25 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a parable, adrenaline, all night in prayer, antidote, ask in prayer, aura of love, bask in the love of Jesus, believing, Christians, complaining, confidence, conquerors, constant activity, courage, death, deserted place, enthusiasm, evil, fat fannies, friends, get a move on, glorious kingdom, God's attention, good news, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, King of Kings, lies, Lord of Lords, LOVE, men of faith, men ought always to pray, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not to faint, our benefit, patient, persevering, prince of peace, promise, rejoicing in hope, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, resurrection, salvation, share the Love of Jesus, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, steadfast in prayer, surrender, taunts, the four corners of the earth, the Son of God, to this end, tribulation, trust, truth, ungodly world, weary souls, weeping, whining, wiles, wisdom, with God's help, workers of iniquity
Luke 18:1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.
Awright mih people, it’s that time again, Monday morning! So let’s be up and at ‘em nuh, bright and beautiful! No whining and complaining, just a faithful promise to bask in the LOVE of Jesus all day long, and consequently share that LOVE and the good news of His death, resurrection and salvation to all those with whom we come into contact.
Nothing could be better than that! We’d be enjoying ourselves as well as telling others about our wonderful Lord and Saviour, the ONE, the ONLY Son of God, Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Mighty Counselor, etc. etc! Who else has as many names as our Master eh? NOBODY! That just goes to show how far reaching is His influence and power.
However, He wants us to take his glorious message to all and sundry, to the four corners of the earth. And He’ll give us the ability and energy to do so, but we have to get up off our fat fannies and get a move on. So, if by chance, you are feeling the after effects of a tiring weekend, don’t worry, we have the antidote for your problem; our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Let’s belt it out now nuh, so we can get the adrenaline flowing and our spirits lifted.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yes friends, that prayer surely woke us up, boosted our spirits and gave us the courage to get a move on, to be about Jesus’ work. And why do you think that prayer energized us eh? Because prayer is the effective medium of communication between us and our heavenly Father. That’s what He commanded; we talk to Him through prayer.
No wonder Jesus made the connection in our Bit, during His earthly sojourn. ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.’ Obviously Jesus knew the connection of prayer between God and man, and also the power that sincere prayer possessed.
Consequently, after He cursed the fig tree and caused it to die, He said to the disciples. ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.21:22) But please note, the most important word in the sentence is ‘believing.’ Unless you believe, you won’t receive.
And Jesus did practice what He preached, for Luke tells us: ‘And it came to pass that in those days, that he (Jesus) went out into mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.’ (Luke 6:12) Meanwhile Mark records: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
So friends, if the Son of God, needed to pray to communicate with His heavenly Father, who are we not to need the same eh? And please remember, it’s ALL FOR OUR GOOD, OUR BENEFIT! God doesn’t need prayer. Who is He going to pray to, Himself? And in these perilous and turbulent times we need prayer more than ever. And all the great men of faith, both told us to pray, and prayed fervently themselves.
Let’s check out a few examples. Hear Bruh Paul on the topic of prayer to the Romans, as he explains how Christians ought to behave: ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (Rom.12:12) Prayer was to be a constant activity in their lives.
Now listen to Bruh David. In Psalm 5 – A prayer for protection, he declares: ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning; O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell (sojourn) with thee.’ (Ps.5:3-4)
Then in Psalm 6 – A prayer for mercy, he warns his enemies: ‘Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.’ (Ps.6:8-9)
Ah friends, sincere prayer is the ONLY way to get our God’s attention, as evidenced by Jesus, Bruh David and many other great men of faith. So let’s review our prayer scene and try to improve it nuh, obviously with God’s help, since we can’t do much without Him. Much LOVE!
…without prayer…man is totally lost…
18 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big splash for Jesus, a day in the life, a useful purpose, abide with you for ever, adrenaline, ambassadors, another comforter, aura of love, bear witness, Christians, confidence, conquerors, enthusiasm, famine, friends, get a move on, get excited, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, grace, harvest, holy spirit, Holy Trinity, humble servants, in christ, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, number one job, our Lord and Saviour, perfect remedy, plan, pray the Father, promise, purpose for our lives, rain, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, snow, spiritual armour, spreading the gospel, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, thanks and praise, The Day of Pentecost, the good news, the Spirit of truth, the will of God, truth, ulitmate priority, wiles, wisdom, working for Jesus
John 14:16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.
Come on down friends and neighbours, it’s Monday morning, time to get excited about simply living. Time to give some thanks and praise that we haven’t seen our pictures or read our names in the obits this morning. Mama Yo! That means the Creator still has some plan and purpose for our lives down here, otherwise we’d be gone up on high, or down low, already.
