01 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a holy calling, a mere mortal, a sound mind, abolished death, afflictions, apostle, ashamed, baptizing, before the world began, bounden duty, bountiful blessing, christ jesus, Christians, climate confusion, comprehend, confident certainty, divine destiny, enjoy the day, eternal life, eternity, fathom, for the which cause, forever linked, Gentiles, glorious day, God has chosen me, God has not given us a spirit of fear, grace, he is able to keep, I also suffer these things, I am not ashamed, I am persuaded, I am with you always, I belong to the God of the universe, I do know, in the name of the Father, in the palms of his hands, indescribable universe, inscribed me, Jesus Christ, lavish love, LOVE, loving family of God, made manifest, mercy, mine, neck of the woods, One Year Book of Bible promises, overwhelmed, partaker of the afflictions, power, prisoner, purpose, realtionship with God, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, share His love, spread the good news, sure confidence, talk the talk, teach all the nations, teacher, testimony, Thanks be to God, that which I have committed, the beloved of God, the end of the world, the friend of Jesus, the gospel, the Great Commission, the Holy Ghost, the life of the Son, the love of the Father, the magnitude of God, the power of God, the power of the Holy spirit, the SON, thoughts of kindness, Timothy, trust, Tuesday Mantra, until that day, vast, walk the walk, whom I have believed, works
2 Timothy 1:12. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
Oh my people, another glorious day is blossoming in our earthly lives! Thanks be to God!
And would you believe that in my neck of the woods, on the first day of November the temperature is supposed to rise up into the high teens? Wow! Talk about climate confusion!
Anyway, whatever the state of the weather in our particular area, please, lets enjoy the day, because that’s why the Lord made us to see and experience it.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘I Do Know’. When I read it recently it reminded me so much of our Tuesday Mantra that I had to share it with you.
It says: ‘There is much I cannot begin to fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God.
But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists. I know that I am a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny.
I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that his thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that he has inscribed me in the palms of his hands.
I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know!’
Ah friends, isn’t that a beautiful description of our relationship with Jehovah God? It certainly is!
And if you don’t believe it reminds you of our Tuesday Mantra, then, let’s declare it right now with all the enthusiasm and sure belief that it deserves.
As one beautiful voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Mama Mia! Oh what a bountiful blessing to be the beloved of God and the friend of Jesus! It definitely couldn’t get any better than that!
And the writing above just expands on our Mantra; giving more detail of the awesome relationship we have with the Creator and Controller of the universe. Between them both, we ought surely to confidently know and understand who and whose we are – the blessed and LOVING family of Almighty God!
Now here is the promise of scripture for that writing above, it is also our Bit for today. ‘For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’
Oh glory be my precious people! Bruh Paul is confidently proclaiming his trust and sure confidence in the Lord his God to his protégé Timothy. And we should also be able to proclaim it, if we truly believe what we say we believe.
In the verses before our Bit, Bruh Paul lays out his reasoning for his certainty in Christ. ‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.
Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions (share with me in the sufferings) of the gospel according to the power of God;
Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world (time) began.
But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light though the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.’ (2 Tim.1:7-11)
What a moving passage of scripture friends! Bruh Paul lays out why he believes what he believes. And the same should apply to all who consider themselves Christians!
Jesus was victorious over hell, death and the grave so that we could have eternal life and light, and it’s our bounden duty as His followers to spread that good news to all and sundry, in each and every part of the world.
So my brethren, if we are assured of salvation through Christ Jesus, then we need to behave like it, and speak it boldly, not be ashamed of our faith, as so many of us tend to be when in the company of unbelievers.
Remember Jesus’ last directive to His disciples: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
Yes precious people of God, that is our Great Commission, which we are able to do because our wonderful God hasn’t ‘given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’
So please let’s manifest those things in our walk of faith today, let’s boldly and gladly, share the LOVE of Jesus with the rest of the world, because only then, can we be considered true believers. Much LOVE!
…true Christians not only talk the talk…but also walk the walk…
P.S. Just one of those late nights and thus late mornings. (smile) Much LOVE!
31 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, almighty god, alone, antidote, aura of love, beaming from ear to ear, buoys my heart, calamity, Christians, complacency, complaining, confidence, covenant, curse God and die, David, David encouraged himself, desertion, dig deep down inside, dredge up, encouraging one's self in God, enthusiasm, faith, forlorn, friends, futile, glorious kingdom, heavenward, holy spirit, humble servants, in the Lord his God, invincible, Jesus Christ, Job, Jonathan, lack of energy, lethargy, lies, LOVE, misfortunes, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pain, pick up the pace, punishment, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, salve their wounds, Satan, Saul, seek God's advice, self-pity, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strengthened his hand, succour, sufferation, the army of Christ, the front line, Though he slay me, time to rock and roll, to give up all hope, tooth and nail, trials and tribulations, trust, truth, ungodly world, unquenchable faith, victories, wisdom, yet will I trust in him, Ziklag
1 Samuel 30:6b. …but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Okay friends, it’s Monday, the last day of October 2016, time to get a move on, time to rock and roll! (smile) The battle has already been joined and we need to be there to help our fellow soldiers in the army of Christ. The army of the evil one is already fighting tooth and nail, and without our help our brothers and sisters already on the front line will suffer innumerable loss.
