24 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to your faith, be it according to thy word, behold the handmaid of the Lord, blessed art thou among women, born that man no more may die, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, Christ is born in Bethlehem, christmas eve, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, evil minions, faith, faith in action, fear not Mary, found favour with God, glory hallelujah, glory to the newborn king, God and sinners reconciled, God with us, Hark the herald angels sing, hope, Jesus, join the triumph of the skies, joy, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, LOVE, Mary, Nazareth, of his kingdom there shall be no end, offspring of a virgin, our Emmanuel, peace on earth, second birth, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the everlasting Lord, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, the incarnate deity, the Lord is with thee, the Messiah, the mother of Jesus, the name above all names, the One True God, the Prince of Peace, the Son of God, the son of righteousness, the Son of the Highest, the throne of his father David, thou art highly favoured, wisdom, with angelic host proclaim, with god nothing shall be impossible
Luke 1:38. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s Christmas Eve; just one more day to that wonderful occasion, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Glory to God! So in celebration let’s begin with some soulful singing of this famous carol, ‘Hark! The Herald angels sing.’
With all the gusto and enthusiasm we can muster now. ‘Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies, With angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem. Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.
Christ by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord. Late in time behold He’ll come. Offspring of a Virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see. Hail the incarnate deity,.Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.
Hail, the heaven born Prince of Peace, Hail, the Son of Righteousness. Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.’
Yes my brethren, our Jesus, our Lord and Saviour is all those things: our Emmanuel, God with us; the Prince of Peace, the Son of Righteousness; Light and Life to all; Our Redeemer, so that we won’t face or fear death anymore; the One who causes us to be spiritually born again, plus several more like King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Oh what a blessed privilege it is to serve such a mighty, but gracious and merciful King!
And all God’s children triumphantly shouted: ‘Blessed is His Name, Jesus! The Name above all names! To whom every knee shall bow and declare that He is Lord indeed, all to the glory of God!’
Mama Mia! The most superlative blessing ever bestowed on man; the birth and subsequent death and rising up again of Jesus Christ! Glory Hallelujah!
That brings us hope…and joy…and faith for all eternity! No other supposed God can offer those things, ONLY the ONE, TRUE and LIVING GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
So why do we not appreciate them as we should eh? Why are we allowing the evil minions of Lucifer to deprive us, to take away our Christian heritage?
Just sit for a moment and imagine what this Christmas season means to us all nuh; a bright and bold and confident future, filled with the faith of all God’s promises.
So please let’s stop giving in so easily to the evil nature of our society, and instead stand up strong for our beliefs nuh, because that’s why Jesus sacrificed His sinless life; so that we won’t be kicked around like footballs anymore.
And if we don’t stand up strong, we’ll just be making a mockery of His selfless sacrifice and show that our faith is mere thought and talk, but severely lacking in action.
And talking about faith, faith in action, our Bit describes, to my mind, the greatest faith, beside that of Jesus shown in the bible; that of His mother, Mary. ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’
Oh my people, just imagine yourselves a most likely uneducated teenaged girl in the backwater town of Nazareth, in the backwater province of Galilee, just betrothed, engaged to be married, and suddenly one day, out of the blue an angel, a supernatural being, suddenly appears and says to you. ‘Hail (rejoice), thou art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:28)
Obviously, like Mary, we would have been surprised, taken aback by such an unusual exalted greeting. ‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.’(Luke 1:30-31)
Most of us would have stopped the angel right there. ‘Whoa, brother whoa! What yuh talking about eh? How am I going to bear a child when I’ve just been engaged, and won’t know my husband for a while yet?’
But Mary kept silent and allowed the angel to continue. ‘He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): And the Lord shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:32-33)
Only then did Mary question the angel. ‘How shall this be seeing I know not a man (am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall over-shadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:34-35)
Even today Friends, knowing what we know, most of us would certainly be afraid and shaking in our figurative boots. First of all, just talking to an angel would have frightened us. Then the seemingly impossible things he said would just make our fear worst, or we might just burst out laughing figuring that he must be joking.
