24 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a description of His being, an attribute of God, as your Father in heaven, Bacchanalian behaviour, be ye perfect, bless them that curse you, Calvary, Christ crucified, complete LOVE, crumble back to dust, day of spring, deceit, do good to them that hate you, eat and drink and party, everlasting life, evil, February, fellowship, Friday chant, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God first loved us, God so loved the world, good, hate thine enemy, heavenly circumstances, His only begotten Son, hope for the future, Israel, Jesus Christ, Jesus died for our sins, lethal weapon, like there's no tomorrow, living forever, LOVE, love thy neighbour, Love your enemies, loved, massa, momentous, our Lord and Saviour, publicans, relaxation, repentance, rest, reward, Sermon on the Mount, sun to rise, taking it for granted, tax collectors, tempting, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the highest good, the Holy Ghost, the mire of hate, the weekend, the workingman, toast, unconditional, week of work, whosoever believes in him, will not perish, world changing
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, welcome to another day of spring in the midst of February! This past week has been something else yes; spring like temps in a time when it’s the white stuff that’s usually falling. Hn! But I’ll take the rain that’s coming down out there now, any day over the white stuff.
And it’s Friday to boot, so the workingman is happy, as he mouths his Friday song. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! That means the weekend is here too! Glory Hallelujah! No work for two whole big days! Take that massa! I can do whatever I want for the next two days and you can’t say a word! Bleh! (Longing out his tongue at the massa).
So we going to eat and drink and party, and carry on like there’s no tomorrow…for who knows if there’ll be a tomorrow anyway! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, I know that’s a very tempting way to spend our weekends, but it’s not a very wise one, for instead of helping to solve our problems, that kind of bacchanalian behaviour will only compound them.
Our Friday Chant is much more subdued but nonetheless still free and friendly enough to allow us to enjoy the comforts and blessings of life, while keeping our heads about us. So let’s chant it now in unison nuh, so that we can prep ourselves for the upcoming weekend.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes friends, that way we both enjoy the benefits of the time off, as well as rejuvenate ourselves for the upcoming week, which are the only things that make sense under the circumstances.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, that awesome statement that changed the whole world, set it on its ear, some two thousand years ago. ‘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.’
Wow! What a momentous, world changing statement, out of the mouth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! The world has never been the same since then friends!
And you know the most important words in that scripture are simply, ‘God so LOVED…’ Yes my fellow believers, it all began with God’s LOVE! If He hadn’t LOVED, then we’ll all be toast at the end of our lives.
But because He LOVED, many of us will be living forever with Him in heavenly circumstances when our earthly bodies crumble back to the dust from which they were formed. So let’s have a look at this miraculous word called LOVE nuh.
The scholars have this to say about it. ‘3:16. LOVE is both an attribute of God and a description of His being. He alone is the epitome of divine LOVE and the source of all true LOVE. His LOVE is unconditional and consistently demonstrates the highest good of the one who is LOVED.
Illustration: God’s LOVE was clearly demonstrated at Calvary when Jesus died for all our sins (1 John 3:1). Application: Because God first LOVED us, we ought to LOVE others as well (1 John 4:11). (First Ref. Gen.2:16-17; Primary Ref. John 3:16; c.f. James 1:17).’
Ah mih people, LOVE is what gave us life in the first place, and what is also keeping us alive now, and giving us hope for the future. So how can we be so callous about it eh?
Listen to Peter and the other apostles when they were brought before the Jewish Council for continuing to preach Christ crucified, after being told to stop. ‘Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.’ (Acts 5:29-32)
Oh my people, please let’s take the LOVE of God seriously nuh, instead of just taking it for granted. As I said yesterday, LOVE is the most lethal weapon in existence. Listen to Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount.
‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you.
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same?
And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt.5:43-48)
Please note friends, that perfect here doesn’t mean sinless, but as the scholars say, ‘complete, that is, possessing a complete LOVE that, like God’s (v.45), embraces those who LOVE you as well as those who do not.’
So please my fellow believers, let’s just do what Jesus desires of us nuh, for that’s the ONLY way we’ll ever be successful. Much LOVE!
…without true LOVE…the world will eventually sink into the mire of hate and deceit that currently has it in grip…
20 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a roof over you head, accused, and know my heart, aura of love, Beelzebub, blessed, Canada, choirmaster, Christians, compassionate, confidence, David, dread, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, Family day, fate, favour, fellowship of faith, forgiveness, forgiving, friends, God's kingdom, grace, Granny's advice, heavenly Father, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, if there be any wicked way in me, innocence, integrity, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, judge me, know my anxious thoughts, lead me in the way everlasting, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, merciful, mercy, motives, nice thread to wear, peace, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, scowl, search me O God, should not eat, sincere, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the truth will set you free, trust, truth, try me, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, work, workers
Psalm 139:23-24. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
And then it was Monday, the day that so many of us workers dread. But technically speaking friends, there’s no need to fear Mondays; that’s if we have used the weekend the right way and gotten enough rest and strength from our weekly fellowship of faith. But if instead we have abused the weekend, then we will be grouchy and miserable and don’t want to get up to go to work.
