A few Reasons why the Holy Spirit is of the utmost importance in a Believer’s Life!

21 Oct 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 5:6.        Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Another Monday; another beautiful, sunshiny summer-like day in my neighbourhood! As the Good Book says: ‘Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for his mercy endureth forever… Oh that men would praise the Lord  for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:1, 8-9) 

Yes friends, that’s exactly what our good and LOVING God does for us! When our souls are dissatisfied and frustrated, hungry and lost, He comes and fills us up with His Spirit. The prophet Isaiah wrote it thus a long time ago: ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight in fatness (abundance). (Is. 55:1-2) 

Oh my people, as the scholars explain there: ‘God’s free gift of salvation is offered to all who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come and eat and drink without money (freely).’ Now who else offers such freedom spiritual hunger and thirst eh? No one! As Mary, Jesus’ mother says in her song, the Magnificat: ‘He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.’ (Luke 1:53) 

That reminds us of Jesus’ own words from the Beatitudes, in particular this one: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6) And the Lord, in His awesome power, made a big showing of just how He can fill hungry souls with His Spirit on that most memorable day of Pentecost when He filled the hundred and twenty souls sitting in the upper room waiting for something to happen. 

The Bible tells us: ‘And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as a mighty rushing wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:2-4) Oh my fellow believers, when our God desires to put on a show, no one can best Him! And from that day henceforth, every believer has been filled with the Holy Spirit as soon as they believe. 

Unlike that first filling though, the Lord doesn’t make a big show of it, but does it quietly, without you even knowing, until sometime later you experience this new and different feeling, of a still small voice, talking to your spirit, trying to lead and guide you in the way Jesus desires. And one of the things that Jesus often spoke about was spiritual hunger and invite us to come to Him to satisfy it. 

Listen to Him with the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. ‘Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be a well of water (fountain) springing up into eternal life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.’ (John 4:13-15) She thought that Jesus was talking about real water, but the living water referred to the Holy Spirit, which Jesus again spoke about later on. 

The Good Library tells us: ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (heart) shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.’ (John 7:37-39) And we saw that happen above on the day of Pentecost after Jesus’s resurrection. 

But the Holy Spirit is so important that there are several things we are commanded not do to it. First off is to not grieve the Holy Spirit. Bruh Paul instructs us: ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ (Eph. 4:30) That’s don’t make the Holy Spirit unhappy by not listening to Him and doing ungodly stuff. Then later on He says: ‘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.’ (Eph. 5:18-19) 

It’s thus necessary to keep the Holy Spirit alive and kicking in our lives. And being filled by it means  being “continually filled” with it. It’s a repeated experience, not like the first indwelling which came once and for all time. And the scholars put it quite nicely. ‘God desires that the minds of Christians be controlled by the Holy Spirit so that they will walk in the Spirit, speak on behalf of God, and understand the things of God. Because people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at salvation, they do not need to get more of the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Holy Spirit occurs when the Holy Spirit gets more of the believer.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth my fellow saints! What we need is to be more obedient and open to the workings of the Holy Spirit as the Lord desires of us. Now, that’s just a brief recounting of the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and we hope it perks us up on this first day of our new work week. So, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to handle our problems. 

Altogether:  ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

But please remember that nothing positive will happen until we begin sincerely seeking God, and turning from our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…unless the Holy Spirit is truly guiding our lives…we’ll never reach our full potential…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 November 2021 Isaiah 55:6.

03 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 55:6.     Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.

Another bright and sunshiny but windy and chilly day in my neighbourhood! And added to that is the brilliance of the light that Jesus shines in my soul! Wow! And yuh better believe I need them both right now, as I did one of those extra late nights and early mornings and the body is retaliating against me, crying out for sleep. But it has to learn that the work of God comes first, even though it’s my fault. 

