18 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accepting Jesus, aggressive, almighty god, angel of the Lord, appeased the evils, awesome truth, bad beginnings, baptizing, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, cramp, drama, early morning horrors, earthly actions, elixir of sleep, eternal life, eternal separation, eternity, evil one, fool's wisdom, foolish spirit, foundational concept of the gospel, free and easy salvation, free gift, from their sins, full bladder, glory hallelujah, God's will, God's Word, good endings, gospel of Matthew, gospel truth, grace of God, heart-warming, heaven, hogwash, holy spirit, ignorance, indisputable, Jehovah Saves, Jesus Christ, Jesus' purpose for coming to earth, John the Baptist, Joseph, lead and guide, Lord and Saviour, lost, Loving Father, Lucifer, mention of Jesus' name, miserable, New Testament, penny section, refuse to accept, refuse to be saved, rejecting Jesus, repenting of sins, rest, River Jordan, salvation, save, save his people, saving grace, saviour, scriptures, settle in our souls, sinful condition, sinful destination, sleep, Son, spoil our day, take away the sin of the world, that which is lost, the Lamb of God, to save sinners, to seek and to save, to work with God, tossed and turned, unwise moves, war-like, wisdom, wisdom of the ages, wise and good Spirit
Luke 19:10. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Oh Friends, I greet you all this snowy morning with the piece of wisdom that ignorance is a helluva thing yes! (smile) And that’s no lie, it’s the gospel truth!
Now hear the reasons for my assertion. Sometime after two o’clock this morning, I was summarily awakened by a cramp in my left thigh. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as some I have, but as I swung my legs off the bed to attend to the cramp, I also realized that my bladder was full. So I got up and hobbled to the bathroom.
Don’t laugh, because that was a good hobble, some day’s I can’t even hobble, I’m more like the hunchback of Notre Dame. Unfortunately though, by the time I had appeased the evils in my body, I found that the sleep had left my eyes.
Now this is where the ignorance comes in. In spite of being wide awake, I insisted that it was too early for me to get up, so I went back to bed, where I tossed and turned, devoid of the elixir of sleep, foolishly telling myself that though I couldn’t sleep, I was getting valuable rest.
Steups! What hogwash! And the sad part is that when I did get up, it was much later than I had planned. Chuh! And that’s why the Bit is somewhat late.
Ah Friends, the evil one will do those sorts of things to us, or rather will lead us to make those sort of unwise moves, so he can spoil our day. But with the grace of God, I’m choosing to believe the cliché that bad beginnings make for good endings. Glory Hallelujah!
Glory Hallelujah indeed! If I had listened to the wise and good Spirit instead of the foolish, evil one, I wouldn’t have put myself through those early morning horrors.
But thankfully our wonderful and LOVING Father in heaven saw how lost and miserable we were in our sinful condition and sent His beautiful Son, Jesus Christ to save us, both from ourselves and the ole crook Lucifer.
As Jesus so assuredly says in our Bit: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’
And yuh better believe my people, that there are many of us, in fact, way too many of us who are still lost, and worse yet, refuse to be saved, even though Jesus went out of His way and provided free and easy salvation, through simply repenting of our sins and accepting Him as our Lord and Saviour.
Hn! But I’m not here to preach… Chuh! It’s amazing how that word preach likes to flow from my pen, although I insist that I’m not a preacher. (smile) Anyway, I’m not here to talk or teach about that this morning. Yeh, I’m more of a talker and teacher than preacher. Shut up my children! No noise from the penny section! (smile)
What we’ll continue doing today, in this last message on the topic of Christ coming to save us, is look at scriptures which proclaim and/or attest to that fact.
Oh my brethren, I need to retract one thing in that statement. This doesn’t seem to be the last message on Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth! Why? Because I was just checking to ensure that I had exhausted my supply of scriptures on the subject, when the Holy Spirit led me to a whole bunch more.
Yuh see Friends, when you’re sincerely trying to work with the Lord, He does lead and guide you to His Will and to His Word. Sorry for those of you who like to move on to a new Bit every day. But sometimes we need to hear certain things in the Word, again and again, for them to truly settle in our souls.
And we’ll begin our scriptures today with a most important verse from the gospel of Matthew, where the angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and tells him about the serious piece of drama that was about to be enacted in His life, and consequently the world.
‘And she shall bring forth a son, (referring to Mary, his betrothed) and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt.1:21)
Oh my fellow believers, nothing could be clearer and more explicit than that! Jesus was coming to earth as a SAVIOUR!
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘1:21, 22. Call his name JESUS: The name of the child Jesus (Heb. Yehoshua) means “Jehovah Saves.” This points to the very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world – to save sinners.
Placed early in the New Testament, this statement becomes the foundational concept of the gospel. Jesus, by His very name and nature, is the Saviour.’
Yes Friends, even Jesus’ name conveys the message of saving and salvation! So why are so many humans still so reluctant to receive and accept His saving grace eh? Even to the point of getting aggressive and war-like when they hear His name mentioned! Who knows? I guess we all have our various reasons for rejecting Christ’s free gift of salvation and eternal life.
But Friends, I’m here to tell us that whatever reason you choose for rejecting Jesus, it’s a fool’s wisdom, for ONLY Jesus, the Son of God, begotten before every and anything else in this world, can save us from our sinful destination of eternal separation from Almighty God! And that’s definitely not going to be a nice place to spend eternity!
And we’ll close with this magnificent scripture from the John the Baptist, where he was baptizing the repentant at the river Jordan. ‘The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ (John 1:29)
That my people, is the indisputable, most awesome and heart-warming truth! Please accept it as such, and gear all your earthly actions towards it, for in it lies the wisdom of all the ages. Much LOVE!
…just sit and contemplate for a moment…where you’ll end up if you reject Jesus…certainly no place like heaven…
04 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, appreciative, awe struck lovers, Blessed be the God and Father, coconuts, Cowie's bakery, crying in my wine, currants roll, disobedience, divine truth, fry bake and saltfish, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, God of my salvation, God's majesty, God's will, grace, Grange Beach, grateful, heavenly blessings, heavenly downpour, hell fire, highlights, hoping and praying, human ingenuity, ice cream, Jesus Christ, joy of life, knowledge, lavished, lord jesus christ, LOVE, loving kindness, mauby, memories, mentally and emotionally alert, mystery, new day rising, obeys, old times, out in the cold, Paradise, peace and awe, practical application, prayers, prudence, rejoice, right course of action, righteous person, shed blood of Jesus, shower of rain, sinful selves, sinful ways, sufferation, sweet Tobago, tarts, true nature of things, unconditional LOVE, understanding, undesrving souls, wisdom, wonderful god, wrath of God
Ephesians 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella’s moaning in his cups, crying in his wine, because he only has two more days left in Paradise. ‘Bahhh!’ Then I won’t be able to rise every morning, come out to my balcony and greet my wonderful God and the new day rising above the trees on the eastern horizon.
