01 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a quiet stream, abundant provision, all the days of my life, anoints my head with oil, assured, be broken, before mine enemies, beloved of God, celebration, Creator of the universe, deity, dwell in the house of the Lord, foundational truth, friend of Jesus, frightening shadow, glory to God, God's goodness, goodness, guest, hear our cries, heartwarming words, heatwave, honoured position, host, hottest day, I shall not want, indisputable fact, integrity, lack for anything, lie down in green pastures, LOVE, loving-kindness, mea culpa, mercy, metaphor, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, One Year Book of Bible promises, Our Father, prepares a table, Protector, provider, question, rest, restores my soul, Ruth Harms Calkin, safe, shade tree, share His love, sheep., shepherd, still waters, the affirmative, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the living God, the Lord God Jehovah, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord's prayer, the One and Only True God, the paths of righteousness, the promise, the shadow of death, the wilderness, tough times, true to your word, trust, Tuesday Mantra, vindication, with the Lord's help, words of assurance
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (lack anything).
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa! Yeh friends, it was just one of those days, after running around in the hot sun yesterday afternoon, the old body just cried out for rest and simply refused to get up this morning before it felt sufficiently rested. (smile)
And yesterday was probably the hottest day yet for this summer. Old July went out with a heat wave, and August seems to want to come in the same way, because it’s also supposed to be fairly hot today.
And I have to go out and do some more stuff out there today too. But I have no doubt that with the Lord’s invaluable help, it will all turn out fine.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that ought to lift us all up this morning, give us comfort and assurance to face the day’s problems. It’s titled ‘The Promise.’
Let’s pray together: ‘O dear God, I continue to believe Your personal promise still stands Though every quivering question within Shouts that it will be broken. I am claiming Your help through the wilderness Despite every frightening shadow and vale. Often You do the most When you seem to do the least.
Sometimes secretly Sometimes quietly Often slowly But always most certainly You are true to Your word. And so, my Lord Though I am weak, weary, and worn help me not to despair. You see me, You hear me. You know I am depending utterly Upon Your unblemished integrity Surely You will keep Your word.’
And that’s an indisputable fact my fellow believers in Christ! The Lord God Jehovah, creator of the universe and all therein WILL keep His Word for He is a Deity of the utmost integrity! And that’s exactly why we can place our utmost trust in Him and feel safe and assured! Glory to God my brethren!
Yeh friends, that’s the whole purpose of having a God; someone to look up to, especially in tough times, someone who CAN, and also WILL hear our cries for help and answer them in the affirmative.
And the awesome, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the ONLY One of the many gods being worshipped today, who is actually capable of doing that! For He is the ONLY LIVING GOD!
All others are merely dead and lifeless idols, creations of man’s mind, or the creation of the One and Only True God Jehovah. So how can you worship something that is dead, or was created by someone else and has absolutely no power to do anything under its own will or power eh? It just doesn’t make sense. Hope what I’m saying makes sense though? (smile)
And the Bible Verse that substantiates that Promise is none other than one of our most famous Bible Verses; the true and wonderful words of Bruh David: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (lack anything).’
What marvellous words of assurance eh mih people! No other faith can proclaim such a statement and have it be the truth…but we can! All power and glory to our great God!
And Bruh David lays it out, all nice and simple and straightforward. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (pastures of tender green grass): he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest): He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps.23:2-3)
Oh my faithful brethren, doesn’t that just resonate powerfully and peacefully through your hearts, bodies and souls? It certainly does through mine, and has me longing for the green pastures and peaceful waters of sweet Tobago, which I haven’t experienced for almost two years.
And can’t you just imagine Bruh David penning those heartwarming words as he sat below some shade tree, on a beautiful summer’s day, beside a quiet stream, watching his sheep graze on the lush and plentiful green grass around him?
It was just the perfect metaphor to describe his God; the eternal and merciful One who found healthy forage for his sheep and protected him from the wild animals and natural disasters that constantly came against them.
That’s why they have become such a standard, such foundational truth in our faith! The only prayer possibly known better than that is the ‘Lord’s Prayer,’ or ‘Our Father.’
And Bruh David didn’t stop there, he went on to elaborate even further on the rich and blessed assurances of his awesome God. ‘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 staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23:4-6)
And all God’s people shouted ‘Amen and Amen!’ Yeh friends, it couldn’t get any better than that!
As the scholars explain: ‘Psalm 23: The psalm has been a favourite of God’s people through the ages and with due reason: it expresses as simply and clearly as any the role of God as our protector and provider in life.
The charm of the psalm rests on two figures of speech: the Lord is compared to a shepherd and the believer to his sheep (vs.1-4); then the Lord is likened to a host with the believer as the guest (vs.5-6).’
So my people, with all of that bubbling and reverberating in our hearts, spirits and souls, let’s go home now sincerely declaring our Tuesday Mantra.
‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now, the next move is for us to put it all into action! Much LOVE!
