31 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cry of anguish, a friend of Jesus, a song of praise, abhorred, afflicted, an army rising up, awesome, awesome power, beliefs, break every chain, breath of life, Christian, comfortable, coming to Christ, contented, descendants, despised, disrepair, do better, earthly heaven, evil, fear, fear the Lord, fight tooth and nail, friend, glorify your Father, Glory be, glory hallelujah, good works, grateful, gratefulness, gratitude, hid his face, hurry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, in Christ's army, Jesus Christ, joyful song, kick in the tail, let your light shine, LOVE Revolution, Lucifer, malaise, minions, my friend Jesus, power, power in the name of Jesus, praise, pressure, reverence, scared, seed of jacob, share His love, soldiers, song, Tasha Cobbs, tendencies, thankful, thanks, the beloved of God, the things of the world, trust, Tuesday Mantra, uplifted in spirit, walking away, what people say about me, worry
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Oh friends, oh friends, it’s another beautiful Tuesday on God’s earthly heaven! Glory be to our heavenly Father! It means we’ve been granted another day with God’s breath of life still flowing rich and strong through our physical bodies!
And for that we ought to be most thankful, be ever grateful for all that He’s done for us in the past, is doing for us right now, and has faithfully promised to fulfill in the future. Now that also ought to lead us to offering some sincere thanks and praise to His most holy and honourable name.
And the best way to give thanks and praise, to offer sincere gratitude and gratefulness is in joyful song. So let’s sing praises and give thanks to our Creator and Provider! Let’s shout out this powerful gospel song that I recently heard. Heard it a few times on different radio stations too.
The singer is blessed with the name Tasha Cobbs, and I believe she was in Toronto last weekend for a live concert. The song is appropriately titled, ‘Power in the name of Jesus.’
Please sing it with me. ‘There is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus. Yes there is power in the name of Jesus…. To break every chain… Break every chain…Break every chain.
There’s an army rising up. There’s and army rising up. There’s an army rising up…To break every chain…Break every chain…Break every chain.
There is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus. Oh there is power in the name of Jesus…To break every chain…Break every chain…Break every chain…’
Now friends, I’m doing this from memory, but I’m pretty sure that’s how the song goes. In any case, that’s our version. (smile)
And oh yes my fellow believers, there is indeed power…and awesome power at that, in the holy and majestic name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! A power so absolute and strong that it’s able to break any chain that binds us, any chain that holds us captive to the evil tendencies of this evil world! Glory Hallelujah!
So please, let’s never forget that remarkable power and use it to break whatever is binding us to the things of this world. And now, since it’s Tuesday, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with much sincerity and sense of purpose.
All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Oh my people, whenever we declare that mantra, I just feel real uplifted in my spirit. Why? I’m not sure. But I guess it’s because it defines me in the best way possible: the beloved of God and a friend of Jesus!
Now there could never be a better definition of who we are than that…And better still, NO ONE can take it from us! Oh glory to our great God my believing brethren!
That brings us to our Bit; the avid desire and command of our Leader, Jesus Christ. ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’
Unfortunately though my people, that is one command we don’t seem to be following too well because instead of coming to Christ, people are walking away from Him in droves. That’s definitely not good my fellow believers, because it means we’re not doing our part to assure the success of Christ’s LOVE Revolution.
Through fear and pressure from the evil world, we are allowing our spirits to fall into a sad state of disrepair; a malaise of enormous proportions seems to have taken over the Christian brotherhood, where we don’t fight as much and as hard as we used to do for our beliefs.
That’s not right my brethren. We are supposed to be soldiers in Christ’s army, and soldiers are supposed to fight; to fight tooth and nail for what they believe in!
What’s happening with us eh? Don’t we believe anymore? Or are we just comfortable and contented and want to enjoy the things of the world? Or are we simply so scared of Lucifer and His evil minions that we refuse to fight for what we say we believe in?
I don’t have the answers nuh friends. But I do know that we’re definitely not letting our light shine sufficiently before our fellow men, they’re not seeing enough of our good works, and thus are not glorifying our heavenly Father the way that He desires.
And we’ll end with an appropriate call from Bruh David from Psalm 22 – A cry of anguish and song of praise. ‘Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed (descendants) of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him (hold Him in awesome reverence), all ye the seed of Israel.
For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.’ (Ps.22:23-24)
Ah mih people, let’s try and do better than we doing nuh! Let’s look deep inside and see where we are falling down, then with all sincerity and truth call upon the Lord to help us. As Bruh David says, He will hear and help us. Much LOVE!
…Christ’s earthly army needs a boost…probably a good, swift kick in the tail…to get us going like we ought…
01 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ambassadors, Amorites, as for me and my house, be my guide, blatant refusal, blessings, bounden duty, Christian living, comfort, covers all the bases, different strokes, difficult times, disicples, do His will, encompassing, encouragement, evil, examples speak more forcibly than words, fear the Lord, feel discouraged, fellowship, first day of May, glamour, glitz, grateful, guidance, happiness, heartfelt thanks, Israelites, Jesus Christ, Joshua, lean on God for support, listen with conern, living God, LOVE, magnanimous god, material possessions, my every deed, my every word, New World Order, one and only God, peaceful moments, praise, praise the Lord for His goodness, prayer, put away the gods, reassure, rejuvenation of spirit, seek God, serve him, sincerity, sinful trap, steadfastness of purpose, strength to keep going, Sunday, talk the talk, thanksgiving, the Euphrates river, the gospel of Jesus, the Great Commission, the Lord's Day, the Most High God jehovah, the other side of the flood, time for church, troubles, truth, ungodliness, ungodly world, uplift, we will serve the Lord, wisdom, worship
Joshua 24:14. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
Oh my beautiful believers in Jesus Christ, it’s the first day of May, as well as the Lord’s Day, better known as Sunday!
That means it’s time for church; time for praise and worship, for thanksgiving and fellowship, for rejuvenation of spirit, encouragement and steadfastness of purpose, plus all the other good things that our magnanimous God pours out on those who LOVE Him, diligently seek Him and obediently do His will!
Now I’m not going to harangue or lecture us about going to church today. That shouldn’t be at all necessary, for if you’re a true believer, then you’ll know that’s your bounden duty, so I’ll just leave that up to you and your heavenly Father. (smile)
What I’ve been guided to do though, is to share a prayer which I shared a long time back, so many of you would not have heard it, but it’s one of my favourite prayers. From the first time I found it in my mother’s Bible after she died, something about it just touched me, and I’ve prayed it almost every day after that.
