13 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: amidst all the anxiety and confusion, be as a tree planted by the waters, be fat and flourishing, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, be responisble, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of the ungodly, bring forth fruit in their old age, brings forth his fruit in his season, by the example your faithful believers set, cease from bearing fruit, crying out for your help, day and night, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, depart from evil, discontent, dissatisfaction, do good, doesn't take your fancy, dwell for evermore, dwell therein for ever, faith, flourish in the courts of God, Friday chant, God's promises for the righteous, gospel truth, grow in spirituality, grow like a cedar in Lebanon, he delights in his way, he is always merciful and lendeth, he shall exalt thee to inherit the land, he shall not be utterly cast down, heavenly Father, her leaf shall be green, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, his seed begging bread, hit the ball out of the park, holy spirit, I have been young and now am old, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, in his law doth he meditate, insufficient Christian witness, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, keep his way, lean on God's everlasting arms, LOVE, mercy, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, nor stands in the way of sinners, not afraid of whatever comes against him, obedience, omnipotent help, our sinful world, positive chages, problems escalating, Psalm 23, restoring faith in you, return backsliders to your fold, righteousness, salvation, shall not be careful in the year of drought, shall not fear when heat comes, show them the error of their ways, spreading our slat and light, spreads out her roots by the river, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, step up to the plate, strong faith in God, strong roots planted in God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Lord forsakes not his saints, The Lord is my rock, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord loves justice, the Lord upholds him with his hand, the necessities of life, the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, the righteous shall inherit the land, the seed of the wicked shall be cut off, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, there is no unrighteousness, these ungodly times, they are preserved for ever, though he fall, to enjoy the good life one must live the good life, to shew that the Lord is upright, to show that the Lord is upright, too much a part of the world, trust God's every word, trusting faith, truth, unbelievers could be attracted to jesus, unexpected storms, wait on the Lord, wake up and smell the coffee, whatsoever he does shall prosper, when the wicked are cut off, whose hope the Lord is, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 92:12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon (strong and tall).
And then, at long last, it was our favourite workday, Friday. And although the sun’s not as hot and shining as we might like it, with a few clouds overhead, it doesn’t stop those shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ from rising on high. I guess it would take a really terrible Friday to stop those shouts from rising up. (smile) Anyway, since God has spared our lives to see another day on His beautiful planet earth, that’s sadly beset by all kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, let’s keep our promise of yesterday to check out God’s promises for the righteous, having seen how He intends to utterly destroy the wicked.
And one of the best scriptures on God’s blessing on the righteous is found in Psalm 1, aptly titled – Blessings on the Godly. The psalmist opens with this awesome proclamation: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, 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 on) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3)
Wow! What a wonderful blessing the Lord proclaims for the righteous! And if that scripture doesn’t take your fancy, then try this one from Psalm 92, titled – Give Thaks to God. The psalmist confidently declares: ‘The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon (strong and tall). Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in their old age; they shall be fat and flourishing (plump and green); To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.’ (Ps. 92:12-15)
Now, that’s the indisputable truth! There is no unrighteousness whatsoever in the Lord God Almighty! That’s why we can trust His every word and lean on His everlasting arms without fear! And even in their old age, the righteous will still be flourishing bringing forth good fruit, because the Lord is with them. But if you still don’t believe, then try this word from the prophet Jeremiah. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:8)
Another wonderful verse of the Lord’s blessing upon the righteous! And you might be wondering why all these metaphors about trees planted by water. That’s because in the old time agrarian society, where farming was a major part of life, it was much easier for them to understand that kind of comparison. And furthermore, when you receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, afterwards you don’t just sit around and do nothing, No, you’re expected to grow in spirituality and obedience, in faith and righteousness.
And what better way to explain that than by talking about trees planted by a plentiful supply of water with long, strong roots that go deep into the ground, and bear good fruit even in a season of drought. That’s how the righteous Christian ought to be; with strong roots planted in God and His Word, not afraid of whatever comes against him because of his strong faith in His Creator and Giver of Life, who blesses Him with all the necessities of life.
And Psalm 37 further tells us: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and am now old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord LOVETH judgement (justice), and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’ (Ps. 37:23-29)
Now, you cannot want better testimony than that! Straight from the personal experience of Bruh David. He was a man just like us, with all our faults and foibles, but He trusted the Lord with all of his heart, and though his life was not easy, he still ended up victorious because of the Lord’s faithfulness. And he perfectly describes the Lord’s faithfulness and blessings on the righteous in his famous and heartfelt Psalm 23 – the Lord is My shepherd. Perhaps you should take a minute afterwards and check it out and see how rich and wonderful it is in godly faithfulness and blessings. (smile)
In the meanwhile please follow these most reassuring words of Bruh David from Psalm 37. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.’ (Ps. 37:34) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help in these tough and turbulent times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And truthfully, one of the major reasons for the chaotic state of our world is insufficient Christian witness. We have been too much a part of the world, rather than being apart from it and spreading our marvellous salt and light so that the unbelievers could be attracted to Jesus. And if we want to see productive and positive changes in our world, then we have to step up to the plate and hit the ball out of the park. And do it right now! It’s as simple as that my faithful brethren! Much LOVE!
