20 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Christ, an expected end, assurance, aura of love, Babylon, boost spirits, breath of life, bring to fruition, calamity, concrete jungle, confidence, conquerors, curtains for us, earthly life, enthusiasm, eternal life, eternal separation, everlasting life, excuses, families, foolish, friends, fruitful vine, future, glorious kingdom, God's plans, hard worker, he who has ears to hear, hope, human being, humble servants, hunker down, I think toward you, in His own image, invincible, Israelites, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, joy, joyless enormous price, laziness, lies, lose nothing, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative effects, not of evil, peace, privilege, procrastination, raise it up again, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, reverse, salvation, sins, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the last day, the will of God, the worst thing, thoughts, to die for us, trust, truth, undisciplined, ungodly world, weary souls, week of work, welcomed in heaven, wiles, will not cast out, wisdom, worthwhile intentions
Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith, the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).
Ah friends, the days are rolling by quickly and who knows how much time we have left to successfully perform any tasks, or bring to fruition whatever plans God has in store for us. That means we’ve got to get with the program right away; no excuses, laziness or procrastination, but be a diligent, hard worker and fruitful vine bearer for Christ. So that at the end of our days, He’ll greet us with that wonderful, big smile, a tantalizing bear hug, and the overwhelming invitation: ‘Welcome! Welcome home, thou good and faithful servant!’
Wow mih breddren, there can’t be any better welcoming words than those anywhere in the universe! But for our lives to play out that way, means we have to begin by being fired up this Monday morning; no whining and complaining; just seriously, sincerely and conscientiously going about the Lord’s business. Oh, I know some Monday mornings it’s difficult to roll out of the warm and comfortable bed to face our cruel and evil world, especially as the chills of winter descend upon us, in the northern climes.
But that’s why we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn; to boost our spirits, reverse all the negative effects of an undisciplined weekend (smile) and get us ready to face whatever comes against us with the energy, assurance, joy and peace that come from being a believer in, and a follower of our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. So let’s blast it out as passionately as we can nuh.
‘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!’
Awright mih people, yuh see how our Battle Hymn changes our entire perspective, how our passion rises as we trill it to the high heavens? So let’s keep that adrenaline flowing nuh, as we get out onto the highways and byways and make our way to the concrete jungles and hunker down to labour for another day. But all the while keeping the unbreakable promise of our Bit solidly grounded in our hearts, bodies, minds and souls. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith, the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’
Yeh friends, even when God punished the Israelites by having Babylon take them captive, He promised to bring them back to Jerusalem after seventy years. Hopefully, they would have learned their lesson by then. And it’s the same way my faithful brethren that the Lord has good plans for us, plans to give us hope, joy and peace. Why would He create us in His own image, give us His breath of life and then, when we screw up, send His Son Jesus to die for us, if He didn’t have good and worthwhile intentions towards us eh?
Listen to Jesus tell it like it is: ‘All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:37-40)
Oh my people, does that sound like a God who has bad intentions towards us? Certainly not! He wants only the best for us, that’s why He sent Jesus to die for our abominable sins; to give us a hope and a future; otherwise it would have been curtains for us, certain calamity through eternal separation from Him. And believe me, eternal separation from Almighty God is the WORST thing that can ever happen to a human being!
So friends, please let’s take this earthly life seriously, let’s take Jesus seriously, because if we don’t, we’ll end up paying an enormous price for the dubious privilege of being foolish. We don’t have to be miserable and joyless, because Jesus came to give us joy, but we do have to be sensible, thoughtful and wise if we want to be welcomed in heaven. Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…else he will certainly feel…
05 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a flower, a good thing, a psalm of praise, affliction, all flesh is grass, big for our britches, blessings, blind, calamity, Caleb, corruption, curse, disasters, disgusted, downward journey, earth, enter into my rest, err in their heart, evil, food, foolish, forty years, full of ourselves, go astray, God's word shall stand for ever, grieved, Hades, harden not your heart, hardhearted, have not known my ways, hear his voice, heaven, hockey season, hurricane season, Isaiah, Israel, Israelites, jehovah god, Jesus, Jews, John the Baptist, Joshua, like the post, miraculous means, Moses, my words, Nate, negative word, one of those days, prosper, proved me, rebelled, saw my work, see the light, self-control, self-discipline, sensible alternative, shall not pass away, shall pass away, share blessings, speak the word, stubborn, succeed, tempted, testing, the day of temptation, the flower fades, the glory of the Lord, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the grass withers, the Lord hath spoken it, the Promised Land, the Word, the Word of god, this generation, Thursday Blessings, time of calamity, trial, turning back, ungodliness, wandered in the wilderness, water, wrath
Matthew 24:35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Ah friends, as the man says, ‘It’s just one of those days!’ (smile) The ole fella pulled a late one this morning. Hockey season has started, meaning more of those are likely now. So though we might be late, like the post, we’ll always be there!
And if you think that because summer was over, the hurricane season was also over, then think again. Apparently a tropical storm named Nate is fomenting in the Caribbean and Central America area and can possible become a hurricane in the next few days afflicting someplace that needs no more affliction.