And as always, we have the antidote for our lethargy and complacency, our lack of energy and enthusiasm, our complaining and self-pity; our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So let’s belt it out so that we can be uplifted and enthused to get out and do Christ’s work nuh.
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!’
Good show mih breddren, good show! Our choirmaster, Jesus, was quite pleased with that rendition. The harmony and full voices were all that He expected. He was beaming from ear to ear. And you know there’s nothing more rewarding than putting a smile on Jesus’ face!
So with our human motors now running smoothly on the fuel of adrenaline, let’s pick up the pace and enthusiastically get into the fray of this new workweek without further ado.
That brings us to our Bit. ‘…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’
Oh friends, you won’t know how that small bit of scripture touches and buoys my heart. I can just see Bruh David sitting alone and forlorn at the entrance to the burnt out city of Ziklag, while his men mutter and complain around him, seriously talking about stoning him. He’s probably sadly shaking his head and thinking: ‘Why Lord, why eh?’
But then he remembers all the other misfortunes the Lord has successfully brought him through, the many victories the Lord had caused him to have, and his spirit lifts with the strong faith that he’s cultivated in the God of his forefathers over the years. And his next move is obviously to seek God’s advice.
The problem here though my people, is that Bruh David had to raise that faith on his own, by himself, because there was no sympathetic human being to turn to. Likewise, there will be times when we find ourselves in the same situation; alone, with others crying out for our head, like they did for Jesus’.
Friends, at those times, we have to dig deep down inside of us and dredge up the necessary faith that will lead us to Almighty God for help and guidance. For He is the ONLY One who can help us under those trying circumstances.
That reminds me of another instance in Bruh David’s life, where he was encouraged in God, but this time by his covenant brother Jonathan, Saul’s son and heir to the throne. At that time Bruh David was on the run from Saul.
The Good Book tells us. ‘And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God (encouraged him).
And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.’ (1 Sam.23:15-18)
Oh my brethren, how blessed we are when we have even one friend to offer us that sort of encouragement! Job was another man of faith who had to encourage himself in God when God allowed Satan to cause him untold calamity. His wife told him to ‘curse God, and die,’ (Job 2:9b)
That was exactly what Satan desired. But Job was not ready to give up all hope, and he reasoned that both good and evil came from God, so one had to learn to accept them both. (Job 2:10)
But better yet, when his supposed friends were tongue lashing him, Job stalwartly proclaimed: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain (defend) mine own ways before him.’ (Job 13:15)
That’s what we call unquenchable faith my fellow believers! Do we have that kind of faith? We should, but the problem is that kind of faith can only be acquired by undergoing true calamity.
And the best example of encouraging one’s self in God is obviously our Lord and Saviour Jesus. Just look at how Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him thrice and all His other followers deserted Him when His time came. How do you think He stood up under the total desertion and the enormous physical and emotional punishment that followed eh?
By encouraging Himself in His heavenly Father! Otherwise He would not have been able to bear the intense pain and terrible ‘sufferation’ without complaining.
So friends, I just hope that we can appreciate the importance of strong faith in our Christian walk, and that it can only be built on the foundation of trials and tribulations. Much LOVE!
…when life seems oh so futile…Christians turn their eyes, hearts and voices heavenward…where they find succour to salve their wounds…
27 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ., abundance, an everlasting covenant, bask, bless and keep you, blessed, broken in Jesus name, but, call upon him, Christians, cluttered chamber, come ye to the waters, compassionate heart, consuming conviction, courage, creativity, curse, depth of need, divine protection, do our best, eat, enthusiasm, eternal glow, faith, fatness, favour, for he satisfieth the longing soul, freely, Gentiles, Glorious enough, goodness, grow, hath no money, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, health, hidden pretense, hunger, hunger and thirst after righteousness, I love you, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, labour, lavishly, let your soul delight, longing for christ, longing heart, mature, milk, negative word, not enough, One Year Book of Bible promises, our Lord and Saviour, positive outlook, possessors of the earth, priceless question, promise, promotion, rejoice, reneges, righteousness, rightful heirs, Ruth Harms Calkin, Scrip-Bit Friends, seek ye the Lord, self-control, shallow substitute, shining through the gloom, siritual food, spend money, spiritual poverty, strength, the light of Christ, the sure mercies of David, they shall be filled, thirst, Thursday Blessings, vacant hollow, wine, wisdom, without price
Matthew 5:6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Well a blessed Thursday to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and family! May the Lord indeed bless you and keep you safe today as you go about doing His work.
And let me ensure you that though it’s wet and dark and dreary in my little corner of the universe, I can still see the bright and brilliant light of the Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ shining through the gloom.
Likewise, whatever the physical characteristics of the day may be in your area, please be assured that the light of Christ is also shining through to you. You just have to accept it and bask in its eternal glow.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that spoke to me and asked to be shared. (smile) It’s called ‘My Glorious Enough.’
Please read with me. ‘Oh, how I LOVE You, my Lord – But not enough. How I hunger and thirst for You – But not enough. How I rejoice in your inimitable goodness – But not enough.
Pour Yourself lavishly, dear God Into every vacant hollow Into every cluttered chamber Of my longing heart. Free me from every shallow substitute From every hidden pretense Until I shall know With deep, consuming conviction That You are my Glorious Enough.’
Isn’t that a beautiful prayer? It surely is! It just has us clamouring for God ‘s righteousness, because we know that in Him we have more than enough of everything.