…with God as our shepherd comes…’an honoured position…abundant provision…vindication before one’s enemies…eternal celebration of God’s goodness…’
P.S. Yes, I know it’s long and late, but it’s still beautiful, even if I say so myself. (smile)
30 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gathering of believers, adversities, affliction, all the days of my life, anger, asaph, bitterness, blessings, burdened, calamities, carrying the weight of the world, Christians, comfort, compassion, countless price, dwell in the house of the Lord, flesh, forgiveness, free of charge, gall, gleam of love, goodness, grace, his compassions fail not, hope, humbled, in remembrance, iniquity, Jesus Christ, joyful, lethargic, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving-kindness, misery, mistakes, new every morning is the love, on which side his bread was buttered, perfect rest, perils past, praising Almighty God, prayer, rapture, sacrifice, sad, saints, salvation, sins forgiven, stand strong, strength, Sunday, testomony, the common task, the essence of who we are, the Lord is my portion, the Lord's mercies, the Lord's sanctuary, the salvation of the Lord, transgressions, treasures, trials, unconditional LOVE, wait, we are not consumed, wormwood, wrath
Lamentations 3:22. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Well friends, that joy-filled day called Sunday has rolled around again! And with it, we gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to worship, joyfully sing and praise His holy name. There’s nothing that can compare to a gathering of fellow believers singing and praising Almighty God! That’s because it’s the essence of who we are, why we were so gloriously made.
So let’s not make me a liar (smile), let’s send up to heaven wonderful words of praise and glory, joy and thanksgiving as we sing the beautiful and grateful words of the hymn; ‘New every morning is the LOVE!’ Yes my fellow believers, let’s offer up the sacrifice of praise with heartfelt song,. As an earthly choir, sounding like heavenly angels, let’s sing!
‘New every morning is the LOVE Our wakening and uprising prove; Through sleep and darkness safely brought, Restored to life and power and thought. New mercies, each returning day, Hover around us while we pray; New perils past, new sins forgiven, New thoughts of God, new hopes of heaven. If, on our daily course, our mind Be set to hallow all we find, New treasures still, of countless price, God will provide for sacrifice.
Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be, As more of heaven in each we see; Some softening gleam of LOVE and prayer Shall dawn on every cross and care. We need not bid, for cloistered cell, Our neighbor and our words farewell, Nor strive to find ourselves too high For sinful man beneath the sky.
The trivial round, the common task, Will furnish all we ought to ask; Room to deny ourselves, a road To bring us daily nearer God. Seek we no more; content with these, Let present rapture, comfort, ease As heaven shall bid them, come and go: The secret this of rest below. Only, O Lord, in Thy dear LOVE, Fit us for perfect rest above, And help us, this and every day, To live more nearly as we pray.’
Yes friends, each and every day the Lord showers down new mercies, blessings, grace, forgiveness, strength…you name it…He provides it free of charge. What an awesome God we serve and worship my brethren! I wonder if we truly realize that eh? No other faith on this earth can truthfully declare the things that we declare.
Neither is any other faith as joyful, sorry, should be joyful as we Christians. And I corrected myself there because too many of us supposed believers walk around sad and lethargic, bowed and bending, as though we are carrying the whole weight of the world on our shoulders. But precious saints of God, two thousand years ago our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ died on the cross at Calvary and took all our burdens, all our sins, all our transgressions on His strong and comely shoulders!
Why? So that we would not have to be sad and miserable and burdened any more, but be filled with His wonderful peace, abundant joy and glorious unconditional LOVE! So why, as a group, are we so unhappy eh? Or rather why don’t we show the true external realities that our internal blessings ought to engender? Because we’re ashamed, afraid, lackadaisical, don’t truly believe…
Who knows eh? But the long and short of the story friends, is as Jeremiah says in his Lamentations, which includes our Bit. Poor Jerry had been battered and beaten and locked up by his fellow countrymen when he preached repentance to them. But when he had time to reflect on it all, this is what he said.
‘Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness), My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 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.’ (Lam.3:20-23)
Oh friends, what a marvellous testimony, based on gospel truth! And think about it nuh, Jerry didn’t have Jesus in the manner that we now have Him, and all the wonderful stuff that He bequeathed us. But yet still he (Jerry) knew on which side his bread was buttered, and despite his calamities, gave God the thanks and the praise He so rightfully deserved.
Listen as he continues. ‘The Lord is my portion saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:24-26) Words of indisputable truth my brethren!
And the scholars tell us that ‘3:26. Jeremiah’s observation resembles those of other saints who have experienced great grief of soul.’ And they reference people like, Habakkuk, Job, Bruh David, Isaiah and Bruh Paul. So friends, serving God is wise, wonderful and right, but not always easy. But we have to remember too that the Lord will never give us a task to accomplish without giving us the wherewithal to accomplish it.
That’s His outstanding modus operandi, as you can see from the records of all the great men of faith we just mentioned. They all had it tough, but they all accomplished their given tasks with flying colours. God never forsook them, even when they were out of step with His plan for their lives, but was instead merciful and compassionate because He knew their human frailties would sometimes lead them astray.
My precious people of God, it’s the same way He behaves with us. But we have to stand strong during our adversities and trials, otherwise we’ll forsake the good things He has in store for us. Hear Asaph tell us about the Israelites plight from Psalm 78 – A reminder of God’s goodness to Israel.
‘For their heart was not right (steadfast) with him, neither were they steadfast (faithful) in their covenant. But he being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time he turned his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away; and cometh not again.’ (Ps.78:37-39) So friends, the Lord knows our capabilities, since He created us, and will not leave us high and dry because we make mistakes.
Bruh David says it best in the closing verse of Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd. ‘Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23:6) And if we refuse to believe that, then it’s to our great detriment my brethren. Much LOVE!