Oh my brethren, how much affliction do we need before we can see the light eh? Before we realize that turning back to Jehovah God is the only wise and sensible alternative we have in light of all the disasters, evil, corruption and ungodliness in our world?
But mankind has always been a stubborn and hardhearted people. And we have the best example of that in the Jews whom the Lord brought out of Israel through miraculous means, who nonetheless rebelled against Him on several occasions. Hear what the psalmist says about it in Psalm 95 – A psalm of praise to the great God.
‘Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation (rebellion), and as in the day of temptation (trial, testing) in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted (tried) me, proved me, and saw my work.
Forty years long was I grieved (disgusted) with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart (go astray), and they have not known my ways. Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.’ (Ps.95:7-11)
Yeh friends, the Lord is possibly saying the same thing about us. And it’s about forty years now since we seriously began our downward journey to Hades.
We had such a good thing going when He was our Leader, but we’ve gotten so big for our britches, so full of our ourselves now, that we have no more time or use for Him and are blatantly trying to oust Him from our lives.
But please note those stubborn and hardhearted Israelites, who wandered round in the wilderness for forty years, whining and complaining. None of those who came out of Egypt, besides Joshua and Caleb, ever made it into the Promised Land, not even the great Moses.
And they were even too foolish to realize that in the wilderness they had food and water, plus their clothing and footwear never wore our. How did they think those things happened eh? Only through the mighty hand of the God of their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Oh my people, please let’s not be stubborn, blind, foolish and hardhearted like those Israelites. In the time of calamity, there is ONLY ONE place for us to turn; to the God who created us and the universe in which we dwell.
Please remember His awesome promise that’s conveyed in our Bit. ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’
Yes my fellow believers, Jesus is the WORD, the world was begotten through words, which means that the Word of the Lord has awesome power. How then can we escape it eh? Hear what the prophet Isaiah said about it, a long, long time ago, as he prophesied about the coming of John the Baptist.
‘And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry (cry out). And he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness (loveliness) thereof is as a flower of the field:
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ (Is.40:5-8)
Oh friends, we certainly can’t dispute that we are like the grass and flower that fades and dies with only a short period of blooming. And just look at how long the Word of God has been around; through thousands of generations of mankind. So how can we doubt the Word eh? Not if we’re wise.
Anyway, I’ll leave that for us to ponder today, now let’s go home declaring the wonderful blessings that our magnanimous and magnificent God has so generously bestowed on us this day.
In loud voice and sincerity of heart: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And since blessings are meant to be shared, let’s go out and share them with all we meet nuh, as Jesus so desperately desires of us. Much LOVE!
…words were meant to be spoken…and there’s none as powerful as the Lord’s…so be wise…and speak them…
05 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to my righteousness, action, adversity, afraid, back to school, beloved of God, break a nail, Christ's body, Christian lives, christianity, clean up our act, cliques, commitment, commitment to excellence, compromises, delight in him, departed from God, dissension, divisions, do right, do wrong, dr robert h schuller, dreaming, easy life, Elihus, end times, enlightened, excellence, extra mile, faith in action, faithfulness, fighting amongst ourselves, foolish, forgiveness, forgiving God, frail, friend of Jesus, fun and frolic, further Christ's kingdom, God rewards us, God's Word, he recompensed me, hell, his eyesight, honest, hypocritical lifestyles, Job, kept the ways of the Lord, Labour Day, lack of commitment, LOVE, merciful, obedience, perfect, Pharisees, Possibility Thinking, pray unto God, redeem his soul from the pit, righteousness, rocket science, share jesus' love, summer, talk, the cleanness of my hands, the easy way out, the light of the living, the Lord rewarded me, the party's over, Tuesday Mantra, up front, upright before God, walking our talk, work, worthwhile difference
Psalm 18:20. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
Well friends, it’s the Tuesday after Labour Day, which means that all the fun and frolic of summer is drawing to an end. As the D.J plays that famous last tune: ‘The party’s over my friends. It’s time to call it a day…’ Yeh mih breddren it’s back to school and work time now.
And to add fuel to that fire, here’s a li’l blurb from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) on the subject. He says: ‘Possibility Thinking isn’t just dreaming. It’s faith in action. That translates into W-O-R-K with a patient commitment to excellence.’
And that is exactly what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects of His followers; a serious commitment to excellent work! And in these end times, we all need to step up our work in and for the kingdom of Christ.
He’s losing more followers than He’s gaining, and that’s due in large part to our lack of commitment, our compromises, generally taking the easy way out and preferring to enjoy the easy life of the world, rather than go the extra mile for Christ.
Why? Because that might include some ‘sufferation,’ some adversity on our part, and we’ve gotten so soft and afraid of adversity nowadays, that we’d rather allow Christ’s work to suffer, than we break a nail trying to further His kingdom.
And when the unbeliever looks at our hypocritical lifestyles, what can we expect but criticism and disbelief eh? Too many of us are not living true Christian lives; we’re like the Pharisees of old, who preached one thing in public and did something completely different in private. That’s why Jesus continually lambasted them.
And if we seriously believe in Jesus and sincerely want to do His work and try our best to become like Him, then we’ve got to clean up our act, and begin walking our talk. Oh, many of us are doing it, but definitely not enough to make any worthwhile difference.
