23 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all circumstances, all will be well, an intense longing for god, and again I say rejoice, assurance, aura of love, awesome power, blood work, Christians, confidence, conquerors, Creator of the universe, disquieted in me, do like Jack, easier said than done, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, faithful believers, friends, grace, heaven, hit the road, holy spirit, hope thou in God, humble servants, I shall yet praise him, inconvenience, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus is coming back soon, joy, joyful, lies, loud and proud, LOVE, mode of rejoicing, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, o my soul, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, presence, Rejoice in the Lord always, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strength to face the road, taunts, the back of our minds, the big city, the Book of Life, the help of his countenance, trust, ultimate beauty, ungodly world, why art thou cast down, wiles, wisdom, working out all things for good
Philippians 4:4. Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Ah friends, it ‘s another Monday morning; another damp and cloudy day, and the worst part of it is that I have to face the Monday morning traffic and go into the big city for some blood work at a special hospital – and it includes fasting too! Chuh!
It couldn’t be done at any other time of the day? No! It must be done by 8 a.m, and that’s why the Bit is so short and so early. Well there’s not much I can do about the situation, if I want to get the help the blood work will offer.
So unlike most Mondays, today I will definitely need the enthusiasm and strength to face the road, provided by our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So let’s belt it out loud and proud nuh.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah friends, I’m sure you heard my voice loud and clear this morning as we delivered a fine rendition! Jesus heard it too and He was proud of us, and promised that all will be well on this first day of the new workweek.
And I believe Him, so I’m not worried about getting out there at this early hour, it’s just that it’s rather inconvenient… And who likes inconvenience in this modern day society eh? (smile)
But on the other hand, rather conveniently, our Bit today is also a major encourager. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.’
Ah mih people, we all know that is easier said than done, but as faithful believers we have been given the wherewithal to be joyful under all and any circumstances. We have been granted salvation through the free and undeserving grace of Almighty God!
Our sins have been forgiven, our names have been written in the Book of Life, the Holy Spirit of Jesus dwells in us to lead and guide us, and Jesus will be coming back sometime soon in awesome power to take us to dwell with him forever in the ultimate beauty that’s heaven!
So like the beautiful verse from Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God – we can also declare. ‘Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps.42:5)
Yes friends, that’s a wonderful verse of scripture we should all keep in the back of our minds, ever ready to encourage us, when our souls are feeling low down.
And as we said yesterday, rejoicing always is not necessarily jumping up and down all the time, but it’s an aspect of our strong faith that give us the assurance that our lives are in the hands of the omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present Creator of the universe, who is working out all things for our good.
Under those circumstances, we can therefore relax and rejoice always. And with those words of wisdom, (smile) I’ll leave us and go and get myself ready to do like Jack – hit the road! Much LOVE!
…when believers are in a constant mode of rejoicing…then the world truly sees Jesus in them…
19 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a fallen world, a glorious success, a longing for God, a sense of purpose, a tree of life, a tree planted by the waters, according to thy word, advice, Anselm, anxiety, anxious, be ashamed of my hope, bee, blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, blossom, Calvin Coolidge, careful, cast down, catalyst, channel our hope, come alive, depresses, DETERMINATION, disquieted, drought, educated derelicts, education, effort, emotions, faith, faithful, fear, fire, flourish, friends, genius will not, gianst, gospel truth, grin and bear it, happiness, hope, hope deferred makes the heart sick, hope thou in God, hopeless failure, inspiring, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, keep on keeping on, listless, makes honey without flowers, Mother winter, o my soul, off guard, omnipotent, persistence, preserves, press on, problems, proverb, revitalizes, self-pity, something to do, something to hope for, something to love, soup, spiritual temperature, stronghold; prisoners of hope, talent will not, the desire comes, the human race, Tobago, unrewarded genius, wallow, whose hope the Lord is, wimps
Proverbs 13:12. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Ah friends, after much unseasonable temperatures and many bright, sun shiny days, we might finally be getting our first taste of Mother Winter this weekend. The temperature is supposed to dip to just above zero on Sunday, and possibly provide flurries on that day and Monday. I sure am not looking forward to it. Wish I could be in sweet Tobago, going up Calder Hall to get some of Brother Kirby’s fine tasting and nutritious soup this Saturday morning. (smile)
But you know the human animal is a strange being; we know that the winter weather will soon be here, and we’re supposed to be preparing for it, but when it does come, it seems to take us by surprise and throw us off guard, especially after such beautiful fall weather. Anyway there’s not much we can do, but just grin and bear it as best we can.
But with that in mind let’s turn to our friend Anselm’s quotes, aimed at inspiring us for a better tomorrow. And today we have three, because they are all short. The first says: ‘A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.’ And that’s glorious advice!
It reminds us of a quote from Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the U.S, which declares: “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
Yes friends, persistence is the number one attribute that will help us when all else fails. Then Anselm tells us: ‘Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.’ More wonderful advice! Because we need to be active, to hold something dear and have something to look forward to that will make it all worthwhile. Those are the things that make us come alive and cause us to keep on keeping on.
My favourite quote today though, is this last one: ‘Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.’ And that’s gospel truth friends! For with hope one can imagine anything and do anything. With it, we can be giants in a fallen world, but without it, we become wimps and wallow in self-pity.
Consequently, our Bit for today deals with hope; Cousin Sol’s wise words on the subject. ‘Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘13:12. Hope deferred depresses, but its fulfillment revitalizes.’
Ah mih people, hope is the emotion that galvanizes us into action! All the other emotions are wonderful, but if they are not accompanied by hope, then they will most likely not be acted upon. For without hope, we become listless and without a sense of purpose, just sort of drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweed, wherever the wind might blow it.
However my brethren, it’s also very important where and in what direction we focus our hope. And we have a good example of what Cousin Sol is talking about in Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God. The sons of Korah write: ‘Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps.42:5)
Yes friends, when there is no hope in our souls, our fire goes out, and the best place to channel our hope is in Almighty God! There is no doubt about that!
