16 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anger, August, bad talking, blaspheming Jesus, by His word, come to Him voluntarily, compassionate heart, confident, confused, creativity, curse, disappoints, dismays, doing the best I can, empty, feel sorry for them, free choice, glory to God, grateful, hate, help, higher than the earth, higher than your ways, hoarded, holy spirit, incomprehensible, Jesus is enough, lack of love, loving-kindness, magnanimous, magnificent, mature, my throughts, my ways, negative word, not your thoughts, one consolation, one fell swoop, Our god, prosper, reveals Himself, salvation, secure, self-control, shall not return void, shared, slef-discipline, smell the sweet savour, stranglehold, strife, succeed, success, summer days, Thank You Lord, the Boss, the heavens, the hellish life, the lost, Thursday Blessings, totality, void, wake them up, we always have Jesus, winter days, wisdom, without fruit, your ways
Isaiah 55:8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
Hn! I can’t believe that it’s Thursday already! How can it be eh, when it was just Monday? (smile) Yuh mean to tell me that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday gone already? Mama Mia! And what have I done for the week beside write the Bits eh? Absolutely nothing!
And not only that, but the month of August is also quickly flying by. It just recently began and it’s already the 16th! Chuh! The summer days are flying by too quickly for my liking yes! Only wish the winter days would go by as quickly. Hn! Hn! But you know that’s not going to happen.
However friends, our one consolation is that whatever time or season it is, we ALWAYS have Jesus Christ on our side! Glory to God! And that’s more than enough, for He will help us through each and every difficulty we face and bring us through more mature, confident and secure than when we started.
How can we not be grateful for such help and LOVING-kindness eh? It certainly disappoints and dismays me when I see or hear people bad talking and/or blaspheming Jesus. I feel sorry for them because they don’t know what they’re missing, and the hellish life that they’re setting themselves up for.
Oh, how I wish the Lord would just send His Holy Spirit into those people and wake them up, let them rise up and smell the sweet savour of the roses He has to offer. And He can do it if He wants to. He has the power to do it. But He wants us to come to Him voluntarily through His Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
But yuh know what Lord, this free choice thing isn’t getting us anywhere nuh! Look at the lack of LOVE and the amount of strife, anger and hatred that has our world in a tight stranglehold. But as always, you are the Boss, and it’s your will, your overall plan that will prevail. So if you choose not to step in and fix it in one fell swoop, then who am I to complain eh? I just have to grin, say ‘Thank You Lord!’ and continue doing the best I can to bring the lost and confused to You.
Ah friends, unfortunately our thoughts and actions don’t always line up with the Lord’s, but as I said above, He’s the Boss, and His will and plan prevails in the universe regardless of what might or can be. And He tells us that plainly, and in all seriousness through His prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void (empty, without fruit), but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’ (Is.55:8-12)
And that’s telling us friends! Whatever God sends His Word to do, it will accomplish it. So the fact that I am questioning His generous act of free choice is of no importance whatsoever. His Word will accomplish the same thing that I’m seeking in His time, for whatever higher reasons He chooses.
And arguing with God, or trying to argue with Him, is a waste of time, for He won’t get into any arguments with us. Just look at how He draped up Job in Job chapter 38, when Job got a li’l too bright and too big for his breeches. The long and short of the story my brethren is that the Lord created the universe and all therein, and His Will shall prevail, regardless of who likes or dislikes it.
He might be sweet and LOVING and all that, but when it comes to running His universe, no li’l creature of His creation will tell Him what do. Amen! We just have to know our place and keep it. He’s given us Jesus and all the wonderful stuff associated with Him, now we have to go out and do our part. End of story!
And the scholar’s offer this explanation. ‘55:8-13. God’s sovereignty and omniscience are extolled by the statement that His thoughts (i.e., purposes or intentions) and ways (derakim, or “directions”) are higher than ours. While God may certainly be known by men, He is still incomprehensible in the totality of His person and purposes. Therefore, He reveals Himself to men by His word, which shall not return to Him void (in vain). The word of God, therefore accomplishes His purpose in announcing salvation to all mankind.’
And who don’t want to accept it, then crapaud simply smoke deh pipe! But for those who have wisely and joyfully accepted the Lord’s most generous offer of salvation, He’s blessed us significantly. So let’s declare our Thursday Blessings, letting the unbelieving world know what they’re missing when they don’t accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
In strong voice with sincere sense of purpose: ‘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!’
Oh how great and generous is our God! But please remember those blessings are not to be hoarded, but to be shared with the less fortunate. So let’s go out and do just that nuh. Much LOVE!
…oh there’s no more magnificent and magnanimous Being in the universe….than our GOD…
28 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a hard task, a part of life, am known of mine, an hireling, Anselm, aspires to inspire, bellied into silence, conquer us, criticized, deceitful times, define yourself, dictators, do the best you can, end times, fall for anything, feel in your heart, feel the lash, Finbar Sebro, flees, follow the crowd, follower, for the sheep, friend, from glory to glory, gives his life, giving up our independence, glory to God, go with the flow, gospel truth, grow in the likeness of Christ, guiding light, have Jesus, helpmeet, hired man, household chores, I am the good shepherd, in respect to God's will, in the Lord's heart, know my sheep, lead us astray, leader, lonely road, LOVE, made a victim, make it through, mature in faith, money, mourning, never satisfy everybody, our wits end, power, saved, set free, sheep, sleeping in, social media, stand for something, surrendering ourselves, the bondage of sin, the easy way out, the Good Shepherd's fold, the things of the world, the wolf coming, walk alone
John 10:11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Ah friends, it’s Saturday and some of you are sleeping in, some of you have been up bright and early to do your household chores; as they say no rest for the wicked. (smile) Meanwhile, others are mourning the passing of their dear departed ones, like my friends and family back in Tobago, mourning the passing of their mentor, teacher and pastor, father and friend, Finbar Sebro.
