09 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doddering old man, aches and pains, affirm, attribute of God, batting my gums, blessings, Bruh Paul, bubbling broth of love, comfort zone, communicative, communion, compassion, confession, confidence, Corinthians, count for something, deceitful enemy, faithful, faithful is He that calls you, faithfulness, fellowship, for he is faithful that promised, forgiveness, friends, God is faithful, God's Word, grace, heartrending, help of the Holy Spirit, hobbling, holy spirit, hope, it's found, Jesus Christ, jesus christ our lord, keep you from evil, kindness, leading and guiding, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, LOVE, love is like wildflowers, loving kindness, mercy, on the lookout for love, on the winning end, our sins forgiven, P.S. I Love You, patient waiting for Christ, promised to redeem us, shaking it rough, souls washed clean, Spread God's Word, temptation, that's life, the cross at Calvary, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord is faithful, the LOVE of God, the most unlikely places, trials and tribulations, troubled world, understanding, ungrateful sinners, union with Christ, what's cooking, winter years, wisdom, without wavering
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Aye Friends, what’s cooking on this terrific though cloudy looking Thursday morning eh? I do hope that it’s a bubbling broth of LOVE, grace, mercy, blessings, kindness, compassion and forgiveness, because that is exactly what our topsy-turvy, troubled world needs right now.
Unfortunately though, the ole fella’s shaking it a bit on the rough side this morning, walking around like a doddering old man, (smile) with all the aches and pains choosing to act up at the same time. I don’t know nuh, but I went to bed early last night, planning to get a decent night’s rest…
Hn! That was only in my imagination. I got up several times during the night unable to find a comfort zone, and then when it was really time to get up, I fell asleep, then got up hobbling. Hn, Hn! But that’s life folks, especially in the winter years.
But yuh know what my brethren? The aches and pains are not holding back the ole fella, that’s for sure! They might slow me down some, but they are definitely not going to stop me from doing the work that’s been laid out for me by the Almighty! And I’d like all you old geezers out there, who are similarly wracked by aches and pains to affirm the same thing.
All together now: ‘Aches and pains are not going to stop us from doing the work Jesus desires of us in this life!’
What a way to go mih people! Remember we can overcome anything that comes our way with the help of the Holy Spirit which indwells us. We might not be as quick and physically supple as in our youth, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with our minds.
So let’s not give in to the temptation thrown at us by the deceitful and wily enemy, we can still be very useful and productive members of society.
And I have to laugh here Friends, because I don’t know where all of that is coming from. I surely hope it’s the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit.
Now here is a li’l something from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ poster. Some of you long time readers might remember it. And it reminds us that ‘LOVE is like wildflowers. It’s often found in the most unlikely places.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth Friends? We often find LOVE in places that we never dreamed of finding it. That means that wherever we are, we should always be on the lookout for LOVE since it can appear anywhere, at any time, under any circumstance! It’s the attribute of God, so wherever God is, LOVE ought to be there too.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is a terrific piece of scripture, filled with godly assurance and encouragement. ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’
And for those of you paying attention, you’ll notice that I have the dates right on both headings today. That is what comes from laziness, but it also lessens the pain of having to transcribe the same Bit everyday.
Anyway Friends, it is a proven fact that the Holy One of Israel, whom we worship and adore, is undeniably, unconditionally and extremely faithful! We’ve seen it in the lives of His servants, as well as the most heartrending act of sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary, so that our sins could be forgiven and our souls washed clean.
He promised to redeem us way back when, and ever so faithfully, He did it through Jesus. Now I don’t know what else He has to do to prove His faithfulness. I doubt that any of us would give up our only son to be sacrificed for a bunch of ungrateful sinners. But the Lord God Jehovah did! And that ought to count for something – in fact count for a lot.
But enough of me batting my gums, (smile) let’s look at some scripture that enhances my contention. And we’ll begin with Bruh Paul stating it blatantly to the Corinthians in the introduction to the first epistle. ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor.1:9)
And the scholars offer this explanation of that verse. ‘1:9. Unto the fellowship of his son: The term ‘fellowship’ includes both union and communion. The Corinthian believers had been brought into union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly this great truth implies that they had been brought into communion with one another. Here in a nutshell is the theme of this epistle.’
And Friends, that still holds true, even to this day. We believers have been brought into union with Jesus Christ as well as communion with each other. That means we ought to be more into Jesus than we currently are, as well as being more understanding and communicative with each other.
Then in 1 Thessalonians, Bruh Paul again states the faithfulness of God without any doubt or concern. ‘Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.’ (1 Thess.5:24) And who should know about God’s faithfulness better than Bruh Paul eh? All the trials and tribulations he went through to spread God’s Word, but he always came out on the winning end.
And we’ll wrap up this morning with another word from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians, this one from his second epistle to them. ‘But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish (establish) you, and keep you from evil (the evil one).
And we have confidence in the Lord touching (concerning) you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the LOVE of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ (patience of Christ).’ (2 Thes.3:3-5)
Oh my people, I wish the exact sentiments on all of us today; that the Lord will direct our hearts into His wonderful and unconditional LOVE, and give us the patience of Christ, to wait patiently and work diligently until His return. That my brethren is wisdom of the highest level! Much LOVE!
…thy mercy (LOVING-kindness) oh Lord…is in the heavens…and thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds… (Ps.36:5)
07 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all our sins and griefs to bear, almighty god, Amen, assurance, barrier breaker, bear good fruit, blessed assurance, blessings, break free from a limited mindset, can't have faith without hope, cast not away your confidence, comfort, confession, confidence, cumbered with a load of care, done the will of god, encouragement, endless worship, endurance, enlarge my vision, everything to God in prayer, expectant faith, faith, faith is the substance of things hoped for, faithful friends, faithfulness, favour, followers of Jesus christ, for he is faithful that promised, forgiveness, from everlasting to everlasting, glory to God, good and fertile soil, gospel truth, grace, great recompense of reward, heavenly wisdom, heavy laden, hope, hungry hope, Jesus Christ, Joel Osteen, joy, let it all hang out, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, LOVE, new mercies, oh what peace we often forfeit, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, patience, peace, physical sight, potential, praise, promises, rapture, refuge, seeds of greatness, So let it be, solace, sorrows, spiritual vision, stand strong and steadfast, surrender, sweet portion, talent, the breath of life, the Creator of the universe, the evidence of things not seen, this is the day the Lord has made, Today is my day, trials and temptations, trouble, trust, unconditional LOVE, uncontainable, walking with Jesus, we will rejoice and be glad in it, weak, what a friend we have in Jesus, what a privelege to carry, without wavering
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Well a warm and wonderful welcome to all you loyal and faithful Friends and believers out there in Scrip-Bit Land!