Listen to 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.17:7-8)
Aye mih breddren, yuh see what happens when we channel our hope in the Lord God Jehovah? No fear, no anxiety, just prosperity regardless of the circumstances! Now why would I want to place my hope in anything or anyone else eh? No way, Jose!
And I just LOVE this verse of scripture from Zechariah. ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ (Zech.9:12) That phrase ‘prisoners of hope,’ just raises my spiritual temperature! (smile) Oh friends, how I wish that we could all be ‘prisoners of hope,’ so that we could be more active and successful in Christ’s work.
This verse from Psalm 119 is also a moving scripture. The psalmist petitions the Lord: ‘Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.’ (Ps.119:116) Oh precious people, our wonderful God will NEVER let us be ashamed of the hope we place in Him! Please, let’s write that indelibly in our hearts, minds and souls.
And we’ll end with these brave and wise words of Bruh David from Psalm 31 – In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. He solemnly and confidently declares: ‘O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps.31:23-24)
So my fellow believers in Jesus Christ, I implore us to take that wonderful advice of Bruh David to heart today and put it into immediate action, so that our faith in the Lord God Jehovah will flourish and blossom like the bees make honey with the flowers. (smile)
And let’s remember to keep our friend Scotty in our prayers, be prisoners of hope, that the Lord will restore him to full health, that he can continue doing good work in Jesus’ name. Much LOVE!
…hope is the catalyst that drives all other emotions…
19 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day in the life, actions speak louder than words, all things work together for good, almighty god, baptizing them, blessed, called according to God's purpose, caring, Christians, come to save that which was lost, common to man, compassion, corruption, Creator, deprivation, depths of our hearts and souls, do good, downtrodden, forget not, give ear, glory hallelujah, God is faithful, God's justice, God's people, greed, hard work, hear, homeless, hope thou in God, hungry, I am with you always, in the name of the Father, live for Jesus, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, make disciples of all nations, my salvation, o ye kings, o ye princes, observe all things I commanded you, provider, revere, sacrifice of praise, selfishness, share, sick and suffering, sing praise to the Lord, sing praise to thy name, stand up and be counted, strangers, suffering, temptation, the church, the fruit of our lips, the god of Abraham, the health of my countenance, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the SON, the things of the world, thou Most High, to them that love God, unbelievers, ungodliness, unto the end of the world, widows and orphans, wine and roses, worship
Judges 5:3. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
One more day in the life friends, one more day in the life! And what a blessed day it always is when you are being led by the Holy Spirit of Almighty God, as we Christians are supposed to be!
Our Divine Creator and Provider always has His eyes on us; on each and every one of those who sincerely worship and revere Him. Not one single hair from our head falls out without His knowledge. That’s how closely He monitors our well-being.
And the joyful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! Blessed is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who sincerely cares for us and faithfully fills all of our needs!’ echoes across the land from the mouths of God’s people.
Oh friends, how wonderful that sentiment would be if it came from the mouths of many of the current unbelievers. And that’s our job; to show the unbeliever how wonderful it is to work and live for Jesus; not only by our words, but even more importantly by our actions. Remember actions speak louder than words.
Unfortunately though, the actions of too many supposed Christians don’t jive with their words, or the lifestyle espoused by Jesus in His earthly sojourn, and expected of His disciples down through the ages.
Where is the unconditional LOVE, the compassion, the caring for those less fortunate, for the homeless and hungry, the widows and orphans, the strangers, the downtrodden, the sick and suffering, the lost that Jesus came to save. As He said: ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11)
So my people, why are so many of our brothers and sisters suffering such want and deprivation when there is such abundance eh? It obviously means that we, first as individual believers, and the church, as the earthly body or organization of Christ are not fulfilling our Christian mandate. That doesn’t speak very highly of us my fellow believers.
Oh my brethren, it’s in these times of full-scale greed, selfishness, corruption, ungodliness, widespread poverty and suffering that Christ’s church and the people involved need to stand up and be counted. Jesus is depending on us to successfully carry out His LOVE Revolution, and we obviously can’t do that from the comfort and ease of our living rooms.
Friends, we need to get up and get going; place Jesus sincerely in the depths of our hearts and souls, so that we go can out and proselytize, evangelize, and do whatever it takes to bring Christ to those who don’t know Him.
Remember His last instructions to the disciples. ‘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 alway(s), even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
Friends, those disciples did their thing and brought a whole lot of believers to Jesus. It’s now our turn, but we’re not doing so well because we’re afraid of what the world will say, and also too taken up with the things of the world. Remember friends, following Jesus is not all wine and roses, in fact it entails plenty hard work and a fair amount of suffering, but it is all worth it in the end.
As Bruh Paul says: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to His purpose.’ (Rom.8:28) Yes my people, there’s nothing to fear, the Lord will work everything out for our good eventually. And remember too that Jesus said He would always be with us, right to the very end, so we’ll never be alone. Jesus will always be alongside us.
And then we have this wonderful scripture: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken, befallen) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that yea are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor.10:13)
So my people, we have all the tools and the protection to go out and do the work that Jesus has called us to do. Let’s develop some belly and backbone and go and do it nuh; stop being fearful, stop making excuses and stop allowing the lusts of the flesh to hold us back from performing our bounden duty; the Great Commission. And that’s my spiel for the day. (smile)
Now let’s turn to our Bit about giving our great God the praise and glory He so rightfully deserves. ‘Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.’ Yes my people, that is what we were created to do!
But sadly in this modern age and supposedly progressive times, we have forgotten about God and are foolishly putting our trust in man and the destructible things of the world. And we’ll continue looking at some scriptures of praise, hoping they will make a serious impact on us.
Let’s begin with the confession of the priests and Levites after Ezra read the law to the Israelites and they repented and fasted. ‘Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.’ (Neh.9:5b) That’s the awesome truth friends! Now listen to Bruh David from Psalm 9 –Praise for God’s justice. ‘I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth (tell of) all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High.’ (Ps.9:1-2)
Yes my brethren, that how we’re supposed to operate as true believers. And even when times are rough, we can say: ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (my salvation) and my God.’ (Ps.42:11)
And we’ll close with these well-known verses from Hebrews. ‘By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate (share) forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.’ (Heb.13:15-16)
Ah friends, I can only encourage us to do better and pray that the Holy Spirit will work in all our hearts, minds, souls and bodies to the bettering of Christ’s kingdom here on earth. Much LOVE!