So let’s get up and get a move on nuh. It’s going to be another glorious day in the life, regardless of what happens. And how do I know that? Well it’s obvious; because we are in Christ, and He is in us, which means we can handle anything that comes against us with His awesome help. Glory be mih people!
And for those of us who are finding it difficult to get up and get going, we have the perfect remedy for you; our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. It’s guaranteed to put you in the groove. So let’s declare it right now, in loud, harmonious and enthusiastic voice.
‘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 Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yes mih breddren, yuh see we weren’t lying when we said it would pick you up. So now that the adrenaline is flowing and your engine is purring like a well-tuned and well-oiled machine, let’s go out into the mish-mash world that we currently live in and make a big splash for Jesus, as He desires of us, His earthly ambassadors.
Remember, that working for Jesus is our number one job, our ultimate priority as Christians, and it’s not something we can do when, and if ever we feel so inclined. It’s something we have to be constantly working at. The good news of Jesus, like the mail, has to be declared to mankind each and every day, be it snow or rain, harvest or famine.
For we know not when Jesus is coming back, but whenever He does, those who are not living under his saving grace won’t ever have a chance to do so again. That’s why we have to get moving, get seriously working on Christ’s LOVE Revolution, so that hopefully none will eventually be lost, as our heavenly Father so earnestly desires.
And we are able carry out those desires because of the promise Jesus made to the disciples and also to us as He was getting ready to go back to heaven. ‘And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.’ And that Comforter was His Holy Spirit which began indwelling ALL believers from the Day of Pentecost.
Jesus knew that His followers would be helpless without Him around, but He, as a man, could only be in one place at any time. However His Spirit could exist in each and every man at the same time. And listen to the end of Jesus’ monologue when He told the disciples about how the world would hate them because they knew not God. (John 15:18-25)
‘But when the Comforter (Helper) is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.’ (John 15:26-27) And by extension my people, the Comforter , the Holy Spirit, the Helper, sent from Christ, is also beside us as we bear witness of Christ. What a magnificent assurance of God being with us with each breath and step we take in this confused and crazy, strife-filled world!
Now here is some interesting info from the scholars re the Procession of the Spirit. ‘15:26. The action of the word translated “proceedeth” is “in the process” – “continually proceeds.” The eternal procession of the Spirit means that He continually proceeds from beside, not out of, the Father. If the Holy Spirit came out of God, He would be less than God. To be more specific, the Holy Spirit not only proceeds from the Father, but also from the Son. This means the Father and the Son continually send the Holy Spirit.
This in no way suggests the Spirit is less in deity than are the Father or Son. Instead it explains the relationship among the three eternal persons of the Trinity. Illustration: Just as Jesus came to do the will of the Father, so the Holy Spirit is sent to speak not of Himself, but of Christ (16:13). Application: In this sense the Holy Spirit is the Promise of the Father who has been given to every Christian (Acts 1:4; 2:39).’
Ah friends, I do hope that somewhat lengthy explanation clears up some the mystery of the relationships of the Holy Trinity. Nevertheless, let’s go out and do diligent and excellent work in spreading the gospel and the LOVE of Jesus, as we are called to do nuh. Much LOVE!
…without the Comforter…the Holy Spirit…to lead and guide us…Christians would be completely lost…
11 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a little child shall lead them, accepting Christ, adrenaline, antidote, apathy, aura of love, beasts of the field, blues, break the bow, confidence, covenant, crapaud smoke them pipe, enthusiasm, eternal harmony, faithfulness, fowls of heaven, generous help, glorious kingdom, God's promise, holy spirit, Hosea, humble servants, invincible, Israelites, Jesus Christ, joy, judgement, justice, kingdom work, lies, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative derivatives, no crying, no more death, no sorrow, pain, passed away, peace, primary purpose, redemption, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, sin, sleeping bags, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, tears of joy, the fatling, the former things, the leopard lie down with the kid, the tabernacle of God, the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the young lion, trust, ungodly world, unsaved souls, wipe away all tears, wisdom
Isaiah 11:6. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Come on friends, it’s Monday, time to roll out of our sleeping bags and get ourselves together to go and labour. We had the chance to rest and relax over the weekend, and it’s our fault if we didn’t do so. Now both the Master and massa are calling out our names for work this morning.
Oh, I know Mondays are hard for many of us, that’s why we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to liven us up. So let’s sing it now with as much enthusiasm as we can muster. You’ll be surprised at how it will drive away your Monday morning blues.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yes friends, that’s the antidote for Monday’s apathy! (smile) And as the adrenaline is now rushing through our bodies, let’s take advantage of it nuh and get going, for there’s plenty kingdom work to be done.