Some of us in Canada are lucky, or rather blessed, because we don’t have to go to work today, because it’s a Provincial Holiday. Good ole Canada!
But for those of you who have to go work, please look at the situation this way nuh. As Bruh Paul told the Thessalonians. ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thess.3:10)
So it’s quite okay if you don’t want to work, but just remember that you won’t be eating either, and eventually you won’t have a roof over your head either… or nice threads to wear… (smile) So what’s your choice eh?
Hopefully that lights a fire under us this Monday morning and gets us moaning and groaning out of the bed and up and about. And to further encourage us, we have this antidote for the Monday morning blues, it’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so let’s sing it out with much verve and enthusiasm and thus raise our adrenaline level.
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!’
Oh friends, that wasn’t too bad, our choirmaster, Jesus didn’t scowl…but neither did He smile, because He knew that the loudest and most raucous voices were coming from the Canadians who did not have to work today.
And we Canadians, please, please, as we celebrate Family Day, or whatever it’s called in your Province, remember Granny’s advice: Drunk or sober, please mind yuh business. And don’t give Beelzebub a chance to get a toehold in your affairs, since it’s always so much trouble to get rid of him, and he can do an awful lot of damage in a short space of time.
But one of the ways to get rid of him is to do as Bruh David does in our Bit, cry out to our God in all sincerity: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’
Yes my fellow believers, the easiest way to handle any problems at all in our lives, regardless of what they might be, is to go to our heavenly Father with them. But we have to be sincere, for remember He doesn’t just listen to our words, but digs deep into our hearts to discover our real motives. And if they are sincere, He will NEVER turn us away, but tenderly lead and guide us to where He wants us to go. That’s the beauty of our wonderful Father – ever LOVING, kind, compassionate, forgiving and merciful!
No wonder Bruh David kept going back to Him, time and again, when he found himself in trouble, whether of his own causing or not. Listen to him from Psalm 143 – Teach me to do thy will. He soulfully declares: ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee (take cover) unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken (revive) me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off (put an end to) mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.’ (Ps.143:9-12)
Oh friends, if our heart is right, how can our merciful and graceful God not respond favourably to such an outpouring of anguish eh? Bruh David knew this principle that’s why he successfully received favour from God. Hear him again from Psalm 26 – Examine me, O Lord, and prove me.
This time he cries out: ‘Judge (vindicate) me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide (slip). Examine me, O Lord, and prove (try) me; try my reins (test my mind) and my heart. For thy LOVING-kindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.’ (Ps.26:1-3)
Ah mih people, like Job when he was wrongfully accused by his friends, Bruh David seems to have suffered the same fate, and cried out in innocence to his heavenly Father. No reason why we can’t do likewise, provided it’s the truth. Much LOVE!
…in God’s kingdom…the truth will ALWAYS set you free…
18 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accomplish nothing in life, adultery, and know my heart, Anselm's quotes, any wicked way, aspire to inspire, authority, Bathsheba, believe, Christ's Church, Christian faith, climate change, come boldly to the throne of grace, courageous, earthly body, excellence, expand your consciousness, expectations, faith, family, fears, friends, get away scotch free, go out on a limb, great invitation, high priest, Jesus Christ, know my anxious thoughts, lead me in the way everlasting, life's circumstances, murder, omnipotent god, our earthly walk with Jesus, outside your comfort zone, presence and power of God, provision, rest, Scrip-Bit, search me O God, secrets, shirt-sleeves, succour, take risks, the bane of our language, the end from the beginning, the wrong side of the fence, tired, trust, try me, Uriah, watchword, weary, wisdom
Psalm 139:23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts.
Welcome to another beautiful day in God’s wonderful universe, my Scrip-Bit family and friends! The day is indeed unfurling as it should, as our omnipotent God planned it. But I beg to wonder why our temperature today is supposed to go up to around ten degrees Celsius, from a low of around minus 7, or thereabouts, and then fall back to below freezing temps by Sunday night? They say it’s climate change.
Ah Lord eh! That’s why so many people get sick in these volatile temperature changes! Today a whole lot of people will be out in shirt sleeves, declaring what beautiful spring-like weather it is. Then they’ll get caught without proper protection from the elements later on. But that’s the nature of the beast in these parts. (smile)
Anyway, let’s take a look at a few of our friend Anselm’s quotes for this past week. Remember, his aspiration is to inspire us with his thoughtful words. The first one says: ‘He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.’ And that’s quite true!
But there are sensible risks and not so sensible ones. So we still have to consider whether the risks are worthwhile or not. It’s brave to go out on limb that seems able to stand your weight, but foolish to go out on one that is obviously too small. The same goes for risks.
That brings us to this quote: ‘If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness.’ That’s also true, but then again how far outside of your comfort zone do you want to go, or is it wise for you to go? It’s all a matter of your comfort level.
