01 Jun 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant life, Anselm, as a man thinks, aspires to inspire us, be patient, become foolish, believing, Book of the Law, breath of life, day and night, den of iniquity, difficulties, dr robert h schuller, faith, free will, friends, full of pride, gospel truth, grow in our christian faith, guidebook for living, have good success, he who has ears to hear, hopelessness, House of prayer, in concert with Jesus, in partenership with Christ, in the low time, in the wintertime, in your worst mood, Jesus Christ, let him hear, life's circumstance, Lord, make thy way prosperous, make your most important decisions, meditate on it, mire of disaster, negative emotions, negative stress, never cut down a tree, never make a negative decision, offended, opportunities, our own benefit, out of thy mouth, positive results, positive thinking, positive thoughts, power over your happiness, replace negative thoughts, Saturday, saviour, shall not depart, sinless life, so is he, spring will come, stress, stressed, talk the faith, the mind of Jesus, the right attitude, the storm will pass, to get angry, walk the faith
Joshua 1:8. This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) 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.
And then it was Saturday, the first of June; somewhat sunny, but still a tad chilly. And the first order of business is to ask us to continue praying for our Scrip-Bit family member Alyssa. She came through the surgery successfully…Glory to God! And she thanks us all for our prayers, but she is having a difficult time with the pain, so it would be nice if we ask the Lord to help her in that respect; either reduce it, or give her the strength to handle it.
And believe you me, I know what it is to be in pain after surgery, I’ve had enough of it to last me a lifetime! But the fact is that’s the only way we grow in our Christian faith; through difficult times, which teaches us to hold on tightly to the Lord and the awesome promises found in His Word.
The problem with most of us believers is that we talk the faith very well, but don’t do it as well when the time calls for it. Anyway, let’s just pray for Alyssa and by faith, know and believe that He will help her. Remember, believing is the most important part of prayer. End of sermon! (smile)
Now since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And he sent us a whole slew this week, and some long ones as well! Hear this first one: ‘Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.’
Now that’s ever so obvious! You can’t have positive results with negative thoughts. And Positive Thinking is the way to go in this life, because Cousin Sol says that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. (Prov.23:7) And that’s gospel truth friends! However we think, that’s the way we will behave, that’s the direction in which we’ll go.
And remember, the greatest positive thinker of all time was our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. How else would He imagine that He could come to earth, die for our sins, then expect us to lead others to Him eh? Only positive thinking at it’s highest pinnacle could cause Him to believe such an extraordinary thing. And since we’re supposed to have the mind of Jesus, then our thinking ought to be along positive lines too.
That’s why this next quote is also true. ‘Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.’ Oh friends, this life is all about attitudes, our attitudes to life’s circumstances! If we have the right attitude, then we’ll be able to handle whatever comes against us, especially if we’re in concert with Jesus!
And all of that segues quite nicely into this other quote: ‘Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you’re doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.’
Mama Yo! Yuh ever see Jesus allow the li’l things to bother Him? No way! Is only when big things like the supposed people of God using His Father’s house of prayer as a den of iniquity, that He allows His anger to burst forth! (Matt.21:13) And talking about attitudes, hear this quote: ‘You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.’
Yes my brethren, the only smart and sensible way to see life is through rose coloured glasses. (smile) We have to consider our difficulties as opportunities to grow, or we’ll just stay and wallow in the mire of disaster and hopelessness all our earthly lives…And that’s definitely not what Jesus died for us to do!
He gave His sinless life so that we could have a good, rich and abundant life, beginning right here on earth! But as always, in partnership with Christ, we have a part to do. And yes, our part is not always easy to do, but with Jesus by our side it is eminently doable. And He expects us to do it!
That brings us to this last quote: ‘Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come.’
And I vividly remember that advice from one of Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) messages in his Hour of Power Devotional. He tells how one winter his father saw a tree that seemed dead and cut it down for firewood, but come the springtime, the remnants of that tree blossomed again, and his father gave him that same very sound advice.
Oh friends, this world is so contrary and ungodly and evil, and brings so many negative things against us that it is difficult to do all that we need to do. That’s why we have to stay in constant contact with God, read, meditate and inwardly digest His amazing Word, which contains promises for every area of our earthly walk. It’s our Guidebook for LIVING; both here on earth and also in heaven for eternity, for it tells us what we’ll be doing then too!
And it all comes right back to the Lord’s own unbeatable advice to Joshua long, long ago: ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) 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.’
Ah mih breddren, that’s not new news! And we’re not prosperous and don’t have good success because we don’t practice what the Lord tells us! He is the Creator and Ruler of the universe, and if He tells us we need to do such and so to be successful in the life He’s planned and ordained for us, then why would we do otherwise eh?
Because with our free will, we’ve become foolish and full of too much pride, and feel we know better than the One who created us and blew His breath of life into our feeble lungs! But as Jesus so simply and eloquently puts it: He that hath ears to hear…let him hear! Matter fix mih people!
So let’s sit down today and do some serious and wise hearing nuh! It’s all for our own benefit! Much LOVE!
…mixed up moods and attitudes…only bring a mixed up and unsuccessful life…
28 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merry springtime dance, Abednego, assured of God's goodness, beloved of God, conscious effort, Daniel, Darius, dominion until the end, eternal life, fiery furnace, forgiveness of sins, friend of Jesus, grace, he will deliver thee, hurry, Jesus Christ, less talking, like the Son of God, make a difference, mercy, Mesach, Nebuchadnezzar, not even smelling of smoke, of the shadow of death, peace be multiplied, righteous and godly living, salvation, shadrach, share His love, steadfast forever, the God of Daniel, the king spake to Daniel, the living God, the Love of Christ, the valley, thou servest continually, thy God, to follow jesus, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly circumstances, wet and wooly, work everything out for good, worketh signs and wonders, worry
Daniel 6:16b. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
And yes, it’s a wet and wooly Tuesday morning in my area, with the wind leading the trees in a merry springtime dance! But they seem to be handling it quite well with their new green leaves and strong springtime branches! Likewise, we saints of Christ ought to be handling the evil and ungodly circumstances of this world with the same kind of fervour, because we have a great, good and wonderful God looking out for us!
Glory be my people! He’s so concerned about us that He’s even numbered the hairs of our heads, and NOTHING happens to us that He doesn’t know about, so this Tuesday morning, let’s rise up and greet the day with the awe and splendour it deserves nuh, as we boldly proclaim: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ It’s the only way to go my faithful brethren, if we want to enjoy heaven down here on earth, like Christ died for us to do.
