29 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: at those things which were spoken of him, Cana in Galilee, defiles, defined, faith, false pretenses, fermentation, firkins, fruit of the vine, her faith never wavered, His disciples believed on him, 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, Joseph and his mother marveled, Mary, material possession, maternal instincts, miracles, miraculous things, mother, motherhood, New Year's, pondered them in her heart, purifying of the Jews, rocket science, share His love with the world, snow, the Good Book, the purists, them's the breaks, Tuesday Mantra, turning water into wine, waterpots, white christmas, wine, worldly positions
Luke 2:33. And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.
Well mih people, at long last we got a taste of the white stuff. Last evening a blanket of snow finally covered my neighbourhood. This morning around 3 o’clock, before I went to bed, I opened my front door and it was just a pretty picture as you can get of an all white scene, before man defiles it.
However, a while ago, when I went to put out the garbage, most of it had already melted and instead the rain was falling. So the purists who did not get their white Christmas are also in danger of not getting a white New Year’s either, if these warm and above seasonal temperatures persist.
The man I pay to clean the snow from my driveway won’t be working today either. He’s still collecting money under false pretenses. But I guess them’s the breaks. (smile)
And as you can see above, I went to bed late, hence the abnormally late Bit. My intense and sincere apologies, but the ole fella is really a creature of the night, and going to bed early is sometimes difficult. (smile)
Anyway, it’s a festive Tuesday in the Christmas season, so let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra like we really mean it nuh. All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me.
I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ And is all of that is ever so true my fellow believers in Christ!
Yes friends, we’re not defined by what we have or do! Our identity is found in being the children of God: His beloved offspring, in whom He is well pleased! We are also Jesus’ close Friend and confidant. That’s who we are! So let’s stop defining ourselves by our material possessions and worldly positions nuh. Nuff said!
And I’m sure some of you must be wondering how I got on this Mother Mary kick. But there’s no rocket science behind it. It’s just that over the last couple of years, as I delve deeper into the Good Book, I’ve come to LOVE and appreciate Mary.
So much so, that I’ve come to believe that she is the one who most understood Jesus, also the one who had the truest and strongest faith in the Good Book, after Jesus Himself. We all know the miraculous things she went through at a tender age, but her faith never wavered. In fact I believe it got stronger.
As the saying goes, she became a mother, while still a child. And yuh better believe my brethren that motherhood is the hardest job in the world, as most mothers would agree, because there are no real instructions on how to do it, especially if you have several children, all with different personalities and needs, as Mary no doubt had.
And one of the reasons she knew Jesus best, besides the mother and son angle, is that she had the best idea of what His mission was all about, having participated in His miraculous birth and hearing all the magnificent things that were said about Him from his very birth. As we saw yesterday, all those things she kept note of them in her heart and sincerely pondered them.
My favourite story about Mary and Jesus though is the one at the wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee, where Jesus performed His first miracle; the making of wine from water. I just LOVE the way she handled Him.
As reported by John, they had run out of wine at the wedding and Mary came and shared that fact with Jesus. ‘Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee (what concern is that of mine)?’ (John 2:4)
Mary must have chuckled and said to herself: ‘So you think you’re a big man now eh, with your biggish answers? Well just look out for me and you today.’ Then she put her motherly and feminine wiles, her devious plan to work.
‘His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.’ (John 2:5) Then she flounced off and left Him. Hn, hn!‘ Typical woman and mother eh.
‘And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after (according to) the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.’ (John 2:6)
Now here is some important info from the scholars on that verse. ‘2:6. Waterpots were normally used for washing feet. Firkins were about nine gallons, so each pot held 18 to 27 gallons (total capacity: 108 to 162 gallons).’
So friends, these must have been some rather big waterpots. Then ‘Jesus saith unto them (the servants), Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. (That means roughly 162 gallons). And he saith unto them, Draw (some) out now, and bear it unto (take it to) the governor (master) of the feast. And they bare it.’ (John 2:7-8)
What a bam-bam that caused friends! For when the master of the feast tasted the wine that had been made from the water, and didn’t know where it had come from (though the servants knew), he called the bridegroom and admonished him.
‘Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse (inferior): but thou hast kept the good wine until now.’ (John 2:10) The poor bridegroom must have been at a loss to know what the master of the feast was talking about.
But here is some more info from the scholars re that wine. ‘2.9. Much has been written about the wine Jesus created. Oinos is the New Testament word for the fruit of the vine, but it implies nothing concerning fermentation. Whatever Jesus re-creates (water) is better than it was and better than man can make it (fermented wine).’
For sure friends! That was probably, no, not probably, but the best wine ever made and drunk in this world! I would have LOVED to taste it! (smile) So you see my people, Mary indeed had more knowledge of Jesus’ capabilities than anyone else.
And the Good Book afterwards, comments thus on the situation. ‘This beginning of miracles (signs) did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth (revealed) his glory; and his disciples believed on him.’ (John 2:11)
I guess the disciples had no choice but to believe, after they witnessed such an outstanding event. But deep down inside, because of her natural maternal instincts, plus all the unexpected and unusual things she had experienced during His growing up, His mother Mary knew what He was capable of.
And we’ll end on that note today. It gives us stuff to keep in our hearts and to ponder on, just like Mary. Much LOVE!
