11 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: against powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, all them that Love Jesus, Bruh Paul, but against principalities, coerced, demonic forces, evil strategies, exuberant celebrations, fellowship, fodder for the enemy, Friday chant, fun, generous help, get ahead, glorious kingdom, grace, having done all to stand, having your loins girt about with truth, imprison our spirits, Jesus Christ, Labour Day, LOVE, love with faith, Lucifer, maelstrom, make ends meet, pay the price, peace be to the brethren, perseverance, physical warfare, praying always, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, rest, soul body mind, spiritual battle, spiritual warfare, stand our bounce, supplication for the saints, take up the whole armour of God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the armour of God, the breastplate of righteousness, the evil day is at hand, the evil one, the fiery darts of the wicked one, the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the protective armour of Almighty God, the right perspective, the shield of faith, the spiritual realm, the sword of the Spirit, the weekend's here at last, the Word of god, walk safely in god's light, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, week of work, whirlpool of madness, withstand in the evil day
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of ) wickedness in high places.
And then it was Friday…
And obviously the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend’s here at last!’ are heard everywhere. And even though it’s been a short week, only four days, a lot of us are extremely happy to see it because we’re pretty tired from the exuberant Labour Day celebrations on Monday, then right to work without a refreshing break.
But Friends, if we want to party too heartily, knowing that work is right around the corner, then we will have to stand our bounce and pay the price it calls for. Anyway, the weekend is upon us, and we’re all glad that it’s here, so let’s chant our Friday Chant to find the right perspective, so we don’t mess up our lives any further. (smile)
As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Ah Friends, I do hope we take that simple prayer seriously, because one of the negative things in our crazy world is that everyone is so busy and consequently so tired, trying to make ends meet or simply get ahead in this maelstrom, this whirlpool of madness, that our world’s become.
But my people, we have to be careful in this apparent madness, because it is not all instantaneous and/or unplanned. Not on your life! The evil one and his associates have planned a lot of it to throw us off balance, get us weary and disappointed and thus more easily coerced into their evil strategies and schemes.
And thankfully, our Bit so wisely informs us: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.’
Yes Friends, physical warfare is not the only kind that’s widespread in our world, but an even more vicious and threatening and dangerous one is being waged in the spiritual realm. This one to capture, enslave and imprison our spirits and souls in a dark and wicked dungeon controlled by Lucifer and his evil forces, from which the chances of escape are rather slim.
That’s why, as we saw yesterday, Bruh Paul strongly advised the Ephesians. ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:13)
And believe me my brethren, we need to take that advice today even more seriously than the Ephesians, because the evil day is at hand!
Yes my fellow believers, the powers of evil and darkness are in the ascendance right now. Oh so sadly, they are indeed holding sway in our confused and troubled world, that’s why we so badly need to put on the protective armour of God, for that’s the only thing that will offer us protection from the attacks and machinations of the dark and evil powers.
And what, you ask, is this armour of God that’s so powerful to protect us from Beelzebub? As believers in Jesus Christ, we should all know it, but I’ll let Bruh Paul refresh our memory.
‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (having girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (an eagerness and willingness to take the fight to the devil).
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:14-18)
Yes Friends all that protection is absolutely necessary in the spiritual battle against the evil and demonic forces of this ungodly world!
And you’ll notice how Bruh Paul lays it out just like the armour of a soldier going into battle, with a helmet, a breastplate, waist securely girded, with proper shoes to handle the terrain, a shield, and a trusty sword, all backed by the power of prayer.
Oh my people, without the armour of God, we are simply fodder for the enemy. He will cut us down like a sharp scythe cuts grass or a lawnmower mows it; with no problems at all. So please, please let’s be wise and take this most important advice to heart nuh, provided you want to be saved from the unpleasant advances of the wicked world.
That’s enough for now. Tomorrow we’ll continue looking at the wonderful protective armour of God, delve into it a little deeper. Till then, please walk safely in God’s light.
Or as Bruh Paul would say: ‘Peace be to the brethren, and LOVE with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that LOVE our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.’ (Eph.6:23-24).
Much, much LOVE my people!
…one cannot walk this wicked earth safely…unless one has on the protective armour of Almighty God…that’s a proven fact…
07 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a prowling wolf, a scarcity of jobs, after one time is two, and were scattered abroad, anger, angst, as sheep having no shepherd, aura of love, because they fainted, Beelzebub, but the labourers are few, calamity, captains of industry, celebration mode, Christians, compassionate hearts, confidence, conquerors, corruption, Creator of the universe, crime, dissatisfaction, drunk or sober mind your business, Eastern Parkway, Election Day, energy, enthusiasm, faith, friends, glorify God's name, godliness, Granny's spiel, guidance, help, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus was moved with compassion, jobs, Labour Day, lies, LOVE, make a difference, memories, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Oh Lord God Almighty, pray the Lord of the harvest, prosperity, rebellion, refugees, rejuvenation of spirit, remuneration, renewed vitality, responsible government, rest, serve a useful purpose, societal obligations, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strife, taunts, the bottom line, the harvest truly is plenteous, the Holy Spirit, then saith Jesus to his disciples, trust, truth, ungodly world, wars, watered down, weary souls, wiles, wisdom
Matthew 9:37. Then saith he (Jesus) unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.