But yuh know what? It’s all a part of life, and we just have to go with the flow, and once we have Jesus as our helpmeet and guiding light, we WILL make it through, though not always as easily as we desire. (smile) Yeh, we always want the easy way out, but that’s not how God operates.
Sometimes He desires us to feel the lash, so that we can reach our wits end and turn to Him, or to grow us in the likeness of his Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. But know this, that whatever He allows to come against us, He WILL NEVER allow to conquer us! What an awesome and wonderful God we serve my brethren!
And since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to some quotes from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Listen to this first quote: ‘Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticized anyway.’ And isn’t that living truth! Whatever we do, somebody or some group will criticize us. We’ll never be able to satisfy everybody. However, we have to make sure that’s what’s in our heart is also what’s in the Lord’s heart for us.
And this next quote sort of runs on from the last one: ‘Do the best you can until you know better, and when you know better do better.’ Yeh friends, that’s all the Lord asks of us; to do the best we can. And as He moves us along from glory to glory and we get more mature in the faith, He does expect us to do better than we did before in the lower class. (smile)
Then there’s this: ‘Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.’ And I’ll say Amen, to the first two aspects. However, to the last one, I’d like to add, ‘define yourself in respect to God’s will for you.’ If you don’t bring Almighty God into the equation, then you’ll still be a victim. For as they say, if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything, especially in these deceitful and untrustworthy times.
And the last quote tells us: ‘The people who follow the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The people who walk alone are likely to find themselves in places no one has been before.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth friends! You see it happening all the time, especially in these days of a prevailing and pervasive social media. It’s all about how many followers you have. Steups! And the followers are no brighter than you!
Now why would I spend so much of my time following the lives of others, to the detriment of mine eh? It’s obvious that the time you spend following others is time lost on your own. Following the crowd, for the sake of merely following the crowd, never benefits the individuals’ involved. It only benefits the leader.
That’s why it’s always better to be a leader rather than a follower, even though leading is a hard task in and of itself, and it very often causes you to walk down a long and lonely road. But in the end, you will go places that being a mere follower will never take you.
Friends, the ONLY person we should be followers of, and very avid followers at that, is of Jesus Christ, for He is the ONLY Leader who will NEVER lead us astray. He came down from heaven to be a man like us, He died so that we could be set free from the bondage of sin, and is now interceding for us at the right hand of the Father in heaven… So why would He do all of that and then lead us astray eh? No reason whatsoever!
Hear His immortal words in our Bit: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ Yes my faithful brethren, the good shepherd looks after His flock with LOVE and tender care, even to the point of dying to save them! Oh precious people, that is exactly what Jesus did on our behalf! Glory to God!
So why is it so difficult to follow Him eh? Why is it like pulling teeth to bow to His kingship? I guess because we want to do our own thing, and surrendering our lives to Him means giving up our independence and no longer dabbling in the things of the world.
And Jesus continues imploring us: ‘But he that is an hireling (hired man), and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.’ (John 10:12-13)
Yeh friends, all the other leaders in the world are mere hirelings, working for money and power, and don’t really care about you or I. It’s all about them. And we see it so blatantly in these end times, there are so many dictators and would be dictators. But Jesus is not like that. He truly cares about us, that’s why He died for us. Glory to God!
So let’s end with this most pertinent statement of His on the topic. ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:14) What confident words my brethren! The question now is, do you know Jesus, and does He know you? Let’s hope the answer to that is a resounding ‘YES!’ Much LOVE!
…only the sheep in the Good Shepherd’s fold…will be saved…come the end time…
09 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pick me up, a wind that passeth away, a word of warning, adrenaline, asaph, aura of love, better late than never, blues, boundless, but flesh, cometh not again, compassion, confidence, consumed, disobedience, doctor's appointment, done like dinner, engaged the enemy, enthusiasm, enviable circumstances, flatter, friends, futility, get rid of God, glorious kingdom, glory to God, great is thy faithfulness, grin and bear them, Hades, his compassions fail not, hope, hot off the press, humble servants, in the middle of the day, indefatigable, iniquities, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, Lucifer, manna, mercy, Micah, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my benefit, new every morning, peace, play him for a fool, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, sin, spiritual armour, spiritual warfare, stale stuff, still enemies, still sinned, taking advantage, taunts, terror, the Lord's mercies, the words of our mouths, trouble, trust, tuned his anger away, ungodly world, vanity, wiles, wisdom, wondrous works
Lamentations 3:22-23. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Ah friends, sorry the Bit is this late, but I had an early morning doctor’s appointment in the city which means everything had to be rearranged. Chuh! If I say I’m not tired with doctor’s appointments now, I’d be lying. But they are for my benefit, so I just have to grin and bear them. And yesterday I planned to add a P.S. note about it, but I forgot. The old mind’s going. (smile) But as they say, better late than never.