And this next one declares: ‘The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the buts you use today.’ More truth friends! You know how we always like to say marvelous things, then affix them with ‘a but.’ That’s the bane of our modern day language; everything, everything – but.
And the last one tells us. ‘No one rises to low expectations.’ Yes my people, we cannot rise high unless our expectations are high. That’s just the normal workings of the universe. And our Christian faith expects us to keep on rising higher and higher, making excellence the watchword of our earthly walk with Jesus. For if we do not aspire to excellence, the church will simply become stagnant and eventually fall apart.
And I believe that is what’s happening right now. Christ’s church, His earthly body is not growing as it should, for numerous reasons. But we’re not here to talk about that today, we’re here to discuss the motives of our heart, of our spiritual being, as expressed by Bruh David in his grand Psalm 139 – The everlasting presence and power of God.
He boldly, but contritely states in the last two verses – the first one our Bit. ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 39:23-24)
Ah mih people, the overriding question now is, whether we as Christians, are willing, and or able to declare such a brave statement to our Maker? The truth of the matter is that we ought to be. We ought to be so open and be so close to our God, that we shouldn’t fear to go to Him in any situation at all, even though we know we are on the wrong side of the fence.
For as the author of Hebrews reminds us: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:16)
And I like the explanation the scholars put forward. ‘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.’
Yeh friends, only our wonderful faith exhibits such a confidence in being able to go to God in any and every circumstance. He welcomes us, invites us in the Great Invitation (Matt.11:28-30) to come to Him when we‘re tired and weary and beset by life’s circumstances, and He will give us rest.
No other faith offers such succour my brethren. So I don’t understand why so many of us are afraid to bare our hearts to the Lord. Remember though that’s He’s our Creator, and already knows what’s happening with us, even more than we know. He knows and sees the beginning to the end.
Consequently friends, please let’s stop trying to hide our innermost secrets and fears from Him, because it’s foolish to do so. He wants us to come to Him and let it all out, to show that you truly believe in and trust Him.
Yuh notice how Bruh David went to God without fear on everything – even eventually His adultery with Bathsheba and His murder of Uriah, her husband, after the prophet Nathan berated him about it.
Now we won’t always get away scotch free with our wicked deeds – Bruh David paid a hefty price with strife in his house – but we’ll always get forgiveness and mercy if we sincerely repent of them. That’s wisdom for the ages my people. Please ponder on that today. Much LOVE!
…fear should never override faith…especially in dealing with God…
13 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abnormal hour, adrenaline, almighty god, aura of love, be thankful unto him, bless His name, blessings, call upon the name of the Lord, choirmaster, come before his presence with singing, confidence, conquerors, early morning foray, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, enthusiasm, evil, exaltation, faith, friends, glorious kingdom, glory, glory hallelujah, God's greatness, he made us, heartfelt thanks, holy spirit, honour god, humble servants, I am thy servant, I'm getting better, I've come a long way, into his courts with praise, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, Joyce Meyer, lead and guide, lies, loosed my bonds, LOVE, make a joyful noise, medical problems, no sweet Tobago, pay my vows, praise, puny lives, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, resigned myself, rest, salvation, secret, seek God, servant, serve the Lord with gladness, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, thanks, the living truth, the Lord he is God, the mindset, the sacrifice of thanksgiving, the sheep of his pasture, the son of thy handmaid, truth, undesrving, ungodly world, useful purpose, we are his people, wiles, wisdom, with a right heart
Psalm 100:4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Oh, friends, I’m getting better! Yes I’m getting better! Yeh mih breddren that’s the living truth! The ole fella is getting better; the only problem is that I’m still a long way from being better. (smile)
But as sister Joyce, (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, I haven’t arrived as yet, but I’ve surely come a long way from where I was. Glory Hallelujah!
Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but I had another early morning foray into the big city for more doctor’s visits and tests.
Chuh! I had to be up at an abnormal hour to get in the city for seven a.m on a Monday morning. But the good news is that everything seems to be progressing as it should – just a little too slowly for my liking though.
Now for the bad news – I can’t travel anywhere until my heart problems are resolved. Ah Lord eh! That means no sweet Tobago for this winter season!
Steups! But from the time all these medical problems began, I’d resigned myself to that possibility, so it comes as no great surprise, though it is somewhat disappointing.
Anyway, enough about me, it’s time to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with all the chutzpah we can manage.
‘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!’
Now that wasn’t bad at all my people, Jesus, our choirmaster was smiling, but I guess that’s because we’ve been up and about for quite some time now. (smile) The important thing though is that at whatever time we sing it, it raises our faith level, gets the adrenaline pumping for Jesus! And that’s what we’re all about!
Consequently, these verses of Psalm 100, which come before our Bit, are therefore very much in line with our general purpose of exalting our most wonderful God!
Listen to the psalmist as he delightedly gushes: ‘Make joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
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.’ (Ps.100:1-3)
Wow friends! What a stirring acknowledgement of our God’s greatness and the central part we play in His entire operation! Hence our Bit: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.’