There are too many divisions in Christ’s body, too many cliques and too much dissension for it to function at a consistently high level, and until we stop fighting amongst ourselves, Christ’s church will not grow the way it is supposed to.
That brings us to our Bit. ‘The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.’ And that’s exactly what happens in God’s kingdom; we’re rewarded for our faithfulness and obedience to His Word.
And Bruh David continues in his thanksgiving for deliverance from his enemies, after our Bit: ‘For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgements were before me, and I did not put his statutes from me.
I was also upright before (with) him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.’ (Ps.18:21-24)
How much plainer can it be eh friends? We do right and the Lord rewards us. We do wrong, and He doesn’t. Oh my brethren, Christianity is not rocket science. It’s simply believing in God and doing our best to be obedient to Him and His word.
God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He knows we will make mistakes, because we’re frail and foolish, (smile) that’s how He made us. But He does expect us to try our best. And that is simply what too many of us supposed believers are not doing.
Now listen to Job’s friend, Elihu, as he reasons with Job about God’s forgiveness when men repent. ‘His flesh shall be fresher than (young as) a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth: He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him (delight in him): and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render (restore) unto man his righteousness.
He (God) looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver (redeem) his soul from going into the pit (hell), and his life shall see the light. Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.’ (Job 33:25-30)
Yes friends, our God is a most merciful and forgiving God, but we have to be honest and up front with Him. Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, which clearly states who and whose we are.
‘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!’
So let’s go out and share that LOVE nuh, for that’s what Jesus desires. Much LOVE!
…Jesus calls us to action…much more than to talk…
09 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fresh start, a glorious future with Jesus, a healthy fear, accoutrement, appreciating, bear many a burden, depart from evil, ephemeral, esteem God, evil times, flower-strewn pathways, foolish, fools despise wisdom, glorious day, glory to God, grace, grace for the trials, halfway home, hands on the plough, help from above, Jesus sacrificed His life for us, Job, joy without sorrow, light for the way, living for Jesus, living successful lives, looking straight ahead, LOVE, new mercies, not turning back, pateince, peace without pain, perseverance, rest amid labour, reverential awe of God, revering God, run our race, skies ever blue, smooth roads, strength for the day, submission to the Lord, sun without rain, swift easy travel, sympathy, the beginning of knowledge, the beginning of wisdom, the breath of life, the fear of the Lord, the finish line, the knowledge of the Holy One, the land of the living, the obits, the price, the promises of God, the value of wisdom, this is the day the Lord has made, trials, turning away from God, understanding, undying LOVE, unfailing sympathy, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, wine and roses, wisdom, written indelibly
Proverbs 9:10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy (Holy One) is understanding.
Another glorious day is in the offing friends! And to make matters even better, our names or pictures have not shown up in the obits today! Glory to God!
So let’s be thankful and enjoy the day, proudly declaring, as the psalmist did: ‘This is the day which the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
For sure, because we would be foolish to do otherwise since Jesus sacrificed His sinless life so that we could live an abundant one.
Now here is a li’l something to remind us that though life is good, it’s not always wine and roses. (smile) I don’t remember where I got it from, but recently I found it amongst some papers on my desk.
I believe I shared it sometime back, but like so many of these things, they never get stale and are always good for retelling. And I seem to have given it the title of ‘The Promises and Non-Promises of God.’
Please read with me. ‘God hath not promised skies ever blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through; God hath not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
God hath not promised smooth roads and wide, swift, easy travel, needing no guide; God hath not promised we shall not bear many a burden, many a care.
But God hath promised strength for the day, rest amid labour, light for the way; grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying LOVE.’
And that’s more than enough for us friends! Our generous and gracious God gives us enough to live each day walking in His will! That’s all we need since we can only live one day at a time.
That’s why His mercies are new every morning. Every day He gives us a fresh start. So please let’s be wise, grab on to it and run our race with patience, perseverance and understanding, for that’s the only way we’ll ever make it successfully to the finish line.
And to ensure us of doing just that, we need the immortal words of our Bit written indelibly in our hearts, minds, souls and bodies. ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy (Holy One) is understanding.’
Yeh friends, until we learn to acknowledge and rightly esteem the Lord God Jehovah our lives will not run smoothly. That’s because we won’t understand what life is all about. And as we said yesterday, wisdom is basically about living successful lives.
So it follows that if you don’t have wisdom, you can’t live successfully. But then, true wisdom comes only from appreciating, revering, and sincerely worshipping God. Which in turn means that we have to come to God in sincere faith before we can get that wisdom to live a successful life. Hope it makes sense. (smile)
Now let’s turn to a couple of scriptures which highlight the importance of that somewhat ephemeral but oh so necessary accoutrement, wisdom. Listen to that great man of God, Job, as he expounds on wisdom being the Gift of God.
‘But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof (the value); neither is it found in the land of the living.’ (Job 28:12-13)
Then he goes on to say that it cannot be found in the sea, nor can it be purchased for gold or other precious jewels. (vs.14-27) So where and how can wisdom be had then?
‘And unto man he (God) said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’ (Job 28:28) What more can we say eh friends? If God says that’s how it is, then that’s exactly how it is!