Ah mih people, the times they are rough, and getting rougher by the minute, and there are still lots of lost and unsaved souls in the world. That means we have plenty work ahead of us; convincing the many unbelievers that accepting Christ as their Lord and Saviour and living for Him is the wisest thing they can do. One of the things we can point out to them is the everlasting peace that will envelop the world when Jesus sets up His eventual kingdom.
Our Bit paints such a lovely picture of those times. ‘The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.’ How beautiful that is to the mind’s eye! That’s the total opposite to what’s happening today. And even we believers can take heart from that awesome promise of our great God.
And if you believe that is just ‘jestering,’ on God’s part, then hear Him promise the same thing through Hosea to the Israelites as He woos them back, because of His great LOVE for them. ‘And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break (shatter) the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgement (justice), and in LOVING-kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord. (Hos.2:18-20)
What awesome promises friends! Only the omnipotent Creator of the universe can make such promises! And if you’re thinking, well that was oh so long ago, who says it still hold true? Then listen to the Lord’s promise in Revelation.
John confidently declares in his vision of the new heaven and the new earth: ‘And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev.21:3-4)
Oh my brethren, if that doesn’t touch you deep down in your soul and bring tears of joy to your spirit, then I don’t know what will nuh! For that means all sin and it’s ugly, negative derivatives, would have been wiped out and we’d be living in peace and eternal harmony with our wonderful God right there with us! Mercy, mercy me! I really can’t think of a better situation than that!
And according to the scholars, when that takes place: ‘A primary purpose of redemption will be accomplished: the complete fellowship of God with His redeemed people. In the eternal state, there will be no tears, death, sorrow, crying or pain. Everything will become new. God’s promises are true, and He is always faithful to His Word (cf.19:11).’
Beelzebub can’t promise anything remotely resembling that friends, so please let’s wake up and get a move on for Jesus, as the time for His return is drawing nigh – it gets closer every day. And who isn’t saved by then… well… crapaud smoke them pipe! Much LOVE!
…to live and work for Jesus…is the wisest decision ever…
04 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, blessings, Brooklyn, Caribana, carnivals, celebrations, confidence, conquerors, donkey's years, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, Eastern Parkway, enthusiasm, friends, glorious kingdom, gold, gospel truth, Granny's warning, holy spirit, honour, hope, humble servants, idols, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, Labour Day, legacy, length of days, lies, LOVE, Lucifer, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pagan wives, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, riches, rights, shame, silver, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, struggle, surrender, taunts, the Big Apple, the principal thing, the promotion of fools, the wise shall inherit glory, Toronto, truth, understanding, ungodly world, weary souls, wiles, wisdom
Proverbs 3:35. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (the legacy) of fools.
So people, Labour Day Monday is here at last, and there’ll be celebrations all over the world, ostensibly in honour of the ordinary working men who fought and died for the rights that we so blessedly enjoy today. The sad part is that lots of the young folks don’t know, were never taught about the arduous struggle their forefathers had to go through to bring us to where we currently are.
All they know is that Labour Day is a time to party, and for many others, an occasion to make mas on the Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York. And I can’t complain too loudly because at one time I also made the Parkway my Labour Day Monday haunt. But like most of the other carnivals around the world, back then it was much more colourful and entertaining, with real mas costumes, not a bikini bra and bottom and a headdress of feathers.
There would also be many big music bands, not mostly D.J’s. It was an opportunity to see people you hadn’t seen in donkey’s years, (smile) and reminisce about old times. But then everything began changing; the music and the costumes weren’t as nice, I could no longer handle the physical walking, and I hardly saw anybody I knew. So I eventually stopped going to the Big Apple for Labour Day, just like I stopped going to Caribana here in Toronto for the same reasons.
Anyway, enough of my whatever you call it, it’s Monday and some people still have to get up and go out and labour to keep our 24/7 world humming along smoothly. So let’s help those unfortunate folks get going with a rousing rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And as always, the voices of those who are not going to work are the loudest and hoarsest from too much partying already. (smile) Oh, and before I forget, let me include Granny’s warning here. I’ve been remiss in not mentioning it so far on such a big weekend. So here goes: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’
And though it sounds ‘jokified’ friends, it’s a rather serious warning, because if we don’t pay attention to our activities and behaviour, the always lurking Lucifer will undoubtedly find an open spot to infiltrate our spiritual defenses. So please take it seriously. And that segues quite nicely into our Bit. ‘The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (the legacy) of fools.’