…to enjoy the good life…one must live the good life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of righteousness, a productive difference, a refuge in times of trouble, a very present help in trouble, all the fight is drained out of me, all them that also love his appearing, before many witnesses, Bible, christianity, confessed a good confession, courage, creativitydivine protection, curse, debilitating weakness, divine protection, do not fear, duty bound, ever merciful and lendeth, faith, favour, fellowship, fight the good fight, fight tooth and nail, firmly grasping your right hand, God is our refuge and strength, godliness, his seed begging bread, his seed is blessed, holy spirit, I am now ready to be offered, I have become your helper, I have been young and now am old, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Jesus Christ, jump to it, keep my hope stirring, lay hold on eternal life, LOVE, meekness, mercy, negative word, now, Now dear Lord now, One Year Book of Bible promises, our omnipotent omnipresent omniscient God, patience, professed a good profession, riding high, righteousness, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, Selah, talent, the earth be removed, The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, the mountains shake with the swelling, the righteous judge, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, the time of my departure is at hand, the waters thereof roar and be troubled, they that know thy name will trust thee, thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, truth, will not we fear, wisdom
Psalm 9:9. The Lord will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And the snow fell, but not to a great extent, so that this Thursday morning in early December is not as bad as it could have been! Thanks be to God for that! And what’s on the agenda for today? A li’l something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is simply titled ‘NOW!’ And by the way, I don’t remember if I have ever shared it before, but in any case, they are all worth sharing over and over again. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘My great strong God! All the fight Is drained out of me. In my debilitating weakness I can’t even hold on to You. But Your own words Keep my hope stirring: “For I Your God Am firmly grasping Your right hand. I am saying unto you Do not fear. I have become your helper.” Now, dear Lord! Now!’
And isn’t that the way we always desire the Lord to react to our problems, with alacrity and undivided attention. And yes, sometimes when that is called for He will respond with haste, but our God is not there to jump when we call, we have the situation all wrong. The truth of the matter is that we are the ones who are supposed to jump to it when He calls.
Anyway, what does the poem tell us? Basically that our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God is always there looking out for our problems and troubles. He’s promised to help us in all situations, so we should not be afraid of whatever comes against us. And that promise found in Psalm 9 is the Bible promise for today’s writing. It says: ‘The Lord will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps. 9:9-10)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s the indisputable truth! The Lord has never, and will never abandon anyone who puts their sincere trust in Him. And Bruh David spells it out very nicely in Psalm 37 titled – Trust in the Lord, when he writes: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed.’ (Ps. 37:23-26)
Now that’s how the Lord treats the righteous and his descendants. And if you don’t believe Bruh David, then listen to the sons of Korah from Psalm 46 titled – Our Refuge and Strength. They open the psalm confidently proclaiming: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)
Oh my people, what powerful faith is engendered by those words! And that’s the kind of faith we believers in these ungodly and evil times need to have if we intend to make any kind of productive difference! The devil is riding high right now, but we certainly have the ability and the tools to overthrow him, if we get together and put our hearts, minds, souls and bodies to it.
It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy in his first epistle. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things (the world’s evil); and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim. 6:11-12)
Yes mih bredrin, we are expected to fight a good fight of faith, so that when our time to leave this earth comes, we can proudly say like Bruh Paul: ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
What a wonderful reward awaits us in heaven my people; that crown of righteousness! But only if we keep on being righteous and fight the good fight of faith down here. And I know all of us desire to have that awesome crown, but please, let’s remember it’s not something that’s handed out willy nilly, but only to those who truly deserve it. And if we sincerely want it, then we still have some time to turn ourselves around and become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!
And the Lord in His utmost generosity has indeed given us tools to do the job He desires of us. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So please, let’s declare them now so that they can be activated. As one strong and sincere voice! ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…to win the crown of righteousness…one must fight tooth and nail for it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a just man falls seven times, a time of sorrows, a year of sorrows, beauty these eyes have seen, Bible, by faith alone, christianity, confidence, Contemporary Christian songs, crushed in spirit, delivers them out of all their troubles, dreams, ever merciful, evil shall slay the wicked, face the raging seas, faith, fallen on my knees, fellowship, god, God is always with us, God proved His love for me, he shall not be utterly cast down, held them in my hand, His eyes were watching me, his seed are blessed, his seed begging bread, holy spirit, hope and wait quietly for the Lord's salvation, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, I will hope in him, i've been young, in spite of the storm, in the night, it is good that a man, Jesus Christ, journeyed through the long dark night, Judith Gayle, Lawrence Chewning, lends, life after the storm, LOVE, lover's rock, many are the afflictions of the righteous, mercy, only grains of sand, out on the open, Ray Boltz, renew our faith, righteousness, rises up again, salvation, saves those of a contrite heart, sight unknown, strength, stumble into calamity, Sunday, sweet sacrifices of praise, the anchor holds, the Lord delivers him out of them all, the Lord hears, the Lord is my portion saith my soul, the Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart, the Lord's Day, the righteous cry, the sails are torn, the ship is battered, the soul that seeks him, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, the wicked shall fall into mischief, through the storms of my life, truth, visions, wisdom
Psalm 34:17. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Here it comes again friends, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the first day of this new week, when we get together in fellowship and worship in the Lord’s house and find strength and confidence to both build and renew our faith so we can handle all the problems of the upcoming week. And this week’s song of worship is certainly an interesting and very appropriate one for these troubled and trying times. It’s one of our favourite Contemporary Christian songs titled, ‘The Anchor Holds.’
And the story behind the song is definitely a moving and uplifting one. It seems in 1992, the writer, Lawrence Chewning and his wife were experiencing some real tough times. He later termed it the year of their sorrows. His father had died, and He was a burned out pastor in a church that was having problems, then to further complicate matters, his wife had her third miscarriage. It was truly a time of sorrows.
He then took a six months sabbatical and spent most of his time simply playing the piano. And it was during that period of difficulty and discouragement, of loss and lack of direction that the Lord opened his heart and filled it with that song. How marvellous and mysterious are the ways of our wonderful God! He’s always with us and never allows us to struggle more than is necessary. Whenever the time is right, He does something awesome to bring us out of our misery.
And in God’s awesome agenda, He later led Chewning to speak with singer Ray Boltz about his difficult times and the song the Lord had poured into his heart. Boltz took the song remodelled to its current form, then in 1995, recorded it and made it a hit. And it’s still going strong today, having been recorded by several people in several genres. But today we’ll do a reggae, lover’s rock version as done by Jamaican Christian singer, Miss Judith Gayle.
So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a sincere, heartfelt manner, remembering the many times when the storm raged around us, but the anchor held fast because Jesus was our pilot and our anchor. Singing: ‘I have journeyed, Through the long, dark night Out on the open sea By faith alone, Sight unknown And yet His eyes, were watching me. (Chorus: The anchor holds, though the ship is battered. The anchor holds, though the sails are torn. I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm.)