Yes my fellow believers, that is exactly how we ought to come into the presence of our magnificent and magnanimous God; with much praise and thanks and glory and exaltation – for He is most worthy to be praised!
Just think about all that He’s done for us down through the ages nuh, undeserving though we are, and is still doing, though we are still undeserving! And in our finite, comparatively puny lives, how else can we truly honour Him eh, but with exceedingly abundant thanks and praise?
Now hear the psalmist from Psalm 116 – Praise for deliverance from death – as he exudes his heartfelt thanks and praise. ‘O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid (maid servant): thou hast loosed my bonds.
I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!).(Ps.116:16-19)
Oh friends, oh friends, those are the very words and emotions we ought also to exude! Note how the psalmist says twice, that he is the Lord’s servant? Can we sincerely say that even once and mean it? I certainly hope so for all our sakes.
In conclusion, I want to implore us to work towards acquiring the mindset of the psalmist, for there, and only therein lies the true wisdom of Almighty God and the true secret of finding Him. Much LOVE!
…seek me with a right heart…and you shall find me…says the Lord our God…
06 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a righteous standard, Adonai, aura of love, blossom, Christians, confidence, doom and gloom, ease, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, fear, fellowship, food, friends, fruit in the vines, fun, God's deliverance, God's great earth, goodness, habakkuk, holy spirit, humble servants, I will joy in the God of my salvation, I will rejoice in the Lord, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, labour of the olive, lead and guide, leisure, lies, LOVE, LOVE to hate, luxuries, magnanimous god, make my feet like hinds feet, mantle, mercy, motors running, neck of the woods, no meat, obedience, Old Testament, oxymoron, praise, preservation in the wilderness, rejoice, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, sincerity, slave labour, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, thanksgiving, the enemy's ranks, the Exodus, the gig tree, the Promised Land, trust, truth, ungodly world, wisdom, Yahweh
Habakkuk 3:18. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
And then it was Monday, that day we all LOVE to hate! Now isn’t that akin to an oxymoron? We can’t have hate and LOVE working together. It’s either one or the other. It’s like fear and faith; two different sides of the same coin.
Anyway, very few people like Mondays, because they have to get up and go to work, and the chilly weather in my neck of the woods doesn’t enhance the situation any. But get up and go to work we have to, if we want to survive, so let’s get rid of that mantle of doom and gloom and get ourselves together to enjoy another wonderful day on God’s great earth. All the slave labour in the world can’t take that away from us! (smile)
And to help us get our motors running, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with sincerity and all the exuberance we can muster. 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!’
Ah mih people, we certainly didn’t muster much exuberance there! You could see that our choirmaster, Jesus, wasn’t very happy with that performance. But thankfully, He’s an understanding and forgiving Being and won’t hold it against us. Instead, He will go out of His way to shower us with goodness and mercy, so that we can go out and do a good job in His awesome name. That’s the kind of Lord and Saviour we have.
That brings us to our Bit of praise and thanksgiving. ‘Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.’
Oh friends, that should not be an option for Christians, it must be a righteous standard for all believers! For there’s absolutely no reason not to rejoice in the awesome, the magnificent and magnanimous God we serve and worship, who also provided us with salvation and eternal life through the sacrificial death, triumphant resurrection and glorious ascension of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Now the Old Testament followers didn’t have all the good news of Christ’s gospel that we possess today, but the prophets of God kept them attuned to God’s word. Our Bit comes at the end of a prayer of Habakkuk, which according to the scholars ‘contains two poems (vs.3-7 and 8-15) recounting God’s deliverance of His people in the days of the Exodus. The poems emphasize His preservation in the wilderness and His triumphal leading into the Promised Land.’
And listen to this verse before our Bit. ‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat (food); the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.’ (Hab.3:17-18)
Oh friends, yuh see the kind of faith those old timers displayed – at least some of the time. (smile) We can’t even exhibit a decent faith with all the luxuries we have. Hn! That’s possibly because we have too many luxuries and have become accustomed to too much ease and leisure. Yuh think many, or any of us would declare such a statement today, if we fell into such disaster? I doubt it.
We can’t, or won’t even produce a strong enough faith to resist the enemy now, when we have Jesus and all the good stuff that goes with Him, imagine if we didn’t have Him. Ah Lord eh!
Now let’s end as Habakkuk did. ‘The Lord God (Yahweh, Adonai) is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds (deer’s) feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. ’ (Hab.3:19)
And per the scholars: ‘3:16-19. The instructions in the postscript indicate that this psalm (Bruh David’s Prayer of deliverance – 2 Sam.22; Ps.18 [edited]) was used as a part of the temple liturgy. It is a great psalm expressing obedience and praise to God, and trust in Him.’
All I can add to that my fellow believers is that we go out today, dressed in our spiritual armour, be obedient to our omnipotent God, trust Him and praise Him with all sincerity and truth, for that is the wisdom of the ages. Much LOVE!