…only the Lord’s mercies…through Christ’s shed blood at Calvary…keeps us from being annihilated for our abominable transgressions…
16 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of hope, abundant in goodness and truth, alive with God's grace, avoid evil, beloved of God, better late than never, between friends, Bob Colaresi, clean out hearts, cleanse, concentrate on good, consequences, death and resurrection of Jesus, deceits, dying, forgiveness of sin, forgiving iniquity, freedom, friend of Jesus, glory hallelujah, God of hope, God's will, goodness, grace, gracious, hope, human drama, iniquity, Jesus Christ, junk, kindness, lies, long-suffering, merciful, mercy, Moses, new beginnings, new future, new possibilities, prince of darkness, raised us up, reflection, renewal, renewed life, rich in mercy, right relationship with God, rising, selfless sacrifice, shining brightly in our hearts, Society of the Little Flower, spring, spring thinking, St. Therese, the goodness of God, the gospel, the Lord God, the Lord passed by, transgressions, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra
Exodus 34:6. And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
Aye mih people, my sincerest apologies for the Bit’s tardiness today, (smile) but I had one of those real late early mornings, and the ole bod simply refused to get up when I asked it to. But as they say, better late than never.
And though a light drizzle is falling in my area, making it a somewhat grey morning, we know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is shining brightly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls! Glory Hallelujah!
And today, I want to share with us some exciting and reassuring words from Father Bob Colaresi’s opening remarks in the Spring Edition of ‘Between Friends,’ the newsletter of the Friends of the Society of the Little Flower (St. Therese of Liseux).
He is talking about hope and renewal: ‘Spring is a time of HOPE. God is our God of HOPE. The Gospel is about HOPE – Renewed Life. The celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus speaks to the human drama of dying and rising – always rising to new possibilities, sometimes beyond our imagining.’
And isn’t that the indisputable truth my fellow followers of Christ? It surely is! For it was HOPE that our glorious Lord and Saviour was born, died and rose from the grave for us to have; so that we can embrace a new future filled with good things.
And as the article in the Between Friends Newsletter also says: ‘Spring is a time to reflect on what we need to let go of so we can be alive with God’s grace, possibilities and freedom.’
Oh what a profound and true statement my brethren! Spring is not only the time to clean our homes and garages and get rid of unnecessary junk, but it’s also a time to clean our hearts, bodies and souls of the worthless stuff that’s gathered there, and is keeping us from having the true and right relationship with our heavenly Father that we so desperately need to have.
So I invite us to day to have what we shall call ‘spring thinking,’ where we endeavour to cleanse ourselves of anything that’s not moving us towards God’s will for our lives.
And one of the ways we can do that is simply by concentrating on the goodness of our God, as enshrined in our Bit. ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’
Yeh friends, one of the easiest ways to avoid evil, is to concentrate on good; so that the mind has no place for the lies and deceits of the prince of darkness. But listen to what the Lord told Moses after our Bit.
‘Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and fourth generation.’ (Ex.34:7)
Now the end of that statement sounds somewhat harsh, but with the coming of Jesus that was somewhat mitigated, for everybody now has to bear the consequences for their own transgressions.
But Glory to God, there’s still mercy and forgiveness of sin! And nowhere is God’s goodness spelled out more succinctly than in Bruh Paul’s words to the Ephesians on the terms of grace and faith.
‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show his grace in his kindness toward us through (in) Christ Jesus.’ (Eph.2:4-7)
How magnanimous is that eh my precious people! Our wonderful God LOVED us so much, that even when we were dead in our transgressions, He gave us an option to be lifted out of the mire, to rise godly and righteous, through the selfless sacrifice of His most adorable Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Wow! I can’t help saying it friends: ‘What a wonderful God we serve and worship! There’s NONE else like Him in all the world! Praise and Bless His Holy Name!’
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, extolling who and whose we are. With strong conviction 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!’
So if that’s what we are about my brethren, then let’s go out now and share it with the rest of the world, as our friend Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…spring…the time of resurrection…of cleansing…of new beginnings…
15 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a shelter, abundant in goodness and truth, antidote, appreciation, attributes, aura of love, condemn self, confidence, cup of java, earthly pilgrimage, enthusiasm, expectant faith, faith, fear, friends, glorious kingdom, goodness, gospel truth, grace, gracious, gratitude, hoarded, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, hungry hope, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, judging others, lies, long-suffering, LOVE, meet the enemy, merciful, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, Mother's Day, peace, plots of man, Praise the Lord, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, repentance, rest, righteousness., spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, taunts, the goodness of God, the land of the living, the Lord God, the Lord passed by, the state of our livers, the strife of tongues, the Ten Commandments, throughout the year, trust, truth, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, work
Exodus 34:6. And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
Well mih breddren, the Mother’s Day celebrations over now! Hope we celebrated our mothers in fine style, but that we’ll also show them a greater level of appreciation and gratitude all throughout the year, rather than on just this one day. I know they like the fuss and bother on their special day, but I’m sure they’ll prefer to have a li’l of that each and every day where possible.
Anyway, it’s time to get back to the common grind and daily task, the humdrum aspects of a working life, so that we can enjoy the fruits of our labour. And I know that many of us are suffering from too much celebrating, and it’s difficult to get up and face the very idea of going to work, but get up and go, we must.