I’ve had visions, I’ve had dreams, I’ve even held them in my hand, But oh Lord, I never knew, They would slip right through, Oh my Jesus, Like they were only grains of sand. (Chorus: But the anchor holds…) Oh, I have been young, but I am older now, thank the Lord, And there has been beauty, that these eyes have seen, But it was in the night, through the storms of my life, Oh, that’s where God proved, His LOVE for me.
(Chorus: And the anchor holds, though my ship is battered. The anchor holds, though my sails are torn. And I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Yes, the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Thank You Jesus! I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Yes, the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Thank You Jesus!’
Ah friends, what powerful a testimony and uplifting message! And I know that many of us can attest to the authenticity of the sentiments in the song, because many of us have indeed gone through tough times when it’s only because of Jesus’ strong, solid, guiding hand on our rudder and anchor, that we made it through. That’s why Bruh David could write these reassuring words from Psalm 34.
‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite heart (crushed in spirit). Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate (condemned, held guilty). The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate (condemned). (Ps. 34:17-22)
And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers. Our God won’t see us falling and not stop us from doing so, or if His purpose is for us to learn something from falling, to help us up when we do fall. As Cousin Sol wisely says in Proverbs: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) And there are so many scriptures that attest to the goodness of God, that I don’t know which ones to quote.
But as they say, when in doubt, you can’t go wrong with Bruh David. (smile) So here he is from Psalm 37: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) are blessed.’ (Ps. 37:23-26)
Oh my fellow saints, our great and faithful God will not see us in a precarious situation and not do something to help us out of it! He will never turn away from us. That’s why Jeremiah, though going through agony of body and soul in his Lamentations could still write: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:24-26)
And yuh know what friends, when we can voice sincere sentiments like those in precarious times, then we’ll know that we’re on our way to true righteousness! Much LOVE!
…there is indeed life after the storm…and the anchor does hold…with Jesus operating it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a forgiving and gracious God, according to his riches in glory, all these things shall be added unto you, all things work together for good, Bible, called according to His purpose, christianity, every tongue that rises against you shall be condemned, faith, faithful promises of God, give to the poor freely, god, have I not seen the righteous forsaken, his seed begging bread, his seed is blessed, holy spirit, humble ourselves and pray, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have been young and now am old, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus master of the positive circumstance, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my God shall supply all your needs, negative situations, no weapon formed against thee shall prosper, on the outside looking in, put them into action, righteous men, seek first the kingdom of God, sincere trust in God, the bells toll, the God who heals, to them that love God, truth, trying economic times, wisdom, wise guidance
Philippians 4:19. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.
Monday it is my people…and the bells toll once more, but this time not for worship, but for work! Yes friends, it’s time to get a move on, to get up and earn a living so we can feed, house and clothe our families. And, unfortunately, in these trying economic and ungodly times, that’s not always an easy task to accomplish, as negative circumstances keep coming against us. But if Jesus is your Lord and Saviour, then you have a fighting chance, in fact a winning chance to repel all the negativity that’s wanting to disrupt your life. That’s because Jesus is the Master of the positive circumstance, and has faithfully promised to look after all who sincerely trust in Him.
Listen to this promise from Bruh Paul to the church at Philippi. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) Now that’s the first thing we need to remember when the bad times hit; we have the power through Christ to handle any situation that comes against us! Then there’s this promise from the prophet Isaiah: ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is, 54:17) What reassurance that the devil cannot harm us!
And to go along with those faithful promises is this awesome one from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now that’s a scripture we all know and constantly quote in the good times, but the problem is that we don’t take it very seriously when the tough times happen. For one reason or another, those trying circumstances flush that promise right out of our minds, and we begin claiming woe is me, instead of claiming the faithfulness of God’s promise, and declaring (chuh!!!) it over our negative circumstances.
And Bruh David puts it ever so nicely in his famous Psalm 37, titled ‘Trust in the Lord,’ when he says: ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed.’ (Psalm 37:25-26) Now there’s a very important scripture for the righteous to hold on dearly to! And what does all of that mean eh? I believe these two commentaries explain them best.
The first says: ‘But as he (Bruh David) looked back on it all, he concluded that in his experience, the righteous had not been forsaken and their children had not needed to beg for bread. David knew that God has the power to take care of those who are striving to do right and their families. He trusted in God and His promises.’ And that’s what we, in these uncertain and unconventional times need to do in a big way, for if we don’t trust sincerely and staunchly in the Lord, then we’ll find ourselves on the outside looking in. And that’s never a good place to be.
Now, the other commentary to which we referred re ‘his seed begging bread,’ says: ‘Again, it may be observed, that the psalmist is speaking in the context of righteous men that are liberal, and give to the poor freely and largely; and it is seldom if ever known that they or their children come to want and poverty.’ So, in other words, the general principle involved here, is what you sow is what you reap. Therefore the righteous need to live by a plentiful sowing of good seed, and thus the eventual reaping of a plentiful harvest; of giving generously and later receiving in abundance. That relates to either the righteous or their descendants, for the Lord’s goodness extends from generation to generation.
And last, but not least, is this marvellous promise of Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 4:19) Yes my fellow saints, when we are faithful to Almighty God and live righteously for His Son Jesus Christ, He will supply all our needs. But as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, our first priority is to ‘Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
And yuh know what friends, there’s not one scripture we’ve quoted that we can say is alien or unknown to us. We know them all, and quote them to others in trouble, but when our troubles come, we’re helpless to put them into useful action. So let’s remember that the faithful promises of our God are what we need to live the good and righteous life and don’t hesitate to call them up, when the enemy comes against us, as he very well will. Now, let’s go humbly but confidently to God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking mercy and grace in our sure time of need.
‘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!’
And if our prayer was truly heartfelt, then we’d realize that the answer problems is found right there in it: ‘humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek your face.’ That’s the place we need to start, if we expect to receive divine help! Much LOVE!