And the promise for that poem, as well as our Bit for today is the wonderful Beatitude from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’
Now that’s definitely an awesome promise, and we know that Christ never reneges on any of His promises, but are we truly hungering and thirsting after the Lord and His righteousness?
Now that’s the priceless question? I do hope so, because it’s essential if we are to grow and mature as true Christians.
And the scholars explain. ‘5:6. These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is proof of their spiritual rebirth.
Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled (Gr. chortazo) refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps.107:9).’
Yes friends, if we hunger and thirst after the things of the Lord, He will fill us with them. Even before Jesus came along, we had this promise from the Father. Hear Isaiah declare it.
‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat: yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance).
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.’ (Is.55:1-3)
What an invitation my people! Let’s hope we are wise enough to accept it. For as the scholars tell us: ’55:1-7. God’s free gift of salvation is offered to all who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come and eat and drink without money (or freely).
He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to all men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call ye upon him.’
Oh friends, what a wonderful God we serve, it never ceases to amaze me! Where else can we go and get spiritual food and drink for free eh? Absolutely nowhere else!
Who else is prepared to make a covenant with us Gentiles eh? None but the amazing God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob!
And He did it through the heartbreaking sacrifices of His Son Jesus Christ! Now what more do we need to believe that He is truly sincere in His deep and abiding care, compassion and LOVE for us eh?
Anyway, my people, it’s imperative that we stay as close as possible to Christ as we can, if we want to enjoy all the benefits and blessings that He has to offer.
And speaking of blessings, today is Thursday, so let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings over ourselves, for remember that a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone.
Now with much enthusiasm and strong faith let’s do it: ‘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!’
Yea mih breddren! And now that we’ve been gloriously blessed, let’s go out and win back the world for Christ! Much LOVE!
…the deep longing for Christ in our hearts…should make us always want to do our best on His behalf…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness, it was just one of those late hockey filled nights. (smile) Much LOVE!
24 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: atonement, aura of love, blessed, born again, born of God, care, compassion, complaining, confidence, death, energy, enthusiasm, everlasting life, faith, faithful, frailties, friends, fun, get with the programme, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God's LOVE, grateful, Hades, hell, His only begotten Son, holy spirit, humble servants, in all things, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus' business, jobs, joy, lies, LOVE, Love makes the world go round, Lucifer, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, muttering, nay, negative actions, our Lord and Saviour, perish, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, sacrificing, salvation, sense of purpose, serve a useful purpose, shield, son of god, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender, the cross at Calvary, the fray, the grave, the propitiation for our sins, the shed blood of Jesus, the trumpet is calling, through him that loved us, time to be up and about, trust, truth, ungodly world, we are more than conquerors, wisdom
Romans 8:37. Nay, in all things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.
Awright friends, it’s Monday, so let’s get up and get a move on nuh. There’s no time for pushing the snooze button and rolling over. The trumpet is calling out yonder: It’s time to go to work! Time to be up and about Jesus’ business!
Yes my people, there’s no time for muttering and complaining. You weren’t muttering or complaining last night when you were up till all hours of the night having fun. So let’s cut out the negative actions now and get with the programme.
And to help us do that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty enthusiasm, energy and sense of purpose. As they say, fake it until you make it.
So let’s sing: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, that rendition of our Battle Hymn was barely passable! How can such a lacklustre vocalization ever inspire anybody to go out and fight bravely eh? It’s obvious that our choirmaster, Jesus, wasn’t pleased. But as always, knowing our frailties, and having that great LOVE for us, He forgives us.
Nonetheless, now that our motors are running, let’s pick up the tempo and get ourselves into the fray of this new workweek, with Jesus, beside, behind and before us; in other words, all around us as a protective shield. That’s why we can so audaciously declare in our Bit: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’
Yes precious people of God, once you are spiritually born again through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross at Calvary, then you have indeed become a conqueror through His having conquered hell, death and the grave. The same options are open to all who sincerely believe in Him and truly surrender their souls to His leading and guidance.
Now the last couple of days we have been talking about the conquering aspect of our Bit, today however, I want to talk about the LOVE portion. And isn’t that word LOVE, the greatest word in any language on planet earth? It certainly is! Why eh?
Listen to the most important verse in the God’s word. ‘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.’ (John 3:16)
That’s the major purpose behind it all my faithful brethren. God’s LOVE was so great for us, His sinful creation, that He just could not live with Himself to see us all go down to Hades with Lucifer without some option for deliverance. ‘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)
And all those words were spoken by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the SON of God! So they just had to be true, since God cannot lie. That’s how blessed we are my people! Our Creator’s care and compassion for us was so strong, that He broke His own heart, by sacrificing His only Son, that we could be set free from the ravages of sin and death.
Now doesn’t that touch a soft spot in your heart, make you everlastingly grateful? It ought to. And it also ought to raise up your own LOVE for God, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in thankful appreciation for all that they’ve done for you. But such is the ungratefulness and foolish pride of man that many of us just couldn’t care less about what the Holy Trinity has done, is doing, and will do for us.
Now let’s further develop this theory of LOVE. We have a saying that ‘LOVE makes the world go round,’ and if we follow and believe what John says in his later writings, then it might just be true.
Hear John theorize. ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE. In this was manifested (shown) the LOVE of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation (atonement) for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:7-11)
And that’s the crux of the disastrous situation right now in our world; we don’t LOVE one another!
