03 Dec 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sound mind, action, animal barn, assurance, birthplace, blackbird has spoken, boast, Cat Stevens, cathedral, Christians, Christmas, confidence in God, do it afraid, elation, fear not, fellowship, followers of Jesus, friendship, gladness in my heart, glory to God, God's recreation, good things, hope, hovel, I awaked, I will not be afraid, in Jesus' name, kill the body, kill the soul, laid me down and slept, lay me down in peace, Lord God Jehovah, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, lowly servant, makes me dwell in safety, manger, mine is the sunlight, morning has broken, power, praise, praise for the singing, redeemed, royal splendour, safety, sanctuary, sinful turmoil, sleep, smitten by fear, spend eternity, springing fresh from the world., stand together, station in life, steadfast, strong, Sunday, sunlit from heaven, surroundings, sweet the rain, sweetness, talk, ten thousands of people, the Lord sustained me, the Lord's Day, the new day, the Sabbath, the spirit of fear, the wet garden, thou Lord, trust in God, unconditional LOVE, what's in our hearts
Psalm 4:8. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
And after Saturday, comes Sunday… the first day of the week; the Lord’s Day, the Sabbath; the time we gather for great fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary, be it a majestic cathedral or a lowly hovel! The physical aspect of the place doesn’t matter that much, just the feeling of friendship and LOVE we bring to it. The Lord is more interested in what’s in our hearts than our surroundings.
Yuh see where He allowed His Son Jesus to be born at the upcoming Christmas time? In a smelly, rundown animal barn. Don’t you think, if He wanted to, or if He thought it that important, Jesus could have been born in a palace, or somewhere much better than the manger. For sure! But Jesus wasn’t coming to earth to live in royal splendor…at least not this first time… but as a lowly servant, so His birthplace did fit His station in life.
Anyway, let’s get to the matter at hand, opening our ceremony with some sacrifice of praise, with the old Cat Stevens tune, ‘Morning has broken.’ In full voice and beautiful harmony now, letting heaven know that we’re serious about our praise and worship. ‘Morning has broken like the first morning Blackbird has spoken like the first bird Praise for the singing Praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the world
Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven Like the first dewfall on the first grass Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden Sprung in completeness where his feet pass Mine is the sunlight Mine is the morning Born of the one light Eden saw play Praise with elation, praise ev’ry morning God’s recreation of the new day Morning has broken like the first morning Blackbird has spoken like the first bird Praise for the singing Praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the world.’
Yes friends, a brand new day has indeed dawned, just like the first one did eons ago, and will continue to do until the Lord decides otherwise! And I do hope that we are thankful for being allowed to see this new day, especially knowing that so many good things can and will happen to us, and through us to others. Glory to God!
What a wonderful Deity we serve and worship! There is NO other like Him! Give Him much deserved thanks and praise for all that He’s done for us, my brethren, especially when He didn’t have to! But the undying and unconditional LOVE in His heart wouldn’t allow Him to just let us be destroyed in sinful turmoil without giving us a chance to be redeemed and spend eternity with Him.
That’s why Bruh David could write the last two verses of Psalm 4 – An evening prayer of trust in God – with such boldness and authority. ‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ (Ps.4:7-8)
Wonderful words of assurance friends, which carry over even in to today’s tumultuous and evil world for each and every believer in Jesus Christ! Yes, if we are true followers of Jesus, then we can make the same boast on His glorious name!
And Bruh David wasn’t shy to declare his trust in God. Listen to him from Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God. ‘I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:5-6)
Ah mih people, are we brave and bold and faithful enough to make such declarations? We ought to be, if Christ is our Lord and Saviour. But I guess too many of us supposed believers are smitten by fear of what the world can do to us, but the Bible tells us oodles of times, ‘FEAR NOT!’ Somebody says it’s listed there 365 times, one time for each day of the year.
And Jesus specifically said to the disciples: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:28) That’s the Lord God Jehovah my people! If we need to fear anyone, that’s whom we should be afraid of because He has the power to destroy us six ways from Sunday.
But then listen to Bruh Paul’s words as he encourages Timothy on the subject. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7) God has given us the ability to do whatever he wills, my brethren, so there is no need to let fear overcome us. And if we do become afraid, then just do whatever it is afraid. (smile) The Lord will see you through.
Oh people of Christ, our world is in a sad, cruel and evil mess, and only we Christians can clean it up. But to do so successfully, we have to stand together strong and steadfast in Jesus name, unafraid of what the world will do or say. Otherwise we’re just wasting our time and energy. So today I implore us to get together in our local communities and get a move on nuh, with establishing Jesus’ LOVE Revolution. It’s the only hope for our world! Much LOVE!
…enough talk now…time for more serious action from Christians…
01 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, abominable sins, above all that we ask, according to the power, Amen, be assured of, be glory in the church, being foolish, bow my knees, by Christ Jesus, by faith, character, cloudy days, comprehend, compromise, confusion, defer not to pay it, disappointment, divinely enabled, drives away the dark clouds, dwell in your hearts, earthly affairs, embrace of jesus, endearing hug, Enormous Rewards, evil, exceeding abundantly, fear, fixed securely on the plough, forgiveness, freedom, friendship, fulfillment, fully developed, glory hallelujah, grant you, grounded, guilt, holy spirit, I love you, in heaven and earth, in love, is able to do, joy, living for Christ, looking straight ahead, no pleasure in fools, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, only begotten Son, passeth knowledge, penance, prayer for inner growth, promises, purpose, riches in glory, rooted, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrificing Jesus, saints, satisfaction, shortchanging themselves, sordidness, strengthened with might, successfully live, sunny smile, thank God, the breath of life, the Christian life, the fullness of God, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Holy One of Israel, the Love of Christ, the whole family, think, throughout all the ages, understand, ungodly world, unto him, virtues of God, vowest a vow, wake up each day, walking obediently with God, Wednesday Wail, worketh in us, world without end
Ephesians 3:20-21. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Cloudy days are here again…But Jesus drives all those dark clouds away when He greets us with His bright and sunny smile, an endearing brotherly hug and a heartfelt ‘I LOVE You!’
Oh friends, there’s no better way to wake up each and every day than in the wonderful embrace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Glory Hallelujah!