…the Lord’s many promises were not made for fun…but for us to seriously live by…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
24 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man is not justified by the works of the law, catch our second wind, depart from evil and do good, endure to the end, halfway home, hands on the plough, he delighteth in his way, he is always merciful and lendeth, his seed begging bread, his seed is blessed, I have been young, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, I'm not turning back, Judaizers, keep his way, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, the breath of life, the first and great commandment, the law of God is in his heart, the Lord upholdeth him with his hand, the moral law of God, the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, the perfect law of liberty, the physical law of God, the righteous shall inherit the land, the royal law, the seed of the wicked shall be cut off, the social law of God, the spiritual law of God, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, to a glorious future with Jesus, wait on the Lord, we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, Wednesday Wail
Psalm 37:23. The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
Well, it’s Wednesday, the middle day of the work week. So how are we going my dear brethren in Christ at this point in time? Let’s hope that with Christ surrounding us that we are doing pretty good, catching our second wind and moving forward with faith, despite all the confusion and evil workings that currently have our world in grip.
And regardless of what’s happening in our lives right now, I believe it is of the utmost importance for us to believe these marvellous words promised by Bruh David on God’s behalf from Psalm 37. ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.’ (Ps. 37:23-24) Now, if we don’t believe that promise what hope is there for us then eh? None whatsoever!
And Bruh David drives home that amazing hope in Christ Jesus when he continues: ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed.’ (Ps. 37:25-26) Oh my people, how wonderful is that statement eh? Most wonderful! Why? Because when we walk faithfully with God, it ensures the goodness of God to our families after we are gone. And who doesn’t want that assurance?
But before it can happen, we must faithfully do certain things. Bruh David puts it simply, but it’s ever powerful in truth. ‘Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord LOVETH judgment (justice), and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall he cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’ (Ps. 37:27-29) It couldn’t be put any simpler or more truthfully my people! The Lord, as it were, bends over backwards for the righteous, while He crushes the wicked without mercy.
And why would the Lord do that eh? Because ‘The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgement (mercy). The law of God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide (slip).’ (Ps. 37:30-31) Wow! What encouraging and reassuring scriptures! But then we talk about the ‘law of God,’ what exactly is that? Ah friends, the scholars give us a lengthy but very useful discourse on the subject. (smile)
They say, ‘The law of God is the extension of God’s nature and expression of God’s will in His creation. God’s law is expressed in different forms, relating to different areas of His creation. The physical law of God includes the laws of nature which govern the continuous physical existence of this world (Gen. 8:22; Col. 1:17). The moral law, also called “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:15), governs the immaterial issues of life (2 Tim. 3:17).
The social law of God affects interpersonal relationships and can be summarized by “the royal law” (James 2:8). The spiritual law deals with a man’s relationship with God. It is summarized in “the first and great commandment” (Matt. 22:37-38). And we all know what that is: ‘LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, mind and soul…etc. etc.’
Illustration: The purpose of the law is to reveal the sovereignty of God (Ex. 20:2), to place a restraint on the sinner (Ps. 68:7-8), to show the greatness and reality of sin (Rom. 3:19-20), and to lead the sinner to Christ (Gal. 3:24). The purpose of the law did not change with the gospel. When the Judaizers in Galatia sought to teach their erroneous view of the law, they failed to realize that the law has never been able to save anyone. Application: As Christians, we should be concerned to live decently and orderly. (First ref. Gen. 2:17; Primary ref. Rom. 7:7-14; cf. Ex. 3:13).’
Glory be my people! There’s enough scripture and other info there to keep us occupied for the rest of the day! (smile) And I expect us to look up those scriptures, so that we can get a better understanding of God’s law. Why? Because how can we live a godly life, one in tune with God’s law if we don’t know and understand that law eh?
Now, I believe there’s one thing, we need to further explain; that’s about ‘the Judaizers.” They were ‘a group of Jewish Christians who insisted that their co-religionists should follow the Mosaic Law and that Gentile converts to Christianity must first be circumcised.’ They considered that the Old Testament laws were still binding on all Christians.
But Bruh Paul made it quite clear otherwise in his letter to the Galatians. He begins by saying in 2:15: ‘We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,’ That was a derogatory term against Gentiles, who were considered synonymous with sinners, since they didn’t live under the Jewish law, which kept the Jews somewhat restrained in their own sinful behaviour.
Then Bruh Paul continues: ‘Knowing that a man is not justified (declared righteous) by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of (in ) Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.’ (Gal. 2:16)
Please remember that friends. It’s not by works we are saved but by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:8-9) And yes, we definitely ought to do good works, but those works don’t mean anything when it comes to saving us from hellfire and damnation. They may bring us rewards in heaven, but they will NEVER get us to heaven!
And since we began with the awesome words of Psalm 37, it only makes sense to end with some of them. (smile) And we can never go wrong when we follow this marvellous advice of Bruh David. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.’ (Ps. 37: 34) Yes, my fellow believers, waiting patiently and expectantly on our God is one of the best things we can ever do, for He will exalt us in His own time.
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do just that, let’s go home now declaring (oh yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one confident and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now my fellow saints, that means we must do whatever it takes to keep on keeping on. And don’t forget, that if we endure to the very end, that future with Christ will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Mama Mia! What an amazing life is to be had with Christ! Much LOVE
…only in Christ…can the real and true life be found…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
01 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leader's courage to fulfill his vison, according to his riches in glory, all glory be to God, Anselm, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, baptizing them, be ye likeminded, being of one accord, comes from passion not position, compassed about, deny ourselves, despising the shame, do actions to raise Christ's presence, endured the cross, esteem the other better than yourselves, even unto the end of the world, for His goodness and mercy, get closer to Jesus, giving up our lives for Christ, go ye therefore and teach all nations, Happy New Year, his seed begging bread, I am with you always, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, in lowliness of mind, in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, let us run with patience, life will remain the same, live high on the hog, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, my God shall supply all my needs, my passion wakes me, passion, prepare to be great through sacrifices, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, showers of blessings, take up our cross, the author and finisher of our faith, the control centre of your life, the indisputable truth, the sinful children of men, the ultimate sacrifice, with so great a cloud of witnesses, your attitude
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Well, it’s 2022 now my brethren, and I want to wish us all in this most favoured Scrip-Bit family a blessed and happy New Year! Some things will change, but most of life will remain the same, and with Jesus dwelling in our souls and bodies, we will be able to handle whatever comes against us, just like we handled it this past year! All glory be to God my people, for His goodness and mercy to us, sinful children of men!
