14 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of glory, a marathon, a name above every other, blazed the trail, compassed about, compassion, continuing instant in prayer, deliver us, endurance, endured the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, exalted, faithfulness of God, falling into the common rut, finisher, friend of Jesus, from God the Father, gave himself for our sins, grace, greetings, heavenly witnesses, hurry, I make all things new, in god's eyes, January, Jesus is Lord, lay aside every weight, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, Lucifer, make time for God, marked-down trinkets, never leave nor forsake us, New Testament churches, One Year Book of Bible promises, originator, our Lord Jesus Christ, patient in tribulation, peace, perfector of our faith, perseverance, praise, race of faith, rejection, rejoicing in hope, resolutions, rewarded, run with patience, Ruth Harms Calkin, sad, salutations, Seasonal Affective disorder, set before us, shame, share His love, sin, so easily beset us, so great a cloud of witnesses, thanksgiving, that fadeth not away, the author, the beleoed of God, the devil, the fallen angel, the hardest to run, the joy set before him, the miserable month, the most rewarding to win, the race, the race of life, the right hand of the throne, this present evil world, to the glory of the Father, Tuesday Mantra, worry
Hebrews 12:1. Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.
Greetings and salutations this dreary looking Tuesday morning my Scrip-Bit friends and families! And as Bruh Paul liked to say in his letters to the New Testament churches: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age), according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen!’ (Gal. 1:3-5) Yes my faithful brethren, EVERY DAY, we ought to remember the Father and the wonderful things He’s done for us through Christ Jesus and give Him the necessary praise and thanksgiving!
And please don’t tell me it’s too difficult, or you’re too busy and you don’t have time…Make time! You make time for other not so important stuff, but you can’t make time for God, the most important thing, being and element in your life? Steups! Just take a moment and consider your state if He had not shown His amazing LOVE and compassion through the incomparable gift of His Son! You’d be headed straight for hell and the eternal company of Lucifer, the fallen angel and now the deceitful, lying devil!
But through Christ, He’s offered us another option, much better than what we had – eternal life with Him and Christ in heaven – and yuh boldfaced enough to tell me that you can’t make time to spend a few minutes with Him every day! Chuh! Pure foolishness that mih breddren! Anyway, here’s a most appropriate writing for this time of year and our current winter affliction; SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder – from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And it’s also appropriately titled ‘January.’
Please pray with me: ‘It’s January, Lord – The drab, dreary middle – And my thoughts are as drab As the miserable month. Does everybody hit a January slump Or am I the only one? The first week wasn’t too bad: There were Christmas thank-yous to write A few resolutions to store away The huddle of year-end sales. But thank-you notes bring no returns And resolutions are quickly broken and marked-down trinkets fast lose appeal. When You said “Behold I make all things new” Did You forget January, Lord? Or in January do I sometimes forget You?’
Ah friends, I think the correct answer is more like the last one – we forget the Lord, because He’s promised NEVER to leave nor forsake us, and He always keep His promises. That we know for a fact. So if any forgetting goes on, it’s most surely on our side of the equation. And the strange thing is that the drearier and more downcast the weather and our souls are, the more we need to find consolation in God, not forget or move further away from Him. It’s like when you’re sick, that’s when you certainly need a doctor, and the worse you get, the more you need the medic! You run to Him more than ever then, not away from him.
And it’s the same with our great God; we need Him more than ever when things are not going so good. So let’s think on that some today nuh, and see if we’re falling into that common rut. And we should also think on the Bible Promise from the poem, which is our Bit for today. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.’
Yes friends, we have so many heavenly witnesses looking on at our race of faith, who earlier ran the same race and testified to the LOVE and faithfulness of God, that we need to get serious and put aside any and everything that will hinder us in our own faith walk. And please remember that our race of faith is not a sprint, but a long-distance race, a marathon; one that requires lots of endurance and energy, not merely simple patience. As Bruh Paul said to the Roman church: ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (Rom.12:12)
That’s the kind of belly and backbone we need to run our race friends! And though we have plenty of other believers to look at as examples, the best and brightest is as the Good Book says: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
Oh my people, how can there ever be a better example than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ eh? NEVER! For He is the One who blazed the trail, made the way, didn’t consider the shame or rejection or all the other negative stuff thrown at Him, and finished the race in steadfast and enduring faith! Wow! What a giant is our Jesus! That’s why the Father exalted Him to sit at His right hand of His throne ‘and given Him a name which is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:9-11)
And likewise my brethren, if we are faithful and run our race with an abundance of the necessary Christian elements, then we too will also be rewarded at the end. As Peter calls it: ‘a crown of glory that fadeth not away.’ (1 Pet. 5:4) So let’s up the ante this cold and dreary-looking winter’s day nuh – and even if you’re in the blazing sunshine too! (smile) Let’s raise the level of our faith so that we can witness for Jesus, like the true salt and light we’re meant to be.