So here it is now, hot off the press. And by now most of you are at work, so your day is well advanced and you have already engaged the enemy in spiritual warfare. You might even be still suffering from the Monday blues, so it’s definitely not too late to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, our blues antidote. It’s also nice to have a li’l pick me up in the middle of the day. (smile)
So as one great voice now, let’s sing: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih breddren, what a relief to feel the adrenaline course through our veins, to feel the Spirit of Christ just rise up to the forefront once more, and we become indefatigable (not tired) and invincible once again. Glory to our great God!
Now yesterday we were talking about one of God’s many attributes, His compassion, and there is so much in the scriptures about it, that we’ll continue on that most worthwhile and awesome topic. As our Bit so magnanimously states: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’
Yeh friends, without God’s compassion we’d be done like dinner long time, roasting in Hades with that fool Lucifer! (smile) But thanks to our God’s magnanimous compassion, we’re not. And what I especially like about His compassion, His mercy, is that they are brand new every day!
Wow! Our God doesn’t give us any stale stuff. It’s like the fresh manna He gave the Israelites every day in the wilderness. Now how can we not appreciate and be grateful for that kind of treatment eh? Under those rather enviable circumstances, I don’t understand our strong desire to get rid of God from our society.
But some of us are just wiser than others, so let’s turn to the scriptures now and check out some more of it that deals with God’s compassion. Yesterday we saw the most important aspect of it, where while we yet His enemies, the Father sent Christ to die for us. (Rom.5:6-9) Yuh can’t beat that friends!
Now listen to Micah proclaim to the world, our God’s compassionate attribute. ‘Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by (over) the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy (LOVING-kindness). He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their (our) sins into the depths of the sea.’ (Mic.7:18-19)
Oh my people, my people, what will it take for us to take the scriptures, the Word of God seriously eh? We’re behaving just like the Israelites did after the Lord brought them out of bondage in Egypt. The psalmist Asaph puts it nicely. Even after the Lord smote their stoutest men for their disobedience: ‘For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
Therefore their days did he consume in vanity (futility), and their years in trouble (sudden terror). When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early (sought diligently) after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right (steadfast) with him, neither were they steadfast (faithful) in his covenant. But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all their wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.’ (Ps.78:32-39).
Yeh friends, that’s the same way we are taking advantage of God’s compassion and mercy, making believe that we have right hearts and pure motives. But please remember He does not judge by outward appearances, so no matter how much we flatter Him with the words of our mouths, He will look at out hearts to see if they are sincere or not, and at some stage give us our just desserts.
A word of warning to the wise is supposedly sufficient. Let’s hope that we all accept that warning today. Much LOVE!
…although God’s compassion is boundless…it’s not wise…to try to play Him for a fool…
06 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ., after the Spirit, all is not lost, another week of work, boundaries, Canada Day, celebrations, Christ's kingdom, convicted, death, dying on our behalf, eternal life, everything will be made right, exciting things, fellowship, flooding, Friday chant, friends, fun, given another chance, glorious kingdom, glory to God, god is still on his throne, God's own time and way, havoc in Quebec, heat-wave, justified, know about Jesus, lack of sleep, likeness of sinful flesh, limits, live by the flesh, made me free, made righteous in god, no condemnation, ole body tired, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, partying, punished, pure Spirit of Christ, rain, relaxation, reminded, rest, salve job, sanctified, selfless sacrifices, sentenced to die, summer weekend, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the gift of God, the law of sin and death, the Spirit of life, the wages of sin, the workingman's song, to be sin for us, undeserving children, ungodly ways of the world, walk not after the flesh, weak law of the flesh, weekends, which are in Christ Jesus, wildfire in Northern California
Romans 8:1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Well friends, it seems like the heat wave is finally over! Thank the Lord! Some rain fell yesterday evening and in the night and cooled down the place some, but the heat wave certainly wreaked havoc in the Province of Quebec, where it seems thirty something people died during that excessively hot time.
Steups! When it’s not one thing, it’s certainly another. Meanwhile down in the U.S. some places had an exceeding amount of rain that caused extensive flooding. And out in Northern California that wildfire we spoke of yesterday is expanding its reach with a vengeance.
But yuh know what friends, all is not lost because of these negative circumstances, since we know that our omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present God is still on His heavenly throne overseeing things, and in His own time and way, everything will be made right. Glory to God!
And anyway, today is Friday, and nothing is going to stop the workingman from declaring his heartfelt song. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! Brother! Don’t know if I could have made it one more day nuh. What with all the partying and lack of sleep from last weekend’s Canada Day celebrations, and the hard work on massa slave job, the ole body was really tired.
Glad that this was just a short week yes! Anyhow, is still the weekend, and the summer weekend calls for getting out there and making exciting things happen. And that’s what we’ll do, tired or not. Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, I’m sure many of us feel the same way; tired after a long weekend of celebrations, then straight into a week of work under hot and exhaustive temperatures. But hopefully, we will not do like the workingman and continue in excessive celebrations over the weekend, because it doesn’t fit who we are.