And like I’ve been saying over the last few New Year’s days, the only resolution we need to make is to get closer to Jesus! Like He promised: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Like Bruh David says in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked: ‘I have been young , and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread.’ (Ps. 37:25) And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers! No righteous believer in Christ will ever beg for bread!
And Bruh Paul’s words to the Philippians reinforces that quite well. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And if all of that doesn’t raise your passion for Christ this New Year’s morning, then I don’t know what will! (smile) Now, since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And the first one tells it exactly like it is: ‘There are greater things to be achieved in every new year, and each and every one must prepare themselves to be great, not by words of the mouth, but by a lot of sacrifices.’ And that’s the glorious truth friends. As they say, actions speak louder than words! You can’t deny that. And if we really want to live for Jesus, this year of 2022 is going to call for Christians to make a lot of sacrifices in Christ’s name and do numerous actions that will raise His presence in this evil and ungodly world.
Remember Jesus said that if we don’t deny ourselves, give up our will, take up our cross and follow Him, we are not worthy to be called His disciple. (Matt. 16:24) Living for Jesus friends, means making sacrifices for Him, even to the ultimate sacrifice of giving up our life for Him. But thankfully, in our Western society, going to the ultimate sacrifice is not necessary, although it is in some other societies around the world, and those believers there do exactly that.
But out here in our wonderful and entitled society many of us won’t even sacrifice a broken fingernail on Christ’s behalf, but yet we expect to get showers of blessings, and live high on the hog. It won’t happen friends. The only way that Jesus will be glorified in our currently ungodly world is by His followers making much sacrifice, and not the easy, but the tough kind!
That brings us to this next quote: ‘The control centre of your life is your attitude.’ And that’s no lie. Your basic attitude towards life in general, and Christ in particular, controls what you will and won’t do. So, if you have an arrogant, evil, ungodly attitude or mindset, then those are the things to which you will gravitate. On the other hand, if you have a kind, LOVING and godly mindset, you will gravitate to the things of Christ. And this year, my fellow believers, more than ever before, our premier task is to get the unbelievers to change their mindset to one that values and believes in Christ Jesus, for that’s the only way our world will ever improve.
And our problems won’t go away, or even be lessened, until, and unless more of us get together under the glorious umbrella of Christ. Remember Bruh Paul’s entreaty to the Philippians? ‘Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but everyman also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ.’ (Phil. 2:2-5)
Yes friends, we all need to come to the thinking of Christ; humble, obedient, LOVING, compassionate and considering the welfare of others more than ourselves, if we ever hope to better this world. That leads us to the next quote: ‘To succeed you have to believe in something with such passion that it becomes a reality.’ And as most of us know, that’s the awesome truth! You can’t succeed at ANYTHING, unless you are so passionate about it, that in your mind and actions, it’s like it has already come to fruition, already become a reality.
And I believe a good analogy is what Jesus said in this Beatitude: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’(Matt. 5:6) Yes mih people to achieve anything, we must be that passionate over it, like we’re hungering and thirsting for it. And that carries us right into the following quote: ‘No alarm clock needed. My passion wakes me.’ Now that’s all a part of the same equation; to succeed takes great passion. So much so that we don’t even need an alarm clock to wake us up in the morning, our passion for our project does that automatically.
And the last quote puts it all together: ‘A great leader’s courage to fulfil his vision comes from passion, not position.’ Oh my brethren until we realize that a leader’s position is not merely a state of power but one of enormous and constant passion, we will never be ready for a leadership role. And the best example we have of that is our Leader, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who withstood all the sacrifice, resentment, rejection and punishment He had to bear, because He was truly passionate about saving us, about saving a sinful mankind, and that was the only way it could be righteously and justly done.
As the Good Book so exultantly declares, admonishes and advises (smile): ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:1-2)
My fellow saints, if we want to be true and sincere followers of Christ, then we have to give up our own desires and follow His; follow His lead, if He is our leader. And remember what He’s called us to do, His last request to His disciples? ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
Now isn’t it time we got serious and do what our Leader asks of us? It certainly is, especially with the sad, sick and sorry state that our world is currently in! Much LOVE!
…if you truly know Jesus…you can’t help but LOVE Him…and LOVE those around you…even when it’s difficult to do…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
28 Sep 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive and kicking, and having done all to stand, bring us safely through the storms of life, but it's chocked full of excitement and adventure, by the blast of God they perish, by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed, called unto the fellowship of his son, endure the inhumane treatment, find grace to help, God is faithful, God will not suffer you to bear more than you can, he that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity, his seed begging bread, I am the beloved of god, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, in time of need, let us therefore come boldly, living for God is not easy, LOVE, make a way to escape, new compassions and mercies, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, plow iniquity, shall not rest on the lot of the righteous, share His love with the world, sow wickedness, such as is common to man, take unto you the whole armour of God, that we may obtain mercy, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, the empowering Holy Spirit, the Lord is round about His people, the marvellous breath of God, the rod of the wicked, there hath no temptationtaken you, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unto the throne of grace, we reap what we sow, where were the righteous cut off, who ever perished being innocent
1 Corinthians 1:9. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
What’s happening this new day filled with new compassions and mercies eh friends? And I know that most of us would say: same old, same old stuff. And to a certain extent that might be true, but just think that we are still alive and kicking, the marvellous breath of God is still flowing through us! Glory be! That means there are still lots of things for us to do down here on earth, otherwise the Lord would have taken us home.
And you know that living and working for God is not easy, but it sure is chocked full of excitement and adventure, because we never know what He will do next, where He will send us or what He will allow to come upon us. The only thing we are sure of is that He won’t allow anything untoward to happen to us, and that He will bring us safely through any storms He allows us to go through.
