08 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a broken heart, a broken spirit, a cheerful countenance, a cheerful mind, a kind word, a merry heart, a merry spirit, a time to laugh, anger is acid in a plastic bottle, Anselm, anxiety, be ye angry and sin not, control our thoughts, depression, emotional high, entitlement, give opportunity to the devil, gospel truth, have some fun, holy spirit, household chores, humour, Jesus, laughter, lazing about, let go of anger, let not the sun go down on your wrath, light hearted, lighten up, maladies, mankind's greatest blessing, medicine, negative emotion, negativity, positive attitude, Saturday, sense of appreciaition, sorrow of the heart, stress, take it nice and easy, the Lamb's Book of Life, the spirit is broken, the world owes you a living, to everything there is a season, wisdom
Proverbs 15:13. A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance (face): but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
Happy Saturday friends, whether you’re simply lazing about the house, doing household chores or getting ready to go out and do whatever you’re going to do, be it work or play! (smile) Just don’t stress yourself out. Whatever you do, do it calmly with the thought of God’s rest on your mind.
Today is not a good day to get upset and fly off the handle, because that’s exactly what the enemy is standing on the sidelines waiting for. So please take it nice and easy today…all day.
And since today is Saturday, it means we have to check out some of our friend Anselm’s quotes for this past week, as he aspires to inspire us to a better tomorrow. So without further ado let’s get into the first one, which is ever so important. ‘Let go of anger. Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.’
And that is the gospel truth friends! Anger corrodes our insides like acid in a plastic bottle, so it’s not a very good thing to hold on to. Why do you think Bruh Paul told us through Ephesians: ‘Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath. Neither give place (opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.3:26-27)
Because anger is a powerful negative emotion which causes us to do stuff that offers open invitations to the enemy, if we hold it for too long. Note he didn’t say, don’t get angry, because anger is a normal human emotion, but don’t sin when you do, and don’t hold it for too long.
And this second quote pertains very much to the now generation, and even to some of the older ones. ‘Release yourself from entitlement. Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.’
Ah friends, too many of the young people feel that the world owes them a living, and it’s our fault (the parents) for giving them everything they wanted, when they wanted it, without trying to instill some sense of appreciation in them.
This next one is also very instructive. ‘Don’t focus so much on making yourself feel good. The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.’ And that’s no lie! When we’re feeling down, the best remedy for our blues is to find some other blue person that we can cheer up, and you’ll be surprised how quickly your blues will disappear.
And from this last quote, I want us to set today’s stage. ‘Lighten up and have some fun. Humour is mankind’s greatest blessing.’ Hn! I don’t know if humour or laughter is mankind’s greatest blessing, but I do know that it is one of them. Laughter is one of the best medicines for all maladies; it’s free and easy to come by.
And as Cousin Sol says so eloquently in our Bit: ‘A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.’
Oh my people, we can all attest to that truth, because we have all encountered a broken heart at some time in our lives and know that there is no pain as devastating as that. But we have also experienced the emotional high that a merry heart brings, and nothing is as delightful and delectable as that.
So, I believe that we should all endeavour to have our lives guided by a merry spirit and a positive attitude. Just look at our Leader, our Lord and Saviour Jesus: He was always pleasant, always light hearted, not given to excessive negativity, even in the toughest of times.
Listen to Cousin Sol from Proverbs again. ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.’ (Prov.17:22) And the scholars explain it thus: ’17:22. A cheerful mind is revitalizing to the entire person.’
Now that is indisputable truth, because all the battles for control of our lives begin, are fought, and are decided in our minds. That means we have to learn to control our thoughts and focus on stuff that keeps us light hearted.
And we’ll end with one more shout of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘Heaviness (anxiety) in the heart of man maketh it stoop (causes depression): but a good word maketh it glad.’ (Prov.12:25) And the scholars enlighten us: ’12:25. A good word is a kind word that cheers the heart.’ More stuff that we also know from personal experience. So I don’t understand why so many of us Christians are so uptight, sour, sad and depressed.
Yeh friends, if we’re true believers, then our spirits ought to be light, having the assurance that Christ is looking after our every earthly need, and our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life in heaven. Oh, by the way, they also say that one of the best abilities we can have, is the ability to laugh at ourselves. Too many of us take ourselves too seriously.
So let’s lighten up today nuh mih breddren, let’s just enjoy the day, and let laughter and levity be uppermost in our souls today. That’s the word of wisdom for today, as detailed by the Holy Spirit. He wants to see a joyful body of believers raising the level of joy and laughter in the world this day. Much LOVE!
…to every thing there is a season…including a time to laugh…
04 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 4th of July, a time of celebration, addressing problems, better shape, boast, caught up, Christians, coming together, common grind, daily task, destinies, dictatorial attitude, disciples, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, eternal life, everyday life, family gatherings, give to God a ransom, God's goodly purposes, godly people, gospel truth, Granny's warning, individual selves, live righteously, LOVE, multitude of riches, none can redeem his brother, patriotic displays, petty, political parties, ransom, redeem, redemption of their soul, resurrected, seeking worldly wealth, sit and ponder, small-minded, the beloved of God, the friend of Jesus, the good of the country, the ungodly drive for riches, True wealth is what you are, trust in God, trust in wealth, Tuesday Mantra, U.S Independence Day, universal application
Psalm 49:6-7. They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY U.S.A!