…oftimes…because of the normally close relationship and the natural maternal instinct… a mother has the best knowledge of her child…
22 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leper until the day of his death, a star shining in the east, an outcast from society, as long as he sought the Lord, Bethlehem, Born is the king of Israel, charles stanley, confidence, cut off rom the Lord's house, forgot who brought him to the dance, frankincense, God made him to prosper, God's faithfulness, gold, he sought God, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, 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, Jesus Christ, Jotham, joy, judging the people, keeping their sheep, leave all the consequences to Him, leprosy, material possessions, monetary wealth, myrrh, obey God, on a cold winter's night, peace, poor shepherds, reverently upon their knee, share His love with the world, sing praises to our heavenly Lord, strength, the Christmas spirit, the first Noel, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Messiah, the reason for the season, three wise men, to burn incense, to the earth it gave great light, transgressed against the Lord, trials, Tuesday Mantra, understanding in the visions of God, Uzziah, wisdom, with His blood mankind has bought
2 Chronicles 26:5. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions (fear) of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.
Oh Friends, only three more days to go to that most auspicious birth; that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! And I do hope that we all are getting into the Christmas spirit, enjoying the real reason for the season – Jesus!
And to help us do that this morning I figured we could sing the wonderful carol, The first Noel. So please sing along with me.
‘The first Noel the angel did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay: In fields where they lay keeping their sheep On a cold winter’s night that was so deep. Noel Noel Noel Noel Born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star Shining in the east beyond them far: And to the earth it gave great light And so it continued both day and night. Noel Noel Noel Noel Born is the King of Israel.
And by the light of that same star Three wise men came from the country far; To seek for a King was their intent, And to follow the star wherever it went. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel.
This star drew nigh to the north-west; O’er Bethlehem it took it’s rest, And there it did both stop and stay, Right over the place where Jesus lay. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel.
Then entered in those wise men three, Fell reverently upon their knee, And offered there in his presence Their gold and myrrh and frankincense. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the king of Israel.
Then let us all with one accord Sing praises to our heavenly Lord, That hath made heaven and earth of nought, And with his blood mankind has bought. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel.’
Yes my fellow believers what wonderful sentiments concerning the birth of our Messiah. And I do hope that singing that lovely carol infused some Christmas spirit in us, took our minds off the busyness of the season, and helped us concentrate on Jesus. It also meant you had to put up with less of my badgering to get us to live right. (smile)
Anyhow, today is Tuesday, that means we need to recite our Tuesday Mantra. So let’s get right into it with true conviction and a strong sense of purpose.
‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Oh glory and honour to our wonderful God my people, for He has done so much for us! I don’t understand why we aren’t more thankful for His many blessings nuh, especially the birth of His Son Jesus, which we are now in the process of celebrating.
That brings us to our Bit, based on one of the foundational bricks of our faith. ‘And he sought God in the days of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions (fear) of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.’
Yes my fellow believers, if we want to truly prosper, then we need to seek out the face of Almighty God and do the things that He desires of us.
And by prosper, we don’t only mean the acquisition of monetary wealth or material possessions, but also things like joy and peace, the ability to handle the trials that come against us with confidence in His faithfulness and promises, and also the ability to not allow the enemy to disrupt our lives; in other words, the strength and wisdom found only in worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Now yesterday we saw how some of the rulers of early Israel sought the Lord and prospered, today we’ll continue looking at the way one of those rulers, Uzziah, ended up, the one to whom our Bit refers.
Now pay serious attention my brethren. The Good Book declares: ‘But when he (Uzziah) was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.’ (2 Chr.26:16)
Ah mih people, what happens to us when we get strong and prosperous eh? Like we just seem to lose our minds! Uzziah knew full well that only the priests were allowed to burn incense on the altar. But as so many of us do, he forgot who had brought him to dance, conveniently believing that he had gotten there by his own power.
Now the priests withstood his efforts to burn the incense, and per the Good Book: ‘Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar.’ (2 Chr.26:19)
Yes friends, that’s what happens when we disobey the Lord’s rules and procedures; we pay a hefty price. The priests threw him out of the sanctuary, and Uzziah himself hurried out because he realized that the Lord had stricken him in the worst way possible, for leprosy made him an outcast from society.
And we’ll end with this telling verse from the Lord’s Word. ‘And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several (isolated) house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.’ (2 Chr.26:21)
There’s not much more for me to say Friends, except that we need to be very careful about how we live under the Lord’s umbrella and remember who causes us to have whatever we have and to do whatever we do. Now that is wisdom in the truest sense of the word! Much LOVE!
…Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) says it best…obey God…and leave all the consequences to him…that’s the best prescription for living this earthly life…
15 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be a friend of Jesus, Christ is the way, come to ruin, compassion, depart from evil, do good, eternal life, eternal separation from God, few there be that find it, give me Jesus, glory hallelujah, glory to God, his seed begging bread, how Christ functions in our lives, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, LOVE, loving kindness, narrow is the way that leads to life, no one comes to the Father but through Jesus, Praise is the song of a soul set free, precious, privileged, put Jesus at the forefront of our lives, reignites the fire of Jesus, share His love with the world, show by example, spend our day wisely, the babbling fool, the heart of wisdom, the Life, the Lord upholdeth him, the love and compassion of Christ, the one and only true living God, the steps of a good man, the Truth, the wise in heart, thenk the Lord, thou shalt not stumble, thy steps shall not be hindered, Tuesday Mantra, we can do all thing through Jesus, we have Jesus with us, what a joy to be loved by God, what's done in darkness will come to light, when thou goest, when thou runnest, wide is the gate that leads to destruction
Proverbs 4:12. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Well Friends, another day has dawned, bright and beautiful, and we’re alive to see and experience it! Glory to God!