Aye Friends, as they say, after one time is two yes…and sometimes even three. (smile) What brought up that saying is my not remembering that today is Labour Day and thus a long weekend. That means I also forgot to give you Granny’s spiel about; ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober please mind your business.’ (smile)
Ah mih people, life and times certainly do change yes, as in my earlier years I never forgot two seminal days, Caribana Saturday and Labour Day. But I guess as my physical self deteriorated and I was no longer able to participate as physically as I would like, I just stopped paying any attention to them.
At one stage every Labour Day I would be in New York, checking out the Pan Competition with my Uncle John and Auntie Anne, and trawling the Eastern Parkway from top to bottom, but no longer, those days are simply memories, good ones.
In any case the festivals are not as good as they used to be. Everything is now watered down; the costumes and the music are mere shadows of their earlier years. However, please be careful as you ramp up the celebrations this Labour Day weekend, and remember Granny’s wonderful advice.
And to make matters even more interesting, today is also Election Day in T&T. I wonder how many people have left to go to New York for Labour Day, instead of staying and fulfilling their societal obligations? Whatever happens though, I just hope that we elect a responsible government, because it’s time to cut out all the crime and corruption and get our beautiful twin islands back to a state of godliness and thus prosperity.
Now, to help those who have to go to work on this Labour Day, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much energy and enthusiasm.
As one soulful 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 truly energetic and enthusiastic but somewhat hoarse and scratchy, like an old vinyl record on a turntable. I guess many of you have been into celebration mode long ago, and your voices were the loudest because you don’t have to work today. But just remember to be careful, because Beelzebub is out there prowling like a hungry wolf amongst a flock of sheep, just waiting for one of us to go astray, so that he can pounce on us. And we definitely can’t allow that to happen.
And isn’t it upsetting, disturbing and disappointing that on this Labour Day of 2015 there is a dearth of labour for the many labourers? It brings to mind our Bit. ‘Then saith he (Jesus) unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.’ Only now the tables are turned; the harvest is scanty and the labourers are plentiful.
Yes Friends there is indeed a scarcity of jobs for an extremely large labour force. Even people with higher education have to take menial jobs for which they are over qualified. And the sad fact is that the captains of industry don’t care about the social cost of joblessness to the society, they are only interested in the bottom line and their fat, undeserved remuneration, with golden and platinum parachutes et al.
There is no reason in God’s world why a captain of industry should be making three to four hundred times that of a lowly shop floor worker. But unfortunately that is today’s norm. And when they want to cut costs, the first place they cut is the workforce. Ah Lord eh!
And they wonder why there is so much dissatisfaction and angst, anger and rebellion across the whole world. And then the seething strife and numerous wars that are currently dominating the earth don’t help matters either, for they just cause more unnecessary calamity and provoke refugee situations like we’re now experiencing.
But what annoys me most about the situation is that everybody is so concerned about finding somewhere for the refugees to go, when the best solution would be to end the strife and war in the countries from which they are fleeing. That’s where our efforts should be concentrated so there would not be such a big influx of refugees.
Anyway Friends, that’s just my humble take on the situation, which brings us back to our Bit. Before Jesus said it, the Good Book tells us: ‘But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.’ (Matt.9:36)
And sadly, that is exactly what’s happening in our world today, both with the refugee situation as well as in many countries, third and also first world. And it certainly seems that we Christians are the only ones who have the compassionate hearts to help stem the roaring tide of ‘sufferation.’ That’s why we need to do as Jesus says afterward. ‘Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt.9:38)
Yes Friends, the only way that we comparatively few Christians can make a substantial difference in this troubled and severely hurting world, is with the Lord’s august help. So please, let’s sincerely pray for His help and guidance and wisdom to enable us to make a worthwhile difference and thus glorify His Holy Name. Much LOVE!
…how can men eat…support their families…if they can’t get work eh…
31 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a la Jesus, adrenalin, aura of love, baptizing them, believers in Christ, confidence, Controller, Creator, declare God's glory among the heathen, do some good, enthusiasm, faith, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, holy spirit, humble servants, I am with you always, in the beauty of holiness, invincible, Jesus Christ, kick some butt, let the earth be glad, let the heavens rejoice, let the sea roar, lord god almighty, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, motors revving, O sing unto the Lord a new song, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, proclaim the good news, provider, put our best foot forward, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., salvation, saviour jesus, sing unto the Lord all the earth, spiritual armour, spread some love, stand your bounce, steadfast faith, teach all nations, teaches you a lesson, the Great Commission, the Holy Ghost, the Lord comes to judge the earth, the Lord reigns, tremble before God, truth, ungodly world, weary souls, wisdom, worship the Lord
Psalm 96:1. O Sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.
Awright Friends, the big day, Monday, has rolled around again. So how are we going to handle it eh? Are we going to whimper and complain, or are we going to make the best of a bad thing, put our best foot forward, like our Lord and Saviour Jesus expects of us?
Yuh know that if this morning you are tired and miserable, possibly hung over, it’s all your fault, you didn’t listen to my good advice and spend yesterday getting ready for today. So now you just have to stand your bounce; feel the pain, and get out there and do whatever is necessary. And I surely hope it teaches you a lesson, so that next Monday you’ll be up early, bright and fresh like a daisy. (smile)
Now let’s see about getting us going on the right foot this morning, by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much gusto and gumption. 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!’
Ah mih people, that was a tad scratchy, what with the sore throats and hoarse voices. But overall it wasn’t too bad. At least our choir conductor, Jesus, could see us making the effort. It’s just that our physical abilities weren’t up to par. (smile)
But at least the adrenalin is flowing now, and I can hear our motors revving, meaning that we’re ready to go out into the evil world and kick some butt, do some good and spread some LOVE, a la Jesus! Glory to our great God my people!