And we not talking about no big setta LOVE nuh, with plenty hugging and kissing etc; (smile) but just simple brotherly kindness, goodwill, care and compassion for each other. Now that’s what will make our world go round!
Ah friends, if we want to see our world become a better place, both for ourselves and our descendants, then I implore us to start showing that goodwill, that brotherly LOVE to each other. It’s not too late, and with God’s help we can certainly do it. So let’s begin today nuh; there’s no better time than right now! Much LOVE!
…without more basic LOVE…our world WILL NOT survive for much longer…
17 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abused the weekend, aura of love, bring forth fruit, Christians, confidence, correction, Creator of the universe, deleted expletives, delight in the law, discipline, enthusiasm, every work, faith, friends, gifts, glorious kingdom, godliness, greet the new day, grin and bear it, he did that which was right, he prospered, he who doesn't hear shall feel, Hezekiah, holy spirit, humble servants, idolatry, in due season, in the commandments, in the law, in the sight of the Lord, inroads, invincible, Jesus Christ, Judah, leaf shall not wither, levites, LOVE, meditate, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pagan, planted by the rivers, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, same old, scornful, seek the Lord, shoot the messenger, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strangers, the counsel of the ungodly, the Good Book, the house of God, the Passover, the right track, the righteous, the seat of the scornful, the straight and narrow path, the ungodly shall perish, the way of sinners, this is the day the Lord has made, time to rise and shine, tithes, trust, truth, ungodly world, we will rejoice and be glad in it, what you sow you shall reap, widows and orphans, wisdom, with all his heart
2 Chronicles 31:21. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
It’s Monday, it’s Monday, friends, it’s Monday, time to rise and shine and greet the new day with enthusiasm and energy, and joyfully declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!’ But instead, what I hear is much steupsing and a shower of deleted expletives. (smile)
Oh friends, why shoot the messenger eh? I’m just trying to do my job. I know it’s difficult to get up on a Monday morning, to do the same old, same old, especially if we’ve abused the weekend. But that’s just a part of life, the way our society is set up, so we just have to grin and bear it.
Fortunately though, we do have an antidote for whatever ails you on a Monday, it’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. It sets the tempo for your day, brightens you up, and gets you going on the right track, the straight and narrow one that leads to Jesus. So let’s sing it as though we mean it nuh, with strong voice and perfect harmony, so that we don’t anger our choirmaster Jesus.
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!’
Now that wasn’t so hard eh mih people? We just got to put some effort into it. Jesus wasn’t overjoyed, but He was satisfied with today’s rendition.
And talking about effort, our Bit today epitomizes the actions possible through giving all we’ve got in God’s undertakings. ‘And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.’
Yeh friends, the Good Book is talking about King Hezekiah of olden times in Judah. He began his reign at 25, and reigned for 29 years; pretty long for kings of those times. But as the Good Book also says of him: ‘And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his (fore) father hath done.’ (2 Chr.29:2) That’s why he was commended in our Bit.
Hezekiah brought about a revival of godliness in Judah. He repaired the temple, threw out all the pagan stuff that was in there from the reign of Ahaz, restored the godly stuff and rededicated it to the Lord. He removed idolatry from all over the land, reinstituted the Passover and appointed priests and Levites to do temple duty, as had been ordered by Moses.
He also made the people bring their gifts and tithes to the Lord’s house, so that the priests and Levites who had no land, as well as widows and orphans and strangers could be fed. And they brought so much that they had to build storerooms for the leftovers. (2 Chr.29, 30, 31)
Ah friends, that’s what happens when we follow the Lord’s commands. How I wish something like that could happen today. But sadly most churches have fallen on hard times and can hardly make ends meet. Some are even being forced to close. We all want to have strong churches, but we don’t want to provide the wherewithal for them to do so.
Uzziah was another Judean king who did as Hezekiah: ‘And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that His father Amaziah did. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions (fear) of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.’ (2 Chr. 26:4-5)
Please note those last words my fellow believers: ‘as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.’ Those were very important words back then, and they are even more important today in the selfish, greedy, strife-filled, ungodly, evil society in which we dwell. If we don’t seek the Lord our God, we won’t prosper.
And this is clearly stated in Psalm 1 – Blessed are the righteous. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in due season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. (Ps.1:1-3)
Oh friends, it couldn’t be stated any clearer than that! And the sad fact is that we all know the principle by which God runs His universe – whatever you sow, that is what you shall reap – but for some unfathomable reason we choose to sow ungodly stuff. No wonder we are reaping so much ungodly stuff in our society these days.
Please remember the last verse of that Psalm my precious people. ‘For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:6) And that’s gospel truth! Much LOVE!
…he who doesn’t hear… shall surely feel…the rod of God’s discipline and correction…
12 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive and kicking, believers in Jesus Christ, constant cry, diligently, earthly problems, energized, find me, fruit, give a stranger one of your smiles, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God's goodness, God's great earth, gold, hard times, honour, I love them that love me, in the beginning, inherit substance, Jesus Christ, judgement, justice, loathe, looking back at the past, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, our best days are still ahead of us, potential, riches, righteousness., sacrilege, seek me early, seeking God, silver, sunshine, the breath of life, the obits, this is the day the Lord has made, to a glorious future with Jesus, treasures, uplifted, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wealth, Wednesday Wail, what a shame, wisdom, words of wisdom
Proverbs 8:17. I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.