It’s a special prayer prepared by the Life Study Fellowship, Noroton, Connecticut. It’s titled ‘Lord, Please Accept My Heartfelt Thanks!’ And the sub-title is ‘Praise the Lord for His Goodness.’ – Psalm 107:8’
Now please pray with me: ‘Dear Lord, You are so good to me! And I thank You sincerely for the many blessings You send me! I’m very glad to have You in my life day in and day out – whatever I do and wherever I go! You are the One who always does what is best for my happiness!
How grateful I am to be able to turn to You for guidance and comfort when troubles come my way! If any situation arises that makes me feel discouraged, You let me know I can lean on You for support! And because of Your LOVE for me, somehow I seem to find the strength to keep going – even through the most difficult times!
I’m grateful too, for peaceful moments like these when I’m all alone with You in prayer! Talking with You never fails to reassure and uplift me! Nothing I say to You goes unheard. You listen with great concern to everything I confide in You! For You truly care about me!
As I look to 2016 (or whatever year) I pray that You will continue to watch over me – and grant me even more of Your wonderful blessings! And may I serve You well in my every word, my every deed! Be my Guide hour by hour; I pray! Amen.’
Oh friends, I do hope that prayer touched you all! I guess what I like about it is that it covers all the bases, it’s so all encompassing, plus everything it says is true and relevant. Some of you may not like it, but that’s okay; it’s your choice. As they say, different strokes for different folks! (smile) Anyway, that’s my contribution for today.
Now let’s turn to our new Bit, a part of Joshua’s farewell address to the Israelites. He had just finished reminding them about all the good things the Lord had done for them, giving them houses they didn’t build, vineyards they didn’t plant etc.
‘Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.’
Ah mih people, that verse is even more appropriate and relevant in this New World Order than it was thousands of years ago when Joshua spoke those fateful words. That’s because the worshipping of other gods, plus basic ungodliness is so rampant in our current society.
Unfortunately, the ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not held in respect nor reverence by a rather large part of the world. Many people know of and about Him, but yet they steadfastly refuse to honour and obey Him. How sad that is my people, for our world could be truly such a beautiful place if more of us sincerely worshipped and revered the Most High God Jehovah.
Now why the blatant refusal to accept the God of heaven eh? I believe there are two main reasons. First of all, the pull of the material, lustful and sinful world is rather strong. We feast our eyes on all the supposed glitz and glamour and possessions available, and our hearts clamour for them, and the evil one just makes it so easy for us to fall into his sinful trap.
And the second reason is that we believers, supposed ambassadors and disciples of Jesus, who have been assigned the Great Commission (Matt.28:19-20) to teach and baptize and spread the wonderful gospel of Jesus all over the world, are not doing as good a job as we should. The hypocritical examples of our lives are turning people away from Jesus instead of drawing them closer to Him.
So there we have it; Lucifer and his evil cronies are doing a good job on selling sin, while the followers of Jesus are not doing a good job of selling righteousness. No rocket science involved at all friends.
So what are we doing, or going to do to change this rather unpalatable situation eh my believing breddren? All I can say is that we need to pull up our britches and do a better job of spreading the good news of Jesus, and backing it up with perfect, well not quite perfect, but much better examples of true Christian living.
Remember friends, examples speak more forcibly than words, and we can talk all the talk in the world, if we don’t walk that talk, then it’s useless, just wasted talk. And we’ll close with these precious and fateful words of Joshua, declared after our Bit.
‘And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh.24:15)
Yes friends, that’s the big and serious decision we all have to make. And like Joshua, I surely hope that we will all decide, with our families, to serve the Lord God Jehovah, for that is indeed the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…until more believers get truly serious about the Great Commission…both talking and living it…the good news of Jesus will be sadly lacking in this ungodly world…
30 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anxious, assurance, assuredness, be not dismayed, brothers and sisters in christ, Christ's Resurrection, christianity, disharmony, divide and conquer, division, do not tremble, doubtful, encouragement, ever-faithful, evil cronies, exodus, faithfulness, fear not, fearful of life, foremost, front and centre, glory hallelujah, grateful, I am halfway home, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, jehovah god, Joshua, let not your hearts faint, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, Lucifer, magnanimity, Moses, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, omnipotent, passion, Praise the Lord, sacrificed, sincerity, sinful man, strong and steadfast, the breath of life, the Good Book, the Lord goes before thee, the Lord will neither fail nor forsake thee, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, walking with Jesus, Wednesday Wail
Deuteronomy 31:8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Well friends, it’s a bright and sunny, though somewhat chilly morning in my area. But yuh know what, it’s so beautiful that we won’t even notice the chill because our hearts, minds, bodies and souls are concentrated, are completely focused on Almighty God!
And when that happens, brother, nothing gets in the way of His work, His praise and glory!
And all God’s children said a loud and proud, ‘Praise the Lord, for He is indeed a great and wonderful God!’
And that He is my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. For who else would have sacrificed His only Son so that he could provide a way out of eternal death for a bunch of human ingrates eh? Absolutely no other Deity!
And for that we ought to be eternally grateful. Just look at how we’ve been celebrating the wonder, the majesty, the LOVE, the magnanimity and faithfulness of Christ’s resurrection these past few days nuh.
It’s the greatest thing that has ever happened to sinful man! And though we especially celebrate it around Easter time, we ought to remember and be thankful for it each and every day of our lives, both the mortal and the eternal one.
And since today is Wednesday, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with truth, sincerity and great passion, for those three things, especially passion, are sadly lacking in the believers’ lives these days. And unfortunately, we can’t be successful at anything, unless there’s noticeable passion in our behaviour.
As one wailer 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!’
Oh my brethren, isn’t it great to be alive and walking in step with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Oh it surely is! There’s absolutely nothing else like it in this evil and ungodly world!
And without further ado, we’ll get right to our Bit, because we have plenty appropriate scripture to share this morning. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’
Yes friends, that is what our great God said to His people through Moses long long ago, and it is the same thing He’s still saying to us today. So why are we so anxious, doubtful and fearful of life eh?
That attitude surely doesn’t deserve the name of Christianity for we’ve been assured on numerous occasions in the Good Book and our individual lives that our omnipotent and ever-faithful God will lead and guide us and never forsake us.