…the reason we exist…is to be in fellowship with God… (from the Daily Bread Devotional)
30 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and he strengthened me, appearance of a man, aura of love, Babylon, being foolish, child-like faith, confidence, demons, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, exuberance, faith, fasting, fled in terror, friends, Guide, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Israel's future, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, labour, lead, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mourning, one like the appearance of a man, our benefit, promises, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, satanic opposition, similitude, speechless, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, tarnish the image of Jesus, taunts, the author of salvation, the latter days, the likeness, the sons of men, the Tigris River, the vision, then there came again and touched me, truth, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, work diligently
Daniel 10:18. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me.
Ah mih breddren, Monday morning has rolled around again, and it’s time to go out and labour once more. As they say, no rest for the wicked. (smile) But we’re not wicked; we’re saints, followers of the one and only Lord Jesus Christ, the author of salvation and eternal life!
But if we want to eat, then we have to work – and work diligently and sincerely too, so that we do not tarnish the wonderful and holy name of Jesus. And to help jump start our cold engines this chilly morning, let’s declare our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much exuberance and child-like faith.
As one earthly choir 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!’
Oh friends, that was a good rendition, and Jesus was pleased, as the smile on His handsome face showed. And if that didn’t get our adrenaline running, I don’t know what will!
But as we always try to do, especially on a Monday morning, here is our Bit, which encourages, reassures and strengthens our resolve. ‘Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me.’
I know many of us won’t know that wonderful scripture, but it’s a seminal scripture, and one that we all should know, especially when added to the verse after it. To summarize, the story begins when Daniel is given a vision by the great river ‘Hiddekel’ (the Tigris) in Babylon.
Daniel declares in verse 2. ‘In those days I Daniel was mourning (fasting) three full weeks.’ Then on the 24th day, while by the river, he saw this angel dressed like a man. His acquaintances, though they didn’t see the man, fled in terror and hid themselves. And Daniel was left alone with the man. Obviously he too was afraid, but he stuck it out.
The angel told him how he was greatly beloved and encouraged him. He also explained about how he was twenty days late because of problems with certain demons. This can all be fleshed out by reading Daniel 10:1-13.
However, this explanation of verse 2 by the scholars shows the basic purpose of it all. ‘10:2. The entirety of chapter 10 is concerned with Daniel’s preparation to receive the vision. The emphasis of the chapter is the strengthening of Daniel and the satanic opposition that he and God’s angels encountered.’
Yes friends, even angels can be held up by demons. And yuh see Daniel needed to fast so he could be spiritually strengthened before receiving the vision, that’s how important fasting can sometimes be in our faith.
Then we come to verse 14, where the Lord showed him what would happen in the roughly two hundred years of Israel’s future. ‘Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days (a long time in the future).’ (Dan.10:14)
But when Daniel heard those words, he fell to the ground and became speechless. ‘And, behold, one like the similitude (having the likeness) of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by (because of) the vision my sorrows are turned (have come) upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me
Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.’ (Dan.10: 16-19)
Oh my fellow believers, it’s the same thing that our God is saying to us this morning, and every morning that He keeps us alive. And it’s certainly a promise that has buoyed me since I discovered it a few years ago. Let’s hope that it will speak to some of you like it did to me. Much LOVE!
…the promises of God…are given for our benefit…not to accept them…and hold on to them… is being rather foolish…
29 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all I need, blind, broken every barrier, cleanse, Cleanse your hands, come unto me, confidence, conflict, courage, deceitful, deception, detrhone God, doubt, downtrodden, draw nigh to God, evil, face the upcoming week, fears without, fightings within, gather in the Lord's sanctuary, gentle, give you rest, goodness, grace, he who has ears to hear, healing of mind, health, heavy laden, humble, I come, I have put my trust in the Lord, I may declare all his works, inner thoughts, invaluable, it is good for me to draw near to God, James, Jesus Christ, Just as I am, labour, let him hear, lowly, lusteth to envy, meek, my burden is light, needy, O lamb of God, of one dark blot, offer grateful praise, outward deeds, pardon, Praise the Lord, pride, proud, purify your hearts, rascal, receive, relieve, resist the devil, rest unto your souls, rooting for Jesus, sacrifice of our lips, sinners, slow down, smell the rose, strengthen your spirit, submit yourselves to God, Sunday, take my yoke, the first day of the week, the great invitation, the lake of fire, the undeserving children of men, thy blood was shed for me, to rid my soul, to save the poor, understand the Lord's word, wealth, welcome, without one plea, worldliness, worship, wretched
Psalm 73:28. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
And then it was Sunday: the first day of the week, where we slow down, take time to smell the roses and gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to offer Him our grateful praise and worship, and in return receive health, wealth and the ability to face the upcoming week with courage and confidence.
Wow! What a mouthful! But a true mouthful! And all God’s people declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord for His wonderful goodness to the undeserving children of men!’
And on that glorious note, let’s offer up some sacrifice of our lips by sincerely belting out this favourite old hymn, ‘Just as I am.’ So in loud voice and sincere belief, let’s raise our voices to heaven.