In two more days, I won’t be able to gaze out at the lush greenery and rejoice in the peace and awe of God’s majesty that it provides my soul. How sad my people. (smile) But as we keep saying, while there is life, there’s always hope, and while I’m alive, I will keep on hoping and praying that the God of my salvation will enable me to live out my days, or some portion thereof, in Sweet Tobago.
If it’s His will, then it will undoubtedly come to pass. But if not, then I will just have to grin and bear it. But in the meantime, I’m making memories so that in whatever physical space or state I might eventually find myself, there will be lots of joyful and entertaining thoughts flowing through my mind. For as we all know, memories are one of the few things which never leave us. So Friends, let’s all try and make as many good memories as possible today nuh, to enliven and enlighten our later years.
And mih breddren, I made some excellent ones yesterday. I don’t remember how it all went, but these are the highlights. I took my uncle Foster down to the airport around 9 a.m. to buy his ticket back to Trinidad. We also bought breakfast down there. Oh mih people, Tobago has certainly become a real food industry place; everywhere food is being sold.
We dropped him home, then came home ourselves, and had breakfast; fry bake and saltfish, washed down with some cold, gloriously tasting mauby. Hn! Then after writing the Bit, we headed for the beach.
In my contrariness (smile) and since I was the only one bathing, I went to Grange Beach, far from the madding crowd, and also close to an area in which I wanted to check out a friend. I was the only person on the beach, and though the tide was coming in, making the water somewhat choppy, I enjoyed myself. And while there, under a clear blue sky, a shower of rain suddenly came down.
Now the forecast had called for rain all day, but that was the first time we’d seen any. And Friends, just like there’s nothing sweeter than playing mas in rain, so there’s nothing better than being in the sea during a heavenly downpour! The pellets of heavenly blessing just kept falling on my head, as I laughed and swam, while the Duchess hid out in the car.
And since it didn’t make sense to come out of the water and get wet again in the rain, I just stayed there until the rain ended, some ten to fifteen minutes later. By the time I came out, an older Indian gentleman had set up a coconut stall by the side of the road, next to the beach, and since we hadn’t had any coconuts yet, we decided to check them out.
They weren’t bad, but the amusing thing is that while enjoying the nuts, the rain came down again. The wife ran back to the car, while I stood out there in my bathing trunks and my already wet towel around my neck, enjoying the coconut and chatting with the gentleman.
Some ten minutes later the rain ended and we headed out to find this friend, whom I’d been unable to find a couple days earlier. But this time with better directions, I eventually found him. His name is Rees Jack. Apparently he suffered a stroke some two months ago, which unfortunately left him with little movement on his right side. But thankfully, otherwise he was mentally and emotionally alert, and still full of the joy of life. We had a short but excellent visit, recalling old times.
That reminds me of another old friend that I’d visited two days before. His name is Harvey Anthony, and he’s sort of housebound too, the result of an infected wound on his right foot, which isn’t healing as it should because he’s also a diabetic.
Friends, please remember them in our prayers. Ask the Lord to heal and comfort them in their time of trial and need. For remember that prayer is the greatest power on earth, and that the prayer of a righteous person can be very effective.
Now after visiting Rees, we stopped in at Cowie’s Bakery in Carnbee, one of the oldest, and in my youth, the most popular bakery in Tobago. And though they now seem to be a shadow of their former selves, with much more competition around, they still have some of the finest baked goods around. Their butter bread is still to die for, while their coconut tart is the best I’ve tasted so far, and their currants roll is still mouth-watering.
After that, the Duchess and I ran around looking for food, but couldn’t find anything to thrill us, and we ended up in the mall, sitting on high chairs at a high table, eating ice-cream and gazing like awe-struck lovers into each other’s eyes. Hn, hn, hn! She might not agree with that description though. Then we came home and sampled the delights from Cowie’s Bakery. Now those were major good memories I made yesterday.
And finally let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.’
And my fellow believers, as our Bit so wisely points out, and as I keep asking everyday, how can we not LOVE and serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, when He’s done so much for us, simply because of His great, unconditional LOVE for us undeserving souls?
Yesterday we talked about His redemption, forgiveness and showers of grace, through the shed blood of Jesus. Today let’s continue with a couple more verses of Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Ephesians, outlining how Jehovah God had planned to, and eventually redeemed us.
‘Wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence (understanding); Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.’ (Eph.1:8-9)
Ah Friends, yuh see again, that all the Lord has done is through His own LOVING-kindness, not through any actions on our part. In fact our actions would normally have caused Him to eradicate us. But His LOVE was so strong and awesome, that it caused Him to come up with a plan to save us from our sinful selves.
Now let’s hear the scholars’ comments on those verses. ‘1:8. This verse could be rendered, “He lavished upon us this grace which consists in all sorts of wisdom and prudence (or, insight). The word ‘wisdom’ refers to a knowledge of the true nature of things; prudence has to do with the practical application of this wisdom leading to the right course of action. But the specific “wisdom and prudence” Paul has in view here concerns a future aspect of God’s will, as delineated in verses 9,10.’
And re ‘1:9. This verse more precisely identifies that “wisdom and prudence” (v.8) that God lavished on us. This “wisdom and prudence” have to do with God’s making known unto us the mystery of his will. “Mystery” here refers to a divine truth that is incapable of being discovered by human ingenuity and that, until recently, has been kept secret. Why did God disclose this mystery to us? It was according to (because of) his good pleasure which he hath purposed (planned) in himself.’
So there we have it my fellow believers! God planned His plan, and when the time was right, laid it out one step at a time to his greatest creation, mankind. So why aren’t we more appreciative and grateful eh? I can’t explain it.
I can only say that if we don’t change our sinful ways and turn back to Almighty God soon, then many of us will be left out in the cold, or rather in the eternal ‘sufferation’ of hell fire. And I don’t think that is going to be a fun time. So please let’s err on the side of caution and wisdom. Much LOVE!