So as one North American party winds down, another one ramps up: Canada’s 150th Birthday is now history. We have reluctantly gone back to the daily task and common grind of everyday life.
And I plead with each of us Canadians, please let’s try and live righteously together nuh, so that on our birthday next year, we can look at each other and truly declare that our great country is in better shape that it was a year earlier. And it’s only by coming together and seriously addressing our problems will that ever happen.
In the meanwhile the U.S is celebrating their 4th of July Independence in 1776 from their British colonial masters. It’s one of their biggest days, possibly matched only by Thanksgiving.
It’s a time of great celebration in the nation with lots of patriotic displays and family gatherings, and I don’t think it will be any less so this year, although the country is seriously divided due to the petty, small-minded, dictatorial attitude of its President.
So let’s hope that they too will be able to work through their many serious problems and will also be at a better position this time next year. But then again, that will only come about if they all work together for the good of the country rather than for that of their individual selves or political parties.
And we wish them a day of joyful celebration, with no untoward or negative events. And please remember Granny’s warning today, my U.S brethren: ‘Drunk or sober, mind yuh business.’ It will surely be of great help in this time of intense celebration.
And as we move along, here is a li’l mind enhancing something from my ‘P.S. I LOVE You,’ Poster. It tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘True wealth is what you are, not what you have.’
And I think it will do many of us a lot of good if we sit and ponder that truthful statement for a while, since too many of us are still caught up in the seeking of physical, worldly wealth and possessions, believing that things will make us truly wealthy and/or happy. But that’s just a fantasy my people.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, it is nice and very convenient to have worldly wealth, but that should not define us, it should not make a statement of who we are. When others look at us, the first thing they ought to say is not that we are rich, or wealthy, but that we are godly people, despite our wealth.
That brings us to our Bit. ‘They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.’
And that’s gospel truth my brethren! No amount of wealth or riches can redeem any of us! The scholars tell us that back in the time when the psalm was written, many evil people were boasting about their riches, just like is happening today.
Thus the psalm is a means of enabling ‘God’s people to rise above the ungodly drive for riches. There is first an invitation to listen (vs.1-4): the poet calls on all men because the psalm has a universal application. Second, he demonstrates how woefully inadequate riches are (vs.5-12): on the day of one’s death they cannot redeem (vs.6-7).
Finally, the divergent destinies of the wicked and the righteous are vividly stated (vs.13-20): the wicked man has no hope beyond this life (v.14), but the righteous man will be resurrected to eternal life.’ And so it ought to be!
Now listen to how the psalmist puts it after our Bit, as he encourages us to trust in God and not worldly wealth. ‘(For the redemption of their soul is precious (costly), and it ceaseth for ever:) That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption (the pit, hell).
For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish (senseless) person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not (does not endure): he is like the beasts that perish. This their way is their folly (the way of those who are foolish): yet their (and of their) posterity approve their sayings. Selah.’ (Ps.49:13)
Oh friends, please let’s not be like the rich and wicked and foolish who believe that their way is the right one, because it very clearly isn’t! Man’s wealth might be able to make this life on earth comfortable, but it can do nothing for us in heaven unless we use it for God’s goodly purposes!
And we are not supposed to be known by what we have but who and whose we are. And that is clearly spelt out in our Tuesday Mantra. So please let’s joyfully declare that as we go home with plenty enthusiasm and true sincerity.
As one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Yes friends, that’s our definition as Christians; the beloved of God and the friend of Jesus! Now let’s go out and show that to the wicked world that surrounds us! Much LOVE!
…when others see the LOVE of Jesus in us…then are we truly His disciples…
28 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a purpose and a plan, a resurgence of passion, another day of life, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed, Beelzebub, Daily Bread Devotional, draw near to God, evil desire, get fired up again for Jesus, glory to God, gospel truth, halfway home, hands on the plough, if any man love the world, image of Christ, intelligence, love not the world, LOVE Revolution, loving god, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, mind-boggling, minds are refreshed, reignite God's image in our hearts, rekindle your fire in our souls, Scrip-Bit family, sin, spreading the gospel, St. Therese of Lisieux, strength is renewed, technology, thanks and praise, the breath of life, the good news of Jesus, the heights of sin, the love of the Father, the pride of life, the renewing of your mind, the things of God, the things of the world, the will of God, the world passes away, ultimate in truth, Wednesday Wail
1 John 2:15. LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.
Well a good morning to all you wonderful Scrip-Bit family members! We’ve been blessed with another day of life on planet earth! Glory to God!
Oh, I know that life often isn’t the greatest, but I’m sure most of us aren’t ready to give it up just yet. (smile) So let’s give our heavenly Father some thanks and praise and find out why He’s left us down here still, because He does have a purpose and a plan for each of our lives.
Now listen to these two quotes which ought to be very useful to us all. The first one comes from a Daily Bread Devotional and says: ‘When we draw near to God our minds are refreshed and our strength is renewed.’
Gospel truth that my brethren! Because our heavenly Father is the only one who can really accomplish that feat in our souls.
And the next quote is actually a prayer from one of the St.Therese of Lisieux Devotionals, and that calls us to plead with Almighty God to ‘Reignite your image in our hearts; rekindle your fire in our souls.’