Oh, I know that where you are, it might not be beautiful in the physical weather scene, but for sure in our hearts and souls it is marvellous, especially when we consider that we have Jesus to walk along with us to help us spend our day wisely.
And all God’s children gave out a loud and proud shout of: ‘Thank the Lord! Give me Jesus any and everyday!’
Yes my brethren, with Jesus walking alongside us, we can handle all our problems, do all things in His mighty power. Glory to God!
I’m truly sorry for the unbeliever who cannot fathom, much less experience the LOVE and compassion of Christ, and the wonderful way He function in our lives.
That’s why we believers need to make every effort to show them by our example, how precious and privileged it would be to have Jesus working in their lives too.
Anyway, today is Tuesday, so let’s confess our Tuesday Mantra with sincerity and truth nuh. All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Ah mih people, every time I say that prayer, it just awakens something in me! It just seems to reignite the fire of Jesus in my soul! It’s simple, but very real and practical. Oh what a joy it is to be LOVED by God and be a Friend of Jesus! It couldn’t get much better than that my brethren!
So please, as sincere followers of Jesus, let’s give those things the prominence and priority in our lives that they truly deserve nuh, because it’s all for our benefit.
And today, for the last time, we’ll continue looking at scriptures that deal with this particular Bit. ‘When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.’
Yes Friends, more wonderful promises and great stuff to look forward to when we place Almighty God and His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ at the forefront of our lives. Glory Hallelujah!
No other faith can truly declare those things, because it is ONLY, the ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING GOD, who can make such promises and faithfully keep them!
Give Him some much-deserved thanks and praise my people, for His awesome majesty and never-ending, unlimited LOVING-kindness to us, His undeserving children. For, as the Our Daily Bread Devotional said, yesterday: ‘Praise is the song of a soul set free!’ And it is indeed my people.
Now let’s see what the scriptures have to say about all of that nuh. (smile) And we’re going to begin with some wise words from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol. ‘The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating (babbling) fool shall fall (come to ruin). He that walketh uprightly walketh (securely, safely): but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.’ (Prov.10:8-9)
Yes friends, all that’s done in darkness will eventually be brought to light, so please be careful of the deeds you do.
Then in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – Bruh David unequivocally declares: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.’ (Ps.37:23-27)
Oh what wonderful words of living truth my people! Those who truly serve the Lord will never be left in a fallen state, and their descendants will always be blessed! Glory to God!
So why aren’t’ more of us being good and righteous eh, and thus filling our world with LOVE and peace, rather than the hate and strife it’s now so thoroughly embroiled in eh?
Good question that Friends, but one to which I can only surmise the answer: we don’t truly believe what the Good Book says; and/or, we are much too preoccupied with the things of the world instead of the things of God. We each have to decide individually, what is keeping us away from the good things of God.
And we’ll close this series of messages with the ultimate word on the subject, that from Jesus Himself. Now listen closely my people, because it involves the very essence of where you will spend eternity.
‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt.7:13-14)
Yes my people, those are the words of Jesus. We have two choices in this life; the strait and narrow way that leads to eternal life, or the wide and broad path that leads to eternal separation from God.
It’s up to us to choose. Hopefully we’ll all choose the more difficult, but much more rewarding first option, because it is the heart of wisdom itself. Much LOVE!
…Christ is indeed…the WAY…the TRUTH…and the LIFE…NO ONE… comes to the Father but by and through Him…
08 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man after God's heart, agony, assorted sizes, assured that His times are in God's hands, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, believe on Jesus, blessed is the man, bringeth forth his fruit in season, brothers and sisters in christ, chaff, confident trust, encouragement, evil influences, eye-opening, faith, favour, foundational aspect of our faith, glory to God, gospel truth, grace, heart-warming, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, honour god, hope filled sentiments, 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, in his law doth he meditate, LOVE, makes God Jehovah god his priority, misunderstanding, new blessings and mercies, obedient to God's will, obey God's Word, One Year Book of Bible promises, pain, prayer, put God first, rests in the hands of God, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love with the world, sinners, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, stand in judgement, standeth in the way of sinners, supernatural god, supernatural ways, the congregation of the righteous, the man God honours, the way of the righteous, times of turbulence, totally committed to God, travelling along God's pathway, Tuesday Mantra, uncertainty, walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, whatsoever he does shall prosper, will never suffer want, wisdom
Psalm 1:1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Welcome to a glorious Tuesday friends! Another in a mighty long line of glorious days provided by our heavenly Father, filled with new blessings and mercies! Wow! He must be truly something special if everyday He can pump out brand new favour and grace upon us.
We must be sincerely thankful for all that He’s done, is doing, and has faithfully promised to do for us when we believe on His Son Jesus and are obedient to His will. Oh glory to our great God my brothers and sisters in Christ!
And on that note, here is an appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. After reading it yesterday, I just knew I had to share it today. It’s suitably titled ‘The Man God Honours.’
And it says: ‘There are thousands of men in the world. Men come in assorted sizes – tall and short, wide and lean. There are bankers, salesmen, politicians, mechanics, lawyers, teachers. But the man God honours is marked by at least five characteristics.
FIRST: He is a man totally committed to God, and his concern is that he will obey God’s Word, whatever the cost. SECOND: He is a man whose faith can be defined as confident trust. His high priority is prayer, knowing that a supernatural God works in supernatural ways.
THIRD: He rests his past, present, and future in the hands of an all-LOVING God, even in times of turbulence, uncertainty, agony, misunderstanding, and pain, assured that his times are in God’s hands.