We are followers of Jesus Christ and we have boundaries, limits to how far we can go along the continuum of celebrations…certainly not as far as the workingman goes. So let’s declare our weekend song, our Friday Chant, which is entirely different to that of the workingman.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh friends, ours is a much more responsible situation. Oh we can party and such, but not to extremes, and we’re always on the lookout for ways to increase Christ’s kingdom and not denigrate it. That’s why we do not live by the flesh, by the wicked, ungodly ways of the world, but by the pure Spirit of Christ.
As Bruh Paul tells us in our Bit: ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’
Oh my people, my people, what a delicious situation! Wow! If we live in Christ’s Spirit, under His law, we are no longer condemned, just convicted; not sentenced to die, but merely reminded and possibly punished, but given another chance, a much better situation. ‘For the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.’ (Rom.8:2)
Glory be mih breddren! Christ’s sacrificial death paid for our sins, and when we place our sincere trust and belief in Him, we no longer live under the negative law of sin, which says: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23) Praise Christ’s Holy Name for all that He’s done for us undeserving children of men!
As Bruh Paul continues to the church at Rome: ‘For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for (on account of) sin, condemned sin in the flesh. That the righteousness (righteous requirement) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom.8:3-4)
And all God’s people gave out a loud and sincere ‘Thank You Jesus!’ And so we should, because it’s only through Jesus becoming human and coming to earth, but not committing sin, and dying on our behalf, in our place, that we’ve been set free from the weak law of the flesh.
As the scholars explain: ‘8:3. Law…was weak: There is nothing inherently wrong with the law. The presence of sin renders the believer powerless to do what the law demands. The likeness of sinful flesh: Christ was truly human but not a sinner (2 Cor.5:21).’
And instead of asking you to check out that scripture, which most of you will not do, we’ll just end with it instead. Oh, the spoon-feeding! (smile) ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us (to bear our sins), who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in (through) him.’ (2 Cor.5:21)
Oh friends, please remember and be very appreciative of the fact, that whatever we are today; righteous in the eyes of God, justified, sanctified, etc. etc. it’s all because of Jesus and His enormous selfless sacrifices! Much LOVE!
…if you know about Jesus…and don’t LOVE and worship Him…then something’s sadly wrong with you and your mind…
19 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend, a godly manner, a good shepherd, a hypocrite, breath of life, Christians, close relationship to God, come to faith, defend my own ways, defends his integrity, direct thy paths, disaster, do good, do His perfect will, done God's way, dwell in the land, faith, feed on his faithfulness, friend of Jesus, from the palace to the pig sty, glory to God, God's strength, God's will, health to thy body, honour the Lord, Hudson Taylor, I will fear no evil, immortal words, improve lives, in all thy ways acknowledge him, Job, lean not on thine own understanding, man after God's own heart, men of faith, my salvation, never lack God's supply, new wine, our benefit, our sphere of influence, Scrip-Bit, share His love, strength to thy bones, strife, tear us away from serving God, the beloved of God, the first fruits, the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me, Though he slay me, though I walk through, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy rod and thy staff comfort me, thy vats burst out, trust in the Lord, trying times, Tuesday Mantra, ungodliness, unquenchable faith, we will repel, weakness, with all thine heart, with God's help, working for God, yet will I trust in him
Psalm 37:3. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).
Well a blessed Tuesday morning to all my Scrip-Bit friends and families! Glory to God, who has so mercifully and graciously continued His awesome breath of life flowing in our bodies, so that we can do His perfect will! Yes friends, we’re only alive to put whatever plan He has for our lives into effect, so let’s do it as best we can nuh.
Very few of us can make changes that cover the whole world, but we can all improve lives and situations in our own little sphere of influence, and that’s all God is asking of us. And the great thing about working for God is that He will help us do whatever He calls us to do.
That’s why Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) the British Protestant Christian Missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission, could say with confident assurance: ‘God’s will done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.’ Isn’t that wonderful to know friends? It certainly is!
So let’s not worry about the enormous amount of strife and ungodliness that is rapidly plunging our world down to unimaginable disaster, just let us set our hearts to do as our Bit commands in the immortal words of Bruh David: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).’
Ah mih people, I know we used this scripture passage as our Bit recently, but it’s one of those scriptures that we need to hear over and over again so that it can truly sink into our hearts and minds, especially with all the ungodliness that’s out their trying to get our attention and tear us away from truly serving Almighty God.
Wow! What a mouthful! (smile) But it’s the truth! The world doesn’t want us to serve God, and will do anything in its power to pry us away. But we won’t be pried away by any means whatsoever! Let’s tell the enemy that in no uncertain manner. Whatever they throw at us, we will repel with God’s help.
And today I want to do something a li’l different with our Bit. I want to show forth scriptures of how men of faith come to faith. And one of the most amazing and well-known ones is that of Job, when he defends his integrity before his false friends. ‘Though he (God) slay me, yet will I trust in him: but will I maintain mine own ways (defend my own ways) before him. He shall also be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him.’ (Job.13:15-16)
And the scholars explain: ‘13:15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him expresses the unquenchable faith of one who lives by faith, not by sight. Even when it appears that God Himself has turned against Job, he will still trust in God.’
Oh my people, what great faith Job displayed there. Even though God had apparently taken him from the palace and put him in the pig sty, his faith never crumbled. That’s the kind of faith we need as Christians in these very harsh and trying times. Oh, I know it’s not easy to do, but if we’re serious about our God and our faith, we can do it with God’s help.