…when thanks and praise flow from our hearts…God opens the windows of heaven and pours down His wonderful blessings on us…
01 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 2016, a modicum of circumspection, an anchor for our souls, anger, author of all truth and wisdom, be of good courage, be sober, calamity, Christians, David, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, economic downturn, faith, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, gird up the loins of your mind, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's chances, grace, Granny's advice, greed, Happy New Year, hate, he is at my right hand, homelessness, hope thou in God, I have set the Lord always before me, in Jesus' name, inward resolution, Jeremiah, kindness, Lamentations, LOVE, mercies, my flesh shall dwell in hope, my glory rejoiceth, my heart is glad, natural disasters, negativity, new arenas of strife, New Year's Eve, patience, peace, perseverance, personal discipline, poverty, prisoners of hope, relaxation, render double unto thee, resentment, rest, scriptures of hope, selfishness, strife, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Lord is my portion, the Love Revolution of Jesus, the salvation of the Lord, the year of Hope, thoughts of peace, unity, wars, we are saved by hope, Zechariah
Psalm 42:5b. HOPE THOU IN GOD!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Oh mih precious people, my fellow believers in Jesus Christ, it’s New Year’s Day 2016! Glory Hallelujah!
It means that through the blessed kindness and mercies of our great God, we are now one year older, wiser and closer to Him in the physical sense. (smile) Let’s hope that we are also closer to Him in the spiritual sense.
The year 2015 is now dead and gone. Good riddance! And we have a brand new year to look forward to, where we can do all that we didn’t do last year and correct all our mistakes too. Oh glory to a most wonderful God who gives us multiple chances at correcting our mistakes.
And would you believe that for the first time in several years the ole fella went out New Year’s Eve and party, out in the east end of Scarberia (Scarborough)? I didn’t drive, so I was happy to go.
And was the party ever good mih breddren! Mama Yo! The food was good, the company and party spirit most excellent, and the D.J. of ‘Enforcas’ fame was smart enough to play music targeted to our generation.
And did we ever party down the place! You should have seen the ole fella stepping; stepping like he hasn’t done in many a year, but still with a modicum of circumspection, remembering Granny’s dictum; ‘Sonny Boy, please remember, that drunk or sober, to mind yuh business.’
And I did mind my business, and the knees, except for the occasional pain held up remarkably well. They even feel fine this morning…Glory to God!
But it’s Friday friends, so let’s not forget our Friday Chant, which I believe we particularly need to act as an anchor for our souls in this party season. All together now: ‘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 people, we need to remember moderation in all that we do this long New Year’s weekend, plus Granny’s advice above, if we don’t want the ole crook Beelzebub to seep and/or creep into our souls and gain an undesirable foothold. It’s definitely too early in the year for that.
And believe me friends, we really need to clean up our act in our world this year, otherwise I’m not sure if we’ll be around to see 2017. All the unnecessary strife and wars and resentment, the hate and anger, the greed and selfishness, the economic downturn, the poverty and homelessness that are currently permeating our world are NO GOOD!
The really sad and worrisome part is that we are creating new arenas of strife everyday, but without ending any of the already ongoing ones. And we haven’t even considered the many unusual natural disasters that are occurring regularly. Put all that negativity together, and there is only one way for that to play out my people – disastrously!
That’s why I’m calling 2016, the YEAR OF HOPE, for without it, our world will just continue its downward spiral until it simply implodes. And we definitely don’t want that. That’s why I also chose the one sentence of Psalm 42:5 as our Bit: ‘HOPE THOU IN GOD!’
Ah my fellow believers in Christ, that’s the ONLY place we can find true HOPE, and the ONLY person who can help us turn things around! And remember too, that we Christians are the ONLY ones on planet earth who truly desire to live in peace, LOVE and unity, so it’s all in our hands. As we go, so will the world.
We need to stand up strong and steadfast and fight the negativity that’s strangling our world. We need to uplift, to motivate, to encourage others to join the one movement that can save us; the LOVE Revolution of Jesus Christ! It’s now or never my brethren!
So, having said all of that, I just want to fill our minds today with scriptures of HOPE. And there’s no better place to begin than with God’s faithful promise from Jeremiah that we all know, but our actions say we don’t truly feel in our hearts and souls.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a HOPE.’ (Jer.29:11) Well let’s truly feel it this year nuh friends.
And we have this other faithful promise from Zechariah. ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of HOPE: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ (Zech.9:12)
Yes my precious people, I want us ALL to become prisoners of HOPE in this year of 2016 and wisely turn to the stronghold that’s the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Now hear these encouraging words of Bruh David from Psalm 16. ’I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in HOPE.’ (Ps.16:8-9)
Now here is another famous scripture that we all know, this time from the pen of our zealous brother, Bruh Paul, as he talks about life in the Spirit. ‘For we are saved by HOPE: but HOPE that is seen is not HOPE: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet HOPE for? But if we HOPE for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom.8:24-25)
Meanwhile, in his call to Christian dedication, Peter tells us. ‘Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind (prepare your mind for action), be sober, and HOPE to the end for grace (rest your HOPE fully upon the grace) that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.’ (1 Pet.1:13)
And I think the scholars’ explanation here will be very useful. ‘1:13. The exhortation to set one’s HOPE involves an inward resolution. Gird up the loins of your mind: The imagery is that of personal discipline and outward conduct. Be sober (Gr. nephontes): be free of every sort of mental and spiritual intoxication. The revelation of Jesus Christ is the Second Advent when Jesus returns to earth to set up His kingdom.’
Yes friends, we desperately need to get that resolve, discipline and stick-to-itiveness if we are going to raise the level of the LOVE Revolution!