So let’s look at some scriptures that declare such assuredness, and which will hopefully strengthen us in these sad and trying times. Listen to this proclamation from earlier on in Deuteronomy, when Moses gave the Israelites laws concerning war.
‘And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies to save you.’ (Deut.20:2-4)
Oh precious people, what encouragement and assurance that is! And it still holds true for us today, when we go out to fight our daily battles against the godless and the heathen who are so desperately trying to remove Jehovah God from our society.
And that, my fellow believers, is something we must never allow to happen. And they are using the age-old tactic of divide and conquer against us. Note the amount of division and disharmony amongst the Christian element. Lucifer and his evil cronies are not so divided and disharmonious, that’s why they are holding the upper hand right now.
But as strong and true believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we need to strenuously fight back and regain the lost territory. Jesus’ LOVE Revolution depends solely on us. If we don’t fight seriously, He would have died in vain.
And just think about it nuh, our God has promised to go before us and lead us and not forsake nor leave us. What more can we ask eh? Nothing really!
And we’ll end with one more promise of faithfulness on the part of our immortal God; this from when He handed over the leadership of the Israelites to Joshua, after Moses’ death.
‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh.1:5)
Oh friends, Joshua would have been rather foolish not to believe God’s promise, especially after he had seen God’s mighty work and miracles throughout the Exodus from Egypt.
Now please let us believe that promise which is also being held out to us today, especially when we are confronted by the miraculous and LOVING work carried out by God in the resurrection of Jesus. There’s no reason to fear, my people, when Jesus is foremost, is front and centre in our lives.
So if He isn’t there today, please, please, let’s put Him there nuh, so that we can go out and be strong and steadfast and do His work without fear or anxiety. This I pray, in His Holy Name. Much LOVE!
…with Jesus leading the way…Christians have no reason whatsoever to be anxious or afraid…
16 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a solitary note, Advocate, appreciation, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, bicker, breathtaking knowledge, brother, chimes, Christian, complain, declarations, defer not to pay, difference, diligent, dissipation, enthusiasm, eternity, excess, exhort, faithfulness, friend, get on track, give ear, giving thanks always, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God has no pleasure in fools, God's work, grateful, hear, heaven, hymns, I am halfway home, I will sing praise, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, in God's sight, in the fear of God, instruct, It's Good, Jesus, life symphony, life-giving love, LOVE, magnify, mercies, Messiah, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, o ye kings, o ye princes, One Year Book of Bible promises, praise the name of god, psalms, responsibility, Ruth Harms Calkin, saviour, serve, sing praise to the Lord God of Israel, sing praises to God, spiritual songs, steadfast, thankful, thanksgiving, the breath of life, the obits, to all generations, to be loved by God, tremulous heart, truth, unsettled questions, used for good, vow unto God, walk like the children of God, Wednesday Wail, with my mouth, worship Christ
Judges 5:3. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
Oh my people, another beautiful day has dawned on God’s great earth, and along with it our responsibility to walk like the children of God that we are! Glory Hallelujah!
And our God is so great that He gives us all the tools we need to do His work. Glory to God!
So let’s not bicker and complain this glorious Wednesday morn. Instead, let’s raise our voices and wail our Wednesday Wail with joyful enthusiasm and grateful appreciation.
As one 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!’
Yes precious people, that’s what we ought to be doing and feeling; be grateful that we’re still alive, for a lot of others names are in the obits today, but not ours. For that we ought to be rather thankful.
Then we have to be serious about doing God’s work; being diligent and steadfast about it, while believing and looking forward to a wonderful future with Jesus, both down here on earth, and then in heaven for all eternity.
And all Jesus’ followers declared loud, proud and grateful: ‘Glory to God! Thank You Lord for giving us Jesus as our Messiah, Advocate, Saviour, Brother and Friend! We faithfully promise to do His work, serve, worship and LOVE Him for evermore! Amen.’
Now please remember what Cousin Sol says about promises in Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better it is that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:4-5)
Yes friends, that puts us on the spot, for we have just promised to serve and worship Jesus Christ for ever. So please, let’s not break that vow, let’s keep paying it each and every day, so that we don’t end up as fools in God’s sight.
And today I want to share a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘It’s Good.’
Please pray with me. ‘God, it’s good to be LOVED by You! The breathtaking knowledge Of Your life-giving LOVE Rings chimes in my tremulous heart. It fashions eternal declarations Out of unsettled questions. It creates a majestic life symphony from a solitary note. God, it’s good to be LOVED by You!’
And isn’t that the awesome truth my brethren! It’s so wonderful to be LOVED by a God as powerful and merciful and forgiving and understanding as ours! Give Him the thanks and praise He rightfully deserves my people!
And the biblical promise for that prayer comes from Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David. Ethan the Ezrahite opens it thus: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’ (Ps.89:1)
And does that ever fit right in with our Bit, our continuing desire to sing praises to our great God. ‘Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.’
Oh my fellow believers, I don’t think that we do that as much as we should. We don’t seem to have time, or make time to do as Bruh Paul directed the Ephesians. ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:18-21)
Yes friends, that’s how we ought to conduct our lives as true believing Christians! Unfortunately though, not enough of us are doing it to the extent that we should, and that’s why we are not making as powerful a difference in this evil world as we should.
And we’ll close today with some valuable info from the scholars on those verses. ‘5:19-21. There are four results of being Spirit filled (v.18): (1) believers speak to one another with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; that is, they exhort and instruct each other;
(2) there is singing and the making of melody, of individual song and praise for the Lord; (3) there is giving thanks always – the Spirit enables the Christian to be grateful for all things divinely allowed to enter his life since they will be used for good;
(4) there is mutual submission, that is, showing deference to the wishes of one another, as long as that to which the believer submits is in the fear of God, which is to say, in accord with what pleases Him.’
And there we have it my brethren; the way we ought to conduct ourselves as true believers in Christ. I therefore implore us, starting today, right now, to get on track and give thanks and sing praises to our wonderful God, the way we ought to, for that is indeed wisdom of the highest order. Much LOVE!