And all I can say to those who refuse to have that kind of awakening, is that they are being rather foolish and shortchanging themselves of a most wonderful experience. And in the long run, denying themselves of ‘Enormous Rewards,’ as this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin tells us.
Please pray with me. ‘O dear God Thank You for teaching me The enormous rewards Of walking obediently with You: There is joy without guilt Freedom without fear Satisfaction without sordidness Purpose without confusion Friendship without compromise Forgiveness without penance Fulfillment without disappointment.’
Wow, mih people, Wow! Where else can we find such joy and satisfaction than in walking obediently with the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob eh? NOWHERE ELSE!
And all of that is only possible as Bruh Paul declares in our Bit: ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.’
Yeh friends, it’s ONLY the Holy One of Israel who can do such things! And what Bruh Paul was praying there for, is the same thing that I am praying for us all; prayer for inner growth.
And hear how Bruh Paul puts it. ‘For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in LOVE, May be able to comprehend (understand) with all saints what is the breadth (width), and length, and depth, and height: And to know the LOVE of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph.3:14-19)
Ah mih breddren, what a bold and caring but entirely doable prayer, because our heavenly Father can do all he requests and even more!
Now here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘16-19. In these verses Paul makes three prayer requests for the addressees: (1) That they would be strengthened with might by his Spirit (v.16), that is, that they be divinely enabled to successfully live the Christian life.
(2) That the readers be able to comprehend…the LOVE of Christ, that is, to better understand the enormous LOVE Christ has for them. And (3) that they might be filled with all the fullness of God, that is, that the life, the character, and virtues of God Himself may be fully developed in them.’
Yes faithful friends, followers of Jesus have desperately needed those prayers all down through the ages, and so do we today. And we possibly need them more than some of the other saints because of the dreadfully evil and ungodly world in which we now live.
And just as the believers in earlier ages received the strength and understanding through Christ’s Spirit to handle their earthly affairs, likewise, if we stay faithful and obedient to God, we will be able to handle whatever comes against us, with the help of Holy Spirit that dwells within and walks besides us.
And all God’s people declared a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Thank You heavenly Father for sacrificing Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our abominable sins! We LOVE You, praise and adore Your glorious name, and promise to live for You all our lives! Amen! And again we say Amen!’
Now my fellow saints, remember what Cousin Sol says about promises, especially to God. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.’ (Eccl.5:4)
So since we have vowed to live for Him all our lives, we had better begin doing so right now, so that He doesn’t consider us fools. (smile) And we’ll begin by declaring our Wednesday Wail, which explains our current standing in the obedience to God.
Now with strong voice and sincere heart, let’s joyfully tell the world: ‘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!’
And what a glorious future that will be be my fellow believers! Just keep that in mind as we continue our pilgrim’s journey, and it will certainly strengthen our resolve. Much LOVE!
…only in living for Christ…can mankind be assured of a glorious future…
03 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life, a proviso, all things, ascension, beloved of God, burden light, comforted, country music festival, death, definitions, destructive behaviour, do whatsoever I command you, dr robert h schuller, easy, encouraged, evil, faithful friend, for his friends, forgave, friend of Jesus, friends, friendship, gentle, good news, greater love, heart biopsy, heavy laden, humble, I have heard of my Father, I have told you, intimate friend, Isis, Jesus, Jesus Christ, labour, Las Vegas, learn from me, lifted suffering, loney, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, lowly, Mandalay Bay Hotel, meek, obedient to His will, prayer, rejoiced, renewed, rest, resurrection, servants, share His love, sharing trusting, sinking, sinning, striving, struggling, succeeding, take my yoke, the great invitation, the Vegas Strip, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly world, What a Friend
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Oh friends, what a sick, crazy, evil and ungodly world we’ve become eh! Everyday is some new disaster, either man-made or natural!
And the latest is the killing of some 59 persons in the glitzy tourist town of Las Vegas, and the injuring of hundreds more participating in a country music festival across from the Mandalay Bay Hotel on the Vegas Strip.
The killer, a supposed quiet, retired, ex-accountant apparently had numerous weapons in his room on the 32nd floor of the hotel and just began firing indiscriminately through the window at the crowd. Obviously the crowd of over 20 thousand stampeded, which only made matters worse.
And the sad part of the matter is that Isis, the Islamic State terrorists, boldly claimed responsibility for the attack, although no association or any other grounds for the claim could be justified. That just goes to show how sick our society really is, when we claim other people’s destructive behaviour as ours, without a shred of evidence.
But enough of the bad news, here is some good news; good news about a wonderful friend we have, His name is Jesus. This comes from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. We’ve prayed it before, but we need to be reminded of it again, especially in these rough and anxious times.
It’s titled ‘What a Friend!’ Please pray with me. ‘You have never failed, Lord, to be my one, essential, intimate friend. When I was: Lonely in striving – you encouraged me. Lonely in struggling – you lifted me. Lonely in serving – you supported me. Lonely in suffering – you comforted me. Lonely in sinning – you forgave me. Lonely in sinking – you renewed me. Lonely in succeeding – you rejoiced with me. What a friend I have in Jesus! Thank you, Lord. Amen.’
And those words are ever so true my fellow believers! There is no greater and more faithful friend in this world that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Wow! What a majestic and mighty individual He is! He died for us, paid our sin debt in full, when He didn’t have to. That alone makes Him the greatest friend ever!
And as he philosophized in our Bit: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ Then my brethren, He went out and proved it, enduring some of the worse ‘sufferation’ known to man, all on our behalf. So how can He not be our greatest and best friend eh?
However, there is a proviso, as He stated after our Bit. ‘Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:14) Yeh mih people, if we don’t do what Jesus desires, if we’re not obedient to His will, then we’re no friends of His. To be His friend, means to do what He requires of us. As simple as that.
And hear this verse following those other two. ‘Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.’ (John 15:15)
And right there you have a couple of the main definitions of the word friend; sharing and trusting. Jesus so trusted His disciples, that He shared all the information that His Father had told Him. Consequently, He’s also sharing that info with us today, my fellow believers.
He’s telling us all about the life God has planned for each and every one of us through His death, resurrection and ascension. Right now he’s sitting at the Father’s right hand, advocating, pleading our cases to Him. How much more friendship can we need or deserve eh?