But Mary, who most likely had some biblical knowledge about the Messiah, did none of these things. And after that, the angel also told her that her cousin Elisabeth, previously considered barren, was pregnant (with John the Baptist), ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37)
Then having heard it all, Mary calmly made her decision and spoke the immortal words of our Bit. ‘Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word.’
And the whole history of the world was changed by her calm acceptance of the angel’s words. Oh my fellow believers, would we be able to calmly accept those words from a spiritual being so easily. I very much doubt it. But Mary did! And that’s what I consider faith in true action!
Oh, how I wish that we could be so faithful in this evil day and age! Oh I know too friends that that kind of faith is not easy to come by, but please, beginning right now, on this Christmas Eve day, let’s work on improving ours nuh, growing daily in the trust and promises of our great and wonderful God. For that is indeed the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…according to your faith…be it unto you…(Matt.9:29)
P.S. More late night, or rather early morning celebrations friends, simply lead to late Bits. (smile) Much LOVE!
19 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discerner, a footnote in the pages of history, a holiday season of shopping, breaking down the walls of our faith, buying presents, christian heritage, christmas day, confidence, dividing asunder of soul and spirit, evil cronies, feasting, full complment of power, glory hallelujah, God's love for us, Happy Holidays, harness the power of God's word, hope, I have slain them by the words of my mouth, joints and marrow, like true soldiers, LOVE, Lucifer, made me a polished shaft, made my mouth like a sharp sword, Merry Christmas, optimism, politically correct, sharper than any twoedged sword, stand up strong, the Birth of Christ, the faith that leads to achievement, the helmet of salvation, the Love Revolution of Jesus, the Messiah, the power of God's word, the reason for the season, the sword of the Spirit, the thoughts and intents of the heart, the Word of God is quick, wimpy Christians, winning souls to God, worldly excitement
Hebrews 4:12. For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (is able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.
Six days Friends, six days to the celebration of the greatest birth that ever was – that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on what is now known as Christmas Day! Glory Hallelujah!
That was just the initial showing of God’s great LOVE for us; just the beginning of His miraculous plan to bring us back into fellowship with Him if we so desired! And to think that so many of us still don’t have the proper reverence for that remarkable day eh. Chuh!
It has just turned into a holiday season of shopping, buying presents, feasting, exchanging gifts and generally worldly excitement and consideration. The real sense and purpose behind the season is lost. So much so that the common greeting nowadays is ‘Happy Holidays,’ not ‘Merry Christmas’ as it ought to be. Steups!
That’s because it’s no longer politically correct and doesn’t sit well with those of other faiths. So what? But it’s okay to say ‘Happy Hanukkah and such like things. But tell me people what’s the blooming holiday about eh? It’s about Christmas; the birth of Jesus! If you took away Christmas and Jesus, there’d be no bloody holidays to talk about. But the bloody ole hypocrites are willing to use it as an excuse for business purposes and general debauchery.
And the sad part is that we wimpy Christians are allowing them to get away with it. We shouldn’t be supporting any business or organization that cannot or refuses to admit that the reason for the season is the birth of Christ and use the greeting Merry Christmas, instead of Happy Holidays.
Ah friends, every day we are losing more and more of our Christian heritage to Lucifer and his evil cronies. Bit by bit, they are breaking down the walls of our faith. We cannot allow this to happen, or else we’ll soon be a mere footnote in the pages of history, instead of the giants we were created to be.
It is high time that we stand up strong like true soldiers of Christ and fight back with all the weapons at our disposal, otherwise our grandchildren will be nonentities in this once proud and faithful Christian society.
That brings us quite appropriately to this quote from our friend Anselm, doing his best to inspire us to a better tomorrow. And Anselm says: ‘Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.’
And that’s the living truth my people! If we’re not optimistic about any project or matter, generally speaking we will be disappointed because we have not put in the required mental effort to make it successful. And as ALL Christians ought to know, hope and confidence are essential ingredients in all we set out to do, especially if it’s for Jesus.