And we can begin doing that by declaring (yeah!) our Tuesday Mantra with strong voice and sincere hearts. As one now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Then the next move is to actually go out and share Jesus’ wonderful LOVE and amazing friendship! Much LOVE!
…the race of life…the hardest to run…but the most rewarding to win…
06 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a roof over our heads, all things you ask in prayer, almighty god, antidote, ask, aura of love, believing, confidence, eat, enthusiasm, evil, faithfulness of God, false promises, finicky weather, for good measure, for my love, friends, frivolous, greedy, holy fire, holy hands, holy spirit, humble servants, I give myself unto prayer, in Jesus name, in return, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, knock, knock the door will open, lagniappe, lose heart, LOVE, mature in faith, men ought to pray, men pray every where, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, music to my ears, my adversaries, nectar for our souls, not faint, omnipotent god, our bread is buttered, power of prayer, pray without ceasing, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, seek, selfish prayers, sincere prayer, sincerity, sinful mask, sinful mortals, spake a parable, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stumbling block, sweet music, the enemy's ranks, the Son of God, thou that hearest prayer, trust, truth, ungodly world, victorious battle, wisdom, without wrath or doubting, you shall find
Psalm 109:4. For (in return for) my LOVE they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
Well at long , last, yesterday we had a sunny and dry day from begin to end! Glory Be! Let’s hope today will be the same. But who knows what the finicky weather will do these days eh? Anyway it’s Monday… and you know what that means – to labour, to labour, and yet to labour!
Yes, it’s unfortunate that we need to labour, and labour so much and so often, (smile) but the truth of the matter is if we don’t labour, we won’t eat, nor have a roof over our heads. And having settled the question of labouring, (smile) let’s get on with life, get ourselves together and go out and labour, in Jesus’ glorious name.
And yes, some of us will always have problems on a Monday morning, but thankfully we have this wonderful antidote for all of Monday’s ills, called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn; a crying out in prayer, in confidence, to our heavenly Father, who’s faithfully promised to hear and answer us whenever we come to Him humbly and reverently outlining our needs.
So let’s do just that right now nuh; call on Him as one: ‘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!’
And as always, our heavenly Father answers by getting the Holy Spirit, which dwells within us, to ramp up His efforts of positive production in our souls so that we can step higher and lighter, throw our shoulders back with confidence and enthusiasm, while a holy fire lights up our eyes! Yes friends, we’re now ready to go out and do victorious battle against the enemy, all in Jesus’ name!
Never doubt the power of prayer…neither the faithfulness of our omnipotent God! That’s why Bruh David made this immortal statement: ‘For (in return for) my LOVE they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.’ Oh friends, we could never go wrong by declaring (steups – wrong again!) that same statement in sincerity and heartfelt truth. For like Bruh David, we ought to know where our bread is buttered…at the throne of the Most High God Jehovah!
And Bruh David reinforced all of that with this other immortal statement: ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps.65:2) Ah mih people, our God does hear prayer! That’s the way He set up communications with us, and we should be wise and knowledgeable, and mature enough in faith to go to Him with ALL problems, because that’s exactly what He desires.
And Jesus, as He is ever wont to do, states it so clearly and plainly: ‘And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.21:22) Now that’s not me, but the Son of God making that bold statement! And if anybody should know about prayers and having them answered, it should be Him!
But please note the one stumbling block in His statement; the word ‘believing.’ Yes mih people, when making those prayers to Almighty God, we have to believe that we will receive what we pray for. And Jesus is not talking about, frivolous, greedy, selfish prayers either, but serious stuff that we truly need.
And that wasn’t the end of His wonderful advice either. Listen up, as Luke informs us: ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto this end, that men ought always to pray, and to not faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) There again friends, if the Son of God makes such a definitive pronouncement, who are we mere sinful mortals to disagree eh?