And let me remind us once again of this awesome bit of truth from a Daily Bread Devotional: ‘In the darkest hours of life, only through the eyes of faith, can we see the LOVING hand of God!’ And yuh better believe that yes friends! For when those dark and dreadful times come, when you feel like you’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death, it’s only if your faith is real strong that you can even think about God, much less believe that He’s in the midst of it with you, and will work everything out for your good!
We just have to look at the example of those three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to worship the idol of King Nebuchadnezzar, and were thrown into the fiery furnace. Neb was so angered by their refusal that he commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than normal, and the mightiest men to bind them up and throw them in the fiery furnace.
And what happened eh? The fire was so hot that it killed the men who threw them in, but those boys came out scot free, not even smelling of smoke. Mama Yo! And what’s interesting is that Neb in his fury saw four men loose walking about in the furnace, when only three were thrown in. ‘And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’ he recounted. (Dan.3:25b) Neb obviously had no knowledge of Christ, but he realized that someone greater than Him was in there with the boys.
And Daniel in the lion’s den proved the same point my faithful believers in Christ! The king, Darius, didn’t want to put Daniel in the lion’s den, but the law forced him to do so. But hear the awesome words he spoke to him before doing so. ‘Thy God, whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.’
Wow people! If an idol-worshipping king could sense God in Daniel’s life, and be so assured of His goodness and power, why can’t we sense Him in ours eh, and be thus assured, when we have greater knowledge of the Almighty, than those long ago faithful had? I truly don’t know why. Yuh know, sometimes the more information you have, the more confused you get.
It’s like having too many options, you don’t really know which one to choose. And do we ever have a bunch of options in this current world, options that are trying to drag us in all different directions at the same time. But friends, we only really need ONE, and that’s the ONE offering Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour! Mama Mia! There’s nothing better than that!
And it’s not like we don’t know it? Because there’s no other option offering us, forgiveness of sins, mercy, grace, salvation and eternal life in heaven for simply believing! But we’re so blinded by our sin and the false and fickle goodies that the world throws our way, that we dither, sit on the fence, hoping that somehow it will all work out. But it won’t friends, unless we make the determined and conscious effort to follow Jesus Christ!
And it’s interesting what the Lord made King Darius write to all the people under his rule after He rescued Daniel from the lion’s den. ‘Peace be multiplied unto you (shades of Bruh Paul). I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men (must) tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in the earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power (paws, hands) of the lions.’ (Dan.6:25-27)
Oh friends, that realization was made long, long before Jesus came, and it has stood the test of time! So why can’t we accept and believe it eh? Why do we have so much trouble living the life Jesus wants us to live eh? But turning back to Daniel’s life, I believe its most important aspect is the mighty effect his righteous and godly living had on those around him. It turned a pagan king into a believer, or at least one who recognized that there was a power mightier than him.
And yuh know friends, that’s all that Jesus is asking of us today; to live our lives in such a manner that others will see our truth, to walk our walk, so that they too will want to have what we have; the LOVE of Jesus Christ in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds! We are the tools He wants to use to change the world. So let’s live up to that holy billing nuh! (smile)
Now let’s go home loudly and proudly declaring (yes!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting this evil and ungodly world know who and whose we are! As one now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And the next step is to go out and sincerely share that awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ! Much LOVE!…
Christians need to do much more doing…and far less talking…if they want to make a real difference…
27 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a broken spirit, a continual feast, a foothold in your soul, a kind word, a merry heart dooeth good, anxiety, aura of love, blessings, causes depression, cheers the heart, Christians, confidence, drieth the bones, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, friends, good words, gospel truth, Granny's warning, Happy Memorial Day, heaviness, him that is weary, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, in the heart of man, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, laughter, lies, lightheartedness, like a medicine, LOVE, mixed and mingled, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the tongue of the learned, trust, truth, ungodly world, veterans, wisdom
Proverbs 17:22. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Well a Happy Memorial Day Holiday to all our Scrip-Bit friends and family in the U.S of A! Please enjoy it, but also, please remember Granny’s advice: ‘Sonny Boy, drunk or sober, mind yuh business,’ and don’t let the enemy get a foothold in your soul.
Now it’s all well and good to remember those who gave their lives for our democratic way of life, but please don’t forget the veterans who are still alive and are suffering because of their service on our behalf. We can’t do much for those who have already passed on, but we can certainly do much better than we’re currently doing for the ones left behind, maimed, disabled, and suffering mental, economic and psychological difficulties.
So today, please take a moment to remember them, offer up a heartfelt prayer on their behalf, and sometime soon lobby your political representatives to improve their quality of life. They deserve at least that much!
And now, for all of those who have to go out and labour, let’s raise up our spirits by declaring (right ho!) our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. All together now: ‘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!’
Yes friends, there’s nothing like good, sincere, heartfelt prayer to boost our spirits! And I can see that by just looking at the sudden light that’s come on in your eyes, and the way you’re holding yourself straighter and moving more briskly! (smile) And yeh, those loud, hoarse, slurry voices belonged to those who don’t have to go to work today. What else is new eh? (smile)
And since we smiling so much this morning, (smile) I guess it’s a good time to talk about what good cheer can do for us. Here’s how Cousin Sol puts it nuh: ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth! Laughter, does act like good medicine on us! And it’s free to boot! And too many of us supposed believers are too serious and withdrawn, wrongly feeling that to be a Christian one must always have this sourpuss face and attitude. That’s so wrong!
Look at Jesus nuh! He was never sour and miserable, but always pleasant and outgoing, not holding himself as some paragon of virtue, even though He was. He mixed and mingled with both the rich and the poor, the sick and the healthy, because He came to save all who were lost, and there indeed were, and still are lost souls in every category of human life.
So please, let’s get rid of the false, idea and attitude so prevalent amongst us that laughter and lightheartedness are not becoming of a true Christian. I believe it’s the exact opposite! Since we’re so blessed and cared for, we should be lighthearted and show it, so others can see it and want the wonderful blessings that we have.
And listen to Cousin Sol earlier on nuh: ‘Heaviness (anxiety) in the heart of man maketh it stoop (causes depression): but a good word maketh it glad.’ (Prov.12:25) Oh my people, yuh hear that? The scholars’ explain:‘12:25. A good word is a kind word that cheers the heart.’ So please, let’s go out today and try to use good words nuh, and make Jesus proud of us.
And if you don’t believe Cousin Sol, then listen to Isaiah: ‘The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.’ (Is.50:4) Yeh friends, our wonderful God whispers learning each morning to us when we awaken, expecting us to go out and share it with others. Let’s not disappoint Him nuh.
And we’ll end with some more wise words from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol: ‘A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance (face): but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.’ (Prov.15:13) And I’m sure all of us can attest to that from personal experience. When we’re happy, we wear a happy face, but when we’re not, we’re sour and sorrowful.