So in terms of our faith, it is indeed necessary that we get optimistic about it, and thus be brimming over with hope and confidence that the LOVE Revolution of Jesus will overcome the evil empire of Lucifer! Unfortunately, that is possibly one of the reasons for our steady demise; we just aren’t hopeful, optimistic and confident enough! And that shouldn’t be so my brethren when we have the awesome power of God’s Word at our beck and call, as exemplified in our Bit.
‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (is able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’
Ah my fellow believers, as I said some time recently, until we understand that the power of God’s Word is available to us, and we start using it consistently and effectively, we will never be able to achieve our objective of winning all the world’s souls to God. Sadly, we might even lose many more than we win if we don’t start seriously standing up for what we believe in and using all the tools at our disposal. And that’s today’s sermon! (smile)
Now it’s time for scripture to prove the truth of our Bit. Hear Isaiah as he talks about Israel the Lord’s servant. ‘Listen, O ye isles (coastlands), unto me, and hearken, ye people from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels (inward parts) of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’ (Is.49:1-3)
Yes Friends, that servant with the mouth like a sharp sword who will glorify the Lord is none other than the Messiah, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! His Word will also have the power to give life, to comfort, to heal and to destroy.
Meanwhile, Hosea, in Israel’s reply to God’s admonishment, declares God’s contention. ‘O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness (faithfulness) is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. Therefore have I hewed (hewn them to pieces) by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgements (the judgements on you) are as the light that goeth forth.’ (Hos.6:4-5)
And we’ll conclude this series of messages with a scripture that we all know and acclaim, from the words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians regarding the armour of God. ‘And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:’ (Eph.6:17)
Oh my people, the Word of the Lord is the most powerful tool and/or weapon in the universe! He uses it for everything; in other words, it’s an all-purpose instrument. And the beauty of the situation friends, is that we too can use the power of the Word to uplift ourselves, to defeat our enemies, as well as to successfully spread our wonderful faith around the world as Jesus desires.
Let’s think on those things today nuh, for they will be of great benefit to us. Much LOVE!
…until Christians learn to harness the power of God’s Word…we will never achieve…never attain… our full complement of power…
07 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenalin, aura of love, barren, Be exalted, brotherly kindness, charity, cleansed from sin, complaining, confidence, diligence, endurance, enthusiasm, evil, famished, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, glory to God, godliness, growing in grace, grumbling, hell, holy spirit, honourable men, hope, humble servants, humbled, hunger, I will also forget thy children, I will also reject thee, inhumanity, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lack of knowledge, lazing around, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my people are destroyed, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, pateince, perseverance, pomp, poverty, procrastinate, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, sanctified, self-control, selfish lusts, spiritual armour, spiritual growth, steadfast faith, taunts, temperance, thanks and praise, the faithless, the forefront of the battle, the light of the Son, thirst, thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, thou hast rejected knowledge, thou shalt be no priest to me, time is of the essence, trust, truth, unfruitful, ungodly world, useless, virtue, wiles, wisdom
Hosea 4:6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Ah mih Friends, that much dreaded, but should be much LOVED day is here again. (smile) It’s Monday my people! Rise and shine and give some thanks and praise and glory to our heavenly Father for bringing us safely through the dark night into the blazing light of the Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
And please don’t waste too much time grumbling and complaining, because He is eagerly waiting for us to join Him at the forefront of the battle. Like all good leaders, He is showing the way, getting right into the heat of battle with us. So please don’t procrastinate, for time is of the essence.
Yes friends, time is certainly important; we’ve only been granted so much, so we can’t afford to waste it by lazing around and indulging in selfish lusts. And as always, to help us get up and over the Monday morning hump, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle hymn with much jump and joy nuh.
As one earthly, but heavenly sounding choir now, let’s sing. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh what an awesome rendition my brethren! Jesus was jumping and jiving with us as He swung His conductor’s baton with that light and airy touch that He alone possesses! Wow! All of heaven was also singing along, including the Father! Mama Mia!
So with that adrenalin coursing through our bodies now, let’s get ourselves together and head into the evil world and show them, what it truly means to be a Christian, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ! Oh glory to God!
Ah mih people, much to my surprise, the ole fella is really enthused this morning. I am being carried away by own rhetoric! (smile) Hope it rubs off on you too. But that’s what is possible when you put your faith, hope, belief and trust in Jesus! Your spirit is lifted and you are able to do incredible things in His name.