And if we’re ready to face the ungodly world, then that means we’re also ready to do what our Bit advises: ‘O Sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.’
Yes Friends, we are called upon to praise our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Deity, for he is the Creator and Controller and Provider of ALL!
Now our Bit comes from psalm 96, which itself is a part of Bruh David’s famous song of thanksgiving, after they had brought the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem. (1 Chr.16:7-36) But we’ll just concern ourselves with Psalm 96 today, which continues thus after our Bit.
‘Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth (proclaim the good news of) his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen (the gentiles), his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.’ (Ps.96:2-6)
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, there is not one word of untruth in all those statements! Our God is what it says, and has done all that is stated. That is why we should do as the psalmist continues: ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him all the earth. Say among the heathen (gentiles) that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be (is firmly) established that it shall not be moved (shaken): he shall judge the people righteously.’ (Ps.96:7-10)
Oh Friends, more indisputable truth! We need to give our wonderful and mighty God His just due, and to let the world know about Him, by spreading His Word to all the ends of the earth as Jesus desired in the Great Commission. ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising 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 alway(s) even unto the end of the world. (Matt.28:19-20)
And you know what Friends? They did as Jesus desired. They spread his word far and wise, so that today we have it in all its rich and splendid glory. Now it’s our turn to continue that commission.
And as the psalmist wisely directs: ‘Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof (all that is in it). Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.’ (Ps.96:11-13)
Oh Friends, let us indeed rejoice with nature and be glad, for our Saviour cometh, and this time He is coming in all His majesty, power and glory to rule and to judge the earth with righteousness and truth!
That my people is no joke, so please let’s prepare ourselves for that awesome and glorious day, whenever it might be. For that is what is termed, heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…if you’ve heard the word…then Jesus comes and finds you wanting…you’ve no one to blame but yourself…
27 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Prayer for Success, Absalom, as waters that pass away, be humble, be open, Bruh David, communicate with God, confidence, converse, correctable, creative imagination, direction, educable, failure is never final, faith, faith stimulates success, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's great earth, God-given powers, Gramps Schuller, guidance, hear God's voice, hope, hope sustains success, Hour of Power Devotional, I cried unto the Lord, I laid me down to sleep, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, I will not be afraid, inherit the earth, iniquity, Jesus Christ, Job, lift up thy face without spot, misery, none shalt make thee afraid, O Lord thou art a shield, obedience to god, obeying Almighty God, prayer of confidence in God, prepare thine heart, responsibility, rest in safety, robert h schuller, see God's plan, Selah, steadfast, stretch forth thine hand, success, success is never-ending, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the largesse of God, the Lord sustained me, the one who lifts up my head, the wisest thing, there is hope, thou hast put gladness in my heart, thou Lord only makes me dwell in safety, thou shalt be as the morning, thou shalt be secure, thou shalt shine forth, thy life shall be brighter than noonday, time waits on no one, trust, what I am is more important than what I do, wickedness, words of wisdom, work of nature, Zophar
Psalm 4:7-8. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Well Friends, it’s another glorious day on God’s great earth! Glory Hallelujah! And everyday that we wake up to behold His awesome work of nature, means that He still has something important planned for us to accomplish in His name. There is always good reason to what we consider God’s madness. (smile)
So it’s up to us to converse, to communicate with Him every morning that we arise, and find out what He desires of us on that particular day. It’s our responsibility to ask for guidance and direction, wisdom and blessings, so that we can bless others, because that’s basically what we’re about; spreading the largesse of our great and wonderful God.
And on this fantastic Thursday morning at the end of August 2015 … but can you believe that August is almost done already? It just began the other day with the Caribana Festivities. Now school’s going to be reconvened in another few days. Time truly is waiting on no one.
Anyway, as I was saying, on this fantastic Thursday morning in August, let’s check out this poem from Gramps Schuller’s (Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, which I believe I’ve shared before, but which is still relevant and necessary for us to partake of, especially in these rough and tough times. It’s aptly titled ‘A Prayer for Success.’
Please pray with me. ‘As I become a success with your help, Lord, let me never forget that what I am is more important than what I do. Faith stimulates success. Hope sustains success. So I cannot and I dare not succeed without your power, peace, and pressure in my life, Jesus Christ. Amen.’
Then Gramps adds a footnote. ‘Be open. Be humble. Correctable. Educable. Then you will hear God’s voice. You will see God’s plan. Grab on to it, give it all you’ve got, and you will inherit the earth.’
Remember too that ‘Success is never- ending and failure is never final to that person who knows how to revitalize and renew the God-given powers of creative imagination.’ Those are also words of wisdom from Gramps Schuller, and if we practice it all, we will surely succeed in whatever endeavours we undertake.
Yes my people, success is not easy, but it surely is attainable if we work with God, in bringing to pass the plans He has for our lives. Now let’s look at our Bit; wonderful promises which derive from our obedience to God
‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’
Oh Friends, obeying Almighty God is the wisest thing we can ever do on this earth!
Now listen to Job’s friend Zophar, as he continues to lecture him, believing that he is a sinner, but also reminding him that the Lord will forgive his sin, if he confesses and repents.
‘If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles (tents). For then thou shalt lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear: Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:
And thine age (life) shall be clearer (brighter) than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee (court your favour).’ (Job 11:13-19)
Oh what gospel truth my brethren! Though Zophar was falsely accusing his buddy Job, he was giving him excellent advice, advice that is still pertinent and relevant to our situations today. If we confess our sins to God, and repent of our wrong doing, He is merciful to forgive us and lift us up like we can’t imagine or fathom.