Oh my brethren, what words of indisputable truth from the pen of Cousin Sol! And who should know better than him, since he was once the wealthiest and wisest man in the world, but then experienced foolishness and shame when he revoked the Lord God of his fathers for the many idols of his numerous pagan wives and concubines. But he wasn’t the first, and won’t be the last man to listen to a female and go astray….easy now ladies easy, it’s simply the truth. (smile)
And Cousin Sol had plenty to say on wisdom. Let’s hear a couple his statements on the subject. ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her (wisdom), and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.’ (Prov.4:7-8) Absolute truth friends!
And hear Cousin Sol once more. ‘Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding: For the merchandise (gain) of it is better than the merchandise (profit) of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.’ (Prov.3:13-16)
Ah mih people, yuh see the great benefits of pursuing wisdom! And you have to actively seek it, for it won’t just come to you naturally. So today, please let’s seriously start seeking wisdom nuh…that is God’s wisdom, not the world’s. Much LOVE!
…you can get everything…if you have wisdom…but everything won’t necessarily give you wisdom…
14 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline rush, aura of love, breath is in his nostrils, Christian faith, Christians, confidence, confidence in princes, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, cursed be the man, disbelief, enthusiasm, enthusiastic, esteemed, faith, faithfulness, forgiveness, glorious kingdom, glory to God, gospel truth, grace, holy spirit, hope, human, humble servants, I will sing praises unto my God, invincible, it is better to trust in the Lord, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no better way, passion, passionate, peace, put confidence in man., rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, rest, righteousness., salvation, saviour, sincere, spiritual armour, spread the good news of Jesus, steadfast faith, the blessedness of trusting God, the Son of man, to be happy in Jesus, trust, trust and obey, truth, ungodly world, whose hearts departs from the Lord, wisdom
Psalm 118:8-9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Monday, oh Monday, How I LOVE thee! Let me count the ways! Oh boy, I can’t wait for you to roll around each week. I get so excited on Sunday, knowing that you’re just round the corner! And why is that you ask? It’s simple: so that I get back out into the evil, ungodly workday world and work hard to spread the good news of Jesus to all and sundry.
Yeh friends, please remember that bringing people to Jesus, or rather causing them to come to Jesus, through talking about Him and living a life that sincerely mirrors our talk is a major priority in our Christian faith. And we can only do a good job at that when we are sincere and enthusiastic, passionate and energized, truly believing what we preach.
That’s why proper preparation for Monday on the weekend is ever so important. But since we are all human, fragile, sinful and weak, we don’t always do the right thing. Consequently, we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to jolt us out of Monday morning emotional dilemma. (smile) So let’s sing it now nuh, putting all the enthusiasm and passion we have into it.
As one voice now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Awright mih breddren, I can see that brought on an adrenaline rush! Please don’t lose it, but allow it to catapult you into your day, as you walk with Jesus ever and always behind, beside and before you. Oh glory to God friends that we have such a wonderful Saviour!
And why do we do what we do? Because we have such an impeccable, unbreakable, heartwarming trust in Him! We fully and rightfully believe what our Bit says: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’
Only a fool, or one wholly committed to evil would deny the awesome truth of those statements, which were inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, who is incapable of lying. That means there can be no doubt as to their wisdom. And if you don’t believe me, then let’s see if these scripture passages can change your mind. (smile)
First up are exceedingly wise words from Psalm 146 – The blessedness of trusting God. The psalmist unhesitatingly proclaims: ‘While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. Put not you trust in princes, nor in the son of man (a human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:’ (Ps.146:2-6)
Oh friends, please study those very convincing words very carefully, (smile) for they contain the utmost truth. Now listen to the prophet Isaiah, who corroborates the psalmist by simply saying: ‘Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of (why should he be esteemed)? (Is.2:22)
And why should man really be esteemed eh, especially above God, when he has nothing infinite to offer. The day he stops breathing his flesh dies and returns to the earth and he is no longer a viable entity. Meanwhile Almighty God was there even before the beginning, and will still be there after the end! He has power and might, trust and faithfulness, grace, mercy, LOVE, forgiveness, etc. etc! So wouldn’t it be wiser to put our absolute trust in Him rather than man?
And all God’s faithful saints declared a loud and sure: ‘Obviously!’
And we’ll end with these pointed words from the prophet Jeremiah. ‘Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man (strength), and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath (a shrub) in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness; in a salt land and not inhabited.’ (Jer.17:5-6)
Oh my people, I can’t say any more than that. Those are the words of our God, and we chose NOT to believe them at our peril. Please remember that our God does not make idle promises, so whatever He says He truly means. And if you fall on His negative side through your own fault or disbelief, then, crapaud smoke yuh pipe! Much LOVE!