And we all know Jesus’ other famous pronouncement on prayer: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt.7:7-8)
I don’t know about you nuh my fellow believers, but that is sweet music to my ears! Just keep on asking and seeking and knocking in prayer and I will be rewarded! I know to some of us it sounds too good to be true, but please remember Jesus is not a man to lie or make false promises, so if He says so, it is so! Matter fix!
And just for good measure, as a lagniappe or brawtha, (not sure about that last spelling) (smile) here are a couple of admonitions from Bruh Paul on the subject. To the Thessalonians he said in no uncertain terms: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) And to Timothy, he exhorts: ‘I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim.2:8)
So that seals the matter; we ought to keep on praying, anywhere and all the time in true belief, never get tired or give up! Much LOVE!
…sincere prayer…truly nectar for our souls…
01 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 1 August 1838, a roaring lion, a stepping stone, an excuse, anger, anxieties, aura of love, bask in God's sunshine, behave negatively, blanket of god's love, care, Caribbean people, celebrations, compassion, confidence, conquerors, doubts, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, Emancipation Day, enslavement, enthusiasm, evil, faith, faithfulness of God, fatness, fears, forgiveness, fountain of life., friends, glorious kingdom, Glory be, glory hallelujah, grace, Granny's advice, holy spirit, humble servants, indentured labour, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, light, light of jesus, LOVE, LOVE of God, loving kindness, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative emotions, peace, positive things, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, spiritual armour, spunk, steadfast faith, succour, the children of men, the infinite power, the Lord will not cast off, the shadow of thy wings, trust, truth, understanding, ungodly world, weary souls, whm he may devour, wisdom
Lamentations 3:31. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
Oh friends, its Emancipation Day in the Caribbean! Mama Mia! Who would have thought it some years back eh? We’re celebrating that most wonderful, joyous and auspicious occasion of 178 years ago on August 1st 1838, when the slaves in the British Caribbean Colonies were finally set free! Glory Hallelujah!
It is certainly a red letter day in the History of Caribbean people, and it’s wonderful that we have finally come to celebrate it every year. However, please let’s not use the enslavement and indentured labour of our forefathers as an excuse to behave negatively. But rather let’s use it as a stepping stone to positive things. We must not ever forget it, but we must let go of the negative emotions it raises up, else we will never be free of enslavement, that of the mental kind.
On the Other hand, it’s also a Civic Holiday in most parts of Canada, which means a lot of people aren’t going to work today… and I hear shouts of ‘Glory Be!’ in the background. Now that’s good for us, but there are many not so blessed workers who have to get out and face the music this Monday morning, so let’s join with them and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with as much spunk and enthusiasm as we can muster.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih people, that was loud but somewhat raucous and not very harmonious! Our choirmaster, Jesus could only shake His head and sigh, because He knows what’s happening. As usual, those with the day off were the loudest and most out of tune.
And before we go any further, let’s declare Granny’s advice which is so important for us believers in times of celebration. ‘Sonny boy, please, please, ah begging yuh, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business out there today!’
Yes friends, we do need to mind our business as we get into the celebrations since our enemy the devil, ‘as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’ (1 Pet.5:8).
Oh, and by the way, the ole fella testified in church yesterday! It wasn’t anything spectacular, just about ten minutes sharing the wonderful faithfulness of our God, as it related to my writing the Bit over a period of nine years. Hn! I certainly could not have done it without His magnificent, constant and consistent help. And I ended with our Tuesday Mantra. Hopefully that will get a few of the congregation thinking in better terms of whom and whose they are.
That brings us to our Bit, which is rather appropriate: ‘For the Lord will not cast off for ever.’ And that’s the awesome truth my brethren. Regardless of our behaviour, our God will not cast us off for ever. Oh yes, He will chasten and discipline us, but NEVER will He boot us out of His ever-LOVING kingdom.
The psalmist Asaph, in Psalm 77 – Who is so great a God as our God – queried God’s faithfulness. ‘Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever (ceased completely)? Doth his promise fail for evermore (for all generations)? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.’ (Ps.77:7-9)
Yes friends, many believers in times of trouble and testing ask those questions since they can’t seem to find any help from God. But listen to Bruh David as he provides a positive answer in Psalm 36 – The steadfast LOVE of God.