…to him who obeys the call of disobedience…will the wrath of God surely fall upon…
08 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable things, accomplishment, advice, anxious, appreciate, appreciation, awesome words of truth, beginning of time, belief, believers, bestowed on man, body, born to bear, buying gifts, cast thy burden, child of God, children, children of God, christ jesus, clothes, created in God's likeness, daily guidance, depended, depths of our being, desire, dire straits, discerning, distinction, don't worry about your life, drink, due time, eat, elevated status, essentials of Christianity, eternity, evil tentacles, exalt, fact, faith, fellowship, focused, food, gift of Love, God's will, great benefit, great promise, guard your hearts, hearsay, heartfelt, heavenly Father, heirs of God, hope, humble yourselves, ignore, important message, incarnate birth, Jesus Christ, life, little children, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, Lucifer, Maker, material things, material wants, meat, minds, moderation, Most High God Jehovah, moved, pay for sins, peace of god, personal experience, point of view, prayer, prince of peace, privilege, problem, prosper, Psalm 55, raiment, refuse to believe, rejoicing, request, responsibility, season for celebrating, seek God's kingdom, selflessly, shaken, shopping, son of god, special creation, spiritual agenda, spiritual needs, spiritual things, straight and narrow, supplication, supply, surrender, sustain, sustenance, talk to our hearts, talking to God, thanking God, thanskgiving, the Father's will, the greatest gift, the mighty hand of God, the righteous, the ways of the world, the world expects, things of God, token, totally dependent, trust, wear, wisdom, words of advice
Matthew 6:25. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body more than raiment (clothes)?
Well hello again, you beautiful children of God! What an enormous and exciting privilege to be called a child of God, eh mih people! But do most of us think of our selves in those terms, and if we do, do we truly appreciate that monumental fact?
I’m afraid that the answer to both questions is most likely NO! We neither seriously consider ourselves children of God, nor do we truly appreciate it, otherwise we wouldn’t continue doing some of the abominable things we do. But once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then we do become heirs of God, along with Jesus, and what better state can there be to live in eh, my fellow believers? NONE WHATSOEVER!
For being a child of the Most High God Jehovah means we’re right at the top of the totem pole, right at the heart of the matter, more privileged than those who refuse to believe. But by the same token my brethren, that elevated status also comes with great responsibility; namely to do the Father’s will and show plenty appreciation for such an undeserved distinction.
And this is the season for celebrating the greatest gift that was ever bestowed on mankind; the incarnate birth of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Prince of Peace, etc. etc, born to bear and pay for our sins, from the very beginning of time, right through eternity.
Again, do we really show our heartfelt appreciation? And I’m not talking about running around shopping, buying gifts, food and all the other stuff the world expects of us. But whether we thank our heavenly Father, from the very depths of our being, for that great gift of LOVE He so selflessly bestowed on us, simply because He LOVED us and didn’t want to see us end up in the evil tentacles of Lucifer for all eternity, especially since we are His own special creation, created in His likeness.
And that means talking to, and thanking Him personally, as well as in fellowship with other believers. And then doing what Jesus advises in our Bit, which I believe is on its last day, won’t guarantee it though. (smile)
‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body more than raiment (clothes)?
Oh my brethren, when we truly come to God, we need to be like little children, who are totally dependent on their parents, looking to Him for daily guidance and sustenance.
As Jesus says, seeking His kingdom FIRST, getting a spiritual agenda going, before considering the material things, because that’s the Father’s will. And why wouldn’t we, when Jesus so avidly declares that if we seek and follow the spiritual needs, then the Father will supply our material wants? That sounds absolutely great to me!
But unfortunately too many of God’s supposed children don’t seem to think so and instead foolishly follow the ways of the world, putting the material things way before the spiritual, sometimes even going so far as to completely ignore the things of God. And then we wonder why personally, and as a society, we’re in such dire straits.
Today Friends, we’re going to check out some scripture where other discerning and properly focused children of God share the great promise that Jesus makes in our Bit.
And we’ll begin with some wonderful words of advice from Bruh David, from Psalm 55, where he cries out against deceitful friends. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps.55:22)
And those are awesome words of truth my people, as so many of us who have followed them, have found out to our great benefit. The problem though is that not enough of us do it.
Then turning to Bruh Paul, who has a point of view on almost every subject. (smile) Here, he’s telling the Philippians about rejoicing in the Lord. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand (is near spiritually, and will be back to judge).
Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:4-7)
Yeh Friends, everything we do, ought to be passed FIRST before our great God! In that way, we’ll always be operating in His will, which is His greatest desire, and can be our greatest accomplishment.
And we’ll close with some more wise words, this time from Peter, words that we all know but don’t sufficiently follow. In the closing chapter of his first epistle, Peter exhorts us to: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet.5:6-7)
Oh Friends, no simpler words exist to convey that rather important message, so if we don’t get it, then it’s definitely our fault. And please note that all the advice we’ve heard from those men of God wasn’t hearsay, but derived from actual personal experience. All of them depended on our heavenly Father for their sustenance, so if they could do it and prosper, then why can’t we eh?
I’ll leave us to answer that question individually before our Maker, and trust that we’ll all let Him talk to our hearts, and thus lead us on the straight and narrow path which takes us directly to His door.
Oh mih Friends, that’s wisdom at its highest! So let’s try and do it nuh. Much LOVE!
…belief…surrender…trust…hope…faith…the 5 essentials of Christianity…
16 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abram, Adam, affliction, angel of the Lord, anger, anxiety, assures, barrenness, bear a son, belief, bitterness, childbearing age, children, clueless man, conceived, covenant, dealt harshly, descendants, despised, Egypt, endear ourselves to God, endless problems, exhort, faith, fatall error, father of many, fled, foolish, foolish pride, founding father, Garden of Eden, God's promises, God's will, God-given day, godly patience, goodness, Hagar, harsh treeatment, hope, impatience, inherit, Ishmael, Jehovah God's people, judgement, legal heir, listen, LOVE, lusts of the flesh, maid, omnipotent, original descisions, perseverance, play God, Praise the Lord, pregnant, promises, rash, resentment, river Euphrates, river Nile, Sarai, strife, submit, succumbed, thanks, the Lord judge, thoughtless actions, through the ages, true believers, true wisdom, undeserving children of men, vast tract of land, wait patiently, warfare, warp, wild man, wilderness
Genesis 15:18. In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed, (descendants) have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
Oh Friends, once more we’ve opened our bleary eyes to greet another God-given day! And all God’s people gratefully declared: ‘Praise the Lord! Give Him endless thanks for His goodness to the undeserving children of men!’