Now here is something from Jeremiah’s Lamentations. ‘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 we’ll end with these most encouraging words from Bruh David from Psalm 31- In thee O Lord, do I put my trust. ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that HOPE in the Lord.’ (Ps.31:24) Gospel truth that my people!
So let’s go out this New Year’s Day, and forever more, HOPING in our great God, for that is wisdom at its very zenith. Much LOVE!
…remember…you can’t have faith without HOPE…and while there is life…there is ALWAYS HOPE in Almighty God….
P.S. It’s obvious the ole fella went to bed late, so the Bit is somewhat tardy. (smile) HOPE you enjoy it, as much as I enjoyed writing it. Much LOVE!
22 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a natural reaction, all for our own good, Almighty God is our hope and our help, an inward resolution, be sober, Blessed is the Lord God, Christians, come together, constant repetition, faith cometh by hearing, faith hope love, faith is the substance of things hoped for, for the help of his countenance, gather in the Lord's sanctuary, gird up the loins of your mind, glory hallelujah, God works in mysterious ways, God's Word, Gramps Schuller, he is at my right hand, hear the Word, hearing by the word of God, hope, hope is what keeps your faith alive, hope thou in God, hope to the end for grace, Hour of Power Devotional, I have set the Lord always before me, I shall not be moved, I shall yet praise him, I will have respect unto thy statutes, intoxication, let me not be ashamed of my hope, LOVE, my flesh shall rest in hope, my glory rejoiceth, my heart is glad, oral communication, our faith is strengthened, our walk with Jesus, outward conduct, personal discipline, praise and worship God, put our trust in God, rejuvenate our spirits, Second Advent of Christ, Sunday, the evidence of things not seen, the holy trinity of emotions, the revelation of Jesus Christ, uphold me according to thy word, walking in Jesus' name, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, written indelibly into our souls, you need hope
Psalm 42:5. Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).
And then it was Sunday… the day Christians pray for, so that they can gather in the Lord’s sanctuary and praise and worship Him in all sincerity and truth. Yes Friends, it’s time to get ourselves hither to church.
The Lord’s waiting for His children to come together to give Him thanks and praise, hear His Word and rejuvenate their spirits, so that they can have the wherewithal to continue walking in His Son’s name on this disgusting and wicked earth.
So please don’t make any feeble excuses. And if you’re genuinely not able to go, then turn on your television or radio so that you can at least hear the Word.
What did Bruh Paul write to the church at Rome? ‘So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom.10:17) Yes my people, faith comes by hearing the word of God; its oral communication. When we hear God’s Word then our faith is raised up, it is strengthened. And we all need to raise our faith this Sunday morning, that’s a fact!
And we’ll get right into our Bit, because we have a lot of scriptures to share today. ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’
Oh my fellow believers, I know some of you are tired of the same Bit for the last few days, you want to hear something new every day. (smile) But that HOPE it talks about is such an important part of our walk with Jesus that we need to have it written indelibly in our souls, so that we can call upon it at a moment’s notice.
It needs to come as a natural reaction, not something we have to stop and think about. And the only way that can happen is by constant repetition. So please bear with me, for it’s all for our own good.
And the first bit of scripture comes from Psalm 16, where Bruh David is seeking preservation and blessing. With his usual self-effacing but confident style, he declares: ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.’ (Ps.16:8-9)
Oh what encouraging words of scripture my brethren! When we put our trust in God, we feel safe and strong, and our hearts become glad, which leads us to have oodles of hope, which eventually turns into strong faith!
And all of God’s people declared a loud and proud: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Blessed is the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!’
Now listen to these verses from Psalm 119, from the section SAMECH – I hate vain thoughts. ‘Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold thou me up (uphold me), and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto (will observe) thy statutes continually.’ (Ps.119:116-117)
More of the same sentiments Friends! When we put out hope and trust in God, He upholds us. And yuh better believe one thing our God will not do is let us be ashamed of our hope in Him. Definitely not! He takes too much pride in His faithfulness to allow that to happen.
Meanwhile Peter tells us in his call to Christian dedication: ‘Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind (prepare your mind for action), be sober, and hope to the end for grace (rest your hope fully upon the grace) that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.’ (1 Pet.1:13)
And the scholars offer these explanations of that verse. ‘1:13. The exhortation to set one’s hope involves an inward resolution. Gird up the loins of your mind: The imagery is that of personal discipline and outward conduct. Be sober (Gr. nephontes): Be free of every sort of mental and spiritual intoxication. The revelation of Jesus Christ is the Second Advent when Jesus returns to earth to set up His kingdom.’
Ah Friends, we all need hope, all the time! And I had this passage from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional to share from yesterday, never did though. I guess it was meant for today. (smile) And our God works in such mysterious ways that on the days that I chose to focus on hope, so did Gramps Schuller.
The day’s devotion was titled You Need Hope. And it ended thus: ‘You need hope…when you’re dying. And you need hope in all your living. There will be no LOVE without it. Hope is what will keep your faith alive. That’s why hope is in the middle of the holy trinity of emotions, “Faith, Hope and LOVE.’
Now that’s indisputable truth my people! We need hope from birth until death!
And we’ll close the same way the psalmist closed Psalm 42, from which our Bit is taken. ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health (help, lit. salvation) of my countenance, and my God.’ (Ps.42:11)
Yes Friends, he words it a little differently, but it still means the same thing; in Almighty God is our hope and our help; now and forever! Please never forget that. Much LOVE!
…now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for…the evidence (conviction) of things not seen… (Heb.11:1)
21 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian's lot, a great day to be alive, a hard row to hoe, a sound mind, Abraham, against hope believed in hope, anxiety, at the end it shall speak, Baruch Spinoza, being not weak in faith, blessings, doubt, eternal life, for the help of his countenance, God has not given us a spirit of fear, God's promises are faithful and true, he will save us, he will swallow up death in victory, hope, hope thou in God, I shall yet praise him, in the Lord's time, it will not tarry, let Israel hope in the Lord, LOVE, loving kindness, mercies, power, Praise the Lord, reconciled to God, redemption, righteousness., salvation, song of praise, strong in faith, the breath of life, the Lord God will wipe away tears, the redeemed, the vision is yet for an appointed time, there is no fear unmingled with hope, there is no hope unmingled with fear, this is our god, to hope and yet to hope, truth, unbelief, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, with the Lord there is mercy
Psalm 42:5. Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).