Now hear Cousin Sol with another tot of wise warning. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov.1:7)
And is that ever so true. So many of us are foolishly turning away from God in these evil times, so how shall we ever have widespread wisdom eh?
And the scholars explain that verse thus. ‘1:7. The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here.
It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner. The beginning does not mean that “the fear of the Lord” is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but it is the controlling principle of wisdom.’
And so my fellow brethren in Christ, now that we’ve beefed up our understanding of true wisdom, let’s go home showing that we are indeed on the right track nuh by loudly, sincerely and truthfully declaring our Wednesday Wail.
All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Ah mih people, isn’t it just wonderful living with, for and through Jesus! Much LOVE!
…truly living for Jesus…shows that one has acquired true wisdom…
14 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a piece of the pie, abundant life, action, aggressive, asaph, be thou envious, Beelzebub, Christians, come with the territory, doused with gasoline, earthly wealth, engulfed in flames, envious of the wicked, evildoers, fear, fellow believers, followers of Christ, foolish, Fret not thyself over evildoers, God is good to Israel, God is in control, good old days, gospel truth, grin and bear them, halfway home, heavenly Father, help, life, looking forward, mishaps, my hands are on the plough, my help comes from the Lord, my steps had slipped, Niagara Falls, of a clean hesrt, poison our lives, progress, protect us from harm, Ralph Waldo Emerson, righteousness, Saskatchewan, seek ye first the kingdom of God, sell our souls, spiritual realm, store up treasures, the breath of life, the end times, the fires of hell, the prosperity of the wicked, the workers of iniquity, toxic chemicals, upward, violence, violent, Wednesday Wail, worry
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Ah friends, what a world we’re living in today eh, when you can wake up and hear that a tanker truck with toxic contents overturned on a major highway in southern Ontario yesterday afternoon in St. Catherines, close by to Niagara Falls.
Also to hear that two children under 12 were doused with gasoline and set on fire by another under 12 year old boy in the Western Province of Saskatchewan. And then to see live, an apartment building in West London, England, its 24 floors being engulfed in huge flames, and the firefighters helpless to rescue many of them.
Ah Lord eh! Sometimes it makes you long for the supposed good, old days, when we didn’t have toxic chemicals being ferried along our highways like ordinary stuff, and apartment buildings weren’t so tall, and young children weren’t as aggressive and violent.
But we’ve opted for supposed progress and those things come with the territory. So now we just have to grin and bear them.
But here’s the good news; we Christians don’t have to be worried over the stuff that can, and oftimes will happen, because we know that our God, our powerful heavenly Father is in control of ALL things and He will guide and protect us from harm.
And here is an interesting quote to help us in our daily lives, courtesy of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882), the famous American lecturer, essayist and poet. Ralph is reputed to have said: ‘Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up.’
Oh my fellow believers, what great advice for these trying times. We can’t afford to be looking back or around, but upwards, because that is where our help comes from.
As the psalmist so rightfully declared: ‘My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth, He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (to slip): He that keepeth thee will not slumber,’ (Ps.121:2-3) Gospel truth friends!
And the sad fact is that too many Christians are too worried about the sad state of our world. Now we must be concerned about it, but the truth is that most of us can do nothing to prevent the mishaps and the violence, so why worry eh?
We need to be more concerned about the things we have control over, and make sure that they go right, and simply leave the rest to God. Our worrying will in no way change some of the awful stuff that’s happening, so we don’t need to poison our own lives with fear and worry.
And that brings us to the wonderful advice of our Bit; immortal words of Bruh David. ‘Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.’
Yes, my precious people of God, it doesn’t pay to be envious of the wicked, because their time will be short, for the Lord will mow them down like grass under a mower, and burn them in the fires of hell.
And we have a very good example of worrying about the evildoers in the words of the psalmist Asaph. He writes in Psalm 73 – The mystery of prosperous wickedness. ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart.
But as for me, my feet were almost gone (my feet had almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:1-3)
Oh my fellow believers, I know that the wicked and evil are seemingly prospering in these end times, and we all want a piece of that pie, but are we going to sell our eternal souls to Beelzebub for a little earthly wealth and prosperity, none of which we can take into the eternal spiritual realm?
That would be incredibly foolish, though many of us are doing it. And the simple solution is that if we sincerely follow Jesus’ admonitions, we can also become prosperous and wealthy in earthly terms, as well as store up treasures in heaven.
Listen to these faithful words of our Lord and Saviour. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Plain and straightforward friends: seek God first, and He will give you all you need to live an abundant life here on earth. For as Jesus later said: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
And having been reminded of all that my faithful followers of Christ, and having inwardly digested it, let’s go home joyfully declaring our Wednesday Wail.
In strong voice as one body, let’s wail! ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now let’s go out and put it all into action, because that’s the only way to make it worthwhile in the sight of Jesus. Much LOVE!