Yes friends, in these trying times where true passion for Christ is sadly lacking in too many supposed believers, we desperately need a recharging of our hearts with the image of Christ and a rekindling of the fire that burned in our souls when we first believed.
Unless there is a resurgence of that passion and LOVE for Christ, Christianity is doomed to be mediocre and second-class. And we definitely don’t want that now, do we? Obviously not!
So please let’s get fired up again for Jesus nuh mih people! Let’s get His LOVE Revolution in full swing nuh, so that the hordes of people who don’t know Him will get to meet and know Him and come to LOVE Him just like we do.
We can’t be selfish with Christ and try to keep Him all to ourselves. He was made to be shared with ALL THE WORLD, and it’s our appointed and anointed job to do that. So please let’s do it nuh!
And why aren’t we doing our appointed job, of spreading the gospel, the good news of Jesus to all the world? Because as our Bit says, we are still too enamoured with the things of the world and not as much as we should be with the things of God!
‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.’
That’s the ultimate in truth my believing brethren! We can’t LOVE God and Beelzebub too! It’s either one or the other. And true wisdom dictates that LOVING God is the correct answer to the problem!
And John continues his argument after our Bit. ‘For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:16-17)
Yeh friends, all the supposed wonderful things in this world will pass away at some time or the other, and the world itself will pass away eventually. So what will we have left if we embrace the world and its finite things eh? Absolutely nothing! For only the things of God will last forever!
And here is an inkling into John’s thinking from the scholars. ‘2:16. World for John signifies the evil desire and sin so much a part of human existence.’
And believe you me friends, sin and evil desire is so rampant in our present world, that it’s mind-boggling. Just like we’ve reached the heights of technology and intelligence, likewise we’ve reached the heights of sin.
Ah Lord eh! John and Bruh Paul and them talked about sin back in their day, but they would be absolutely floored by the heights that sin and evil desire have reached today.
Listen to this wise advice from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom.12:2)
Oh my people, that advice is ever so necessary for us in these modern times because of the rampant nature of sin in the world!
And the scholars explain: ’12:2. Be not conformed (lit. “stop conforming yourselves”): They are to resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems and conduct of this world. This term is used only here and in 1 Peter 1:14.’
We desperately need to take that same advice in these end times, my people! Why? Because things are not going to get any better unless we do. So let’s go home now with all of that good info inspiring us, flowing through our hearts and souls with a resurgence of passion for Christ, as we sincerely declare our Wednesday Wail.
With feeling now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
That’s the only wise and sensible approach to this life friends! Much LOVE!
…one’s body and soul can only be refreshed and renewed…when one sincerely turns to Almighty God for help…
22 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionat heart, a touch of spring, against the wiles of the devil, anxiety, belieivng God's promises, breastplate of righteousness, broken, Christian, conquer, contend with satan, control, convoluted reasoning, curse, Daily Bread Devotion, deceit, divine protection, doubts, eagerness, evil schemes, fear, feet shod, fiery darts, free gift, girded your loins, God's armour, God's grace and mercy, God's LOVE, God's power, gospel truth, greater, gusto, hidden from God's sight, in Jesus' name, invincible, lies, mere mortals, negative word, nothing, nugget of gold, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, perseverance, powerful opponent, praying always, quench, rebuke, saints, self-control, self-discipline, sincere belief, spiritual armour, stronger, summer, supplication, sword of the Spirit, take the fight to Satan, take up the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand, the best defence is offence, the devil, the evil enemy, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, the Word of god, Thursday Blessing, too hard for, trust, truth, watching
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Well mih friends and family, it seems the ole fella was a tad late when he said yesterday that summer would be with us in a couple of days. Hn, hn! Apparently summer has officially been with us for three days now. (smile)
And my excuse, which by the way I’m sticking to, is that I don’t remember it being on the 20th of June, but more like the 22 or 23. Just goes to show you ought to check your calendar before you make such statements.
But be that as it may, let’s hope we have a good summer season, one worthy to be called summer; not too hot, but hot enough to make one know that it’s summer…if you follow my convoluted reasoning. So far it has been somewhat mild, with a touch of spring still present, but it’s still early days yet.
And before we get into today’s sermon (smile), here is a nugget of gold, one of the little snippets that appear at the end of each day’s Daily Bread Devotion. It says: ‘Nothing is hidden from God’s sight. Nothing is greater than God’s LOVE. Nothing is stronger than God’s mercy and grace. Nothing is too hard for God’s power.’
Now if ALL of that isn’t gospel truth, then I don’t know what is! Our God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, which means He is all-powerful, all seeing and everywhere! You can’t beat that friends!
And He has so generously granted some of His awesome power to us mere mortals, but we need to accept it, to graciously receive it, because there’s nothing we can do to work for or deserve it. It’s just His wonderful free gift.
Now one of the things we’re talking about here is the power to rebuke and successfully conquer and control the evil enemy, who desires to take over our lives and turn us away from sincerely worshipping the One and Only True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
So let’s bring in our Bit and continue our conversation from yesterday. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’
And we’re going to repeat the verses that contain the description of God’s spiritual armour, so that we’ll have them right in front of us and not have to turn elsewhere to find them.
‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your loins) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one).
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:14-18)
Now yesterday we explained up to the breastplate of righteousness, so today we’ll continue the scholars explanations with the third piece of God’s armour: ‘Preparation of the gospel of peace (vs.15) which means “eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.”
That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called ‘caligae’ on his feet, enabling him to advance against his enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of “eagerness” or “willingness” to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him.
Such “eagerness” to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from the anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent.’
Oh friends, how wonderful is that eh? The gospel of peace frees us from fear and anxiety and allows us to courageously battle Satan. But please note one important point, we ought not to sit back and let the evil Lucifer come against us, we must take the fight to Him, battle him on our terms, on our turf. As they say, the best defence is offence.
And the fourth piece of God’s armour is ‘The shield of (which is) faith (vs.16). And that means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such trust will prevent one from doubts induced by Satan.’
And that’s awfully important my fellow believers, for Lucifer is the father of lies and deceit and doubts, and if we’re not very careful and have a strong faith and trust in Almighty God, he can easily deceive us into thinking and doing the wrong things.
Now time and space have run out against us, so we’ll have to continue this tomorrow. And I look at it as God’s mysterious working, not giving us too much stuff to ponder in one sitting. So please think seriously on what we’ve said to day, while we walk gratefully in God’s LOVE and mercy.
And to end it all on a magnificent note, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings with much gusto and sincere belief. In unison now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And since blessings were meant to be shared, let’s go out and joyfully share them nuh, as Jesus so avidly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…having on God’s armour…makes us all invincible conquerors…
19 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a roof over our heads, a sense of urgency, adrenaline, arrows, aura of love, be strong in the Lord, Beelzebub, bread and butter, cease-fire, cessation, Christians, confidence, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, following Jesus, friends, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, he that keeps Israel, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, labouring, lies, LOVE, Lucifer, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no work no pay, peace, protective covering, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, serve a useful purpose, slings, slumber nor sleep, soldiers of Christ, spiritual armour, spiritual battle, steadfast faith, taunts, the antidote, the power of his might, trust, truth, ungodly world, wisdom
Ephesians 6:10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Well fathers, our special day is over now, hope we all had an enjoyable day. Mine was fairly quiet, but very interesting. However, it’s now time for us to concentrate on, and get back to labouring so that we can keep a roof over our family’s head and bread on our table. It’s nice to be pampered and spoiled, but we certainly can’t forget about our bread and butter, our jobs. (smile)
And I know that for plenty of us fathers, after all the celebrations yesterday, it’s going to be difficult to get up this morning to go and labour, but just think about it this way nuh: no work, no pay. (smile) But as always, we have the antidote for whatever ails you this Monday morning. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and when we sing it sincerely and joyfully, it just refreshes and renews us, gets the adrenaline flowing in our bodies.
So let’s belt it out now nuh, with plenty gusto and expectant faith. As one big earthly choir now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, that was a bit harsh and raucous, but the enthusiasm was great, and Jesus, our choirmaster understood our shortcomings. But now, with that same enthusiasm we just showed, aided by the adrenaline that’s coursing through our veins, let’s go out and face the enemy and battle them mano a mano in Jesus’ name. That’s what He’s expecting of us.
And as Bruh Paul advises in in our Bit: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’
Yes my fellow believers, above everything else, if we want to go and fight the enemy, then we have to be strong in the Lord, because that’s where our strength and our help come from. As the psalmist declares: ‘My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.’ (Ps.121:2-4) And that’s gospel truth my people! Our God will look after us at all times, under whatever circumstances and situations!
Before we go further though, let’s check out some info from the scholars, re our Bit. ‘6:10. Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on” until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no cease fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities. “From now on” till the end there is all out war. The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely by His mighty power.”
Ah mih people, how mighty is our God! The mightiest of them all!!! As we’ve said a couple times above, He made the heavens and the earth and all therein, so He must be truly powerful, and He does strengthen us to do His bidding. However, regardless of what strength we have, as warriors, we also need protective covering from the enemy’s slings and arrows, that’s why the verse after our Bit is so important. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph.6:11)
Yes friends, we need to put on our protective spiritual armour, this morning, and every morning, before we go out to fight against the enemy, so that we don’t get hurt. It’s one thing to be strong in the Lord, but it’s another to fight without protective covering.
And the scholars offer us these explanations. ‘6:11. Put on (Greek ingressive aorist imperative) (smile) denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action. To stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical positon in battle. The wiles of the devil (or, “the Devil’s strategy”). Satan carefully devises schemes and tactics against believers.’
So friends, it’s no joke war in which we’re involved, it’s serious business, serious stuff on which our salvation and eternal life depends. So please, let’s take it very seriously nuh, because our enemy, Lucifer, is taking it very seriously. He’s definitely out to trip us up and make us turn away from following Jesus. And that’s definitely not a wise thing to do. Therefore, let’s put on our spiritual armour, and with the strength of our great God flowing through our minds, bodies and spirits, let’s go out and battle Beelzebub – battle him to the finish! Much LOVE!