But Jesus is so wonderful, that He doles out even more, through His Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek (gentle) and lowly (humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Ah mih people, what a glorious invitation! That from a sinless man who died so that we could live eternally, then sits in heaven pleading for us. Hn! We’d be rather foolish not to accept His friendship and His invitation to join Him in the magnificent and joyful halls of heaven!
And to round it off in fine style, let’s end by declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are – believers in, and friends of Jesus.
With much gusto and sincerity now. ‘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!’
Now let’s go out and tell the good news story of Jesus and share His LOVE with the world, as He desires of us. Much LOVE!
…oh how wonderful it is…to have Jesus as our best friend…there’s none more faithful…trustworthy…kind and LOVING than Him…
P.S. Please pray for the ole fella this morning as he goes into the city to do a heart biopsy procedure. It’s a fairly safe and common procedure, but a li’l prayer never hurts and oftimes helps. (smile) Much LOVE!
23 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good man, a righteous man, abhor sin, angry, battle the enemy, Beelzebub, believers, brotherly, Christ died for us, Christians, clear consciences, complacent, corrupt, crime riddled, cutthroat, discouraging things, egotistic, enamoured, encourage, erotic, eternal life, evil world, expectant faith, faithful, false emotion, fighting, fighting the good fight, for God so loved the world, friendship, galvanize, gladness, God's Word, Hades, haranguing, hate-filled, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, heaven, horrendous death, hungry hope, in due time, ingrates, just, justification, justified by hs blood, kindness, LOVE, loyalty, mano a mano, messenger, negative connotations, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, perish, plausible solution, positive things, power in the Word, problems, reality, resentful, reverential fear, revolutionary, righteous, Romans, sacrifice, salvation, saved, selfish, serious action, shallow, sin, stand up strong, substitutionary, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the bondage of sin, the drop of a hat, the heathen, the Holy Trinity, the LOVE of Jesus christ, the most lethal weapon, the things of God, the things of the world, the ungodly, the wisest thing, Thursday Blessings, trust, ungrateful sinners, warmongering, warnings, withouth strength, wrath, yet sinners
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Well a bright and blessed Thursday morning to you my Scrip-Bit friends, family and neighbours!
And I do hope that the day finds you filled with ‘expectant faith and hungry hope’ in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for that is the wisest thing any of us can do in this crazy and evil world.
Every day we hear and see more discouraging things and events in our hate-filled, angry, resentful, corrupt and crime riddled societies. Steups! Almost everything these days has negative connotations!
Whatever happened to the positive things like LOVE, friendship, kindness, loyalty and trust eh? We spout a whole lot about LOVE, but it’s not the real thing, just a selfish, egotistic, shallow and oftimes false emotion.
And the supposed LOVE that exits today can change at the drop of a hat, if the person who claims to be expressing it doesn’t get their way, whether it be the erotic or brotherly kind. And the sad part of that situation is that it’s getting worse and not better.
What’s it going to take to change it eh friends, so that our children’s children don’t have to live in this warmongering, cutthroat society?
Only one thing; the LOVE of Jesus Christ as exhibited by us Christians!
If we don’t stand up strong and faithful and battle the enemy with the most lethal weapon in the universe – LOVE- then we’ll be wasting the tremendous sacrifice that our heavenly father and His sinless Son made on our behalf.
Yuh think the Lord really wanted to send His Son to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners? Or that Jesus wanted to give up His life by going through such a horrendous death?
No way Jose! But they LOVED us so much and that was the only plausible solution, if the Father was to remain righteous and just and abhor sin!
Just listen to our Bit nuh: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
Now that might not strike the heathen as being revolutionary, but it ought to strike reverential fear and gladness into EVERY ONE who claims to be a Christian, right down in their very hearts and souls!
Why? Because that’s the only reason we have the option to bypass Hades and Beelzebub and look forward to salvation, heaven and eternal life with the Holy Trinity!
Now how could that not move us eh, if we are true believers? That ought to galvanize us into serious action; into standing strong and fighting mano-a- mano against the enemies of LOVE!
But sadly, too many of us so-called believers have become complacent and enamoured of the things of the world, to the detriment of the things of God.
Ah friends, I’m just the messenger, and all I can do is to point out what I see as the problems and try and encourage us to do better. Every one of us will have to answer to the Lord at some stage of the game, so please take these warnings seriously and let’s put aside whatever is keeping us back from fighting the good fight for Jesus.
Now enough of my haranguing, (smile) let me tell you what God’s Word says. Hear Bruh Paul to the Romans, as he talks about the results of justification.
‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth (demonstrates) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having being) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.’ (Rom.5:6-9)
What more can I say to get us sincerely stirred up eh mih breddren? I really don’t know. If that doesn’t stir us up, then we’re just a bunch of ungodly ingrates.
Anyway, listen to what the scholars have to say about this verse. ‘5:8. Christ died for us: His death was vicarious. That is, He did not die merely for our benefit but in our place. His was a substitutionary sacrifice.’
Yes friends, Jesus died so that we didn’t have to die, so that we could be set free from the bondage of sin through His death!
Hope that makes a big enough impact on us, disturbs our consciences sufficiently to wake us up to reality. And if it does, then we can go home with clear consciences declaring our Thursday Blessings. And remember, a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone.
There is power in the Word my brethren, so let’s declare it now in perfect harmony: ‘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!’
Yes my beautiful and precious people of God, let’s take all those blessings now and go out and share them with others, as our Lord and Saviour Christ desires. Much LOVE!
…only real LOVE…will ever stop the world from going in its current zig-zag direction…
22 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool, a nuisance, a pronouncement of victory, all things I have commanded you, almighty god, ambassadors, authority, backsliders, baptizing them, Christ's Church, christianity, Controller of the universe, converting, converting influence, converts, Creator, disappointed men, disciple, discipleship, eight hours sleep, eternal life, evangelizing, ever-faithful, faith, friendship, getting old, glory hallelujah, go ye, gospel, grand finale, help, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I am with you always, I can trust my friend Jesus, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, in the name of, Jesus Christ, lack of interest, Living Lord, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loved unconditionally, martyred leader, power, proclaim His gospel, promise of salvation, promises, proselytizing, resentment, resistance, reverential devotion, salvation, selflessly, share His love with the world, sinless life, sins, something else, teach all nations, teaching them to observe, thanks, the church, the end of the world, the evil influence, the Father, the Great Commission, the Holy Ghost, the prince of darkness, the risen Saviour, the SON, the vehicle of Christ's mission, things of God, things of the world, to pay for our sins, triumphant, trust, Tuesday Mantra, victory, walking to the beat of the world, worry
Matthew 28:19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Ah friends, I don’t know who decided that we need eight hours of sleep per night nuh, but it obviously does not apply to me. Why am I saying that? Because last night, after a busy day, I decided to go to bed fairly early, around 11 p.m and get a good night’s rest.