‘Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! Just as I am, and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot; To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Just as I am, though tossed about With many a conflict, many a doubt; Fightings within, and fears without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; Sight, riches, healing of the mind; Yes, all I need, in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Just as I am, Thy love unknown Has broken every barrier down; Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!’
Yeh friends, it doesn’t matter what state we are in, our wonderful Saviour will accept us just we are. You know some places you have to clean up before they’ll accept you, but not with the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s looking for you at your worst possible state, because that’s one of the reasons he came to earth, to save the poor and needy, the sick and downtrodden.
He is the ONLY One who declares that you can come to Him just as you are. And believe me, you won’t be wise if you don’t accept His wonderful 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 and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Oh my brethren, every time I hear that beautiful piece of scripture, my heart just jumps for joy, knowing that I have such marvellous person to turn to in my troubles and times of need. All glory be to God for Jesus Christ!
Anyway, before we get into our Bit, let me apologize for my typo yesterday. I don’t know how many of you noticed it, but instead of saying ‘you reap what you sow,’ I wrote ‘you sow what you reap.’ Technically speaking it’s the same thing, since you can only reap what you sow. (smile)
And our Bit just reiterates the ideas we have declared in our hymn, and in the Great Invitation of Jesus. ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’
Now why wouldn’t I put my trust in the Creator and Controller of the universe eh? Why would I put it in the foolish and deceitful rascal who tried to dethrone God and now aimlessly walks the earth backed by a façade of evil and deception, until the Lord is ready to immerse him in the lake of fire? I’m sorry friends, but as for me and mine, we’re rooting for Jesus!
Now hear James, the half-brother of Christ, who like a lot of Christ’s family, did not believe until the end of His earthly ministry. Listen as James talks about worldliness and pride. ‘Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy (yearns jealously)? But he giveth more grace; Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Submit yourselves therefore to God: Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:5-10)
Oh my fellow believers, God gives us more grace than any of the world’s attractions or the lusts in our spirits, which means we can withstand both of them.
And the scholars explain the last three verses thus: ‘4:7-10. Therefore: The exhortations that follow logically result from the conditions in verses 1-6. Resist the devil: do not submit to, fear, or flee from Satan, but stand against him (1 Pet.5:8-10). Satan cannot lead (one) into sin against one’s will. Draw nigh: God will not be unmoved; His welcoming response is always near (cf. Deut. 4:7; Lam.3:57; Luke 15:20). Hands and hearts: The cleansing of one’s life must involve both outward deeds and inner thoughts (cf. Ps.24:3-4).’
The only advice I can give after reading all of that friends, is to read those references given in the scholars note. I just did, and believe me they are invaluable, they just strengthen your spirit and help you to better understand the Lord’s word. Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…
28 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and all these things shall be added unto you, Anselm, as a beast, asaph, aspires to inspire, believer in Christ, boomerang, building christ's body, change our path, change will ever last, change within our hearts, Christians, cloudy days, consumed, desolation, destruction, earthly wealth, envious, every aspect of our lives, far from thee, favourite pastimes, follower, foolish, glory to God, go a whoring, God is the strength of my heart, grace, haunted, held me by thy right hand, history repeats itself, I have put my trust in the Lord, I may declare all his works, ignorant, immortal words, irresponsible place, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jesus Christ, learn the lessons, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, mercy, my flesh and my heart faileth, my portion for ever, responsible, righteousness, Saturday, seek ye first the kingdom of God, selling our souls, shall perish, slippery places, take responsibility, terrors, that's no lie, the agenda, the blame game, the boastful, the foolish, the Lord is totally involved, the prosperity of the wicked, the riches of the wicked, the sanctuary of God, the SON, the uniting call, to the wrong, under the umbrella of god, understood their end, unfaithful to thee, wake up, wisdom, wise advice, you reap what you sow
Psalm 73:28. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
Cloudy days are here again…but at least it’s dry. (smile) Yeh mih breddren, I don’t know where the sun has gone these last couple of weeks nuh, but we do have the SON, and that’s the most important one of them all. Glory to God!
So it’s Saturday, what’s on the agenda eh? Cleaning and household chores, grocery shopping, resting, relaxation… Whatever it is, please make sure that the Lord is totally involved in it with you, otherwise it won’t work as well, or it might not even work.
Remember our amazing and awesome God wants to get involved in every aspect of our lives, even down to the tiniest bit, and He feels sadly left out if we don’t include Him.
Now here are some quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. First off, he tells us that: ‘History repeats itself until we learn the lessons that we need to change our path.’ And that’s no lie! We’ll keep on making the same mistakes until we wake up to the wrong we’re doing and change it.
Now here is one that runs contrary to the modern day world. ‘We must take responsibility for what is in our life.’ Oh friends, our world has become such an irresponsible place that it’s not funny.
No one wants to take responsibility for anything. The blame game has become one of our favourite pastimes. But until we become responsible for all that we do, life will remain rather miserable.