…soldiers of Christ arise…arise fully armoured and strengthened by Almighty God…
14 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a piece of the pie, abundant life, action, aggressive, asaph, be thou envious, Beelzebub, Christians, come with the territory, doused with gasoline, earthly wealth, engulfed in flames, envious of the wicked, evildoers, fear, fellow believers, followers of Christ, foolish, Fret not thyself over evildoers, God is good to Israel, God is in control, good old days, gospel truth, grin and bear them, halfway home, heavenly Father, help, life, looking forward, mishaps, my hands are on the plough, my help comes from the Lord, my steps had slipped, Niagara Falls, of a clean hesrt, poison our lives, progress, protect us from harm, Ralph Waldo Emerson, righteousness, Saskatchewan, seek ye first the kingdom of God, sell our souls, spiritual realm, store up treasures, the breath of life, the end times, the fires of hell, the prosperity of the wicked, the workers of iniquity, toxic chemicals, upward, violence, violent, Wednesday Wail, worry
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Ah friends, what a world we’re living in today eh, when you can wake up and hear that a tanker truck with toxic contents overturned on a major highway in southern Ontario yesterday afternoon in St. Catherines, close by to Niagara Falls.
Also to hear that two children under 12 were doused with gasoline and set on fire by another under 12 year old boy in the Western Province of Saskatchewan. And then to see live, an apartment building in West London, England, its 24 floors being engulfed in huge flames, and the firefighters helpless to rescue many of them.
Ah Lord eh! Sometimes it makes you long for the supposed good, old days, when we didn’t have toxic chemicals being ferried along our highways like ordinary stuff, and apartment buildings weren’t so tall, and young children weren’t as aggressive and violent.
But we’ve opted for supposed progress and those things come with the territory. So now we just have to grin and bear them.
But here’s the good news; we Christians don’t have to be worried over the stuff that can, and oftimes will happen, because we know that our God, our powerful heavenly Father is in control of ALL things and He will guide and protect us from harm.
And here is an interesting quote to help us in our daily lives, courtesy of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882), the famous American lecturer, essayist and poet. Ralph is reputed to have said: ‘Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up.’
Oh my fellow believers, what great advice for these trying times. We can’t afford to be looking back or around, but upwards, because that is where our help comes from.
As the psalmist so rightfully declared: ‘My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth, He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (to slip): He that keepeth thee will not slumber,’ (Ps.121:2-3) Gospel truth friends!
And the sad fact is that too many Christians are too worried about the sad state of our world. Now we must be concerned about it, but the truth is that most of us can do nothing to prevent the mishaps and the violence, so why worry eh?
We need to be more concerned about the things we have control over, and make sure that they go right, and simply leave the rest to God. Our worrying will in no way change some of the awful stuff that’s happening, so we don’t need to poison our own lives with fear and worry.
And that brings us to the wonderful advice of our Bit; immortal words of Bruh David. ‘Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.’
Yes, my precious people of God, it doesn’t pay to be envious of the wicked, because their time will be short, for the Lord will mow them down like grass under a mower, and burn them in the fires of hell.
And we have a very good example of worrying about the evildoers in the words of the psalmist Asaph. He writes in Psalm 73 – The mystery of prosperous wickedness. ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart.
But as for me, my feet were almost gone (my feet had almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:1-3)
Oh my fellow believers, I know that the wicked and evil are seemingly prospering in these end times, and we all want a piece of that pie, but are we going to sell our eternal souls to Beelzebub for a little earthly wealth and prosperity, none of which we can take into the eternal spiritual realm?
That would be incredibly foolish, though many of us are doing it. And the simple solution is that if we sincerely follow Jesus’ admonitions, we can also become prosperous and wealthy in earthly terms, as well as store up treasures in heaven.
Listen to these faithful words of our Lord and Saviour. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Plain and straightforward friends: seek God first, and He will give you all you need to live an abundant life here on earth. For as Jesus later said: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
And having been reminded of all that my faithful followers of Christ, and having inwardly digested it, let’s go home joyfully declaring our Wednesday Wail.
In strong voice as one body, let’s wail! ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now let’s go out and put it all into action, because that’s the only way to make it worthwhile in the sight of Jesus. Much LOVE!
…the eyes of ALL Christians…should be looking forward and upward…
10 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good leader, action, afflicted, and eye for an eye, and ounce of practice, Anselm, atonement, attribute of the strong, between a rock and a hard place, by His stripes we are healed, chastisement, chomping at the bit, Christians, complaining, despised, forgiveness, friends, glorification, gospel truth, grief, hemming and hawing, humanity, hurt, iniquities, Jesus Christ, Jesus' blood, like sheep gone astray, lose faith in humanity, LOVE, made him to be sin for us, made the righteousness of God, ocean of humanity, pains, rejected, relaxation, rest, righteousness., Saturday, share of the blame, share of the credit, sickness, smitten of God, sorrows, strength of purpose, suffering servant, sunscreen lotion, tans, the blind leading the blind, the help of God, the Son of God, to please the Father, tons of preaching, who knew no sin, wounded
2 Corinthians 5:21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Aye mih breddren, Saturday has rolled around once again! What are your plans eh? I know I’m not planning to do much of anything productive. It will be mostly a day of rest and relaxation, especially if it’s another nice one like the last few. And it’s supposed to go up to around thirty degrees Celsius.
Mama yo! Many will now complain that it’s too hot, and the a/c will be blasting cold air. But many others will also break out the sunscreen lotion and work on their tans. It’s a good thing that my tan is natural yes, I don’t have to work at it. (smile) Thank You Lord!