…I will praise the name of God with a song…and will magnify him with thanksgiving… (Ps.69:30)
19 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day in the life, a second chance, a son is given, action, Adam and Eve, alive and kicking, anxious, beauty, belief, blessings, children, Christ, dire circumstances, Dr. Robert H. Schuler, Everlasting Father, faith, fate, flavour of life, for God so loved the world, For unto us a child is born, generosity, glad, glory hallelujah, glory to God, grateful, guiding light, he gave his only begotten son, he that doeth the will of my Father, holy spirit, Hours of Power Devotional, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, life, life after death, lost, LOVE, loving kindness, Lucifer, make a way, mercies, mighty god, miserable, misguided, natural beauty, not everyone shall enter the kingdom of heaven, obedience, Praise the Lord, prince of peace, prophecy, repentance, separation from Christ, shall not perish, share His love with the world, sin, take for granted, the children of men, the dayspring, the raison d'etre, Tuesday Mantra, unhappy, whosoever believeth on Jesus, wisdom, Wonderful Counselor, work it out for our good
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Well friends, it’s another day in the life! Glory to God! And are we ever glad and grateful that on this cold, snowy, Tuesday winter’s morn that we’re alive and kicking, filled with the bright guiding light of the Holy Spirit.
Yes my brethren, it’s ever so wonderful that the Dayspring, the bright morning star that’s Jesus is operating within us, bringing us all the blessings and mercies that the Father has appointed for this particular day.
And all God’s children sang out loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord for His everlasting goodness, His LOVING-kindness to the children of men!’
Now that’s something we should never forget or take for granted my people, because without the Lord’s goodness we’d be lost, misguided and headed straight for the fiery furnace that’s Lucifer’s domain.
Anyway, on a more uplifting note, check out this poem from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hours of Power Devotional. I must have shared it with you before, since it’s too beautiful for me to have passed up. (smile)
And rather appropriately, it’s simply titled ‘BEAUTY.’ And it says: ‘Thank you, Father, for filling the world with beauty. I thank you for the beauty of life, the beauty of LOVE, the beauty of children, and the beauty of old people. I thank you for the beauty of Christ and for the beauty of any life when Christ is invited through the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Father, that you have made my life beautiful too. Amen.’
Oh Friends, when last have we given thanks for the beautiful world and people that God in His wisdom and generosity has surrounded us with eh? Long time nuh! I know that many of us don’t appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us, but it’s truly our loss, because it takes away from, depreciates the true flavour of life.
And now, since it’s Tuesday, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra, or the Prayer of the Beloved. All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Oh what a blessed day when Jesus came into our lives, my fellow believers! So much so, that now we don’t have to hurry or worry, or concern ourselves with what people say about us, because we know that we are the beloved children of God and the friend of Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!
So why are some of us so miserable, anxious and unhappy eh? With Jesus in our hearts, that’s not necessary my brethren, even in the most dire circumstances, since if you truly believe, then you will know that He will ALWAYS make a way, even where there seems to be no way, and will ALWAYS work everything out for our good.
Ah mih precious people, we have to start believing all the stuff that we talk about and claim as ours through Jesus, otherwise we’re just wasting our time, mouthing inane nothings. (smile)
That brings us to our Bit, possibly one of the most, if not the best known passages of Scripture. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
Oh my people, my fellow believers, that is probably the whole basis for the scriptures, the raison d’etre behind it all! For God’s intent from the very beginning was to give us a second chance to come into His holy fold after our forefathers Adam and Eve messed up and brought sin into the world.
The sad part though is that too many of us don’t believe, and even of those who believe, many don’t take this passage and the entire scriptures seriously enough. They seem to think they can just float through and all will be okay.
But that’s not entirely true, for remember Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.7:21)
Yeh friends, mouthing the words doesn’t mean anything unless there is action and true belief to back it up. And we’ll turn to the scholars here for some info on the subject.
‘7:21-23. Not everyone professing Christ is genuinely saved. Even the outward verbal acknowledgement of His lordship is in itself not enough to save the unbeliever apart from true repentance and faith. A genuinely saved person is one that doeth the will of my Father, the Greek present tense suggesting that he is continually living in obedience to the will of God as the normal course of his life.’
That’s what it’s all about my brethren! And some of you might remember we shared this info from the scholars recently, but it is of such importance to our understanding and our life after death, that it can never be shared too much.
And I think we’ll end, most fittingly with a passage of scripture which presaged, gave promise of our Bit. It’s also a scripture we know very well and have been hearing it a lot during the recent Christmas season.
It’s Isaiah’s great prophecy. ‘For unto us a child is born, a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ (Is.9:6)
And that prophecy turned out to be none other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Glory to God!
So please, let’s get truly serious about Jesus nuh my people, otherwise our eternal life with Him might be in serious jeopardy, and that’s the worst thing that can ever happen to us. Much LOVE!
…man’s worst fate…eternal separation from Christ…
24 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, apostolic insight, as it is written, big dreams, Bruh Paul, Christ-like maturity, discernment, drinking milk, eating solid food, expectant faith, eye hath not seen, faith, foolishness, give thanks, God's gift, God's promises, God's revelation, gospel truth, grateful, grow spiritually in Christ, hungry hope, if god be for us who can be against us, living our fears, loving kindness, man's wisdom, mark of a true believer, natural man, neither have entered into the heart of man, nor ear heard, not living our dreams, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, salvation, Saturday, spiritual truth, spiritually discerned, stay on the straight and narrow path, the ability to sift the facts, the cares of the world, the gospel, the Holy Chost, the Holy Spirit, the mind of Christ, the mind of the Lord, the rocks that's Jesus, the Spirit of God, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, the truth of God, the weekend, trust, we are more than conquerors, wisdom
1 Corinthians 2:9. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE him.
So Friends, it’s Saturday and the weekend is well on its way. Hope you have lots of good stuff planned for it, including all the new blessings and new mercies that our omnipotent, most generous and benevolent God is going to shower down on us today. It pays to be grateful and give thanks, especially for stuff which we most definitely do not deserve. So let’s spend a moment in earnest prayer nuh.
Please pray with me: ‘Heavenly Father, today is a new day and we give you thanks for causing us to see it. We are also thankful for your promises to look after all our needs if we walk in righteousness and obedience to your will. Unfortunately we cannot do this on our own, therefore Lord we ask you to help us stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to you and your LOVING-kindness. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh mih people, isn’t it interesting that we cannot do what God wants us to do without His help? For sure! But there are also many times we can do better in our own strength or even with God’s help, but we don’t. Why?
Because as our Friend Anselm, who always tries to inspire us for a better tomorrow, says in his quote from yesterday: ‘Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.’