And what we desperately need to do today is get out into the world and begin changing the Lord’s opinion of us in the Bit. For remember it applies to our current society even more than it did to the Israelites.
‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.‘
Oh how sad that that’s the Lord’s impression of our society! And we have no one to blame but ourselves. So without further ado, let’s get into some scripture that verify our Bit. Listen to the great prophet Isaiah as he talks about the woes promised to and pronounced on the faithless.
‘Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore hell (Sheol) hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
And the mean man (people) shall be brought down, and the mighty man (each man) shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled. But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgement, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness (hallowed).’( Is.5:13-16)
Yes Friends, we can see that happening already. Honourable people are having a hard time existing in this sinful society, and there is a lot of hunger, poverty, inhumanity and starvation. But have no fear, the Lord and His people WILL win out in the end!
Now let’s go home with some more encouraging words from Peter, as he talks about growing in grace. ‘And beside this (but also for this very reason), giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance (self-control); and to temperance patience (perseverance); and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity (LOVE).
For if these things be in you (are yours), and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren (useless) nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off (is short-sighted), and hath forgotten that he was purged (cleansed) from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall (stumble).’ (2 Pet.1:5-10)
And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘1:5-7. In this section Peter urges his readers to grow to spiritual maturity. Add to your faith indicates the areas of growth that follow after salvation. Virtue is moral excellence. Knowledge is spiritual truth. Temperance is self-control. Patience is endurance. Godliness is God-likeness. Brotherly kindness (Gr. philadelphian) is brotherly LOVE. Charity (Gr. agapen) is volitional LOVE. This process is a lifelong cycle of spiritual growth for all believers.’
There you have it Friends and neighbours, the wisdom of heaven! So let’s go out and practice it nuh, so that we can never fall, never fail in our Christian living. Much LOVE!
…he that hath ears to hear…let him hear…for disobedience will be catastrophic…
04 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a rough workweek, Amen, better late than never, blessed is he that readeth, carousing, cast off the works of darkness, Christ's reign of righteousness, Christian's life, circumspect, doing what we want, drunkenness, earthly pilgrimage, envying, ever-Loving, faith, fellowship, focused, for the time is at hand, Friday chant, fulfilling of the law, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, go astray, gracious, hope, insensitivity, invite the enemy, keep those things which are written therein, licentiousness, LOVE, love worketh no ill, merciful, no giving up in Jesus, partying, patience, perseverance, praise and glorify, put on the armour of light, put on the Lord jesus christ, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, rest, revelry, run afoul of Christ, salvation, sense of balance, sense of purpose, sincerity, strife, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thank you Father God, the coming of Christ, the demands of Christ, the new life in Christ, the prince of the power of the air, the road is rugged and rough, the sin nature, the straight and narrow path, the weekend, they that hear the words of this prophecy, to awake out of sleep, to walk in company with christ, tough, truth, victory, walking in LOVE, wantonness, we can't give up, we will overcome, wide and destructive path, wisdom, with your generous help
Revelation 1:3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Well precious people, it’s Friday…
And like everybody just went berserk. ‘Wowee! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend’s here! What a wonderful time we’re going to have, partying, carousing, and doing exactly what we want! There’s no better time than the weekend! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend’s here!’
Ah friends, I do understand the ecstatic sentiments at the end of a rough workweek, but they are ones that will lead us down the wide and destructive path, not the narrow one that leads to our heavenly Father. So we need to be a bit more circumspect, re our weekend activities, if we don’t want to run afoul of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with sincerity and sense of purpose. As one chanter 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.’
Yes my fellow believers, we need to achieve some sense of balance in our weekend activities, so that we don’t go astray and invite the enemy into our lives anymore than he’s already there. So please, just a modicum of circumspection nuh, as Jeeves would say. (smile)
And here is the chorus of a reggae song that I heard last night by Michael Arkk, titled ‘Tough’ It goes like this: ‘The road is rugged and rough. We all know it’s tough. But we can’t give up. The road is rugged and rough. We all know it’s tough. But we will overcome.’