FOURTH: He believes with all his heart that, as he keeps steadily travelling along God’s pathway, God will honour him with every blessing. FIFTH: He has one consistent desire: “God make me a man after your own heart.”
Oh how true that all is my brethren! Oh, and by the way, that doesn’t refer to only men as opposed to women, but to all God’s creations, both male and female. So women please don’t get your egos all tied up in knots. (smile) And besides, it’s a woman who wrote it. Hn!
So, since it’s Tuesday, it’s time to confess our Tuesday Mantra. Let’s say it as though we truly believe and mean it. ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Oh friends, every time I confess that prayer, it just touches something in my heart, knowing that I am BELOVED of God, and a FRIEND of Jesus! Mama Mia! It couldn’t get much better than that nuh!
And I do hope that it touches the same responsive chord in all of you, my Scrip-Bit readers, because they are such eye-opening, heart-warming and hope-filled sentiments, giving us much needed encouragement and faith.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is the scripture passage that our poem above was based on. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.’
Yes Friends, that is the gospel truth! The Lord will indeed bless the righteous person, who scorns the ways and deeds of the ungodly and wicked!
Oh I know we recently highlighted this scripture in a Bit, but it is one of the many scriptures that cannot be ever brought up to our conscience too often, because it is a seminal, foundational aspect of our faith. And you’ll also note that it’s the first Psalm in the Psalter, which must mean something.
So let’s continue with the palmist’s powerful and true contention. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:2-3)
Oh my people, more words of indisputable truth! The man or woman who makes Jehovah God his priority will never suffer want! That is our God’s faithful promise!
Now here is the flip side to all of that. ‘The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:4-6)
Yes my brethren, simple and to the point: you honour God and you succeed, you don’t honour Him and you perish. It couldn’t be any plainer than that.
Now here are some poignant explanations on the Psalm from the scholars. ‘Psalm1. The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man.
The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds, and attitudes (v.1); he delights in God’s Word (v.2); therefore God cause him to prosper (v.3). On the other hand, the ungodly is worth no more than chaff (v.4), and his destiny is judgement (v.5).
Finally, the evaluation by the Lord Himself is described (v.6). There is an ellipsis (omission of words) which is understood with both clauses in verse 6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous [and it will be blessed], but [He also knows] the way of the ungodly [and it] shall perish.
The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’
Yes my fellow believers, that’s the wonderful type of life we have to look forward to when we sincerely believe in Jesus, when we surrender our all to Him and make His commandments our priority; our earthly lives are based on His truth.
It just couldn’t get any better than that my people, because that is indeed the wisdom of all the ages! Much LOVE!
…when you put God FIRST…He causes you to PROSPER…
P.S. What can I say eh friends? A late night begets a late morning. That’s just the way of God’s world! (smile) Much LOVE!
01 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a talkative society, a waste of time, adult food, apocalypse, be wise, bequeath to our children, blessed is he that readeth, Christians, communication of new truth, communication technology, compassion, conveyance of truth, divine revelation, end of the age, exposure, food for thought, God's perspective on time, God's program, godly roots, Hades, have good success, he that hath ears to hear, honour, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my Friends 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, Jesus Love Revolution, John, keep those things which are written therein, legacy, LOVE, make God the focus of our lives, make thy way prosperous, mature in Christ, meditate, mercy, messenger, our first priority, our ungodly society, privilege, prophecies, put it into action, Revelation, share His love with the world, social media, talk, testimony of Jesus Christ, the book of Colossians, the book of the law, the day of the Lord, the Rapture, the revelation of Jesus Christ, the sorry state of our world, the things of heaven, the things of the world, the time is at hand, the Tribulation, the Word of god, they that hear the words of this prophecy, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unveiling, visions
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 Friends, what’s there to say on this wet and somewhat chilly December 1st morning eh? Not a lot… and plenty. And what do I mean by that?
Well we’ve become such a talkative society with the flourishing of communication technology and the social media, but a lot of that talk is inane and foolish, a waste of our very valuable time, while there is a lot of meaningful and important stuff that we should be talking about which we’re not doing.
Like for instance about the sorry state of our world and how to fix it, and of God and the ungodly society in which we’re currently living.
Most of us will say that God is the most important element or person in our lives, but when we check out our lives in action, that statement doesn’t hold true, otherwise our world would not be in such a sad state of deterioration. Unfortunately, the things of the world are still our first priority.
Remember yesterday we spoke about Christians concentrating on the things of heaven, rather than those of earth? And I sure hope we did our homework, reading the Book of Colossians, so that now we know what’s really expected of us, and we can go on and put it into action in our lives.
Oh my people, unless and until we truly make God and His Word the focus of our lives, our world will never get better but continue to slide into the murky depths of Hades. And I’m sure that’s not the kind of legacy we want to bequeath to our children and our children’s children.
So it’s completely up to us believers to keep on fomenting Jesus’ LOVE Revolution, so that the world can return to its godly roots. Nuff said! He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
And since it’s Tuesday, let’s confess our Tuesday Mantra like we really believe and mean it. All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Oh my people that’s so refreshing and revitalizing! Just imagine nuh, that we are the BELOVED of God, and the FRIEND of Jesus!
Wow! What an honour and a privilege to be so highly considered! Now let’s make the most of it by going out and sharing the LOVE that they have so graciously and mercifully shown us nuh. A LOVE that our fallen world so desperately needs.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, but we also need to hear what comes before it, so that we can understand its proper context. ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly (quickly, swiftly) come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Who bare record (bore witness) of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 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.’ (Rev.1:1-3)
Oh Friends, what powerful and meaningful scripture! And I know that many of us don’t understand what the Book of Revelation is all about, so here is some info from the scholars that will help us to better understand.