And that’s gospel truth my brethren! Although Jesus assured us not fear, too many of us believers are still living fearful lives because we are sorely bombarded with all the cares of the world. Now we have to be concerned about our affairs, but even when times are bad, we don’t have to live in fear. That’s the awesome mark of a true believer in Jesus! That’s what faith and trust in Him is supposed to cure, to suppress.
Remember what Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome? ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose…. What shall we then say to those things? If God be for us, who can be against us…? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom.8:28, 31, 37)
Yes Friends, if we sincerely LOVE God, and believe those truths from Bruh Paul to the Roman church, then there is absolutely no need for us to live fearful lives, but lives filled with big dreams, hungry hope and expectant faith that’s based on the solid foundation of the rock that’s our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
That brings us to our Bit, the same as yesterday, which ramps up even more the surety and confidence we can place in almighty God, our Creator and generous Provider. ‘But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE him.’
Oh my fellow believers, isn’t that a beautiful and assuring statement, showing how much our great God truly appreciates us. As we saw yesterday, He reveals to us the things that matter most to Him through the power of His Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Unbelievers have no idea what He’s all about…but we do. And that’s glorious!
Now let’s continue where we left off yesterday in this important scripture passage on wisdom being God’s gift. We’ll repeat verse 13 because there are some explanations that are necessary.
‘Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.’ (1 Cor.213-16)
And we’ll go straight into some scholarly explanations, as there are plenty. ‘2:13. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual: The term comparing occurs only here and in 2 Cor.10:12 where the meaning is clearly “compare.” However, in classical Greek, the term was always used in a sense “to compound” or “to interpret.”
Probably the most satisfactory interpretation is “combining spiritual things with spiritual words.” After speaking of spiritual “things,” (vv.11-13), Paul now speaks of the “forms” in which they are conveyed. Spiritual truth is conveyed in language that is given by God’s Spirit.’
‘2:14. Natural man (lit. “unspiritual man”) is unreceptive. He does not admit the truth into his heart (cf. Luke 8:13; Acts 8:14; 11:1; James 1:21). As spiritual discernment is generated only by the Holy Spirit, the capacity to know spiritual truth is beyond the innate powers of the natural man.
Spiritually discerned: The fundamental idea of discerned is that of “examination” or “scrutiny.” It is used only by Paul and Luke, and mostly of “judicial examination.” (cf. Luke 23:14; Acts 4:9; 1 Cor. 9:3; 10:25, 27). On the spiritual plane the natural man does not have the ability to sift the facts.’
‘2:15. The difference between the natural man and the spiritual man is primarily that the spiritual man has founded his faith on God’s revelation. He can judge now both earthly and heavenly things. He can discern what is and what is not of the gospel and salvation, and whether a man truly preaches the truth of God.’
‘2:16. We have the mind of Christ means that Christians possess the Lord’s own understanding, that is, His thoughts, opinions, judgements, plans, and so on. This answers the question that Paul puts in the same verse. Who hath known the mind of the Lord? The answer is, “We do!’ The term we includes the apostle Paul and to some extent all true believers, though believers today are prudent to acknowledge the superiority of apostolic insight into spiritual matters to that of their own.’
Oh Friends, I know that those explanations are somewhat plentiful and heavy, but they are necessary if we hope to properly understand the Word of God, be able to discern truth from falsehood and thus grow in Christ-like maturity. As Bruh Paul tells the Corinthians later on, we can’t always be drinking milk, we need to grow up and eat some solid food, some meat and potatoes from the Word. (smile)
So please let’s sit down and take our time and read and meditate and ponder on all that’s before us, so that we can learn and truly appreciate all that the Lord’s saying to us. Much LOVE!
…like a human being needs solid food as he/she grows physically…so too do believers need to delve into the more intricate aspects of the Word and understand them…so that they can grow spiritually in Christ…
18 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of gratitude, abundance, appreciation for God, as for me and mine, asaph, blessings, call upon me in the day of trouble, Christ-like, Christian faith, cleansed from our sins, confidence, disbelieving, doubting, encouragement, eternal life, fellowship with other believers, free for all society, gather in the Lord's sanctuary, Give god praise and thanks, glorify God's holy name, glory hallelujah, God's Son, grace, grateful, gratitude, Hades, he that hath my commandents, he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, I discover God in my life, I know thy works, I love them that love me, I will deliver you, I will spew thee out of my mouth, Jesus Christ, jumping for joy, justice, LOVE, loving kindness, Lucifer, lukewarm, mercy, offer unto God thanksgiving, order of the Carmelites, our heavenly Father, our Lord and Saviour, pushing god out of our society, receive strength, repentance, reprieve from hell, ridiculing, sacrificed His sinles life, salvation, sinful nature, Society of the Little Flower, standards, Suday, thankful, thanksgiving, the church at Laodicea, the good old days, the greatest gift ever given to man, the Holy Spirit, the wages of sin is death, those that seek me early will find me, thou art neither cold not hot, time of harvest, understanding, we will follow the Lord, when I am grateful to God, wisdom
Proverbs 8:17. I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) will find me.
Aye mih people, it’s Sunday; the day we usually gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with other believers, and give Him praise and thanks, to glorify His holy name, and in return, receive strength, encouragement and confidence to face another week in this wicked and ungodly world!
And all God’s people loudly declared: ‘All thanks and praise be to our heavenly Father and His wonderful Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who sacrificed His sinless life, so that we could be cleansed from our sins! Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes Friends, that’s the greatest gift ever given to mankind! And it was definitely not a gift that we deserved, given our abominable sinful nature, but one that came out of the LOVING-kindness of God’s heart. He knew that justice decreed the wages of sin be death, but LOVED us so much that He could not bear to see us lost forever in the depths of Hades with the master crook, his satanic majesty, Lucifer.
So from His never-ending store of grace and mercy, He gave us another option; that of salvation and eternal life, if we believed on His Son Jesus Christ and obeyed His will. Now how many of us are truly thankful and grateful for that reprieve from hell eh?
Hn! Certainly not as many as should be! It’s become so bad now, that lots of people are doubting and disbelieving, ridiculing and pushing God further and further out of society. Sadly too, a lot of us who claim to believe, don’t show real gratitude for God’s wonderful gift of grace, and many nowadays just take it for granted.