…trust and obey…for there’s no better way…to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey…
24 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a green olive tree, abundance of riches, adrenaline, antidote, aura of love, Beelzebub, burdened, calamity, Christians, confidence, Corinthians, Egypt, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, famine, friends, glorious kingdom, God meant it for good, God was with him, grace, he who tarries is lost, humble servants, ignorant of our trouble, invincible, Jesus' work, jobs, keep Jesus first and foremost, keep the family going, lies, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, righteousness., salvation, spiritual armour, spreading His word, tarry, task of kingship, the Good Book, the mercy of God, the sentence of death, the trump's sounding, the wake up call, Though he slay me, thought evil, tribulations, trust, truth, ungodly world, wisdom, work, yet will I trust him
Job 13:15a. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…
Up and at ‘em friends! The trump’s sounding the wake up call, and we can’t afford to tarry, for he who tarries is lost. (smile)
Yeh mih people, unfortunately it’s Monday morning and work calls, got to get out and make some bread to keep the family going, keep them in the fashion to which they’ve become accustomed.
In addition to that, we also need to get out there and do Jesus’ work; important work that He’s depending on us to do – spreading His word to all and sundry so that they can receive salvation and eternal life, for the Father doesn’t want to lose even one of His creation to Beelzebub. So you see it’s of the utmost importance that we get up and get a move on.
And I know some of us find it hard to get going on a Monday morning, for whatever reason, that’s why we have the appropriate antidote for your Monday problems. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and it activates all our faculties, gets the adrenaline flowing so we can function like the true conquerors we are in Jesus.
So let’s shout it out now nuh, in strong voice and much gusto. ‘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!’
Good showing friends, good showing! Our choirmaster Jesus was pleased with that rendition. Now let’s keep the energy and the adrenaline flowing by getting out onto the highways and byways with Jesus first place in our hearts. And let’s profoundly proclaim like Job did in our Bit: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…’
Yeh friends, unconditional trust in Jesus Christ is essential in our faith walk. As Job said, though the Lord put him under, he would still trust him. That takes mucho mucho faith. And unfortunately, it’s only as we go through trials and tribulations that we build faith. That’s why so many righteous people in the Bible went through so much calamity.
Check out Moses, Bruh Joseph, Bruh David and Bruh Paul. They were champions of faith, but they also suffered much tribulation for their belief. But yuh know what fellow believers, throughout all their trials the Lord was with them every moment and every step of the way.
The Good Book tells us that in every rough spot Bruh Joseph found himself, God was with him and made him well-liked. And listen to his words when he finally accosted his scalawag brothers as Prime Minister of Egypt, the second most powerful man in the most powerful country in the world, when they came begging for food in the time of famine. ‘But as for you, ye thought (intended) evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.’ (Gen.50:20)
Likewise friends, a lot of times when disaster strikes us, God is allowing it to make us strong, to prepare us for our destiny. Look at the amount of stuff Bruh David went through after he was anointed by Samuel, but before he actually became king. That was to prepare him for the immense task of kingship. And he turned out to be the best king Israel ever had.
But listen to his words from Psalm 52 – Caution to the prideful wicked – words that are not as popular as some others, but still very meaningful. ‘Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness (destruction). But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.’ (Ps.52:7-9)
Wow! What a powerful declaration of trust on Bruh David’s part, despite all the calamity he went through. And don’t talk about Bruh Paul…Hn! His life was just one calamity after the other; shipwreck, beatings, stoning’s, jail, etc. etc. But hear his words to the Corinthians.
‘For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble (tribulation) which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure (burdened), above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead. Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.’ (2 Cor.1:8-10)
Now that is what you call great faith, which can only be based on great trust in Almighty God! So friends, I implore us this Monday morning as we get back into work mode, please, let’s keep Jesus first and foremost in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds as He desires of us, so that we can do His work. Let’s trust Him implicitly and thus grow in faith. Much LOVE!
… faith grows…when trust grows…and vice-versa…one cannot grow without the other…
17 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed honour, a no-brainer, a viper's sting, adrenaline, antidote, aura of love, brilliant light of the Son, cloudy days, confidence, Creator of the universe, death, deliver the godly, deliver us from evil, enthusiasm, enticing, eternal life, eternal separation, evil, faith, faithfulness, fall victim to temptation, fleshly desire, for ever, free gift, glorious kingdom, glory to God, heavenly places, holy spirit, humble servants, Jesus Christ, lead us not into temptation, leading and guiding, life everlasting, LOVE, lust, Monday blues, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, on Jesus' behalf, punished, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, reserve the unjust, rest, reverberates in our hearts, right wrongs, salvation, sin, sinful nature, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, temptation, tempted of god, the day of judgement, the enemy's ranks, the gift of God, the glory, the hearts of all believers, the power, the wages of sin is death, thine is the kingdom, triumvirate God, trust, truth, ungodly world, unmerited favour, victory in Jesus, wisdom, work diligently
Matthew 6:13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Well friends, cloudy days are here again, but the hearts of all believers are shining brightly with the brilliant light of the Son! Glory to God!