Yes my people, we do need to praise and give thanks to our wonderful God for His unending grace, which we certainly don’t deserve. But like we have a special place in our hearts for our children, the same way the Deity that created us has a special fondness for us. He LOVES us so much that He can’t help but lavish LOVE on us. (smile)
Now I never intended to stay this long on God’s promises to Abram, but everyday I see more stuff, and since Abram is considered the founding father of our faith, of Jehovah God’s people, I believe we should look at his life and His relationship with the Almighty in some detail, so that we can get a fuller understanding of how our great God works, of how the promises He made, have led to the world we know today.
And today in our Bit, we have yet another promise God made to Abram. ‘In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed, (descendants) have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.’
What’s interesting Friends, is that in every instance the Lord assures Abram that he will have an abundance of descendants, who will inherit a vast tract of land, from the river Nile to the Euphrates. The problem though is some ten years have passed since God first promised Abram a multitude of descendants, but nothing has so far happened to fulfill it.
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife is seventy something, way past normal childbearing age, so she takes it upon herself to play God. She has an Egyptian maid by the name of Hagar: ‘And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.’ (Gen.16:2-3)
And foolishly, like many other men over the years, Abram listened to her and knew Hagar, her Egyptian maid. But Friends, as it so often happens, our impatience comes back to haunt us in ways we never considered before making the original decisions.
The Good Book puts it this way: ‘And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes (sight). And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong (the wrong done to me) be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee (as you please). And when Sarai dealt hardly (harshly) with her, she fled from her face (presence).’ (Gen.16:4-6)
Ah mih breddren, Hagar must have preened and pranced around the household when she discovered she was pregnant with Abram’s first born and legal heir, considering the endless possibilities of wealth and power that would accrue to her and her son. What amazes and amuses me though is Sarai getting on Abram’s case because Hagar despised her for her barrenness. Wasn’t it she who came up with the idea in the first place?
Abram was simply foolish to listen to her. There his faith in God must have wilted somewhat. But you can’t blame him too much, when you’ve been promised a child for ten years, and you’re already eighty-five years old.
But right there and then the whole anger, bitterness, resentment, hatred, strife and warfare began, because one woman took it upon herself to play God, then another allowed foolish pride to warp her thinking. And as usual too, in between was a clueless man. (smile) And sadly, nothing much has changed to this day. Ah Lord eh!
So Hagar runs away from Sarai’s harsh treatment into the wilderness, where an angel of the Lord finds her sitting beside a well. ‘And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under hands…
I will multiply thy seed (descendants) exceedingly, that it should not be numbered for multitude… Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael (God hears); because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.’ (Gen.16:8-12)
Please note Friends, that God saw Hagar’s affliction and relieved her anxiety by promising that her son would be a father of many, though he would be wild and rash and have problems with mankind in general.
‘And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six (86) years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.’ (Gen.16:15-16)
Ah mih people, yuh see how our thoughtless actions can cause endless problems, even down through the ages. Sarai couldn’t wait on the Lord’s promise, possibly her faith had not reached the level necessary to keep on waiting regardless of the fact that she was old and nothing was happening. And poor Abram, although his faith seemed exceedingly strong, like Adam in the Garden of Eden, he succumbed to a woman’s arguments and made a fatal error in judgement, which has plagued the world since then, even to this day.
So though it’s oftimes difficult to wait on God’s promises, as true believers, we need to learn that godly patience which comes with strong belief and great faith. We cannot afford to let the lusts of the flesh drive us to do stuff outside of God’s will. When we think we’re speeding up God’s will, we’re usually just creating more problems. God doesn’t need our help to fulfill His promises. Remember He’s omnipotent.
So today, let’s exhort ourselves to listen, believe and wait patiently. For then we endear ourselves to God in true wisdom, and cause ourselves less problems. Much LOVE!
…but if we hope for that we see not…then do we with patience (perseverance)…(eagerly) wait for it… (Rom.8:25)
21 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every name, alive, aura of love, author of salvation, bang for your buck, Beatitudes, blessed, call to repentance, confidence, death, death of the cross, divine wisdom, down to earth, enthusiasm, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, evil, exalted, fellowship, G;ory Hallelujah, glory days, Glory of the Father, God's will, good of the land, haughty, high priest, holy spirit, hope, humble, humble servants, inroads, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus' philosophy, Jeus Christ is Lord, jobs, kingdom of heaven, lies, LOVE, Monday, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mouth of the Lord, nothing's impossible, obedience, obedient, pagan world, poor in spirit, proud, rebel, Red Letter Day, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, rock heaven and earth, rock-star status, saviour, self-control, Sermon on the Mount, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, truth, ungodly, ungodly world, unwise habit, useful purpose, weary souls, weekend, wicked taunts, wiles, willing, wisdom, wisest decision
Matthew 5:3. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Ah Friends, it’s Monday once more! I hope we’re all up bright and early and rearing to go after a weekend of rest and fellowship. (smile) Oh I know that plenty of us are still mired in the weekend party-going scene and are thus suffering the Monday morning blues and the miserable side effects that unwise action entails.
But I’m alive, therefore I have hope, that eventually we’ll all kick that unwise habit and get ourselves back to the glory days, when Monday was a day we all looked forward to with excitement rather than dread.
However, in what ever state you are this Monday morning, this is the perfect opportunity for us to all join together and rock heaven and earth with a splendiferous rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. (smile)
So Friends, with one, loud, sweet, tuneful, harmonious voice, let’s rock! ‘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, that was indeed a rocking rendition of our Battle Hymn! Even Jesus was rocking along with us! Now let’s get out into the evil ungodly world that surrounds us, and instead of carrying that rock-star status with us, let’s follow the divine wisdom of Jesus and be like what our Bit says: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’
And that’s the exact attitude that Jesus expects ALL His followers to genuinely have and sincerely display to all and sundry!
Now some of you might not recognize our Bit, but it’s the first of the Beatitudes, part of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, where He first sat down and taught His disciples and the people gathered round Him, His basic philosophy and expectations of those who desired to follow Him. Others of you might also be wondering what exactly does the Bit mean.
Well the scholars give us a very good explanation, so we’ll run with it. ‘5:3. Blessed means “happy.” This is a basic description of the believers’ inner condition as a result of the work of God. These Beatitudes, like Psalm 1, [please read] do not show a man how to be saved, but rather describe the characteristics of one who has been saved.
The poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud or haughty in spirit. They have been humbled by the grace of God and have acknowledged their sin and therefore their dependence on God to save them. They will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Kingdom of heaven is a general designation of the dwelling place of the saved.’
Consequently my people, even though we attain to such heights as being the most powerful person in the world, or the richest, or the wisest, or the strongest, or the most celebrated, if you desire to follow Jesus, He still expects you to have a humble, down to earth attitude, with total surrender to, and complete trust in His heavenly Father, relying on Him for all guidance and direction.
Oh Friends, it’s a simple philosophy; one of obedience and self-control, but nonetheless a difficult one to embrace and successfully cultivate, especially when you have the pagan world which surrounds us, pushing all sorts of wicked, ungodly things at you. But as we keep saying, if you’re serious about doing something that’s within God’s will, and you engage Him to work with you, then NOTHING’S IMPOSSIBLE.
And we’ll close with some scriptures that drive home the point. First off, listen to Isaiah as he calls Israel to repentance. ‘If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is.1:19-20) That’s very simple and straightforward Friends.
Now hear the author of Hebrews: ‘Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of salvation unto all them that obey him. Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb.5:8-10)
And lastly, listen to Bruh Paul talk about Jesus to the Philippians. ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.’ (Phil.2:8-11)
Yuh see Friends, Jesus was highly rewarded and exalted for His obedience to the Father’s will, and if we follow Jesus, we also shall be divinely reward. ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
So my fellow believers, let’s make today a Red Letter Day nuh; by seriously considering, and pondering all that we’ve said, and then deciding to work not only closely with Jesus, but also solely for Him. It’s the wisest decision any human can ever make on this earth, because that’s the only way to get into the kingdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…unfortunately fools don’t realize it…but working for, and with Jesus…gives you the biggest bang for your buck…
26 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ask, assaulted teenagers, assess, authority figures, beautiful day, better and brighter days, brilliant sunshine, Christians, commandments, confidence, confidence in God, conversion to Christ, deceitfulness, edification, effective prayer, emotionally violated, encouragement, endurance, evil heart, exhort one another daily, exhortation, faith, faithful, glorifies, God's house, God's plans. purposes, God's promises, God's will, gospel truth, hallmark, harden your hearts, heart condemns, hip hip hurray, holy spirit, homosexual urges, influential positions, Israel did not believe, Jesus Christ, Jesus' church, keep the faith, life of purity, living God, LOVE, Moses, nuture the seed, partakers of Christ, patience, perseverance, physically violated, pleasing in God's sight, probation, promises, rape, reality of faith, receive, recompense, religion, reward, scripture, seeds, sin, standard of Christian living, steadfast unto the end, successful praying, take it to heart, take note of, teacher remiss, test, theology, today, true believer, trust, trustworthy positions, truth, turn them straight, unbelief, undeniable truth, warning, well-spring, wisdom, wrongdoing, youth pastor
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
Oh Friends, another beautiful day is about to dawn in my neighbourhood, and I hope in yours too! This past week has really been marvellous; brilliant sunshine and temps in the high teens and low twenties! And hopefully, the weatherman is right, when he forecasts that this wonderful weather will continue for the rest of the week.
But sadly though Friends, once more I have to ask, what’s our world coming to eh? I don’t know if this story I received in a newsletter is true, but if it is, then the Lord help us yes!
Apparently this youth pastor in Iowa, in the U.S. confessed to raping at least four teenagers, according to him, ‘to turn them straight.’ Hn! His actions were bad enough, but listen to this. The judge sentenced him to 17 years in prison, then turned around and suspended the sentence, instead giving him 5 years probation.
Ah Lord eh! And it seems that he assaulted more than four teenagers over the years, for at least four more young men have come forward with the same claim. And this wasn’t simply a one and done thing either, but some of the assaults seem to have gone on for more than four years. All ‘to help them with homosexual urges.’
Steups! How can these young men ever trust authority figures again eh? Some of them might even continue the wrongdoing. They trusted their pastor, one of the most influential and trustworthy positions in our society, only to be physically and emotionally violated by him. And then all he gets is probation….
Something about all of that just doesn’t sound right nuh people. But I’ll let the Lord be the judge, and stick to my task. So here’s our Bit: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’
It’s the last day Friends… And many voices sang: ‘Hip, hip, hurray! (smile) I know some of you don’t like to see the same Bit everyday, but my brethren, when there’s a lot of scripture to share on a topic, it would be very remiss of me to not share and or point them out. Isn’t that what a teacher is supposed to do?
And having confidence in God, His plans, purposes and promises is of the utmost importance for all believers, because it’s hope and faith we live by, things that are not readily seen by the naked eye, but have to come from a well-spring deep inside of us.
And we’re going to begin in Hebrews 3, moving on from yesterday, where we saw that Moses was faithful, but yet still only a servant in God’s house, while Jesus, the Son, built His own house, the church.
Today, the author of Hebrews is warning that under Moses, Israel failed to believe. But if we should now hear Christ’s voice calling out to us through the Holy Spirit, we should not harden our hearts. (Heb.3:7-11)
‘Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called TODAY; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made (have become) partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;’ (Heb.3:12-14)
What wisdom and truth my Friends!
And the scholars have this to say about the last verse. ‘3:14. One’s conversion to Christ, which occurred in days past (we are made partakers of Christ), is proved to have been genuine by perseverance in the days to come (if we hold…our confidence steadfast unto the end). This means that continuance in the faith is a test of the reality of one’s faith in Christ.’
And that’s certainly true my people! If we don’t keep the faith, then we’re not true believers!
Now listen to this scripture from 1 John 3, where he’s trying to nurture the seed that’s already been planted in the hearts of his readers; that they should LOVE one another.
‘BELOVED, if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. (1 John 3:21-22)
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘3:21-22. If our heart condemn us not: We have confidence toward God if our lives are in line with the standard of Christian living set forth above. John is not saying that whether a person is right or wrong is simply a matter of how he subjectively feels about himself.
That is why John has given so many indicators and commands for Christians to take note of and assess themselves by. And one of the great results of a life lived in purity before God is a life where there is effective prayer. Right living is an important part of successful praying.’
More undeniable truth Friends!
And I’ve left this well known scripture for last, because it truly gets to the heart of the matter. (smile) It comes from Hebrews 10 and says: ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance, perseverance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb.10:35-36)
Oh Friends, what magnificent scripture! It contains seeds of warning, wisdom, encouragement, edification, exhortation and promise! Wow! (smile)
Please let’s take it to heart today, and live our lives to suit, because it’s simply gospel truth! And if we do hope to see better and brighter days, then our lives must encompass all those things written in that scripture. Much LOVE!