But lo and behold, when I got up at 6 this morning, my ole back was a mess. I was stepping around gingerly, like an old man. (smile) I had to go and find my back brace and put it on, something I have not done in ages.
The sad part is that I know I can’t lie in bed for such long periods, but it never reverberated in my brain, (smile) until I got up. This getting old is something else yes!
But yuh know what? If that is my biggest problem for today, then I’m certainly giving much thanks, since it’s something I can handle. Anyway, let’s get the day started with our Tuesday Mantra, to renew our faith and trust.
As one now: ‘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, we have it all! Glory Hallelujah! We are LOVED unconditionally by Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of the universe, and we have a most wonderful friendship with His Son, Jesus Christ, who selflessly laid down His sinless life to pay for our abominable sins.
Wow! It couldn’t get any better than that nuh mih people! And all we have to do is to share His LOVE with the rest of the world; tell them about His wonderful gospel, the faithful promise of salvation and eternal life, if they make Him their Lord and Saviour too.
But unfortunately, that isn’t as easy to do as it sounds, because we get a lot of resistance, resentment and lack of interest from the masses, who, under the evil influence of the prince of darkness, are more into the flimsy, worthless things of the world, rather than the everlasting things of God.
That doesn’t mean we have to stop trying. In fact it ought to make us try harder, as we follow Jesus’ directive in our Bit, what is known as the Great Commission. ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’
Ah mih people, proselytizing, evangelizing, converting and baptizing are to be our earthly tasks. And we need to take them seriously, though not to the point that we make a nuisance or a fool of ourselves.
And here is a very important scripture that directly relates to Jesus’ directive. Before our Bit Jesus said to His disciples: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.’ (Matt.28:18) That means Christ indeed had the authority to give the order that He then gave.
Now our Bit was only the first part of the Great Commission, hear the rest of it. ‘Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always(s), even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:20)
Yuh see my fellow believers, even when Jesus gives us a task to do, He doesn’t leave us all alone to do it. He promises to be always with us, and we all know that He is ever faithful to keep His promises.
So why aren’t we doing better than we are eh? Why are people leaving the church in droves and walking to the beat of the world eh? I don’t know. What I do know is that we’re not doing such a bang up job for Jesus, and we definitely need to come up higher.
Now listen to some interesting info from the scholars on the subject. ’28:18-20. The Great Commission brings the first Gospel to its grand finale. Christianity is not represented here as the mere reverential devotion of disappointed men who honour their martyred leader.
Here is a far different scene. The triumphant, living Lord sends forth His ambassadors to proclaim His gospel throughout all the world. The Great Commission is not just an order but a pronouncement of victory (mundus regium Christi) by the risen Saviour through His disciples.
All power or authority (Gr. exousia) is now in the hands of Christ, in heaven and on the earth. On the basis of that authority and power the Christian disciple is to carry out the Great Commission of the church.
Go ye, though a participle, conveys the force of a command: “Go.” In other words the idea expressed is that you must go and make disciples. Teach all nations can be translated “disciple all nations.” Thus the converting influence of the gospel is indicated here.
The “all nations” clearly indicates that the commission to the church is a worldwide one, encompassing the entire missionary effort. The church is not to be merely “missionary-minded.” The church is the vehicle of Christ’s mission to the world.’
Ah friends, the scholars really give it to us there! From what they say, Christ’s church is not doing as well or as much as it should, else we’d be having more converts than backsliders.
Anyhow, the church, though one body, is made up of many individuals, and it all begins with each of us. So today, please let’s take a serious look at how the Great Commission is being enacted in our own lives; if we are doing our best to enforce it.
And as always, whatever answer we come up with, let’s turn to our heavenly Father and ask Him to help us do better, because we can always do better. And He never refuses a sincere plea for help. Much LOVE!
…discipleship means living our lives as Christ’s ambassador…and a worthy one at that…
30 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a desert island, a leader, adversity, all loves excelling, allies, alone, Alpha and Omega, Amalekites, chains of sin, character, Charles Wesley, circumstances, dancing, faith, faithful mercies crown, forked tongues, freedom, friendship, from glory to glory, generosity, God's promises, godliness, gratitude, groaning, he encouraged himself in the Lord, human help, inquired at the Lord, integrity, joy of heaven, joyous hymn, Judah, liberty, lost in wonder, LOVE, love divine, loyalty, moaning, never giving up, new creation, Philistines, praise and worship, pressures of life, raise our voices, seek God's strength, sharing, singing, spoil, spotless, the things of Jesus, things of the world, true surrender, trust, wallow in the mire, wisdom, wise guidance
1 Samuel 30:6b. …but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Okay friends, this Sunday morning let’s begin our praise and worship with this joyous hymn, penned by Charles Wesley. It’s one we all know and treasure, so let’s raise our voices to the heavens in harmony and true surrender, believing what we sing.
All together now: ‘LOVE divine, all LOVES excelling, Joy of heaven to earth come down; Fix in us thy humble dwelling; All thy faithful mercies crown! Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure unbounded LOVE Thou art; Visit us with Thy salvation; Enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe Thy LOVING Spirit, Into every troubled breast! Let us all in Thee inherit; Let us find that second rest. Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be; End of faith, as its Beginning, Set our hearts at liberty. Come, Almighty to deliver, Let us all Thy life receive; Suddenly return and never, Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing, Serve Thee as Thy hosts above, Pray and praise Thee without ceasing, Glory in Thy perfect love. Finish, then, Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be. Let us see Thy great salvation Perfectly restored in Thee; Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, LOVE and praise.’