Remember His awesome promise in First Corinthians… ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtakes) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able to bear; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13). Now that promises a lot my brethren, but it also does not promise what some of us believe and/or expect.
What we ought to learn from that is not that the Lord will always help us to escape the temptation, but rather He will give us a way to bear up under or endure it. Too many of us just want to escape from anything that’s difficult, but that’s not the way our God operates. Yuh don’t think that Jesus wanted to escape from all the horrific sufferation he went through? He certainly did!
But the Father asked Him to suffer on our behalf and gave Him the grace, strength and power to bear up and endure the inhumane treatment He underwent for us. The Holy Spirit imbued Him with the power to handle it, and the same Holy Spirit imbues us with power to handle our problems. So, let’s stop thinking about ways to escape problems and instead forge ahead and come up over them through the power of the Holy Spirit.
As one commentator, Vern Nicolette, puts it in an article on the subject found on the Active Christianity website. ‘In 1 Corinthians 10:13 it speaks about the time of temptation and that God makes a way of escape so we can bear it. How hopeful it is that we have a God who measures each temptation so we can bear it! God has a way of escape for us in every single temptation. The way of escape is to go before the throne of grace and pray for grace in time of need; in other words, before we fall. Then we have God’s promise that we shall receive the grace, which is strength and help at the right time, so we can stand after we have overcome all things.’
And the author references two scriptures there; Hebrews 4:16, and Ephesians 6:13. And since I like to spoon feed us, (smile) here are those two scriptures. The first one says: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) And the second comforting and strengthening verse of scripture in times of need is this: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up, put on) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13)
Yes friends, those are the two basic things we need to withstand the demonic onslaughts that occasionally come against us: the grace and armour of God! And with those working on our behalf, through the empowering Holy Spirit, Satan doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of defeating us! Now here are some more scriptures that will help us in our fight against temptation. Up first is this beautiful scripture: ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor. 1:9) I like that verse because it tells me of God’s faithfulness, and that’s something I’ve totally experienced in my own life, so it boosts my spirit.
And the next scripture comes from Psalm 125 – God surrounds his people. It confidently declares: ‘They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed (moved), but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about (surround) Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of the wicked (the sceptre of wickedness) shall not rest upon the lot (land) of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth (reach out ) their hands unto iniquity.’ (Ps. 125:1-3)
And here are two more scriptures to sustain those last two. (smile) Isaiah tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.’ (Is. 14:5) And Cousin Sol confidently proclaims from the wisdom of Proverbs: ‘He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity (trouble): and the rod of his anger shall fail (wrath shall perish).’ (Prov. 22:8)
Now that further recalls the rebuke of Eliphaz to his friend Job, where he says: ‘Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils (anger) are they consumed.’ (Job 4:7-9)
And though Eliphaz didn’t know about Job’s unique situation, he knew from personal experience that we reap what we sow., which is the living truth, just not in Job’s case. So though there may seem to be a lot of problems, temptations and enemy attacks in our lives, let us not forget that the Lord God Almighty has placed within us the power of His Holy Spirit to enable us to fight our earthly battles and be victorious in all of them. But we must get His grace and put on His spiritual armour if we want to win the spiritual battles that take place in our lives. End of sermon! (smile)
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to live for God, let’s go home declaring (yeah!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who we belong to. In strong voice: ‘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!’
And having said that, we must now go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know Him. For that’s His greatest desire. Much LOVE!
…I have been young…and now I am old…yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken…nor his seed begging bread… (Ps. 37:5)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
24 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acknowledge him, always at ease, asaph, be joyful, be more careful, bright light of Jesus, cast them down into destruction, consumed with terrors, declare all thy works, destroy the wicked, envious at the foolish, equal society, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, generous help, go a whoring from thee, go outside and frolic, God is the strength of my heart, good for me, he shall direct thy paths, his passion on his sleeve, his seed begging bread, I went into the sanctuary of God, in all thy ways, in soul body and mind, increase in riches, inequality, lean not, look after the righteous, LOVE, Memorial Day, more conservative, my feet were almost gone, my flesh and my heart faileth, my portion for ever, not seen the righteous forsaken, overtime, party party party!, physical weather, politicking, put my trust in the Lord, relaxation, remembrances, renewed and refreshed, rest, second class citizens, set them in slippery places, slave driver, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the ordinary workingman, the prosperity of the wicked, the weekend's here, to draw near to God, unashamedly wearing, understood I their end, unfaithful to God, unto thine own understanding, veterans, week of work, wisdom
Psalm 73:26. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.
Another beautiful day has dawned in my area friends…hope it did in yours too! But regardless of the physical weather, most of us will just be glad that it’s Friday, and having the bright light of Jesus shining in our souls on top of that, what’s happening outside doesn’t matter that much!
Yes, glory to God my faithful saints in Christ! It’s the start of the weekend, a short workweek for us in Canada, with the Queen Victoria Day holiday on Monday gone. But we’ll be looking on in envy as the U.S. celebrates its Memorial Day holiday next Monday, while we have to go and labour for the whole five days!
So for all you Scrip-Bit friends and family in the U.S. of A, please remember Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ And don’t give the enemy a chance to find a chink in your spiritual armour and thus cause confusion in your soul! (smile)
The Memorial Day holiday remembers those brave and unfortunate souls who fell while serving in the country’s Armed Forces. And as always, there’ll be lots of politicking and remembrances, while unfortunately, many of those who served but are still alive, are being treated like second-class citizens and suffering want like you’d never belief!
It’s certainly amazing how they can trot out the veterans at times like this, then forget them for the rest of the year. But I guess that’s just the inequality that’s to be found in a supposedly equal society. Out of sight, out of mind! But enough of me, the ordinary workingman is just dying to bellow out his weekend song:
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! And thank God that the week was short too! But yuh know that slave driver of a boss is something else yes! What yuh think he do last Tuesday? He try to outsmart we to do two days work in one, by promising some extra money for overtime! Steups! But ah not sure if anybody at all take him up on the offer nuh! Normally, the ole crook, the cheap so and so, doh like to pay overtime, but since everything fall behind, he trying to play nice nuh!