Ah friends, that’s not how it’s supposed to be. For such undeserving goodness we ought to be constantly jumping for joy and be extremely grateful and thankful; not the lukewarm approach that so many of us display.
Remember Jesus’ message in Revelation to the church at Laodicea. ‘I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would (wish) that thou wert (were) cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.’ (Rev.3:15-16)
Yes my brethren, if we don’t have a real appreciation for God and His things then we’re not being truly Christ-like and adhering to our Christian faith as we should.
Now here’s an interesting comment on gratitude that I read earlier on, from a Between Friends Newsletter published by the Friends of the Society of the Little Flower (St. Therese). It was written by Fr. William J. Harry, of the Order of the Carmelites.
And he ended his thoughts on the abundance in our society around this time of harvest and thanksgiving with this paragraph. ‘Gratitude: It is only when we have a sense of gratitude, a gratitude that flows over into giving, that we truly meet God and experience His Grace in our lives. When I am grateful to God, I discover God in my life!’
Now that’s very true my people! The more gratitude we show, both to God and man, the more the grace of God works in lives. Unfortunately though, in these supposed modern times, gratitude is no longer a major part of our society. We’ve come to just expect things to be given to us, as though we are entitled to them, and words like ‘thank you’ don’t seem to mean much again. The standards of our parents have mostly fallen by the wayside, and we now live in a free for all society, where one is free to do almost anything one desires.
Ah Lord eh! No wonder so many of us long for the good, old days. Granted they were sometimes rough, but they certainly had better structure and more respect and appreciation for God and man.
Finally, turning to our Bit: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) will find me.’
What else can we expect eh my people? That’s just pure common sense and simple logic. If we don’t show LOVE for God, and diligently seek Him, how do we expect to receive His wonderful blessings eh?
Yes, so many of us have no appreciation for God and never, or hardly ever seek Him, but as soon as some hardship or problem crops up in our lives, the first words out of our mouths are ‘Oh God! Help me please!’
But that’s not the way our God works. If we come to Him in sincere repentance, He will forgive and help us, but just trying to use Him, or only know Him when adversity hits is not good enough. Remember, He is the Master and we are His servants, not the other way around.
Now listen to what God says through the psalmist Asaph, in Psalm 50 – God is the judge. ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps.50:15-16) Please note Friends, that thanksgiving and the paying of vows come before calling out for help in time of need.
And we’ll end with these immortal words of Jesus when he promised the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. ‘At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that LOVETH me: and he that LOVETH me shall be LOVED of my Father, and I will LOVE him, and will manifest (reveal) myself to him.’ (John 14:20-21)
Yes Friends, Jesus spelled it out in clear and concise terms. If we sincerely believe in Him and keep His commandments, then He will be with us in the form of the Holy Spirit and we will enjoy God’s undying LOVE forever. What can be better than that eh mih people? Nothing whatsoever!
So please let wisdom and understanding rule in our hearts this Sunday morning as we praise and worship and give thanks to our wonderful God! Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we WILL…follow the Lord…
13 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit, adore, ambassadors, broad is the way that leads to destruction, by their fruits you shall know them, calamitous situation, cast into the fire, conformity of doctrine to the Scriptures, continue your merry way rejoicing, diligence, doctrine, earthly comforter, enter in at the strait gate, eternal life, eternal punishment, eternal separation from God, every good tree brings forth good fruit, every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down, evil fruit, excellence, faithfulness, false prophets, few there be that find it, get down to brass tacks, give thanks, glorify, glory to God, good fruit, gospel truth, grateful, holy spirit, I am the way the truth and the life, Jesus Christ, no man comes to the Father but by me, not what goes into a man defiles him, our heavenly Father, praise, ravening wolves, reconciled to the Father, sacrifice, saints of Jesus, salvation, Sermon on the Mount, sheep's clothing, sinful wretches, sing, thankful, that which comes out of a man defiles him, the Christian situation, the consuming fires of hell, wide is the gate, wisdom, wishy-washy attitude, words and deeds, worship
Matthew 7:20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Welcome all you saints of Jesus to this blessed day called Sunday! It’s the day when most believers gather together to sing, praise, worship, give thanks, adore and glorify our most wonderful heavenly Father, His remarkable Son Jesus Christ and our earthly comforter, Holy Spirit.
What a triumvirate they are my brethren! There’s nothing else in this universe like them! And how could there be eh, when they created the universe and still control it? Oh glory to God my people!
And we all ought to be eternally thankful and grateful that they LOVED us so much, that the Father sent the Son to sacrifice His holy and sinless life so that we worthless and sinful wretches could be reconciled to Him, obtain salvation and the promise of eternal life.
Then to complete the cycle, when Jesus ascended back to heaven, they sent the Holy Spirit to live within us, to lead and guide and comfort us on our earthly pilgrimage. Oh all thanks and glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, now and forever more!
Unfortunately though, many supposed believers don’t seem to understand and appreciate the seriousness and gravity of the Christian situation and just muddle along nonchalantly. But Friends, that is the most important aspect of our earthly sojourn; where we will spend eternity. Now you can be frivolous about it and just continue your merry way rejoicing, hoping that it will all fall into place on its own.
But take my word, it won’t. We all have to make definite decisions about whether we’re going to follow Christ or not. And if we do decide to follow Him, then we have to get down to brass tacks and sincerely do what He desires of us. A wishy-washy, haphazard attitude won’t do, because Jesus desires diligence, faithfulness, and excellence from His followers.
As His earthly ambassadors we need to reflect a good and proper image of Him and all that He stands for, both in our words and deeds. Remember Jesus’ words of warning in the Sermon on the Mount? ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening (ravenous) wolves.’ (Matt.7:15)
And believe me Friends, there are a lot of false prophets in existence nowadays leading God’s people astray. But Jesus gave us a way to figure them out. ‘Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil (bad) fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil (bad) fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.’ (Matt.7:16-18)
Simple logics that my brethren. If you’re corrupt inside, you cannot bring forth anything that’s good. And if you’re good, you cannot bring forth bad or corrupt fruit. No wonder Jesus later on declared: ‘Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ (Matt.15:11)
Yes my people, it’s what comes from the depths of our souls and our hearts that defile us. So we had better make sure that what’s in our hearts is good, so that we can produce good fruit. For as Jesus continues before our Bit. ‘Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.’ (Matt.7:19-20) Gospel truth that Friends!