Anyway, since it’s Saturday, let’s look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm offered this week nuh, in his marvelous effort to inspire us to aspire to a better tomorrow. Hear this one: ‘Without action you aren’t going anywhere. An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.’
And is that ever so true and rather appropriate to our Christian faith my brethren, because we’re certainly doing more talking, more preaching, rather than putting the preaching into action, as is most necessary in this lost and evil world.
Then he tells us: ‘Forgive and let it go. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.’ I guess you have to be strong to be able to forgive and let go of hurts inflicted by others. And the eye for an eye thing will certainly make the world blind.
What did Jesus have to say about the blind leading the blind? ‘And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Matt.15:14) Gospel truth that! For Jesus doesn’t lie.
This next quote is a bit touchy. ‘You are in control. Nobody can hurt you without your permission.’ Technically speaking it’s true, we allow others to hurt us. But when someone does dreadful things to us, it’s not that easy to say ‘I won’t let them hurt me,’ and just turn off the hurt.
The penultimate quote advises: ‘You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.’ The only problem there is that our current ocean of humanity has much much more than just a few dirty drops in it.
And I’ve left the best for last. ‘A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.’ More gospel truth friends! And there’s no better example of that than our own Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Just look at all He did for us nuh, all the ‘sufferation’ He endured on our behalf, and from then to now, He’s never gotten the plaudits He so rightfully deserves. But he didn’t do what he did for praise and glory, but for LOVE! Can you imagine it? Hn! Most of our leaders today are simply out for their own glorification.
However our Bit declares of Jesus: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’
The Father really put Him between a rock and a hard place, but He did what He had to do without a lot of complaining. No, it wasn’t easy, even for Him as the Son of God, but it’s what the Father desired, and He wanted to please the Father. Oh, how I wish that more of us supposed Christians could feel the same way; simply desirous of pleasing the Father and doing what He asks of us without a lot of hemming and hawing. That would be the day!
Ah friends, it’s not easy living a true Christian life, but when we put our minds to it, with the help of God, it is certainly exciting and adventurous. And I’m not talking from hearsay there, but from personal experience.
And all I want to do today is highlight a couple of scripture verses that enhance our Bit, from the magnificent prophecy of Isaiah in chapter 53, re the Suffering servant. ‘He is despised and rejected of (forsaken by) men: a man of sorrows (pains), and acquainted with grief (sickness): and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs (pains), and carried our sorrows (sicknesses): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted. But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement (discipline, self-control) of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is.53:3-6)
Yes friends, our leader showed us the way, by walking His talk with strength of purpose. He bore our sinful burdens selflessly and gave us His peace and righteousness. Now why can’t we just live up to the little He asks of us eh…to LOVE the Father, LOVE ourselves, not in a narcissist manner, and to LOVE our neighbours as ourselves?
Is that so hard to do my Christian brethren? What a wonderful world we’d truly have! And there would be supreme joy both in heaven and on earth! Let’s try and make that a reality nuh my people. With God’s help it’s possible. But we have to sincerely want to do it and then put out the great effort necessary. Much LOVE!
…that tremendous gift of atonement…paid for with Jesus’ blood…should have us chomping at the bit…to do God’s bidding…
07 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a glorious world, a new creature, all things are new, dampens our spirits, died on the cross, eternal life, faithful brethren, glad to be alive, glory to God, gospel truth, grace, Hades, halfway home, hell, hostility, if any man be in Christ, imputing trespasses, inconsistent weather, Jesus redemptive work, joy, justice, life just gives us time and space, LOVE, Lucifer, made him to be sin for us, maturing fellowship, meaning, mired in unhappiness, No one is guaranteed happiness, old things are passed away, P.S. I Love You, possessions, reconciled us to himself, reconciliation, redemption, righteousness, shining brightly, sin, sinless, soul-winning, spiritual vocabulary, sternity, the basis of christ's death, the breath of life, the cross, the LOVE of Jesus christ, the ministry of reconciliation, the righteousness of God, the Sun and the Son, the things of the world, took our sin, wealth, Wednesday Wail, who knew no sin, wisdom
2 Corinthians 5:21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
And then it was a bright, sunshiny Wednesday morning… Glory to God! And though it is still a bit cool, the temperature is expected to rise to at least twenty by mid afternoon. That we can handle.
Unlike yesterday where it was rainy and sunny, rainy and sunny all day long. Chuh! That kind of inconsistent weather only dampens our spirits. But when both the Sun and the Son are shining, it’s a glorious world. (smile)
Now here is a li’l something from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster, which informs us that:’No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’
And that’s gospel truth! Unfortunately though some of us don’t realize it and expect life to guarantee us happiness. But nothing could be further from the truth friends. If life had its way, we’d all be mired in unhappiness. So it’s left to us to fill our lives with pleasant and joyful stuff.
And where can we best find that joy and happiness? Not in the things of the world; it’s false wealth and possessions. But in the strength and LOVE of Jesus Christ; the One who selflessly died on the cross for our redemption; took our sins upon His broad and able shoulders and gave us His righteousness instead.
Hence our Bit: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’
Oh friends, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! No other supposed deity has ever, or can ever do that for us. Take our sins and put them on another, so that they can be forgiven.