And this last word from Cousin Sol. ‘All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.’ (Prov.1515) So my people, if we want to be continually feasting, then we have to have merry hearts! It’s as simple as that! So let’s go out today, and every day, with as merry a heart as we can handle nuh. That’s unadulterated wisdom, which brings everlasting joy! (smile) Much LOVE!
…if Christians would only lighten up…and laugh a li’l more…there wouldn’t be so many sour and miserable ones… (smile)
26 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of praise, all that labour, Amazing grace, as I live from day to day, but couldn't find, come unto me, Crying in the Chapel, deceitful world, find the way, gentle, get down on your knees and pray, give I unto you, go to pray, harmonious songbird, heavy laden, holy spirit, humble, humble people, I prayed the Lord, I will give you rest, I'd grow stronger, I'm happy with the Lord, I've searched, in limbo, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer, learn from me, let not your heart be troubled, lighten our souls, lightning, live and work for Jesus, meek, my burden light, my peace I give unto you, my yoke is easy, neither be afraid, no way on, not as the world giveth, our Lord and Saviour, peace, Peace i leave with you, people are of one accord, Satan, simplicity, take your troubles, tears of joy, the great invitation, the Lord's Day, the meaning of contentment, the Sabbath, thunder, to gain peace of mind, to sing and praise the Lord, to the chapel, touching, truth, truthful, unburden your heart, we gather in the chapel, weighed down, with a vengeance, your burdens will be lighter
John 14:27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
And the rain fell with a vengeance, for much of the day! And it wasn’t the measly drizzle we’d been getting for the last li’l while, but full blown showers accompanied by booming claps of Thor’s thunder and threatening bolts of fiery lightning! The sun would come out for a li’l while and you’d think, ‘Yes, the rain’s over!’ But that would be a wasted thought, for shortly thereafter the rain would come pouring down again. Chuh!
And that’s the worst kind of rainfall, because it just leaves you in limbo, never knowing what it’s going to do! But the good thing is that was yesterday, Saturday, today is Sunday, a different day completely, so let’s hope the weather will be different too. (smile) And it looks different, bright, but with some scudding clouds.
But even if it’s the same, please, don’t let us allow it to stop us from gathering in the Lord’s sanctuary to celebrate His day, the Sabbath, to give Him praise and thanks, to hear His faithful and wonderful Word, and receive His enabling blessings, without which we can’t successfully navigate the storms and trials of this earthly life. And as always, we’ll begin the celebrations with a song of praise and worship to lighten our souls and prepare our hearts to hear His Word.
And today’s song is a fairly new one, written in the second half of the 20th century, by one Artie Glenn, but was popularized by one Elvis Presley. So let’s get serious, soulful and sincere as we raise up our voices in praise and thanksgiving to heaven, through the words of ‘Crying In The Chapel’ It’s a soulful morning friends, so let’s feel it in our hearts and souls and trill as one harmonious songbird. (smile)
‘You saw me crying in the chapel, The tears I shed were tears of joy, Now I know the meaning of contentment, And I’m happy with the Lord. Just a plain and simple chapel, Where humble people go to pray. I prayed the Lord that I’ll grow stronger, As I live from day to day. I’ve searched (I’ve searched) and I’ve searched, But I couldn’t find, No way on earth to gain peace of mind.
But now I’m happy in the chapel, where people are of one accord (One accord). Yes, we gather in the chapel, Just to sing and praise the Lord. Oh you’ll search, and you’ll search, but you’ll never find, No way on earth to gain peace of mind. Take your troubles to the chapel, get down on your knees and pray, Then your burdens will be lighter, and you’ll surely find the way, Yes, you’ll surely find the way!’
People oh people! Such simple but heartrending words of absolute truth! Wow! And we sung it so sweetly that all heaven was moved to tears! Don’t you just like it when we move all heaven to tears? Of course, because it means that we’ve done something, touching, sincere and truthful! That calls for another ‘Wow!’ this auspicious Sunday morning.
But on a serious note though, it’s certainly amazing how the sentiments in such a short and simple song could be so true. For example; the tears many of us shed when we go to church are usually ones of joy, because something happens within our souls and spirits and we’re lifted up, we become contented through the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through us and renewing and refreshing us.
And yuh know what? We don’t have to go to no big cathedral to search for God and pray, because we’ll find Him just as well in a simple chapel, where the folks are humble, because that’s one of the requirements of coming to Him in prayer. And we not asking for a whole lot usually – well some of us are (smile) but simply to grow stronger each day as we live in the presence of God’s amazing grace.
And yuh better believe that there is no other way of finding peace on this ungodly earth than through the auspices of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! That’s for sure! As He unambiguously told the disciples, and consequently us: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’
Yes friends, the peace we get from Jesus is nothing like what this world has to offer; it’s an out of this world kind of peace, that ONLY He possesses and ONLY He can bestow! And that’s why we end up being contented and cry tears of joy in the chapel! And the best piece of advice there is to take ALL your troubles to God’s sanctuary, or really anywhere quiet and convenient, get down on your knees and pray; unburden your heart before Him, and He will lift your burdens and show you the way.
Just listen to Jesus as He makes this wonderful offer to ALL those who are weighed down and burdened nuh. We call it the Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek (gentle) and lowly (humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
How can you ever beat that offer eh friends? Nobody has ever offered anything even close to it. And yes, I do know that when things seem too good to be true, they usually are, but that’s in the lying and deceitful world of Satan, not in Jesus’ realm! He is God and has no cause to lie! And better still, He also has the power to perform whatever He promises! All praise and glory to His Holy Name! That’s why this song, ‘Crying in the Chapel’ is so perfect in its simplicity and truth!
Oh how I wish more of us supposed believers would take hold of the simplicity of Jesus’ message and just run with them! It would make all of our lives so much easier. Our Lord and Saviour is not a complicated man, and His pronouncements are not complicated either. All He asks of us is to believe and obey! Is that so hard to do my people? Not at all!
So this Sunday morning, let’s take a serious and sincere stand nuh promise ourselves to just live and work for Jesus, in whatever manner He desires of us! That’s the unadulterated, God-given wisdom of heaven, by which earth should be guided! Much LOVE!