So to help us with the Monday morning wake up, we have this antidote, this prayer called the Monday Morning Battle Hymn that jolts us awake even better than a hot, strong cup of java. (smile) So let’s sing it now with lots of enthusiasm, expectant faith and hungry hope nuh.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
That was pretty good friends, considering the state of our livers! (smile) Jesus, our choirmaster smiled knowingly at some of the harshness, but He respected and acknowledged our enthusiastic effort. So with the adrenaline bubbling in our veins, let’s go out now and take the battle to the heathen, this Monday morning in Jesus’ name, for the glory of God the Father!
And all God’s people declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord! His goodness reigns forever!’
And that it surely does, as the Lord Himself proclaimed to Moses when he went up the mountain the second time for the tables of stone containing the Ten Commandments. ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’
Now that’s our great God Himself, extolling some of His many wonderful attributes, goodness being one of them. And since we know that he cannot lie, then we must accept His words as gospel truth. Now, let’s just look at a few scriptures, from the human perspective, which prove the point.
And one of the most well-known is that verse from Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation, where Bruh David ardently proclaims: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps.27:13)
So true friends, so true! What’s the purpose of having this good God eh, if we can’t experience some of His goodness in our earthly pilgrimage?
Now hear another mighty man of God, Bruh Paul, as he admonishes the Romans re judging others is to condemn self. ‘And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?’ (Rom.2:3-4)
Ah mih people, so wonderful is God’s goodness that it leads us to repentance! Praise his Holy Name!
And listen to Bruh David again, this time from Psalm 31 – In thee O Lord, do I put my trust. ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret (places) of thy presence from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues.’ (Ps.31:19-20)
Oh friends, we can’t ask any more than that from God! He’s got all those who believe in Him covered on all fronts. And what’s the purpose of all that goodness eh? So that we can go forth here on earth and proclaim it, as well as show it through the way we live our daily lives. The Lord’s goodness is meant to be shared my people, not merely hoarded for one’s own good!
Now let’s go out today and show it in spades nuh; let’s broadcast it to all and sundry: the Lord is GOOD! He is GOOD INDEED! Much LOVE!
…true goodness can only beget goodness…
27 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a definitive statement, a new lease on life, a pinnacle of faith, a sunny spring day, adversity, afversity, alive and kicking, annual cleansing, bring us to our kness, courage, creativity, declaration of faith, divine protection, Easter Sunday, enemies, faith walk, faithfulness, falling apart, family, followers of Christ, friends, frozen tundra, goodness, growth of our faith, health, hope, in the midst of trouble, jettison, LOVE, loving kindness, mature in our faith walk, mercy, New Birth, new life, paths of righteousness, personal experiences, rejuvenation, rose from the dead, rough times, self-control, self-discipline, shadow of death, spirits soar, spiritual selves, spring cleaning, spring has sprung, springtime, stretch forth thine hand, the house of the Lord, the straight and narrow way, thou wilt revive me, though I walk, Thursday Blessings, thy right hand shall save me, wisdom, working behind the scenes, wrath
Psalm 138:7. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me; thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
And then it was Thursday; a beautiful sunny spring day, with temps rising up to the high teens! Yes friends, spring has indeed finally sprung, the birds they are a singing, the trees are budding their new leaves and the grass is getting thick and a rich green. Wow!
In fact everything is coming up green; new life is sprouting up on the earth just like our Lord and Saviour rose from the dead, alive and kicking on Easter Sunday some two thousand years ago.
Yes my people, it’s spring, what we call the annual rebirth of life in the northern climes, where birds and animals migrate back to the lush green areas of land that had for some months been more like frozen tundra.
Even we humans get a new lease on life, our spirits soar, no more thick, heavy clothing with gloves and scarves and hats. It’s like an annual cleansing, which leads to the term spring cleaning, where we go through all our plentiful stuff and discard what is not necessary.
Likewise friends, I believe that we should take this time to also go through our spiritual selves, see what’s there and then clean our the old and unnecessary, making space for new stuff that will help us mature in our faith walk with Jesus.
And there is no better time to do this than in the Easter Season, that’s so reminiscent of a new birth, of rejuvenation, of a new beginning!
So in the next little while, I’d suggest that we all take some time and seriously ponder our spiritual lives, and then ask the Father to help us jettison what’s not necessary, so we can make space for the wonderful new things He has in store for us.
Let’s be wise and go to Jesus with our heavy burdens, as He commands us to, so that He can joyfully lighten our loads and put us back on the right track, the straight and narrow one.
And all of that brings us to our Bit, a profound declaration of faith from Bruh David. ‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me; thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.’
Oh my fellow followers of Christ, can we make such a declaration? We ought to be able to. Those of us who have followed Christ for some time now ought to be strong and mature enough to make such a definitive statement regarding our faith.
The Lord ought to have worked in our lives by now that we have no doubts whatsoever about His everlasting faithfulness. And as I reminded us yesterday, Bruh David didn’t make all his many declarations of faith through hearsay, but through very personal experiences.
Now many of us might not go through the intense or serious experiences that He went through, but we’ll all go through stuff that will bring us to our knees, which only a strong and undeniable faith in Jesus Christ will help us to bear without falling apart.
The sad part of the story is that we don’t like adversity, but adversity is what makes us strong. It’s in times of adversity that our faith springs up and keeps us afloat, keeps a smile on our faces and a strong step in our walk.