‘Thy mercy (LOVING-kindness) O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgements are a great deep (ocean): O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.’ (Ps.37:5-9)
There we have it precious people of God! Our Creator will always look after us once we come to Him for succour. So please, let’s put away all doubts, fears and anxieties and instead wrap ourselves in the wonderful blanket of His LOVE, care, compassion, understanding, wisdom, grace, mercy, forgiveness and faithfulness!
Wow! Now tell me which other supposed God has all those attributes eh? None whatsoever! So let’s be wise and just bask in His sunshine nuh, for that’s wisdom to the infinite power! Much LOVE!
…when the bright and beautiful light of Jesus shines on us…there’s no option but to be engulfed in it…
27 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that labour and are heavy laden, almighty god, anguish, betrayal, Bruh David, burial, Calvary, Christian, common sense, conviction, covenant, crucifixion, cry out to God, defeated death, die on the cross, Easter Sunday, encouraging, eternal life, faithfulness of God, fellowship, focusing on God, forgive our sins, forgiveness, Friday chant, friends and neighbours, further God's glorious kingdom, generous help, Good and upright is the Lord, gratefulness, guidance, guide in judgement, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, He will teach sinners his way, Holy Week, humble, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will forgive their iniquity, I will give you rest, I will remember their sin no more, if we confess our sins, in Jesus' name, iniquity, Jeremiah, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, Jesus' great invitation, Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, joy, justice, know the Lord, Lenten season, loving kindness, meek, mercy, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, our main priority, Palm Sunday, panache, pardon my iniquity, philosophical, poetic, protection, reconciled, rejuvenation, relaxation, repentance, rest, resurrection, sin, testimonies, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the heavy load, the living God, the sins of my youth, the weekend, thy goodness sake, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, truth, uplifting, wisdom, zest
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And then my beautiful Friends and neighbours, it was Friday! The day that so many of us around the world can’t wait to come around, because it signifies the end of our labour for two, big, whole days. (smile) That’s why the joyful cry of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend’s here at last!’ rings out all over the land every Friday.
However Friends and neighbours, just to see Friday come around should not be the uppermost fact or factor in our lives. It does have its importance, but that’s certainly not at the head of the list.
Our main priority should always be our focus on the living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the One who created the universe and all therein. The One who LOVED us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us on a wooden cross at Calvary’s Hill, so that we could be reconciled to Him.
Now that’s a more worthwhile focus, especially in this upcoming last week of the Lenten season, Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday, where we recreate Jesus’ triumphal entry into the Holy City of Jerusalem. Then during the week, we feel with Him the anguish of waiting for His betrayal, crucifixion, and burial.
And finally, the greatest moment of all in man’s history, when we celebrate His triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday morning! For that’s what entitles us to promise of eternal life! If Christ had not arisen from the grave, having defeated death, then there’d be no after life for us to celebrate today, two thousand years later.
Now that’s where the Christian mind should be focused in these difficult and trying times. And to help us get into that frame of mind, rather than the ‘Thank God it’s Friday’ one, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much conviction.
As one powerful chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh mih people, we need to concentrate on rejuvenating ourselves, so that we can continue our pilgrim’s journey with zest and panache next week. (smile) And an important part of all that is doing what our Bit advises. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Unfortunately though my brethren, a lot of us don’t seem to believe that and we just go on constantly toting the heavy load that is sin on our frail human shoulders. That’s not wisdom nor common sense my people, for long long ago the Lord promised to forgive our sins if we turned to Him in repentance.
Listen to these beautiful, uplifting and encouraging words of the prophet Jeremiah nuh. ‘And they shall teach no more every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.’ (Jer.31:34)
Oh Friends, we all know the faithfulness of our God, so why is it so difficult to embrace that promise eh? Why do we insist on letting our sins weigh us down, when it’s not necessary?
Bruh David is a great example of not letting his sins weigh him down too much. He did his thing, but when times got rough, he wasn’t afraid to cry out to the God of his fathers for mercy and forgiveness. Hear this cry of his from Psalm 27 – A prayer for guidance and protection.
‘Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies, and thy LOVING-kindness; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
The meek (humble) will he guide in judgement (justice): and the meek (humble) will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity; for it is great.’ (Ps.25:6-12)
Ah mih people, we don’t have to wax as poetic and philosophical as Bruh David, but we do have to bring our sins to Almighty God for forgiveness as often as possible, so that we can shed the heavy load that they bring to bear on us. Please remember Jesus’ great invitation to all and sundry.
‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Oh Friends, there we have it in living colour, straight from Jesus Himself! What shall we do about it eh? Shall we foolishly reject such a wonderful invitation? Or shall we embrace it with joy and gratefulness?
I beg to advice that the latter option is the only wise and sensible one. So today, let’s ponder our true relationship with Jesus nuh, and hopefully come to the conclusion, that He is indeed the Truth, the Light, and the Way in this dark world of evil and sin. Much LOVE!
…the greatest wisdom mankind can embrace…is that of truly and faithfully following Jesus…
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…
18 Nov 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: Bank of Heaven, be of good cheer, deliverance, faithfulness of God, giving thanks to god, God's marvellous works, God's perfect way, God's truth, God- the Rock, iniquity, Jesus- the Light, Sunday's child, tribulation
Psalm 18:30. As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
And then finally, there’s Sunday’s child: ‘But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day, is bonny and blythe and gay.’ Caution: ‘gay’ here refers to ‘jolly and happy’, its original meaning not the new meaning ‘homosexual.’ And considering those wonderful traits that a child born on Sunday is alleged to have, all of us would greatly desire to be born on that special day. But take heart Friends, those attributes are available to all who believe in and diligently follow Jesus Christ; the TRUTH,the LIFE, the LIGHT, and the ONLY WAY to Almighty God! And a loud, grateful, ‘Hallelujah! Amen,’ rose up from God’s people to His throne in heaven on high. Please remember my brethren, Jesus’ consoling words to His disciples, and therefore to us also: ‘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 can all be ‘bonny and blythe and gay’ because Jesus says so. And like a hand fits a glove, our Bit fits neatly right here, verifying the truth and trustworthiness of Jesus’ words. ‘As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried (proven): he is a buckler (shield) to all those that trust in him.’ Wow! What words of faith! And there’s nary a doubt about any of those statements Friends, because the man who made them, Bruh David, lived his life by them, and was rightly classed as Israel’s greatest king. Cousin Sol might have been wiser and richer, but he wasn’t made of sterner stuff like Bruh David was. Cousin Sol never had to battle serious enemies from his boyhood right through to death, like his father. And our Bit is appropriately taken from one of Bruh David’s most emotional psalms, where he’s giving thanks to God for deliverance from all his enemies, especially the most dreaded and determined one, King Saul. Oh Friends, Bruh David had his human frailties like all of us, but the important thing is that throughout his tempestuous life, through all his trials and tribulations, he never stopped seeking and believing in the omnipotence and faithfulness of the God of his fathers. And whenever he was caught napping, he turned to the Lord, as soon as possible, with heartfelt repentance. That’s why the prophet Samuel could say of Bruh David to Saul, when he lost the kingship of Israel. ‘The Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart.’ (1 Sam.13:14) Now let’s look at some scripture that verify the statements in our Bit. And the fist statement is: ‘As for God, his way is perfect.’ The first verification comes from Moses, the third and fourth verses of his Song in praise of Almighty God. ‘Because I will publish (proclaim) the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut.32:3-4) Oh Friends, oh Friends, you couldn’t want a better verifier than Moses, who truly experienced the greatness of God when leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land! Now it was certainly a most difficult task leading some two million rebellious, cantankerous Jews through a desert-like land, and poor Moses bore the brunt of God’s anger against the Israelites. But in showcasing the Lord’s awesome power, faithfulness and trust, he also performed astonishing miracles in His Name. Thus his words must carry a lot of weight re the attributes of our God. And here’s what Bruh David says in Psalm 145, his psalm of praise, re the Lord’s graciousness. ‘The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy (gracious) in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.’ (Ps.145:17-18) That’s gospel my people! But just in case you don’t believe the earthly throng, then listen to what John saw happening in heaven. ‘And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgements are made manifest.’ (Rev.15:2-4) Oh my brethren, there’s nothing left to be said. The heavenly host are singing and praising our wonderful God on high, verifying His perfection and trustworthiness, and so should we down here on earth. Remember how Jesus taught us to pray? ‘…thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven…’ (Matt.6:10) Let’s put that into real action nuh my people, for it will not only boost our earthly walk of faith, but also increase our rewards in the unbreakable Bank of Heaven. (smile) More on this topic tomorrow, provided the Lord’s willing. Till then, please trust Him and walk in His blessed protection. Much LOVE!…if the Lord isn’t perfect…then He’s liable to make mistakes…and thus prove to be unreliable…therefore not worthy to be called God…
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