Oh my beautiful believers in Jesus Christ, once again we’ve been blessed to see another day on God’s great earth. Wow!
A lot of others haven’t been so favoured. If you look in the obits, you’ll see their names there, but thankfully ours aren’t included. That means our heavenly Father has more wonderful and daring plans in mind for us to accomplish in His large and most excellent portfolio.
And the best way to initiate those plans is by declaring up front: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’
Yeh friends, if we don’t appreciate and rejoice in the day that we’ve been blessed with, our names might as well have been included in the obits, because we’re just wasting God’s time and goodness. And what a shame that would be!
Anyway, it’s Wednesday, and yuh know what that means? It’s wailing time! So let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with lots of enthusiasm, faith, trust, truth and whatever else it takes for these sentiments to truly blossom in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls.
Wailing now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my faithful brethren, many of us are facing hard and difficult times, but I’m sure none of us are ready to go over to the other side just to get rid of our earthly problems. Well the next best thing is to grab on securely to the plough that Jesus has offered us, look straight ahead and plough like we mad! (smile)
We can learn from all the stuff that’s gone on in our pasts, but we must not let them weigh us down any further. A new day is dawning, our best days are still ahead of us, that’s why the Lord has left us down here.
So please, let’s be truly thankful nuh for God’s breath of life that still has us alive and kicking, and look forward with patience, but also eager anticipation to the glorious future that our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ has promised us. Chuh! Anything less would be sacrilege.
Yeh friends, the ole fella seems to be in fine form this morning. (smile) But we all know that what I’m saying is gospel truth, we’re just too lazy, scared or whatever to get in the real groove with Jesus.
And before we get into our Bit, I’m going to give us one small, but very important task to do to show that we truly LOVE Jesus. It comes from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster. And it simply says: ‘Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.’
Now that isn’t so hard to do eh? At least it shouldn’t be. And we all know it’s true, it works, because we have all been energized and uplifted with a kind word or a smile from someone we didn’t know. Now I won’t know if we did our today task, but God will. Nuff said!
Now here is our interesting Bit from the Proverbs of Cousin Sol, as he tries to teach us about wisdom and its everlasting nature. ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’
Ah mih people, what undeniable words of wisdom about wisdom! (smile) And yuh know what? Seeking wisdom in this earthly life is really all about seeking God. Now hear some of the things we’ll find when we LOVE and seek after wisdom.
‘Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable (enduring) riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead (walk) in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgement (justice): That I may cause those that LOVE me to inherit substance (wealth); and I will fill their treasures.’ (Prov.8:18-21)
Now why would anybody in their right mind not seek after wisdom eh? She provides honour and riches; enduring riches to boot! Riches that will last, unlike that gleaned from the world. She walks in righteousness, provides fruit that is better than the best gold and silver, and justice is her middle name!
And she causes all those who seek and LOVE her to get wealth. Hn! True wisdom encompasses EVERYTHING my people! Once we sincerely seek her, we don’t have to seek for anything else, for she provides all that we need to live a good life. Ah friends, seeking wisdom is like seeking God! You cannot go wrong on either count!
And we won’t get into it here, but wisdom is and was so important, that before the Lord even made the world, wisdom was in His toolbox. ‘The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.’ (Prov.8:22-23)
Yeh friends, wisdom was around long before the earth was. So why are we so loathe to seek true wisdom eh, the kind that comes from God and not man? Who knows!
But please let it be said, that until we truly seek and acquire godly wisdom, our lives will not be fulfilled to their godly potential. Much LOVE!
…seek me, seek me…is the constant cry of wisdom and our God…
10 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Jesus Christ, aura of love, Beres Hammond, bitch, blessings, bounden duty, call upon his name, children of Jacob, Christians, come out to remind me, complain, confidence, conquerors, cut out the nonsense, enthusiasm, face the music, faith, fighting for Jesus, for all I've got, for the life in me, friends, get with the programme, giving thanks, glory in his holy name, grateful for a job, Happy Thanksgiving Canada, harmonious voices, harmony, holy spirit, hope builds faith, humble servants, I'm giving thanks, I'm not in a hurry, I've got my health, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, judgements, lies, LOVE, make his deeds known, make known his deeds, melody, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, morning sun rising behind me, no need to fear, O Give thanks unto the Lord, out of work, perpetual thanksgiving, pleased as punch, pockets broken, rejoice, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, seed of Abraham, seek his face, sing psalms, spiritual armour, stars at nights, steadfast faith, strong and steadfast in Jesus, surrender, talk of his wondrous works, talk the talk, taunts, Thanksgiving Day, the breath of life, to give thanks for all I have, trust, truth, ungodly world, uplift ourselves, waiting for that break, while there is life there is hope, wiles, wisdom
Psalm 105:1. O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!
Oh friends, oh friends, it’s Thanksgiving morn in beautiful Canada! Wow!
And the words of the old song ‘Giving Thanks’ by Beres Hammond comes to mind: ‘Right here now, I’m taking it easy. Check my steps, I’m not in a hurry.
Soon I’ll have the things that I needed so bad. Morning sun rising behind me, Stars at nights come out to remind me, To give thanks for all of the things that I have.