Oh my people, my people, that describes believers to a ‘T’! Our earthly pilgrimage can be indeed rugged and rough, but we cannot give up because there’s no giving up in Jesus, especially since He has already assured us that the victory will indeed be ours.
Now it certainly wouldn’t make sense to throw in the towel if you know that victory is guaranteed, you’ll just work through what ever difficulties come against you with faith, hope, patience and perseverance, knowing that you WILL win in the end!
But again, to do all of that successfully requires more than we can manage in our finite and human selves. It needs the help of our wonderful Creator, as our Bit reminds us. ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.’
That’s for certain sure friends! We can’t do very much on our own, we need the ever-ready and always-faithful assistance of our great God and King to keep us focused on the straight and narrow path that leads right to His front door in heaven.
And all God’s children sighed a grateful sigh, and uttered a loud shout of thanks and praise. ‘Thank You Father God for enabling us to successfully walk this path of pilgrimage! We LOVE You, and sincerely praise and glorify Your Holy Name! Amen.’
Oh mih breddren, how beautiful and wise it is to walk this earthly walk in company with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! Nothing else in this world compares even one iota to it!
And all God’s people gave out with a loud and rousing ‘AMEN!’
Now let’s continue looking at scriptures that corroborate our bit, beginning with the words of Bruh Paul in his letter to the church at Rome, when he talks about walking in LOVE.
‘LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first) believed.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly (properly), as in the day; not in rioting (revelry) and drunkenness, not in chambering (licentiousness) and wantonness (lewdness), not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’ (Rom.13:10-14)
Oh my people, what encouraging and truthful words! Please let’s take them to heart and put them into action, for that is wisdom personified!
Now let’s end with some explanations from the scholars on those verses. ’13:11-12. Sleep means insensitivity to the demands of Christ on the Christian’s life. Now is our salvation nearer: The coming of Christ to deliver us from this sinful world grows nearer every day.
The night is the time while Christ is out of the world, and the world has been delivered into the control of the prince of the power of the air. (Eph.2:2). The day is a reference to the time when Christ will return and establish His reign of righteousness.’
‘13:14. Make not provision for the flesh: One should not seek opportunities to satisfy the deep-seated desires of the sin nature, but should seek occasion to manifest works that are consistent with the new life in Christ.’
Words of awesome truth my brethren! So let’s seriously and sincerely ponder them and make them a precious part of our lives nuh, so that we can dwell in righteousness with our ever-LOVING, merciful and gracious God. Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but the ole fella’s sleep was not the greatest, the aches and pains were having a heyday, and thus he got up rather late. And it seems like my trusty computer wasn’t having such a good morning either; it was sort of slow and groggy like me. (smile) But as they say, better late than never. Much LOVE!
02 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of righteousness, a didived house cannot stand, a positive approach to life, Anselm, belief, blessed are the undefiled, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it, blessed is he that readeth, blessed is the womb that bare thee, Christians, earthly pilgrimage, eyes fixed on the prize, faith, for the time is at hand, forgiveness, giving thanks, Glory be, glory hallelujah, glory to God, hope, hope-building people, I am halfway home, I want to be in that number, I'm not turning back, I'ms so glad to be alive, Im not looking back at the past, it's a brand new day, keep those things which are written therein, life-changing content, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, oh when the saints go marching in, perseverance, positive, positive action, positive vision, read our names in the obits, read the Good Book, rejoicing, rewards in heaven, running our race of glory, seeing Jesus in heaven, spreading God's Word, the BIBLE, the breath of life, thepaps which thou hast sucked, they that hear the words of this prophecy, this is the day the Lord has made, to a glorious future with Jesus, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, welcome thou good and faithful servant, who walk in the law of the Lord, witness, witness to unbelievers
Revelation 1:3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Oh my people it’s a brand new day! Glory be! That means there are things for us to do, plans for us to accomplish in the Lord’s name, otherwise we would have read our names in the obits this morning. (smile) Oh glory to God for being such a wonderful Saviour and Provider!