‘1.1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ is the title of the book. The revelation is both from Christ and about Christ. Since Christ is the revelation of God Himself (John 1:18), God gave the revelation to Christ to be shown to John by means of an angel (messenger).
The word “revelation” (Gr. apokalypsis) refers to an unveiling or exposure of God’s program for the world through Christ. The prophecies of the book will occur shortly in the sense that the day of the Lord (the end of the age) may begin at any time (following the Rapture). The statement must be understood in accordance with God’s perspective on time (cf. 2 Pet.3:4, 8)
The word signified (Gr. esemanen) refers to the conveyance of truth by means of signs and symbols, and refers to the visions described throughout the book. Symbols must be interpreted either from something in the context or from other scriptures.’
Now let’s rest for a moment after taking in all that heavy stuff. (smile)
Yes friends, it’s time we start eating some adult food, some meat and potatoes, rather than just drinking baby milk all the time. If we want to mature in Christ, then we need to take our understanding of His Word to a higher and deeper level.
And before we go any further, allow me to point out something. Please note that the word ‘apocalypse’, as we see from above, means the unveiling or revelation of what’s going to happen, not the eventual fiery and tumultuous destruction of the world as many of us consider it, although that might be involved in the revelation.
Now let’s continue getting deeper in God’s Word with some more explanations from the scholars. ‘1:2-3. Bare record: John was a witness of what he wrote. He saw the revelation and wrote what he saw. The blessing of verse 3 has a threefold condition: (1) read the book, (2) hear (understand) it, and (3) keep (obey) it.
The essential nature of prophecy was the communication of new truth (divine revelation). God has given it to be obeyed, not simply to be discussed and debated. The time is at hand in the sense that nothing else now has to occur before the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.’
Awright mih breddren, that’s enough food for thought for today. But let’s be wise and ponder all the things we’ve read and heard, so that our hearts and minds can be truly filled with the Word of God and the things of heaven.
More on this tomorrow, the Lord willing. Till then though, let’s all try to walk in sincere peace and LOVE, showing mercy and compassion to others, as our wonderful Lord God has shown, and is still showing to us. Much LOVE!
…this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth…but thou shalt meditate therein…day and night…that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein…for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous…and then thou shalt have good success… (Josh. 1:8)
24 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a call to faith, a friend of Jesus, allegiance to God, and again I say rejoice, be thankful for all things, benefits, Christian, Creator, giving thanks always, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God is so sweet, God's promise, graven images, 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 the Lord am a jealous god, I'm not waht I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, keep yourselves from idols, let your spirits be lifted high, little children, LOVE, loved by God, mentally challenged, Most High God Jehovah, new mercies and blessings, no one can become between God and us, provider, Rejoice in the Lord always, rightousness, seek ye first the kingdom of God, share His love with the world, showing mercy unto them that love me, stress, strife, thanks and praise, thanksgiving, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Ten Commandments, the things of the world, Thou shalt have no other Gods before me, thou shalt not bow down to them, truth, Tuesday Mantra, visiting the iniquity of the fathers, walk obediently in God's will, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wisdom
1 John 5:21. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Oh Friends, it’s Tuesday…a brand new day! That means new mercies and blessings soon come! Glory to God! Now that is God’s sincere promise, and if you truly believe in Him then you will believe His word and be waiting expectantly and patiently for the new mercies and blessings to rain down upon you.
Mama Mia! Oh what a wonderful Lord and Saviour we serve and worship my brethren! Let your spirits be lifted high, because our God is still on the throne and still in control of this great universe that He created, and has promised that nothing, or no one can or will ever come between Him and us. Give Him some thanks and praise my people!
Yuh know, recently I’ve been thinking that our God is so sweet and we are so stupid, or I believe the politically correct term is mentally challenged, (smile) because we’re not bright and smart enough to walk obediently in His will, even though we’ve seen the huge benefits that come from doing so.
We know that our God LOVES nothing better than to receive our sincere and heartfelt thanks and praise, because that’s what He made us to do; to glorify Him with thanks and praise. But yet we refuse to give Him His just desserts.
I don’t know about you all nuh Friends, but I just LOVE to give Him thanks and praise, for there’s nothing sweeter than listening to good music with worshipful lyrics and sending up declarations of sincere LOVE and thanksgiving to the Most High God Jehovah! Oh glory to our wonderful Creator and great Provider!
If we were really smart, we’d be giving Him constant thanks and praise. As Bruh Paul says to the Ephesians: ‘Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Eph.5:20)
And again to the Philippians, where he confidently declares: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice.’ (Phil.4:4)
And the scholars offer this bit of sage advice and explanation. ‘This command to rejoice at all times and in all circumstances is nothing less than a call to faith. For if the Christian believes that his life and all its circumstances are in the hands of a sovereign, wise, and LOVING God who is always working to accomplish good for him, then he can indeed “rejoice always.”
That is gospel truth Friends! It’s a win-win situation, because God would be enjoying our grateful glorification, and so would we. Glory Hallelujah my people! And that’s the end of my rambling for today. (smile)
Now let’s turn to our Tuesday Mantra and declare it like we really believe it. As one 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.’
Glory to God my brethren for there’s nothing better in this world, especially in these challenging times than to be LOVED by God, be His child, and be a Friend of Jesus!
Ah mih people, the ole fella is so worked up that he doesn’t know what to do with himself. (smile) I guess then we’ll finally turn to our Bit. ‘Little children, keep yourselves from idols.’