…coming to believe in Christ…having the utmost trust and confidence in His power and promises…and living a life that glorifies Him…is the hallmark of a true believer…
25 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abide in Jesus, access, according to His will, almighty god, Amen, angels, assurance, believers, blessed assurance, boldness, born of God, children of God, christ jesus, christianity, Christians, confidence, counter, dark domain, don't lose heart, edification, Ephesians, eternal purpose, everlasting truth, evil counterparts, evil one, faith, faithful, fathom God's wisdom, freedom of speech, Gentiles, glory, God's actions, God's ear, God's will, God's wisdom, heavenly places, Holy Spirit of God, honour of God, hope, indisputable fact, listening ear, living for Jesus, LOVE, Loving for Jesus, message, Moses, motivation, mount an attack, mystery, not be ashamed, pales, Paul, powerful helper, powers, Praise the Lord, principalities, recognize the evil, rejoicing, religion, righteousness., run him out, scriptures, serve and worship, slowly creeps up, Son, Spirit of God, spiritual armour, spiritual rebirth, spirituality, stand firm in faith, stand strong, steadfast in faith, subconscious, suddenly, sufferings, testimony, Thank you Father, thanks and praise, the church, the end, the enemy, theology, tribulations, under the weather, ungodly world, unwanted intrusions, uplifts, watchful eye, wonderful god
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
Oh Friends, for some unknown reason, this Wednesday morning in late September, early fall, the ole fella’s a tad under the weather. The enemy has somehow managed to wangle his way into my subconscious. But the good news though is that it’s not for long.
In fact, I’ve just run Him out! (smile) With the awesome help of the Holy Spirit, Beelzebub was just kicked to the farthest part of his dark domain. Thank You Father! And I can now pay close attention to the Word and write the Bit without the enemy’s unwanted intrusions.
Oh my people, that’s why we have to be so careful in all our doings in this ungodly world, because the evil one and his evil counterparts are always seeking an opening in our spiritual armour to mount an attack against us, and oftimes we don’t know where or when he’ll appear.
Sometimes it’s all of a sudden, at other times he slowly creeps up on us. But if we stand strong and keep a watchful eye, we’ll usually recognize the evil that’s trying to come against us. Then we’ll surely be able to counter it with the assistance of the powerful and wonderful helper, the Holy Spirit of God, which dwells within us for that exact purpose.
Ah my Friends, as I have to remark almost every day: ‘What a wonderful God we serve and worship!’
And all God’s children said a loud and thankful: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
And we do need to give Him much thanks and praise. Just look at what our Bit says: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’
What blessed assurance that is; to know that whatever we ask God for, once it conforms to His will, He will lend a listening ear, give us a serious hearing.
Now let’s turn to some scriptures that have now been languishing for a few days, because there’s been so many others to bring to the fore, and we can’t do them all at once. And we’ll begin with Bruh Paul writing to the Ephesians, talking about his mission to the Gentiles.
‘To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold (many sided) wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of (in) him. Wherefore I desire (ask) that ye faint not (not lose heart) at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.’ (Eph.3:10-13)
Yeh Friends, God’s wisdom is so wide and wonderful, that none of us can ever fully fathom it!
Now hear the scholars on those verses. ‘3:10. Paul’s disclosure of this mystery teaches angels (principalities and powers in heavenly places) of God’s wisdom.
3:12. This verse affirms that Christians have boldness (freedom of speech before God) and access (the right of entering His presence) with confidence (assurance of being heard by God) by the faith of him (through relying upon Christ to gain God’s ear).
3:13. Which is your glory: God will use Paul’s tribulations and sufferings in the ministry to spiritually benefit his recipients. Such edification will then bring about glory on their part in that they praise and honour God.’
And that last statement is an indisputable fact Friends! When we truly recognize the plan and purpose of tribulations, both in our own lives and those of other believers, we come to an even greater understanding of God’s actions.
Then turning to Hebrews 3, which talks about Christ’s superiority over Moses, the author boldly and rightly declares: ‘For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after (afterward);
But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.’ (Heb.3:4-6)
Yes my brethren, Christ built the house to which we belong as believers. And we’ll continue belonging to it, as long as we stand firm in faith and rejoice unto the end in the hope that believing accords us.
And we’ll make space for one more scripture. (smile) This comes from the end of 1 John 2, where he’s expounding on the children of God and righteousness.
‘And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth (practices) righteousness is born of him.’ (1 John 2:28-29)
All of that is everlasting truth, my brethren!
And the scholars provide these footnotes. ‘2:28. Wishing to please the Lord, and not be ashamed before him at his coming, ought to motivate believers to stand firm, to abide in him.
2:29. The idea seems to be that he who practices what is right, being born of God (3:9), need not fear Christ’s coming (v.28). Spiritual rebirth is stressed in John. See 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18; also John 1:13; 3:3-8.’
And as always Friends, I encourage us to read the references that the scholars provide, because they do help us in further understanding the scriptures.
Now my people, as we hope and pray everyday, that the message uplifts us, and keeps us strong and steadfast in faith in Almighty God, and also causes us to come up a little higher in living and LOVING for Jesus! In His Holy Name we pray. Much, much LOVE, my Christian breddren!
…once you know Jesus…everything else pales in comparison…
24 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: angry, believe and receive, blood was shed at Calvary, brothers and sisters, burdens, Christian house, churches, confidence, contrition, criminals, ecpectant faith, enough is enough, excellent standards, faith, fellow believers, fervent prayer, fight back, freedom, God's will, God's Word, godly assurance, heart and soul, heartfelt pleas, heavy heart, holy spirit, human-rights, in the name of religion, injustice, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, justice, Kenya, live our faith, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, mercy, Most High God, murderers, negate our rights, one true God, openly worship Jesus, opiate of the people, oppressed, Pakistan, perpetrators, persecution, positive hearing, prayer, prisoners of hope, put up, repay injustice, righteous, scripture, shut up, sins, slaughter of innocents, Spread God's Word, stand and be counted, stand strong, steadfast faith, stigmatized, suffering, teach our children, terrorists, the prayer of the righteous, troubles, unfortunate friends, unjust persecution, wake up call, war-like actions, wonderful Son, worship, worship jesus christ, yokes
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
Oh Friends, what is our world coming to eh? Everyday now brings some unnecessary slaughter of innocents, all in the name of some religion! Religion is supposed to be the opiate of the people, keeping them nice and quiet, peaceful and law abiding. But unfortunately, in these ruthless and cruel times, it’s doing the exact opposite; stirring them up to war-like actions.