And this one says: ‘When we change who and what we are within our hearts, our lives follow suit and change too.’ Now that’s the only way any change will ever last!
And finally: ‘Whatever we put out in the Universe is what comes back to us.’ Oh people, life is like a boomerang; whatever you let fly, will eventually come right back to you. It’s God’s basic principle of ‘you reap what you sow.’
That brings us right back to where started, having God totally involved in our lives, as so well advised by our Bit. ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’
Now let’s back up a tad and hear how Asaph was haunted by the prosperity of the wicked. ‘For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:3)
Ah friends, that’s still happening to too many of us today. The wicked are still prosperous and too many of us supposed Christians are wanting what they have and consequently selling our souls to the wrong people to get earthly wealth.
But please remember the immortal words, the everlasting promise of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Now if you’re not diligently working under that promise, then you’re unwise, and no true follower of and believer in Christ.
But getting back to Asaph. He was falling under the spell of the wicked and earthly riches…’Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.’ (Ps.73:17-19)
Oh my fellow believers, Asaph didn’t understand the situation until he spent time in God’s sanctuary. Maybe some of us need to do that too, so we’ll understand that we don’t have to worry about the riches of the wicked, the Lord will do that in His own time.
We need to get ourselves solidly under the umbrella of God’s LOVE, mercy and grace, and concentrate on building His body, His church here on earth.
Now hear Asaph’s conclusion. ‘So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden (held) me by thy right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom I have in heaven but thee?
And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee).
But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps.73:22-28)
Ah friends, there’s nothing left for me to say, but to implore us to listen to Asaph, to take his wise advice and follow the Lord God Jehovah, for that is wisdom of heavenly proportions. Much LOVE!
…to faithfully and diligently follow Jesus…that is the uniting call of all Christians…
27 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a high priest, a modicum of circumspection, a name above every other, a touch of blue, a touch of white, align ourselves, an evil conscience, as a man, asaph, assurance, carnality, charles stanley, death of the cross, declare all thy works, do what we want, eternal life, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, exalted, faith, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, frustration, generous help, giving vent, glorious kingdom, glory to God, go overboard, good works, He is faithful that promised, hope, humbled himself, I have put my trust in the Lord, in Jesus' name, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jeeves, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ is Lord, leave all the consequences to Him, light of the Son, LOVE, misdeeds, moderation, motto, mystery, number one priority, obedient, obey God, partying, prosperity, prosperous wickedness, receive the promise, relaxation, renege, rest, salvation, slave labour, stir up, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the goodness of God, the house of God, the things of the Lord, the weekend, the wicked are prospering, to the glory of God the Father, trust, truth, unto death, wicked attractions, wisdom, zenith
Psalm 73:28. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
Well, well, finally a touch of blue in the sky! But unfortunately there is also a touch of white on the ground too. I guess we can’t get one without the other these days.
But that’s okay, we can handle it, and anything else that’s thrown at us, once we get the brilliant light of the SON, which we do every single day. Glory to our great God!
But you’d also notice that regardless of the weather, the working folks are always rejoicing on Fridays, declaring stuff like: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Slave labour done for two whole, big days! Is we time now to do what we want, when and how we want!
And we going to start by partying down the place…giving vent to all the frustration that’s built up over the past week! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes, so we can do our thing!’
Ah friends, as usual, the world tends to go overboard in the carnality of the weekend. As Jeeves would say ‘a modicum of circumspection’ is needed to temper it. Something more along the lines of our Friday Chant, that we shall now declare.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh mih people, unless we get some rest, relaxation and fellowship on the weekend, next week will be even rougher than normal. So I implore us not to party the whole weekend away, like so many of us tend to do, for that just makes life more difficult in the long run. Moderation in all things friends! That should be our motto.
That brings us to our Bit: ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’
Yes my people, that was the psalmist Asaph’s conclusion after trying to solve the mystery of prosperous wickedness. And even today we wrestle with that fact that a lot of good people are suffering severe want and need while the wicked are prospering.
But yuh know what? The Lord has promised to destroy the wicked in His own time, so we don’t need to worry about them, that’s His problem.
Our number ONE PRIORITY is to get ourselves clearly aligned with the goodness of God, for that’s the ultimate in wisdom! It’s where salvation, eternal life and true prosperity are to be found!
Listen to the writer of Hebrews. ‘And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works.’ (Heb.10:21-24)
Yes friends, it’s all there! We have a high priest in Jesus who knows our problems and can identify with them, because He also experienced them while here on earth. So we need to stand strong in faith and LOVE and good works, like He did, and like Him, we’ll eventually receive the promise, for our wonderful God is faithful.
And if you don’t believe that, then listen to this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:8-11)
Wow mih breddren! Yuh see how the Father was faithful to Jesus for His unswerving obedience; exalting His name higher than all names, and causing every knee to bow to Him and every tongue to confess His Lordship.
Likewise He will exalt us if we are faithful and obedient to Him and His word. The problem though is that the world has so many more colourful and wicked attractions that sing out for out attention, and we tend to gravitate to them, rather than to the things of the Lord.