Now let’s end with some more pertinent and relevant words of wisdom from Bruh David, taken from Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God. This is when he fled from the rebellion of his son Absalom. ‘But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) mine head.
I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill (mountain). Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:3-6)
Oh my people, my people, what confidence flows from our trust and faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Bruh David was running for his life from his son, but he still slept in peace, and awakened safely because the God of his fathers, whom he adored and generally obeyed, kept him safe and gave him the confidence not to be fearful, regardless of how many enemies surrounded him.
Oh glory to God my brethren, for He will do the same for us today, if we place our utmost faith and trust in Him. So please, let’s be wise and do that nuh, for anything else is mere foolishness. Much LOVE!
…when we truly trust in our saviour Jesus Christ…a confidence so great rises up in us…that no amount of enemies surrounding us, can shake it…
26 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a follower of Jesus Christ, almighty god, anxious, blessings, Christian, confidence, deal with whatever comes our way, divide the spoil, eternal life, faith, faithfulness, food and gladness, fretful, fruitful seasons, give thanks, glorify, glory hallelujah, glory to God, Glory to god in the highest, God is holy and all-powerful, God-given propensity, goodness, goodwill to all, grace, halfway home, holiness, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, I'm not looking back, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, joy, joy of the harvest, Labour Day, leave all the consequences to Him, lord of hosts, LOVE, Messiah, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, no need to worry, obedience, obey God, our Father in heaven, peace, people that walked in darkness, prince of peace, prosper, rain from heaven, rejoice, salvation, spiritual strength, surrender, tension, the big chill, the breath of life, the Most High God, the shadow of death, them's the breaks, thou hast put gladness in my heart, thou Lord only makes me dwell in safety, to a glorious future with Jesus, trust, trust in Almighty God, Uncle Charles, upon them a light hath shined, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, witness, worry, worship, you shall reap what you sow
Psalm 4:7-8. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
And then it was Wednesday! Yes Friends, another cloudy looking day in my neck of the woods, with highs only going up to about 20 C. Can you imagine that it’s not quite the end of August and I had to shut my windows last night because it was a bit on the chilly side?
Chuh! The summer looks like it has come and gone, but it was never really here. (smile) And come September, right after Labour Day, we know that the big chill begins. I don’t know if we’ve had two weeks of truly hot days altogether this summer. But them’s the breaks, we just have to deal with them as they come.
That’s one of the many blessings of being a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ; we have the God-given propensity to deal with whatever comes our way, knowing that our Father in heaven is constantly watching over and looking out for us.
And all God’s people declared a loud and proud, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill to all!’ Yes my people, on Jesus’ behalf, that’s what we’re spreading; glory to God, and peace and goodwill to all and sundry.
Now since it’s Wednesday, let’s wail our Wednesday Wail nuh. As one wailer now. (smile) ‘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!’
Ah mih breddren, I can’t tell you exactly how glorious that future with Jesus will be nuh, but if He’s promised it, then in His utmost and awesome faithfulness, He WILL keep His promise. No need to worry or be fretful and anxious about anything.
As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say, the best way to live this earthly life is to obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. And that is gospel truth my people!
Now let us take a gander at our Bit, the same most worthy scripture of yesterday. ‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’
Oh my people, there’s such joy and peace, such a release of worry and tension when we place our sincere and complete trust in Almighty God! When we truly surrender our lives to Him, a shade of grace comes over our lives. Glory to God!
For in our obedience He does put gladness in our hearts and allows us to dwell here on earth amongst the heathen and the infidel with confidence and true spiritual strength. No other supposed god really does that, but our Jehovah.
And when Isaiah promised that the Prince of Peace, our Messiah would come to save us, he confidently declared. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation and not increased (increased) the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy of the harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil (plunder).’ (Is.9:2-3)
Yeh Friends, that awesome promise was fulfilled when Jesus came to earth in the form of a human being and took all our sins on His person, gave us a bright light shining in the oppressive darkness of the evil world, and filled our hearts with inconceivable joy and peace. Mama Mia!
Oh what a wonderful day that was! But we can’t enjoy that joy and premium harvest unless and until we put our sure trust and faith in Him. It’s God’s basic law; whatever you sow, that shall you reap. So if you don’t sow belief, obedience and trust, then you won’t reap the bountiful harvest of joy and gladness and bright shining light. It’s as simple as that my brethren.
And as Bruh Paul was saying to the people of Lystra, before they stoned him and carted him out of the city and left him for dead. ‘Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.’ (Acts 14:17)
And the scholars explain that verse thus. ’14:17. Even though all men have not received the special revelation of God’s written Word, all have received God’s general revelation which is witnessed through the creation and man’s own nature, making man without excuse if he rejects this (Rom. 1:18-20: 2:14-15). Romans 1 states that the context of general revelation is that God is holy and all-powerful. Acts 14:17 further states that He is good.’
Yes Friends, our God is certainly holy and all-powerful and good, and has made that known to all mankind. We reject His holiness and goodness at our own peril, jeopardizing our salvation and eternal life. And if you read the references above, you will better understand what it’s all about.
Now my fellow believers, please let us get ourselves together on this faithful Wednesday morning, and wisely and faithfully appreciate and glorify and LOVE and worship and give sincere thanks to the Most High God, the Lord of Hosts, as we are supposed to do, for that is indeed wisdom of the highest order. Much LOVE!