Now here are some interesting explanations on those verses from the scholars. ‘7:16-20. A true test of a prophet was the conformity of his doctrine to the Scriptures (cf. 1 Cor.14:37; Deut.13:1-5). Their fruits refers not only to actions of their lives, but also to the doctrines they proclaim. The two trees are contrasted in relation to the fruit they produce.
Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit consistently, while a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit continually. Therefore, the normal and consistent production of fruit, whether good or evil, in a person’s life will bear evidence whether or not that life is of God. Verse 19 illustrates the unfruitful life of the unregenerate who is cast into the fire, a picture of eternal punishment in hell.’
Now there it is in black and white Friends, exactly as I said at the beginning. To be a true and worthy follower of Jesus we have to know and proclaim His doctrines, then bear good fruit which comes from an internally good soul, spirit and heart.
On the other hand, if our internal self is rotten and wicked, then we won’t spread true and proper doctrines, neither will we able to bear good fruit, with the unfortunate result that we’ll eventually be cast into the consuming fires of hell.
Oh my fellow believers, I don’t think any of us wants to suffer that calamitous situation. Therefore, I will encourage us to pay close attention to the words of Jesus that we’ve discussed, as well as these ultra-important ones.
‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth to life, that few there be that find it.’ (Matt.7:13-14)
Yes mih breddren, as the scholars further explain. ‘One must come through the narrow gate in order to reach the path that leads to eternal life. Though many are on the broad…way, that leadeth to destruction (eternal separation from God), the gate that leads to life is so narrow that few there be that find it. Christ Himself is both the gate and the way (cf. John 14:6), and God enables men to find that gate (cf. John 6:44).’
So Friends, let’s get us off to church today and continually seek that strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life, for that is the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…Jesus saith unto him…I am the Way…the Truth…and the Life…NO man cometh unto the Father…but by ME… (John 14:6)
30 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a candlestick, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a splendid torch, a torch of hope, aches and pains, and glorify your Father in heaven, arthritic aches and pains, batons, be found wanting, born again, Christians, compassion, cortisone, darkened world, darkness, essential mission, faithful followers of Jesus, forgiveness, foundational characteristic, generosity, Geroge Bernard Shaw, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's favour, gospel truth, grace, grateful, handing it on to future generations, heals wounds, human depravity, if the salt has lost it s flavour, indisputable truth, judgement day, just up and fly away, Let your light so shine before men, life is not a breif candle, light can dispel darkness, light of the world, London School of Economics, LOVE, meet the needs of the world, melts coldness, mercy, My Fair Lady, neither do men light a candle, Nobel Peace Prize, passion, passion for Christ, passionate speech, preservative, put it under a bushel, relay races, relief, salt of the earth, satisfies our longing souls, summer ditties, thankful, thanks and glory to God, that they may see your good works, the absence of light, the good news, the light of Jesus, the sun and the Son are shining brightly, this is the day the Lord has made, trodden underfoot, truth, unconditional LOVE, understanding, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom, with the Lord's help, Ye are the light of the world
Matthew 5:14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
Oh Friends, I’ve run out of well known summer ditties to greet you with. (smile) But believe me, another beautiful summer’s day is in the offing on this terrific day called Thursday! Wow! The Lord in His ultimate wisdom, grace and mercy has prepared it especially for us to enjoy, and to do His wonderful bidding.
So let’s say it with joy and heartfelt gratefulness nuh: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL and SHALL rejoice and be glad it in! Glory Hallelujah!’
Glory to the great and mighty King that sits upon His throne in the high heavens and satisfies our longing souls with His tender mercies, grace, forgiveness, compassion, understanding and unconditional LOVE! Mama Mia!
Oh Friends, there ought to be nobody happier than us Christians, we faithful followers of Jesus in this beautiful world that the Lord in His wisdom and generosity has created. And the good news is that it does not seem like it’s going to be a scorcher, at least not yet, because a nice cool and gentle breeze is blowing out there, and both the sun and the Son are shining incredibly brightly in their respective elements. Oh Glory to God!
Ah mih people, please excuse the ole fella for his extra passion and passionate speech this morning. I guess it’s because I woke up feeling the best I’ve felt in ages! Glory to God again! The old aches and pains weren’t as bad as usual. I feel light and feathery, like I can just up and fly away! (smile)
It’s possibly due some to a shot of cortisone I got injected into my right shoulder yesterday, ostensibly to ease the agonizing arthritic pain in my right shoulder, but it seems to be helping everything, obviously with a touch of God’s favour and enormous grace.
Oh, I know the basic aches and pains most likely won’t go away, but I am enormously thankful and grateful for any bit of relief I can get. More thanks and glory to God! He’s so wonderful!
Now here is this most important, outstanding and truth bearing quote from George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), the well known Irish born playwright and co-founder of the famous and prestigious London School of Economics, writer of plays like ‘My Fair Lady,’ and winner of the Nobel Peace prize for Literature in 1925.
George is reputed to have said that,’Life is not a “brief candle.” It is a splendid torch that I want to make burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.’ And we know that he did just that with all his world-renowned achievements!
Now it’s our turn my brethren to do the same. You’ll notice how we pass on torches at our big games to try and keep the flame going, the passion, the memories alive for those who come after us. That’s the only way later generations will know and understand where they are coming from, just like we learned it from those who went before us.
And note too, the batons we pass on during our relay races, which is symbolic of how we ought work together and pass on stuff to others in our everyday lives. And my One More Day Devotional for People with Chronic Illness, which is where I found George’s quote, adds an interesting statement to the situation.
‘If we assume that each one of our “small candles” represents another of our strengths, we can blend them together to form a torch of hope.’
I just LOVE that idea Friends! ‘A torch of Hope! Wow! I believe that is exactly what Jesus is looking for from us when He declares in our Bit: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’ Oh isn’t that the gospel truth!
Then Jesus goes on to elucidate after our Bit. ‘Neither do men light a candle (lamp) and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lamp stand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:15-16)
Yes Friends, being a light unto this darkened world is one of the two things Jesus desires of us down here. The other is to be the salt of the earth, as He says before our Bit.
‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.’ (Matt.5:13)
Isn’t it interesting how Jesus used two basic, simple things like salt and light to spell out the way He wants his followers to be different from the rest of the world. It’s all a part of His simple, but wise and knowledgeable philosophy.