…to whatever question you might ask…Jesus is the answer…
20 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, aura of love, Christians, Comforter, confidence, diligence, divine revelation, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, excellence, faith, friends, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God is a Spirit, God's plans, grace, Granny's warning, Helper, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, in spirit and in truth, in truth, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, near to all, orphans, our undoing, peace, privilege, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, sense of purpose, spiritual, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the Lord is nigh, the Spirit of God, the spirit of the world, trust, truth, ungodly world, Victoria Day holiday, who call upon Him, wisdom, worker bee of the Trinity, worship Him
Psalm 145:18. The Lord is nigh (near) unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
‘Monday morning… Oh boy! No work today, no work today! Party all day…eat, drink and play, cause there’s no work today! Glory be!’ Yes friends, that’s the song a lot of people are chanting this Monday morning, as we in Canada, celebrate the Victoria Day holiday. And who’s to blame them eh? You have to take it and enjoy it when you can get it.
But just remember Granny’s warning all you party people: ‘Drunk or sober mind yuh business!’ Don’t give the enemy a chance to infiltrate your souls by throwing caution to the winds and behaving in an unacceptable bacchanalian fashion! (smile) And you know that’s what we’re liable to do when we get too party conscious and let it all hang out. So enjoy yourselves, but please be on your p’s and q’s because it’s at these sorts of times that the devil is able to get in some licks.
And unfortunately, some of us always have to go to work because of our modern 24/7 society where stuff never stops, and it’s always more difficult when the majority of workers are off. So for all you unfortunate ones, we’re going to be nice and join you in singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get you started on your journey. (smile)
All together now: ‘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!’
And why aren’t we surprised that the loudest, most raucous and gravelly voices were those from the partygoers eh? That’s just the way it always is; man’s natural habit to be loudly and deeply involved when the onus, or the rough time is not on them.
But I do hope that that jaunty rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn did lessen the jealousy of those of you who have to go out and labour, and that you will do it with a true sense of purpose, with diligence and in excellent fashion, as becomes a sincere follower of Jesus Christ. Give Him all the glory people!
That brings us to our Bit; some rather interesting and reassuring words of Bruh David. ‘The Lord is nigh (near) unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.’ And that’s no lie my people! If we call on the Lord with a sincere and truthful heart, He will always hear our prayer and respond to it.
As Moses said to the Israelites so long ago: ‘For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh (a God so near) unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for.’ (Deut.4:7) It didn’t change in Bruh David’s time, and neither has the situation changed in our time my faithful brethren! Our great and wonderful God is still there, ALWAYS NEAR, when we need Him!
But it takes two actions from us to communicate with Him. We first have to call on Him, and then do so in truth, with sincerity and right motives. Jesus said it thus: ‘God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.’ (John 4:24) So since God is a Spirit, then our connection to Him must be spiritual in nature, namely through His Holy Spirit which dwells within us to lead and guide us, help us to pray, to understand God’s plans for us.
Jesus promised His disciples: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever. Even the spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18)
What awesome promises my people! And they all came true! Give God the glory! And as Bruh Paul told the Corinthians: ‘But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man save (except) the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given of God.’ (1 Cor.2:9-12)
And we’ll end with this interesting explanation from the scholars on verse 10. ‘2:10. Revealed…unto us: ‘Unto us’ is in the emphatic position in Greek, emphasizing the enormous privilege granted the recipients of divine revelation. The magnificent treasure of God’s revealed truth is accessible to the mature believer.’
Oh friends, please, please, I implore us, let’s not abuse that great privilege of divine revelation that we’ve received through the Holy Spirit nuh, else it will surely be our undoing! Much LOVE!
…The Holy Spirit…is like the worker bee of the Trinity…the action oriented third person…
18 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a certain sure belief, a dealer in hope, a leader, Achilles heels, affirmation, Anselm, believers in Jesus Christ, believing in jesus, colour commentary, condemn the world, delusion, discipline, don't find fault, eternal life, eternal living, exalt His name, faith, find the remedy, fleeting treasures, forgiveness, friend, God anointed Jesus, God so loved the world, good to be alive, goodness of jesus, great expectations, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, hope, how high you've climbed, Immanuel, Jesus Christ, justification, long weekend, Lord, making a positive difference, Master of Hope, mercy, name that's higher than any other, part of the problem, part of the solution, prince of peace, promises, Redeemer, sanctification, saviour, should not perish, success, the blame game, the greatest, the world might be saved, to whom all knees must bow, Triune God, Victoria Day, went about doing good, whosoever believeth in him, words have power
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!
Oh friends, how good it is to be alive on this Saturday morning in May, the Victoria Day long weekend! Brother, life might not always be great, but it sure is good to be living with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, our Leader, Redeemer, Prince of Peace, our Immanuel, and the many other things He means to us! Glory to His holy name! The Name that’s higher than any other name in the universe, and the one that all knees will eventually bow to!
Wow! That’s our Jesus! Give Him much praise and glory my people! Exalt His name in all the earth, as Bruh David so rightly says! Oh, I guess the ole fella is really feeling it this morning! (smile) But why not eh? Life might not be fair, but our wonderful God is Good! That’s all we can ask! And as the man said: ‘Don’t ever confuse life with God, cause they are two entirely different things!
Now let’s see if I can get my head around these quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. (smile) It’s not always easy. And we’ll begin with this one: ‘Don’t find the fault, find the remedy.’
And oh, are we ever so good at finding fault in this modern day society. It’s known as the blame game, and we play it so well. But as the saying goes too, ‘If you’re not a part of the answer, then you’re a part of the problem!’ So let’s just remember that today nuh, and act accordingly.
And then there is this: ‘Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.’ I don’t know if it’s the beginning of delusion or not, but I do know that you will get nowhere in this earthly life without discipline…and plenty of it too. For everything you attempt to do down here on earth requires discipline to some degree or other.
So mouthing a lot of proactive words but not doing what it takes to put them into action, is a useless exercise. Remember friends, though our words have power, they don’t manifest themselves without some kind of action on our part!
Now hear this: ‘Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.’ And that is ever so true my fellow believers in Jesus Christ! The evil and ungodly world in which we dwell considers success as rising high in power, politics, wealth and other worldly things.
But in Jesus’ economy, those things are mostly colour commentary. What He considers important is what you’ve done to help your fellow man, how you’ve tried to pursue peace and LOVE in His name! That’s because all the things the world considers important are but fleeting treasures which you can’t take with you to eternal life!
But the peace, LOVE and goodness of Jesus go with you till eternity! So please, let’s stop trying to run down the things of the world nuh, because we’ll only kill ourselves in the process, then have to leave it all to others here to waste and fight over.
And then we have this interesting quote: ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.’ Now there is a lot of truth in that. If you inspire others to rise above their current station in life, be it for good or evil, then you do have some leadership qualities.
Jesus just wants you to inspire others to do good and not evil, as the Good Book says of Him. ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ (Acts 10:38) Oh my people, there is no better example in God’s great world for us to follow than that of Jesus!