…the eyes of ALL Christians…should be looking forward and upward…
07 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good soldier, actions glorify God, adore, bear up, before all nations, believers, beloved of God, bride, bridegroom, constant strain, contented, despair, doubt, drawback, ever-faithful promises, experience it personally, fail, faith, falter, foolish, friend of Jesus, friends, God is always good, God is always in control, God is victorious, God is watching, God's promise, good tidings, grace, grateful, hanging in, hardship, Holy Name, I will joy in the God of my salvation, I will not fear, I will rejoice in the Lord, Isaiah, Jesus, jewels, joy, joyful in my god, judge our sincerity, lack of sleep, LOVE, loving-kindness, magnanimous god, medical problems, medication, mercy, mind-blowing, motives of our hearts, ornaments, praise, reassuring words, rejoice, righteousness, rough times, salvation, share, side effects, sincerity, spirits lifted high, suffering, tear to our eyes, tears of joy, Thank You Lord, the garments of salvation, The Israelites, the robe of righteousness, the source of their joy, to spring forth, truth, Tuesday Mantra, words of our mouths
Habakkuk 3:18. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Well my people, it’s another brand new day, filled with grace and mercy from our magnanimous God!
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord for your undeserving grace and mercy towards us! We LOVE You and adore and praise Your Holy Name!’
Yes friends, we’d be very foolish if we did not sincerely mean those words, because the Lord looks at the motives of our hearts, not the words of our mouths to judge our sincerity.
To tell the truth friends, the ole fella is not in the greatest shape this morning; tired from too much running around and lack of sleep, with my back aching. I even had to go and dig out my old back brace.
Chuh! It’s so annoying when you’re given medication to solve one problem but it also causes another. It doesn’t seem as if there is any medication around these days without numerous side effects.
But I’m hanging in, fighting like a good soldier, (smile) holding on tightly to ‘God’s Promise’ in this prayer. I don’t remember where I got it from, and most likely have shared it with you before, but it’s powerful and assuring enough to be shared again and again.
Please pray with me: ‘I will not fear; God is always with me. I will not doubt; God is always in control. I will not despair; God is always good. I will not falter; God is always watching. I will not fail; God is always victorious! Amen!’
Yes mih breddren, let’s hang on to those reassuring words of faith and add them to the awesome words of our Bit, so that our spirits can be lifted high, and our deeds and actions glorify our wonderful God.
‘Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.’
Oh my fellow believers, our LOVING heavenly Father has provided us with such amazing, such beautiful stuff, that seldom should a doubt come to our hearts, or a tear to our eyes. And even when tears do come, they should mostly be tears of joy for His LOVING-kindness towards us.
Oh, we all go through hardship and suffering, but in those times we desperately need to hang on to the ever-faithful promises, like in the prayer above, of our mighty God!
Unfortunately though, a lot of us talk it but don’t feel it when the times get rough. That’s because we don’t sincerely believe them in our hearts. I can tell you from personal experience that if we do believe God’s promises, we’ll bear the rough times a lot easier than if we don’t.
As some of you know, I’m going through a pretty rough time right now with several medical problems, whose outcomes are still up in the air, and it’s only by hanging on to the promises of God that I’m able to bear up successfully under the constant strain.
It’s the Lord’s mercy and grace that are carrying me to the numerous doctors and tests which seem to take up a lot of my time. No, it’s not easy, but if we sincerely ask the Lord for help, He will give it to us. The only drawback to all this, is that you must experience it personally to truly believe it. (smile)
But enough about me, let’s get to some scripture that enhances our Bit. Listen to Isaiah as he delivers to the Israelites, the Good tidings of salvation to Zion.
After assuring them of the Lord’s good intentions towards them (v.1-9), he heartily declares: ‘I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.’ (Is.61:10-11)
What an awesome promise my people! Only our omnipotent and ever-faithful God can make such outstanding promises and then fulfill them.
And He certainly has begun to fulfill that one with the amazing coming of Jesus, and all the mind-blowing benefits that He brought to the table. So how can we not rejoice and be glad in the salvation of our awesome God eh?
If we are sincere believers, then we ought also to be joyful and grateful followers. The one, by just its very nature, demands the other. Now let’s go home raising even higher, the bar of our joy and contentment by declaring our Tuesday Mantra.
‘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!’
Yes friends, let’s believe that deep down in our hearts and souls, because it’s the awesome truth, then let’s go out and share the bountiful and undying LOVE of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with the rest of the world as He instructed us to do. Much LOVE!
…true believers are happy, contented people…who desire greatly… to share the source of their joy…Jesus…with others…
28 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and all these things shall be added unto you, Anselm, as a beast, asaph, aspires to inspire, believer in Christ, boomerang, building christ's body, change our path, change will ever last, change within our hearts, Christians, cloudy days, consumed, desolation, destruction, earthly wealth, envious, every aspect of our lives, far from thee, favourite pastimes, follower, foolish, glory to God, go a whoring, God is the strength of my heart, grace, haunted, held me by thy right hand, history repeats itself, I have put my trust in the Lord, I may declare all his works, ignorant, immortal words, irresponsible place, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jesus Christ, learn the lessons, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, mercy, my flesh and my heart faileth, my portion for ever, responsible, righteousness, Saturday, seek ye first the kingdom of God, selling our souls, shall perish, slippery places, take responsibility, terrors, that's no lie, the agenda, the blame game, the boastful, the foolish, the Lord is totally involved, the prosperity of the wicked, the riches of the wicked, the sanctuary of God, the SON, the uniting call, to the wrong, under the umbrella of god, understood their end, unfaithful to thee, wake up, wisdom, wise advice, you reap what you sow
Psalm 73:28. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
Cloudy days are here again…but at least it’s dry. (smile) Yeh mih breddren, I don’t know where the sun has gone these last couple of weeks nuh, but we do have the SON, and that’s the most important one of them all. Glory to God!