Just look at the attack in the mall in Kenya last week, and that on the Christians coming out of church in Northern Pakistan on the weekend! No one, or nothing is safe and sacred anymore from these despicable murderers. They’ll even kill their own, if they think it necessary. And the sad part is that we allow them to get away with it, calling them terrorists, when they’re simply out and out disgusting criminals!
Ah Lord eh! My heart is heavy and angry this morning Friends, but I won’t write what I really want to, because it might not align with God’s Word or Will. I’ll just ask us to keep praying for our fellow believers in so many parts of the world, who can’t openly worship Jesus Christ, who are oppressed, stigmatized and murdered simply because of their faith.
Please pray with me. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, You know that we truly LOVE and worship You. The problem though is that some of us can do it in perfect freedom, but there are millions of Your children who are being innocently and unfairly persecuted for worshipping You.
Father in heaven, we implore You to help them this day. Lessen their burdens, lighten their yokes, help them to gain the freedom of worship that we blessed ones have, and please repay the perpetrators of this injustice, for You’ve promised to repay any injustice done to Your children.
Please, please help them Father, for their suffering is so great it’s now reached a stage where many may even consider giving up the faith, and we know You don’t want that. Please help them to stand strong, under all the oppression. Let Your Holy Spirit enable them to remain steadfast in faith, though their whole world seems to be falling apart.
Oh heavenly Father, we pray all this in the name of Your wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, whose blood was shed at Calvary in contrition for our sins. Amen.’
Oh my fellow believers, please let’s invoke a few pieces of appropriate scripture on behalf of our suffering brothers and sisters around the world. The first comes from the heart and soul of Bruh David in Psalm 34, titled, ‘The Lord hears the righteous.’ ‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.’ (Ps.34:17)
And the next scripture verse comes from Cousin Sol. ‘The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.’ (Prov.15:29)
Then James tells us that ‘The effectual (effective) and fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:16b) And I know that there are many truly righteous people amongst us, so we ought to get a quick and positive hearing.
And finally, the most encouraging of all the scriptures, this from Jesus: ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.21:22)
Oh Friends, we’ve asked, and many are righteous who have done so. Now let’s perform the last requirement; that of believing. Let’s truly believe for God to help those many, many believers enduring injustice and ‘sufferation’ around the world.
And as a gentle reminder, (smile) let’s turn to heaven once more. ‘Father God, Your people are crying out today in all righteousness and faith! Please answer our heartfelt pleas with mercy and justice, on behalf of our unfortunate friends suffering such unjust persecution. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.’
Ah mih people, let’s be prisoners of hope and stand in expectant faith, that our merciful and mighty God will hear our prayers and alleviate the ‘sufferation’ of believers all over His world. Let’s keep praying for them, and at the same time, improve our own faith and strength in numbers in this supposed free part of the world, because the enemy is picking away, bit by bit, at our Christian house.
Like a bunch of wood ants, they’re finding the unguarded spots in our situation and slowly gnawing away at them. Note the absence of prayer in our schools, public places and numerous homes, plus the subtle attempts everyday to negate our rights to worship in freedom.
People of other faiths are coming to our Christian countries and getting rights that trample on ours. Friends, we cannot allow this to continue. At some stage, like RIGHT NOW, we’ve got to stand up and say, enough is enough, and fight back. Otherwise, in a few short years, our situation will surely deteriorate to such that we won’t have the freedom of worship anymore.
This is a wake up call my brethren! I’m therefore calling on all of us who claim to believe in Jesus, to stand up and be counted! Let’s build our churches! Let’s teach our children the Word! Let’s live the Faith we claim to have, and spread the Word of God, which is so powerful that He used it to create the universe and all therein!
Oh my people, these are the days of sad reckoning. We either have to put up and get some serious action going, or shut up! Which one will it be eh? Are we going to have our descendants living in fear, running and hiding to serve and worship the ONE TRUE GOD of this universe? I think not! So let’s get a move on nuh.
And we’ll end with the godly assurance and confidence that comes to us from our Bit. ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’
Oh my brethren, please let’s not disappoint Jesus, let’s live up to the excellent standards that He requires of us. That’s the only way we can recapture our world and have it turn again to the Most High God Jehovah! Much LOVE!
…if we believers don’t do the Will of God…how else will it get done eh…
23 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenalin, aura of love, autumn, blessed, chomping at the bit, christianity, circumcised of heart, circumcision, colourful hues, confidence, conquerors, death traps, disdain, earthly privileges, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil workers, eye candy, faithful, favour with God, fear of the Lord, foolish, fountain of life., Gentiles, glorious kingdom, glory, God's will, hibernation, holy spirit, human attainment, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jews, jobs, Judaizers, Law of Moses, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mutilation, panoramic scenes, place of refuge, pomp, praise, pressing towards the mark, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, reverence, righteousness., salvation, scavengers, snares of death, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, thanks, the enemy's ranks, the flesh, theology, true believers, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, weary souls, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom, wise, worthwhile inroads
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday – officially the second day of autumn, that beautiful, unique season between summer and winter, when nature starts to go into hibernation mode, but before doing so, bathes us in bright, colourful hues and splendid, panoramic scenes. I guess you can call autumn (fall) the season of eye-candy! (smile)
Anyway Friends, the Lord, in His usual mysterious movements, wanted me to remind us that ‘We, we are blessed! If you’re a believer, then you, you are blessed. So let’s tell the world, that we, we are blessed!’ That’s a take on the song ‘I am Blessed,’ by I believe it’s sung by Kay Morris and her group. But my people, it’s ever so important that this Monday morning, as we get up to go back out to labour in God’s name, and it’s in His name that we’re working, not man’s, that we remember we’re BLESSED in all that we do. For without His blessing we can do very little.
And having brought that fact in to focus, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get us ready to go out and battle Lucifer and his evil cohorts. And since we’re not as tired as we usually are, because we’ve gotten some decent rest this weekend, let’s let it all hang out and sing with pomp and glory nuh. (smile)
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 people, the engine’s revving and the adrenalin’s flowing, so let’s get out there and be worthy soldiers in Jesus’ army. Remember, He’s already at the front lines, and, like His magnificent steed, He’s just chomping at the bit, waiting for us to arrive and engage the enemy.
