures of the world, folly, foolishness, fruit, futile, God's Word, godliness, good memories, gospel true, haughty, he who loves pleasure, he who loves wine and oil, I AM, in the hot sun, injustice, Jesus Christ, knowledge of the truth, life experiment, LOVE, lovers of God, lovers of pleasure, LOVETH, mas, maturity, meaningless, memories of carnival, merriment, Moses, neck of the woods, New Orleans, no self-control, northern climes, parable of the sower, perilous times, physcial warmth, playing mas, profound, proud, quest for truth, reckless, religion without power, reprobate, resist the truth, rewards in heaven, Rio, ruin, shall be a poor man, shall not be rich, silly women, sinful minions, slanderers, spiritual life, splendour of costumes, spontaneity of action, T&T, thanks and praise, the church age, the Good Lord, the last days, thrown to the wind, Timothy, unsatisfying, vain, warning, wine women and song, wisdom
Proverbs 21:17. He that LOVETH pleasure shall be a poor man: he that LOVETH wine and oil shall not be rich.
And the raging, unforgiving, unrepentant cold weather continues unabated in the northern climes, while down south, under blazing sunshine, mas and merriment are being joyfully made! What injustice! (smile)
But that’s the way the great I AM planned and created His awesome universe, so who are we, his sinful minions to dispute His higher than high ways, wisdom and understanding eh?
Yes Friends, it’s another deathly cold morning in my neck of the woods, while later today, down in Rio, New Orleans, T&T and wherever else, the crescendo of carnival is building up to its climax on the final day of the bacchanalian festival.
Oh that I was somewhere down there to enjoy the physical warmth, the splendour of the costumes, the joy, the spontaneity of action when the music blasts into your soul!
Oh Friends, there’s no feeling like playing mas in the hot sun, with the music, be it brass or steel, just jamming, and you singing and jumping to the high heavens! Ah Lord eh!
That’s why I keep reminding us to make good memories, because that’s all the ole fella has now – memories of carnival in yesteryear, when he made a fool of himself… oh but what enjoyable foolishness! (smile)
But as they so rightly and wisely say, after one time is two times. So all we ole fogeys who can’t jump and prance again, just have to delve into the archives of our memory and retrieve the good ones of a time when we were much less physically and mentally challenged. Hn, hn!
And at the same time, let’s all remember to give the Good Lord some thanks and praise for bringing us so far along into this life, and blessing us with all the blessings that so many others never received.
But my people, please, please never forget these extremely wise, very profound and gospel true words of our Bit: ‘He that LOVETH pleasure shall be a poor man: he that LOVETH wine and oil shall not be rich.’ It’s the awesome, awesome truth!
And we saw that yesterday, saw how Cousin Sol proved it with his great life experiment. (Eccl.2:1-11) And also as the scholars so wisely noted, that three thousand years after Cousin Sol’s empirical and factual conclusion to the contrary, mankind is still trying to find satisfaction and meaning in the unsatisfying, meaningless and fleeting good feelings of the pleasures of the world.
Yes my brethren, wine, women and song are pleasurable for the moment, but they have nothing of real and true lasting value. Only the things of God have true lasting value, can stand the test of time and the fire that our deeds will be eventually tested with.
So let’s now see what the scriptures have to say re Cousin Sol’s pronouncement that seeking a life of earthly pleasure is vain and futile.
And no words can be more telling than those of our Leader, Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Listen to Him as He talks about the parable of the sower, explaining what happens to the seeds that fall in different places when they are thrown to the wind.
‘And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection (maturity).’ (Luke 8:14)
Oh my fellow believers, if we’re only concerned with the cares, riches and pleasures of this world, we’ll NEVER bear fruit for Jesus! And thus our rewards in heaven, if we do get there, will be severely limited.
Now, are you willing to take the chance on any of those two scenarios happening in your life? I certainly hope not! For as Bruh Paul warns Timothy about the apostasy of the last days.
‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), LOVERS of pleasures more than (rather than) LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts.
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate (disapproved) concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.’ (2 Tim.3:1-9)
Oh Friends, I couldn’t say it any better than Bruh Paul! But there are some words from the scholars that I think are important for us to know, although it will make the Bit longer. But what are a few more words when they help us to understand God’s Word eh? (smile)
And the scholars declare: ‘3:1-4. The last days began with the birth of Christ and will culminate in Christ’s return to the earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicate that apostasy will characterize the final days of the church age.’
‘3:5-9. A form of godliness is mere religion without power or spiritual life. Paul commands Timothy to turn away from these false teachers who prey upon silly women laden with sins, who are especially susceptible to false teachers.
Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth condemns not intense study but some esoteric quest for truth apart from God’s Word. Jannes and Jambres, according to Jewish tradition, were the two magicians in Pharaoh’s court who attempted to duplicate Moses’ miracles (cf. (Ex. 7:11; 9:11).’
So Friends, it’s obvious that our total concentration on the pleasures of this world, only leads us to ruin! And daily we see lots of evidence of it around us. So please, I’m pleading with us, let’s all take serious note of it nuh, and consequently restructure and conduct our lives in a more appropriate fashion, one that suits true believers. Now that’s wisdom in spades! Much LOVE!