We must suffer and sacrifice when we make a mess of things. So here I am suffering and sacrificing this Wednesday morning, (smile) because I refused to listen to Christ’s Spirit and go to bed at a reasonable time, so that I could get up at a reasonable time, refreshed enough to do a respectable job for Him. But I’m not worried friends, the Lord is a wonderful God, and He will forgive and help me, because He knows that my heart is in the right place, and I’m only human, thus liable to make mistakes. 

And furthermore, He will help me just so that I don’t write nonsense and spoil His business. (smile) Remember what He said after Bruh Paul asked three times to have the ‘thorn in his flesh’ removed, some unknown impediment placed there so he would not become too big for his britches, with all the revelations the Lord was giving him. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9 a)  And that’s the promise I am counting on this morning! (smile) That His divine strength will show up and help me in my human weakness. 

And remember too Bruh Paul’s reaction to that divine decree. ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:9b-10) 

No my friends, I am nowhere near to Bruh Paul’s taking pleasures in all those negative things, but I have stopped asking to have all the aches and pains removed from my ole body, because I’ve had them long enough, and I’ve asked often enough, that if He was going to remove them, He would have done it already. So, I just do my best to grin and bear them, releasing my faith, that He will enable me to manage them. And so far I have been doing reasonably well, with His help of course. 

Now that’s what I’ve been trying to say for so long my people: our God is a wonderful God! And though He will not put up with our shenanigans forever, and there will often be consequences to pay for them, He will help us if we come to Him with sincerity and repentance. Which other supposed deity has a free offer of mercy to all eh? None whatsoever! 

Listen to Isaiah offer it on behalf of the Lord. ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David… Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.’ (Is. 55:1-3, 6) 

Oh my fellow saints, what joyful words of inspiration and comfort the Lord promised so long ago, and made come true in the fullness of time, with the advent and ministry of Jesus! And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘55:1-7. God’s free gift of salvation is offered to all who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come to eat and drink without money (or freely). He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to al men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call upon him.’ 

And yes, as faithful as always, the Lord made the covenant with the Gentiles through Jesus, where we also have the opportunity to come to Him for salvation, just like the Jewish people did. And friends, that clarion call of God’s, to seek Him while He can be found and to call upon Him when He is near is still in existence today. So please, please, let’s heed it nuh! It’s not for God’s benefit, but for ours! And it never ceases to amaze me when we turn up our noses in stubborn pride and foolishness at God’s wonderful offers, as though they were for His benefit. 

Steups! We’ve gotten so big for our britches that we have conveniently forgotten who created the universe and who still owns and controls it – God Almighty! And we only exist because of His great LOVE and divine mercy. But one day it will all end. Yes, it will. God has promised it. And there again, we don’t ever seem to take His promises seriously, although they always come true. So, if He promises that one day, all those who don’t believe in Him will end up in hell fire with the foolish Satan, then why don’t we believe it eh? 

But as they say, you can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. The same way you can have the good news of Christ’s gospel explained to you, and there’s no guarantee that you will accept it and believe. However, there will come a day, when all those who have heard it, but not accepted or believed it, will pay the most exorbitant price possible for a human being; the loss of his soul. Remember, man can only kill the body, but the Lord can kill both body and soul, which He will do eventually, if you do not accept His son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. End of sermon! 

Now, for those of us who sincerely believe, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether 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!’ 

And lest we forget my brethren, if we endure unto the end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…if you sincerely seek God…and sincerely call on Him for help…He will sincerely help you…just like He sincerely did for me this morning… (smile)  

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8          

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 June 2019 Isaiah 55:1.

18 Jun 2019 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 55:1.    ​Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
 

Ah friends, it looks like it’s going to be one of those days; all the joints are aching and the ole fella’s dragging like an old man! Chuh! I hate when that happens, especially when I’m on a nice, fairly long, pain free run…well not completely pain free, because it’s never that nowadays. (smile) 

Yuh know what I mean though; not having to take no setta pain pills and moving along smooth and easy, the way the duchess likes to see her husband move. (smile) But as you also know, prayer is the panacea, the cure-all for ALL the ills of the soul, so let’s get into a nice li’l uplifting prayer from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional nuh. It’s simply titled: ‘Fill Me!’ 