…it’s proven fact…that when we praise, worship and magnify God…we prosper, have joy and gladness and peace…so why be foolish and do otherwise eh…
24 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a positive attitude, a strong purpose, all things work together for good, almighty god, anxieties, aura of love, be confident of this very thing, begun a good work, believers in Jesus Christ, Bruh Paul, calamity, called according to God's purpose, Christian's security, complain about life on earth, confidence, diligence, enthusiasm, excellence, fears, fight a good fight, focused on Jesus, friends, gospel truth, head for heaven, holy spirit, humble servants, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, in Jesus' name, integrity, invincible, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, lies, Lord of Lords, LOVE, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not of evil, rejuvenation of spirit, righteousness., saith the Lord, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, thoughts of peace, to give you an expected end, to them that love God, under the weather, ungodly world, until the day of Jesus Christ, wiles, wisdom
Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).
Well a good Monday morning to you all, my fellow believers in Jesus Christ! Now I know that some of you are probably a bit under the weather, and are finding life rough down here on earth, but I doubt that many, if any of us are ready to check out and head for heaven, despite all the wonderful stuff that’s waiting there for us. (smile)
We humans are something else yes; we complain vociferously about our life on earth, but nobody wants to check out the alternative just yet, because deep down we’re afraid, still not sure of what exists after this earthly life.
So, since in our small-mindedness, we refuse to see through our eyes of faith and instead choose to stay with what we can see and touch, Mother Earth, then let’s stop complaining about our earthly lives, and do whatever it will take to make them better. We’re talking about things like going out to work this morning with a positive attitude and strong purpose, with our minds steadfastly focused on Jesus.
And to help us do that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as though we mean it. As one fantastic 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!’
Ah Friends, that was good, heaven was pleased, but not good enough to deserve a standing ‘O’ and an encore. (smile) And to further help us with our earthly endeavours this Monday morning, we’ve been directed to a Bit that’s well known and full of promise, words of Almighty God spoken by the prophet Jeremiah.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ Oh my people, my people, what a wonderful promise!
And if we sincerely believe that our God is ever-faithful, then that should fill us with such joy and enthusiasm that we’d come out fighting each and every day. We wouldn’t be miserable, anxious and doubting, because then we’d truly feel that the Lord has our back, come whatever may. But it’s obvious that we don’t feel that strongly about it at all, since we are allowing the fears and anxieties of this world to determine our moods and attitudes.
Now we know it’s not going to be easy, but with true belief and strong faith in the awesome power of our God, we are certainly able to do much better than we’re currently doing. Remember too, that we also have this awesome promise via the words of Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom.8:28)
Yes my fellow believers, God is indeed working all things out for those whom He has called and who LOVE Him. And they are best able to appreciate God’s purpose because they LOVE Him come what may, regardless of whatever happens. So if God has called us, and we LOVE Him, then there should be no doubts or insecurities re His intentions towards us.
And all this is further enhanced and solidified by Bruh Paul’s words to the Philippians. ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it (keep doing it) until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil.1:6)
Yes Friends, God will not stop working His good work in us until Jesus comes again. Then and only then will it be completed, finished. Until such time we have to keep on moving along with the Lord, strong in faith, diligence, integrity and excellence.
The scholars state it thus. ‘This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned or unrealized.’
Have faith my brethren, for that also applies to us. The Lord had a purpose when He saved us, and that purpose will be carried out to the very end, that is, the Second Coming of Jesus in all His regal majesty, as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! Oh Glory to God for His wonderful promises, plans and purposes for our lives!
Now, with all that godly power working in us, let’s go out into the evil world and fight a good fight in Jesus’ name. Amen! Much LOVE!
…if Jesus called you…and you truly LOVE Him…then there’s no need to worry about anything…
21 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things are lawful unto me, all things do not edify, bondage, Bruh Paul, build up, but not all things are expedient, Christ's work, Christian behaviour, Christian Liberty, Christian's own judgement, circumscribe, Corinthians, debauchery, edify, expediency, expedient, fellowship, fresh like a daisy, Friday chant, friends, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, go crazy, go overboard, I will not be brought under the power of any, indulgence, Jesus Christ, Judaistic legalism, lawful, liberty, live balanced lives, LOVE, perspective, power, principles, refreshed, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, restrictions, right decisions, right in the sight of God, self-control, straight and narrow path, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Corinthians, the weekend, tiresome labour, vim and vigour, what is acceptable to God, wisdom
1 Corinthians 6:12. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient (helpful): all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any (anything).
And then it was Friday Friends! Not soon enough for some, but nevertheless they declare in loud and joyful voices: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Wow! The weekend’s here at last, and I’m just going to go crazy over those two days away from tiresome labour! Thank You God for this Friday yes!’
Ah mih people, it is right to be happy over the two days off of work, but by the same token, we just can’t use them to go overboard, because then we’ll be of no use to anybody, including ourselves, come the beginning of the new workweek. And as believers in, and followers of Jesus Christ, we are expected to live balanced lives.
For Remember what Bruh Paul says to the Corinthians in our Bit. ‘All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient (helpful): all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any (anything).’
Yes Friends, it’s not everything that’s lawful is right for us to do. As we saw in our recent Bit, ‘proving what is acceptable unto the Lord,’ we have to analyze every decision and see whether it’s acceptable to God or not. So though some of them might be lawful, they might not be acceptable to God. And wasting away the weekend in debauchery is certainly not acceptable to God. (smile)
Now the scholars give us a good explanation of that verse. ‘6:12. Paul’s principles may be summarized in three words: Lawful, expedient, and power. The first is the principle of liberty. When Paul says “all things,” we cannot take this in an absolute sense. Obviously, what God forbids can never be allowed.