…he who LOVES the pleasures of this world…will not receive much LOVE from heaven…
02 Mar 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive and kicking, blessings, Bruh Paul, christianity, confidence, energy, everyday, evil, excitment, faith, fear of the Lord tendeth, gospel truth, holy spirit, Jesus, LOVE, mercy, ordinary, peace, spirituality, steadfast faith, truth, wisdom
Proverbs 19:23. The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
So Friends, what’s new and exciting with you all this Sunday morning eh? And most of us simply shrug our shoulders and mutter ‘nothing.’ Well that’s just not true my people! We are all alive and kicking, been mercifully granted God’s wonderful blessing to see another wonderful day!
And that’s despite my area being white as snow – or rather white with snow. And though it’s not yet a great amount, as far as I am concerned, any amount of snow is too much. (smile)
Anyway my brethren, just waking up this morning is an exciting event! And if you don’t think so, then please consider the only other option available, not waking up. Now which would you prefer? Yes, most of us definitely prefer the former.
So then we need to get with it during the day, work up a li’l energy and excitement about being able to walk and talk, laugh and cry, eat and feel good, play with our children, amongst all the other good things our magnanimous God has provided! Just think about the unlimited possibilities that each day brings nuh! Especially if we’re walking hand in hand, side by side with Jesus.
Oh mih breddren, that’s the most exciting part of it all, since we never know where Jesus might lead us, what situation He’ll bring us to, but we’re nonetheless confident in His promise to bring us through each and every one safely! So please don’t ever think that there’s nothing new and exciting in your lives, because for all believers in Jesus, a brand new slate, a brand new canvas is brought out everyday for us to write and paint out life story on for that particular day.
And yes, many of us find the same old everyday life occurrences boring, and wish for the big things that we consider exciting. But Friends, that’s just another instance of a fool’s wisdom, for it’s in the mundane, everyday, ordinary things of everyday life that we truly understand what life is all about.
Look at Jesus nuh. Everyday of His earthly life He got up early, prayed to the Father, then went out to do the Father’s work. And He was never bored, because he found all sorts of interesting things in the regularity of life. But unfortunately we have been conditioned to expect excitement from big, once in a while happenings or events, which is a fallacy.
And as I keep preaching… oops, sorry – as I keep teaching us, until we take a serious interest in, and find excitement in the things of everyday life, we’ll never be happy. That’s because, contrary to worldly wisdom, with our God, excitement is more often found in small, seemingly uneventful things. It’s in the small things of life that we usually see the hand of our God most often.
For instance, you go to the mall one busy Saturday afternoon and you dread the idea of having to park a mile away from the mall entrance and then tote and or drag two toddlers all the way back there. But as you drive by the entrance, lo and behold, a parking spot suddenly becomes available!
I surely hope you utter a sincere and grateful ‘Thank You Lord!’ because it’s through His grace and mercy that that parking spot became available just as you drove in. And there are a whole lot of little things like that which happen daily in our lives, and in them we need to see the beneficent hand of our heavenly Father working on our behalf. Stop looking for the few and far between big miracles and start noticing the many small ones which occur everyday.
And that brings us to our Bit: ‘The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.’
Oh my people, wise words indeed from Cousin Sol! As we were just saying, when we have God foremost in our hearts, when we’re walking and talking with Jesus, we tend to be more attuned to and in sync with life, to be more satisfied and contented.
As Bruh Paul told the Philippians: ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (regard of need): for I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.’ (Phil.4:11)
And that’s gospel truth Friends! When we continually walk with the awe of God in our hearts, we eventually learn to be contented and satisfied in whatever situation we find ourselves.
But please note, as the scholars explain: ‘I have learned… to be content: The Greek here suggests that contentment is a lesson learned neither in a classroom or overnight, but through many practical experiences in life.’
More gospel truth my brethren! Satisfaction and contentment are learned by going through certain situations repeatedly. And there’s no better way to advance that state of contentment than walking in the fear of God!
And even more importantly, when we sincerely reverence God, He puts a shield of protection around us, so that no evil will visit us, develop in our hearts. That doesn’t mean we won’t have trials and tribulations, but whenever trouble comes against us, we won’t be beaten down by it. Instead, we’ll stand steadfast and strong in the Lord’s promise to make everything work for good to those whom He’s called, and who LOVE Him. (Rom.8:28)
So Friends and fellow believers, it’s a proven fact that to walk this crazy, troubled, mish-mashed earth in peace and quietness of mind, one needs to constantly walk with the Creator!
How did Bruh Paul put it to Timothy? ‘But refuse (reject) profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that belief.’ (1 Tim.4:7-10)
Yes my brethren, godliness is the BEST exercise we can ever commit to on this fallible earth!
And we’ll end with some explanations on those verses from the scholars. ‘4:8. The verse may be paraphrased; “For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness, the result of spiritual exercise, has unlimited value, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’
And on ‘4:10: For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach (or “For we both toil and labour to attain this goal”). That is, Paul and associates exercise themselves spiritually to be godly, so they may realize the promise of abundant life and blessing (v.8). God… is the Saviour of all men in that He has provided salvation for all. But only those that believe are actually saved.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my people! So please, let’s bring our lives in line with it nuh, so that we too can be considered godly! Much LOVE!
…wisdom is constantly crying out to us…fear God…revere God…stay in touch with God…walk everyday and everywhere with God…in other words…acquire godliness…by exercising our spiritual selves…
01 Mar 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, blessings, faith, fellowship, holy spirit, Jehoshaphat, Jesus Christ, LOVE, Praise the Lord, righteousness., wisdom
2 Chronicles 15:1. And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.
So Friends, it’s another beautiful though cold day in the north country of God’s great planet earth! Praise the Lord! We have made it through another dark night of sleep and sorrow, into the dawning of a new day, whose bright and shining light is Jesus!