And then it was Saturday Friends! Wow! Another great day to be alive, because we don’t know what wonderful blessings and mercies the Lord has planned for us today. But be sure of this one thing; He does have stuff planned for us, otherwise His fabulous breath of life would not be flowing through our physical bodies right now.
And all God’s people declared a loud and hearty ‘Praise the Lord for His LOVING-kindness to the undeserving children of men!’ We surely are thankful my people.
And since we’re continuing our series of messages on HOPE, I thought this quote from Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) a Jewish Dutch philosopher of some renown, would fit right into our plans. Baruch is reputed to have said that ‘There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope.’
Yes Friends, we all feel some sort of fear, anxiety and/or doubt, when we’re in a hoping frame of mind. And even when we’re truly fearful, there is always a smattering of hope lurking somewhere in the background, telling us that everything will be all right. So it’s just a normal human reaction to have a touch of fear in hope and hope in fear.
But my precious people, let’s never forget those memorable words of encouragement that Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7)
So though it’s only natural for a little fear to sometimes creep into our lives, that is not our basic human nature, it is of the enemy. We have been empowered, filled with LOVE and a sound mind by Almighty God to pursue His purposes!
That brings us to our Bit. ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’
Oh my fellow believers, in this dangerous and difficult world it is normal for us to sometimes feel less than strong and powerful, and thus have our spirits sink to a fraction of their natural buoyancy. But the important thing to remember when those times befall us is that we must turn to our great God for help. He is the only one who can provide the necessary comfort we seek.
As the psalmist says in Psalm 130 – My soul waiteth for the Lord: ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps.130:7-8) Words of indisputable truth my people!
Now listen to how Isaiah puts it in chapter 25 – The song of praise by the redeemed. ‘He will swallow up death (forever) in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.26:9)
Oh Friends, now why wouldn’t we hope for that eh? It’s such a wonderful promise! And we know that all of our God’s promises are faithful and true, though they make take a while longer to come than we would like. But as Habakkuk so wisely advises: ‘For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ (Hab.2:3)
Yes Friends, ALL of God’s promises will eventually come true, but in HIS OWN TIME. That means we have to hope and pray and wait. What better example can we find that our father Abraham eh?
Here’s what Bruh Paul wrote to the Roman church about him. ‘Who against (contrary to) hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations. According to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
He staggered (wavered) not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong (strengthened) in faith, giving glory to God. And being fully persuaded (convinced) that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.’ (Rom.4:18-21)
My people are we as convinced that our God can perform His promises? I certainly hope so, otherwise we’re fighting a losing battle and we’re not true Christians. How many of us would have packed up all our belongings and moved far away from our families, not having a clue as to where we were going, just because some obscure and so-called God told us to do it? Not many.
And how many of us would have believed that a woman could bear children at almost a hundred years old? Not many! And how many of us would have believed that we would become the father of many nations when the Lord told us to sacrifice our one and only son, from whom all the mighty lineage was supposed to flow? Again, not many! But Abraham did. That’s why it was ascribed to him as righteousness.
Ah mih people, sometimes it’s a hard row we have to hoe, but with God’s help we can certainly do it. So please, regardless of the difficult circumstances we might now be undergoing, please don’t ever give up on our God. Abraham did not have to sacrifice his only son, but our heavenly Father did it so that we could be saved, be reconciled to Him, have salvation and eternal life.
And remember He did not have to do it, but He did it for our sakes. Now if that isn’t LOVE, I don’t know what is. So just hang in there my people and all will be well in the Lord’s time. Much LOVE!
…to hope…to hope…and yet to hope…that is a Christian’s lot…
20 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new start every day, broken my teeth, choose to be hopeful, covered me wirh ashes, debauchery, don't drop the curtain on tomorrow, drunken with wormwood, energy, enthusiasm, eternal life, fellowship, for the help of his countenance, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, glory to God, God's faithful promises, gospel truth, Gramps Schuller, great is thy faithfulness, great people, his compassions fail not, hold on in hope, Holding on, hope, hope that is seen is not hope, hope thou in God, Hour of Power Devotional, I shall yet praise him, Jeremiah, Lamentations, lamented to God, LOVE, loving kindness, malaise in my soul, never give up on hope, new every morning, off kilter, ordinary people, partying, personal testimony, Praying Expectantly, praying expectantly and eagerly, proper perspective, relaxation, removed my soul from peace, rest, right balance, salvation, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thanks for getting me through another week of work, the Lord's mercies, the weekend's here at last, therefore I have hope, we are save by hope, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, with patience wait for it
Psalm 42:5. Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).
So it’s Friday my people… ‘Yes! That’s why we’re loudly declaring: TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend’s here at last. Oh glory to God for a couple days off from harsh labour! We going to party, and party…and then party some more!’
Oh Friends, nothing’s wrong with partying, but like most things too much of it is bad for both our bodies and souls. We need to find a right balance in our weekend activities if we want to be successful in this life. Now our Friday Chant gives us a much better perspective on how to use the weekend, so let’s chant it nuh.
As one now: ‘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.’
Now isn’t that a much better way to spend the weekend? It surely is! So hopefully some of us who had the serious party scene and much debauchery envisaged will tone it down to a more righteous state. (smile)
And without further ado, we’ll introduce our Bit, because we have plenty scriptures to look at today. ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’
That’s gospel truth Friends! And I believe a little personal testimony is appropriate here. Yesterday evening during my time of personal devotions, my spirit was somewhat off kilter, it just was not right and I couldn’t focus on my devotions as I wanted to.
Now nothing was really wrong, there was no cause for the apparent malaise in my soul that I could put my finger on. So I asked the Lord for some direction and understanding. And would you believe that when I came to Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, the daily devotion was titled ‘Choose to Be Hopeful.’