Listen to these powerful, exciting and heart-warming verses before our Bit nuh. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit (that is), that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor.5:17-19)
Oh my brethren, we have to acknowledge it again: what a magnificent and magnanimous God we serve and worship! He has reconciled us to Himself! Glory to the Most High God Jehovah!
And if you don’t understand what reconciliation is all about, listen to the scholars’ explanation. ‘5:19. Reconciliation is the act whereby God on the basis of Christ’s death, has eliminated the cause of hostility between Himself and humanity, making possible a complete and maturing fellowship. (The hostility was caused by sin, and was eliminated by the Cross).
Illustration: When David prepared to fight for the Philistines, they feared he might betray them in battle in order to become reconciled with Saul. They answered that such an act would greatly please King Saul and be sufficient to restore a decayed relationship between Saul and David.
Application: Those who have become reconciled to God have also been given the ministry of reconciliation, which is fulfilled when they engage in soul-winning (v.19). (First Ref. Lev.6:30; Primary ref, 2 cor.5:19; cf. Rom.3:29).’
Ah mih people, yuh see how important that word ‘reconciliation’ is in our spiritual vocabulary. Out of God’s everlasting grace and LOVE, He decided to become reconciled to us, and in the process forgive us, not impute our sins to us.
But just forgiving us out of hand would stain His sense of justice and righteousness, so someone or something had to eventually pay for our sins. The crux of the matter though was that the sacrifice had to be sinless.
Hn! And lo, and behold ONLY His ONLY Son Jesus Christ fit the bill. I’m sure the Lord agonized over it some, but eventually His immense LOVE for us won the day, and He decided to sacrifice His Son, despite the great heartache it would cost Him.
And here we are now friends, with so many of us ignoring and not appreciating the miraculous work that the Lord did on our behalf. How foolish and ungrateful eh!
Without Jesus work on the cross we’d be left high and dry, to spend eternity in Hades with the evil one Lucifer. But with Jesus redemptive work, we have the option to believe in Him, surrender our all to Him and spend eternity with Him in heaven.
Now which option makes more sense eh; Hades with Lucifer, or Heaven with Christ? My people, I humbly submit that the latter choice is the wiser one. So I’m advising us to please, please choose Christ as your Lord and Saviour, otherwise your eternal life will certainly be hell.
Now for those of us who vote for Jesus, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, which let’s the whole world know in which camp we permanently stand.
All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now that is what’s called wisdom of exceedingly great proportions! (smile) Much, much LOVE, my faithful brethren in Christ!
…as for me and mine…without a doubt…we will follow Jesus…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit. It was just one of those nights, and consequently one of those mornings. (smile) Much LOVE!
30 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a daydreamer, a faith that saves is never alone, a pleasant person, aim of all Christians, be ye warmed and filled, blessings, christianity, common task, daily grind, dalvation, daly food, destitute, dreams, empty vessels, eternal life, exciting, faith, faith alone saves, faithful, fallen brethren, feeble attempts, friend of Jesus, good works, gospel truth, government abuse, growing in Christ, have no works, heavenly Father, John Calvin, John Maxwell, lacking works, Memorial Day holiday, mental and physical problems, money to honour the dead, naked, new, no progress, pomp and ceremony, positive attitude, post-conversion works, potential, professing faith, saving faith, share His love, talents, the beloved of God, the freedom of our countries, the living suffer, thou good and faithful servant, Tuesday Mantra, unlimited possibility, well done, what does it profit, wounds suffered
James 2:14. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
So friends, it’s Tuesday! What’s new and exciting in our lives eh? And most of us say nothing really; just the same old, same old daily grind and common task. Hn!
And that’s the way it’s always going to be my brethren, because we really couldn’t handle something new and exciting every day. We are just not made that way.
And our U.S brethren are going back to work today after the Memorial Day Holiday – hope they’re not too tired and bedraggled after all the celebrations.
But friends, it hurts the ole fella’s heart to see all the pomp and ceremony that both the U.S and Canada put on in respect to celebrating their fallen brethren, while the majority of the ones who participated in the conflicts and are still alive are suffering immensely from government abuse, mismanagement and simply being ignored. Steups!
So many of them suffer from mental and physical problems and either can’t get any help, or find it extremely difficult to get help for the wounds suffered for the freedom of our countries.
Financially, they and their families are also suffering great need, but our governments only make feeble, if any attempts to help them. Yet on those days, those days of remembrance, they can find money to honour the dead, while the living suffer so seriously.
Steups! What a hypocritical society we are! But that’s all a story for another day. Today though, I want to share some words of wisdom attributed to John Maxwell (1947), the celebrated American author, speaker and pastor.
And here John talks about dreams. ‘A dream without a positive attitude produces a daydreamer. A positive attitude without a dream produces a pleasant person who never makes any progress. A dream together with a positive attitude produces a person with unlimited possibility and potential. ‘
Mama Mia! How true is that eh my friends? How many of us dream big but do nothing about it eh? And how many of us have positive attitudes but no dreams to be positive about? Too many of us I declare!
It’s just like Christianity that calls for both faith and works. One without the other is of no use. And I guess that’s why a lot of us aren’t growing in Christ either; because we have either faith or works and not both.