Now here is some stuff the scholars have to say on those topics. ‘5:13. The Beatitudes are followed by a summary statement of the basic character of the Christian’s life as salt and light. Ye are the salt of the earth: Again the phrase “ye are” indicate that only the genuinely born-again person is salt and can help meet the needs of the world.
Salt adds flavouring, acts as a preservative, melts coldness, and heals wounds. Thus it is a very appropriate description of the believer in his relationship to the world in which he lives.’
And that’s exactly why Jesus chose it as a foundational characteristic of His followers!
‘5:14-16. Ye are the light of the world describes the essential mission of the Christian to the world. He is the condition (salt) to meet the world’s needs and he has a mission (light) to the world. His light is to clearly shine forth into the darkness of human depravity.
He is to set his light upon a candlestick, not hide it under a bushel, that is, a basket. Darkness is the absence of light; and darkness cannot dispel the light, but the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness’
Oh mih people, what more can I say to all of that indisputable truth eh? Not much, except to encourage us to raise the level of our passion for Christ and His work, so that we won’t be found wanting when the day of Judgement arrives and the Lord asks us: ‘What did your salt flavour, and where did your light shine?’ As believers, that is the ultimate in wisdom! Much LOVE!
…let’s all put our small individual lights together…and form a torch…a torch of hope…that we can blaze across this world of inordinate darkness…and thus bring light…the light of Jesus to a needy, depraved and fallen world…
P.S. Oh Friends, I know it’s long and late, but is it ever so true and heartwarming! (smile) Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it – obviously with the Lord’s help and guidance. Much LOVE!
10 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, adversity, attitude of prayer, be careful for nothing, benefits of following Jesus, blessed Trinity, blessings, christ jesus, Controller of the universe, earthly pilgrimage, evildoers, fellowship with God, fretting, give God all the glory, giving thanks, glorious future with Jesus, glory hallelujah, God in three persons, God is sovereign, godly advice, grateful, holy holy holy, in every thing give thanks, in everything by prayer and supplication, last days, let your requests be made known unto God, line of communication, lord god almighty, LOVE, make a joyful noise, merciful, mighty, our best interests at heart, our song shall rise to thee, peace, pray without ceasing, praying, promises, rejoice evermore, rejoicing, sinful nature, sing unto the Lord, stop worrying, thanksgiving, the Creator of the universe, the face of adversity, the good and bad times, the heathen, the Holy Spirit, the Lord is a great God, the rock of our salvation, the unbeliever, the voice of thanksgiving, the will of God, Thessalonians, thoughts of peace, to give you an expected end, wash mine hands in innocence, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wondrous works
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Oh Friends, please sing the Wednesday Wail with me to open today’s proceedings! (smile) I’m still not sure if it’s going to be a permanent part of our routine, but for now, let’s sing it for all we’re worth and start our day off on the right foot – with prayer.
In sweet harmony now, let’s sing: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of live 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!’
And what a glorious future that promises to be my brethren, for remember what the Lord promises in Jeremiah: ‘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).’ (Jer.29:11)
What a marvelous promise that is my people! Our God only has good thoughts towards us, and a wonderful future in store for those who LOVE Him and sincerely keep His commandments and do His will. So please, let’s stop worrying and fretting about the things of life which we can’t control, and just surrender them all to Jesus, who has our best interests at heart, and is in control of ALL THINGS. Glory to God!
Now Friends, let’s turn to our Bit, which is another piece of encouraging and comforting scripture. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’
Ah mih people, excellent words of godly advice and wisdom that! And it follows logically that if God is sovereign, supreme and in control, then who better for us to turn to, in whatever state we might be in, be it good, bad or indifferent? NOBODY my brethren!
The Creator of the universe and all therein wants us to come to Him with every problem, every woe, and also when things are right, just to fellowship with Him in peace and LOVE!
So just like we spend time with our earthly fathers, both in the good and bad times, likewise we ought to make it a habit to turn to our heavenly Father regardless of what’s happening in our lives. That’s a line of communication we must keep open at all times, if we are to truly enjoy the blessings and benefits of being a true believer.
But enough of me, (smile) let’s hear some scripture which validates our Bit. Listen to Bruh David from Psalm 26, where he invites the Lord to examine and prove him.
‘I have hated the congregation of evildoers; and will not sit with the wicked. I will wash mine hands in innocency (innocence): so will I compass (go about) thine altar, O Lord: That I may publish (proclaim) with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.’ (Ps.26:5-7)
Yes Friends, in these difficult and trying last days, we also need to get our lives together and proclaim the wondrous works that God has done in our lives. For how will the heathen, the unbeliever hear about them otherwise eh? It’s all up to us and the Holy Spirit working together in tandem.
Now hear Bruh Paul’s simple but powerful advice to the Thessalonians. ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess.5:16-18)
What wonderful words of wisdom my people! Hn! What could be better than rejoicing, praying and giving thanks on a constant basis eh? NOTHING at all folks!
And the scholars give us this explanation. ‘5:18. In every event or circumstance (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event, even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17, will help the believer to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’
And that my brethren, giving thanks even in the face of adversity, though such an important part of our belief system, is much easier said than done. It’s no problem to be grateful when times are good, but being thankful when they are rough, goes against the very grain of our sinful nature.
But it is something that’s required of us, and like most other things in life, we can only get perfect at it by consciously practicing it. So let’s make a conscious choice to practice it nuh, until it becomes and automatic habit.
And then the psalmist, in Psalm 95 – A psalm of praise to the great God, joyfully proclaims: ‘O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all Gods.’ (Ps.95:1-3)
Oh Friends, there’s no disputing those last statements, therefore it behooves us to approach our heavenly Father with the reverence and thanksgiving that He so rightfully deserves. And if you think all of that is a bit much, then please check out what is happening around God’s throne in heaven, as John the Revelator describes it.
‘And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest (cease) not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts (living creatures) give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (by your will they exist.)’ (Rev.4:8-11)
Oh mih people, can you imagine the celebration, the praise and thanksgiving that’s constantly going on in heaven! Mama Mia! Our earthly pilgrimage ought also to reflect that constant joy and praise for the Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein.
So please, let’s get serious about giving God ALL the glory for ALL that we do nuh, for that is certainly the wisdom of both heaven and earth! Much LOVE!
…Holy, holy, holy…Lord God Almighty…early in the morning…our song shall rise to thee…Holy, holy, holy…merciful and mighty…God in three persons…blessed Trinity…
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