Yes my believing brethren, the outside weather might be dark and dreary, but there’s absolutely no reason for our hearts to look the same since we are blessed to have the Holy Spirit of our omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent triumvirate God living within us, leading and guiding us to victory in Jesus!
Wow! What a blessed honour that is my people! That’s why on this cloudy Monday morning, at least in my area, we need to get ourselves together and get out strong and work diligently on Jesus’ behalf.
And since Mondays are not kind to many of us (smile) let’s belt out our antidote for those Monday Blues, our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. With one heart and voice now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein!
We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh I know friends, the adrenaline is just running through us now, and we’re rearing to go out and optimize our efforts in this evil and ungodly world and right whatever wrongs we can, all in the name of Jesus our Lord and Blessed Saviour!
And so we should, on the basis of all that He has done for us; selflessly bringing us salvation and eternal life through His woeful death on the cross at Calvary and then His triumphant Resurrection on Easter Sunday!
Now let’s look at our Bit, probably the last day for this one, (smile) who know eh? ‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ Meaningful direction from Jesus on how we should pray.
Now yesterday we saw how He prayed sincerely to His heavenly Father for us, and it really touched my heart. Today we’ll look at why He had to pray for us, and why we still need lots of prayer.
Listen to James. ‘Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.’ (James 1:13) Words of absolute truth friends!
God doesn’t tempt us, for He doesn’t want us to do wrong. But He might allow some stuff to come against us to try our faithfulness. So why then do we fall victim to temptation eh?
James further enlightens us. ‘But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust (fleshly desires), and enticed.’ (James 1:14) Yeh mih people, it’s our sinful nature that propels us to temptation.
And what happens when we give into temptation? Hear James again. ‘Then when the lust (fleshly desire) hath conceived, it bringeth forth (gives birth to) sin, when it is finished (full grown), bringeth forth death.’ (James 1:15)
Oh friends, here we need to remember those immortal words of Bruh Paul to the Romans: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is everlasting life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23)
Yes precious people of God, as the scholars tell us: ‘6:23. Wages: Emphasizes what we deserve. Gift of God: Emphasizes God’s unmerited favour.’
However, we can only receive that unmerited free gift by believing on God’s Son, Jesus Christ. So it’s a decision each human being needs to make. Succumb to temptation and thus death; eternal separation from Almighty God, or accept Jesus and live forever with Him in heavenly places.
And that’s a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned, since eternal separation from God is the WORST thing that can ever happen to a human being.
Now let’s close with an interesting statement from Peter. ‘The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished.’ (2 Pet.2:9)
Ah mih people, hopefully that statement reverberates in our hearts today and helps to keep us away from temptation. Much LOVE!
…temptation always seems so enticing…but in reality…it holds a deathly viper’s sting…
10 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lazy weekend, antidote, appear before God, aura of love, blessed day, blues, Christians, confidence, enthusiasm, ever-faithful promises of God, faith, friends, glorious kingdom, hold in our hearts, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, lift up my hands, living obediently, LOVE, loving kindness, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my lips shall praise thee, my soul thirsts for God, powerless, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, revel in God, righteously, righteousness., seek thee, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the hart longs for the water brooks, the living God, thy power and glory, truth, unfortunate circumstances, ungodly world, utter from our lips, wilderness, wisdom, work for Jesus
Psalm 42:2. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Welcome to another blessed day in the life my people! Oh, I know it’s Monday and some of you don’t consider Mondays blessed because you have to get up and go to work after a lazy weekend. But that’s just the way our society is structured, and the sooner we get accustomed to it being that way, the better off we’ll be, and the more we’ll enjoy our lives.
If you know something is a certain way, and you are powerless to change it, why allow it to keep on making you miserable eh? No good reason whatsoever! So please let’s stop all the nonsense about it being so hard to get up on a Monday morning. If we live our weekends right then getting up on a Monday morning to go to work and earn some money to buy bread won’t be a problem.
And if it is, then we have the antidote for the Monday Blues, it’s called the Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So let’s sing it right now, so we can drive away those depressing Monday Blues and get us ready for a productive day of work in the field for Jesus.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, if you’ve prayed those words with sincerity, your blues would have been chased away, like the wind blows away storm clouds from a darkened sky, and you’re ready now to go out into the world, courageously face the enemy and give it your best shot for Jesus. And why would you want to do that? Because you LOVE Him and want to see His realm flourish. You have an intense longing for God.