And that brings us to our last quote which encapsulates all the others that have gone before. It seems like our friend Anselm was on a leadership kick this week. (smile) But this last one says: ‘A leader is a dealer in hope.’ And that’s no lie! Else why would you follow someone if they don’t give you hope in whatever area you’re choosing to follow them in eh? No reason whatsoever! You might as well just do it yourself!
The sad part though is that leaders are also human and thus have Achilles heels so they can sometimes fall apart or lead us astray. But friends the greatest Leader in this universe is our one and only Leader, Jesus Christ! Talk about being the Master of Hope! Hn! He has that name so cornered that it’s impossible to ever take it away from Him!
Just look at the things He’s done for us nuh! Coming down from His comfortable perch in heaven to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners! Going to the cross with nary a whimper, like a lamb being led to innocent slaughter, suffering the ultimate in humiliation, shame and ‘sufferation,’ just because the Father asked him to.
So that we could have hope for a better tomorrow; a tomorrow not wrecked by sin, shame and eternal damnation, but one securely and sincerely rooted in peace, LOVE, mercy, grace, forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, salvation and eternal life!
Wow! Which other Leader has ever promised that kind of stuff eh, much less given it like Jesus has? NONE!That’s why Jesus is the GREATEST: because He gives us the most HOPE of any Leader that this unfortunate world has ever known! Listen to these immortal words of His: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!’
Now where else is it possible to find such HOPE like that eh friends? Nowhere else but in Jesus! And He didn’t end there either: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17)
Oh my people, don’t those fateful, faithful and true words just lift your spirits and give you a feeling of peace and HOPE, that you can’t find anywhere else in this world? It surely does for me! And what really is HOPE eh Friends? Merely a longing for something, preferably something good!
And the long and short of the story is that God promises, if we believe in His Son, have HOPE in Him, that feeling of great expectations, which lead to faith, a certain sure belief, and which grows ever stronger, as we see His awesome promises come true, that our lives will be filled with wonder and amazement, leading to days of beautiful, exhilarating, eternal living with our Triune God!
Now what can we long for that’s better than that eh, what better HOPE can there ever be? NONE whatsoever! Much LOVE!
…the beginning of true HOPE…begins with believing in Jesus…
15 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a clean heart, a life of sin, Amazing grace, appalling hypocrisy, as white as snow, be as wool, Chrales Stanley, cleanse me, clenched fists, come now, condemnation, confess his sins, continual assurance, contradiction, convicts us, courteous words, create in me, cringe, disobedient subjects, eternal damnation, eyes fixed straight ahead, forgive, frantic, glad to be alive, God's Searchlight, grace, guilt, hypocrites, hyssop, impossible effort, invitation to all men, Jesus Christ, justified, leave all the consequences, let us reason together, light of revelation, looking to the future, LOVE, masked motive, most reliable being, Nathan, no rain, not turning back, obey God, omnipotence, omniscience, One Year Book of Bible promises, penetrating gaze, penitent heart, plead thy case, promises, purge me, purify me, put me in remembrance, raises its ugly head, red like crimson, remorse, remove, renew a right spirit, repenting, Ruth Harms Calkin, selfish act, shame, sinful nature, sins, splintered cross, steadfast, the Holy Spirit, the weather system, to escape, transgressions, turning to god, unchristian, uncoditional love, unreliable, utterly shattered, Wednesday Wail, your child, your sins be as scarlet
Isaiah 1:18. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; and though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
No rain! No rain! Glory be! But the skies on the eastern horizon do look a tad dark for this hour of the morning. (smile) And just to let you know that by lunchtime yesterday, rainy day Tuesday had turned into dry and sunny day Tuesday!
Oh the weather system is so tricky and unreliable these days. But thank God our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the most reliable Being in God’s great universe, so we don’t have anything much to worry about, just our own unnecessary worries. (smile)
And when I read this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin yesterday, it just spoke to me, saying ‘You’ve got to share me!’ So here it is. It’s titled ‘God’s Searchlight.’ Please pray with me: ‘O God If suddenly You were to reveal To my family, my friends, my neighbours Every real thought behind my courteous words If you were to point to my clenched fists While my other hand is openly extended
If you were to bring to light Every masked motive, every selfish act I would cringe with remorse And beg You to remove Your light of revelation. Yet, Lord, when the searchlight of the Holy Spirit Begins to reveal me to myself I so often close my eyes and turn my back In a frantic but impossible effort To escape Your penetrating gaze.
What a staggering contradiction, Lord what appalling hypocrisy. Apart from your grace I am utterly shattered. I ask you to sweep through me Purify me, cleanse me completely. From the depth of my penitent heart I thank You for Your continual assurance As I turn toward Your splintered cross. Because of Your LOVE I became Your child Because of Your GRACE I remain Your child.’
Oh friends, oh friends, that is all so true! We try to be tried and true believers, but that sinful aspect of our nature too often raises its ugly head and makes us behave very hypocritically! And don’t fool your fat, we’re all a bunch of ole hypocrites, just some to a higher or lower degree than others, because we all dislike things and people and otherwise for which we have no good grounds, and behave in ways that are very unchristian.
However when the Holy Spirit convicts us, hopefully we turn to the cross of Jesus and cry out for the help we so badly need! And those last two lines say it all: By God’s unconditional and awesome LOVE, we became His children, and by His amazing GRACE, we remain His children! Yes friends, it’s all because of our wonderful God that we’re saved from a life of sin, shame and eternal damnation!
And I like the scripture verse that Ruth uses for this poem ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; and though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’
Oh my people, which other supposed deity is willing to sit down and reason with His sinful disobedient subjects eh? Only the Lord God Jehovah, because He is sure and secure enough in His own omnipotence and omniscience to do so! But please note, that though He is willing to sit down and talk, He is still the one laying down the basic groundwork for our relationships.
And that is: ‘If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is.1:19-20)
And for some reason or other we don’t tend to take the Lord’s promises as seriously as we should. The Israelites didn’t several times, and felt the wrath He promised. Now we’re doing likewise, and so many of us are falling by the sword and numerous old and new diseases, and we still aren’t paying attention to God’s Word! How unwise my people!
Now listen to the scholars’ explanation of those verses. ‘1:18-20. The prophet’s appeal to come and reason together reveals God’s gracious invitation to ALL men. It literally means to be “reasonable” by repenting and turning to God. Their sin is described as scarlet and red like crimson, referring to their bloodguiltiness before God.
The term ‘crimson’ also means “worm,” referring to the colourfast red dye of the scarlet worm. The eradication of this stain turns it snowy white and is symbolic of the life-changing grace of God, which delivers men from the guilt and condemnation of sin. Thus the prophet reminds his readers that God stands ready to cleanse and forgive all who will turn to Him.’