For that we ought to offer much thanks and plenty praise, for it would have been very easy for the Father to pull the plug on our life’s breath during the night, or for that matter, any time at all.
However, since He didn’t, it means that there’s still work for us to do here on earth. We still have stuff to do to further His glorious kingdom; like telling others of Him, and living the kind of life that glorifies and is worthy of Him.
So please don’t just get up figuring that seeing a brand new day was your birthright, and go about your worldly business and earthly pleasure without acknowledging Almighty God’s hand of blessing on your sinful soul.
Remember that tomorrow is promised to no one, and all we have is today. And today could even be cut short at any moment if the Creator deems it necessary to His overall plans. Therefore, we can’t afford to run around thinking that we control our destiny, because we don’t. It’s all in the hands of the One who formed us from a pile of dirt, then LOVINGLY breathed His own precious breath of life into our frail and mortal bodies.
So please my fellow believers, let’s remember to always keep God in front of us, at the forefront of our entire lives, as we make our pilgrim’s journey on this troubled earth, for that’s the only way we’ll ever be gifted with true success.
And now that I’ve imparted those words of heavenly wisdom, (smile) let’s turn to our Bit. ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.’
Today we’re going to look at one more instance where the Lord allowed His Holy Spirit to fall upon a mortal man in olden times. This momentous occasion took place during the reign of king Jehoshaphat. But before we get into the actual coming of the Spirit upon this special man, let’s get some background information on the situation.
A group of Israel’s enemies decided to invade Judah. Now when Jehoshaphat heard about the huge army knocking on his door, what was his first reaction eh? The Good Book tells us. ‘And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself (his face) to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.’ (2 Chr.20:3)
Ah Friends, yuh see that Jehoshaphat obeyed the NUMBER ONE RULE when faced with a problem – any problem at all! He turned to God in prayer. Too many of us nowadays don’t do that. We run to frail mortals FIRST and try everything they suggest. And it’s only when no mortal means works that we turn to God – LAST.
However my people, that’s a fool’s wisdom! Jehovah God should ALWAYS BE OUR FIRST CHOICE, when we are seeking succour! And I reiterate – that’s for each and every problem, big or small, important or not! So Jehoshaphat got it right on the first go.
Then with all of Judah around him, he stood in the courtyard of the Lord’s house and sincerely opened his heart. He first acknowledges God’s omnipotence, then reminds Him that it was through His intercession that Israel inherited the Promised Land for ever.
And also how they had built a house for His Name, so that they could come and stand before it and cry out for help in times of trouble. Then he mentions how when they first invaded the Promised Land, the Lord had caused them not to destroy the same enemies who were now coming against them. (2 Chr.20:4-11)
And I like how Jehoshaphat ends his passionate plea: ‘O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.’ (2 Chr.20:12)
Oh Friends, Jehoshaphat acknowledges his lack of strength, of manpower against such powerful enemies, as well as his lack of a sensible plan, and thus he was placing all his trust in the God of his father’s, patiently, well somewhat patiently waiting for God’s advice. And my brethren, as we say almost every day, when you sincerely cry out to the Lord for help and guidance, He grants them to you.
And per Jehoshaphat’s cry for help, the next instalment of this heart-warming drama unfolded thus. ‘And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives and their children. Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;
And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
Tomorrow go ye down against them; behold, they come up by the cliff (ascent) of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook (wadi or stream bed), before the wilderness of Jeruel.
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set (position) yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.’ (2 Chr.20:13-17)
Ah mih people, who says our God isn’t a wonderful Provider, shield and sword to those who worship Him eh?
And please note Jehoshaphat’s reaction to Jehaziel’s prophecy. ‘And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.’ (2 Chr.20:18-19)
That’s how it’s done my people! Take it to the Lord in prayer; acknowledge His omnipotence and what He’s done for you before, then wait with some patience for His answer. And when he gives you the victory, bow down and worship, praise and thank Him. It just gives Him more encouragement to help us the next time we cry out for help.
And for your information on how that battle turned out, please read 2 Chr.20:20-30. Judah won it by a landslide without even lifting a hand. That’s the power of our God!
That’s also the last message on the topic of the Holy Spirit coming upon men in olden times. Now there were many more than those we mentioned. But that gives you some idea of how our God operated in those distant times before Jesus came, and we fortunately got the Holy Spirit dwelling in us all the time.
So please listen to His heavenly wisdom and take His advice very seriously, for ONLY by doing so, will we walk the path of righteousness that leads to heaven and Almighty God. Much LOVE!