Please pray with me: ‘O Lord, like the thirsty deer which goes to drink from the mountain springs; like the growing flower which turns hungrily to the satisfying sun; like the empty pitcher which is carried to the fountain to be filled; so I come, O God, knowing that in this time of prayer my soul will be filled with your LOVE and your truth. Thank you Lord! Amen.’  

Yes my people, if we were sincere and humble in that prayer, but also confident that God would grant our desire, then right now we’re being filled with the LOVE and truth of our heavenly father by the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Glory be, precious saints of Christ! What a great and wonderful God we serve my faithful brethren! 

A God who desires us to come to Him whenever we’re tired and thirsty, famished and broken down for rest, comfort and succour. That’s why the prophet Isaiah wisely advised his people, the Israelites, to ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near.’ (Is.55:6) 

Yes friends, that’s simply common sense imbued with heavenly wisdom! (smile) He’s our Creator and Provider, so who else we going to call on eh? Surely not Ghostbusters, nor the evil one! And in keeping with the thirsty theme, I just want to look at some of the scriptures that powerfully illustrate our message, beginning with this wonderful, unimaginable invitation from God Himself, through Isaiah, to His people Israel, and consequently to us. 

‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.’ Wow! What an invitation mih breddren! Nobody else can ever match that! Buying spiritual milk and water and food for free! Only in the realm of our magnificent and magnanimous God is that possible! 

Hear what the scholars say about that nuh. ’55:1-7. God’s free gift of salvation is offered to ALL who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come to eat and drink without money (or freely). He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to ALL men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call ye upon him.’ 

And here now are a few scriptures where men hungry and thirsty for God did just that, beginning with this favourite from Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God. ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after (longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps.42:1-2) 

Oh my people, are we that hungry and thirsty for our great God? I would certainly like to think so, but unfortunately the reality of our actions in these evil times doesn’t show it. It’s more like we’ve forgotten that God exists, and more like we’re trying to get rid of Him from our broken down and evil society. 

But just a word of caution; that’s impossible to do. He might allow us to carry on with our nonsense for a time, but in the end, He will have the last word and the last laugh. So please let’s wake up and realize that our world is on the brink of destruction and only real and strong faith in Christ Jesus can ever help us to fix it. Enough preaching though. (smile) 

Hear Bruh David now from Psalm 63 – God satisfies the thirsting soul. ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.’ (Ps.63:1) 

And in Psalm 107 – God’s wonderful works to the children of men, the psalmist declares thus: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness (LOVING-kindness).’ (Ps.107:8-9) Oh that men nowadays would really take those words of wisdom to heart and action them! Our world would be a much better place! 

And one more time from Bruh David from Psalm 143 – Teach me to do thy will. ‘ I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse (ponder) on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land.   Selah.’ (Ps.143:5-6) Ah mih people, again we see Bruh David in anguish of spirit and soul, possibly beset by enemies thirstily crying out for God to fill him with grace and mercy and LOVING-kindness! So who are we not to do the same eh? 

Anyway, here is the definitive word on a spiritually hungry and thirsty soul…from none other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, from His Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt.5:6) And isn’t that the gospel truth! Those of us who are poor and hungry in spirit and realize the depth of our need and faithfully seek God, will indeed be filled with the Lord’s grace, mercy and LOVING-kindness! 

And having imbued our soul and spirit with those uplifting, assuring and comforting words, let’s go home now declaring (yes!) our Tuesday Mantra, proudly telling the world who and whose we are! In strong voice, as one: ‘In God’s eyes, 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 glory be mih people! What joy it brings to the soul when we are beloved of Jesus and can sincerely count Him as our friend! So please let’s go out and share that good news now nuh! It’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!