And we all know about Bruh David’s close relationship to God; being called his friend and a man after His own heart. Hear how he declares his trust in the immortal words of psalm 23 – The Lord is my shepherd. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:4)
Oh my breddren, my breddren, what awesome conviction on Bruh David’s part! Even though he’s surrounded by death, he won’t fear, because like a Good Shepherd, the Lord our God will be there to comfort and look after him. Do we have such conviction in these difficult times my fellow believers? We ought to, else we won’t get through them in a godly manner.
And then we have the also immortal advice of Cousin Sol: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth, straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:5-10)
Glory be mih people! Right there is the best synopsis you can ever get of the Good Book and the true way to live a Christian life! Bubba! It just covers everything in a few short verses. And don’t fool yuh fat, the Lord inspired Cousin Sol to write those words as a guideline for us. So please, let’s be wise and follow them nuh, cause they are only for our benefit, not the Lord’s.
Now for those of us who truly believe, let’s go home declaring to the entire world, who and whose we are. In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘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!’
And if our hearts are right, then the next action is for us to go out and share Jesus with others. Much LOVE!
…faith… connects our weakness…to God’s strength… (Daily Bread Devotional)
04 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, adventurous, antidote, attributes of deaity, aura of love, better is the poor, Christians, confidence, dalliances, deceitful, disciples, distrust, doubt, effort, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, friends, fulfilling, glory to God, holy spirit, I am the way, image of Christ, inescapable, Jesus Christ, joy, led people astray, lies, light, LOVE, LOVE to hate, Monday blues, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mysterious, no work no eat, peace, perverse, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rich, salt, salvation, same wavelength, seen the Father, show us the Father, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, take my word, talk, taunts, the enemy's ranks, the Life, the message, the New testament, the Trinity, the Truth, time, Triune God, trust, truth, try it, unbelievers, unfaithful, ungodly world, untrustworthy, uprightness, walk, walks in integrity, wiles, wisdom, wishy-washy, working for Jesus
Proverbs 28:6. Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse (deceitful, unfaithful) in his ways, though he be rich.
And then it was Monday – the day that we all LOVE so much! Hn, hn! I guess though that the reality is more like LOVE to hate because it breaks up our nice, comfortable weekend dalliances. But look at it this way friends; if there was no Monday and no work, then there would be no weekend dalliances.
So although we don’t like going out to work on Monday, it’s just the way things are, and we might as well get used to it and plan for it in our weekly schedule. ‘Sunday – church – fellowship- renew Spirit: Monday – Work – will not get upset, since if I don’t work I won’t eat.’
But thankfully, we have an antidote for those Monday Blues and non-work feelings. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and when we sing it out, it just resonates in every pore of our body and gets the adrenaline flowing like a mighty rushing river. (smile) So let’s belt it out now nuh with as much enthusiasm as we can muster.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih breddren, can you feel that mighty rushing river of adrenaline flowing through you now? Yes! I know you can! Now let’s get ourselves together and get out there and do God’s work; spread His gospel like He wants us to, and live lives of salt and light so that others might see and want to become like us.
Remember, it’s not so much the message, but even more so the image of Christ that we portray which brings people to Him. We can’t talk one thing then do something completely contrary to our talk. Both our talk and walk have to be on the same wavelength. And that’s one of the major reasons why unbelievers are turned off of Christians. Who can blame them eh?
That’s why Cousin Sol warns us in our Bit: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse (deceitful, unfaithful) in his ways, though he be rich.’ And if we are true believers, we know that to be the awesome truth!
Integrity is ever so important in the life of a believer, because that’s what Jesus’ entire ministry is based on. He never led people astray, or told them one thing when it was another, and that’s what so badly needed in our Christian society today. One must be able to take whatever is said or done and be able to have faith and trust in it, otherwise all we’ll have is a wishy-washy, untrustworthy ministry like the world system.
And to show how easy it is for doubt and distrust to creep into our belief system, even for the disciples, who spent lots of time with Jesus personally. Hear their response to His telling them about going back to heaven to prepare a place for them
‘And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth (will satisfy) us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself (on my own authority): but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.’ (John 14:4-10)
Yeh friends, it’s not easy for many to accept, but once we’ve experienced Jesus, we have indeed experienced the Father. And the scholars have this interesting explanation of verse 9.
‘14:9. Seen me…seen the Father: There are no attributes of deity that the Son does not possess. This statement is most powerful. Everything that is true of God the Father is also true of the Son. The doctrine of the Trinity in the New Testament may be inscrutable (mysterious, hard to understand), but it is also inescapable.’
That means if you want to be a believer, you must deal with and eventually believe the doctrine of the Triune God, because it is just a basic foundation of the faith.
Ah friends, living and working for Jesus is not easy on any level, but when we put in the time and effort it takes, it can be such a wonderful, adventurous and fulfilling life. Don’t take my word for it, try it nuh. Much LOVE!
…once we have Jesus…we don’t need anything or anyone else…Glory to God…
31 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a necklace, abundance, adornment, bind them about thy neck, challenge, compassionate heart, courage, creativity, curse, depart from evil, esteem, fear the Lord, filled with plenty, find favour, first fruits, forget not my law, forsake thee, give generously, glory to God, godly obedience, handle the issues of life, honour the Lord, if it's not one thing, intimate association, it's another, Jesus desires, keep my commandments, length of days, let thine heart, long life, loving-kindness, Malachi, mercy, my son, negative owrd, new wine, peace, possessions, prove me now, share, stewards, ten percent, the less fortunate, the mind, the table of thine heart, Thursday Blessings, Thursday's Blessings, tithes, truth, wisdom, wise in thine own eyes, with God and man
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.