…what’s the purpose of having the Holy Spirit indwell you…if you don’t use it eh…
24 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, adrenalin pumping, arguments, aura of love, battlefield of the world, be wise, blessed, Christians, comfort of the scriptures, complaining, correction, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, Creator of the universe, crisis mode, day star arises in your hearts, disobedience, doing good, end times are nigh, enemy's wicked taunts, ensconced in Jesus' fold, enthusiasm, evil, evildoing, faith, fellowship, fence sitting, further your glorious kingdom, godliness, grounded in truth, heart and soul, heavenly wisdom, helping others, holy men of God, Holy Name, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, inspiration, inspiration of God, instruction, invincible, Israel, Jesus Christ, Jesus' return, jobs, keeping families together, lead and guide, left out in utter darkness, light, LOVE, make Jesus proud, man's basic nature, miracle, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, moved by the Holy Ghost, Oh Lord God Almighty, pagan deity, patience, perseverance, pertinent plea, plague, profitable for doctrine, Promised Land, rebellions, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, reproof, righteousness., rise and shine, sally forth with confidence, salt, scripture, sinful, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strife, take heed, the light of Christ, the prophetic word, the will of man, true followers, ungodly world, unity in Christ, useful purpose, warnings, weary souls, whining, wisdom, worthwhile inroads
2 Timothy 3:16. All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
Well well mih lovelies, it’s Monday once again! What a way the weekend flies by! Unfortunately it’s time to rise and shine and get out into the world and spread our highly flavoured and tasty salt, and our bright and shining lights, as Jesus asked and expects of us, His true followers. (Matt.5:13-16)
It’s no use whining and complaining that we’re tired and feeling low down, because we spent the weekend partying and overdoing it, instead of resting and getting ready for the new work week. Being negative will only make matters worse, so let’s just get a move on with the help of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Please put some real heart and soul in it now. (smile)
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yes Friends, yuh feel the miracle that worked in your spirit! That’s what sincere prayer does! And now that we’ve got the adrenalin pumping, let’s go out there on the battlefield of the world and do our thing nuh, make Jesus proud of us, by helping others and doing good, just like He did when He was here on earth. (Acts 10:38)
And if we believe that, then we also ought to believe what our Bit says: ‘All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’
Ah mih people, so many arguments, and so much strife has occurred down through the ages over the veracity of the Bible, that it’s best we either believe it in its entirety, or don’t believe it at all. On this matter there can be no fence sitting.
Now let’s talk a little about the last part of our Bit, which declares that the scriptures weren’t only written through God’s inspiration but also ‘is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’
First up is Bruh Paul speaking to the Roman church, re Unity in Christ, and how we ought to help, please and edify each other more than ourselves, for even Christ didn’t please Himself. (Rom.15:1-3) ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime (beforehand) were written for our learning, that we through patience (perseverance) and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.’ (Rom.15:4)
So true, my fellow believers, so true! The scriptures surely provide us with the strength to persevere, be comforted, and have hope, without which, we’d never be able to function properly as Christians.
And here’s Bruh Paul again, this time talking to the Corinthians, re early Israel’ being a warning example, when enroute to the Promised Land, twenty something thousand of them died of the plague in one day, because they had turned from the God of their fathers to worship the pagan deity Baal-peor. (Num. 25)
‘Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition (instruction), upon whom the ends of the world (ages) are come.’ (1 Cor.10:11)
Yes Friends, God knew that the Corinthians and many other societies would follow the disobedience of Israel, and end up in crisis mode with Him. And that’s why He had all those examples recorded for the benefit of those to come, since mankind’s basic nature would still be sinful and prone to disobedience and rebellion.
So please, let’s pay serious attention to the warnings contained in the scriptures, especially as we are now at a very high state of evildoing, and a rather low one of godliness, and there are several signs that the end times are nigh. And unfortunately Friends, once that happens, once Jesus returns, if you’re not safely and securely ensconced in His chosen fold, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe, you’ll be left out in utter darkness, looking in on those who believed, enjoying the light of Christ.
And we’ll end this series of messages on the inspiration of God on the scriptures with a very pertinent plea from Peter, where’s he’s referring to the scriptures as being all grounded in truth. ‘We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made more sure); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old (any) time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Pet.1:19-21)
Oh Friends, we couldn’t end on a better passage of scripture than that, because it’s the truth of all truths! So please, I’m pleading with all my heart, please don’t let that happen to you. Please be wise and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, RIGHT NOW, for that’s heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…when Jesus comes again…and that could be any time…it will be too late to whimper…if only I had believed…
23 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things were created by god, always be found, amazing things, authored by God, Bible, blessings, breath of life, collusion, Colossians, come true, correction, curses, deceitful communication, divine inspiration, divinely inspired, doctrine, dominions, dust of the ground, earth, earthly living, equipped, faith, families, Father of lights, fellow believers, formed man, friends, God doesn't change, God's inspired Word, God's wisdom, God's Word, good gift, good works, gospel truth, Guidebook of Life, heaven, Holy Scriptures, humility, inspiration of God, instruction, invisible, lead us astray, life, living soul, looking for God, LOVE, Loving and generous God, material possessions, ministry, praise and glorify your name, praise and thanks, principalities, profitable, prophesy, reproof, righteousness., scripture, serve, shadow of turning, shout of joy, stand strong and steadfast, stewards, strength, Thank You Lord, thrones, travel manual, uneducated men, unique character of scripture, variation, visible, what to believe, wisdom, worship
2 Timothy 3:16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
And then it was Sunday – a new day… And all God’s people declared with a mighty shout of joy: ‘Thank You Lord! We praise and glorify Your Holy Name!’
And what are we praising and thanking God for? Why for everything we have or don’t have! For life, for all our material possessions, for our families and friends! That’s because He created the universe and all therein, which means everything belongs to Him, and He’s just being His kind, merciful, gracious, forgiving, LOVING self to allow us to use His stuff, as grateful stewards.
And how do we know that? Why of course because God’s Word says so! Bruh Paul explained it thus to the Colossians. ‘For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in (on) earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities (rulers), or powers (authorities): all things were created by him, and for him. And he is before all things, and by (in) him all things consist.’ (Col.1:16-17)
Yes my brethren, God created everything, and He’s still holding it all together! Give Him praise and thanks, for He is indeed worthy of it!