All praise and glory to our wonderful God! And it’s not the only time the Lord calls His people to talk with Him about their sins. Listen to Him again, later on in Isaiah: ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance: let us plead (contend) together: declare thou (thy case), that thou mayest be justified.’ (Is.43:2-26)
Oh friends, what more can we ask for eh? We have such a wonderful God, who is willing and able to cast aside and forget our sins if we repent and become obedient to His Word. And that’s why the Lord LOVED Bruh David; he wasn’t afraid to confess his sins, even the most abominable ones.
Listen to him from Psalm 51, when Nathan drapes him up with his sin with Bathsheba. ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps.51:7-10)
Yeh mih people, though Bruh David looked good on the outside, He was suffering mightily with the immense guilt on his heart, but when he repented, that guilt lifted because the Lord forgave him, though he paid a serious price for his sin later on in life, a sin which brought serious disrepute to God’s cause. The same thing goes for us today; we can ALL be forgiven through sincere repentance, but more likely than not, there will be consequences to pay for our sins.
So fully knowing and acknowledging that, let’s go home declaring (yes!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know our wonderful and illustrious position in Christ. As one 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 yes my breddren, let’s keep on keeping on strong and steadfast, and that future will be indeed more than we can ask or ever imagine! Much LOVE!
As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) so rightly says…the best way to live this life is to…simply obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…
13 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a formidable foe, a serious war, against flesh and blood, always get me down, anitdote, aura of love, Christians, confidence, demonic forces, demonic onslaughts, devious schemes, enthusiasm, evil, friends, glory to God, God's armour, God's provision, grace, having done all, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, in the evil day, individual believers, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Mother's Day, powers, pricipalities, put on, rainy days and Mondays, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, safe from harm, saints of Christ, salvation, Satan, spiritual armour, spiritual battle, spiritual wickedness, stand, the grace of God, the whole armour of God, the wiles of the enemy, trust, truth, ungodly world, victoriously, wisdom, ye may be able to stand
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (devious schemes) of the devil.
And after a rainy Sunday for Mother’s Day, it looks like we going to have a rainy Monday for work too! Chuh! What’s with this rain eh? And I know for many people it’s like the brother and sister duo, the Carpenters said in their 1971 hit song ‘Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.’
Yeh, there’s something about rain that brings out the sadness and blues in us, like sunshine brings out the joy and gladness. And when it’s the first day of the workweek, it just makes it worse! But please remember my people, we have the eternal light, the light of all lights, Jesus Christ in our corner, so even if you’re feeling down and blue this rainy Monday morning, we just need to turn to Him for help, and He will gladly assist us.
So let’s just lay it all before Him right now with true sincerity, as we declare (right ho!) our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one now: ‘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!’
Yes friends, that’s our antidote for whatever ails us on a Monday morning! And I see its working, because you’re stepping higher and lighter already, and your eyes have that bright light of Jesus shining in them, and you’re just more business like as the Spirit of Jesus works on you. Glory to God!
And today friends, the Lord has put it on my heart to talk to us, to remind us of that spiritual and protective armour we pray about every Monday, how important it is for us believers to be always ensconced in it. As Bruh Paul commanded the Ephesians: ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (devious schemes) of the devil.’
Yes my faithful saints in Christ, we are in a war, a war against the forces of evil, and soldiers can’t go to war without proper protection. That’s why the scholars tell us to ‘put on’ denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action. And to stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position.’
So we need to be always aware of what’s happening around us and stand strong for Jesus. But what makes it even more difficult is as Bruh Paul says: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (spiritual hosts of) wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:12-13)
Oh friends, please don’t take this all lightly, we are in a serious war with the satanic forces of evil, and a lot of it exists in the high places and powers of this world, plus there are fallen angels, demons and Satan himself. And besides, it’s not only a war being waged against the church proper, but also against individual believers like you and me.
And the scholars explain verse 13 thus: ‘6:13. Wherefore means “because of this,” that is, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these things, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Oh friends, that last part is ever so true! If it’s one thing we can count on is that the forces of evil will always be on our case, especially since we’re believers, since their avowed plan is to make believers look foolish and fall for their wiles, lies and other evil schemes. That’s why we have to be ever so careful and take our Monday Morning Battle Hymn very seriously, because it’s a prayer for help, for the ability to resist the enemy, and even more to fight a strong and victorious fight in Jesus’ name!
Oh my people, my people, believe me, the battle is getting hotter with each passing day, because the enemy is seeing that he’s losing and is trying to fight back; yuh know like how a wild animal behaves when its back is against a wall, so we just have to stand up strong and steadfast, dressed in our powerful armour, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us out to battle! Glory to our great God!
And we’ll end there today. Tomorrow we’ll talk about the various parts of the spiritual armour that we need to stand before the enemy and defeat him. Till then, may the grace of God bless all His saints and keep us safe from harm, as we step out courageously to fight the enemy, and may we all live to fight another day! This we pray, in Jesus’ name! Amen! Much LOVE!
…God’s saints can’t fight His spiritual battle victoriously…if they’re not clothed in His spiritual armour…
07 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a measure of faith, action, afraid of, awesome truth, beloved of God, black up, buds on trees, christianity, come boldly, concrete jungle, confidence, confidently, cry out for help, daily they increase, drunk, enjoying the warm sun, fear, find grace, friend of Jesus, high priest, humbly, in time of need, inebriated, intoxicated, Jesus Christ, Jesus suffered, medical appointment, negation emotion, obtain mercy, patch of grass, reverently, saints of Christ, scream for help, share His love, sitting on the porch, sons of God, stilled the storm, temeptation, tempestuous waves, the enemy's attacks, this too is faith, to help, Toronto, Tuesday Mantra, unto the throne of grace, without sin, wonders never cease
Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Oh my people, my people, it’s certainly true that wonders never cease in this God-given and God controlled universe, but daily they increase! Wow! Would you believe that we finally had two, note TWO sun filled days without rain? Glory be!
And would you also believe that the ole fella took advantage of that wonderful and unexpected situation by sitting, for the first time this year on my front porch in just my old bathrobe and soaking up the warm and healing rays of the early afternoon sun as it came cascading down from a bright blue heaven?
Oh, was it ever marvellous to feel some warm sunshine after having been incapacitated for the last couple of weeks by an unrelenting cold and cough! I sat down out there for over half an hour, while God’s healing LOVE just shone down on me, as well as enjoying the wonderful sight of God’s amazing springtime handiwork with the dry branches of the much deflated and weather conflicted trees, as they finally push forth some green buds.