Good for him yes! I work hard enough in a regular week, what I want to work overtime for when I get a break on a holiday eh? But forget he though yes! The weekend’s here! Wow! And the weather should be decent enough to go outside and frolic! So just bring it on! Party, party, party! Thank God for Fridays and weekends oui!’
Ah mih friends, it’s oftimes refreshing to see how the ordinary workingman just lays it all out there, unashamedly wearing his passion on his sleeve! Unfortunately though, we, as sincere believers in Jesus Christ can’t afford to break down as many walls. We need to be a tad more conservative, but it doesn’t mean we can’t be joyful, just be more careful! (smile) And so our Friday Chant is somewhat different to the workingman’s song. Let’s chant it out now nuh with sincerity and true sense of purpose.
As one loud voice! ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yeh friends, we can party too, but we just have to run a constant interference check on the enemy, because he’s only too happy to jump gleefully on us when we get out of Jesus’ loop! That’s why we need to constantly remind ourselves and sincerely proclaim these immortal words of Asaph, the psalmist. ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.’
Yes precious people, our flesh and hearts are weak, sinful and tend naturally to ungodliness, that’s why we need a strong tower, a rock to cling on to, and that rock is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. No wonder He warned the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, when they could not stay awake and pray with Him. ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt.26:41)
And isn’t that the awesome truth! We see it happening to Asaph, as he declares (yes!): ‘But as for me, my feet were almost gone (had almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:2-3)
Ah mih breddren, that is so easy to do! The wicked are prospering all around us today too, and we say to ourselves, like Asaph: ‘Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world (are always at ease); they increase in riches.’ (Ps.73:12) But how can that be eh, when the Lord promised us so much for following Him?
And I like how Asaph discovered the truth: ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.’ (Ps.73:17-19)
Yes friends, the Lord has promised to look after the righteous and destroy the wicked, and He does keep His promises. So we must not allow what we see going on in the world to make us doubt Him. He will do all He promised in due time, in His time. As Bruh David said in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread.’ (Ps.37:25)
And as Asaph concludes his psalm: ‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed them all that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare (right ho!) all thy works.’ (Ps.73:27-28)
Now that my brethren is wisdom to the highest heaven! Please, let’s take it for ourselves nuh! Much LOVE!
…trust in God…with all thine heart…and lean not…unto thine own understanding…In all thy ways acknowledge Him…and He shall direct thy paths… (Prov.3:5-6)
17 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: advice, assurance, bacchanalian, barbecue primed, blessed, cannot serve God and mammon, cast thy burden, celebrations, circumspection, commit thy way, cottage country, extent of our faith, faith, fellowship, food and drinks ready, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, gospel truth, gratuitous speeches, he shall never suffer, he shall sustain thee, his seed begging bread, humble yourselves, in Jesus name, in our hearts, long weekend, merciful, ordered by the Lord, parades, prayer for help, Queen Victoria holiday, refreshed, relaxation, rest, seek first the kingdom of God, Sermon on the Mount, short changing ourselves, soul body mind, summer frolics, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the Lord's favour, the mighty hand of God, the righteous forsaken, the righteous to be moved, the steps of a good man, trust, trust in Him, ungodly times, upon the Lord, wasting your time, words of wisdom, workingman's song, written indelibly
Psalm 55:22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).
Big day people, big day! It being Friday and the start of the long Queen Victoria Day weekend! It’s also fairly sunny and warm, so you can imagine the barbecues will be fired up this weekend, the weather permitting, and the trek north, east and west to cottage country has already begun! You can’t go south, else you’ll end up in Lake Ontario. (smile)
Wow! It’s a big weekend in this wonderful and blessed land of Canada with oodles of celebrations, parades and gratuitous political speeches! (smile) So please know that the enemy will be out in full swing in a decided effort to infiltrate as many believer’s souls as possible, that’s why I’m making Granny’s Plea so early: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ The Lord’s also asking that of us my people!
Meanwhile the ordinary workingman is just bursting at the seams, dying to declare his plans for the weekend: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! And thank Queen Victoria, whoever she was, bless she long departed soul for this long weekend too! It ought to hail the start of summer frolics, if the weather would only behave!
Mama Yo! Food and drinks are at the ready! The barbecue is all cleaned up and primed with gas! I can just smell the meat cooking and the waters flowing as me and mih friends celebrate these few days off from the slave master job. And ah know that Monday he’ll be vexed like anything because he got to pay we for not working! Oh thank God and Queen Victoria for this long weekend yes!’
Yes friends, some of us do exhibit the same frame of mind, but we have to be a li’l less bacchanalian in our celebrations, (smile) for that’s when the enemy is liable to find a chink in our spiritual armour, and is thus able to establish a finger or toe hold there.
And we definitely don’t want that to happen, we want to do our best to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus, that’s why our Friday Chant is somewhat more discrete and less bacchanalian. (smile)
So let’s chant it now nuh, as if we really mean it. As one: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yes my fellow believers, we can, and should enjoy the long weekend with our friends and families, but let’s not overdo it nuh, like Jeeves would say, a li’l more circumspection please! (smile) Unfortunately, not all of us will get a three-day weekend, because this holiday, in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday, (May 24) seems to be an official holiday only in Canada.
In any case, it would only have been celebrated in the British Commonwealth of nations, over whom Queen Victoria reigned from 1837-1901, the second longest reigning monarch after the current Queen Elizabeth the second.
And today, in these extremely dangerous and ungodly times, it is necessary for us to know and hold on to words of excellent advice and wisdom like these from Bruh David, in his cry against deceitful friends. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’
Now if you call yourself a follower of Jesus and don’t believe that, don’t have it written indelibly in your heart, mind and soul, then you’re simply wasting your time! That’s because the Lord’s favour will only come upon us to the extent of our faith and trust in Him.