Then, in talking about faith and humility, James boldly proclaims: ‘Do not err (be deceived), my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:16-17)
That means only good comes from our God, and since He doesn’t change, neither will His good gifts. So we obviously ought to be grateful to God for all that we have, especially the breath of life, because He LOVINGLY breathed it into us. ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Gen.2:7)
Wow mih breddren! What a LOVING and generous God we serve and worship!
But then that brings us to the all-important, ever-present and cantankerous question: How do we know that what’s supposed to be God’s Word is true? ‘Elementary, my dear Watson!’ As Sherlock Holmes would say to his sidekick.
In the first place, from a practical standpoint, EVERYTHING that’s written there, or was ever prophesied has come true, and ALL God’s promises, both blessings and curses, have been fulfilled! Plus His Word has been written over many centuries, so there’s been very little opportunity for collusion or any other such spurious or deceitful communication between the writers.
And then finally my fellow believers, because our Bit says it’s true. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’
Now Friends, that just had to be true, because our God specialized in using ordinary, much of the time, poor, uneducated men to convey His message, men who certainly could not have written such amazing things on their own strength and wisdom. And furthermore, all of us, believers and non-believers, do have some personal experience(s) of being divinely inspired in some aspect of our lives, at some time or other.
So it isn’t that far-fetched to imagine poor, uneducated men being granted divine inspiration to write what God wanted His people to know. ‘That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim.3:17) As we noted yesterday my brethren, the Holy Scriptures is our guidebook, our travel manual for earthly living.
Now listen to some explanations from the scholars. ‘3:16-17. Inspiration of God (Gr. theopneustos, lit., “God-breathed”) describes the unique character of scripture. It is not only written by men, but authored by God. For doctrine means to tell one what to believe. For reproof means to tell one what is wrong. For correction means to tell one how to correct wrong.
For instruction in righteousness means to tell one how to live. Perfect (Gr. artios, “proficient, capable”) is having everything needed to do what God wants. Thoroughly furnished means “thoroughly equipped.” God’s inspired Word, properly used and applied, provides all we need for life and ministry.’
So how can we ever go wrong by following God’s Word eh? NEVER, MY PEOPLE!
So please Friends, don’t let anyone lead us astray by telling us nonsense, that the Bible, the Good Book, our earthly travel guide, was not, and is not the divinely inspired Word of Almighty God, who created this universe and all in it!
Please stand strong and steadfast on the Holy Scriptures, for ‘The Bible is God’s Word to us, still fresh through all the ages. And if we read it, we will find God’s wisdom on its pages!’ And that’s the indisputable, irrefutable, unequivocal, gospel truth, my fellow believers! Much LOVE!
…looking for God…then look no further than your Bible…for He can ALWAYS be found…in His Holy Word…
20 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: above freezing, Acts, Antioch, apostles, availed themselves, Barnabas, bear it alone, blessed day, Bruh Paul, busy lives, Christ's contention, cold temps, come to seek and save, come unto me, conformity, consider, David, descendants, disciples, disobeying warnings, earthly duty, easy yoke, exalted with His right hand, faith, fellow believers, first time in ages, flooding, forgiveness of sins, fraught with danger, gentle, give you rest, glory hallelujah, God of our fathers, God's help, God's promise, good news, great burden, great invitation, grin and bear it, hanged ona tree, heavy laden, heavy rains, high priest, Holy Ghost, humble, incarcerated, invitation, Israel, Jesse, Jesus Christ, Jesus is here to help, Jewish Council, judges, kings, Kish, labour, learn from me, lifted off your shoulders, light burden, live our faith, lost, LOVE, Love God, man after mine own heart, meditate, melting snow, obedience, obey god rather than men, ponder, preaching Christ crucified, precipitation, Prince and Saviour, raised up Jesus, repentance, rest for your souls, Saul, seed, set free, short reprieve, snowstorms, Son of man, Spread God's Word, testimony, Thank the Lord, the Good Book, trust, truth, truthful words, unpredictable weather, walking and talking with Jesus, warned, winter, wisdom, without fear, witnesses, world of darkness, yoke
Luke 19:10. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Oh Friends, at long last it seems we’ll be getting a short reprieve from the bitterly cold day time temperatures we’ve been having. Thank the Lord! Our temps are supposed to rise above the freezing mark, be on the plus side for the first time in what seems like ages.
But even that good news of a few days of warmer, no less cold temps, is fraught with danger, as there are warnings of heavy rainfall in the offing, and combined with melting snow, flooding is a serious possibility. Ah Lord eh! It seems that our weather no longer goes about its business smoothly and with some conformity to what we expect, but is just jumping here there and everywhere, as it pleases.
Just look at the recent terrible and highly abnormal snowstorms in the U.S, and the disastrous flooding over the pond in Britain, where some places have been under water since early December. Mama Mia! And we’ve already had our big ice storms and heavy snowfall, so all in all it has been a winter of much precipitation, and there’s still a few weeks of it left to endure.
And if, as it’s widely believed, that our actions are mostly to blame for the greatly fluctuating and unpredictable weather patterns, then all we can do right now is grin and bear it.
But I also have some great news my people; we don’t have to bear it alone, for Jesus is here to help us do so! In the first place, as He says in our Bit: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ And we were definitely lost in a world of darkness before His coming.
But even after saving us there, He still holds out to us the Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
What truthful and highly appreciative words my brethren! And for all those who have not yet availed themselves of that wonderful invitation, I’d strongly advise that you do so as soon as possible, in fact right now, for when you do, you will truly feel as though a great burden has been lifted off your shoulders.