All is well, I’ve got my health and in such good shape. Pockets broken, I’ve got nothing, Waiting for that break. So I’m giving thanks, for all I’ve got. I’m giving thanks, whether or not. I’m giving thanks for the life in me. I’m giving thanks now…’
Yeh mih people, the ole fella is giving thanks for all I’ve got – and believe me, I’ve got a lot. But whether or not you’ve got a lot, you can still be thankful, even if it’s just for the breath of life that’s still flowing through your body. For remember that while there is life there is always hope in God’s great universe!
Yes my fellow believers, and hope builds faith, and faith keeps us strong and steadfast in Jesus. So I do hope that we all, wherever we are in this great country of Canada, as well as all round the world, are in a state of thanksgiving this Monday morning.
The fact is that we should be in a state of perpetual thanksgiving regardless of our circumstances, because there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for.
I know that many of us are shaking it somewhat rough today because we have to get up and go to work, but that is something to be oh so thankful and grateful for.
Yuh know how many millions of people are out of work and would be everlastingly grateful to have a job, any job? But yet we still bitch and complain because we have to get up and go out and face the music on a Monday. Steups!
Look friends, let’s cut out the nonsense eh and get with the programme, if you say you’re a believer in Jesus Christ! Too many supposed Christians today are full of the talk but none of the walk.
Anyway, enough of the talk, (smile) let’s begin the walk by declaring our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto and excitement. Let’s prove to Jesus, our choirmaster, that we are truly His. So, with loud, proud and harmonious voices, let’s sing!
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days.
It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour.
We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh my people, that wasn’t bad at all nuh! Jesus was pleased as punch! (smile) Even though, as is usually the case, the ones who aren’t going to work today, were the loudest. But overall, the harmony and melody were excellent. And most important of all, it put a smile on Jesus’ face.
Now let’s go out and continue the work He has called us to do, in good spirits and with pure motives, remembering as our Bit declares: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.’
Yes my brethren, to spread the word of God all over the world and make known His mighty deeds throughout the ages is our bounden duty! So let’s get serious and do what we know we ought to do nuh.
Oh there are always times when things will come against us and cause us to be concerned, but there is never any need for fear, because Jesus told us oodles of times, not to fear, since He has already conquered the world.
And I know it’s not always easy, but listen to the psalmist as he encourages us in the things we can, and ought to do to uplift ourselves in Jesus.
‘Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him; talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength: seek his face evermore.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth; O ye seed of Abraham, his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God: his judgements are in all the earth.’ (Ps.105:2-7)
Yuh see friends, as children of the Most High God, how many things we have to give thanks for, and the numerous ways we can do so!
So please, please, let’s get truly serious about our walk with Jesus and come out fighting with and for Him this Monday morning nuh, for that is indeed wisdom at it’s highest. Much LOVE!
…giving thanks should be an all day…every day occurrence…
05 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a name higher than any other, alive and kicking, all the earth, appreciation, blessings, call Him Lord, come unto me, comforted me, communion, dr robert h schuller, encouraged, essential, every knee shall bow, exile in Babylon, faith, feast of Tabernacles, forgave me, glorified forever, glory, gospel truth, gracious, halfway home, heavy laden, His sinless, honour, Hour of Power Devotional, I am meek, I will give you rest, intimate friend, Israel's deliverance, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, joyous feast, labour, learn from me, life, lifted me, lonely, LOVE, loving kindness, lowly in heart, mercies, merciful Deity, millenial reign of Jesus, my burden is light, my hands are on the plough, my yoke is easy, not looking back, obedient to the Father, our Lord and Saviour, pilgrimage, pledge loyalty, praise, reconciled to God, rejoiced with me, reneges, renewed me, Selah, selflessly sacrificed, showered down on us, sing to thy name, sing unto thee, sinking, sinning, striving, struggling, succeeding, supported me, take my yoke, thanks and praise, the breath of life, the glory of God, the great invitation, the great trumpet, the holy mount of Jerusalem, trust, Wednesday Wail, What a Friend, worship, worship the Lord, worthy is the Lamb, Zechariah
Psalm 66:4. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
And then it was Wednesday… another glorious day to be alive and kicking! All thanks and praise be to our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who selflessly sacrificed His sinless life so that we could be reconciled to the Father, and thus enjoy sincere communion with Him once again!
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful ‘Praise be to Jesus the Son for being obedient to the Father’s wishes! May He be glorified forever and ever. Amen!’
And the Father did just that by making His name higher than every other name, and having every knee bow to Him and call Him Lord, to the glory of God. (Phil.2:10-11)
But you know what my fellow believers, Jesus is more than just our Lord and Saviour, He is also our best friend. Listen to this poem from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, titled ‘What a Friend!’ I’m sure I’ve shared it before, but as we say, once it’s nice, we can share it twice, and even thrice. (smile)
Please read with me: ‘You have never failed, Lord, to be my one, essential, intimate friend. When I was: Lonely in striving – you encouraged me. Lonely in struggling – you lifted me. Lonely in serving – you supported me. Lonely in suffering – you comforted me. Lonely in sinning – you forgave me. Lonely in sinking – you renewed me. Lonely in succeeding – you rejoiced with me. What a friend I have in Jesus! Thank you, Lord. Amen.’
And all of that is gospel truth my people! There is no better friend in the entire universe than Jesus! Please remember that so you can take ALL your concerns to Him and be received with comfort and LOVING-kindness. He will NEVER turn you away, regardless of the evil you’ve done.