Welcome, welcome, welcome! It is ever so good to be in the land of the living with the awesome breath of Almighty God flowing through out frail and fragile human bodies! Wow! There is nothing else in the world that compares to that, for it is indeed the breath of life, the single, solitary thread that keeps us all going.
And it is all the more important when, as students, believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we are patiently and thankfully waiting for the new mercies, blessings, grace and forgiveness specially made for today, to be unleashed from heaven unto us saints down here on Mother Earth. Glory to God!
That’s why we should all raise our voices in praise and thanks and steadfastly proclaim; ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’
Yes Friends, this Tuesday morning in early July is a blessed day, so please let’s treat it as such. And luckily, in my neck of the woods it just might be the second day of what now passes for summer weather with highs in the mid-twenties, though somewhat cloudy with a chance of rain. But we will take it any day over the cold white stuff. (smile)
And today I have an affirmation from Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) from a little while back to share with us once again. It simply declares: ‘TODAY IS MY DAY!’ And that’s gospel truth my people, so please affirm with me.
‘God has destined me to be a barrier breaker! He created me to be uncontainable. I have talent and potential given to me by the Creator of the universe. There are seeds of greatness inside of me. Today, I choose to break free from a limited mindset and enlarge my vision.
Today, God is taking me places that I’ve never even dreamed of before. Today, God is fulfilling His purpose and destiny in my life. Today I will experience His favour like never before in every area of my life.’ Mama Mia!
And all God’s children declared a loud and proud: ‘Amen! So let it be!’
Yes my brethren, let’s allow it all to hang out today! Let’s break down those barriers of bondage that are holding us back from God’s best! Let’s release the seeds of greatness planted in our souls by our Creator and plant them in good and fertile soil, so that they can bear much good fruit, for that’s why they were planted in us in the first place.
Let’s enlarge our vision and our mindset because our God is a great and powerful Deity who doesn’t deal in small, petty and trifling stuff. And if we want to enjoy His best, then we have to improve and enlarge our minds and visions.
And today I was sent a heavenly zeppo to preach… sorry, to teach (smile) on the twin attitudes of hope and faith. Remember, without hope, there can be no faith, for hope is the place where it all begins.
And as the Good Book so wisely tells us; ‘Now faith is the substance (the realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (the conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb.11:1)
That means through hope, we are assured of the things that we can’t see with our physical sight, but surely can see them with our spiritual vision. In other words, we see them through the eyes of faith! It’s a blessed assurance that we have in the promises and faithfulness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
That brings us to our Bit: ‘let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’
Yes indeed my brethren our great and wonderful and magnanimous God is indeed faithful to keep each and every one of His promises! He has not reneged on a single one down through all the ages, and He never will! Wow! What a great friend and Saviour we have in Jesus!
And there is no better way to express that than through the wonderful age-old hymn that so many of us grew up to. So please sing it with me, in hungry hope and expectant faith.
‘What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.’
Yes my believing brethren, what an awesome assurance we can have in Jesus Christ if we allow Him to come into our hearts, souls, bodies and minds and work His good works in us! There is nothing or no one else under the sun that can promise and then faithfully deliver on those promises!
All we need is sincere hope and trust and faith and surrender to His unconditional LOVE and care which runs from everlasting to everlasting! He made us Friends, and has a plan for every one of our lives, but we have to bow to His sovereignty and righteousness if we are to be enlightened as to His wonderful plans for us. Not knowing, and thus not living out the beautiful plan earmarked for us is possibly the greatest disappointment we can ever know down here on earth.
And we’ll end with a massive scripture of assurance and encouragement from Hebrews, one which we all know, but don’t seriously accept and live by. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb.10:35-36)
Yes my people, we need some patience, sometimes plenty of it, but fear not, God’s promise will be fulfilled, just in His own time. So please stand strong and steadfast in faith, if you want to see the mercies and blessings of God in your life. That is indeed heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…walking with Jesus might lead us along some rough and unpaved roads…but the rewards of His promise…oh Friends…they are indeed most wonderful and incomparable…trust me…I’m talking from personal experience…
P.S. Oh Friends, I just LOVE writing these Bits that come straight from the heart, without any forward planning, like this one today. And I do hope that it triggers your hope, faith, patience and LOVE, and help them rise to a higher level, so that you can find true solace, comfort and joy in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as He desires you to have.
Oh mih breddren, I can’t even stop the words from flowing, that’s how much the adrenalin is running. (smile) Much LOVE!
06 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, ambition, aura of love, be rich in good works, Bruh Paul, caressed the air, complaining, compromise, confidence, Cousin Sol, coveted, destruction, eternal life, fall into temptations, friends, generous, glorious kingdom, glory to God, godly enthusiasm, godly purpose, guiding light, haughty, highminded, holy spirit, humble servants, hypocrites, idol, in great spirits, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, love for money, lusts, materialistic, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not on the things on the earth, on the ball, peace, pitfalls, praise and worship God, Praise the Lord, Proverbs, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., root of all evil, ruin, salvation, set your affection on things above, spiritual armour, spiritually concerned, steadfast faith, the goal of life, the house of God, the moral of the story, the Ten Commandments, the true light of the world, truth, ungodly world, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom, working for the almighty dollar
Colossians 3:2. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, a fair number of hypocrites came to church yesterday, (smile) and did we ever sing and dance, praise and worship God, and enjoy each other’s company! Wow! So much so that we all left the house of God in great spirits, with our LOVE, peace and godly enthusiasm boosted sky high! Oh Glory to God, my people!