So it’s Saturday, what’s on the agenda eh? Cleaning and household chores, grocery shopping, resting, relaxation… Whatever it is, please make sure that the Lord is totally involved in it with you, otherwise it won’t work as well, or it might not even work.
Remember our amazing and awesome God wants to get involved in every aspect of our lives, even down to the tiniest bit, and He feels sadly left out if we don’t include Him.
Now here are some quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. First off, he tells us that: ‘History repeats itself until we learn the lessons that we need to change our path.’ And that’s no lie! We’ll keep on making the same mistakes until we wake up to the wrong we’re doing and change it.
Now here is one that runs contrary to the modern day world. ‘We must take responsibility for what is in our life.’ Oh friends, our world has become such an irresponsible place that it’s not funny.
No one wants to take responsibility for anything. The blame game has become one of our favourite pastimes. But until we become responsible for all that we do, life will remain rather miserable.
And this one says: ‘When we change who and what we are within our hearts, our lives follow suit and change too.’ Now that’s the only way any change will ever last!
And finally: ‘Whatever we put out in the Universe is what comes back to us.’ Oh people, life is like a boomerang; whatever you let fly, will eventually come right back to you. It’s God’s basic principle of ‘you reap what you sow.’
That brings us right back to where started, having God totally involved in our lives, as so well advised by our Bit. ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’
Now let’s back up a tad and hear how Asaph was haunted by the prosperity of the wicked. ‘For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:3)
Ah friends, that’s still happening to too many of us today. The wicked are still prosperous and too many of us supposed Christians are wanting what they have and consequently selling our souls to the wrong people to get earthly wealth.
But please remember the immortal words, the everlasting promise of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Now if you’re not diligently working under that promise, then you’re unwise, and no true follower of and believer in Christ.
But getting back to Asaph. He was falling under the spell of the wicked and earthly riches…’Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.’ (Ps.73:17-19)
Oh my fellow believers, Asaph didn’t understand the situation until he spent time in God’s sanctuary. Maybe some of us need to do that too, so we’ll understand that we don’t have to worry about the riches of the wicked, the Lord will do that in His own time.
We need to get ourselves solidly under the umbrella of God’s LOVE, mercy and grace, and concentrate on building His body, His church here on earth.
Now hear Asaph’s conclusion. ‘So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden (held) me by thy right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom I have in heaven but thee?
And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee).
But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps.73:22-28)
Ah friends, there’s nothing left for me to say, but to implore us to listen to Asaph, to take his wise advice and follow the Lord God Jehovah, for that is wisdom of heavenly proportions. Much LOVE!
…to faithfully and diligently follow Jesus…that is the uniting call of all Christians…
17 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a bow of steel, a compassionate heart, a follower of Jesus Christ, a positive outlook, a rewarder, a rock, abundance, according to your faith, almighty god, another day of life, astray, being one with Jesus, believe that he is, blessings, broken, buckler, care, clear direction, compassion, confidence, confidently, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, earthly work, faith, favour, foolish, foundation, friends, fulfillment, gentleness, glory to God, God's way is perfect, great family, health, held me up, high places, hinds feet, I am helped, I will praise him, impossible to please God, in the name of Jesus, joyfully, lead, living water, LOVE, loves, loving kindness, mercies, ministry, miracles, my heart rejoices, my heart trusts him, my shield, my song, My Utmost for His Highest, negative word, Oswald Chambers, our will, passion, promotion, prosper, proven, right perspective, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, sheep., shield, shield of thy salvation, spirits lifted, strong will, succeed, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, talent, thanksgiving, the Good Book, The Lord is my strength, the One who is leading, the word of the Lord, this is the day the Lord has made, those who diligently seek him, Thursday Blessings, thy right hand, tried, trust, trying times, unfaithful, wandering, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom
Psalm 28:7. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Yeah mih people, another bright and sunshiny day seems to be upon us! Glory to God!
In His wisdom and LOVING-kindness, He has granted us another day of life, plus has abundantly showered us with new mercies and new blessings especially prepared for today. Wow! How wonderful is His compassion and care for us!
Thus we can joyfully and confidently declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ And we’d be rather foolish and unfaithful not to enjoy it to its fullest.
Now here is a quote attributed to Oswald Chambers, (1874-1917) the famous Scottish Baptist and Holiness Movement evangelist and teacher of the early 20th century. This comes from his classic of devotional literature ‘My Utmost for His Highest.’
It concerns faith, and says: ‘Faith never knows where it is being led, but it LOVES and knows the One who is leading.’
And is that ever true! For when we become a follower of Jesus Christ, we place our entire will in His hands and allow Him to lead us wherever He wishes. We don’t know exactly where He will lead us, but we do know that he will not lead us astray, and will work it all out eventually for our good, because of our great trust and faith in Him.
He died to save us, so why would He do us harm eh? Yeh friends, following Jesus is the best thing we can do in this mish-mash world!