And we certainly can choose to be hopeful my people. It’s a choice that’s open to us all. So though today might be somewhat rough, tomorrow is on its way, it’s inevitable and does hold the promise of better times.
And as I read Gramps Schuller’s words, I began to chuckle: ‘The only thing between today and tomorrow is tonight. And that’s when the stars come out! So never give up on hope! Don’t drop the curtain on tomorrow. Great people are ordinary people who just will not give up hope. And what is hope? It is Holding On, Praying Expectantly.’
That’s oh so true my fellow believers! And thereafter my spirit was enthused! Glory to God! After my devotions I even got up and did some of the things I wanted to do, but previously had no energy or enthusiasm to do them.
So you see our heavenly Father responds to our pleas in so many unexpected ways that we should never really lose hope or faith or give up on Him, regardless of how long His answer might be taking to come.
That reminds me of Jeremiah when he lamented to God. ‘He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with (bent me down in) ashes.
And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness).
My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:15-23)
Oh my brethren, you see that though Jeremiah underwent all sorts of hardship, even in his remembrance of them, he knew, or was hopeful enough to realize that it was only the Lord’s LOVING-kindness and compassion that keeps us from destruction. His faithfulness is unbreakable and His mercies are new every morning, thus giving us a brand new start every day.
So if Jeremiah could figure that our after all his misfortune, why can’t we eh, especially when few of us have undergone his woes and troubles? We have to hold on to hope Friends, because that’s the only thing that will see us through.
What did Bruh Paul say to the church at Rome? ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom.8:24-25) Gospel truth that my brethren!
So it’s imperative that we all get out there today into the topsy turvy world filled with hope, bubbling with it until it overflows, (smile) remembering God’s faithful promises never to leave or forsake us, to bring us safely through each and every trial so that we can enjoy salvation and eternal life with Him at some future date. Now that is the HOPE of every believer! Much LOVE!
…let’s all hold on in hope…praying expectantly and eagerly…
19 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Jesus Christ, a marvellous mysterious mood, a scientific experience of the presence of God, colour returns to your skin, difficult and dangerous times, don't give up, expectant faith, for the help of his countenance, glory to God, God believes in you, God is not going to cast you off without offering hope, Gramps Schuller, hope, hope and wait quietly for the Lord, Hope is a mystery, hope is the seed from which faith blossoms, hope thou in God, Hour of Power Devotional, hungry hope, I shall yet praise him, I will go in the strength of the Lord God, I will hope continually, I will look unto the Lord, I will remember thee, I will wait for the God of my salvation, it's great to be alive, Jeremiah, joy, learn from our mistakes, like a young buck, LOVE, my God will hear me, my mouth shall show forth thy righteousness, rejoice not against me, remember the times when God rescued us, righteousness., salvation, sincerity, thanks and praise, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Lord is my portion, the Lord shall be a light unto me, therefore will I hope in him, truth, while there is life there is hope, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom, you can't have faith without hope, you can't teach old dogs new tricks, your eyes get their sparkle back, your load is lifted
Psalm 42:5. Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).
Aye mih Scrip-Bit Family, welcome to a wet and windy Thursday in my neck of the woods! It’s great to be alive! Glory to God!
And who says you can’t teach old dogs new tricks eh? I went to bed late last night, or early this morning, and got up late. Wow!
And I’m certainly feeling much better than I did yesterday morning. Instead of the doddering, dawdling old man I was yesterday, I’m hustling around today like a young buck in his prime. (smile) Just goes to show we have the ability to learn from our mistakes and circumstances.
And this morning I want to share a few words on the ever so important word called HOPE, which all of us so desperately need in these difficult and dangerous times. It comes from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. The title asks the tantalizing and titillating question ‘What is this thing called Hope?’
And in his usual enthusiastic and inimitable style Gramps Schuller declares: ‘Hope. It is a marvelous, mysterious mood that comes into your personality. Suddenly your load is lifted, colour returns to your skin, and your eyes get their sparkle back. What is it? It is a scientific experience of the presence of God operating in your personality….
You may not believe in Him, but God believes in you, even if you’re an atheist. He is not going to cast you out without offering you hope. Hope is a mystery. When it happens in the personality, it can only be scientifically described as the presence of a God of LOVE coming into your mind, your spirit, your body, your personality! This is God. This is hope!’
Yes Friends, hope is God coming into our spirits and declaring that it’s not over, that there is a future, a better time and place to come. Who or what else can it be eh? That’s why we hold on to the simple but ever so true cliché, that while there is life, there is always hope!
And that’s no lie, if we’re worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because He is all-powerful and can do anything, at anytime, for anyone, in any circumstance. Give Him some thanks and praise my people!
So if your life or your circumstances are in a tangled mess today, please don’t give up, especially if you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, because there is no giving up in Jesus vocabulary.
Please note how the psalmist puts it in our Bit. ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’
And that’s how we ought to react my fellow believers anytime our souls are cast down or disquieted within us. We need only to turn to our ever-faithful Creator and Provider in sincerity and truth!
As the psalmist continues: ‘O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill (Mount) Mizar.’ (Ps.42:6).
Yes Friends, one of the best ways to increase our hope and faith is to remember all the times when God rescued us from similar situations. For if He’s done it back then, there is no reason for Him not to do it again.
That’s why, in Psalm 71 – A prayer for help in old age – the psalmist joyfully declares: ‘But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. My mouth shall show forth (proclaim) thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers (limits) thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.’ (Ps.71:14-16)
Ah mih people, those are words for us to emulate! When our spirits are low, then the best thing for us to do is to praise God, give Him the thanks that He so rightfully deserves. So in rough times, we remember His faithfulness in the past and give him endless thanks and praise for all He’s done. There’s no better way to come up over our sorrow and sadness.
And Jeremiah in his Lamentations tells us: ‘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)
Oh my people, my people, what wonderful words of wisdom and encouragement. And remember, if anybody should know about sorrow and a despairing soul is the prophet Jeremiah, who went though so much hurt and low times because he dared to tell his people the truth about their sinfulness and lack of sincere worship to the God of their fathers.