That’s why on this summer’s morn, this Monday morning, we are able to get up and get ourselves together to go out and labour without a lot of fuss and complaining. We set the tone for the rest of the week by affirming our convictions with Almighty God on the first day. And that’s why I keep advising us, that our Sundays set the tone and tempo for our Mondays.
Now for those of us whose spirits are still burdened and heavy laden, let’s get our act together by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much verve and gusto. As one earthly, but angelic sounding choir, 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 was wonderful, marvellous! And most importantly, Jesus was thrilled. You could tell by the dazzling smile on His face as lost in the music, He swayed and wielded – no, not wielded, because that carries a sense of a crude, rough and heavy manner – but rather, as He gently, lightly, but firmly caressed the air with His conductor’s baton. (smile)
Yes my people, I don’t know what happened, but we are definitely on the ball this morning. As we sang, we must obviously have done what our Bit says. ‘Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.’
Oh, if we could only do that in all the other areas of our lives, what a truly wonderful world this would be! But unfortunately that’s not the case; the things of the world still hold too much sway over us; we’re way too materialistic and not sufficiently spiritually concerned. And per the Good Book, my brethren, that is not a very good or wise way to be.
Cousin Sol puts it this way in Proverbs. ‘Labour not to be rich (do not overwork): cease from thine own wisdom.’ (Prov.23:4)
And why is that? As Bruh Paul explains to Timothy. ‘But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil; which while some coveted after, they have strayed from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many arrows.’ (1 Tim.6:9-10)
Ah Friends, what absolute truth! When our main ambition is to be rich, to be materially wealthy, we lose sight of our godly purpose and fall into all sorts of compromises and wrong doing, just to make money. In other words we make money our idol, our god.
And that’s obviously not right. At least not in the eyes of our Creator and heavenly Father, who has faithfully promised that if we seek His righteousness, He will provide us with all we need to be successful in this world. (Matt.6:33) Unfortunately, too many of us don’t seem to believe Him and thus kill ourselves working for the almighty dollar.
Now here is an important explanation from the scholars. ‘6:10. The root of all evil means a root or source of all kinds of evil. The LOVE for money is not the only source from which evil comes. Coveted after means that some have “striven after” money as the goal of life.’
Yes my brethren, money, in and of itself is not bad, and we definitely need it to live, but when we make amassing it our be all and end all, begin coveting it, that is when we lose our way. Remember the last of the Ten Commandments; thou shalt not covet. (Ex.20:17) And that means anything that belongs to someone else. Any time you covet anything, it’s a sin. So the moral of the story is to not let material wealth be your guiding light, but rather Jesus, the true light of the world.
Now let’s conclude with some more wise and wonderful advice from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (give), willing to communicate (share); Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim.6:17-19)
Oh Friends, what powerful and wise words! The scholars explain them thus: ‘6:17-18. Paul charges wealthy believers (1) not to be proud and look down on those who are not rich, (2) to confide in God, rather than in unstable riches, (3) to be rich in good works by generously sharing their surplus of financial resources with the needy. To be ready to distribute is to be generous in sharing. To be willing to communicate is to be liberal in giving.’
Now please notice as the scholars remind us: ‘Salvation is not purchased by the giving of money, but generosity demonstrates the reality of one’s faith. Since the believer trusts God and not money, he gives. This giving shows where his heart is and that he views his wealth in light of eternity.’
More words of wisdom Friends, so please let’s ponder on it all and then come to some right conclusions re our attitude towards money, for that will certainly make or break us. Much LOVE!
…money is good and necessary…but LOVING it…allowing it to rule your life…is fraught with many serious pitfalls…
03 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a roaring lion, a very present help in trouble, afflictions, awesome feeling, be sober, be vigilant, Bless His Holy Name, calamity, Canada Day, confidence, Creator and Controller of the universe, Cross of Calvary, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, faith in Almighty God, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, generous help, glorious kingdom, God is a refuge for us, God is my defense, God is our refuge and strength, God only is my rock and my salvation, Granny's advice, I shall not be moved, in the Lord God is the salvation of Israel, Jesus Christ, LOVE, Lucifer, praise the Lord for His goodness, renewed and refeshed, resist steadfast in faith, rest in God's will, righteousness., Selah, showers us with blessings, speak the praise of the Lord, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the devil, the Fourth of July, the Lord is gracious, the mountains be carried into the sea, the sons of Korah, the undeserving children of men, thoughthe earth be removed, trials, tribulations, trust, trust in god at all times, wash away our sins, we will not fear
Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.
Well my faithful Friends and believers in Jesus Christ, the big day is here, it’s Friday…
And as expected, a glorious shout rises up to heaven of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ The Canadians continued. ‘Thank God it was a short work week with a break in the middle for Canada Day! We now have some time to recuperate from that.’
Meanwhile the U.S Citizens declared: ‘Thank God is the Friday before the Fourth of July holiday yes! The partying going to be immense!’
And that’s no lie Friends! This Fourth of July weekend in the U.S is going to be one massive celebration, for it’s one of their two most celebrated holidays, the other being Thanksgiving.
But my people, please, please remember Granny’s sound advice. ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ We certainly don’t need Lucifer getting any more footholds in our lives.
So as Peter so wisely says: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren.’ (1 Peter 5:8-9)
Yes Friends, the ole devil is always on the lookout for those whose guard has been let down, and remember we tend to do that a lot during times of celebrations. So please be very careful this weekend. And to help us gain some proper perspective on how to spend the weekend, let’s chant our Friday Chant; loud and proud and sincere.
All together 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.’
Yes my brethren, a big modicum of circumspection is certainly called for this weekend. (smile) And our Bit today is oh so applicable to what we’ve been talking about so far. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.’