And what part of that don’t we understand eh mih people? For right from the very beginning, in the Ten Commandments, our God warned us about it. If you don’t remember, let me refresh our minds.
The very first commandment is ‘Thou shalt have no other God’s before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them (worship them), nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex.20:3-6)
Now where does He change that commandment eh Friends? Where does He say that we can put all sorts of other supposed gods, be they graven images or material things before Him eh? Nowhere? So why do we think it’s okay to put all the things we put in our everyday lives before Him eh?
That’s not wisdom Friends. And the sad part is that Jesus promised, ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Yes, precious people, all the earthly things that we are running down and placing before Almighty God are available to us if we seek Him and His kingdom FIRST!
Now doesn’t it seem somewhat foolish to be killing ourselves over stuff when we can have them without any fuss and bother, if we’d just make the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob our first priority? It certainly does my fellow believers!
So please let’s ‘wisen’ up nuh Friends, and stop running down the things of the world, the very things that are causing us so much stress and strife, that are ruining our lives in our driving and never-ending pursuit of them! That is certainly not the wisdom of heaven…or really any kind of wisdom at all! Much LOVE!
…true allegiance to God… ought to be the believer’s first and main priority…
P.S. Sadly my people, like LOVE and hate, late nights and early mornings just don’t agree. (smile)
17 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afflicted, all glory and honour to God, all heads will bow, all knees will bend, be hated by all nations for my sake, children of God, Christians, come up over our problems, distrust, earthquakes, false prophets, famines, friends of Jesus, function successfully without God, glory to God, God's Word, hatred, he that shall endure to the end, 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, iniquity, invoke God's help, Isis, Israel, knowledge of God's word, Lebanon, LOVE, love shall wax cold, made it through, Paris attacks, persecution, pestilence, promises of Jesus, put on the whole armour of God, rumours of wars, shall be saved, share His love with the world, stand, strife, Syrian Civil war, take the cake, the beginning of sorrows, the beginning of the end, the best thing, the Creed of the Beloved, the disciples came unto Him privately, the end of the world, the Mount of Olives, the name of Jesus, the Olivet Discourse, the wherewithal to pull through, to withstand in the evil day, torrid emotions, tribulation, Tuesday Mantra, violence, wars, what shall be the sign of thy coming, what the world needs now, when shall these things be, wisdom, with God's help
Matthew 24:3. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (age)?
Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s Tuesday – all day too! (smile) And yuh see how, with God’s help, you made it through Monday without any real worries or anxieties?
Well the same thing is also applicable to Tuesday. All you need to do is sincerely invoke God’s help, and He will give you the wherewithal to face down whatever you are facing, and come up over your problems.
Wow! All glory and honour to the great, to the magnificent God we serve and worship! I truly don’t understand how so many people can believe that they can function successfully without Him in their lives nuh.
Anyway, since today is Tuesday, it means that we should declare our Tuesday Mantra, or what’s otherwise known as ‘The Creed of the Beloved.’
Altogether now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Oh glory to God my people! As Christians, as children of God and Friends of Jesus we have the best thing going in this whole wide world! Absolutely no need to worry or hurry!
Unfortunately though, not enough of us fully appreciate and enjoy it, otherwise we’d all be much happier and our world would not be in such a sad state of strife, distrust and deterioration.
Ah Lord eh! Just thinking about the recent Paris attacks, the Lebanon debacle, and the violence that’s fomenting in Israel… and we’re not even including the Syrian Civil war, or the Isis nonsense… we certainly are in a time of serious danger and difficulty.
If the strife isn’t soon abated, then it’s very liable to blow up into a big inferno that engulfs the whole world. And believe me friends, if we think the last world wars were terrible, I believe this next one is going to take the cake, since there are so many more dangerous weapons around and much better methods of spreading them.
That brings us to our Bit. ‘And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (age)?
Now yesterday we read the beginning of Jesus’ answer to His disciples, where he talked about all the wars and rumours of wars, the pestilence, earthquakes and famines that will happen in various places.
And all of that stuff is definitely happening in our world right now. Sadly though Jesus said that was just the beginning of the end. Can you then imagine what the real end will be like? I hesitate to even think about it.
Now let’s continue with Jesus’ monologue, or what is called the Olivet Discourse, as it was delivered on the Mount of Olives (Olivet). ‘All these are the beginnings of sorrows (birth pangs). Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted (to tribulation), and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my sake.
And then shall many be offended, and betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity (lawlessness) shall abound, the LOVE of many shall wax (grow) cold.’ Matt.24:8-12)
Oh my fellow believers, doesn’t it just seem as though Jesus is sitting on a hilltop somewhere today, talking about all the negative stuff that’s currently happening in our world? It certainly does! Beside the strife that we’ve already talked about, the persecution of Christians and the hatred that’s now been directed at them simply because of their belief and faith and trust in Jesus Christ is appalling.
Have you ever noticed though, that no other word in any language at all, seems to stir up such torrid emotions than the single, solitary name of ‘JESUS.’ Hn! It must then be a very powerful name indeed!
In general too, betrayals and hatred are on the upswing. And don’t talk about false prophets… there are so many of them around that one has to be very, very careful whom you listen to and follow.
The same goes for iniquity and lawlessness. Sin is now so rampant and official by man’s standards, that unless you have a good knowledge of God’s Word, you’ll find it extremely difficult to know what’s right from wrong.