As the sons of Korah sing in the Psalm. ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps.42:1-2)
Yes my fellow followers of Christ, that’s the way we ought to feel about our God; hungry and thirsty for all that He has to offer, while living obediently and righteously in His name! There will be rough spots in our lives, and we won’t always understand why, but it is essential that we hold on tightly, especially in those tough times, to the ever-faithful promises of our God.
As the psalmist continues in the following verses: ‘My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (a pilgrim feast). Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps.42:3-5)
Oh friends, it’s of the utmost importance that when things seem the darkest that we hope the strongest, exhibit the greatest faith. As the psalmist said, though he doesn’t understand why he’s so depressed, he’ll still hope in God and acknowledge His presence. Now that is true faith! Are we exhibiting that kind of faith? Or are we giving up, getting down on ourselves when things aren’t going right?
Precious people of God, we need to stand strong, faithful and righteous in this evil and ungodly world. That’s the only way we’ll survive, prosper, and also further the church of Christ here on earth.
And we’ll end with these most appropriate words of Bruh David from Psalm 63 – God satisfies the thirsting soul – related to when he was in hiding in the wilderness of Judah from his enemies. ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.
To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen (looked for) thee in the sanctuary. Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:’ (Ps.63:1-5)
Oh my Christian brethren, just imagine Bruh David hiding out in the wilderness nuh, in a dry desert-like place without water, but yet his soul longs for the God of his fathers, and he insists on giving Him praise despite his unfortunate circumstances. Friends, there are no better words to hold in our hearts and to utter from our lips, as we go out to work this Monday morning. Much LOVE!
…true Christian faith… causes us to revel in our good God…despite our circumstances…
19 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a roof over our heads, a sense of urgency, adrenaline, arrows, aura of love, be strong in the Lord, Beelzebub, bread and butter, cease-fire, cessation, Christians, confidence, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, following Jesus, friends, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, he that keeps Israel, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, labouring, lies, LOVE, Lucifer, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no work no pay, peace, protective covering, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, serve a useful purpose, slings, slumber nor sleep, soldiers of Christ, spiritual armour, spiritual battle, steadfast faith, taunts, the antidote, the power of his might, trust, truth, ungodly world, wisdom
Ephesians 6:10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Well fathers, our special day is over now, hope we all had an enjoyable day. Mine was fairly quiet, but very interesting. However, it’s now time for us to concentrate on, and get back to labouring so that we can keep a roof over our family’s head and bread on our table. It’s nice to be pampered and spoiled, but we certainly can’t forget about our bread and butter, our jobs. (smile)
And I know that for plenty of us fathers, after all the celebrations yesterday, it’s going to be difficult to get up this morning to go and labour, but just think about it this way nuh: no work, no pay. (smile) But as always, we have the antidote for whatever ails you this Monday morning. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and when we sing it sincerely and joyfully, it just refreshes and renews us, gets the adrenaline flowing in our bodies.
So let’s belt it out now nuh, with plenty gusto and expectant faith. As one big earthly choir now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, that was a bit harsh and raucous, but the enthusiasm was great, and Jesus, our choirmaster understood our shortcomings. But now, with that same enthusiasm we just showed, aided by the adrenaline that’s coursing through our veins, let’s go out and face the enemy and battle them mano a mano in Jesus’ name. That’s what He’s expecting of us.
And as Bruh Paul advises in in our Bit: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’
Yes my fellow believers, above everything else, if we want to go and fight the enemy, then we have to be strong in the Lord, because that’s where our strength and our help come from. As the psalmist declares: ‘My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.’ (Ps.121:2-4) And that’s gospel truth my people! Our God will look after us at all times, under whatever circumstances and situations!
Before we go further though, let’s check out some info from the scholars, re our Bit. ‘6:10. Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on” until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no cease fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities. “From now on” till the end there is all out war. The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely by His mighty power.”
Ah mih people, how mighty is our God! The mightiest of them all!!! As we’ve said a couple times above, He made the heavens and the earth and all therein, so He must be truly powerful, and He does strengthen us to do His bidding. However, regardless of what strength we have, as warriors, we also need protective covering from the enemy’s slings and arrows, that’s why the verse after our Bit is so important. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph.6:11)
Yes friends, we need to put on our protective spiritual armour, this morning, and every morning, before we go out to fight against the enemy, so that we don’t get hurt. It’s one thing to be strong in the Lord, but it’s another to fight without protective covering.