Ah mih people, what a beautiful hymn! And it resonates with so many practical aspects of our faith, of our everyday lives. For instance it talks about, ‘take away our bent for sinning.’ Now I can’t think of a better desire than that! Then we sang ‘set our hearts at liberty.’ Oh how good that would be – freedom from the restrictive chains of sin!
And then we’d truly be a ‘new creation… changed from glory to glory…lost in’ the awesome wonder that’s Jesus, as we serenade and praise Him with true LOVE!
Oh friends, I guess that’s what you’d call the perfect Christian. Unfortunately though, too many of us don’t even come close to being perfect. For one thing we still speak with forked tongues, and still desire to wallow in the mire of the things of the world, instead of the things of Jesus.
Remember, we’re just supposed to be in the world, but not a part of it. And that can sometimes get difficult and confusing, but please remember too that our lives are in the best hands that exist – Almighty God’s. And nothing is too hard or too difficult for Him to do on our behalf.
So when the pressures of life get to us, we feel all alone on a desert island and no human help seems to be forthcoming, it’s Jesus we need to turn to. We need to do as our Bit says: ‘…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’
Yes friends, when Bruh David’s people wanted to stone him because their families had been taken captive and their city burnt, he had no alternative but to encourage himself in the Lord, to let his faith rise up and seek God’s strength and wisdom.
The Good Book tells us: ‘And David inquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.’ (1 Sam.30:8) And so said, so was it done!
Bruh David pursued the marauding Amalekites with his six hundred men, but along the way, at the brook Besor, he left two hundred behind who were too weak and faint to go on. And as the Lord would have it, they found a young Egyptian slave whom the enemy had left behind because he was sick, and after feeding and reviving him and promising not to slay him, he led them to the Amalekites camp.
‘And when he (the slave) had brought him (David) down, behold they (the Amalekites) were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels and fled. And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.’ (1 Sam.30:16-18)
Yuh see friends what is possible when we totally surrender our lives to the Lord and place our complete trust in Him. If Bruh David had just sat around moaning and groaning like the rest of his men, they might probably have ended up stoning him. But instead, ‘he encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’ And why wouldn’t he eh? He’d be rather foolish not to, after all the wonders and miracles that the Lord had previously done in his life?
Now that’s where a lot of us fall down my people. When times get real rough, we tend to forget God’s promises and all that He’s already done for us. But that’s the time when we need to remember His many blessings and mercies, so that our faith can be lifted, our trust in Him strengthened, and our circumstances turned around through His wise guidance.
And I want to close with this example of Bruh David’s godliness and generosity. After they defeated the Amalekites and returned with all the spoil, the selfish ones who had fought declared that the two hundred, who had remained at the brook of Besor, should only get back their families and none of the spoil.
But Bruh David overruled them. ‘Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.’(1 Sam.30:23) Then he made it a law from henceforth that all should share in the spoils of war. He also sent some of the spoil back to the people of Judah who had suffered at the hands of the Amalekites.
And the scholars offer an interesting take on Bruh David’s doings there. ’30:26-31. David’s sharing of the spoils of the victory over the Amalekites not only assured them of his gratitude for their friendship and help during his days of flight from the presence of Saul, but would convince his allies of his loyalty, despite the time spent with Achish (the Philistine king). Moreover, it would prepare their hearts for his soon-coming kingship.’
Ah friends, that’s what Christianity is all about; integrity, character and sharing the spoils God has blessed you with, especially if you’re a leader! Much LOVE!
…true faith means…never giving up…even under the greatest adversity…because our God is always there to help us…
09 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a vision of the Lord, attest to the truth, contrite spirit, doctrine, doubts, dwell in men, embedded, entrenched in our souls, faith, first priority, follow me, footstool, forget thyself, frial, friendship, future hope, glory hallelujah, God has a plan, God is in control, God's generous help, guidance, having faith, He is my friend, He is my guide, heavenly blessings, his eyelids try, his eyes behold, holy help, hoping, hurry, I will abide, immensity of God, in eternity, in the face of, in the heaven, indwelling of the holy spirit, journey into the beyond, journeying within, kindness, lost, loving kindness, Luciano, magnanimity, mapped out for the universe, my neck of the woods, my soul will be secure, New Testament, no need for a temple, poor, Praise the Lord, praying, proviso, rain, ruling the roost, security, share His love, sincerity, something was not right, soothe our souls, take up your cross, the beloeved of god, the children of men, the Creator of All, the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and jacob, the Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne, the place of my rest, the righteous, the threat of the wicked, the wisest of the wise, thirsty ground, thistles, thorns, throne, to carry me on, trust, trust my friend Jesus, truth, trying to find myself, Tuesday Mantra, under His wings of love, weak, worry
Psalm 11:4. The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try (test), the children of men.
Well friends, another bright, sunshiny, hot day has blossomed in my neck of the woods! Glory Be!
But the truth of the matter is that we do need some rain, haven’t seen any in ages. We were promised some over the weekend, but nary a drop of heavenly blessings has fallen on the dry, thirsty ground.
Meanwhile, I understand that T&T is been flooded with heavenly water! Hn! But what to do eh?
Nothing but keep on hoping and praying and having faith that our great God who is in control and has a plan mapped out for the universe, knows what He is doing. He is the wisest of the wise, so it’s only reasonable to assume that He has the situation well in hand.
Now listen to some inspirational words from a song by the Jamaican Reggae singer Luciano. I’ve always liked it, but I heard it yesterday and was guided to share it.
‘I took a little trip, trying to find myself, journeying within my soul. It took a little time then to realize that something was not right. How many years are filled without? Guess I supplanted all my doubts. There was no one, no one for me. No one but His holy help for me.
(Chorus) And I know that, as long as He is my friend, my soul will be secure until the end. And I know that, as long as He is my guide, under His wings of LOVE I will abide.
My life was filled with thistles and thorns, from the day that I was born. With only my faith to carry me on, through the wind and the storm. He said if you will follow me, take up thy cross and come, forget thyself. Let’s journey into the beyond.
And I know that, as long as He is my friend, my soul will be secure until the very end. And I know that, as long as He is my guide, under His wings of LOVE, I will survive.’
Oh friends, many of us can attest to the truth of that situation! We were lost, then went looking for something or someone to soothe our souls.