Now let’s get to our Bit: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’ And that my Friends, is what’s called absolute truth!
That brings us to supporting scripture. And we’ll begin with some wise words from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, as he contrasts the wise and foolish. ‘In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart (turn one away) from the snares of death.’ (Prov.14:26-27).
Wow! Wise words indeed my brethren! When we have a proper reverence for Almighty God our confidence never wavers, always stays strong, because we know we can always turn to Him in times of need. There’s always a place of refuge for us under His wide and ever-LOVING wings. That reverence will also keep us alive and kicking, in that it will keep us from falling for, and into the death traps that the enemy lays for us.
Next we’ll turn to Bruh Paul, as he talks to the Ephesians about pressing towards the mark. ‘Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision (mutilation, circumcision). For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.’ (Phil.3:2-3)
Ah mih people, Bruh Paul was here warning the Ephesians of the Judaizers, those supposed Christians who were preaching that you still need circumcision, per the Law of Moses to receive salvation, which was a total lie. He called them dogs, because dogs were regarded as shameful, despicable, creatures, just running around behaving like scavengers, and the Jews held the Gentiles in the same disdain that they held for stray dogs.
Bruh Paul even refuses to refer to them as ‘the circumcision’, instead using it for those circumcised of heart in Jesus, and not of the flesh. He turns the table on those false Christians, the Judaizers, and calls them ‘dogs’ instead.
And here’s what the scholars have to say about verse 3. ‘3:3. The circumcision or true people of God are described here in three ways. (1) They are those who worship God in the spirit. Their worship of God is prompted, directed, and enabled by the Holy Spirit. (2) Real Christians also rejoice in Christ. They boast and take pride in Him, not in themselves.
(3) They have no confidence in the flesh. “Flesh” here means one’s earthly privileges, human attainments, and religious accomplishments. God’s people refuse to depend on such things for their salvation; instead, they rely upon Christ to obtain favour with God.’
And that’s it for today Friends! As usual, I hope the message moves us further along the continuum to maturity in Christ Jesus, for that’s the ultimate purpose; to help us grow a little more each day, in wisdom, righteousness and LOVE. That’s God’s plan for us, so please, with His awesome help, let’s keep working faithfully towards it. Much LOVE!
…if our hearts aren’t truly circumcised in Christ…then we can’t really be true believers…
22 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: challenges, clear conscience, confidence, desolation, difficult times, encouragement, eternal life, exhortation, faith, fear, fellowship, God is for me, God's will, holy spirit, hope, Jesus Christ, lead and guide, Lord's Day, LOVE, method to madness, mysterious ways, obedience, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, petitions, power of Jesus' name, prayer, problems, purpose, right decisions, royal diadem, salvation, scriptures, Spirit of God, strength, terror, thanksgiving, trouble, trust, trust in God, truth, unfaithful man, wisdom, worship
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
Oh Friends, our wonderful God never ceases to amaze me with His mysterious ways! And the latest amazement is that yesterday, for some unknown reason, the old hymn, ‘All hail the power of Jesus’ name!’ suddenly flitted through my mind.
But as always, there’s method to God’s seeming madness, and today I found out the reason for that hymn coming to mind. Since today is Sunday, the Lord’s Day, a day of worship and fellowship, He wanted us to begin our message with some appropriate worship music.
So please sing with me, in strong, sweet, dulcet voices (smile). ‘All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all. Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.’
Yes Friends, Jesus Christ is indeed Lord of ALL! He selflessly sacrificed His innocent life for us: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name’ (Phil.2:9) For that awesome show of obedience and immense ‘sufferation’ without complaint, the Father raised Him to a place of honour above all others in creation.
Thus, in Jesus, all our hope, strength, faith and confidence are assured! That’s why John could say so positively in our Bit: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’
But that’s not all, as John tells us in the next verse. ‘And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 5:15)
That’s gospel truth Friends! Whatever believers ask in His name, according to His will, we have the utmost confidence and assurance that He hears our petition and answers it as He sees fit. Now that last part is something ALL believers ought to fully understand. Not because our request, our petition is in God’s will, means that He will answer it right away. We will receive it when the Lord decides the time is right.
So many of us pray for stuff, and using those scriptures, expect to get them filled right away. Now sometimes, according to the emergency of our situations, that might happen, but generally speaking, the timing has to align with God’s plan.
The scholars have a short but interesting note on those scriptures. ‘5:14-15. Assurance of salvation (v.13) leads to confidence in petition. Effectual prayer is according to his will.’ No doubting any of that Friends!
Now let’s turn to some scriptures that support our Bit. And the first one is a well known quote from Psalm 118, Thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation. ‘The psalmist boldly and wisely proclaims: ‘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.’ (Ps.118:8-9)
Now that my brethren, is the undeniable truth! That’s why Cousin Sol could declare in Proverbs 3, Exhortations to obedience: ‘Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’ (Prov.3:25-26)
And listen to his later statement. ‘Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken (bad) tooth, and a foot out of joint.’ (Prov.25:19)
And the scholars say this about that verse. ’25:19. Faith is only as good as its object, and an unfaithful man is useless.’
More undeniable truth my people! Anything that has to do with man in the flesh, cannot be trusted, much less taken for granted, for man has no real control over anything, not even over his own life. But when man is linked to, and aligned with the Spirit of God, well then Friends, the impossible things become possible!
And we’ll end with a most appropriate prayer from Dr. Robert H. Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional. Obviously it’s titled: ‘A Prayer for Confidence.’
Let’s pray it together: ‘It is flowing into me now; for my conscience is clear. I have made the right decision. I am not afraid of problems. I will face challenges calmly and serenely, for God is behind me. He will help me. If I must go through difficult times, He will rescue me.
I feel His Spirit of confidence surging in my heart now. With Him I cannot possibly fail. If God is for me, who can be against me? I have a strong feeling that everything is going to work out just beautifully. Thank You, God. Amen.’
Oh my fellow believers, I sincerely hope that today’s message brings a great measure of encouragement and purpose to our strenuous and burdened lives. I also hope we experience a powerful surge in our hope, faith, strength and confidence in Almighty God, His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the amazing Holy Spirit that dwells within us to lead and guide us down the right path, the straight and narrow one that ultimately leads to heaven. For therein lies the ONE and ONLY true direction to wisdom, salvation and eternal life. Much LOVE!
…if you can’t trust an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God…then whom can you trust eh…
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