But friends, to be good, solid and true Christians we need to believe sincerely, and then work that belief to the glory of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Otherwise we’re just empty vessels without any real use. And all of that leads us to our Bit. ‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?’
Ah mih people, that’s a passage of scripture that has caused controversy down though the ages. Now according to the scholars, Bruh Paul’s doctrine teaches of ‘salvation by faith alone.’
For him ‘faith practically equals salvation. James, however, sees two kinds of faith: saving faith and professing faith (much like the usage today). For Paul, justification is by faith (Rom.4:5). For James, justification is by a faith that works – by a genuine faith that manifests itself in post conversion works.’
Oh friends, what unnecessary confusion! It’s obvious that we can only be saved by faith, but that faith ought to lead us to work the works of Jesus which He so clearly commanded us to do; teaching and making disciples of others, helping the sick and needy, etc. etc.
And as the scholars quote the famous Protestant Pastor, John Calvin: ‘Faith alone saves, but a faith that saves is never alone.’ Gospel truth that my brethren!
Therefore as James continues: ‘If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food. And one of you say unto them. Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.’ (James 2:15-17)
The sad truth of the matter friends is that our faith these days is sadly lacking works. Oh we will go to heaven with our faith, but where will be our rewards? When the Lord asks us ‘what have you done with the talents and blessings I gave you,’ what will we reply?
Will our reply be like the fella with one talent who buried it? Or will we declare like the one who had five talents: ‘Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.’ (Matt.25:20)
Now that’s what we ought to be saying on that judgement day my people! So that the Lord can say to us: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’ (Matt.25:21)
Yes friends, the quintessential aim of all Christians should not just be going to heaven, but receiving a joyful welcome to eternal life by our heavenly Father!
And with all of that in mind, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with sincere belief and enthusiastic enthusiasm! (smile) ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And having said that, let’s now go out and put it into action, as Jesus desires nuh. Much LOVE!
…true faith…ought to make us want to do…plenty good works…
29 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afflictions, as a roaring lion, aura of love, be sober, be vigilant, confidence, conquerors, dominion, enthusiasm, evil, faith, finite being, friends, glorious kingdom, glory, God is faithful, gospel truth, grace, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, LOVE, Memorial Day, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, omnipresent, patriots, Praise the Lord, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, resist the devil, Satan, seeking whom he may devour, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, temptation, trust, truth, ungodly world, walks about, war heroes, wiles, wisdom, your adversary the devil
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Awright mih breddren, it’s Monday morning, so let’s be up and at ‘em nuh!
‘Not today,’ claim our U.S. breddren. ‘Today is our Memorial Day Holiday, where we celebrate our fallen war heroes, so no work for us today. Praise the Lord!’
Yes friends, the shoe is on the other foot this week; last week we in Canada had Monday off for our Victoria Day Holiday, this week the U.S honours their patriots. But since it’s still a day of labour for most of us, we still need to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get us going. So with as much verve and enthusiasm as we can muster, let’s sing.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And as expected, the loudest and most off key voices were those who did not have to go to work today, and were already into the celebrations. But just remember, please listen to Granny’s advice. ‘Drunk or sober mind yuh business.’ We don’t want to go giving the evil one any foothold in our souls, for he is always lurking around, always on the prowl to find someone he can invade and cultivate.
That’s why Peter, after telling us to humble ourselves before God, and to cast our care on him, because He cares for us, so strenuously warns in our Bit. ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’
And that’s the gospel truth friends! Remember when Satan came before God in Job? ‘And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.’ (Job 1:7)
And the scholars offer this explanation: ‘1:7. From going to and from in the earth refers to Satan’s activity. Though he does not admit it here, Satan’s character clearly shows that his many travels are for evil purposes. In 1 Peter 5:8. Satan is described as “your adversary the devil…seeking whom he may devour.”
The activity of Satan indicates that he only has limited access to God. This account in Job emphasizes that God is sovereign over Satan. It also teaches that Satan is a finite being and therefore not omnipresent (can’t be everywhere at the same time). Nor can he touch God’s servants without God’s permission.’
Oh glory to God my people! That means Satan has no direct say over us, he can only invade our souls and spirits if God gives him permission, or of we foolishly allow him to enter therein. That’s why Peter continues after our Bit. ‘Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet.5:9)
Oh friends, I know it’s no great consolation to know that our brethren are experiencing the same temptation as us, but it just goes to show that we are not alone in being tempted, as Bruh Paul tells the Corinthians. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor.10:13)
Now friends, we have to be careful and understand that God will not always make us escape the temptation, but will often allow us to go through it, to build our faith, but will eventually bring us out safely on the other side. Remember too, that even Jesus was tempted by Lucifer during His earthly sojourn, but He successfully rebuked Him, and we ought to try and do likewise.
James also warns us. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God: Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ (James 4:7) Yes my fellow believers, if we keep resisting Lucifer, he will eventually flee from us; not that he won’t come back and try to tempt us later on, (smile) because he can be very persistent.
However, we’ll end with these reassuring words of Peter. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be the glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet.5:10-11)
What a blessed and faithful assurance my people. So let’s go out today strengthened in the Word of God, so that we can do His will. Much LOVE!
…the stronger our faith in Jesus…the more we are able to resist temptation…
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