Ah mih people, as usual, I can’t help but say it: ‘What a wonderful and mighty and magnanimous and merciful God we serve and worship! Indeed, there is none other like Him!’ And how could there ever be eh?
That’s why the sons of Korah could boldly and confidently proclaim after our Bit: ‘Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (the heart) of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah’ (Ps.46:2-3)
Yeh Friends, that’s how much trust and faith we have in Almighty God! That though calamity befalls the earth, we will still rest in His will. What an awesome feeling my brethren!
But why should it be otherwise, since He is the Creator and Controller of the universe. He it is who stills the howling winds and calms the raging seas, and sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross at Calvary to wash away our sins. So it is simply logical, and oh so wise, to place our entire faith and trust in Him and LOVE worship Him with all our being.
Now hear how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 62 – God only is my rock and my salvation. ‘He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62.6-8)
And a refuge He surely is Friends! What confidence Bruh David puts in the God of his fathers! Wow! And he had every reason to do so, because God walked with him and looked after him through all his days. It wasn’t easy though, but David persisted, and the Lord held him together through all his trials and tribulations.
Now why wouldn’t He do the same thing for us if we placed our faith and trust in Him eh? No reason whatsoever my brethren of faith!
And in these few words, Jeremiah concurs with all that Bruh David says. ‘Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.’ (Jer.3:23)
And not only the salvation of Israel my people, but the salvation of the entire world! That’s why He sacrificed his only Son Jesus; so that all who were interested had the chance, the opportunity to be saved.
And all God’s people lustily cried out: ‘Oh praise the Lord for His goodness to the undeserving children of men!’
And we’ll end with the immortal words of Bruh David from Psalm 145 – The Lord is gracious. ‘The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he will also hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all them that LOVE him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.’ (Ps.145.18-21)
Yes Friends, those are indeed the right things to do! So please, let’s all sing and speak the Lord’s praises, and bless His holy name for ever and ever nuh, for that is the wisdom of heaven, and what will carry us safely through down here on earth. Much LOVE!
…how can we not LOVE and adore…the One who created us…who LOVES us unconditionally…and still showers us with blessings every day eh…
29 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night, abounding in mercy, affliction, attributes of God, aura of love, blessed, brazen, Caleb, christianity, comapssion, comapssionate, commandments, common sense, confidence, consequences, corrupt, corruption, Creator of the universe, dealt proudly, did not heed thy commandments, disobedience, Egypt, elections, endure, enthusiasm, forgiveness, friends, Glory be, Hallelujah, holy spirit, humble servants, inefficient, inept, Israelites, Jesus Christ, Job, Joshua, kindness, lacked nothing, lies, long-suffering, LOVE, loving kindness, manna, mercy, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, morning drive, Nehemiah, Oh Lord God Almighty, our Lord and Saviour, Pan Am Games, pardon, patience, persevarance, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., sinfulness, slow to anger, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stiff necked, stubborn, the Lord is merciful and gracious, traffic snarls, two-faced, ungodly world, wine and roses, wisdom
Psalm 103:8. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness).
‘Aye ah yie, mih people is Monday! (background voices) -Glory be now! – Oh yah yo, mih breddren is Monday! -Hallelujah!- That means is time to get up and get ready, ready to go out and labour; Labour for Christ Jesus, Our Blessed Lord and Saviour! -Praise His Holy Name! – Sing the chorus Friends. Aye ah yie mih people is Monday! -Glory be now! – Oh yah yo, mih breddren is Monday! -Hallelujah…!’
Yes Friends, just a li’l ditty, a li’l kaiso to lively up ourselves, to put a li’l amusement in our spirits as we face this Monday morning at the end of June. (smile) Thankfully, the rain seems to have stopped in my area, but the ground is still soggy and the roads might still be a tad wet and slippery, so please be careful in your morning drive.
And talking about morning drive, please remember that as of today, all the major highways are down to one lane less, because those lanes, in somebody’s false wisdom, have been converted to HOV lanes, where only cars with at least three passengers can travel for the next month. Ah Lord eh! And all of that was done so that people involved in the Pan Am Games beginning sometime this week, can get around quicker.
Chuh! Obviously the people who pay for all the expenses and the corruption that goes on in these artificial games don’t really matter. They will just have to endure even more traffic snarls with one lane lost to the already parking lot status on our highways. Normal HOV lanes only require two people in the car, so this will force those who carpool to avoid the traffic, right back into even more congestion.
Steups! Let’s just hope I don’t get caught up in too much of it nuh. But there’s no use complaining now, since there’s nothing we can do about it, except in the next elections not vote back into power, this brazen, inept, inefficient, corrupt and two-faced government. So let’s move on and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much gusto, and leave them to the Lord.
Altogether 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!’
That was pretty good Friends…in comparison to last week. (smile) Jesus wasn’t as disappointed. And we’ll get right into our Bit. ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness).’
Oh Friends, I don’t know what we would have done without such a wonderful God nuh. Just listen to this litany of wrongdoing that the Israelites committed, and yet the Lord did not destroy them totally. The scripture comes from the book of Nehemiah.
‘But they and our fathers dealt proudly (acted presumptuously or insolently), and hardened (stiffened) their necks (became stubborn), and hearkened not to (did not heed) thy commandments. And refused to obey, neither were they mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt and had wrought (worked) great provocations (wonders); Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way, neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way wherein they should go.
Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old (did not wear out), and their feet swelled not.’ (Neh.9:16-21)
Oh my brethren, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! No other Deity would have put up with the shenanigans of the Israelites; they would certainly have been destroyed, or just left to paddle their own canoe, as best they could. But instead our magnanimous God showed them mercy and forgiveness and looked after them in the wilderness, in spite of their gross disobedience and sinfulness.
But it was not all wine and roses, for none of those who came out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb, even Moses, never set foot in the Promised Land. So though our God is wonderful, there are consequences to be paid for continual disobedience.