But that’s not true wisdom my people. For the wicked will eventually pay for their misdeeds. Please remember that. The Lord has promised it, and He does not renege on ANY promise.
So please be wise and stand strong and faithful in the Lord God of our forefathers, for that is the zenith of wisdom. Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) says…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…better words were never spoken…
26 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 2017, a compassionate heart, a positive outlook, a rejoicing church, a strong will, abiding in, abundance, and again I say rejoice, as in a glass, beholding, blessings, bountiful, challenging, changed, clear direction, cloudy day, courage, covenant, creativity, curse, decisions, divine protection, faith, faithfulness, favour, from glory to glory, fulfillment, generous, glory to God, goals, God is able, God's peace, grace, health, heavenly Father, honest, hope, hypocrisy, Jesus Christ, just, King James version, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, lovely, make all things new, make me clean, make me real, meditate, mercy, miraculously, mirror, negative word, New Year, noble, of good report, omnipotent god, open face, praise, praiseworthy, pray, priorities, productive, promises, promotion, prosper, reflect his glory, reflecting, Rejoice in the Lord always, renovate me, revitalized, Ruth Harms Calkin, self-control, self-discipline, self-righteousness, sham, simplistic, strength, strife filled, succeed, success, talent, the face of Moses, the glory of the Lord, the God of peace, the Most High God jehovah, the New Covenant, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the right activities, the right things, the same image, the SON, the Spirit of God, the spirit of the Lord, the very depth of my being, think, Thursday Blessings, to all and sundry, transform my fears, transformed, true, trust, unveiled, vibrant faith, virtue, whatsoever things, wisdom, work in me
Philippians 4:4. Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Aye mih people, I don’t know what has happened to the sun nuh, because we haven’t seen it in my area for about two weeks now. Today seems to be another wet, cloudy day. And even when the days weren’t wet, very few, they were still cloudy.
But yuh know what? We’ve seen the SON every single day! Glory Hallelujah!
Rain or shine He shows up right on time to help guide us through another blessed day that His heavenly Father has granted us on this bountiful, though somewhat strife-filled earth! And for that faithfulness we are eternally grateful!
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that seems rather appropriate ‘For This New Year.’
Please pray with me. ‘O Lord God You are able. Able to make me clean Without self-righteousness and sham. Able to make me real Without hypocrisy. You are able To give me wisdom In all my priorities My decisions, my goals. You are able to transform my fears Into vibrant faith And quiet trust.
You are able To make this present year The most challenging The most productive Of all my life. So for this new year I covenant with You, dear God. Please work in me To the very depth of my being. Renovate me Transform me For You are able – miraculously able To make all things new.’
And that He certainly is my brethren! Our omnipotent God can make all and everything new through His miraculous powers!
And in this new year of 2017, that’s already a month old, we all desperately need cleaning up and being revitalized. And that can only happen through the auspices, the grace and mercy and LOVE of the Most High God Jehovah!
So let’s hope and pray that He does an awesome work of revitalization in us this year of 2017. And the promise of scripture for that poem is 2 Cor, 23:18.
The New Living translation boils it down thus: ‘As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.’
I’m sorry though, that translation, in my opinion falls way short of the beauty and majesty of the King James Version. ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’
Now friends, that speaks to me much more than the first version. That’s what I don’t like about some of these new translations; they just lose the whole ‘wonderment ‘ of the old language, by making it so simplistic. But that’s just me.
And the scholars tell us this about that verse. ‘3:18. Beholding as in a glass: The term ‘beholding’ can have the sense of “reflecting.” The believer himself “reflects” the glory of the Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the glory of the Lord.
For Moses the glory eventually faded away, but under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God.’
Now I certainly like that: the longer we live, the more we become like Christ! Glory to God!
And I do hope that we have enough space and time for our Bit, which is enhanced everyday by the promises of the Lord’s Word. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.’
Yes my fellow believers, a rejoicing church is what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ wants to see. That’s why He sacrificed His sinless life for us, and if we don’t show our sincere appreciation by being glad and joyful, then all He did was just a waste of time.
Now let’s continue Bruh Paul’s speech to the Philippians, from where we left off yesterday. ‘Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil4:8-9).
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘4:8-9. Finally could be rendered “in this connection,” since verses 6-9 are related: verses 6 and 7 tell how to obtain God’s peace; verses 8 and 9 tell how to keep it. In order to keep God’s peace, the readers must occupy their minds with the right things (v.8) and busy themselves with the right activities (v.9).’
It couldn’t be put any simpler friends, though it’s not always easy to do in this negative, evil and selfish world. However with the untold blessings and promises and help available from our awesome God, we can do it.
Now let’s begin doing it by declaring our Thursday Blessings with much verve, enthusiasm and belief. Remember a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone.
As one now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And having blessed ourselves, let’s go out now and bless the many others in this world of great ‘sufferation’ who desperately need it. Much LOVE!
…Christians must not withhold blessings…but be like Christ…be generous to all and sundry…
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