Remember His 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 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 friends, what a marvellous invitation! Please don’t let it go to waste! Now let’s wail our Wednesday Wail, confirming our great appreciation, LOVE, trust and faith in Jesus.
Wailing: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my fellow believers, we need to be ever thankful for the wonderful breath of life that God has blessed us with! We must also stop allowing the past to control us, but instead stay strong and steadfast in our duties and look to the beautiful future Jesus has promised us. Remember He NEVER reneges on a promise.
Consequently, with all wonderful mercies and blessings and grace that God has undeservedly showered down on us, we ought to honour Him by acclaiming our Bit. ‘All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.’
Yes friends, the Lord our God certainly deserves all the honour, praise and glory that we can give, for He is a most awesome, gracious and merciful Deity! Now hear what the prophet Zechariah has to say, re the glorious time when Zion shall reign supreme, with Jesus as the Judge.
‘And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of the tabernacles.’ (Zech.14:16) Oh mih breddren, everybody will be trekking to Jerusalem to worship King Jesus! What a pilgrimage!
And the scholars offer this explanation. ’14:16-21. The feast of tabernacles is the joyous feast of ingathering, rest, and thanksgiving. Israel celebrated it when they returned from the Exile (in Babylon). (Neh.8:14-18). The millennial reign of the Messiah is the realization of the Feast of Tabernacles. No other feast will be observed because the realities they foreshadowed will have been realized.’
Ah my faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, what a time of celebration that will be! Now let’s end with Isaiah’s take on the subject of Israel’s deliverance. ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt; and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount of Jerusalem.’ (Is.27:13)
Yes my fellow believers, ALL roads lead to Jerusalem, where Christ will sit on the throne of His forefather, Bruh David, and rule the world! And all God’s children gave a loud shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to enact justice in the world, now and forever more. Amen!’
So friends, yuh see what a wonderful life and time we have to look forward to when we sincerely hook up with Jesus and obediently do His bidding? Please, let’s not be foolish and pledge our loyalty to any other, for there is truly NONE like Jesus! Much LOVE!
…oh what a friend we have in Jesus…all our sins and hopes to bear…
03 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a true Christian, adrenaline, aligning oneself, all the earth, antidote, aura of love, confidence, Creator of the universe, do good work for Jesus, endureth for ever, energizes, enthusiasm, enthusiastic, evil, evil hordes, exalth themselves, faith, fellowship, foolish, friends, fun, Gentiles, glory hallelujah, halfhearted, hit the road, holy spirit, homage, humble servants, hymn of praise, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, make like jack, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, play favourites, Praise ye the Lord, rebellious, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rewards, salvation, Selah, sing to thy name, sing unto thee, sometime thing, sovereignty, spiritual armour, spreading the good news of Jesus, steadfast faith, the Great Commission, the truth of the Lord, the weekend, the works of God, trust, ungodly world, unwise, wisdom, work time, worship
Psalm 66:4. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
Ah friends, the second big day of the week is here, and our journey through it will depend on how we handled the first big day of the week. (smile) Yeh mih people, it’s work time once again, and if we’ve used the weekend properly, we’d be all set and ready, enthusiastic and can’t wait to get out into the world and show the godless and the heathen how a true believer in Jesus, a true Christian behaves.
But since many of us have compromised ourselves on the weekend, consequently, we are not ready and able, or willing to face the evil hordes that abound in the working world. But there’s no reason to be anxious or afraid, for we have the right antidote for your problem. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and it energizes us, gets our adrenaline running so that we can go out and do good work for Jesus.
So without further ado, let’s raise our voices heavenward in harmony and praise. ‘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 hot nuh; out of tune and not very enthusiastic, and our choirmaster, Jesus, definitely wasn’t pleased. You could see that by the serious look on His comely face and His unsmiling eyes. Nevertheless, most of us now have our motors idling smoothly, so let’s make like jack nuh, hit the road and do Jesus’ bidding, as per the Great Commission. (Matt.28:19-20)
That brings us to our Bit: ‘All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.’
Oh my brethren, that is ever so true! In due course of time, everyone on planet earth will be singing the praises of our wonderful God! Why? Because He is just such a magnificent, magnanimous, omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present, ever-LOVING, ever-caring, ever-faithful, kind, forgiving and compassionate Deity! Wow!
He’s also the Creator of the universe and all therein! And there’s NO OTHER like Him! So why wouldn’t we worship and sing praises to Him eh? Not unless we’re foolish and unwise. And, unfortunately, there are way too many of that type in today’s world. They think that God is a joke, or He just doesn’t exist.
But that’s the furthest thing from the truth my fellow believers, and we know that because God is at work in us, doing all sorts of wonderful things in our lives, as we work for Him down here, spreading the good news of Jesus, while storing up eternal rewards in heaven. Glory Hallelujah!
Listen to how the psalmist continues after our Bit. ‘Come and see the works of God: he is terrible (awesome) in his doing toward the children of men, He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood (river) on foot: there did we rejoice in him. He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.’ (Ps.66:5-7)
Now that last statement is a very serious warning to the unbeliever; they ought not to think too highly of themselves, for with the same speed that they are exalted, the Lord will pull them back down for their false pride and egotistic disregard of His sovereignty. Not aligning oneself with the Creator and Controller of the universe and paying Him great homage is a fool’s wisdom my people.