And we’ll end with a passage from James, where he’s talking about patience in affliction. ‘Behold, we count them happy (blessed) which endure. Ye have heard of the patience (perseverance) of Job, and have seen the end of (intended by) the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful (compassionate), and of tender mercy.’ (James 5:11)
And every believer ought to be able to vouch for that because He has shown compassion, mercy and forgiveness to each and every one of us at one stage, or more like several stages of our lives. Now let’s go out and live up to the expectations and standards He expects of us, for that is indeed the zenith of wisdom and common sense. Much LOVE!
…how could anyone with even a drop of wisdom or common sense…not greatly appreciate the mercy…the long-suffering… the grace…the compassion…and all the other wonderful attributes of Almighty God eh…
27 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a failure, accord with the Spirit, be not deceived, be not weary in well doing, Bruh Paul, CEO, consequences, consideration, contentment, courage, destructive, disheartening, do good to all men, eternal life, evil desires of the flesh, evil world, faith, forgivness, friends, Galatians, God is not mocked, god the father, God's Word, goodness, greatness, hard work, harvest, he that soweth to his flesh, his wife exhorted Him to, honesty, humility, if we faint not, in due season you shall reap, Jesus Christ, life everlasting, lose heart, moral of the story, negative sowing, opportunity, outwit God, perseverance, perspective, reap corruption, reconciliation, rewarded with, seeds, success, that shall he also reap, the grass will wither and die, the Holy Spirit, the household of faith, the incorruptible seed, the life of your family, trust, universal truths, what ever a man sows
Galatians 6:7. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Greetings mih breddren on this wonderful Saturday morning in early summer! And as Bruh Paul said to Galatians in his opening remarks: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age), according to the will of God and our Father. To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Gal.1:3-5)
Yes Friends, I am wishing those sentiments on us all this morning, so that we begin the day on the right foot; in lockstep with Jesus, for there is no other wise and sensible way to start your day. Glory to God!
And today we’ll get right into our Bit because I have an interesting story to share on the subject. And the Bit is something that we all know and like to quote, but don’t really take time to contemplate and ponder it, before we do many of our actions. And it simply says: ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’
Oh my people, that is like the number one rule in God’s domain. Whatever you do, whatever you give out, the same will be returned to you, like a boomerang, and usually in greater abundance too. So it behoves us to be very careful in what we say, do and think in this life.
And as Bruh Paul continues: ‘For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.’ (Gal.6:8)
And we have some explanations from the scholars. ‘6:7. Mocked (outwitted, outfoxed): To disobey God’s commands and then escape divine punishment would be to outwit God, thus making a mockery of Him and His Word. Soweth means “does,” “practices.” Reap could also be said “be requited,” “recompensed.” Contextually, the Galatians cannot disregard the command to support their Christian instructors (v.6) and escape divine discipline.’
‘6:8. For expands the principle of verse 7 to wider application. Soweth to his flesh means to conduct oneself by the evil dictates and desires of the sinful nature, thus practising the deeds of the flesh. (5:19-21). Such a person shall…reap corruption, that is be requited with eternal destruction. Soweth to the spirit means to live by His enabling help in accord with the Spirit’s prompting and leading, thus cultivating the fruit of 5:22-23. Such a person shall…reap life everlasting, that is be rewarded with eternal life.’
Now listen to this story that dramatically brings out the truth in our Bit. And I don’t remember where or when, or from whom or what I got a copy of this story, but it’s been sitting on a chair in study for eons. I might even have shared it before, and if so, it certainly deserves sharing again. Some of you might even know it.
And the story goes thus: A certain successful Christian business man thought it was time for him to retire, but didn’t want to be replaced by any of his family or his directors. So he came up with this wonderful plan to give a group of young executives each a seed to plant, and at the end of a certain period of time, he would have them bring in their plants, and the one he liked the best, the owner would become the new CEO.
Well after a few weeks everybody was talking about their wonderful plants, except this one fellow named Jim. Despite all the water, manure and effort he put into it, nothing would sprout from the seed. He felt he had killed it and considered himself a failure.
A year later the boss called for the plants. But Jim’s pot was still empty. He considered not going to work, but his wife exhorted him to be honest and go with his empty pot. Now we can all imagine how Jim felt when he got to work that morning and saw all the others with a wide variety of beautiful plants in their pots, while his was the only empty one.
But to cut a long story short, Jim became the next CEO, because the boss had given them all boiled seeds which could not grow. All of them, except Jim, had changed the seeds, that’s how they managed to get such beautiful plants.
And the moral of the story is that Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring back the seed the boss had given them. Please pay special attention to that story my brethren, because you can find yourself in such a situation at any time.
Now hear these universal truths about planting. ‘If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment. If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. If you plant faith in Christ, you will reap a harvest. So be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you reap later.’
And Friends, those are words of absolute and incomparable truth! Whatever we sow, at some later date, we will surely reap the same thing. It’s as simple as that. So please let’s be very careful in what we sow, because the consequences of negative sowing can be very disheartening and destructive.
And Bruh Paul continues to the Galatians. ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal.6:9-10)
And we’ll end with this paraphrase of 1 Peter. ‘We are the grass that will wither and die, but the incorruptible seed of God’s Word will live forever – sow it daily into the life of your family.’ (1 Pet.1:23-25)
And that’s wonderful advice my people. So please let’s get wise and just do it nuh, for it will greatly benefit us as individuals, our families and the world in which we live. Much LOVE!
…if one wants to reap a good and plentiful harvest…then one needs to plant good and plentiful seeds…simple logic…
26 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Sunday walk in the park, a witness, accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, all hail the glory of God, apathy, be of good cheer, blessed, bring forth his fruit, commandments, covenant, debauchery, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, fun, glad to be alive, glorious kingdom, hard times, heavenly goodness, his leaf shall not wither, humble servants, i have overcome the world, in due season, in Jesus' name, Jesus Christ, licentiousness, like a tree planted by the rivers of water, LOVE, meditate, meditiating on God's word, misuse our body, Moses, nothing to lose, obedience, Pentateuch, perspective, ponder, rebellion, rebellious against the Lord, recuperate, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, rest, soul searching, statutes, stiff necked, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the ark of the covenant, the breath of life, the One and Only True God, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, thou shalt have good success, truth, ungodly living, ungodly world, walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, weekend break, whatever he does shall prosper, wisdom, wise, worship other gods and idols, ye might have peace, ye shall have tribulation, you may prosper
Joshua 1:8b. …for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, although the ole fella didn’t get to bed until four o’clock this morning, hence the lateness of the Bit, he’s still so glad to be alive this last Friday in June 2015, that he doesn’t know what to do with ‘imself! Hn, hn!