And glory hallelujah, we found the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in all His LOVING-kindness, who encouraged us to take up our cross and follow Him into the great beyond.
However, one proviso was necessary to do that properly; forget our selves and concentrate on Him, make Him our first priority in this life. And for all of us who accepted that invitation, we’ve been sure and secure in His friendship and guidance ever since!
And all God’s people declared a loud, proud, and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord for His unfailing kindness to the children of men!’
Now let’s back up and strengthen all we’ve said so far by declaring our Tuesday Mantra with heartfelt sincerity and overwhelming truth.
As one now: ‘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!’
Beautiful, my people, beautiful! Now let’s make sure all of that is firmly embedded and entrenched in our souls, because that’s who we are, not what the world says about us!
And all God’s children declared a loud and confident, ‘Sing Hallelujah to the Lord of all power and glory! For He is mighty within the universe!’
And to corroborate our contentions, let’s turn to our Bit, words of Bruh David from Psalm 11 – In the Lord I put my trust. ‘The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try (test), the children of men.’
Oh yes my brethren, the Father, the Creator of ALL, sits on His heavenly throne watching and testing us! There’s no way for us to escape His holy attention, to run and hide from His all-pervasive sight.
So what should we do eh? Like Luciano says in his song: forget ourselves, take up our cross and follow the Lord God Almighty into the great beyond!
It sounds simple, but it’s not easy. It’s not for the weak and frail. But with God’s ever-generous help, even the weak and frail can accomplish it. That just shows the magnanimity of the great God we serve and worship!
And the scholars comment thus on the matter. ‘Psalm 11. A vision of the Lord on His throne (v.4) is all the righteous need for security in the face of the threat of the wicked (v.2).’
Yeh friends, if we picture our great and wonderful God sitting on His heavenly throne, ruling the roost, we ought to feel safe and secure in our souls. Now let’s look at some scripture that detail God’s place in the heaven. Hear Isaiah, as he talks about Zion’s future hope.
‘Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been (exist), saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.’ (Is.66:1-2)
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation. ‘11:1-16. Isaiah’s final prophecy begins with the assertion, Thus saith the Lord. The passage points to the magnitude and immensity of God, who is greater than the heavens. Thus heaven is His throne and earth His footstool. He is not limited to any house (temple) made by man.
The apostle John tells us that in eternity there is no need for a temple, “for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (Rev.21:22).
God’s desire is to dwell in men and women who are of a poor and…contrite spirit. Thus Isaiah foresees the New Testament doctrine of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the temple of man’s body (1 Cor.6:19)
Enough for now friends. Let’s ponder it all, as we walk with Jesus today and share his LOVE with the world, as he desires of us. Much LOVE!
…the LOVE of God…makes the world go round…
01 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to the power that worketh in us, benefits, Christ may dwell in your hearts, compromise, confusion, Creator, Daylight Savings Time, depression, disappointment, do not lose heart, drawbacks, edification, Enormous Rewards, Ephesians, fear, filled with all the fullness of God, forgiveness, freedom, friendship, fulfillment, glory to God, God the Good, godless world, guilt, Halloween, holy spirit, I bow my knees, inner growth, joy, lead and guide us, live the Christian life, lose an hour's sleep, One Year Book of Bible promises, penance, provider, purpose, rewards, rooted and grounded in love, Ruth Harms Calkin, saints, satisfaction, sordidness, spiritual life, strengthened with might, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the inner man, the moneyed class, the riches of his glory, the serfs, the whole family is named, to do all that we ask or think, to know the Love of Christ, tribulations, unto him that is able, walking obediently with Christ, ye faint not
Ephesians 3:20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Well Friends, it’s Sunday the 1st of November! That means Halloween is over, October is done and Daylight Savings Time is also over. Now on that last one, the benefits or drawbacks are still being argued over.
What we do know is that some people lose an hour’s sleep while others gain an hour, and now some people will be going to work in the dark and also coming home in the dark.
No wonder there is so much depression and its cohorts come the winter time where people don’t see the sun enough. But that’s the decision of the ruling, the moneyed class, so we poor serfs just have to grin and bear it. (smile) But I’m here to tell us my fellow believers that all of that doesn’t truly matter once we are walking obediently with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And having read this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises yesterday, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, it struck such a powerful chord in my thinking, that I just had to share it. It’s titled ‘Enormous Rewards.’
And it says: ‘O dear God Thank You for teaching me The enormous rewards Of walking obediently with You. There is joy without guilt Freedom without fear Satisfaction without sordidness Purpose without confusion Friendship without compromise Forgiveness without penance Fulfillment without disappointment.’
Yes my brethren, that is indeed the description of what a true believer enjoys when He walks in close relationship with Almighty God, his Creator and Provider! And consequently, he does not have to worry about all the nonsense that is happening in our wicked, godless world. Oh glory to God!
How wonderful it is to be able to ignore so much of the world’s foolishness because of a strong faith and eternal trust in Jesus! There is no need to worry, hurry or fear anything, because our Saviour has faithfully promised that He will be always with us through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, which will lead and guide us successfully through this hellish world.
And our Bit today comes from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.’
But before we delve into it, I think it’s best that we know what comes before, so we can better understand the context of what he’s talking about. But that puts me in a bit of a quandary, because almost every verse has some useful information from the scholars, and I’m not sure whether I should do the explanation after each verse, or lump them all together. I’m not sure which method will bring easier and greater understanding. But let’s mosey along (smile) and see where the Holy Spirit leads us.
Now in this section of his letter, Bruh Paul is offering a prayer for the inner growth of the Ephesians. And he tells them: ‘Wherefore I desire (ask) that ye faint not (not lose heart) at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.’ (Eph.3:13-15)
And the scholars offer these explanations on those verses. ‘3:13. Which is your glory: God will use Paul’s tribulations and sufferings in the ministry to spiritually benefit his recipients. Such edification will then bring about glory on their part in that they praise and honour God.’
‘3:14. For this cause: This expression resumes the apostle’s prayer begun in verse 1 but delayed by the discussion of verses 2-13.’
‘3:15. Is named means “is derived.” The whole Christian family, including those saints now departed and in heaven, and those saints still living on earth – all of them “derive” their spiritual life from God.’