So let’s proclaim, as the psalmist did: ‘This is the day the Lord has made. We WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’
Yes friends, every day that we’re alive should be one of rejoicing and giving thanks and praise for all that we enjoy. But to do that we have to do one thing in particular; develop a positive approach to life and dwell therein.
And we have a two for one offer today on the subject from our Friend Anselm, who always tries to inspire us to have a better tomorrow. The first quote says: ‘In order to carry a positive action we must develop a positive vision.’ That’s oh so true my people, we can’t do positive stuff unless we have a positive outlook.
And the second quote gives us some insight into how to accomplish the ‘positivity’ in our lives. ‘You can make positive deposits in your own economy every day by reading and listening to positive, life-changing content, and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people.’
What glorious truth my brethren! We can only become positive and stay positive by reading positive stuff and associating with positive, hope-filled people on a regular basis. And the most positive book in the world is the Bible! And the most positive people ought to be Christians!
So what does that tell us eh? That we ought to read the Bible regularly and associate with Christians to a great extent.
Now we can’t only associate with Christians, otherwise we’d lose opportunities to witness to the unbelievers, both by word and deed, and personal witnessing is one of our great tools for spreading God’s Word.
And to help us stay in a positive mode and frame of mind, let’s do what we do on Wednesdays nuh; that is proclaim our Wednesday Wail. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my people, my people, what a wise and wonderful way to look at life! We’re not looking back, but ahead, running our race of glory with our eyes fixed on the prize of one day seeing Jesus in heaven, having Him place a crown of righteousness on our heads and enthusiastically saying: ‘Welcome thou good and faithful servant!’
Nothing can be sweeter or more worthwhile than that my fellow believers! But to have that wonderful encounter in heaven, we need to do certain things down here on earth. And our Bit says it all: ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.’
Yes friends, we desperately need to follow that dictate. Remember the scholars told us yesterday that our Bit has a three-part condition to it: we need to READ the Good Book, then HEAR or UNDERSTAND it, and finally KEEP or OBEY it! Yes my brethren, that’s the magic formula for piling up rewards in heaven and being welcomed by a beaming Christ at the end of our earthly pilgrimage!
Well, in truth, there is nothing magical to it, but more a lot of things like hope and faith and belief, forgiveness, LOVE and perseverance. Those are the essentials for obtaining our eventual goal, of one day being welcomed by Christ in heaven.
Now let us look at some scriptures that corroborate our Bit. And there’s no better way to begin than with the words of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. One day, while explaining to His listeners that a divided house cannot stand, the Good Book tells us.
‘And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company (crowd) lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked (the breasts which nursed thee). But he said, Yea, rather (more than that) blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.’ (Luke 11:27-28)
And the scholars have an interesting explanation on those verses.’11:27-28. These verses are unique to Luke. They show that spiritual relationship with Jesus is more important than family ties, and that blessedness is a matter of both hearing and doing God’s word.’
Oh friends, we can never overstate the importance of reading, hearing and doing God’s Word!
Now let’s end with the opening passage from Psalm 119 – ALEPH – The Lord’s judgements are righteous. ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps.119:1-3)
Yes my precious people, that’s gospel truth! So today, and everyday henceforth, let’s show our wisdom by doing what it says nuh. That way we can be assured of a great welcome in heaven by Jesus and all the saints. Much LOVE!
…oh when the saints…go marching in…oh when the saints go marching in…oh Lord…I want to be in that number…when the saints go marching in…
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…
03 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adoration, blessed is the Lamb that was slain, blessing, children of God, death is always the prelude to resurrection, dr robert h schuller, eternity, every time of ending is always a new beginning, fools despise widom and instruction, glory hallelujah, glory to God, gospel truth, Gramps Schuller, honour god, hope, hope ahead of me, human shortcomings, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, inherit eternity, like sheep lost in the wilderness, LOVE, love around me, nursing regrets, pride, pride behind me, recalling great accomplishments, reverential awe, share His love with the world, submission to the Lord, terrific Tuesday, the annals of mankind, the beginning of knowledge, the BIBLE, the end of the road, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the fear of the Lord that is wisdom, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Holy Book, the knowledge of the holy one is understanding, the One and Only Living God, the vantage point, the whole world is your oyster, to depart from evil is understanding, truth, Tuesday Mantra, understanding, when one door closes another opens, When the Road ahead is short, wisdom, worship, write it indelibly in our hearts
Proverbs 9:10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy (One) is understanding.