And talking about the last Friday in June makes me shake my head in wonder, asking if June is already finished when it just began the other day? (smile)
Ah mih people, the breath of life is so precious that I’m surprised at how so many of us don’t appreciate it and just waste it away in ungodly living or simple apathy.
Anyway, I know you all are waiting for me to say it so that you can shout it out. So here goes. Aye Friends, all yuh know is Friday…?
And the loud shout rises up: ‘But of course! That’s why we’re exclaiming TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! All hail the glory of God for helping us to see the week through successfully, even though some hard times were involved. Thank God for this weekend break! And furthermore, we going to use it wisely!’
Wow mih brethren, I am proud of you for that tad of wisdom! (smile) But still, since all of us might not feel that way, and consequently want to use the weekend for debauchery and licentiousness, let’s chant our Friday Chant to give us some perspective on the way to truly use it.
As one harmonious chanter 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.’
Yes Friends, the weekend is not to further tire out and misuse our body with ungodly living, but to rest it, to let it recuperate so that we can go back out next week and further God’s kingdom amongst the heathen and ungodly hordes.
And today we’re going to continue with our wise, soul searching Bit from yesterday. ‘…for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’
And that’s something we all want to have. But how do we do it eh? By seriously and sincerely meditating on God’s Word and then keeping His commandments and statutes found therein.
Oh it’s definitely not a Sunday walk in the park, but as Jesus so assuredly said to the disciples. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Those words of assurance still pertain to us today my people, and though being of good cheer in the midst of our troubles is not easy, it is indeed possible when our hearts, minds, bodies and souls are filled with Jesus and His awe inspiring Word. It’s all about the Word, my Friends!
Now let’s look at some scripture which proclaim that sentiment of absolute truth. While Moses was writing the last book of the Pentateuch, (the first five books of the Bible) Deuteronomy, he exhorted the people to obedience, showing them all that the Lord had done for them.
Then he commanded them in no uncertain terms. ‘Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.’ (Deut. 29:9)
Then when Moses was finished writing Deuteronomy, the Good Book declares: ‘That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death?’ (Deut.31:25-27)
Ah Friends, Moses knew his people! And was he ever right, for though they had the law of God ensconced in the ark, they still made a mess of their lives, turned from the God of their fathers several times to foolishly worship all sorts of other supposed gods and idols.
And unfortunately my brethren, that is exactly the state that we are in today. Numerous people are foolishly turning away from the ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD to worship all sorts of other nonsense! Why can’t we understand that it is only when we praise, serve and worship Jehovah God that a land, a society, and a people truly prosper for long periods of time eh?
And we’ll end with these wonderful words of advice and assurance from 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, by talking to oneself) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:1-3)
Ah Friends, what more can I add to that eh? Nothing really, but to advise us to keep walking with the Lord God Jehovah, if we want to be successful in this earthly life and consequently the one hereafter.
And for those of us who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, then I highly recommend that you give Him a try, for you have absolutely nothing to lose and a whole lot of heavenly goodness and wisdom to gain. Much LOVE!
…to sincerely follow Jesus and His Word…is the wisest…most sensible…and most blessed thing a human being can ever do…
22 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Absalom, adversity, apply our hearts unto wisdom, aura of love, bear the yoke, before the evil days come, Blessed is the man whom the Lord chastens, Bruh David, call in sick, confidence, consequences, days of adversity, discern between good and evil, do good like Jesus, Father's Day, glorious kingdom, grief of soul, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, I have no pleasure in them, in his youth, in the days of thy youth, invincible, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, joy, judgement, Lamentations, lies, LOVE, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Moses, nor years draw nigh, Oh Lord God Almighty, rejuvenation of spirit, remember now thy Creator, renewed vitality, righteousness., serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, taunts, teach us to number our days, the evil days, the Lord will not cast off his people, the pit be digged for the wicked, the thoughts of man, the voice of singing men, ungodly world, upright in heart, vanity, when thou shalt say, wiles, wisdom
Ecclesiastes 12:1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not (before the evil days come), nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them.
Oh Friends, before you realize it, the Father’s Day celebrations are over, and it’s Monday once again! Yeh, that means we have to force ourselves to get up to go and labour, under masa’s critical and constant eye and stinging whip. No doubt many are going to call in sick today, regardless of the consequences, but that’s a choice the individual has to make.
However, to help us get ourselves together, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, with as much verve and harmony as possible. (smile)
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah Friends, let me just say that that definitely was NOT one of our better renditions. Hn! Our choir director, Jesus, only shook His head and smiled knowingly. But it ought to get us started in some form and fashion, so we can go out into the mish-mash world and do good like Jesus did in His earthly sojourn.
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not (before the evil days come), nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them.’ Yes my brethren, that’s a wise and powerful warning for all of mankind, especially the youths.
And we have one remaining scripture passage that points toward the first part of our Bit. ‘Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…’ It comes from Jeremiah and his Lamentations. Jerry solemnly declares: ‘It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth (let him sit) alone and keepeth (keep) silence, because he (God) hath borne (laid) it upon him.’ (Lam. 3:27-28)
It’s wisest to remember our Creator in our youth, but even then, as so many other saints besides Jeremiah found out, it’s still possible to experience ‘great grief of soul.’