Rather, it refers to those things about which the Scriptures are not explicit. Such matters are left to the Christian’s own judgement. The apostle is careful not to weaken the important doctrine of Christian liberty by leading these people back under Judaistic legalism.
Rather, his intent is to circumscribe its application through proper restrictions. These are expressed in the principle of “expediency.” Not everything is beneficial.
A second restriction is expressed in the words, I will not be brought under the power of any. This is the principle of self-control. Certain forms of indulgence become wrong when they bring the person into bondage.’
There you have it my people, we need to pay close attention to the expediency of things, even in our Christian liberty, and invoke that most difficult of tasks, self-control, in all that we do.
Bruh Paul felt so strongly about that, that he chose to repeat it in a slightly different form, later on in chapter 10. ‘All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient (helpful): all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not (do not build up).’ (1 Cor.10:23)
So my fellow believers, though many things are lawful and legal, not all of them are becoming re Christian behaviour. If they don’t edify, build us up, keep us on the straight and narrow path that leads to God, then they should not be indulged in.
And sometimes it’s not even so much indulging in those things, but more like overdoing them. And we have a perfect example in the way we spend the weekend. Nothing’s wrong with partying per se, but when we overdo it, get black up and start misbehaving, losing our self-control, then that’s certainly not expedient and useful to us.
And that’s why we have our Friday Chant; to give us a better perspective on how to spend our precious two days off. So as one now, let’s chant it with some vim and vigour nuh
‘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’s more like how we ought to come up over the weekend; with rest, relaxation and fellowship, so that we can go back out next week fresh like a daisy, (smile) fully empowered, in both body and soul, to do Christ’s work. And that my brethren, should always be our first priority!
Now on this summer Friday then, let’s get our thoughts together as believers, and with the necessary self-control and help of Jesus, make the right decisions on how to spend our weekend, for that is indeed wisdom of the highest order. Much LOVE!
…it’s legal and lawful in man’s world…but is it right in the sight of God…that is the question…
17 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed day, a labour of love, almighty god, aura of love, blessings, confidence, conquerors, contentment, Cornelius the centurion, cycle of life, daily routine, enthusiasm, evil, faith, follower of Christ, friends, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God anointed Jesus with the Holy spirit, God was with him, good news, he who doesn't work shouldn't eat, healing all that were oppressed by the devil, holiness, Holy Ghost, holy spirit, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ of Nazareth, Jesus went about doing good, joy, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, peace, persecutions, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rewards, right attitude, right motives, spiritual armour, spread the good news, standing'O', steadfast faith, taunts, tears of joy, temptations, the breath of life, Thessalonians. Bruh Paul, trials, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, work ethic
Acts 10:38. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Monday, Monday, Monday! Oh what a blessed day this Monday the 17th day of August 2015! Glory Hallelujah!
No Friends, the ole fella is not crazy, this Monday is certainly a blessed day. In fact, every day that the wonderful breath of life courses through our frail and fragile human bodies is indeed a blessed day! And until we truly believe and learn to appreciate that, we won’t ever be able to enjoy the LOVE, peace and contentment that are to be found down here on Mother Earth.
Oh, I know that many of us get annoyed, frustrated and disturbed because we have to go back out to work on a Monday morning. But Friends, that’s just the natural cycle of life in our society. So we might as well get accustomed to it and do it gladly, since we have no choice, except not to work.
But please remember Bruh Paul’s advice to the Thessalonians in his second missive. ‘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)
Bruh Paul lays it down simple and to the point my brethren; you don’t work, then you don’t eat. I wish that could be implemented in these days of a very poor work ethic. But we just have to keep on working on our work ethic. (smile) And to help us do that, let’s sing our Monday Morning battle Hymn with much gusto and sincerity.
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 too bad my people, but nowhere as good as last week’s; no tears of joy flowing down Jesus’ cheeks and the Father and the angels giving us a standing ‘O’ and calling for an encore. (smile) But Jesus understands. He knows that we’re not perfect, so we can’t be wonderful every time. Once our hearts and motives are right, and we make a sincere effort, He’s happy.
That brings us to our Bit; Peter’s words when he preached to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius the centurion. ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’
Now some might wonder, or question what that has to do with us? And the answer is EVERYTHING! For when we were born again, became full blooded Christians, heirs with Christ, we were also anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power. Now healing and casting out devils like Jesus did, is not in our everyday workbook or workload, but doing good, certainly is. Some might be able to heal and/or cast out devils, but ALL of us are certainly empowered to do GOOD, for Jehovah God is with us all the time!
Yuh know Friends, I believe that we make life much harder than it ought to be by our attitudes toward it. Let’s take a quick glimpse into Jesus’ lifestyle, His day. He would get up early, go out to a quiet place and pray; (Mark 1:35) then He would set out on His daily routine, going from place to place, preaching, healing and generally doing good.
Now we have it much easier than Him. We don’t have to go outside to pray, we can all find a quiet time and space in our homes, and we don’t have to walk everywhere we go, like He did, we have the comfort of cars and bikes. So we’re two up on Jesus right there. (smile)
My contention is that all we need to do is adopt the right attitude, a pleasant, positive one, which should come easily if you are a follower of Christ, then go out and simply concentrate on doing good, whatever it might be. Have no fear, the Lord will guide us to wherever we are needed if we ask Him to.