At last friends, at long last, a breakthrough! Wow! I can now breathe fairly well through my nose again! Glory to God! You would not understand the difference it makes not having to wake up so often to moisten my dry mouth.
And I guess that’s why I slept in this morning; the body hasn’t had the luxury of sleeping for several hours undisturbed for a while now. (smile) Let’s hope we don’t regress again, because we were already at this stage last Saturday.
Yes, it’s time to move on to bigger and better things, like praying for those unfortunate people in Hawaii who are still struggling with the effects of the volcano lava spreading all over, and thanking the Lord that the tropical storm Alberto did not do as much damage to the Southern U.S. as expected, and has now been downgraded.
Ah Lord eh friends, as the old people would say; in this life, if it’s not one thing, then it’s another. And isn’t that indisputable truth, because we never seem to have a time when something negative is not happening in our lives. That’s why we’ve been admonished to godly obedience in our Bit, because it’s only through intimate association with Almighty God that we can successfully handle the issues of life.
‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.’ And some are brass-faced enough to ask why they should do that? Well here is why! ‘For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add unto thee.’ (Prov.3:2) And if you don’t want that, then I don’t know what to say to you, because I believe everyone wants those things.
And Cousin Sol continues with his exhortations to obedience. ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.’ (Prov.3:3) Wow! What wisdom friends!
But before we look at why doing those things are considered wise, let’s check out some explanations from the scholars on that verse. ‘3:3. About thy neck: The teachings should be made as much a part of one’s adornment as a necklace. The table of thine heart, that is, the mind.’
Yes my people, God’s laws should be so much a part of us, that they come like a necklace around our necks and should also be constantly on our minds. And what’s the benefit of all that? ‘So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov.3:4) I don’t know about you, but I surely want to find favour with God, and to some extent with man.
Then in his God-inspired wisdom, Cousin Sol pens these words of everlasting truth, which so many of us quote, but don’t really put into practice. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov.3:5-6) Oh mih breddren, what words of truth and wisdom!
And the scholars explain: ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning, “rely on, depend upon”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths before you smooth and/or straight.’
And normally people would stop there, but I’m not going to, because there’s much more wisdom that we desperately need to follow in the next few verses. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.’ (Prov.3:7) And you wonder why? ‘Because ‘It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov.3:8) Yuh see friends, following the Lord even brings bodily health and strength!
And we’ll close with this admonishment, that’s also so important, but which most of us don’t follow to our own demise. ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase:’ (Prov. 3:9) And again you foolishly ask why you should give to God so generously of your earthly possessions? ‘So shall thy barns shall be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:10)
Ah mih people, remember one of the first rules that God laid down for the Israelites was giving a tithe, ten percent of their income to the church, so that the church could support the priesthood and do His work. And when they followed His command, they prospered.
But now, we seem to think otherwise and it’s not taught in many churches. But friends, that’s why a lot of us individually, and churches as a whole, are suffering in these difficult times. We consider it difficult or unwise to give God ten percent of what He has given to us. Remember it’s all His, and we are just stewards of it.
Please note His challenge to the Israelites in Malachi: ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ (Mal.3:10)
Oh my people, let’s start back teaching it in our churches nuh. Let’s just try it and see, take up that challenge and see if we can prove the Lord wrong nuh. From personal experience, I guarantee that we won’t! End of sermon.
Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings that the Lord has so generously bestowed on us, although we don’t deserve many of them. In strong and sincere voice now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And if we’re truly sincere, then we’ll go out and share those blessings with the less fortunate as Jesus greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…give generously to God…and He will give back to you…much more than you gave…
26 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a lively hope, abundant mercy, begotten us, believed in Him, believing is seeing, blessed, child of God, complaining, don't fear, dream about, dwell securely in hope, eagerly wait, education is expensive, evacuated, face persecution, face the rigours, feel inferior, Friend Anselm, glory to God, Hawaii, holy spirit, hope, hoping, hungry hope, ignorance, inferior to anyone, inspire us, joyful expectancy, keep on keeping on, lava, look forward to, my flesh shall rest, my heart is glad, never give up, our Lord Jesus Christ, our sins forgiven, overcome the world, patience, perseverance, prisoners of hope, resurrection of Jesus, rise to life eternal, saved by hope, seeing is believing, sinless life, spend eternity with Christ, the cross at Calvary, the God and Father, the Lord at my right hand, the most exciting thing in life, the resurrection of Christ, tough times, unconditional LOVE, volcano, wisdom, working for Jesus, worry
1 Peter 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Well friends, it’s somewhat cloudy outside on this Saturday morning, but that’s no reason to think we won’t eventually have another glorious day. Technically it’s spring, but does it ever feel like summer. Last night I had to get up and change my T. shirt because I woke up with it soaking wet, even though my bedroom window was wide open. Please note, I’m not complaining, just making a point (smile). I will take that situation over the winter cold any day.