And we’ll conclude with some hope-filled and faithful words from the prophet Micah, when he talked about the moral sins of Israel. ‘Therefore will I look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.
I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause (case) and execute judgement (justice) for me; he will bring me forth to the light, and I will behold his righteousness.’ (Mic.7:7-9)
O Friends, truer words were never spoken! The Lord our God has promised to bring us out of darkness into the light and to destroy our enemies, and we know He is ALWAYS faithful in keeping His promises.
So please, let’s go about our business today with a hungry hope and expectant faith in our hearts, and a joy in our souls that comes from a right and real relationship with Almighty God. Now that is indeed wisdom of the highest order. Much LOVE!
…one can’t have faith without hope…for hope is the seed… from which the fruit of faith blossoms and blooms…
29 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a state of confusion, a tree of life, action, all ye that hope in the Lord, ambassadors for Jesus, and he shall strengthen thine heart, be of good courage, bet the bank on that, bide our time, Bruh David, caused me to trust, comprehend, Cousin Sol, depresses, disappointed, dissipates tension, don't give in, don't give up, don't look back, elementary potential, encouragement, endurance, enthusiasm, ever-faithful, excellently, exhortation, finite minds, glory hallelujah, God is on the throne, God will never disappoint us, God-awesome truth, he that took me out of the womb, hope, hope deferred makes the heart sick, hope is the anchor of our souls, hope thou in God, humour, I shall yet praise him, I trust you, Jesus is the same yesterday today and for ever, keep keeping on, keep pressing on, laughter is the best free remedy, mine hope hath he removed like a tree, move from strength to strength in Jesus, my god, no hope in our souls, no reason for living, omnipotent, on an April morning, One Year Book of Bible promises, opportunity, patience, patiently, perseverance, Praise the Lord, promise, Proverbs, purpose, revitalizes, Ruth Harms Calkin, security, sense of safety, serve God, the health of my countenance, the universe is unfolding as it ought to, thou didst make me hope, Trust me, truth, turmoil, unchangeable position, Wednesday, when I was upon my mother's breast, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom
Psalm 22:9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me HOPE (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.
Well Friends, it’s a wonderful Wednesday! We’re alive, the sun’s shining brightly, it’s fairly warm, God is still on His throne, and the universe is unfolding as it ought! Glory Hallelujah!
It also means that we’re now halfway through our work week, so please don’t give in or give up, don’t look back, just keep pressing patiently and excellently forward in Jesus’ name!
And all God’s people gave a mighty shout of ‘Praise the Lord!’
And I couldn’t resist sharing this poem from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, it seemed so appropriate. It’s titled, ‘ I TRUST YOU.’
And it says: ‘Lord, it was on an April morning So many years ago That You said to me so clearly “Trust Me and you won’t be disappointed.” Having heard You on that special morning I simple cannot “unhear” you now.
I can’t forget that morning Nor do I think You want me to. Because You live in an eternal Now Your words are just as relevant today As they were that long-ago morning. I trust You. You will not disappoint me!’
And that’s the God-awesome truth my people! Once we have paid attention to, accepted God’s call on our lives, He will NEVER, NEVER disappoint us! You can bet the bank on that!
Why? Because our God is omnipotent and ever-faithful, and as the Bible Promise used for that poem says: ‘Jesus Christ (is) the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb.13:8) More God-awesome truth Friends!
And that unchangeable position provides us with a strong, uncompromising sense of safety and security. So we’re not surprised or confounded when Bruh David solemnly declares in our Bit: ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me HOPE (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.’
Ah mih people, the Lord knew exactly what He was doing when He breathed His wonderful breath of live into our little bodies. And that word ‘HOPE’ is such a marvellous and magnificent word that with our finite minds, we can never really begin to comprehend its awesome meaning. But I’ve tried to break it down to it’s elementary potential.
‘H’ stands for Humour. Humour dissipates tension, cools situations like nothing else. And laughter is the best free remedy and medicine in the world! ‘O’ stands for Opportunity. We need to be always on the lookout for opportunities to serve God, for they crop up when we least expect them to.
‘P’ stands for Patience and Perseverance. We need to bide our time quietly, but still keep keeping on with the perseverance Christ expects of us. And ‘E’ stands for Enthusiasm, Endurance, Encouragement, Exhortation and all the other good stuff that lifts our spirits!
And that’s my take on the word ‘HOPE.’ Hope it makes sense. (smile)
Now let’s look at some scriptures that deal with ‘HOPE’ in all its different circumstances. And we’re going to begin with a statement from Job, who after enduring the cruel remarks and judgements of his supposed friends, says of God: ‘He hath destroyed me (breaks me down) on every side, and I am gone: and mine HOPE hath he removed (uprooted) like a tree.’ (Job 19:10)
Oh Friends, it’s such a sad and desolate time when our HOPE dies! We need to avoid that happening like the plague. For if there’s no HOPE in our souls, then there’s no reason really for living. For as Cousin Sol so wisely tells us in Proverbs. ‘HOPE deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’ (Prov.13:12)
What a powerful statement my people! And the scholars explain it thus: ‘13:12. HOPE deferred depresses, but its fulfillment revitalizes.’
What a powerful truth, for when we lose HOPE our lives just seem to fall apart. But when we recapture that strong emotion, oh mih breddren, our lives are just flooded with purpose and promise, and we move on from strength to strength in Jesus.
Now listen to the Sons of Korah on the subject from Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God. ‘Why art thou cast down , O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? HOPE thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (help, salvation), and my God.’ (Ps.42:11)
Yes Friends, that is wisdom personified! Being merely frail and fickle humans, our HOPES and fears and dreams are always in a state of confusion, a state of turmoil, that’s why it’s ever so necessary and important to hold on to the HOPE we find in Almighty God.
As we saw yesterday, the Good Book tells that ‘HOPE is the anchor of our soul.’ (Heb.9:19) What a promise, what an anchor my brethren! We couldn’t want for a better anchor than that which is secured in heaven!