Anyway, let’s turn to the remainder of scriptures which supports Christ’s contention that He came to earth to save us, so that we can finish that topic today. And the first passage comes from Acts, where the apostles are again before the high priest and Jewish Council, for deliberately disobeying the warnings to stop preaching Christ crucified. This, after they had already been incarcerated, warned and set free.
‘Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of those things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.’ (Acts 5:29-32)
Oh Friends, that’s the testimony of Jesus’ disciples! It must have taken a lot of guts to get up before the Jewish rulers and speak so disdainfully of them, but they could not have denied the things they saw and experienced in the company of Jesus. And on their truth, we can base our faith without fear, and with awesome trust.
Now hear Bruh Paul, later on when Barnabas and himself were at Antioch. He’s talking about how Israel moved from being ruled by judges to kings. ‘And afterward they (the Israelites) desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of (for) forty years.
And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Of this man’s seed (descendants) hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.’ (Acts 13:21-23)
Oh my fellow believers, there can be no doubt re that line of reasoning, for it’s all recorded right there in the Good Book!
And we’ll end there for today, since inclusion of the other scriptures will definitely make the Bit too long, and I do have a sincere appreciation for your busy lives. (smile)
But please, let’s ponder, consider and meditate upon all that we’ve said today, then with God’s help, let’s try to bring our lives into obedience with His will, for that’s wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!
…what’s our earthly duty…to LOVE Our God…LIVE Our Faith…and SPREAD His Holy Word…
P.S. On editing the Bit, I found it much shorter than I originally thought. Glory Hallelujah! (smile) Much LOVE my fellow believers in Christ! And please have a blessed day, walking and talking with our Saviour!
16 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: avowed purpose, awe, Bible, business dealings, central theme, Christendom, Christian programmes, come to destroy, compassionate, defiling, dwell richly in our souls, exalt, faith, faith comes by hearing, fellowship, fire and brimstone, glorify, glory hallelujah, go in faith, go in love, god will go with you, God will guide you, God's children, good morning, grace, grateful, great importance, healthy, hear the Word, Jerusalem, Jesus, kernel statement, like persuasion, little ones, lost, lost sheep, LOVE, meditate on, never be afraid, one lost sinner, parting blessing, peace, perish, Pharisees, physician, ponder, power of God unto salvation, praise, presence, publican, reach out to others, rebuked, rejoices, repentance, reverence, righteous, sacrifice of praise, salvation, Samaria, Samaritans, save, save sinners, scribes, searching, searching Herdsman, self-righteous, shepherd context, show you believe, sick, sinners, steadfast, strong, Sunday, tax collector, teach, testify, thanksgiving, the Lord's Day, the Lord's goodness, the Son of man, the will of the Father, the Word of god, to seek, true, undeserving sinners, where two or three are gathered, worship, write indelibly in our hearts
Luke 19:10. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Well a good Sunday morning to all you Friends and fellow believers out there in Christendom! It is the Lord’s Day, so please let’s treat it as such; with reverence and awe, with praise and thanksgiving, with worship and fellowship.
Let’s get out and fellowship with those of like persuasion… and even with those of a different persuasion, for once Jesus is the focus of our attention, we simply cannot go wrong. Remember He specifically said that wherever two or three are gathered in His Name, that He would certainly grace us with His wonderful presence. (Matt.18:20)
And if by chance, or design, you can’t get out to fellowship with other believers and hear the Word, then turn on your television set and tune in to one of the many Christian programmes where the Word is boldly preached and listen to it attentively. Because to know the Word, you must hear it, and how can you hear it without a preacher? (Rom.10:14-15) For as Bruh Paul proudly proclaims: ‘So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom.10:17)
And just supposing you don’t have a T.V… Well then get out your Bible and read it aloud to yourself, for there’s plenty of power in the spoken Word. Note that God SPOKE the world and all therein into existence. It wasn’t any abracadabra, simi-dimi stuff. The important thing though my brethren, is that the Word of God comes into contact with your very soul, on this, His day.
That brings us to our Bit: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’
And all God’s children gave out a loud and joyous shout of “Glory Hallelujah! All praise to the Lord for His goodness to us undeserving sinners.’ And well we should all be grateful and offer the sacrifice of praise my brethren, for without Jesus coming to search for and save us, we’d still be lost.
And I like how the scholars explain it. ’19:10. The words, seek, save, and lost all appear elsewhere in Scripture in a shepherd context. This verse may be taken as a kernel statement of the central theme of Luke. Jesus is the compassionate, searching Herdsman who seeks to save those who can by no means save themselves.’
We surely can’t my brethren! Now today I want to share some scriptures where Jesus states His avowed purpose in coming to earth. And He does it several times, in several different ways.
Let’s begin with when He talks about lost sheep. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) Then He goes on to explain about a shepherd having an hundred sheep, but one gets lost and he leaves the ninety-nine and goes searching long and hard for the ONE LOST SHEEP, and rejoices greatly when he finds it. (Matt.18:12-13) ‘Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.’ (Matt.18:14)
Oh Friends, yuh see the great importance the Lord attaches to even ONE LOST SINNER! Consequently, if there had only been one single sinner in the entire world, the Father would still have sent Jesus to save him.