Now granted, we don’t have all the power and holiness that Jesus had, but we do have more than enough to do what is required of us. We just have to make up our minds to do it, then ask God to help us. And we all know that He won’t ever leave us in the lurch if we’re trying to do His will.
And as I keep saying, doing God’s will is not always easy; Jesus Himself said that there will be trials, temptations and persecutions, but the rewards, both here on earth and in heaven, will be well worth it. So it all comes right down to us Friends; having the right attitude, a warm and tender heart, with a willing and obedient spirit, and above all a great LOVE for Jesus.
If we have those prerequisites, getting up to go to work on a Monday morning will not be a problem, we will be rather eager to get out into the ungodly world and spread the good news of His sacrificial doings on our behalf. So let’s get out there this morning and put it all into practice nuh, for that’s wisdom of unbelievable proportions. Much LOVE!
…from a believer’s standpoint…doing good in Jesus’ name…is truly a labour of LOVE…
15 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: arrogant, awesome God, bless us, blessed shalt thou be in the city, blessings, Bruh Paul, cause His face to shine upon us, Christ is our mainstay, Christ-like, commandments, curses, destruction, false wisdom, flee before the seven ways, glory to God, God be merciful unto us, God will make a way of escape, hearken to God's voice, human nature, humble and repentant heart, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Jesus Christ, live for Jesus, LOVE, Lucifer, mature, obedient to God's will, offspring, our anchor, our foundation, our rock of ages, Philippians, priestly blessing, proud, relationship with Jesus Christ, Selah, seven ways till Sunday, stimulus, the evil one, the fruit of thy body, The Israelites, the Lord be gracious unto thee, The Lord bless thee and keep thee, the Lord give thee peace, The Lord lift up his countenanceupon thee, the Promised Land, trials and tribulations, walk in the Lord's ways, when thou comest in, when thou goest out
Psalm 67:1. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. Selah.
Well Friends, how goes the battle this Saturday morning in the middle of August eh? I hope we are all winning, primarily because of our strong and wonderful relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He is our mainstay, our anchor, our foundation, our rock of ages!
Without Him we can do very little, but as Bruh Paul confidently declares to the Philippians: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13)
Yes my brethren, when we live for Jesus, He enables us to adapt to our ever-changing circumstances. The Lord puts us through our paces, and He also gives us the wherewithal to handle them successfully.
So there’s no need to worry when various trials and tribulations come against us, for our wonderful God will either make a way for us to escape them, or help us to bear them and come out more mature and Christ-like on the other side. Oh glory to God!
Yes my fellow believers, we do worship a most amazing and awesome God! There is none like Him anywhere else in this whole wide universe. And how could there be eh, when He is the creator and controller of it all? That’s why it’s very unwise for us not to serve and worship Him faithfully, for He blesses those who are obedient to His will and brings the proud and arrogant to destruction.
Consequently the psalmist cries out in our Bit: ‘God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. Selah.’ However, it only makes sense to do that if we’re coming to Him with a humble and repentant heart, for those are the only pleas He answers.
And for those of you who don’t know the origin of prayers like our Bit, but have only heard stuff like that intoned by a priest at the end of a service, here is a li’l history lesson. (smile) Not surprisingly, it all begins with our great God while the Israelites were travelling through the wilderness enroute to the Promised Land after their exodus from slavery in Egypt.
‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, (the priests) saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put (invoke) my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.’ (Num.6:22-27)
Yes Friends, that’s the origin of the priestly blessing we hear our priests use at the end of a service, and which we also ought to use with our friends and families, because a blessing is not a blessing until it is declared, spoken out loud. And believe you me, we all need plenty, plenty blessings in these very turbulent and troubled times.
And talking about blessings mih people, the Lord left nothing to conjecture, He even spelled out the blessings obedience would bring. ‘And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.’ (Deut.28:1-2)
Oh my people, my people, what is there not to understand about those statements eh? And since our God does not change, that means they are also applicable to us in these current times. And please note that the blessings will come upon us, will overtake us! That means we don’t have to go looking for them, but if we are obedient to the Lord’s statutes, they will run us down and overtake us. Glory to God! Now how can that not be something we take very seriously eh my people?
Then listen to some of the particular blessings that have been promised. ‘Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shall thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body (offspring), and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine (cattle), and flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store (kneading bowl). Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shall thou be when thou goest out. (Deut.28:3-6)
Ah Friends, how much more can you get than that eh? Not much. But there are 8 more verses of general blessings, like victory over your enemies, who ‘shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.’ (Deut.28:7) I like that, for it shows how successful we’ll be against our enemies, scattering them seven ways till Sunday. (smile)
Everything we set our hand to will also prosper…we’ll be a holy people to the Lord, called by His name, and set fear in the hearts of the whole earth. But Friends, the great proviso is ‘if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.’ (Deut.28:9b) So no wonder our societies are all going downhill, because we are not obeying the commandments of our God, and instead are forcing Him out of our lives.
But you know what’s interesting and somewhat amusing about all the blessings of obedience and the consequences of disobedience? The former takes up 14 verses of chapter 28, while the latter runs from verse 15 to 68. And I’d suggest that we all read them, for they are indeed frightful, and it might just give us a different outlook on the situation.
The scholars though have an interesting take on the great difference in space taken up by the curses. They say: ‘This is probably due to human nature. The threat of a severe judgement on the covenant-breaker seems to act as a stronger stimulus to correct behaviour than any promise of blessing.’