And we shall end with a most encouraging and appropriate verse on the subject from Psalm 31. Bruh David wisely advises us: ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that HOPE in the Lord.’ (Ps.31:24)
That my Friends is heavenly wisdom at its peak! So please let’s go out and put it into action in our lives today, so that we can be worthwhile ambassadors for Jesus. That’s all He really desires of us. Much LOVE!
…without HOPE…a man’s life is technically over…
22 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fight to the death, a fresh cold, a high priest, after the order of Melchizedek, an intense longing for god, ascended into heaven, atone for our sins, breakthrough, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, cast not away your confidence, courage, cure a simple cold, disregard the darkness, don't give up, done the will of god, endurance, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, feel miserable, feeling, fight against them that fight against me, fighting tooth and nail, future, God's plans for us are all for good, God's promises, God's promises stand firm, God's ways are higher than ours, going down to the wire, gospel truth, hang in there, hope, hope thou in God, I am thy salvation, I shall yet praise him, jehovah god, Jesus is the answer, joy, keep hoping in God, lie down and rest, lost, malaise in my spirit, Mars, negative circumstances, obedience, omnipotence, One Year Book of Bible promises, patience, perseverance, Plead my cause, put a man on the moon, receive the promise, recompense of reward, rely on God's immutable Word, reward, run its course, salvation, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, salvation comes from God, Selah, selfless acts, shed blood, sinful souls, stand in faith, stand up for mine help, stop those who pursue me, Thank you Jesus, the author of eternal salvation, the darkest hour is the one before the dawn, the help of his countenance, the right medication, the sons of Korah, them's the breaks, thursday morning, thy blessing is upon thy people, times of questioning, trial, trust, trust God, ungodly world, unsaved, Venus, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me
Psalm 3:8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Aye mih people, is Thursday morning, another chilly one, and the ole fella fighting this cold tooth and nail! (smile) We going down to the wire with it, we not giving up! It’s a fight to the death!
Oh I know that it has to run its course, but while it’s doing its thing, I’m also doing my own, trying not to let it make me feel too terrible, because you know that nothing in this world makes you feel as miserable as a simple fresh cold.
Ah Lord eh! We can put man on the moon and voyage out to Venus and Mars, but we can’t cure a simple cold! Steups! But I guess them’s the breaks! And believe me, it was difficult to get up this morning, although I wasn’t sleeping. But a certain malaise in my spirit just said lie down and rest. (smile)
And I did for a short while. But knowing that the Bit had to go out, I eventually forced myself out of the bed. And I believe I have the right medication for whatever is ailing us this morning, in the words of The One Year Book of Promises, with writings from Ruth Harms Calkin.
This passage is titled ‘God’s Promises,’ and it says: ‘With increasing joy I am discovering that God’s promises do not suddenly disappear when our courage fails and our fears become overwhelming. Feeling or no feeling, when God gives a promise that speaks directly to our need, it stands firm regardless of negative circumstances.
There may be times of questioning, and we may not understand God’s timing, but His promise remains certain during our deepest trial. If we consistently rely on His immutable Word, we can disregard the darkness.
Oswald Chambers says, “Are you in the dark right now regarding your circumstances? Then listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you are in the light.” God waits for us to trust Him when trusting seems the most difficult thing to do.’
Ah Friends, the cruel, evil and ungodly world that we’re currently living in, is certainly making it hard for us to trust God and rely on His promises. But if we want to succeed, we have to truly stand in faith on His word, even though we may seem completely surrounded by darkness.
And as the Bible promise for that passage so truthfully declares: ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance, perseverance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb.10:35-36)
Yes mih breddren, the one thing we CAN’T DO, is GIVE UP! And it’s when life seems the darkest that we need to hold on to God’s promises the strongest. For as the saying goes; the darkest hour is the one just before the dawn. And that’s no lie! We experience the roughest times just before we experience our breakthrough.
So please, let’s hang in there with Jehovah God, for He knows what He’s doing. His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours that we don’t, and can’t always understand what He’s about. In His omnipotence He created us, and still controls the universe, and sincerely promised that all His plans for us were all for good, for peace, with hope for a bright future. (Jer.29:11)
And as our Bit so wisely and rightly declares: ‘Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’ And of that my people, there is absolutely no doubt! That’s why so many people of great faith in the Bible declared it.
Now let’s look at a few more of those scripture passages that declare salvation comes from God, as we’ve been doing for the last few days. And we’ll begin with words of Bruh David, who called out to God so often and so seriously in his writings. Listen to how he begins Psalm 35 – A prayer for rescue from enemies.
‘Plead my cause (contend for me), O Lord, with them that strive (contend) with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler (a small shield), and stand up for mine help.
Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me (stop those who pursue me): say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.’ (Ps.35:1-3)
And we all know the turbulent and tumultuous life that Bruh David lived, but he never forgot or gave up on the God of his fathers, who faithfully saved him from his enemies whenever he cried out for help.
Now hear the author of Hebrews, whom I can’t help but think is Bruh Paul, with all the similarities of speech and mannerisms.
‘Though he (Jesus) were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb.5:8-10)
And isn’t that the gospel truth Friends! Jesus died, rose from the grave and ascended into heaven so that we could have eternal salvation! Without those wonderful, selfless acts of His, there would be no general salvation. Many of us would stay lost and unsaved.
So let’s give Him a big shout of praise and thanks for saving our sinful souls from eternal separation from Almighty God, the worst fate that can befall a human being.
And all God’s people declared a loud and heartfelt: ‘Thank You Jesus! Thank You ever so much for sacrificing Your holy, sinless life on the cross, so that Your shed blood, precious as it was, could pay for, atone for our abominable sins. We praise You, bless and glorify Your holy name! Amen.’
And now Friends, we’ll end with this well known verse from Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God – a contemplation from the sons of Korah.
And it simply says: ‘Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps.42:5)
Yes my people, I implore us to keep hoping in God, though our souls might not feel like doing it, for regardless of what anyone else says, only from Him is true salvation and eternal life possible. Much LOVE!
…to EVERY problem in our lives…Jesus IS the answer…
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