Now let’s turn to a time after Jesus had eaten with a publican (tax collector) called Levi. (Luke 5:27-29) The scribes and Pharisees are questioning Jesus as to: ‘Why do ye eat and drink with publicans (tax collectors) and sinners? (Luke 5:30) That’s because the Pharisees thought it was beneath them, defiling to have business dealings with tax collectors like Levi, much less to eat with them.
‘And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole (healthy) need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Luke 5:31-32)
As the scholars explain: ‘5:32. Jesus is of course not dealing with the question of whether there are in fact righteous people who need no repentance. By ‘righteous’ He refers to the Pharisees, who thought they were righteous, and thus felt they had no need to repent. They were truly self-righteous.’
In any case, if you came to save sinners, then you obviously need to hang out with them, otherwise how would you teach and testify and bring them to repentance eh?
And we’ll close with this instance where Jesus is headed for Jerusalem, but while passing through Samaria is rejected by the people there. At this perceived slight, James and John want to call down fire and brimstone on the heads of the Samaritans. (Luke 9:51-54)
‘But he (Jesus) turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.’ (Luke 9:55-56)
Ah mih breddren, that’s enough stuff for us to ponder today, to meditate on and write indelibly in our hearts. Please, let’s allow the Word of God to dwell richly in our souls, for ‘it is the power of God unto salvation.’ (Rom.1:16)
And here’s a parting blessing I got from my church in Tobago. ‘Go now in Peace – Never be Afraid. God will go with you each hour of every day. Go now in faith steadfast and strong and true. Know He will guide you in all you do. Go now in LOVE, and show you believe. Reach out to others, so all the world can see. God will be there watching from above. Go now in Peace, in Faith and in LOVE.’ Much LOVE, my fellow believers!
…once you know Jesus…you can’t help but LOVE and glorify and exalt Him…
15 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: blessed, blessings, cesspool of evil, christianity, compassion, compassionate heart, confession, eternal life, faith, faithful, fellow believers, folly, glory hallelujah, God's great earth, gratitude, guilty of wrongdoing, harmonious relationship, Jesus Christ, lord jesus christ, lost, LOVE, loving, repentance, repentant, revere, salvation, Saturday, seek and save, sin, sinners, son of Abraham, thanks and praise, the Lamb that was slain, trust, ungodliness, ungodly world, win win, wisdom, Zaccheus
Luke 19:10. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
And then it was Saturday! Yes Friends, another blessed day on God’s great earth, another day of blessed pilgrimage, of doing His great work! Wow! We truly are blessed my people! Please give our God much thanks and praise for helping and encouraging us in whatever plan He has drawn up for our earthly lives.
And remember to thank Him too for promising never to leave or forsake us. That’s a major building block of our faith, something that keeps us steadfastly anchored in our Christian beliefs.
And never forget that He is ALWAYS FAITHFUL, thus we also need to be faithful, if we’re to live and work with Him in a harmonious, win-win relationship. Ah mih people, there’s so much we have to thank our wonderful God for, that I could go on and on forever. (smile)
But the most important things we can ever thank Him for are the gifts of salvation and eternal life!
We all know the story of Zaccheus, the corrupt tax collector climbing a tree to see Jesus because of his challenged stature, (smile) but Jesus calling him down and going to his house for lunch, at which all the supposed righteous turned up their noses, since it was considered beneath their dignity to eat with such gross sinners. (Luke 19:1-7)
But my fellow believers, please note the repentant effect Jesus had on Zaccheus. ‘And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.’ (Luke 19:8)
The scholars explain that verse thus: ’19:8. Zaccheus’s confession reveals a penitent heart. If does not suggest doubt that he is guilty of wrong doing; the only question is to what extent. Leviticus 6:1-5 stipulated that gained money had to be returned, plus one-fifth. A fourfold return was legislated where livestock were concerned. (Ex.22:1; 2 Sam.12:6).’
Now hear Jesus’ answer to Zaccheus’s repentance. ‘This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’
Yes Friends, as Jesus declares in our Bit, He came to seek and save those which were lost, and Zaccheus being one of the lost, was sought out by Jesus and saved after he repented of his wrongdoing.
How valuable and caring is that eh? Very! So valuable that we couldn’t put a price on it, since we were all so lost in a wilderness of sin, drowning in a cesspool of evil and ungodliness, and if something wasn’t done to help us, then we’d all end up in some undesirable place, separated from our Maker for eternity.
And that was just too much for the LOVING and compassionate heart of our Maker to bear. So through that great LOVE for His creation, He eventually sent His Only Son to find and save us.
Ah my fellow believers, what a remarkable time that was! Jesus describes it this way: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Oh Friends, those are two of the most beautiful and heart-warming scriptures in the Good Book, for they are truly touching in their magnanimity, as well as their LOVE and compassion!
Just imagine what would happen to us, where we’d be, if the heart of our God wasn’t so LOVING and compassionate nuh. As the old people would say – crapaud smoke we pipe. And that’s the undeniable truth, for there would have been hell to pay, quite literally come judgement day, for the majority of mankind.
That’s why I don’t understand, can’t comprehend why so many people who hear about Jesus, simply refuse to accept Him, to come to Him and make Him their Lord and Saviour. Bruh Paul says it best when he talks about the results of justification in his writing to the church at Rome.
‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being (having been) reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation).’ (Rom.5:8-11)
Oh Friends, what selflessness on Jesus’ part, for while we were yet sinners, He died for us! And all God’s people declared a mighty shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! Blessed is the Lamb that was slain for us!’