That’s because we know unequivocally that our Lord God is working behind the scenes on our behalf, and the rough times will not last.
Now here is an interesting exercise for all of us to do. Let’s look back through our lives at all the adversity we’ve faced, and after each strenuous time, let’s consider the growth of our faith.
Let’s see if the next level of adversity was easier to bear than the one before. That will show if we are truly growing and maturing in our faith, for with each rough time, we should be stronger and more faithful than the last.
Yeh friends, our eventual destination should be when we can declare the immortal words of Bruh David from Psalm 23 without any signs of doubt or fear.
‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack). He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest): He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
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. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23:1-6)
Ah mih breddren, I think we’ve reached a pinnacle of faith when, in times of adversity, we can say those words and truly mean them. Now let’s faithfully and sincerely declare our Thursday Blessings, blessings that our great God has so liberally and generously showered down on us.
‘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 please remember that they are not blessings until they have been spoken over someone or something. Now let’s go out and do exactly that nuh, as Jesus requires of us. Much LOVE!
…faith is a relative of hope…and one can’t have hope…unless one is alive…
12 Mar 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham, amicably, anger, behold how good and pleasant it is, churches, communities, confidence, conquer strife, crucified, died to save us all, dissatisfaction, disunity, divide and conquer, enthusiasm, faiths, families, for brethren to dwell together in unity, glorify, God's Word, good enough, goodness, grazing grounds, hell, hospitality, hung and suffered there, Jesus, left hand, Lot, LOVE, Lucifer, mosque, Muslim community, pains, politicians, powers of evil, praise, Praise the Lord, Quebec, reciprocate, redeeming blood, resentment, rewards, right hand, sabotaged, sacrificially, selflessly, sinful souls, strengthen, strife, Sunday, the Lord's House, There is a green hill far away, to pay the price of sin, to the children of men, trust, try his works to do., unified, unlock the gate of heaven, walk a mile in my shoes, warmed the cockles of my heart, without a city wall, without complaining, worship
Psalm 133:1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Well friends, it’s that most wonderful day of Sunday again, where we gather in the Lord’s house to sing and praise and worship and glorify His holy name, to listen to His word, and receive His strength, confidence and enthusiasm to face the upcoming week!
And all God’s people gave out a delirious shout of ‘Praise the Lord for His goodness to the children of men!’ And that we most certainly ought to do at every opportunity we get my brethren. But right now, let’s begin with some sacrifice of our lips, singing the old hymn, ‘There is a Green Hill far away.’
As a young boy growing up in Tobago it was always one of my favourites. So let’s raise our voices on high and give the Lamb of God the praise He so assuredly deserves. ‘There is a green Hill far away, Without a city wall, Where the dear Lord was crucified, Who died to save us all. We may not know, we cannot tell, What pains he had to bear, But we believe it was for us He hung and suffered there.
There was no other good enough To pay the price of sin. He only could unlock the gate Of heav’n and let us in. Oh, dearly, dearly has he LOVED! And we must LOVE him too, And trust in his redeeming blood, And try his works to do.’
Oh friends, there is so much truth in those few simple words. No one else was good enough to pay the price necessary to wash away our sins, but Jesus. And He did it so selflessly and sacrificially without complaining, because He LOVED us so much and could not stand seeing our sinful souls going to waste in Hell with Lucifer.
And you know, all He asks in return is that we LOVE Him and each other the way He first LOVED us. Now that should not be too hard to do, but in this evil and ungodly world, for whatever reason, it is very difficult for many of us to reciprocate that awesome LOVE of God. But it’s something we have to do, if we desire to see His wonderful face come the time we leave this earth.
Now here is some interesting and mysterious doings of our great and wonderful God. Yesterday afternoon, just before I left home for my church for an occasion we called ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes,’ I heard about a family that had been reunited and it warmed the cockles of my heart.
This family had been living with resentment and anger towards each other for a while, and as I was driving to church and thinking about the goodness of God, our Bit just flashed in to my mind as being rather appropriate. ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’
Then at the church, our Pastor, Father Jeff also made reference to it, because the occasion was a show of solidarity with the Muslim community, regarding the attack on the mosque in Quebec a few weeks ago. All the politicians were there, politicking as usual (smile) as well as people from other faiths and churches.
Our Bit was certainly appropriate in both situations. First for the individual family that had gotten back together, as well as for the different families of faith who all live in the same community, and who all desire to live in LOVE and peace.
But unfortunately these days, in both families and communities, that desire is being sabotaged by a few diehards, a few fools, who are following a different agenda; one of anger, hate, disunity and dissatisfaction. Consequently more families are falling apart, and more communities are now living in fear of these ignoramuses nicely called terrorists, when they are just out and out murderers.
But that seems to be the fare of the day. However we don’t have to let it keep us cowed my people. We have the great God Jehovah as our leader, and with Him in control of our destiny, there’s no need to fear what man can do to us. We’ve got to stand up strong and fight back against these powers of evil that want to destroy our peaceful and LOVING way of life.
And we can only do that if and when we become unified, both as families and communities and fight the enemy together, not allow them to divide and thus conquer us. Strife is the number one weapon of the enemy, but we must conquer it with LOVE!