And the scholars offer us these explanations. ‘6:11. Put on (Greek ingressive aorist imperative) (smile) denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action. To stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical positon in battle. The wiles of the devil (or, “the Devil’s strategy”). Satan carefully devises schemes and tactics against believers.’
So friends, it’s no joke war in which we’re involved, it’s serious business, serious stuff on which our salvation and eternal life depends. So please, let’s take it very seriously nuh, because our enemy, Lucifer, is taking it very seriously. He’s definitely out to trip us up and make us turn away from following Jesus. And that’s definitely not a wise thing to do. Therefore, let’s put on our spiritual armour, and with the strength of our great God flowing through our minds, bodies and spirits, let’s go out and battle Beelzebub – battle him to the finish! Much LOVE!
…soldiers of Christ arise…arise fully armoured and strengthened by Almighty God…
16 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Jesus Christ, a perfect world, a state of crisis, be thou envious, boundaries, burdens, Christians, disasters, drink, eat, evil, evildoers, exalt thee, fellowship, fight for power, final resting place, Fret not thyself over evildoers, Friday chant, fun, glorious kingdom, God's greatest creation, greed, heartwarming, heavenly Father, homelessness, hurt's one's heart, immense role, in Jesus' name, in time of trouble, inherit the land, iniquity, Jesus Christ, job losses, joblessness, joyfully declare, looking over yuh shoulder, measly pennies, our Lord and Saviour, outsourcing, party, peace, personal aggrandisement, poverty, refreshing reaction, relaxation, rest, righteous, salvation of the righteous, shake we bodyline, sickness, slave labour, slave master, strength, strife, technology, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thanks and praise, the blameless man, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the rich getting richer, the upright, the weekend, the wicked destroyed, the workers of iniquity, the workingman, transgressors, trust in God, unfeeling way of life, wait on the Lord, warmongering, wars
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Ah mih people, it’s Friday and the ole fella doesn’t know what to write… Imagine that nuh! (smile) But I have no doubt that the Lord will lead me where He wants me to go eventually.
Our world is in such a state of crisis that it doesn’t even make sense to talk about the wars and strife that are rife all over, neither the disasters, natural and man made that also abound.
Steups! It does hurt one’s heart when one sees all the unnecessary nonsense that’s going on; the greed, the fight for power and personal aggrandizement, and the evil methods being used to accomplish those evil ends, especially when we can’t take any of it with us to our final resting place.
Oh, I know we cannot, or will never live in a perfect world, but it certainly doesn’t have to be as warmongering and evil as it currently is.
Such a beautiful world that God made for us to enjoy is going to waste as we rush headlong instead to foolishly destroy it …and in the aftermath, God’s greatest creation – mankind. Though sometimes I seriously wonder about that designation.
So sometimes it’s heartwarming to hear the ordinary workingman not pay too much attention to the numerous ills of our world and simply and joyfully declare: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday…and the weekend is here at last. No more slave labour for a few measly pennies, and no evil slave master continually looking over yuh shoulder.
Is we time now! Time to do exactly as we please… to party hearty, eat, drink and shake we bodyline to endless music! Thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
Yes friends, that goes to the extreme, and we as Christians need to have boundaries, but it’s such a simple, refreshing reaction to our unfeeling way of life, where there is so much poverty, sickness, homelessness and joblessness.
In fact, almost every week in this supposed enlightened, sophisticated and brilliant age, fewer and fewer people are able to sing the workingman’s song, because of constant job losses to technology or outsourcing to cheaper production locations.
But everyday, we read about the rich getting richer. Oh, I know it’s in the Bible. But does it have to be so extreme, where one percent of the world controls ninety something percent of its wealth? Definitely not!
Blessedly though, we Christians have the wonderful God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to turn to at all times, be they times of crisis or times of joy and prosperity!
And on Fridays we declare our Friday Chant, loud and proud: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
It’s short and simple too my brethren, but it does recognize the immense role that our heavenly Father plays in our lives, gives Him the thanks and praise that He so rightfully deserves.
And isn’t it interesting and amusing that from not knowing what to write about at the beginning, I’ve written so much! Hn, hn! But that’s the way our great God moves; in rather mysterious ways sometimes.
And finally we come to our Bit, which reassures and gives us confidence to keep keeping on in the way of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, regardless of how the world goes. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.’
Words to live by my brethren, although they are not always easy to put into effect. But listen to how Bruh David ends the psalm. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off (destroyed), thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay (native green) tree.
Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps.37:34-40)
That says it all friends! If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then those words of faithful promise ought to lighten your worldly cares and have you singing for, and with joy, each and everyday of your life! Much LOVE!
…when we sincerely trust in Jesus…the burdens on our souls are truly lightened…
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