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in LOVE, May be able to comprehend (understand) with all the saints what is the breadth (width), and length , and depth, and height; And to know the LOVE of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph.3:16-9)
And yuh know what my people? That prayer is still completely viable to our situation today, for we are suffering the same doubt, frustration and lack of confidence that the Ephesians suffered back then, and we need desperately to grow in Christ if we intend to make a positive and meaningful difference in this strife filled world.
And the scholars’ offer these explanations. ‘3:16-19. In these verses Paul makes three prayer requests for the addressees: (1) That they would be strengthened with might by his Spirit (v.16), that is, that they be divinely enabled to successfully live the Christian life.
(2) That the readers be able to comprehend …the LOVE of Christ, that is, to better understand the enormous LOVE Christ has for them. And (3) that they might be filled with all the fullness of God, that is, that the life, character, and virtues of God Himself may be fully developed in them.’
And finally, we’ll turn to the scholars’ explanation of our Bit. ‘3:20. In making the three above petitions (vv.16-19), Paul has not asked for too much. For he prays unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that he can ask or think.’
And that’s it in a nutshell my people! Our God is so great, so powerful, so omnipotent, that He can do way way more than our finite minds can even begin to think, imagine, ask for, or comprehend. That’s why He is GOD! And I do hope that the way I structured the verses and explanations enabled you to better understand the Word.
Now remember today is Sunday and we need to go to the sanctuary and fellowship with other believers; to sing, pray, give thanks and glorify our heavenly Father and receive His strength, confidence, mercy, compassion and forgiveness, so that we can truly live the Christian life. Much LOVE!
…there is only ONE Power…and ONE Presence here…God the Good…God the Omnipotent…
20 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a holy and righteous God, a just God, a pattern of success, a prayer for God's help, a sinful creation, act of compassion, all the ends of the earth, almighty god, amazing, ancient time, anointed one, ascension of Jesus, atonement for our sins, awesome, awesome Deity, be obedient to god's will, be ye saved, benevolence, benevolent parent, blessed, Bruh David, communication with God, compassion, empowering Spirit, enabling, encouraging, fall from heavenly grace, Father, fatherly status, fellowship, finite minds, friend, friendship, generous, generously bestowed, god, God broke His own heart, grace, heartfelt prayer, heavenly Father, humble, I am God, in Jesus' name, inheritance, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, kind, living truth, LOVE, loving, man's history, mercy, Messiah, none but Almighty God, obedience, our Lord and Saviour, peace, prayer, precious blood of Jesus christ, promise, raise our heads to heaven, reconciliation, relationship, reproach, resurrection, sacrifice, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, Selah, shepherd, shout of thanks and praise, sinned, sinned and fallen short of God's glory, Spirit of God, take counsel together, thank you, thankful, thanks and praise, thanks in our hearts, the apple of His eye, the Lord is their strength, the saving strength, there is no God else beside me, thy blessing is upon thy people, truth, Tuesday, turn to me, unconditional LOVE, understanding, uplifting, walk the straight and narrow path, we serve and worship, wisdom, words of thanks
Psalm 3:8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Oh Friends, welcome to another one of Jehovah God’s beautiful days – this one called Tuesday!
And would you believe that he made it specially for us; that we could rejoice and be glad in it, while being obedient to His will and having brilliant communication with Him, as a Friend, a Father and our God?
Wow! What an awesome Deity we serve and worship my people!
And that’s not even the whole story; for when we had foolishly sinned, when our forefathers had fallen short of God’s glory, and thus instigated His reproach and our fall from heavenly grace, He did not reject us, but instead, through the wonderful and unconditional LOVE that He bears for us, His most brilliant and amazing creation, He sacrificed His only son, Jesus Christ, so that we could be once again welcomed into Friendship, Fellowship and Fatherly status with Him!
Oh Friends, Almighty God LOVED us so much that he broke His own heart so that reconciliation could be achieved between a sinful creation and a holy and righteous God!
Mama Mia! How truly awesome, amazing, LOVING, generous and kind is our heavenly Father!
And yet so many of us still doubt that He even exists, and that He does indeed LOVE and desire constant and consistent communication with us.
Chuh! If sacrificing the apple of His eye, His Son Jesus Christ doesn’t prove His all encompassing LOVE for us, His ungrateful and sinful children, then I don’t know what else will, for it is the greatest act of compassion, of mercy, and of grace that has ever been made in man’s history!
So my fellow believers and followers of Jesus Christ, let’s raise our heads, hands, hearts and eyes to heaven this chilly Tuesday morning and gratefully utter a few words of thanks to Almighty God.
Please pray with me: ‘Oh heavenly father, You are such an amazing and benevolent parent, that there are no words to truly describe Your LOVING- kindness to us. Our vocabulary is so small and narrow that the most our finite minds can come up with is Thank You! Thank You for being so wonderful to us, although we don’t truly deserve Your grace, mercy and forgiveness.
And above all, we most heartily thank You for sending Jesus to earth to be the atonement for our sins! That alone shows the great compassion and LOVE that You have for us!
And today, we ask that through Your enabling and empowering Spirit, You lead and guide us safely, enable us to do Your Holy Will, to live out the plan You have for our lives, so that we can maintain the wonderful relationship we have forged with You over time.
Please give us Your peace, wisdom and understanding so that we may not stray, but walk the straight and narrow path that leads directly to You. This we pray in the name of Your precious Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!’
Oh my brethren, I sincerely tried to keep it to a few words, but I just couldn’t cut it any shorter. (smile) And though the length of our prayers isn’t the important thing, sometimes we just have to let what truly is in our hearts just flow out until it comes to its own natural end. That’s what happened with me there just now.
And would you believe that the Spirit of God working in me, is now saying that our God is so great and wonderful that we ought to give Him another glorious shout of thanks and praise! So why don’t we eh? (smile)
‘Yes Lord, Your people are so blessed, so thankful for Your blessings and Your benevolence, that we just want to exclaim another big and loud, ‘THANK YOU! Thank You for all that You’ve done, are currently doing, and has promised to do in our lives!