It was also nice and encouraging to see people driving by in shirtsleeves with their windows down and their arms propped thereon to catch some long missed energizing rays! The only thing that spoiled my excitement was a moment when a neighbour decided to come out with his lawn mower to cut the li’l piece of grass that he calls his.
Chuh! Does it ever annoy and irritate me when these lawn mowers get going exactly when I’m trying to rest! It began since Saturday…and yes, my li’l patch of grass needs cutting too, and no doubt my groundskeeper will show up sometime this week in the afternoon hours to disturb my afternoon rest. But I guess that’s the price one has to pay for living in the suburbia.
Overall though the li’l stint in the hot sun was quite enjoyable…so much so that when I came back inside I felt drunk, yeh, intoxicated, inebriated, black up from the unaccustomed rays of a warm sun! Now that’s my yesterday story and I’m sticking to it!
And what’s my today story, you ask? Well that’s simply I care about you my faithful readers so much that I am up at five in the morning to write the Bit because I have to go into the concrete jungle named Toronto for an early morning medical appointment! Wouldn’t want you to be receiving it too late now! (smile)
Now here’s an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘This Too Is Faith!’ Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I am desperately afraid Of tempestuous waves. Had I been on the ship The day you stilled the storm (Matt.8:23-27) I would have been the first To scream for help – This I shamelessly admit. But, Lord, this too is faith: Boldly expecting You To do something about it.’
Yes friends, as I read that yesterday, it occurred to me that that was quite true. Not because you are afraid and cry out for help means you don’t have faith; perhaps not enough, but merely crying out to God and expecting Him to do something to ease your situation is also a measure of faith!
Nowhere does it say in the Good Book that we won’t ever be accosted by the enemy’s attempts to have us succumb to the negative emotion of fear, but it does say that when those times come, we must have sufficient faith to cry out to God; cry out with confidence that He can and will do something about it!
And the Scripture Promise for that poem is also our Bit for today; these glorious and ever so encouraging words. ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’
Oh my faithful followers of Christ, that is such a heart-warming and encouraging scripture! Why? Because it lets us know in no uncertain terms that whatever is our problem we can always come confidently, but humbly and reverently, before God’s throne and receive His ever-available grace and mercy!
We are Sons of God now, and that means we can go to our heavenly Father, just like we do to our earthly ones, for help and succour in our times of need! And the reason for all of that goodness and mercy is simply the work of Jesus Christ.
Listen to these two preceding verses: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb.4:14-15)
Yes my brethren, Jesus suffered temptation, just like we’re doing, so He can therefore understand our problems with the enemy. The only difference is that He did not sin. Unfortunately though, we’re not that blessed, so we have to resort to Him and the Father to gain the strength to withstand the enemy’s attacks.
And I like how the scholars explain our Bit. ‘4:16. Only Christianity provides such boldness for sinful men before a holy God, and that boldness is possible only because of our High Priest; Jesus Christ. The figure of a throne suggests a place of authority and provision. It is the place to obtain God’s grace when it is especially needed.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth my fellow saints in Christ! Glory to our great God!
Now let’s be assured of all that we’ve spoken about today and go home sincerely declaring (right ho!) our Tuesday Mantra, loudly telling the world who and whose we are. As one now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And if we really mean it, then let’s go out and action it nuh, as Jesus so greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…in Jesus Christ…we have ALL that we’ll ever need…give Him much thanks and praise…
P.S. Would you believe that outside is wet? Ah Lord eh! We couldn’t make three days straight of sunshine! (smile)
06 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a roof over our heads, all things you ask in prayer, almighty god, antidote, ask, aura of love, believing, confidence, eat, enthusiasm, evil, faithfulness of God, false promises, finicky weather, for good measure, for my love, friends, frivolous, greedy, holy fire, holy hands, holy spirit, humble servants, I give myself unto prayer, in Jesus name, in return, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, knock, knock the door will open, lagniappe, lose heart, LOVE, mature in faith, men ought to pray, men pray every where, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, music to my ears, my adversaries, nectar for our souls, not faint, omnipotent god, our bread is buttered, power of prayer, pray without ceasing, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, seek, selfish prayers, sincere prayer, sincerity, sinful mask, sinful mortals, spake a parable, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stumbling block, sweet music, the enemy's ranks, the Son of God, thou that hearest prayer, trust, truth, ungodly world, victorious battle, wisdom, without wrath or doubting, you shall find
Psalm 109:4. For (in return for) my LOVE they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
Well at long , last, yesterday we had a sunny and dry day from begin to end! Glory Be! Let’s hope today will be the same. But who knows what the finicky weather will do these days eh? Anyway it’s Monday… and you know what that means – to labour, to labour, and yet to labour!
Yes, it’s unfortunate that we need to labour, and labour so much and so often, (smile) but the truth of the matter is if we don’t labour, we won’t eat, nor have a roof over our heads. And having settled the question of labouring, (smile) let’s get on with life, get ourselves together and go out and labour, in Jesus’ glorious name.
And yes, some of us will always have problems on a Monday morning, but thankfully we have this wonderful antidote for all of Monday’s ills, called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn; a crying out in prayer, in confidence, to our heavenly Father, who’s faithfully promised to hear and answer us whenever we come to Him humbly and reverently outlining our needs.
So let’s do just that right now nuh; call on Him as one: ‘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!’
And as always, our heavenly Father answers by getting the Holy Spirit, which dwells within us, to ramp up His efforts of positive production in our souls so that we can step higher and lighter, throw our shoulders back with confidence and enthusiasm, while a holy fire lights up our eyes! Yes friends, we’re now ready to go out and do victorious battle against the enemy, all in Jesus’ name!
Never doubt the power of prayer…neither the faithfulness of our omnipotent God! That’s why Bruh David made this immortal statement: ‘For (in return for) my LOVE they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.’ Oh friends, we could never go wrong by declaring (steups – wrong again!) that same statement in sincerity and heartfelt truth. For like Bruh David, we ought to know where our bread is buttered…at the throne of the Most High God Jehovah!
And Bruh David reinforced all of that with this other immortal statement: ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps.65:2) Ah mih people, our God does hear prayer! That’s the way He set up communications with us, and we should be wise and knowledgeable, and mature enough in faith to go to Him with ALL problems, because that’s exactly what He desires.
And Jesus, as He is ever wont to do, states it so clearly and plainly: ‘And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.21:22) Now that’s not me, but the Son of God making that bold statement! And if anybody should know about prayers and having them answered, it should be Him!
But please note the one stumbling block in His statement; the word ‘believing.’ Yes mih people, when making those prayers to Almighty God, we have to believe that we will receive what we pray for. And Jesus is not talking about, frivolous, greedy, selfish prayers either, but serious stuff that we truly need.