Oh Friends, welcome to another wonderful day in the annals of mankind! Brother! It’s promising to be a terrific Tuesday in my neighbourhood, with the temperature around 17 Celsius and the sun shining brightly.
In fact the weather is supposed to be in the mid to high teens for most of this week, accompanied by mostly sunshine. Glory Hallelujah! That’s certainly somewhat unusual weather for this time of year, but we’re not complaining and will gladly take it, even giving off a most thankful ‘Glory to God!’ (smile)
Anyway, let’s get right to our Tuesday Mantra, for there are lots of things to share today.
As one voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Yes my brethren, that’s who we are; children of God! That’s our main identifier in this world – beloved children of God to boot! That means we’re not supposed to fret or worry over anything, just take it all to our trusted Friend, our Brother, our Lord and Saviour, our God, Jesus Christ.
Wow! Is He many things to us or what! That just goes to show how great and noble He is, and why we should put our complete trust in Him, surrender our entire lives to His will. Oh glory to the Most High God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Now here are some inspiring words from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H Schuller) – gone but not forgotten – from his Hour of Power Devotional. It’s titled ‘When the Road Ahead Is Short.’
Please pray with me: ‘O God, from the vantage point of today the road ahead looks very short. I sense that I am about to reach the end. Remind me that every time of ending is always a time of new beginning. Every time one door closes, another door opens.
Every sunset is a move closer to a new sunrise. Death is always the prelude to resurrection. Help me to forgive myself for my imperfections and faults. I dishonour you when I disgrace myself by nursing regrets over my human shortcomings.
Help me to honour you by recalling great accomplishments you made possible through my life. So let me come to the end of the road with pride behind me, LOVE around me, and hope ahead of me – only to discover that what I thought was the end of the road is a bend in the road leading me into an exciting new world of opportunity or eternity.’
Yes my fellow believers, there are lots of truths in that prayer. Every time one door closes, another one opens; the ending of one thing or aspect of our lives is always the beginning of another. And above all when we do reach the end of the earthly road, there is the glory of eternity with God to behold and look forward to!
And all God’s people declared a loud and thankful ‘Glory Hallelujah! Blessed is the Lamb that was slain, so that we could inherit eternity!’
Yes Friends, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is indeed most worthy and deserving of all glory and blessing, adoration and worship!
Now let’s turn to our Bit which encapsulates all that we’ve said so far, and takes us even further into the real of wisdom and truth.
Hear now my people, these divine words of Cousin Sol: from the Book of Proverbs. ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy (One) is understanding.’
Gospel truth that in spades my brethren! For until we come to reverence the Lord God our Creator and to know His ways and means, we’re like sheep lost in the wilderness. And the only way we can achieve those things is by reading and studying His Word written in His Holy Book, the Bible.
Now that to some, is like cursing them. But the actual fact of the matter is that when you don’t read God’s Word, that is when you are really cursed and left hanging out to dry, to live by your own wits, which don’t really add up to much, and won’t get you very far.
But when you know the One and Only True Living God, then the whole world opens up to you; the whole world is your oyster, so to speak. (smile)
Now let’s check some other scriptures that also give the great advice found in our Bit. First up is Job’s declaration, as he speaks of wisdom being God’s gift. He ends the chapter thus: ‘And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’ (Job 28:28) No doubt about that my people!
Meanwhile in the first chapter of Proverbs, Cousin Sol issues this immense warning. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov.1:7) What glorious words of truth those are Friends!
And I think we’ll end today with some very useful explanations on that verse from the scholars. ‘1:7. The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner.
The beginning does not mean that “the fear of the Lord” is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.’
Okay my fellow believers, let’s write all of that indelibly in our hearts, souls, minds and bodies today, then get to wisely practicing it. Much LOVE!
…true wisdom is ONLY available from and through Almighty God…
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