…oh, words cannot describe…how wonderful it feels…to have Jesus…living right here within me…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 May 2016 Isaiah 55:6

11 May 2016 Leave a comment

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Isaiah 55:6.    Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.

Yo mih Scrip-Bit breddren! What’s up with us this glorious Wednesday morning on God’s great earth eh? I do hope that we are all excited about the day that’s going to be filled with an awesome downpour of heavenly blessings and mercies from our awesome God! 
 
Isn’t he something else my people? He surely is! Wonderful is His name! Providing such good stuff for us each and every day, walking with us along our way, leading and guiding us safely with comfort and undying LOVE, like the Good Shepherd that He is… 
 
Oh it just makes me want to cry out with joy, and shout ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ every time I think about His unfailing goodness and mercy towards me! And I know you all feel the same way too, otherwise you wouldn’t be the true and ardent followers of Jesus Christ that you are! 
 
Glory be, mih people! We have such a marvellous God, please, let’s do our very best to worship and honour Him with all our hearts, souls, mind and bodies nuh, for that is what He so rightly deserves. And to help us do that, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with great gusto, enthusiasm and sincerity of heart. 
 
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 friends, oh friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but I for one am exceedingly glad to be alive and kicking today! I haven’t seen my name in the obits, so it just means that I’ve been granted another glorious opportunity to live and work for Christ! 
 
And I know you’ll agree that there’s nothing better than that in this earthly life my brethren! He’s been so good to us that the least we can do to show our sincere appreciation is to live our lives on His behalf, spread the good news of His gospel, His great LOVE and faithfulness to all and sundry, His heartfelt call to each and everyone to come to Him and receive salvation and eternal life! 
 
Oh what could be better than that eh folks? Nothing really! But just remember that living for Jesus is not an easy row to hoe; it’s fraught with disappointments and problems, but if we stick with Him, keep our hands steadfast on the plough, always looking forward, He WILL enable us to do what is necessary. 
 
Our faith though, our desire to do His will must be real strong in order to overcome the lies and deceit the enemy will throw at us every living day. And that can only happen when we consistently read his Word, communicate with Him through prayer and be obedient to His will. That’s what strengthens our faith and trust. 
 
And for those of us who are struggling with our faith, possibly filled with some doubt and anxiety, here’s some interesting advice from our friend Anselm, who is always aspiring to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And Anselm tells us that ‘ Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.’ 
 
And that’s gospel truth friends! We can never move forward unless we let go of something behind us, of whatever is holding us back. Remember Jesus and all the prophets kept reminding us not to fear, for we are in the BEST of hands. 
 
And though we all know that that is easier said than done, it is possible if we confidently call on our great God for His awesome, never denied help. That’s why our Bit so wisely advises us to: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.’ And that is such an awesome piece of wisdom my people! 
 
Now listen to how Isaiah begins that chapter of a free offer of mercy to all. ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 
 
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.’ (Is.55:1-3) 
 
Oh friends, where can we ever get a better offer than that eh? NOWHERE! 
 
And we’ll end with this explanation from the scholars. ’55:1-7. God’s free gift of salvation is offered to all who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come to eat and drink without money (or freely). He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to all men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call ye upon him.’ 
 
Oh my people, my people, the Lord kept His promise and established a covenant wit us Gentiles through His wonderful Son Jesus Christ! Now it’s our turn to do our part in keeping that covenant. 
Please, let’s allow wisdom to abound in our souls nuh, whereby we diligently and sincerely seek our wonderful God and call upon Him in confidence and trust, for that’s what He desires of us. Much LOVE!
 
…in all circumstances…whom shall we call first…Almighty God…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 December 2014 Proverbs 9:5

09 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Proverbs 9:5.      Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled (mixed). 
 

Oh Friends and Neighbours, we’re well on our way this Tuesday morning! And as I noted yesterday, it wasn’t as difficult to get up this morning as it was yesterday. 
 