And obviously from all those negative circumstances will flow the terrible lack of LOVE that’s now so prominent in our world. The words of the old song: ‘What the world needs now, is LOVE, sweet LOVE,’ have never been as true or as necessary.
However my precious people, my fellow believers, as always, our Lord and Saviour has provided a way out for us, ever faithful to His promises to never leave nor forsake us. Listen to His solemn words. ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt.24:13)
Oh glory to the Lamb of God, who is so worthy of our praise and adoration! Yes Friends, if we stand strong and steadfast, holding securely and sincerely to Jesus during these rough and unpredictable times, we WILL be saved in the end!
That’s a promise of Jesus, and so far he has never reneged on one of them, so why will He now eh? No reason whatsoever my brethren!
So with all of that in mind, let’s continue reading and studying and meditating on God’s Word, so that we will know right from wrong and receive strength for our faith. Let’s also continue to meet and fellowship regularly with other believers, encouraging and edifying each other so that we are able to withstand the flaming arrows of the enemy.
As Bruh Paul so wisely advised the Ephesians. ‘Wherefore take unto you (put on) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:13)
Yes Friends, that is indeed the wisdom of all wisdom! Much LOVE!
…there’s no name in the world as powerful as…JESUS…to whom all heads will bow…and all knees will bend…
10 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all praise and thanks, all ye lands, bless His name, blessings, canyons, child-like behaviour, children of the Most High God, churlish, City of Toronto, come before his presence with singing, concrete jungle, confrontational, daily commuters, donkey's years, eternal life, glory hallelujah, glory to God, Go station, Go-Bus, He is love, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth for ever, 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, it feels good to be alive, lazy, like ants, LOVE, loving kindness, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, mercies, mercy, miserable, my neck of the woods, our heavenly Father, our Lord and Saviour, resentful, salvation, Scrip-Bit Friends, scurrying along, serve the Lord with gladness, share His love with the world, shout joyfully unto the Lord, shouting for joy, skyscrapers, sons and daughters of God, stressed out, thanskgiving, the elders in heaven, the Light of our lives, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the sheep of his pasture, the things of God, the wisdom of heaven, thou art worthy O lord, thou hast created all things, tired as a dog, to get to and from work, to receive glory honour and power, traffic congestion, Tuesday Mantra, Union Station, walking stick, we are his people, with the help of God, worthwhile action, written indelibly into our souls
Psalm 100:1. Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord all ye lands (all the earth).
Well a hearty good morning to you my Scrip-Bit Friends and family! It’s a somewhat chilly Tuesday morning in my neck of the woods, but that’s the norm for this time of year. And it surely feels good to be alive, especially after inhaling some of that fresh air while doing my garbage man duties. (smile)
Now, before I forget, the ole fella had a thrilling adventure in the goodly city of Toronto yesterday afternoon… well it wasn’t all that thrilling, but it certainly was interesting. I had a medical appointment in the city and through my young daughter’s encouragement, I parked my car at the nearby Go Station and took the Go Bus into the city.
That in itself was a first, and from high up, I noticed a lot of stuff that I never notice while driving in my car. Unfortunately though, after reaching the Bus Terminal I had to walk some four or five blocks to my appointment. But glory to God, between Him, my trusty walking stick and I, we made it without too much trouble. The knees held up admirably!
Oh Friends, Toronto has become the veritable concrete jungle that Bob Marley sang in his song of the same name. All you can see is the sky right above you, as you walk down the streets that resemble canyons between the numerous skyscrapers. And you’d better believe that there are still several buildings in construction around the downtown area. Ah Lord eh, when is it ever going to end?
Then I had to walk back the same distance to Union Station to catch a train home. I haven’t been in that place for literally donkey’s years, (smile) and with its new and refurbished look it was at first somewhat disconcerting. But again, with the help of God and the service people there I found my way to the train on time.
Now that too was another eye-opening experience, since I had never ridden the Go-train on that route before. And it’s amazing what you see when you ride the train; all the undesirable and not-so beautiful backside of the city. I never even knew that there were so many stops along that route either.
And if you think the traffic congestion is bad now, just imagine if the hundreds of cars parked in each Go-station parking lot were also on the road. Mama Mia! But I can now understand what the daily commuters go through; just like little ants scurrying along to get to and from work.
And I left the city early, before the real rush began. Thank the Lord I don’t have to do that kind of commuting nuh! I can now understand too why the society is so stressed out, miserable and confrontational. Doing that sort of thing twice a day, five times a week is no joking matter. And by the time I got back home, I was as tired as a dog.
Anyway, enough about my adventures. (smile) Today is Tuesday, so let’s recite our Tuesday Mantra. All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Glory to God my people, for being such a wonderful Deity! And as children of the Most High God Jehovah, we have all His considerable and wonderful blessings and mercies set out before us in new batches each and every day! All praise and thanks be to our incomparable heavenly Father!
Sadly though, I don’t think that we do offer our wonderful and awesome God enough sincere thanks and praise for our blessings, that’s why we’re continuing today with more scripture extolling those facets of our faith. Our Bit from Psalm 100 – A call to praise the Lord – declares it in great fashion. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord all ye lands (all the earth).’
Now that’s exactly what we ought to be doing my fellow believers! We have so much to be thankful for, especially salvation and eternal life, that we ought to be jumping and shouting for joy, praising and thanking the Light of our lives, our Lord and Saviour, for His endless mercy and LOVING-kindness towards us, when we don’t deserve one iota of it.
But what do we do? Instead we get sour and churlish, miserable and resentful as soon as some little thing doesn’t go our way. Chuh! That’s selfish and child-like behaviour my brethren, definitely not suitable for true followers of, and believers in Jesus Christ!