And that wasn’t the end of His wonderful advice either. Listen up, as Luke informs us: ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto this end, that men ought always to pray, and to not faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) There again friends, if the Son of God makes such a definitive pronouncement, who are we mere sinful mortals to disagree eh?
And we all know Jesus’ other famous pronouncement on prayer: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt.7:7-8)
I don’t know about you nuh my fellow believers, but that is sweet music to my ears! Just keep on asking and seeking and knocking in prayer and I will be rewarded! I know to some of us it sounds too good to be true, but please remember Jesus is not a man to lie or make false promises, so if He says so, it is so! Matter fix!
And just for good measure, as a lagniappe or brawtha, (not sure about that last spelling) (smile) here are a couple of admonitions from Bruh Paul on the subject. To the Thessalonians he said in no uncertain terms: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) And to Timothy, he exhorts: ‘I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim.2:8)
So that seals the matter; we ought to keep on praying, anywhere and all the time in true belief, never get tired or give up! Much LOVE!
…sincere prayer…truly nectar for our souls…
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SCRIP-BITS 
Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 May 2019 John 3:16.
18 May 2019 Leave a comment
by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a certain sure belief, a dealer in hope, a leader, Achilles heels, affirmation, Anselm, believers in Jesus Christ, believing in jesus, colour commentary, condemn the world, delusion, discipline, don't find fault, eternal life, eternal living, exalt His name, faith, find the remedy, fleeting treasures, forgiveness, friend, God anointed Jesus, God so loved the world, good to be alive, goodness of jesus, great expectations, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, hope, how high you've climbed, Immanuel, Jesus Christ, justification, long weekend, Lord, making a positive difference, Master of Hope, mercy, name that's higher than any other, part of the problem, part of the solution, prince of peace, promises, Redeemer, sanctification, saviour, should not perish, success, the blame game, the greatest, the world might be saved, to whom all knees must bow, Triune God, Victoria Day, went about doing good, whosoever believeth in him, words have power
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!
Oh friends, how good it is to be alive on this Saturday morning in May, the Victoria Day long weekend! Brother, life might not always be great, but it sure is good to be living with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, our Leader, Redeemer, Prince of Peace, our Immanuel, and the many other things He means to us! Glory to His holy name! The Name that’s higher than any other name in the universe, and the one that all knees will eventually bow to!
Wow! That’s our Jesus! Give Him much praise and glory my people! Exalt His name in all the earth, as Bruh David so rightly says! Oh, I guess the ole fella is really feeling it this morning! (smile) But why not eh? Life might not be fair, but our wonderful God is Good! That’s all we can ask! And as the man said: ‘Don’t ever confuse life with God, cause they are two entirely different things!
Now let’s see if I can get my head around these quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. (smile) It’s not always easy. And we’ll begin with this one: ‘Don’t find the fault, find the remedy.’
And oh, are we ever so good at finding fault in this modern day society. It’s known as the blame game, and we play it so well. But as the saying goes too, ‘If you’re not a part of the answer, then you’re a part of the problem!’ So let’s just remember that today nuh, and act accordingly.
And then there is this: ‘Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.’ I don’t know if it’s the beginning of delusion or not, but I do know that you will get nowhere in this earthly life without discipline…and plenty of it too. For everything you attempt to do down here on earth requires discipline to some degree or other.
So mouthing a lot of proactive words but not doing what it takes to put them into action, is a useless exercise. Remember friends, though our words have power, they don’t manifest themselves without some kind of action on our part!
Now hear this: ‘Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.’ And that is ever so true my fellow believers in Jesus Christ! The evil and ungodly world in which we dwell considers success as rising high in power, politics, wealth and other worldly things.
But in Jesus’ economy, those things are mostly colour commentary. What He considers important is what you’ve done to help your fellow man, how you’ve tried to pursue peace and LOVE in His name! That’s because all the things the world considers important are but fleeting treasures which you can’t take with you to eternal life!
But the peace, LOVE and goodness of Jesus go with you till eternity! So please, let’s stop trying to run down the things of the world nuh, because we’ll only kill ourselves in the process, then have to leave it all to others here to waste and fight over.
And then we have this interesting quote: ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.’ Now there is a lot of truth in that. If you inspire others to rise above their current station in life, be it for good or evil, then you do have some leadership qualities.
Jesus just wants you to inspire others to do good and not evil, as the Good Book says of Him. ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ (Acts 10:38) Oh my people, there is no better example in God’s great world for us to follow than that of Jesus!
And that brings us to our last quote which encapsulates all the others that have gone before. It seems like our friend Anselm was on a leadership kick this week. (smile) But this last one says: ‘A leader is a dealer in hope.’ And that’s no lie! Else why would you follow someone if they don’t give you hope in whatever area you’re choosing to follow them in eh? No reason whatsoever! You might as well just do it yourself!
The sad part though is that leaders are also human and thus have Achilles heels so they can sometimes fall apart or lead us astray. But friends the greatest Leader in this universe is our one and only Leader, Jesus Christ! Talk about being the Master of Hope! Hn! He has that name so cornered that it’s impossible to ever take it away from Him!
Just look at the things He’s done for us nuh! Coming down from His comfortable perch in heaven to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners! Going to the cross with nary a whimper, like a lamb being led to innocent slaughter, suffering the ultimate in humiliation, shame and ‘sufferation,’ just because the Father asked him to.
So that we could have hope for a better tomorrow; a tomorrow not wrecked by sin, shame and eternal damnation, but one securely and sincerely rooted in peace, LOVE, mercy, grace, forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, salvation and eternal life!
Wow! Which other Leader has ever promised that kind of stuff eh, much less given it like Jesus has? NONE!That’s why Jesus is the GREATEST: because He gives us the most HOPE of any Leader that this unfortunate world has ever known! Listen to these immortal words of His: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!’
Now where else is it possible to find such HOPE like that eh friends? Nowhere else but in Jesus! And He didn’t end there either: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17)
Oh my people, don’t those fateful, faithful and true words just lift your spirits and give you a feeling of peace and HOPE, that you can’t find anywhere else in this world? It surely does for me! And what really is HOPE eh Friends? Merely a longing for something, preferably something good!
And the long and short of the story is that God promises, if we believe in His Son, have HOPE in Him, that feeling of great expectations, which lead to faith, a certain sure belief, and which grows ever stronger, as we see His awesome promises come true, that our lives will be filled with wonder and amazement, leading to days of beautiful, exhilarating, eternal living with our Triune God!
Now what can we long for that’s better than that eh, what better HOPE can there ever be? NONE whatsoever! Much LOVE!
…the beginning of true HOPE…begins with believing in Jesus…