Unfortunately though, the Big Island of Hawaii is experiencing more heat than an ordinary summer because the volcano just keeps bubbling and releasing lava down its slopes. Houses have now been swallowed up by the molten rock and people are being evacuated, as it doesn’t seem to be easing up.
I guess the good thing is that it hasn’t erupted with full force spewing its molten guts all over the place. At least this way there is time to evacuate residents who are in immediate danger. Let’s keep on praying for them.
And today being Saturday, let’s turn to some quotes that we received from our friend Anselm this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first one is certainly amusing. ‘If you think Education is expensive, try ignorance.’ But nonetheless it’s true! At least with education you have some idea what it’s all about, but with ignorance, you’re completely lost.
Now here is an important one. ‘No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.’ And is that ever true friends! Inferiority is something we allow or bring on ourselves. No matter how much someone else may think they are better than us, because of their wealth, power, or social position, it only holds true if we believe it too.
So please stop thinking you’re inferior to ANYONE! NO child of God is inferior to any other! We were all made the same way and for the same purpose by Almighty God and He LOVES us all unconditionally, regardless of our circumstances or behaviour!
And the next quote wisely advises: ‘Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.’ Ah mih people, the first sentence is paramount: ‘Never give up.’ As followers of Jesus we are not supposed to do that because giving up does not exist in His vocabulary.
He sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary so that we could be saved, our sins forgiven, and that we’d be imbued through the work of His Holy Spirit with whatever we need to face the rigours of this world.
And Jesus didn’t mince words, He told us that we’d face persecution and tough times simply because we believed in Him, but that He had already overcome the world, so we had no need to fear or worry, just keep on keeping on in His name! That means to keep on hoping, which makes our last quote invaluable:
‘Hope is the most exciting thing there is in life!’ Glory to God my people, that is gospel truth! Without hope we have nothing to look forward to. But with hope, we have everything to look forward to and dream about! With hope in our hearts, ANYTHING is possible, especially if we are believers in Jesus, the ONE who can do ANYTHING!
And there are a couple of expressions about hope that I just LOVE: ‘the first talks about ‘hungry hope, and the second, about ‘prisoners of hope.’ Mama Mia! And as true followers of Jesus we need to possess the first and be one of the latter, if we want to lead a successful earthly life working for Jesus. And the thing about hope friends is its power to bring expectancy, joyful expectancy to our lives.
And there are so many passages of scripture that deal with hope that we only have time and space for a few. First, check out our Bit: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.’
Oh my fellow believers that’s the greatest hope we can ever have; to spend eternity with Christ, because He rose from the dead, we too shall rise to life eternal!
And then there is this famous passage from Bruh Paul to the Roman church, which we all know. ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) wait (eagerly) for it.’ (Rom.8:24-25) That’s the power of hope friends, believing without seeing, then keeping on in eager expectation of its eventual arrival.
And we’ll close with these encouraging words of Bruh David from Psalm 16. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’ (Ps.16:8-9)
Oh my faithful brethren, this Saturday morning, I implore us, if the Lord is at our right hand, then let’s be filled with hungry hope and be strong prisoners of hope nuh! And consequently, let our hearts be glad and rejoice in the glory of our great God, and rest, dwell securely in His hope. That’s wisdom of everlasting proportions! Much LOVE!
…the world says…seeing is believing…but God says…hoping and believing is true seeing…
07 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, adversity, against the covenant, another glorious day, apostasy, aura of love, birth of Christ, blasphemous, boasters, confidence, corrupt, corruption, covetous, Daniel, disobedient to parents, do exploits, do wickedly, encouragement, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, face the world, false accusers, falsehood, flatteries, fleshly lusts, future times, glory to God, God pleasers, haughty, Hawaii, help, high-minded, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, kings of the north and south, lies, LOVE, lovers of self, men pleasers, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, money lovers, perilous times, pleasures, polluted, prayers, proud, regeneration of nature, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, salvation, shall be strong, slanderers, spirits rising, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, take action, take the fight, taunts, the grass growing green. buds blossoming, the last days, the SON, the Sun, those who know their God, to do God's work, to the enemy, traitors, trust, truth, ungodly world, unholy, vision, volcanic eruption, wiles, wisdom, without self control
Daniel 11:32. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupt (polluted) by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits (take action).
Ah friends, another glorious day is in the offing in my neighbourhood! You know it couldn’t get any better when both the Sun and the SON are in most brilliant mode, with the grass growing green and lush and the buds blossoming on the trees. Wow friends! That means the yearly regeneration of nature is on its way! We couldn’t ask for better encouragement to get out and face today. Glory to our great God!
Unfortunately though, not all neighbourhoods are experiencing such regeneration, some like ones in Hawaii are instead experiencing degeneration and disaster due to the recent eruption of the Kilauea volcano and all the ensuing adversity such activity brings. And it seems to be still in active mode, which could mean anything. So let’s remember those people in our prayers and offer whatever help we can.
Now it’s time to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, to raise up our spirits and acknowledge the Lord God Jehovah as our Creator and Guiding Light.
In full 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!’
Yeh friends, if we were sincere there, then the Lord will not turn down our requests, we will feel the adrenaline coursing swiftly through our bodies and our spirits rising, heavenly enthused (smile) to do God’s work. That’s the awesome power of sincere prayer!