Oh my people, what we truly ought to be doing as sons and daughters of Almighty God, is what the psalmist lays out as he continues: ‘Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.’ (Ps.100:2)
That is what the elders in heaven are doing; around God’s throne: singing a new song to Christ: ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.’(Rev.4:11)
So Friends, if the heavenly hosts can sing praise and thanks to the Lord, why can’t we earthly beings do it to eh? No good reason whatsoever my people!
And it’s not like we don’t know what we’re to do, but we’re just lazy and uninterested in the things of God, paying more attention to the earthly circumstances of our lives and the unprofitable sleek and shining things of this world.
And though this will make the bit longer than I desired, I believe it’s necessary for us to hear the rest of the psalm. ‘Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps.100:3-5)
Please my people, let’s allow that scripture to be written indelibly into our souls nuh, for it is the gospel truth! And as we ponder upon it today, let’s ask our heavenly Father, who refuses us nothing that’s within His will, to help us put it all into worthwhile action. That my Friends, is the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…praise Him, praise Him…Glory Hallelujah…for He is LOVE…He is LOVE…
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…
27 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abide in me and I in you, all our sins and griefs to bear, all things are possible, doing God's work, Donnie McClurkin, earthly pilgrimage, everything to God in prayer, evidence of Jesus' power, faith, Gospel Concert, grace, happens in the best of families, He giveth power to the faint, Hezekiah Walker, I am the beloved of god, I am the vine, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, 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, joy, life just gives us time and space, LOVE Jesus, meaning, mercy, No one is guaranteed happiness, our God-given responsibility., share His love with the world, spiritual superman, surrender to Jesus, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the same bringeth forth much fruit, to them that no might he increaseth strength, truth, Tuesday Mantra, under the weather, we must fill it with joy and meaning, what a beautiful way to live, what a friend we have in Jesus, what a privilege to carry, without me ye can do nothing, ye are the branches
Isaiah 40:29. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Aye Friends, it’s Tuesday and unfortunately the ole fella is late and somewhat under the weather. But I guess that happens in the best of families eh? (smile)
My ole right knee’s been acting up and doing some serious aching for the last couple days… Steups! It might even force me to cancel an appointment with a medic in the fair city of Toronto later on today to talk about my shoulder. Chuh!
But yuh know what? It isn’t going to stop me from going down the street later to see a big American Gospel concert featuring the likes of Hezekiah Walker and Donny McClurkin and a host of others. (smile)
Isn’t life great? It surely is my people. The aches and pains of old age and otherwise might slow us down, but we must not allow them to stop us from doing God’s work to the best of our limited ability.
And here is a most appropriate quote from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster. It says: ‘No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’
Indisputable truth that my brethren! Regardless of how blessed or ‘unblessed’ we are, it is still and always will be our responsibility to put joy and meaning into our lives. So let’s stop looking to other things and people to make us happy and meaningful. It is our God-given responsibility to do that for ourselves.
And having made that point clear, let’s turn to our Tuesday Mantra and declare it with absolute faith, joy and meaning. (smile)
Altogether 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.’
More indisputable truth my people! And as the old hymn so rightly corroborates and reminds us: ‘What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!’
Yes Friends, whatever it is, good, bad or ugly, we need to take it all to Jesus and let Him help us sort it out, for without Him we cannot do much, but with Him…oh my people, ALL things are possible!
That’s why we can believe our Bit. ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.’ What an awesome promise!
Then when we add the seminal, the seed bearing scripture of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me,’ (Phil.4:13) ohhh, we get a most powerful and faithful promise that just lifts us up and takes us to a whole new level!
Now I’d be rather amiss if I didn’t include the scholars’ explanation on that quote of Bruh Paul. ‘4:13. The apostle’s ability of knowing how to live skillfully on little or in prosperity does not mean that he is a spiritual superman. The reason he can live in such extremes is not owing to his own ability.
Rather, he can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth him, thus enabling him to adapt to his various, ever-changing circumstances. God orders Paul’s various situations, and God gives him the strength to be content in them all, trying and perplexing though they may be.’
Yes Friends, the same thing applies to us all; the Lord orders or allows whatever circumstances we experience, then He, in His wondrous grace and mercy gives us the wherewithal to handle them. Now isn’t our God a wonderful Deity? He surely is! No other supposed deity does that for His followers.
And then to cap it all, we have Jesus’ take on the subject. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him; the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
Oh Friends, that’s what I LOVE about Jesus; He doesn’t hold anything back, He says it as it is: without Him, we can do nothing. And that’s the living truth!
Now here is a short explanation on that verse from the scholars’. ‘15:1-9. Jesus explains the divine human relationship by the analogy of a grapevine. Jesus is like the main vine. The disciples are compared with branches. The Father tends the branches like a gardener. At that time of year (when Jesus spoke those words), branches of grapevines would be budding in Jerusalem.’
So my people, with all that evidence of Jesus’ power and LOVE and care and compassion, why do we find it so difficult to surrender our lives to Him eh? Why are we so reluctant to put our entire trust and faith in Him?
I personally can’t see any good reason for that reluctance. But as we said earlier on, ‘life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’ And believe me, the most joy and meaning to be found in this earthly pilgrimage is in concert with Jesus!
That’s wisdom in spades my brethren! So please accept it, and put it into action. You will never regret it. Much LOVE!
…to know Jesus…ohhh…is just to LOVE Him…to LOVE and worship Him…with all our hearts mind, bodies and souls…what a beautiful way to live…
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