We give You enormous praise, and promise to be as obedient to Your Will as we humanly can. We pledge this on the precious blood of our dear Jesus, who was sacrificed on Calvary’s cross for our misdemeanors, and because of that, we’re now back in Your fold again, made a new creation through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
We LOVE You Father, and will praise and glorify Your Holy Name as we lead our earthly lives today, and every day! Please accept our humble, heartfelt prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Oh mih people, I’m chuckling here, as it seems the Holy Spirit has just led us to a day of prayer. And it’s all consistent with the words of Bruh David proclaimed in our Bit. ‘Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’
Those are words of absolute truth Friends! Salvation is indeed of and from the Lord, His free gift of grace, and His many blessings are so generously bestowed upon His people.
And a mighty torrent of thanks and praise rose up from His grateful children. “Oh thank You, thank You Father! That’s the best that we can say, but You can read the true level of thanks in our hearts!’
Now let’s look at a couple of scripture passages that attest to the truth of our Bit and all that we’ve said today. Listen to Bruh David state the awesome and living truth again from Psalm 28 – A prayer for God’s help.
‘The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed (Messiah, commissioned One). Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed (shepherd) them also, and lift them up for ever.’ (Ps.28:8-9)
No one else can do those things my brethren! None but Almighty God!
And we’ll close with God’s own words on the subject, spoken through His prophet Isaiah. ‘Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together; who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto (turn to) me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.’ (Is.45:21-22)
Oh my brethren, I implore us to take those words of absolute truth and write them indelibly in our hearts, souls and minds, so that we can use them to our benefit in these truly trying last days! That’s the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…the unconditional LOVE…the mercy…the grace…the forgiveness…and the blessings of God…are now flowing through me…in a wonderful pattern of success…
P.S. Friends, it’s late, but it’s wonderful; uplifting and encouraging! (smile) Hope it touches you as much as it touched me in writing it. Much LOVE!
21 Dec 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of destruction, a sharp sword, almighty god, blessings, Christmas, Christmas-like spirit, face the music, faithfulness, fellowship, first day of winter, friendship, go to church, goodness, healing, helmet of salvation, invincible, joints and marrow, joy, like a hammer, like a twoedged sword, LOVE, my word is like a fire, naked before the Word, positive actions, praise, praise the Lord for His goodness, rejoice and be glad, Sabbath morning, sing songs of joy, slay the wicked, soul and spirit, speaking into existence, sword of the Spirit, thanks, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the breath of his lips, the diverse uses of the Word, the Lord created the world through His Word, the promise of God, the rod of his mouth, the windows of heaven, the Word of God is quick, wisdom, worship Almighty God
Hebrews 4:12. For the Word of God is quick (living, alive), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.
Oh my people, welcome to the first official day of winter! Yes Friends, despite all the snow and cold we’ve had for over a month now, this Sunday, four days before Christmas, is officially the first day of winter. Go think on that nuh. (smile)
But we’re not going to allow a little thing like winter to trouble us when we have such a momentous occasion to celebrate; the Birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Obviously not!
So let’s rejoice and be glad this beautiful Sabbath morning, while gathering in the Lord’s sanctuary with other believers, to sing songs of joy and praise and give thanks for baby Jesus, for tis the season of Christmas. The season when we share LOVE, fellowship and friendship like no other.
Oh how beautiful a world we would have, if we could only keep a Christmas-like spirit all year round! It might seem like wishful thinking, but remember that all things are possible when Jesus is involved.
Anyway, in all of the Christmas excitement, please don’t forget to go to church as often as possible during the celebrations, for that is an integral part of the whole scenario. And there is definitely nothing to match believers getting together to praise and worship Almighty God!
That’s when the windows of heaven are truly opened and blessings abundantly rained down on us. Our God is so touched by our devotion that He can’t help but bless us abundantly, according to the promise of His Word.
Now let’s turn to out Bit, which describes the importance and power of God’s Word. ‘For the Word of God is quick (living, alive), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’
Yes my brethren, the Word of our great God is all those things; alive and kicking, powerful, sharp enough to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and also discern all our thoughts and intentions.
So like the scholars’ explained yesterday, we are to all intents and purposes naked before the Word. We can’t run nor hide from it, which means we have to stand up and face the music, come what may. (smile)
And today we’ll look at some scriptures that highlight the power and diverse uses of God’s Word. And there’s no better place to start than right at the beginning, where God created the world with His Word.
‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon (was hovering over) the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.’ (Gen.1:1-3)
And through the six days of creation, we see that everything was created through the Lord speaking it into existence. What can be more powerful than that eh Friends? Nothing really.
Then the psalmist, while declaring God’s wonderful works to the children of men, tells us: ‘Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.
He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps.107:19-21)
What a moving statement my people! If we really gave God the thanks and praise He deserves for His goodness to us… hn, the world wouldn’t know what to do, it would be so full of joy, peace and LOVE!
Meanwhile, Psalm 147, in the telling of God’s greatness and power, declares: ‘He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.’ (Ps.147:15) And yuh better believe Friends that the Word of Almighty God is alive and kicking and moves very quickly.
Then Isaiah describes the Word as a means of destruction. I guess that’s only logical; if it can create, then it ought to be able to destroy too. ‘But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity (decide with uprightness) for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite (strike) the earth with the rod of his mouth. And with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.’ (Is.11:4)
Ah mih people, just as the Word can be used for healing and other positive actions, it can also be used to cut down the wicked!
And furthermore, Isaiah, in talking about Israel being the Lord’s servant, confidently declares: ‘Listen, O isles (coastlands), unto me; and hearken ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels (inward parts) of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’ (Is.49:1-3)
Then Jeremiah confidently proclaims: ‘The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?’ (Jer.23:28-29)
Yes my people, the Lord’s Word is active in all aspects of our lives, and is also capable of doing anything that’s necessary. So please don’t take it lightly, because it will be used against us if we don’t acknowledge its might and power.
And we’ll end with an example of that from Hosea, in Israel’s reply to God’s admonishment. ‘O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness (faithfulness) is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
Therefore I have hewed them (hewn them in pieces) by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgements (the judgements on you) are as the light that goeth forth.’ (Hos.6:4-5)
Yes Friends, God’s Word is invincible and can be used in any situation! So let’s remember that and act accordingly, for it will be credited to us as wisdom. Much LOVE!
…and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit…which is the word of God… (Eph.6:17)
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