Hear the psalmist from Psalm 117, the shortest chapter in the Bible. ‘O Praise the Lord, all ye nations (gentiles) praise (glorify) him, all ye people. For his merciful (LOVING) kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.117:1-2)
And the scholars offer up these explanations on the psalm. ‘Psalm 117. This little psalm contains a great message. Though some have denied it an independent existence, attaching it to Psalm 116, Psalm 117 has all three elements of the hymn of praise: a call to praise (v.1), a cause for praise (v.2a, b), and a conclusion, which in this case is a simple praise ye the Lord (v.2c).
The fact that the nations and people (lit. “peoples”) are addressed in verse 1 makes this psalm the only one in the Psalter addressed in its entirety to the Gentile world. Its evangelistic mood was still baffling to some of Paul’s readers. This is one of four passages that Paul quotes from the Old Testament, in Romans 15, to prove that God is interested in saving Gentiles.’
Yeh friends, that’s one of the reasons Almighty God is worthy of much praise; He’s interested in saving EVERYBODY, not just some. Our God doesn’t play favourites, He wants all of His creation to come to Him, and that’s a part of our job. So please let’s get out there today and do it to the best of our ability nuh, obviously with the help of God, through His Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Much LOVE!
…praising our God should be an automatic, joyful and continuous response from believers…not a halfhearted, sometime thing…
22 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, a sound mind, abundance, all to the glory of God, be sober, boldfaced, charity, Christian faith, clear direction for my life, comforting light, comforts, Corinth, courage, creativity, curse, deity, disobedience, divide and conquer, divine protection, do all in the name of Jesus, dominion, drink, eat, faith, family, favour, fear and worry, foolish, friends, fulfillment, Gentiles, giving thanks to god, glory to God, God's grace, God's supernatural wisdom, grudging, grumbling, guidance, health, hospitality, in all things, in the name of Jesus, in word or deed, indisputable truth, individual's choice, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Jews, lackadaisical behaviour, LOVE, lusts of the flesh, manifold grace of God, mature, minister, Most High God, multitude of sins, negative word, obedience, offense, oracles of god, our Lord and Saviour, please all men, power, praise Your Holy Name, profit, promotion, prosper, raise our spirits, reassurance, received the gift, self-control, self-discipline, self-loathing, sinful times, stewards, strong will, success, supernatural strength, talent, Thank You Lord, the church of God, the Good Book, the Holy Trinity, the SON, the Son is always shining brightly, the spirit of fear, Thursday Blessings, two cents worth, uplifts, watch unto prayer, whatsoever ye do, wisdom
Colossians 3:17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Well friends, another apparently beautiful day has dawned in my neighbourhood, and for it we give much thanks! However, if the weather in your area isn’t so wonderful, then please don’t be overly concerned because the Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is ALWAYS shining His brilliant and comforting light on and in us… Glory to God!
That means less fear and worry in our lives as we experience each new day, remembering the reassurance of the Good Book. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7) And that’s indisputable truth my believing brethren!
Now, let’s further raise our spirits and our faith by declaring our Thursday Blessings in a strong voice, filled with enthusiasm and conviction, for remember that a blessing is not a blessing until it is spoken over someone.
All together 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!’
Ah mih people, what a wonderful Deity we serve and worship! No other faith uplifts and comforts its believers like the Christian faith!
And all God’s children gratefully declared a loud and sincere, ‘Thank You Lord! We truly LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Now to turn those words into reality, we need to follow the wise and most worthy advice of Bruh Paul to the Colossians, found in our Bit. ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’
Yes friends, the only way we can truly show our faithfulness to the Most High God Jehovah is by letting our words and actions reflect the character of Jesus with sincere thankfulness. And Bruh Paul wrote basically the same thing to the church at Corinth.
‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.’ (1 Cor.10:31-33).
Ah mih people, the basic reason behind ALL that we say and do, ought to be to glorify God in some form and fashion! Remember, that’s why He created us. And Peter adds his two cents worth (smile) as he talks about being good stewards of God’s grace.
‘But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling). As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen’ (1 Pet.4:7-11)
Oh how I wish that more of us supposed Christians would follow that sound advice. But as you see, it means giving up our pleasure and profit for others, and that’s still a rather difficult thing for many Christians to do, especially in these very ungodly and sinful times.
And unfortunately the only way for us, and consequently Christ’s church to grow and mature, is by us steadfastly following the advice given above by both apostles. If we keep on allowing the enemy to divide and conquer us, to fill us with fear, self-loathing, or simply uninterested, lackadaisical behaviour, then we’ll always be at their mercy, and Christ’s church will continue to be weighed down with dissension and disunity, as it currently is.
Obviously that’s not pleasing to the Holy Trinity, our Godhead. And if we’re not pleasing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, then we’re not doing what we were created to do – as simple as that. Then we cannot expect to be blessed with all the good things and times that have been placed in store for us.
That, however, doesn’t stop some of the more boldfaced and foolish of us from still expecting heavenly blessings, although they are living in the lusts of the flesh and not in the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit. (smile)
Anyway friends, the long and short of the story is that as true believers we need to make sure that our words and actions glorify God, by falling into line with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. That’s what is known as heavenly wisdom, wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…obedience brings blessings…disobedience brings curses…it’s the individual’s choice…
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