Now here’s a good example of how to dissipate strife. It comes from way back in the Old Testament, when Abraham and Lot’s herdmen got into strife about grazing grounds for their cattle. ‘And Abraham said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.’ (Gen.13:8-9)
Now friends, there isn’t always such an easy way to fix strife, especially in these rather tumultuous times, but if all parties are willing and able, then they can find a way to live amicably together.
And we’ll close with these poignant words from Hebrews. ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ (Heb.13:1-2)
So friends, let us never forget to show hospitality to all and sundry, for it will benefit them down here on earth, put away rewards for us in heaven, and above all, glorify our great God. Much LOVE!
…only LOVE…can truly conquer strife…
05 Mar 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a person of excellence, a shield, all the day long, another one bites the dust, as for me and minse, be joyful in thee, believers, bless, bless the righteous, blessed assurance, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, bondage, born of his spirit, cancer, caring, celebrate life, chains of fear, compassion, confidence, delight, ever-faithful, excellence, favour, free from fear, glory divine, God's Word, goodness, heaven, heir of salvation, hope, Jesus' comforting arms, joy, leukemia, looking above, lost in his love, LOVE, loved life, next life, praising my saviour, promises, purchase of God, rapture, rejoice, reluctant to believe, reneges, resting in peace, sacrifice of praise, salvation, scourge of humanity, shout for joy, submission, take it in stride, the righteous, this is my song, this is my story, thou good and faithful servant, trust, trustin God, visions of rapture, waiting, washed in his blood, watching, we will follow the Lord, whose hope is the Lord, wisdom
Jeremiah 17:7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
‘And another one bites the dust!’ Yes my brethren, another friend of mine has been smitten by that unrelenting scourge of humanity, cancer – the leukemia strain. Ah Lord eh! Will it ever end? Perhaps not, so we need to take it in stride. For about two years she courageously battled the disease, but all to no avail. I guess God just had other plans for her.
We celebrated her life yesterday with a most hearty goodbye. Everyone said she would have been most impressed by it, because she LOVED life, and always gave of her best in all aspects. That was the overwhelming sentiment; Lovine was a person of excellence! And I’m sure Jesus held His arms wide open to her, as He joyfully declared: ‘Welcome home, Crescent Lovine Vernon-Micaleff, thou good and faithful servant!’
And though it will be hard on the family and friends who are still here, we all know that she is resting in peace in the comforting arms of Jesus, smiling down at us, telling us not to worry, that eventually we will meet again. And we all know that, so though she may not be here physically with us, her spirit will always remain in our hearts.
And in her honour today, we will open our praise and worship with one of the last songs she asked her family to sing with her before she passed away – the wonderful hymn of praise and trust ‘Blessed Assurance.’
So friends, let’s rock heaven with the sacrifice of praise of our lips as we sing: ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. (Refrain): This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels, descending, bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love. (Refrain): Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love. (Refrain) This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.’
Ah mih people, all heaven was touched by our heartfelt rendition! And yuh know what? The only way to be able to truly believe and enjoy those sentiments contained in the hymn is by doing what our Bit advises. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.’
Yeh friends, we can only have that joy and confidence in His LOVE and caring and compassion and meeting Him in heaven in the next life to live forever, when we totally believe, trust and hope in Him and His Word! That’s why I can’t understand why so many people today are running away from God, instead of towards Him, for He is the ONLY ONE who can save us from both ourselves and the evil world around us!
The only thing that can break the chains of fear which keep us in bondage is total trust in the Lord God Almighty, not partial! And until mankind recognizes and acknowledges that, we’ll just keep sinking further down in the mire of evil in which we’re currently immersed. End of sermon! (smile)
Now let’s check out some soul searching scripture that corroborates our Bit. Listen up first to the psalmist from Psalm 125 – God surrounds his people. ‘They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion which cannot be removed (moved), but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about (surround) Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.’ (Ps.125:1-2)
What a marvellous promise my fellow believers! If you don’t want to believe it and then act on it, there’s not much I can say. Now hear this most awesome promise of our most amazing God. Jeremiah speaks on His behalf. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’
Now why would God make such a wonderful promise if He didn’t mean to keep it eh? And we all know that He’s ever-faithful and never reneges on any of His many promises, so why are we so reluctant to believe Him and put our entire trust in Him eh? Only God alone knows yes!
And we’ll close with these wise and wonderful sentiments from Bruh David, taken from Psalm 5 – A prayer for protection. ‘But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that LOVE thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord wilt bless the righteous: with favour wilt thou compass (surround) him as with a shield.’ (Ps.5:11-12)
Oh friends, I don’t know what else to say nuh, except, that as for me and mine, we will follow the Lord. That to me is the wisdom of the ages! Let’s hope that you and yours feel the same way. Much LOVE!
…trusting God…is the only way…to be free from fear… (Uncle Charles – Charles Stanley)
06 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a righteous standard, Adonai, aura of love, blossom, Christians, confidence, doom and gloom, ease, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, fear, fellowship, food, friends, fruit in the vines, fun, God's deliverance, God's great earth, goodness, habakkuk, holy spirit, humble servants, I will joy in the God of my salvation, I will rejoice in the Lord, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, labour of the olive, lead and guide, leisure, lies, LOVE, LOVE to hate, luxuries, magnanimous god, make my feet like hinds feet, mantle, mercy, motors running, neck of the woods, no meat, obedience, Old Testament, oxymoron, praise, preservation in the wilderness, rejoice, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, sincerity, slave labour, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, thanksgiving, the enemy's ranks, the Exodus, the gig tree, the Promised Land, trust, truth, ungodly world, wisdom, Yahweh
Habakkuk 3:18. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
And then it was Monday, that day we all LOVE to hate! Now isn’t that akin to an oxymoron? We can’t have hate and LOVE working together. It’s either one or the other. It’s like fear and faith; two different sides of the same coin.