And Jesus also declared these faithful and true words. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:13-14)
And that my fellow believers was not just idle talk, but He also walked His talk, by sacrificing His life on the cross at Calvary so our sin debt could be paid in full. So how then can we reject Him eh? It certainly boggles my mortal imagination.
But then again, I guess that’s why our Creator gave us the power to make choices. However, just like our first father Adam, made a poor choice by eating the forbidden fruit, likewise many of his descendants are making the same foolhardy mistake, being disobedient to God’s will, not accepting His wonderful, free offer of salvation and eternal life that He set up so we could be reconciled to Him, become His children, and dwell with Him in heaven forever.
Oh Friends, it is the height of stupidity, the grossest folly, the total absence of wisdom and common sense to reject Jesus, the Son of the Living God, who sacrificed His sinless life to pay for our abominable sins.
And all who reject Him, do so at their eternal peril. Please don’t be numbered amongst that lot. Much LOVE!
…to truly know and revere Jesus…is to have a heart full of LOVE and gratitude…
13 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: above the earth, above the heavens, afflictions, all-knowing God, awake early, awake my glory, believers ought to operate, bemoaning his unfortunate fate, blessed be God, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, comfort others, comforted of God, Comforter, comforts us in tribulation, concentrating on troubles, Creator, digged a pit, disease, do it twice, dreaming, epitome of a true believer, essence of the situation, ever-LOVING God, evil, exaltation, exaltation of god, exalted, faith, focus thoughts and energy on god, Galilee, Gentiles, glory, god of all comfort, God's greatest invention, great unto the heavens, Guide, Healer, healing, healing power of christ, hell and high water, human mind, innocent of any wrongdoing, Israel's king, keep our attention and focus on God, LOVE, magnificence of the mind, mercy, my heart is fixed on god, my soul is bowed down, negative circumstances, O God, omnipotent, omniscient, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, prepared a net for me, promotion, provider, Saul, see and do life like God desires, Selah, serious turmoil, sickness, sincere faith, sing and give praise, sitting at the right hand of the Father, so nice, steadfast, teaching, testing, the business of healing, the Corinthians, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, time of need, trust, truth, ungodly earth, wisdom, workings of the mind
Psalm 57:5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
Oh Friends, the human mind is a most wonderful bit of machinery yes! Possibly our God’s greatest invention, for so far man can replicate most of what happens in the human body, but he’s still completely baffled by the exquisite and exotic workings of the mind.
And I bring this up because during the night I got up a couple of times, looked at the clock and decided it was too early to get up, so I rolled over and went back to sleep. However, at some stage after the last roll over, I discovered that I had gotten up and was putting on my day clothes.
Then something struck me as being not right. I realized that I was really dreaming about getting up and putting on my clothes. Hn, Hn! But yuh know what’s so significant about that dream?
I was dreaming about putting on the very same clothes that I had actually put out to put on whenever I got up. Now does that tell us something about the magnificence of the mind or what!
The same way Friends, when we keep our attention and focus on God, we see and do life the way He desires. Like Bruh David holed up in the cave, hiding from Saul, instead of bemoaning his unfortunate fate, for he was innocent of any wrongdoing against Saul, he instead declares our Bit. ‘Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.’
And that’s how ALL believers ought to operate, my people!
Now yesterday we ended by saying that our God was and is the greatest Comforter and Healer in the universe. Today, I want to share a couple scriptures to drive home those most important points. Listen to Bruh Paul as he talks to the Corinthians re his personal afflictions.
‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor.1:3-4)
Yes my brethren, our great and wonderful God comforts us in our time of need, so that we can also comfort others in need of comforting. (smile) And re the healing power of Christ, hear what Matthew says about our Lord and Saviour when He walked this evil, ungodly earth.
‘And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of (every) sickness and all manner of (every) disease among the people.’ (Matt.4:23)
Yes Friends and neighbours, Jesus went about healing all sorts of diseases and sickness when He walked this earth. And the beauty of it all is, now that He’s sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven, entreating on our behalf, He’s still in the business of healing; healing souls, bodies and minds!
So whenever we’re in need of comfort and healing, the first place to turn to is heaven and Jesus, like Bruh David did in that solitary cave in the wilderness. Remember too, that though Bruh David was anointed to be Israel’s next king at a young age, he went through a lot of hell and high water, plenty testing, before it became a reality.
The Lord tested him in many ways before He actually promoted him. And this is one of those times. Listen to his beautiful words of trust, faith and exaltation though his life was in serious turmoil.
After declaring our Bit, he continues: ‘They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah. My heart is fixed (steadfast), O God, my heart is fixed (steadfast): I will sing and give praise.
Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery (lute) and harp: I myself will awake early (awaken the dawn). I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations (Gentiles). For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.’ (Ps.57:6-11)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s how ALL believers should feel, believe, talk and act! For those words portray the epitome of a true believer.
So today, if we’re being plagued, being beset by troubles that we can’t quite get a handle on, please release them all to our omnipotent, wonderful and ever-LOVING God! Let Him deal with them, for He’s promised to do just that if we come to Him in sincere faith.
The essence of the situation is therefore, instead of concentrating on our troubles, our negative circumstances, let’s do like Bruh David did in his time of need; let’s focus our thoughts and energy instead on our omnipotent, omniscient, all-knowing God; our Creator, Comforter, Guide, Healer and Provider.
That’s wisdom at its highest level, at its very zenith. Much LOVE!
…Bruh David found his exaltation of God so nice…that he had to say it twice… (vs.5,11) (smile)
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