Anyway, let’s keep pushing forward with diligence and excellence because that’s what our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ desires of us, His followers.
 
And though I don’t like to quote from the same source too often, I just couldn’t pass up this treasure trove of words from the One Year Book of Bible Promises, which talks about ‘The Man God Honours.’
 
It says that there are all kinds of men (people) in the world, ‘But the man that God honours is marked by at least five characteristics. First: He is a man totally committed to God, and his concern is that he will obey God’s Word, whatever the cost.
 
Second: He is a man whose faith can be defined as confident trust. His highest priority is prayer, knowing that a supernatural God moves in supernatural ways.
 
Third: He rests his past, present, and future in the hands of an all-LOVING God, even in times of turbulence, uncertainty, agony, misunderstanding, and pain, assured that his times are in God’s hands.
 
Fourth: He believes with all his heart that, as he keeps steadily travelling along God’s pathway, God will honour him with every blessing. Fifth: He has one consistent desire: “God, make me a man after your own heart.” 
 
Now that’s all gospel truth Friends! It also provides a convenient and useful breakdown of godly characteristics that we can each use to chart our position in light of being a person whom God honours.
 
So please find some quiet time to sit and ponder them, honestly critique ourselves, then try to come up higher, because as believers, our motto should be to come up higher, to improve each and every day in the reverence and worship of Almighty God.
 
And the scripture promise for that stuff is the opening verses of Psalm 1 – Blessed are the righteous: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night.’ (Ps.1:1-2)
 
They quoted the New Life translation, but I didn’t like it. Some of these modern day translations just don’t sound right to me. Though they may give you the basic idea, they seem to lose the essence of the scripture. (smile) And all of that ties in, dovetails quite nicely with what we want to talk about today; Wisdom’s Invitation.
 
According to Cousin Sol, Wisdom is crying out to all and sundry: ‘Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth (lacks) understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled (mixed). Forsake the foolish (foolishness), and live; and go in the way of understanding.’ (Prov.9:4-6)
 
Now that’s a wonderful invitation my people, but how many of us are making use of it eh? Definitely not as many as should, otherwise our world would not be in such a turbulent and troublesome mess.
 
Oh my brethren, from the earliest times our magnanimous God has been calling us to come and partake of the joy of His wisdom and LOVE, but we have continually declined it for the fleeting and flimsy pleasures of the foolish and destructive world in which we live.
 
Now let’s look at a couple of those invitations, beginning with Isaiah’s free offer of mercy to all. ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
 
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.’ (Is.55:1-3)
 
Oh my people, how could we ever refuse such a wonderful invitation eh? Our omnipotent, omniscient, and ever-present God is offering a free gift of salvation to any one who will accept it! If you are spiritually hungry and thirsty, then you can come to Him and have your hunger satisfied, for free to boot!
 
Yes Friends, FOR FREE! You only have to receive it. But I guess with our foolish worldly ways, we tend to look askance at anything that’s free, especially such a great godly offer. We run when the worldly things are cheap, but when God offers His salvation for free, we back off and beg to be excused. That’s the wisdom of a fool my Friends!
 
For if we remember Jesus’ promise in the Sermon on the Mount, re the Beatitudes, a prominent one is ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt.5:6)
 
Yes my brethren, it’s the same basic offer! If you are spiritually hungry and thirsty, you can come to Jesus at any time and be filled with His righteousness, LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, salvation and eternal life!
 
Wow! Where else can you find such a magnificent offer eh my people, and for free to boot? All you have to do is to believe in Him! Nowhere else in God’s great world my brethren!
 
So please, I implore us to get with it, get with the programme nuh, and wisely accept the offer of our Creator, our God, and our Great Provider, for in so doing, we will be accepting Wisdom’s Invitation. Much LOVE!
 
…if earthly things seem too good to be true…then most likely they are…but the things of heaven…they are ALWAYS TRUE…