But clearly they did not take the very evil nature of this generation into consideration, for despite the many curses that are befalling us, we refuse to turn back to Almighty God, our Creator and provider, in humble repentance. We prefer to walk to the beat of our own false wisdom and the lies and deceit of the evil one, Lucifer. Therefore we shall pay the harsh price for disobedience my people. There are no ifs and s and buts about that! Much LOVE!
…if obedience brings blessings…and disobedience cursing…where is the wisdom in following the latter path…as we are currently doing eh…
14 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rainy Friday morning, almighty god, balancing act, be constantly in thy mouth, blessings, Christ died in vain, Christ's body, faith, fallen world, family time, fight back, Friday chant, friends, generous help, get rid of God, get serious about Jesus, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God be merciful unto us, God cause his face to shine upon us, God shall bless us, govern the nations upon the earth, grace, have good success, household chores, in all sincerity and truth, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, let the nations be glad, let the people praise thee, LOVE, loving kindness, make thy way prosperous, mercy, obedience, obedience to God's word, Praise the Lord, prosperity, pull up our socks, put God first, quality of life, rain or shine, relaxation, remove god from our society, rest, right perspective, salvation, saving grace, Selah, sing for joy, stand strong, succumb to the enemy, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that thy way may be known on earth, the church, the earth will yield her increase, the generation that gave up, the hustle and bustle, the last bastion, the weekend's here, this book of the law, thou shalt judge the people righteously, thy saving health, ungodly world, wisdom, worship time
Psalm 67:1. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. Selah.
Well Friends, welcome to a rainy Friday morning in my area…
And the response is, ‘rain or shine it doesn’t matter. It’s still Friday, and we’re still going to shout TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend’s here. Glory Hallelujah! Thank you for the weekend Lord! It’s a nice, though short break from all the hustle and bustle of modern living. Thank you again for the weekend Lord!’
Yes my brethren it is indeed good and right to thank the Lord for the weekend, but at the same time we have to know how to use it properly, and our Friday Chant gives us some indication of that, so let’s chant it nuh, in all sincerity and truth.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
It is indeed a tight balancing act we need to perform on the weekend my people; rest and relaxation, family time, worship time, household chores and preparations for the following week. But if we put everything in the right perspective, it’s rightful place; God first, and everything else after, we will be able to successfully accomplish that balancing act.
And if we put God first in everything in our lives, then with total confidence we can cry out like our Bit does: ‘God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. Selah.’
Yeh Friends, in this fallen world we badly need God’s mercy and LOVING-kindness. Why? As the psalmist explains: ‘That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health (salvation) among all nations.’ (Ps.67:2)
And that’s the best reason there is Friends! For without the Lord’s saving grace we are doomed to perdition and death!
Consequently, the psalmist further cries out: ‘Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon the earth.’ (Ps.67:3-4)
Unfortunately though the nations of the earth don’t seem to want the Lord to govern them, so they are not praising Him the way they should. These are the times of doing what one wants to do and not much respect is being paid to obedience to Holy God’s will, even by many of His supposed believers. In fact, we’re trying to remove as much of God as we can, as fast as we can, from our society.
But my fellow brethren in Christ, we cannot allow that to happen. Christ’s body, the Church has to stand strong and fight back, for we are the last bastion, the remnant of Christ’s army, and if we fall, if we succumb to the enemy, without even much of a fight, then we will be disgracing the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
He would have died, have sacrificed His holy and sinless life in vain. And that we surely cannot afford to let happen my fellow believers! That means we have to pull up our socks, our britches, or whatever, and make a bold and confident stand on Christ’s behalf. We can’t just lie down and die without a sincere and diligent fight.
As I keep reminding us, under no circumstance can we be known as the generation that gave up, that allowed the enemy to remove Jehovah God from the society.
But to do that my people, we have to get really serious about Jesus, and stand strong and steadfast on His principles for earthly living, and get out into the ungodly world and spread those principles, spread the good news of His gospel, of salvation and eternal life to which everyone is entitled, if they believe on Him!
And what we don’t seem to realize is that our prosperity, the quality of life we lead down here on earth, is very closely tied to our sincere praise and worship of Almighty God. You’ll notice that as our trust and faith in God wanes, so does our prosperity.
Listen to the psalmist again. ‘Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase (give her produce), and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.’ (Ps.67:5-7)
Oh Friends, what’s there not to understand eh? If we praise and glorify God, He will bless our land. If we don’t, He won’t bless it. It’s that simple. And if you don’t believe me then listen to what the Lord told Joshua when He appointed him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for the thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh.1:8)
Oh my people, that’s as plain and simple as it can get! The Lord pulled no punches. He told Joshua straight up; if you meditate on my word continually and be obedient to it, then you will be prosperous and successful. And we saw it happen several times in Israel’s history. When they were obedient to God’s will they prospered. When they weren’t, they suffered captivity and all other sorts of unpleasant circumstances.
The same has happened in many other supposed Christian countries down through the ages. So it’s not like there aren’t credible examples. Yet today we still are trying to get rid of God. What foolishness my brethren! Can’t we see the demise of our society is in full swing?
But we’re too proud and arrogant to believe that it’s because we’re no longer a God-driven society. But believe me Friends, our prosperity and success are indeed closely tied to our faith, trust and obedience to Almighty God. So please let us come to our senses and work sincerely and diligently towards turning our world around nuh. If not for our sake, then for our children’s. Now that is true wisdom, however you choose to define it! Much LOVE!
…how can we expect the Lord to bless us…when we are not obedient to His word eh…
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