And as pertaining to the second part of our Bit ‘…while the evil days come not (before the evil days come), nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them.’ Listen to this interesting scripture which takes place when Bruh David is returning to Jerusalem after the death of his rebellious son Absalom. (2 Sam.19)
This older fellow, Barzillai had looked after Bruh David with supplies while he had been on the run and now that he was going back to Jerusalem, Bruh David wanted Barzillai to go back with him. (2 Sam.19:31-33)
‘And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil (bad)? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king.’ (2 Sam.19:34-35)
Yeh Friends, there comes a time when our earthly days are drawing to a close that we don’t, or can’t enjoy the pleasures of life like we used to. And we need to respect and accept it, like Barzillai, otherwise we’ll just make ourselves even more miserable than normal.
Meanwhile, Moses, in Psalm 90 declares: ‘The days of our years (lives) are three score years and ten (seventy); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength (boast only) labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).’ (Ps.90:10-12)
Oh my people, it’s always best we can get on the right path from young, but unfortunately many of us never do so until we’re quite mature, then we have no choice but to stand the consequences of our unwise behaviour.
As the Psalmist says in Psalm 94 – How long shall the wicked triumph. ‘The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity (futile). Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest (instructeth), O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law;
That thou mayest give him rest (relief) from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off (abandon) his people , neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgement shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.’ (Ps.94:11-15)
Yes Friends, no matter how you slice it up, the result is still the same: the Lord will chasten those he LOVES and be forever faithful to them, while He destroys the wicked. So please, let’s advise the young to put their trust in Him as early as possible, so that they can fully enjoy the benefits of His many blessings. That’s just simple common sense and heavenly wisdom. (smile) Much Much LOVE my people!
… oh, if only the parents would teach the young about the Lord…and the young would listen…what wonders would be wrought throughout the earth…
17 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abolished death, almighty god, Arabia, blessing of grace, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, Bruh Paul's conversion, but are not able to kill the soul, called me by his grace, christianity, come boldly to the throne of grace, common sense, confidence, conversion to Christianity, courage, Creator of the universe, Damascus, eternal union with god, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, for by grace you have been saved, Galatians, Gentiles, Glory be, glory hallelujah, god, God's free gift of grace, grace, grace upon gace, guide and protector, halfway home, heathen, heavenly Faher, I will not fear what flesh can do to me, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, immortality, In god I have put my trust, In God will I praise his word, it is the gift of God, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, magnanimity, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, nobody, not of yourselves, obtain mercy, of whom shall I be afraid, personal relationship, respect, resurrection, reverence, righteous lives, salvation, saved through faith, saviour jesus christ, testimony of our Lord, thank God, the breath of life, the curse of sin, the gospel, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, there's nothng to fear, to a glorious future with Jesus, topsy tury, Wailing Time, Wednesday Wail, What time I am afraid, when it pleased God, where our bread is buttered, whom shall I fear
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Oh Friends, welcome to a beautiful morning in this part of God’s great universe! And it’s Wednesday morning too, which means that it’s Wailing Time! Yes my people, it’s time to wail our Wednesday Wail. So let’s wail on them nuh, let’s wail down the place. (smile)
As one set of harmonic wailers, let’s wail: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of live 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, it’s such a wonderful feeling to be alive, though our world is more than a bit topsy turvy! But when we have the Creator of the universe as our God and heavenly Father, our guide and protector, there’s absolutely nothing to fear! Glory be!
Remember these wonderful inspiring and uplifting words of Bruh David from Psalm 27. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps.27:1) And the answer to those questions is simply, NOBODY!
But then, just in case the situation does arise, Bruh David faithfully declares: ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.’ (Ps.56:3-4) Strong words of faith my people.
Then dwell on these reassuring words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:28) The death of the body is not the end of life, and the only person with power to destroy both body and soul my Friends is Almighty God!
So He is the ONLY Being we ought to fear. And if we have a personal relationship with Him, then our fear should not be as someone scared, for we can come to Him at any time with confidence and courage, but a respect and reverence for His awesome power and incredible magnanimity.
And that’s shown to full effect by the words of our Bit. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:’
Oh my people, my people, I certainly don’t understand how anyone can turn away from such a wonderful Deity, for even a little common sense should tell us that’s where our bread is truly buttered, not with the untrustworthy things and evildoers of the world. Now let’s continue looking at scriptures that deal with the truly wonderful blessing of grace.
And we’ll begin with Bruh Paul’s words to the Galatians, when he explained how he came to be an apostle. ‘But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen (Gentiles); immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.’ (Gal.1:15-17)
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘1:15-16. Since Paul’s conversion to Christianity was due to God and not man, and since he did not consult with men subsequent to his conversion, then the apostle could not have received the gospel from any but the Lord. To reveal his Son in (to) me: The divine disclosure to man of the person and work of Christ is the essence of the gospel.’
‘1:17. Following his Damascus road conversion Paul made no trip to Jerusalem, where the apostles were, but spent approximately three years in Arabia. It is implied that he conferred with God there. During these three years he was not taught by men.’
But by the grace of God, Friends! How else could he divine all the heavenly stuff that he divined eh? Our God works in so many different ways that it’s nothing but amazing!
And to Timothy, when exhorting him to endurance, Bruh Paul declares: ‘Be not thou 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 began (before time). 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 through the gospel.’ (2 Tim.1:8-10)
And the scholars’ tell us: ‘1:8-10. The testimony of our Lord refers to the gospel Paul preached. Me his prisoner indicates that although Paul is actually a prisoner in a dungeon cell in the city of Rome, he regards himself there in the directive will of God. Hence he is really God’s prisoner, and Rome is merely God’s agent to put him where God wants him.
Who hath saved us refers to the ultimate effect: our salvation. And called us with a holy calling looks at the means by which our salvation was effected. His own purpose and grace…was given us indicates that our salvation was totally unmerited.
Abolished death (“having rendered death ineffective”): By His vicarious death, Christ reversed the curse of sin and brought life (eternal union of the soul with God) and immortality (“incorruption”) which is guaranteed by His resurrection.’
Ah Friends, I know it does seem like a lot of heavy stuff, but we need to understand the Good Book as best we can, so that we can make worthwhile decisions and thus live righteous lives.