That’s why Bruh David could have so confidently declared in our Bit: ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.’
That’s the kind of strong confidence we believers need to embrace in these trying times my brethren. Without it, we’d just be lost, like hungry and tired sheep wandering in the wilderness.
However, with the living water of Christ energizing us, we are able to do a whole lot more than we can ever believe or imagine. That’s the beauty of being one with Jesus; our spirits are lifted up, and we become strong and active in ministry to the glory of His holy name. What a purposeful life we live then!
Now let’s hear some scripture that places all of that in the right perspective for us. And it comes from no other than Bruh David, (smile) from His foundational Psalm 118 – Thanksgiving for deliverance.
‘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 him. For who is God save (except) the Lord? Or who is a rock save our God?
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds feet (the feet of the deer), and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms (a bow of bronze can be bent).
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden (held) me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.’ (Ps.18:30-35)
Oh friends, what confident faith! Bruh David didn’t know where the Lord was leading him, but he knew that if he hung tight with Him, his life would be successful. He learned that an early age while keeping his father’s sheep in the wilds.
The same applies to us today, my fellow believers. The more trust and faith we have in Almighty God, the greater things we’ll see and achieve! For as the Good Book tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6)
Ah mih breddren, if we don’t have faith, we can’t come to God for great wonders. What did Jesus say to the two blind men before He healed them? ‘According to your faith be it unto you.’ (Matt.9:29) Likewise my brethren, according to our faith, so will it be unto us.
Now let’s go home this Thursday declaring our Thursday Blessings nuh. For remember, a blessing is only a blessing when it’s spoken over someone. So with great passion and overwhelming faith let’s declare those wonderful blessings over ourselves.
In unison now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Awright mih people! Now let’s go out and put all of that into action in our lives, behaving the way Jesus desires us, as we diligently do His earthly work with an attitude of excellence, on a solid foundation of true faith. Much LOVE!
…only through faith…can miracles be accomplished in our lives…
03 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a true Christian, adrenaline, aligning oneself, all the earth, antidote, aura of love, confidence, Creator of the universe, do good work for Jesus, endureth for ever, energizes, enthusiasm, enthusiastic, evil, evil hordes, exalth themselves, faith, fellowship, foolish, friends, fun, Gentiles, glory hallelujah, halfhearted, hit the road, holy spirit, homage, humble servants, hymn of praise, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, make like jack, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, play favourites, Praise ye the Lord, rebellious, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rewards, salvation, Selah, sing to thy name, sing unto thee, sometime thing, sovereignty, spiritual armour, spreading the good news of Jesus, steadfast faith, the Great Commission, the truth of the Lord, the weekend, the works of God, trust, ungodly world, unwise, wisdom, work time, worship
Psalm 66:4. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
Ah friends, the second big day of the week is here, and our journey through it will depend on how we handled the first big day of the week. (smile) Yeh mih people, it’s work time once again, and if we’ve used the weekend properly, we’d be all set and ready, enthusiastic and can’t wait to get out into the world and show the godless and the heathen how a true believer in Jesus, a true Christian behaves.
But since many of us have compromised ourselves on the weekend, consequently, we are not ready and able, or willing to face the evil hordes that abound in the working world. But there’s no reason to be anxious or afraid, for we have the right antidote for your problem. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and it energizes us, gets our adrenaline running so that we can go out and do good work for Jesus.
So without further ado, let’s raise our voices heavenward in harmony and praise. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, that wasn’t too hot nuh; out of tune and not very enthusiastic, and our choirmaster, Jesus, definitely wasn’t pleased. You could see that by the serious look on His comely face and His unsmiling eyes. Nevertheless, most of us now have our motors idling smoothly, so let’s make like jack nuh, hit the road and do Jesus’ bidding, as per the Great Commission. (Matt.28:19-20)
That brings us to our Bit: ‘All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.’
Oh my brethren, that is ever so true! In due course of time, everyone on planet earth will be singing the praises of our wonderful God! Why? Because He is just such a magnificent, magnanimous, omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present, ever-LOVING, ever-caring, ever-faithful, kind, forgiving and compassionate Deity! Wow!
He’s also the Creator of the universe and all therein! And there’s NO OTHER like Him! So why wouldn’t we worship and sing praises to Him eh? Not unless we’re foolish and unwise. And, unfortunately, there are way too many of that type in today’s world. They think that God is a joke, or He just doesn’t exist.
But that’s the furthest thing from the truth my fellow believers, and we know that because God is at work in us, doing all sorts of wonderful things in our lives, as we work for Him down here, spreading the good news of Jesus, while storing up eternal rewards in heaven. Glory Hallelujah!
Listen to how the psalmist continues after our Bit. ‘Come and see the works of God: he is terrible (awesome) in his doing toward the children of men, He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood (river) on foot: there did we rejoice in him. He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.’ (Ps.66:5-7)
Now that last statement is a very serious warning to the unbeliever; they ought not to think too highly of themselves, for with the same speed that they are exalted, the Lord will pull them back down for their false pride and egotistic disregard of His sovereignty. Not aligning oneself with the Creator and Controller of the universe and paying Him great homage is a fool’s wisdom my people.