And today we’ll look at a scripture that many of us don’t even know, but which is an important part of the prophecy for our world. It comes from Daniel, when the Lord revealed the vision of future times to him. This piece deals with the kings of the north and south roaming through the earth to cause havoc.
It says in our Bit: ‘And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupt (polluted) by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits (take action).’
And my people, if ever there was a time for that scripture to be invoked, is right now, what with the corruption and evil and falsehood that is currently being perpetrated in our world! It’s a time when we have become men pleasers rather than God pleasers, and only want to hear what’s good to satisfy our fleshly lusts.
Bruh Paul says it best when talking to Timothy about the coming apostasy (renunciation of one’s religion). ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal) despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), LOVERS of pleasures, more than LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (mere religion without power or spiritual life) from such turn away.’ (2 Tim.3:1-5)
Oh friends, it’s as though Bruh Paul is living in today’s world, he’s got the picture of it so right! All that he says is happening, in these what we consider the last times. And the scholars explain: ‘3:1-4. The last days began with the birth of Christ and will culminate in Christ’s return to the earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicates that apostasy will characterize the final days of the church age.’
But with all that being acknowledged, you know what friends? As Daniel says in our Bit, ‘but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits (take action).’ And that’s where we, the people of God come in. It behooves us now to stand strong and do exploits in the Lord’s name! It’s time to take the fight to the enemy, rather than sitting and waiting for him to come to us.
Oh my fellow believers, we’re so blessed, with sins forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus, with salvation and eternal life faithfully promised, let’s not waste all that Jesus went through nuh, let’s be up and doing, for that’s what He desires of us. Much LOVE!
…if the supposed people of God don’t stand strong…and fight the enemy…then who will eh…
01 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gentle reminder, a land of uprightness, a truculent fish, all's well with the world, beloeved of god, burden, commitment, confession, fall flat on our faces, feel exhausted, fight the spirit of God, forever faithful, glory to God, go astray, God will never let us go, God's faithfulness, God's matchless love, God's spirit seals us, good to be home, greatest honour, guilt, He chastens, home at last, hurry, lead me, lead me in truth, my salvation, nothing can separate us, on thee do I wait, our relationship with God, reel us back in, repentances, resist, Ruth Harms Calkin, serve Jesus, share His love, Show me thy ways, teach me, teach me thy paths, teach me to do thy will, the Love of Christ, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, thou art my God, Three Discoveries, thy spirit is good, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, whome he loves, worry
Psalm 143:10. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Home, home, home at last! Glory to God! Yeh mih people, the ole fella is back in his yard after a five-day stay in the hospital, although it took me almost two hours to get home in the crazy early afternoon traffic. But I did get home in time to enjoy a few minutes of bright sunshine and brisk spring breeze on my porch on this twenty something degrees spring day. Hope this is just the first of many.
And is it ever good to be home friends! You know they say that home is where the heart is. And I’m certainly where my heart is; down in my confused study, writing the Bit on my ancient and slow but trusted desktop computer. So all’s well with the world!
And today I have something interesting to share from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘Three Discoveries.’ Please read with me: ‘I have made three overwhelming discoveries regarding God’s reliable faithfulness: The first: God will never let us go – never! We may fall flat on our faces. We may resist until we feel exhausted, but nothing can separate us from His matchless LOVE.
The second: God will never let us down – never! He is forever faithful, even when we are faithless. He cannot deny Himself. He will never leave us nor forsake us. The third: He will never let us off – never! Whenever we give in to temptation, when we determine to have our own way – He says, with all the LOVE of His Father-heart, “I LOVE you too much to excuse disobedience.”
Whom He LOVES, He chastens. God is determined to bless us. He is eager to show us His kindness. He is glad to teach us the proper paths; but He must have access to our hearts. He will allow our guilt to become a burden until conviction comes, then confession, and finally renewed commitment! May David’s prayer be our prayer.’
And that immortal statement of Bruh David is our Bit today: ‘Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.’
Yes my faithful brethren, we have such a faithful and LOVING God, that He WILL NOT ALLOW us to go astray. When we want to have our own way, He will give us a li’l line and then reel us back in. Just enough line for us to realize that we are heading down the wrong path and need to come back to Him. Like a fisherman allows a truculent fish to carry on with its antics at first, then firmly reels him in.
That’s exactly how our ever-LOVING God deals with us. So it doesn’t make any sense for us to try to seriously stray from Him, for His Spirit seals us to Him from the day we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. As Bruh Paul says: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ eh…?’ (Rom.8:35) And he goes on to list a whole number of things, powers and people who can’t do it.
That’s why it doesn’t make sense to fight the Spirit of God, as so many of us try to do. We just can’t win! That’s why Bruh David pleads earlier on in Psalm 25 – A prayer for guidance and protection – ‘Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.’ (Ps.25:4-5)
Oh my people, instead of trying to get away from the Lord, we ought to be asking Him to help us find Him and learn His ways more and more. That’s the only thing that makes sense in our relationship with Him. I really don’t need to tell you all that, but I just felt like I should throw in a gentle reminder. (smile)
And since it’s Tuesday, let’s go home telling the entire world, who and whose we are, by declaring our Tuesday Mantra in strong and sincere voice. All together 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!’
Yeh mih fateful breddren, now let’s seriously go out and share the LOVE of our friend Jesus with the rest of the world, as He desires of us. Much LOVE
…to serve Jesus…is the greatest honour in the world…
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