Anyway, very few people like Mondays, because they have to get up and go to work, and the chilly weather in my neck of the woods doesn’t enhance the situation any. But get up and go to work we have to, if we want to survive, so let’s get rid of that mantle of doom and gloom and get ourselves together to enjoy another wonderful day on God’s great earth. All the slave labour in the world can’t take that away from us! (smile)
And to help us get our motors running, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with sincerity and all the exuberance we can muster. As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih people, we certainly didn’t muster much exuberance there! You could see that our choirmaster, Jesus, wasn’t very happy with that performance. But thankfully, He’s an understanding and forgiving Being and won’t hold it against us. Instead, He will go out of His way to shower us with goodness and mercy, so that we can go out and do a good job in His awesome name. That’s the kind of Lord and Saviour we have.
That brings us to our Bit of praise and thanksgiving. ‘Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.’
Oh friends, that should not be an option for Christians, it must be a righteous standard for all believers! For there’s absolutely no reason not to rejoice in the awesome, the magnificent and magnanimous God we serve and worship, who also provided us with salvation and eternal life through the sacrificial death, triumphant resurrection and glorious ascension of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Now the Old Testament followers didn’t have all the good news of Christ’s gospel that we possess today, but the prophets of God kept them attuned to God’s word. Our Bit comes at the end of a prayer of Habakkuk, which according to the scholars ‘contains two poems (vs.3-7 and 8-15) recounting God’s deliverance of His people in the days of the Exodus. The poems emphasize His preservation in the wilderness and His triumphal leading into the Promised Land.’
And listen to this verse before our Bit. ‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat (food); the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.’ (Hab.3:17-18)
Oh friends, yuh see the kind of faith those old timers displayed – at least some of the time. (smile) We can’t even exhibit a decent faith with all the luxuries we have. Hn! That’s possibly because we have too many luxuries and have become accustomed to too much ease and leisure. Yuh think many, or any of us would declare such a statement today, if we fell into such disaster? I doubt it.
We can’t, or won’t even produce a strong enough faith to resist the enemy now, when we have Jesus and all the good stuff that goes with Him, imagine if we didn’t have Him. Ah Lord eh!
Now let’s end as Habakkuk did. ‘The Lord God (Yahweh, Adonai) is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds (deer’s) feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. ’ (Hab.3:19)
And per the scholars: ‘3:16-19. The instructions in the postscript indicate that this psalm (Bruh David’s Prayer of deliverance – 2 Sam.22; Ps.18 [edited]) was used as a part of the temple liturgy. It is a great psalm expressing obedience and praise to God, and trust in Him.’
All I can add to that my fellow believers is that we go out today, dressed in our spiritual armour, be obedient to our omnipotent God, trust Him and praise Him with all sincerity and truth, for that is the wisdom of the ages. Much LOVE!
…the reason we exist…is to be in fellowship with God… (from the Daily Bread Devotional)
29 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all I need, blind, broken every barrier, cleanse, Cleanse your hands, come unto me, confidence, conflict, courage, deceitful, deception, detrhone God, doubt, downtrodden, draw nigh to God, evil, face the upcoming week, fears without, fightings within, gather in the Lord's sanctuary, gentle, give you rest, goodness, grace, he who has ears to hear, healing of mind, health, heavy laden, humble, I come, I have put my trust in the Lord, I may declare all his works, inner thoughts, invaluable, it is good for me to draw near to God, James, Jesus Christ, Just as I am, labour, let him hear, lowly, lusteth to envy, meek, my burden is light, needy, O lamb of God, of one dark blot, offer grateful praise, outward deeds, pardon, Praise the Lord, pride, proud, purify your hearts, rascal, receive, relieve, resist the devil, rest unto your souls, rooting for Jesus, sacrifice of our lips, sinners, slow down, smell the rose, strengthen your spirit, submit yourselves to God, Sunday, take my yoke, the first day of the week, the great invitation, the lake of fire, the undeserving children of men, thy blood was shed for me, to rid my soul, to save the poor, understand the Lord's word, wealth, welcome, without one plea, worldliness, worship, wretched
Psalm 73:28. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
And then it was Sunday: the first day of the week, where we slow down, take time to smell the roses and gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to offer Him our grateful praise and worship, and in return receive health, wealth and the ability to face the upcoming week with courage and confidence.
Wow! What a mouthful! But a true mouthful! And all God’s people declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord for His wonderful goodness to the undeserving children of men!’
And on that glorious note, let’s offer up some sacrifice of our lips by sincerely belting out this favourite old hymn, ‘Just as I am.’ So in loud voice and sincere belief, let’s raise our voices to heaven.
‘Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! Just as I am, and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot; To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Just as I am, though tossed about With many a conflict, many a doubt; Fightings within, and fears without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; Sight, riches, healing of the mind; Yes, all I need, in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Just as I am, Thy love unknown Has broken every barrier down; Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!’