Hear the psalmist from Psalm 117, the shortest chapter in the Bible. ‘O Praise the Lord, all ye nations (gentiles) praise (glorify) him, all ye people. For his merciful (LOVING) kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.117:1-2)
And the scholars offer up these explanations on the psalm. ‘Psalm 117. This little psalm contains a great message. Though some have denied it an independent existence, attaching it to Psalm 116, Psalm 117 has all three elements of the hymn of praise: a call to praise (v.1), a cause for praise (v.2a, b), and a conclusion, which in this case is a simple praise ye the Lord (v.2c).
The fact that the nations and people (lit. “peoples”) are addressed in verse 1 makes this psalm the only one in the Psalter addressed in its entirety to the Gentile world. Its evangelistic mood was still baffling to some of Paul’s readers. This is one of four passages that Paul quotes from the Old Testament, in Romans 15, to prove that God is interested in saving Gentiles.’
Yeh friends, that’s one of the reasons Almighty God is worthy of much praise; He’s interested in saving EVERYBODY, not just some. Our God doesn’t play favourites, He wants all of His creation to come to Him, and that’s a part of our job. So please let’s get out there today and do it to the best of our ability nuh, obviously with the help of God, through His Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Much LOVE!
…praising our God should be an automatic, joyful and continuous response from believers…not a halfhearted, sometime thing…
22 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, a sound mind, abundance, all to the glory of God, be sober, boldfaced, charity, Christian faith, clear direction for my life, comforting light, comforts, Corinth, courage, creativity, curse, deity, disobedience, divide and conquer, divine protection, do all in the name of Jesus, dominion, drink, eat, faith, family, favour, fear and worry, foolish, friends, fulfillment, Gentiles, giving thanks to god, glory to God, God's grace, God's supernatural wisdom, grudging, grumbling, guidance, health, hospitality, in all things, in the name of Jesus, in word or deed, indisputable truth, individual's choice, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Jews, lackadaisical behaviour, LOVE, lusts of the flesh, manifold grace of God, mature, minister, Most High God, multitude of sins, negative word, obedience, offense, oracles of god, our Lord and Saviour, please all men, power, praise Your Holy Name, profit, promotion, prosper, raise our spirits, reassurance, received the gift, self-control, self-discipline, self-loathing, sinful times, stewards, strong will, success, supernatural strength, talent, Thank You Lord, the church of God, the Good Book, the Holy Trinity, the SON, the Son is always shining brightly, the spirit of fear, Thursday Blessings, two cents worth, uplifts, watch unto prayer, whatsoever ye do, wisdom
Colossians 3:17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Well friends, another apparently beautiful day has dawned in my neighbourhood, and for it we give much thanks! However, if the weather in your area isn’t so wonderful, then please don’t be overly concerned because the Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is ALWAYS shining His brilliant and comforting light on and in us… Glory to God!
That means less fear and worry in our lives as we experience each new day, remembering the reassurance of the Good Book. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7) And that’s indisputable truth my believing brethren!
Now, let’s further raise our spirits and our faith by declaring our Thursday Blessings in a strong voice, filled with enthusiasm and conviction, for remember that a blessing is not a blessing until it is spoken over someone.
All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Ah mih people, what a wonderful Deity we serve and worship! No other faith uplifts and comforts its believers like the Christian faith!
And all God’s children gratefully declared a loud and sincere, ‘Thank You Lord! We truly LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Now to turn those words into reality, we need to follow the wise and most worthy advice of Bruh Paul to the Colossians, found in our Bit. ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’
Yes friends, the only way we can truly show our faithfulness to the Most High God Jehovah is by letting our words and actions reflect the character of Jesus with sincere thankfulness. And Bruh Paul wrote basically the same thing to the church at Corinth.
‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.’ (1 Cor.10:31-33).
Ah mih people, the basic reason behind ALL that we say and do, ought to be to glorify God in some form and fashion! Remember, that’s why He created us. And Peter adds his two cents worth (smile) as he talks about being good stewards of God’s grace.
‘But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling). As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen’ (1 Pet.4:7-11)
Oh how I wish that more of us supposed Christians would follow that sound advice. But as you see, it means giving up our pleasure and profit for others, and that’s still a rather difficult thing for many Christians to do, especially in these very ungodly and sinful times.
And unfortunately the only way for us, and consequently Christ’s church to grow and mature, is by us steadfastly following the advice given above by both apostles. If we keep on allowing the enemy to divide and conquer us, to fill us with fear, self-loathing, or simply uninterested, lackadaisical behaviour, then we’ll always be at their mercy, and Christ’s church will continue to be weighed down with dissension and disunity, as it currently is.
Obviously that’s not pleasing to the Holy Trinity, our Godhead. And if we’re not pleasing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, then we’re not doing what we were created to do – as simple as that. Then we cannot expect to be blessed with all the good things and times that have been placed in store for us.
That, however, doesn’t stop some of the more boldfaced and foolish of us from still expecting heavenly blessings, although they are living in the lusts of the flesh and not in the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit. (smile)
Anyway friends, the long and short of the story is that as true believers we need to make sure that our words and actions glorify God, by falling into line with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. That’s what is known as heavenly wisdom, wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…obedience brings blessings…disobedience brings curses…it’s the individual’s choice…
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