Now we’ll end today’s message with these well know words from Hebrews. ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:16)
Now those are definitely words of awesome heavenly wisdom, so please my people, let’s put them into action in our lives today, and every day that we draw the Lord’s breath of life. Much LOVE!
…this earthly Christian life is nothing but grace…God’s free gift of grace…grace upon grace…so that we can have a beautiful eternal relationship with Him…
16 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a miracle is happening, almighty god, bare witness, blessings, blessings of grace, christ jesus, Christian advancement, come short of God's glory, compassion, die on the cross, faith in his blood, for all have sinned, for by grace you have been saved, friends, friends and neighbours, glory to God, God meets all our needs, God's grace, God-filled life, grace, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, grace for grace, Gramps Schuller, gratitude, he that cometh after me, heartfelt prayer, heartwarming, Hour of Power Devotional, I thank and praise you, I want to improve, I'm not perfecct, it is the gift of God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, justified, LOVE, maturity, mercy seat, miracle, motives of our hearts, not of yourselves, obedient to God's will, of his fullness, preferred before me, propitiation, ransom, redemption, remission of sins, righteous life, righteousness., salvation, serve you faithfully, sinners, Thank You Lord, the brilliant light, the forbearance of God, the Holy Spirit, the law was given by Moses, the SON, through faith, truth, understanding, unmerited favour, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wisdom
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Morning Friends and neighbours! Welcome to a rainy Tuesday morning in my area, although the weather office says it’s supposed to be 25 and sunny.
Hn! Hopefully that will happen later in the day, but in the meanwhile let’s enjoy the brilliant light and blessings provided by the Son, Jesus Christ, for we know that regardless of the weather His Son is always shining. Glory to God!
And this morning we are going to start the proceedings with a simple but heartfelt prayer from the Hour of Power Devotional. This one Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) calls ‘I Want to Improve,’ something that I know we all want to do, since it’s an essential part of our ongoing Christian advancement and maturity.
Please pray with me. ‘O God, how thankful I am that you have come into my life through the Holy Spirit. I’m willing to say: “I’m not perfect, Lord! I want to improve. Show me where I can.” So, Father, I sense that a miracle is happening in my life right now. You are doing something beautiful in my heart this very moment. I thank and praise you! Amen.’
And if you sincerely prayed that prayer my people, I’m sure that the Lord is doing exactly that; making the moves necessary, setting the scene that you can improve.
I can’t resist saying it Friends: ‘What a wonderful God we serve and worship!’ If we are obedient to His will, He meets all our needs. How much more than that can we ask eh? Nothing really.
Now let’s turn to our ever intriguing and most heartwarming Bit. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:’
And there is no more gospel truth that that Friends, for it is only through God’s LOVING-kindness are we able to avoid eternal separation from Him, and death and damnation with Lucifer.
And all God’s children cried out in sincere gratitude: ‘Oh thank You Lord for sending Jesus to die on the cross for us! Thank You for Your grace and mercy which we don’t deserve, but which You nonetheless bless us with! We praise and glorify Your Holy Name this morning, and pledge to serve You faithfully all the days of our lives! Amen.’
And we had better take all those prayers we’re praying this morning very seriously my brethren, for remember that God doesn’t only listen to the words of our mouth, but even more importantly, checks out the motives of our hearts. So please don’t be found wanting when He checks our motives.
Now let’s hear some scriptures that deal with grace. Oh Friends, there are so many that we can only share a few, and I believe that we might have at least one more day with this Bit. Let’s begin with this declaration of John’s.
‘John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me (ranks higher than I): for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.’ (John 1:15-17)
Words of immortal and everlasting truth my brethren!
And here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘1:15. After me: Jesus came into this world about six months after John (for human chronology, see Luke 1:56-57). He was before me: Jesus existed in eternity, so had precedence over John in authority.’
‘1:16-17. Fullness. (cf. Col.1:19): Here the fullness looks back to verse 14, “full of grace and truth.” Grace for grace means “grace heaped on grace.” Grace is evident in the Old Testament (cf. Gen.6:8; Ex.34:6) but not in the fullness now experienced in Jesus Christ. Grace is God’s unmerited favour toward sinners for their salvation (cf. Eph.2:8-9).’
Oh Friends, can you imagine the sad and sorry state we’d be in if Almighty God, our Creator and Provider had not seen fit to bestow us with His blessings of grace. Mama Mia!
Listen to Bruh Paul explain it to the Roman church nuh: ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely (without any cost) by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a mercy seat) through faith in his blood, to declare (demonstrate) his righteousness for the remission (passing over) of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.’ (Rom.3:23-25)
Now listen to these important explanations from the scholars. ‘3:23. For all have sinned: The human need and the divine provision are alike applied universally. Come short of the glory of God: Man can exceed his own standards but never, left to himself, can he attain to God’s standard of righteousness.’
‘3:24. Being justified (Gr. dikaioumenoi) indicates being declared righteous. It signifies the believer’s judicial standing before God. Freely: There is no just cause in man to warrant justification. By his grace: Unmerited favour is bestowed through the redemption (release on payment of ransom). Christ’s death is the ransom. The sinner is released on the basis of the ransom having been paid.’
‘3:25. Through faith: Christ’s death satisfies the Father’s righteous demands. Its benefits are appropriated only through faith in His finished work. In his blood: The emphasis is not on the blood as it coursed through Christ’s veins, but as it was shed for our sins. This is how the propitiation was accomplished.’
Ah mih breddren, I do hope that those explanations of the scholars helped us achieve a better understanding of God’s grace and all that it stands for, because it is ever so necessary if we truly want to live a God-filled and righteous life.
And we’ll end there for today. I know there’s a lot of heavy stuff involved and I surely don’t want to burden us with too much stuff to read, mark and inwardly digest at once. (smile)
Now may the Lord go with us and grant us His peace, mercy, grace, compassion, wisdom and understanding, as we go out to do His work today. Much LOVE!
…who but our great and wonderful God…would heap grace and more grace…on undeserving sinners eh…
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