Hear Bruh David again, this time from Psalm 37. ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. …The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever merciful (merciful all the day), and his seed (descendants) is blessed.’ (Ps.37:5, 23-26)
And that’s gospel truth my people! In these evil times the only person and thing we can truthfully hold on to and be not afraid of disappointment is the Lord God Jehovah and His everlasting and truthful Word! Hear how Peter puts it nuh: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet.5:6-7)
And that friends, we can never doubt, else why would He have sent His only son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary sacrificially for our sins, while we were yet sinners? Because HE CARED! And He still does, even though we’re still sinful and disobedient! That’s just His very nature!
So that means Bruh David is on the right track when he declares (yes!) in Psalm 56, his confident prayer for help: ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God, I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.’ (Ps.56:3-5)
What words of immense faith, trust and assurance my believing brethren! Hope we can declare the same things and truly mean them, because that’s when we will truly prosper and succeed in this evil world.
And if by chance you don’t believe Bruh David and Peter, then listen to Jesus in Matthew 6:24-34, from His Sermon on the Mount, where He warns us that we cannot serve two masters at once – God and mammon.
And if God created all of nature so beautifully, and still keeps it looking beautiful after all this time, then why wouldn’t He look after His greatest creation, humankind, even better eh?
But we have to seek God and His kingdom above everything else, then, we’ll get what we need. That’s just the way it cracks up friends, so you either do as Jesus says, or you don’t. The choice is yours. But please remember there are repercussions for every decision we make, or do not make! Much LOVE!
…if God isn’t first in EVERYTHING we do…then we’re shortchanging ourselves…
15 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be a friend of Jesus, Christ is the way, come to ruin, compassion, depart from evil, do good, eternal life, eternal separation from God, few there be that find it, give me Jesus, glory hallelujah, glory to God, his seed begging bread, how Christ functions in our lives, 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 have not seen the righteous forsaken, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, LOVE, loving kindness, narrow is the way that leads to life, no one comes to the Father but through Jesus, Praise is the song of a soul set free, precious, privileged, put Jesus at the forefront of our lives, reignites the fire of Jesus, share His love with the world, show by example, spend our day wisely, the babbling fool, the heart of wisdom, the Life, the Lord upholdeth him, the love and compassion of Christ, the one and only true living God, the steps of a good man, the Truth, the wise in heart, thenk the Lord, thou shalt not stumble, thy steps shall not be hindered, Tuesday Mantra, we can do all thing through Jesus, we have Jesus with us, what a joy to be loved by God, what's done in darkness will come to light, when thou goest, when thou runnest, wide is the gate that leads to destruction
Proverbs 4:12. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Well Friends, another day has dawned, bright and beautiful, and we’re alive to see and experience it! Glory to God!
Oh, I know that where you are, it might not be beautiful in the physical weather scene, but for sure in our hearts and souls it is marvellous, especially when we consider that we have Jesus to walk along with us to help us spend our day wisely.
And all God’s children gave out a loud and proud shout of: ‘Thank the Lord! Give me Jesus any and everyday!’
Yes my brethren, with Jesus walking alongside us, we can handle all our problems, do all things in His mighty power. Glory to God!
I’m truly sorry for the unbeliever who cannot fathom, much less experience the LOVE and compassion of Christ, and the wonderful way He function in our lives.
That’s why we believers need to make every effort to show them by our example, how precious and privileged it would be to have Jesus working in their lives too.
Anyway, today is Tuesday, so let’s confess our Tuesday Mantra with sincerity and truth nuh. 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.’
Ah mih people, every time I say that prayer, it just awakens something in me! It just seems to reignite the fire of Jesus in my soul! It’s simple, but very real and practical. Oh what a joy it is to be LOVED by God and be a Friend of Jesus! It couldn’t get much better than that my brethren!
So please, as sincere followers of Jesus, let’s give those things the prominence and priority in our lives that they truly deserve nuh, because it’s all for our benefit.
And today, for the last time, we’ll continue looking at scriptures that deal with this particular Bit. ‘When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.’
Yes Friends, more wonderful promises and great stuff to look forward to when we place Almighty God and His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ at the forefront of our lives. Glory Hallelujah!
No other faith can truly declare those things, because it is ONLY, the ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING GOD, who can make such promises and faithfully keep them!
Give Him some much-deserved thanks and praise my people, for His awesome majesty and never-ending, unlimited LOVING-kindness to us, His undeserving children. For, as the Our Daily Bread Devotional said, yesterday: ‘Praise is the song of a soul set free!’ And it is indeed my people.
Now let’s see what the scriptures have to say about all of that nuh. (smile) And we’re going to begin with some wise words from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol. ‘The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating (babbling) fool shall fall (come to ruin). He that walketh uprightly walketh (securely, safely): but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.’ (Prov.10:8-9)
Yes friends, all that’s done in darkness will eventually be brought to light, so please be careful of the deeds you do.
Then in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – Bruh David unequivocally declares: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.’ (Ps.37:23-27)
Oh what wonderful words of living truth my people! Those who truly serve the Lord will never be left in a fallen state, and their descendants will always be blessed! Glory to God!
So why aren’t’ more of us being good and righteous eh, and thus filling our world with LOVE and peace, rather than the hate and strife it’s now so thoroughly embroiled in eh?
Good question that Friends, but one to which I can only surmise the answer: we don’t truly believe what the Good Book says; and/or, we are much too preoccupied with the things of the world instead of the things of God. We each have to decide individually, what is keeping us away from the good things of God.
And we’ll close this series of messages with the ultimate word on the subject, that from Jesus Himself. Now listen closely my people, because it involves the very essence of where you will spend eternity.
‘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 unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt.7:13-14)
Yes my people, those are the words of Jesus. We have two choices in this life; the strait and narrow way that leads to eternal life, or the wide and broad path that leads to eternal separation from God.
It’s up to us to choose. Hopefully we’ll all choose the more difficult, but much more rewarding first option, because it is the heart of wisdom itself. Much LOVE!
…Christ is indeed…the WAY…the TRUTH…and the LIFE…NO ONE… comes to the Father but by and through Him…
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