Yeh friends, it doesn’t matter what state we are in, our wonderful Saviour will accept us just we are. You know some places you have to clean up before they’ll accept you, but not with the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s looking for you at your worst possible state, because that’s one of the reasons he came to earth, to save the poor and needy, the sick and downtrodden.
He is the ONLY One who declares that you can come to Him just as you are. And believe me, you won’t be wise if you don’t accept His wonderful invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Oh my brethren, every time I hear that beautiful piece of scripture, my heart just jumps for joy, knowing that I have such marvellous person to turn to in my troubles and times of need. All glory be to God for Jesus Christ!
Anyway, before we get into our Bit, let me apologize for my typo yesterday. I don’t know how many of you noticed it, but instead of saying ‘you reap what you sow,’ I wrote ‘you sow what you reap.’ Technically speaking it’s the same thing, since you can only reap what you sow. (smile)
And our Bit just reiterates the ideas we have declared in our hymn, and in the Great Invitation of Jesus. ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’
Now why wouldn’t I put my trust in the Creator and Controller of the universe eh? Why would I put it in the foolish and deceitful rascal who tried to dethrone God and now aimlessly walks the earth backed by a façade of evil and deception, until the Lord is ready to immerse him in the lake of fire? I’m sorry friends, but as for me and mine, we’re rooting for Jesus!
Now hear James, the half-brother of Christ, who like a lot of Christ’s family, did not believe until the end of His earthly ministry. Listen as James talks about worldliness and pride. ‘Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy (yearns jealously)? But he giveth more grace; Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Submit yourselves therefore to God: Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:5-10)
Oh my fellow believers, God gives us more grace than any of the world’s attractions or the lusts in our spirits, which means we can withstand both of them.
And the scholars explain the last three verses thus: ‘4:7-10. Therefore: The exhortations that follow logically result from the conditions in verses 1-6. Resist the devil: do not submit to, fear, or flee from Satan, but stand against him (1 Pet.5:8-10). Satan cannot lead (one) into sin against one’s will. Draw nigh: God will not be unmoved; His welcoming response is always near (cf. Deut. 4:7; Lam.3:57; Luke 15:20). Hands and hearts: The cleansing of one’s life must involve both outward deeds and inner thoughts (cf. Ps.24:3-4).’
The only advice I can give after reading all of that friends, is to read those references given in the scholars note. I just did, and believe me they are invaluable, they just strengthen your spirit and help you to better understand the Lord’s word. Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…
16 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Aaron, almighty god, anointest my head with oil, assurance, aura of love, battle, big-wigs, comfort, confidence, daily bread, divisive actions, Donald Trump, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, fighting tooth and nail, friends, fun, goodness, holy spirit, humble servants, I shall not want, in the presence of mine enemies, injustice, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, kingly cheques, labour in love, lack, lies, loving kindness, Martin Luther King Jr., mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Old Testament, peace, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, shepherd, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord's prayer, the name of Jesus, trust, U.S. holiday, ungodly world, we will not fear, weary souls, wisdom, wonder of wonders
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).
Ah friends, it’s another Monday, but not another working Monday for many of our friends in the U.S. of A, as they are celebrating the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
It’s nice to have a holiday named after him, but what difference it’s going to make is another subject, especially with the seemingly divisive actions being pursued by the incoming President-elect, Donald Trump. But we won’t get into that, because by the weekend we’ll have a much better grasp on the situation when he’s inaugurated.
Meanwhile, plenty of us have to go out and labour so that the big-wigs can cash their kingly cheques, so let’s get ourselves together and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn that helps us to labour in LOVE and peace.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
That was good friends and Jesus was pleased. But obviously the U.S. family was singing the loudest and heartiest as they relaxed in the comfort of their homes. (smile) Let us not envy them their day of relaxation though, as we have to carry the load today, working righteously for Jesus.
And we are certainly encouraged in that endeavour by our Bit, one of the most popular verses in all Scripture: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).’
Yes my people, those are some of the most encouraging words one can ever read. Simply because they mean that our wonderful God is continually acting like a shepherd in our lives; guarding us from harm and providing us with whatever we need.
As the Lord’s Prayer says: ‘Give us this day, our daily bread.’ And that’s exactly what our heavenly Father does, each and every day of our earthly lives.
Now let’s continue looking at the remaining verses of that awesome psalm. Yesterday we stopped at the promise that even when we’re in the dire depths of death and evil, we will not be afraid, because our God, again shepherd-like, will be right there with us, fighting tooth and nail on our behalf.
And if you think all of that was too good to be true, listen to these remarkable words of Bruh David as he continues his story. ‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’ (Ps.23:5)
Wow! How bold and daring and confident is our God, to prepare a table of good things for us in the midst of our enemies! And to further His good office, He also anoints us with oil. That’s a sacred blessing that only a few people received in the Old Testament days, but it meant a lot, like when Aaron was anointed as the high priest. (Ps.133:2)
And the last verse confidently declares: ‘Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23:6)
Oh friends, oh friends, what a glorious ending to following the Lord God Jehovah eh! His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell with Him forever.
Oh my, oh my, I can’t withhold the excitement and assurance those words provoke in my soul! So again friends, I’m asking us to sit down and ponder the wonderful benefits that can emanate from following the Lord Jesus Christ! If you don’t, you’ll be doing yourself a very serious injustice. Much LOVE!
…wonder of wonders…the name of Jesus proclaims…in every area of our lives…
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